「故事与诗歌」Be the Best of Whatever You Are

Be the Best of Whatever You Are

Douglas Malloch

If you can't be a pine on the top of the hill

Be a scrub in the valley—but be

The best little scrub by the side of the rill;

Be a bush if you can't be a tree.

If you can't be a bush, be a bit of the grass

And some highway happier make;

If you can't be a muskie then just be a bass—

But the liveliest bass in the lake!

We can't all be captains, we've got to be crew

There's something for all of us here,

There's big work to do, and there's lesser to do,

And the task you must do is the near.

If you can't be a highway then just be a trail,

If you can't be the sun, be a star;

It isn't by size that you win or you fail—

Be the best of whatever you are!

注释

pine [paɪn] n. 松树，树木

scrub [skrʌb] n. 矮树丛，灌木丛

rill [rɪl] n. 小河，小溪

muskie [ˈmʌskɪ] n. 大梭鱼

bass [beɪs] n. 鲈鱼