Take two boys, as nearly alike as possible. Place one in the country away from the hothouse culture and refinements of the city, with only the district school, the Sunday school, and a few books. Remove wealth and props of every kind; and, if he has the right kind of material in him, he will thrive. Every obstacle overcome lends him strength for the next conflict. If he falls, he rises with more determination than before. Like a rubber ball, the harder the obstacle it meets the higher it rebounds. Obstacles and opposition are but apparatus of the gymnasium in which the fibers of his manhood are developed. He compels respect and recognition from those who have ridiculed his poverty. Put the other boy in a Vanderbilt family. Give him French and German nurses; gratify every wish. Place him under the tutelage of great masters and send him to Harvard. Give him thousands a year for spending money, and let him travel extensively.
The two meet. The city lad is ashamed of his country brother. The plain, threadbare clothes, hard hands, tawny face, and awkward manner of the country boy make sorry contrast with the genteel appearance of the other. The poor boy bemoans his hard lot, regrets that he has “no chance in life,” and envies the city youth. He thinks that it is a cruel Providence that places such a wide gulf between them. They meet again as men, but how changed! It is as easy to distinguish the sturdy, self-made man from the one who has been propped up all his life by wealth, position, and family influence, as it is for the shipbuilder to tell the difference between the plank from the rugged mountain oak and one from the sapling of the forest. If you think there is no difference, place each plank in the bottom of a ship, and test them in a hurricane at sea.
“如果没有绞刑架，我们的职业将会多么美好！”两个强盗恰巧路过一个绞刑架，其中一个如是说。“傻瓜，你真笨！”另一个回答说，“对我们来说，绞刑架必不可少，因为如果没有它，人人都能做强盗了。”同样的道理，每一门艺术、一桩买卖或任何领域，都会存在着困难，将那些不值得一提的竞争者吓跑。
“逆境如一位严厉的教师，”英国（哲学家）爱德蒙·伯克说，“把我们交给更了解我们的人教导，正如他更爱我们一样。他通过与我们角斗，增强了我们的勇气，磨练了我们的技能。我们的对手即是我们的助手。这样艰难的斗争使得我们对目标更为了解，也迫使我们对它的考虑更为全面。如此一来，我们将不会变得那么肤浅。”
那些坚强的角色，如棕榈树，仿佛愈是艰难，就愈能茁壮成长。而在巨大的灾难下勇敢挺立多年的人们，却常常无法适应时来运转的考验。好运会让他们精力衰竭，就像热带的气候会让习惯寒冷的人体质衰弱。有些人永远认识不到自己，除非遭遇困惑、回绝、反对、失败、打击以及类似的状况。考验会显现出他们的美德；失败是他们成功的开端。
“为年轻人的道路设下障碍，”一位杰出的法学家说，“他必须如隐士般生活，如马一样工作。只有三餐不继，才能让一位年轻的律师做得更好。”
在与这些对手的对抗中，我们都是胜者。它们激发了我们内在的能量，却被这种能量所征服。
没有它们，我们永远无法振作、坚定、顽强，就像橡树深深扎根，将自己牢牢固定，以便与无数次的暴风雨作斗争。我们的考验、悲哀与不幸也以类似的方式催动我们进步。
从同一棵橡树上取两颗尽量相似的种子；将其中一颗单独种下，而将另一颗种在茂密的林中，然后观察它们的成长。孤独挺立的橡树无法躲避每一次暴风雨。它的根伸向四面八方，紧紧抓住岩石，深深扎入大地。每一条根须都为这个成长中的巨大植物的稳固而奋斗，似乎预知它会遭遇各种猛烈的打击。有时它的高度看似经过多年才有所增长，其实不然，它一直在用自己的能量来推动一条根须穿过一块巨石，以便更为稳固。之后，它再次傲然挺立，时刻抵御着暴风雨并向上生长。肆虐的狂风也不再是它的对手，而且狂风的每次攻击都只会让橡树从内到外的每根纤维更加坚韧。
种在茂密林中的那颗橡子长出一棵纤细、柔弱的树苗。它躲在“邻居”的荫蔽下，认为无需更远更广地伸展根须来支撑自己。
选两个尽可能相像的男孩。将其中一人送到乡下，远离温室的文明和城市的优雅，那里有的只是地方和主日学校，以及为数不多的书本。远离财富和靠山，但如果他拥有真才实能，必然会出人头地。每当他战胜困难，都会获得去对抗下一个困难的力量。即使失败了，他也会再站起来，而且比之前更有决心。就像一个皮球，遇到的阻力越大，它就弹得越高。困难和挫折磨练了他的男子汉气概，并使其得以发展。他使得那些嘲笑他贫穷的人对他充满敬意和赞赏。将另一个男孩送到范德比尔特这样的家庭。让法国和德国的保姆来服侍他，对他千依百顺。让优秀的教师来教导他，并送他到哈佛上学。每年给他数千美元的零用钱，让他四处旅游。
当他们相遇时，城里的孩子因他乡下的兄弟而羞耻。乡下男孩朴素破旧的衣裳、粗陋的双手、黝黑的面颊和笨拙的举止，在另一个男孩上流社会的仪表面前，显得可怜而卑微。穷苦的男孩会哀叹自己命运的艰苦，遗憾自己“生命中没有机会”，同时羡慕那个城里的男孩。他会认为上天如此残忍，让他们的差距如此之大。当他们成人后，再次相见，一切却有了天壤之别！你能轻易地看出这个坚强自立的人和那个靠财富、地位和家庭影响支撑的人之间的明显区别，就像一位造船专家能区分出由山上橡树和林中橡树做成的木板一样。如果你认为没什么区别，那就把两块木板放到船的底部，让海上的狂风骤雨检验一下吧。
记忆填空
1. He that wrestles with us strengthens our nerves and sharpens our . Our antagonist is our . This conflict with difficulty us acquainted with our object, and compels us to consider it in all relations.
2. Without their opposition we could have braced and anchored and fortified ourselves, the oak is braced and anchored its thousand battles with the tempests. Our trials, our sorrows, and our griefs develop us in a similar .
3. you think there is no difference, each plank in the bottom of a ship, and test them in a hurricane at .
佳句翻译
1. 有些人永远认识不到自己，除非遭遇困惑、回绝、反对、失败、打击以及类似的状况。
2. 它们激发了我们内在的能量，却被这种能量所征服。
3. 当他们成人后，再次相见，一切却有了天壤之别！
短语应用
1. and compels us to consider it in all its relations.
compel to：强迫
2. self-made man from the one who has been propped up all his life by wealth.
be propped up：被扶植