You are What You Do
宋美齡 / Mayling Song
If the past has taught us anything， it is that every cause brings effect — every action has a consequence. This thought， in my opinion， is the moral foundation of the universe； it applies equally in this world and the next.
We Chinese have a saying：“ If a man plants melons， he will reap melons； if he sows beans， he will reap beans. ”And this is true of every man’s life： good begets good， and evil leads to evil.
True enough， the sun shines on the saint and sinner alike， and too often it seems that the wicked wax and prosper. But we can say with certitude that， with the individual as with the nation， the flourishing of the wicked is an illusion， for， unceasingly， life keeps books on us all.
In the end， we are all the sum total of our actions. Character cannot be counterfeited， nor can it be put on and cast off as if it were a garment to meet the whim of the moment. Like the markings on wood which are ingrained in the very heart of the tree， character requires time and nurture for growth and development.
Thus also， day by day， we write our own destiny， for inexorably we become what we do. This， I believe， is the supreme logic and the law of life.
如果說曾經的歲月教會了我們什麽，那就是有因必有果——每一個行為都有一種結果。依我看來，這種觀念是宇宙的道德基礎，它同樣適用於這個世界和未來世界。
中國有句俗語：“種瓜得瓜，種豆得豆。”這句話忠實於每個人的生活：善有善報，惡有惡報。
的確，聖人與罪人皆會受到陽光的披澤，而且常常是惡人大行其道。但我們可以肯定地說，對於一個人或者一個民族，惡行的猖獗隻是一種假象，因為生命會不斷地將我們的德行記錄在案。
最終，我們就是我們行為的總和。品德是無法偽造的，也不像衣服一樣隨興地穿上或脫下來丟在一旁。就像木頭的紋路源自樹木的中心。品德的成長與發展也需要時間和養料。