We cannot travel every path. Success must be won along one line. We must make our business the one life purpose to which every other must be subordinate.

我们不可能把每条路都走一遍。成功必须执着于一条道路才能获得成功。我们必须有一个终生追求的目标，其他的则从属于这个目标。

I hate a thing done by halves. If it be right, do it boldly. If it be wrong, leave it undone.

我痛恨做事半途而废。如果这件事是对的，就大胆勇敢地去做；如果这件事不对，就不要去做。

The men of history were not perpetually looking into the mirror to make sure of their own size. Absorbed in their work they did it. They did it so well that the wondering world sees them to be great, and labeled them accordingly.

历史长河中的伟人并不是靠终日瞻观镜中的自己来衡量自身的形象的。他们的形象来自对事业全身心的投入与追求。他们是如此的卓越超凡，于是芸芸众生觉得他们很伟大，并因此称他们为伟人。

To live with a high ideal is a successful life. It is not what one does, but what one tries to do, that makes a man strong. "Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty." it has been said, with equal truth it may be said, "Unceasing effort is the price of success." If we do not work with our might, others will and they will outstrip us in the race, and pluck the prize from our grasp.

怀着崇高的理想生活是一种成功的生活。使人坚强的不是一个人所做的，而是一个人所努力做的。有人说过：“永远的警惕是自由的代价。”，同样的道理也可以说：“不懈的努力是成功的代价”。如果我们不竭尽全力，其他人就会在比赛中超过我们，并从我们手中夺走奖品。

Success grows less and less dependent on luck and chance. Self-distrust is the cause of most of our failures.

成功越来越不依赖于运气和巧合。丧失自信是我们失败的主要原因。

The great and indispensable help to success is character. Character is a crystallized habit, the result of training and conviction. Every character is influenced by heredity, environment and education. But these apart, if every man were not to be a great extent the architect of his own character, he would be a fatalist, and irresponsible creature of circumstances.

性格是成功不可或缺的重要因素。性格是一种固化成形的习惯，是训练和信念的结果。每个性格都受到遗传、环境和教育的影响。但除此之外，如果每个人在很大程度上都不是自己性格的建筑师，他将是宿命论者，是环境的不负责任的产物。

Instead of saying that man is a creature of circumstance, it would be nearer the mark to say that man is the architect of circumstance. From the same materials one man builds palaces, another hovel. Bricks and mortar are mortar and bricks, until the architect can make them something else.

与其说人是环境的创造者，不如说人是环境的建筑师更贴切些。同样的材料，有人能用其建造出宫殿，而有人只能建成简陋的小屋。在建筑师将其变成他物之前，砖泥依然是砖泥。

The true way to gain much is never to desire to gain too much.

想得到的多就永远不要奢望太多。

Wise men don't care for what they can't have.

智者不会在意他们得不到的东西。

Elder male cousin:

表哥：

Good faith! After receiving your letter, I was both happy and sad for you for many days. I looked at what you said in your letter, thought for a long time, and finally tried to find a reason to persuade you.

见信好！收到你的来信后，我既高兴，又为你难过了好几天。我看了看你在信中所说的话，想了很久，终于找到了说服你的理由。

You said that you have made progress in each subject this semester, and each subject is among the best in the class. This is the result of your hard work. I'm very happy. I will take you as an example, study hard and strive for common progress with you. Let's encourage!

你说这学期你在每门课上都取得了进步，而且每门课都是班上最好的。这是你努力学习的结果。我很高兴。我将以你为榜样，努力学习，与你共同进步。让我们相互共勉吧！

But what you say in your letter is more painful.

但你在信中说得更多的是让人心里难受的话。

You say that you are a poor child in a gully, and you don't even have a pair of decent shoes on your feet, let alone use fashionable clothes to package yourself. You always get the squint of other people's eyes in campus life. You think that's because of your humble origin, no good father, and useless parents?

你说你是个山沟里的穷孩子，脚上连一双像样的鞋子都没有，更不用说用时尚的衣服来包装自己了。在校园生活中，你总是会被别人鄙视。你认为那是因为你出身卑微，没有好父亲，父母一无是处？

You said that you are so envious of the affluent living conditions of those students in the city. They hold the latest mobile phone all day, and hang the MP4 around their neck. When they arrive at the dormitory, they open their laptop and play games. But you are shy in your own pocket. Even the simple cost of living every month is sometimes tight.

你说你很羡慕城里那些学生优越的生活条件。他们整天拿着最新的手机，把MP4挂在脖子上。当他们到达宿舍时，他们打开笔记本电脑玩游戏。但你自己囊中羞涩。甚至每个月简单的生活费用有时也很紧张。

You said why is the world so rich and poor? Why is life so bitter? Why should we drink mineral water? No, even mineral water can't afford it. It's only the life of drinking tap water?

你说为什么世界贫富差距如此悬殊？为什么生活如此痛苦？我们为什么要喝矿泉水？不，即使是矿泉水也买不起。只该是喝自来水的命？

Cousin, although I'm still in high school, I haven't experienced college life. However, I have borne your thoughts in silence. Later, I learned the true meaning of life from reading the books of famous people and great people, and from the textbooks of real life.

表哥，虽然我还在读高中，还没有经历过大学生活。然而，你的这些想法我也默默地承受过。后来我从读名人和伟人的书，以及从现实生活的课本中了解到了生活的真谛。

Yes, we can't choose our parents, our families or the birthplace of our destiny. However, we can compare with the city students to study and improve. When you think about your high school and college life, it's not because of your efforts. Middle school, you are admitted to the county key; University, you are admitted to the highest institution in the province. Isn't all this because poverty is your greatest motivation? In a sense, poverty is wealth. ?

是的，我们无法选择父母、家庭，无法选择命运的出生地。然而，我们可以与城市的学生比学习、比进步。但是，我们完全可以与城里学生比学习、比进步。回想你所走过的中学、大学生活，哪一步不是因为自己的努力。中学，你考上了县重点；大学，你考入省城最高学府。这些不都是因为贫穷作了你最大的动力吗？从某种意义上讲，贫穷是财富。

When you are in college, just because you don't have the travel expenses for home on holidays, you just hide in the dormitory to study; because you don't have the money to buy computers and foreign things, you use paper text instead of electronic documents, you get the most real and effective training, you spend all your energy on your studies, so you become a real leader in the class.

当你在大学时，仅仅因为没有回家的车旅费，你就躲在宿舍里学习；因为你没有钱买电脑和那些洋玩意儿，你用纸质文本代替电子文档，你得到了最真实有效的训练，你把所有的精力都花在了学习上，所以你成为了班上名副其实的尖子。

When you say that others always point at you, it's actually your psychological factors. Maybe they are appreciating you and praising you. Besides, life is hard to be smooth, and temporary difficulties do not mean permanent.

当你说别人总是对你指指点点，其实是你的心理因素在作怪。也许他们是在欣赏你，赞美你。此外，生活很难一帆风顺，暂时的困难并不意味着永久的困难。

Our brothers and sisters may be more grateful to our respective parents, because in this poor family, we have learned how to tolerate, how to seek spiritual comfort in the days of poverty. We should use Mencius's words to inspire ourselves at all times, "heaven will give us a great responsibility, so people must first work hard, strain their muscles and bones, starve their bodies and skin, and be empty..."

我们兄妹俩更应该感谢我们各自的父母，因为在这个贫困的家庭里，我们学会了如何忍耐，如何在贫困的日子里寻求精神慰藉。我们应该时刻用孟子的话来激励自己，“天降大任于斯人也，必先苦其心志，劳其筋骨，饿其体肤，空乏其身……”

Cousin, there's a way that it's hard to buy young people. Let's taste our life together in setbacks, and hone the wisdom and strength others don't have in the bitter experience!

表哥，有道是千金难买少年贫。让我们一起在挫折中品味生活，在痛苦的经历中磨练别人没有的智慧和力量！

Promise yourself to dream more and hesitate less.

努力让自己多一点如心所愿，少一些己所不愿。

To believe in yourself more and judge yourself less by the accomplishments of others.

多相信自己，少以他人的成就来评判自己。

To appreciate your family and friends for all the wonderful ways they make your life better.

珍视家庭和朋友，他们为你的生命增添光彩。

Promise yourself to accept life as it comes and truly make each day special.

努力让自己接受生活的本来面目，让生命的每一天变得意义非凡。

To become more independent and more willing to change.

变得更独立，更愿意改变。

To fill your life with special times, and make your dreams come true.

让你的生活充满特殊的时光，让你的梦想成真。