There have been many great men in history. Many of them were very poor in childhood, and had no uncles, aunts or friends to help them. Schools were few and not very good. They could not depend on them for education. They saw how it was, and set to work with their strength to know something.① They worked their own way till they became well-known.② One of the most famous teachers in England used to tell his pupils, “I cannot make worthy men of you, but I can help you make men of yourselves.”

　　Some young men don’t try their best to make themselves valuable to human beings. They can not gain achievements unless they see their weakness and change their course. They are nothing now, and will be nothing as long as they live, unless they accept the advice of their parents and teachers, and depend on their own efforts.

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　　行文點評

　　我們應該依靠自己，他人只能幫助我們幫助自己。這是文章的主旨，也是第一段中的主要意思。第二段開始從正面舉例說明歷史上的偉大人物是怎樣依靠自己的力量獲得最后成功的。最后一段從反面舉例，談到現在有些年輕人不努力使自己成為對人類有益的人，并給出自己的建議，與題目和文章開頭呼應。

　　好文妙譯

　　依靠自己

　　“依靠自己”是自然告訴每個人的。父母可以幫助你。老師可以幫助你。其他人也可以幫助你。但是所有這些人都只能幫你幫助你自己。

　　歷史上有許多偉人。其中很多偉人小時候都非常貧窮，他們沒有叔叔、姑姑或朋友幫助他們。學校數量少，質量差。他們也無法依靠學校接受教育。他們認識到這一情況，然后就開始自己努力去學習。他們排除萬難直到最后成功。英國最為著名的一位教師曾經這樣告訴他的學生：“我無法使你出人頭地，但我可以幫助你做好你自己”。

　　有些年輕人不努力使自己成為對人類有益的人。他們不會取得任何成就，除非他們能夠認識到自己的弱點，改變自己的方向。他們現在一無所成，而且終其一生都會一無所成，除非他們能夠接受父母、老師的建議，開始依靠自己的努力。

　　詞匯斟酌

　　?achievement n. 成就，功績
　　?worthy n. 杰出人物, 知名人士

　　佳句臨摹

　　①【注釋】set to work開始工作，著手工作

　　【臨摹】It’s high time we set to work if we want to finish the task today. 如果我們想今天完成任務，現在得開始工作了。

　　②【注釋】work one’s way排除困難前進

　　【臨摹】It takes years to work your way through the examination system until you gain a degree.你需要花上幾年時間努力通過全部考試才能取得學位。

　　思如泉涌

　　For many, life’s longest mile is the stretch from dependence to independence.對許多人來說，生命中最長的路程就是從依賴到自立之間的距離。

　　God helps those who help themselves.自助者天助之。