大学之道

译者：李欣

A Psalm of Life    人生颂

Tell me not, in mournful numbers,
“Life is but an empty dream!”
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.
人生不过是一场空洞的梦境，
灵魂睡了意味着死了，
事情也总是表里不一。

Life is real! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
“Dust thou art, to dust returnest,”
Was not spoken of the soul.
人生是真是的，人生是实在的，
它的归宿决不是坟墓；
“你本是尘埃，必归于尘埃”，
非指灵魂，而说躯壳。

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each to-morrow
Finds us further than to-day.
享乐，受苦，
绝非我们既定的目标，
而是行动，在每一个明天，
发现自己超越了今天。

Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.
艺术无止境，时光永飞逝，
这颗心，纵然勇敢坚强，
也只如钟鼓，沉闷的敲动，
敲响迈向坟地的丧钟。

In the world’s broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
Be a hero in the strife!
在世界这个辽阔的战场上，
人生步步为营，
莫学任人驱使的哑畜，
做一名骁勇威武的英雄。

Trust no Future, howe’er pleasant!
Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act,—act in the living Present!
Heart within, and God o’erhead!
别指望将来，无论它多可爱，
把已逝的过去紧紧掩埋，
行动吧–行动在这生存的现在，
心中有赤心，头上有真宰。

Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;
伟人的生平启示我们，
我们可以生活的高尚，
而死亡留下的，
是脚印在时间的沙滩上。

Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o’er life’s solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.
也许我们有一个兄弟，
航行在庄严的人生大海，
遇险沉船而绝望时，
会看到这振奋人心的脚印。

Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing
Learn to labor and to wait.
那么，让我们一起来做吧，
带着一颗对任何命运敢于承载的心，
不断进取，不断追求，
要善于劳动，善于等待。