如果你不能成為山頂的一棵松,
就做一叢小樹生長在谷中,但須是溪邊最好的一叢小樹.
如果你不能成為一棵大樹,
就做灌木一叢;
如果你不能成為一叢灌木,
就做一片綠草,
讓公路上也有幾分歡娛.
如果你不能成一隻麝香鹿,
就做一條鱸魚,
但須是湖里最好的一條魚.
如果我們不能做船長,
就做水手,
在這裡我們都有廣闊的天地,
如果你不能做一條公路,
就做一條小徑.
如果你不能做太陽,
就做一顆星星.
不能憑大小來斷定你的尊卑,
不論你做什麼都要做最好的一名!
—道格拉斯·馬爾洛赫
Be the Best of Whatever You Are
Be the Best of Whatever You AreIf you can't be a pine on the top of the hill,
Be a scrub in the valley---but be
The best little scrub by the rill;
Be a bush if you can't be a tree.
If you can't be a bush be a bit of grass,
And some highway happier make;
If you can't be a muskie then just be a bass---
But the liveliest bass in the lake!
We can't all be captains, we've got to be crew,
There's something for all of us here,
There's big work to do, and there's lesser to do,
And the task you must do is the near.
It isn't by size that you won or you fail--
Be the best of whatever you are!
