The poem “Seven times have I despised my soul”was used by the author Kahlil Gibran to reveal the common weakness of human beings. After reading the poem, we can have a better understanding of ourselves. We also feel sorrowful and helpless for our humble, vacillating and self-comfort soul. It is why we have strong emotional resonance that we are all similar to what it describes in a way. Several ones of the seven have left the deepest impression on me.
通过诗歌《我曾七次鄙视我的灵魂》，作者纪伯伦揭示了人性共同的弱点。在读完这首诗之后，我们可以更加了解自我。同样，我们也为我们懦弱卑微、摇摆不定、自我安慰的灵魂而悲哀无助。正是因为我们发现自我和这首诗所描述的在某种程度上有相似之处，所以我们才会产生如此强烈的情感共鸣。在这七则中，有几条带给我极大的触动。
“The third time when she was given to choose between the hard and the easy, and she chose the easy.” We are too habituated in living in the comfort zone and enjoying the easement to challenge ourselves. But we should know that the only result is sighing in distress tomorrow. For instance, we often envy those who own good figures. However, when choosing exercise and relaxation, we will choose to relax comfortably because we are afraid of being tiredness. So the only way to create extraordinary achievements is to face difficulties bravely.
“第三次，在困难和容易之间，她选择了容易”。我们习惯于待在舒适圈，沉溺于安逸，因而很少挑战自我。然而这样唯一的结果就是他日在困顿中叹息。例如，我们常常羡慕身材好的人，但是当我们面临锻炼和放松的选择时，我们会选择放松，因为我们害怕疲劳。所以迎难而上才可成就不凡。
“The forth time when she committed a wrong, and comforted herself that others also commit wrong.” Introspection is the basic requirement of contemporary youth. When facing the criticism from parents in study, we often explain that somebody else performs worse than me. When confronting any emergency, don’t complain and first find the reason from ourselves. And if we attribute the problem to ourselves, we will find measures to change. In this process, our relevant abilities can be improved greatly.
第四次，她犯了错，却借用别人也会犯错来宽慰自己。当代青年最基本要具备自省的能力。当父母指责我们学习上的问题时，我们常常辩解说某某某比我们更差。面对任何事件都不要抱怨，首先要从自己的身上寻找原因。如果我们将问题归结到自己身上，那么我们就会寻找解决的办法。而在这个过程中，我们的相关能力都会得到极大的提升。
“The sixth time when she despised the ugliness of a face, and knew not that it was one of her own masks.” The saddest thing is that we finally become the most hated person. Nietzsche once said:”When you stare at the abyss, the abyss also looks at you.” Life is a mirror. If we despise certain faces for a long time, we become it inadvertently. So don’t criticize others easily. When we despise the ugliness of a face, actually we are not defining others but defining ourselves.
第六次，当她鄙夷一张丑恶的嘴脸时，那正是自己面具中的一幅。人生最悲哀的事莫过于，活着活着，最终变成了自己最讨厌的模样。尼采曾经说过：“当你凝视深渊时，深渊也在凝视你”。生活就像一面镜子，如果我们长期鄙夷他人，不知不觉中我们也会变得丑陋。所以不要轻易批判他人。当我们在鄙夷他人丑恶时，实际上我们并不是在定义其他人而是在定义我们自己。
There are many innate shackles and we often indulge in them unconsciously. So just observe ourselves carefully and jump out of the shackles bravely.
人性有许多弱点，不知不觉中我们可能就沉溺其中了。仔细探索自我，勇敢打破桎梏。
Author: Zhao Jiaming
Date: January 18, 2023
