The significant inscription found on an old key—“If I rest， I rust.”—would be an excellent motto for those who are afflicted with the slightest bit of idleness. Even the most industrious① person might adopt it with advantage to serve as a reminder② that， if one allows his faculties to rest， like the iron in the unused key， they will soon show signs of rust and， ultimately， cannot do the work required of them.
Industry keeps bright the key that opens the treasury of achievement. If Hugh Miller， after toiling③ all day in a quarry， had devoted his evenings to rest and recreation， he would never have become a famous geologist. The celebrated mathematician， Edmund Stone， would never have published a mathematical dictionary， never have found the key to science of mathematics， if he had given his spare moments to idleness. Had the little Scotch lad， Ferguson， allowed the busy brain to go to sleep while he tended sheep on the hillside， instead of calculating the position of the stars by a string of beads， he would never have become a famous astronomer.
Labor vanquishes all—not inconstant④， spasmodi⑤， or ill-directed labor； but faithful， unremitting⑥， daily effort toward a well-directed purpose. Just as truly as eternal vigilance is the price of liberty， so is eternal industry the price of noble and enduring success.
① industriousadj. 勤勉的，勤奋的
② remindern. 提醒者，提醒物；提示
③ toilv. 辛苦，劳累；苦干
④ inconstantadj. 易变的，无常的；不忠实的
⑤ spasmodicadj. 不持续的，断断续续的
⑥ unremittingadj. 不间断的，不懈的
如果我休息，我就会生锈
在一把旧钥匙上发现了一则意义深远的铭文——如果我休息，我就会生锈。对于那些为懒散而苦恼的人来说，这将是至理名言。甚至是最为勤勉的人也可以此为警示：如果一个人有才而不用，就像废弃钥匙上的铁一样，这些才能很快就会生锈，并最终无法完成安排给自己的工作。
勤奋使开启成功宝库的钥匙保持光亮。休·米勒如果在采石场劳作一天后，晚上停下来休息消遣的话，他就不会成为名垂青史的地理学家。著名数学家爱德蒙·斯通如果闲暇时无所事事，就不会出版数学词典，也不会发现开启数学之门的钥匙。如果苏格兰青年霍格森在山坡上放羊时让自己那思维活跃的大脑处于休息状态，而不是花费心思计算星星的位置，他就不会成为著名的天文学家。
劳动改变一切。这里所指的劳动不是断断续续的、变化无常的或方向偏差的劳动，而是忠诚的、不懈的、方向正确的日夜劳动。正如要想获得自由就必须时刻警惕一般，要想真正取得永久性的成功，就必须坚持不懈地努力。
