When you see a man shedding tears in sorrow for a child abroad or dead, or for loss of property, beware that you are not carried away by the impression that it is outward ills that make him miserable. Keep this thought by you:' What distresses him is not the event, for that does not distress another, but his judgements on the event.' Therefore do not hesitate to sympathize with him so far as words go, and if it so chance, even to groan with him; but take heed that you do not also groan in your inner being.
当你看见一人蹲在角落里悄悄为了自己远离或死去的孩子或者因为穷苦抹眼泪的时候，记住你对这件事情的评价不应该是外部的伤痛使这个人难过。告诉你自己：“让他难过的不是这件事情本身，而是他自己对这件事情的评价。”所以，不要吝啬你的同情心去在言语上劝说他，或者同他一同悲伤。但是要注意的是你不要在自己的内在同他一同忧伤。
Remember that you are an actor in a play, and the playwright chooses the manner of it: if he wants it short, it is short; if long, it is long. If he wants you to act a poor man you must act the part with all your power; and so if your part be a cripple or a magistrate or a plain man. For your business is to act the character that is given you and act it well; the choice of the cast is Another's.
记住你只是一个戏中的演员，写剧本的人决定你是什么样的。他想让这个戏长就长，短就短。他想让你演穷人，那你也要尽全力去演好。如果他让你残废或者让你当官或者让你当普通人，你也要尽力演好。你的职责是演好你的角色，而角色的选择在别人的控制范围之内。
when a raven croaks with evil omen, let not the impression carry you away, but straightway distinguish in your own mind and say, 'These portents mean nothing to me; but only to my bit of a body or my bit of property or name, or my children or my wife. But for me all omens are favourable if I will, for , whatever the issue may be, it is in my power to get benefit therefrom.'
当一个大乌鸦叫声有坏的预示的时候，不要让你对它的印象把你带入歧途，而是应该立刻对自己说：“这个预兆对我一点意义都没有，它只能影响到我的一点身体，财富，名誉，或者老婆孩子。但是对于我本身来说，如果我想，所有的预兆都是对我好的，因为不管我失去了什么，我还是可以自己觉得从中获得益处。”
You can be invincible, if you never enter on a contest where victory is not in your power. Beware then that when you see a man raised to honour or great power or high repute you do not let your impression carry you away. For if the reality of good lies in what is in our power, there is no room for envy or jealousy. And you will not wish to be praetor, or prefect or consul, but to be free; and there is but one way to freedom--to despise what is not in our power.
如果你永远不去进行你觉得你的能力不能保证成功的比赛(不打无准备之仗)，那你就是不可战胜的。所以当你看到有人得到荣誉，升官发财了，不要让你自己对事物的评价将你引入歧途。因为所有好的东西东应该是你能控制的，（你控制不了的东西你根本不在乎）所以你没有理由嫉妒和羡慕。如果你不想当官，但是想自由，那就要知道，只有一种方法可以让你自由，那就是不要管那些你控制不了的东西。
Remeber that foul words or blows in themselve are no outrage, but your judgement that they are so. So when anyone makes you angry, know that it is your own thought that has angered you. Wherefore make it your first endeavour not to let your impressions carry you away. For if once you gain time and delay, you will find it easier to control yourself.
记住，蠢话和大话本身不过分，是你评价为他们过分。所以当某些人使你生气的时候，要知道是你自己的想法使你生气，而不是人家。所以在气头上的时候不要让你自己的评价和对事物的印象引你入歧途。给点时间让自己冷静下来，你会发现更容易控制你自己。
我们登上并非我们所选择的舞台，选择并非我们所选择的剧本。
——爱比克泰德
我们能做的只有努力去演好自己的剧本，在希望中欢呼，在苦难中坚持。
人不能只是活着，而是应该努力让自己的人生发光发亮。