Courage
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 Mark Twain
(Apri1 18, 1908 )

In the matter of courage we all have our limits. There never was a hero who did not have his bounds. I suppose it may be said of Nelson and all the others whose courage has been advertised that there came times in their lives when their bravery knew it had come to its limit.

I have found mine a good many times. Sometimes this was expected--often it was unexpected. I know a man who is not afraid to sleep with a rattle-snake, but you could not get him to sleep with a safety-razor.

I never had the courage to talk across a long, narrow room. I should be at the end of the room facing all the audience. If I attempt to talk across a room I find myself turning this way and that, and thus at alternate periods I have part of the audience behind me. You ought never to have any part of the audience behind you; you never can tell what they are going to do.

I'll sit down.

　　中文：

　　在勇气问题上，人人都有极限。从来就没有胆大包天的英雄好汉。我想，可以说，纳尔逊和所有那些被大量宣传的勇士，一生中都有勇气达到极限的时候。

　　我就多次发现自己的勇气到了极限。有时是意料之中的——经常是出乎意料的。我认识一个人．此君不怕与响尾蛇同寝，可你无法让他与保安剃刀共眠。

　　我从来就没有勇气在狭长房间的中央发表讲话。我得站在房间的一头，面对全体听众。如果我试图站在房间中央讲话，我就会不断地转身，这样，就不断有部分听众在我背后。你们永远不能让自己背后有听众；你们永远闹不清他们要干什么。

　　我得坐下了。

　　（本篇发表于纽约市美术家、漫画家和幽默作家的一次聚会。）