菱歌儿

老哥培养出拥有常青藤学历的优秀儿子，知道我这个麻麻粗心大意，常写信与我交流教育问题。昨发友人私信一篇与我分享，颇有感触。试译并与所有为人父母者共赏。
 
my dear:
Your life is absolutely a miracle itself.  Against all odds - two months premature birth  ，you not only successfully fought your way into this world, happily grown up, but more amazingly, you are healthy and beautiful young adults now, having great expectations in both life and career in front of you.  Lots of people must very admire you now, not only for the loving and blessed family you have, but more for your own merits and successes.

No doubt, you have lots of very valuable qualities and strengths, not necessarily those apparent or on the surface.  Anyone knows you well enough will have no hesitation to agree with your parents, that your qualities and strengths are sincere, grateful, loving, sympathy, responsible, hard working and always willing to help others who are in need. Different from performing or athletic talents, these are true values deep in a person's heart and part of his/her nature.  These are the values that will endure time, and keys to a successful career and fruitful life.

Neither of your parents has those talents, but no one can deny that we have and obviously will continue to have an enjoyable, fruitful and successful life and career. More importantly, we are people who can love and are loved at the same time. I can not imagine a happier or more successful life with lots of skills and selling points but not the qualities you naturally inherited. I won't trade any of your real qualities with any of those talents.  The only challenge for you now is how to tell other people your true values and strengths through words, which I don't think that difficult, and I can help.
 

试译：

亲爱的女儿们：

你们的生命本就是奇迹。尽管你们早产两个月，还是健康地出生，快乐地长大，奇迹般地步入健康、美丽的青春期，铺在你们面前的生活和事业之路充满生机和希望。你们令人艳羡，不只因拥有充满爱和幸福的家庭，更因你们自身拥有的优点和成绩。

毫无疑问，你们拥有很多无比宝贵的品质和优势，有的或许并不那么明显。你们真诚有爱、懂得感恩，富于同情心和责任心，努力工作、热心助人——说你们拥有这些品质，我想任何了解你们的人都不会有异议。与表演天赋或运动天赋不同，这些品质扎根于心灵深处，是天性的一部分。它们能经得起时间的考验，是事业成功、家庭美满的关键。

你们的父母并没有很高的天赋，但这不妨碍我们拥有，并继续开拓令人舒心、富于成效、硕果累累的生活和事业。重要的是我们能够爱人和被爱。我一向不认为快乐、成功的生活需要什么秘笈，有什么能比自然继承的优良品质更重要呢。我不愿用任何所谓的天赋来交换你们的可贵素养。你们面临唯一的挑战，只是如何在他人面前充分展现自己的价值和优势。做到这一点，我也不认为很难，愿意为你们提供帮助……