宋美龄/Mayling Soong
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.
如果说曾经的岁月教会了我们什么，那就是每件事都会带来影响——每个举动都有后果。依我看来，这种想法是宇宙的道德基础，它适用于这个世界和未来世界。
中国有句俗语：“种瓜得瓜，种豆得豆。”这句话忠实于每个人的生活：善有善报，恶有恶报。
确实如此，阳光照耀着圣人，也同样恩泽恶人，然而常常似乎是恶人大行其道。但是我们可以肯定地说，对于一个人或者一个民族而言，猖獗的恶行只是一种假象。因为，生活会不断地将我们的德行记录在案。
我们最终都是自己行为累积的结果。品质不能伪造，也不能由着性子像件衣服那样脱穿，它就像木材的纹理，已在树的中心根深蒂固。品质需要时间和养料的浇灌得以成长和发展。