這是麥克阿瑟元帥在第二次世界大戰時，於南太平洋戰爭最艱苦激烈
的日子裡，寫給他的獨子亞瑟的一篇禱告詞。
Build me a son, O Lord, who will be strong enough to know when he is weak, and brave enough to face himself when he is afraid; one who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat, and humble and gentle in victory.
Build me a son whose wishbone will not be where his backbone should be; a son who will know Thee ?and that to know himself is the foundation stone of knowledge.
Lead him I pray, not in the path of ease and comfort, but under the stress and spur of difficulties and challenge. Here let him learn to stand up in the storm; here let him learn compassion for those who fail.
Build me a son whose heart will be clear, whose goal will be high; a son who will master himself before he seeks to master other men; one who will learn to laugh, yet never forget how to weep; one who will reach into the future, yet never forget the past.
And after all these things are his, add, I pray, enough of a sense of humor, so that he may always be serious, yet never take himself too seriously. Give him humility, so that he may always remember the simplicity of true greatness, the open mind of true wisdom, the meekness of true strength.
Then, I, his father, will dare to whisper, have not lived in vain.
「主啊！教導我的兒子在軟弱時堅強不屈，在懼怕時能夠勇敢自持，
在誠實的失敗中毫不氣餒，在光榮的勝利中仍能保持謙遜溫和。教導
他篤實力行而不從事空想，使他認識你－同時也認識他自己，這才是
一切知識的開端。我祈求你，不要將他引上逸樂之途，寧肯將他置於
困難及挑戰的磨鍊與刺激之下，學習如何從風暴中站立起來，而又由
此學習如何同情那些跌倒的人。
求你讓他有一顆純潔的心，有一個高尚的目標，在學習指揮別人之前
，先學會自制；在邁向未來之時不遺忘過去。
主，在他有了這些美德之後，我還要祈求你賜給他充份的幽默感，以
免他過份嚴肅；賜給他謙虛，才能使他永遠記得真正的偉大是單純，
真正的智慧是坦率，真正的力量是溫和。
然後，作為父親的我，才敢輕聲地說，我總算這輩子沒有白活，阿們
。」
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