晚餐之后，上网浏览，发现一篇英语短文相当可读。

    人生不得志者，往往将自己的失意归咎于命运之不公、机会之不肯眷顾！本文从一个全新的视角，向人们揭示机会的本质：Opportunities! Every life is full of them 。

    成事纵然在天，谋事还须在人。让我们把此句当作座右铭：Golden opportunities are nothing to laziness, but industry makes the commonest chances golden.

    现将全文翻译完毕，并附加了一些内容，以飨读者。

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The Man and the Opportunity
By Orison Swett Marden 

    The lack of opportunity is ever the excuse of a weak, vacillating（=vacillant .动摇的；犹豫不决的；踌躇的）mind. Opportunities! Every life is full of them.
    Every lesson in school or college is an opportunity. Every examination is a chance in life. Every business transaction is an opportunity — an opportunity to be polite, an opportunity to be manly（具有男子气概的；果敢的，坦率的）, an opportunity to be honest, an opportunity to make friends. Every proof of confidence in you is a great opportunity. Every responsibility thrust（用力推；强使；强使接受） upon your strength and your honor is priceless. Existence is the privilege（特权，特别待遇；特殊荣幸） of effort, and when that privilege is met like a man, opportunities to succeed along the line of your aptitude（才能，能力） will come faster than you can use them.
Young men and women, why do you stand here all the day idle（懒散的；无所事事的；不务正业的）?   

    Was the land all occupied before you were born? Has the earth ceased to yield（生产；生长出） its increase? Are the seats all taken? The positions all filled? The chances all gone? Are the resources of your country fully developed? Are the secrets of nature all mastered? Is there no way in which you can utilize these passing moments to improve yourself or benefit another? Don’t wait for your opportunity. Make it, make it as Napoleon made his in a hundred “impossible” situations. Make it, as all leaders of men, in war and in peace, have made their chances of success. Make it, as every man must, who would accomplish（完成，实现） anything worth the effort. Golden opportunities are nothing to laziness, but industry（勤奋） makes the commonest chances golden.

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译文：
意志脆弱，优柔寡断者，总是以缺乏机遇作为遁词。机遇！在人的一生中，无处不在！
学校里的每一堂课都蕴藏着机会。每一场考试都是人生的契机。每一次商务往来都是一次机会 ---- 一个礼貌待人的机会，一个果敢行事的机会，一个诚实守信的机会，一个广交朋友的机会。每一份对你的信任，于你都是莫大的机会。基于你的才干和声望而寄予你的每一份责任，都是无价的。生存是奋斗授予的特权，而当你邂逅那份殊荣时，一个个发挥你聪明才智、助你获取成功的机会便会接踵而至，令你来不及消受。 
年轻人啊，为什么你们整日滞足不前，光阴虚掷？难道在你们出生之前，每一寸土地都已为他人所占？难道地球不再繁衍生息？难道所有座位都已有其归属？所有位置都已有人填补？所有机会都去而不返？难道你国内的资源都已开发殆尽？难道大自然的奥秘都已洞若观火？难道你无法抓住这些转瞬即逝的时机来提高自我或造福他人？切莫株守机会。去创造它，正如拿破仑在无数次“绝”境中创造自己逢生的机会那样。去创造它，正如战争或和平年代的领袖们创造他们取得胜利的机会那样。去创造它，人人必须这样做，任何人都能获得应有的回报。对懒汉来说，天赐良机也会化为乌有，对勤者而言，即使是不屑一顾的机会，也会变得金光灿烂！

美文共赏
本文的一大亮点便是作者在句式上的独具匠心。全文近90%的篇幅采用了排比句式（parallelism）。排比，令行文工整而不失活泼，韵律铿锵而不失从容，立意深刻而不失明晰。短短一篇文章，能将排比手法发挥到如此淋漓尽致、游刃有余的地步，实属难得的佳作。因而，更值得细细咀嚼、慢慢品位一番。
第二段共6句，其中5句构成排比：
Every lesson in school or college is an opportunity.
Every examination is a chance in life.
Every business transaction is an opportunity
Every proof of confidence in you is a great opportunity.
Every responsibility thrust upon your strength and your honor is priceless.
同时，仅opportunity一词便在这5句话中重复出现7次之多。排比，将作者的所思所悟在字里行间充分舒展化开。适时的重复，使句与句之间得以相互呼应、紧密相连。
第三段的排比更为精彩！9个反问句一气呵成、欢畅淋漓、其势难挡。随后，作者笔锋一转，抛出又3句排比为读者指点迷津：
Make it, make it as Napoleon made his in a hundred “impossible” situations.
Make it, as all leaders of men, in war and in peace, have made their chances of success.
Make it, as every man must, who would accomplish anything worth the effort.
句句铿锵有力，字字真知灼言，令人不得不信服。
读罢全文，排比的韵律仍在耳畔萦绕、挥之不去。美哉！