“The first and best of victories is for a man to conquer himself; to be conquered by himself is, of all things, the most shameful，” says Plato. Selfcontrol is at the root of all the advantages. Let a man give in to his impulses (冲动) and feelings, and from that moment he gives up his moral (道德上的) freedom.
A single angry word has lost many a friend. When Socrates found in himself any temper or anger, he would check it by speaking low in order to control himself. If you are conscious of being angry, keep your mouth shut so that you can hold back rising anger. Many a person has dropped dead in great anger. Fits of anger bring fits of disease. “Whom the gods would destroy they firstmake mad” “Keep cool”， says George Herbert, “for fierceness (狂怒) makes error a fault.”
To be angry with a weak man is to prove that you are not strong yourself. “Anger，” says Pythagoras, “brings with folly(愚蠢) and ends with regret.” You must measure the strength of a man by the power of the feelings he conquers, not by the power of those which conquer him.
Selfcontrol is man's last greatest victory.
If a man lacks selfcontrol he seems to lack everything. Without it he can have no patience, no power to govern himself; he can have no selfconfidence, for he will always be controlled by his strongest feeling. If he lacks selfcontrol, the very backbone and nerve of character are lacking also.
小题1:What does the reader learn from the first paragraph?
A．The greatest victory for a man is to conquer everything except himself.
B．One's moral freedom is based on the control of himself.
C．To control oneself is the most difficult in one's life.
D．If a person is too stubborn, he will feel most shameful.小题2:What is the correct interpretation of “Whom the gods would destroy they first make mad”？
A．If the gods want to kill you, they make you crazy first.
B．If you cannot control yourself, you will become crazy.
C．If you always lose your temper, you will soon be finished.
D．If you are mad, you will be punished by the gods.小题3:If a man lacks selfcontrol, he lacks all of the following EXCEPT ________.
A．the very backbone and nerve of character
B．the patience and power to control himself
C．selfconfidence
D．strong feelings
