塞繆爾·斯邁爾斯/Samuel Smiles
塞繆爾·斯邁爾斯（1812—1904），蘇格蘭作家，在1832年取得醫師資格，不久便放棄行醫，改行新聞工作，1838—1842年任《裏茲時報》編輯，1842—1866年從事鐵路行政工作。其作品中最傑出的是《自己拯救自己》，《品格的力量》，《金錢與人生》以及《人生的職責》，作品中蘊含維多利亞時代的價值觀，與其工作信條相互結合。
A man may usually be known by the books he reads as well as by the c ompany he keeps;for there is a companionship of books as well as of men;and one should always lived in the best company,whether it be of book s or of men.
A good book may be among the best of friends.It is the same today t hat it always was,and it will never change.It is the most patient and cheerful of companions.It does not turn its back upon us in times of ad versity or distress.It always receives us with the same kindness,amusi ng and instructing us in youth,and comforting and consoling us in age.
Men often discover their affinity to each other by the love they hav e each for a book.The book is a truer and higher bond of union.Men can think,feel,and sympathize with each other through their favorite autho r.They live in him together and he,in them.
A good book is often the best urn of a life enshrining the best that life could think out;for the world of a man's life is,for the most pa rt,but the world of his thoughts.Thus the best books are treasuries o f good words,the golden thoughts,which,remembered and cherished,beco me our constant companions and comforters.
Books possess an essence of immortality.They are by far the most l asting products of human effort.Temples and statues decay,but books s urvive.Time is of no account with great thoughts,which are as fresh to day as when they first passed through their author's minds,ages ago.W hat was then said and thought still speaks to us as vividly as ever from the printed page.The only effect of time has been to sift out the bad p roducts;for nothing in literature can long survive but what is really g ood.