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Our family is filled with sadness due to the death of the last 1)matriarch of our 2)clan. Why do I feel that something is missing? I can remember all the family history and traditions that were passed along. Who will tell the children those 3)outlandish stories? Do you remember the story about walking through snow going to school? Family history is something most people take for granted. Who keeps up with your history?
我们家族最后一位女长辈逝世后，我们全家都沉浸在悲伤的气氛中。为什么我会有种失落感呢？我还记得所有祖祖辈辈传下来的家族历史和传统。谁将把这些稀奇古怪的故事告诉我们的后辈呢？你还记得当年冒着风雪去上学的事吗？许多人都把家族史当成是理所当然会有的。然而谁来把家族史继续传下去呢？
Most family history is verbal. It’s handed down from generation to generation. No one wants to admit that his or her favorite relative will die someday. Most families expect the next generation to do better (education, wealth, leadership, etc.). These expectations can scare us because we don’t want to be responsible for any setbacks. Well, to be honest, this frightens me.
大部分家族史都是一代代人口口相传下来的。没有人愿意承认自己最喜欢的亲人总有一天会去世。大多数人都希望自己的下一代能青出于蓝而胜于蓝（在教养、财富及领导才能等各方面）。这些期待其实挺让人恐惧的，因为谁也不想背负导致家道中落的责任。说实在的，我也因此承受着巨大的压力。
Several years ago, I spoke at my father’s fune-ral. I could not hold back the tears. My father was a great 4)mentor to guide me through manhood. He had achieved so much despite his lack of a formal education. He had set a standard for me…he was my measuring stick. I felt 5)my father’s shoes were too large to fill; however, I could not hide from my responsibility. It was my turn. Would I 6)falter under the pressure? Passing the family’s collective experience to the next generation is a necessary part of building strong leadership within families.
几年前，我在父亲的葬礼上发言，不禁泪流不止。在我成长的道路上，父亲一直是我了不起的导师。尽管父亲没有受过正规的教育，但他还是取得了很大的成就。他为我树立了一个标准，是我心中的一把量尺。我觉得自己难以接替父亲的家庭职责。然而，面对责任，我不能逃避。现在轮到我背负重任了。重压之下，我会不会走得磕磕绊绊的？把家族的全部经历传给下一代，是任何人在家族成员中建立强大的领导权威的必要组成部分。
How can families preserve this rich 7)know-ledge base? Who is going to remind us of the old ways? Read the newspaper and you’ll find youth 8)on the rampage. Many want to point fingers at media, society, movies, and 9)ill-equipped parents. Society needs to find answers to help this young generation. Let’s use one of our greatest treasures, our seniors.
一个家族如何保留其丰富的知识库呢？谁来提醒我们那些以往的处事方式？打开报纸，你会发现年轻人张狂冲动。对此，许多人想去指责媒体、社会、电影以及能力不足的父母。社会需要找出一些方法来帮助这年轻的一代。让我们利用我们最宝贵的财富之一——我们的长辈吧。
Age doesn’t always translate into wisdom, however. You shouldn’t follow some person just because of his age, but look at that person’s life. Look to indivi-duals who have a proven 10)track record. Today’s parents complain about the pressures and costs of raising children. However, older parents (some who raised ten or more children with less mo-ney) managed to educate their children with no government assistance.
然而，有的时候，年龄的增长并不等同于智慧的提升。你不应仅仅因为年龄原因而对一个上了年纪的人的话照单全收，而是要看看那个人的生活阅历，那些经核实的有真正成就的人才是应该效仿的。今天的父母抱怨抚养孩子的压力太大，成本太高。然而我们的父辈（有的用更低的收入抚养了十多个孩子）在没有政府补助的情况下，依然成功地把孩子培养成人。
As we enter this new millennium, we cannot afford to reject the wisdom from past generations. Then what should we do? We can ask senior citizens to mentor young people with their expertise, and encourage seniors to write their stories and experiences for the next generation. Furthermore, we can visit a nursing home and discover all the wisdom there.
当我们迈入新千年时，我们承担不起漠视前人智慧的后果。那么我们应该怎么做呢？我们可以请老年人以他们的经验来指引年轻人，同时鼓励老年人把他们的故事和人生经历写下来给年轻人看。此外，我们还可以拜访养老院，发掘那里的所有智慧。
Knowledge is wasted if it isn’t used correctly. Why make the same mistakes, over and over? Take 11)heed from the wisdom that’s all around you. Build on the previous generations by avoiding the same traps. We must preserve our heritage and legacy. It is a responsibility we must all bear. If you don’t preserve this rich history, don’t expect anyone else to care about your own generation. Give future generations that corporate knowledge that exists now. Start today.
知识如果没有被正确地加以利用，就会被浪费。我们为什么要一次又一次地犯同一个错误呢？我们只要多加留心，身边处处皆学问。我们要避免重蹈覆辙，依靠前人的经验取得更好的成就。我们必须保护好我们的遗产和传统，对此我们每个人都责无旁贷。如果不好好保存前人那丰富的历史，就别指望任何人会关心我们这一代的历史。让我们从今天开始，给后代留下传承至今的共同的知识财富吧。
