双语 ● What Does Success Look Like For You? 什么才是你的成功？
What Does Success Look Like For You? 什么才是你的成功？
◎ Kevin miller
If you asked most entrepreneurs for five reasons why they got into business, making money would probably be close to number one. If so, that makes John Roise, owner of Lindsay Windows, something of an anomaly. When the former banker decided to enter the window business several years ago, he had four main goals in mind and none of them included the word “money”.
如果你让成功的企业家给出从商的五个理由，赚钱很可能位列第一。这样的话，林赛窗户的老板约翰·罗齐就是奇人一个。几年前，当这位银行家决定转行进入门窗产业的时候，他怀揣着四个梦想，而“钱”这一词未在其中。
“The first thing I wanted to do was share my faith,” says John. “Second, I wanted to be able to hire people who needed a second, third or fourth chance; people like ex-prisoners and drug addicts. Third, I wanted to speak out on social issues. And finally, I wanted to be able to take short-term mission trips.”
“我第一件要做的事情是分享我的信仰。”约翰说道，“第二，雇用那些需要第二、第三个甚至更多机会的人，比如坐过牢和吸过毒的人。第三，就社会问题发表我的观点。最后，参加教会短期宣讲会。”
In fact, John’s original goal was to build a business to the point where he had to spend only one day per week at work and the rest of his time in Christian ministry. However, as every entrepreneur knows, rarely do the demands of even a small business afford such luxuries, especially when you’re just starting out. It wasn’t that John felt money was unimportant. He realized the only way to reach his other goals was to make his company profitable. Echoing in his head were the words of famed evangelist Dwight L. Moody:
实际上，约翰最初的目标是创立一家企业，直到他可以每周只上一天班，剩下的时间在基督教部度过。不过，每个企业家都知道，即使是小企业，工作需求也不少，如此奢侈的想法实在难以满足，尤其在它刚刚起步的时候。这并非是约翰认为钱不重要。他认识到能实现其他梦想的唯一途径，就是让公司赢利。著名的福音传道者德怀特·穆迪的话萦绕在他脑海当中：
“Make as much as you can, save as much as you can, so you can give as much as you can.”
“尽可能地获取，尽可能地节约，这样你才能尽可能地给予。”
John set out to do just that.
约翰也的确是这样做的。
Here’s the Story
约翰的故事
Why was John so concerned about giving rather than gaining? Back in college, John made a decision that changed his life: He had become a Christian. Having grown up in a Christian home, John thought he had all the bases covered when it came to God. He went to church, he was baptized, he was nice to his parents and he lived a decent life. But when he met his future wife Susan, she showed him that just going through the motions of faith was not enough. If he really wanted to call himself a Christian, he had to become “born again”.
为什么约翰如此关注给予而非索取呢？早在大学时代，约翰作了一个改变他一生的决定：成为一个基督信徒。从小在基督教家庭长大的约翰，认为上帝为他安排了一切。他经常到教堂去，并接受洗礼。他对父母很好，过着一种体面的生活。但是当他遇到他未来的妻子苏珊时，她告诉他仅仅情感上感觉到的信仰是不够的。如果想成为一名真正的基督教徒，他必须要“重生”。
“And I said, ‘what do you mean, born again? How I can be born again?’” says John. “And she pointed out some Scripture to me and I said ‘Wow, I’d never heard that before.’ No one had ever challenged me like that.”
“我当时问她：‘你说的重生，是什么？我怎样才能重生？’”约翰这样说道，“她说了一些经文，然后我说：‘哇，我从来没听过。’没有人那样向我示威过。”
Although his pride prevented him from letting Susan convert him on the spot, the seed was planted. A short time later while John was in his room watching television, he finally accepted the fact that:
尽管出于自尊，他没让苏珊在这个问题上转变自己的观点，不过一粒种子却埋在了他心里。不久之后，当约翰在卧室里看电视时，这个种子最终生根发芽，他终于接受了现实：
He wasn’t as good a person as he thought he was and
他并没有他曾经认为的那么好，
The only solution was to ask Jesus for forgiveness.
唯一的解决之道是向上帝寻求宽恕。
John did exactly that, and his new, personal relationship with Jesus began.
约翰的确这么做了，于是他和基督的私人关系悄然开始。
“No bells went off, and no whistles rang. But I knew there was a difference,” John says.
“没有钟声响起，没有哨声回荡，但我知道，我已经不同。”约翰说道。
For one thing, John realized it wasn’t enough to live life just for himself. To be a true follower of Christ, he had to devote his life to serving others.
首先，约翰意识到只为自己活着是不够的。要成为上帝真正的追随者，他必须倾其一生服务他人。
A Sign from God
上帝的旨意
John’s faith grew over the next several years as he graduated from college and found work in the banking industry. An entrepreneur at heart, John also ran a few other businesses on the side, including real estate development and an oyster shell chicken feed company. While John always seemed to do well, he still hadn’t found the company that would allow him to fulfill his dreams.
之后几年，他从大学毕业并进入银行业工作，他的信念也与日俱增。他内心里是一名创业家，所以他同时还在其他几家公司做兼职，包括房地产开发和牡蛎壳制鸡饲料公司。虽然他工作出色，仍然没有找到一家公司能让自己实现梦想。
Oddly enough, John’s golden opportunity came in the form of a business he knew nothing about: window manufacturing. He wasn’t even interested in purchasing the company at first. Not only did he lack experience, buying the company would require him to borrow several million dollars and leave his comfortable, six-figure job in the banking industry.
奇怪的是，约翰的绝佳机会出现在一个他几乎一无所知的行业：门窗制造。他开始甚至根本无意买进那家公司。他没有经验，而且要买下这个公司，他还要负债几百万美圆，并且辞掉他年薪六位数的无比舒适的银行工作。
John decided to put the decision before God. Seeing as it was unlikely that any bank would loan him so much money, John decided to let that be the determining factor. If he managed to secure the financing, he would take it as a sign that God wanted him to take this leap of faith. If not, then he would forfeit the deal and keep looking for another business opportunity.
约翰决定让上帝来抉择。约翰以为不会有银行肯借给他那么多钱，所以干脆先拿这个行业开刀。如果他设法融资成功，那么这就是上帝的旨意，表明要他升华这一坚定的信仰。否则的话，他甘愿放弃交易，接着在别的行业寻找机遇。
Rather than seek a loan from his own bank and risk the embarrassment of being turned down, John decided to approach another bank three hours away. He fully expected his application to be rejected, but,”Within 24 hours, I had a commitment to do the whole deal,” says John.
约翰不向自己的公司贷款，那样会被尴尬拒绝。他决定找车程三小时之外的一家银行。他早已作好申请被驳回的准备，但是：“24小时之内，我得到了所有款项的批准。”约翰说道。
Still not convinced that this was the way to go, John decided to try his luck at yet another bank.
不相信事情会这么简单，约翰决定再到另一家银行试试运气。
Once again, his loan application was approved almost instantly. John finally accepted the fact that God might be telling him to go for it.
和上一次一样，他的贷款申请立即神奇地被批准。无奈，约翰最终接受了“事实”：去做吧，这是上帝的旨意。
Fulfilling his Goals
梦想实现
Building the company was far from easy. Desperation was a common feeling during that first year, John says. But as he learned the business, he was able to turn Lindsay Windows into a highly successful manufacturer of custom windows.
创立一家公司绝不是一件容易的事。第一年，绝望是他最常有的感觉，约翰说。但是当他不断了解这个行业后，最终将林赛窗户变成传统门窗制造的行业巨头。
More importantly, John’s financial success meant he could finally fulfill the four goals he had stated at the outset. Today, Lindsay Windows regularly employs ex-prisoners, the mentally challenged, and individuals with chemical dependency problems.
更重要的是，这让约翰赚了一大笔钱，好让他完成最初的其他四个梦想。今天，林赛窗户经常雇佣前囚犯、有精神智障和有药物依赖问题的人。
“I’ve seen some people that have just walked away from drugs, gotten off alcohol and become good, productive individuals. Some people fall back and that’s to be expected... But I have seen quite a few successful stories.”
“我看有人刚刚走出毒品的阴影，戒掉酗酒的毛病，他们成为了好人，有用之人。当然有些人还是旧病重犯……但是我看过不少成功的故事。”
As for John’s own success, his definition is rather simple:
至于约翰自己的成功，他的定义颇为简单：
“I measure success according to what I’ve done compared to what I’m capable of doing. You could have millions of dollars, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is what you’ve done on this earth with the opportunities you’ve been given.”
“我衡量成功的办法是，比较我有能力做多少和我真正做了多少。你赚了几百万，但那不是重点。重点是在这个世界上，在上帝给你的机会面前，你做了些什么。”
So, does John consider himself a success on those terms?
那么，约翰自己达到了那些标准吗？
“I don’t know. I guess I’ll have to wait and see if I hear those famous words from the Lord when I get to heaven, ‘well done my good and faithful servant.’”
“我不知道，我想这还要等等看。如果我到天堂里，听到主说：‘我优秀而忠实的仆人，你做得很好。’那我才是真正做得好。”
How do you measure success? Why not ask Jesus what success looks like for you? If you do not know Jesus, we encourage you to pray the following:
你如何衡量成功？问问上帝吧，什么才是你的成功？如果你不认识上帝，我们鼓励你这样祈祷：
Lord Jesus, I want to know you personally. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive you as my Savior and Lord. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of my life. Make me be the person you want me to be.
“耶稣，我的主。我想认识您。您钉死在十字架上为我赎罪，我万分感激。我打开我的生命之门，接受您为无上的救世主。感谢主宽恕我的罪过，并赐予我永生。我的生命交给您，请将我塑造成你眼中的我。”
Is it the desire of your heart to make this prayer yours?
你的祈祷是出自于真心吗？
If yes, pray now and according to his promise, Jesus Christ will come into your life.
如果是，现在就祈祷上帝的保佑，上帝就会融入你的生活。
