Wendell is going to University of Arizona this fall. Although this is not the first time for him to leave home, however, as a father of a freshman and a young adult, I still worry and would like to have some words for him. After several sleepless nights, I think, I understand General Douglas A. MacArthur. I accept his prayer, though I will have some later.
In addition, I will meet freshmen and graduate students in my department, I also wish them understand the prayer of their parents as soon as possible.
A Father’s Prayer
General Douglas A. MacArthur
Build me a son, Oh Lord,
who will be strong enough to know when he is weak
and brave enough to face himself when he is afraid;
one who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat, and
humble and gentle in victory.
上帝啊！懇求您賜給我兒，堅強到足夠知道自己的軟弱；勇敢到面對恐懼；輕鬆地面對失敗與謙虛地面對勝利。
Build me a son whose wishbone will not be where his backbone should be;
a son who will know Thee - and that to know himself is the foundation of knowledge.
Lead him, I pray, not in the path of ease and comfort,
but under the stress and spur of difficulties and challenge.
Here, let him learn to stand up in the storm;
Here, let him team compassion for those who fail.
我不求吾兒一切順遂，只求讓他了解自己，
引導他，不必簡單舒適的途徑，引導他，在困難與挑戰下激勵，
讓他在暴風雨中屹立，讓他對失敗者給與同情。
Build me a son whose heart will be clear, whose goal will be high;
a son who will master himself before he seeks to master other men;
one who will learn to laugh, yet never forget how to weep,
one who will reach into the future, yet never forget the past.
And after all these things are his,
add, I pray, enough of a sense of humor, so that he may always be serious,
yet never take himself too seriously.
心胸清靜高遠，
在成為別人的導師之前，先成為自己的導師，
學習微笑，不忘哭泣；成就未來，不忘過去。
然後，有足夠的幽默感，嚴肅但不太過嚴肅。
Give him humility, so that he may always remember
the simplicity of true greatness,
the open mind of true wisdom,
the meekness of true strength.
給他謙遜以牢記偉大的簡單，智慧的寬大心胸與強者的溫柔。
Then, I, his father, will dare to whisper: "I have not lived in vain."
然後，身為人父，才敢說不枉此生。
一位父親面對自己兒子的心情
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