A LETTER TO THE YOUTH

巴甫洛夫

俄國生理學家、心理學家、醫師、高級神經活動學說的創始人，高級神經活動生理學的奠基人。條件反射理論的建構者，也是傳統心理學領域之外而對心理學發展影響最大的人物之一，曾榮獲諾貝爾獎。

What would I wish for the young people of my motherland who dedicated themselves to science？

First of all - consistency. Of this very important condition for fruitful scientific work I cannot speak without emotion. Consistency， consistency and again consistency. Right from the very beginning inculcate in yourself the habit of strict consistency in acquiring knowledge.

Learn the ABC of science before you attempt to scale its peaks. Never embark on what comes after without having mastered what goes before. Never try to cover up the gaps in your knowledge， even by the boldest guesses and hypotheses. No matter how this bubble may delight the eye by its profusion of colours， it is bound to burst， and you will be left with nothing but confusion.

Develop in yourself restraint and patience. Never funk the hard jobs in science. Study， compare， accumulate facts.

No matter how perfect a bird’s wing may be it could never make the bird air-borne without the support of the air. Facts are the air of the scientist. Without them you will never be able to take off， without them your \"theories\" will be barren.

But when studying， experimenting and observing， do your best to get beneath the skin of the facts. Do not become hoarders of the facts. Try to penetrate into the secrets of their origin. Search persistently for the laws governing them.

The second thing is modesty. Never think that you know everything. No matter in what high esteem you are held， always have the courage to say to yourself： \"I am ignorant.\"

Do not let pride take possession of you. It will result in you being obstinate when you should be conciliatory. It will lead you to reject useful advice and friendly help. It will deprive you of the ability to be objective.

In the team of which I am leader， everything depends on the atmosphere. All of us are harnesses to a common cause and each pulls his weight. With us it is often impossible to discern what is \"mine\" and what is \"yours，\" but our common cause only gains thereby.

The third thing is- passion. Remember， science requires your while life. And even if you two lives to give， that would not be enough. Science demands of a man the utmost effort and supreme passion. Be passionate in your work and your quests.

Our country is opening wide vistas before scientists， and - it must be owned - science in our country is being fostered with a generous hand.

What is there to say about the status of our young scientist？ Here， it would seem， everything is quite clear. Much is given to him， much is expected from him. For him， as for us， it is a matter of honour to justify the great trust that our country puts in science.

給青年的一封信

伊萬 彼特諾維奇 巴甫洛夫

對于我們祖國獻身于科學的青年，我希望些什么呢？

首先，是循序性。我從來也不能夠不帶感情來提起這個對有成果的科學工作的最重要的條件。循序性，循序性，更大的循序性。從你們一開頭工作起，就訓練你自己在積累知識時要有嚴格的系統性。

想去攀登科學的高峰之前，先去學習科學的ABC。沒有掌握了前一步時，絕不要去跨第二步。

絕不要用些甚至是很大膽的臆說和假設來填補你知識的空隙。不管這個水泡的色彩可以使你多么悅目，它不可避免地總會爆裂，除了使你惶惑以外，不會有別的什么。

訓練你自己要謹慎和耐心。學習科學中的手工操作。研究、比較和累積事實。

不管鳥翼是多么完好，如沒有空氣支持絕不能使鳥升騰起來。事實是科學家的空氣，沒有事實，你再也不能翱翔。沒有事實，你的“理論”都是徒勞的。

然而，在研究、實驗、觀察時，要力求不只停留于事實的表面。不要成為事實的保存者。要深入窺探事實起源的奧秘。堅持地追尋支持事實的規律。

其次，虛心。絕不要以為你已經知道了一切。不論你是受到多大的尊重，要常有勇氣對自己說：“我無知。”

不要讓你自己被驕傲所累。因為驕傲，在需要調和的地方你也會固執；你會拒絕有用的忠告和友誼的幫助；你會喪失你對事實看法的客觀性。

在要我領導的一群人中，風氣就是一切。我們全體都為一個共同事業而努力，每一個人都盡其全部力量和能力來推進這個事業。我們常常不能區分什么是我的，什么是你的，但通過這種風氣，我們的共同事業就只會勝利。

第三，熱情。要記住，科學需要你整個的生命。縱使你再有兩個生命貢獻出來，還會不夠。科學要求人的努力和至高的熱情。

要熱情于你的工作，熱情于你的鉆研。

我們的祖國給科學開辟了廣闊的遠景，我們必須公正地說，科學正被廣泛地介紹到我們國家的生活中去。廣泛到極度廣泛的程度。

關于我國一個青年科學家的地位還有什么可說的呢？那是非常清楚的。給予他的很多，但要求于他的也很多。不辜負我們的祖國所寄托于科學的那些偉大的希望，是青年們的光榮，也是我們大家的光榮。

（備注：特此向不知姓名的中英文譯者致謝。）