勇气的国度（勇气的边界）

勇气的国度（勇气的边界）I have found mine a good many times. Sometimes this was expected——often it was unexpected. I know a man who is not afraid to sleep with a rattle-snake but you could not get him to sleep with a safety-razor.在勇气的问题上，我们每个人都有自己的边界。从来就没有无所畏惧的英雄。我想可以说，像尼尔森和所有那些以英勇而为人所知的人，在他们生命当中都有勇气到达极限的时候。Courage In the matter of courage we all have our limits. There never was a hero who did not have his bounds. I sup

当我们想到英雄的时候，总是会认为他们是无所畏惧的。然而实际情况并不是这样，他们也会有害怕的时候，和我们普通人一样。

或者说他们也是我们普通人中的一员，只是在某个特殊的时刻，特殊的环境当中，他们爆发出了无尽的勇气。

这篇文章是美国著名的小说家、演说家马克·土温（1835年11月30日-1910年4月21日）与1908年4月18日在纽约的一次和美术家、漫画家和幽默作家聚会时发表的简短演说，表达了他对于勇气的理解。

马克·吐温（1907）

Courage

In the matter of courage we all have our limits. There never was a hero who did not have his bounds. I suppose it may be said of Nelson and all the others whose courage has been advertised that there came times in their lives when their bravery knew it had come to its limit.

bound /bound/ n. 边界，界限，界线

在勇气的问题上，我们每个人都有自己的边界。从来就没有无所畏惧的英雄。我想可以说，像尼尔森和所有那些以英勇而为人所知的人，在他们生命当中都有勇气到达极限的时候。

I have found mine a good many times. Sometimes this was expected——often it was unexpected. I know a man who is not afraid to sleep with a rattle-snake but you could not get him to sleep with a safety-razor.

good /ɡʊd/ adj.相当多的，相当大的，相当高的：she weighs a good 70 kilos.

她体重足足70公斤

我自己就有很多次发生这种情况。有时候是预料之中的，但大多数时候是意料之外的。我认识一个人，他不怕和响尾蛇一起睡觉，但是你却无法让他和安全剃须刀共眠。

I never had the courage to talk across a long narrow room. I should be at the end of the room facing all the audience. If attempt to talk across a room I find myself turning this way and that and thus at alternate periods I have part of the audience behind me. You ought never to have any part of the audience behind you; you never can tell what they are going to do.

alternate /ˈɔltərnət/ adj.交替的，间隔的：alternate circles and squares. 圆形与方形相间

我从来都不敢在一个狭长的房间中央讲话。我要在房间的一头，面向所有的观众才行。如果我试图站在房间中央讲话，我就会不断地转身，这样不时地就会有观众在我身后。你不能让观众在你身后，你不知道他们会干什么。

I'll sit down.

我要坐下了。