西奥多·罗斯福的隽永箴言:一位总统的品格与远见

罗斯福经典语录一
“I want to see you game, boys, I want to see you bra ve and manly, and I also want to see you gentle and tender.” (Address at Friends School, Washington, DC, May 24, 1907)
这句话道出了他对青年品格的完整期待:孩子们,我希望看到你们勇于竞争,展现男子汉的勇敢与气概,同时,我也希望看到你们温和与细腻的一面。
罗斯福经典语录二
“Be practical as well are generous in your ideals. Keep your eyes on the stars, but remember to keep your feet on the ground.” (Speech at Prize Day Exercises at Groton School, Groton, MA, May 24 1904)
这或许是关于理想与现实最平衡的阐述:怀抱远大的理想,但务必脚踏实地。你的志向既要高远恢弘,也必须根植于现实土壤。
罗斯福经典语录三
“Courage, hard work, self-mastery, and intelligent effort are all essential to successful life.” (America and the World War, 1915)
成功人生的配方是什么?在他看来,勇气、勤奋、自律以及明智的努力,缺一不可。
“Alike for the nation and the individual, the one indispensable requisite is character.” (American Ideals, 1897)
更进一步说,无论是对国家还是个人,那个不可或缺的要素,正是品格。
罗斯福经典语录四
“A mans usefulness depends upon his living up to his ideals in so far as he can.” (A Letter to Dr. Sturgis Bigelow, March 29, 1898)
一个人的价值与效用,恰恰取决于他能否在能力范围内,竭尽全力去实践自己的理想。
罗斯福经典语录五
“It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to ha ve tried to succeed.” (The Strenuous Life, 1900)
失败固然痛苦,但更糟糕的是从未尝试去争取成功。毕竟,未经奋斗的所谓“成功”,往往脆弱不堪。
罗斯福经典语录六
“All daring and courage, all iron endurance of misfortune make for a finer and nobler type of manhood.” (Address to Na val War College, June 2, 1897)
那些在厄运中淬炼出的大胆气魄、无畏勇气以及钢铁般的忍耐力,终将塑造出更优秀、更高尚的人格。
罗斯福经典语录七
“Only those are fit to live who do not fear to die; and none are fit to die who ha ve shrunk from the joy of life and the duty of life.” (The Great Adventure, 1918)
这句话承载着一位父亲的深沉情感,是为在一战中丧生的儿子昆汀·罗斯福所作的颂词。其核心在于:唯有不惧死亡者,才配得上生命;而逃避生命之喜悦与责任者,亦不配面对死亡。
罗斯福经典语录八
“Ours is a government of liberty by, through, and under the law.” (Speech at Spokane, WA, May 26, 1903)
他对自由与法治关系的定义极为精辟:我们这个自由的政府,其自由是依据法律、通过法律并在法律之下实现的。
罗斯福经典语录九
“A great democracy has got to be progressive or it will soon cease to be great or a democracy.” (The New Nationalism, 1910)
一个伟大的民主制度,必须保持进步的姿态,否则它将很快不再伟大,甚至可能不再成其为民主。
罗斯福经典语录十
“Order without liberty and liberty without order are equally destructive.” (Miscellaneous Writings, c. 1890s)
秩序与自由,如同天平的两端:没有自由的秩序,与没有秩序的自由,同样具有破坏性。
罗斯福经典语录十一
“In popular government results worth ha ving can be achieved only by men who combine worthy ideals with practical good sense.” (Address at Harvard Union, Feb. 23, 1907)
对于民治政府而言,唯有那些能将崇高理想与实际智慧相结合的人,才能取得真正有价值的成果。
罗斯福经典语录十二
“If I must choose between righteousness and peace I choose righteousness.” (America and the World War, 1915)
当正义与和平不可兼得时,他的选择毫不犹豫:如果必须在正义与和平之间抉择,我选择正义。
罗斯福经典语录十三
“There is delight in the hardy life of the open.” (African Game Trails, 1910)
这位热爱自然的总统曾坦言:在广阔天地间的艰苦生活,其实蕴藏着无穷乐趣。
罗斯福经典语录十四
“There are no words that can tell the hidden spirit of the wilderness, that can reveal its mystery, its melancholy, and its charm.” (African Game Trails, 1910)
荒野所蕴藏的精神,其神秘、忧郁与魅力,确非言语所能尽述。
罗斯福经典语录十五
“The nation beha ves well if it treats the natural resources as assets which it must turn over to the next generation increased and not impaired in value.” (The New Nationalism, 1910)
这堪称现代可持续发展理念的先声:一个行为得当的国家,会将自然资源视为必须传递给下一代的资产,并且要确保其价值增益而非受损。
罗斯福经典语录十六
“Conservation means development as much as it does protection.” (The New Nationalism, 1910)
他对“保护”的理解超越了单纯的守护:环境保护,既意味着守护,也同样意味着发展。
