LiveUpward
奧裡森·馬登/OrisonMarden
AceintheHole
Understandthesenewwordsbeforeyoureadthisarticle.
1.proclaim[pr?u'kleim]v.宣告，公佈；聲明
2.extend[ik'stend]v.延伸；擴大
3.prolong[pr?'l??,'l?:?]v.延長
4.aspire[?'spai?]v.渴望；立志；追求
5.delusion[di'lu:??n]n.迷惑，欺騙；錯覺；幻想
6.wretchedness['ret?idnis]n.可憐；悲慘；不幸
「Alexander,Caesar,Charlemagneandmyselfhavefoundedempires,」saidNapoleontoMentholatSt.Helena,「butuponwhatdidwerestthecreationsofourgenius?Uponforce.JesusChristalonefoundedhisempireonlove,andatthismomentmillionsofmenwoulddieforhim.Idiebeforemytimeandmybodywillbegivenbacktoworms.SuchisthefateofhimwhohasbeencalledthegreatNapoleon.WhatanabyssbetweenmydeepmiseryandtheeternalkingdomofChrist,whichisproclaimed,lovedandadored,andwhichisextendedoverthewholeearth.」
TraditionsaysthatwhenSolomonreceivedthegiftofanemeraldvasefromtheQueenofShebahefilleditwithanelixirwhichheonlyknewhowtoprepare,onedropofwhichwouldprolonglifeindefinitely.Adyingcriminalbeggedforadropofthepreciousfluid,butSolomonrefusedtoprolongawickedlife.Whengoodmenaskedforittheywererefused,orfailedtoobtainitwhenpromised,asthekingwouldforgetorprefernottoopenthevasetogetbutasingledrop.Whenatlastthekingbecameill,andbadehisservantsbringthevase,hefoundthatthecontentshadallevaporated.Soitisoftenwithourhope,ourfaith,ourambition,ouraspiration.
Amancannotaspireifhelooksdown.Godhasnotcreateduswithaspirationsandlongingsforheightstowhichwecannotclimb.Liveupward.Theunattainedstillbeckonsustowardthesummitoflife』smountains,intotheatmospherewheregreatsoulsliveandbreatheandhavetheirbeing.Lifeshouldbelivedinearnest.Itisnoidlegame,nofarcetoamuseandbeforgotten.Itisasternreality,fullerofdutiesthantheskyofstars.Youcannothavetoomuchofthatyearningwhichwecallaspiration,for,eventhoughyoudonotattainyourideal,theeffortsyoumakewillbringnothingbutblessing.
Toallwillcomeatimewhentheloveofglorywillbeseentobebutasplendiddelusion,richesempty,rankvain,powerdependent,andalloutwardadvantageswithoutinwardpeaceameremockeryofwretchedness.Thewisestmenhavetakencaretouprootselfishambitionfromtheirbreasts.Shakespeareconsidereditsonearaviceastoneedextenuatingcircumstancestomakeitavirtue.
Whohasnotnoticedthepowerofloveinanawkward,crabbed,shiftless,lazyman?Hebecomesgentle,chasteinlanguage,energetic.Lovebringsoutthepoetryinhim.Itisonlyanidea,asentiment,andyetwhatmagicithaswrought.Nothingwecanseehastouchedtheman,yetheisentirelytransformed.