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塞缪尔·斯迈尔斯：自助论·摘录 33
塞缪尔·斯迈尔斯《自助论》· Self-Help · 领导
Riches are so great a temptation to ease and self-indulgence, to which men are by nature prone, that the glory is all the greater of those who, born to ample fortunes, nevertheless take an active part in the work of their generation—who “scorn delights and live laborious days.” It is to the honour of the wealthier ranks in this country that they are not idlers; for they do their fair share of the work of the state, and usually take more than their fair share of its dangers. It was a fine thing said of a subaltern officer in the Peninsular campaigns, observed trudging alone through mud and mire by the side of his regiment, “There goes 15,000_l._ a year!” and in our own day, the bleak slopes of Sebastopol and the burning soil of India have borne witness to the like noble self-denial and devotion on the part of our gentler classes; many a gallant and noble fellow, of rank and estate, having risked his life, or lost it, in one or other of those fields of action, in the service of his country.
出处：
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/935
定位：Excerpt 33 · 核对日期：2026-10-19 · 核验：短摘录
白话
斯迈尔斯指出：财富容易让人贪图安逸，所以那些生于富贵却仍积极工作、甘愿吃苦的人更值得尊敬。英国上层阶级并非游手好闲，他们承担国家事务，也承担更多危险。他举了一个例子：半岛战争中，一名下级军官独自在泥泞中行军，有人感叹“那可是年收入一万五千镑的人啊！”在塞瓦斯托波尔和印度的战场上，许多贵族子弟也冒着生命危险为国效力。核心是：真正的荣誉在于不贪图享乐，而是用行动服务社会。
上下文
斯迈尔斯《自助》中讨论财富与责任，背景是19世纪英国克里米亚战争和印度殖民战争。
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