MBA加油站-英语晨读2017-07-30

There is not much to choose between men. They are alla hotchpotch of greatness and littleness, of virtue and vice, of nobility and baseness. Some havemore strength of character, or more opportunity, and so in one direction oranother give their instincts freer play, butpotentially they are the same. For my part, I do not think I am any better orany worse than most people, but I know that if I set down every action in mylife and every thought that has crossed my mind, the world would consider me amonster of depravity. The knowledge that these reveries are common to all menshould inspire one with tolerance to oneself aswell as to others. It is well also if they enable us to look upon our fellows,even the most eminent and respectable, with humor, and if they lead us to takeourselves not too seriously.

人和人之间没什么大的差别。他们皆是伟大与渺小，善良与邪恶，高尚与低俗的混合体。有的人性格比较坚毅，机会也比较多，因而这个或那个方面，能够更自由地发挥自己的禀赋，但是人类的潜能却都是相同的。至于我自己，我认为自己并不比大多数人更好或者更差，但是我知道，假如我记下我生命中每一次举动和每一个掠过我脑海的想法的话，世界就会将我视为一个邪恶的怪物。每个人都会有这样的怪念头，这样的认识应当能够启发我们宽容自己，也宽容他人。同时，假如因此我们得以用幽默的态度看待他人，即使是天下最优秀最令人尊敬的人，而且假如我们也因此不把自己看得过于重要，那是很有裨益的。

virtue ['vɜːtjuː; -tʃuː] n. 美德；优点

vice [vaɪs] n. 恶习；缺点

Prosperity discovers vice, adversity virtue.(得意时露瑕疵，逆境中显品质)

instinct ['ɪnstɪŋ(k)t] n. 本能，直觉

depravity [dɪ'prævɪtɪ] n. 堕落；邪恶

inspire [ɪn'spaɪə] vt. 激发，鼓舞

eminent ['emɪnənt] adj. 杰出的，有名的（prominent ）

respectable [rɪ'spektəb(ə)l] adj. 值得尊敬的（respectable/respectful/respective）