当你走出家门开始新的征程，首先要学会的就是要依靠自己，学会独立。没有人可以永远在别人的呵护下成长，独立生活是我们走向成熟的必经之路。
Depend on Yourself
“Depend on yourself” is what nature says to every man. Parents can help you. Teachers can help you. Others still can help you. But all these people only help you to help yourself.
There have been many great men in history. Many of them were very poor in childhood, and had no uncles, aunts or friends to help them. Schools were few and not very good. They could not depend on them for education. They saw how it was, and set to work with their strength to know something.① They worked their own way till they became well-known.② One of the most famous teachers in England used to tell his pupils, “I cannot make worthy men of you, but I can help you make men of yourselves.”
Some young men don’t try their best to make themselves valuable to human beings. They can not gain achievements unless they see their weakness and change their course. They are nothing now, and will be nothing as long as they live, unless they accept the advice of their parents and teachers, and depend on their own efforts.
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行文点评
我们应该依靠自己，他人只能帮助我们帮助自己。这是文章的主旨，也是第一段中的主要意思。第二段开始从正面举例说明历史上的伟大人物是怎样依靠自己的力量获得最后成功的。最后一段从反面举例，谈到现在有些年轻人不努力使自己成为对人类有益的人，并给出自己的建议，与题目和文章开头呼应。
好文妙译
依靠自己
“依靠自己”是自然告诉每个人的。父母可以帮助你。老师可以帮助你。其他人也可以帮助你。但是所有这些人都只能帮你帮助你自己。
历史上有许多伟人。其中很多伟人小时候都非常贫穷，他们没有叔叔、姑姑或朋友帮助他们。学校数量少，质量差。他们也无法依靠学校接受教育。他们认识到这一情况，然后就开始自己努力去学习。他们排除万难直到最后成功。英国最为著名的一位教师曾经这样告诉他的学生：“我无法使你出人头地，但我可以帮助你做好你自己”。
有些年轻人不努力使自己成为对人类有益的人。他们不会取得任何成就，除非他们能够认识到自己的弱点，改变自己的方向。他们现在一无所成，而且终其一生都会一无所成，除非他们能够接受父母、老师的建议，开始依靠自己的努力。
词汇斟酌
worthy n. 杰出人物, 知名人士
achievement n. 成就，功绩
佳句临摹
①【注释】set to work开始工作，着手工作
【临摹】It’s high time we set to work if we want to finish the task today. 如果我们想今天完成任务，现在得开始工作了。
②【注释】work one’s way排除困难前进
【临摹】It takes years to work your way through the examination system until you gain a degree.你需要花上几年时间努力通过全部考试才能取得学位。
思如泉涌
For many, life’s longest mile is the stretch from dependence to independence.对许多人来说，生命中最长的路程就是从依赖到自立之间的距离。
God helps those who help themselves.自助者天助之。