“聪，亲爱的孩子。收到 9 月 22 日晚发的第六信，很高兴。我们并没为你前信感到什么烦恼或是不安。我在第八封信中还对你预告，这种精神消沉的情形，以后还是会有的。我是过来人，决不至于大惊小怪。你也不必为此担心，更不必硬压在肚里不告诉我们。心中的苦闷不在家信中发泄，又哪里去发泄呢？孩子不向父母诉苦向谁诉呢？我们不来安慰你，又该谁来安慰你呢？

My Dear Son Cong: We are pleased to have received your sixth letter dated September 22.

However, we do not feel disturbed or worried because of what you wrote in your previous letter. In my eighth letter, I forewarned you that these bouts of depression would happen again in the future. I’ve been there, and so I am not at all surprised that happened. Also you shouldn’t worry about it. More so, you shouldn’t hold it inside you and don’t tell us about it. If you can’t air your lonesomeness in a family letter, where else can you let it all out? To whom could a child vent his grief other than to his parents? We don’t come along to console you, who should comfort you instead?”

“人一辈子都在高潮低潮中浮沉，惟有庸碌的人，生活才如死水一般；或者要有极高的修养，方能廓然无累，真正的解脱。只要高潮不过分使你紧张，低潮不过分使你颓废，就好了。太阳太强烈，会把五谷晒焦；雨水太猛，也会淹死庄稼。我们只求心理相当平衡，不至于受伤而已。

During our lifetime, our moods go up and down like a yo-yo. Only lives of mundane people stay flat like still water. Alternatively, well-seasoned people stay tranquil and relaxed without real concerns. It is fine so long as emotion highs do not stress you out and emotion allows do not drain you. Overly scorching sun would fry grain-plants and excessively in undating rain would drown farm-crops. We won’t get hurt so long as our moods stay stable.

“我预料国外这几年，对你整个的人也有很大的帮助。这次来信所说的痛苦，我都理会得；我很同情，我愿意尽量安慰你、鼓励你。克利斯朵夫不是经过多少回这种情形吗？他不是一切艺术家的缩影与结晶吗？慢慢的你会养成另外一种心情对付过去的事：就是能够想到而不再惊心动魄，能够从客观的立场分析前因后果，做将来的借鉴，以免重蹈覆辙。 一个人惟有敢于正视现实，正视错误，用理智分析，彻底感悟，才不至于被回忆侵蚀。

I expect your experience during these few years overseas has been a great help to your development as a person. I understand and sympathize with your pains that are mentioned in your letter. You can count on my consolation and encouragement to the greatest degree possible. Didn’t Jean-Christophe go through similar situations many times as well? Wasn’t he the epitome and manifestation of all artists? Slowly you will develop a different state of mind to handle matters similar to those situations in the past. That is, you will be able to anticipate things in happening and will not be taken by surprise again. You will be able to analyse causes and consequences of events objectively. Then you can use them for future references to prevent making similar mistakes again. A person needs to have the courage to confront reality and past mistakes. As such, he can come up with sensible analysis and in-depth appreciation. Only then he won’t be weighed down by bad memories. ”

“成就的大小、高低，是不在我们掌握之内的，一半靠人力，一半靠天赋，但只要坚强，就不怕失败，不怕挫折，不怕打击——不管是人事上的，生活上的，技术上的，学习上的——打击；从此以后你可以孤军奋斗了。何况事实上有多少良师益友在周围帮助你，扶掖你。还加上古今的名著，时时刻刻给你精神上的养料! 孩子，从今以后，你永远不会孤独的了，即使孤独也不怕的了! 赤子之心这句话，我也一直记住的。赤子便是不知道孤独的。赤子孤独了，会创造一个世界，创造许多心灵的朋友! 永远保持赤子之心，到老也不会落伍，永远能够与普天下的赤子之心相接相契相抱! 别担心。

The degree of success is not completely under our control. It’s half through personal efforts and half through destiny. But so long as you stay tough, you can weather failures, blunders and heavy-blows—whether such blows stem from interpersonal, livelihood-related, technical or academic matters. From now on you can soldier on by yourself. Besides, you have many great mentors and friends around to lend assistance and support to you. In addition, there are contemporary and past literary masterpieces to feed your mind at all times. Son, you will never be alone from now on, and there is nothing to be afraid of even if you’re alone. I always keep in mind the portrayal about an infant’s mind. Infant does not know he is alone. An isolated infant creates a unique world of his own and shares it spiritually with many companions in a similar state of minds. By maintaining an infant’s untainted mind, you’ll never feel antiquated even when you get old. But don’t worry.”