d’s eye, that these virtues had not been tested over the centuries in vain.
Charity is another rule that has been of great comfort to me in so many trying situations. Charity is something you must learn. I have been very lucky in life because I have been in a position to give charity, and one should never expect any other reward from charity than the satisfaction it gives.
In taking part in any charity you must give from your heart. Any other type of giving is a terrible cheat on life itself.
Charity and loyalty are two things that have touched my life very deeply. They have been a source of tremendous satisfaction to me every day I have lived. This rule of loyalty has caused me to check back on the course of my activities at the close of each day, to be sure I haven’t knowingly hurt anyone in my day’s activities.
I have tried to repair any hurts I have caused before the day’s end. This undoubtedly is very selfish of me because I have learned that this rechecking of each day gives me a good night’s sleep.
In walking around the hill on the plain each day of my life, the virtues I see—whether I am in London, Paris, Rome, Cairo, New York, Hollywood or Wahoo, Nebraska-are always the same.
I am grateful for those old-fashioned virtues that I learned as a boy in Nebraska. And I hope I will have enough humility always to be thankful I was born in a country that give me this chance at life.
我经历了两次世界大战，环游了世界的大部分地方，接触过很多当代的名人。如今，回想起这些丰富的阅历，我深感欣慰，因为它们肯定了我儿时在内布拉斯加州一个小镇上学到的那些基本价值观。
我发现有一点极为正确——儿时学到的很多美德在今天依然重要。岁月流逝，我和朋友们的想法与观点自然都有所变化，然而这不过是个人看待事物的方式改变了。就好比一个小男孩站在内布拉斯加平原上看山，山没有变，只是随着男孩的长大，他看山的角度发生了变化。
从此，为了从不同的角度看山，我总会试着围绕发现的每一座山走上一整圈。我认为，这就是诚实正直之人与愤世嫉俗者之间的区别。从不同角度看待事物，你就能更轻松地抓住生活的精髓；而当你仅从一个角度片面地观察世界时，就很可能会变得愤世嫉俗。
从我在内布拉斯加州瓦胡镇的童年时代起，直到今天，忠诚与仁爱这两种最基本的美德始终为我的生活带来莫大的慰藉。孩提时，我还学到了其他一些基本准则，但最重要的还是这两条。
在我看来，忠诚不只是一个简单的词，而且是一种生活方式。我所指的并不只是忠于家庭与朋友，还要忠于我们建国的基础，即诚实正直的价值观。我认为，忠诚这一必需的原则也意味着对我们内在自我的忠诚。
成长过程中，我曾几