原文
A sea captain when he stands upon the bridge, or looks out from his deckhouse, thinks much about God and about the world. Away in the valley yonder among the corn and the poppies men may well forget all things except the warmth of the sun upon the face, and the kind shadow under the hedge; but he who journeys through storm and darkness must needs think and think.
One July a couple of years ago I took my supper with a Captain Moran on board the s.s. Margaret, that had put into a western river from I know not where. I found him a man of many notions all flavoured with his personality, as is the way with sailors. He talked in his queer sea manner of God and the world, and up through all his words broke the hard energy of his calling.
"Sur," said he, "did you ever hear tell of the sea captain's prayer?"
"No," said I; "what is it?"
"It is," he replied, " 'O Lord, give me a stiff upper lip.' "
"And what does that mean?"
"It means," he said, "that when they come to me some night and wake me up, and say, 'Captain, we're going down,' that I won't make a fool o' meself. Why, sur, we war in mid Atlantic, and I standin' on the bridge, when the third mate comes up to me lookin' mortial bad. Says he, 'Captain, all's up with us.' Says I, 'Didn't you know when you joined that a certain percentage go down every year?' 'Yes, sur,' says he; and says I, 'Arn't you paid to go down?' 'Yes, sur,' says he; and says I, 'Then go down like a man, and be damned to you!'"
翻译
一名船长无论是伫立船桥，还是从甲板室朝外眺望时，都在思索着上帝和世界。在远处山谷那边的玉米和罂粟地里，人们很可能忘记一切，只记得阳光洒在脸上的温暖和树篱下惬意的阴凉。而在风暴和黑暗中航行的人，却必须要不停地思索，再思索。
几年前的七月，我和莫兰船长在玛格丽特号上共进晚餐。这艘船不知从何处驶进了一条西部河流。我发现这位船长的很多想法都很有特色。他以独特的水手方式谈论着上帝和世界，每一句话中都爆发着他那份职业的强大力量。
「先生，」他说，「您听过船长祈祷的故事吗？」
「没有，」我说，「是什么样的呢？」
「就是，」他回答说，「主啊，赐我以镇定。」
「那是什么意思呢？」
「意思是，」他说，「假如某天水手们半夜过来叫醒我说：‘船长，我们在下沉。’我也不会慌神。哎呀，先生，我们在大西洋上航行，我正站在船桥上，三副神情慌张地跑过来说：‘船长，我们全完了。’我说：‘你来的时候难道不知道每年都会有一定比例的船沉下去吗？’‘知道，先生。’他说，我又说：‘你拿薪水不就是为了有朝一日沉下去吗？’‘是的，先生。’他说，于是我说：‘那就像个男子汉那样沉下去吧，该死的家伙！’」
出处
《凯尔特的薄暮（The Celtic Twilight）》中的“一个水手的信仰（The Religion of A Sailor）”，威廉·巴特勒·叶芝（William Butler Yeats, 1865年6月13日~1939年1月28日），爱尔兰诗人、剧作家和散文家，著名的神秘主义者。
叶芝在28岁时，采集爱尔兰乡间神话，集结成《凯尔特的薄暮》，这本书展示了一个与现实平行的幻想世界之全貌，也是叶芝投身唯灵论与神秘主义的起始。叶芝在自序里说，“这个世界尽管残缺破损、笨拙不堪，却也不乏优美宜人、富有意义之物，我像所有艺术家一样，希望用这些事物创造出一个小天地，通过幻象，向那些愿意顺着我指的方向看去的同胞，展示爱尔兰的一些特点。”这本书的意义不仅在于拾起了散落在乡间的纯朴珍宝，而且是爱尔兰民族传统文化复兴的推动力量，最终帮助促成1921年爱尔兰自由邦的建立。
解读
阳光灿烂的日子里，我很少思考，但在黑暗艰难的时光中，我仰望群星。
过久了安逸平静的日子，就总以为这样的日子会一直延续下去；每天早上看见窗外的晨曦，就相信明天的太阳依然会照常升起。
哪有那么好的事情，漫漫长夜终将会降临。
也许我不知道它会在哪一天降临，以何种方式降临，我唯一能够做的，就是为它做好准备。可是无论我如何的准备，在命运面前都不堪一击，它永远都以一种我们意想不到的方式到来。
面对命运，即使我不堪一击，我也要学会挺胸抬头去面对；即使我无法承受，我也要学会平静坦然去接受。像个水手一样，与浪潮为伴，在浪尖与低谷中上下起伏，忍耐终日的单调与寂寞，穿越不期而遇的狂风骤雨与危险礁石。
真正的强者，不惧命运。
总结
不惧命运。
拓展阅读
For man is man and master of his fate.
人就是人，是自己命运的主人。
《国王的叙事诗（Idylls of the King）》 阿尔弗雷德·丁尼生（Alfred Tennyson）
Come, my friends, 'Tis not too late to seek a newer world.
Push off, and sitting well in order smite
The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds
To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths
Of all the western stars，until I die.
It may be that the gulfs will wash us down;
It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,
And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.Though much is taken, much abides; and though
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are——
One equal temper of heroic hearts，
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find and not to yield.来吧，朋友们，现在还来得及探索新世界。
开船吧！坐成排！划破这喧哗的海浪，
我决心驶向太阳沉没的彼方，驶向群星照耀的西方，
至死方休，
也许，我们会被大海吞噬，
也许，我们将到达幸福乐土，
遇见我们伟大而熟悉的阿喀琉斯。生命已然逝去甚多，但剩下的仍然不少；
《尤利西斯（Ulysses）》 阿尔弗雷德·丁尼生（Alfred Tennyson）
虽然我们不再有曾经的力量，
已远非往昔撼天动地的雄姿，
尽管被时间消磨，被命运削弱，
但我们仍和过去一样，有着一颗英雄般的心，意志坚强如故，
奋斗、探索、发现，而不屈服。
You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.
如果没有让海岸在视线里消失的勇气，你永远也不可能越过大海
克里斯托弗·哥伦布（Christopher Columbus）
一切都会逝去，只有死神永生。
《三体》刘慈欣
Being-towards-death.
向死而生。
《存在与时间（Sein Und Zeit）》马丁·海德格尔（Martin Heidegger）
The Gods envy us. They envy us because we're mortal, because any moment might be our last.
Everything is more beautiful because we're doomed. You will never be lovelier than you are now. We will never be here again.
神羡慕我们，他们因我们是凡人而羡慕我们，因为每一刻都可能是生命的尽头。
这样的宿命，让所有的一切显得更加美丽，你永远不会比现在更动人，因为时间流逝永不再回。
《伊利亚特（Iliad）》荷马（Homer）
