优秀的英语经典大学文章

很多大学生都喜欢阅读那些有翻译的英语励志文章，那么大学励志英语文章带翻译的美文都有哪些呢?一起来看看吧。 大学励志英语文章带翻译的美文：失败是件好事Failure Is a Good Thing Last week, my granddaughter started kindergarten, and, as is conventional, I wished her success. I was lying. What I actually wish for her is failure. I believe in the power of failure. Success is boring. Success is proving that you can do something that you already know you can do, or doing something correctly the first time, which can often be a problematical victory. First-time success is usually a fluke. First-time failure, by contrast, is expected; it is the natural order of things. Failure is how we learn. I have been told of an African phrase describing a good cook as "she who has broken many pots." If you've spent enough time in the kitchen to have broken a lot of pots, probably you know a fair amount about cooking. I once had a late dinner with a group of chefs, and they spent time paring knife wounds and burn scars. They knew how much credibility their failures gave them. I earn my living by writing a daily newspaper column. Each week I am aware that one column is going to be the worst column of the week. I don't set out to write it; I try my best every day. Still, every week, one column is inferior to the others, sometimes spectacularly so. I have learned to cherish that column. A successful column usually means that I am treading on familiar ground, going with the tricks that work, preaching to the choir or dressing up popular sentiments in fancy words. Often in my inferior columns, I am trying to pull off something I've never done before, something I'm not even sure can be done. My younger daughter is a trapeze artist. She spent three years putting together an act. She did it successfully for years with the Cirque du Soleil. There was no reason for her to change the act—but she did anyway. She said she was no longer learning anything new and she was bored; and if she was bored, there was no point in subjecting her body to all that stress. So she changed the act. She risked failure and profound public embarras *** ent in order to feed her soul. And if she can do that 15 feet in the air, we all should be able to do it. My granddaughter is a perfectionist, probably too much of one. She will feel her failures, and I will want to fort her. But I will also, I hope, remind her of what she learned, and how she can do whatever it is better next time. I probably won't tell her that failure is a good thing, because that's not a lesson you can learn when you're five. I hope I can tell her, though, that it's not the end of the world. Indeed, with luck, it is the beginning. [参考译文] 上周，孙女开办了一个幼儿园。按常理，我预祝她成功。实际上我撒了慌，我真正对她的希望是失败，因为我相信失败的力量。 成功是令人厌烦的。成功只是证明你能够做你已经知道自己会做的事情，或是第一次就能正确地做某件事情，而这通常是一次有问题的成功。第一次的成功通常都是侥幸的成功，相反的，第一次的失败恰恰是值得期待的。这是事物的自然法则。 失败是学习的过程。我听说过一个在非洲用来形容大厨的词语， “那个炒坏了很多锅的”。如果你花了足够时间在厨房，炒坏了无数锅，那你也就掌握了大量烹饪方面的知识。有次我和厨师们共进晚餐，他们一直在比较刀伤和烫伤疤痕的多少，因为他们知道曾经的失败带来了无上的信誉。 我以为日报专栏写作谋生。每周我都会意识到会有其中一个成为本周最差专栏。我并不刻意去这样写，而是每天都尽我最大的努力，但每周都还是会有一个专栏比其他的差，有时候差距还挺大。 我现在学会了去珍惜那个较差的专栏。一个成功的专栏通常也就意味着我循规蹈矩，采用一些有效的写作技巧，向唱诗班布道或者用绚丽的语言修饰表达大众的观点。而在那些较差的专栏，我时常会去尝试一些之前没做过的事情，一些甚至都不确定能否完成的事情。 我小女儿是一名吊杠演员。她用三年的时间编排了一段表演，跟Cirque du Soleil太阳马戏团一起多年来都非常成功。应该说没有理由换掉这段表演—但是她最终还是换了。她说，她没有再学到新东西，腻烦了。既然她已经腻烦了，继续让她的躯体承受那些压力也就不再有任何意义。因此她更换了那段表演。为了满足自己的灵魂，她甘愿承受失败的风险，甘愿承受不被观众接受的尴尬处境。但如果她在15英尺的高空中能完成尝试的话，那我们每个人也都会有能力去尝试新事物。 孙女是个完美主义者，可能还会有些极端。她会遇到挫折失败，我会想着去安慰她，但也会提醒，并且希望她从中所学到的东西和她下次可以如何更好去完成一件事情。我可能不会直接跟她说失败是件好事，因为它不是一个年轻人容易吸取的教训。然而，我希望我可以告诉她，这不是世界末日，实际上非常幸运，这才是开端。 大学励志英语文章带翻译的美文：朋友的种类Types of Friends A Faraway Friend is someone you grew up with or went to school with or lived in the same town as until one of you moved away. Without a Faraway Friend, you would never get any mail addressed in handwriting. A Faraway Friend calls late at night, invites you to her wedding, always says she is ing to visit but rarely shows up. An actual visit from a Faraway Friend is a cause for celebration and binges of all kinds. Cigarettes, Chips Ahoy, bottles of Former Friend. A sad thing. At best a wistful memory, at worst a dangerous enemy who is in possession of many of your deepest secrets. But what was it that drove you apart? A misunderstanding, a betrayed confidence, an unrepaid loan, an ill-conceived flirtation. A poor choice of spouse can do in a friendship just like that. Going into business together can be a serious mistake. Time, money, distance, cult religions: all noted friendship killers. A New Friend is a tonic unlike any other. Say you meet her at a party. In your bowling league. At a Japanese conversation class, perhaps. Wherever, whenever, there's that spark of recognition. The first time you talk, you can't believe how much you have in mon. Suddenly, your life story is interesting again, your insights fresh, your opinion valued. Your various shortings are as yet pletely invisible. [参考译文] 远方的朋友和你一起长大或上同一所学校，直到其中一位搬走。没有远方的朋友，你可能永远也收不到一封手写的信件。远方的朋友半夜来访、邀请你参加她的婚礼，总是说要来看你，但又很少露面。远方的朋友真的来看你时，那就要庆祝一下，自然要狂欢作乐一番，少不了香菸、土豆片、欢呼声和一瓶瓶的龙舌兰酒。 啊，过去的朋友，一件令人伤怀的事。最好的能留给你一个情意绵绵的回忆;最糟糕的拥有你的许多机密从而成为你危险的敌人。但到底是什么使你们分手的?误解、泄密、未偿还的贷款或恶意的调情。对配偶选择不当也会带来同样的后果。合伙经商可能是一个严重的错误。时间、金钱、距离、邪教都是有名的友谊杀手。 新朋友就像一种与众不同的补品。比如说你在一个晚会上或保龄球俱乐部联合会上遇见了她，也许在一个日本会话课上。随时随地，都会产生撞击的火花。刹那间，你的人生经历再次生动起来，你的见解新颖独到，你的观点得到器重，而你的各种缺点却全然不见了。 大学励志英语文章带翻译的美文：让我们微笑吧Let Us Smile The thing that goes the farthest toward making life worthwhile, That costs the least and does the most, is just a pleasant *** ile. The *** ile that bubbles from the heart that loves its fellow men, Will drive away the clouds of gloom and coax the Sun again. It'sfull of worth and goodness, too, with manly kindness blent; It’s worth a million dollars, and it doesn’t cost a cent. There is no room for sadness when we see a cheery *** ile; It always has the same good look; it’s never out of style; It nerves us on to try again when failure makes us blue; The dimples of encouragement are good for me and you. It pays the highest interest — for it is merely lent; It’s worth a million dollars, and it doesn’t cost a cent. A *** ile es very easy — you can wrinkle up with cheer, A hundred times before you can squeeze out a salty tear; It ripples out, moreover, to the heartstrings that will tug, And always leaves an echo that is very like a hug. So, *** ile away! Folks understand what by a *** ile is meant; It’s worth a million dollars, and it doesn’t cost a cent. [参考译文] 那最能赋予生命价值、代价最廉而回报最多的东西， 不过一个令人心畅的微笑而已。 由衷地热爱同胞的微笑， 会驱走心头阴郁的乌云，心底收获一轮夕阳。 它充满价值和美好，混合著坚毅的仁爱之心; 它价值连城却不花一文。 当我们看到喜悦的微笑，忧伤就会一扫而光; 它始终面容姣好，永不落伍; 失败令我们沮丧之时，它鼓励我们再次尝试; 鼓励的笑靥于你我大有裨益。 它支付的利息高昂无比──只因它是种借贷形式; 它价值连城却不花一文。 来一个微笑很容易──嘴角欢快翘起来， 你能百次微笑，可难得挤出一滴泪; 它的涟漪深深波及心弦， 总会留下反响，宛若拥抱。 继续微笑吧!谁都懂得它意味着什么; 它价值连城却不花一文。

导语：有很多关于励志的英语小文章都是很值得我们抽空去看看的，我整理了励志的大学英语文章带翻译，欢迎阅读。

守自己的优势

Stick to your special talents

You were born with a special talent. It may be to sing, write, teach, paint, mentor, preach, defend or befriend. You have something special to offer the world, something you can do better than 10,000 others. You must keep learning and trying new things to find your special talent. The world needs your gift. Be aware that even a special talent can go stale if you don’t keep using and honing it. Endeavor to keep your talents and all your skills up to date.

An advantage isn’t an advantage unless you use it. Find ways to use your advantages to set and reach your goals. Likewise, you should recognize and then try to minimize the impact of your limitations. Remember that not all advantages are transferable. Just because you are talented in one area doesn’t mean that you will be talented at everything you try. The successful real estate investor can easily lose her money opening a restaurant. Stick to your advantages and don’t stray from them without reasoned justification.

[参考译文]

固守自己的优势

你生而有自己的特殊天赋。你的特长可能是唱歌，写作，教书，绘画，劝导，步道，辩护或交友。你总有些特殊之处可以贡献给这个世界，有些事你可以做的比另外一万个人做的都好。你必须不断学习和尝试新的事物从而发现自己的特殊才能。时间需要你的贡献馈赠。要明白即使是特殊才能如果不经常使用而且磨练的话也会失效。因此要尽力使自己的天赋与所有的技能跟上时代。

任何优势如果不用的话也就不称其为优势了。找到办法运用你的优势来确定并实现你的目标。同样的你应该意识到自己的不足之处并尽力将其不利影响限制在最小程度。切记并不是所有的优势都能够相互转换的：你在某一方面有天赋并不意味着你在自己所尝试的一切事情上都有天赋。一个成功的房地产投资商很可能因为开餐馆而亏本。因此要固守自己的优势，在没有理性的确定判断之前不要轻易离开自己擅长的领域。

爱能够创造奇迹的力量

Love: The One Creative Force

A college professor had his sociology class go into the Baltimore slums to get case histories of 200 young boys. They were asked to write an evaluation of each boy's future. In every case the students wrote," He hasn't got a chance." Twenty-five years later another sociology professor came across the earlier study. He had his students follow up on the project to see what had happened to these boys.

With the exception of 20 boys who had moved away or died, the students learned that 176 of the remaining 180 had achieved more than ordinary success as lawyers, doctors and businessmen.

The professor was astounded and decided to pursue the matter further. Fortunately, all men were in the area and he was able to ask each one," How do you account for your success?" In each case the reply came with feeling," There was a teacher."

The teacher was still alive, so he sought her out and asked the old but still alert lady what magic formula she had used to pull these boys out of the slums into successful achievement.

The teacher's eyes sparkled and her lips broke into a gentle smile. "It's really very simple," she said. "I loved those boys."

一个大学教授在上社会学课的时候，让他的学生去巴尔的摩贫民窟找200个男孩的历史记录，并且要求写出对每个男孩未来的评估。对每个孩子，学生都这样评价着：“他这辈子完了。”25年以后另外一个社会学教授发现了这个早期的研究，并让他的学生继续探究这个研究，看看这些男孩到底怎么样了。这些男孩中除了已经去世或者迁居的20位以外，学生发现，剩下的180人中有176人都获得了比普通人更大的成就，他们中有律师，医生，还有商人。

教授大吃一惊并决定进一步地探究下去。幸运的是，这些长成人的.孩子还都在这个地区，因此教授有机会挨个去问他们：“你是如何获得你的这些成就的?”很让人感动的是，他们的回答如出一辙：“因为我有一位好老师。”

这个老师还健在。当教授找到这位年迈但仍不失机警的妇人，问她到底有什么魔法能让这些贫民窟的孩子都获得如此成就的时候，这位老师眼里闪耀着光芒，她的嘴唇露出一抹温柔微笑，“很简单，”她说，“因为我爱这些孩子。”

什么是你攀升的方向标

What is your direction indicator of ascended

One windy spring day, I observed young people having fun using the wind to fly their kites. Multicolored creations of varying shapes and sizes filled the skies like beautiful birds darting and dancing. As the strong winds gusted against the kites, a string kept them in check.

Instead of blowing away with the wind, they arose against it to achieve great heights. They shook and pulled, but the restraining string and the cumbersome tail kept them in tow, facing upward and against the wind. As the kites struggled and trembled against the string, they seemed to say, “Let me go! Let me go! I want to be free!” They soared beautifully even as they fought the restriction of the string. Finally, one of the kites succeeded in breaking loose. “Free at last,” it seemed to say. “Free to fly with the wind.”

Yet freedom from restraint simply put it at the mercy of an unsympathetic breeze. It fluttered ungracefully to the ground and landed in a tangled mass of weeds and string against a dead bush. “Free at last” free to lie powerless in the dirt, to be blown helplessly along the ground, and to lodge lifeless against the first obstruction.

How much like kites we sometimes are. The Heaven gives us adversity and restrictions, rules to follow from which we can grow and gain strength. Restraint is a necessary counterpart to the winds of opposition. Some of us tug at the rules so hard that we never soar to reach the heights we might have obtained. We keep part of the commandment and never rise high enough to get our tails off the ground.

Let us each rise to the great heights, recognizing that some of the restraints that we may chafe under are actually the steadying force that helps us ascend and achieve.

[参考译文]

什么是你攀升的方向标

在一个有风的春日，我看到一群年轻人正在迎风放风筝玩乐，各种颜色、各种形状和大小的风筝就好像美丽的鸟儿在空中飞舞。当强风把风筝吹起，牵引线就能够控制它们。

风筝迎风飘向更高的地方，而不是随风而去。它们摇摆着、拉扯着，但牵引线以及笨重的尾巴使它们处于控制之中，并且迎风而上。它们挣扎着、抖动着想要挣脱线的束缚，仿佛在说：“放开我!放开我!我想要自由!”即使与牵引线奋争着，它们依然在美丽地飞翔。终于，一只风筝成功挣脱了。“终于自由了，”它好像在说，“终于可以随风自由飞翔了!”

然而，脱离束缚的自由使它完全处于无情微风的摆布下。它毫无风度地震颤着向地面坠落，落在一堆乱草之中，线缠绕在一颗死灌木上。“终于自由”使它自由到无力地躺在尘土中，无助地任风沿着地面将其吹走，碰到第一个障碍物便毫无生命地滞留在那里了。

有时我们真像这风筝啊!上苍赋予我们困境和约束，赋予我们成长和增强实力所要遵从的规则。约束是逆风的必要匹配物。我们中有些人是如此强硬地抵制规则，以至我们从来无法飞到本来能够达到的高度。我们只遵从部分戒律，因此永远不会飞得足够高，使尾巴远离地面。

让我们每个人都飞到高处吧，并且认识到这一点：有些可能会令我们生气的约束，实际上是帮助我们攀升和实现愿望的平衡力。

教学中,充分利用经典美文资源,挖掘经典美文中的想象因素,运用仿写、改写、续写等方法,引导学生学习经典美文中的想象技巧,进一步提高学生的习作想象力。我精心收集了大学经典英语美文，供大家欣赏学习!

重生 Reborn

Who are you? It’s the most elemental question in the world, but one that is not always easy toanswer. We tend to answer this question by naming roles that we fulfill, which were writer,boyfriend, son, entrepreneur, etc.

你是谁?这是世界上最基本的，但又总是难回答的问题。我们试图凭借清数自己扮演的角色来回答这个问题，如作家，男友，儿子，企业家等等。

It makes sense, because these are the roles that others see us fulfilling every day. In the worldwe operate in, we need to market ourselves as this or that role so that others know how torelate to us. But these are actually things that we do rather than what we are.

这点似乎合情合理，因为我们每天都在履行这些角色，别人都看在眼里。在我们经营的世界里，我们需要以这种或那种角色将自己推销出去，以便别人知晓如何与我们产生联系。这些确实是我们在做的事情，然而这些却无法诠释我们究竟是谁。

Most religions and spiritual belief systems teach that we are not our bodies, though we inhabitthem and identify with them through the course of a lifetime. Nor are we our minds, though weuse our minds and intelligence to guide us in our daily interactions.

大多数宗教和精神理念体系教诲我们不属于肉体，尽管我们以肉体形式存在，且终其一生都与肉体剪不断理还乱。我们也不属于思想，尽管我们使用思想和智慧指导日常交往。

When we identify with these things we cannot accept their loss through physical illness, injury,or death.

当我们认为人等同于肉体和思想，就会无法接受由身体疾病，伤痛或死亡带来的损失。

Whether you believe that some part of us survives our physical death or not, it’s easy to seethat when we identify with the roles that we fulfill, it becomes very difficult to accept it whenthose roles must change.

不论你是否相信人的某个部分可以永恒，如果我们将自己等同于我们扮演的角色的话，一旦这些角色必须改变，接受改变是非常困难的，这点显而易见。

When we lose our job or must change careers, when we go through a divorce or whensomeone who helps define a role goes away or dies, who are we then?

当我们失业，需要换工作，当我们历经离婚，亦或帮我们定义角色的某人离开或死亡，到那时我们又是谁呢?

There’s no single answer to this question. For some, there may be a realization that you existoutside of the body and self that you think of as “you” and that you will continue to “be” nomatter what roles you shed or even when you shed your physical body.

这个问题答案不是唯一的。对一些人来讲，或许存在某种意识，就是你存在于肉体和自身之外，你认为的自己，不论你自己角色如何转换，甚至你卸下肉体的躯壳，你终将继续是你。

For others, it may be more a matter of considering the purpose of the roles you fulfill. Theirpurpose may seem more like a lesson on the road to fulfilling your life’s purpose.

对于其他人来讲，这或许属于认清自己扮演角色目的事情了。各种角色的目的更像人生路上的一堂课程，以此来实现人生的意义。

For example, you may believe that each role allows you to learn more about yourself andothers, or that each role is a way for you to manifest and offer love to others during yourlifetime.

例如，你或许相信每种角色使你更加地了解自己和他人，亦或，每种角色在你生命中让你向他人证明并奉献了自己的爱。

In this case, when one of the roles you fulfill comes to an end—whether through separation ordeath or other means—you may need to consider that perhaps you’ve fulfilled the role. Maybethat’s all that was being asked of you.

此种情况下，当过你扮演的角色中，某个角色告终—不论是离别或死亡或其他原因引起的—你或许需要这样考虑，你已经完满了这个角色。或许你能做的已经不遗余力了

If that’s the case, then it’s time to let go of that role and move on. As long as you are alive,there will always be new roles to fulfill if you are open to the possibilities they represent.

如果事已如此，是时间放手继续前行了。只要一息尚存，如果你不将机会拒之门外，新的角色将接踵而至。

Life is all about change.

生命在于改变。

Change is seldom easy or comfortable, but when we don’t let go and allow life to flow the wayit’s going, we miss out on opportunities to grow, learn, and have new adventures.

改变不是那般简单，而令人舒适的。然而，如果我们不放手，不能让生活顺其自然，我们终将逝去成长，学习及新鲜的冒险机遇。

伤心时不必独处

There are times when we are faced with illnesses, disorders, disabilities some type of tragedythat causes us to lose contact with ourselves and the world in which we live. Our happinessbegins to fade and our heart begins to grow heavy. This affects the way we think, live, feel andthe way we look at life.

有时候我们会遭遇疾病，混乱， 残疾等一些灾难，这些灾难会暂时使我们迷失自我，并与这个我们赖以生存的世界失去联系。我们的快乐开始褪却，我们的内心开始变得沉重。这一切影响着我们的思维，生活，感情以及对待生活的方式。

None of us can be happy all the time. During times of tragedy, it is natural and even beneficialto be sad, but not to hold unhappy, anger or any negative emotion that takes control. Wemust heal ourselves emotionally and spiritually.

没有人始终都保持着快乐。当身处灾难时，悲伤是自然的，也是非常有益的。但不要让不愉快，愤怒或任何消极的情绪操控你的生活。我们必须从情绪上和精神上治愈我们心灵上的创伤。

Talk with optimistic and encouraging people for they bring a sense of hope into the world, anew meaning to life. They help you see past the clouds on a glooming day，they bring sunlighteveryday.

去和积极乐观的人们聊聊天，因为他们带给世界一线希望，带给生活新的意义。他们会帮助你在阴郁的天气里抹去乌云，让你的每天都是晴天。

Happiness is when you are with people who love you for who you are, this is the true meaningof love and friendship. Each day you are reborn with love and joy when you realize that youhave people by your side that care.

当你和真正关爱你的人在一起时，这才是快乐，同时这也是爱与友谊的真正含义。每天当你意识到有人在你身边关爱着你时，你便和爱与喜悦一起重生。

of Nature in Men

论人的天性

Nature is often hidden; sometimes overcome; seldom extinguished. Force maketh nature more violent in me return: doctrine and discourse maketh nature less importune: but custom only doth alter and subdue nature. He that seeketh victory over his nature, let him not set himself too great, nor too small tasks: for the first will make him dejected by often failings; and the second will make him a small proceeder, though by often prevailings.

天性常常是隐而不露的，有时可以压伏，而很少能完全熄灭的。压力之于天性，使它在压力减退之时更烈于前;但是习惯却真能变化气质，约束天性。凡是想征服自己底天性的人，不要给自己设下过大或过小的工作;因为过大的工作将因为常常失败的原故而使他灰心;而过小的工作，虽然能使他常常成功，但是将使他成为一个进步甚小的人。

And at the first, let him practise with helps, as swimmers do with bladders, or rushes: but after a time, let him practise with disadvantages, as dancers do with thick shoes. For it breeds great perfection, if the practice be harder then the use. Where nature is mighty, and therefore the victory hard, the degrees had need be; first to stay and arrest nature in time; like to him, that would say over the four and twenty letters, when he was angry: then to go less in quantity; as if one should, in forbearing wine, come from drinking healths, to a draught at a meal: and lastly, to discontinue altogether. But if a man have the fortitude, and resolution, to enfranchise himself at once, that is the best; optimus ille animi vindex, laedentia pectus vmcula qui rupit, dedoluitque semel.

还有，在起始的时候他应当用些帮忙的事务来练习，就好象学游泳的人用浮胞和苇筏一样;但是过了些时候以后，他应当与困难相搏以为练习，就好象舞蹈家之穿着厚鞋练习一样。因为，假如练习比实用还难，那么其结果就更为完美了。凡是天性甚强，因之不容易克服的地方，其克服的工夫就必须如此方可：第一，在时间方面要阻止天性，不要放纵，就好象有的人在生气的时候默诵24个字母底名字以抑怒气的一样;这段工夫做到了，然后在量底方面应该减少，就好象要戒酒的人，从引觞互祝减到每餐一饮一样;最后，才可以完全戒绝，但是假如一个人有那种毅力和决心，能够一举而解放自己，那是最好的：最能坚持灵魂底自由的人，就是那挣断磨胸的锁链，一举而永免受罪的人。

Neither is the ancient rule amiss, to bend nature as a wand, to a contrary extreme, whereby to set it right: understanding it, where the contrary extreme is no vice.

还有古人底遗训说应当把天性屈到相反的另一极端去，好象一根杆杖似的，以便它再反过来的时候可以适中，这句话也是不错的;不过我们须要明白，此处所谓的另一极端当然要不是恶德才行。

Let not a man force a habit upon himself, with perpetual continuance, but with some intermission. For both the pause reinforceth the new onset; and if a man that is not perfect be ever in practice, he shall as well practise his errors, as his abilities; and induce one habit of both: and there is no means to help this, but by seasonable intermissions.

一个人不可强给自己加上一种不断的继续的习惯，而应当稍有间歇。因为一则这种休息或间歇可以援助新的尝试;二则，假如一个德行不完全的人永远继续练习的话，他不仅练习了他底优点，连谬误也一定要练习了，并且使优点与谬误将同具一种习惯。这种情形，没有别的补救之策，除了用合时的间歇和休止。

But let not a man trust his victory over his nature too far, for nature will lay buried a great time, and yet revive, upon the occasion or temptation. Like as it was with Aesop's damsel, turned from a cat to a woman; who sat very demurely, at the board's end, till a mouse ran before her. Therefore let a man either avoid the occasion altogether, or put himself often to it, that he may be little moved with it A man's nature is best perceived in privateness, for there is no affectation; in passion, for that puttefh a man out of his precepts; and in a new case or experiment, for there custom leaveth him.

但是一个人也不可过于相信他对于自己底天性底胜利，因为天性能够长期潜伏着，而到有了机会或诱惑的时候复活起来。就好象《伊索寓言》中的猫变的女子一样，她坐在餐桌底一头，坐得端端正正地，可是有一只小鼠在她面前跑过的时候，她就不如此了。因此一个人应当或者完全躲避这种机会，或者常常与这种机会接触，以便少被牵动。人底天性在私生活里最易看出，因为在那种生活里是没有虚饰的;在热情里也最易看出，因为热情使人把平日的教训忘了;在一种新的事情或尝试之中也最易看出，因为在这种情形里是无惯例可援的。

They are happy men, whose natures sort with their vocations; otherwise they may say, multum incola fuit aruma mea, when they converse in those things, they do not affect In studies, whatsoever a man commandeth upon himself, let him set hours for it: but whatsoever is agreeable to his nature, let him take no care for any set times: for his thoughts will fly to it of themselves; so as the spaces of other business, or studies, will suffice. A man's nature runs either to herbs, or weeds; therefore let him seasonably water the one, and destroy the other.

凡是天性与职业适合的人是有福的人;反之，那些从事于他们本不想做的事业的人，他们可以说：“我底灵魂曾久与天性不合之事物周旋”。在学问方面，一个人对于与他底天性不合而勉强去学的学科，应当有固定的时间;但是凡是与天性相合的学科，那就不必有什么规定的时间;因为他底思想会自己作主，飞到那方面去的;只要别的事情或学科所剩下来的时间足够研究这些学问就行。一个人底天性不长成药草，就长成莠草;所以他应当以时灌溉前者而芟除后者。