拒绝躺平西奥多罗斯福1899年给正在崛起的美国的建议（文）

　　19世纪末期的美国，在内战结束和国家统一的基础上，实现了30多年的快速发展，整个国家迅速工业化，铁路建设连接了东西部，并推动一个巨大的统一国内市场的形成。财富迅速积累，中产阶级迅速扩大，国内一片欣欣向荣。
　　但同时美国出现了年轻人开始懈怠，整个社会内卷和追求安逸生活的风气。
　　西奥多罗斯福（美国第26任总统，19011909）在一篇名为THESTRENUOUSLIFE的著名演讲中，对美国的发展和美国人格的塑造提出了自己的看法。这里STRENUOUS指的是一种vigorouslyactive和energetic的精神状态，拒绝安逸和享乐，努力奋斗。他大声疾呼美国年轻人应该daremightythings，敢想敢干，立志高远，积极进取，拒绝躺平！
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　　THESTRENUOUSLIFETheodoreRooseveltSpeechbeforetheHamiltonClub，Chicago，April10，1899
　　Inspeakingtoyou，menofthegreatestcityoftheWest，menoftheStatewhichgavetothecountryLincolnandGrant，menwhopreeminentlyanddistinctlyembodyallthatismostAmericanintheAmericancharacter，Iwishtopreach，notthedoctrineofignobleease，butthedoctrineofthestrenuouslife，thelifeoftoilandeffort，oflaborandstrife；topreachthathighestformofsuccesswhichcomes，nottothemanwhodesiresmereeasypeace，buttothemanwhodoesnotshrinkfromdanger，fromhardship，orfrombittertoil，andwhooutofthesewinsthesplendidultimatetriumph。
　　Alifeofslothfulease，alifeofthatpeacewhichspringsmerelyfromlackeitherofdesireorofpowertostriveaftergreatthings，isaslittleworthyofanationasofaninpidual。IaskonlythatwhateveryselfrespectingAmericandemandsfromhimselfandfromhissonsshallbedemandedoftheAmericannationasawhole。Whoamongyouwouldteachyourboysthatease，thatpeace，istobethefirstconsiderationintheireyestobetheultimategoalafterwhichtheystrive？YoumenofChicagohavemadethiscitygreat，youmenofIllinoishavedoneyourshare，andmorethanyourshare，inmakingAmericagreat，becauseyouneitherpreachnorpracticesuchadoctrine。Youworkyourselves，andyoubringupyoursonstowork。Ifyouarerichandareworthyoursalt，youwillteachyoursonsthatthoughtheymayhaveleisure，itisnottobespentinidleness；forwiselyusedleisuremerelymeansthatthosewhopossessit，beingfreefromthenecessityofworkingfortheirlivelihood，areallthemoreboundtocarryonsomekindofnonremunerativeworkinscience，inletters，inart，inexploration，inhistoricalresearchworkofthetypewemostneedinthiscountry，thesuccessfulcarryingoutofwhichreflectsmosthonoruponthenation。Wedonotadmirethemanoftimidpeace。Weadmirethemanwhoembodiesvictoriouseffort；themanwhoneverwrongshisneighbor，whoisprompttohelpafriend，butwhohasthosevirilequalitiesnecessarytowininthesternstrifeofactuallife。Itishardtofail，butitisworsenevertohavetriedtosucceed。Inthislifewegetnothingsavebyeffort。Freedomfromeffortinthepresentmerelymeansthattherehasbeenstoredupeffortinthepast。Amancanbefreedfromthenecessityofworkonlybythefactthatheorhisfathersbefore｛5｝himhaveworkedtogoodpurpose。Ifthefreedomthuspurchasedisusedaright，andthemanstilldoesactualwork，thoughofadifferentkind，whetherasawriterorageneral，whetherinthefieldofpoliticsorinthefieldofexplorationandadventure，heshowshedeserveshisgoodfortune。Butifhetreatsthisperiodoffreedomfromtheneedofactuallaborasaperiod，notofpreparation，butofmereenjoyment，eventhoughperhapsnotofviciousenjoyment，heshowsthatheissimplyacumbereroftheearth’ssurface，andhesurelyunfitshimselftoholdhisownwithhisfellowsiftheneedtodososhouldagainarise。Amerelifeofeaseisnotintheendaverysatisfactorylife，and，aboveall，itisalifewhichultimatelyunfitsthosewhofollowitforseriousworkintheworld。
　　Inthelastanalysisahealthystatecanexistonlywhenthemenandwomenwhomakeitupleadclean，vigorous，healthylives；whenthechildrenaresotrainedthattheyshallendeavor，nottoshirkdifficulties，buttoovercomethem；nottoseekease，buttoknowhowtowresttriumphfromtoilandrisk。Themanmustbegladtodoaman’swork，todareandendureandtolabor；tokeephimself，andtokeepthosedependentuponhim。Thewomanmustbethehousewife，thehelpmeetofthehomemaker，thewiseandfearlessmotherofmanyhealthychildren。InoneofDaudet’spowerfulandmelancholybookshespeaksofthefearofmaternity，thehauntingterroroftheyoungwifeofthepresentday。Whensuchwordscanbetruthfullywrittenofanation，thatnationisrottentotheheart’score。Whenmenfearworkorfearrighteouswar，whenwomenfearmotherhood，theytrembleonthebrinkofdoom；andwellitisthattheyshouldvanishfromtheearth，wheretheyarefitsubjectsforthescornofallmenandwomenwhoarethemselvesstrongandbraveandhighminded。
　　Asitiswiththeinpidual，soitiswiththenation。Itisabaseuntruthtosaythathappyisthenationthathasnohistory。Thricehappyisthenationthathasaglorioushistory。Farbetteritistodaremightythings，towinglorioustriumphs，eventhoughcheckeredbyfailure，thantotakerankwiththosepoorspiritswhoneitherenjoymuchnorsuffermuch，becausetheyliveinthegraytwilightthatknowsnotvictorynordefeat。If，in1861，themenwholovedtheUnionhadbelievedthatpeacewastheendofallthings，andwarandstrifetheworstofallthings，andhadacteduptotheirbelief，wewouldhavesavedhundredsofthousandsoflives，wewouldhavesavedhundredsofmillionsofdollars。Moreover，besidessavingallthebloodandtreasurewethenlavished，wewouldhavepreventedtheheartbreakofmanywomen，thedissolutionofmanyhomes，andwewouldhavesparedthecountrythosemonthsofgloomandshamewhenitseemedasifourarmiesmarchedonlytodefeat。Wecouldhaveavoidedallthissufferingsimplybyshrinkingfromstrife。Andifwehadthusavoidedit，wewouldhaveshownthatwewereweaklings，andthatwewereunfittostandamongthegreatnationsoftheearth。ThankGodfortheironinthebloodofourfathers，themenwhoupheldthewisdomofLincoln，andboreswordorrifleinthearmiesofGrant！Letus，thechildrenofthemenwhoprovedthemselvesequaltothemightydays，letus，thechildrenofthemenwhocarriedthegreatCivilWartoatriumphantconclusion，praisetheGodofourfathersthattheignoblecounselsofpeacewererejected；thatthesufferingandloss，theblacknessofsorrowanddespair，wereunflinchinglyfaced，andtheyearsofstrifeendured；forintheendtheslavewasfreed，theUnionrestored，andthemightyAmericanRepublicplacedoncemoreasahelmetedqueenamongnations。