一個父親的期望---麥克阿瑟將軍為兒子的禱告

"Build me a son, O Lord,
主啊！求你塑造我的兒子，
who will be strong enough to know when he is weak,
使他夠堅強到能認識自己的軟弱；
and brave enough to face himself when he is afraid;
夠勇敢到能面對懼怕；
one who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat,
在誠實的失敗中，毫不氣餒；
and humble and gentle in victory.
在勝利中，仍保持謙遜溫和。
Build me a son whose wishes will not take the place of deeds;
懇求塑造我的兒子，不至空有幻想而缺乏行動；
a son who will know Thee……
引導他認識你，
and that to know himself is the foundation stone of knowledge.
同時又知道，認識自己乃是真知識的基石。
Lead him, I pray, not in the path of ease and comfort,
我祈禱，願你引導他不求安逸、舒適，
but under the stress and spur of difficulties and challenge.
相反的，經過壓力、艱難和挑戰，
Here, let him learn to stand up in the storm;
學習在風暴中挺身站立，
here let him learn compassion for those that fail.
學會憐恤那些在重壓之下失敗的人。
Build me a son whose heart will be clear,
求你塑造我的兒子，心地清潔，
whose goal will be high,
目標遠大；
a son who will master himself before he seeks to master other men;
使他在指揮別人之前，先懂得駕馭自己；
one who will reach into the future, yet never forget the past.
永不忘記過去的教訓，又能伸展入未來的理想。
And after all these things are his,
當他擁有以上的一切，
add, I pray, enough of a sense of humor,
我還要禱求，賜他足夠的幽默感，
so that he may always be serious,
使他能認真嚴肅，
yet never take himself too seriously.
卻不致過分苛求自己。
Give him humility,
懇求賜他謙卑，
so that he may always remember the simplicity of true greatness,
使他永遠牢記，真偉大中的平凡，
the open mind of true wisdom and the meekness of true strength.
真智慧中的開明，真勇力中的溫柔。
Then, I, his father will dare to whisper,
如此，我這作父親的，才敢低聲說：
'I have not lived in vain.'"
「我沒有虛度此生。」
作者：麥克阿瑟將軍(General Douglas MacArthur)

有見識有智慧的父親。