第一篇：英語美文

八步輕松擺脫“節后憂慮癥”..............................................................................................1 8 steps to get rid of your post winter festive season holiday blues....................1 我的龍年春節愿望............................................................................................................3 Setting my resolutions for Chinese New Year.........................................................3 新年愿望：享受當前的快樂..............................................................................................4 New Year's Resolution: Stop Sacrificing Your Happiness for the Future............4 人生處處是轉角...............................................................................................................6 Always Changing..........................................................................................................6 “九十分鐘計劃”讓你更有效率..........................................................................................7 Get more work done by 90-Minute Plan..................................................................7 創意生活的一些法則........................................................................................................8 These are the rules of a creator’s life.......................................................................8

八步輕松擺脫“節后憂慮癥” steps to get rid of your post winter festive season holiday blues.[ 2012-02-02 16:25 ]

在經歷了春節長假的美好時光之后，很多人會感到憂慮，并且感覺要恢復日常生活節奏很困難。這種癥狀被稱為―節后憂慮癥‖、―節后壓抑‖或是―新年后憂慮‖。這些名詞都描述了春假或是節假日后的精神壓力。

接下來的這些步驟會幫助你擺脫你的節后憂慮癥。1.Expect some letdown.了解節后會有段時間心情低落。

The holiday season is both joyful and stressful at once.There is family to get along with, gifts to buy and return, people to visit, activities to throw yourself into, plenty of festive food to eat, sales to rush to, and parties to plan and attend.Topped off with the excitement of New Year's Eve, your adrenaline has probably been pumping a lot of the time during the New Year's period.Returning to the usual routine and probably quieter workplace than normal can dampen your spirits just by the absence of exciting things to do and look forward to.Expecting to feel a little low is a way of telling yourself that this is a normal feeling and that it will soon pass once the routine re-establishes itself.2.Choose to see the benefits of post-holiday time.多看到節后時光好的一面。

The good side to the end of the holidays is that you've had a chance to rest, to relax, and to enjoy yourself.The craziness prior to New Year has ended both at the workplace and in the home, and the restful time after New Year has hopefully given you the opportunity to do things that are different from your usual routine.And any break in the routine is good for the spirit, providing you with the chance to rejuvenate.3.Be gentle on yourself with respect to your New Year's Resolutions.在新年計劃這件事兒上，別太逼自己。

Ensure that any goals you've set are reasonable and most importantly achievable.Taking weight loss as an example, targeting for a size zero is unrealistic, but looking for 1 pound loss in a span of week seems to be more achievable.4.Keep being around people.多接觸人。

Some of the post-holiday season blues might be related to having been around many people over the New Year break and then suddenly finding yourself surrounded by people you don't know that well, or even not by many people at all.Lift your spirits by continuing to stay connected with friends and family, and getting out and about to do activities where other people interact with you.5.Do things that give you cause to look forward to something.做一些能讓你向前看的事兒。

Revive the excitement of anticipation by arranging fun things, such as having dinner with friends, starting a new class for a hobby or interest, attending a sporting event regularly, going to the movies, etc.Choose activities that meet your budget and interests, and that you know will give you a thrill.6.Make healthy choices.吃回健康食物。

After the many indulgences over the holiday period, it can leave you feeling a little out of shape and worse for wear in the nutrition department.Aim to return to eating healthy food, drinking healthy drinks, and ensuring that you keep getting a good amount of exercise.Eating well and keeping up regular exercise will enhance your mood and help you return to good shape and fitness levels.7.Make this a time for getting professional help and turning around things that have been bothering you.用這段時間來解決一直煩惱你的事，尋求專業幫助。

The holiday season tends to put a hold on pressing issues at work and in your personal life because the celebrations, meet-ups, and preparations require your foremost attention.Once this busyness dies down, you're returned to thinking about your general life issues and this might just be a good time to get help from the professionals, be it for anything from sorting out your finances, redecorating your home, or dealing with the unhappy feelings you're experiencing.8.Expect to enjoy the year ahead.期待新的這一年。

Trying to keep a positive frame of mind and planning for interesting and fulfilling events throughout the year is a good way to calm your current blues.Think ahead to the changing seasons and the sorts of things you'd like to be doing as the year moves on, and the sorts of activities and events you'd like to be a part of.Doing something about the things you'd like to happen is the first step and once you're immersed in planning and doing, you'll be too busy to fret.我的龍年春節愿望

Setting my resolutions for Chinese New Year [ 2012-01-27 08:57 ] 隨著中國國際地位的提升，以及中西方文化融合的加快，來中國居住的外國人越來越多，他們也被中國散發獨特魅力的傳統節日——春節——所深深吸引。老外們是如何在中國體驗和歡度春節呢，他們有什么春節愿望要許呢？

With the Year of the Dragon practically upon us, and with the solar New Year fast fading into distant memory, I have been ruminating over the habit that so many people have of making new year resolutions...and then breaking them just months/weeks/days/hours/minutes after making them.January 1 became the beginning of the New Year in 46 BC, when Julius Caesar developed a calendar that would more accurately reflect the seasons than previous calendars had.The Romans named the first month of the year after Janus, the god of beginnings and the guardian of doors and entrances.He was always depicted with two faces, one on the front of his head and one on the back.Thus he could look backward and forward at the same time.At midnight on December 31, the Romans imagined Janus looking back at the old year and forward to the new.In the Middle Ages, Christians changed New Year's Day to December 25, the birth of Jesus.Then they changed it to March 25or signing up to a proper language course;determining to go down to the local vegetable market and learning the name of a new vegetable on every visit;or trying to make conversation with a taxi driver, it is all too easy to make excuses and not make the required progress.I used to face this problem when I lived in the Middle East, since most people I tried to practice my Arabic on insisted on replying in English.In the event I taught myself to learn to read the Arabic alphabet instead – a particularly useful skill, it turned out, as in my work I used to lay out magazines and put together web sites.So now I am slowly starting to learn some of the Chinese ideograms, not only with the help of a book I downloaded off the Internet, but also by going through the names of the various Beijing subway stations , noting commonly used “syllables” and getting to recognize the way they are written.Another “essential” resolution we all share is to get to know Beijing better.The majority of expats I know do this by going out with other like-minded expats and going to the well known tourist spots and then slowly widening their experience.While this may be fine for some people, I prefer to leave all my Western friends behind and just take off for the day, armed only with a good map and having thoroughly researched some of the more esoteric things in the vicinity to which I am going.Having a Chinese friend accompany me adds an extra level of interest as they can explain things that foreigners simply wouldn't know.When I tell my Western friends where I have been, they look at me in astonishment;but I find this is the only way to get to know a place better.Soon to be visited places on my Beijing list are the Eunuch Museum in the west of the capital, and a Museum of Tap Water near Dongzhimen.It's not that I expect them to be outstanding in any way(though if they are, then that is definitely a bonus), but as they are(as far as I am aware)the only such museums of their kind, I feel that my horizons can be suitably widened while at the same time it sure makes for interesting conversations at a later date.Finally, one resolution I will certainly try to keep on keeping is to carry on recording my observations in a personal blog.The thing is that at some point in the future, everything that appears new and exciting now will start to feel normal.The “wow” factor you get when discovering some thing new will have disappeared and it won't be until much later that you'll wish you had kept better notes.新年愿望：享受當前的快樂

New Year's Resolution: Stop Sacrificing Your Happiness for the Future [ 2012-01-25 08:56 ] 新年是下決心的時候，至少在大多數人的心里會編排出一份―應做什么‖和―不應做什么‖的令人生畏的單子。相同的決心以單調的規律年復一年地出現。2012新年，你又列下哪些新年愿望呢？

It's New Year's Eve and my guess is that you're reading a bunch of posts on how to make resolutions that will 'really work' or copying resolution lists made by the top 30 under 30.You're searching for health apps peppered with gamification to help you lose 10 pounds and created a bunch of notifications that alert you when you go over your entertainment budget.I'm not going to convince you of yet another way to ensure you'll reach all of your goals because quite frankly no formula has ever worked for me.I've spent too much time making lists that never get looked at again until the end of the year when I end up rolling on the floor laughing at some ludicrous idea that popped into my head at 11:59pm on Dec 31st.This year I'm going to skip the list making, mind mapping and magazine cut-outs of sports cars, yachts and private islands.Instead, I'm going to have a conversation with my past, present and future self.Recently I watched the TED talk from David Goldstein 'The Battle Between Your Present and Future Self'and was intrigued by his behavioral time machine that depicts anticipated emotional reactions of the present and retired self.Depending on how much money was saved for retirement, the facial expressions of the present and future self changes.If the present self sacrificed a lot of happiness for the future, his facial expression was sad, but his future self was happy, and vice versa.Why limit the behavioral time machine to retirement savings, why not use it as a tool for negotiating between your present and future self? Strike a healthy balance between enjoying your life now and setting yourself up for success and happiness in the future.Tie breakers can be done through learning from your past self as a gauge for potential success.Put your gadgets down and use your imagination for a second.Pick a time in the future and visualize what your future self looks like, where they are, what they are doing, and who they are spending time with.Ask your future self some questions about how they got there.Your future self is not going to give you a big long list of the precise actions they took, they are going to tell you something about your frame of mind and help you focus on one or two things.Now, think about your present self and how you can be happy and still become your future self.If your future self looks slimmer than you do now, then instead of the usual resolution to “lose 10 pounds in 2 months by cutting out all frappuccinos” the conversation may be to cut out one frappuccino per week and to take your dog for longer walks.You can look at your past self to bring realism and practicality to the equation and set your present self up for success.I recommend not spending too much time talking to your past and future selves because that's how you become depressed about regrets and anxious about obligations.Only your present self can decide how much you are willing to sacrifice now to have the life you envision in the future.Keep in mind that your future is not guaranteed, right this very moment is.If you sacrifice all of your happiness today for some point in time in the future, you may regret it.It's actually one of the top regrets of the dying.Conversations with my future self mostly focus on one thing, and that is to stop being so scared of failure.My past self quotes my mantra by Mark Twain: 'Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than the ones you did.So throw off the bowlines.Sail away from the safe harbor.Catch the trade winds in your sails.Explore.Dream.Discover.' I wish you much success and happiness in 2012 and beyond.Now go floss and brush your teeth before bed, your future self will thank you.人生處處是轉角 Always Changing [ 2012-01-13 17:00 ] 生活是由一連串事件組成的——其中有好有壞。不論你的統籌技巧有多純熟，總會有些你無法控制的因素影響著我們的生活。真正的成功者料想到意料之外的事總會發生，并做好準備在必要時做出調整——而這樣的情況常常發生。我們應付變化以及混亂情況的能力很大程度上決定了我們生活的安寧、幸福和滿意度。

Please excuse me if I'm a little pensive today.Mark is leaving, and I'm feeling kind of sad.You probably don't know Mark, but you might be lucky enough to know someone just like him.He's been the heart and soul of the office for a couple of year combining exemplary professional skills with a sweet nature and gentle disposition.He's never been all that interested in getting credit for the terrific work he does.He just wants to do his job, and to do it superbly well.And now he's moving on to an exciting new professional opportunity.It sounds like it could be the chance of a lifetime, and we're genuinely, sincerely pleased for him.But that doesn't make it any easier to say goodbye to a dear friend and trusted colleague.Life has a way of throwing these curve balls at us.Just when we start to get comfortable with a person, a place or a situation, something comes along to alter the recipe.A terrific neighbor moves away.Someone in the family graduates.A child finds new love and loyalties through marriage.The family's principle bread-winner is laid off.Our ability to cope with change and disruption determine to a great degree, our peace, happiness and contentment in life.But how do we do that? Philosophers have considered the question for centurie and their responses have been varied.According to the author of the Biblical book of Ecclesiaste comfort can be found in remembering that “to every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.” Kahlil Gibran urged his listeners to “let today embrace the past with remembrance, and the future with longing.” A friend of mine who works for the government is fond of reminding his fellow bureaucrats that “survivabi-lity depends upon adaptability.” And then there's Chri the California surf-rat, who once told me that the answer to life's problems can be summed up in four words: “Go with the flow.” “It's like surfing,” Chris explained.“You can't organize the ocean.Waves just happen.You ride 'em where they take you, then you paddle back out there and catch the next one.Sure, you're always hoping for the perfect wave where you can get, like, you know, totally tubular.But mostly you just take 'em the way they come.It's not like you're trying to nail Jell-O to a tree, you know?” I'm not exactly sure, but I think Chris was saying that life is a series of events—both good and bad.No matter how deft your organizational skill there will always be life-influencing factors over which you have no control.The truly successful person expects the unexpected, and is prepared to make adjustments should the need arise—as it almost always does.That doesn't mean you don't keep trying to make all your dreams come true.It just means that when things come up that aren't exactly in your plan, you work around them—and then you move on.Of course, some bumps along the road of life are easier to take than others.A rained-out picnic, for example, is easier to cope with than the sudden death of a loved one.But the principle is the same.“Change, indeed, is painful, yet ever needful,” said philosopher Thomas Carlyle.“And if memory have its force and worth, so also has hope.” We're going to miss Mark, just like you'll miss that graduate, that neighbor or that newlywed.But rather than dwell on the sadness of our parting, we'll focus on our hopes for a brighter future—for him, and for us.And then we'll go out and do everything we can to make that future happen.Until our plans change—again.“九十分鐘計劃”讓你更有效率

Get more work done by 90-Minute Plan [ 2012-01-06 14:55 ] 也許你在開始正式工作之前，總會花很多的時間列清單、回郵件、接電話、整理書桌、反復整理本已很有條理的文件夾，最后發現那些被推遲的、有挑戰的工作都沒有做。這時候，你需要一個九十分鐘計劃。

90-Minute Plan is that you can begin your workdays by focusing for 90 minutes, uninterrupted, on the task.To make this possible, you turn off your email while you're working, close all windows on your computer, and let the phone go to voicemail if it rings.You'll typically get more work done during those 90 minutes, and feel more satisfied with your output.After 90 minutes, you can take a break.90分鐘計劃，是指把每天的工作時間設定為90分鐘一周期，在此期間關掉電郵，關掉電腦上所有的窗口，將電話轉接到語音信箱。通常情況下，這樣做能使工作效率大大提高，能完成更多的工作，工作成果也更令人滿意。90分鐘后，可以稍作休息。

We work for 90 minutes because that's what the research suggests is the optimal human limit for focusing intensely on any given task.把工作時間設定為90分鐘，是因為有調查表明，不管做什么事情，身體所能承受集中注意力的最佳時限就是90分鐘。

At the heart of making this work is to build highly precise, deliberate practices, done at specific times, so they eventually become automatic and don't require much expenditure of energy or self-discipline, akin to brushing your teeth at night.讓 ―90分鐘計劃‖有效實施的關鍵是在此期間精確地、從容地做事，最終使其變成一種自然而然的習慣，不需要花費太多精力和自制力，就像你每天晚上要刷牙一樣。

創意生活的一些法則

These are the rules of a creator’s life

[ 2012-01-04 09:33 ]

對于許多人來說，那些最成功而有創造力的人似乎擁有一些秘密的法則。你有自己的成功秘訣嗎？像TNW的創始人范·讓丹一樣每天早上洗冷水澡？與我們一起分享你的秘訣吧，也許我們能夠從中學到一些創造性生活的法則。

There seems to be a secret formula for the most successful and creative people out there.The ability to rise above the rest and make something amazing takes plenty of strength, support and timing.It also takes strategy, and this list of rules created by Tanner Christensen of Creative Something showcases a recipe for success that's easier said than done.But with discipline, this list is a reminder to always keep around;worthy of a wallet, fridge or even a frame.Looking back at the most successful and creative people I've ever known, or even just heard of, I get the impression that they all passed around a list just like this.What's your recipe for success? Do you take cold showers every morning like TNW founder, Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten? Share your secrets with us below, and maybe we can all learn a thing or two about the rules of a creator's life!

第二篇：英語美文

美文欣賞

When You Are Old

When you are old and gray and full of sleep, And nodding by the fire, take down this book, And slowly read, and dream of the soft look, Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep.How many loved your moments of glad grace, And loved your beauty with love false or true, But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you, And loved the sorrows of your changing face.And bending down beside the glowing bars, Murmur, a little sadly, how love fled, And paced upon the mountains overhead, And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.當你老了

當你老了，白發蒼蒼，睡意沉沉，倦坐在爐邊，取下這本書來，慢慢讀著，追夢當年的眼神，那柔美的神采與深幽的暈影。

多少人愛過你青春的片影，愛過你的美貌，處于虛偽或真情，唯獨一人愛你那朝圣者的靈魂，愛你哀戚的臉上歲月的留痕。

在爐柵邊，你彎下了腰，低語著，帶著淺淺的傷感，愛情是怎樣逝去，又怎樣步上群山，將面龐藏在了繁星之間。

向大家推薦一首老歌——《昨日重現》，這是我12歲那年聽到的第一首英文歌曲，當時就被它的旋律迷住了，后來慢慢了解了歌詞的意思。很老，但很美！希望大家都能把美好留在自己的記憶里！卡朋特yesterday once more_在線視頻觀看_土豆網視頻 影視

Yesterday Once More

昨日重現-卡朋特

When I was young I'd listen to the radio

waiting for my favorite songs when they played I'd sing along，it make me smile.Those were such happy times and not so long ago how I wondered where they'd gone.But they're back again just like a long lost friend

all the songs I love so well.every shalala every wo'wo

still shines.Every shing-a-ling-a-ling that they're starting

to sing so fine when they get to the part where he's breaking her heart it can really make me cry

just like before.It's yesterday once more.(shoobie do lang lang)looking bak on how it was in years gone by

and the good times that had makes today seem rather sad, so much has changed.It was songs of love that i would sing to them

and I'd memorise each word.Those old melodies still sound so good to me

as they melt the years away every shalala every wo'wo still shines every shing-a-ling-a-ling that they're startingto sing

so fine all my best memorise come back clearly to me

some can even make me cry

just like before.it's yesterday once more.(shoobie do lang lang)every shalala every wo'wo still shines.Every shing-a-ling-a-ling that they're starting to sing

so fine every shalala every wo'wo still shines.Every shing-a-ling-a-ling that they're starting to sing.

第三篇：英語美文

Diogenes was a famous Greek philosopher of the fourth century B.C.,who established the philosophy of cynicism.He often walked about in the daytime holding a lighted lantern,peering around as if he were looking for something.When auestioned about his odd behavior,he would reply,“I am searching for an honest man.” Diogenes held that the good man was self-sufficient and did not require material comforts or wealth.He believed that wealth and possessions constrained humanity's natural state of freedom.In keeping with his philosophy,he was perefectly satisfied with making his home in a large tub discarded from the temple of Cybele,the goddess of nature.This earthen tub,called a pithos,and formerly been used for holding wine or oil for the sacrifices at the temple.One day,Alexander the Great ,conqueror of half the civilized world,saw Diogenes sitting in this tub in the sunshine.So the king,surrounded by his countries,approached Diogenes and said,“I am Alexander the Great.”The philosopher replied rather contemptuously,“I am Diogenes,the Cynic.”Alexander then asked him if he could help him in any way.“ Yes,”shot back Diogenes,“don't stand between me and the sun.”A surprised Alexander then replied quickly,“If I were not Alexander,I would be Diogenes.”

提奧奇尼斯是公元前四世紀一位著名的希臘哲學家,就是他創立了犬儒派哲學。他經常在白天點著燈籠四處走動、張望，像是在找什么東西似的。哪人們問起他這古怪行為時，他會回答說：“我正在尋找正人君子。”提奧奇尼斯認為好人是自給自足的，不需要物質享受和財富。他認為財富、財產束縛了人們天生的自由狀態。與他的哲學相一致，他拿一個從別人從自然之母的廟里丟棄的大壇作為自己的家，還對此萬分滿意。這個陶制的大壇叫做圣壇，過去在廟里是用來盛裝祭祀用的酒和油的。一天，征服了半個文明世界的亞歷山大大帝看見提奧奇尼斯坐在大壇里曬太陽。于是這位君主在大臣們的簇擁下走過去，對提奧奇尼斯說：“我是亞歷山大大帝。”哲學家相當傲慢地回答說：“我是提奧奇尼斯————犬儒學者。”然后亞歷山大問他是否需要任何幫助。“是的”，提奧奇尼斯駁回道，“別站在我和太陽之間。”大吃一驚的亞歷大繼而迅速回答道：“假如我不是亞歷山大，我就會是提奧奇斯。”

If I were a boy again, I would practice perseverance more often, and never give up a thing because it was or inconvenient.If we want light, we must conquer darkness.Perseverance can sometimes equal genius in its results.“There are only two creatures,” syas a proverb, “who can surmount the pyramids—the eagle and the snail.” If I were a boy again, I would school myself into a habit of attention;I would let nothing come between me and the subject in hand.I would remember that a good skater never tries to skate in two directions at once.The habit of attention becomes part of our life, if we begain early enough.I often hear grown up people say “ I could not fix my attention on the sermon or book, although I wished to do so” , and the reason is, the habit was not formed in youth.If I were to live my life over again, I would pay more attention to the cultivation of the memory.I would strengthen that faculty by every possible means, and on every possible occasion.It takes a little hard work at first to remember things accurately;but memory soon helps itself, and gives very little trouble.It only needs early cultivation to become a power.假如我又回到了童年，我做事要更有毅力，決不因為事情艱難或者麻煩而撒手不干，我們要光明，就得征服黑暗。毅力在效果上有時能同天才相比。俗話說：“能登上金字塔的生物，只有兩種——鷹和蝸牛。”假如我又回到了童年，我就要養成專心致志的習慣；有事在手，就決不讓任何東西讓我分心。我要牢記：優秀的滑冰手從不試圖同時滑向兩個不同的方向。如果及早養成這種專心致志的習慣，它將成為我們生命的一部分。我常聽成年人說：“雖然我希望能集中注意聽牧師講道或讀書，但往往做不到。”而原因就是年輕時沒有養成這種習慣。假如我現在能重新開始我的生命，我就要更注意記憶力的培養。我要采取一切可能的辦法，并且在一切可能的場合，增強記憶力。要正確無誤地記住一些東西，在開始階段的確要作出一番小小的努力；但要不了多久，記憶力本身就會起作用，使記憶成為輕而易舉的事，只需及早培養，記憶自會成為一種才能。

If I were a boy again, I would cultivate courage.“Nothing is so mild and gentle as courage, nothing so cruel and pitiless as cowardice,” syas a wise author.We too often borrow trouble, and anticipate that may never appear.” The fear of ill exceeds the ill we fear.” Dangers will arise in any career, but presence of mind will often conquer the worst of them.Be prepared for any fate, and there is no harm to be freared.If I were a boy again, I would look on the cheerful side.Life is very much like a mirror: if you smile upon it, I smiles back upon you;but if you frown and look doubtful on it, you will get a similar look in return.Inner sunshine warms not only the heart of the owner, but of all that come in contact with it.“ who shuts love out ,in turn shall be shut out from love.” If I were a boy again, I would school myself to say no more often.I might write pages on the importance of learning very early in life to gain that point where a young boy can stand erect, and decline doing an unworthy act because it is unworthy.If I were a boy again, I would demand of myself more courtesy towards my companions and friends, and indeed towards strangers as well.The smallest courtesies along the rough roads of life are like the little birds that sing to us all winter long, and make that season of ice and snow more endurable.Finally, instead of trying hard to be happy, as if that were the sole purpose of life, I would , if I were a boy again, I would still try harder to make others happy.假如我又回到了童年，我就要培養勇氣。一位明智的作家曾說過：“世上沒有東西比勇氣更溫文爾雅，也沒有東西比懦怯更殘酷無情。”我們常常過多地自尋煩惱，杞人憂天。“怕禍害比禍害本身更可怕。”凡事都有危險，但鎮定沉著往往能克服最嚴重的危險。對一切禍福做好準備，那么就沒有什么災難可以害怕的了。假如我又回到了童年，我就要事事樂觀。生活猶如一面鏡子：你朝它笑，它也朝你笑；如果你雙眉緊鎖，向它投以懷疑的目光，它也將還以你同樣的目光。內心的歡樂不僅溫暖了歡樂者自己的心，也溫暖了所有與之接觸者的心。“誰拒愛于門外，也必將被愛拒諸門外。”假如我又回到了童年，我就要養成經常說“不”字的習慣。一個少年要能挺得起腰，拒絕做不應該做的事，就因為這事不值得做。我可以寫上好幾頁談談早年培養這一點的重要性。假如我又回到了童年，我就要要求自己對伙伴和朋友更加禮貌，而且對陌生人也應如此。在坎坷的生活道路上，最細小的禮貌猶如在漫長的冬天為我們歌唱的小鳥，那歌聲使冰天雪地的寒冬變得較易忍受。最后，假如我又回到了童年，我不會力圖為自己謀幸福，好像這就是人生唯一的目的；與之相反，我要更努力為他人謀幸福。

第四篇：經典英語美文

有一種旅行叫做人生

Life comes in a package.This package includes happiness andsorrow, failure and success, hope and despair.Life is a learningprocess.Experiences in life teach us new lessons and make us abetter person.With each passing day we learn to handle varioussituations.人生好似一個包裹，這個包裹里藏著快樂與悲傷、成功與失敗，希望與絕望。人生也是一個學習的過程。那些經歷給我們上了全新的課，讓我們變得更好。隨著每一天的過去，我們學會了處理各種各樣的問題。

FailureandSuccess Failure is the path to success.It helps us to touch the sky, teaches us to survive and shows us aspecific way.Success brings in money, fame, pride and self-respect.Here it becomes veryimportant to keep our head on out shoulder.The only way to show our gratitude to God forbestowing success on us is by being humble, modest, courteous and respectful to the lessfortunate ones.失敗是成功之母。它讓我們觸及藍天，它教會我們如何生存，它給予我們一條特殊的路。成功給予我們金錢、名譽、驕傲和自尊。這里，保持頭腦清醒便顯得尤為重要。唯一能讓我們感激上帝給予的成功便是始終卑微、謙虛、禮貌并且尊重沒有我們幸運的人們。

美文:我們心中的“如果”“到那時”

IF and WHEN were friends.Every week they met and had lunch.Their conversation usually centered on all the things they weregoing to achieve.They both had many dreams and they lovedto talk about them.“如果”和“到那時”是一對好朋友。他們每星期相約吃一頓午餐。會面時，他們談論的話題通常圍繞在他們即將要做的事情上面。兩個人都有著許多夢想，并且他們熱衷于這種交談。

This particular Saturday when they met, WHEN sensed that IF was not in a great mood.As usualthey sat at the table reserved for them and ordered their lunch.Once they placed their order,WHEN questioned IF.“IF what is wrong with you? You don't seem your usual cheery self?” 這個星期六他們見面時“到那時”覺察到“如果”的心情不是很好。像往常一樣，他們坐在特意預留給他們的餐桌上點餐。剛一點完“到那時”就問道:如果，你怎么了?你看起來好像不太高興。“

IF looked at WHEN and replied, ”I'm not sure, I just don't feel like I am making any progress.Thislast week I saw a course I wanted to take if only I had the time to take it.“ ”如果“看了看”到那時“答道”我也不知道怎么了，只是覺得自己沒什么進步。上個星期我發現一個很好的課程，如果有時間的話，我就去學。“

WHEN knew exactly how IF felt.”Yeah,“ replied WHEN, ”I too saw a course and I am going toregister when I get enough money together.“ WHEN then said, ”well what about that new job youwere going to apply for.You were so excited about it last week, did you apply?“ ”到那時“非常理解”如果“的感受。他答道是啊，我也看到一項課程，等到錢充足的時候，我就去報名。對了，你打算申請的新工作怎么樣了?上星期見你說得那么情緒激昂，申請了嗎? ”

IF responded, “If my computer didn't break down last week, I would have applied.But, mycomputer is not working, so I could not type my resume.” “如果”回答道“如果不是上周我的電腦壞了，我會申請的。但是它壞了，我無法打印簡歷，所以只能放棄了。”

“Don 't worry about it IF, when you are ready another job will come through.I have been thinkingabout looking for another job also, but I will wait and when the weather gets nicer I will look then.”WHEN then went on to tell IF about his week, hoping that it would cheer him up a bit.“別著急，等到你準備好時，另-個工作就出現了。我也一直考慮著換個工作，但是我想等到天氣看起來好一些時再行動。”然后，“到那時”繼續跟“如果”談論著他的星期計劃，希望這樣能使他的朋友高興起來。

The man at the next table couldn't help overhear WHEN and IF.They both were talking aboutwhen this and if that, finally he couldn't take it anymore.“Excuse me gentlemen,” the man said.IFand WHEN both looked at the man and wondered what he wanted.The man continued, “I'msorry, but I couldn't help hearing your conversation.I think I know how you could solve yourproblems.” 鄰桌的一個男人無意中聽到他們的談話。他昕見兩個人一直在說著“等什么什么時候如果這樣那樣”的話，他再也無法忍受了。于是，男人說道“打擾一下，先生們。”“如果”和“到那時”吃驚地看著他，不知道他要做什么。男人繼續道很抱歉，我無意中聽到你們的交談。我想我知道如何解決你們的問題。“

IF smiled and thought, how could a complete stranger know how to solve all of their problems.Ifonly he knew.When he realized the challenges they faced there was no way he could solve theirproblems!Curious, IF asked the gentleman, ”How do you think you can solve our problems?“ ”如果“笑了笑，心想，一個完全陌生的人怎么會知道如何解決他們兩個人生活中的問題呢。如果讓他認識到他們所面對的困難，恐怕他再也不會那樣說了。出于好奇”如果“還是問道你認為應該如何解決我們的問題呢? ”

The gentleman smiled and said , “You only need listen to yourselves.It reminds me of an oldproverb: ”If and When were planted , and Nothing grew.“ 男人笑著答道”你們說的話讓我想起一句古老的諺語:'只想不做，就會沒有收獲。“

IF and WHEN looked puzzled.The gentleman smiled and said, ”Start counting how many timesyou use the words 'if' and 'when'.Rather than thinking 'if and when', start doing, take action, stoptalking about 'if and when'.“ ”如果“和”到那時“疑惑地看著他。男人繼續說從現在開始，數一下你們用了多少次?如果'和?到那時'這兩個詞語。你們不要總是思考?如果怎樣怎樣到那時怎樣怎樣而是應該著手去做，采取行動，請不要再談論?如果和到那時'。”

IF and WHEN both looked surprised, and suddenly realized that what the gentleman had said wasso true.Both of them were guilty of thinking,acting and living their life for the “ifs and whens', Thegentleman left and IF and WHEN's conversation changed.They made a pact that when they metfor lunch next week, there would be no ”ifs and whens“;they would only talk about what theyaccomplished!”如果“和”到那時“感到十分驚訝，他們突然意識到這個男人說得很正確。兩個人都為自己把思想、行為、生活的希望放在”如果和到那時“上感到慚愧。男人離開后，他們談話的內容有了改變。他們約定下個星期一起吃午餐時，再也沒有”如果“和”到那時他們只會談論已經完成的事情。

Two Roads 兩條路

【英語散文賞析】

It was New Year's night.An aged man was standing at awindow.He raised his mournful eyes towards the deep blue sky,where the stars were floating like white lilies on the surface of aclear calm lake.When he cast them on the earth where fewmore hopeless people than himself now moved towards theircertain goal-the tomb.He had already passed sixty of the stagesleading to it, and he had brought from his journey nothing but errors and remorse.Now his healthwas poor, his mind vacant, his heart sorrowful, and his old age short of comforts.這是新年的夜晚一位老人站在窗邊，憂傷的眼睛眺望著深藍的天空空中的繁星，猶如漂浮在清澈如鏡的湖面上的朵朵百合。他慢慢將目光投向地面。此刻，沒有什么人比他還絕望。他即將邁向他最終的歸宿——墳墓。他已走過通向墳墓的六十級臺階，除了錯誤和悔恨，他一無所獲。現在他體弱多病，精神空虛，心哀神傷，人到晚年卻無所慰藉。

The days of his youth appeared like dream before him, and he recalled the serious moment whenhis father placed him at the entrances of the two roads One leading to a peaceful, sunny placecovered with flowers, fruits and resounding with soft, sweet songs;the other leading to a deepdark cave which was endless, where poison flowed instead of water and where devils and poisonsnakes hissed and crawled.年輕歲月，如夢般展現在他面前，老人想起父親把他帶到岔路口的那個莊嚴時刻。一條路通向安寧、快樂的世界，鮮花遇布，果實豐碩，甜美輕柔的歌聲在空中回蕩；另一條路則通向幽深黑暗，沒有盡頭的洞，洞內流淌著的不是水而是毒液，群魔亂舞，毒蛇嘶嘶爬動。

He looked towards the sky and cried painfully,“0h youth, return!Oh, my father, place me oncemore at the entrance to life and I'II chose the better way!”But both his father and the days of hisyouth had passed away.他仰望星空，痛苦地大喊：“啊，青春，回來吧！啊，父親，再一次帶我到人生的岔路口吧，我會選一條更好的道路。”但是，他的父親和他的青春歲月都已一去不復返了。

He saw the lights flowing away in the darkness, and these were the days of his wasted life;he saw astar fall from the sky and disappeared, and this was the symbol of himself.His remorse which waslike a sharp arrow struck deeply into his heart.Then he remembered his friends in his childhood,which entered life together with him.But they had made their way to success and were nowhonored and happy on this New Year's night.他看到燈光在黑暗中流逝，就像他揮霍掉的往昔；他看到一顆流星自天邊墜落，消失不見，就像是他的化身。無盡的悔恨，像一支利箭，深刺心間。他又記起和自己一同邁入人生之途的兒時玩伴，j但他們已功成名就，在這個新年之夜，倍受尊崇，幸福快樂。

The clock in the high church tower struck and the sound made him remember his parents' earlylove for him.They had taught him and prayed to God for his good.But he chose the wrong waywith shame and grief he dared no longer to look towards the heaven where his father lived.Hisdarkened eyes were full of tears, and with a despairing effort.He burst out a cry:“Come back, myearly days!Come back!” 高高的教堂鐘樓傳來鐘聲，這聲音使他記起父母早年對他的疼愛：他們教育他，為他祈禱。然而，他卻選擇了錯誤的道路：羞愧和悲哀使他再也沒有勇氣仰望父親所在的天堂：黯淡的雙眼溢滿了淚水，他絕望地嘶聲大呼：“回來吧，我的往昔！回來吧！”

And his youth did return for all this was only a dream which he had on New Year's night.He was stillyoung though his faults were real.He had not yet entered the deep dark cave, and he was still freeto walk on the road which leads to the peaceful and sunny land.他的青春真的回來了，所有這些只是一個夢，一個他在新年之夜所做的夢，他仍然年輕，雖然他犯的錯誤是真實的；他尚未走入那幽深黑暗的洞穴，還有自由選擇通向安寧、快樂的道路：

Those who still linger on the entrance of life hesitating to choose the bright road remember thatwhen years are passed and your feet stumble on the dark mountains.You will cry bitterly, but invain.“0h youth return!Oh give me back my early days!” 仍在人生路口徘徊，仍在為是否應當選擇光明坦途而猶豫不決的人們啊，請記住：當青春不再，當你在黑暗的山嶺間跌倒時，你會痛苦地呼喊：“啊，青春，回來吧！啊，還給我往昔吧！”此時，一切已是徒勞。

散文:青春常在

No young man believes he will ever die.It was a saying of mybrother's, and a fine one.年輕人不相信自己會死。這是我哥哥的話，可算得一句妙語。

There is a feeling of Eternity in youth, which makes us amendfor everything.青春有一種永生之感——它能彌補一切。

To be young is to be as one of the Immortal Gods.One half of time indeed is flown — the otherhalf remains in store for us with all its countless treasures, for there is no line drawn, and we see nolimit to our hopes and wishes.We make the coming age our own — 人在青年時代好像一尊永生的神明。誠然，生命的一半已經消逝，但蘊藏著不盡財富的另一半還有所保留，我們對它也抱著無窮的希望和幻想。未來的時代完全屬于我們——

The vast, the unbounded prospect lies before us.無限遼闊的遠景在我們面前展現。

Death, old age, are words without a meaning that pass by us like the idea air which we regard not.死亡，老年，不過是空話，毫無意義;我們聽了，只當耳邊風，全不放在心上。

Others may have undergone, or may still be liable to them — we “bear a charmed life”, whichlaughs to scorn all such sickly fancies.這些事，別人也許經歷過，或者可能要承受——但我們自己“冥冥中有神保佑”，對于諸如此類脆弱的念頭，統統付之輕蔑的一笑。

As in setting out on delightful journey, we strain our eager gaze forward — 像是剛剛走上愉快的旅程，極目遠眺——

Bidding the lovely scenes at distance hail!向遠方的美景歡呼!

And see no end to the landscape, new objects presenting themselves as we advance.——此時，但覺好風光應接不暇，而且，前程更有美不勝收的新鮮景致。

So, in the commencement of life, we set no bounds to our inclinations, nor to the unrestrictedopportunities of gratifying them.在這生活的開端，我們聽任自己的志趣馳騁，放手給它們一切滿足的機會。

We have as yet found no obstacle, no disposition to flag;and it seems that we can go on soforever.到此為止，我們還沒有碰上過什么障礙，也沒有感覺到什么疲憊，因此覺得還可以一直這樣向前走去，直到永遠。

We look round in a new world, full of life, and motion, and ceaseless progress;and feel inourselves all the vigor and spirit to keep pace with it, and do not foresee from any presentsymptoms how we shall be left behind in the natural course of things, decline into old age, anddrop into the grave.我們看到四周一派新天地——生機盎然，變動不居，日新月異;我們覺得自己活力充盈，精神飽滿，可與宇宙并駕齊驅。而且，眼前也無任何跡象可以證明，在大自然的發展過程中，我們自己也會落伍，衰老，進入墳墓。

It is the simplicity, and as it were abstractedness of our feelings in youth, that(so to speak)identifies us with nature, and(our experience being slight and our passions strong)deludes us intoa belief of being immortal like it.由于年輕人天真單純，可以說是茫然無知，因而將自己跟大自然劃上等號;并且，由于經驗少而感情盛，誤以為自己也能和大自然一樣永世長存。

Our short-lives connexion with existence we fondly flatter ourselves is an indissoluble and lastingunion — a honeymoon that knows neither coldness, jar, nor separation.我們一廂情愿，癡心妄想，竟把自己在世上的暫時棲身，當作千古不變、萬事長存的結合，好像沒有冷淡、爭執、離別的蜜月。

As infants smile and sleep, we are rocked in the cradle of our wayward fancies, and lulled intosecurity by the roar of the universe around us — we quaff the cup of life with eager haste withoutdraining it, instead of which it only overflows the more — objects press around us, filling the mindwith their magnitude and with the strong of desires that wait upon them, so that we have noroom for the thoughts of death.像嬰兒帶著微笑入睡，我們躺在用自己編織成的搖籃里，讓大千世界的萬籟之聲催哄我們安然入夢;我們急切切、興沖沖地暢飲生命之杯，怎么也不會飲干，反而好像永遠是滿滿欲溢;森羅萬象紛至沓來，各種欲望隨之而生，使我們騰不出工夫想死亡。

美文:擁抱生活

We often close ourselves off when traumatic events happen inour lives;instead of letting the world soften us, we let it drive usdeeper into ourselves.We try to deflect the hurt and pain bypretending it doesn?t exist, but although we can try this all wewant, in the end, we can?t hide from ourselves.We need tolearn to open our hearts to the potentials of life and let the worldsoften us.生活發生不幸時，我們常常會關上心門;世界不僅沒能慰藉我們，反倒使我們更加消沉。我們假裝一切仿佛都不曾發生，以此試圖忘卻傷痛，可就算隱藏得再好，最終也還是騙不了自己。既然如此，何不嘗試打開心門，擁抱生活中的各種可能，讓世界感化我們呢?

Whenever we start to let our fears and seriousness get the best of us, we should take a stepback and re-evaluate our behavior.The items listed below are six ways you can open your heartmore fully and completely.當恐懼與焦慮來襲時，我們應該退后一步，重新反思自己的言行。下面六個方法有助于你更完滿透徹地敞開心扉。

1.Breathe into pain 直面痛苦

Whenever a painful situation arises in your life, try to embrace it instead of running away or tryingto mask the hurt.When the sadness strikes, take a deep breath and lean into it.When we runaway from sadness that?s unfolding in our lives, it gets stronger and more real.We take anemotion that?s fleeting and make it a solid event, instead of something that passes through us.當生活中出現痛苦的事情時，別再逃跑或隱藏痛苦，試著擁抱它吧;當悲傷來襲時，試著深呼吸，然后直面它。如果我們一味逃避生活中的悲傷，悲傷只會變得更強烈更真實——悲傷原本只是稍縱即逝的情緒，我們卻固執地耿耿于懷。

By utilizing our breath we soften our experiences.If we dam them up, our lives will stagnate, butwhen we keep them flowing, we allow more newness and greater experiences to blossom.深呼吸能減緩我們的感受。屏住呼吸，生活停滯;呼出呼吸，更多新奇與經歷又將拉開序幕。

2.Embrace the uncomfortable 擁抱不安

We all know what that twinge of anxiety feels like.We know how fear feels in our bodies: thetension in our necks, the tightness in our stomachs, etc.We can practice leaning into these feelingsof discomfort and let them show us where we need to go.我們都經歷過焦灼的煎熬感，也都感受過恐懼造成的生理反應：脖子僵硬、胃酸翻騰。其實，我們有能力面對這些痛苦的感受，從中領悟到出路。

The initial impulse is to run away — to try and suppress these feelings by not acknowledging them.When we do this, we close ourselves off to the parts of our lives that we need to experience most.The next time you have this feeling of being truly uncomfortable, do yourself a favor and lean intothe feeling.Act in spite of the fear.我們的第一反應總是逃避——以為否認不安情緒的存在就能萬事大吉，可這也恰好妨礙了我們經歷最需要的生活體驗。下次感到不安時，不管有多害怕，也請試著勇敢面對吧。

3.Ask your heart what it wants 傾聽內心

We?re often confused at the next step to take, making pros and cons lists until our eyes bleed andour brains are sore.Instead of always taking this approach, what if we engaged a new part ofourselves that isn?t usually involved in the decision making process? 我們常對未來猶疑不定，反復考慮利弊直到身心俱疲。與其一味顧慮重重，不如從局外人的角度看待決策之事。

I know we?ve all felt decisions or actions that we had to take simply due to our “gut” impulses:when asked, we can?t explain the reasons behind doing so — just a deep knowing that it had toget done.This instinct is the part of ourselves we?re approaching for answers.其實很多決定或行動都是我們一念之間的結果：要是追問原因的話，恐怕我們自己也道不清說不明，只是感到直覺如此罷了。而這種直覺恰好是我們探索結果的潛在自我。

To start this process, take few deep breaths then ask, “Heart, what decision should I make here?What action feels the most right?”

開始前先做幾次深呼吸，問自己：“內心認為該做什么樣的決定呢?覺得采取哪個方案最恰當?”

See what comes up, then engage and evaluate the outcome.看看自己的內心反應如何，然后全力以赴、靜待結果吧。

4.Engage your shadow 了解陰暗面

Many of us who are on the personal development path get caught up in embracing characteristicswe want to have, like happiness, compassion, love, and passion.In this pursuit we end up losingparts of ourselves that make us whole, such as suppressing our negative qualities instead ofengaging them.Try asking yourself a few questions: 很多人在成長過程中都或多或少養成期望的性格，比如快樂、同情、愛心以及激情等等;與此同時，我們也會陷入消極壓抑的品性。這時，你就要問問自己：

What parts of myself could I do without? 我有哪些可以完全拋棄的性格?

How do I get in my own way? 有哪些品性會妨礙我的成長?

Is there anything I?m hiding from myself? 我對自己是不是足夠誠實坦白?

Don?t be afraid of what comes out;you might want to run from the answers, but instead,acknowledge them and be with them as much as possible.Once you?re a little clearer about whatexactly you?ve been hiding, from it gets easier to shine your light on it.別害怕最終得出的結果，也別逃避，相反，你應該面對并盡量接受現實。如果你能確切了解自己的陰暗面，也就更容易去改正。

5.Spend time alone 享受獨處

For most of our lives we?re surrounded by people: our friends, colleagues, peers, family members,loved ones, and strangers.How often do we really spend time alone? 大部分人身邊總不缺陪伴：朋友、同事、同伴、親人、愛侶，還有陌生人。那么，怎樣才能真正獨處呢?

When you spend time in solitude, you?re free from the influences of other people, and can trulyopen yourself and explore whatever you?d like.See where your thoughts take you.The goldenticket here is to not let yourself become distracted;just see what it?s like to be alone.獨處使人免受他人干擾，能讓我們真正敞開心懷去探究所喜所惡，讓自己跟著思緒游走——一定要保持專心，用心體會獨處的曼妙。

It might be painful or even scary at first, but by opening yourself up to these new feelings, you?lladd a whole new layer of depth, experience, and understanding into your life.一開始可能會感到痛苦甚至惶恐，可一旦敞開心胸面對這些感受，你便能達到更高一層境界，收獲別樣的經驗，也更理解自己的生活。

6.Get outside of yourself 走出自我

This may seem a little contradictory to the last tip, but in reality, they actually work hand-in-hand.After you?ve explored the depths of yourself, you come away with a new understanding.這和前一個建議貌似有點矛盾，但其實兩者卻是相輔相成的。獨處之后，你對自己獲得了全新了解。

Now, it?s time to share that — not through telling others, but through being with others.然后，你應該把它分享出來——當然，這不是要你直接把它告知與人，而是要求你通過與人交往進行分享。

When you?re in a group of people, try to give them your full energy and attention so you canunderstand them just as you did yourself.Appreciate their uniqueness, as if they are an extensionof you.Lose yourself in the beauty of others;see what they can teach you about yourself.當你與人交往時，請試著用心去了解他們，就好比你用心了解自己一樣。感同身受地欣賞他們的個性、觀察他們的優點，看看自己能從中學到什么。

Remember, there?s no need to do every one of these at the same time.Take each one a day at atime, determine which work best for you, and see what you can discover.請記住：以上建議并不要求你一氣呵成，你可以每天嘗試一個，選擇最適合自己的建議，看看自己能從中收獲什么。

美文:2015如何做嶄新的自己?

THE annual ritual of the New Year?s resolution — I?ll lose 10pounds, get my finances in order, be more patient with myfamily, feel more grateful — misses the point.We try to steel ourwills to do what we already know we should be doing.Kick-in-the-pants reminders, however stern, are missed opportunitiesfor genuine self-renewal.(Not to mention that the shelf life ofany motivational juice we generate in January tends to expirein February.)制定新年規劃這個一年一度的常規動作——我要減重10磅，要解決財務問題，要更耐心地對待家人，要更知道感恩——總是放錯重點。我們竭力強化意志，去做已經意識到自己該做的那些事情。但好似“催命符”的備忘錄不管多嚴苛，都無法激勵人們進行真正的自我更新。（更別提1月份才成形的這些宏圖大志是多么容易過期，2月份一到，它們往往就宣告破產。）

The turning over of a new year is an opportunity to create ourselves anew.How? The key, Isuggest, is in shifting our understanding of the choices we make.For many people, the mostimportant choices in life are sources of agony, dread, paralysis — even depression or suicide.Itdoesn?t have to be like this.新年來臨之際是重新塑造自我的良機。如何塑造呢？我認為，關鍵在于換個角度來理解我們所做的選擇。對很多人而言，生命中最重要的一些選擇是痛苦、恐懼、無力的根源，甚至會讓人產生抑郁和自殺傾向。但事情并不一定非是如此不可。

A hypothetical example: Eve works as a textbook editor at a Boston publishing house and wasapproached by a small but prestigious imprint on the West Coast that was looking for a fictioneditor.The job would be a big promotion, with a significant raise, and Eve had always wanted towork in fiction.比方說，伊芙是波士頓某出版社的教科書編輯，西海岸一家正在尋找小說編輯的出版公司找到了她。該公司規模雖小，但卻久負盛名。接受這份工作，伊芙的職位會大大提升，薪水會大幅提高，而且她一直都想在小說領域發展。

But Eve is in crisis.Should she move her husband and young daughter from their cozy life inBoston, her home of 15 years, to the wilds of California? If she stays, will she be forsaking theopportunity of a lifetime? If she moves, will her new boss turn out to be a jerk? Will her child bebullied at school? What if her husband can?t find a good job? Will the family quarrel, the marriagedissolve, her boss fire her for being incompetent, and she and her child end up on food stamps ina homeless shelter? 但伊芙卻面臨著艱難的抉擇。她已經在波士頓生活了15年，該讓丈夫和年幼的女兒拋開這里的愜意生活，與她一起搬走嗎？如果選擇留在波士頓，她能夠割舍一生中難得的機遇嗎？如果選擇搬去西海岸，要是發現新老板是個混球可怎么辦？要是她的孩子在學校挨欺負可怎么辦？要是她丈夫找不到好工作可怎么辦？家里是否會爭吵不斷，婚姻是否會解體，老板是否會因為她無法勝任工作而炒她魷魚，她和孩子是否會落得在收容所靠食品券度日的田地？

Many people are like Eve and see their choices as, in essence, problems of computation.Butchoosing between jobs is not like computing the distance between Memphis and Mumbai.The viewof choice as a matter of calculating maximal value is assumed in cost-benefit analysis, governmentpolicy making and much of economic theory.It?s even embedded in the apps you can downloadthat purport to help you decide whether to buy a new car, get married or change jobs.許多人都和伊芙差不多，他們其實把選擇看成了計算利害得失的問題。但在不同工作之間做出選擇，跟測量從孟菲斯到孟買的距離可不是一回事。把選擇看作對價值最大化的計算，是內化于成本收益分析、政府決策過程以及許多經濟理論之中的一種觀念。它甚至潛藏在可以從網上下載的某些旨在幫助你決定是否要買新車、是否要結婚、是否要換工作的應用程序之中。

At the heart of this model is a simple assumption: that what you should choose is alwaysdetermined by facts in the world about which option has more value — facts that, if only you weresmart enough to discover, would make decision-making relatively easy.該模型的核心假設非常簡單：你的選擇總是取決于世界上的某些與哪個選項會帶來更大價值有關的事實——你只要聰明到足以發現這些事實，就能夠相對容易地做出決策。

But the assumption is false.When we compute distances, there are only three possibilities: onedistance is more than, less than or equal to another.Similarly, when we compute value, there areonly three possibilities: one thing is better than, worse than or just as good as another.But weshouldn?t assume that goodness is like distance.Values don?t have the same structure as facts.但這個假設是錯誤的。我們測算距離的時候，所面對的可能性只有三種：一段距離比另一段長，比另一段短，或者跟另一段相等。同樣，我們計算價值的時候，所面對的可能性也只有三種：一個事物比另一個好，比另一個糟，或者跟另一個差不多。但我們不該把事物的好壞和距離的長短等同起來。價值的體系和事實的體系是截然不同的。

Options can be “on a par” — different in value while being in the same overall neighborhood.Ifyour alternatives are on a par, you can?t make a mistake of reason in choosing one instead of theother.Since one isn?t better than the other, you can?t choose wrongly.But nor are they equallygood.When alternatives are on a par, when the world doesn?t determine a single right thing to do,that doesn?t mean that value writ large has been exhausted.Instead of looking outward to find thevalue that determines what you should do, you can look inward to what you can stand behind,commit to, resolve to throw yourself behind.By committing to an option, you can confer value onit.各種選項可能會“平分秋色”——雖然價值不完全相同，但也相差無幾。如果你有一些平分秋色的選項，你無論選擇哪個，都不會犯判斷上的錯誤。因為兩種選擇沒有優劣之分，你不可能做出錯誤的選擇。不過，它們也并非一樣好。當選項平分秋色時，當世界上并非只有唯一正確的答案時，那并不意味著真正的價值已經枯竭。與其從外部尋找價值來判斷自己應該做些什么，你可以向內心來詢問自己能夠支持、承諾，以及決心投身于什么。只要篤定于一個選項，你就為它賦予了價值。

Of course, this isn?t to say that you should commit to being a first-class jerk, pedophile ormurderer.That?s because being a jerk is not on a par with being a good person.當然了，這并不是說你應該篤定于成為一個頭號混蛋、戀童癖，或者殺人犯。這是因為，做一個混蛋和做一個好人可不是平分秋色的選項。When we choose between options that are on a par, we make ourselves the authors of our ownlives.Instead of being led by the nose by what we imagine to be facts of the world, we shouldinstead recognize that sometimes the world is silent about what we should do.In those cases, wecan create value for ourselves by committing to an option.By doing so, we not only create valuefor ourselves but we also(re)create ourselves.Eve might resolve to make her life in Boston.Someone else, in her shoes, might resolve to start a new life in California.There is no error here,only different resolutions that create different sorts of people.當我們在平分秋色的選項中做選擇時，我們就成了自己人生的創造者。我們不應該被我們想象中的世界現實牽著鼻子走，而是應該認識到，有時，這個世界不會告訴我們應該做什么。在這種情況下，我們應該篤定一種選項，創造我們自己的價值。這樣做的話，我們不僅為自己創造了的價值，我們也（重新）創造了自己。伊芙可能決心在波士頓生活。而面臨同樣的境遇，另一個人可能會決定在加州開始新的生活。這無所謂對錯，只是不同的解決方案造就不同類型的人罷了。

So Eve, faced with her choice, should reflect on what kind of person she can be.Can she besomeone who abandons a contented life for a new adventure? A choice between alternatives thatare on a par is a precious opportunity to create the sort of person she can commit to being, bycommitting to being that sort of person.因此，伊芙在做出選擇時，應該考慮的是，她能成為什么樣的人。她能為了新的冒險而放棄舒適的生活嗎？在平分秋色的選項中做決定是一個寶貴的機會，可以創造出一個自己能夠決心成為的人，方法就是下決心成為那種類型的人。

第五篇：英語美文

;It is not difficult to imagine a world short of ambition.It would probably be a kinder world: without demands, without abrasions, without disappointments.People would have time for reflection(磨損).Such work as they did would not be for themselves but for the collectivity.Competition would never enter in, conflict would be eliminated, tension become a thing of the past.The stress of creation would be at an end.Art would no longer be troubling, but purely celebratory in its functions.Longevity would be increased, for fewer people would die of heart attack or stroke caused by tumultuous endeavor.Anxiety would be extinct.Time would stretch on and on, with ambition long departed from the human heart.Ah, how unrelieved boring life would be!

There is a strong view that holds that success is a myth, and ambition therefore a sham(騙子).Does this mean that success does not really exist? That achievement is at bottom empty? That the efforts of men and women are of no significance alongside the force of movements and events? Now not all success, obviously, is worth esteeming, nor all ambition worth cultivating.Which are and which are not is something one soon enough learns on one's own.But even the most cynical secretly admit that success exists;that achievement counts for a great deal;and that the true myth is that the actions of men and women are useless.To believe otherwise is to take on a point of view that is likely to be deranging.It is, in its implications, to remove all motives for competence, interest in attainment, and regard for posterity.We do not choose to be born.We do not choose our parents.We do not choose our historical epoch, the country of our birth, or the immediate circumstances of our upbringing.We do not, most of us, choose to die;nor do we choose the time or conditions of our death.But within all this realm of choicelessness, we do choose how we shall live: courageously or in cowardice, honorably or dishonorably, with purpose or in drift.We decide what is important and what is trivial in life.We decide that what makes us significant is either what we do or what we refuse to do.But no matter how indifferent the universe may be to our choices and decisions, these choices and decisions are ours to make.We decide.We choose.And as we decide and choose, so are our lives formed.In the end, forming our own destiny is what ambition is about.