戰(zhàn)勝自我,克制自己。人有長短,事有成敗。而事之成,取決于己之長;事之敗,取決于己之短。通過自身的不斷努力,不斷地消除自身的不足,超越自身的局限,使自己無限地趨于完善,成為真正的強者。這不僅是克服困難、戰(zhàn)勝敵人的先決條件,也是個人提升自我的生命歷程。一人如此,一國亦如此。其基本精神與“自強不息”不無相通之處。
Overcoming oneself means to conquer and control oneself. Everybody has his strengths and weaknesses, and he may succeed or fail in what he does. One's strengths and skills bring success, whereas one's weaknesses lead to failure. Therefore, one needs to make constant efforts to improve oneself, overcome one's weaknesses, transcend one's limitations, and eventually become a truly capable person. This is not only a prerequisite for overcoming particular difficulties and defeating enemies, but also a lifetime pursuit of a better self. This is true for a person and for a country as well. The aspiration embodied therein is similar to what is expressed in the term "strive continuously to strengthen oneself".
引例 Citations:
◎勝人者有力,自勝者強。(《老子·三十三章》)
能戰(zhàn)勝別人的人是有力量的,能戰(zhàn)勝自我的人才是真正的強大。
Those who conquer others are strong, but those who conquer themselves are truly powerful. (Laozi)
◎能勝強敵者,先自勝者也。(《商君書·畫策》)
能戰(zhàn)勝強大對手的人,是那些首先戰(zhàn)勝自己的人。
Those who can conquer powerful enemies are those who conquer themselves first. (The Book of Lord Shang)
◎故欲勝人者,必先自勝。(《呂氏春秋·先己》)
所以要想戰(zhàn)勝別人,必須首先戰(zhàn)勝自己。
Therefore, one must conquer oneself before conquering others. (Master Lyu's Spring and Autumn Annals)
推薦:教育部 國家語委
供稿:北京外國語大學 外語教學與研究出版社
責任編輯:錢耐安