But, if this world is not merely a bad joke, life a vulgar flare amid the cool radiance of the stars, and existence an empty laugh braying across the mysteries; if these intimations of a something behind and beyond are not evil humor born of indigestion or whimsies sent by the devil to mock and maddenus, if, in a word, beauty means something, yet we must not seek to interpret the meaning.

--From New Concept English (Book 4 ) Lesson 29

但是，即使這個世界不僅僅是個拙劣的玩笑，生命不僅僅是星體交織的寒光中的一點平庸的火花。人生也不僅僅是喧噪于神秘之鄉的空虛的一笑;即使這一切發自那既不渴望也不可及的某種事物的啟示，不是由于內在的失調而迸發的邪惡之念，也不是魔鬼用來嘲弄和激怒我們的奇談怪論，一句話，徜若美具有某種意義,我們還是不要試圖去了解釋它的意義為好。

Youth means a temperamental predominance of courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over the love of ease, This often exists in a man of 60 more than a boy of 20. Nobody grows merely by a number of years, we grow old by deserting our idea.

--From by Samuel Erman

青春意味著戰勝懦弱的那股大丈夫氣慨和擯棄安逸的那種冒險精神。往往一個60歲的老者比一個20歲的青年更多一點這種勁頭。人老不僅僅是歲月流逝所致，更主要的是懶惰、不思進取的結果。

Whether 60 or 16 , there is in every human being’s heart the lure of wonders, the unfailing childlike appetite of what’s next and the joy of the game of living. In the center of your heart and my heart there is a wireless station, so long as it receives messages of beauty, hope , cheer, courage and power from the infinite, so long as you are young.

--From by Samuel Erman

無論是60歲還是16歲，你需要保持永不衰竭的好奇心，永不熄滅的孩提般求知的渴望和追求事業成功的歡樂與熱情，在你我的心底，有一座無線電臺;它能在多長時間里接收到人間萬物傳遞來的美好、希望、歡樂、鼓舞和力量信息，你就會年輕多長時間。

An individual human existence should be like a river-small at first, narrowly contained within its banks, and rushing passionately past boulders and over waterfalls. Gradually the river grows wider, the banks recede, the waters flow more quietly, and in the end, without any visible break, they become merged in the sea, and painlessly lose their individual being.

--From New Concept English ( Book 4 )

一個人的生命應當象河流，開始是涓涓細流，受兩岸的限制而十分狹窄，爾后奔騰咆哮，翻過危巖，飛越瀑布，河面漸漸開闊，河岸也隨之向兩邊隱去，最后水流平緩，森森無際，匯入大海之中，個人就這樣毫無痛苦地消失了。

Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul. Worry, fear , self-distrust bows the heart and turns the spirit back to dust.

--From by Samuel Erman

光陰可以在顏面上留下印記，而熱情之火的熄滅則在心靈上刻下皺紋。遺悟、恐懼、缺乏自信、會扭曲人的靈魂，并將青春化為灰燼。