Some people find meaning in life simply by doing something they enjoy. They may or may not become wealthy, but they are very likely to lead a happy life. Others find meaning by making a contribution to the society. They may set a world record, create a beautiful work of art, or bring more convenience to everyday life. Still others find satisfaction in helping the poor, or raising a family. Riches, on the other hand, do not guarantee happiness or meaning. No matter how wealthy a man is, he is unlikely to feel his life has been a true success if he is unhealthy, alone, or simply bored. There are many ways to measure a person’s success, and material wealth is just one of them. No matter now we measure our won success, we must set our own goals and then strive to reach them. Only in this way can we truly consider ourselves successful.

Notes:

(1) set a world record 创造世界记录

a. And then amazingly , Glenn set a world record for the mile run! 
接著奇迹出现了, 他创下了英里赛跑的世界纪录.
b. Joey Chestnut set a world record when he consumed 59.5 hotdogs and buns in just 12 minutes. 
他以12分钟内吞下59个半热狗的成绩刷新了世界纪录.
c. He has set a world record, and is in the Guinness Book of World Records. 
他创造了一项世界纪录, 并被载入《吉尼斯世界纪录大全》.  

(2) work of art 艺术品

a. This landscape painting is a consummate work of art. 
这幅山水画已臻化境.
b. This tapestry is a work of art. 
这张挂毯是件艺术品.
c. We have a beautiful house, a regular work of art. 
我们拥有一幢漂亮的房屋-精心建造的艺术品. 

(3) raise a family 养育子女

a. Mr Smith has to raise a large family. 
史密斯先生不得不抚养一大家人.
b. This man is a rickshaw wallah and he works hard to raise his family. 
这个人是拉黄包车的,他努力干活养活家人.
c. The company is going to reduce staff, we all have a family to raise. 
公司要裁员, 我们都是要养家糊口的. 

(4) guarantee

|ˌgærənˈti:| n.&v.
a. a firm promise that you will do sth or that sth will happen 保证；担保

He gave me a guarantee that it would never happen again.
他向我保证这种事情绝不会再发生。
b.a written promise given by a company that sth you buy will be replaced or repaired without payment if it goes wrong within a particular period 保修单；保用证书

The watch is still under guarantee .
这只手表仍在保修期内。
c.~ (of sth) | ~ (that…) something that makes sth else certain to happen 起保证作用的事物

Career success is no guarantee of happiness.
事业成功并不是幸福的保证。
d.money or sth valuable that you give or promise to a bank, for example, to make sure that you will do what you have promised 保证金；抵押品

We had to offer our house as a guarantee when getting the loan.
我们在贷款时不得不拿房子作抵押。

(5) be unlikely to 不可能

a. While Chinese influence on Myanmar is increasing, Rangoon will be unlikely to become China's satellite state. 
虽然中国对缅甸的影响越来越大, 但是仰光将不可能成为中国的战略卫星国.
b. They COULD be freak accidents, but wind would be unlikely to do such things. 
它们可能遭遇过什么灾难, 但是不可能是风造成的.
c. It's unlikely that you'll be asked to do anything too taxing. 
不大可能叫你做什么太费劲的事儿。   

(6) strive to 努力

a. You should always strive to achieve more, however well you have done before. 
无论之前取得何等辉煌的成就，都应该不断努力进取。
b. And they strive to achieve consensus out of conflict. 
他们力图在矛盾冲突中求得意见协调.
c. They strive to retain access to the resources that make company tick. 
他们设法获取公司赖以运转的资源.   

参考译文:

有些人只要做自己喜欢做的事情就能找到生命的意义。他们可能会变得有钱，也可能不会，但他们很可能会过着快乐的生活。有些人通过为社会做贡献而找寻到意义。他们可能创造世界记录、创作出优美的艺术品，或者为日常生活带来更多便利。还有些人在帮助穷人或养育子女的同时得到满足感。另一方面，财富并不保证会带来快乐或意义。不论一个人多么富有，如果他不健康、孤单一人，甚至觉得无聊，就不可能觉得自己的生活很成功。总之，衡量一个人成功的方式有很多，而物质上的财富只是其中之一。不论我们如何衡量自己的成功，我们都必须设定自己的目标，然后努力去达到。惟有如此，我们才能真正取得自己想要的成功。