essay i self-reliance
论自立
emerson/爱默生
there is a time in every man’s education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance；that imitation is suicide；that he must take himself for better，for worse，as his portion；that though the wide universe is full of good，no kerne of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed onthat plot of ground which is given to him to till.the power which resides in him is new in nature，and none but he knows what that is which he can do，nor does he know until he has tried.not for nothing one face，one character，one fact，makes much impression on him，and another none.this sculpture in the memory is not without preestablished harmony.the eye was placed where one ray should fall，that it might testify of that particular ray.we but half express ourselves，and are ashamed of that divine idea which each of us represents.it may be safely trusted as proportionate and of good issues，so it be faithfully imparted，but god will not have his work made manifest by cowards.a man is relieved and gay when he has put his heart into his work and done his best；but what he has said or done otherwise，shall give him no peace.it is a deliverance which does not deliver.in the attempt his genius deserts him；no muse befriends；no invention，no hope.
每个人在求知的过程中都会有一段时期，坚信这样的道理：嫉妒即是无知的表现，仿效他人就等同于自毁前程；思想由心而生，无论会将其引至更好或更坏的境地，都将成为其人生不可或缺的一部分；虽然广阔的宇宙不乏美事，但不经过辛勤的劳作，就想等着玉米大获丰收是根本不可能的事情。隐藏在一个人身上的潜能是怎样的，完全取决于自身的天赋，那是一种全新的力量，除非他本人将自身的长处展现出来，否则，不会有人知道他究竟能有怎样的成就，而且不经过一番尝试，就连他自己也无法弄清自己究竟有什么本领。也许一张面孔、一个人、一件事情会在他的脑海中留下深刻的印象，但别人却丝毫不曾留意。记忆的雕塑一定蕴涵着一种预定的和谐。只有把目光投向光线可能出现的地方，才有可能察觉到光线的到来。我们常常不能充分地表达自己的思想，而且对自己内心深处的真理羞于开口。事实上，也许我们的思想恰好完全合情合理，甚至堪称至理名言。因此，我们应该毫无顾忌地直抒胸臆。不过，上帝绝不会让一个懦夫来表达他的意志。当一个人做事时能够竭尽所能，力求做到最好时，就能够得到真正的宽慰与欢乐，否则，他将永远得不到内心的平静，也无法得到灵魂的解脱。最终，他的天赋会弃他而去，灵感也不再眷顾于他，创造力与希望也同样会一去不复返。
beauty，convenience，grandeur of thought，and quaint expression are as near to us as to any.
insist on yourself；never imitate.your own girl you can present every moment with the cumulative force of a whole life‘s cultivation；but of the adopted talent of another，you have only an extemporaneous8，half possession.that which each can do best，none but his maker can teach him.no man yet knows what it is，nor can，till that person has exhibited it.where is the master who could have taught shakspeare？where is the master who could have instructed franklin，or washington，or bacon，or newton？every great man is a unique.the scipionism of scipio is precisely that part he could not borrow.shakspeare will never be made by the study of shakspeare.do that which is assigned you，and you cannot hope too much or dare too much.there is at this moment for you an utterance brave and grand as that of the colossal chisel of phidias，or trowel of the egyptians，or the pen of moses，or dante，but different from all these.not possibly will the soul all rich，all eloquent，with thousand-cloven tongue，deign to repeat itself；but if you can hear what these patriarchs say，surely you can re-ply to them in the same pitch of voice；for the ear and the tongue are two organs of one nature.abide in the simple and noble regions of your life，obey thy heart，and thou shalt reproduce the foreworld again.
与任何一种思想一样，那些美好的、有益的、伟大的，以及新奇的思想也同样存在于我们每个人的头脑中。
坚守自己的思想，切忌模仿。一生的辛勤劳作所积蓄的力量，足以助你在每一刻都能将自己的天赋以最完美的方式展现出来。可是，如果你仅仅沿袭了他人的思想，那么它只会在你心中做短暂的停留，你永远也无法真正拥有它。一个人的长处，是造物主赋予的，除非他将自己所擅长的东西展现出来，否则不会有人知道他究竟有怎样的长处。莎士比亚的授业恩师是谁？又是哪位大师造就了富兰克林、华盛顿、培根，以及牛顿呢？每一个伟大人物都具有独一无二的特点。西庇阿的西庇阿主义是常人无法模仿的。对莎士比亚的研究无法造就另外一个莎士比亚。做好自己分内的事情，做人不要太过奢求。也不要贸然尝试。对于你，此刻就有一句箴言，无畏而恢弘，如同菲迪亚斯的巨凿、埃及人的泥铲、摩西或但丁的手笔，然而这一切却都不尽相同。心灵不可能丰富到没有任何缺陷，雄辩再精彩，多说也会出现重复的语句，但是。如果你能聆听前辈所言，就一定会以他们的说话方式来做出答复，因为耳朵与舌头是同一属性的两种器官。要做到身处质朴而又崇高的境界，遵循自己的思想，你就能再创历史。（未完待续）