Success grows less and less dependent on luck and chance. Self-distrust is the cause of most of our failures.

成功越来越不依赖于运气和巧合。丧失自信是我们失败的主要原因。

The great and indispensable help to success is character. Character is a crystallized habit, the result of training and conviction. Every character is influenced by heredity, environment and education. But these apart, if every man were not to be a great extent the architect of his own character, he would be a fatalist, and irresponsible creature of circumstances.

性格是取得成功不可或缺的重要助力。性格是一种固化成形的习惯，是不断培养并坚信于此的结果。每个人的性格都会受到遗传因素、环境和教育的影响。但除此之外，如果人在很大程度上不能成为自己性格的构筑者，那么他就会沦为宿命论者，从而成为环境的失败造物。

Instead of saying that man is a creature of circumstance, it would be nearer the mark to say that man is the architect of circumstance. From the same materials one man builds palaces, another hovel. Bricks and mortar are mortar and bricks, until the architect can make them something else.

与其说人是环境的造物，不如说人是环境的建筑师更贴切些。同样的材料，有人能用其建造出宫殿，而有人只能建成简陋的小屋。在建筑师将其变成他物之前，砖泥依然是砖泥。

The true way to gain much is never to desire to gain too much.

想得到的多就永远不要奢望太多。

Wise men don’t care for what they can’t have.

智者不会在意他们得不到的东西。