文章：The prime condition great secrets of success
It is well that young men should begin at the beginning and occupy the most subordinate positions. Many of the leading businessmen of Pittsburgh had a serious responsibility thrust upon them at the very threshold of their career. They were introduced to the broom, and spent the first hours of their business lives sweeping out the office. I notice we have janitors and janitresses now in offices, and our young men unfortunately miss that salutary branch of business education. But if by chance the professional sweeper is absent any morning, the boy who has the genius of the future partner in him will not hesitate to try his hand at the broom. The other day a fond fashionable mother in Michigan asked a young man whether he had ever seen a lady sweep in a room so grandly as her Priscilla. He said no, he never had ,and the mother was gratified beyond measure, but then said he ,after a pause, “What I should like to see her do is sweep out a room” It does not hurt the newest comer to sweep out the office if necessary. I was one of those sweepers myself.
Assuming that you have all obtained employment and are fairly started, my advice to you is “aim high”。 I would not give a fig for the young man who does not already see himself the partner or the head of an important firm. Do not rest content for a moment in your thoughts as head clerk, or foreman, or general manager in any concern, no matter how extensive. Say to yourself ，“My place is at the top.” Be king in your dreams.
And here is the prime condition of success, the great secret: concentrate your energy, thought, and capital exclusively upon the business in which you are engaged. Having begun in one line, resolve to fight it out on that line, to lead in it, adopt every improvement, have the best machinery, and know the most about it.
The concerns which fail are those which have scattered their capital, which means that they have scattered their brains also. They have investments in this, or that, or the other, here there, and everywhere. “Don't put all your eggs in one basket.” is all wrong. I tell you to “put all your eggs in one basket, and then watch that basket.” Look round you and take notice, men who do that not often fail. It is easy to watch and carry the one basket. It is trying to carry too many baskets，which break most eggs in this country. He who carries three baskets must put one on his head, which is apt to tumble and trip him up. One fault of the American businessman is lack of concentration.
To summarize what I have said: aim for the highest; never enter a bar room; do not touch liquor, or if at all only at meals; never speculate; never indorse beyond your surplus cash fund; make the firm's interest yours; break orders always to save owners; concentrate; put all your eggs in one basket, and watch that basket; expenditure always within revenue; lastly, be not impatient, for as Emerson says, “no one can cheat you out of ultimate success but yourselves.”
年青人應當從頭學起，擔負最基層的職務，這是件好事。匹茲堡有很多大企業家在之初都肩負過重擔。他們與掃帚結伴，以打掃辦公室渡過了企業生活的最初時間。我注意到當初的辦公室都裝備了工友，這使我們的年輕人可憐丟掉了這個有利的企業教導的一個內容。不外，假如哪一天凌晨掃除工碰勁沒來，某位存在將來合伙人氣質的青年就會絕不遲疑試著拿起掃帚。有一天，認為寵愛孩子的，時興的密歇根母親問一位男青年，是否見過像她的女兒普里希拉那樣的年輕女郎如斯灑脫地在房間里進行打掃。男青年說從未見過，那位母親愉快的樂不可支。但男青年頓了頓又說： “我想看到的是她能在室外進行掃除”。如果有必要，新來者在辦公室外進行打掃并不什么喪失。我自己就曾經是打掃人之一。
假設你們都已就業了，并干的相稱杰出，我對你們的忠告是要“襟懷大志”。對那些尚未把自己看成是某主要公司的合伙人或引導人的年輕人，我會不屑一顧。你們在思維上一刻也不要滿意于充任任何企業的首席人員，領班或總經理，不論這家企業的范圍有多大。你們要對自己說：“我的地位在最高處”你們要夢寐以求至高無上。
取得的重要前提喝最大秘訣是：把精力跟財力完選集中于所干的事業上。一旦開端干那一行，就要信心干出個花樣，要超群絕倫，要點點滴滴地改良，要采取最好的機器，要努力精通這一行。
失敗的企業是那些疏散了資力，因此象征著分散了精神的企業。他們向這件事投資，又向那件事投資，在這里投資，又在哪里投資，方方面面都有投資。“別把所有的雞蛋放進一個籃子”之說大錯特錯。我告知你們，“要把所有的雞蛋放在一個籃子，而后照管好那只籃子。”留神走位并留點神，能這樣做的人往往不會失敗。管好并提好那只籃子很容易。在咱們的國度，想多提籃子的人打壞的雞蛋也多。有三只籃子的人就得把一只籃子頂在頭上，這樣很輕易摔倒。美國企業家的一個過錯就是缺乏集中。
我把所說的話演繹如下：要志在高峰，千萬不要涉足酒吧，不要沾酒，或者僅在用餐時喝點酒；千萬不要投契，簽訂支付的款項時，千萬不要超過盈余的現金貯備，把公司的好處當成本人的利益，撤消訂貨的目標永遠在于搶救貨主，集中精力，把所有的雞蛋放進一個籃子，支出永遠小于收入，最后不要失去耐煩，由于正如愛默生所說，“除了你自己以外，沒有人能哄騙你分開最后的勝利。”（）
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