How words came into being is unknown. All we assume is that some early men invented certain sounds, in one way or another, to express thoughts and feelings, actions and things, so that they could talk with each other. Later they agreed upon certain signs, called letters, which could be put together to show those sounds, and which could be written down. Those sounds, whether spoken or written in letters, are called words.
文字如何产生还不得而知。我们推测是早期某些人发明了某种声音，以某种方式来表达思想、感情、行为和事物，便于彼此交谈。后来他们约定某些符号，称为字母，组合起来表达声音，也可以书写。这些可以说也可以写的声音，称为文字。
The power of words, then, lies in their associations - the things they bring up to our minds. Words become filled with meaning for us by experience; and the longer we live, the more certain words bring back to us the happy and sad events of our past; and the more we read and learn, the more the number of words that mean something to us increases.
文字的力量在于它们的组合——然后在我们的大脑中呈现。文字的内涵取决于我们的经验；我们活得越久，某些特定的文字就越能让我们回忆起过去的快乐或悲伤；我们读得越多，学得越多，对我们有意义的文字就越多。
Great writers are those who not only have great thoughts but also express these thoughts in words which have powerful effects on our minds and feelings. This clever use of words is what we call literary style. Above all, the real poet is a master of words. He can express his meaning in words which sing like music and which by their position and association can move men to tears. We should therefore learn to choose our words carefully and use them correctly, or they will make our speech silly and common.
伟大的作家不仅有伟大的思想，还能用语言表达这些思想，对我们的思想和感情产生巨大影响。语言的巧妙运用就是我们所说的文学风格。最重要的是，真正的诗人是一位文字大师。他可以用音乐一般的文字表达他的意思，而这些文字的位置和组合可以让人感动得流泪。因此，我们应该学会谨慎地选择文字，并正确地使用，否则我们的演讲只会变得愚蠢和平庸。
