"Tell me," said Caleb, "thou to whose voice nations have listened, and whose wisdom is known to the extremities of Asia, tell me, how I may resemble Omar the prudent?
“告诉我,”卡勒卜说,“在这个国家你想听谁的声音,在亚洲谁的智慧闻名遐迩,告诉我,我如何才能效仿奥马尔的明智?
The arts by which thou hast gained power and preserved it, are to thee no longer necessary or useful;
您赢得影响力并能保持下来的秘籍,对您来说不再是必要和有用的了。
impart to me the secret of thy conduct, and teach me the plan upon which thy wisdom has built thy fortune."
将您的处事秘诀传授给我吧,把您用智慧赢得巨额财富的一番规划教给我吧。”
"Young man," said Omar, "it is of little use to form plans of life.
“年轻人,”奥马尔说,“生活规划无甚用处。
When I took my first survey of the world, in my twentieth year,
二十几岁时,我最初审视这个世界时,
having considered the various conditions of mankind, in the hour of solitude I said thus to myself, leaning against a cedar which spread its branches over my head:
用孤独的目光看待人类变化多端的处境,倚着一株枝叶繁茂的柏树我自语道:
'Seventy years are allowed to man; I have yet fifty remaining.'
‘人生七十即是高寿,我还有五十年的时间。’
Ten years I will allot to the attainment of knowledge, and ten I will pass in foreign countries;
于是,我抽出十年时间用来掌握知识,另外用十年时间游历各国。
I shall be learned, and therefore I shall be honored; every city will shout at my arrival, and every student will solicit my friendship.
通过这段经历,我明白了一个道理,我将酬之以荣。沿途每个城市在我莅临时都夹道欢呼,每位学生都请求与我结交。
Twenty years thus passed will store my mind with images which I shall be busy through the rest of my life in combining and comparing.
二十年的光阴在我心里留驻这样的印象,就是我将在余生忙于联合和比较。