Be the Best of Whatever You Are

Douglas Malloch

If 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 side of the rill;

Be a bush if you can't be a tree.

If you can't be a bush, be a bit of the 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.

If you can't be a highway then just be a trail,

If you can't be the sun, be a star;

It isn't by size that you win or you fail—

Be the best of whatever you are!

注释

pine [paɪn] n. 松树，树木

scrub [skrʌb] n. 矮树丛，灌木丛

rill [rɪl] n. 小河，小溪

muskie [ˈmʌskɪ] n. 大梭鱼

bass [beɪs] n. 鲈鱼

做最好的自己

道格拉斯·马洛赫

如果不能做山顶的一棵松，

就做山谷中的灌木吧——但要做

小溪旁最好的灌木，

如果不能做参天大树，就做低矮树丛吧。

如果不能做低矮树丛，就做一株小草吧，

但要做路边快乐的草儿。

如果不能做大梭鱼就做小鲈鱼吧，

但要做湖中最活泼的鱼儿!

我们不能都做船长，总得有人当船员，

我们每个人都有事要做。

有大事要去做，有小事要担当，

而必做之事即眼前之事。

如果不能做大路就做一条小径吧，

如果不能做太阳就做一颗星星吧。

胜负不在于大小，

而在于你是否做到最好。