第一篇：英語背誦(名著片段,英語美文)

1、Pride and Prejudice VolumeⅠ

chapter1 It is a truth universally acknowledgedthat a single man inpossession of a good fortune,must be in want of a wife.However little known the feelings or views of such a manmay be on his first entering a neighborhood, this truth is so wellfixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that he isconsidered as the rightful property of some one or other of theirdaughters.‘My dear Mr.Bennet,’ said his lady to him one day, ‘have youheard that Netherfield Park is let at last?’

Mr.Bennet replied that he had not.‘But it is,’ returned she;‘for Mrs.Long has just been here, andshe told me all about it.’

Mr.Bennet made no answer.‘Do not you want to know who has taken it?’ cried his wifeimpatiently.‘You want to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it.’ This was invitation enough.‘Why, my dear, you must know, Mrs.Long says that Netherfieldis taken by a young man of large fortune from the north ofEngland;that he came down on Monday to seethe place, and was so much delighted with it that he agreed withMr.Morris immediatelyand some of his servants are to be in the house by theend of next week.”

2、Pride and Prejudice VolumeⅢ

chapter17 “My dear Lizzy, where can you have been walking to?”was a question which Elizabeth received from Janeas soon as she entered their room,and from all theothers when they sat down to table.She had only to say in reply,that they had wandered about, till she was beyond her ownknowledge.She colored as she spoke;but neither that, nor anything else, awakened a suspicion of the truth.The evening

passed

quietly，unmarked talked

by and

anything laughed, extraordinary.The acknowledged lovers theunacknowledged were silent.Darcy was not of a disposition inwhich happiness overflows in mirth;and Elizabeth, agitated andconfused, rather knew that she was happy, than felt herself to beso;for, besides the immediate embarrassment, there were otherevils before her.She anticipated what would be felt in the familywhen her situation became known;she was aware that no oneliked him but Jane;and even feared that with the others it was adislike which not all his fortune and consequence might do away.3、The little prince discovers a garden of roses “Good morning,” he said.He was standing beforea garden, all abloomwithroses.“Good morning,” said theroses.The little prince gazed atthem.They all looked like hisflower.“Who are you?” hedemanded, thunderstruck.“We are roses,” the roses said.And he was overcome with sadness.His flower had told him that she was the onlyone of her kind in all the universe.And here were five thousand of them, all alike, in onesingle garden!“She would be very much annoyed,” he said to himself, “if she should see that...shewould cough most dreadfully, and she would pretend that she was dying, to avoid beinglaughed at.And I should be obliged to pretend that I was nursing her back to lifeforif Idid not do that, to humble myself also, she would really allow herself to die...” Then he went on with hisreflections: “I thought that Iwas rich, with a flower thatwas unique in all the world;and all I had was a commonrose.A common rose, andthree volcanoes that come upto my kneesandone ofthem perhaps extinct forever...that doesn’t make me a verygreat prince...” And he lay down in the grass and cried.4、The little prince consoles the narrator “All men have the stars,” he answered, “but they are not the same things for differentpeople.For some, who are travelers, the stars are guides.For others they are no morethan little lights in the sky.For others, who are scholars, they are problems.For mybusinessman they were wealth.But all these stars are silent.You, youalone, willhavethe stars as no one else has them” “What are you trying to say?” “In one of the stars I shall be living.In one of them I shall be laughing.And so it willbe as if all the stars were laughing, when you look at the sky at night...you, onlyyou, willhave stars that can laugh!” And he laughed again.“And when your sorrow is comforted(time soothes all sorrows), you will be contentthat you have known me.You will always be my friend.You will want to laugh with me.And you will sometimes open your window, so, for that pleasure...and your friends willbe properly astonished to see you laughing as you look up at the sky!Then you will sayto them, ‘Yes, the stars always make me laugh!’ And they will think you are crazy.It will bea very shabby trick that I shall have played on you...”

5、Three Days to See All of us have read thrilling stories in which the hero had only a limited and specified time tolive.Sometimes it was as long as a year;sometimes as short as twenty-four hours, but always wewere interested in discovering just how the doomed man chose to spend his last days or his lasthours.I speak, of course, of free men who have a choice, not condemned criminals whose sphereof activities is strictly delimited.Such stories set up thinking, wondering what we should do under similar circumstances.What associations should we crowd into those last hours as mortal beings? What happiness shouldwe find in reviewing the past, what regrets? Sometimes I have thought it would be an excellent rule to live each day as if we should dietomorrow.Such an attitude would emphasize sharply the values of life.We should live each daywith a gentleness, a vigor, and a keenness of appreciation which are often lost when time stretchesbefore us in the constant panorama of more days and months and years to come.6、Youth Youth is not a time of life;it is a state of mind;it is not a matter of rosy cheeks, red lips and supple knees;it is a matter of the will, a quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions;it is the freshness of the deep springs of life.Youth means a temperamental predominance of courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over the love of ease.This often exists in a man of 60 more than a boy of 20.Nobody grows old merely by a number of years.We grow old by deserting our ideals.Whether 60 or 16, there is in every human being’s heart the lure of wonders, the unfailing appetite for what’s next and the joy of the game of living.In the center of your heart and my heart, there is a wireless station;so long as it receives messages of beauty, hope, courage and power from man and from the infinite, so long as you are young.When your aerials are down, and your spirit is covered with snows of cynicism and the ice of pessimism, then you’ve grown old, even at 20;but as long as your aerials are up, to catch waves of optimism, there’s hope you may die young at 80.7、A reason, season, or lifetime People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime.When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need youhave expressed.They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or spiritually.They are there for the reason you need them to be.Then, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.Sometimes they walk away.Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.Sometimes they die.What we must realize is that our need has been met, their work is done, and now it is time to move on.When people come into your life for a SEASON, it is because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn.They bring you an experience of peace, or make you laugh.They may teach you something you have never done.They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy, but only for a season.LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons;things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation.Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person, and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.

第二篇：英語美文片段

First, they go into the supermarket, Roberto usually pushes the cart.Mrs.Baroni reads the shopping list.Mr.Baroni and Bruno look for the groceries.Bruno often forgets an item when he sees a pretty girl.They almost always buy vegetables, fruit, meat, eggs, and cheese.The shopping list is usually long.They do their shopping for the entire week.Many families shop on Saturdays.The checkout line is always long.

第三篇：高中英語 經典美文背誦_英語

By heart

Some plays are so successful that they run for years on end.In many ways, this is unfortunate for the poor actors who are required to go on repeating the same lines night after night.One would expect them to know their parts by heart and never have cause to falter.Yet this is not always the case.A famous actor in a highly successful play was once cast in the role of an aristocrat who had been imprisoned in the Bastille for twenty years.In the last act, a gaoler would always come on to the stage with a letter which he would hand to the prisoner.Even though the noble was expected to read the letter at each performance, he always insisted that it should be written out in full.One night, the gaoler decided to play a joke on his colleague to find out if, after so many performances, he had managed to learn the contents of the letter by heart.The curtain went up on the final act of the play and revealed the aristocrat sitting alone behind bars in his dark cell.Just then, the gaoler appeared with the precious letter in his hands.He entered the cell and presented the letter to the aristocrat.But the copy he gave him had not been written out in full as usual.It was simply a blank sheet of paper.The gaoler looked on eagerly, anxious to see if his fellow-actor had at last learnt his lines.The noble stared at the blank sheet of paper for a few seconds.Then, squinting his eyes, he said: 'The light is dim.Read the letter to me.' And he promptly handed the sheet of paper to the gaoler.Finding that he could not remember a word of the letter either, the gaoler replied: 'The light is indeed dim, sire.I must get my glasses.' With this, he hurried off the stage.Much to the aristocrat's amusement, the gaoler returned a few moments later with a pair of glasses and the usual copy of the letter which he proceeded to read to the prisoner.有些劇目十分成功，以致連續上演好幾年。這樣一來，可憐的演員們可倒霉了。因為他們需要一夜連著一夜地重復同樣的臺詞。人們以為，這些演員一定會把臺詞背得爛熟，絕不會臨場結巴的，但情況卻并不總是這樣。

有一位名演員曾在一出極為成功的劇目中扮演一個貴族角色，這個貴族已在巴士底獄被關押了20年。在最后一幕中，獄卒手持一封信上場，然后將信交給獄中那位貴族。盡管那個貴族每場戲都得念一遍那封信。但他還是堅持要求將信的全文寫在信紙上。

一天晚上，獄卒決定與他的同事開一個玩笑，看看他反復演出這么多場之后，是否已將信的內容記熟了。大幕拉開，最后一幕戲開演，貴族獨自一人坐在鐵窗后陰暗的牢房里。這時獄卒上場，手里拿著那封珍貴的信。獄卒走進牢房，將信交給貴族。但這回獄卒給貴族的信沒有像往常那樣把全文寫全，而是一張白紙。獄卒熱切地觀察著，急于想了解他的同事是否記熟了臺詞。貴族盯著紙看了幾秒鐘，然后，眼珠一轉，說道：“光線太暗，請給我讀一下這封信。”說完，他一下子把信遞給獄卒。獄卒發現自己連一個字也記不住，于是便說：“陛下，這兒光線的確太暗了，我得去眼鏡拿來。”他一邊說著，一邊匆匆下臺。貴族感到非常好笑的是：一會兒工夫，獄卒重新登臺，拿來一副眼鏡以及平時使用的那封信，然后為那囚犯念了起來。

Three Days to See I have often thought it would be a blessing if each human being were stricken blind and deaf for a few days at some time during his early adult life.Darkness would make him more appreciative of sight;silence would tech him the joys of sound.Now and then I have tested my seeing friends to discover what they see.Recently I was visited by a very good friends who had just returned from a long walk in the woods, and I asked her what she had observed.“Nothing in particular.” she replied.I might have been incredulous had I not been accustomed to such reposes, for long ago I became convinced that the seeing see little.How was it possible, I asked myself, to walk for an hour through the woods and see nothing worthy of note? I who cannot see find hundreds of things to interest me through mere touch.I feel the delicate symmetry of a leaf.I pass my hands lovingly about the smooth skin of a silver birch, or the rough, shaggy bark of a pine.In the spring I touch the branches of trees hopefully in search of a bud the first sign of awakening Nature after her winter's sleep.I feel the delightful, velvety texture of a flower, and discover its remarkable convolutions;and something of the miracle of Nature is revealed to me.Occasionally, if I am very fortunate, I place my hand gently on a small tree and feel the happy quiver of a bird in full song.I am delighted to have the cool waters of a brook rush thought my open finger.To me a lush carpet of pine needles or spongy grass is more welcome than the most luxurious Persian rug.To me the page ant of seasons is a thrilling and unending drama, the action of which streams through my finger tips.我常常想，如果每個人在他成年的早期有一段時間致瞎致聾，那會是一種幸事，黑暗會使他更珍惜視力，寂靜會教導他享受聲音。

我不時地詢問過我的能看見東西的朋友們，以了解他們看到什么。最近，我的一個很好的朋友來看我，她剛從一片森林里散步許久回來，我問她看到了什么，她答道：“沒什么特別的。”如果我不是習慣了聽到這種回答，我都可能不相信，因為很久以來我已確信這個情況：能看得見的人卻看不到什么。

我獨自一人，在林子里散步一小時之久而沒有看到任何值得注意的東西，那怎么可能呢？我自己，一個不能看見東西的人，僅僅通過觸覺，都發現許許多多令我有興趣的東西。我感觸到一片樹葉的完美的對稱性。我用手喜愛地撫摸過一株白樺那光潮的樹皮，或一棵松樹的粗糙樹皮。春天，我摸著樹干的枝條滿懷希望地搜索著嫩芽，那是嚴冬的沉睡后，大自然蘇醒的第一個跡象。我撫摸過花朵那令人愉快的天鵝絨般的質地，感覺到它那奇妙的卷繞，一些大自然奇跡向我展現了。有時，如果我很幸運，我把手輕輕地放在一棵小樹上，還能感受到一只高聲歌唱的小鳥的愉快顫抖，我十分快樂地讓小溪澗的涼水穿過我張開的手指流淌過去。對我來說，一片茂密的地毯式的松針葉或松軟而富彈性的草地比最豪華的波斯地毯更受歡迎。對我來說四季的壯觀而華麗的展示是一部令人激動的、無窮盡的戲劇。這部戲劇的表演，通過我的手指端涌淌出來。

YOUTH

Samuel Ullman Youth is not a time of life;it is a state of mind;it is not a matter of rosy cheeks, red lips and supple knees;it is a matter of the will, a quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions;it is the freshness of the deep springs of life.Youth means a tempera-mental predominance of courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over the love of ease.This often exists in a man of 60 more than a boy of 20.Nobody grows old merely by a number of years.We grow old by deserting our ideals.Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.Worry, fear, self-distrust bows the heart and turns the spring back to dust.Whether 60 or 16, there is in every human being’s heart the lure of wonder, the unfailing childlike appetite of what’s next and the joy of the game of living.In the center of your heart and my heart there is a wireless station: so long as it receives messages of beauty, hope, cheer, courage and power from men and from the Infinite, so long are you young.When the aerials are down, and your spirit is covered with snows of cynicism and the ice of pessimism, then you are grown old, even at 20, but as long as your aerials are up, to catch waves of optimism, there is hope you may die young at 80.青春

塞繆爾·厄爾曼

青春不是年華，而是心境；青春不是桃面、丹唇、柔膝，而是深沉的意志，恢宏的想象，炙熱的戀情；青春是生命的深泉在涌流。

青春氣貫長虹，勇銳蓋過怯弱，進取壓倒茍安。如此銳氣，二十后生而有之，六旬男子則更多見。年歲有加，并非垂老，理想丟棄，方墮暮年。

歲月悠悠，衰微只及肌膚；熱忱拋卻，頹廢必致靈魂。憂煩，惶恐，喪失自信，定使心靈扭曲，意氣如灰。

無論年屆花甲，擬或二八芳齡，心中皆有生命之歡樂，奇跡之誘惑，孩童般天真久盛不衰。人人心中皆有一臺天線，只要你從天上人間接受美好、希望、歡樂、勇氣和力量的信號，你就青春永駐，風華常存。

一旦天線下降，銳氣便被冰雪覆蓋，玩世不恭、自暴自棄油然而生，即使年方二十，實已垂垂老矣；然則只要樹起天線，捕捉樂觀信號，你就有望在八十高齡告別塵寰時仍覺希望。

Hello, Chicago.If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer

It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen, by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference.It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled.Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states.We are, and always will be, the United States of America.It's the answer that led those who've been told for so long by so many to be cynical and fearful and doubtful about what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this date in this election at this defining moment change has come to America.A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination.And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change.Yes we can.America, we have come so far.We have seen so much.But there is so much more to do.So tonight, let us ask ourselves--if our children should live to see the next century;if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?

This is our chance to answer that call.This is our moment.This is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids;to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace;to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one;that while we breathe, we hope.And where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can.Thank you.God bless you.And may God bless the United States of America.您好，芝加哥

如果還有人仍在懷疑美國是否是一個一切皆有可能的國度的話，如果還有人仍在疑慮我們美國的締造者的夢想是否還存在于我們這個時代的話，如果還有人仍在質疑我們民主的力量的話，今晚你就可以得到答案。

它的答案告訴延伸線，圍繞學校和教堂的人數這個民族從未見過的，等待三個小時，四個小時的人們，許多第一次在他們的生活，因為他們認為，這次一定是不同的，他們的聲音可能是不同的。

不管你是年輕人還是老年人，是富人還是窮人，是民主黨人還是共和黨人，是黑人還是白人，也不管你是拉丁美洲人或亞洲人還是本土美國人，更無論你是否為同性變者、是否是殘疾人，這是美國人共同的答案。美國人向全世界傳遞一個聲音，那就是我們的選舉從不分紅州或藍州。

我們屬于，而且永遠只屬于美利堅合眾國。

它的答案，導致這些誰一直在說這么長時間這么多的是玩世不恭和恐懼和懷疑是我們能夠實現把他們手中的弧的歷史和彎曲再次向希望一個更美好的一天。

雖然等待了很長時間，但在今晚的這一決定性時刻，由于我們在這次選舉中的努力，美國終于迎來了變革。

一名男子降落在月球上，墻上下來在柏林，世界是連接我們自己的科學和想象力。

今年，在這次選舉中，她談到她的手指到屏幕上，她和演員投票，因為106年后，在美國，通過最好的時候和最黑暗的時間，她知道怎樣可以改變美國。

是我們能夠做到。

美國，我們來到迄今。我們已經看到這么多。但有這么多事情要做。因此，今夜，讓我們反問一下我們自己，如果我們的孩子能夠活到下個世紀；如果我的女兒能夠幸運地活得像安-尼克森-庫珀那樣長，他們將會看到什么樣的變化？我們那時將會取得什么樣的進步？

這是我們來回答問題的機會，這是我們的時刻。

這是我們的時代，要使我們的人民重新工作并將機會留給我們的子孫；重新恢復繁榮并促進和平；回歸我們的美國夢想并重申一個基本事實--在眾人之中，我們也是其中一個；當我們呼吸，當我們充滿希望的時候，我們遭遇冷嘲熱諷和質疑，那些人認為我們無法做到。我們將用一句話來做出回應：不，我們可以！

謝謝您。上帝保佑你。愿上帝保佑美利堅合眾國。

We are on a Journey

Wherever you are, and whoever you may be, there is one thing in which you and I are just alike at this moment, and in all the moments of our existence.We are not at rest;we are on a journey.Our life is a movement, a tendency, a steady ceaseless progress toward an unseen goal.We are gaining something, or losing something, everyday.Even when our position and our character seem to remain precisely the same, they are changing.For the mere advance of time is a change.It is not the same thing to have a bare field in January and in July.The season makes the difference.The limitations that are childlike in the children are childish in the man.Everything that we do is a step in one direction or another.Even the failure to do something is in itself a deed.It sets us forward or backward.The action of the negative pole of a magnetic needle is just as real as the action of the positive pole.To decline is to accept — the other alternative.Are you nearer to your port today than you were yesterday? Yes, — you must be a little nearer to some port or other;for since your ship was first launched upon the sea of life, you have never been still for a single moment;the sea is too deep, you could not find an anchorage if you would;there can be no pause until you come into port.無論你身處何處，也不管你是誰，此刻，抑或是我們生命存在的每一個瞬間，有一件事對我們來說都是一樣的：我們沒有停留；我們正在旅途上。

生命是一種運動，是一種趨勢，是一個向著未知目標奮進的無休止的行進。每天，我們有所得亦有所失。我們時時刻刻都在改變，即使我們的狀態和角色看上去沒有絲毫的變化。只因為時間推移的本身就是一種變化。對于一塊荒蕪的土地，一月和七月是截然不同的。因為季節的變化讓他有所區別。能力的局限在孩子們的身上只是一種天真，而在大人的身上卻表現出一種幼稚。

我們做的所有事情都是向著某個方向邁出了一步。即使是失敗，本身也是一個作為，左右著我們的進退。磁針的負極作用與正極作用是一樣的真實。

對比昨天的你，今天你是否離自己的目標更近了？答案是肯定的，你一定離某個港口更近了些。因為自從你的航船在生命的海洋中起航的那一刻起，你就從來沒有停泊過。海水太深了，你尋找不到拋錨之處。你永遠都不可能停下來，除非你到達自己的港口。

《海上鋼琴師》 經典英文對白

1900: Moonlight city.You just couldn’t see an end to it.It wasn’t what I saw that stopped me ,Max.It was what I didn’t see.Take the piano.Keys begin.Keys end.You know there are 88 of them.They’re not infinite.You’re infinite.And on those keys, the music that you can make is infinite.I like that.That I can live by.But you get me up on that gangway, and you roll them out

in front of me.Keyboards have millions and billions of keys that never end.That keyboard is infinite.Then on that keyboard there’s no music you can play.That’s God’s piano.Did you see the streets?

There’re thousands of them.How do you choose just one?

One woman, one house, one way to die…….You don’t even know where it comes to an end.Aren’t you ever just scared of breaking apart with the

thought of it?

I was born on this ship.And the world passed me by.But 2000 people at a time and there’re old wishes here.But nevermore that fit between prow and stern..You played out your happiness bit on a piano that was not

infinite.I learned to live that way.Land?

Land is a ship too big for me，It’s a woman too beautiful, a bridge too long, perfume to

strong, music I don’t know how to play.I can never get off this ship.At best, I didn’t step off my life.After all, I don’t exist for anyone.偌大的城市，綿延無盡。

并非是我眼見的讓我停住了腳步，而是我所看不見的。你能明白嗎？

拿鋼琴來說。

鍵盤有始亦有終。

你確切地知道88個鍵就在那兒，錯不了。

它們并不是無限的，而你，才是無限的。你能在鍵盤上表現的音樂是無限的。

我喜歡這樣，我能輕松應付。

而你現在讓我走過跳板，走到城市里，等著我的是一個沒有盡頭的鍵盤。

我又怎能在這樣的鍵盤上彈奏呢？

那是上帝的鍵盤啊！

你看到那數不清的街道嗎？

如何只選擇其中一條去走？

一個共渡一生的女人，一幢屬于自己的屋子，一種生與死的方式~~~~

你甚至不知道什么時候才是盡頭。

一想到這個，難道不會害怕、會崩潰嗎？

我在這艘船上出生。

世事千變萬化，然這艘船每次只載2000人。

這里有著希望，但僅在船頭和船尾之間。

你可以在有限的鋼琴上奏出你的歡欣快樂。

我習慣了這樣的生活。

陸地？

陸地對我來說是一艘太大的船，太漂亮的女人，太長的旅程，太濃烈的香水，無從著手的音樂。

我永遠無法走下這艘船，這樣的話，我寧可舍棄我的生命。

畢竟，我從來沒有為任何人存在過

If I Were a Boy Again

If i were a boy again, I would practise perseverance more often, and never give up a thing because it was hard or invonvenient.If we want light, we must conquer darkness.Perseverance can sometimes equal genius in its results.“There are only two creatures,” says a proverb, “who can surmount the pyramides-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 begin early enough.I often hear grown-up people say,“I could not fix my attention on the lecture or book, althought i wished to do so,” and the reason is, the habit was not formed in yourth.If I were to live my life over again, I would pay more attention to the cultivation of 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.If i were a boy again, I would look on the cheerful side.Life is very much like a mirrow.If you smile upon it, it 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 fo the owner, but of all that come in contact with it.Who shuts love out, in turn shall be shut from love.If I were a boy again, I would school myself to say“No” oftenner.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 a 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 stangers 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 werea boy again, try still harder to make others happy..假如我又回到了童年

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。

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.No matter what happens, I’ll always be there for you!

In 1989 an 8.2 earthquake almost flattened America, killing over 30,000 people in less than four minutes.In the midst of utter devastation and chaos, a father left his wife safely at home and rushed to the school where his son was supposed to be, only to discover that the building was as flat as a pancake.After the unforgettably initial shock, he remembered the promise he had made to his son: “No matter what, I'll always be there for you!” And tears began to fill his eyes.As he looked at the pile of ruins that once was the school, it looked hopeless, but he kept remembering his commitment to his son.He began to direct his attention towards where he walked his son to class at school each morning.Remembering his son's classroom would be in the back right corner of the building;he rushed there and

started digging through the ruins.As he was digging, other helpless parents arrived, clutching their hearts, saying: “My son!” “My daughter!” Other well-meaning parents tried to pull him off what was left of the school, saying: “It's too late!They're all dead!You can't help!Go home!Come on, face reality, there's nothing you can do!” To each parent he responded with one line: “Are you going to help me now?” And then he continued to dig for his son, stone by stone.The fire chief showed up and tried to pull him off the school's ruins saying, “Fires are breaking out, explosions are happening everywhere.You're in danger.We'll take care of it.Go home.” To which this loving, caring American father asked, “Are you going to help me now?”

The police came and said, “You're angry, anxious and it's over.You're endangering others.Go home.We'll handle it!” To which he replied, “Are you going to help me now?” No one helped.Courageously he went on alone because he needed to know for himself: “Is my boy alive or is he dead?” He dug for eight hours...12 hours...24 hours...36 hours...then, in the 38th hour, he pulled back a large stone and heard his son's voice.He screamed his son's name, “ARMAND!” He heard back, “Dad!?!It's me, Dad!I told the other kids not to worry.I told them that if you were alive, you'd save me and when you saved me, they'd be saved.You promised, No matter what happens, I'll always be there for you!You did it, Dad!” “What's going on in there? How is it?” the father asked.“There are 14 of us left out of 33, Dad.We're scared, hungry, thirsty and thankful you're here.When the building collapsed, it made a triangle, and it saved us.” “Come out, boy!”

“No, Dad!Let the other kids out first, cause I know you'll get me!No matter what happens, I know you'll always be there for me!”

第四篇：英語美文段落背誦

Youth Youth is not a time of life;it is a state of mind;it is not a matter of rosy cheeks, red lips and supple knees;it is a matter of the will, a quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions;it is the freshness of the deep springs of life.Whether 60 or 16, there is in every human being’s heart the lure of wonder, the unfailing childlike appetite of what’s next and the joy of the game of living.In the center of your heart and my heart there is a wireless station: so long as it receives messages of beauty, hope, cheer, courage and power from men and from the Infinite, so long are you young.------

Risks To laugh is to risk appearing the fool.To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.To reach out for another is to risk involvement.To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self.To place your ideas and your dreams before a crowd is to risk their loss.To love is to risk not being loved in return.To live is to risk dying.To hope is to risk despair.To try is to risk failure.But risks must be taken, because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.The person, who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing and is nothing.This person may avoid suffering and sorrow, but cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love, live.Chained by attitudes he is a slave;and forfeited freedom.Only a person who risks is free.------

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die;a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;A time to kill, and a time to heal;a time to break down, and a time to build up;A time to weep, and a time to laugh;a time to mourn, and a time to dance;A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;A time to get, and a time to lose;a time to keep, and a time to cast away;A time to rend, and a time to sew;a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;A time to love, and a time to hate;a time of war, and a time of peace.－

Ecclesiastes 3:3

------

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after

righteousness: for they shall be filled.Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the

children of God.Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.--Matthew 5:3-11------

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.Give us this day our daily bread.And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.Amen.--Matthew 6:9-13------

First they came for the communists, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.Then they came for the socialists, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a socialist.Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak for me.--Martin Niem?ller------

An Anonymous Poem After a while you learn the subtle difference between holding a hand and chaining a soul, And you learn that love doesn’t mean leaning and company doesn’t mean security，And you begin to learn that kisses aren’t contracts and presents aren’t promises，And you begin to accept your defeats with your head up and your eyes open, with the grace of an adult, not the grief of a child, And learn to build all your roads on today because tomorrow’s ground is too uncertain for plans.After a while you learn that even sunshine burns if you get too much.So plant your own garden and decorate your own soul, instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.And you learn that really can endure…that your really are strong, And you really do have worth.------

Happiness Consists in Love

Who can say in what remoteness of time, in what difference of earthly shape, love first comes to us as a stranger in the jungle? We, in our human family, know him through dependence in childhood, through possession in youth, through sorrow and loss in their season.In childhood we are happy to receive;it is the first opening of love.In youth we take and give, dedicate and possess—rapture and anguish are mingled, until parenthood brings a dedication that, to happy, must ask for no return.All these are new horizons of content, which the lust of holding, the enemy of love, slowly contaminates.Loss, sorrow and separation come, sickness and death;possession, that tormented us, is nothing in our hands;it vanishes.Love’s elusive enchantment, his ubiquitous presence, again became apparent;and in age we may reach a haven that asking for nothing knows how to enjoy.------

Mystery We are all still romantics at heart.The romantics give us back our moon, for instance, which science has taken away from us and made into just another airport.Secretly we all want the moon to be what it was before—a mysterious, hypnotic light in the sky.We want love to be mysterious too, as it used to be, and not a set of psycho-therapeutic rules for interpersonal relationships.We crave mystery even as we forge ahead toward the solution of one cosmic mystery after another.

第五篇：英語經典美文背誦100篇007-010

Learn to live in the present moment 學會生活在現實中

To a large degree,the measure of our peace of mind is determined by how much we are able to live on the present moment.Irrespective of what happened yesterday or last year, and what may or may not happen tomorrow, the present moment is where you are---always!我們內心是否平和在很大程度上是由我們是否能生活在現實之中所決定的．不管昨天或去年發生了什么，不管明天可能發生或不發生什么，現實才是你時時刻刻所在之處． Without question, many of us have mastered the neurotic art of spending much of our lives worrying about variety of things--all at once.We allow past problems and future concerns dominate your present moments, so much so that we end up anxious,frustrated,depressed,and hopeless.On the flip side, we also postpone our gratification, our stated priorities, and our happiness, often convincing that “someday” will be much better than today.Unfortunately, the same mental dynamics that tell us to look toward the future will only repeat themselves so that 'someday' never actually arrives.Jhon Lennone once said, “Life is what is happening while we are busy making other plans.” When we are busy making 'other plans', our children are busy growing up, the people we love are moving away and dying, our bodies are getting out of shape, and our dreams are slipping away.In short, we miss out on life.毫無疑問，我們很多人掌握了一種神經兮兮的藝術，即把生活中的大部分時間花在為種種事情擔心憂慮上－－而且常常是同時憂慮許多事情．我們聽憑過去的麻煩和未來的擔心控制我們此時此刻的生活，以至我們整日焦慮不安，委靡不振，甚至沮喪絕望．而另一方面我們又推遲我們的滿足感，推遲我們應優先考慮的事情，推遲我們的幸福感，常常說服自己＂有朝一日＂會比今天更好．不幸的是，如此告戒我們朝前看的大腦動力只能重復來重復去，以至＂有朝一日＂喲貧農公元不會真的來臨．約翰．列儂曾經說過：＂生活就是當我們忙于制定別的計劃時發生的事．＂當我們忙于指定種種＂別的計劃＂時，我們的孩子在忙于長大，我們摯愛的人里去了甚至快去世了，我們的體型變樣了，而我們的夢想也在消然溜走了．一句話，我們錯過了生活．

Many people lives as if life is a dress rehearsal for some later date.It isn't.In fact, no one have a guarantee that he or she will be here tomorrow.Now is the only time we have, and the only time that we have any control over.When we put our attention on the present moment, we push fear from our minds.Fear is the concern over events that might happen in the future--we won't have enoughh money,our children will get into trouble,we will get old and die,whatever.許多人的生活好象是某個未來日子的彩排．并非如此．事實上，沒人能保證他或她肯定還活著．現在是我們所擁有的唯一時間，現在也是我們能控制的唯一的時間．當我們將注意力放在此時此刻時，我們就將恐懼置于腦后．恐懼就是我們擔憂某些事情會在未來發生－－我們不諱有足夠的錢，我們的孩子會惹上麻煩，我們會變老，會死去，諸如此類．

To combat fear, the best stradegy is to learn to bring your attention back to the present.Mark Twain said,“I have been through some terrible things in life, some of which actually happened.” I don't think I can say it any better.Practice keeping your attention on the here and now.Your effort will pay great dividends.若要克服恐懼心理，最佳策略是學會將你的注意力拉回此時此刻．馬克．吐溫說過：＂我經歷過生活中一些可怕的事情，有些的確發生過．＂我想我說不出比這更具內涵的話．經常將注意力集中于此情此景，此時此刻，你的努力終會有豐厚的報償．

3How High Can You Jump?

Flea trainers have observed a strange habit of fleas while training them.Fleas are trained by putting them in a cardboard box with a top on it.The fleas will jump up and hit the top of the cardboard box over and over and over again.As you watch them jump and hit the lid, something very interesting becomes obvious.The fleas continue to jump, but they are no longer jumping high enough to hit the top.When you take off the lid, the fleas continue to jump, but they will not jump out of the box.They won't jump out because they can't jump out.Why? The reason is simple.They have conditioned themselves to jump just so high.Once they have conditioned themselves to jump just so high, that's all they can do!Many times, people do the same thing.They restrict themselves and never reach their potential.Just like the fleas, they fail to jump higher, thinking they are doing all they can do.跳蚤訓練人在訓練跳蚤時發現跳蚤有一個奇怪的習慣。若把跳蚤放在一個有頂蓋的盒子里，他們會不斷地跳起來，撞擊頂蓋。

你觀察他們跳起來撞擊頂蓋，會慢慢發現一個有趣的現象。他們仍會跳起來，但不會再撞到頂蓋。

當你把頂蓋拿開時，跳蚤還會接著跳，但卻不會跳出盒子。為什么呢？原因很簡單。它們已經習慣了只跳那么高。

一旦它們習慣只跳這么高之后，它們就只能跳這么高了。

很多時候，人們也是一樣。他們自己限制了自己，從來不去發掘自己的潛力。就像跳蚤一樣，沒能跳得更高，還以為已經到了自己能力的極限。4熱愛生活（Love Your Life）Henry David Thoreau/享利.大衛.梭羅

However mean your life is,meet it and live it;do not shun it and call it hard names.It is not so bad as you are.It looks poorest when you are richest.The fault-finder will find faults in paradise.Love your life,poor as it is.You may perhaps have some pleasant,thrilling,glorious hourss,even in a poor-house.The setting sun is reflected from the windows of the alms-house as brightly as from the rich man's abode;the snow melts before its door as early in the spring.I do not see but a quiet mind may live as contentedly there,and have as cheering thoughts,as in a palace.The town's poor seem to me often to live the most independent lives of any.May be they are simply great enough to receive without misgiving.Most think that they are above being supported by the town;but it often happens that they are not above supporting themselves by dishonest means.which should be more disreputable.Cultivate poverty like a garden herb,like sage.Do not trouble yourself much to get new things,whether clothes or friends,Turn the old,return to them.Things do not change;we change.Sell your clothes and keep your thoughts.不論你的生活如何卑賤，你要面對它生活，不要躲避它，更別用惡言咒罵它。它不像你那樣壞。你最富有的時候，倒是看似最窮。愛找缺點的人就是到天堂里也能找到缺點。你要愛你的生活，盡管它貧窮。甚至在一個濟貧院里，你也還有愉快、高興、光榮的時候。夕陽反射在濟貧院的窗上，像身在富戶人家窗上一樣光亮；在那門前，積雪同在早春融化。我只看到，一個從容的人，在哪里也像在皇宮中一樣，生活得心滿意足而富有愉快的思想。城鎮中的窮人，我看，倒往往是過著最獨立不羈的生活。也許因為他們很偉大，所以受之無愧。大多數人以為他們是超然的，不靠城鎮來支援他們；可是事實上他們是往往利用了不正當的手段來對付生活，他們是毫不超脫的，毋寧是不體面的。視貧窮如園中之花而像圣人一樣耕植它吧！不要找新的花樣，無論是新的朋友或新的衣服，來麻煩你自己。找舊的，回到那里去。萬物不變，是我們在變。你的衣服可以賣掉，但要保留你的思想。5父愛和母愛

Motherly and Fatherly Love Motherly love by its very nature is unconditional.Mother loves the newborn infant because it is her child, not because the child has fulfilled any specific condition, or lived up to any specific expectation.Unconditional love corresponds in one of 'the deepest longings, not only of the child, but of every human being;on the other hand, to be loved because of one's merit, because one deserves it, always leaves doubt: maybe I did not please the person whom I want to love me, maybe this or that--there is always a fear that love could disappear.Furthermore, “deserved” love easily leaves a bitter feeling that one is not loved for oneself, that one is loved only because one pleases, that one is, in the last analysis, not loved at all but used.No wonder that we all cling to the longing for motherly love, as children and also as adults.The relationship to father is quite different.Mother is the home we come from, she is nature, soil, the ocean;father does not represent any such natural home.He has little connection with the child in the first years of his life, and his importance for the child in this early period cannot be compared with that of mother.But while father does not represent the natural world, he represents the other pole of human existence;the world of thought, of man-made things, of law and order, of discipline, of travel and adventure.Father is the one who teaches the child, who shows him the road into the world.Fatherly love is conditional love.Its principle is “1 love you because you fulfill my expectations, because you do your duty, because you are like me.” In conditional fatherly love we find, as with unconditional motherly love, a negative and a positive aspect.The negative aspect is the very fact that fatherly love has to be deserved, that it can be lost if one does not do what is expected.The positive side is equally important.Since his love is conditional, I can do something to acquire it, I can work for it;his love is not outside of my control as motherly love is.母愛和父愛

母愛的天性是無條件的。母親愛她的新生嬰兒，因為那是她的孩子，而不是因為這個小孩符合了什么特別的條件，也不是因為孩子達到了她的某種特別的期望。無條件的愛符合——不只是小孩子，而且是每個人最深切的渴望。另一方面，如果因為自己的優點，因為自己值得愛而被別人愛，我們總會心存疑慮：可能我沒有使那個我希望他(她)愛我的人滿意吧?可能這個，可能那個——總是害怕那份愛會消失。而且―值得的‖愛很容易令人產生一種辛酸的感覺：似乎一個人不是因為自身而被愛，而是因為自己可以令別人高興，令別人滿足才被愛，似乎自己根本不是被愛而是被利用了。無怪乎我們全都依戀、渴望著母愛，不論小孩還是成年人都如此。

孩子同父親的關系就完全不同了。母親是我們的發源地，她是自然、是土壤、是海洋；父親不代表任何這些自然的歸宿。在孩子初生的前幾年中，父親和孩子接觸很少。在此期間，對于孩子來說，父親的重要性遠遠比不上母親。但是，雖然父親不代表這自然的世界，他卻代表了人類存在的另一極——思想的世界、人造的世界、法律和秩序的世界、紀律的世界、旅行和冒險的世界。教育孩子的人是父親，向孩子展示通向世界之路的人也是父親。父愛是有條件的。它的原則是：―因為你達到了我的期望，因為你完成了你的職責，因為你像我，所以我愛你。‖在有條件的父愛中，我們(像在無條件的母愛中一樣)發現它既有消極的一面，又有積極的一面。消極的一面是父愛的給予只在你值得得到愛的條件下，而且如果你沒有做到他所期望的事，你可能會失去這份愛。積極的一面也同樣重要。既然他的愛是有條件的，我可以采取一些辦法去獲取它，我可以為之而努力；他的愛像母愛一樣，并沒有越出我的控制力

LOVE I love you not because of who you are, but because of who I am when I am with you.我愛你，不是因為你是一個怎樣的人，而是因為我喜歡與你在一起時的感覺。

2)No man or woman is worth your tears, and the one who is, won‘t make you cry.沒有人值得你流淚，值得讓你這么做的人不會讓你哭泣。

3)The worst way to miss someone is to be sitting right beside them knowing you can‘t have them.失去某人，最糟糕的莫過于，他近在身旁，卻猶如遠在天邊。

4)Never frown, even when you are sad, because you never know who is falling in love with your smile.縱然傷心，也不要愁眉不展，因為你不知是誰會愛上你的笑容。

5)To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.對于世界而言，你是一個人；但是對于某個人，你是他的整個世界。

6)Don‘t waste your time on a man/woman, who isn‘t willing to waste their time on you.不要為那些不愿在你身上花費時間的人而浪費你的時間。

7)Just because someone doesn‘t love you the way you want them to, doesn‘t mean they don‘t love you with all they have.愛你的人如果沒有按你所希望的方式來愛你，那并不代表他們沒有全心全意地愛你。

8)Don‘t try so hard, the best things come when you least expect them to.不要著急，最好的總會在最不經意的時候出現。

9)Maybe God wants us to meet a few wrong people before meeting the right one, so that when we finally meet the person, we will know how to be grateful.在遇到夢中人之前，上天也許會安排我們先遇到別的人；在我們終于遇見心儀的人時，便應當心存感激。

10)Don‘t cry because it is over, smile because it happened.不要因為結束而哭泣，微笑吧，為你的曾經擁有

Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life: the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind.These passions, like great winds, have blown me hither and thither, in a wayward course, over a deep ocean of anguish, reaching to the very verge of despair.I have sought love, first, because it brings ecstasy –ecstasy so great that I would often have sacrificed all the rest of life for a few hours of this joy.I have sought it, next, because it relieves loneliness--that terrible loneliness in which one shivering consciousness looks over the rim of the world into the cold unfathomable lifeless abyss.I have sought it, finally, because in the union of love I have seen, in a mystic miniature, the prefiguring vision of the heaven that saints and poets have imagined.This is what I sought, and though it might seem too good for human life, this is what-at last-I have found.With equal passion I have sought knowledge.I have wished to understand the hearts of men.I have tried to apprehend the Pythagorean power by which number holds sway above the flu.A little of this, but not much, I have achieved.Love and knowledge, so far as they were possible, led upward toward the heavens.But always pity brought me back to earth.Echoes of cries of pain reverberate in my heart.Children in famine, victims tortured by oppressors, helpless old people a hated burden to their sons, and the whole world of loneliness, poverty, and pain make a mockery of what human life should be.I long to alleviate the evil, but I cannot, and I too suffer.This has been my life.I have found it worth living, and would gladly live it again if the chance were offered me.三種激情-----羅素

三種激情雖然簡單，卻異常強烈，它們統治著我的生命，那便是：對愛的渴望，對知識的追求，以及對人類苦難的難以承受的同情。這三種激情像變化莫測的狂風任意地把我刮來刮去，把我刮入痛苦的深海，到了絕望的邊緣。

我曾經尋找愛，首先是因為它能使我欣喜若狂——這種喜悅之情如此強烈，使我常常寧愿為這幾個小時的愉悅而犧牲生命中的其他一切。我尋求愛，其次是因為愛能解除孤獨——在這種可怕的孤獨中，一顆顫抖的良心在世界的邊緣，注視著下面冰涼、毫無生氣、望不見底的深淵。我尋求愛還因為在愛的融合中，我能以某種神秘的圖像看到曾被圣人和詩人想象過的天堂里未來的景象。這就是我所追求的東西，雖然這似乎對于人類的生命來說過于完美，但這確實是我最終發現的東西。我懷著同樣的激情去尋找知識，我曾渴望著理解人心，我曾渴望知道為何星星會閃爍，我還企圖弄懂畢達哥拉斯所謂的用數字控制變化的力量，但在這方面，我只知道一點點。

愛的力量和知識的力量引我接近天堂，但同情之心往往又把我拉回大地。痛苦的哭泣回響、震蕩在我的心中。饑餓的兒童，被壓迫、受折磨的人們，成為兒孫們討厭的包袱的、無助的老人們，充斥著整個世界的孤獨的氣氛，貧窮和苦難，所有這一切都是對人類生活原本該具有的樣子所作的諷刺。我渴望消除一切邪惡，但我辦不到，因為我自己也處于苦難之中。這就是我的生活，我認為值得一過。而且，如果有第二次機會，我將樂意地再過一次。

奧哈拉給女兒的信

這是奧哈拉寫給女兒的一封信。女兒將從中學畢業，這就意味著她將不再是小孩了。在這人生關鍵時刻，作為父親，他既對女兒過去的表現表示滿意，也對女兒的將來充滿信心。然而，他卻不忘再次重復自己對女兒立身行事的一句忠告：真誠地對待自己。這是要求女兒具有自信、自助、自律、自尊、自愛的品質。這句話顯然是作者豐富的生活閱歷和人生經驗的總結，也是對女兒的諄諄教誨，賦予思想一種真切動人的感情力量。雖然信是寫給予自己女兒的，但是這句忠告卻具有普遍性的教育意義，是天下父母對子女的最真摯的希望。作者的語言溫馨自然，平和親切，看似敘述家常，卻在平常中顯示了令人驚嘆的智慧，又讓人產生一心的感覺。

John O'hara to His Daughter

TLS,1 p.Mrs.Doughty Quogue, Long Island 16 September 1962, Sunday

My dear: Well, here we are — but not here.You at St.Tim's, Sister in Princeton, and me in Quogue, and another brand new year is about to start for you.For me, too.I always seem to approach the autumn in the frame of mind that spring induces in most people.The excitement of new things;the new plays, the new books, new clothes, etc., etc., etc.At the same time the autumn for me is a season of a sweet melancholy that is hard to explain.I love the early evenings, the leaves burning, the lights in houses.It is the beginning of a big year for you, in many respects your biggest so far.By the time June comes around you will be 18, and graduating from school.In the past week or so I have called you ―Kid‖ but subconsciously I have been doing that because your kid days are over, or just about.I suspect that you are going through the experience of first love, and no matter what else happens, after that experience you are never a kid again.Most of the nice things we associate with being a kid are okay — while you are still kid.But you gain more than you lose.You gain in understanding standing, in appreciation of people, in understanding and appreciation of yourself.You begin to see the wisdom in that quotation I have so often repeated to you: to thine own self be true.Every year at this time I have repeated that quotation to you, and the time is not really too far distant when you will be passing it on to your own children.It is probably the best single piece of advice I can give you, or you can give them.You have done well, and I am pleased with you, not only for what you have done, but for what you are.As Miss Finnegan said to Sister, ―Wylie has the right reactions.‖ So good luck in your Senior Year, and always know that the

oldman loves you very much

Always Dad Mother & Child 媽媽與孩子

It was Christmas 1961.I was teaching in

那是1961年的圣誕節。我在俄a small town in Ohio where my twenty-seven third graders eagerly anticipated the great day of gifts giving.亥俄州的一個小鎮上教小學三年級。班上27個孩子都在積極參加“禮物贈送日”的活動。

教室的一角被一棵樹裝點得熠熠生輝，樹上綴滿了金銀絲帛和華麗的彩紙。教室的另一角是A tree covered with tinsel and gaudy paper

一個涂著海報油彩由紙板制成的chains graced one corner.In another rested a manger scene produced from cardboard and 馬槽，這出自孩子們那胖乎乎、臟poster paints by chubby, and sometimes

兮兮的小手。有人帶來了一個娃grubby, hands.Someone had brought a doll and placed it on the straw in the cardboard

娃，把它放在紙板槽里的稻草上box that served as the manger.It didn't matter that you could pull a string and hear(假裝小耶穌)。只要拉拉它身上的the blue-eyed, golden-haired dolly say, “My name is Susie.” “But Jesus was a boy 一條細繩，這個藍眼睛、金發的娃baby!” one of the boys proclaimed.Nonetheless, Susie stayed.娃就會說道，“我叫蘇西”，不過這都沒有關系。一個男孩提出：“耶穌可是個小男孩呀!”不過蘇西還是留了下來。Each day the children produced some new

每天孩子們都會做點兒新wonder--strings of popcorn, hand-made trinkets, and German bells made from

玩意--爆米花串成的細鏈子、手工wallpaper samples, which we hung from the

做的小裝飾品和墻紙樣做的德國ceiling.Through it all she remained aloof, watching from afar, seemingly miles away.式風鈴，我們把這些風鈴掛在了天I wondered what would happen to this quiet child, once so happy, now so suddenly

花板上。但自始至終，她都是孤零withdrawn.I hoped the festivities would

零地遠遠觀望，仿佛是隔了一道幾appeal to her.But nothing did.We made cards and gifts for mothers and dads, for

里長的障礙。我猜想著這個沉默的sisters and brothers, for grandparents，原來那個快樂and for each other.At home the students 孩子發生了什么事，made the popular fried marbles and vied 的孩子怎么突然變得沉默寡言起with one another to bring in the prettiest ones.“ You put them in a hot frying pan，來。我希望節日的活動能吸引她，Teacher.And you let them get real hot, and then you watch what happens inside.But you 可還是無濟于事。我們制作了許多don't fry them too long or they break.”So，準備把它們送給爸爸as my gift to them, I made each of my 卡片和禮物，students a little pouch for carrying their

媽媽、兄弟姐妹、祖父母和身邊的fried marbles.And I knew they had each made something for me: bookmarks carefully cut, 同學。學生們在家里做了當時很流colored, and sometimes pasted together;cards and special drawings;liquid embroidery doilies, hand-fringed, of course.把玻璃彈子放在熱油鍋里，讓它們燒熱，然后看看里面的變化。但不要炸得時間過長否則會破裂。“所以，我給每個學生做了一個裝”油炸彈子“的小袋作為禮物送給他們。我知道他們每個人也都為我做行“油炸”玻璃彈子，并且相互比著，要把最好看的拿來。“老師，了禮物：仔細剪裁、著色，或已粘集成串的書簽；賀卡和特別繪制的圖片；透明的鑲邊碗碟墊布，當然是手工編制的流蘇。

The day of gift-giving finally came.We 贈送禮物的那天終于到了。

在oohed and aahed over our handiwork as the presents were exchanged.Through it all, 交換禮物時我們為對方親手做的she sat quietly watching.I had made a

小禮品不停地歡呼叫好。而整個過special pouch for her, red and green with white lace.I wanted very much to see her

程，她只是安靜地坐在那兒看著。smile.She opened the package so slowly and carefully.I waited but she turned away.I 我為她做的小袋很特別，紅綠相間had not penetrated the wall of isolation

還鑲著白邊。我非常想看到她笑一she had built around herself.笑。她打開包裝，動作又慢又小心。我等待著，但是她卻轉過了身。我還是沒能穿過她在自己周圍樹起的高墻，這堵墻將她與大家隔離了開來。

After school the children left in little 放學后，學生們三三倆倆地離groups, chattering about the great day yet 開了，邊走邊說著即將到來的圣誕to come when long-hoped-for two-wheelers 節：家中的圣誕樹旁將發現自己心and bright sleds would appear beside their 系已久的自行車和嶄新發亮的雪trees at home.She lingered, watching them 橇。她慢慢地走在后面，看著大家bundle up and go out the door.I sat down 擁擠著走出門外。我坐在孩子們的in a child-sized chair to catch my breath, 小椅子上稍稍松了口氣，對要發生hardly aware of what was happening, when 的事沒有一點準備。這時她向我走she came to me with outstretched hands, 來，雙手拿著一個白色的盒子向我bearing a small white box, unwrapped and 伸過來。盒子沒有打包裝，稍有些slightly soiled, as though it had been held 臟。好像是被孩子未洗過的小手摸many times by unwashed, childish hands.She

過了好多遍。她沒有說話。”給我said nothing.“For me?” I asked with a weak smile.She said not a word, but nodded her 的嗎?“我微微一笑。她沒出聲，只head.I took the box and gingerly opened it.是點點頭。我接過盒子，非常小心There inside, glistening green, a fried marble hung from a golden chain.Then I looked into that elderly eight-year-old

鏈子，上面墜著一塊閃閃發光的face and saw the question in her dark brown eyes.In a flash I knew--she had made it

“油炸”玻璃彈子。然后我看著她for her mother, a mother she would never see again, a mother who would never hold her or 的臉，雖只有8歲，可卻是成人的brush her hair or share a funny story, a mother who would never again hear her

表情。在她深棕色的眼睛里我找到childish joys or sorrows.A mother who had

了問題的答案。我在一瞬間明白過taken her own life just three weeks before.來--這是她為媽媽做的項鏈，她再也見不到的媽媽，再也不能抱她、給她梳頭或一起講故事的媽媽。她的媽媽已再也不能分享她充滿童稚的快樂，分擔她孩子氣的憂傷。就在3個星期前她的媽媽離開了人世。

I held out the chain.She took it in both

我拿起那條鏈子。她用雙手her hands, reached forward, and secured the simple clasp at the back of my neck.She 接過它，向前探了探身，在我的脖stepped back then as if to see that all was

子后把簡易的項鏈鉤系好。然后她well.I looked down at the shiny piece of glass and the tarnished golden chain, then

向后退了幾步，好像在看看是否合back at the giver.I meant it when I whispered,“ Oh, Maria, it is so beautiful.適。我低下頭看著閃閃發亮的玻璃She would have loved it.”Neither of us

珠和已失去光澤的金色鏈子，然后could stop the tears.She stumbled into my

地打開它。盒子里面有一條金色的arms and we wept together.And for that 抬起頭望著她。

我很認真地輕聲說brief moment I became her mother, for she had given me the greatest gift of all: 道：“哦，瑪麗亞，這鏈子真漂亮。herself.你媽媽一定會喜歡的。“我們已無法抑制住淚水。她踉踉蹌蹌地撲進我的懷里，我們都哭了。在那短暫的一刻我成了她的媽媽，而她送給了我一份最珍貴的禮物：她的信任和愛。By Patricia A.Habada

What's your spiritual IQ? 什么是你的精神智商?

It's the secret weapon that will help you

對付生活煩擾的一個秘密武cope with the hassles of life.Here's how 器。以下幾點教你如何將精神智商to put spiritual intelligence to work for 運用到工作中去。you.她前夫又一次失約了。他沒能

參加他們10歲女兒的舞蹈演出 Her ex had done it again.After missing

會，第二天，他帶著一束玫瑰來看their 10-year-old daughter's dance recital, he showed up the following day 她們。我的朋友詹妮承認說：”我第一個沖動就是批評他。“但是接with a bouquet of roses.”My first impulse was to tear into him,“ admits my friend 著閃入腦海的卻是：”他是愛女兒的。女兒需要他。算了吧。“深吸Jennie.Then some phrases popped into her

一口氣，她以此寬慰自己說：”納mind: “He loves her.She needs him.Let it

塔利會喜歡這些花的。”至少在那be.“ Taking a deep breath, she listened to

一短暫、輕松的時刻，世上多了一this inner voice and said, ”Natalie's going

份和睦。to love the flowers.“ And for at least one brief, shining moment, there was a little more peace on earth.What happened? Without consciously beyond reason to a deeper level of

發生了什么情況呢？原來不到理解的深層次了，即心理學家稱realizing why or how, Jennie had reached 知不覺間，詹妮已經超越理智進入understanding, a newly recognized way of 之為”精神智商“的一個剛被公認knowing that psychologists have dubbed 的認知方法。我們的精神智商，或”spiritual intelligence.“ Our spiritual SQ，幫助我們了解自我，生活得更intelligence quotient, or SQ, helps us 充實，更幸福。understand ourselves, and live fuller, happier lives.精神智商是一種能力，可以感受、理解并觸及最深的自我、他人 Spiritual intelligence is the capacity 及我們周遭的世界。這種內心深處to sense, understand and tap in to the 的寧靜可能是我們抵御日常困擾highest part of ourselves, of others and of 的最佳能力。the world around us.This source of inner serenity may be our best defense against the hassles that barrage us every day.While we' re all born with SQ, most of us

雖然我們生來就有精神智商，aren't even aware that we have it.但大多數人并沒有意識到它的存Fortunately, you don't have to sign up for 在。有幸的是，你不必報名去學習classes to learn how to enhance your SQ.如何加強你的精神智商。以下幾個Here are some simple steps that can lead you 簡單的方法就可幫你達到理解的to this new level of understanding:

新境界：

Sit Quietly.The process of cultivating

靜坐培養 精神智商可從獨處和spiritual intelligence begins in solitude 靜默開始。精神上的信仰大多需要and silence.Most spiritual traditions 心靈的智慧。要聽到心靈的細語就involve an inner wisdom.To tune in to its 要放慢節奏，使紛繁嘈雜的生活平whisper, you have to turn down the volume 靜下來，迫使自己放下一切事務。in your busy, noisy, complicated life and 逐漸為每一天創造一段安靜的時force yourself to do nothing at all.Start 間。在開車時，用一些時間思考，small by creating islands of silence in 而不是打開收音機。在工作時，不your day.In the car, instead of reaching 妨利用會議間歇關上辦公室的門，for the radio dial, use the time to reflect.深吸幾口氣，然后緩緩地呼出。在At work, shut the door to your office

家里，孩子上床后，獨自細細地品between meetings, take a few deep breaths 位一下家里的寧靜。and let them out very, very slowly.Savor the stillness in your home after the kids are finally in bed.Step Outside.For many people, nature

戶外活動

對于許多人來說，sets their spirit free.It puts the hassles 大自然能給予他們精神上的自由，of daily living into perspective.使他們對日常生活中煩心的事能

用”風物長宜放眼量“的角度去看。Go outside to watch a beautiful sunset.If you're walk-ing the dog, take the time to

出去觀看美麗的日出。如果出admire an azalea bush in bloom.Follow the 門遛狗，可以留意一下路邊盛開的flight of a bird;watch clouds float of the stars as holes in the darkness letting heaven shine through.Find An

杜鵑花叢；可以仰望飛翔的小鳥；設想群星不過是黑幕上的點點小洞，讓天堂之光透射進來。找到一overhead.Gaze into the night sky and think 觀賞空中的浮云。凝視夜空，可以Activity You Enjoy.It's important to find 種自己喜愛的活動培養一種愛好a hobby that helps you tune in to your 對修身養性十分重要。例如：園藝、spirit.Garden, walk or jog, arrange soul.散步或慢跑、插花、傾聽觸動心靈flowers, listen to music that touches your 的音樂。

Ask Questions Of Yourself.Some people use

向自己提問 一些人在沉思中their contemplative time to focus on a line 思考圣經中的語句。另一些人問自of Scripture.Others ask open-ended are my choices? Where am I heading?”

己一些隨意的問題，如“我現在感在去往何處？” questions, such as“What am I feeling? What 覺怎樣？我的選擇是什么？我現 But don't expect an answer to arrive via

但是不要期望以超自然的電子some super-natural form of e-mail.”Rarely 郵件方式得到答案。加利福尼亞do I get an immediate answer to my Presbyterian minister in Sausalito，州，索薩利托的長老會牧師雷弗倫很少立刻得到答案，但晚些時侯，questions,“ says Reverend Joan Carter, a 德〃瓊〃卡特說：”對自問問題，California.“But later that day I suddenly 我會突然從不曾考慮到的另一個find myself thinking about a problem from 角度去思考這個問題。” a perspective I never considered before.“ Trust Your Spirit.While most of us rely on

相信自己的心靈 大多數人覺gut feelings to alert us to danger，察危險是憑直覺。精神智商卻常常spiritual intelligence usually nudges us, 引導我們去采取，而不是背離某種not away from, but toward some action that 可以使結局更好的行動。will lead to a greater good.這是伊利諾伊州的一位作家 This is a lesson that Charlene Baumbich, 兼演說家查倫〃鮑姆比切曾經有過an author and speaker in Illinois, has 的一個親身體會，甚得教益。幾年learned well.Several years ago she was 前，她簽約寫一本書卻認為自己無convinced that she couldn' t write a book 法如約完成，就在她準備取消合同she' d contracted to do.The day before she 的前一天，她去了一個工藝品交易planned to scuttle the deal, she went to a 市場。在那兒，她看到了一張照片，crafts fair.There Baumbich found a treasure chest--out of which flew butterflies.”There was a voice that

照片上一個胖乎乎的小孩正打開蝶。“有個聲音說道'掀開蓋子，寫下第一個字'。”于是她照著去做photograph of a chubby toddler opening a 一個珠寶盒，從盒子中飛出了蝴said,'Just open the lid.Write the first 了，接著，《如何“忍氣吞聲”而不word.'“ So she did.And that book, How to 會”消化不良“》一書問世并獲得成Eat Humble Pie and Not Get Indigestion, was 功。對心靈智慧有好奇心的其他女a success.Her advice to other women

子，她建議道：第一步，窺探心靈，curious about tuning in to their inner 如果看到了那蝴蝶，不要吃驚。By wisdom: Take the first step.Peer inside Dianne Hales（尹明 譯自 yourself.And don' t be surprised if you Ladies’ Home Journal）find butterflies.Relish the moment

擁抱今天

Tucked away in our subconscious is an 我們的潛意識里藏著一派田idyllic vision.We see ourselves on a long 園詩般的風光!我們仿佛身處一trip that spans the continent.We are

次橫貫大陸的漫漫旅程之中!乘traveling by train.Out the windows, we 著火車, 我們領略著窗外流動的drink in the passing scene of cars on nearby 景色：附近高速公路上奔馳的汽highways, of children waving at a crossing, 車、十字路口處招手的孩童、遠山of cattle grazing on a distant hillside, of 上吃草的牛群、源源不斷地從電廠smoke pouring from a power plant, of row 排放出的煙塵、一片片的玉米和小upon row of corn and wheat, of flatlands and 麥、平原與山谷、群山與綿延的丘valleys, of mountains and rolling halls.But uppermost in our minds is the final

然而我們心里想得最多的卻destination.On a certain day at a certain 是最終的目的地!在某一天的某hour, we will pull into the station.Bands 一時刻, 我們將會抵達進站!迎will be playing and flags waving.Once we 接我們的將是樂隊和飄舞的彩旗!get there, so many wonderful dreams will 一旦到了那兒, 多少美夢將成為come true and the pieces of our lives will 現實, 我們的生活也將變得完整, fit together like a completed jigsaw

如同一塊理好了的拼圖!可是我puzzle.How restlessly we pace the aisles, 們現在在過道里不耐煩地踱來踱

陵、天空映襯下城市的輪廓, 以及hillsides, of city skylines and village 鄉間的莊園宅第!damning the minutes for loitering--waiting, waiting, waiting for the station.去, 咒罵火車的拖拖拉拉!我們期待著, 期待著, 期待著火車進站的那一刻!

”When we reach the station, that will be “當我們到站的時候, 一切就it!”we cry.“When I'm 18.”“When I buy a 都好了!”我們呼喊著!“當我18new 450SL Mercedes Benz!”“When I put the 歲的時候!”“當我有了一輛新last kid through college.”“When I have 450SL奔馳的時候!”“當我供最小paid off the mortgage!”“When I get a promotion.”“When I reach the age of retirement, I shall live happily ever after!” 的孩子念完大學的時候!“"當我償清貸款的時候!”“當我官升高任的時候!”“當我到了退休的時候, 就可以從此過上幸福的生活啦!”

Sooner or later, we must realize there

可是我們終究會認識到人生的is no station, no one place to arrive at 旅途中并沒有車站, 也沒有能夠“once and for all.The true joy of life is 一到永逸”的地方!生活的真正樂the trip.The station is only a dream.It 趣在于旅行的過程, 而車站不過constantly outdistances us.是個夢, 它始終遙遙領先于我們!

“Relish the moment ”is a good motto, “享受現在”是句很好的箴言, especially when coupled with Psalm 118：尤其是當它與《圣經〃詩篇》中第24：“This is the day which the Lord hath １１８頁２４行的一段話相映襯made；we will rejoice and be glad in it.”It 的時候, 更是如此：“今日乃主所isn't the burdens of today that drive men 創造；生活在今日我們將歡欣、高mad.It is the regrets over yesterday and 興!”真正令人發瘋的不是今日的the fear of tomorrow.Regret and fear are 負擔, 而是對昨日的悔恨及對明twin thieves who rob us of today.日的恐懼!悔恨與恐懼是一對孿生竊賊, 將今天從你我身邊偷走!

So stop pacing the aisles and counting

那么就不要在過道里徘徊吧, the miles.In stead, climb more mountains, 別老惦記著你離車站還有多遠!eat more ice cream, go barefoot more often, 何不換一種活法, 將更多的高山swim more rivers, watch more sunsets, laugh 攀爬, 多吃點兒冰淇淋甜甜嘴巴, more, cry less.Life must be lived as we go 經常光著腳板兒溜達溜達, 在更along.The station will come soon enough.多的河流里暢游, 多看看夕陽西

下, 多點歡笑哈哈, 少讓淚水滴

答!生活得一邊過一邊瞧!車站就會很快到達!By Robert J.Hastings 李端奇譯

Thoughts for a new year

新年沉思

Most of us look away when we pass

當我們與陌生人擦肩而過時，多strangers.It is the expectional person who 數人往往把目光移開。要是有人停stops to help the woman maneuvering her 下來幫婦女哄她的小孩和幫她把kids and groceries up the staircase.We 食品搬上樓梯，反而會被人看成另rarely give up in line or on the subway or 類。無論是排隊還是乘地鐵或公共bus.Locked into our automobiles, we prefer 汽車，我們很少讓位于他人。坐在gridlock to giving way.自己的汽車里，我們寧愿堵塞交通

也不愿給人讓路。

These daily encounters, when they are angry

這些日常接觸，要是氣沖沖的or alien, diminish our lives.When they are 或是使人反感的，那便會減少我們pleasant, we feel buoyed.Yet when we sit 生活的樂趣，要是它們令人愉快，at home and make resolutions, we think 那便會使我們精神振奮。然而，當about what we can accomplish in private 我們坐在家里做出各種決定的時spaces：home, work.Too many have given up 候，我們考慮的僅是在個人天地--the belief that they control the shared, 家庭和工作里可以實現的目標。太the public world.多的人已經放棄了他們也管理著共享的、公共的世界這一信念。

As individuals we can change the contour 作為眾人的一員，我們可以改變of a day, the mood of a moment, the way 一天的面貌，一時的情緒，以及人people feel.The demolition and

們對某件事的感覺。公共生活的毀reconstruction of public life is the result 壞和重建是人們每日所做的種種of personal decisions made every day：the 個人決定的綜合結果。這些決定包decision to give up a seat on the bus；the 括：公共汽車上讓座，面對逆境而decision to be patient or pleasant against 能容忍或具有樂觀精神；讓那個笨all odds；the decision to let that jerk take 蛋從右車道往左拐而不搖下車窗a left－hand turn from a right－hand lane 罵他蠢貨。without rolling down the window and calling him a jerk.It's the resolution to be a civil, social 這是做一個文明的、社會的人的決creature.This may be a peak period for the 定。今天也許是人們為減少腰圍和battle against the spread of a waistline 降低膽固醇而斗爭的高峰期。然and creeping cholesterol.But it is also 而，反對城市野蠻行為和人際敵對within our will power to fight the spread 態度的蔓延，也是我們只要愿做就of urban rudeness and creeping hostility.能做到的事。有禮貌不能制止核戰Civility doesn't stop nuclear holocaust 爭，也不能為無家可歸者提供棲身and doesn't put a roof over the head of the 之所，但它的確能改變一個社會群homeless.But it makes a difference in the 體的面貌，猶如舉重定能改變一個shape of a community, as surely as lifting 人的體形一樣。（摘自The World weights can make a difference in the shape of English）of a human torso.Interview God 采訪上帝

“Come in,” God said to me, “so, you would “進來”，上帝

對我說，“你想like to interview Me?” 采訪我?” “If you have the time,” I said.“是的，如果您有時間的話。” 我說。

He smiled through His beard and said: “My 上帝

微笑了，笑容通過他的胡須time is called eternity and is enough to do 綻開，說：“我時間的名字叫永恒，everything;what questions do you have in 足足可以做任何事情。你心里有什mind to ask me?” thing that surprises you most about mankind?“

麼問題想問我?”

人類讓您感到最驚奇的事情是什麼呢?” ”None that are new to you.What's the one “對您來說是沒有新鮮的提問的。He answered: “That they get bored of being 上帝

回答道：“人類在做孩子的children, are in a rush to grow up, and then 時候感到無聊，盼望著長大，長大long to be children again.That they lose 后又向往著返回童年；他們浪費自their health to make money and then lose 己的健康去贏得個人的財富，然后their money to restore their health.That 又浪費自己的財富去重建自身的by thinking anxiously about the future, 健康；他們焦慮地憧憬未來，忘記they forget the present, such that they 了眼前的生活，活得既不是為了現live neither for the present nor the

在也不是為了將來；他們活得似乎future.That they live as if they will never 永遠不會死，他們死得也好像從來die, and they die as if they never had never 沒活過…” lived...” His hands took mine and we were silent.上帝

握著我的手，我們一陣沉After a long period, I said, “May I ask you 默。過了好長一段時間，我說：“我another question?”

可以再問您一個問題嗎?” He replied with a smile.“As a Father, what would you ask your children to do for the new year?”

上帝用微笑回答了我。

“作為天父，在新的一年里您會要求您的子民做什么?”

“To learn that they cannot make anyone love “去學習人不能強迫別人愛自己，them.What they can do is to let themselves 能做的是讓自己接受愛； be loved.To learn that it takes years to build trust, 去了解信譽需要多年的努力去建and a few seconds to destroy it.立，但幾秒鐘就可以毀掉； To learn that what is most valuable is not 去懂得最有價值的不是他們生活what they have in their lives, but who they 中擁有的東西，而是他們生活里的have in their lives.人； To learn that it is not good to compare 去學會把自己和別人攀比是不好themselves to others.There will be others 的，比上不足比下總是有余； better or worse than they are.To learn that a rich person is not one who 去學知富有的人不是他的財產最has the most, but is one who needs the 多，而是他對生活的要求最少； least.To learn that they should control their 去學會應該端正他們的態度，否則attitudes, otherwise their attitudes will 他們的態度會控制他們； control them.To learn that it only takes a few seconds 去了解深深地傷害我們所愛的人to open profound wounds in persons we love, 只需要幾秒鐘，然而要愈合這個傷and that it takes many years to heal them.口需要許多年； To learn to forgive by practicing forgiveness.To learn that there are persons that love 去明白有很多人關愛著他們，只是them dearly, but simply do not know how to 這些人不懂得如何表達自己的情show their feelings.happiness.感； 幸福； To learn that money can buy everything but 去了解錢可以買萬物，就是買不到To learn that while at times they may be 去懂得在某些時候他們有資格憤entitled to be upset, that does not give 怒，但憤怒本身沒有給他們權力讓them the right to upset those around them.身邊的人不安；

To learn that great dreams do not require 去學習偉大的夢想不需要有偉大great wings, but a landing gear to achieve.的翅膀，有落地的齒輪才能使夢想

去通過寬恕的行為學習饒恕。

成真；

To learn that true friends are scarce, 去了解真正的朋友非常稀罕，找到he/she who has found one has found a true 了的人找到了真正的財富； treasure.To learn that they are masters of what they 去懂得自己是守住的言語的主人、keep to themselves and slaves of what they 脫口的奴隸； say.To learn that they shall reap what they 去懂得種什么收什么，如果散播流plant;if they plant gossip they will will harvest happiness.To learn that true happiness is not to 去學會真正的幸福不是實現自己achieve their goals but to learn to be 的目標，而是滿足于所達到的成satisfied with what they already achieved.就； To learn that happiness is a

去得知幸福是一種決定，他們決定decision.They decide to be happy with 為自己是誰自己有什么快樂地活，what they are and have, or die from envy and 或為自己所沒有的東西羨慕妒嫉jealousy of what they lack.same thing and see something totally different.To learn that those who are honest with 去學到那些能誠實地面對自己、不themselves without considering the consequences go far in life.擔心后果的人，人生之路能走得很遠； 地死；

到完全不同的東西； To learn that two people can look at the 去明白兩個人看同樣的事情會看

言蜚語他們就收獲鉤心斗角，如果harvest intrigues, if they plant love they 種植愛心他們就收獲歡樂；

To learn that even though they may think 去了解盡管有時可能認為自己無they have nothing to give, when a friend 能為力，但是當一位朋友同他們一cries with them, they find the strength to 起揮淚的時候，他們能找到生活的appease the pain.勇氣去撫平傷痛；

To learn that by trying to hold on to love 去懂得試圖抓住所愛的人，所愛的ones, they very quickly push them away;and 人會推開你；給所愛的人以自由，by letting go of those they love, they will 他們會永遠在你的左右。be side by side forever.To learn that even though the word ”love“ 去學習盡管愛這個字含義很廣，濫has many different meanings, it loses value 用這個字會失去她的價值； when it is overstated.To learn that they can never do something 去明白他們永遠不能用特殊的舉extraordinary for Me to love them;I simply 動使我愛他們，我愛人類不需要理do.由；

To learn that the shortest distance they 去認識到他們和我最靠近的距離could be from Me is the ”the distance of a 是“祈禱者的距離 prayer.“ Roses for Rose 送給羅絲的玫瑰

Red roses were her favorites, her name

紅玫瑰花是她的最愛，她的名字was also Rose.And every year her husband 也叫Rose。每年她的丈夫都要送sent them, tied with pretty bows.The year 她打了可愛蝴蝶結的紅玫瑰。他去he died, the roses were delivered to her 世的那年，玫瑰花送到了她的門door.The card said, ”Be my Valentine, 口，卡片上寫著：“我的情人節禮”like all the years before.物“，跟往年一樣。

Each year he sent her roses, and the note

每年他為她送紅玫瑰，卡片上would always say, ”I love you even more this 總這樣說：“我今年更愛你，比去year, than last year on this day.”“My love 年的今天更愛。”“隨著逝去的歲for you will always grow, with every time that the roses would appear.She

月，我對你的愛一直在增長。”她她想，他是提前訂了玫瑰花。她親passing year.“She knew this was the last 知道這將是最后一次收到玫瑰花。thought, he ordered roses in advance before 愛的丈夫不知道，他將走了。他總this day.Her loving husband did not know, 喜歡把事情做在前頭，這樣，如果that he would pass away.He always liked to 他很忙的話，每件事都照樣做得妥do things early.Then, if he got too busy, 妥當當。她整理好花莖，把它們插everything would work out fine.She trimmed 進一個特別的花瓶，然后，將花瓶the stems, and placed them in a very special 放在他滿臉笑容的像片旁，她會在vase.Then, sat the vase beside the

她丈夫喜歡的椅子上坐上好幾個portrait of his smiling face.She would sit 小時，看著他的相片，玫瑰花放在for hours, in her husband's favorite chair.那兒。While staring at his picture, and the roses sitting there.A year went by, and it was hard to live 一年過去了，沒有他的日子很難without her mate.With loneliness and

過。孤獨和寂寞，成了她的命運。solitude, that had become her fate.Then, 然而，在情人節這天，跟以往送花the very hour, as on Valentines before, the 的時間相同，門鈴響了，在她的門door－bell rang, and there were roses, 口放著玫瑰花。她將玫瑰拿進屋，sitting by her door.She brought the roses 吃驚地看著它們。然后，撥通了花in, and then just looked at them in shock.店的電話。她問店主能否向她解釋Then, went to get the tele phone, to call 一下，為什么有人要這么做，引起the florist shop.The owner answered, and 她的痛苦？ she asked him, if he would explain, why

”我知道你的丈夫一年多前去would someone do this to her, causing her

世了，“店主說：”我知道你會打電such pain？

話來，你想知道是怎么回事。“" ”I know your husband passed away, more 今天你收到的花，已經提前付了than a year ago, “ The owner said, ”I knew 錢。“"你的丈夫總是提前計劃，他you'd call, and you would want to know.” 做事從來不碰運氣。“ ”The flowers you received today, were paid for in advance.“ ”Your husband always planned ahead, he left nothing to chance.“ ”There is a standing order, that I have on “我的存檔里有一個固定的訂file down here.And he has paid, well in 單，他已經提前付了錢，你每年都advance, you'll get them every year.There 會收到玫瑰花。還有另外一件事，also is another thing, that I think you 我想你應該知道，他寫了一張特別should know.He wrote a special little 的小卡片……他幾年前就寫好了card...he did this years ago.” 的。“

”Then, should ever, I find out that he's “這樣，如果我發現他已不在人no longer here.That's the card...that 世的話，這張卡片……這張卡片將should be sent, to you the following year.在下一年送給你。” “ She thanked him and hung up the phone, 她謝了他，掛了電話，眼淚her tears now flowing hard.Her fingers 奪眶而出，當她慢慢地伸手去拿卡shaking, as she slowly reached to get the 片時，她的手指在顫抖。在卡片里，card.Inside the card, she saw that he had 他看到了他寫給她的短信。她默默written her a note.Then, as she stared in 地看著，他是這樣寫的：”親愛的，total silence, this is what he wrote：“Hello 我知道我離開你已經一年了，我希my love, I know it's been a year since I've 望你所度過的這段日子不是太難。been gone, I hope it hasn't been too hard ”“我知道你肯定很孤獨，而且這種for you to overcome.” “I know it must be 痛苦是如此的真切。因為如果這樣lonely, and the pain is very real.For if 的事發生在我身上，我知道我會有it was the other way, I know how I would 怎樣的感受。我們分享的愛讓生命feel.The love we shared made everything so 中的每件事都是那么的美好，我對beautiful in life.I loved you more than 你的愛無法用言語表達，你是最完words can say, you were the perfect wife.美的妻子。” “

”你是我的朋友和愛人，你總能

滿足我的每一個需求。我知道才過 “You were my friend and lover, you

了一年，但是請你盡可能不要悲fulfilled my every need.I know it's only

傷。我希望你快樂，即使流著淚。been a year, but please try not to grieve.這就是為什么在今后的歲月里每I want you to be happy, even when you shed

年都會送玫瑰給你?” your tears.That is why the roses will be sent to you for years.“ ”When you get these roses, think of all “當你收到這些花時，請想想the happiness that we had together, and how 我們一起度過的所有的幸福時光，both of us were blessed.I have always loved 我們是怎樣受到祝福的。我一直愛you and I know I always will.But, my love, 著你，我知道我將永遠愛著。但是，you must go on, you have some living still.親愛的，你必須繼續生活下去，你”

還有好多日子要過。

“Please...try to find happiness, while ”請你……在你的生活中努力living out your days.I know it is not easy, 去尋找歡樂，我知道并不容易，但but I hope you find some ways.The roses 我希望你能找到一些方式。玫瑰每will come every year, and they will only 年都會送來，而且，只有當你不再stop when your door's not answered, when 應門時，只有當花店店主停止敲門the florist stops to knock.“

時，它們才不會再來。”

“He will come five times that day, in case ”這一天，以防你出門不在，他會you have gone out.But after his last visit, 來５次。你是否還在，他最后一次he will know without a doubt.To take the 拜訪就會明了。他會將花送到我指roses to the place, where I've instructed 定的地方，并將玫瑰放在我們再次him, and place the rose where we are, together once again.“ Peeling Away Artifice For the Pure Original

Sarah came running in.”Look what I

相聚的

回歸童真

薩拉跑進來。“看，我發現了什么。”我正在看報，一條卷長的有found.“ Over the top of the paper I was 點支離破碎的東西出現在報紙上，reading came a crispy, crumbling long

把我嚇得跳了起來。那是一條蛇的object that caused me to jump.It was a 蛻皮，我們的花園里有很多蛇。snake skin that had been shed by one of our

”它難道不漂亮嗎？“我那7歲many garden snakes.的小女兒眨著她的大眼睛問道。

”Isn't it beautiful?“ said my wide-eyed seven-year-old.I stared at the organic wrapper and thought

我看著那條蛇皮，自忖它實在to myself that it really wasn' t that

算不上漂亮，但我明白決不能對孩beautiful, but I have learned never to 子冷淡抑或感到厭煩。孩子們初次appear nonchalant or jaded with children.見到的東西對于他們是形成美感Everything they see for the first time is 以及創造力的基礎。在接受相關教elementary to their sense of beauty and 育之前，他們應當只會看到世上美creativity;they see only merit and excellence in the world until educated otherwise.”Why does it do this?“ Sarah asked.Robert, ever the innocent comedian，薩拉問：”蛇為什么要蛻皮？“

曾經做過天真喜劇演員的羅伯特說：”我們花園里有一條光著身子的蛇。“

said:”We have a naked snake in our garden!“ I also try to customize every opportunity

我也利用一切機會教給孩子們to teach my children that there is almost 知道任何事物不單有其表像，更有always something beyond the obvious;that 其深層原因的含義。我解釋說：”there is something else going on besides 蛇為了獲得新生，所以要蛻皮。“what they see in front of them.”Snakes shed 正如我家常常出現的情況，最初的their skin because they need to renew

話題會引出其它一個又一個新問themselves,“ I explained.As is so often 題，直到我們談論的內容與最初的the case in my family, the original subject 毫不沾邊為止。leads to another and another, until we are discussing something quite different.”Why do they need to renew themselves?“

薩拉問：”蛇為什么要獲得新Sarah asked.生？“ 好的事物。

Robert quipped:” 'Cos they don't like who

羅伯特詼諧地說：“因為它們不

喜歡自己的樣子，想要變成另外的they are and they want to be someone else.” 樣子。“

Sarah and I politely ignored her brother.薩拉和我沒再理會她哥哥。我I suddenly remembered an article on this 忽然記起許多年前報上曾有一篇page many years ago where the writer was 文章，作者表述了她對新生的看expressing her concept of renewal.She used 法：她用糊在墻壁上的一層層的壁layers of paper over a wall to describe how 紙來形容我們是如何將真實的自we hide our original selves, and said that 我隱藏起來的，并且說一層一層地by peeling away those layers one by one, we 剝去那些壁紙，我們便會發現藏在see the underlying original beneath.下面的純真。

”We often need to shed our skins, those

我告訴全神貫注的小女兒：“coatings and facades that we cover

我們常常要'蛻皮'，換掉身上那些ourselves with,” I said to my now absorbed 衣服。我們長大了，有些東西不想daughter.“We outgrow some things and find 要了，有些不需要了。這條蛇不再other stuff unwanted or unnecessary.This 需要這張皮了。可能是蛇感到這張snake no longer needs this skin.It is 皮既僵硬又難看，穿在身上不像以probably too stiff and crinkly for him, and 前那么漂亮。就像買一套新衣服那he probably doesn' t think he looks as smart 樣。” in it as he once did.Like buying a new suit.“

當然了，我敢肯定這樣的解釋 Of course, I' m sure this explanation won'

不能讓真正的博物學家滿意。但薩t sit well with bonafide naturalists.But

拉聽明白了。談話間，我知道薩拉Sarah was getting the point.As we talked，盡管是朦朦朧朧的，但理解了新生I knew that she began to comprehend, albeit

是進步的一部分，理解到我們需要slightly, that renewal is part of progress;

好好審視自我、房間、功課、創造that we need to take a good look at

力以及靈性，想想需要留下什么，ourselves, and our rooms and schoolwork and

摒棄哪些。我用心地解釋這是自然creativity and spirituality, and see what

過程，并非強迫著去做的。we need to keep and what we need to cast off.I was careful to point out that this is a natural process, not one to be forced.”Snakes don' t peel off their skin when

我解釋說：“蛇喜歡它的皮的時they feel like it.” I explained.“ It

侯，就不會蛻皮。隨著它們的生長，happens as a natural consequence of their growth.” 蛻皮是自然的過程。“

”I see, Dad,“ said Sarah and jumped off my 薩拉說：”爸爸，我懂了。“說完從lap, grabbed the snakeskin, and ran off.我腿上跳下去，拿著蛇皮跑了。I hoped she would remember this.That often, in order to find our real selves

為了underneath the layers of community and

我希望她能記住這一次。

找尋年復一年為社會和環境所掩culture with which we cloak ourselves year

我們需要檢查這after year, we need to start examining 蓋的真正的自我，些”壁紙“，一旦認識到它們毫無價these layers.We need to gently peel some

值，不再需要或者有缺陷，需要輕away, as we recognize them to be worthless，輕剝去一些，最好是將那些摒棄的unnecessary, or flawed;or at best, store

激勵我們更有the discarded ones as mementoes of our 東西塵封在記憶中，活力和更有精神地前進。By Roy H.promotion to a better vitality or spirit.Barnacle（袁堂欣 譯The Christian Science Monitor

每個人都可以成為很偉大的人，因為任何人都很有用。你即使沒有大學文憑或造不出一個合乎語法的句子，也可以發揮你的作用。只要有體諒的心、充滿愛的靈魂足矣……

馬丁．路瑟．金

一件微不足道的小事（也許你做這些事時并無意識），會改變一個人的命運……

Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve.You don't have to have a college degree to serve.You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve.You only need a heart full of grace.A soul generated by love.Martin Luther King, Jr.Mark was walking home from school one day when he noticed that the boy ahead of him had tripped and dropped all of the books he was carrying, along with two sweaters, a baseball bat, a glove and a small tape recorder.Mark knelt down and helped the boy pick up the scattered articles.Since they were going the same way, he helped to carry part of the burden.As they walked Mark discovered that the boy's name was Bill, that he loved video games, baseball and history, that he was having a lot of trouble with his other subjects and that he had just broken up with his girlfriend They arrived at Bill's home first and Mark was invited in for a Coke and to watch some television.The afternoon passed pleasantly with a few laughs and some shared small talk, then Mark went home.They continued to see each other around school, had lunch together once or twice, then both gradated from junior high school.They ended up in the same high school where they had brief contacts over the years.Finally the long awaited senior year came, and three weeks before graduation, Bill asked Mark if they could talk.Bill reminded him of the day years ago when they had first met.”Do you ever wonder why I was carrying so many things home that day?“ asked Bill.”You see, I cleaned out my locker because I didn't want to leave a mess for anyone else.I had stored away some of my mother's sleeping pills and I was going home to commit suicide.But after we spent some time together talking and laughing, I realized that if I had killed myself, I would have missed that time and so many others that might follow.So you see, Mark, when you picked up my books that day, you did a lot more.You saved my life.“

重點詞匯：

* trip：我們都知道trip的意思是―旅行‖，是名詞。而在這里，trip用作動詞，表示―絆倒‖的意思。

* article：article有很多意思，我們常見的是―文章‖、―論文‖、―報道‖等。本文里，article表示―物件‖的意思。另外，article還表示―貨色‖的意思，當它用來指人時，就含有貶義了。

* break up：break是―打碎‖的意思。break up在這里表示―終止‖、―破裂‖的意思。指男孩子與女朋友斷絕了關系。另外，break up還有一個很有趣的含義，表示―大笑‖，是那種忍俊不禁、突然爆發出來的笑聲。

* await：表示―等待‖，此時與wait for同義。另外它還表示―降臨到……身上‖的意思，如：death awaits all men的意思是―死亡將臨到一切人‖。

* locker ：―鎖柜‖、―可鎖的衣物柜‖的意思。

* mess：―凌亂狀態‖、―凌亂的一堆‖等意思。在西方國家，如果有客到訪，而房間正好比較凌亂時，要說一句excuse the mess，否則就是不禮貌的表現。* store away：或store up，意思是―把……儲存起來‖、―儲備‖。

Bill準備自殺，所以偷偷攢了一些他媽媽的安眠藥。看來，Bill早已下定了自殺的決心。但Mark 不經意的友善行為改變了Bill 的決定，他決定不自殺了。可見，生活中的一些事情對一些人來說無足輕重，另一方面卻可以改變其他人的命運。讓我們多做一些象這樣我們稱為 ―舉手之勞‖的事吧！

Feed Your Mind充實你的思想

Since the pre-historic times, man has had an urge to satisfy his needs.Be it hunger, shelter or search for a mate, he has always manipulated the circumstances to the best of his advantages.Probably this might be the reason why we human are the most developed of all living species on the earth, and probably also in the universe.As we climbed the steps of evolution with giant leaps, we somehow left behind common sense and logical thinking — we forgot that we have stopped thinking ahead of times.If you are hungry, what do you do? Grab a piece of your favorite meal and stay quiet after that? Just like your stomach, even your mind is hungry.But it never lets you know, because you keep it busy thinking about your dream lover, favorite star and many such absurd things.So it silently began to heed to your needs and never let itself grow.When mind looses its freedom to grow, creativity gets a full stop.This might be the reason why we all sometimes think ”What happens next?“, ”Why can't I think?“, ”Why am I always given the difficult problems?“ Well this is the aftermath of our own karma of using our brain for

thinking of not-so-worthy things.Hunger of the mind can be actually satiated through extensive reading.Now why reading and not watching TV? Because reading has been the most educative tool used by us right from the childhood.Just like that to develop other aspects of our life, we have to take help of reading.You have innumerable number of books in this world which will answer all your ―How to?‖ questions.Once you read a book, you just don't run your eyes through the lines, but even your mind decodes it and explains it to you.The interesting part of the book is stored in your mind as a seed.Now this seed is unknowingly used by you in your future to develop new ideas.The same seed if used many times, can help you link and relate a lot of things, of which you would have never thought of in your wildest dreams!This is nothing but creativity.More the number of books you read, your mind will open up like never before.Also this improves your oratory skills to a large extent and also makes a significant contribution to your vocabulary.Within no time you start speaking English or any language fluently with your friends or other people and you never seem to run out of the right words at the right time.Actually, I had a problem in speaking English fluently, but as I read, I could improve significantly.I am still on the path of improvement to quench my thirst for satisfaction.So guys do join me and give food for your thoughts by reading, reading and more reading.Now what are you waiting for? Go, grab a book, and

let me know!

充實你的思想

自史前時代起，人類就已有滿足自己需求的強烈欲望。無論是饑餓、避難或尋覓配偶，人類總是操縱著環境使其達到最利于自己的狀態。這或許解答了為什么人類是地球上甚至是宇宙中最高級的現存物種。然而在進化的階梯上取得巨大飛躍之時，我們卻不知何故將一些常識和邏輯思維拋諸腦后了——我們忘記了自己已經停止了超前思維。

如果你餓了，你會怎么做？抓起你最喜愛的美食飽餐一頓，然后靜靜地呆在那里？而你的大腦也像你的胃，是會感到饑餓的，但它卻從不讓你知道，因為你讓它一直想著你的夢中情人、你最喜愛的明星和許多諸如此類的荒唐事。因此它只是默默地留意著你的需要卻從不讓自己成長。當思維恣意成長時，創造力就嘎然而止。這也許就是為什么我們有時會想―下一步該如何‖、―為什么我想不到？‖、―為什么我總是碰到難題？‖的原因吧。這也是我們的大腦總在考

慮那些毫無價值的事情產生的后果。

事實上，思維的饑荒可以通過廣泛的閱讀來滿足。為什么是閱讀而不是選擇看電視呢？因為自孩提時代起，讀書就已經是最具教育性的工具了。正如人生發展的其他方面一樣，我們不得不求助于閱讀。世界上有無數書籍可以回答你―如何做‖的問題。讀書時不僅要用眼睛瀏覽文字，還要用腦去解讀、詮釋。書中有趣的部分就會像種子一樣貯存在你的腦海里。將來你會不自覺地運用這粒種子引發新的想法。多次運用這粒種子將有助于你把許多事情聯系起來，即使你做夢都想不到這些！這不是別的，就是創造力！你讀的書越多，你的心智就會前所未有地開闊。而且這還會大幅度地提高你的演講能力、豐富你的詞匯量。你很快就能用流利的英語或別的語言與你的朋友或別人交談，而且你再也不會在適合的場合缺少適合的詞語。

實際上，我的英語還是不夠流利，但只要我閱讀，我就會取得顯著進步。現在我仍在―自我提高‖、為頭腦―解渴‖的長路上跋涉。請加入到我的行列吧！通過閱讀、閱讀、再閱讀來為你的思想―喂食‖。你還在等什么？現在就拿起一本書讓我瞧瞧！

三個紐約

《三個紐約》是一篇敘述不同人對紐約不同看法的隨筆。作為聞名世界的國際大都市，紐約在不同人的心目中含有不同的意義。作者以敏銳的目光進行觀察，發現三種視覺產生了三個紐約。土生土長的紐約城里人對一切都已習以為常。他們眼里的紐約總是那個老模樣。住在郊外而在城里辦公的人，每天乘班車上下班，來去匆匆，使紐約顯得人潮滾滾，喧鬧不定。唯有從其他各個地方紐約來尋求發展的人，紐約就是他們最后的目的地。在他們眼里，紐約是個應有盡有，充滿希望，充滿創業精神，令人振奮的城市，所以他們對紐約的感情也最為強烈。這篇隨筆雖然篇幅短小，但是構思精巧，一氣呵成，表現了作者扎實的文筆功底。

埃爾文·布魯克斯·懷特(Elwyn Brooks White, 1899-1985)是美國優秀散文作家。他生于紐約州弗農山，1921年康奈爾大學畢業，曾先后但任《紐約人》和《哈珀斯》雜志的編輯、專欄作家和自由撰稿人。1941年與妻子合著《美國幽默拾零》。他的作品有《斯圖亞特·利特爾》（1945）、《夏洛特的網》（1952）、《我羅盤上的方位》（1962）、《天鵝的喇叭》（1970）、《懷特書信集》（1976）、《懷特散文集》（1977）以及兩本詩選。1960年曾獲美國文學藝術協會金獎。懷特以文筆犀利，諷刺尖刻，思維獨特，風格高雅而

在美國文壇享有極高聲譽。

The Three New Yorks

Elwin Brooks White

There are roughly three New Yorks.There is, first, the New York of the man or woman who was born here, who takes the city for granted and accepts its size and its turbulence as natural and inevitable.Second, there is the New York of the commuter — the city that is devoured by locusts each day and spat out each night.Third, there is the New York of the person who was born somewhere else and came to New York in quest of something.Of these three trembling cities the greatest is the last — the city of final destination, the city that is a goal.It is this third city that accounts for New York's high-strung disposition, its poetical deportment, its dedication to the arts, and its incomparable achievements.Commuters give the city its tidal restlessness, natives give it solidarity and continuity, but the settlers give it passion.And whether it is a farmer arriving from Italy to set up a small grocery store in a slum, or a young girl arriving from a small town in Mississippi to escape the indignity of being observed by her neighbors, or a boy arriving from the Corn Belt with a manuscript in his suitcase and a pain in his heart, it makes no difference: each embraces New York with the intense excitement of first love, each absorbs New York with the fresh eyes of an adventurer, each generates heat and light to dwarf the Consolidated Edison

Company.The Rose

英漢對照

---Logan Pearsall Smith(1865-1946)The old lady had always been proud of the great rose-tree in her garden, and was fond of telling how it had grown from a cutting she had brought years before from Italy, when she was first married.She and her husband had been travelling back in their carriage from Rome(it was before the time of railways)and on a bad piece of road south of Siena they had broken down, and had been forced to pass the night in a little house by the road-side.The accommodation was wretched of course;she had spent a sleepless night, and rising early had stood, wrapped up, at her window, with the cool air blowing on her face, to watch the dawn.She could still, after all these years, remember the blue mountains with the bright moon above them, and how a far-off town on one of the peaks had gradually grown whiter and whiter, till the moon faded, the mountains were touched with the pink of the rising sun, and suddenly the town was lit as by an illumination, one window after another catching and reflecting the sun's beam, till at last the whole little city twinkled and sparkled up in the sky like a nest of stars.That morning, finding they would have to wait while their carriage was being repaired, they had driven in a local conveyance up to the city on the mountain, where they had been told they would find better quarters;and there they had stayed two or three days.It was one of the miniature Italian cities with a high church, a pretentious piazza, a few narrow streets and little palaces, perched, all compact and complete, on the top of a mountain, within and enclosure of walls hardly larger than an English kitchen garden.But it was full of life and nose, echoing all day and all night with the sounds of feet and voices.The Cafe of the simple inn where they stayed was the meeting place of the notabilities of the little city;the Sindaco, the avvocato, the doctor, and a few others;and among them they noticed a beautiful, slim, talkative old man, with bright black eyes and snow-white hair — tall and straight and still with the figure of a youth, although the waiter told them with pride that the Conte was molto vecchio — would in fact be eightey in the following year.He was the last of his family, the waiter added — they had once been great and rich people — but he had no descendants;in fact the waiter mentioned with complacency, as if it were a story on which the locality prided itself, that the Conte had been unfortunate in

love, and had never married.The old gentleman, however, seemed cheerful enough;and it was plain that he took an interest in the strangers, and wished to make their acquaintance.This was soon effected by the friendly waiter;and after a little talk the old man invited them to visit his villa and garden which were just outside the walls of the town.So the next afternoon, when the sun began to descend, and they saw in glimpses through door-ways and windows, blue shadows beginning to spread over the brown mountains, they went to pay their visit.It was not much of a place, a small, modernized, stucco villa, with a hot pebbly garden, and in it a stone basin with torpid gold-fish, and a statue of Diana and her hounds against the wall.But what gave a glory to it was a gigantic rose-tree which clambered over the house, almost smothering the windows, and filling the air with the perfume of its sweetness.Yes, it was a fine rose, the Conte said proudly when they praised it, and he would tell the Signora about it.And as they sat there, drinking the wine he offered them, he alluded with the cheerful indifference of old age to his love-affair, as though he took for granted that they had heard of it already.”The lady lived across the valley there beyond that hill.I was a young man then, for it was many years ago.I used to ride over to see her;it was a long way, but I rode fast, for young men, as no doubt the Signora knows, are impatient.But the lady was not kind, she would keep me waiting, oh, for hours;and one day when I had waited very long I grew very angry, and as I walked up and down in the garden where she had told me she would see me, I broke one of her roses, broke a branch from it;and when I saw what I had done, I hid it inside my coat — so —;and when I came home I planted it, and the Signora sees how it has grown.If the Signora admires it, I must give her a cutting to plant also in her garden;I am told the English have beautiful gardens that are green, and not

burnt with the sun like ours.“ The next day, when their mended carriage had come up to fetch them, and they were just starting to drive away from the inn, the Conte's old servant appeared with the rose-cutting neatly wrapped up, and the compliments and wishes for a buon viaggio from her master.The town collected to see them depart, and the children heard a rush of feet behind them for a few moments, but soon they were far down towards the valley;the little town with all its noise and life was high

above them on its mountain peak.She had planted the rose at home, where it had grown and flourished in a wonderful manner;and every June the great mass of leaves and shoots still broke out into a passionate splendour of scent and crimson colour, as if in its root and fibres there still burnt the anger and thwarted desire of that Italian lover.Of course the old Conte must have died many years ago;she had forgotten his name, and had even forgotten the name of the mountain city that she had stayed in, after first seeing it twinkling at dawn in the sky, like a nest of stars.Siena: 意大利城鎮名

piazza: 特指意大利都市中的廣場或市場

Sindaco: 意語，市長 avvocato: 意語，律師 Conte: 意語，伯爵

molto vecchio: 意語，very old

Signora：意語，夫人 buon viaggio: =good journey.參考譯文：

老太太一直為她園中那株薔薇樹感到驕傲，好對人講，這樹是怎么從一根由意大利帶回的枝條上長起來的，那是好多年以前的事，那時她剛結婚。她和她丈夫正從羅馬乘坐馬車回國（那時還沒有火車），一天在辛拿城南一段崎嶇的路上，車子出了毛病，不得已只好暫時到路邊一所小宅院去過夜。設備當然是簡陋極了；她度過了一個不眠之夜，次日很早起身，披衣凝立窗前，在拂面的習習晨風中，注視天色破曉。雖然事隔多年，她仍然記得青山讓一輪皓月，遠山之顛的一座城鎮，逐漸泛白，繼而月落，山邊為徐徐升起的朝陽染成緋紅；不久，城鎮恍然似為巨焰所映，斗然大亮，窗扉一扇扇在朝霞的照耀下，光晶泛彩。最后整個小城在天

宇之間閃爍輝耀起來，宛若一團星群。

由于修車尚待時日，那天早上他們便搭乘當地車輛去了那座山城，那里據說可以覓到較好住處；他們在那里逗留了兩三天。那座城是典型意大利式的小城，有一座高聳的教堂，一個矜飾的廣場，幾條狹窄的街道，幾所矮小的樓房，緊湊齊全，畢集于一座山頭之上，周圍還有城墻環繞，占地比一個英國的家廚菜園也大不許多。然而這里卻充滿生機，非常熱鬧，輪蹄

喧嘩，徹夜不休。

他們下榻的一家普通旅店中的餐館為城中名流聚會之地；包括市長，律師，醫生，以及一些其他人物；這些人中他們遇見了一位風姿翩翩，消瘦健談的老人，烏黑的眸子炯炯有神，頭發已經雪白 —— 他的體格修長挺立，仍然具有年輕人的身段，雖然侍者驕傲地對他們講，這位伯爵已經molto vecchio（年紀很大）了 —— 實際上翌年即滿八十。他是他家族的最后一人，侍者補充到 —— 他家曾經是富貴望族 —— 但他沒有后代；伯爵在愛情上受過挫折，并從此未曾結婚，云云。實際上侍者提及此事時面有得意之色，仿佛這是當地人民引

以為榮的一段故事。

這為老先生興致很高；顯然他對這兩位陌生人很感興趣，并愿意結識他們。這事隨即由友好的侍者促成；于是，在一次短暫的交談之后，老人便邀請他們去他的別墅與花園做客，地址即在城墻之外不遠的地方。于是次日下午，當夕陽開始西沉，門窗啟處，蘭色暗影已漸漸籠罩棕褐的山嶺時，他們遂欣然命駕。那里地勢局促 —— 一座不大的現代式灰墁別墅而外，另有一個炎澳的軟石路面的花園，石砌水池之中浮游著一些懶散的金魚，池旁靠墻處并有一尊女獵神及其獵犬的雕像等等。但是足為這小園增色的是其中一巨株薔薇，樹身過屋，綠蔭翳窗，使院中沁滿濃香。的確，這是一株不錯的薔薇，伯爵聽了客人夸獎之后得意地說，并說他樂意把樹的來歷講給夫人聽聽。于是當他們坐定之后，一邊飲著酒時，他便以老年人滿不在乎的欣然神情，略微提了提他的一段舊情，仿佛他相信他們對此一定早有所聞似的。―女士就住在青山背后的河谷對岸。那時我還是個少年，因為這已是多年前的事了。我常常騎馬過去看她；路途不近，但我騎得很快，這點夫人當然理解，年輕人總是性急的。但這位女士心地不善良，喜歡叫人等個不休，往往一等就是幾個小時；一天，我因為等得過久而生氣起來。當我在她叫我等她的那個花園中踱來踱去時，我折了她的一朵，應該說一枝，薔薇；當我發現自己做了這么一件事時，我便把那枝薔薇藏在外衣里面 —— 就像這樣 ——；回來以后我就把它種上，而夫人也已看到，它長得多好。如果夫人喜愛的話，我當然要奉贈一枝，好把它栽在園里；聽說英國人的花園非常美麗，青蔥翠綠，不象我們此地給太陽曬得那么燥

熱。‖

第二天，修好了的馬車來迎接他們。正當他們即將離開旅社之際，伯爵的老仆趕來，奉上包扎精致的薔薇枝條一束，并代其主人轉致一路平安之意。城中的人也都跑來向他們道別，兒童尾隨在車子后面，一直跟出城外。他們聽見車后的腳步聲亂哄了一陣，但不久車子已經往下走了很遠，進入河谷地帶，而這座喧鬧的山頂小城則早已高高地在他們頭頂之上了。她把薔薇栽在家中，薔薇長得枝遂葉茂，十分美麗；每逢六月到來，濃碧的枝葉叢中，猩紅馥郁，蔚成一派情如火灼的奇觀，仿佛它的根莖之間依舊燃燒著那位意大利情人的憤怒與郁悒。當然那老伯爵此時肯定早已去世多年；而她也記不起他的名字，甚至連她所住過的那座山城叫什么名字，她也都記不起了，雖然她曾經在拂曉之時看它在空中閃爍發光，宛若一團

星The Two Roads

英漢對照

John Ruskin

It was New Year's Night.An aged man was standing at a window.He raised his mournful eyes towards the deep blue sky, where the stars were floating like white lilies on the surface of a clear calm lake.Then he cast them on the earth, where few more hopeless people than himself now moved towards their certain goal——the tomb.He had already passed sixty of the stages leading to it, and he had brought from his journey nothing but errors and remorse.Now his health was poor, his mind vacant, his heart sorrowful, and his old age short of comforts.The days of his youth appeared like dreams before him, and he recalled the serious moment when his father placed him at the entrance of the two roads——one leading to a peaceful, sunny place, covered with flowers, fruits and resounding with soft, sweet songs;the other leading to a deep, dark cave, which was endless, where poison flowed instead of water and where devils and poisonous snakes hissed and crawled.He looked towards the sky and cried painfully, ”O youth, return!O my father, place me once more at the entrance to life, and I'll choose the better way!“ But both his father and the days of his youth had passed away.He was the lights flowing away in the darkness.These were the days of his wasted life;he saw a star fall from the sky and disappeared, and this was the symbol of himself.His remorse, which was like a sharp arrow, struck deeply into his heart.Then he remembered his friends in his childhood, who entered on life together with him.But they had made their way to success and were now honoured and happy on this New Year's night.The clock in the high church tower struck and the sound made him remember his parents' early love for him.They had taught him and prayed to God for his good.But he chose the wrong way.With shame and grief he dared no longer look towards that heaven where his father live.His darkened eyes were full of tears, and with a despairing effort, he burst out a cry: ”Come back, my early days!Come back!“

And his youth did return, for all this was only a dream which he had on New Year's Night.He was still young though his faults were real;he had not yet entered the deep, dark cave, and he was still free to walk on the road which leads to the peaceful and sunny land.Those who still linger on the entrance of life, hesitating to choose the bright road, remember that when years are passed and your feet stumble on the dark mountains, you will cry bitterly, but in vain: ”O youth, return!Oh give me back my early days!“ Words:

mournful 悲傷的

remorse 悔恨

resounding 回響

hiss 嘶嘶作聲

grief 悲痛

burst out 大聲說出，脫口而出

linger 徘徊

stumble 絆倒

in vain 徒勞地

參考譯文：

除夕之夜，一位老人佇立窗前。他滿眼哀傷，仰望著深藍色的天空，那兒，星星如清澈平靜的湖面上的朵朵白蓮在漂移著；后來，他將目光投向地面，幾個比他更加絕望的人正在走向人生的終點——墳墓。在通往人生終點的道路上，他已走過了60多個驛站，除了過失和悔恨，他一無所獲。現在，他健康欠佳，精神空虛，心情憂郁，缺少晚年應有的舒適和安逸。

青春的歲月如夢幻般浮現在他眼前，他回想起父親將他放在人生岔路口上的關鍵時刻，當時，他面前有兩條路：一條通向和平寧靜、陽光燦爛的地方，那里到處是花果，到處回蕩著柔和甜美的歌聲；另一條則通向黑暗無底的深淵，那里流淌著毒液而不是清水，惡魔肆虐，毒蛇嘶嘶爬動。

他仰望天空，痛苦地哭喊：―哦，青春，你回來吧！哦，爸爸，請把我重新放到人生的路口上吧，我會做出更好的選擇。‖然而他的父親和他的青春年華皆離他遠去。

他看見燈消逝在黑暗中，那便是他虛度的時光；他看見一顆星星從空中隕落、消失，那是他自身的象征。悔恨如同一支利箭，深深地刺進他的心。接著，他想起童年時代的朋友，他們曾與他一同踏上人生的旅程，現已獲得成功，受到人們的尊敬，此刻正在幸福中歡度除夕。

教堂塔頂的鐘聲響了，使他回憶起父母早年對他的愛，他們曾給予他諄諄教誨，曾為他的幸福祈禱上帝。可他偏偏選擇人生的歧途。羞愧和憂傷使他再也不敢正式他父親所在的天堂。他雙眼黯然無光，飽噙著淚水，在絕望中，他拼力高喊：―回來吧，我那逝去的年華！回來吧！‖

青春真的回來了，因為以上所發生的一切只是他在除夕所做的一場夢。他仍舊年輕，當然他真的犯有過失；但還未墮入深淵；他仍然可以自由地走上通向寧靜和光明的道路。

在人生路口徘徊，不知該不該選擇光明大道的年輕人啊，你們千萬要記住：當你青春已逝，雙足在黑暗的群山中舉步維艱，跌跌撞撞之時，你才痛心疾首地呼喚：―哦，回來吧、青春！哦，把我的美好年華還給我！‖，這只會是徒勞無益的。群。

Crocus

It was an autumn morning shortly after my husband and I moved into our first house.Our children were upstairs unpacking，and I was looking out the window at my father moving around mysteriously on the front lawn.My parents lived nearby，and Dad had visited us several times already.”What are you doing out there?‖ I called to him.那是一個秋日的早晨，全家剛搬進我們第一處住宅不久。孩子們在樓上從包果里往外拿東西。我望著窗外，見父親正神秘地在屋前的草地上打轉。父母住在附近，父親已到我家來過幾次了。我向他喊道：―您在外邊干什么呢?‖

He looked up，smiling.“I 'm making you a surprise.” Knowing my father, I thought it could be just about anything.A self-employed jobber, he was always building things out of odds and ends.When we were kids, he once rigged up a jungle gym out of wheels and pulleys.For one of my Halloween parties, he created an electrical pumpkin and mounted，it on a broomstick.As guests came to our door, he would light the pumpkin and have it pop out in front of them from a hiding place in the bushes.他笑著抬起頭來說：―我要給你一個驚喜。‖我了解父親，他會做出點事來的。他是個體手藝人，總是用零星東西做些小玩藝兒。當我們還是孩子的時候，有一次他用幾個輪子和滑輪裝配了一個攀登架。有一次萬圣節，他為我做了個電南瓜，還把它裝在一個掃帚把上。客人到我家門前時，他就把點亮藏在樹叢中的南瓜燈，在他們走到跟前突然伸出來。

Today, however, Dad would say no more, and, caught ups in the busyness of our new life, I eventually forgot about his surprise.不過今天爸爸卻不愿多說什么，況且我們新生活的還有千頭萬緒要理，結果我也就忘了他的什么驚喜了。

Until one raw day the following March when I glanced out the window.Dismal.Overcast.Little piles of dirty snow still stubbornly littering the lawn, Would winter ever end? 第二年三月的一天，我感到潮濕陰冷于是朝窗外望了望，外面陰沉沉，灰蒙蒙的，草坪上到處是一堆堆不―化‖的污雪。難道冬天就不會走了嗎?

And yet...was it a mirage? I strained to see what I thought was something pink, miraculously peeking out of a drift.And was that a dot of blue across the yard, a small note of optimism in this gloomy expanse? I grabbed my coat and.headed outside for a closer look.可是...這該不是幻覺吧?我瞪大眼睛看，似乎有粉色的什么東西從吹積成的雪堆中神奇地冒出來。那是院子那頭的一個小藍點，是這郁悶壓抑的陰霾中的一個快樂的小音符嗎?我抓起外衣向外奔去，我要去看個究竟。

They were crocuses, scattered whimsically throughout the front lawn.Lavender, blue, yellow and my favorite pink-little faces bobbing in the bitter wind.是番紅花，在屋前草坪上星羅棋布到處都是。淡紫色、藍色、黃色和我鐘愛的粉色——一個個小臉在凜冽的寒風中搖曳著。Dad.I smiled, remembering the bulbs he had secretly planted last autumn.He knew how the darkness and dreariness of winter always got me down.What could have been more perfectly timed, more attuned to my needs? How blessed I was, not only for the flowers but for him.爸爸。我笑了，想起了他去年秋天他偷偷種下的球莖。他知道，在萬物凋零的冬天我總是情緒低落。還有什么比番紅花更適合時宜的呢？還有什么比番紅花更合我的需求呢?我好幸福，因為有了這些花，更因為有這樣的爸爸。

My father' s crocuses bloomed each spring for the next four or five seasons, bringing that same assurance every time they arrived: Hard times almost over.Hold on, keep going, light is coming soon.以后的四五年中，父親種的番紅花年年在競相吐艷，每逢花開都給我帶來同樣的信心：艱難時刻就要結束。堅持不懈，繼續努力，光明就會來臨。

Then a spring came with only half the usual blooms.The next spring there were none.I missed the crocuses, but my life was busier than ever, and I had never been much of a gardener.I would ask Dad to come over and plant new bulbs.But I never did.一年后的春天，開的花只有以往的一半。有過一年，一株花也不見了。我思念番紅花，可我的妻子比平時更加忙碌而我又不擅長養花弄草。本想叫爸爸過來再種些球莖，可我一直也沒付諸行動。

He died suddenly one October day.My family grieved deeply, leaning on our faith.I missed him terribly, though I knew he would always be a part of us.有一年十月的一天，他突然仙逝了。全家人都沉浸在悲痛之中，我們靠信念支撐著。我深深地懷念他，我知道他將永遠和我們在一起。

Four years passed, and on a dismal spring afternoon I was running errands and found myself feeling depressed.You've got the winter blahs again, I told myself.You get them every year.四年過去了，這年春天的一個下午，天氣陰沉郁悶，我外出辦事感到心情壓抑。難道你又犯冬季無聊癥了，我心里想。你年年犯這個毛病。

It was Dad ' s birthday, and I found myself thinking about him.This was not unusual--my family often talked about him, remembering how he lived his faith.Once I saw him give his coat to a homeless man.Often he ' d chat with strangers, and if he learned they were poor and hungry, he would invite them home for a meal.But now, in the car, I could not help wondering: How is he now? Where is he? Is there really a heaven?

這天是爸爸的生日，我不由得想到了他，這并不奇怪——家里人經常談起他，回憶他在生活中實踐自己的信念的件件往事。有一次，我曾見他把自己的外衣送給一個無家可歸的人。他常和陌生人聊天，要是聽說他們處于困頓饑餓之境，他會把他們請到家里吃上一頓飯。而今，坐在汽車中我不禁自問：他現在怎樣了?他在哪兒?真有天國存在嗎?

I felt guilty for having doubts, but sometimes, I thought as I turned into our driveway, faith is so hard.我為有此疑惑而感到內疚，可有時，我認為堅守信念太難了。此時，我把車拐進了我家的車道上。

Suddenly I slowed, stopped and stared at the lawn.Muddy grass and small gray mounds of melting snow.And there, bravely waving in the wind, was one pink crocus.我猛地放慢了速度，停下車注視著草坪。草上粘滿泥污，一個個灰色小雪堆正在溶化。就在這里，有一株粉紅色的番紅花卻在不屈地迎風搖曳著。

How could a flower bloom from a bulb more than 18 years old, one that had not blossomed in over a decade? But there was the crocus.Tears filled my eyes as I realized its significance.18年前種下的已有10多年未曾生長開花的球莖，如今怎會從新開放呢?可那確是番紅花。當我認識到其深刻含義時，不禁熱淚盈眶。

Hold on, keep going, light is coming soon.The pink crocus bloomed for only a day.But it built my faith for a lifetime.堅持不懈，繼續努力，光明就會來臨。這株粉色番紅花只開了一天。但卻為我的一生樹立了信念。

The Son

兒子

一位富翁和他兒子愛好收藏

畫，他們收藏了從畢加索到拉費奧等很多藝術品。常常他倆坐在一起 A wealthy man and his son loved to collect works

欣賞著大師的作品。of art.They had everything from Picasso to Raphael.They would often sit together and admire the great works of art.當越戰爆發的時候，兒子投入When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went

了戰爭。他非常勇敢，在一次作戰to war.He was very courageous and died in battle

中因為搶救戰友而犧牲了。父親接while rescuing another soldier.The father was

到了通知，深深地哀慟他唯一的兒notified and grieved deeply for his only son.子。約一個月之后，正好是圣誕節About a month later, just before Christmas, there

前，門上傳來敲門聲。一位年輕人

站在那里，手里拿著一個很大的包was a knock at the door.A young man stood there

裹。他說道：“先生，你不認識我，with a large package in his hands.He said “Sir, you

我就是你兒子為了救我而犧牲的don't

那個戰士。那天他救了很多人，當他背著我走向安全地帶的時候，一know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son 顆子彈擊中了他的心臟，他頓時就gave his life.He saved many lives that day, and he 犧牲了。他常常說起你和你對藝術的愛好，”年輕人舉起他的包裹，was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him

“我知道這不算什么，我是真的不in the

怎樣的藝術家，但我想你兒子會要

你保留這幅畫的。”父親打開了包heart and he died instantly.He often talked about

裹，是他兒子的一幅肖像畫，是這you and your love for art.’’ The young man held

年輕人畫的。他驚奇地注視著畫中out his package.”I know this isn't much.I'm really 那士兵是如何捕捉到他兒子的個not a great artist, but I think your son would have 性的。父親如此地被畫里的眼睛吸

引，他自己的眼睛也充滿了淚水。wanted you to have this.“ The father opened the

他謝了那年輕人并提議買下這幅package.It was a portrait of his son, painted by the

畫。“噢，不要錢，先生，我永遠young man.不能償還你兒子給我做的一切。這是禮物。”

He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting.The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes swelled up with tears.He thanks the young man and offered to pay him for the picture.”Oh no, sir, I could never repay what you son did for me.It's a gift.父親把這肖像畫掛在壁爐架The father hung the portrait over his

上，每次有客人來他家拜訪，他總mantle.Every time visitors came to his

是在給他們看他收藏的許多名作home he took them to see the portrait of

之前，先帶他們看兒子的肖像。his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected.富翁在幾個月之后死了。他的The man died a few months later.There was to be a

偉大收藏也將要被拍賣掉。許多人great auction of his great works of art.Many people

聚集著，為能一睹這些偉大的收藏gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and

以及能從他的收藏里買一個加入自己的收藏品這一機會而激動不having an opportunity to purchase one for their

已。在講臺上安臵著那兒子的肖像collection.On the platform sat the portrait of his

畫，拍賣經紀人用他的槌子敲打著son.The auctioneer pounded his gavel, “we will start

臺面：“我們從這幅兒子的肖像畫with this portrait of the son.Who will bid for this

開始。誰投這幅畫的標？”

picture？

場面非常安靜。這時有一個There was silence.Then a!voice in the back of the

聲音在廳堂的后面叫道：“我們要

看名畫，跳過這一幅。” room shouted ”We want to see the famous paintings.Skip this one.“

但拍賣經紀人堅持著：“有But the auctioneer persisted, ”Will someone bid for

沒有人投這幅畫的標？誰先開this painting? Who will start the bidding? $100，始？一百，兩百？ $200?“

另外一個聲音高喊著，非Another voice shouted angrily, ”We didn't come here

常憤怒：“我們不是來這里看這幅to see this painting.We came to see the Van Gohs，畫的，我們是來看梵高的畫，看倫the Rembrandts.Get on with the real bids“.伯朗的畫的。快進入真正的競標吧。”

但拍賣經紀人依舊繼續 But still the auctioneer continued, ”The son!

著：“兒子，兒子，誰要這兒子？”The son!Who will take The son?“ Finally, a voice

終于，一個聲音從廳堂的深處傳came from the very back of the room.It was the longtime

來：“我出十塊錢要這畫。”因為窮，這是他力所能及的價錢。

gardener of the man and his son.”I'll give you $10 for the painting.“ Being a poor man, it was all he could afford.”We have $10, who will bid $20??“

“十塊給他吧，讓我們看名作。

”Give it to him for $10.Let's see the masters“.”

”$10 is the bid, won't someone bid $20?“

人群開始憤怒起來。他們不The crowd was becoming angry.They didn't want

想要這兒子的畫。他們要收藏的是the picture of the son.They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections.更值得投資的東西。

拍賣經紀人敲打著槌子：“一次競標，兩次競標，十塊得 The auctioneer pounded his gavel.”Going once, 標！” twice, SOLD for $10!“

一位坐在第二排的人喊道：“現在“標價十塊，沒有人標二十的嗎？”

“有人標了十塊，有誰肯標二十的嗎？”

讓我們開始進入收藏品的競標。”

那拍賣經紀人放下他的A man sitting in the second row shouted, ”Now let's get on with the collection!

“那些收藏品怎么辦？”

The auctioneer laid down his gavel “I'm sorry, the auction is over”.”

“What about the paintings?”

“對不起，當我被叫來負“I'm sorry, when I was called to conduct this auction，責這場拍賣的時候，我被告知那人I was told of a secret stipulation in the will.I was 的遺囑中有秘密的約定，一直到現not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this

在我是不允許暴露這個秘密的。只有兒子這幅畫是要拍賣的。誰買了time.Only the painting of the son would be 這幅畫誰就繼承整個遺產，包括這auctioned.Whoever bought that painting would 幅畫。那個男人拿了兒子肖像，得到了一切。” inherit the entire estate, including the paintings.The man who took the son, gets everything!”

上帝在2000年以前給他God gave his son 2000 years ago to die on the cruel 的兒子在殘酷的十字架上受死。和cross.Much like the auctioneer, His message today

這經紀人非常相似，他今天的福音is “The son, the son, who'll take the son?” Because，是：“兒子，兒子，誰承受這個兒you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything.子？”因為，你看，誰接納兒子誰

槌子說：“很抱歉，競標已經結束了。”

就獲得一切。

The Sunday School Teacher

Miss Swan couldn't take being a Sunday Sunday。This handful of disrespectful

主日學校的老師

斯萬小姐再也受不了主日一個星期天都不行！這一群不知school teacher any longer.Not for another 學校教師的這一工作了。再多干teenagers snapped their gum during prayer 尊重為何物的十幾歲孩子們，會time and read magazines during Bible study.在祈禱的時候大嚼口香糖，在學But most awful of all，at prayer re-quest習圣經的時候讀雜志。最可氣的they asked the Lord to increase their weekly 是：他們竟然在祈禱中要求上帝allowances!讓他們每星期的零花錢有所增加。

“我受夠你們了，我辭職！”“I have had it with you.I quit。”she

她朝學生們喊道。“酷斃了，”雷screamed at the students.“Cool，”Rick said

克說，一邊還點頭表示贊同。他nodding in approval.He was the rudest kid

是她曾遇到過的最沒有禮貌的she'd ever met.小孩。

過了２個月才為那個主日It took two months to find a new replacement

學校班找到新的老師。貝蒂〃雷for that Sunday school class.The pastor

小姐去見這一群看起來像假天escorted Miss Betty Ray in to meet the

使一樣的孩子們的時候，教區牧pseudo-angelic-looking group.New in town，師親自為她護駕。她新來乍到，she hadn't heard of their reputation for

對鎮上這群孩子趕走老師的名chasing off teachers.By the look of her

聲尚無所聞。從她明顯小一號的pink dress，one size too small，and her bad

粉紅色衣服，以及染得不好的一blonde bleach job，the students obviously

頭金發，學生們已經明顯感到遇felt they had an easy mark.Soon bets were

到了一個好對付的目標。很快他taken as to how long Miss Betty would last.們開始打賭貝蒂會待多久。Betty introduced herself，stating that she

貝蒂做了自我介紹，說明自recently came from the South.She certainly 己剛從南方來。她的確看起來像looked like a southern belle who wore outdated clothes and whose beauty had

一個穿著過時衣服的南方女人，她已經不像１０年前那么漂亮，peaked a decade earlier，only she didn't 只是她自己沒有察覺。當她在那know it yet.Snickers rip pled in the room 個被當作手袋的大背包里面尋as she rummaged through the huge shoulder 找什么東西的時候，竊笑聲開始bag she carried for a purse.在教室里此起彼伏。

“Have any of you ever been out of state？

”你們中有誰去過其他州“she asked in a friendly tone.A few hands 嗎？”她用友好的語調問道。有went up.“Anyone travel beyond five hundred

幾個手舉了起來。

”有人到過５００英里以外miles？“One hand went up as the snickering 的地方嗎？”有一只手舉了起diminished.來，同時竊笑聲逐漸消失。“Anyone visited outside the country？”No

“有人去過國外嗎？”現在hands went up now.The silent teens were 沒有人舉手了。安靜下來的孩子puz-zled.What did this have to do with 們有點兒困惑。她問這些是什么anything？Was she using psychology on them，意思？她是在他們身上使用心or was she just plain clueless？

理學呢，還是她本來就是這樣毫

無章法？ Finally，Betty's bony hand struck on what she had been searching for in her handbag.最后，貝蒂瘦消的手終于摸Pulling up a long tube，she unrolled a map 到了她在背包里找的東西。她抽of the world.“What else do you have in 出一個長卷筒，打開了一張世界there？Lunch？”Someone cracked.Betty later.“"Cool，”Rick quipped.地圖。“背包里面還有什么呢？蒂淡淡地笑了一下回答道：”待會兒給大家的小點心。“"酷斃了，”雷克嘲弄道。

隨后她用長長的指甲指向Then she pointed with a long fingernail to 一個樣子挺奇怪的陸地。“我出an odd-shaped continent.”I was born here，生在這里，“她用手指敲了一下。”she tapped with her finger.“And I lived ”我一直長到你們這么大才離開here until I was about your age.“Everyone 那兒。”每個人都伸長了脖子去craned their neck to see where it was.“Is 看它到底在哪兒。”是德克薩斯that Texas？“Someone sitting in the back 嗎？”坐在后面的一個學生問asked.“Not even close.It is India.”Her 道。“和德克薩斯不沾邊，它是eyes twinkled with joy.印度。”她的眼睛高興地眨了一下。

“How did you get way over there to be born？ ”你是怎么跑到那里出生的“Betty laughed.”My parents were

呢？“貝蒂笑了。”我的父母是那missionaries there，and that is where my 里的傳教士，那就是我降生的時mother was when I came into the world.“ 候母親待的地方。”

“Cool!”Rick leaned back in his chair duly “酷斃了！”雷克仰向椅子的impressed.Betty fumbled again in her 后背，很顯然感興趣了。貝蒂又purse，this time pulling out a handful of 在背包里摸索了一陣子。這次拿old wrinkled pictures along with a tin of 出來的是一疊起皺的舊照片和chocolate chip cookies.They passed the 一盒巧克力小點心。學生們開始pictures around，viewing each with great in 傳閱照片，很感興趣的樣子。照terest.Dark faces stared up from the 片里被時間凝固下來的黑黑的photos，frozen in time.The kids studied 面孔盯著他們。孩子們一邊吃小them as they bit into the sweets.點心，一邊仔細觀察這些面孔。

“You don't have to be a

你們沒有必要非要當傳教smiled lightly and answered，”Cookies for 午飯？“有人開玩笑地問道。貝missionary--everyone can do something in 士--在這個世界上每個人都可this world to help another，”Miss Betty 以為幫助其他人做些事情。“貝said.The hour quickly slid by as she told 蒂小姐說。她為孩子們講述一些them her stories about faraway places and 發生在很遠地方的故事，以及那what the people were like there and how they 里的居民是什么樣子，他們是怎lived.么生活的等等，這樣一小時很快

地過去了。”Wow，this is as exciting as TV。“one young girl told her.”喔，這簡直和電視一樣精彩！“一個小女孩告訴她。

一個星期天接著一個星期Sunday after Sunday，Betty came to class，天，貝蒂來到課堂上，把功課和tying her lessons to their everyday lives.學生們的日常生活緊密地結合She told the teens how they could make a 起來。她告訴這些十幾歲的孩子difference right now.The students grew to 們他們怎樣可以現在就做出一love her，bleached blonde hair and all.The 些有意義的事情來。學生們開始more they liked her，the lovelier she became.喜歡上了她，連同她染過的金發以及她的一切。他們越是喜歡她，她就顯得越可愛。

Betty taught that Sunday school class for

貝蒂在那個主日學校班教了twenty years.Though she never married，２０年。盡管她從未結婚，也沒or had children of her own，the town came

有自己的孩子，鎮子里的人卻認to think of her as a surrogate parent since

為她是母親的化身，因為她教了she taught two generations of children.At

兩代小孩。最后，她的頭發變成last，her hair grew into a natural gray.了很自然的灰白色。嘴角和眼角Increasing wrinkles about her mouth and

不斷增多的皺紋給她那張娃娃eyes added character to her cherub face.Her

臉上增添了個性。她的手隨著年hands began to shake with age.Every now and

齡的增長開始顫抖。時不時地，then，she received a letter from a former

她會收到以前學生的一封封來student.There was a doctor，a research

信。他們中間有醫生、科學家、scientist，a homemaker，a businessman，and

家庭主婦、商人，也有很多老師。

many teachers among them.One day she reached into her mailbox and

一天她打開信箱抽出一個pulled out a blue envelope with a familiar 藍色的信封，信封的右上角貼著foreign stamp in the upper right-hand a boy in that very first Sunday school always liked her cookies and seemed so

一張熟悉的外國郵票。在左上角一個主日學校班里面的一個男么喜歡她的小點心，并且對她的corner.In the left corner was the name of 是一個很多年前她教的鎮上第class，years ago.She recalled how he'd 生的名字。她回憶起他一直是多interested in her lessons.A picture slid 課是多么地感興趣。一張照片從out of the envelope and onto her lap.信封里滑了出來，掉到了她的腿Squinting her eyes，she smiled at the man 上。她瞇起眼睛看著照片，沖著in the photo，still seeing the teenage boy 照片里的那個男人笑了；在她眼in him.Standing in the rubble，in the city 里他還是那個十幾歲的孩子。照of Delhi，India，he stood with other volunteers who had come to help the earthquake victims.片上他和其他去救助地震遇難者的志愿者們在一起，站在印度德里市的一片瓦礫中間，The caption read，”Because of you，I am here 旁邊有幾個字：“因為您，now.” 我現在來了這里。“

A Coke and a Smile

可樂與微笑

I know now that the man who sat with me

我現在知道，35年前那個炎on the old wooden stairs that hot summer

熱夏夜和我坐在破舊的木樓梯night over thirty-five years ago was not a

上的老人并不高大，但對一個5tall man.But to a five-year-old, he was a

歲的孩子來說，他卻是一個巨giant.We sat side by side, watching the sun

人。我們并排坐著，看著太陽落go down behind the old Texaco service

在繁忙的街對面那個老德克薩station across the busy street.A street

克加油站的背后。除非有大人或that I was never allowed to cross unless

至少一個哥哥或姐姐陪著，我從accompanied by an adult, or at the very

未被允許穿過那條街。

least, an older sibling.Cherry-scented smoke from Grampy's pipe

從祖父煙斗里噴出的白色煙kept the hungry mosquitoes at bay while 霧在我們腦袋周圍上下旋繞，它gray, wispy swirls danced around our heads.們散發的櫻桃香味使貪婪的蚊Now and again, he blew a smoke ring and 子不敢靠近。他不時地噴出一串laughed as I tried to target the hole with 煙圈，在我試著將手指插入煙圈my finger.I, clad in a cool summer nightie, 時他放聲大笑。我穿著涼爽的小and Grampy, his sleeveless T-shirt, sat 睡衣，祖父穿著他的無袖T恤，watching the traffic.We counted cars and 坐在那兒觀看繁忙的交通。我們tried to guess the color of the next one to 數著過往的車輛，并猜想著下一turn the corner.circumstances.The fourth born of six

輛拐過街角的汽車的顏色。的中間境遇，作為6個孩子中的 Once again, I was caught in the middle of 我又一次陷于兩頭都夠不上children, it was not uncommon that I was 老四，很多事情對于我來說不是either too young or too old for something.因為年齡太小，就是太大而不合This night I was both.While my two baby 適。那天夜里就是這樣。我的兩brothers slept inside the house, my three 個小兄弟在屋里睡覺，我的另外older siblings played with friends around 3個長兄和姐姐在拐角與小伙伴the corner, where I was not allowed to go.們玩，而我是不允許去那里的。I stayed with Grampy, and that was okay with 我與祖父呆在一起，這也挺好，me.I was where I wanted to be.My grandfather was baby-sitting while my mother, father and grandmother went out.”渴嗎？“祖父煙斗不離口地 Thirsty?” Grampy asked, never removing the

問我。

pipe from his mouth.“是的。”我回答說。“跑到街對 ” Yes,“ was my reply.” How would you like

面的加油站去給你自己買瓶可to run over to the gas station there and get

樂怎么樣？“

yourself a bottle of Coke?”

我簡直不敢相信自己的耳 I couldn't believe my ears.Had I heard

朵，我沒有聽錯吧?他是在跟我right? Was he talking to me? On my family's

說話嗎？就我們家微薄的收入modest income, Coke was not a part of our

來說，可樂不是我們家庭開銷的budget or diet.A few tantalizing sips was

一部分。我只是迫不及待地啜過all I had ever had, and certainly never my

幾小口，從來沒有自己喝過一own bottle.瓶。“ Okay,” I replied shyly, already

“好的。”我害羞地回答說，已wondering how I would get across the street.經在想著該怎樣穿過馬路，祖父Surely Grampy was going to come with me.當然會跟我一塊。Grampy stretched his long leg out straight 祖父將他的長腿伸直，把他的and reached his huge hand deep into the 大手伸進口袋。我能聽到零錢相pocket.I could hear the familiar jangling 碰而發出的熟悉的丁當聲，他總of the loose change he always carried.是把這些零錢帶在身上。他張開Opening his fist, he exposed a mound of 手，露出了一堆寶貝似的銀幣。silver coins.There must have been a million 那里面一定有100萬美元！他讓dollars there.He instructed me to pick out 我拿出一個1角的硬幣。把零錢a dime.After he deposited the rest of the 放回口袋后，他站了起來。

change back into his pocket, he stood up.“好吧，”他說，幫著我下樓 “ Okay,” he said, helping me down the

梯到馬路沿兒那兒去，“我站在stairs and to the curb, ” I'm going to stay 這兒，聽著屋里的兩個孩子有沒

正是我想呆的地方。在父母和祖母外出時，祖父就在家看孩子。here and keep an ear out for the babies.I'll 有動靜，什么時候穿過馬路安tell you when it's safe to cross.You go over 全，我會告訴你的。你到對面的to the Coke machine, get your Coke and come 可樂機那兒買到你的可樂后再back out.Wait for me to tell you when it's 走回來。等著我告訴你什么時候safe to cross back.“ My heart pounded.I clutched my dime

過馬路安全。”

我的心砰砰地跳著，緊緊地tightly in my sweaty palm.Excitement took

用汗手攥著那枚1角的硬幣，興my breath away.奮地喘不上氣來。Grampy held my hand tightly.Together we

祖父緊緊地拉著我的手，我looked up the street and down, and back up

們一塊看了看大街的前后左右。again.He stepped off the curb and told me

他走下馬路沿兒，告訴我現在可it was safe to cross.He let go of my hand

以過去了。他放開我的手，我跑and I ran.I ran faster than I had ever run

了起來。我從沒有跑得這么快before.The street seemed wide.I wondered

過。街道似乎很寬，我懷疑自己if I would make it to the other side.是否能跑到對面。跑到對面后，Reaching the other side, I turned to find

我回頭尋找祖父，他正站在我離Grampy.There he was, standing exactly

開他的地方，為我自豪地微笑where I had left him, smiling proudly.I

著。我朝他揮了揮手。

waved.“ Go on, hurry up,” he yelled.“接著走，快點。”他喊道。

My heart pounded wildly as I walked inside 我的心砰砰亂跳著走進昏the dark garage.I had been inside the garage 暗的修車站。我以前曾和父親一before with my father.My surroundings were 塊來過這里，對周圍的一切都很familiar.I heard the Coca-Cola machine 熟悉。甚至在看見可口可樂機之motor humming even before I saw it.I walked 前就聽到了其馬達發出的嗡嗡directly to the big old red-and-white

聲。我徑直走向那臺紅白相間的dispenser.I knew where to insert my dime.巨大的老自動售貨機。我知道該I had seen it done before and had fantasized 往哪兒插硬幣，我曾看人做過并about this moment many times.曾多次幻想有一天我也能親身

試一試。The big old monster greedily accepted my dime, and I heard the bottles shift.On

那個老巨人貪婪地吞下我的tiptoes I reached up and opened the heavy 硬幣，我聽見了瓶子移動的聲door.There they were: one neat row of thick 音。我踮起腳尖伸手摸索著打開green bottles, necks staring directly at 了它厚重的門。它們就在那兒!me, and ice cold from the refrigeration.I 一排整齊的深綠色瓶子，瓶頸一held the door open with my shoulder and 個挨一個地凝視著我，冰箱里散grabbed one.With a quick yank, I pulled it 發出冰冷的氣息。我用肩膀頂著free from its bondage.Another one

門，伸手抓住一個，迅速一拉，immediately took its place.The bottle was 將它從捆綁中拉了出來，另一個cold in my sweaty hands.I will never forget 立即占據了它的位置。瓶子在我the feeling of the cool glass on my skin.汗浸浸的手中顯得格外冰涼，我With two hands, I positioned the bottleneck 永遠忘不了冰涼的瓶子接觸我under the heavy brass opener that was bolted 皮膚時的感覺。我兩手抓住瓶to the wall.The cap dropped into an old 子，將瓶頸放在固定的墻上的厚wooden box, and I reached in to retrieve it.銅開瓶器下，瓶蓋立即掉在一個I was cold and bent in the middle, but I knew 老木箱里，我伸手將它撿了出I needed to have this souvenir.Coke in 來，感覺好涼，中間已經彎曲，hand, I proudly marched back out into the 但我知道我需要擁有這個紀念early evening dusk.Grampy was waiting patiently.He smiled.品。手拿可樂，我自豪地走回到外面，已是黃昏時分。祖父正耐心地等待著，并面帶微笑。

“停在那兒，”一兩輛車在我面

前飛駛而過，祖父再次走下馬路 “ Stop right there,” he yelled.One or two cars sped by me, and once again, Grampy 沿兒，“現在過來，”他說，“跑stepped off the curb.” Come on, now,“ he 過來！”我跑了起來，冰涼的棕

色泡沫濺在我的手上。“別再一said, ” run.“ I did.Cool brown foam sprayed my hands.” Don't ever do that alone,“ he 個人獨自過馬路！”他警告我。warned.I held the Coke bottle tightly, 我緊緊地抱著可樂瓶，生怕他讓我把可樂倒在杯子里，毀掉我的fearful he would make me pour it into a cup，夢想。他沒有。我咕嚕嚕長長地ruining this dream come true.He didn't.One 吞下一口冰涼的可樂，冒汗的身long swallow of the cold beverage cooled my

體頓覺清爽無比。我認為自己再sweating body.I don't think I ever felt so proud.也沒有過當時那樣的自豪。By Jacqueline M.Hickey（袁紅梅 譯 自 Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul)

have two adopt sisters

An only child, a perfectly ordinary little girl in rural Wisconsin, I wanted

我有兩個領養妹妹

小時候我是家里的獨生女，sisters more than anything.When I turned

是威斯康新州農村的一個非常seven, my parents made a decision that delighted me beyond measure: they chose to 普通的女孩。那時我特別想要的adopt.就是妹妹。我7歲那年，父母做出了一個讓我喜出望外的決定：他們要領養了。

那是圣誕節期間，我的兩個新妹妹，一個6歲，一個It was Christmastime when my two new sisters, aged 6 and 3, arrived from

3歲，從哥倫比亞來到了我家。

她們的到來帶來了喜慶，親朋好Colombia.They came with a great flourish of celebration, as friends and relatives 友帶著禮物來我家歡迎她們。那visited us bearing gifts to welcome them.天晚上客人們走后，剩下了我們That evening our guests went home and we were left to ourselves.My sisters and I

自己，我和妹妹們走進我們共用went to the bedroom we were to share;as we 的臥室；當我們爬上床時，父母crawledsintosour beds, our parents came to each of us, tucking us in and saying

進來了，為我們一一掖好被角并goodnight.“Te amo,”they whispered to my new sisters in Spanish,“I love you.”

且道了晚安，“Te amo”，他們用西班牙語向我的新妹妹耳語道，“我愛你”。

From the beginning these newcomers were

從一開始，新來的妹妹就like my own flesh and blood;we played and

像是我的親妹妹；我們一起玩，bickered and learned just as if we had

一起斗嘴，一起學習，仿佛我們always been sisters.From the beginning we all were my parents' daughters equally, as

一直就是姐妹；父母對我們指they supervised and scolded and encouraged us.教、訓斥或鼓勵時，我們都是父

母的女兒，誰都不受偏袒。

生活看上去非常好。然而，在表象之下，父母卻在為他 Life seemed great.Beneath the surface, 們之間的婚姻問題而苦苦掙扎，however, my parents were struggling with

當我們姐妹十幾歲時，父母說出their own marital problems.As we girls were approaching our teen years, my parents a divorce.”

了那句致命的話：“我們要離婚uttered the fateful words,“We're getting

了。”

My sisters had been hurt before.They had

妹妹們以前就受到過傷been dealt a great wound when their birth mother abandoned them, and none of us understood the depth of their inner

害，當她們遭生母遺棄時蒙受過turmoil.It was a pain that now resurfaced, 巨大的傷痛，無人能夠理解她們as the emotions from that abandonment years

內心的煩亂有多深，而這一痛苦earlier overwhelmed them.如今又重新浮現出來，早年被遺棄時的情感使她們不知所措。

在這一段時間里我們都在苦苦掙扎。我的父親再婚 We all struggled during this time.My

了，并努力通過新的家庭——另father remarried and strove to provide some sort of stability for us through this new

一個媽媽、弟弟和妹妹——為我family: another mother, brother and sister.But the bonds between my parents and sisters

們提供穩定的生活。但父母與我continued to disintegrate.By the time I left for college, my family was in profound

們姐妹間的關系仍在分崩離析。disarray.在我離開家上大學時，家里正處于一片混亂當中。