滑雪的图片大全:美丽英文（双语美文）

　第一卷感恩的心
　　Heart of Feeling Grateful
　　他拿出鲜花，递给我那个靴形瓷瓶，我捧着它，就像当年安所做的那样，抚摸着它，思索着它所蕴涵的种种意义，我想，友谊并未随着岁月的流逝而消失；我想起记忆长河中的感激之情；还有更为重要的——新生的希望。
　　善心可依
　　佚名
　　在我的成长过程中，一直觉得，被人看到与父亲在一起是件很尴尬的事。父亲个子矮小，还患有严重的脚疾。我们走在一起时，他总是挽着我的胳膊来保持身体平衡，这样难免会招来一些好奇的目光，令我很不自在。但是如果他注意到了我的这些细微变化，即使再痛苦都会埋在心底，从不表露出来。
　　我们走路的步调很难协调一致——他行动迟缓，我毫无耐心。因此一路上我们交谈甚少。只是每次临走前，他总会说：“你走你的，我会尽量跟上你。”
　　我们常往返于家与地铁站之间的那段路，父亲要在那儿乘地铁去上班。他常会带病工作，不管天气多么恶劣，几乎没耽误过一天，就是在别人不能去的情况下，他也会设法去上班。实在是了不起！
　　冰封大地，漫天飞雪的季节，若是不借助外力的帮助，他几乎无法独自行走。每到这时，我和姐妹们就用儿童雪橇拉他通过纽约布鲁克林区的街道，把他直接送到地铁入口处。一到那儿，他便抓住扶手,自己走下楼梯，因为通道里暖和些，地上没结冰。到了曼哈顿，地铁站就在他办公楼的地下一层，在我们去布鲁克林接他回家前他不用再走出楼来。
　　现在想起这些来，我不禁慨叹,一个成年男子需要多大的勇气才能承受这种侮辱和压力啊！他竟然做到了——没有丝毫痛苦的迹象，也从未有任何抱怨。
　　他从不觉得自己可怜,也从不嫉妒别人的幸运和能力。他寻找怀有“善心”的人们，当他发现时，人家确实对他不错。
　　如今，我已长大成人，我相信以“善心”为标准来判断人是很正确的，虽然我不甚清楚它的真正含义，但却觉得自己很多时候是缺乏善心的。
　　虽然许多活动父亲都不能参加，但他仍然设法以某种方式参与进去。当一个地方棒球队缺少领队时，他就做了领队。他是个棒球迷，有丰富的棒球知识，过去常带我去埃比茨棒球场看布鲁克林的鬼精灵队的比赛。他喜欢参加舞会和晚会，很高兴坐那儿当观众。
　　记得有一次，在海边的晚会上，有人打架，并动了拳头。父亲不忍坐视不管，但在松软的沙滩上他又无法使自己站起来。失望之下，便吼了起来：“你们谁坐下来和我打？”没人回应。第二天，人们都开玩笑说，还是头一次看到这种情形，比赛还没开始，拳击手就被劝服输。
　　如今,我知道,有些事情父亲是通过我——他唯一的儿子来参与的。我打球时(虽然我的球技很差)，他也在“打球”。我参加海军时，他也“参加”。我休假在家时，他会让我去他办公室。向同事介绍时，他认认真真地说：“这是我儿子，也是我自己，假如事实不是这样的话,我也会像他一样做那些事情。”这些言语，他以前从未说出来过。
　　父亲虽已去世多年，但我仍会时常想起他。不知他是否感觉到我和他在一起时，曾是那么不愿意被人看到。如果他知道那一切，我现在会感到非常难过，因为我从没告诉过他我是如此愧疚和悔恨，我是不孝的。每当为琐事烦扰而怨天尤人时，为别人的红运当头而心怀妒忌时，为自己缺乏“善心”而自责时，我就会不由自主地想起父亲。
　　那时，我就会挽着他的胳膊，也为了保持我的身体平衡，并说：“你走你的，我会尽力跟上你。”
　　■心灵小语
　　父爱是深沉的，但同样伟大。在迎接生活中风风雨雨的同时，父亲不轻易表露的爱时时刻刻都在向孩子流淌着。做一个懂得感恩的孩子，不要漠视世界上最为深沉的父爱。
　　A Good Heart to Lean On
　　Anonymous
　　When I was growing up,I was embarrassed to be seen with my father.He was severely crippled1 and very short,and when we wouldwalk together,his hand on my arm forbalance,people would stare.I would inwardly squirm at theunwanted attention.If he ever noticed or was bothered,he never let on.
　　It was difficult to coordinate our steps his halting,mine impatient and becauseof that,we didn’t say much as we went along.But as we started out,he always said,“You set the pace.I will try to adjust to you.”
　　Our usual walk was to or from the subway,which was how he gotto work.He went to work sick,and despite nasty weather.He almost nevermissed a day,and would make it to the office even if others couldnot.Amatter of pride.
　　When snow or ice was on the ground,it was impossible for himtowalk,even with help.At such times my sisters or I would pull himthrough the streets of Brooklyn,NY,on a child’s sleigh to the subwayentrance.Once there,he would cling to thehandrail until he reached thelower steps that the warmer tunnel air kept icefree.In Manhattan thesubway station was the basement of his office building,and he wouldnot have to go outside again until we met him in Brooklyn,on hisway home.
　　When I think of it now,I  marvel at how much courage it musthave taken for a grown man to subject himself to such indignity and stress .And at how he did it without bitterness or complaint.
　　He never talked about himself as an object of pity,nor did he showany envy of the moref ortunate or able.What hel ooked for in otherswas a“goodheart”,and if he found one,the owner was good enough forhim.
　　Now that  I am older,I believe that is a proper standard by whichto judge people,even though I still don’t know precisely what a“goodheart”is.But I know the times I don’t have one myself.
　　Unable to engage in~many`activities,my father still tried to participate insome way.When a local sandlot baseball team found itself without amanager,he kept it going.He was aknowledgeable baseball fan and oftentook me to Ebbets Field to see the Brooklyn Dodgers play.He likedto go to dances and parties, where he could have a good time just sitting and watching.
　　On one memorable occasion a fight broke out at a beach party, with everyone punching and shoving. He wasn’t content to sit and watch, but he couldn’t stand unaided on the soft sand. In frustration3 he began to shout, “I’ll fight anyone who will sit down with me！” Nobody did. But the next day people kidded him by saying it was the first time any fighter was urged to take a dive even before the bout began.
　　I now know he participated in some things vicariously through me, his only son. When I played ball (poorly), he “played” too. When I joined the Navy, he “joined” too. And when I came home on leave, he saw to it that I visited his office. Introducing me, he was really saying, “This is my son, but it is also me, and I could have done this, too, if things had been different.” Those words were never said aloud.
　　He has been gone many years now, but I think of him often. I wonder if he sensed my reluctance to be seen with him during our walks. If he did, I am sorry I never told him how sorry I was, how unworthy I was, how I regretted it. I think of him when I complain about trifles, when I am envious of another’s good fortune, when I don’t have a “good heart”.
　　At such times I put my hand on his arm to regain my balance, and say, “you set the pace, I will try to adjust to you.”
　　一杯牛奶的温暖
　　佚名
　　一天，一个可怜的小男孩儿为凑足学费正挨家挨户地推销商品。他发现身上只剩一角钱了，此时他很饿，因此决定从下一家要点儿吃的。
　　然而，当一位年轻貌美的女子打开门时，他却紧张得不知所措。他没有要吃的，只是要了口水喝。女子看到小男孩儿饥饿的样子，顿生怜悯之心，便倒了一大杯牛奶递给他。他慢慢地喝光了牛奶，问道：“我需要付您多少钱呢？”
　　“你不必付钱给我，”女子答道，“妈妈教育我说，爱心善举，不求回报。”男孩说：“那么我就发自内心地向您说声谢谢！”当霍华德.凯利走出这户人家时，他觉得浑身充满了力量，也对上帝和整个人类充满了信心。原本，他打算放弃。
　　若干年后，那位女子得了重病，当地医生都束手无策。最后，她转院到大城市，接受专家会诊。著名的霍华德.凯利医生也参与了医疗方案的制定。当他得知这位病人来自那个城镇时，一个奇怪的念头闪过，他立即起身直奔她的病房。
　　身着白大褂的凯利医生走进了病房，一眼便认出了那个女子，她正是他的恩人。回到诊室，他下定决心要竭尽全力医治她。从那天起，他就对恩人给予了特殊的照顾。
　　经过艰苦卓绝的努力，手术终获成功。凯利医生要求把医药费结算单送到他那儿，他看了一下，便在上面签了字。当结算单送到女子的病房时，她甚至不敢打开来看，因为她知道这医药费一定极其昂贵，或许她要用整个余生去偿还。最后，她还是鼓足勇气打开了看，她注意到单子旁边的一行小字，不禁小声地念起来：
　　“医药费已由一杯牛奶支付。”
　　（署名）霍华德.凯利医生
　　喜悦的泪水夺眶而出，她不禁默默祈祷：“感谢您，上帝！您的爱已经通过人类的心灵和双手传递开来。”
　　With One Glass of Milk
　　Anonymous
　　One day, a poor boy who was trying to pay his way through school by selling goods from door to door found that he had only one dime left. He was hungry so he decided to beg for a meal at the next house.
　　However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal,  he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry so she brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, “How much do I owe you？”
　　“You don’t owe me anything,”she replied, “Mother has taught me never to accept pay for a kindness.”He said, “Then I thank you from the bottom of my heart.” As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but it also increased his faith in God and the human race. He was about to give up and quit before this point.
　　Years later, the young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where specialists can be called in to study her rare disease. Dr. Howard Kelly, now famous was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Immediately, he rose and went down through the hospital hall into her room.
　　Dressed in his doctor’s gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at once. He went back to the consultation room and determined to do his best to save her life. From that day, he gave special attention to her case.
　　After a long struggle, the battle was won. Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it and then wrote something on the side. The bill was sent to her room. She was afraid to open it because she was positive that it would take the rest of her life to pay it off. Finally she looked, and the note on the side of the bill caught her attention. She read these words，
　　“Paid in full with one glass of milk.”
　　(Signed) Dr. Howard Kelly
　　Tears of joy flooded her eyes as she prayed silently,  “Thank You, God. Your love has spread through human hearts and hands.”
　　感恩的心
　　史蒂夫.古迪尔
　　感恩节就要到了，一年级的老师给学生们布置了一个有趣的作业，画一幅他们感谢某物或某人的图画。
　　虽然大多数同学或许要考虑一下家庭条件问题，但仍然有许多同学准备了火鸡和其他传统的节庆点心来庆祝节日。对于这些，老师认为，这是大多数同学艺术创作的主题。确实如此。
　　但是，有一个非常与众不同的男孩，名叫道格拉斯，他画了一幅很特别的画。在老师眼中，他是一个悲惨、脆弱、不幸的孩子。其他小朋友在课间休息时间做游戏时，他很可能就站在老师的身旁。在他那忧郁的双眼背后，人们看到的是心灵最深处的哀伤。
　　是的，他的画很特别。当老师要求画一幅感谢某物或某人的图画时，他画了一只手。其他什么都没有。仅仅是一只空空的手。他的这幅抽象画引起了其他同学的想象。这只手会是谁的呢？有一个孩子猜那是农民伯伯的手，因为他们养火鸡。另一个孩子猜是警察叔叔的手，因为他们保护和照顾人们。讨论仍在继续，指导老师几乎忘了这位年轻的画家。
　　当孩子们去关注其他作业时，老师来到了道格拉斯的课桌旁，弯下腰，问他那只手是谁的。小男孩转过脸去，低声地说：“老师，是您的手。”
　　她回忆过去，曾经牵着他的手一起散步，就像牵着其他同学的手一样。曾经，她多次说：“道格拉斯，牵着我的手，一起出去散散步。”或是，“让我给你示范如何握铅笔。”或是，“让我们一起做事。”于是，道格拉斯对老师的这双手充满了感激。
　　老师拭去眼中的泪水，继续她的课程。
　　事实上，人们很少说“谢谢”。但是，他们会将那双援助之手铭记于心。
　　The Hand
　　Steve Goodier
　　Thanksgiving Day was near. The first grade teacher gave her class a fun assignment—to draw a picture of something for which they were thankful.
　　Most of the class might be considered economically disadvantaged, but still many would celebrate the holiday with turkey and other traditional goodies of the season. These, the teacher thought, would be the subjects of most of her student’s art. And they were.
　　But Douglas made a different kind of picture. Douglas was a different kind of boy. He was the teacher’s true child of misery, frail and unhappy. As other children played at recess, Douglas was likely to stand close by her side. One could only guess at the pain Douglas felt behind those sad eyes.
　　Yes, his picture was different. When asked to draw a picture of something for which he was thankful, he drew a hand. Nothing else. Just an empty hand.
　　His abstract image captured the imagination of his peers. Whose hand could it be？ One child guessed it was the hand of a farmer, because farmers raise turkeys. Another suggested a police officer, because the police protect and care for people. And so the discussion went—until the teacher almost forgot the young artist himself.
　　When the children had gone on to other assignments, she paused at Douglas’ desk, bent down, and asked him whose hand it was. The little boy looked away and murmured, “It’s yours, teacher.”
　　She recalled the times she had taken his hand and walked with him here and there, as she had the other students. How often had she said, “Take my hand, Douglas, we’ll go outside.” Or, “Let me show you how to hold your pencil.” Or, “Let’s do this together.” Douglas was most thankful for his teacher’s hand.
　　Brushing aside a tear, she went on with her work.
　　In fact, people might not always say “thanks”. But they’ll remember the hand that reaches out.
　　树下的男孩
　　大卫.科尔曼 凯文.兰德尔
　　在大一生活结束的那个短暂的暑假里，我受邀到密歇根州一所大学主办的高中领导才能夏令营担任辅导员一职。我曾参加过很多大学的教育活动，因此便欣然接受了这次机会。
　　在第一天的营地生活中，我利用一个小时的时间尽力使气氛缓和，强迫大家互动起来。就在这个时候，我第一次注意到那个树下的男孩。他很弱小，明显的局促和羞怯令他看起来更为虚弱无力。距离他只有50英尺远的地方，两百个热衷于露营的孩子蹦跳着、打闹着、开着玩笑、不断交谈着；然而那个树下的男孩，看起来去哪里都可以，只要别待在这里。他表现出来的让人绝望的孤独，像是要拒我于千里之外。我想起资深辅导员的指点：要给那些感觉受到忽略的队员以特别关注。
　　我向那个男孩走过去，打招呼说：“你好，我叫凯文，是营里的辅导员。很高兴认识你。你好吗？”他发出了颤抖的、局促不安的声音，很不情愿地回答我：“是的，我还好。”我平静地问他是不是想参加活动，结识一些新朋友。他静静地答道：“不，这真的不是我想做的事情。”
　　我可以感觉到，他身处一个全新的世界，这里的一切都与他无关。然而，不知道什么原因，我却知道鼓励他也不是什么好方法。他需要的不是激励的谈话，而是一位朋友。一段沉默过后，我和树下男孩的第一次互动也宣告结束。
　　第二天的午饭时间，我为200个新朋友高声领唱夏令营之歌。队员们满怀热情地唱了起来。穿过嘈杂、活跃的人群，我的目光定格在那个坐在树下的孤独的男孩，他正向窗外凝望着。我差点忘了正在领唱的歌词。只要抓住机会，我就会试着再次接近他，我像上一次那样问道：“你现在怎么样，还好吗？”他又一次答道：“是的，我还好。我只是真的不想做这些事情。”从餐厅走出来的时候，我明白，要想打开他的心扉，需要付出比我之前预料的更多的时间和努力。
　　那天夜里，在每天晚上例行的辅导员会议上，我把自己对他的忧虑说了出来，并向同事们介绍了他给我留下的印象，请他们对他多加留意，尽量多花一点时间来陪陪他。
　　在夏令营的日子比我所知道的其他任何时候过得都要快，年年如此。不知不觉，星期三已渐渐成为夏令营的最后一夜，而我陪伴他们直到曲终人散。学生们与新结识的“挚友”纵情享受这最后的时刻，他们今后或许再也不会相遇。
　　正当我看着队员们分享临别时光的时候，我突然看到了生命中最动人的一幕。那位曾一脸茫然地对着餐厅窗外凝望的树下男孩，此时脱去了衬衫，正在热情狂舞。当他与两个女孩开始跳舞时，他吸引了整个舞场的目光。我看着他与人们亲密地度过这意味深长的时光，而就在几天之前，他却连看他们一眼也不愿意，我简直不敢相信这是同一个人。
　　大二的时候，在一个十月的午夜，我放下手中的化学书，接了一个电话，听筒里传出一个陌生、轻柔、很有礼貌的声音：“您是凯文吗？”
　　“我就是凯文，请问您是谁？”
　　“我是汤姆.约翰逊的妈妈。您是否对领导才能夏令营的汤米还有印象？”
　　那个树下男孩，我怎么会不记得呢？
　　“哦，当然记得，”我回答，“他可是一个很可爱的年轻人。他还好吗？”
　　在长时间的停顿过后，约翰逊夫人说：“这个星期，当我的汤米放学回家时，被一辆汽车撞了，就这样走了。”我感到十分震惊，对汤米的辞世表示哀悼。
　　“我只是想打电话告诉您，”她说，“因为汤米曾多次提到您。我想让您知道，这个秋天，他信心十足地回到学校，结交了新朋友，成绩也提高了，甚至还出去和女孩子约会过几次。我想谢谢您，您对他的改变起了很大作用。近来几个月是他生命中最美好的时光。”
　　刹那间，我才明白，每天奉献一点是多么容易。你或许从不知道，每一点善意的举动会给别人带来多大的影响。我尽可能多地讲述这个故事，并试着说服其他人留心他们的“树下男孩”。
　　The Boy under the Tree
　　David Coleman . Kevin Randall
　　In the summer recess between freshman and sophomore years in college, I was invited to be an instructor at a highschool leadership camp hosted by a college in Michigan. I was already highly involved in most campus activities, and I jumped at the opportunity.
　　About an hour into the first day of camp, amid the frenzy of icebreakers and forced interactions, I first noticed the boy under the tree. He was small and skinny, and his obvious discomfort and shyness made him appear frail and fragile. Only fifty feet away, two hundred eager campers were bumping bodies, playing, joking and meeting each other, but the boy under the tree seemed to want to be anywhere other than where he was. The desperate loneliness he radiated almost stopped me from approaching him, but I remembered the instructions from the senior staff to stay alert for campers who might feel left out.
　　As I walked toward him, I said,“Hi, my name is Kevin, and I’m one of the counselors. It’s nice to meet you. How are you？” In a shaky, sheepish voice he reluctantly answered, “Okay, I guess.” I calmly asked him if he wanted to join the activities and meet some new people. He quietly replied, “No, this is not really my thing.”
　　I could sense that he was in a new world, that this whole experience was foreign to him. But I somehow knew it wouldn’t be right to push him, either. He didn’t need a pep talk; he needed a friend. After several silent moments, my first interaction with the boy under the tree was over.
　　At lunch the next day, I found myself leading camp songs at the top of my lungs for two hundred of my new friends. The campers eagerly participated. My gaze wandered over the mass of noise and movement and was caught by the image of the boy from under the tree, sitting alone, staring out the window. I nearly forgot the words to the song I was supposed to be leading. At my first opportunity, I tried again, with the same questions as before, “How are you doing？ Are you okay？” To which he again replied, “Yeah, I’m all right. I just don’t really get into this stuff.” As I left the cafeteria, I realized this was going to take more time and effort than I had thought—if it was even possible to get through to him at all.
　　 That evening at our nightly staff meeting, I made my concerns about him known. I explained to my fellow staff members my impression of him and asked them to pay special attention and spend time with him when they could.
　　 The days I spend at camp each year fly by faster than any others I have known. Thus, before I knew it, midweek had dissolved into the final night of camp, and I was chaperoning the“last dance.” The students were doing all they could to savor every last moment with their new “best friends”—friends they would probably never see again.
　　 As I watched the campers share their parting moments, I suddenly saw what would be one of the most vivid memories of my life. The boy from under the tree, who had stared blankly out the kitchen window, was now a shirtless dancing wonder. He owned the dance floor as he and two girls proceeded to cut a rug. I watched as he shared meaningful, intimate time with people at whom he couldn’t even look just days earlier. I couldn’t believe it was the same person.
　　In October of my sophomore year, a latenight phone call pulled me away from my chemistry book. A softspoken, unfamiliar voice asked politely, “Is Kevin there？”
　　“You’re talking to him, who’s this？”
　　“This is Tom Johnson’s mom. Do you remember Tommy from leadership camp？”
　　The boy under the tree. How could I not remember？
　　“Yes, I do,” I said. “He’s a very nice young man. How is he？”
　　An abnormally long pause followed, then Mrs. Johnson said, “My Tommy was walking home from school this week when he was hit by a car and killed.” Shocked, I offered my condolences.
　　“I just wanted to call you,” she said, “because Tommy mentioned you so many times. I wanted you to know that he went back to school this fall with confidence. He made new friends. His grades went up. And he even went out on a few dates. I just wanted to thank you for making a difference for Tom. The last few months were the best few months of his life.”
　　In that instant, I realized how easy it is to give a bit of yourself every day. You may never know how much each gesture may mean to someone else. I tell this story as often as I can, and when I do, I urge others to look out for their own “boy under the tree”.

　感受异国的阳光
　　佚名
　　今天周几，周二还是周三？她一直带着学生们进行那似乎永无休止的复习。这件事我好像昨天刚刚做过啊？还是去年做的？烦死了，怎么都赶到一块儿了。“史密斯小姐，我去下洗手间可以吗？”正要迈腿跑出去的乔治，停下来问道。我是第几次听到这样的话了？她想着，随口答道：“好的。”然后她看着他跑出了教室。
　　她坐在桌旁，眼睛凝视着学生，脑子却不停地在想下班后该做些什么事情。我今晚该去健身房或是该去市场买点儿吃的东西。她机械地继续上她的课，给学生讲字母“a”。“‘a’怎么读？”“a，a，a……”学生们异口同声干巴巴地读着。时间一分一秒地过去了，似乎在嘲笑她这无聊单调的一天。
　　该下课了吧？正想着，教室的电话响了，她叹口气，起身，走过学生的课桌去接电话。话筒那端的声音似乎传自百英里之外。哦，我多希望我现在不是在这儿，而身处异国他乡啊。她的思绪飞到了异国情调浓郁的墨西哥卡波海滩，去年她在那儿度过了愉快的暑假：慵懒地躺在沙滩上，任由阵阵微风轻吻她的肌肤，那种惬意、恬静的感觉，至今记忆犹新。
　　“史密斯小姐，你在听我讲话吗？”秘书有点儿不耐烦地问道。“哦，抱歉。刚才你说什么了？”“麻烦你让卡拉到我办公室来一趟。”秘书更加不耐烦地说。“哦，当然可以。”说着,她挂断了电话。她转过身来叫了卡拉的名字。卡拉是这个班上众多的贫困生之一。她抬起头，松散的头发像堆稻草，满脸污垢，活像《绿野仙踪》里的稻草人。“你到办公室去一趟。”她对慢慢抬起头的卡拉说道。“为什么让我去？”卡拉嘀咕道。“让你去你就去——快去吧！”卡拉出去了，她匆忙地转回身。卡拉是去领免费校服的。如果有人打电话来说些好听的或是对我做的这些令人讨厌的工作表示感谢该多好。她叹了口气，走回去，学生们都耐心地等着她。
　　这极其单调的工作重复了一下午。最后，解放的钟声终于响了。她把学生带出教室，就像母鸡带着小鸡崽儿回窝似的。她看到学生的妈妈们都在铁门外热切地期待着。当她路过走廊时，满载西班牙音乐气息的空气迎面扑来。她欣慰地看着孩子们离开，回到充满欢声笑语的家，而自己却不得不重又回到那无尽的单调和无聊之中。
　　“夫人，您好，可以打扰您几分钟吗？”她扭过头，一个窘迫的男子出现在她面前，他那棕色的面庞布满皱纹。“谢谢您给予我孙子胡里奥的帮助。”他用蹩脚的英语说道。她忽然想起了胡里奥，外表看起来那么不易接近，后来渐渐地敞开了他充满渴盼的内心世界。她想胡里奥一定在暗下决心努力学好外语，并会为每次进步而欢欣鼓舞。这位祖父也和他的孙子一样吗？她抬头看了看这位老人，很快便找到了两人的共同之处。“谢谢您，夫人！”老人用那只饱经沧桑的手，紧紧握住她的手，他的热情深深地感染了她。很快，他把手缩了回去，走开了。当他渐渐远去时，她想到了异国的阳光，而且也意识到了，异国的阳光其实就近在咫尺。
　　■心灵小语
　　阳光给人温暖，令人惬意，同时也象征着希望。文中的老师帮助一名看似孤僻的学生找到了自信，给生活在贫困中的他以希望。而这种善良的付出所得到的感激，令她感悟到，原来无须远行，同样能够感受异国阳光所带来的恬静感觉。
　　A Grandfather’s Touch
　　Anonymous
　　What day is it today？ Is it Tuesday or Thursday？ This thought raced through her mind as she sat back with her students going over the lesson that never seemed to end. Didn’t I just do this yesterday？ Or was it a year ago？ Hell, everything seemed to jumble1 together anymore. “Miss Smith, can I go to the bathroom？”Jorge asked, as he proceeded to jump from one foot to another, holding himself. How many times have I heard this？ She wondered as she abruptly said, “Yes” and watched as he raced out of the room.
　　Sitting at the table she gazed at her students while thinking of what she would do after work. Maybe I’ll go to the gym or stop at the market for something to eat tonight. Mechanically she continued with her lesson on the short letter“a” with her students. “The letter‘a’ makes what sound？”“a, a, a”, the students sang together going through the empty motions. The clock dragged away the minutes teasing her with the tediousness of the day.
　　Won’t it end？ She thought as the phone rang out its morse code for her room. Sighing she stood up and walked through the maze of students desks to get to the phone. Picking up the receiver the other voice seemed a hundred miles away. Oh, how I wish I were anywhere but here. Her mind wandered to the hot exotic beach of Cabo, Mexico, where she had spent her last summer break. She still remembered the cool breezes that caressed her skin as she lay on the gritty2 sand.
　　“Miss Smith， did you hear me？” the secretary annoyingly asked her. “Oh, sorry. What did you say？” “Can you send Carla to the office？” the secretary impatiently asked. “Oh, course,” she replied as she hung up the phone. She turned from the phone and yelled out Carla’s name. Carla, who was one of the many who always seemed so needy that were in her class this year. Carla looked up from her desk, her hair hanging like a matted displaced doll. Her face was lined with dirt that gave her the appearance of one of those munchkins from the Wizard of Oz. “You need to go to the office”, she said while Carla slowly rose from her desk. “Why do I have to go？” whined Carla. “It’s between you and the office—just go up,” she hastily turned her back as Carla walked out of the room. Like having free school uniforms is the answer. It would be nice if just once someone called saying something nice or thanking me for all the endless crap I have to deal with. With a sigh she walked back to her other students who were clustered at the back table patiently waiting her return.
　　The rest of the afternoon blurred into one long endless repetition. Finally the bell rang as a relief. As she led her students out the door they walked behind her as baby chicks3 returning to their fold. She noticed that their mother hens clucked to them behind the iron gate. As she proceeded to walk down the corridor, the air, which rose with the musical tingle of  Spanish coloring everything that touched it, greeted her. She watched with a touch of envy as the children left her to return to those homes that probably were filled with laughter and warmth while she would once again return to the same endless march of  boredom.
　　“Senora, un momento por favor？” she turned her head and noticed the small shriveled man, his brown face lined with a map to places only he knew. “Thanks for helping my grandson Julio to read.” the gentleman said in his faltering broken English. She immediately thought of Julio, who once as unreachable as a hardened walnut, slowly cracked opened to reveal the eager child inside. She thought of the inner struggle Julio must have had as he tried to make sense of the foreign letters and the sudden joy when he had unbroken the mysterious code. Was the grandfather the same？ She looked up at this elderly gentleman, probably his grandfather, and quickly recognized the sameness of the two. “Gracias Senora” a weathered hand came out and firmly grasped hers with warmth that radiated from his soul to hers. Just as abruptly he removed his hand and left her. As he walked away she thought of that exotic sun and realized maybe it was closer to her than she thought.
　　师恩如甘露
　　佚名
　　史蒂夫12岁了，他的父母都是酒鬼。今年，他就要结束自己的学校生活了。虽然史蒂夫能够阅读，可他还是个差生。从一年级开始他的成绩就很差，在一年又一年的学习中，依然没有什么进展。史蒂夫身材健壮，看起来远远要比12岁的孩子大得多。不过他一直都不被人重视……直到怀特小姐来到。
　　怀特小姐笑容可掬，年轻有活力，还有一头迷人的红发。这正是史蒂夫喜欢的类型。在年轻的生命中，史蒂夫第一次无法把眼睛从老师身上移开，不过，他的学习仍旧不好。史蒂夫从没有做过家庭作业，还总是给怀特小姐找麻烦。怀特小姐那尖刻的话让他的心都碎了。每次因为不交作业而被罚时，他都感到十分痛苦。然而，他还是不学习。
　　到了第一学期的期中，整个七年级要进行基础技能测验。史蒂夫草草地完成了自己的测验，开始像以往那样幻想其他的事情。他的心思根本不在学校，而是在树林里。他经常独自躲藏在那里，试图摆脱酒鬼之家的声响和气味。没有人关心他是否安全，也没有人知道他走开了，因为所有的人都没有心思顾及其他。令人意想不到的是，史蒂夫从没有旷过一次课。
　　一天，怀特小姐不耐烦的声音打破了他的白日梦。
　　“史蒂夫！！”史蒂夫吃惊地转过头看着她。
　　“注意力要集中！”
　　当怀特小姐开始宣布七年级的测验成绩时，史蒂夫用那种青春期才有的崇敬目光盯着怀特小姐。
　　她对全班说：“你们考得都很好，只有一个男生例外。告诉你们这些让我感到伤心，可是……”她停下来，眼光转向史蒂夫的座位，用犀利的目光盯着他的脸。
　　“七年级最聪明的孩子，居然会在我教的科目上不及格！”
　　她盯着史蒂夫，全班同学也都转过头来看着他。史蒂夫低下头，看着自己的指尖。这件事情之后，战争依然继续！史蒂夫还是不肯做作业。即使受到的惩罚更加严厉，他还是坚持如此。
　　“只尝试一下！就一个星期！”他无动于衷。
　　“你非常聪明！你会有很大的变化！”任何话语都奈何不了他。
　　“给自己一个机会！不要放弃自己的生活。”他还是一切照旧。
　　“史蒂夫，求求你。我很关心你！”
　　哇！史蒂夫突然受到了触动！有人关心他？太不可思议了，居然有人关心他？那天下午，史蒂夫心事重重地回家去了。走进屋子之后，他扫视了一下四周，看到父母裸露着身子已经睡了。屋子里的恶臭让人无法忍受！他很快找齐自己的露营装备，拿了一瓶花生酱，一块面包，一瓶水，这次……还有他的课本。他神情严肃，决心已定，朝树林走去。
　　下周一早上，史蒂夫准时到了学校，等着怀特小姐走进教室。怀特小姐神采飞扬地走进来，脸上带着微笑。天哪！她真是太漂亮了！他希望她能对他微笑，但是她没有。怀特小姐很快决定对周末的家庭作业进行测验。史蒂夫飞快地完成了测验，第一个交了卷子。怀特小姐接过他的卷子，满腹狐疑地批阅起来。史蒂夫回到自己的座位上，心里紧张得怦怦直跳。当他坐下来时，忍不住再次看了一眼这位可爱的女士。
　　怀特小姐的脸上完全是一副震惊的表情。她匆忙地瞥了史蒂夫一眼，然后又低下了头，接着又再次抬起头来。突然，她的脸上露出了灿烂的笑容。七年级最聪明的男孩第一次通过了测验！
　　从那一刻起，史蒂夫完全变了一个人。虽然家里的生活还是和从前一样，但他的生活的确发生了变化。他发现自己不但能够学习，而且能够学得很好！他能够理解并牢牢记住知识，还能将学到的知识运用到自己的生活中。史蒂夫开始变得优秀！整个学生生涯，他都在进步。
　　高中毕业后，史蒂夫加入了海军，并且度过了一段精彩的军旅生涯。那段时间，他邂逅了生命中的最爱，有了自己的家庭，并从马尼亚库姆劳德大学毕业。在他的海军生涯中，他的事迹激励了很多年轻人。假如没有他，这些人可能无法意识到自己的价值。从海军退伍之后，史蒂夫开始了第二阶段的职业生涯。作为附近一所大学的副教授，他继续激励着他人。
　　怀特小姐留下了一笔宝贵的财富。她挽救了一个男孩，正是这个男孩使许多其他的生命发生了改变。我知道这些，因为我就是他生命中的最爱。
　　你知道的，完全是一个老师的关心，使一个男孩的内心发生了天翻地覆的变化。
　　The Difference a Teacher Can Make
　　Anonymous
　　Steve, a twelveyearold boy with alcoholic1 parents, was about to be lost forever, by the U.S. education system. Remarkably, he could read, yet, in spite of his reading skills, Steve was failing. He had been failing since first grade, as he was passed on from grade to grade. Steve was a big boy, looking more like a teenager than a twelve year old, yet, Steve went unnoticed... until Miss White came.
　　Miss White was a smiling, young, beautiful redhead, and Steve was in love！For the first time in his young life, he couldn’t take his eyes off his teacher; yet, still he failed. He never did his homework, and he was always in trouble with Miss White. His heart would break under her sharp words, and when he was punished for failing to turn in his homework, he felt just miserable！ Still, he did not study.
　　In the middle of the first semester of school, the entire seventh grade was tested for basic skills. Steve hurried through his tests, and continued to dream of other things, as the day wore on. His heart was not in school, but in the woods, where he often escaped alone, trying to shut out the sights, sounds and smells of his alcoholic home. No one checked on him to see if he was safe. No one knew he was gone, because no one was sober enough to care. Oddly, Steve never missed a day of school.
　　One day, Miss White’s impatient voice broke into his daydreams.
　　“Steve！！” Startled, he turned to look at her.
　　“Pay attention！”
　　Steve locked his gaze on Miss White with adolescent2 adoration, as she began to go over the test results for the seventh grade.
　　“You all did pretty well,” she told the class,“except for one boy, and it breaks my heart to tell you this, but...” She hesitated, pinning Steve to his seat with a sharp stare, her eyes searching his face.
　　“The smartest boy in the seventh grade is failing my class！”
　　She just stared at Steve, as the class spun around for a good look. Steve dropped his eyes and carefully examined his fingertips.
　　After that, it was war！！ Steve still wouldn’t do his homework. Even as the punishments became more severe, he remained stubborn3.
　　“Just try it！ ONE WEEK！” He was unmoved.
　　“You’re smart enough！ You’ll see a change！” Nothing fazed him.
　　“Give yourself a chance！ Don’t give up on your life！” Nothing.
　　“Steve！ Please！ I care about you！”
　　Wow！ Suddenly, Steve got it！！ Someone cared about him？ Someone, totally unattainable and perfect, CARED ABOUT HIM？？！！
　　Steve went home from school, thoughtful, that afternoon. Walking into the house, he took one look around. Both parents were passed out, in various stages of undress, and the stench was overpowering！ He, quickly, gathered up his camping gear, a jar of peanut4 butter, a loaf of bread, a bottle of water, and this time...his schoolbooks. Grim faced and determined, he headed for the woods.
　　The following Monday he arrived at school on time, and he waited for Miss White to enter the classroom. She walked in, all sparkle and smiles！God, she was beautiful！He yearned for her smile to turn on him. It did not.
　　Miss White, immediately, gave a quiz on the weekend homework. Steve hurried through the test, and was the first to hand in his paper. With a look of surprise, Miss White took his paper. Obviously puzzled, she began to look it over. Steve walked back to his desk, his heart pounding within his chest. As he sat down, he couldn’t resist another look at the lovely woman.
　　Miss White’s face was in total shock！She glanced up at Steve, then down, then up. Suddenly, her face broke into a radiant5 smile. The smartest boy in the seventh grade had just passed his first test！
　　From that moment nothing was the same for Steve. Life at home remained the same, but life still changed. He discovered that not only could he learn, but he was good at it！He discovered that he could understand and retain knowledge, and that he could translate the things he learned into his own life. Steve began to excel！And he continued this course throughout his school life.
　　After high school Steve enlisted in the Navy, and he had a successful military career. During that time, he met the love of his life, he raised a family, and he graduated from college Magna Cum Laude. During his naval career, he inspired many young people, who without him, might not have believed in themselves. Steve began a second career after the navy, and he continues to inspire others, as an adjunct6 professor in a nearby college.
　　Miss White left a great legacy. She saved one boy who has changed many lives. I know, because I am the love of his life.
　　You see, it’s simple, really. A change took place within the heart of one boy, all because of one teacher, who cared.
　　不只是一笔奖学金
　　佚名
　　你也许听说过那位密西西比州的妇女奥西奥拉.麦卡蒂。已经88岁高龄的她，曾做了75年的洗衣工。退休后的一天，她去了银行，万分惊奇地发现自己每个月微薄的收入积攒下来已经超过了15万美元。而更令人惊奇的是，她转身就把几乎全部的积蓄15万美元作为奖学金捐给了南密西西比州大学，以帮助经济困难的非洲裔美国学生。于是，她成了全国瞩目的新闻人物。
　　而奥西奥拉的礼物如何影响了我的一生，这是你们从未听说过的。今年19岁的我，是第一位获得奥西奥拉.麦卡蒂奖学金的学生。
　　我是个很执著的人，我最大的心愿就是去南密西西比州大学读书。奖学金是我上学的唯一途径，然而在入学考试中，我因一分之差与奖学金失之交臂。
　　一个星期天，我偶然在报纸上看到了有关奥西奥拉.麦卡蒂和她慷慨捐赠的报道。我拿给妈妈看，我们都认为这是一个壮举。
　　翌日，我就去了经济援助办公室。他们说还是没有可以帮助我的资金，但如果有情况的话，会随时通知我。几天后，我正匆忙出门，准备搭妈妈的车去上班时，电话铃响了。我停下来接电话，听到他们说我被选为奥西奥拉.麦卡蒂奖学金的首位获得者，而此时妈妈还在按着喇叭催我。我感到万分惊喜！我飞快地冲出去告诉了妈妈这个好消息。她为了确认此事，又给办公室打了个电话。
　　初次见到奥西奥拉是在一次新闻发布会上，当时我看到她就仿佛见到了亲人。奥西奥拉从未结婚也没有孩子，从此我家就成了她的家。我奶奶经常和她通电话聊天，一起做事，她也参加我们的家庭活动。
　　一次我们聊到了冰淇淋。我们发现奥西奥拉没吃过多少冰淇淋，于是大家全都挤进车里，去了“乳制品皇后”，为她点了她从未吃过的香蕉圣代！如今她能吃到不同口味的冰淇淋了。
　　奥西奥拉一辈子都很辛苦——从早到晚都在忙着洗衣服。我以前开车去学校时，正好经过她的家。的确，当时我并不知道那是她家，但我注意到她家的草坪保养得很好，而且处处干净整齐。不久前，我问她为何那时从未见过她，她答道：“我猜我一定在后院洗衣服。”
　　如今，奥西奥拉已经退休了。除了去领奖，白天的大多数时间，她都坐在家里读《圣经》。每次我去看她，她都会领一个新奖。她甚至还去过白宫。她如此开心、自豪，却从不傲慢。我们就告诉她去买一台摄像机，这样她就能把节目录下来，在电视上看到她自己——而她只是面带微笑地坐着。
　　奥西奥拉给予我的远远超过了一笔奖学金。从她那里，我学到了付出的可贵。现在，我知道世界上有很多做好事的好人。她一生辛劳，最终却将一切奉献给了他人，接着她也鼓励我在有能力时就要懂得回报。最后，我决定为她的奖学金添补资金。
　　我想给奥西奥拉一个她梦寐以求的家，因此我认她做我的另一位祖母，甚至她也叫我孙女儿。当我大学毕业的时候，她将作为来宾坐在我的母亲和奶奶之间，那是她理所应当坐的位子。
　　■心灵小语
　　在生活中，只要稍稍留意，就可以发现那些最美丽的心灵，他们付出了爱，却从不要求回报；他们把生活的希望带给别人，把奉献的快乐留给了自己。
　　More than a Scholarship
　　Anonymous
　　You may have heard of Osceola McCarty. She’s an 88yearold woman in Mississippi who had worked for over 75 years as a washer woman. One day after she retired, she went to the bank and discovered, to her great surprise, that her meager monthly savings had grown to over $150, 000. Then to everyone’s great surprise, she turned around and donated $150,000—almost all of those savings—to the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) for a scholarship fund for AfricanAmerican students with financial needs. She made national headlines.
　　What you have not heard is how Osceola’s gift had affected my life. I am 19 years old and the first recipient1 of an Osceola McCarty Scholarship.
　　I was a dedicated student, and I had my heart set on going to USM. But I missed being eligible for a regular scholarship by one point on the entrance exams, and a scholarship was the only way I could attend.
　　One Sunday, I came across the story in the paper about Osceola McCarty and her generous gift. I showed my mother the article, and we both agreed it was a great thing to have done.
　　The next day I went to the financial aid office, and they told me there was still no money available for me, but if anything came up they’d call. A few days later, as I was running out the door to catch a ride with my mother to work, the phone rang. I stopped to pick it up, and while I heard my mother honking2 the horn for me to hurry up, they told me I had been chosen to receive the first Osceola McCarty Scholarship. I was ecstatic！ I ran out as fast as I could to tell my mother. She had to call the office again herself to make sure it was true.
　　I first met Osceola at a press conference—meeting her was like finding family. Osceola never married, nor had children, so my family has since become her family. My grandma and she talk on the phone regularly and do errands together, and she joins us for family functions.
　　Once we got round to talking about ice cream. We found out Osceola hadn’t had much experience with ice cream, so we all packed into the car and went to the Dairy Queen, where we ordered Osceola her first banana split！ She has ice cream a lot now.
　　Osceola worked hard her whole life—from early in the morning to sunset—washing clothes by hand. I used to drive right by her house every day on my way to school. Of course, at the time I didn’t know it was her house, but I did notice how well kept the lawn was and how everything was clean and neat. Recently I asked her why I never saw her once in all that time, and she answered, “I guess I was out in back, washing clothes.”
　　Now that Osceola’s retired, she sits most of the day and reads the Bible. That is, when she’s not getting rewards！ Every time I go visit, she has a new award. She’s even gone to the White House. She is so happy and proud, though not at all conceited. We had to talk her into getting a VCR so she could tape the programs and see herself on TV—she just sits and smiles.
　　Osceola gave me much more than a scholarship. She taught me about the gift of giving. Now I know there are good people in the world who do good things. She worked her whole life and gave to others, and in turn she has inspired3 me to give back when I can. Eventually I plan to add to her scholarship fund.
　　I want to give Osceola the family she’s always wanted, so I’ve adopted her as another grandma. She even calls me her granddaughter. And when I graduate from USM, she’ll be sitting in the audience between my mother and my grandmother—right where she belongs.

　你有钱包吗？
　　拉克斯曼.增兰克
　　这是一个发生在我上学时候的故事，它对我的生活产生了巨大的影响。在这个故事中，没有老师的大喊大叫，没有家庭作业，没有考试，甚至没有功课成绩评定。然而，那却是最有成效的教学方法，只有富有爱心的人才能够做到。
　　当发现钱包丢了以后，我说的第一句话就是：“我的钱包！放哪里了？”我回想了好几秒钟，然后才想起是落在图书馆了，而且是图书馆的公共洗手间！当时去洗手间的时候，我还看见它在架子上，我记得很清楚。
　　图书馆现在已经闭馆了，我不得不第二天早晨再去找。第二天一到图书馆，我就看到洗手间里干净明亮，洗手台擦得一尘不染，地板反射出亮光。我仍然记得，那是我第一次痛恨看到洗手间如此干净。我走了出去，看着镜子中的自己，对着面前这个爱忘事的笨蛋摇了摇头。
　　现在，我只能寄望于洗手间的清洁工能够发现钱包了。于是，我向一位坐在前台看书的上了年纪的夫人走去，我表现得很有礼貌。我问她昨天是否有人在洗手间捡到了一个钱包。她并没有立即回答我，直到读到一个认为可以中断的地方。接着，她眯着眼睛，从鼻梁上架着的厚厚的黑框眼镜后面凝视着我。她轻轻地叹了一口气，缓缓地从舒服的座椅上挣扎下来，走进一个门口不见了。片刻之后，她又回到了前台。
　　“没有。”
　　除此之外，她没说其他的。我迅速地向她道谢，然后就走开了。
　　如果我捡到了一个钱包，里面装着60美元、一张电话卡和许多别人无法使用的私人物品，我会怎么办呢？我的钱包已经丢了，最终，我不得不接受这个事实。
　　银行卡和证件挂失一周之后，我收到一个神秘的包裹。我确信那就是我的钱包！而且一件物品也没少，这真是令人惊讶！唯一不同的是，我在钱包的一个夹层里发现一张从来没有见过的折叠起来的黄色小纸条。我慢慢地展开那张纸条，一枚铜质的基督徽章掉落到我的手里。那张纸条上写着这样的话：
　　把这枚徽章永远戴在身上，不管你的宗教信仰是什么。这样，上个星期守护你的天使将会一直伴随你。
　　这个寄包裹的人甚至没有留下地址，因此，我也不知道应该向谁致谢。我感觉到，这是世界上最珍贵的善良之举。
　　自从那天开始，我向自己发誓，无论何时，只要我能够做到，我都会去帮助别人，就像帮助我的那个人一样。我要把那个人当作自己的榜样，并且让别人体会到我打开包裹时的那种喜悦之情。
　　■心灵小语
　　生活是一面镜子，你对它笑，它也会对着你微笑；你对它哭，它也会对着你哭泣。想让别人怎么对待自己，就怎样来对待别人吧。
　　Do You Have Your Wallet？
　　Laksman Frank
　　This is a story about a learning experience that had a big effect on the way that I live my life. The teacher in the story did not scream, assign homework, give me tests or even grade me on my work. I was taught by one of the most effective methods of teaching, one that only people with lots of love can do.
　　“My wallet！ Where is it？” were my first words when I found my wallet was missing. I searched my memory for a few good seconds, then realized that I had left my precious1 wallet at the library. Not only did I leave it at the library, but I had left it in the library’s public restroom！ I distinctly remembered seeing it on the shelf as I went to the bathroom.
　　Because the library was now closed, I had to wait until the next morning to begin my search. When I got there the next day, all I found was a sparkling2 clean restroom, its counters clean and its floors shiny white. This was the first time I could remember ever hating to see a clean bathroom. As I walked out, I looked at myself in the mirror and shook my head at the forgetful fool in front of me.
　　Now all I could hope for was that the person who cleaned the restroom had found my wallet. So I politely approached an old lady reading her book at the front desk. I asked her if a wallet had been found in the bathroom yesterday. She didn’t answer me until she found a good place to pull herself away from her book. Then she peered at3 me from behind the thick black glasses parked on her nose. Letting out a quiet sigh, she slowly struggled out of her comfortable sitting position. She walked through a door and vanished4 for a moment. Then she came back to the desk.
　　“No.”
　　That was that. I quickly thanked her and walked off.
　　I wondered what I would do if I had found a wallet containing sixty dollars, a phone card and many other irreplaceable5 personal items. Finally, I painfully accepted the fact that my wallet was gone.
　　A week later, after I had canceled my bank card and reported my license missing, I received a mysterious package in the mail. Sure enough, it was my wallet！ And most amazingly, nothing was missing！ But something was different about it. There was a little yellow sheet of paper folded up in one of the wallet pockets that had not been there before. I slowly unfolded the paper. Into my hand fell a little copper medallion6 of Christ. The letter read something like this:
　　Always keep this medallion with you, no matter what your religion is, so that the angel that was watching over you last week will always be close.
　　This person didn’t even leave a return address. So I couldn’t thank whoever it was. I felt that this was an act of pure kindness that was extremely rare.
　　From that day on, I promised myself that whenever I am in a situation where I can help others the way that this person helped me,I will follow this example and make them as happy as I was when I opened that package！
　　友好的报答
　　佚名
　　1956年，儿子出生时，我与一位年轻女子共住一间病房，那天，她也生了一个儿子。也许是因为我的父母开花店的缘故吧，我们的病房很快就充满了玫瑰花的馨香。
　　当我第七次收到花束时，我开始不安起来，因为和我同住一屋的安从没收到过。她坐在床边，身子前倾着，欣赏刚刚送来的鲜花。她是个漂亮的少妇，但是，那双褐色的大眼睛里总闪烁着忧郁，让我觉得她经历了太多的人生苦难，年轻的生命有着太多的忧伤，似乎总是只能欣赏别人的花束。
　　“我在这里一直很愉快，”她似乎看出了我的心思，想让我放心，“我能和你住在一起，不是很幸运吗？”
　　不过，我仍觉得有些不安，要是能有一种神奇的按钮，一按就能解除她眼中的忧伤就好了。哦，我想，至少我能让她拥有一些鲜花。那天，父母再来看望我时，我便要他们送安一些花。
　　我和安刚吃完晚饭，鲜花就送来了。
　　“又给你送花来了。”她笑着说。
　　“不，这次不是，”我看着卡片说，“这是给你的！”
　　良久，安凝视着鲜花，用手指轻轻抚摸着浅蓝色的靴形瓷瓶，又温柔地触摸插在瓶中的每一朵娇艳欲滴的玫瑰花，似乎想把这一切深深地铭刻在记忆中。
　　“我该怎么感谢你呢？”她轻声说道。
　　我有些局促不安。这只是我的一点点善意而已。1956年出生的儿子成了我们夫妇的独生子。近21年来，他用爱和欢笑充实了我们的生活，让我们感到心满意足。但是，1977年4月复活节的那个早晨，在与癌症进行了漫长而痛苦地搏斗后，他静静地死在我们怀里。
　　殡仪馆内，我单独与儿子待在一间弥漫着玫瑰花香的屋里。邮递员送来了一小束鲜花，直到后来，我们乘车去公墓的路上，我才看到卡片：“献给约翰.格雷夫斯——与你同天出生在纪念医院的孩子和他的母亲谨上。”
　　这时，我才认出这个靴形瓷瓶是很多年前我送给一位忧郁的年轻女子的。如今它再一次插满了玫瑰。我和安很早以前就失去了联系。她根本不认识我们的儿子，也不知道他得病。她一定是在报纸上看到讣告了，妈妈坐在我身边，我把卡片递给她，她也想起来了。
　　“这是一种友好的报答。”妈妈说。
　　几天后，我和丈夫以及家人去公墓给约翰扫墓。那瓶玫瑰还在高高的花圈和枝丫上放着。
　　“真奇怪，谁会送这些东西作为葬礼，”有人说道，“它看上去像是祝贺新生的。”
　　“它是祝贺新生的，”丈夫静静地说，“约翰诞生在永恒的国度了。”我惊讶地看着他，我知道，他从不坦率谈及此事，说出这话很不容易。
　　他拿出鲜花，递给我那个靴形瓷瓶，我捧着它，就像当年安所做的那样，抚摸着它，思索着它所蕴涵的种种意义，我想，友谊并未随着岁月的流逝而消失；我想起记忆长河中的感激之情；还有更为重要的——新生的希望。此时正是这些在慰藉我们的心灵。
　　■心灵小语
　　真正的感激之情并不会随着岁月的流逝而消失，而是如同当初一样鲜活。文中的两位母亲，在生命的偶然邂逅中真诚地给予对方温暖的慰藉，让彼此受伤的心灵得到了抚慰，重新看到了美好的生活。
　　A Kindness Returned
　　Anonymous
　　At the time my son was born in 1956, I shared a hospital room with a young woman who bore a son on the same day. Partly because my parents owned a shop selling flowers, the room was soon filled with the lovely scent of roses.
　　As the seventh floral arrangement was brought in, I was beginning to feel uncomfortable, for no flowers had arrived for my roommate, Ann. She sat on the edge of her bed and leaned forward to admire the latest bouquet1. She was a pretty young woman, yet there was something about her large, brown eyes that made me think she had known too much struggling, too much sadness for one so young. I had the feeling she had always had to admire someone else’s flowers.
　　“I’m enjoying every minute of this”, she said as though she had read my thoughts and was trying to reassure me. “Wasn’t I the lucky one to get you for a roommate？”
　　I still felt uncomfortable, however. If only there were some magic button I could push to take away the sadness in her eyes. Well, I thought, at least I can see that she has some flowers. When my mother and father came to see me that day, I asked them to send her some.
　　The flowers arrived just as Ann and I were finishing supper.
　　“Another bouquet for you,” she said, laughing.
　　“No, not this time,” I said, looking at the card. “These are for you.”
　　Ann stared at the blossoms a long time, not saying anything. She ran her fingers across the paleblue ceramic2 bootee and lightly touched each of the sweetheart roses nestled inside as though trying to engrave them on her memory.
　　“How can I ever thank you？” she said softly.
　　I was almost embarrassed. It was such a little kindness on my part. The son born to my husband and me that day in 1956 turned out to be our only child. For nearly 21 years he filled our lives with love and laughter, making us feel complete. But on Easter morning in April 1977, after a long, painful battle with cancer, he died quietly in our arms.
　　At the funeral home I was alone with my son in a room filled with the scent of roses, when a delivery man brought in a tiny bouquet. I didn’t read the card until later, as we rode to the cemetery. “To W. John Graves,” the card said, “from the boy who was born with you at Memorial Hospital, and his mother.”
　　Only then did I recognize the ceramic bootee I had given to a sad young woman so many years ago, now once again filled with roses. Ann and I had 1ong since lost touch. She had never known our son, never been aware of his illness. She must have read the notice of his death in a newspaper. I passed the card on to my mother sitting beside me. She, too, remembered.
　　“A kindness returned,” Mother said.
　　A few days later, my husband and I, with several members of our family, went to the cemetery to clear John’s grave. The bootee of roses sat at its foot, towered over by tall wreaths3 and sprays.
　　“How strange that anyone would send something like that to a funeral,” someone said. “It seems more appropriate for a birth.”
　　“There was a birth,” said my husband quietly. “John was born into Eternal Life.” I looked at him with surprise, knowing those words were difficult for a man who had never spoken openly about such matters.
　　He emptied out the flowers and handed me the ceramic bootee. I held it and, just as Ann had done, I traced it with my fingers, thinking of all the messages it contained: the embers of friendship that glow through the years, gratitude remembered and, beneath it all, the promise of resurrection, which comforts us now.
　　将爱放飞 令爱永存
　　佚名
　　从前，有个孤独的女孩非常渴望得到爱。一天，她在丛林中漫步，发现两只快要饿死的鸟儿。她把它们带回家，放进一个小鸟笼里。在她细心照顾下，鸟儿逐渐强壮起来。每天早晨，鸟儿都用美妙的歌声向她道早安。女孩不禁对这两只小鸟产生了深深的爱意。
　　一天，女孩把鸟笼的门打开了。那只又大又壮的鸟儿飞了出去。女孩很担心它会飞走，再也不回来了。于是当鸟儿飞近时，她拼命抓住它。她非常高兴，鸟儿终于又抓了回来。突然，她感觉鸟儿有些软弱无力。松开手，她诧异地发现鸟儿死在她的手中。是她极端的爱害死了鸟儿。
　　她发现另一只鸟儿在笼里扇动着翅膀扑来扑去。她感受得到它也十分向往自由，渴望飞向湛蓝的天空。她把它从笼中拿起，轻轻地抛向空中。鸟儿盘旋了好几圈，才肯离去。
　　看到鸟儿欢快的样子，女孩高兴极了。她的内心不再关心自己的得失。她希望鸟儿幸福。突然，鸟儿飞近了，轻轻落在她的肩头，鸣唱起她从没听过的动人曲调。
　　牢牢地将爱握于手心只会更快地失去爱；赋予爱一双翅膀，将它放飞，才会令爱永存！
　　■心灵小语
　　爱，并不代表紧紧地抓在手中，而是给予广阔的空间，让其自由地飞翔，快乐地歌唱。这样的爱才能带来真正的幸福，才能成为一道永恒的美丽景色！
　　Let Go Love
　　Anonymous
　　There was once a lonely girl who longed so much for love. One day while she was walking in the woods she found two starving songbirds. She took them home and put them in a small cage. She cared them with love and the birds grew strong. Every morning they greeted1 her with a wonderful song. The girl felt great love for the birds.
　　One day the girl left the door to the cage open. The larger and stronger of the two birds flew from the cage. The girl was so frightened that he would fly away. As he flew close, she grasped him wildly. Her heart felt glad at her success in capturing2 him. Suddenly she felt the bird go limp. She opened her hand and stared in horror at the dead bird. Her desperate love had killed him.
　　She noticed the other bird moving back and forth on the edge of the cage. She could feel his great need for freedom. He needed to soar into the clear, blue sky. She lifted him from the cage and tossed him softly into the air. The bird circled once, twice, three times.
　　The girl watched delightedly at the bird’s enjoyment. Her heart was no longer concerned with her loss. She wanted the bird to be happy. Suddenly the bird flew closer and landed softly on her shoulder. He sang the sweetest melody3 that she had ever heard.
　　The fastest way to lose love is to hold on it too tight, the best way to keep love is to give it wings！
　　嗨，护士……谢谢你
　　佚名
　　“嗨，护士！”
　　从254号病房传来一个男人高亢而粗犷的声音。刚结束特护区一天繁忙的工作，我抄近路从自动测量技术传导室经过。这些都不是我的病人，因此，我继续走我的路。
　　“嘿，金发女孩。”
　　我停住脚步，环顾一下四周。除了我，附近并没有其他护士。于是，我走到254号病房门口，往里看了一眼，发现一个高大的男人坐在床上，他有一张方方正正的脸，神色非常友善。我还没来得及开口，他就说道：“还记得我吗？在四楼病房里，你照顾过我。”
　　“先生，不好意思，我在特护区工作。您可能认错人了。”
　　我微笑着祝他下午愉快，然后转身要离开。他粗犷的声音再次让我停住脚步。
　　“等一下，”他打了个响指，“你叫……噢，让我想想……”
　　我转过身来，他正看着天花板，脸上带着浅浅的笑容。不一会儿，他转过头来看着我。
　　“你叫杰姬，对吧？扎着长长的马尾辫，金黄的头发，对不对？”
　　我愣了一下，很吃惊。
　　“你说得很对。”说着，我低头看了一眼胸前，看看姓名标牌取下了没有（已经摘下了）。我又用手摸了摸后脑勺，发辫已经挽成髻紧紧盘在脑后了。于是，我仔细地看着他的脸，想从中寻找某些显著特征勾起我的记忆。他有着一双蓝色的眼睛，冷静而明亮，花白的卷发勾勒出他的面部轮廓。
　　“对不起，我没在四楼工作，我印象中也没你这个人。”
　　“杰姬，不要紧。能再次见到你，我真的很开心。三个星期前，你来过我的病房。那时，我的心脏停止了跳动，你把那些控制手柄放在我胸口。我记得，当时你大叫着要每个人都做好准备，那些听起来好像是专业术语。后来，你拿起这些控制手柄电击我的胸口，我又活了过来。”
　　我突然想了起来。那天，我要取一个编码（至于什么编码，我忘记了），就来到他的病房。当时，他的病情十分危急——毫无知觉，瞳孔放大，脸色青紫。
　　“谁告诉你那天是我救了你呢？”我的好奇心油然而生，又走进他的房间。
　　他笑了笑，又抬头看着天花板。
　　“没人告诉我。我是从天花板上看见的。所以，我知道你梳着长长的金色马尾辫。就在你转头看监控器时，我看到了你漂亮的脸蛋。能再次见到你，我真的很高兴。”
　　他看着我，脸上的微笑不见了。我能看得出他正竭力控制自己的感情。
　　“我想向你道谢，真的很感谢你……”
　　现在，我每次经过254号病房时，内心总会涌起一股暖流。那天抄近路经过这里真是一个明智的选择，同时，我也庆幸自己对“嗨，护士”的叫声做出了回应。
　　■心灵小语
　　一些看似不经意的小事，有时会成为别人心中永恒的温暖。尽管生活忙忙碌碌，但偶尔驻足或是稍稍改变一下方向，这个举动或许就会成就别人或自己心中永远美丽的瞬间。
　　Hey, Nurse...Thanks  
　　Anonymous
　　“Hey, nurse！”
　　A man’s voice, loud and gruff, was coming from room 254. I was taking a shortcut through the telemetry unit after another busy day in the critical care unit. These weren’t my patients, so I kept going.
　　“Yo, blondie.”
　　I stopped and looked around. No other nurses were in sight, so I went to the doorway of room 254 and glanced in. A large man with a big, friendly face was sitting up in the bed. He spoke before I had a chance to open my mouth. “Do you remember me？ You were my nurse on the fourth floor.”
　　“I’m sorry, sir, but I work in the critical1 care unit. You must have me confused with someone else.”
　　I smiled, wished him a good afternoon and turned to go on my way. His booming voice stopped me again.
　　“No, wait a minute.” He started snapping his fingers. “Your name is... oh, let me think...”
　　I turned around to see him looking up at the ceiling, a half smile on his face. Then he looked back at me.
　　“Jackie, right？ You’ve got a long blonde ponytail, don’t you？”
　　I was dumb founded.
　　“Yes.” I said, peeking at my chest to make sure I’d taken off my name tag. (I had.) I reached back and touched the tightly braided2 bun on the back of my head. Then I studied his face, looking for something that might trigger my memory. His eyes were cool, blue and shiny. Curly saltandpepper hair framed his face.
　　“I’m sorry. I don’t work on the fourth floor, and I just don’t remember you.”
　　“That’s all right, Jackie. I’m just glad I got to see you again. You came into my room about three weeks ago. My heart stopped dead on me and you put those paddles3 on my chest. I remember you shouting out all these technical sounding words, telling everybody to clear the way. Then you took those paddles and you shocked me back to life.”
　　Suddenly it dawned on me: I had been in his room for a code I’d forgotten about. He was a different person then—unresponsive, with dilated pupils and a red and blue face.
　　“Who told you I helped you that day？” I asked, my curiosity pulling me into his room.
　　He laughed and looked back up at the ceiling.
　　“Nobody told me. I was up on that ceiling there watching you. That’s how I saw your long, blonde ponytail. And when you turned to look at the monitor4, I saw your beautiful face. I’m so glad I got to see you again.”
　　He looked down at me, his smile gone. I could see he was struggling with his emotions.
　　“I wanted to say thanks. Thanks so much...”
　　Every time I pass room 254 now, a warm feeling wells up inside me. I am grateful for the shortcut I took that day, and for the fact that I answered the call of “Hey, nurse！”
　　情暖今生
　　茹涅.吉尔
　　在雄伟的纽约医院。午夜早已过去，我站在九楼病房的窗前，身上裹着暖和的羊毛大衣，默默地凝视着窗外的第59街大桥。它如同圣诞树般闪烁着美丽的光芒。对我而言，纽约城永远都是那么特别，有百老汇大剧院、音乐以及形形色色、不同档次的餐馆。“这个城市本就应该是这样。”我想着，早晨的到来和其伴随的未知状况使我惊恐不安。然而早晨终究来临，那天是3月17日。上午九点，我被推进手术室。再次被推回疗养室时，已经过去11个小时零45分钟了。没过几个小时，我就被送回自己的病房。我发现自己居然可以站起来，并可以在家人和医疗器械的帮助下行走。遵医嘱，我要在医院的长廊里走上一个往返。
　　那是我第一次见到他。由于药物和疼痛的影响，我看着他，感觉一切模糊而毫无真实感。他站在一间病房门口。在我模糊的眼中，他不像是一个完整的人影，而是如鬼魂一般。然而，不知何故，我还是从这个身影的肢体语言中感受到了他对我的同情和鼓励。
　　接下来的三周，在走廊里行走成了我每日的例行功课。我的力气稍微恢复后，每次在一两个家人的帮助下穿过走廊时，他都会站在那里，微笑着向我点头。第四周时，我可以独立在走廊中走了。当我走过他的房间时，我看到那位忠实的朋友就站在门口。他肤色较暗，身材瘦削。我停下来与他攀谈起来。他向我介绍了他的妻儿，他的儿子正虚弱地躺在病床上。次日，我照常进行练习，他走出病房，陪我走到我房间。他解释说，他和妻子带着年轻的孩子从伊朗充满希望地来到这家医院。他们依然充满希望，但情况并未好转。他告诉我，在我手术后的那个难熬的夜晚，我努力行走的情形，深深地鼓舞了他，他也在默默地支持我。之后的三周里，我们常常聊天，相互关心鼓励。他说看到我的家人都在关心支持我，感到很开心。而每当我想到他们这个小家庭远离家乡的孤独时，总会悲伤不已。
　　难以置信的是，有一天，医生对我说，明天就可以出院了。晚上我把这个消息告诉了我的朋友。次日早晨，他来到我的房间。其实，那天我起得很早，并换好了衣服。鲜亮的黄色衣服给了我希望，看起来总算有了人样。我们聊了一会儿。我告诉他我会为他的儿子祈祷。他谢过我，却满是绝望地耸了耸肩。我们都明白永远不会再见到对方了。悲伤的他也为我感到开心。我感受到了他的这份关爱。他握着我的手说：“你就像是我的妹妹。”我回答说：“你就是我的哥哥。”之后，他转身离开了。
　　家人来接我时，医生和护士们都向我道别并千叮咛万嘱咐出院后的注意事项。一切都很顺利。七个半星期前，我惶恐不安地走进了医院的病房，而如今，我终于离开了这里。
　　沿着走廊向电梯走去时，我看到我哥哥就站在病房门口，微笑着向我点点头，传达着他的祝福。
　　14年前的今天，也就是1990年3月17日，我走进了手术室。而自从我和哥哥最后一次见面后，世界发生了翻天覆地的变化。但我依然常常想起他，我相信我一直在他心里，而他也永远在我的心中。我仍记得他那充满热情的深褐色眼睛，以及我们曾许下要成为兄妹的诺言。那一瞬间，我深信圣灵就徘徊在我们身边，微笑着点头，将祝福赐予我们，因为他明白我们不分彼此。
　　这些年来，多少次，我都在深思，为什么人在最脆弱时所认识的朋友会是最亲密的，或是会与对方有如此紧密的联系。我想那是因为当我们面临失业、危及生命的疾病或无论多大的灾祸时，都会放弃所有的自负，向身边的人敞开心扉，接受他人的关爱和善意——就像孩子般无忧无虑，并满怀感激地接受爱。这种爱无种族、肤色、信仰之分，因为它，那双深褐色的眼睛与这双蓝色的眼睛相遇，并许下了永远相互关爱的诺言。
　　■心灵小语
　　本文的主人公在最脆弱的时候得到了一位陌生人的鼓励，而倍加坚信自己会康复。她的这种精神从而又鼓舞了那位陌生人，这种互相关心、互相鼓励之情深深扎根在主人公的心里，并对这位陌生人的祝福和帮助心怀感激。
　　The Gift
　　Junie Girl
　　It was well after midnight, wrapped in my warm fleecy robe I stood silently staring out the ninth floor window of the daunting New York hospital. I was staring at the 59th Street Bridge. It was as sparkling and beautiful as a Christmas tree. New York city has always been special to me： the Broadway theatre, the music, the restaurants from the deli’s to the TavernOntheGreen. “This is what the city is supposed to be about,” I thought, dreading the morning to come and all the uncertainty it held. But the morning did come and at nine a.m. on that March 17th, I was wheeled into an operating room. Eleven hours and fortyfive minutes later I was wheeled into a recovery room, and a very few hours after being returned to my own hospital room, I found myself actually on my feet, half walking, half propelled by medical equipment and members of my family. The orders were to walk the length and back of the long hospital corridor.
　　It was then that I first saw him. I saw him through a haze of drugs, pain and the dreamy unreality that this could be happening to me. He was standing in the doorway of a hospital room. In my twilight, unfocused state I saw him almost as a spirit shape rather than a full blown person. Yet the body language of this shape was somehow sending out sympathy and encouragement to me.
　　This became my daily routine for the next three weeks. As I gained a little more strength the man would be standing in the doorway, smiling and nodding as I would pass with one or more members of my family. On the fourth week I was allowed to solo up the corridor. As I passed his room, there was my faithful friend in the doorway. He was a slender dark complexioned man. I stopped a minute to chat. He introduced me to his wife, and his son who was lying listlessly in a hospital bed. The next day as I made my scheduled walk, he came out and walked with me to my room. He explained that he and his wife had brought their teenage son to this hospital of hope from Iran. They were still hoping, but things were not going well. He told me of how I had encouraged him on that first dreadful night’s walking tour and how he was rooting for me. For three more weeks we continued our conversations—each giving the other the gift of caring and friendship. He told me of how he enjoyed seeing my family as they rallied around me and I was saddened by the loneliness of that small family so far from home.
　　Miraculously, there did come a day when the doctor told me I would be discharged the following morning. That night I told my friend. The next morning he came to my room. I had been up and dressed since dawn. My bright yellow dress gave me hope and I almost looked human. We talked a bit. I told him I would pray for his son. He thanked me but shrugged his shoulders, indicating the hopelessness. We knew we would never see each other again in this world. This man in his sorrow was so happy for me. I felt his love. He took my hand and said, “You are my sister.” I answered back and said, “You are my brother.” He turned and left the room.
　　My family came to retrieve me. Doctors and nurses to say their goodbyes and give orders. All business had been taken care of. After seven and a half weeks I was leaving the hospital room I had walked into with so much trepidation.
　　As I turned to walk down the corridor to the elevator, my brother stood in the doorway, smiling, nodding and giving his blessing.
　　It was 14 years ago today on March 17th 1990 that I entered that operating room and much has happened to the world since my brother and I said our last farewell. Yet I think of him often and he is always in my heart as I feel I am in his. I remember his intense, dark brown eyes as we pledged ourselves as brother and sister. At that moment, I knew without a doubt that the Spirit of God hovered over us smiling, nodding and blessing us with the knowledge that we are all one.
　　Many times I have pondered over the years why we humans meet our dearest friends or bond so deeply with another person when we are most vulnerable. I think it is because when we face a life threatening illness, job loss, whatever the catastrophe may be; we are left completely without any pretension and our hearts and souls are open to those around us and we are able to accept the love and kindnesses of others—almost as freely and thankfully as children accept love. This kind of love is blind to race, color and creed and leads to a pair of dark brown eyes seeking a pair of very blue eyes and pledging a love that will last through time.

　信守诺言
　　埃德.库克
　　5岁的时候，我吃到了生平第一块巧克力。它那甜美的味道、丝滑的感觉是我永远也不能忘记的。第二次世界大战期间，当俄军横扫西部向纳粹德国进军时，我们全家当时住在立陶宛的陶拉盖镇。镇上的很多村民都慌忙逃命去了。
　　混乱中，我与12岁的姐姐伊丽特和3岁的弟弟约瑟夫一起在火车站附近站着，那里有一趟开往德国的列车正准备出站。
　　那趟火车只允许携家带口的人上车。就在火车要出站的时候，一个单身的女人朝我们走来。“我会照看他的。”她对伊丽特说。在火车离开前她把我拉到了车上。整个旅途中，我都在哭喊着要妈妈。
　　最后，我们抵达汉堡。遭到轰炸的街道上尸体遍布。现在，那个女人已经逃离了陶拉盖，我便再也没有利用价值了。就像那个饱经战乱的城市中成千上万的其他孩子一样，我在街上过起了流浪的生活，靠偷东西来维持生存。我骨瘦如柴，快要饿死了。
　　后来，美军占领了汉堡。美国士兵看上去是那样高大、健康。从他们眼皮底下偷东西吃是很容易的事。我溜进脏乱的食堂，藏在一张桌子底下，然后带着新鲜的长条面包离开。
　　一天下午，为了寻找食物，我潜藏在一个肮脏的帐篷附近，这时有一只大手抓住我的衣领把我拎了起来。原来是一个美国士兵。“抓到你了！”他喊道。
　　我害怕极了，可以看出我的恐惧也令他局促不安。他说：“不要紧，孩子。”他把手伸到破旧的上衣口袋，递给我一块巧克力：“给你，尝一点儿吧。”我剥开巧克力，咬了一小口，那感觉就像进入了天堂。
　　这个士兵把我和其他一些无家可归的孩子送到孤儿院，是由红十字会组织成立的。4年后，我被转移到美国的一家孤儿院。随后，又被一家居于宾夕法尼亚州姓唐纳森的家庭领养。和第一次吃巧克力时的感觉一样，我仿佛进入了天堂。后来，我参了军，根据《美国退伍军人法案》上了大学，最后拿到了医院社会工作专业的硕士学位。我祈祷说，上帝啊，我要报答所有帮助过我的人。
　　于是，1983年，我到退伍军人事务处做了一名医务顾问，专门治疗那些患上战后紧张综合征的退伍军人。
　　患病的士兵们坐在我的办公室里，怀疑我怎么会理解他们，怎么能帮助他们减轻痛苦。“你知道生活在恐惧中的感觉吗？”一位海军士兵问我。在一场战役中，他们整整一个排的战士都死了，当时悲惨的场面至今还折磨着他。
　　每当这个时候，我都会告诉他们我的故事，讲述那位上帝派来营救我的美国士兵。
　　我说：“我从来都不知道他的名字。但我记住了他的大恩大德。”然后，我会打开办公桌上一个装满美味巧克力的抽屉，拿出巧克力来请他们品尝。
　　■心灵小语
　　一个人的一生不会是一帆风顺的，必定会有一些曲曲折折、沟沟坎坎。不管你经历了惊涛骇浪，还是小小的考验，只要活下来就是幸运的，离幸福也只有一步之遥。带着一颗感恩的心，去生活、去与人交往，坚持自己心中的梦想与承诺，就定能为他人带去一点快乐、给自己心灵一丝安慰、体现自身的一种独特价值。
　　A Promise Kept
　　Ed Cook
　　I had my first chocolate bar at five years old. I’ll never forget the delicious, comforting taste. But the circumstances were anything but sweet. It was World War Ⅱ. I lived with my family in the Lithuanian town of Taurage when the Russian army swept west toward Nazi Germany. Many people in our village fled in panic1.
　　In the confusion, I stood with my twelveyearold sister Elyte, and my threeyearold brother Joseph, near the railroad station, where a train bound for Germany waited.
　　Only families were allowed to board the train. Just before departure, a woman traveling alone approached us. “I’ll take care of him,” she told Elyte, and pulled me onto the train as it left the station. The entire trip I cried for my Motina, my mother.
　　We arrived in Hamburg. Corpses littered the bombedout streets. Now that the woman had escaped Taurage she had no more use for me. I lived on the streets, like thousands of other children in that wartorn city. I survived by stealing food. Still,  there was never enough. I was skin and bones, close to starving.
　　Then the American occupation troops arrived. They looked so big and healthy. Filching food from them was a cinch2. I’d slip into the mess hall, hide under a table and make off with loaves of fresh bread.
　　One afternoon as I lurked around a mess tent in search of food, a huge hand lifted me up by the collar. An American soldier. “Got ya！” He shouted.
　　I was scared, and I could see it upset him. “It’s okay, kid,” he said. He reached into his fatigue jacket and handed me a chocolate bar.  “Here, have some of this.” I unwrapped it and took a small bite. I thought I’d gone to heaven.
　　The soldier took me and some other homeless children to an orphanage3 run by the Red Cross. Four years later I was transferred to an orphanage in America. Soon after, a family who lived in Donaldson, Pennsylvania, adopted me. Again, as with that first taste of chocolate, it was as if I’d gone to heaven. Later, I joined the Army, then attended college under the GI Bill. Eventually I earned a master’s degree in clinical social work. God, I want to pay back all the people who were so good to me, I prayed.
　　So in 1983 I went to work for the Department of Veteran Affairs as a clinical counselor, treating veterans who suffer from posttraumatic4 stress syndrome5.
　　The troubled soldiers sit in my office and wonder how I can possibly understand them or help ease their pain. “What do you know about living with terror？” Asked one Marine, who still was tormented by the image of a platoon member being killed in a battle.
　　That is when I tell them my story, and about the GI god sent to save my life.
　　“I never did learn his name, but I remember his kindness,” I say. And then I open a drawer in my desk that is always full and offer them some chocolate.
　　我爱您，妈妈
　　詹尼弗.克拉克
　　“我爱您，妈妈。明天见。”每天在跟妈妈吻别的时候，我都会说这些话。我认识的大多数女孩在跟妈妈说再见的时候，都不会告诉妈妈自己爱她。可是，我不像她们。
　　还是个婴儿的时候，我就被一对有爱心的人收养了，他们愿意把我带到他们的家里。他们不仅成为了我的父母，也成为了我最好的朋友。当我渐渐长大，我知道了我的生母怀我的时候还很年轻，没有能力抚养我。我能理解这些，并且对这一切充满了感激。毕竟，我最终遇上了一对互敬互爱的人，而且他们爱我。3年后，这对夫妇又收养了另外一个孩子——洛里。
　　直到9岁，我才知道为什么我的父母没要一个他们自己的孩子。那时，爸爸解释说他们尝试过很多次，但是都没有成功。妈妈患有糖尿病是其中的一部分原因。那时我还很年轻，不能真正理解那意味着什么。我渐渐长大，看到妈妈为自己打针，我不明白为什么只有她一个人这样做。每天我看到的都是一个坚强、美丽、健康，一生都在帮助别人的女人。
　　我13岁的时候，一切都改变了。
　　首先是从妈妈脚趾上的一个小水疱开始的。或许，这看上去没什么大不了的，但是最终的结果却是妈妈失去了一个脚趾。不久之后，妈妈又得了中风，而就在她中风刚好时，她又不得不接受一条腿被切除的手术。
　　这一切仅仅在3年之内全部发生了。我们家为此付出的代价简直难以置信。妈妈在5家医院进进出出，每家医院都竭尽全力帮助她恢复健康。有时妈妈会在家里住上几个月，但是这期间总会有一些不妙的事情发生。假日里，爸爸、妹妹和我就在医院的病房里陪她。有一年的感恩节，我们还在医院里一起吃火鸡；还有一年的圣诞节，我们把所有的礼物都带到医院，让她看着我们把礼物打开。
　　我绞尽脑汁想要使她感觉舒服一点，但是一切努力都是徒劳。在家里，照看小妹妹成了我的工作，同时我还要打扫房间、洗衣服、做饭。我觉得这对我不公平，便迁怒于爸爸。我所有的朋友都能在周五晚上出去玩，而我却不得不待在家里，充当“妈妈”的角色，我讨厌这个事实。
　　妈妈躺在医院的病床上，我还要去上学，这对我来说就更困难了。我现在才只有16岁。幸运的是，妈妈出席了我的生日聚会，而且我永远也不会忘记，当我拥抱她的时候，我们母女泪流满面的情景。我至今都对与妈妈在一起的那一刻充满着感激，因为那是4年来，我所见到的妈妈最开心的时刻。
　　但是快乐的日子再一次变成了悲伤。6月15日，我没去上学，而是留在家里照顾她。她再一次住进了医院。刚一开始，没有人能想到她出现了什么问题。妈妈在重症特护病房里一连待了一星期。后来她开始好起来，但是7月10日，她的病情又变得很严重，到11日时，她已徘徊在生死线上。
　　病情越来越难处理。每一次当她濒临死亡时，她都能起死回生，甚至显得更好些。
　　当医生们最终找到了她病情恶化的原因后，他们为她做了肾透析。似乎透析很有效果，8月17日，我们去医院看望她时，她的状况非常好。我离开的时候，吻了她，并对她说：“我爱您，妈妈。明天见。”
　　第二天早上6点30分，我们接到医院的电话，被告知妈妈于昨晚去世了。
　　今天，妈妈离开我们已经一年多了，我与爸爸和妹妹的关系变得更加亲密。在接过了家庭责任的同时，我还因为妈妈得到了别人的尊敬。我仍然不能明白，妈妈是怎样完成她所有的事业的。
　　身为养女，我并不想找到自己的生身父母。我曾有过的父母才是我唯一需要的父母。他们教育我要坚强，要按照自己的心意做事。看着妈妈笑对痛苦，我懂得了，我可以成就任何事。我知道，妈妈正陪我一起走过生命中这段重要时光，她会引领我朝正确的方向前进。
　　“谢谢您，妈妈！我爱您，明天见。”
　　■心灵小语
　　有人说，人是为死而生的。然而我觉得，人是为爱而生的。成长的路上，曲曲折折总少不了真爱，亲人的、朋友的、陌生人的……父母的、手足的、爱人的、子女的……从此刻开始，留心身边的真爱吧，不要等到失去后，在绝望中再去回忆。
　　I Love You，Mom
　　 Jennifer Clarke
　　“I love you, Mom. See you tomorrow.” I said these words every day as I kissed my mom goodbye. Most girls I know don’t tell their mothers they love them when they say goodbye. But I wasn’t like girls I knew.
　　As a baby, I was adopted by two loving people who were willing to take me into their home. They became not only my parents, but also my best friends. As I was growing up, I learned that my birth mother was very young when she had me and wasn’t able to care for me. I understood and was thankful. After all, I ended up with two people who loved each other very much, and also loved me. Three years later, they adopted another baby, Lori.
　　Until I was nine, I didn’t understand why my parents didn’t have any children of their own. Then my father explained that they had tried many times, but they were unsuccessful. Part of the reason was that my mom had diabetes. Since I was young, I didn’t really understand what that meant. As I was growing up, I would see my mom give herself shots and wonder why she was the only one who had to do that. All I saw every day was a strong, beautiful, healthy woman, who spent her life helping people.
　　When I was thirteen, everything changed.
　　It started with a tiny blister on my mom’s toe. This may seem like no big deal, but she ended up losing her toe. Soon she suffered a stroke, and just as she began to recover from that, her leg had to be amputated.
　　This all took place over three years. The toll this took on my family was unbelievable. My mom was in and out of five hospitals, each doing their best to help her. Sometimes she was home for a few months, but something always seemed to go wrong. When the holidays came, my father, my sister and I spent the day in her hospital room. One Thanksgiving we ate turkey there, and another Christmas we brought all our presents to the hospital so she could see us open them.
　　I tried my hardest to make her feel better, but nothing helped. At home, taking care of my little sister became my iob, along with cleaning the house, doing the laundry and cooking the meals. I thought it was unfair, and took it out on my father.  I hated the fact that all my friends went out on Friday nights, while I had to stay home and play “Mommy”.
　　It was even harder for me to go to school while my mom was lying in the hospital. By now, I was sixteen. Luckily she was there for my birthday party, and I’ll never forget hugging her as tears fell down both our faces. I’m still thankful for that moment with my mother because it was the happiest I had seen her in four years.
　　But, once again, the happy days became sad. On June 15, I stayed home from school to take care of her. Once again she was admitted to the hospital. At first, no one could figure out what was wrong. She remained in intensive care for a week. She began to do better. Then on July 10 she became very sick, and on the eleventh she almost died.
　　It was getting harder and harder to deal with. Every time she got really sick, she would always come back and do even better.
　　When the doctors finally realized why she was so sick, they put her on dialysis, a treatment for her kidneys. It seemed to work. On August 17, we visited her and she was doing extremely well. When I left, I kissed her and said, “I love you, Mom. See you tomorrow.”
　　At 6：30 the next morning we receeived a call telling us she had passed away during the night.
　　Today, a little over a year since my mom left, I am closer to my father and sister. And along with accepting my family responsibilities, I have gained respect for my mom. I still don’t understand how she managed to accomplish all she did.
　　As for being adopted, I have no desire to find my real parents. The ones I have had are the only ones I’ll ever need. They taught me to be strong and follow my heart. Watching my mom smile through all her pain taught me that I can accomplish anything. I know she’s with me through this important time in my life, and she’ll guide me in the right direction.
　　“Thank you, Mom！ I love you and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
　　她未曾放弃我
　　金伯利.安妮.布兰德
　　我躺在地板上，疯狂地蹬腿和狂叫，直到声音嘶哑，这都是因为我的养母非要我把玩具收起来。
　　“我恨你。”我尖叫着，当时我六岁，不明白我为什么那么生气。
　　我两岁时被人收养。生母不能给予我们姐妹六人所需要的照顾。我们也不能靠父亲或是其他人来照料，于是我们被送到不同的养父母家里。我感到孤独、烦恼，不知道怎么跟别人诉说我内心的伤痛。发脾气成了我宣泄情感的唯一途径。
　　因为我很调皮，最终，我现在的养母又把我送回了收养所，正如我先前的那位母亲一样。我觉得自己确实是一个最不可爱的女孩。
　　于是，我见到凯特.麦肯。那时我七岁，她来看我时，我正跟我的第三任养父母住在一起。养母告诉我，凯特单身，想收养一个孩子，我不知道她会选择我。我无法想象有人会愿意让我跟他们永远生活在一起。
　　那天，凯特带着我去了南瓜农场。我们玩得很快乐，但我没想到能再次见到她。
　　几天过去了，一位社工到家里说，凯特想收养我。于是她问我是否介意住在单亲家庭。
　　“我就是想要一个爱我的人。”我回答。
　　第二天，凯特来看我。她解释说正式的收养手续要一年时间，但是我可以很快就搬过去。我有些激动而又害怕。我想知道她在了解我之后，是否会改变主意。
　　凯特感觉到了我的恐惧。“我知道你受过伤，”她说着抱住了我。“我知道你很恐惧，但是我发誓决不会赶你走。现在我们是一家人了。”
　　出乎我的意料，她的眼中充满泪水。忽然我意识到，她跟我一样寂寞！
　　“嗯……妈妈。”我叫道。
　　后来的几个星期里，我见过了我的新祖父母、姑妈、叔叔和堂兄妹们。我感觉很滑稽，但是很好，那么多人拥抱我，他们好像已经爱上我了。
　　当我搬到妈妈家时，第一次有了自己的房间。墙纸和配套的床单、古老的梳妆台和大衣橱。我的棕色纸箱里，只有很少的几件衣服，“不用担心，”妈妈说，“我会买许多新的东西给你。”
　　我睡了，整晚都睡得很舒服。我祈求上帝不要让我离开这儿。
　　妈妈为我做了许多美好的事。她带我去教堂、给我买宠物、带我骑马、上钢琴课。每天，她都告诉我她爱我。但是爱还不足以抚慰我的伤痛。我一直等着她改变主意，“如果我做的事足够坏，她也会像过去的那些人一样抛弃我的。”
　　所以我努力在她伤害我之前先伤害她。我为了一些小事而吵闹，一不顺心就发脾气。我猛地关上门。如果妈妈试图阻拦，我就打她。但是她从未失去耐心。她拥抱我，告诉我无论怎样，她都爱我。当我发狂般胡闹时，她就让我在蹦床上跳。
　　但是，由于我忙于搬往她家，跟她一起住，所以功课落下了，妈妈对家庭作业要求很严格。一天，当我正在看电视时，她进来关了电视。“做完功课再看。”她说。我一下子火了，把书全都扔到了地上。“我讨厌你，我要离开这里！”我狂喊着。
　　我等她说让我离开。但是她没有，我问：“你为什么不赶我走？”
　　“我是不喜欢你的行为，”她说，“但我是不会赶你走的。我们是一家人，一家人就不能抛弃对方。”
　　她的话深深触动了我。这个妈妈不同，她是不会赶我走的。她是真的爱我。我意识到我也爱她。我哭了，抱住了她。
　　1985年，妈妈正式收养了我，我们一家人在饭店好好庆祝了一下。我感到自己已经是他们中的一员了，但还是有些恐惧。妈妈会永远爱我吗？我的臭脾气不会马上消失的。但是几个月过去了，我真的很少发火了。
　　现在，我已经16岁了。功课水平已经达到3.4级了，有了匹叫“短剑”的马、四只猫、一条狗、六只鸽子和一只养在后院池塘的牛蛙。我有一个梦想：想成为一名兽医。
　　我喜欢和妈妈一起做事，喜欢购物和骑马。当有人说我们长得像时，我们都笑了。他们不相信她并不是我的生母。
　　现在，我比想象中的还要开心。当我长大以后，我要结婚生子，但是如果不能实现，我也会像妈妈那样收养一个。我会选择一个恐惧而寂寞的孩子，决不放弃她。我也要感谢妈妈，因为她从未抛弃我。
　　■心灵小语
　　有妈的孩子像块宝，没妈的孩子像根草。”世上有许许多多失去母亲的孤儿，他们不能像拥有母爱的孩子那般幸福，就像文中的主人公一样。缺少了母爱的灌溉，孩子往往会对社会失去信心，甚至会自暴自弃。文中的主人公是不幸的，因为她没有亲人的关爱；而她无疑又是幸运的，因为她遇到了一位好母亲。母亲对她疼爱有加，宽容以待，使她重拾了自信，享受到这份迟来的快乐。
　　She Didn’t Give up on Me
　　Kimberly Anne Brand
　　I lay on the floor, furiously1 kicking my legs and screaming until my throat felt raw—all because my foster mother had asked me to put my toys away.
　　“I hate you,” I shrieked. I was six years old and didn’t understand why I felt so angry all the time.
　　I’d been living in foster care since I was two. My real mom couldn’t give my five sisters and me the care we needed. Since we didn’t have a dad or anyone else to care for us, we were put in different foster homes. I felt lonely and confused. I didn’t know how to tell people that I hurt inside. Throwing a tantrum was the only way I knew to express my feelings.
　　Because I acted up, eventually my current foster mom sent me back to the adoption agency, just as the mom before had. I thought I was the most unlovable girl in the world.
　　Then I met Kate McCann. I was seven by that time and living with my third foster family when she came to visit. When my foster mother told me that Kate was single and wanted to adopt a child, I didn’t think she’d choose me. I couldn’t imagine anyone would want me to live with them forever.
　　That day, Kate took me to a pumpkin2 farm. We had fun, but I didn’t think I’d see her again.
　　A few days later, a social worker came to the house to say that Kate wanted to adopt me. Then she asked me if I’d mind living with one parent instead of two.
　　“All I want is someone who loves me, ” I said.
　　Kate visited the next day. She explained that it would take a year for the adoption to be finalized, but I could move in with her soon. I was excited but afraid, too. Kate and I were total strangers. I wondered if she’d change her mind once she got to know me.
　　Kate sensed my fear. “I know you’ve been hurt, ”she said, hugging me. “I know you’re scared. But I promise I’ll never send you away. We’re a family now.”
　　To my surprise, her eyes were filled with tears. Suddenly I realized that she was as lonely as I was！
　　“Okay ... Mom, ” I said.
　　The following week I met my new grandparents, aunt, uncle and cousins. It felt funny—but good—to be with strangers who hugged me as though they already loved me.
　　When I moved in with Mom, I had my own room for the first time. It had wallpaper and a matching bedspread, an antique dresser and a big closet. I had only a few clothes I’d brought with me in a brown paper bag. “Don’t worry,” Mom said. “I’ll buy you lots of pretty new things.”
　　I went to sleep that night feeling safe. I prayed I wouldn’t have to leave.
　　Mom did lots of nice things for me. She took me to church. She let me have pets and gave me horseback riding and piano lessons. Every day, she told me she loved me. But love wasn’t enough to heal the hurt inside me. I kept waiting for her to change her mind. I thought, “If I act bad enough, she’ll leave me like the others.”
　　So I tried to hurt her before she could hurt me. I picked fights over little things and threw tantrums when I didn’t get my way. I slammed doors. If Mom tried to stop me, I’d hit her. But she never lost patience. She’d hug me and say she loved me anyway. When I got mad, she made me jump on a trampoline3.
　　Because I was failing in school when I came to live with her, Mom was very strict about my homework. One day when I was watching TV, she came in and turned it off. “You can watch it after you finish your homework,” she said. I blew up. I picked up my books and threw them across the room. “I hate you and I don’t want to live here anymore！” I screamed.
　　I waited for her to tell me to start packing. When she didn’t, I asked, “Aren’t you going to send me back？”
　　“I don’t like the way you’re behaving, ”she said, “but I’ll never send you back. We’re a family, and families don’t give up on each other.”
　　Then it hit me. This Mom was different; she wasn’t going to get rid of me. She really did love me. And I realized I loved her, too. I cried and hugged her.
　　In 1985, when Mom formally adopted me, our whole family celebrated at a restaurant. It felt good belonging to someone. But I was still scared. Could a mom really love me forever？ My tantrums4 didn’t disappear immediately, but as months passed, they happened less often.
　　Today I’m 16. I have a 3.4 grade point average, a horse named Dagger’s Point, four cats, a dog, six doves and a bullfrog5 that lives in our backyard pond. And I have a dream: I want to be a veterinarian.
　　Mom and I like to do things together, like shopping and horseback riding. We smile when people say how much we look alike. They don’t believe she’s not my real mom.
　　I’m happier now than I ever imagined I could be. When I’m older, I’d like to get married and have kids, but if that doesn’t work out, I’ll adopt like Mom did. I’ll pick a scared and lonely kid and then never, ever give up on her. I’m so glad Mom didn’t give up on me.
　　大声说出你的爱
　　Say“I Love You”
　　当我掏出钱包去买饮料时，一张小纸条掉了出来。那是蒂姆写给我的，上面的话至今还能震撼我的心，仍然能让我开心地微笑。“蒂娜，等了这么久才告诉你，我真的很生自己的气……我爱你！”我感动得泪水四溢，觉得自己真的很幸福，对我们的关系也安心了。
　　滚轴浪漫曲
　　佚名
　　1980年的春天，我已经用整整一个月的时间来追随一个男孩了。我只是没有勇气走到他的面前和他交谈。自从那个冬天发生了那种让人感到局促不安的事情，我就更没有勇气接近他了。
　　当时，他是学校篮球二队三年级的成员，而我是拉拉队的队长，所以我有许多机会观看这个有着精湛球技的男孩的表演。只是，我得戴上眼镜。你知道的，我的视力很差，就像蝙蝠一样瞎，然而虚荣心却使我不愿意戴眼镜。
　　半决赛中，特里在最后一秒投篮命中时，我这个视力差到极点的拉拉队队长却把人认错了，并开始为另一个家伙欢呼喝彩。在场的观众都开始低声轻笑，我的脸涨得通红，这时特里从我身旁走了过去，进了更衣室。过了几个月，他对我的了解仅仅是那个在他投进了好球，却把他的名字弄错的糟糕的拉拉队队长。
　　然而，我最好的朋友常常和特里一起去教堂做礼拜。雪莉决定充当媒人。她不但邀请我去参加一个教堂组织的溜冰派对，而且，她将我推进了特里父母的车里，接着车便向溜冰场开去。尽管溜冰场距离这里有15英里远，然而谁也没有说话。一路上，我直挺挺地坐在车的后排，真想钻进座位里去。这真是一个天大的错误。
　　即使是我们到达溜冰场以后，局面还是没有什么起色。每当有双人滑的时候，我都在心里盼望并祈求特里会过来邀请我。然而事与愿违！经过了3场双人滑，我已经忍无可忍了！因此，我和他的两个最好的朋友轮流滑着。在溜冰场的喇叭响起最后一轮双人滑的通告时，特里终于动作笨拙地溜到栏杆旁，与我站在了一起。
　　“我想你正在思考我为什么没有邀请你和我一起双人滑。”他对着我说道。我试着不去看他的眼睛，那双可以将我融化的美丽的棕色眼睛。我装得很冷淡，还对他撒了谎：“不，我并没有这么想。”
　　他对我刻薄的回答不但没有放在心上，还用下面这些话俘虏了我的心。他用他那双漂亮的眼睛盯着自己的溜冰鞋，很谦虚地说道：“我之所以没有邀请你，是因为我滑得不好。假如你不担心我会让你摔倒在地，你是否愿意和我一起滑呢？”这一回，我看着那双眼睛，真的被他融化了。
　　就在我们手牵手向着一生和永远滑过去的时候，我知道我的生活将从这一刻改变。我从未见过一个会承认自己缺点的男孩，更别说还为一个女孩担心。最初，我仅仅是着迷于他英俊的外表（哪个人不会注意到那双漂亮的棕色眼睛呢），然而，还是他美丽的心灵让我知道他是多么特别。
　　最终，我找到了自己的白马王子。
　　纵然他并未骑着骏马（只是租来的溜冰鞋），然而在我们绕着溜冰场滑行的时候，他给我的感觉是：我就是舞会上的灰姑娘。我牢牢地拉紧他的手——并不是因为对午夜的惧怕——而是为了帮助他，不让他摔倒。
　　看着我们的结婚照片，我最钟爱的一张是夫妻二人沿着教堂过道朝外走。大多数情况下，都是妻子将手优雅地放在丈夫的臂弯里一起从过道走过。然而我们可不是这样!在宣布成为夫妻之后，我们走过过道，仿佛7年之前我们在溜冰场里一样——手牵着手，许下诺言不让对方摔倒。
　　我们的孩子们喜欢听的故事就是他们的爸爸不知道怎么滑冰，让我牵着他的手以防止摔倒的故事。然而那个时候，对他们的妈妈来讲为时已晚。那双眼睛她只看了一眼，就已经深陷其中，爱上了她的白马王子。
　　■心灵小语
　　美好的事物是值得争取的，从一个地方向他走近、再走近，然后微笑着紧紧地牵住对方的手，就是牵起了生命的快乐、忧伤和依托。
　　Roller Romance
　　Anonymous
　　In the spring of 1980, I had been following one particular guy around school for a month. I just did not have the nerve to go up and talk to him. An embarrassing situation, from that winter, truly prevented me from approaching him.
　　He had been a starter for the junior varsity basketball team and I was a cheerleader1, I had many opportunities to see this gorgeous guy in action. That is, if I wore my glasses. You see, I am as blind as a bat and was too vain to wear them.
　　As Terry sank a half court shot at the last second, this extremely nearsighted cheerleader, misidentified the hero and began cheering for the wrong guy. As the crowd started chuckling, my face turned crimson2 as Terry walked by me to get to the locker room. Months later, he only knew me as the dingy cheerleader who could not even get his name right when he hit a great shot！
　　However, my best friend attended church with Terry. Shirley decided to play matchmaker. She not only invited me to a churchsponsored skating party, but also literally pushed me in his parents’ car to ride to the skating rink. Although the skating rink was 15 miles away, very few words were spoken. As I sank down in that backseat, I just wanted to keep sinking. This had truly been a huge mistake.
　　After we arrived at the skating rink, things did not get any better. Each couple skate I hoped and prayed that Terry would ask me. He didn’t！ After about three couple skates, I decided enough was enough！ So I took turns skating with his two best friends. As the last call for a couple skate came over the rink’s loud speakers, Terry finally skated somewhat awkwardly3 and stood beside the rails with me.  
　　“I guess you wonder why I have not asked you to couple skate？” were his first words to me. Trying ever so hard not to look in those big beautiful brown eyes that made me melt, I answered nonchalantly and dishonestly, “No, not really.”
　　This guy not only ignored my tart reply, but would also win my heart with the following reply. Casting those beautiful eyes down at his skates, he humbly remarked, “I didn’t ask because I do not skate very well. If you are not afraid that I will make you fall, would you please skate with me？” This time I did look into those eyes and did melt.
　　As we skated hand in hand to Always and Forever, I knew my life would never be the same. I never knew a guy that actually would admit any of his faults, let alone worry about a girl to boot！ I had first been attracted to his beauty on the outside （who wouldn’t notice those beautiful brown eyes）, but it would be his beautiful heart that made me realize how truly special he was.
　　I had actually found my Prince Charming.
　　Even though he was not riding on a handsome steed （but rented roller skates）, he made me feel like Cinderella at the ball as we skated around the rink. I clung tightly to his hand—not because I was afraid of midnight—but to help keep him from falling. When I look at our wedding pictures, my favorite is walking down the aisle as husband and wife. Most couples walk down the aisle with the bride’s hand tucked neatly in the crook of her husband’s arm. Not us！ We walked down the aisle, after being pronounced man and wife, just like we had done seven years before at that skating rink—handinhand with the promise of helping keep the other one from falling.
　　Our children love to hear the story of how their dad did not know how to skate and asked me to hold his hand to help us keep from tumbling. But it had already been too late for their mother. Only after one look into those eyes, she had fallen—fallen in love with Prince Charming.

　遥望着你的爱慕者
　　佚名
　　卡瑞是大学里非常受欢迎的篮球明星，几乎人人都知道他。正是因为如此，他成了学院的骄傲，男同学嫉妒他，女同学把他当成英雄来崇拜。有一个名叫娜勒的女孩，是众多仰慕者中的一个。
　　娜勒是约翰逊教授的女儿，她与卡瑞是同班同学。在家里，约翰逊先生是一个很严厉的父亲，而一个体育明星在这样的家庭是得不到太高评价的。因此，娜勒在家中从未提过卡瑞的名字。在学校里，两个人几乎很少说话，并且彼此之间总是保持一定的距离。
　　娜勒的家就在大学校园里，她家附近有一个很大的操场。每天下午放学以后，卡瑞都会在那里至少练习一个小时的篮球，然后才回家。娜勒的家住在三楼，她从阳台上就能够看到操场。每天放学回家后，娜勒总是习惯坐在阳台的椅子上，读书或者做作业。有时，她会抬起头，看着卡瑞投篮，或者数他进了多少次球。
　　然而，卡瑞似乎没有注意到阳台上的娜勒。
　　一天下午，外面起风了，娜勒就把椅子搬到了房间里。但是，她仍然能够听到操场上传来的球声。突然，球声消失了，操场变得非常安静。于是，娜勒透过窗子向外看，因为她觉得这有点反常。
　　她看见，卡瑞蹲在操场上，手里拿着一支粉笔在地上写着什么。娜勒很好奇，“他在写些什么呢？”写完之后，卡瑞站起身，背起书包，拖着沉重的步伐回家了。
　　见卡瑞离开了，娜勒迅速地跑下楼，悄悄地来到了操场上。当走到卡瑞刚才待的地方时，她看到地上写着这样的话：“娜勒，你为什么不看我打球呢？”
　　娜勒把地上的粉笔头拾起来，在那句话的后面加上了这样一句话：“可是，我真的看了呀。”
　　Distant Admirer
　　Anonymous
　　Cary is very popular in his college and nearly everybody knows him. He is a basketball star. And for this reason, he has become the pride of the college, envy of the boys, and hero of the girls. Among his many admirers is a girl called Nola.
　　Nola is Cary’s classmate, and Professor Johnson’s daughter. Mr. Johnson is a strict father, and in a family where a sports star is not so highly regarded, Nola never dares to mention Gary’s name. In the school, they seldom speak to each other and always keep a certain distance.
　　Nola’s family lives on the campus and there is a big sports ground near their house. Every afternoon, after school, Cary would spend at least one hour practising basketball before returning home. Nola lives on the third floor, and from their balcony she can see the sports ground. As a habit, Nola would sit in a chair on the balcony, reading or doing her homework every day when she comes home. Sometimes she would raise her head to watch Gary shoot or count how many times he can hit the basket.
　　Cary doesn’t seem to pay any attention to Nola on the balcony.
　　One afternoon, Nola moved her chair into the room to avoid the breeze outside. But she could still hear the noise from the sports ground. The noise suddenly stopped and the sports ground became very quiet. Nola thought it strange and looked through the window.
　　She saw Cary bending down there and writing something on the ground with a piece of chalk. What was he writing？ She wondered. Cary finished writing and stood up, he picked up his bag and dragged his way home.
　　After Cary left, Nola went down quickly and walked quietly to the sports ground. When she got to the place where Cary had just stayed, she found these words，“Nola, why didn’t you watch me play？”
　　She picked up the chalk end on the ground and added below the line，“But yes, I did.”
　　终生的朋友
　　蒂娜.利兹
　　蒂姆星期六离开家去上大学，而我则是在星期天出发的。自从我们高中时期成为朋友以来，这是我们第一次分离。尽管我们的友谊超出了普通意义的男女关系，但是我们的亲密还是令很多人羡慕。蒂姆那令人惊异的个性、逗乐的玩笑，还有他那孩子气的容貌，都让我深深地折服。他能够读懂我的心思，能说出我未说完的话，并且能够仅用一个表情就逗得我大笑不止。我们相互倾慕。当高三的那个夏季来临的时候，我们的关系变得更加亲密了。
　　夏季慢慢开始了。蒂姆试图让我忘记那个现在被我称做是“前男友”的怪人，我与“前男友”的相处完全是浪费时间。蒂姆与我的一位好友约会已经有好几个月了。当她奚落他，在我们的朋友面前取笑他时，我只能坐在旁边看着。当她最终结束这段恋情时，蒂姆哭了。她伤害了我最好的朋友的心，而我的心也和他一起痛着。
　　深夜里，我和蒂姆在电话里聊了很久，我们互相安慰，互相出主意，担心着上大学的事情。那个夏季剩余的日子里，我们都成了单身，我们一起度过了所有的时光。工作后的深夜里，蒂姆和我会在咖啡馆里见面，聊上几个小时。那个夏天，我们变得更加亲密。我不知道为什么要这样，因为我们都准备去上大学。
　　当分别的时刻慢慢逼近时，我们一起去买上学用品，计划着入学一个月后我们的第一次聚会。
　　那个星期六的早晨，当我开车送他去学校时，我的内心非常不安，愁肠百结。在这3个小时的车程里，我一直在想我是怎么了。当然，我就要失去他了，但是我的感觉不是悲伤，而是心绪不宁。当我们把他安顿到他的小房间里，把房间收拾得像个家时，我恍然大悟——这个念头猛烈地撞击着我的心灵。我爱上这个人了！这种感情不同于高中生活里我对他那种友谊的爱。我觉得很无助。当一切都已太晚时，我才终于明白我对自己最好的朋友的真正感情。我坐在他那有弹性的钢丝床上，泪水溢满了双眼。我对我最好的朋友、我生命中的爱说声再见，心中猜测着一个月后我们还能否真的如约相见。
　　那天晚上，我在家里收拾行李时哭了，我害怕会时过境迁。我和蒂姆都将开始各自的生活，我们可能会很少想到对方。就在这时，电话响了。我一边擦去泪水，一边努力用平静的声音问道：“你好。”电话那头的那个声音是要告诉我他一切都好，是蒂姆的电话。他甚至来不及问声好，就连忙说道：“蒂娜，我们的聚会要比我预想的提前了。就在今天怎么样？”
　　当我挂上电话的那一刻，我像个疯子一样兴奋地大笑着，晕头转向地跳上车，朝他的学校开去。我怎么可能用如此短的时间就开到他的学校！（１小时４５分钟）这并不重要，重要的是，第二次来到这里，我拥抱了他，并告诉他我爱他。事实上，在这之前，我曾这样做过无数次，但是这次他挣脱我的拥抱，直视着我的眼睛，告诉我他也爱我——然后吻了我。这个吻，似乎包含着数月来甚至数年来我们之间的爱。
　　第二天一早，当我出发去学校的时候，心里想的还是蒂姆。当我掏出钱包去买饮料时，一张小纸条掉了出来。那是蒂姆写给我的，上面的话至今还能震撼我的心，仍然能让我开心地微笑。“蒂娜，等了这么久才告诉你，我真的很生自己的气……我爱你！”我感动得泪水四溢，觉得自己真的很幸福，对我们的关系也安心了。
　　我至今仍保存着蒂姆的那张纸条，继续保持着我们非凡的友谊，并将永远持续下去。只是，这段日子里我们分享得更多了——三个漂亮的孩子和相同的姓氏。
　　■心灵小语
　　浪漫凄美的爱情故事总是太令人伤感，幸福美满的故事结局总是太令人向往。幸福掌握在我们手中，它就在我们身边，离我们一步之遥。人啊，往往忽视了眼前的财富，去向往得不到的幸福，其实，发现并把握住身边的真爱才是真的抓住了幸福。
　　Friends for Life
　　Tina Leeds
　　Tim left for college on a Saturday and I on a Sunday. It would be the first time we had ever been apart over the course of our high school friendship. Ours was more than a normal boy／girl friendship, though. Our close connection was the envy of others. I was in awe of his amazing personality, his hilarious jokes and his littleboy looks. He could read my mind, finish my sentences and bring me to hysterical laughter with only a look. We adored each other. As our last summer together approached, our bond only grew.
　　The summer started off slowly, with Tim trying to get my mind off the jerk I now refer to as my exboyfriend and a total waste of my time. Tim was dating one of my close friends, and had been for a couple of months. I had to sit by and watch as she ridiculed him, made a joke of him in front of our friends, and eventually made him cry when she finally ended it. She broke my best friend’s heart, and I ached with him.
　　We spent hours talking on the phone late at night, comforting each other, giving each other advice and worrying about college. Over the rest of the summer, both of us were single, so we spent all of our time together. Late at night after work, we would meet at cafes and just talk for hours. We grew even closer that summer. I only wondered why our friendship had to get so close now, as we were both preparing to leave for college.
　　As the time approached when we would have to say goodbye, we went shopping together for school supplies and planned our first rendezvous as college students for a month after we were both at school.
　　As I left that Saturday morning to take him to school, I was extremely nervous, my stomach full of knots. I kept wondering what was wrong with me during the threehour car ride. Of course I was going to miss him, but this was not a sad feeling, this was nervousness. As we finished packing him into his tiny room and making it feel like some semblance of home, it hit me—and it hit me hard. I was in love with this guy！ And it wasn’t the friendship kind of love that I had felt for him throughout high school; it was something much deeper. I felt helpless. I had finally realized my true feelings for my best friend when it was too late. Tears filled my eyes as I sat on his springy, steel bed. I said goodbye to my best friend and the love of my life, wondering if we were really going to meet in a month as planned.
　　That night at home as I packed my stuff I cried, scared that things would never be the same. We were both going to have our separate lives and would probably barely think of each other. Just then the phone rang, and as I wiped my tears and tried to utter a quiet hello, the voice on the other end let me know everything was going to be okay. It was Tim. Before even saying hello he blurted out, “Tina, we’re going to make that rendezvous earlier than I thought. How about tonight？”   
　　I was grinning like crazy as I practically hung up on him, jumped in my car without directions and headed for his school. How I got there in such a short time (an hour and fortyfive minutes) is irrelevant. What is relevant is that the second I got there, I hugged him and told him I loved him. I had actually done that numerous times before, but this time he pulled away from my embrace, looked into my eyes, told me he loved me, too—and then kissed me. It was a kiss that seemed to contain months, even years, worth of love for each other.
　　When I left for school the next morning, I had Tim on my mind and in my heart. As I picked up my wallet to get money out to pay for a soda, a tiny piece of paper fell out. It was from Tim and contained words that touch my heart to this day and still make me smile. “Tina, I am so mad at myself for waiting to tell you...I love you！” My eyes welled up with tears, and I felt truly happy and at ease with our situation.
　　I still keep that note from Tim, and we continue to share a remarkable friendship and always will. Only these days we also share much more—three beautiful children and the same last name.
　　爱情不关机
　　佚名
　　朋友今天问了我一个问题。你的手机晚上关机吗？如果不关，那你为谁而开呢？
　　我通常都不关机。为什么？我不清楚。但读完这篇文章，我好像有所了解，只为那丝关怀。现在，就让我与你一起分享这个故事。
　　每晚睡觉前，女孩都会关掉手机，并放在桌上的照片旁。从她买手机起，就养成了这个习惯。
　　女孩有个亲密的男朋友。不见面时，他们就会打电话，或是发信息。他们都喜欢这种交流方式。
　　一天晚上，男孩很挂念女孩。但他给她打电话时，女孩关机了，因为她已经睡了。次日，男孩对女孩说，希望她晚上不要关机，因为他想找她时，却找不到，他会很紧张。
　　从那天起，女孩开始了新的习惯，晚上不关手机。因为她害怕他打来电话，自己会听不到，于是女孩经常保持警惕。日子一天天过去，她也日渐消瘦。渐渐地，他们之间出现了隔阂。
　　女孩想要维系他们的关系。一天晚上，她给男孩打电话。听到的却是一个甜美的女声：“对不起，您所拨打的电话已关机。”
　　女孩明白了，她的爱也关机了。
　　过了很久，女孩有了新的爱情。但无论他们之间的感情有多好，女孩还是拒绝结婚。在她心中，还会时常想起那个男孩的话以及那个关机的夜晚。
　　整夜开机的习惯女孩依然保持着，但是不再期待它会响起。
　　一天晚上，女孩生病了。慌乱中，本想给父母打电话，却打到了男友那里。男孩已经睡了，但手机依旧开着。
　　事后，女孩问男孩：“为什么整晚开着手机？”
　　男孩回答说：“我害怕你晚上有需要时找不到我，会着急。”
　　最终，女孩嫁给了男孩。
　　夜深了，你的手机还开着吗？
　　■心灵小语
　　爱情是人类最美好、最伟大的情感。它给人以力量，使人身心愉悦。有些人在爱情中很细心，能让对方时刻感受到他的爱，就像文中后来的那个男孩，最终娶到了最爱的人。然而还是有一些人不那么细心，难道这能说明他们不爱对方吗？细心只能作为衡量爱的一部分，而不能作为定义爱的根本。不过，奉劝那时还沉浸在爱中的人：要爱，就要用心地爱！
　　Late at Night
　　Anonymous
　　Today, my friend asked me a question. At night, do you turn off1 your cell phone？ If you don’t, whom do you leave it on for？
　　I usually do not turn off my cell phone. Why？ I have no idea. After reading an article, I seemed to understand a little bit:  for that little bit of caring. I am now sharing this story with you.
　　The girl would turn her cell phone off and put it by her photo on the desk every night before going to bed. This habit had been with her ever since she bought the phone.
　　The girl had a very close boyfriend. When they couldn’t meet, they would either call or send messages to each other. They both liked this type of communication. 
　　One night, the boy really missed the girl. When he called her, however, the girl’s cell phone was off because she was already asleep. The next day, the boy asked the girl to leave her cell phone on at night because when he needed to find her and could not, he would be worried.
　　From that day forth, the girl began a new habit. Her cell phone never shut down at night. Because she was afraid that she might not be able to hear the phone ring in her sleep, she tried to stay very alert2. As days passed, she became thinner and thinner. Slowly, a gap began to form between them.
　　The girl wanted to revive their relationship. One night, she called the boy. However, what she got was a sweet female voice，“Sorry, the subscriber3 you dialed is power off.”
　　The girl knew that her love had just been turned off.
　　After a long time, the girl had a new love. No matter how well they got along, the girl, however, refused to get married. In the girl’s heart, she always remembered that boy’s words and the night when that phone was power off.
　　The girl still kept the habit of leaving her cell phone on all throughout the night, but not expecting that it would ring.
　　One night, the girl caught ill. In a moment of fluster4, instead of calling her parents, she dialed the new boyfriend’s cell phone. The boy was already asleep but his cell phone was still on.
　　Later, the girl asked the boy， “Why don’t you turn your cell phone off at night？”
　　The boy answered，“I’m afraid that if you need anything at night and aren’t able to find me, you’ll worry.”
　　The girl finally married the boy.
　　Later at night, do you turn off your cell phone？
　　无声的爱
　　佚名
　　最初，女孩的家里人强烈反对她和这个男孩约会。理由是家境不般配，要是和他一起生活，两个人的日子都不会好过。
　　因为家庭施加的压力，两人常常吵架。尽管女孩深爱着男孩，可她总是问：“你爱我有多深？”
　　男孩不太会说话，常常令女孩伤心。因为这个原因，再加上家庭施加的压力，女孩常常对男孩发脾气。而他，只是用沉默接受这一切。
　　过了几年，男孩终于毕业了，他打算到国外去深造。临走之前，他向女孩求婚：“我不善于表达，然而我知道我爱你。假如你接受我，我愿意用我的余生来照顾你。至于你的家人，我会尽我所能和他们交涉。你愿意嫁给我吗？”
　　女孩答应了，男孩凭借他的决心得到了女孩家里人的同意，他们可以结婚了。因此，在他离开前，他们订了婚。
　　女孩进入社会工作，而男孩则留在国外继续他的学业。维系他们爱情的只有电子邮件和电话，虽然这样很辛苦，然而他们从未想过放弃。
　　有一天，女孩在上班途中被一辆失控的汽车撞倒了。醒来之后，女孩看到父母都坐在床边。她意识到自己伤得厉害。看到妈妈在哭，她想安慰她。然而她意识到从她嘴里发出的只是一声叹息，她失声了……
　　医生解释说是因为大脑的损伤使她不能出声。听着父母的安慰，她却说不出一个字，她伤心欲绝。
　　在医院的那段日子，陪伴她的除了无声的哭泣，还是无声的哭泣。出院之后，所有的事情还是老样子，除了电话铃声。每当电话一响，这个声音就会刺穿她的心。她不想让他知道这一切，不想让自己成为他的负担，因此她写了一封信，告诉他她不想再等下去了。
　　她把订婚戒指连同那封信一块儿寄给了他。等待她的是男孩无数封回信和无数个电话。而女孩所能做的，除了痛哭，还是痛哭……
　　她的父母决定搬家，想让她忘掉这一切，重新快乐起来。
　　到了新家，女孩学会了手语，开始了崭新的生活。她告诉自己必须忘记他，这是她每天要做的功课。有一天，一个朋友到她的家里来，告诉她他已经回来了。她请朋友不要把所发生的一切告诉他，从此以后，她再也没有听到他的任何消息。
　　一年过去了，朋友带给她一个信封，信封里是男孩的结婚喜帖。女孩的心都碎了，然而在她打开之后，看到的却是自己的名字。
　　就在她要问朋友怎么回事的时候，她看到男孩出现在了她的面前。他用手语告诉她：“我利用一年的时间来学习手语。我只是想让你知道我没有忘记我的诺言，让我做你的声音吧，我爱你。”说着，他将戒指重新戴到她的手上。终于，女孩露出了笑脸。
　　■心灵小语
　　面对人生和命运，付出和奉献就是赢得爱情的真谛。女孩为了不让自己的病患成为男孩的负担，放弃了他；男孩坚守着自己的爱情，为了能让两个人重新走到一起，他学会了手语，最终携着自己心爱的女孩走进了婚姻的殿堂。
　　A Silent Love 
　　Anonymous
　　From the very beginning, the girl’s family objected strongly on her dating this guy, saying that it had got to do with family background and that the girl would have to suffer for the rest of her life if she were to be with him.
　　Due to1 family’s pressure, the couple quarreled very often. Though the girl loved the guy deeply, she always asked him, “How deep is your love for me？”
　　As the guy was not good with his words， this often caused the girl to be very upset. With that and the family’s pressure, the girl often vented her anger on him. As for him, he only endured it in silence.
　　After a couple of years, the guy finally graduated and decided to further his studies  overseas. Before leaving, he proposed to the girl, “I’m not very good with words. But all I know is that I love you. If you allow me, I will take care of you for the rest of my life. As for your family, I’ll try my best to talk them round. Will you marry me？”
　　The girl agreed, and with the guy’s determination, the family finally gave in and agreed to let them get married. So before he left, they got engaged2.
　　The girl went out to the working society, whereas the guy was overseas, continuing his studies. They sent their love through emails and phone calls. Though it was hard, both never thought of giving up.
　　One day, while the girl was on her way to work, she was knocked down by a car that lost control. When she woke up, she saw her parents beside her bed. She realized that she was badly injured. Seeing her mum crying, she wanted to comfort her. But she realized that all that could come out of her mouth was just a sigh3. She had lost her voice...
　　The doctors said that the impact on her brain had caused her to lose her voice. Listening to her parents’ comfort, but with nothing coming out from her. She broke down.
　　During the stay in hospital, besides silence cry... it was still just silent cry that accompanied her. Upon reaching home, everything seemed to be the same, except for the ringing tone of the phone, which pierced into her heart every time it rang. She did not wish to let the guy know, and not want to be a burden to him. She wrote a letter to him saying that she did not wish to wait any longer.
　　With that, she sent the ring back to him. In return, the guy sent millions and millions of reply, and countless of phone calls... All the girl could do, besides crying, was still crying...
　　The parents decided to move away, hoping that she could eventually forget everything and become happy.
　　With a new environment, the girl learned sign language, and started a new life, telling herself everyday that she must forget the guy. One day, her friend came and told her that he’s back. She asked her friend not to let him know what happened to her. Since then, there wasn’t any more news of him.
　　A year had passed and her friend came with an envelope containing an invitation card for the guy’s wedding. The girl was shattered4. When she opened the letter she saw her name in it instead; when she was about to ask her friend what’s going on, she saw the guy standing in front of her. He used sign language telling her,“I’ve spent one year to learn sign language. Just to let you know that I’ve not forgotten our promise. Let me have the chance to be your voice. I love you.” With that, he slipped the ring back into her finger. The girl finally smiled.
　　大声说出你的爱
　　佚名
　　从前有个小伙子患了无法治愈的癌症。18岁的他随时都面临着死亡的威胁。每天他都待在家里由母亲照顾，从未出过家门，实在待烦了，便征得母亲的同意出去转转。
　　走在大街上，他看到好多商店。当路经一家音像店时，他情不自禁地透过橱窗向里望了望，他停下脚步，又转身折回店门，向里望去。一个与他年龄相仿的、漂亮可爱的女孩子引起了他的注意，他对她一见钟情。他打开门，走了进去，眼里始终只有那女孩一个人，没有任何东西能吸引他的眼球。女孩坐在柜台旁，他不由自主地走了过去。
　　女孩抬头问他:“请问，您需要什么？”
　　她微笑着，他觉得这是他一生中所见到的最迷人的笑容，其实此时他最想的是能亲吻她。
　　他吞吞吐吐地说:“嗯……那个……哦……我想买张CD。”
　　他随便拿了张CD，然后把钱递给了她。
　　“我给你包起来吧？”女孩儿问，又冲他露出了迷人的微笑。
　　他点了点头，她又回到了柜台后面，出来时，把包好的CD递给了他。他接过来，走出了商店。
　　他回家了。自那以后，他每天都要去那家音像店买一张CD。女孩每天都要包好给他。而他每次把CD带回去，都要放到壁橱里。他很害羞，没有勇气约她出去，他真的很想那么做，但却怎么也做不到。母亲知道后，鼓励他向她表白。第二天，他终于鼓起勇气，像往常一样走进了那家音像店，买了一张CD,她也像往常一样，到柜台后把CD包起来。他接过CD，趁她不注意时他将自己的电话号码放到柜台上，跑了出去……
　　丁零零零！！！
　　一天，电话铃急促地响起来，母亲接起电话说：“喂，您好！”是那个女孩儿！！！母亲开始伤心地哭诉：“你知道吗？他昨天‘走’了……”
　　电话那端沉默了片刻，只能听到母亲的啜泣声。后来，母亲到儿子房间去，她只是想念儿子，想看看他的衣物，于是打开了壁橱。
　　一大堆包好的CD映入母亲的眼帘，这些CD还都没拆开过。母亲感到很吃惊，她好奇地打开一个包装，从中取出CD，一张小纸条从里边掉了出来，她拾起来，看到上面这样写着：嗨……你好吗？我真的觉得你好可爱，高兴和我一起出去玩吗？爱你的乔斯林。
　　母亲被深深地感动了，她打开了另一个CD盒……又掉出一张小纸条，上面写着同样的话：嗨……你好吗？我真的觉得你好可爱，高兴和我一起出去玩吗？爱你的乔斯林。
　　爱就是在你做了巨大的思想斗争之后，最终能够决定舍弃一切去面对,去接受的东西。那时你要攥紧他（她）的手，说出“我爱你”。
　　■心灵小语
　　爱情是一种幸福又美妙的感觉，然而它也需要人们之间的沟通和表达，才能让被爱的人明白你的心意，如果爱他（她），就勇敢地说出来吧，别因为缺乏勇气而错失人生美好的缘分。
　　Say “I Love You”
　　Anonymous
　　There was once a guy who suffered from cancer, a cancer that can’t be cured. He was 18 years old and he could die anytime. All his life, he was stuck in his house being taken cared by his mother. He never went outside but he was sick of staying home and wanted to go out for once. So he asked his mother and she gave him permission.
　　He walked down his block and found a lot of stores. He passed a CD store and looked through the front door for a second as he walked. He stopped and went back to look into the store. He saw a beautiful girl about his age and he knew it was love at first sight. He opened the door and walked in, not looking at anything else but her. He walked closer and closer until he was finally at the front desk where she sat.
　　She looked up and asked, “Can I help you？”
　　She smiled and he thought it was the most beautiful smile he has ever seen before and wanted to kiss her right there.
　　He said, “Uh...Yeah...Umm... I would like to buy a CD.”
　　He picked one out and gave her money for it.
　　“Would you like me to wrap it for you？”she asked, smiling her cute smile again.
　　He nodded and she went to the back. She came back with the wrapped CD and gave it to him. He took it and walked out of the store.
　　He went home and from then on, he went to that store every day and bought a CD, and she wrapped1 it for him. He took the CD home and put it in his closet. He was still too shy to ask her out and he really wanted to but he couldn’t. His mother found out about this and told him to just ask her. So the next day, he took all his courage and went to the store as usual. He bought a CD like he did every day and once again she went to the back of the store and came back with it wrapped. He took it and when she wasn’t looking, he left his phone number on the desk and ran out...
　　RRRRRING！！！
　　One day the phone rang, and the mother picked it up and said, “Hello？”It was the girl！！！ The mother started to cry and said, “You don’t know？ He passed away yesterday...”
　　The line was quiet except for the cries of the boy’s mother. Later in the day, the mother went into the boy’s room because she wanted to remember him. She thought she would start by looking at his clothes. So she opened the closet.
　　She was face to face with piles and piles and piles of unopened CDs. She was surprised to find all these CDs and she picked one up and sat down on the bed and she started to open one. Inside, there was a CD and as she took it out of the wrapper, out fell a piece of paper. The mother picked it up and started to read it. It said，Hi...I think U R really cute. Do u wanna go out with me？ Love, Jocelyn.
　　The mother was deeply moved and opened another CD...Again there was a piece of paper. It said，Hi... I think U R really cute. Do u wanna go out with me？ Love, Jocelyn.
　　Love is...when you’ve had a huge fight but then decide to put aside2 your egos3, hold hands and
　　say,“ILoveYou.”
　　公共汽车上的乘客
　　佚名
　　当那位清秀俊美的女人拄着白色手杖，小心地迈上车门台阶时，巴士上的乘客们都十分同情地看着她。她向司机付了车费，用手摸索座位的方位，沿着过道往前走，找到司机告诉她的那个空位。然后她坐下来，把公文包放在大腿上，把手杖斜靠在腿边。
　　34岁的苏珊，双目失明已经一年了。一起医疗误诊事故让她再也看不到任何东西。刹那间，她陷入了一个黑暗、愤怒、沮丧与自怜的世界。失明之前，苏珊是个非常独立的女性，命运的无常让她变得脆弱不堪，成了身边每个人的负担。“为什么这种事会发生在我身上？”她无助地祷告，心中压抑了满腔的愤怒。
　　然而，不管她怎样哭泣、叫喊或祈祷，她都知道那令人伤心欲绝的事实——她的眼睛再也不能复明了。消沉忧郁取代了苏珊昔日乐观的性格，她在沮丧和疲惫中艰难度日。她唯一能依靠的只有丈夫马克。
　　马克是位空军军官，他全身心地爱着苏珊。苏珊刚失明的时候，马克眼睁睁地看着妻子陷入绝望之中。他决心要帮助妻子增强自信心和力量，重新独立起来。马克的军人背景使他能够很好地处理各种微妙的事件，然而他明白，眼前的这场战役将是有生以来最为艰难的。
　　终于，苏珊感觉自己可以重新回到工作中去了。可她怎么去上班呢？苏珊过去常常是乘公共汽车去，可如今她根本不敢独自一人在城里转。虽然马克和妻子分别在城郊的两头工作，可他甘愿每天开车送她去上班。
　　刚一开始，这种做法既让苏珊得到了满足，也使马克尽到了保护双目失明的、遇到一点小事就没有自信的妻子的责任。然而没过多久，马克意识到这样的安排并不明智——不但上班匆忙，而且花费颇高。他暗地里思量，还是应该让苏珊乘公交去上班。可是，仅是向她提出这种想法，就已令他有些犹豫了。妻子还那么脆弱，那么易怒。她听了会有什么反应呢？
　　正如马克猜测的那样，苏珊对让她重新乘公交上下班感到十分吃惊。“我是个瞎子！”她伤心地回答道，“我怎么知道我要去哪儿？我觉得你想抛弃我。”
　　听了妻子这些话，马克感觉心都快碎了。不过他心里明白，自己必须要这么做。他向苏珊保证，每天早晚他都会和她一起乘公交车，直到她彻底适应为止，不管这个过程持续多久。而事实也并非完全按照想象的那样发展。
　　在随后的整整两个星期里，马克身着军装、全副武装地陪着苏珊上下班，没有错过一天。他教她如何凭借其他感官，尤其是听觉，去判断自己的位置，以及如何调整自己去适应新的环境。他帮助苏珊和司机们成为朋友，这样司机们就可以留意她的安全，为她留个座位了。他一直哄她笑，逗她开心，即使是在那些倒霉的日子——妻子下车时摔了一跤或是包掉在地上了。
　　他们每天早晨都会一起出门，然后马克再乘的士返回办公室。虽然这样做花费的钱和精力远比先前多得多，可马克知道，苏珊能够独自乘公交仅仅是时间问题。他相信她，相信他以前认识的那个苏珊，那个双目失明前的苏珊。她以前是从不畏惧任何挑战，永不放弃的。
　　最终，苏珊下决心要试试自己独自乘车了。到了星期一早晨，出发前，她紧紧抱着马克——她临时的乘车同伴、她的丈夫、她的挚友。
　　苏珊的眼睛里溢出了感激的泪水，为他的忠诚、他的耐心和他的爱。她说了声再见，在苏珊失明以后，两人第一次分别行动了。星期一，星期二，星期三，星期四……每天她都能独自面对这一切，苏珊感觉好极了。她做到了！她能一个人去上班了！
　　星期五早晨，苏珊像平时一样乘车上班。当她付完车费准备下车的时候，司机说道：“哎呀，我真羡慕你。”苏珊不确定司机是不是在和自己说话。毕竟，到底会有谁会羡慕我呢——一个在过去的一年中一直挣扎着、寻求活下去的勇气的瞎女人？
　　她感到十分纳闷，于是就问司机：“为什么你说羡慕我呢？”司机回答道：“像你那样被照顾和保护的感觉一定很不错吧。”苏珊弄不懂司机的意思，于是她又问：“你这么说是什么意思？”
　　司机回答道：“你不知道，上周的每个早晨，当你下车的时候，总会有一个身着军装、英俊潇洒的先生站在对面的角落里看着你，以确定你安全穿过马路，看着你走进办公楼，送你一个飞吻，向你稍微敬个礼后才会离开。你是个幸运的女人。”
　　幸福的泪水不禁从脸颊滚落下来。尽管苏珊看不到马克，可她却一直感觉到他就在身边。她是幸运的，是那样的幸运，因为她拥有了一份比视力更有用的礼物，一份无须亲眼目睹的礼物，一份为黑暗带来光明的礼物，那就是爱。
　　■心灵小语
　　命运作弄，人的生活也不会总是一帆风顺。除了甜甜蜜蜜的爱情，婚姻中的男女更多的是相互扶持的两个紧紧相连的个体。年轻时的花前月下、卿卿我我，远不如灾难中的相依相偎更真实。婚姻，不需要什么海誓山盟，只要在阴郁的日子里默默地付出就够了。
　　The Bus Passenger
　　Anonymous
　　The passengers on the bus watched sympathetically as the attractive young woman with the white cane made her way carefully up the steps. She paid the driver and, using her hands to feel the location of the seats, walked down the aisle and found the seat he’d told her was empty. Then she settled in, placed her briefcase on her lap and rested her cane against her leg.
　　It had been a year since Susan, thirtyfour, became blind. Due to a medical misdiagnosis1 she had been rendered sightless, and she was suddenly thrown into a world of darkness, anger, frustration and selfpity. Once a fiercely independent woman, Susan now felt condemned by this terrible twist of fate to become a powerless, helpless burden on everyone around her. “How could this have happened to me？” she would plead, her heart knotted with anger.
　　But no matter how much she cried or ranted or prayed, she knew the painful truth her sight was never going to return. A cloud of depression hung over Susan’s once optimistic spirit. Just getting through each day was an exercise in frustration and exhaustion. And all she had to cling to was her husband Mark.
　　Mark was an Air Force officer and he loved Susan with all of his heart. When she first lost her sight, he watched her sink into despair and was determined to help his wife gain the strength and confidence she needed to become independent again. Mark’s military background had trained him well to deal with sensitive situations, and yet he knew this was the most difficult battle he would ever face.
　　Finally, Susan felt ready to return to her job, but how would she get there？ She used to take the bus, but was now too frightened to get around the city by herself. Mark volunteered to drive her to work each day, even though they worked at opposite ends of the city.
　　At first, this comforted Susan and fulfilled Mark’s need to protect his sightless wife who was so insecure about performing the slightest task. Soon, however, Mark realized that this arrangement wasn’t working—it was hectic2, and costly. Susan is going to have to start taking the bus again, he admitted to himself. But just the thought of mentioning it to her made him cringe. She was still so fragile, so angry. How would she react？
　　Just as Mark predicted, Susan was horrified at the idea of taking the bus again. “I’m blind！” she responded bitterly. “How am I supposed to know where I’m going？ I feel like you’re abandoning me.”
　　Mark’s heart broke to hear these words, but he knew what had to be done. He promised Susan that each morning and evening he would ride the bus with her, for as long as it took, until she got the hang of it. And that is exactly what happened.
　　For two solid weeks, Mark, military uniform and all, accompanied Susan to and from work each day. He taught her how to rely on her other senses, specifically her hearing, to determine where she was and how to adapt to3 her new environment. He helped her befriend the bus drivers who could watch out for her, and save her a seat. He made her laugh, even on those notsogood days when she would trip exiting the bus, or drop her briefcase.
　　Each morning they made the journey together, and Mark would take a cab back to his office. Although this routine was even more costly and exhausting than the previous one, Mark knew it was only a matter of time before Susan would be able to ride the bus on her own. He believed in her, in the Susan he used to know before she’d lost her sight, who wasn’t afraid of any challenge and who would never, ever quit.
　　Finally, Susan decided that she was ready to try the trip on her own. Monday morning arrived, and before she left, she threw her arms around Mark, her temporary bus riding companion, her husband, and her best friend.
　　Her eyes filled with tears of gratitude for his loyalty4, his patience, and his love. She said goodbye, and for the first time, they went their separate ways. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday... Each day on her own went perfectly, and Susan had never felt better. She was doing it！ She was going to work all by herself！
　　On Friday morning, Susan took the bus to work as usual. As she was paying for her fare to exit the bus, the driver said, “Boy, I sure envy you.” Susan wasn’t sure if the driver was speaking to her or not. After all, who on earth would ever envy a blind woman who had struggled just to find the courage to live for the past year？
　　Curious, she asked the driver,“Why do you say that you envy me？” The driver responded, “It must feel so good to be taken care of and protected like you are.” Susan had no idea what the driver was talking about, and asked again, “What do you mean？”
　　The driver answered, “You know, every morning for the past week, a fine looking gentleman in a military uniform has been standing across the corner watching you when you get off the bus. He makes sure you cross the street safely and he watches you until you enter your office building. Then he blows you a kiss, gives you a little salute5 and walks away. You are one lucky lady.”
　　Tears of happiness poured down Susan’s cheeks. For although she couldn’t physically see him, she had always felt Mark’s presence. She was lucky, so lucky, for he had given her a gift more powerful than sight, a gift she didn’t need to see to believe—the gift of love that can bring light where there is darkness.

　爱的港湾
　　佚名
　　爱的羽翼会在何处驻足，无人知晓。偶尔，她可能会出现在最不寻常的地方。令人难以置信的是，她突然降临在洛杉矶郊区的一家康复医院，这里的大多数病人都丧失了最基本的身体机能。
　　医院的工作人员听到这个消息时，一些护士哭了，院长哈利震惊了。但从那时起，哈利把它当作一生中最伟大的日子，为它祈祷。
　　现在，怎么给他们缝制结婚礼服呢？可能有些麻烦，但哈利知道职员们会找到解决的办法。一个护士提出自愿效劳，他放心了，希望这会是两位病人——朱安娜和迈克一生中最美好的时光。
　　一天早晨，迈克出现在哈利的办公室门口，他的身体用带子缚在轮椅上，借助呼吸器呼吸。
　　“哈利，我想结婚。”迈克说道。
　　“结婚？”哈利张大了嘴巴，这太严重了，“和谁呢？”哈利问。
　　“朱安娜，”迈克说，“我们恋爱了。”
　　爱情，爱情穿越了医院的大门，降临在两个完全瘫痪的人身上，并进驻他们的心灵——尽管两位病人衣食不能自理，需要呼吸器才能呼吸，而且永远不能行走。迈克得了脊髓肌肉萎缩症，朱安娜身患多发性硬化病。
　　结婚的念头如此真切，当迈克拿出结婚戒指，露出多年不见的笑容时，态度就更加明显了。事实上，此时的迈克是医护人员见过的最温柔、最善良的。而此前他一直是公认的脾气最暴躁的人。
　　迈克的暴躁是可以理解的。25年来，他一直住在医疗中心。9岁时，他妈妈把他送来后，每周来看几次，直到去世。他经常大发雷霆，把护士骂走，但至少他觉得医院是他的家，病人们都是他的朋友。
　　曾经有一个女孩，坐在吱吱作响的轮椅里。迈克想，她一定注意到自己了。但她并没有在这里待很久。迈克在那儿度过了生命的一大半后，再也不想待下去了。
　　医疗中心要关门了，迈克被转移到另一家康复医院，远离了他的朋友们。
　　迈克开始变得孤僻，宁愿待在黑暗的房间里，整日足不出户。朋友驱车两个多小时来看他，他依然情绪低落，没有人能贴近他的心。
　　有一天，他躺在床上，突然，走廊传来一阵熟悉的吱吱声。古老的轮椅吱吱作响，就像在以前的中心遇到的女孩——朱安娜所坐的轮椅发出的。
　　吱吱声在他的门口停住了，朱安娜凝视着他，问他能否和她一起外出。他立即兴奋起来，再次见到她的那一刻，他的生命似乎重新回来了。
　　他开始再次仰望蓝天白云，参加医院的娱乐活动，不知疲倦地与朱安娜聊天。他的房间充满了阳光和欢声笑语。不久，他向从24岁就在轮椅上生活的朱安娜求婚，想知道她是否愿意嫁给他。
　　朱安娜曾经度过一段非常艰辛的日子。她经常因身体虚弱而昏倒，没能读完三年级。母亲以为她偷懒，总打她。她生活在恐惧中，一直担心母亲要抛弃她，所以，身体好些时，她就会像小女佣一样打扫房间。
　　24岁前，她和迈克一样，做过一次气管切开术，以使呼吸畅通。也就是在那个时候，她被确诊患有多发性硬化症。30岁时，她被送进医院接受24小时的全天护理。
　　所以，当迈克问她这个“重大”问题时，朱安娜想，如果他是在戏弄她，那将会给她带来无法承受的痛苦。
　　“他说爱我时，我非常害怕，”她说，“我想他是在跟我开玩笑。但他说，他是认真的，他爱我。”
　　情人节那天，朱安娜穿着一件白色的绸缎婚纱，上面缀满珍珠，而且宽松得遮住了轮椅和呼吸器。哈利自豪地把她推到房门前，她激动得泪流满面。
　　迈克穿着笔挺的白色衬衣和黑色夹克，脖子上还打了个精美的蝴蝶结，满脸洋溢着幸福的微笑。
　　护士和病人们挤满了走廊、房间，就连大厅也满是医护人员。房间的每个角落都传来呜咽声。医院有史以来，还没有两个在轮椅上生活的人结合在一起的先例。
　　医院的娱乐节目主持人珍妮特策划好了一切活动。医护人员用捐来的钱买了红色、白色的气球，树叶缠绕的拱门，搭配上鲜花。珍妮特请医院的厨师制作了一个三层柠檬味的结婚蛋糕。一个营销顾问还请来了摄影师。
　　珍妮特跟家人谈论起此事，感慨万千，看到这对有情人终成眷属是她一生中最费解，也最开心的时刻。
　　她思索了很多。
　　最后的程序——接吻，无法完成。珍妮特用白绸缎把这对新人的轮椅系在一起，以此来象征这浪漫的时刻。
　　婚礼结束后，牧师强忍着眼泪，悄悄走了出去：“我主持了无数次的婚礼，但这次，是最激动人心的。”牧师说，“他们克服了艰难险阻，找到了最纯洁的爱情。”
　　那晚，迈克和朱安娜第一次共入新房。他们知道，他们真挚的爱情打动了很多人，他们收获了最珍贵的礼物，也收获了最纯洁的爱情。爱情，你永远无法知道它会在何处驻足。
　　■心灵小语
　　没有人能够知道，爱情的翅膀会在什么地方驻足。然而，只有不畏惧艰难险阻，才能找到纯洁的爱情。所以，勇敢地去追求，爱神之箭终会帮你找到世界上最为珍贵的爱。
　　Where Love Lands 
　　Anonymous
　　No one knows where love’s wings will land. At times, it turns up in the most unusual spots. There was nothing more surprising than when it descended upon a rehabilitation hospital in a Los Angeles suburb—a hospital where most of the patients can no longer move of their own accord.
　　When the staff heard the news, some of the nurses began to cry. The administrator was in shock, but from then on, Harry MacNarama would bless it as one of the greatest days in his entire life.
　　Now the trouble was, how were they going to make the wedding dress？ He knew his staff would find a way, and when one of his nurses volunteered, Harry was relieved. He wanted this to be the finest day in the lives of two of his patients—Juana and Michael.
　　Michael strapped in his wheelchair and breathing through his ventilator, appeared at Harry’s office door one morning.
　　“Harry, I want to get married, ”Michael announced.
　　“Married？” Harry’s mouth dropped open. How serious was this？ “To who？ ”Harry asked.
　　“To Juana, ”Michael said. “We’re in love.”
　　Love. Love had found its way through the hospital doors, over two bodies that refused to work for their owners and penetrated their hearts—despite the fact that the two patients were unable to feed or cloth themselves, required ventilators just to breath and could never walk again. Michael had spinal muscular atrophy; Juana had multiple sclerosis.
　　Just how serious this marriage idea was, became quite apparent when Michael pulled out the engagement ring and beamed as he hadn’t done in years. In fact, the staff had never seen a kinder, sweeter Michael, who had been one of the angriest men Harry’s employees had ever worked with.
　　The reason for Michael’s anger was understandable. For twentyfive years, he had lived his life at a medical center where his mother had placed him at age nine and visited him several times a week until she died. He was always a raspy sort of guy, who cussed out his nurses routinely, but at least he felt he had family at the hospital. The patients were his friends.
　　There even had been a girl once who went about in a squeaky wheelchair who he was sure had eyed him. But she hadn’t stayed long at the center. And after spending more than half his life there, now Michael wasn’t going to get to stay either.
　　The center was closing, and Michael was shipped to live at the rehabilitation hospital, far from his friends and worse, far from Betty.
　　That’s when Michael turned into a recluse. He wouldn’t come out from his room. He left it dark. His friends drove more than two hours to see him. But Michael’s spirits sagged so low, no one could reach him.
　　And then, one day, he was lying in bed when he heard a familiar creaking sound coming down the hall. It sounded like that same, ancient, squeaky wheelchair that girl, Juana, had used at the center where he used to live.
　　The squeaking stopped at his door, and Juana peered in and asked him to come outdoors with her. He was intrigued and from the moment he met Juana again, it was as though she breathed life back into him.
　　He was staring at the clouds and blue skies again. He began to participate in the hospital’s recreation programs. He spent hours talking with Juana. His room was sunny and light. And then he asked Juana, who’d been living in a wheelchair since age twentyfour, if she would marry him.
　　Juana had already had a tough life. She was pulled out of school before finishing the third grade, because she collapsed and fell a lot. Her mother, thinking she was lazy, slapped her around. She lived in terror that her mother wouldn’t want her anymore, so on the occasions when she was well enough, she cleaned house “like a little maid”.
　　Before the age of twentyfour, like Michael, she had a tracheotomy just to breathe and that was when she was officially diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. By the time she was thirty, she had moved into a hospital with roundtheclock care.
　　So when Michael asked her the big question, she didn’t think she could handle the pain if he was teasing.
　　“He told me he loved me, and I was so scared,” she said. “I thought he was playing a game with me. But he told me it was true. He told me he loved me.”
　　On Valentine’s Day, Juana wore a wedding dress made of white satin, dotted with pearl beads and cut loose enough to drape around a wheelchair and a ventilator. Juana was rolled to the front of the room, assisted by Harry, who proudly gave the bride away. Her face streamed with tears.
　　Michael wore a crisp white shirt, black jacket and a bow tie that fit neatly over his tracheotomy. He beamed with pleasure.
　　Nurses filled the doorways. Patients filled the room. An overflow of hospital employees spilled into the halls. Sobs echoed in every comer of the room. In the hospital’s history, no two people—living their lives bound to wheelchairs—had ever married.
　　Janet Yamaguchi, the hospital’s recreation leader, had planned everything. Employees had donated their own money to buy the red and white balloons, matching flowers, and an archway dotted with leaves. Janet had the hospital chef make a threetiered, lemonfilled wedding cake. A marketing consultant hired a photographer.
　　Janet negotiated with family members. It was one of the most trying and satisfying times of her life to watch the couple get married.
　　She thought of everything.
　　The final touch—the kiss—could not be completed. Janet used a white satin rope to tie the couple’s wheelchairs to symbolize the romantic moment.
　　After the ceremony, the minister slipped out trying to hold back her tears. “I’ve performed thousands of weddings, but this is the most wonderful one I’ve done so far,” the minister said. “These people have passed the barriers and showed pure love.”
　　That evening, Michael and Juana rolled into their own room for the first time together. Michael and Juana knew they had moved many people with their love, and they had been given the greatest gift of all. They had the gift of love. And it’s never known where it will land.
　　爱的时刻
　　佚名
　　第一次见到她时，她正在校园的操场上漫步。我站在那里，目光追随着她的倩影，呆住了。她就是我的至爱，我对自己说。
　　开学的第一天，我向同学问起她，他们说她已经有男朋友了，让我忘了她。
　　几个月后，我听说她跟男朋友分手了。但是，至少过了半年后，我才约会她。我打电话到她寝室，紧张得吐字不清，甚至把她名字的前后音节都说反了。“周六晚上请你吃晚饭，好吗？”提议完，我尴尬极了，害怕遭她拒绝。“很高兴。”她似乎很开心地回答。
　　星期六，我去宿舍接她，她的美丽再次深深地打动了我。我在30里外的餐馆预订了晚餐。开车去那儿时，却迷路了，在乡间小路上漫无目的地转了一个多小时。我越来越焦躁，她却一直兴致高昂，她说，她读过这些乡村的历史，很高兴能来游玩。
　　我们最终没能找到那家餐馆，汽油也快用完了。10点时，我们才吃了点汉堡和油炸食品，算是晚餐。她美丽的花裙，金黄的直发，娇好的面容，站在当地孩子中间显得更加光彩照人。
　　回到学校后，我正要为那个夜晚道歉，但感觉到她温暖的手，抓住了我的手，然后迅速地在我脸上吻了一下，温柔地说道：“谢谢你让我度过了一个快乐的夜晚。”我还没回过神来，她已跑进寝室，在我眼前消失了。
　　曾有多少这样的时刻啊——充满了包容、优雅与爱意，我几乎不敢相信。记得婚礼那天，在太平洋海滨，那个清新的星期天早晨，她挽着父亲的手步入教堂，我站在旁边凝视着她即将成为我妻子的时刻；或是我们的两个孩子出生，她经历了旁人无法体会的分娩痛楚后，脸上因欣喜而光彩四溢的时刻。
　　但是1993年10月15日，情形却完全不同。那天，在度过了一个难眠之夜后，我们早上5点钟就起床了。当手术刀即将划开你心上人的血肉肌肤时，你又怎能安然入眠呢？她吻了吻我们两个熟睡的孩子，但他们却没有醒来对她说“祝您好运”或者“我爱您，妈妈”。到了医院，签完一些文件后，我看她换上一件褪了色的棉袍和一双袜子，似乎手术室最大的伤害是寒冷。
　　她扑到我怀里哭着说不做手术。我握着她的手，注射器扎进她的手臂，泪水很快停住了，那原本清澈，机灵的双眼，现在满是恐惧，慢慢地合上了。
　　我痛苦而慌乱地与她吻别，然后，看着她穿过那道无情的门，被推进手术室。我整天待在候诊室，用校对稿子来分散我的焦虑。
　　快傍晚了，她才回到病房，胸前缠着一大片绷带，我想她会喜欢那个外科医生精心而巧妙地给她缠的绷带。我想起我们的孩子还是婴儿时，她为他们的摇篮缝制床单。这些绷带看起来亲切又安全可靠——不像我想的那么粗糙。
　　灯光昏暗的房间里，充斥着强烈的消毒水味儿。我坐在她旁边，感到我们的生命是如此息息相关。我，也是病人，茫然地盯着窗外灰粉色的云彩掠过午后的天空，感到心力交瘁。
　　差不多快七点了，她微微动了一下，听到她的呻吟，我移到床边，从桌子上的水罐里拿出一点冰片，轻轻触了一下她的嘴唇，拂开她额前被汗水沁湿的灰白头发。
　　“我爱你。”我说。
　　听到这些话，她慢慢地睁开眼睛，目光开始很模糊，没有焦点，很快，她敏锐地认出我来，嘴角浮现出一抹温柔的笑。
　　“我也爱你。”她呢喃道，眼睛又闭上了。我几乎筋疲力尽。回想起第一次见到她的情景。仿佛又回到了年轻时代，那个阳光灿烂的早上。她就是我的至爱。我再一次发自内心地说道，她就是我的至爱。
　　Moments of  Love
　　Anonymous
　　When I first saw her, she was walking across the medschool quad. I stood motionless Anonymous as if stunned, following her with my eyes. She is the one, I said to myself.
　　It was the first day of school. When I asked a classmate about her, he told me to forget it. She has a boyfriend, he said.
　　A few months later I heard she’d ended her relationship. But I waited at least half a year to ask for a date. When I telephoned her dormitory and asked nervously for her, I transposed the syllables of her first and last names into ludicrous garble. “Dinner on Saturday？” I proposed, embarrassed and expecting rejection. “I would enjoy that,” she answered, sounding pleased.
　　On Saturday I greeted her at the dorm and was again entranced by her loveliness. I had made reservations at a restaurant 30 miles away. I lost my way and drove aimlessly on rural roads for an hour as my exasperation mounted. She remained goodhumored happy, she said, to tour villages whose histories she had read about.
　　We never located the restaurant, and then almost ran out of gas. We finally ate at 10 p.m., hamburgers and fries at a dinner. In her floral dress, with her straight blond hair and classic features, she stood out among the local kids.
　　Back at school, I was ready to apologize for the evening. But I felt her warm hand take mine, and then she quickly kissed my cheek. “Thank you for a wonderful evening,” she said softly. Before I comprehended what had happened, she disappeared into the dormitory.
　　How many times have there been moments like that, moments of such encompassing grace and love that I doubted their actuality？ Moments like the day of our marriage, when on a crisp Sunday morning on the Pacific coast she entered the church on her father’s arm and I gazed down the aisle at my soontobe wife. Or the moments when our two children were born and her face became radiant as she emerged from the unreachable realm of labor into exaltation.
　　But October 15, 1993, was different. That day, we arose at 5 a. m., having a hard slept. How can you rest when a blade will soon sever flesh so dear？ She kissed both of our children as they slept, but they never stirred or said “Good luck” or “I love you, Mommy.” In the hospital, after we signed the papers, I watched her change into a faded cotton gown and two pairs of socks, as if the worst injury that day would be the chill of the operating room.
　　She cried in my arms and said she didn’t want the surgery. I held her hand as an I. V. was ‘ed into her arm. In a few seconds her tears stopped and she closed those eyes that had always seemed so clever and clear, but now looked so fearful.
　　Feeling frantic and disconnected I kissed her, and then she was wheeled away through the unforgiving doors of the operating suite. I spent the day in the waiting room polishing a manuscript whose only significance was its power to distract.
　　When she returned to her room late that afternoon, on her chest was an expanse of billowing white bandage placed by a surgeon’s hands with a precision and delicacy she would have admired. I was reminded of the coverlet she had appliqued for our children’s cradle when they were infants. The bandage looked gentle and protectivereassuring and not as harsh as I had expected.
　　Sitting beside her in a dimly lit room that smelled sharply of disinfectant, I realized that because my life was so intertwined with hers, I, too, was a patient. I felt depleted and wrecked as I stared blankly out the window at pinkgray clouds slowly traversing the afternoon sky.
　　It was almost 7 p. m. before she stirred. I heard her moan, and moved to the edge of the bed. I lightly touched her lips with an ice chip from the pitcher on her bedside table, and brushed the grayflecked hair across her sweaty brow.
　　“I love you, ”I said.
　　At these words, her eyes opened hesitantly. At first her gaze seemed confused and unfocused, but for an instant her eyes sharpened with recognition, and a gentle smile lifted the edges of her mouth.
　　“I love you too, ”she whispered, and then her eyelids shut. I was close to exhaustion and dislocated in time as I recalled the moment I first saw her. It was as if I was young again and the sun was resplendent in the morning sky. She is the one, I said once more in my mind’s voice. She is the one.
　　爱的约会
　　佚名
　　在纽约地铁中心总站，咨询处上方的时钟显示的时间是5点54分。年轻高大的陆军中尉抬起黝黑的脸庞，眯着眼睛看上面的时间，一颗心激动得怦怦直跳，6分钟后，他就要见到那个女人了——在过去的13个月里一直占据着他心灵某个特殊位置的女人。虽然他们素未谋面，但她的信却一直是他的精神支柱。
　　布兰福德中尉记得那天，战斗最艰苦的时刻，他的飞机被敌机重重包围。他曾在一封信里对她坦言，他常会感到畏惧。就在战斗打响的前几天，他收到了她的回信：“你当然会畏惧……勇士们都会那样，下次在你不自信时，我希望你能听到我为你朗诵的声音：‘啊，是的，尽管我要走过死亡之谷，但我将勇往直前，因为你与我同在。’……”他记得，正是那封信使他重新振作。
　　此时，他就要听到她真实的声音了，还有4分钟就6点了。
　　一个女孩走近他，布兰福德中尉一惊。她戴着一朵花，但不是他们约好的那种红玫瑰。这个女孩只有18岁左右，而霍丽丝.梅内尔告诉过他，她已30岁。“有什么关系呢？”他还回信说，“我32岁”，其实他只有29岁。
　　他又想到了在训练营时看过的一本书——《人性的枷锁》，书里有一个女人写的批注。他难以相信，一个女人竟能如此透彻地读懂男人的心。书签上有她的名字：霍丽丝.梅内尔。于是他找来一本纽约市电话簿，查到了地址，给她写信，并收到了回信。因为执行任务，第二天他就坐船离开了，但他们仍然保持通信。
　　13个月里，她始终诚挚地给他回信，通常是他的信还未到，她的信就来了。因此，他深信，他们彼此深爱着。
　　然而，她拒绝送他照片，并解释说：“如果你真心对我，我的外表并不重要。如果我长得很漂亮，我会认为，你是爱我的外貌，那样会令我很反感。如果我长相平凡（你必须承认这个更有可能），就会担心，你和我通信，是因为内心孤独，无人倾诉。别向我要照片。你来纽约时就可以看到我了，可以在那时作出某些决定。”
　　还有1分钟就6点了……布兰福德猛抽了一口烟，心跳更加快了。
　　一位年轻的女士向他走来，她身材苗条，金黄的卷发拢在小巧的耳后，双唇红润，下巴精致，眼睛深蓝动人。她穿着淡绿的西装，浑身散发着青春的活力。
　　他开始向她走去，根本没注意她是否戴着玫瑰花，他走近，看到她嘴角浮起动人的微笑。
　　“问路吗，军人？”她轻轻地说。他又走近一步，接着，他看到了霍丽丝.梅内尔。
　　霍丽丝.梅内尔就站在这姑娘的身后，一个40多岁的女人，灰白的头发塞在破旧的帽子下面，很胖，厚实的双脚穿着低跟鞋。
　　可在她那皱巴巴的外衣上别着一朵红玫瑰。
　　绿衣女孩匆匆离去。
　　布兰福德心碎了，他多想跟着那女孩啊，然而他又真切地渴望见这个女人，是她的精神一直陪伴他，激励他；她就站在那里，苍白丰满的面庞，温柔而理性；灰色的眼睛里闪着温和的光芒。
　　布兰福德没有犹豫，他紧抓着那本破旧的《人性的枷锁》，它是向她证明身份的依据。尽管这不会是爱情，但是一种珍贵的东西，是他曾经拥有并要感激的友情……
　　尽管因深深的失望而感到痛苦，布兰福德仍摆正双肩，敬了个礼，然后把书递给那个女人，“我是约翰.布兰福德，您——您是梅内尔女士吧，我可以——可以请您吃饭吗？”
　　女人微笑着。“孩子，我不明白这是怎么回事，”她说道，“那位穿绿衣服的年轻小姐请求我戴上这朵玫瑰，她说如果你请我一块出去，就告诉你，她在街对面的餐厅等你。她说这是一种考验。”
　　■心灵小语
　　爱情之花需要甘露的沐浴才能绽放。如果你是一个向往爱情的人，那么开始用美好的品质来浇这盆爱之花，这样它才能成长，才能长出蓓蕾，才能美丽绽放。
　　Appointment with Love
　　Anonymous
　　Six minutes to six, said the clock over the information booth in New York’s Grand Central Station. The tall, young Army lieutenant1 lifted his sunburned face and narrowed his eyes to note the exact time. His heart was pounding with a beat. In six minutes he would see the woman who had filled such a special place in his life for the past 13 months, the woman he had never seen, yet whose written words had sustained2 him unfailingly.
　　Lieutenant Blandford remembered one day in particular, during the worst of the fighting, when his plane had been caught in the midst of a pack of enemy planes. In one of his letters he had confessed3 to her that he often felt fear, and only a few days before this battle he had received her answer，“Of course you fear... all brave men do. Next time you doubt yourself, I want you to hear my voice reciting to you，‘ Yeah, though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me.’...” He had remembered, and it had renewed his strength.
　　Now he was going to hear her real voice. Four minutes to six.
　　A girl passed close to him, and Lieutenant Blandford started. She was wearing a flower, but it was not the little red rose they had agreed upon. Besides, this girl was only about 18, and Hollis Meynell had told him she was 30. “What of it？” he had answered. “I’m 32.” He was 29.
　　His mind went back to that book he had read in the training camp. Of Human Bondage it was; and throughout the book were notes in a woman’s handwriting. He had never believed that a woman could see into a man’s heart so tenderly, so understandingly. Her name was on the book plate: Hollis Meynell. He had got hold of a New York City telephone book and found her address. He had written; she had answered.  Next day he had been shipped out, but they had gone on writing.
　　For 13 months she had faithfully replied. When his letters did not arrive, she wrote anyway, and now he believed that he loved her and that she loved him.
　　But she had refused all his pleas to send him her photograph. She had explained， “If your feeling for me has any reality, what I look like won’t matter. Suppose I’m beautiful. I’d always be haunted4 by the feeling that you had been taking a chance on just that, and that kind of love would disgust me. Suppose I’m plain (and you must admit that this is more likely), then I’d always fear that you were only going on writing because you were lonely and had no one else. No, don’t ask for my picture. When you come to New York, you shall see me and then you shall make your decision.”
　　One minute to six ... he pulled hard on a cigarette. Then Lieutenant Blandford’s heart leaped.
　　A young woman was coming toward him. Her figure was long and slim; her blond hair lay back in curls over her delicate ears. Her eyes were as blue as flowers, her lips and chin had a gentle firmness. In her palegreen suit, she was like springtime come alive.
　　He started toward her, forgetting to notice that she was wearing no rose, and as he moved, a small, provocative smile curved her lips.
　　“Going my way, soldier？” she murmured. He made one step closer to her. Then he saw Hollis Meynell.
　　She was standing almost directly behind the girl, a woman well past 40, her graying hair tucked under a worn hat. She was more than plump5; her thick ankled feet were thrust into lowheeled shoes.
　　But she wore a red rose on her rumpled coat. The girl in the green suit was walking quickly. Blandford felt as though he were being split into two, so keen was his desire to follow the girl, yet so deep was his longing for the woman whose spirit had truly companioned and upheld his own; and there she stood. He could see her pale, plump face was gentle and sensible; her gray eyes had a warm twinkle6.
　　Lieutenant Blandford did not hesitate. His fingers gripped the worn copy of Human Bondage which was to identify him to her. This would not be love, but it would be something precious, a friendship for which he had been and must ever be grateful...
　　He squared his shoulders, saluted, and held the book out toward the woman, although even while he spoke he felt the bitterness of his disappointment. “I’m John Blandford, and you—you are Miss Meynell. May—may I take you to dinner？”
　　The woman smiled. “I don’t know what this is all about, son,” she answered. “That young lady in the green suit, she begged me to wear this rose on my coat. And she said that if you asked me to go out with you, I should tell you she’s waiting for you in that restaurant across the street. She said it was some kind of a test.”
　　来自天堂的玫瑰
　　佚名
　　红玫瑰是她的最爱，她的名字叫罗斯，也是“玫瑰”的意思。每年情人节，丈夫都要送她一些玫瑰花，并用漂亮的丝带扎着。丈夫去世的那年，她依然收到了玫瑰花，卡片像往年一样写着：“献给我的爱人！”
　　每年，丈夫送她花时，都要写下这样一些话：“我爱你，今朝更胜往昔。”“时光流转，我对你的爱历久弥新。”她知道，这是她最后一次收到丈夫的玫瑰花了。
　　她想，玫瑰花一定是他预订的。她亲爱的丈夫或许不知道，自己会死去。他总喜欢提前把一些事情安排妥当，这样，即使再忙，也可以从容应对，处理好一切。
　　她修剪好枝叶，将花插到一个别致的花瓶里。然后，把花瓶放到面带微笑的丈夫的遗像旁。她在丈夫最喜欢的椅子里一坐就是几个小时，伴着玫瑰花，凝神地望着他的照片。
　　一年终于过去了，没有丈夫的日子十分难挨。在孤独与寂寞中，她又迎来一个情人节。情人节前夕，家里门铃响了，有人送来一束玫瑰花，放在了门口。
　　她把玫瑰花拿进屋，吃惊地看着它们。然后走到电话旁，拨通了花店的电话，是店主接的，她要他解释为什么还有人送花给她，增添她的悲伤。
　　“我知道您的丈夫一年前就过世了，”店主说，“我也知道您会打电话来问究竟的。您今天收到的花，已经提前付过款了。您丈夫总是提前做好计划，万无一失，而预订好的。
　　“他预付了花款，委托我们每年给您送花。还有一件事，我想您有必要知道,还有一张特别的小卡片……是他去年写的。
　　“那张卡片……是他让我们要在他死后的第二年送给您。现在他不在了，所以就把卡片送给您了。”
　　她谢过店主，挂断了电话，泪如泉涌。她的手抖动着，慢慢地伸向那张卡片。
　　卡片里丈夫写给她的一张便条，她静静地注视着它，这是他亲手写给她的……“亲爱的，你好！我知道我已经离开你一年了，我希望这一年里你没有受太多的苦。
　　“我知道这一年你一定很孤单，很痛苦。如果换上我是你，我也会那样的。我们的爱使生命中的一切都变得美好。我对你的爱用语言无法表达，你是我完美的爱妻。
　　“你是我的朋友，我的爱人，你让我时刻都心满意足。我知道这才仅仅过去一年，但我还是要你努力去忘记痛苦。我想让你快乐，即使流泪也是因幸福而泣。所以每年我都要送你玫瑰花。
　　“当你收到这些玫瑰时，想想我们一起度过的美好时光，我们曾经是多么幸福呀！我一直深爱着你，并将一直深爱下去。但是，亲爱的，答应我，一定要好好活着。
　　“请努力寻找幸福，珍惜生命中的每一天。我知道那并不容易，但我仍希望你能努力去做。玫瑰花每年都会如期而至，除非你不再应门，花店才会停止送花。
　　“每年送花时，花店派人来送五次，以免你外出。五次来访后，送花人便可确定把花送到我告诉他们的另一个地方，那就是我们的重逢之地。”
　　■心灵小语
　　爱情，可以是瞬间的美丽，也可以成为一生的守护，而且历久弥新。所以，请相信，虽然岁月流转，但爱情依然可以毫不褪色，甚至可以更胜往昔。
　　Roses for Rose
　　Anonymous
　　Red roses were her favorites, her name was also Rose. And every year her husband sent them, tied with pretty bows. The year he died, the roses were delivered to her door. The card said, “Be my Valentine,” like all the years before.
　　Each year he sent her roses, and the note would always say, “I love you even more this year, than last year on this day.” 
　　“My love for you will always grow, with every passing year.” She knew this was the last time that the roses would appear.
　　She thought, he ordered roses in advance1 before this day. Her loving husband did not know, that he would pass away. He always liked to do things early, way before the time. Then, if he got too busy, everything would work out fine.
　　She trimmed the stems, and placed them in a very special vase. Then, sat the vase beside the portrait of his smiling face. She would sit for hours, in her husband’s favorite chair. While staring at his picture, and the roses sitting there.
　　A year went by, and it was hard to live without her mate. With loneliness and solitude2, that had become her fate. Then, the very hour, as on Valentines before, the doorbell rang, and there were roses, sitting by her door.
　　She brought the roses in, and then just looked at them in shock. Then, went to get the telephone, to call the florist shop. The owner answered, and she asked him, if he would explain, why would someone do this to her, causing her such pain？
　　“I know your husband passed away, more than a year ago,” The owner said, “I knew you’d call, and you would want to know. 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 file down here, And he has paid, well in advance, you’ll get them every year. There also is another thing, that I think you should know, he wrote a special little card...he did this years ago.
　　“Then, should ever, I find out that he’s no longer here, that’s the card...that should be sent, to you the following year.”
　　She thanked him and hung up the phone, her tears now flowing hard. Her fingers shaking, as she slowly reached to get the card.
　　Inside the card, she saw that he had written her a note. Then, as she stared in total silence, this is what he wrote...“Hello, my love, I know it’s been a year since I’ve been gone, I hope it hasn’t been too hard for you to overcome.
　　  “I know it must be lonely, and the pain is very real. For if it was the other way, I know how I would feel. The love we shared made everything so beautiful in life. I loved you more than words can say, you were the perfect wife.
　　“You were my friend and lover, you fulfilled my every need. I know it’s only been a year, but please try not to grieve3. I want you to be happy, even when you shed your tears. That is why the roses will be sent to you for years.
　　“When you get these roses, think of all the happiness, that we had together, and how both of us were blessed. I have always loved you and I know I always will. But, my love, you must go on, you have some living still.
　　“Please…try to find happiness, while living out your days. I know it is not easy, but I hope you find some ways. The roses will come every year, and they will only stop, when your door’s not answered, when the florist4 stops to knock.
　　“He will come five times that day, in case you have gone out. But after his last visit, he will know without a doubt, to take the roses to the place, where I’ve instructed him, and place the roses where we are, together once again.”              

　咸咖啡
　　佚名
　　他在一次晚会上遇见了她。她很迷人，有很多男孩子追求，而他往往被人忽略。晚会结束后，他请她出去喝咖啡，这让她很吃惊。出于礼貌，她去了。
　　他们坐在一家幽雅的咖啡店里。他紧张得说不出话来，而她也感到很拘束。突然，他叫来服务生，说道：“给我在咖啡里加点盐，好吗？”
　　她和服务生都看着他，他脸红了。盐端上来了，他往咖啡里放了一些，喝了起来。她好奇地问：“为什么要在咖啡里放盐呢？”他解释说：“小时候，我住在海边,喜欢在那里玩耍……海水是咸的，就像这杯咸咖啡。每次喝咖啡时，我就想起了童年和家乡。我怀念这种味道，想念那里的父母。”
　　她被深深地感动了。一个有思乡情结的男人一定很爱家，很关心家人。他一定是值得信赖的。
　　于是，她也谈起了她遥远的家乡，她的童年和家人。他们的爱情故事就这样拉开了帷幕。
　　之后，他们常常约会。她发现他宽容，善良、热情而细心，这些正符合她的标准。她想，若不是那杯咸咖啡，她或许就错过了他。
　　最后，他们结婚了，幸福地生活在一起。每每给他冲咖啡时，她总会放些盐，因为他喜欢喝咸咖啡。
　　40年后，他去世了，留了一封信给她，信中的内容是这样的：
　　亲爱的，请原谅我——有一个谎言，我隐瞒了你整整一生。还记得我们的第一次约会吗？我很紧张，原想要糖，却说成了盐。
　　再改过来很难，我只好将错就错。我从未想过要喝咸咖啡。许多次，我都想告诉你真相，但又担心说出来一切会化为泡影。
　　亲爱的，我并不喜欢喝咸咖啡，但你很在乎这个，我已经学着接受它了。与你在一起就是我最大的幸福。倘若我能重生，我希望还能和你在一起，即使这意味着余生都要喝咸咖啡，我也心甘情愿。
　　Salty Coffee
　　Anonymous
　　He met her at a party. She was outstanding1; many guys were after her, but nobody paid any attention to him. After the party, he invited her for coffee. She was surprised. So as not to appear rude, she went along.
　　As they sat in a nice coffee shop, he was too nervous to say anything and she felt uncomfortable. Suddenly, he asked the waiter, “Could you please give me some salt？ I’d like to put it in my coffee.”
　　They stared at him. He turned red, but when the salt came, he put it in his coffee and drank. Curious2, she asked, “Why salt with coffee？” He explained, “When I was a little boy, I lived near the sea. I liked playing on the sea ... I could feel its taste salty, like salty coffee. Now every time I drink it, I think of my childhood and my hometown. I miss it and my parents, who are still there.”
　　She was deeply touched. A man who can admit that he’s homesick3 must love his home and care about his family. He must be responsible.
　　She talked too, about her faraway hometown, her childhood, her family. That was the start to their love story.
　　They continued to date. She found that he met all her requirements. He was tolerant4, kind, warm and careful. And to think she would have missed the catch if not for the salty coffee！
　　So they married and lived happily together. And every time she made coffee for him, she put in some salt, the way he liked it.
　　After 40 years, he passed away and left her a letter which said，
　　My dearest, please forgive my lifelong lie. Remember the first time we dated？ I was so nervous I asked for salt instead of5 sugar.
　　It was hard for me to ask for a change, so I just went ahead. I never thought that we would hit it off. Many times, I tried to tell you the truth, but I was afraid that it would ruin everything.
　　Sweetheart, I don’t exactly like salty coffee. But as it mattered so much to you, I’ve learnt to enjoy it. Having you with me was my greatest happiness. If I could live a second time, I hope we can be together again, even if it means that I have to drink salty coffee for the rest of my life.
　　蝶吻
　　佚名
　　“你今天真漂亮。”每天早晨，新婚的丈夫都会对我说这句话。
　　只要照一下镜子就知道这句话与事实有多大差距。
　　镜中笑吟吟的我瘦瘦的，头发杂乱，没有化妆；而且我还感到自己早晨的口气很不好。
　　“骗人。”我大声地喊道，笑了。
　　我通常都是这样的反应。母亲的第一个丈夫不是个好人，他常常伤害、虐待母亲。最终，家庭暴力使母亲和她的两个孩子不得不离开，去寻找一个安全的地方。一天，这个男人拿着玫瑰花来到母亲家门前。进门后，却用玫瑰花殴打她，并占了她的便宜。9个月后，母亲生下一个重9英镑13盎司的女婴，那就是我。
　　从小到大，听到的那些刻薄言语在我心中扎了根，因此我很难把自己看成是一个有用的人。结婚两年后，我感到很意外，丈夫拥抱着我，说我很漂亮。
　　我说：“谢谢你。”
　　镜中的我同样是那个瘦瘦的、有着黑褐色头发的女孩，但不管怎样，最终那句温暖的话语在我心中开了花。
　　多年过去了，丈夫的头发已变得灰白，我也不再那么瘦弱。上星期的一个早晨，醒来时我发现丈夫的脸离我很近，不过几英寸。
　　我问道：“你在干什么？”
　　我把嘴捂住，不想对着他呼吸，因为早晨口气很重。他低下头吻了我的脸。
　　“做我每天都做的事。”他回答说。
　　每天早晨我还在睡觉的时候，丈夫就要离开家，所以我们早晨没有时间交谈。我从不知道他每天早晨都告诉我他爱我，即使当时我在睡觉也会如此。他走后，我打了个滚儿，抱着枕头，想象着自己张着嘴轻轻打鼾的样子，忍不住笑了。
　　这样一个男人！他了解我的过去，并一直陪在我身边，看着我从一个自卑的女孩成长为一个自信的女人、一位母亲，同时也是一位成功的演说家和作家。
　　我不知道他是否清楚在我一系列的蜕变中，他所起的作用。从小到大，那些刻薄的话曾深深刺痛我的灵魂，而他的话对我的触动更大。
　　我打算今年的结婚纪念日早点起床，告诉理查德我有多爱他。他可能会在照镜子时，发现自己又重了一磅或两磅，或是希望某天他的头发又可以变黑变卷；而我所看到的他，永远是那个能看出连我自己都无法看到自身优点的人，是那个甚至在结婚23年后每天依然给我蝶吻的人。
　　■心灵小语心灵小语
　　相爱的两个人要懂得珍惜，不仅是珍惜两人之间的爱情，更要珍惜彼此拥有的生活。爱一个人，就是要接受她的全部。即便她并不美丽，并不优秀，但是她成为了你生命中的另一半，你就要悉心地发现她的美，发现她的独特之处。只有彼此发现优点，相互珍惜，生活才会幸福，爱情才会更美好。
　　Butterfly Kisses
　　Anonymous
　　My newlywed husband said the same thing every morning， “You’re beautiful today.”
　　One glance in the mirror revealed1 that it was far from the truth.
　　A skinny girl with mashed hair on one side of her head and no makeup smiled back at me. I could feel my sticky2 morning breath.
　　“Liar,” I shot back with a grin.
　　It was my usual response. My mother’s first husband was not a kind man and his verbal3 and physical abuse forced her and her two children to find a safe place. He showed up on her doorstep one day with roses. She let him in and he beat her with those roses and took advantage of her. Nine months later she gave birth to a 9 lb. 13 oz. baby girl—me.
　　The harsh4 words we heard growing up took root. I had trouble seeing myself as someone of value. I had been married two years when I surprised myself. My husband wrapped his arms around me and told me I was beautiful.
　　“Thank you,” I said. 
　　The same thin girl with the mousy5 brown hair still stared back at me in the mirror, but somehow the words had finally blossomed in my heart.
　　A lot of years have passed. My husband has grey in his hair. I’m no longer skinny. Last week I woke up and my husband’s face was inches from mine. 
　　“What are you doing？” I asked. 
　　I covered my mouth, trying to hide my morning breath. He reached down and kissed my face.     
　　“What I do every morning,” he said.
　　He leaves in the early hours of the morning while I sleep. I miss our morning conversations, but I had not realized that he continued to tell me that he loved me even while I slept. When he left, I rolled over and hugged my pillow. I envisioned6 the picture of me lightly snoring with my mouth open and giggled.
　　What a man！ My husband understands my past. He’s been beside me as I’ve grown from an unsure young girl to a confident woman, mother, speaker and author.
　　But I’m not sure that he understands the part he played in that transition. The words I heard growing up pierced my soul, yet his words pierced7 even deeper.
　　This Anniversary Day I plan to wake early. I wants to tell Richard how much I love him. He may look in the mirror and see an extra pound or two, or wish for the day when his hair was dark and curly, but all I’ll see is the man who saw something in me when I couldn’t see it myself, and who leaves butterfly kisses, even after twentythree years of marriage.
　　爱如丝线
　　佚名
　　有时我怀疑,父母之间是否存在着真爱。他们每天都疲于奔命，为我和弟弟赚学费。我从没见他们像我在书中或电视中看到的那样浪漫。在他们看来，将“我爱你”这句话说出口都太奢侈，更别说在情人节互赠鲜花了。父亲脾气很糟，特别是经过了一天工作的劳累之后，糟糕的脾气更容易发作。
　　有一天，妈妈正在缝被子，我安静地坐在旁边看着她。
　　“妈妈，我有个问题想问你。”过了一会儿我说。
　　“什么问题啊？”她答道，而手里的活儿却没停下。
　　“你和爸爸之间有爱情吗？”我压低声音问道。
　　母亲停下手里的活儿，抬起头诧异地看着我，并未马上回答，然后又低下头，继续缝被子。
　　我担心这个问题会伤她的心。我很尴尬，不知所措。但接下来却听见母亲这样说：
　　“苏珊，”她若有所思地说，“你看这线。有时我们看得见它，但更多时侯它却藏在被子中，我们看不见。这些线确实使被子结实耐用。如果将生活比做被子，那么爱就是丝线。你不可能时刻都看得到它，但是它却真实地存在着。爱是内在的东西。”
　　我仔细听着，但是直到第二年春天才真正明白她所说的话。当时，父亲病重，母亲在医院里照顾他，一个月后，父亲出院回到家时，两个人看起来都面色苍白，就像他们得过同样的重病似的。
　　他们回家后，每到黎明和黄昏，母亲总会搀扶着父亲在乡间小路上散步。父亲从没有那样温和过。他们看起来是那样和谐。路旁有许多漂亮的鲜花、绿草和树木，阳光透过叶子的缝隙温柔地照射在上面，所有这一切勾勒出世间最美的画面。
　　医生说，两个月后父亲就能病愈。可两个月后他还是不能独立行走，我们都很担心。
　　“你感觉如何，爸爸？”有一天我问他。
　　“苏珊，不要担心我。”父亲慢慢地说，“不瞒你说，我就是喜欢和你妈妈一起散步的感觉。我喜欢这样的生活。”从他的眼神中，我读出了他对母亲那深深的爱恋。
　　曾经以为爱情是与鲜花、礼物和香甜的热吻这些美好的事物分不开的。经历了这些后，使我明白了：爱情就如同我们生活中被子里的丝线一样，是内在的、坚固的和温暖生活的东西。
　　Love Is Just ａ Thread
　　Anonymous
　　Sometimes I really doubt whether there is love between my parents. Every day they are very busy trying to earn money in order to pay the high tuition for my brother and me. They don’t act in the romantic ways that I read in books or I see on TV. In their opinion, “I love you”is too luxurious1 for them to say. Sending flowers to each other on Valentine’s Day is even more out of the question. Finally my father has a bad temper. When he’s very tired from the hard work, it is easy for him to lose his temper.
　　One day, my mother was sewing a quilt. I silently sat down beside her and looked at her.
　　“Mom, I have a question to ask you，” I said after a while.
　　“What？”she replied, still doing her work.
　　“Is there love between you and Dad？” I asked her in a very low voice.
　　My mother stopped her work and raised her head with surprise in her eyes. She didn’t answer immediately. Then she bowed her head and continued to sew the quilt.
　　I was very worried because I thought I had hurt her. I was in a great embarrassment2 and I didn’t know what I should do. But at last I heard my mother say the following words:
　　“Susan,” she said thoughtfully, “look at this thread. Sometimes it appears, but most of it disappears in the quilt. The thread really makes the quilt strong and durable3. If life is a quilt, then love should be a thread. It can hardly be seen anywhere or anytime, but it’s really there. Love is inside.”
　　I listened carefully but I couldn’t understand her until the next spring. At that time, my father suddenly got sick seriously. My mother had to stay with him in the hospital for a month. When they returned from the hospital, they both looked very pale. It seemed both of them had had a serious illness.
　　After they were back, every day in the morning and dusk, my mother helped my father walk slowly on the country road. My father had never been so gentle. It seemed they were the most harmonious4 couple. Along the country road, there were many beautiful flowers, green grass and trees. The sun gently glistened5 through the leaves. All of these made up the most beautiful picture in the world.
　　The doctor had said my father would recover in two months. But after two months he still couldn’t walk by himself. All of us were worried about him.
　　“Dad, how are you feeling now？” I asked him one day.
　　“Susan, don’t worry about me.” he said gently,“To tell you the truth, I just like walking with your mom. I like this kind of life.” Reading his eyes, I know he loves my mother deeply.
　　Once I thought love meant flowers, gifts and sweet kisses. But from this experience, I understand that love is just a thread in the quilt of our life. Love is inside, making life strong and warm.
　　让爱重温的小港
　　卡伦.斯卡尔.莉娜蒙
　　加利福尼亚的12月里，我们从得克萨斯州乘飞机来到这里，与家人们一起过圣诞节。从我们到达的那天起，直到圣诞节前夜，我们的时间被名目繁多的岁末活动挤得满满的。
　　一天晚上，我们挤上车，去一位朋友家参加圣诞聚会。因为妈妈、姐姐和我在附近的商场疯狂购物一天，不停地填支票、签交费单，很晚才回家，所以我们出发的时候，已经比计划的时间晚了。
　　妈妈看着前排开车的爸爸说：“哎呀！忙碌了一天啊！我感觉有一个星期都没见你了！”
　　爸爸嘴里咕哝了几句，一边看着后视镜一边换车道，车速几乎接近光速了。
　　妈妈伸出手用手指缠绕着爸爸的一绺头发说：“我知道了！我们相互注视一下吧。就一会儿，看对方的眼睛。”
　　这次爸爸说话了，他咕哝道：“亲爱的，我在开车呢。”
　　“就10秒钟！5秒钟！我一整天都没看见你了，我要好好看看你的眼睛。准备好了吗？”
　　爸爸摇着头说：“我现在不能看你，否则我们会撞车的！”
　　“那等下一个红灯的时候吧。”
　　车子飞快地行驶着，没过多久我们就赶上了红灯。果然，父亲转过身，隔着前座与母亲手握着手，相互注视着对方的双眼。“嗨，”妈妈说。“嗨，”爸爸热情地回应道。
　　这时，绿灯亮了，油门踩到底，赛跑又开始了。好像什么都没有改变，可一切好像又都变了。最重要的是，刚才亲眼见证的一幕悄悄地打动了我：在这手忙脚乱、焦头烂额的日子里，居然有这样一站让爱重温的小港湾。
　　A Small Harbor of Reconnection
　　Karen Scalf Linamen
　　It was December in California, and we had flown in from Texas to visit our families for the holidays. The days between our arrival and Christmas Eve brimmed with a flurry of last minute activities.
　　One evening we all hustled into the car to drive to a Christmas party at the home of family friends. We were a little behind schedule because my mom, sister, and I had gotten home late after spending a long day writing checks, signing charge slips, and bringing hysterical grins of joy to the faces of local merchants at a nearby mall.
　　My mom looked across the front seat at my dad and said, “Whew！ What a busy day！I feel like I haven’t seen you in a week！”
　　My dad grunted, checked the rearview mirror, and changed lanes at something approximating the speed of light.
　　My mom reached over and twirled a lock of my dad’s hair around her finger. “I know！Let’s look at each other. For just a minute. In the eyes.”
　　My dad responded this time. He groaned. “Honey, I’m driving.”
　　“Ten seconds. Five！I haven’t seen you all day. I need to look into your eyes. Are you ready？”
　　He shook his head. “I can’t look right now. We’ll have a wreck！”
　　“At the next light.”
　　At the speed we were traveling, we hit the next red light in no time. And sure enough, holding hands across the front seat, my parents turned and gazed into each other’s eyes. “Hi,” my mom said. “Hi,” my dad said warmly back.
　　Then the light changed, the gas pedal hit the floor, and the race was on again. Nothing had changed, and yet everything had changed. Most of all, I was silently moved by what I had witnessed: a small harbor of reconnection in a raging hurricane of activity and distraction.
　　平淡的爱
　　佚名
　　丈夫是一位职业工程师。我迷恋于他沉稳的性格，以及靠在他宽厚肩膀上的温暖感觉。恋爱三年，结婚两年，如今我不得不承认我有些厌烦了。之前爱他的一些原因，现在变成了厌烦的理由。我是个感性的人，感情上极为敏感。我渴望浪漫的时刻，就像一个渴望糖果的小女孩。丈夫与我完全相反，他反应迟钝，缺乏浪漫细胞，无法为我们的生活增添浪漫，我因此对爱情失去了信心。最终有一天，我坚决地告诉他我的决定，我要离婚。
　　“怎么了？”他十分惊异地问。“我厌倦了，世界上的事没有那么多怎么了！”我回答说。一整晚，他都很沉默，一直在抽烟，仿佛陷入了沉思。
　　我的失望有增无减，他甚至连自己的困境都无法表达出来，我还能指望他什么？最后他问我：“我怎么做才能让你改变主意？”有人说得对，江山易改，本性难移。我想我已经开始对他失去信心了。
　　我凝视着他的眼睛，缓慢地回答：“这里有个问题，如果你的回答能让我满意的话，我就改变主意。打个比方，我很想要长在悬崖上的一朵花，而我们都知道摘那朵花会付出生命的代价，你会不会为我去摘？”他说：“我明天给你答案……”听到他的回答，我的希望彻底破灭了。
　　翌日早上，我醒来时，发现他已经走了，前门餐桌上的牛奶杯下有一张纸条，他用潦草的笔迹这样写道：
　　“亲爱的，我不会去为你摘那朵花的，但请允许我作一下解释。”这第一行字已经让我心碎。我继续读着，“你用电脑时，总会弄乱程序，然后对着显示器哭，我必须留着手指为你修复程序。
　　“你总会忘带钥匙，因此我得留着双腿，跑回家为你开门。你热爱旅行，但在陌生的城市总会迷路。我得留着眼睛为你指路。
　　“每月，当好朋友来临时，你总会痛经。我得留着手掌以抚慰你的腹痛。你喜欢待在屋里，我担心你会得忧郁症。我得留着嘴巴为你讲笑话故事，以驱散你的烦闷无聊。
　　“你总会盯着电脑，这对眼睛没有好处。我得留着眼睛，当我们都老了的时候，我可以帮你剪指甲，帮你拔掉那些恼人的白头发。这样，我还可以牵着你的手漫步在海边，享受阳光和美丽的沙滩……对你说那些花的色彩就像你洋溢着青春面颊上的红晕……
　　“因此，亲爱的，除非我相信有人爱你比我更深……否则我绝不会为摘那朵花而死……”我的眼泪滴落在信上，模糊了他的字迹……我继续读下去……
　　“现在，你知道了我的答案，如果你感到满意，就打开前门，我正拿着你最爱的面包和鲜牛奶站在外面……”
　　我冲过去，拉开门，看到他一脸焦虑地紧握着牛奶瓶和面包……如今，我确切地知道没有人比他更爱我，于是决定将花的事扔到一边……
　　这就是生活，这就是爱。当一个人被爱包围时，激动的感觉会逐渐淡化，而人们却忽视了在平淡与单调中所隐藏的真爱。
　　■心灵小语
　　简单爱，简单生活。真挚的爱情在平淡的生活里会日渐被人遗忘，可是，你有没有想到，这种简单的爱情是经得住时间考验的。你终会发现，原来简单的爱才是最真实的！
　　A Deep Love without Passion
　　Anonymous
　　My husband is an engineer by profession. I love him for his steady nature, and I love the warm feeling when I lean against his broad shoulders. Three years of courtship and now, two years into marriage,  I would have to admit,  that I am getting tired of it.  The reasons of my loving him before, have now transformed into the cause of all my restlessness.  I am a sentimental woman and extremely sensitive when it comes to a relationship and my feelings. I yearn for the romantic moments, like a little girl yearning for candy. My husband, is my complete opposite, his lack of sensitivity, and the inability of bringing romantic moments into our marriage has disheartened me about love.  One day, I finally decided to tell him my decision,  that I wanted a divorce.
　　 “Why？” he asked, shocked. “I am tired, there are no reasons for everything in the world！ ” I answered. He kept silent the whole night,   seemed to be in deep thought with a lighted cigarette at all times.
　　My feeling of disappointment only increased, here was a man who can’t even express his predicament, what else can I hope from him？  And finally he asked me, “What can I do to change your mind？” Somebody said it right, it’s hard to change a person’s personality, and I guess, I have started losing faith in him.
　　Looking deep into his eyes, I slowly answered, “Here is the question,  if you can answer and convince my heart, I will change my mind. Let’s say, I want a flower located on the face of a mountain cliff,  and we both are sure that picking the flower will cause your death, will you do it for me？” He said, “I will give you my answer tomorrow ...”   My hopes just sank by listening to his response.
　　I woke up the next morning to find him gone, and saw a piece of paper with his scratchy handwriting, underneath a milk glass,  on the dining table near the front door, that goes ...
　　“My dear,  I would not pick that flower for you, but please allow me to explain the reasons further.” This first line has already broken my heart. I continued reading. “When you use the computer you always mess up the software programs, and you cry in front of the screen, I have to save my fingers so that I can help to restore the programs.
　　“You always leave the house keys behind, thus I have to save my legs to rush home to open the door for you. You love traveling but always lose your way in a new city, I have to save my eyes to show you the way.
　　“You always have the cramps whenever your‘good friend’ approaches every month, I have to save my palms so that I can calm the cramps in your tummy. You like to stay indoors, and I worry that you will be infected by infantile autism. I have to save my mouth to tell you jokes and stories to cure your boredom.
　　 “You always stare at the computer, and that will do nothing good for your eyes, I have to save my eyes so that when we grow old, I can help to clip your nails, and help to remove those annoying white hairs. So  I can also hold your hand while strolling down the beach, as you enjoy the sunshine and the beautiful sand ... and tell you the colour of flowers,  just like the color of the glow on your young face ...
　　“Thus, my dear, unless I am sure that there is someone who loves  you more than I do ... I could not pick that flower yet, and die ...” My tears fell on the letter, and blurred the ink of his handwriting ... and as I continued reading ...“Now, that you have finished reading my answer, if you are satisfied,  please open the front door for I am standing outside bringing your favorite bread and fresh milk ...”
　　 I rushed to pull open the door, and saw his anxious face,  clutching tightly with his hands,  the milk bottle and loaf of bread ... Now I am very sure that no one will ever love me as much as he does, and I have decided to leave the flower alone ...
　　 That’s life, and love. When one is surrounded by love, the feeling of excitement fades away, and one tends to ignore the true love that lies in between the peace and dullness.
　　天底下最真挚的爱情
　　佚名
　　我一个朋友正处于热恋之中，她幸福地坦言，恋爱时，天空似乎更蓝了。莫扎特的音乐让她感动得流泪。恋爱使她的体重减轻了15磅，她看起来像个封面女郎。
　　“我又年轻了！”她兴奋地喊道。
　　在朋友对她的新欢赞不绝口时，我又重新审视我的旧爱。丈夫斯科特与我结婚快20年了，体重增加了15磅，曾是马拉松选手的他，如今却只能从楼上跑到楼下的医院大厅。他的发际线不断后移。从体形可以看出，他经常超负荷地工作，并且甜食吃得太多。但约会时，餐桌对面的他仍会向我使某种眼色，使我领会其中的含义，结账回家。
　　当朋友问我“是什么使你们的爱持续至今”时，我毫不犹豫地列举了一些显性因素：责任感、共同的兴趣爱好、无私、身体吸引力，再者就是沟通。当然，还有其他诸多因素：我们会时常寻找乐趣，创造一些欢乐时光。昨天，斯科特把捆报纸的橡皮筋拉下来，然后调皮地弹向我，“战争”由此一发而不可收拾；上周六在杂货店，我们把购物单一分为二，比赛谁先抢购完到达收银台，谁就是胜利者；即便是一起洗碗，我们也要打斗一番。只要在一起，我们就开开心心的。
　　我与斯科特常会给对方带来惊喜。一次，我回到家，发现门上贴着一张小纸条，上面的内容指引我找到了另一张纸条，接着又是一张，最后指引我走到小储藏室。我打开门，发现斯科特手里捧着“金罐子”（我的蒸煮锅），还拿着一个装着“财富”的大礼包。有时我也会把写给他的纸条贴在镜子上，偷偷地在他的枕头下藏一个小礼物。
　　我们都理解对方。我理解他为什么一定要和老朋友们出去打篮球，而他也理解我为什么每年都要离开他和孩子，去与姐妹们聚会，连续几天无休止地聊天说笑。
　　我们同甘共苦。不仅分担忧愁的家事和身为父母的责任，也分享各自的见解。上个月，斯科特参加了一个会议，给我带回一本很厚的历史小说。虽然他比较喜欢惊悚和科幻类小说，但他还是在飞机上把它读完了。他说是为了在我读完后，能和我交流见解。听了这番话，我感动不已。
　　我们彼此宽容。当我在派对上不顾一切，疯狂地喧闹时，斯科特原谅了我；而当他用我们的一点积蓄炒股炒赔了，向我坦白时，我抱紧他，安慰道：“没关系，钱乃身外之物。”
　　我们心有灵犀。上周，他回到家，一进门我便从他的神情中看出他心情不好。他逗孩子们玩了一会儿后，我便问他怎么了。他告诉我，一个60岁的老太太中风了。想到病人的丈夫会站在床边爱抚她的手时，他哭了。他实在不忍心告诉病人的丈夫，与他共度了40年的妻子可能永远不能康复！我的眼泪也流了下来，为那可恶的病魔，为这世间维系了40年的婚姻，也为丈夫这么多年来在医院目睹了无数垂死的病人后还能有如此的感动和怜悯！
　　我们都有坚定的信念。上周四，一个朋友到我家来，向我诉说了她的忧虑，她担心丈夫会逐渐丧失与癌症抗争的勇气和信心。周三，我和一个朋友吃午饭，她正努力使离婚后混乱的生活步入正轨。周四，一个邻居打电话告诉我，她公公得了可怕的老年痴呆症。周五，我一个儿时的玩伴打来长途电话告诉我，他父亲去世了。我放下电话，心里想着一周内竟连续发生这么多令人揪心的悲剧。泪水模糊了我的双眼。我走出家门想做点什么，发现窗外橙色的剑兰花竟然开了，儿子和他的伙伴们玩耍的欢声笑语传到耳边，邻居正在举办婚宴，新娘子穿着缎面有花边修饰的婚纱，把花束抛向欢呼雀跃的朋友。那一夜，我把这一切都讲给丈夫听，人生轮回，悲欢离合总会伴随我们。我们将这样相濡以沫地生活下去。
　　最后一个原因，我们互相了解。我知道斯科特每晚都会把换洗的衣服扔向洗衣篓，却总也扔不进去；我知道大多数约会他都会迟到，因而会被罚吃剩下的最后一块巧克力。他知道我睡觉时喜欢用枕头把头蒙起来；我时常忘带钥匙，进不了家门，因此我也会自觉地吃掉最后一块巧克力。
　　我猜想，或许是舒适的感觉让我们的爱延续至今。今天的天空和昨天的一样，并没有变得更蓝，它仍是我们熟悉的颜色；我们也不再有年轻的感觉；我们经历的太多了，而正是这些经历让我们成长，让我们更理性，让我们不断增值，构成了我们的回忆。
　　我希望我们已经得到了使爱情延续的秘诀。结婚时，斯科特在我的戒指上刻上了罗伯特•布朗宁的诗词：“陪我到老吧！”我们始终恪守着这一誓言。
　　The Best Kind of Love
　　Anonymous
　　I have a friend who is falling in love. She honestly claims the sky is bluer. Mozart moves her to tears. She has lost 15 pounds and looks like a cover girl.
　　“I’m young again！” she shouts exuberantly1.
　　As my friend raves on about her new love, I’ve taken a good look at my old one. My husband of almost 20 years, Scott, has gained 15 pounds. Once a marathon runner, he now runs only down hospital halls. His hairline is receding and his body shows the signs of long working hours and too many candy bars. Yet he can still give me a certain look across a restaurant table and I want to ask for the check and head home.
　　When my friend asked me， “What will make this love last？” I ran through all the obvious reasons: commitment, shared interests, unselfishness, physical attraction, communication. Yet there’s more. We still have fun. Spontaneous2 good times. Yesterday, after slipping the rubber band off the rolled up newspaper, Scott flipped it playfully at me: this led to an allout war. Last Saturday at the grocery, we split the list and raced each other to see who could make it to the checkout first. Even washing dishes can be a blast. We enjoy simply being together.
　　And there are surprises. One time I came home to find a note on the front door that led me to another note, then another, until I reached the walkin closet. I opened the door to find Scott holding a “pot of gold” (my cooking kettle) and the “treasure” of a gift package. Sometimes I leave him notes on the mirror and little presents under his pillow.
　　There is understanding. I understand why he must play basketball with the guys. And he understands why, once a year, I must get away from the house, the kids—and even him—to meet my sisters for a few days of nonstop talking and laughing.
　　There is sharing. Not only do we share household worries and parental burdens—we also share ideas. Scott came home from a convention last month and presented me with a thick historical novel. Though he prefers thrillers and science fiction3, he had read the novel on the plane. He touched my heart when he explained it was because he wanted to be able to exchange ideas about the book after I’d read it.
　　There is forgiveness. When I’m embarrassingly loud and crazy at parties, Scott forgives me. When he confessed losing some of our savings in the stock market, I gave him a hug and said, “It’s okay. It’s only money.”
　　There is sensitivity. Last week he walked through the door with that look that tells me it’s been a tough day. After he spent some time with the kids, I asked him what happened. He told me about a 60yearold woman who’d had a stroke. He wept as he recalled the woman’s husband standing beside her bed, caressing her hand. How was he going to tell this husband of 40 years that his wife would probably never recover？ I shed a few tears myself. Because of the medical crisis. Because there were still people who have been married 40 years. Because my husband is still moved and concerned after years of hospital rooms and dying patients.
　　There is faith. Last Tuesday a friend came over and confessed her fear that her husband is losing his courageous battle with cancer. On Wednesday I went to lunch with a friend who is struggling to reshape her life after divorce. On Thursday a neighbor called to talk about the frightening effects of Alzheimer’s disease on her fatherinlaw’s personality. On Friday a childhood friend called longdistance to tell me her father had died. I hung up the phone and thought： this is too much heartache for one week. Through my tears, as I went out to run some errands, I noticed the boisterous4 orange blossoms of the gladiolus5 outside my window. I heard the delighted laughter of my son and his friend as they played. I caught sight of a wedding party emerging from a neighbor’s house. The bride, dressed in satin and lace, tossed her bouquet to her cheering friends. That night, I told my husband about these events. We helped each other acknowledge the cycles of life and that the joys counter the sorrows. It was enough to keep us going.
　　Finally, there is knowing. I know Scott will throw his laundry just shy of the hamper6 every night; he’ll be late to most appointments and eat the last chocolate in the box. He knows that I sleep with a pillow over my head; I’ll lock us out of the house at a regular basis, and I will also eat the last chocolate.
　　I guess our love lasts because it is comfortable. No, the sky is not bluer: it’s just a familiar hue. We don’t feel particularly young: we’ve experienced too much that has contributed to our growth and wisdom, taking its toll on our bodies, and created our memories.
　　I hope we’ve got what it takes to make our love last. As a bride, I had Scott’s wedding band engraved with Robert Browning’s line  “Grow old along with me！” We’re following those instructions.
　　干不完的家务活
　　佚名
　　11月，一个雨天的早上，我已经对周围的一切感到极度厌烦，如果不马上离开家的话，我会对丈夫艾.克发火的。
　　“我送你去上班吧。”艾.克说。我猛地穿上夹克，抓起包和教案说：“我已经在这条路上开了很多年了，现在也可以。”
　　“我说过要送你去上班。”他说着，伸手去够他的靴子。
　　我看着桌上成堆的报纸和脏盘子，说道：“你闲着没事吗？我能照顾我自己。”说完就仰起头走了，连一个吻和再见都没有。
　　“唐娜，不要抄近道啊！”他在我身后喊道。
　　春天时，心脏病迫使丈夫离开了工作岗位。在一所中学教高中的我从教已有22年了，而艾.克则待在家里做家务。
　　新的生活安排简直是场天灾。每天没完没了地开会和上课使我筋疲力尽，我只想回家吃顿热乎乎的家常饭、睡个舒适觉。
　　然而，桌上摆的总是用微波炉热好的速食品。
　　一天晚上，我惊奇地发现艾.克把洁白的床单染成了粗布般的蓝色。
　　“我发现怎样省水、肥皂和电了。”艾.克成功地宣布，“就是把所有的东西放在一起洗。”
　　在接下来的几个月里，不知道为什么，他做的饭越来越难吃了。我很想说，至少我做的饭还能营养均衡呢！但我想起有一次做甜菜，他称赞我做的好，后来才发现，他最讨厌吃甜菜了，于是就没有说他什么。
　　之后，有些事更糟糕。这个雨天的早上，我发现一件染成蓝色的裙子被塞在抽屉里时，我咬着牙，我受不了啦！
　　上帝啊，在照顾人的基本常识方面，你就不能帮帮他吗？我气冲冲地出了门。
　　我没有理睬艾.克的劝告，十分钟后，在这个坏天气里，我抄了近道。
　　不料，拐弯时，污水一下子涌进了我要穿过的小道。我想水应该不会很深。但没走多远，车子就抛锚了。大概20分钟过去了，车子开始摇晃，污水也开始湍急起来。上帝，救救我啊！
　　突然，三声长长的鸣笛声打断了我的祈祷。我扭头一看，是艾.克！
　　“唐娜！我扔给你一条绳子，”他喊着，“抓住它，向我这边走。”
　　我打开车门，抓住绳子。在激流的水中，我滑倒了。“我过不去！”我喊道，并使劲拽着绳子。
　　“能，你能的。”他的声音很平静。
　　如果那不是艾.克，而是其他任何一个人，我想我是不会成功的。但我信任我的丈夫。我完全按他的指挥做，最终扑到他的怀里。“谢谢，”我说，然后靠在他的胸膛哭了，“我很抱歉，刚才跟你发脾气，那是……”
　　“嘘……”艾.克低声说，“现在好了，你没事就好。”
　　上帝提醒了我，艾.克完全懂得怎样照顾人。
　　■心灵小语
　　现代人，总是不满于繁杂的家庭琐事，不甘于平淡的生活，挣扎着想要逃。可是尝试了“刺激”的生活，才发现，平平淡淡才是真。身边最熟悉的普通人才是自己最该珍惜的。无疑，文中的主人公是幸运的，因为当她埋怨放弃后，还可以选择回去。只是在这个世界上，并不是每个人都有重新选择的机会。朋友，珍惜现在，感恩现在吧！
　　Homemaking
　　Anonymous
　　One rainy November morning I had about all I could take. I knew if I didn’t leave the house soon I would unleash1 a storm of anger on my husband, A.K..
　　“I’m taking you to work.” A.K. said. l struggled into my jacket, and then grabbed my satchel2 and lesson plans. “I’ve been driving that route for many years. I can drive it now.”
　　“I said I’m taking you to work.” He reached for his boots.
　　I looked at the stacks of newspaper, the dirty dishes still on the table. “Don’t you have enough to do？ I can take care of myself.” l shouted out, not even kissing him goodbye.
　　“Don’t take the shortcut, Donna！” He shouted after me.
　　 A heart attack that past spring forced my husband to leave his job. l was in the middle of my twentysecond year teaching high school seniors, while A.K. stayed home and took over the household chores.
　　The new arrangement was a disaster. Exhausted after a day of dealing with faculty meetings and students, all I wanted was a hot home cooked meal and a good night’s sleep.
　　A microwave package greeted me at the table.
　　One night, I was horrified to discover A.K. had turned our white sheets a suspiciously denimlike shade of blue.
　　“l found out how to save on water, soap and electricity.” A.K. announced triumphantly.“Just wash everything together.”
　　During the months that followed, his cooking somehow managed to get worse. At least I cooked us balanced meals, I wanted to say. But then I would remember the time A.K. had eaten every beet and complimented3 the dinner, though I discovered later how he detested the sight of beets. So I wouldn’t say anything to him.
　　As far as I was concerned, things couldn’t get much worse. So that rainy morning when I found a nowblue halfslip stuffed in a dresser drawer, I could only grit my teeth, l had it！
　　Lord, can’t you help him with just the basics of taking care of us？ I stormed out of the house.
　　Ten minutes later, ignoring A.K.’s warning about taking the shortcut in bad weather, I turned off the main route.
　　But as I rounded the corner a swirling mess gushed across my path. It can’t be that deep, I thought. But after a few feet, the car stalled. Almost 20 minutes passed, the car swayed. The chocolaty water surged. Please, God, I prayed, take care of me.
　　Three long blasts of horn interrupted my praying. Looking over my shoulder, A.K. ！
　　“Donna！I’m throwing a rope,” he yelled. “Hang on to it and walk straight toward me.”
　　I opened the door, grabbed the rope. I slipped in the rushing water, “ I can’t！”I screamed, straining at the rope.
　　“Yes, you can.” His voice was calm.
　　If it had been anybody but A.K. , I don’t think I could have done it. But I trusted my husband. I didn’t exactly as he instructed, and finally fell into his arms. “Thank you,” I said, sobbing against his chest. “I’m sorry I got so angry with you. It’s just that ...”
　　“Sssss ...” A.K. murmured. “It’s okay now. I’ve got you.”
　　God had reminded me that A.K. understood a thing or tow about taking care of us after all.

第三卷爱的小纸条
　　LoveNotes
　　“宝贝，我们不知道他们为什么不工作，”她说，“但他们也曾是孩子，他们的妈妈爱他们，就像我爱你一样。”她把双手放在我肩头，把我拉到她的围裙边，围裙散发出浆洗过的和新烤的面包的味道。
　　哥哥的心愿
　　佚名
　　我有个朋友叫保罗，他的哥哥送给他一辆车作为圣诞礼物。圣诞节前夜，保罗下班走出办公室，看见一个淘气的小男孩绕着他那辆崭新的车欣赏着，不时发出赞叹声。
　　“这是您的车吗，先生？”他问道。
　　保罗点了点头，说：“这是我哥哥送给我的圣诞礼物。”男孩很吃惊，激动得有些语无伦次：“您是说这是您哥哥送的，您没花一分钱？噢，我希望……”
　　保罗当然知道男孩希望什么，无非希望也有这样一位哥哥。但是，小男孩接下来的话却完全出乎他的意料。
　　“我希望，”男孩继续说道,“我也成为那样的哥哥，可以送车给弟弟。”
　　保罗吃惊地看着男孩，随口问道：“你想坐我的车去兜兜风吗？”
　　“哦，当然想了，我太高兴了。”
　　车开了一会儿后，那孩子转过头来，用殷切的眼神望着保罗说：“先生，您能把车子开到我家门口吗？”
　　保罗微笑着，他以为自己知道小男孩想干什么，一定是想向邻居炫耀一番，让大家看到他坐着一辆气派的轿车回家。但这次他又想错了。“您把车子停在那两个台阶前，好吗？”男孩问。
　　男孩跑上台阶，不一会儿，保罗听到他回来的声音，但动作似乎较先前慢了好多。原来他领着自己跛脚的弟弟来了，他把弟弟安置在第一个台阶上，然后靠紧他坐下，用手指着那辆新车。
　　“就是它，弟弟，这就是我刚刚在楼上和你说的那辆新车，是保罗的哥哥送给他的圣诞礼物，他没花一分钱哦。总有一天，我会送你这样一辆车，那样，到了圣诞节，你就可以自己去看商店橱窗里那些漂亮的饰品了，就像我以前告诉你的一样。”
　　保罗下了车，把跛脚男孩抱到前座。哥哥很兴奋，眼中闪着奇异的光芒，他也爬上车子，坐到弟弟身边。就这样，三人开始了令人难忘的假日之旅。那个圣诞夜，保罗才真正领悟耶稣讲过的道理“施予与比索取更幸福……”
　　The Wish of Brother
　　Anonymous
　　A friend of mine named Paul received an automobile from his brother as a Christmas present. On Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office, a street urchin was walking around the shiny new car, admiring it.
　　“Is this your car, Mister？” he said.
　　Paul nodded,“My brother gave it to me for Christmas.” The boy was astounded,“You mean your brother gave it to you and it didn’t cost you anything？ Boy, I wish …” He hesitated.
　　Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for. He was going to wish he had a brother like that. But what the lad said jarred Paul all the way down to his heels.
　　“I wish,” the boy went on, “that I could be a brother like that.”
　　Paul looked at the boy in astonishment, then impulsively he added, “Would you like to take a ride in my car？”
　　“Oh yes, I’d love that.”
　　After a short ride, the boy turned with his eyes aglow, said, “Mister, would you mind driving in front of my house？”
　　Paul smiled a little. He thought he knew what the lad wanted. He wanted to show his neighbors that he could ride home in a big automobile. But Paul was wrong again. “Will you stop where those two steps are？” the boy asked.
　　He ran up the steps. Then in a little while Paul heard him coming back, but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled brother. He sat him down on the bottom step, then sort of squeezed up against him and pointed to the car.
　　“There she is, Buddy, just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it didn’t cost him a cent. And some day I’m gonna give you one just like it…then you can see for yourself all the pretty things in the Christmas windows that I’ve been trying to tell you about.”
　　Paul got out and lifted the lad to the front seat of his car. The shiningeyed older brother climbed in beside him and the three of them began a memorable holiday ride. That Christmas Eve, Paul learned what Jesus meant when he said, “It is more blessed to give …”
　　神秘仰慕者
　　佚名
　　琳达感到沮丧极了。情人节快到了，而她却是孤单单的一个人。两个星期以前，男朋友甩了她。三年以来，他们的感情一直很好，突然之间，他提出要终止他们之间的关系。到目前为止，琳达还没有恢复过来。她身边的每个朋友都在热切期待情人节的到来，她们也都有正在认真交往的男友。就连妹妹安娜也有了情人节的安排。
　　安娜为琳达感到伤心，于是她邀请琳达在情人节那天共进晚餐，然后再看场电影。“不，我不去，”琳达告诉她，“我才不想当电灯泡呢。”
　　琳达打开电视机，转到的每个台播的都是有关情人节的节目，这使她更加郁闷。琳达打算出去走一走，她拿起皮包和钥匙，想去街边的小店买本杂志看看。琳达刚走到她所住的公寓前门的时候，一个手捧鲜花的送货员正好走上台阶来到门口。
　　琳达打开门，把他让进来。“谢谢，”他说，“请问401号公寓在哪栋楼？”琳达目不转睛地看着那个送货员，说道：“我住的公寓就是401号。”“那么，这些花肯定是送给您的。”送货员说。“嗯……我……不会是我的。”琳达结结巴巴地说，“肯定是什么地方搞错了。”这个人看了看塑料袋里的卡片，问道：“你是不是琳达呀？”“是的，我就是琳达。”琳达满脸通红地说。送货员将花交给她，说道：“情人节快乐。”
　　琳达捧着花回到了公寓，她把塑料包装袋取了下来，只见上面写着：“琳达，情人节快乐。爱你的神秘仰慕者。”琳达很吃惊。是谁送这些花给她的呢？她辨认不出这是谁的笔迹。她给花店打电话。但是接电话的人把发生的事情全忘了。“今天，买花的人太多了，您应该也了解。”他说。“那是自然，”琳达说，“那么，这些花是用什么来支付的？假如是刷卡的话，没准你能够告诉我那个人的名字。”“这些花是用现金支付的，”接电话的人告诉她，“不好意思。”琳达看着这些花，觉得它们简直太漂亮了。
　　在与前任男友交往的整整三年之中，他从没有给她送过花，又怎么会在分手之后送花给她呢？难道是她不认识的某一个男生？或者是一个对她痴迷却因害羞不敢告诉她的人？假如是一个让人恐惧的家伙，又该怎么办？或者是她不喜欢的某个人？
　　正在这个时候，电话铃响了，是安娜。“情人节快乐！”她对琳达说，“今天过得怎么样？”“我不知道，”琳达说，“我收到一束花，署名却是神秘仰慕者。我不知道是谁送的，花店的人也不记得。我不知道我是应该高兴还是该忧虑。”安娜沉默了片刻。“是我，”她说，“我就是所谓的神秘仰慕者。”“你说的是真的吗？”琳达说。“你不会生气吧？”安娜问她。“一点儿都不会！”琳达说。安娜这才放下心来。“你是我的姐姐，琳达。你是我唯一的姐姐。我爱你，我想让你有个快乐的情人节。”“安娜，谢谢你。”琳达说，“这是我收到过的最好的情人节礼物。”
　　■心灵小语
　　幸福是什么？一千个人会有一千个答案。其实，幸福很简单，它只是人心里的一种感知。有的时候，玫瑰代表的不仅仅是爱情，更多的是关心、爱护和体贴。谁都会有不开心的一天，谁都会有闷闷不乐的日子，拿出我们的关爱来，总会收获一份感动。
　　Secret Admirer
　　Anonymous
　　Linda was depressed. It was Valentine’s Day and she was all alone. Her boyfriend had dumped1 her two weeks ago. After going steady for three years he had suddenly called it quits2. Linda hadn’t recovered yet. All of her friends were excited about Valentine’s Day. They all still had serious boyfriends. Even Linda’s sister Anna had plans.
　　She’d felt sorry for Linda and had invited her to come out on Valentine’s Day for supper and a movie. “No,” Linda told her. “I don’t want to be a spare wheel.”
　　Linda turned on the TV. As she flipped channels she could see that all of the shows were about Valentine’s Day. This made her feel even more morose3. Linda decided to go for a walk. She gathered up her wallet and keys. Maybe she would go to the corner store and get a magazine to read. Linda walked downstairs to the front door of her apartment building. A delivery person with flowers was just walking up the steps to the door.
　　Linda opened the door to let him in. “Thanks,” he said. “What floor is apartment 401 on？” Linda stared at the delivery man. “401 is my apartment.” she said. “Then these must be for you.” said the delivery man. “Oh—I—they can’t be for me,” Linda stuttered. “There must be some kind of mistake.” The man read the card through the plastic bag.“Are you Linda？” he asked. “Yes, I am.” Linda said as she blushed. The man handed the flowers to her. “Happy Valentine’s Day.” he said.  
　　Linda took the flowers up to her apartment. She took off the plastic wrap and read the card. “Linda,” it read. “Happy Valentine’s Day. Love from your secret admirer.”
　　Linda was shocked. Who could have sent these flowers？She didn’t recognize the writing. She phoned the florist4’s shop. The man who answered the phone didn’t remember anything.“We’ve had so many orders today. You must understand,” he said. “Of course,” said Linda.“How were they paid for？ If they were paid for by a credit card, perhaps you could tell me the name.”“They were paid for by cash.” the man told her. “Sorry.” Linda stared  at5 the flowers. They were beautiful.
　　In the entire three years that Linda had been with her boyfriend he had never bought her flowers. Why would he now he’d dumped her？ Was it a man she didn’t know？ Was it someone who was interested in her but was too shy to tell her？ What if it was a creepy guy？ Someone she didn’t like？ The phone rang. It was her sister Anna. “Happy Valentine’s Day.” she said to Linda. “How are you doing？” “I don’t know,” Linda replied. “I got flowers. They’re from a secret admirer. I have no clue who they’re from. The florist doesn’t remember. I don’t know if I should be happy or worried.” Anna was quiet for a minute.“It was me,” she said. “I’m your secret admirer.” “Really？” Linda said. “Are you mad？” Anna asked. “Not at all！” said Linda. Anna was relieved.“You’re my big sister Linda. You’re the only sister I have and I love you. And I wanted you to have a good Valentine’s Day.”“Anna, thank you.” Linda said. “This is the best Valentine’s Day present I’ve ever received.”
　　一盒子的吻
　　佚名
　　这个故事发生在很早以前。3岁的女儿浪费了一卷金色的包装纸，父亲惩罚了她。当时家里生活很拮据，所以看到女儿用金色包装纸装饰盒子，并把它挂到圣诞树上时，父亲非常生气。第二天早上，小姑娘把圣诞礼物送给父亲，说道：“爸爸，这是送给您的。”
　　父亲为自己先前的大动肝火而懊悔不已，但当他打开盒子发现里面什么也没有时，又生气了。他对小姑娘大声嚷道：“难道你不知道送别人礼物时里面应该放东西吗？”小姑娘抬头望着父亲，眼中噙满了泪水，她哭着说：“爸爸，这个盒子不是空的。我把许多吻放在里面，这些吻都是送给您的，爸爸。”
　　父亲顿时羞愧不已，他张开双臂拥抱女儿，恳求女儿原谅他。
　　不久，小女孩死于一场事故。此后许多年，她的父亲一直把这个金色的盒子放在床头，每当他感到绝望时，就拿出那个装满了吻的盒子，想想女儿曾经送给他的爱。
　　其实，我们每个人都有一个金色的盒子，里面装满了无私的爱和吻，这些吻来自我们的孩子、家人、朋友和上帝。人人都有这样的盒子，但不一定人人都懂得如何珍惜它。
　　■心灵小语
　　小孩子是纯真而善良的，他们的心中有着许多美好的愿望。就如文中的小女孩，送给爸爸一个装满了吻的盒子，小女孩认为，这是世界上最珍贵的礼物。
　　A  Box  Full of  Kisses
　　Anonymous
　　The story goes that some time ago, a man punished his 3yearold daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper. Money was tight and he became infuriate1 when the child tried to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree. Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift to her father the next morning and said, “This is for you, Daddy.”
　　The man was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction, but his anger flared2 again when he found out the box was empty. He yelled at her, stating, “Don’t you know, when you give someone a present, there is supposed to be something inside？” The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and cried, “Oh, Daddy, it’s not empty at all. I blew kisses into the box. They’re all for you, Daddy.”
　　The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little girl, and he begged for her forgiveness.
　　Only a short time later, an accident took away the life of the child. It is also told that her father kept that gold box by his bed for many years and, whenever he was discouraged, he would take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.
　　In a very real sense, each one of us, as human beings, have been given a gold container filled with unconditional3 love and kisses...from our children, family members, friends, and God. There is simply no possession, anyone could hold, more precious than this.
　　向爸爸买一小时
　　佚名
　　男人带着一身的疲倦,恼火地回到家，这时天色已晚，他发现5岁的儿子在门口等着他。
　　“爸爸，可以问你个问题吗？”
　　“当然可以，想问什么？”男人答道。
　　“您一个小时能赚多少钱？”
　　“那和你没关系。为什么问这个？”男人生气了。“我想知道。请您告诉我，您一个小时赚多少钱？”小男孩哀求道。
　　“如果非要知道的话，告诉你，我一小时赚20美元。”
　　“哦，”小男孩的头低下了，然后又抬起来，说道：“爸爸，我可以向您借10美元吗？”
　　男人暴怒：“如果你问这个问题，只是为了借钱买个愚蠢的玩具或一些废品，那你趁早滚到房间睡觉去。好好想想你这种自私的行为！我每天辛辛苦苦地工作，难道就是为了你这种小孩子的行为？”
　　小男孩默默地回到房里，关上门。这时男人坐下来，更加恼怒。为什么他仅仅为了借钱却要问这个问题？大约一个小时后，男人平静下来，开始想：或许他真的需要10美元买东西呢？他可是从来不要钱的。
　　男人走到小男孩房门前，打开了门。
　　“睡了吗，儿子？”男人问道。
　　“没有呢，爸爸。”男孩答道。
　　“我一直在想，可能我刚才对你太过分了，”男人说，“我把一天的火儿都撒在你身上了。这是你要的10美元。”
　　小男孩顿时坐了起来，兴奋地叫道：“谢谢，老爸！”然后，他把手伸到枕头底下，摸出一叠皱巴巴的钞票。男人看到男孩手里攥着一把钱，又生气了。小男孩慢慢地数着钱，然后抬头望着父亲。
　　“你自己有钱，为什么还向我要钱？”父亲抱怨道。
　　“因为我的钱不够，但现在够了。”小男孩答道。“爸爸，我现在有20美元。我能买您一个小时的时间吗？明天请早点回家，我想和您一起吃晚饭。”
　　To Buy an Hour from Father
　　Anonymous
　　A man came home from work late, tired and irritated, to find his 5yearold son waiting for him at the door.
　　“Daddy, may I ask you a question？”
　　“Yeah, sure, what is it？” replied the man.
　　“Daddy, how much do you make an hour？”
　　“That’s none of your business. Why do you ask such a thing？” the man said angrily. “I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour？” pleaded the little boy.
　　“If you must know, I make $20 an hour.”
　　“Oh,” the little boy replied, with his head down. Looking up, he said, “Daddy, may I please borrow $10？”
　　The father was furious, “If the only reason you asked that is so you can borrow some money to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you are being so selfish. I work hard everyday for such this childish behavior.”
　　The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door. The man sat down and started to get even angrier about the little boy’s questions. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money？ After about an hour or so, the man had calmed down, and started to think, maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $10 and he really didn’t ask for money very often.
　　The man went to the door of the little boy’s room and opened the door.
　　“Are you sleep, son？”he asked.
　　“No, daddy, I’m awake,” replied the boy.
　　“I’ve been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier,” said the man, “it’s been a long day and I took out my aggravation on you. Here the $10 you asked for.”
　　The little boy sat straight up, smiling. “Oh, thank you daddy！” he yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled up bills. The man, seeing that the boy already had money, started to get angry again. The little boy slowly counted out his money, then looked up at his father.
　　“Why do you want more money if you already have some？” the father grumbled.
　　“Because I didn’t have enough, but now I do,” the little boy replied. “Daddy, I have $20 now. Can I buy an hour of your time？ Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to have dinner with you.”
　　女儿的午餐袋
　　罗伯特.傅刚
　　在一个盒子上，标有鲜明的几个字“好东西”。盒子里装着经过我多次清理和丢弃而残留下的个人珍藏。小偷看到盒子，都不会偷里面的东西。但是如果房子遭遇火灾，我逃生时一定会带着它。
　　盒子里有许多东西，其中一个纪念品是一个小纸袋，有午餐袋那么大。虽然顶部被胶带、订书钉和许多曲别针密封住了，但还是留有一个可以看到里面的、很粗糙的缝隙。
　　这个特别的午餐袋我已经珍藏了大约14年。但它真正是属于我女儿莫利的。她刚到入学年龄时，就热衷于为她自己、她的几个哥哥和我准备午餐了。每一个袋子里装有三明治、苹果以及买牛奶的钱，时不时还会有一张纸条或是一些慰劳我们的美食。一天早上，莫利递给我两个袋子。一个是经常用的大袋，另一个是用宽胶带、订书钉和曲别针密封的袋子。
　　“为什么会有两个袋子呢？”
　　“另一个装的是别的东西。”
　　“是什么？”
　　“就是一些东西，您带上它。”我把两个袋子一起塞进我的公文包里，吻了一下孩子就匆匆离开了。
　　中午，当我匆忙地吃完饭后，就撕开莫利的另一个袋子，倒出里面的东西。两条发带、三块小石头、一个塑料恐龙、一支短铅笔、一个小海贝壳、两块动物饼干、一颗玩具子弹、一支用过的口红、一个小玩偶、两块巧克力糖和13便士。
　　我笑了。这太有趣了。我站起身来准备去做事，就把桌上的东西全部清理到废纸篓里，还有剩下的午餐，莫利的那些零碎东西。这里面没有任何我需要的东西。
　　晚上，我正看报纸时，莫利站到我身边。
　　“我的袋子呢？”
　　“什么袋子？”
　　“您知道的，我今天上午给您的那个。”
　　“我放到办公室了，怎么了？”
　　“我忘了把纸条放进去了。”她递过来一张纸条。“另外，我想要回来。”
　　“怎么了？”
　　“袋子里的所有东西都是我最喜欢的，爸爸。我觉得您也会喜欢玩那些东西，不过现在我想要回来。您不会扔了吧，爸爸，您这样做了吗？”她的眼里顿时充满了泪水。
　　“噢，不。我刚刚忘了带回家，”我撒谎说。“明天带回来，可以吗？”
　　当她如释重负地搂着我的脖子时，我打开那张没有放进袋子的纸条：“我爱您，爸爸。”
　　噢，天哪。
　　我长时间地凝望着孩子的脸。
　　莫利把她的珍藏给了我。那是一个七岁孩子的最爱。爱就蕴藏在那个纸袋里。而我却错过了。这不仅仅是错过，而是我把它遗弃了，因为“那里面没有任何我需要的东西”。
　　那既不是我第一次也不是最后一次感到自己已经丧失了做父亲的资格。
　　回办公室的路是这么漫长。这是一个懊悔之人的朝拜。我拎起纸篓，把里面的东西倒在办公桌上。清洁员进来收拾东西时，我正在“分门别类”。
　　“丢了东西吗？”
　　“是的，我的精神支柱。”
　　“也许就在这儿，别着急。是什么样的东西，我可以帮您一起找。”一开始，我没有告诉他，但事实上，我觉得已经没有比这更愚蠢的事了，于是告诉了他。
　　他并没有笑。“我也有孩子。”随后我们这对傻乎乎的兄弟便搜寻着那些无价之宝，我们相视而笑。
　　洗去恐龙身上的芥末，又在它身上喷上了清新剂以除去那股洋葱味，我小心翼翼地展开被揉成褐色纸球的那个多功能袋子，把那些无价之宝放了进去。我极为小心地把它带回家，就像一只受伤的小猫。第二天晚上，我把它还给了莫利。我们之间没有任何问题，也没有任何解释。
　　晚饭后，我让她告诉我关于袋子里那些东西的事情，于是她立刻把所有的东西都拿了出来，把它们排列在餐桌上。每一件东西都有一个故事，一个回忆，或者是一个梦和一个假想的朋友。我精明地说了许多遍，“我了解”。而且，事实上，我真的了解。
　　令我惊奇的是，几天后，莫利再一次把那个袋子给了我。同样破烂的袋子里面装着同样的东西。我觉得是被原谅了，也得到了信任和爱，还有一个小小的、很舒服的父亲头衔。几个月以后，那个袋子会不时地出现在我的身边。我不明白，在某个特定的日子女儿为什么给我或不给我那个袋子。
　　后来，莫利把注意力转移到其他物品上，发现了其他的珍宝，对这个游戏失去了兴趣，她长大了。
　　我呢？一直保留着这个袋子。她是在一天早上给我的，后来就再没要回去。我也一直保留着。
　　破旧的纸袋放在一个盒子里。她还是个孩子时，曾说：“看，这是我得到的最好的东西，把它给您吧。就像我过去拥有的一样，就给您了。”
　　What My Daughter Taught Me about Love
　　Robert Fulghum
　　The cardboard1 box is marked “The Good Stuff.” The box contains those odds and ends of personal treasures that have survived many bouts of cleanitoutandthrowitaway that seize me from time to time. A thief looking into the box would not take anything. But if the house ever catches on fire, the box goes with me when I run.
　　One of the keepsakes2 in the box is a small paper bag. Lunch sack. Though the top is sealed with duct tape, staples and several paper clips, there is a ragged rip in one side through which the contents may be seen.
　　This particular lunch sack has been in my care for maybe 14 years. But it really belongs to my daughter, Molly. Soon after she came of school age, she became an enthusiastic participant in packing lunches for herself, her brothers and me. Each bag got a share of sandwiches, apples, milk money and sometimes a note or a treat. One morning, Molly handed me two bags. One regular lunch sack and the one with the other duct tape and staples and paper clips.
　　“Why two bags？”
　　“The other one is something else.”
　　“What’s in it？”
　　“Just some stuff—take it with you.” I stuffed both sacks into my briefcase, kissed the child and rushed off.
　　At midday, while hurriedly scarfing down my real lunch, I tore open Molly’s bag and shook out the contents. Two hair ribbons, three small stones, a plastic dinosaur3, a pencil stub, a tiny seashell, two animal crackers, a marble, a used lipstick, a small doll, two chocolate kisses and 13 pennies.
　　I smiled. How charming. Rising to hustle off, I swept the desk clean into the wastebasket—leftover lunch, Molly’s junk and all. There wasn’t anything in there I needed.
　　That evening Molly came to stand beside me while I was reading the paper.
　　“Where’s my bag？”
　　“What bag？”
　　“You know, the one I gave you this morning.”
　　“I left it at the office, why？”
　　“I forgot to put this note in it.” She handed over the note. “Besides, I want it back.”
　　“Why？”
　　“Those are my things in the sack, Daddy, the ones I really like. I thought you might like to play with them, but now I want them back. You didn’t lose the bag, did you, Daddy？” Tears puddled in her eyes.
　　“Oh, no. I just forgot to bring it home,” I lied. “Bring it tomorrow. Okay？”
　　As she hugged my neck with relief, I unfolded the note that had not gotten into the sack, “I love you, Daddy.”
　　Oh. And uhoh.
　　I looked long at the face of my child.
　　Molly had given me her treasures. All that a 7yearold held dear. Love in a paper sack. And I had missed it. Not only missed it, but had thrown it away because “there wasn’t anything in there I needed.”
　　It wasn’t the first or the last time I felt my Daddy permit was about to run out.
　　It was a long trip back to the office. The pilgrimage of a penitent. I picked up the wastebasket and poured the contents on my desk. I was sorting it all out when the janitor came in to do his chores.
　　“Lose something？”
　　“Yes, my mind.”
　　“It’s probably in there, all right. What’s it look like, and I’ll help you find it.” I started not to tell him. But I couldn’t feel any more of a fool than I was already in fact, so I told him.
　　He didn’t laugh. “I got kids, too.” So the brotherhood of fools searched the trash and found the jewels, and he smiled at me and I smiled at him.
　　After washing the mustard off the dinosaur and spraying the whole thing with breath freshener to kill the smell of onions4, I carefully smoothed out the wadded ball of brown paper into a semifunctional bag and put the treasures inside. I carried it home gingerly5, like an injured kitten. The next evening, I returned it to Molly. No questions asked, no explanations offered.
　　After dinner I asked her to tell me about the stuff in the sack, and so she took it all out a piece at a time and placed the objects in a row on the dining room table. Everything had a story,  a memory or was attached to dreams and imaginary friends. I managed to say, “I see” very wisely several times. And, as a matter of fact, I did see.
　　To my surprise, Molly gave the bag to me once again several days later. Same ratty bag. Same stuff inside. I felt forgiven. And trusted. And loved. And a little more comfortable wearing the title of Father. Over several months, the bag went with me from time to time. It was never clear to me why I did or did not get it on a given day.
　　In time Molly turned her attention to other things—found other treasures, lost interest in the game, grew up.
　　Me？ I was left holding the bag. She gave it to me one morning and never asked for its return. And so I have it still.
　　The worn paper sack is there in the box. Left from a time when a child said,“ Here—this is the best I’ve got—take it—it’s yours. Such as I have, give I to thee. ”
　　爱的小纸条
　　佚名
　　11年前，那是一个寒冬的下午，窗外，大片的雪花绕着雪松盘旋飞舞，枝头深绿色的叶尖上挂着小小的冰柱。
　　我的大儿子史蒂芬去上学了，丈夫里德去上班了，三个小孩挤在厨柜旁，桌面上堆着蜡笔和记号笔，汤姆正画着星条旗徽章，为纸飞机做漂亮的装饰。山姆正忙着画自画像，他胖乎乎的小手先画了一个头，然后在应当画身体的位置画了腿和胳膊。孩子们都全神贯注地忙着手上的活儿，汤姆不时地告诉弟弟怎样正确地制作一架能够穿行于整间屋子的飞机。
　　我们唯一的女儿劳拉静静地坐在那里，聚精会神地忙着她的事。她偶尔也会问如何拼写我们家庭某成员的名字，然后极为困难地逐个字母拼写出来。接着，她画了一些有着嫩绿小茎的花朵，在纸张的底部添些草边，每完成一页，她都会在右上角处画一片蓝天，中间是太阳。然后把它们举到眼前欣赏一番，心满意足地长舒一口气。
　　“宝贝，你干什么呢？”我问道。
　　看我之前她瞥了一眼她的兄弟们。
　　“这是一个惊喜。”她双手捂住了作品。
　　接着，她把每张纸的上下两边粘贴起来，尽量做成一个圆筒。做好后，她带着那些宝贝跑上楼梯，消失不见了。
　　直到深夜我才发现，每个人的卧室门上都贴着一个“邮”。史蒂夫一个，汤姆一个。她也没把山姆和小保罗忘了。
　　之后的几周内，我们会定期收到信件。她对我们每个人的爱都通过这小小的纸条表达了，这些短信写满的是一个年仅７岁的孩子纯真的问候。小保罗的信件由我负责拆阅，那是一页一页的彩色图画，其中有花朵，也有欢乐的笑靥。
　　“他还不识字，”她喃喃自语道，“但他能看这些图画。”
　　每次收到小女儿的礼物，我沉闷的心就豁然开朗。
　　她对我们心情体察的细微令我颇受感动，史蒂芬输了棒球赛后，便收到一封信，她认为他是世界上最好的棒球手。某天我感觉特别劳累时，便会收到一封信，对我的努力表示感谢，信纸下角还附有一个笑脸。
　　如今，那个小女孩已经长大，每天开车上社区学院。但是有些事情她一直都没有改变。大概就在一周前的一个下午，我在枕边发现了一张爱的纸条。
　　“妈妈，感谢您一如既往地支持我，”上面写着，“我为有您这样的好朋友而感到高兴。”
　　我情不自禁地想起，多年以来，这个可爱的孩子的笑容曾带给我无尽的欢乐。人间确有天使，我知道，我正幸运地与其中一位生活在一起。
　　■心灵小语
　　在成长过程中，孩子的心灵总是渴求父母的支持，而且懂得对这种无尽关爱心怀感激之情。虽然他们的举动有时看似天真，然而他们明澈的眼睛是可以看懂父母的辛苦和呵护的。
　　Love Notes
　　Anonymous
　　It’s been over eleven years now. It was a wintry afternoon, the snow swirling around the cedar trees outside, forcing little icicles to form at the tips of the deep green foliage 1clinging to the branches.
　　My older son, Stephen, was at school, and Reed, my husband, at work. My three little ones were clustered around the kitchen counter, the tabletop piled high with crayons and markers. Tom was perfecting a paper airplane, creating his own insignia with stars and stripes, while Sam worked on a selfportrait, his chubby hands drawing first a head, then legs and arms sticking out where the body should have been. The children mostly concentrated on their work, Tom occasionally tutoring his younger brother on exactly how to make a plane that would fly the entire length of the room.
　　But Laura, our only daughter, sat quietly, engrossed in her project. Every once in a while she would ask how to spell the name of someone in our family, then painstakingly form the letters one by one. Next, she would add flowers with small green stems, complete with grass lining the bottom of the page. She finished off each with a sun in the upper right hand corner, surrounded by an inch or two of blue sky. Holding them at eye level, she let out a long sigh of satisfaction.
　　“What are you making, Honey？” I asked.
　　She glanced at her brothers before looking back at me,
　　“It’s a surprise,” she said, covering up her work with her hands.
　　Next, she taped the top two edges of each sheet of paper together, trying her best to create a cylinder. When she had finished, she disappeared up the stairs with her treasure.
　　It wasn’t until later that evening that I noticed a “mailbox” taped onto the doors to each of our bedrooms. There was one for Steve. There was one for Tom. She hadn’t forgotten Sam or baby Paul.
　　For the next few weeks, we received mail on a regular basis. There were little notes confessing her love for each of us. There were short letters full of tiny compliments2 that only a sevenyearold would notice. I was in charge of receiving baby Paul’s letters, page after page of colored scenes including flowers with happy faces.
　　“He can’t read yet,” she whispered. “But he can look at the pictures.”
　　Each time I received one of my little girl’s gifts, it brightened my heart.
　　I was touched at how carefully she observed our moods. When Stephen lost a baseball game, there was a letter telling him she thought he was the best ballplayer in the whole world. After I had a particularly hard day, there was a message thanking me for my efforts, completed with a smile face tucked3 near the bottom corner of the page.
　　This same little girl is grown now, driving off every day to the community college. But some things about her have never changed. One afternoon only a week or so ago, I found a love note next to my bedside.
　　“Thanks for always being there for me, Mom,” it read. “I’m glad that we’re the best of friends.”
　　I couldn’t help but remember the precious child whose smile has brought me countless hours of joy throughout the years. There are angels among us. I know, I live with one of them luckily.

美丽英文—故事篇(10)

　一个流浪汉的来访
　　洛拉B.沃尔特斯
　　我在院门口晃悠，想着要不要去街对面找维娜玩，她是我五年级最好的朋友。这时，我看见从街上走来一个流浪汉。
　　“你好，小姑娘，”他说，“你妈妈在家吗？”
　　我点点头，把门打开让他进了院子。经济大萧条时期，有许多流浪汉从河那边的游民营来过我家，他看起来跟他们一样，蓬乱的头发从那顶不像样的帽子下露了出来，破破烂烂的衬衣和裤子显然被雨水淋湿过，还穿着睡过觉。他浑身散发着一种篝火烧焦的味道。
　　他慢吞吞地走到门口。我妈妈出来了，他问：“夫人，能不能给我点吃的？”
　　“好吧，请坐在台阶上等一下。”
　　他坐在狭长的木板平台上，那是两间屋的走廊。不一会儿，妈妈打开帘子，递给他一个三明治，用家里自制的厚面包片夹着几大块熟肉。她还给了他一杯牛奶。“谢谢您，夫人。”他说。
　　我在门上一边摇晃着，一边看着这个流浪汉狼吞虎咽地吃下那个三明治，喝干牛奶。然后，他站起来，往外走穿过了大门。“他们说你妈妈会给我东西吃。”他出门的时候对我说。
　　维娜曾说过，谁给流浪汉们东西吃，他们就会互相转告。“他们从不去我家。”她骄傲地说道。
　　妈妈为什么要给他们东西吃呢？我很奇怪。妈妈是一个寡妇，上午在餐厅做服务员，晚上还要做缝纫来挣钱。她为什么要把东西给这些毫不相干的人吃呢？
　　我大步走进屋子，“维娜的妈妈说，这些人太懒了，不工作。我们为什么要他们给吃的呢？”
　　妈妈笑了，她蓝色的围裙和眼睛很相称，也衬托着她赤褐色的头发。
　　“宝贝，我们不知道他们为什么不工作，”她说，“但他们也曾是孩子，他们的妈妈爱他们，就像我爱你一样。”她把双手放在我肩头，把我拉到她的围裙边，围裙散发出浆洗过的和新烤的面包的味道。
　　“我给他们东西吃，是为了他们的妈妈。如果你饿了，又什么吃的都没有，我希望他们的妈妈也能给你东西吃。”
　　Visit with a Tramp
　　Lola B. Walters
　　I was swinging on the front gate, trying to decide whether to walk down the street to play with Verna, my best friend in fifth grade, when I saw a tramp1 come up the road.
　　“Hello, little girl,” he said. “Is your mama at home？”
　　I nodded and swung the gate open to let him in the yard. He looked like all the tramps who came to our house from the hobo2 camp by the river during the Great Depression. His shaggy hair hung below a shapeless hat, and his threadbare3 shirt and trousers had been rained on and slept in. He smelled like a bonfire4.
　　He shuffled to the door. When my mother appeared, he asked, “Lady, could you spare a bite to eat？”
　　“I think so. Please sit on the step.”
　　He dropped onto the narrow wooden platform that served as the front porch of our tworoom frame house. In minutes my mother opened the screen and handed him a sandwich made from thick slices of homemade bread and generous chunks5 of boiled meat. She gave him a tin cup of milk. “I thank you, lady,” he said.
　　I swung on the gate, watching the tramp wolf down the sandwich and drain the cup. Then he stood and walked back through the gate. “They said your mama would feed me,” he told me on the way out.
　　Verna had said the hobos told one another who would feed them. “They never come to my house,” she had announced proudly.
　　So why does Mama feed them？ I wondered. A widow, she worked as a waitress in the mornings and sewed at nights to earn money. Why should she give anything to men who didn’t work at all？
　　I marched6 inside. “Verna’s mother says those men are too lazy to work. Why do we feed them？”
　　My mother smiled. Her blue housedress matched her eyes and emphasized her auburn7 hair.
　　“Lovely, we don’t know why those men don’t work,” she said. “But they were babies once. And their mothers loved them, like I love you.” She put her hands on my shoulders and drew me close to her apron, which smelled of starch and freshly baked bread.
　　“I feed them for their mothers, because if you were ever hungry and had nothing to eat, I would want their mothers to feed you.”
　　爸爸的秘密
　　佚名
　　爸爸是在单亲家庭中长大的，他从小就没了父亲。那时候“政府援助”这个字眼儿更是闻所未闻。这个五口之家辛辛苦苦才能勉强度日。那种简朴的环境，造就了爸爸的吝啬。
　　年幼时，我和两个哥哥意识到其他孩子的零花钱都是从父母那里得到的。于是我们天真地去央求爸爸，却不知道这是一个错误的决定。他板起铁青的脸，用低沉的语气对我们说：“如果你们可以来要钱，你们就到了赚钱的年纪。”从那以后，缺钱花时，我们不是慌忙地跑到街坊四邻那里打零工，就是去看菜园里有什么可卖的东西。
　　当我们长大成人，在外面工作或上大学后，他的态度还是那么强硬。由于那段时间我们兄弟几个都没有自己的车，因此，无论我们何时回家，都只能乘坐公共汽车。尽管公共汽车站离我们家有两英里，但爸爸从未接过我们，即便是在天气恶劣的时候。如果有人埋怨(我的哥哥们常常牢骚满腹)，爸爸就会摆出做父亲的威严，扯开嗓门用最大的声音喊道：“你们长的两条腿就是用来走路的！”
　　因此，在离家上大学的期间，我知道无论何时回家，都要徒步走很长一段路。我倒不担心走路，让我真正害怕的是在公路和乡村小路上单独行走。由于爸爸好像并不在乎我的安全，我就更加觉得自己不受重视。然而，在一个春天的傍晚，我的这种感觉不复存在了。
　　那时，我在大学里度过了相当艰难的一周。不计其数的考试以及实验室里数小时的实验使我疲惫不堪。我向往自己的家和那张柔软的床。其他学生都与家人陆续在车站见了面，而我满怀希望地望着窗外，看着他们被父母接走。最终，公车颠簸着停在我的目的地，我拖着手提箱下了车，开始了一段既漫长又艰难的回家之旅。
　　在那条通往山丘的车道边有一排女贞树篱，我的家就在山丘上。每次我一离开公路，转到最后一段路上时，那道树篱便会映入眼帘，我总会感到很轻松，因为这说明我就快到家了。在那个特殊的傍晚，我刚刚看到那道树篱，天空中就飘起了毛毛细雨。我便停下脚步，将一本书放进手提箱。当我站起身时，发现一个灰色的小点沿着那道树篱的顶端快速地移动，正向我家的房子移去。近看时，我才知道那是爸爸的头顶。接着，我如梦初醒——每次我回家的时候，他都会站在那道树篱的后面，观察着，直到他确信我已经安全到达。我强忍住快要夺眶而出的泪水。毕竟，他还是在乎我的。
　　从那以后，每次回家，那个灰点都成了为我指引道路的明灯。我迫不及待地走近，就想看着它悄悄地在那些绿树叶间移动。而当我到家时，就会发现爸爸假装坐在椅子上。“噢！是你呀！”他会这样说，并拉长脸，装出一副惊讶的表情。
　　我就会回答：“是的，爸爸，是我。我回来了。”
　　■心灵小语
　　每个人都会有属于自己的小秘密。年幼的孩子心里总想着商店里的毛绒玩具，上课的学生心里总想着没有掏到的鸟窝，恋爱中的青年总想着心爱的人儿。而我们的父母呢，他们时时刻刻牵挂的都是自己的儿女，惦念着他们吃得饱不饱，穿得暖不暖。这是值得我们永远记住的，是值得我们细细品味的。不用总是把“我爱你”挂在嘴边，不要等到他们离去的时候才后悔，现在就行动起来，来回报他们的爱吧。
　　Father’s Secret
　　Anonymous
　　My father was raised in a fatherless home at a time when government assistance was unheard of. The family of five struggled mightily to survive. That Spartan upbringing caused my father to be extremely tightfisted.
　　When we children—two older brothers and myself—became aware that other children got spending money from their parents, we made the mistake of asking father for some. His face turned stonecold. “If you’re old enough to ask, you’re old enough to earn,” he rumbled1. And so, when the need arose, we scurried about the neighborhood seeking odd jobs or peddling produce from the garden.
　　His attitude didn’t soften as we grew into adulthood and drifted away to jobs or college. There was a period of time when none of us had a car, so we had to ride the bus whenever we came home. Though the bus stopped about two miles from home, Dad never met us, even in inclement weather. If someone grumbled2 (and my brothers grumbled a lot), he’d say in his loudest fathervoice,“That’s what your legs are for！”
　　So when I went away to college, I knew I was in for a long walk whenever I came home. The walk didn’t bother me as much as the fear of walking alone along the highway and country roads. I also felt less than valued that my father didn’t seem concerned about my safety. That feeling was canceled one spring evening.
　　It had been a particularly difficult week at college. Tests and long hours in labs had left me exhausted. I longed for3 home and a soft bed. As other students were met at their stops, I gazed wistfully out of the window. Finally, the bus shuddered to a stop at my destination point, and I stepped off, lugging my suitcase to begin the long trek home.
　　A row of privet hedge4 edged the driveway that climbed the hill to our house. Once I had turned off the highway to start the last lap of my journey, I was always relieved to see the hedge because it meant that I was almost home. On that particular evening, the hedge had just come into view when a gentle rain began to fall. I stopped to put a book in my suitcase and when I stood up, I saw something gray skimming5 along the top of the hedge, moving toward the house. Upon closer observation, I realized it was the top of my father’s head. Then I knew, each time I’d come home, he had stood behind the hedge, watching, until he knew I had arrived safely. I swallowed hard against the threatening tears. He did care, after all.
　　On subsequent visits, that spot of gray became my beacon6. I could hardly wait until I was close enough to watch for its covert movement above the greenery. Upon reaching home, I would find my father sitting innocently in his chair.“So！ It’s you！” he’d say, his face lengthening into mock surprise.
　　I replied, “Yes, Dad, it’s me. I’m home.”
　　爱的遗赠
　　佚名
　　年轻时的阿尔是一个技艺娴熟的艺术家和陶工。他有妻子和两个健壮的儿子。一晚，他的大儿子腹痛难忍，但因为考虑到可能只是一般的肠胃不适，阿尔和妻子都没有太在意。但是，事实上男孩患的是急性阑尾炎，当晚便突然夭折了。
　　如果当时意识到病情的严重性，儿子的死就能够避免。知道了这些，沉重的负罪感使阿尔的精神状况急剧下降。更糟糕的是，不久妻子也离开了他，留下六岁的小儿子与他相依为命。这两件事带来的伤痛，让阿尔无法承受，于是他选择了借酒浇愁。不久，阿尔就成了一个酒鬼。
　　随着酒瘾越来越大，阿尔开始失去他拥有的一切——家、土地、艺术品、一切的一切。最终，阿尔孤独地死在了旧金山的一家汽车旅馆里。
　　听说了阿尔的死讯，我的反应像世人对未能留下遗产的人的蔑视一样。“多么失败的人啊！”我想，“枉度了一世！”
　　然而随着时间的推移，我对自己之前那样苛刻的判断有了新的认识。你不知道，我现在认识了阿尔那个已成年的小儿子，厄尼。他是我见过的最善良、最仁爱的人。看着厄尼和他的孩子，我看到了他们之间所流露出的那种关爱。我知道那种善良和仁爱必定来自某处。
　　我不曾听到厄尼对父亲有太多的谈论。毕竟为一个酒鬼辩护并不是件容易的事。一天，我鼓起勇气问了他。“有些事我一直感到很疑惑。”我说，“我知道，你几乎是由你父亲独自带大的。他到底是如何教育你的，竟让你变得如此特别？”
　　厄尼静静地坐着，思考了一会儿，说：“从我记事起，一直到18岁离家，阿尔每晚都会来我的房间，给我一个吻并说：‘我爱你，儿子。’”
　　当我意识到自己是多么愚蠢时，我的泪夺眶而出。我竟然说他是一个失败者！他死后没有留下任何物质方面的遗产，但他是一位慈爱的父亲，他培养出了一个我所见过的最善良、最无私的儿子。
　　■心灵小语
　　离开人世后，给亲人留下一些东西，或是一笔巨额财产，或是一栋价值连城的别墅，也或者未留丝毫，很多人都是这样做的。文中的父亲虽是一个酒鬼，不容推崇，但他却是位优秀的父亲。他懂得怎样爱儿子，虽然自己身边的亲人相继离去，但他依然懂得爱，并将爱赋予了儿子。他留下的，不仅仅是需要我们学习的榜样，还是一位父亲内心之爱的最深表达！
　　A  Legacy of Love
　　Anonymous
　　As a young man, Al was a skilled artist, a potter1. He had a wife and two fine sons. One night, his oldest son developed a severe stomachache. Thinking it was only some common intestinal disorder, neither Al nor his wife took the condition very seriously. But the malady was actually acute appendicitis2, and the boy died suddenly that night.
　　Knowing the death could have been prevented if he had only realized the seriousness of the situation, Al’s emotional health deteriorated under the enormous burden of his guilt. To make matters worse his wife left him a short time later, leaving him alone with his sixyearold younger son. The hurt and pain of the two situations were more than Al could handle, and he turned to alcohol to help him cope. In time Al became an alcoholic.
　　As the alcoholism progressed, Al began to lose everything he possessed — his home, his land, his art objects, everything. Eventually Al died alone in a San Francisco motel room.
　　When I heard of Al’s death, I reacted with the same disdains3 the world shows for one who ends his life with nothing material to show for it. “What a complete failure！” I thought. “What a totally wasted life！”
　　As time went by, I began to reevaluate my earlier harsh judgment. You see, I knew Al’s now adult son, Ernie. He is one of the kindest, most caring, most loving men I have ever known. I watched Ernie with his children and saw the free flow of love between them. I knew that kindness and caring had to come from somewhere.
　　I hadn’t heard Ernie talk much about his father. It is so hard to defend an alcoholic. One day I worked up my courage to ask him. “I’m really puzzled by something,” I said. “I know your father was basically the only one to raise you. What on earth did he do that you became such a special person？”
　　Ernie sat quietly and reflected for a few moments. Then he said, “From my earliest memories as a child until I left home at 18, Al came into my room every night, gave me a kiss and said, ‘I love you, son.’”
　　Tears came to my eyes as I realized what a fool I had been to judge Al as a failure. He had not left any material possessions behind. But he had been a kind loving father, and he left behind one of the finest, most giving men I have ever known.
　　红红的小脸蛋
　　尼克.拉扎里斯
　　我主动提出要照看三岁的女儿拉曼达，这样妻子就可以跟她的朋友外出。我在一个房间忙时，拉曼达也在另一个房间玩得很开心。我觉得这样完全没有问题。可是过了一会儿房间里却没了动静，我大叫了一声：“拉曼达，你在干什么？”没有回应，我又问了一次，听到她说：“噢……没什么。”“没什么？‘没什么’是什么意思？”我从桌前站起来，跑到客室，却看到她跑出了客厅。我追她上楼，又看到了她转进卧室的小背影。我要抓到她了！她逃脱后跑进了浴室。糟糕的一步！我把她堵在了“死角”。我让她转过身来，她不肯。我用父亲威严的声音对她说：“小姐，我让你转过来！”
　　慢慢地，她转向了我。妻子新买的唇膏正被她捏在手中，满脸都涂满了鲜红的唇膏（除了嘴唇）！
　　她用恐惧的眼神望着我，嘴唇发抖，这时，我耳边响起了各种责骂小孩的声音。“你怎么……你该知道这样做不对……我告诉你多少次了……简直太糟了……”此时我只需要找出一句常用的话来指责她，让她知道自己刚才的行为是多么恶劣。但在我开火之前，我看到妻子一个小时前刚刚穿在她身上的运动衫，上面写着这样几个大字：“我是一个完美小天使！”看着满眼泪光的她，我眼前看到的并不是一个不听话的坏女孩，而是一个小天使……一个珍贵并拥有奇妙个性的完美小天使，我险些将她身上的这些美好扼杀掉。
　　“小甜甜，你看起来真美！来，我们照张相，那么妈妈就能看到你特别的小脸了。”我给她照了相，感谢上帝，我没有错过这次机会，来重新肯定他赐予我的这位小天使是多么完美。
　　A Small Bright Red Face
　　Nick Lazaris
　　I had offered to watch my 3yearold daughter, Ramanda, so that my wife could go out with a friend. I was getting some work done while Ramanda appeared to be having a good time in the other room. No problem I figured. But then it got a little too quiet and I yelled out,“ What are you doing, Ramanda？” No response. I repeated my question and heard her say, “Oh ... nothing.”“Nothing？ What does‘nothing’mean？” I got up from my desk and ran out into the living room, whereupon I saw her take off down the hall. I chased her up the stairs and watched her as her little behind made a hard left into the bedroom. I was gaining on her！ She took off for the bathroom. Bad move. I had her cornered. I told her to turn around. She refused. I pulled out my big, mean, authoritative Daddy voice, “Young lady, I said turn around！”
　　Slowly, she turned toward me. In her hand was what was left of my wife’s new lipstick. And every square inch of her face was covered with bright red (except her lips of course)！
　　As she looked up at me with fearful eyes, lips trembling, I heard every voice that had been shouted to me as a child. “How could you ... You should know better than that ... How many times have you been told ...What a bad thing to do ...” It was just a matter of my picking out which old message I was going to use on her so that she would know what a bad girl she had been. But before I could let loose, I looked down at the sweatshirt my wife had put on her only an hour before. In big letters it said, “I’M A PERFECT LITTLE ANGEL！” I looked back into her tearful eyes and instead of seeing a bad girl who didn’t listen, I saw a child of God ... a perfect little angel full of worth, value and a wonderful spontaneity that I had come dangerously close to slamming out of her.
　　“Sweetheart, you look beautiful！Let’s take a picture so Mommy can see how special you look.” I took the picture and thanked God that I didn’t miss the opportunity to reaffirm what a perfect little angel He had given me.
　　好运符——一张两美元钞票
　　尤金妮亚.兰普勒
　　有一张两美元的钞票一直保存在我的钱夹里，那是我6岁时妈妈给的。
　　我不迷信，但无论到哪里，我都随身带着它。妈妈希望这张两美元钞票能让我事事顺利。
　　当时，她看着我说：“带上这两美元吧，它会带给你好运。”
　　“谢谢妈妈，”我说，“我会永远带着它。”
　　每天早上，穿好衣服后，我就将这两美元装进口袋。17岁那年，妈妈去世了。当时，我掏出那张两美元钞票，久久地攥在手中。我知道，妈妈会一直关注我以后的生活。
　　每每遇到棘手问题，我就拿出那两美元，放在桌上，一连几个小时盯着它，最终总能想出办法。
　　第一次找工作时我已经30岁了，又有些羞怯。一想到要面试，我就很害怕，但我必须得工作。第一次面试，在等候室里，除了我还有五位女性求职者。她们都比我年轻，并且衣着考究。其中一位穿着蓝色斑纹套装，配以类似风格的钱包和鞋子，简直太完美了。我很清楚，若以履历论长短，我不是这五位女士的对手。
　　业务经理马丁太太把我叫进办公室。
　　“你觉得你能胜任这份工作的理由是什么？”她问道。
　　“我很需要这份工作，而且，也没有我做不来的事。”我答道。
　　回答完一连串的问题后，面试结束了。我正要迈出办公室时，转过身对马丁太太说：“马丁太太，我知道自己并不如其他人优秀，但是，请您给我一个机会。我接受能力很强，会成为公司优秀的一员。”
　　谢过马丁太太后，回到家时，我已经疲惫不堪了。我心想，算了，没有关系，明天又是新的一天。
　　当晚，我正准备睡觉时，突然接到了马丁太太的电话。
　　“吉娜，”她说，“你虽不是应试者中最出色的，但你对自己充满信心，因此我们决定给你一个展示自己的机会。”
　　我简直难以相信这是真的，我激动得大叫起来，兴奋得在房间里又蹦又跳。电话那头传来马丁太太的笑声，我这才意识到我们还在通话。
　　“马丁太太，谢谢您！我不会令您失望的。”说完，我挂断了电话。
　　我掏出钱夹，拿出了那张两美元钞票。
　　“谢谢您，妈妈，我的好运来了。”我大声地说，妈妈应该听得到。
　　那一刻，我想起了妈妈说的一番话，她把我们拉到客厅里说：“在妈妈眼里，你们都很棒。无论做什么事情，失败了，千万别放弃。失败并不可怕，我们可以化失败为动力。我相信，你们一定能够成功。”
　　我时刻都想念妈妈，那两美元也依然珍藏在我的钱夹里。多年后，在一次家庭聚会上，我才发现，我们兄弟姐妹的钱夹里都各有一张两美元钞票。
　　我们都笑了，谈论着妈妈赠给我们的这份特殊礼物。她在我们心底播下了自信的种子，而这两美元让这粒种子迅速茁壮地成长起来。
　　■心灵小语
　　母爱就如一场春雨，一首轻柔的歌曲，润物细无声，但却绵远悠长。在时而平坦时而坎坷的人生道路上，它好似一眼清泉滋润着孩子们的心田，带给他们无限的力量和信心，让他们在面对挫折时，仍然能够坚定地前行。
　　Extra Good Luck
　　Eugenia Lampley
　　I keep a twodollar bill in my wallet that was given to me by my mother when I was six years old.
　　I am not superstitious1 but the bill goes with me wherever I go. My mother gave it to me so that luck would follow me everywhere.
　　She looked at me and said, “I want you to carry this twodollar bill for extra good luck.”
　　“Thanks mom,” I replied. “I will keep it close to me always.”
　　Every morning I would get dressed and my twodollar bill went into my pocket. My mother passed away when I was 17 years old and I remembered taking out my twodollar bill. I held it in my hand for the longest time and knew that she would be watching over me the rest of my life.
　　Each time I felt I had a crisis on my hands, I could reach for my twodollar bill and set it on the table. I would stare at it for several hours and could always come up with a solution.
　　When I applied for my first job, I was thirty years old and very shy. The thought of being interviewed for a job was scary but I had to work. On my first interview, as I sat in the waiting room, I noticed there were five women ahead of me. All of the women were younger and very well dressed. One of them was impeccable2 in her blue striped suit with matching purse and shoes.  I knew I was up against women better qualified by looking at the length of their resumes.
　　Ms. Martin, the office manager, summoned me into her office.
　　“What makes you feel you are qualified for this job？” she asked.
　　“I really need this job and there is nothing I can not do,” I responded.
　　She asked me a series of questions and the interview was over. As I exited her office, I turned around and said, “Ms. Martin, I know that I am not qualified like your other applicants, but please give me a chance. I learn quickly and can be a very productive member of your team.”
　　I thanked her and went home exhaustedly. Oh well, I thought, tomorrow would be another day.
　　That evening as I was getting ready for bed, I received a phone call from Ms. Martin.
　　“Gina,” she said, “you were not the most qualified applicant, but you have so much confidence in yourself that we decided to give you a chance to prove yourself.”
　　I screamed out loud, was jumping all over the room in disbelief. I could hear Ms. Martin laughing in the background and suddenly I realized that Ms. Martin was still on the line.
　　“Thank you, Ms. Martin, you will not regret this decision,” I said and hung up the phone.
　　I got my wallet and took out my twodollar bill.
　　“Thanks mom, I am going to make it.”  I said out loud so my mother could hear me.
　　At that instant, I remembered the time she pulled all of us into the living room and said, “You are all brilliant in my mind, but if you fail once don’t give up. Don’t fear failure. It is a way of getting us to try harder. You will succeed, I promise.”
　　 I still think of mom everyday and still keep my twodollar bill in my wallet. At a family reunion3 years later, I found out that my brothers and sisters all had a twodollar bill in their wallet.
　　We all laughed and talked about how special this gift from Mom had been to each and ever had reinforced the confidence Mom had instilled one of us. It led in us.
　　蓝宝石项链
　　富尔顿.奥斯勒
　　珍格雷斯走进皮特理查德小店的那天，恰恰是皮特最感孤寂的日子。这间小店是祖父传给他的，各种古玩杂乱地堆放在前面小小的橱窗里：有内战前人们戴的手镯和纪念品盒，有金戒指、银盒子、翡翠、象牙制品和精美的小雕像等。在这个冬日的下午，一个小孩站在那儿，前额顶在橱窗上，瞪大眼睛，认真地看着每一件物品，仿佛在寻找什么奇特的宝贝。最后，她站直了身子，脸上露出满意的神情。然后，走进了店里。
　　店里很阴暗，里面的摆设比橱窗里还凌乱，首饰盒、决斗手枪、钟和灯等塞在架子上；熨斗、曼陀林和一些不知名的东西则堆在地上。皮特站在柜台后面，他是一个不到30岁的男人，却满头白发。看着这个没戴手套的小顾客把手放在柜台上，他不禁有些不悦。
　　“先生，”她开口说，“您能把橱窗里那串蓝宝石项链拿给我看看吗？”皮特拉开帘子，拿出项链，摊在掌心给她看，蓝绿色的宝石在他苍白的手中闪烁着明亮的光芒。“好美啊，”孩子说，近乎自言自语地说，“您能帮我把项链包装得漂亮些吗？”
　　皮特冷冷地问：“你想买这个送给谁？”“送给我大姐，她一直照顾着我，这是妈妈去世后的第一个圣诞节。我想送姐姐一份最棒的圣诞礼物。”
　　“你有多少钱？”皮特谨慎地问道。她急忙解开一块裹着的手帕，把所有的便士都倒在柜台上。“我把所有的钱都拿出来了。”她简单解释道。
　　皮特若有所思地看着她。然后，他小心地抽回了拿着项链的手。这时价格标签露了出来，但只是他能看到，小女孩看不到。怎么跟她说呢？小女孩晶莹的蓝眼睛中充满了信任，这眼神触动了他隐隐作痛的旧伤。“你等等，”说着，他转身走进储藏室后面。“你叫什么名字？”他边忙边回头问道。“珍.格雷斯。”
　　皮特从储藏室出来，手里拿着一个盒子，盒子外面包着鲜艳的红色包装纸，上面还系着一条打着蝴蝶结的绿丝带。“给你，”他淡淡地说道，“路上别弄丢了。”
　　她高兴地跑出去，出门时回头对他微笑。透过窗户，皮特看着她远去的身影，一片悲凉猛然袭上心头。他内心深处无法掩饰的悲伤，被珍.格雷斯的某些东西和那串项链再次唤醒。这个孩子有着麦黄色的头发，海水般深蓝色的眼睛。不久前，皮特曾爱上一个女孩，她也有着同样的麦黄色头发和海水般深蓝色的眼睛，而那串蓝宝石项链本该是她的。
　　然而，一个雨夜——一辆卡车在光滑的路面上紧急刹车——她的生命就这样消失了，他的梦就这样破碎了。从那以后，皮特就陷入了极端的孤苦与悲痛的煎熬之中。工作时，皮特把注意力全放在顾客身上，但到了晚上，他的世界几乎就是一片空白。于是，他极力想冲出日渐强烈的自怜自悯的阴霾。然而，珍.格雷斯的蓝眼睛又勾起了他对已逝至爱的回忆。这些苦痛，让他在节日中欢愉购物的顾客面前显得有些畏缩了。接下来的10天中，店里的生意很好，善于砍价的女士们蜂拥而入，她们抚弄着店中各式各样的饰品，讨价还价。最后一个顾客走出店时，已经是圣诞节前夕的深夜了，皮特舒了一口气。又过去了一年，然而对于皮特来说，这一夜还是很漫长的。
　　门开了，一个长着金黄色头发、深蓝色双眸的年轻女子匆匆走进了店中。不知道为什么，皮特觉得她看起来很面熟，但又记不起来何时何地见过她。她从手提包中拿出一个用红纸松散包着的小盒子，上面还系着一条打着蝴蝶结的绿丝带。她打开盒子，一串闪闪发光的蓝宝石项链立刻映入了皮特的眼帘。
　　“这是在您的店里买的吗？”她问道。
　　皮特抬起头，看着她，轻声说：“是的，是我卖的。”
　　“宝石是真的吗？”
　　“当然是真的。质地虽不是最上乘的——但这的确是真的。”
　　“您还记得把它卖给谁了吗？”
　　“我卖给了一个叫珍的小姑娘。她想把它作为圣诞礼物送给她姐姐。”
　　“这串项链多少钱呢？”
　　“价格，”他严肃地告诉她，“是商家与顾客之间的秘密。”
　　“但珍是买不起这个的。她只有几便士的零花钱，怎么买得起这串宝石项链呢？”
　　“她给出的是最高价，”他说，“她支付了她所有的钱。”
　　沉默笼罩着这个小古玩店。皮特看着远处正在响着钟声的教堂尖塔。那鸣响的钟声，柜台上的小盒子，姑娘眼中的疑问，皮特心中难以名状的生命复苏感——这一切都源于一个小孩的爱。
　　“您为什么要这么做呢？”
　　皮特把手中的礼物递给她。
　　“已经是圣诞节早上了，”他说，“我想送礼物，但没什么人可送的，这太令人伤心了。我能送你回家，然后到你家的门口对你说一句圣诞快乐吗？”
　　于是，皮特和这位不知姓名的姑娘走出了店门，在给世界带来幸福的新年伊始，他们伴着齐鸣的钟声，走进了快乐的人群中。
　　A String of Blue Beads
　　Fulton Oursler
　　Pete Richard was the loneliest man in town on the day Jean Grace opened the door of his shop. It’s a small shop which had come down to him from his grandfather. The little front window was strewn with a disarray of oldfashioned things: bracelets and lockets worn in days before the Civil War, gold rings and silver boxes, images of jade and ivory, porcelain figurines1. On this winter’s afternoon a child was standing there, her forehead against the glass, earnest and enormous eyes studying each treasure as if she were looking for something quite special. Finally she straightened up with a satisfied air and entered the store.
　　The shadowy interior of Pete Richard’s establishment was even more cluttered than his show window. Shelves were stacked with jewel caskets, dueling pistols, clocks and lamps, and the floor was heaped with irons, mandolins and things hard to find a name for. Behind the counter stood Pete himself, a man not more than thirty but with hair already turning gray. There was a bleak air about him as he looked at the small customer who flattened her ungloved hands on the counter.
　　“Mister,” she began, “would you please let me look at the string of blue beads in the window？” Pete parted the draperies and lifted out a necklace. The turquoise2 stones gleamed brightly against the pallor of his palm as he spread the ornament before her. “They’re just perfect,” said the child, entirely to herself. “Will you wrap them up pretty for me, please？”
　　Pete studied her with a stony air. “Are you buying these for someone？” “They’re for my big sister. She takes care of me. You see, this will be the first Christmas since mother died. I’ve been looking for the most wonderful Christmas present for my sister.”
　　“How much money do you have？” asked Pete warily. She had been busily untying the knots in a handkerchief and now she poured out a handful of pennies on the counter. “I emptied my bank.” she explained simply.
　　Pete looked at her thoughtfully. Then he carefully drew back the necklace. The price tag was visible to him but not to her. How could he tell her？ The trusting look of her blue eyes smote3 him like the pain of an old wound. “Just a minute,” he said, and turned toward the back of the store.  Over his shoulder he called, “What’s your name？” He was very busy about something. “Jean Grace.”
　　When Pete returned to where Jean Grace waited, a package lay in his hand, wrapped in scarlet paper and tied with a bow of green. “There you are,” he said shortly, “Don’t lose it on the way home.”
　　She smiled happily over her shoulder as she ran out the door. Through the window he watched her go, while desolation flooded his thoughts. Something about Jean Grace and her string of beads had stirred him to the depths of a grief that would not stay buried. The child’s hair was wheat yellow, her eyes sea blue, and once upon a time, not long before, Pete had been in love with a girl with hair of that same yellow and with eyes just as blue. And the turquoise necklace was to have been hers.
　　But there had come a rainy night—a truck skidding on a slippery road—and the life was crushed out of his dream. Since then, Pete had lived too much with his grief in solitude. He was politely attentive to customers, but after hours his world seemed irrevocably4 empty. He was trying to forget in a selfpitying haze that deepened day by day. The blue eyes of Jean Grace jolted him into acute remembrance of what he had lost. The pain of it made him recoil from the exuberance of holiday shoppers. During the next ten days trade was brisk; chattering women swarmed in, fingering trinkets, trying to bargain. When the last customer had gone, late on Christmas Eve, he sighed with relief. It was over for another year. But for Pete the night was not quite over.
　　The door opened and a young woman hurried in. With an inexplicable start, he realized that she looked familiar, yet he could not remember when or where he had seen her before. Her hair was golden yellow and her large eyes were blue. Without speaking, she drew from her purse a package loosely unwrapped in its red paper, a bow of green ribbon with it. Presently the string of blue beads lay gleaming again before him.
　　“Did this come from your shop？” she asked.
　　Pete raised his eyes to hers and answered softly, “Yes, it did.”
　　“Are the stones real？”
　　“Yes. Not the finest quality—but real.”
　　“Can you remember who it was you sold them to？”
　　“She was a small girl.  Her name was Jean. She bought them for her older sister’s Christmas present.”
　　“How much are they worth？”
　　“The price, ”he told her solemnly, “is always a confidential matter between the seller and the customer.”
　　“But Jean has never had more than a few pennies of spending money. How could she pay for them？”
　　“She paid the biggest price anyone can ever pay,” he said. “She gave all she had.”
　　There was a silence then that filled the little curio shop.  He saw the faraway steeple, a bell began ringing.  The sound of the distant chiming, the little package lying on the counter, the question in the eyes of the girl, and the strange feeling of renewal struggling unreasonably in the heart of Pete, all had come to be because of the love of a child.
　　“But why did you do it？”
　　He held out5 the gift in his hand.
　　“It’s already Christmas morning,” he said. “And it’s my misfortune that I have no one to give anything to. Will you let me see you home and wish you a Merry Christmas at your door？”
　　And so, to the sound of many bells and in the midst of happy people, Pete Richard and a girl whose name he had yet to hear, walked out into the beginning of the great day that brings hope into the world for us all.

美丽英文—故事篇(11)
　爱的礼物
　　辛迪.贝克
　　“是时候了。”姐姐轻声说道。听到她的话，我立刻醒来，心也怦怦直跳。现在是凌晨4点，我也不知道自己怎么能睡到这么晚。毕竟，这是圣诞节的早晨，我本来应该在几个小时前就醒来的。
　　我们尽可能用最快的速度轻手轻脚地穿过走廊。爸爸妈妈正在屋子最后面的房间里安静地睡着。我等待这一天已经一年了，我每天都在自己的日历上标记着日子的滑过。从查里.布朗到鲁道夫，我在电视上看着每一期圣诞特辑，现在圣诞的清晨终于来临了，我的心激动得简直要蹦出来了。我想笑、想玩，也许最想做的，就是拆开我的圣诞礼物。
　　我们来到小房间前，这时姐姐把她的一根手指放在唇边，小声说：“可能圣诞老人还在呢。”我点点头，完全领会了她的意思。6岁的我已经知道了所有有关圣诞老人和他的魔法故事。11岁的姐姐正努力帮我实现梦想。
　　当我们终于走进小房间时，我本能地想冲向那些精心堆在房间里的礼物，但是不知为什么我犹豫了。我没有冲过去，而是迟疑地打量着房间，希望这一刻能够永恒不变。姐姐静静地站在我身旁，与我一起注视着那棵几个星期前我们一起装扮的圣诞树。树上灯光闪烁，装饰品闪闪发光，金黄色的小天使就坐在稍稍偏离中心的树顶上。这是我见过的最美的风景。
　　旁边的桌子上，我们留给圣诞老人的饼干不见了，取而代之的是一张纸条，上面写着：“谢谢你们，圣诞快乐。”
　　看到那张纸条，我惊讶地瞪大了眼睛，因为我十分肯定我终于找到圣诞老人存在的真实证据了。不过，没等我回过神来，姐姐递给我一个小包裹。“这是我送给你的礼物。”她害羞地笑着说。
　　我颤抖着手指，慢慢打开那个包裹，小心翼翼地让自己别弄坏里面那个绿色的首饰盒。盒子里放的是姐姐最喜欢的项链。那条项链的吊坠是一个小小的心形，链子是金黄色的，这是两年前爷爷送给她的礼物。当时的情景浮现在我的眼前，圣诞老人的纸条被我忘得一干二净。
　　姐姐伸出手臂抱着我说：“爷爷本来是想今年送给你一条这样的项链的，但是……”她停下来，轻轻擦擦眼睛继续说道，“只是他没有机会了。”爷爷是在复活节的早晨去世的——突发的心脏病夺走了他的生命，他的离去让我们全家都受到了打击。妈妈总是在没人的时候悄悄流泪。姐姐故作轻松地耸耸她那瘦弱的肩膀说：“因此，我想你一定愿意收下我这条项链。”
　　我捧着这条项链，就好像它是用世上最纯的黄金制成的一样。它看上去甚至比圣诞树上的装饰灯还要明亮。
　　“我帮你戴上吧。”姐姐一边说一边把项链戴在我的脖子上。
　　我的皮肤碰到那颗小小的心，感觉暖暖的，像是有生命一样。爷爷在我的心里依然活着。他喜欢过圣诞节，圣诞节这一天他总会给我们每个人一份特别的惊喜。姐姐像是读懂了我的心思，对我说道：“就把这当做是爷爷送给你的惊喜吧。”
　　我拉过她的手，用尽全身的力气紧紧抱住她。
　　两小时后，当爸爸妈妈最终走进小房间时，他们看到了一棵漂亮的圣诞树，很多没有拆开的礼物以及紧紧拥在一起的两姐妹。
　　■心灵小语
　　有一种给予，是将自己最珍爱的东西送给他人。有时，放弃、失去与得到，拥有一样美丽，与其说这是一种物质的易主，倒不如说是情感的馈赠。姐妹之情，细腻而真挚，在相互赠与的过程中，亲情、友情变得更纯、更真、更深。
　　A Gift of Love
　　Cindy Beck
　　“It’s time,” my sister whispered, and I was instantly awake, my heart pounding1 frantically in my chest. It was 4 a.m., and I wondered how I could have ever slept so late. After all, it was Christmas moming. I should have been awake hours ago.
　　We crept down the hall as quickly as we could. In the back of the house, our parents slept peacefully. I had been waiting for this day all year, marking off the days on my calendar as they passed, one by one. I had watched every Christmas special on TV, from Charlie Brown to Rudolph, and now that Christmas morning was finally here, I could hardly contain myself. I wanted to laugh, I wanted to play and, perhaps most of all, I wanted to rip2 open my presents.
　　As we approached the den, my sister put a single finger to her lips and whispered, “Santa might still be here.” I nodded in complete understanding. At six, I knew all about Santa and his magic. At eleven, my sister was trying to give me my dream.
　　When we finally walked into the den, my first instinct was to rush toward the presents that were stacked ohsocarefully around the room, but something made me hesitate. Instead of rushing forward, I stared in wonder at the room, wanting this single moment to last as long as it could. My sister stood quietly beside me, and we stared at the beautiful tree that we had decorated3 together weeks before. The lights shimmered, the ornaments sparkled, and our golden angel sat just slightly offcenter on the top of the tree. It was the most perfect sight I’d ever seen.
　　On a nearby table, the cookies that we’d left for Santa were gone, and a small note read, “Thank you. Merry Christmas！”
　　My eyes widened in amazement at the note, for I was sure that I had finally found real proof of the jolly man’s existence. Yet before I could truly marvel4 over the letter, my sister was handing me a small package. “It’s from me,” she whispered with a shy smile.
　　With trembling fingers, I slowly opened the package, carefully preserving the green bow. Inside, I found my sister’s favorite necklace. It was a small heart on a golden chain. She had received the present from our grandfather two years before. My eyes filled at the sight. Santa’s note was forgotten.
　　She put her arm around me.“He was going to give you one this year, but—” she stopped, and carefully wiped her eyes, “he just did not get a chance.” He had died on Easter morning—the heart attack had been a harsh shock to our family. Our mother still cried quietly when she thought no one was watching. My sister squared5 her slender shoulders with a brave air. “So, I thought you might like to have mine.”
　　I held the necklace as if it were made of the finest gold in the world. It seemed to shine even brighter than the lights on our tree.
　　“Let me help you,” she said as she moved to put the necklace around my neck.
　　The small heart felt warm against my skin, almost like it was alive. In my mind, I could see my grandfather. He’d loved Christmas, and he had always given each of us a special surprise on Christmas day.
　　“Consider this his surprise,” my sister told me as if she’d read my mind.
　　I grabbed her hand and held onto her with all of the strength that I possessed.
　　When our parents finally made their way into the den two hours later, they saw a beautiful Christmas tree, a dozen unopened gifts, and two sisters holding each other tightly.
　　天堂来信
　　佚名
　　夏洛特和凯蒂的父母几个月内相继离开了人世……但是，每年的生日，姐妹俩都能收到母亲的贺卡，卡片上语重心长的教诲让人感动不已。
　　六七张贺卡和两份书签，这就是夏洛特.马特龙收到的圣诞礼物和生日礼物。这些卡片被她视为无价之宝，精心保存在床头一个特制的盒子里。
　　她凝视着一张日期为1996年10月的贺卡，“我亲爱的夏洛特，”她读道，几乎不用看，已经能背下了。“我很难过，不能与你共度十岁生日，特寄此卡片，以表祝贺……”
　　６个星期后，她的妈妈黛布尔.马特龙因乳腺癌去世。她只有35岁，却给女儿留下了一笔独特的遗产。
　　临死前，黛布尔分别给两个女儿——11岁夏洛特和10岁的凯特写好了生日贺卡。这样，每逢生日她们都可以收到礼物。正是这种良苦用心，帮助姐妹俩战胜了难以承受的巨大悲痛。
　　到现在为止，她们已经分别收到了母亲的两张卡片。在那令人心酸的小盒子里，还存放着另外一些卡片，那是他们的父亲阿伦寄来的。当时他因淋巴肿瘤住在医院，身体已经虚弱到无法动手写字，但他仍竭尽全力颤抖着写下了歪歪斜斜的“爸爸”二字。
　　姐妹俩现在与祖父母住在一起，她们小心翼翼地把每张卡片放进盒子里，储存下来。她俩各有一本“我和妈妈”、“我和爸爸”的相册，这样，她们可以随时拿出来看，回忆父母的点点滴滴，重温昔日家庭生活的温馨。
　　黛布尔留下的卡片里，有帮助女儿成长的实践性建议，饱含了一个母亲对女儿最深沉的爱。读到那些话语，姐妹俩就感觉母亲依然和她们在一起。
　　她们经常想起卡片上母亲的话，“希望你们知道自己永远是珍贵的，我永远深爱着你们……”
　　在写给夏洛特的卡片上，谈到了她的成长，关于一个女孩成为年轻女人的转变。黛布尔接着写道：“祝你十一岁生日快乐，记住，爸爸妈妈永远和你在一起。”
　　姐妹俩都给父母回信。夏洛特告诉他们，她怎么玩保龄球，还有去伦敦动物园游玩的情形。凯特曾写道，她永远忘不了爸爸，“我知道他仍然和我们在一起。”
　　谈到女性问题，黛布尔说道：“我还记得自己当时的困惑，要记住，每一个10至14岁的女孩都会经历这些变化，所以，不要害怕，也不要惊慌。”
　　夏洛特放下卡片，“很多时候，我真的想问妈妈一些问题，”她说，“比如关于生活中的问题，或者学习上的困难等等。”
　　但是，她知道还会有更多的卡片寄过来，只是不知道什么时候或者还有多少。然而，黛布尔给孩子们留下的遗产，价值远远超过遗嘱的分量。“一份礼物不能表尽内心的想法，”夏洛特说，“但是，一张卡片却能。”
　　接着她读出母亲留给她的话，这些话语，比任何东西都更富感染力，更能引起共鸣，“你是一个了不起的女孩，记住妈妈和爸爸对你们说过的话。你们姐妹俩要互相照顾，妈妈永远深爱着你们。”
　　■心灵小语
　　母爱是世界上最伟大、最无私的爱。虽然疾病夺走了这位母亲的生命，不能够继续陪伴孩子们成长。然而，没有什么能够阻止爱的延续，母亲从天堂寄来的信，就像是一盏明灯，永远指引着孩子们前行的道路。
　　Letters  from Heaven
　　Anonymous
　　Charlotte and Katie’s parents died within months of each other... but every birthday the sisters receive cards from their mother with almost unbearably touching words of guidance.
　　There is just a small pile of no more than half a dozen cards and a couple of labels from Christmas and birthday presents. But Charlotte Matalon produces each of the items from her Special Box, which she keeps beside her bed, as if they are priceless jewels.
　　She looks at the card dated October 1996. “My darling Charlotte,” she reads, barely needing to look since she knows it by heart. “I am writing this card because I have recently found out that sadly I will not be with you on your 10th birthday...”
　　Six weeks after writing this tragic message, Debra Matalon, Charlotte’s mother died from breast cancer. She was just 35, but she has provided a unique legacy1.
　　Before she died, Debra wrote a birthday card to each of her two daughters, Charlotte, now 11, and 10yearold Katie, for them to open every birthday. It is this gesture which has helped the girls come to terms with their terrible grief.
　　So far they have each received two messages from their mother. There are also a couple more cards in their sad little boxes. These are from their father Alan, sent while he, too, was in hospital, his body consumed by nonHodgkin’s lymphoma2. Too weak to write, he just managed to gather the strength to sign a faltering “Daddy”.
　　The girls, who now live with their grandparents, carefully store the cards back in their boxes and put them away. They each have My Mummy & Me and My Daddy & Me photo albums, which they scan while trying to grasp any fresh insight into their parents, or recall the lives they had as a family.
　　The cards Debra has left them contain a mixture of practical3 advice for growing girls and simple statements of a mother’s love for her children. Reading those words, the sisters feel, was to discover, that their mother seems to be still with them.
　　Both often think of what their mother has said in her card , “I want you to know that you have always been very special and I have and always will love you dearly...”
　　After writing to Charlotte about growing up and the change from being a girl to a young woman, Debra adds, “Please have fun on your 11th birthday and remember Mummy and Daddy are always with you.”
　　Both girls have written letters to their parents in reply. Charlotte has told. them about how she went bowling and about a trip to London Zoo. Katie has written how she will never forget her Daddy, “I know he’s still with me.”
　　Writing about womanhood, Debra said, “I remember how embarrassed I was at the time, just remember that every single 10 to 14yearold has gone through these changes, so don’t be afraid and don’t be embarrassed.”
　　Charlotte puts the card down. “There are times when I’d like to be able to ask Mummy things,” She says, “just things about life and what to do in a difficult situation at school or whatever.”
　　But she knows there are more cards to come. She doesn’t know when or how many, but Debra has given a far greater legacy than her will could ever provide. “A present doesn’t say what you think, ”Charlotte says, “but a card does.”
　　And then she reads the words that echo4 more powerfully than any. “You are a wonderful girl and remember what Mummy and Daddy have taught you. Look after one another. Lots of love, as always, Mummy.”
　　与奶奶共舞
　　佚名
　　与妻子玛莎举行婚礼的那天，是我一生中最美好的一天。
　　那时的我们,年轻而有活力，皮肤晒成深褐色，看上去很精神。那天,摄影师拍下的都是我们微笑、拥抱和亲吻的镜头。我们是最幸福的主人，一点儿也不怪异，也毫无倦怠的神情。我们就像结婚蛋糕上的那对小瓷人一样幸福而无忧无虑。
　　婚礼进行时，大家拍照，切蛋糕，扔袜带，掷花束，玩得不亦乐乎。这时，奶奶轻轻地拍拍我的肩头，在一阵欢快的祝福声中，我把她揽入怀中，她在我耳边说道：“亲爱的，和我跳支舞,好吗？”
　　“当然可以了，奶奶。”我真诚地微笑着回答她，不巧，这时从外地赶来一些客人，我不得不过去迎候他们。一小时后，奶奶又向我发出了邀请。我同样微笑着答应了，并伸手做出邀舞的姿势。这时过来一些大学同学，把一杯鲜啤酒放到我手中，并把我拽走，要在新婚之夜前给我些建议。
　　最终，奶奶不得不放弃。
　　在频繁的拥抱、亲吻和推杯换盏的欢愉之后，我与妻子开始了蜜月之旅。我们乘船在迈阿密游览了一周,但这期间一种莫名的不安一直烦扰着我。
　　最终我们回到了新家，摄影师在电话留言里告诉我们，婚礼照片已经都冲洗好了。我们顾不上收拾行李，迈着疲倦的步伐去取照片。几个小时后，我们仔细看了所有的照片，婚礼的热闹场面不时地浮现在眼前，我手拿其中一张照片，不禁陷入了沉思。
　　照片上的两位客人欢快地跳着舞，他们汗涔涔的，一副笑逐颜开的样子。但我关注的不是这对开怀大笑的客人，而是背景处的奶奶。
　　我注意到她身着蓝色晚装，佩戴着简单的珍珠饰物。我知道，她的新发型是专门为那天设计的，尽管收入有限。我看到了她那双有些破损的鞋子和抽了丝的袜子，还有那双倦怠的手，紧握着一块旧手帕。
　　这张照片上的奶奶在流泪。我知道那并非喜悦的泪水。那便是我蜜月不安的根源所在——没能和奶奶跳舞。
　　我吻了一下妻子的脸颊，开车到了几英里外奶奶的小寓所。我敲了门，看到了奶奶，她的新发型依然漂亮，但是褪了色的便装却取代了那身体面的蓝色礼服。
　　奶奶无力地微笑着迎接我，用虚弱的双臂拥抱着我。我知道她一定很想知道我和妻子度蜜月的事。而我所能做的只是表达无尽的歉意。
　　“对不起，我没能和您跳舞，奶奶，”我非常诚恳地向奶奶道歉，挨着她坐在旧沙发上。“那是一个极特殊的日子，只因没能陪您跳舞，而不那么完美。”
　　奶奶望着我的眼睛，她的话让我难以忘却：“不要说傻话了，亲爱的。在我的一生中，你已经和我这个老太婆跳了很多支舞了。还记得你小时候在这儿度过的那些周六的夜晚吗？我放劳伦斯•威尔克的音乐，你便踏着我的毛绒拖鞋跳个不停，还大笑不止。不知其他的奶奶们是否有这样美好的回忆呢。我想我是幸运的。
　　“当你身为完美的主人，给所有的客人带来快乐时，我在旁边看着，心里有的只是骄傲。婚礼就是这样，有新有旧，有得有失。
　　“噢，你想，我这样一位老太太，穿着蓝色的礼服，看着你与漂亮的新娘共舞，我知道我该放手了，因为我已经拥有多年了，你只不过是我借来的，一旦你找到了理想的伴侣，我就得让出来——现在你们彼此拥有对方，能够互相照顾，我可以安度晚年，不必再为你牵肠挂肚了。”
　　那天我和奶奶都流了许多幸福的泪水。
　　正是那天，奶奶让我体会到了既为儿孙又为人夫的意义。接受了那个教训后，我邀请奶奶跳了一支新婚舞曲。
　　她没像我一样拒绝……
　　■心灵小语
　　有些感情是默默付出而不善于被表达出来的，但是这种感情比表露出来的更加深沉。文中的奶奶很爱自己的孙子，但也懂得放手，让他去追求属于自己的幸福。这种亲情是不会因距离而减弱的，反而会因为爱与理解而成为生活中的一种默契。
　　Dancing with Nonny
　　Anonymous
　　When I married my wife Martha, it was the most beautiful day of my life.
　　We were young and healthy, tanned and handsome. Every picture taken that day showed us smiling, hugging, and kissing. We were the perfect hosts, never cranky or tired. We were as happy and carefree as the porcelain couple on our towering wedding cake.
　　Halfway through the reception, in between the pictures and the cake and the garter and the bouquet, my grandmother tapped me gently on the shoulder. I hugged her in a flurry of other wellwishers and barely heard her whisper, “Will you dance with me, sweetheart？”
　　“Sure, Nonny,” I said, smiling and with the best of intentions, even as some outof town guests pulled me off in their direction. An hour later my grandmother tried again. And again I readily agreed, smiling and reaching for her with an outstretched hand but letting some old college buddies place a fresh beer there instead, just before dragging me off for some lastminute wedding night advice！
　　Finally, my grandmother gave up.
　　There were kisses and hugs and rice and tin cans and then my wife and I were off on our honeymoon. A nagging concern grew in the back of my mind as we wined and dined our way down to Miami for a weeklong cruise and then back again when it was over.
　　When we finally returned to our new home, a phone message told us our pictures were waiting at the photographer’s. We unpacked slowly and then moseyed on down to pick them up. Hours later, after we had examined every one with fond memories, I held one out to reflect upon in private.
　　It was a picture of  two happy guests, sweaty and rowdy in their dancing. But it wasn’t the grinning couple I was focusing on. There, in the background, was my grandmother, Nonny.
　　I had spotted her blue dress right away. Her simple pearls. The brand new hairdo I knew she’d gotten special for that day, even though she was on a fixed income. I saw her scuffed shoes and a run in her stocking and her tired hands clutching at a wellused handkerchief.
　　In the picture, my grandmother was crying. And I didn’t think they were tears of joy. The nagging concern that had niggled at me the entire honeymoon finally solidified—I had never danced with my grandmother.
　　I kissed my wife on the cheek and drove to my grandmother’s tiny apartment a few miles away. I knocked on the door and saw that her new perm was still fresh and tight, but her tidy blue dress had been replaced with her usual faded house dress.
　　A feeble smile greeted me, weak arms wrapped around me and, naturally, Nonny wanted to know all about our honeymoon. Instead, all I could do was apologize.
　　“I’m sorry, I never danced with you, Nonny,” I said honestly, sitting next to her on the threadbare couch, “it was a very special day and that was the only thing missing for making it perfect.”
　　Nonny looked at me in the eye and said something I’ll never forget,“Nonsense, dear. You’ve danced enough with this old broad in her lifetime. Remember all those Saturday nights you spent here when you were a little boy？ I’d put the Lawrence Welk Show on and you’d dance on top of my fuzzy slippers and laugh the whole time. Why, I don’t know any other grandmother who has memories like that. I’m a lucky woman.
　　“And while you were being the perfect host and making all of your guests feel so special, I sat back and watched you and felt nothing but pride. That’s what a wedding is, honey. Something old, something new. Something borrowed, something blue.
　　“Well, this old woman, who was wearing blue, watched you dance with your beautiful new bride, and I knew I had to give you up, because I had you so many years to myself, but I could only borrow you until you found the woman of your dream—and now you have each other and I can rest easy in the knowledge that you’re happy.”
　　Both of our tears covered her couch that day.
　　That was the day Nonny taught me what it meant to be a grandson, as well as a husband.
　　And after my lesson, I asked Nonny for that wedding dancing.
　　Unlike me, she didn’t refuse…
　　魔枕
　　佚名
　　情人节到了，与往常一样，我的日程表安排得满满的。
　　我的丈夫罗伊是一个很浪漫的人，他策划了一个我们从未经历过的约会，在一家高档餐馆订了位子；爱意浓浓的日子到来的前几天，他还把一份包装精美的礼品放到了我的梳妆台上。
　　一天繁忙的工作结束后，我匆匆赶回家，一头扎进浴室。等老公回来时，我已把最漂亮的衣服穿好，只等出发了。他拥抱了我，这时来照看孩子的人也刚好到。我们俩都非常高兴。
　　遗憾的是，我们家里最小的成员却不高兴。
　　“爸爸，你不是说要带我去给妈妈买礼物的吗？”8岁的女儿贝姬边说边沮丧地朝沙发走去，坐在那位临时来照顾她的女士身边。
　　罗伊看了一下手表，他知道如果我们想按时到达预订的餐馆，必须马上动身。他甚至都抽不出几分钟时间带女儿到街角的小店买盒鸡心形巧克力。
　　“对不起，今天回来晚，没时间了，宝贝。”他说。
　　“没关系，”贝姬回答，“我知道。”
　　这是一个甜蜜的夜晚，却也有几分苦涩。我总会情不自禁地想起贝姬流露出的失望眼神，想起房门在我们身后关闭的那一刹那，贝姬原本因情人节而兴奋的小脸蛋上的光芒一下子消失的情形。她想让我知道她有多爱我。或许她并没有意识到，我心里已经很清楚了。
　　如今，那个漂亮的盒子里装了什么礼物我已不记得，虽然我因它兴奋了好几天，但那晚回到家时收到的另一份特殊礼物，却令我永生难忘。
　　贝姬在沙发上睡着了，手里还拿着一个盒子，放在她的小腿上。我吻了吻她的脸颊，她醒了。“妈妈，我要给您一样东西。”说着，小脸蛋堆满了灿烂的笑容。
　　小盒子用报纸包着。我撕开报纸，打开盒子，看到了我收到过的一份最甜美的情人节礼物。
　　在我和丈夫离开家去约会后，贝姬便忙开了。她把我的织品和十字绣盒子都翻出来，先在一块红布上绣好“我爱你”三个字，然后把布料剪成心形，再把剪下来的两块布缝合到一起，缀上一圈花边，最后在往里面塞满棉花。一个心形的枕头做成了。这个枕头倾注了她多少的爱啊！我会永远珍爱它。
　　大约13年过去了，那件珍贵的情人节礼物依然放在我卧室的一个特殊位置。女儿已经长大成人，这期间我无数次将枕头紧紧贴在心窝。我不知道这个枕头是否藏有许多魔力，但我肯定，这么多年来它给我带来了无尽的喜悦。女儿离开我进入大学时，它伴我度过无数个不眠之夜。我珍爱这份礼物，更珍爱这美好的记忆。
　　我知道自己确实是位幸运的母亲，有这么一个值得称道的可爱女儿，她是那么渴望与我分享她心中的爱！在我有生之年，对我来说，应该不会再有比这更特殊的情人节了。
　　■心灵小语
　　亲情是平淡而温暖的，亲情相伴的每一个日子都是如此踏实快乐。请珍惜身边的亲人，去关爱他们，与他们分享幸福。
　　Magic Pillow
　　Anonymous
　　Valentine’s Day had arrived and like other day of the year, I was very busy.
　　My romantic1 husband, Roy, planned a date like we had never had before. A reservation at an expensive restaurant was made. A beautifully wrapped present had been sitting on my dresser for a few days prior to the heartfilled holiday.
　　After a hard day at work, I hurried home, ran into the house and jumped into the shower. When my sweetheart arrived, I was dressed in my finest outfit and ready to go. He hugged me, just as the sitter arrived. We were both excited.
　　Unfortunately, the littlest member in our household wasn’t so happy.
　　“Daddy, you were going to take me to buy Mamma a present,” Becky, my eightyearold daughter said, as she sadly walked over to the couch2 and sat down beside the babysitter.
　　Roy looked at his watch and realized that if we were to make our reservations, we had to leave right away. He didn’t even have a few minutes to take her to the corner drugstore, to buy a heartshaped box of chocolate candy.
　　“I’m sorry, I was late getting home, honey,” he said.
　　“That’s ok,” Becky replied. “I understand.”
　　The entire evening was bittersweet. I couldn’t help being concerned about the disappointment in Becky’s eyes. I remembered how the joyful Valentine’s Day glow had left her face, just before the door closed behind us. She wanted me to know how much she loved me. She didn’t realize it, but I already knew it very well.
　　Today, I can’t remember what was wrapped in that beautiful box, which I swooned3 over for several days, but I’ll never forget the special gift, which I received when we arrived, back home.
　　Becky was asleep on the couch, clutching a box, which was sitting on her lap.  When I kissed her cheek, she awoke. “I’ve got something for you, Mamma,” she said, as a giant smile covered her tiny face.
　　The little box was wrapped in newspaper. As I tore the paper off and opened the box, I found the sweetest Valentine gift that I have ever received.
　　After Roy and I left for our date, Becky got busy. She raided my fabric and crossstitch box. She stitched the words  “I Love Ya” on a piece of red fabric, cut the fabric in the shape of a heart, stitched the two pieces together, adorned4 it with lace and stuffed it with cotton. It was a heartshaped pillow, filled with love, which I’ll cherish forever.
　　My wonderful Valentine gift has a special place in my bedroom today, some thirteen years later. As she was growing up into a young woman, many times I held that pillow close to my heart. I don’t know if a pillow can hold magic, but this pillow has surely held a great deal of joy for me over the years. It has helped me through several sleepless nights since she left home for college. I not only cherish the gift, but the memory, as well.
　　I know that I am a very lucky mother, indeed, to have such a wonderful little girl, who wanted so desperately5 to share her heart with me. As long as I live, there will never be another Valentine’s Day, which will be any more special to me.
　　第四卷微笑的世界
　　World of Smiles
　　永远不要低估你行为的力量。你不经意间的一个小举动也许就会改变一个人的命运。无论福祸，上帝让我们介入彼此的生活以某种方式影响着对方。从他人身上去寻找上帝的影子。正如你所知的：“当我们的翅膀受伤时，朋友就是天使，会将我们扶起，让我们想起如何飞翔。”
　　金光小屋
　　佚名
　　山坡上有一所简陋的小房子，里面住着一个小女孩。小时候，她经常在房前的小花园里玩，隔着篱笆，她能看见山谷那边高高的山坡上坐落着一栋漂亮的房子——有着闪闪发光的金色窗子，小女孩梦想将来长大后也能住进有着金色窗子的屋子里，而不再住这么简陋的房子。
　　虽然小女孩爱她的父母和她的家，但还是渴望拥有那样一栋金灿灿的房子，每天都梦想着住在那里，会是多么美好和新奇。
　　她长大了，拥有了能够走出花园篱笆的技能和判断力，走出花园篱笆时，她问母亲能否让她沿小路多骑一会儿车。在女儿的再三恳求下，母亲终于同意了，但只允许她在家附近转转，坚决不准她绕得太远。那天天气非常好，小姑娘直奔目的地！沿着小路，穿过山谷，来到了向往已久的金色小屋。
　　她跳下车子，把它放在门前的柱子旁，注意力集中在通往房子的小路上，目光沿小路继续向前，最终落到小房子上……失望顿时袭上心头，因为她所看到的窗子都是那么普通，而且脏兮兮的，根本就不发光，俨然一座废弃的房子。
　　她非常伤心，不愿再前进一步，便转过身去骑自行车……不经意间，她抬头瞥见了一幅令她吃惊的景象……在山谷的那边也有一座小房子——它的窗子也是金光闪闪的……是她那普通的小屋在太阳的照耀下闪着金光呢。
　　她猛然意识到，原来自己一直住在金色的房子里，在那里她得到了所有的爱，这使她的家成了“金光小屋”。一切她所梦想的原来就在眼前！
　　The House with the Golden Windows
　　Anonymous
　　The little girl lived in a small, very simple, poor house on a hill and as she grew she would play in the small garden and as she grew she was able to see over the garden fence and across the valley to a wonderful house high on the hill—and this house had golden windows, so golden and shining that the little girl would dream of how magic it would be to grow up and live in a house with golden windows instead of an ordinary house like hers.
　　And although she loved her parents and her family, she yearned to live in such a golden house and dreamed all day about how wonderful and exciting it must feel to live there.
　　When she got to an age where she gained enough skill and sensibility to go outside her garden fence, she asked her mother if she could go for a bike ride outside the gate and down the lane. After pleading with her, her mother finally allowed her to go, insisting that she kept close to the house and didn’t wander too far. The day was beautiful and the little girl knew exactly where she was heading！ Down the lane and across the valley, she rode her bike until she got to the gate of the golden house across on the other hill.
　　As she dismounted her bike and leaned it against the gate post, she focused on the path that led to the house and then on the house itself...and was so disappointed as she realized all the windows were plain and rather dirty, reflecting nothing other than the sad neglect of the house that stood derelictly.
　　So sad she didn’t go any further and turned, heart broken as she remounted her bike...  As she glanced up she saw a sight to amaze her...  there across the way on her side of the valley was a little house and its windows glistened golden... as the sun shone on her little home.
　　She realized that she had been living in her golden house and all the love and care she found there was what made her home the “golden house.” Everything she dreamed was right there in front of her nose！
　　埃玛的鸭子们
　　保罗.卡勒
　　1966年，冬天以迅猛之势袭击了我们位于纽约北部的大学，这是几十年来从未见过的。接连三天，暴风雪盘旋翻腾，将整个校园困在大雪之中，阻断了与外界的联系。校园里，到处是迷了路的学生，他们排成一队与恶劣的天气抗争着，就像躲在妈妈身后的小鸭子横过马路一样。与全校师生一样，B寝室的女生们也遇到了同样的问题。
　　一个女生问道：“我们怎样才能到自助食堂呢？”
　　另一个女生答道：“我们不要去了。外面白茫茫的一片，什么也看不见。”
　　第三个女生的眼睛一亮，“嘘”了一声，室内的抱怨声便停止了。然后，她兴奋地说道：“埃玛能够看得见。”
　　抱怨声消失了，接着是一阵兴奋的低语声。“埃玛！她甚至能够在整个大学城穿梭。”“我们可以跟着她走。”“你真是一个天才呀！”女生们非常高兴，她们笑语欢声，鼓起掌来。女生们穿戴好，一群人激动地朝埃玛的房间走去。她们在楼道中发现了埃玛，在她打开寝室的门之前，这群女生就把她围了起来。
　　埃玛笑着问：“你们为什么都这么兴奋？”
　　“我们能不能跟着你去自助食堂？我们在暴风雪中什么都看不到。”
　　“我认为可以。我先走，你们排成一列搭着肩膀跟在我后面。”
　　一个女生恳求道：“我们现在可以出发了吗？我饿坏了。”
　　埃玛又笑了，说道：“没问题，我们带上密斯一起去。”
　　她进了寝室，过了一会儿，牵出一条狗。这群女生在门口乖乖地排起了一列长队，准备迎战外面的寒冷。每个人都把手放在了前面女生的肩膀上。
　　埃玛打开了大门，把大家领了出来。她笑着说：“我猜，你们可以把这个称为盲人给正常人引路。”
　　说完，埃玛和导盲犬密斯带领着这群饥饿的鸭子朝自助食堂走去。
　　Emma’s Ducks
　　Paul Karrer
　　The winter of 1966 hit our university in upstate New York with a ferocity1 unrivaled in decades. For three days straight, the snow swirled2 and billowed3, burying the isolated campus. Here and there strayed groups of students struggling single file against the weather, like ducklings following their mother across a road. The female students in dormitory B were confronted with4 the same problem plaguing the general population of the university.
　　“How are we going to get to the cafeteria？” asked one.
　　“We’re not,” answered another.“Everything out there is white. You can’t see anything.”
　　A gleam came into the eye of the third girl. She shushed the others’ whining, saying triumphantly5, “Emma could do it.”
　　The whining turned to murmrs of excitement.“Emma！”“She even manages through the city.” “We could follow her.” “You’re a genius！”
　　 The girls whooped, yelled and clapped for joy. They bundled up6 and excitedly trooped down the hall to Emma’s room. They found her in the hallway and cornered her before she could even open her door.
　　“What’s all the excitement？” she asked, smiling.
　　“Can we follow you to the cafeteria？ We’re blind in this storm.”
　　They all laughed.
　　“I suppose so. I’ll go first, and you could hold on to each other’s shoulders.”
　　“Can we go now？” one girl begged. “I’m starving.”
　　Emma smiled again. “Sure, let me just get Missy ready.”
　　She went into her room and returned moments later with a dog on a harness. The girls lined up obediently7 at the front door, ready to face the cold. They each placed their hands on the shoulders of the girl in front of them.
　　Emma opened the door to lead them out. “I guess,” she smiled. “you could call this the blind leading the seeing.”
　　And with that, Emma and her seeingeye dog, Missy, led her troop of hungry ducks to the cafeteria.

美丽英文—故事篇(12)

　搅水男孩
　　佚名
　　生活中往往有一些小事对我们的影响反而更为深远。小事也能转变我们的人生观，改变我们做决定的方式，并能在脑海中留下难以磨灭的印迹。
　　九月中旬的一个傍晚，我三岁的儿子正在婴儿床上小睡，而我整个下午都在收拾威斯康星州的新家。那天虽然下着毛毛雨，但并不冷。
　　我在客厅内整理玩具和毯子时，无意中从二楼阳台的窗户向外瞥了一眼，发现地上都是水坑，雨也小了。
　　楼下的草坪与公路交接处有一个大水坑，旁边站着一个四岁左右的男孩。他穿着T恤衫和短裤，脚下是一双红色的橡胶雨鞋。他兴奋地在水坑里踩来踩去，泥水飞溅。他来回走着，踩着，开心地享受着大自然母亲的恩赐。
　　他的母亲站在离他不到四英尺远的地方，看着儿子探索这个世界，看着飞溅起的水滴落在儿子头上、衣服上和身上。他满身泥浆，她却只是仍然站在那儿看，还面带微笑。在一个不留心观察的路人眼中，他们只不过是在消磨时间。但以我初为人母的喜悦和经验所孕育出的敏感来看，这是一个感人时刻，自此它将改变我对身为人母的理解。
　　生活中一个小小瞬间，让我驻足思索：小事也意义非凡。小男孩长大后，或许不会记得，妈妈每天下午都带他出门，让他在水坑里踩来踩去，让他停下来摸摸小虫子。也或许不会记得，每天，妈妈都让他探寻这个世界。但他不会忘记，妈妈爱他。他知道，妈妈给他营造了一个舒适且充满乐趣的环境供他学习和成长。
　　或许，在无忧无虑的童年，我们可以学到：不要把暴风雨看做避之唯恐不及的事情，而应陶醉其中，去研究探索，享受品味。或许，我们应常停下来，在雨中嬉闹。或许，随着为人母的经验的积累，我也会懂得更多，看问题的方式也将有所改变。但有一点，我确信——等儿子一学会走路，我就给他买双橡胶雨鞋。
　　Raindrops and Rubber Boots
　　Anonymous
　　It’s often the simple things in life that make the most significant impact on us. Simple things that change our view of life, change the way we make decisions, leave lasting memories in our minds.
　　It was late one afternoon in midSeptember. My then threemonthold son was napping in his crib and I was spending the afternoon getting settled into our new home in Wisconsin. It was a rainy day. Not cold, but a steady drizzle had been falling all morning and into the afternoon.
　　As I wandered through our living room, picking up toys and blankets, I happened to glance out my second story balcony window. Puddles had formed on the ground and the rain had slowed.
　　Down below, where the grass met the pavement and a large puddle had formed, stood a boy of about four. He wore a Tshirt and a pair of shorts and up to his knees he sported a pair of red, rubber boots. Filled with a mixture of fascination1 and glee, he stomped2 through the puddle, mud and water flying. Over and over he walked, stomped, splashed3 through that puddle, happily enjoying what Mother Nature had left for him.
　　Not more than four feet away stood his mother, watching as her son explored his world. She watched as water droplets, airborne because of his stomping, landed on the boy’s head, clothes and body. Mud flecks flew all around him and still she stood and watched with a pleasant smile on her face. To an unnoticing passerby it was just two people going about their day. But from my new found sensitivity to the joys and experiences of motherhood, it was a touching moment that altered the way I will forever view my role as a mother.
　　A simple moment in my life made me stop and realize just how important the simple things really are. As the little boy in the rubber boots grows up, he probably will not remember each afternoon that his mother took him outside and let him stomp in the puddles or each bug that she let him stop to touch. He may not remember each little thing that his mother does for him everyday — each time she lets him explore his world. But he will remember that his mother loved him and he will know that she helped him to learn and grow in a pleasant and fun environment.
　　Maybe we can all learn from the innocence4 of childhood that views a rainstorm not as something to run through or to avoid, but something meant to fascinate, to explore and to enjoy. Maybe we should all stop to play in the rain more often. Maybe I will learn more and my views will change as my experience of motherhood grows and evolves5. But one thing I know for sure.  As soon as my son can walk, I am buying him a pair of rubber boots.
　　微笑的世界
　　佚名
　　大约10年前，当我还是个在校大学生时，我在学校的自然历史博物馆做实习生。一天，当我正在礼品店的收银台工作时，看到一对老夫妇推着一位坐在轮椅上的小姑娘走进店里。
　　近看时，我看到她完全是“栖息”在椅子上的。后来我意识到，她没有手臂和双腿，只有头部、颈部和躯干。她穿着一件有红色圆点点缀的白色连衣裙。
　　当那对夫妇推着她朝我走来时，我正低头看着收银机。我把头转向那个女孩，朝她眨了眨眼。当接过老夫妇的钱时，我回头看了看那个小姑娘，她正朝我微笑，那是我有生以来见到的最可爱、最灿烂的微笑。突然间，她身上的所有缺陷都消失了，我看到的是一个美丽的小女孩。她的微笑感染了我，几乎立即给了我一种全新的关于生命的感觉。她让我这个贫穷、苦闷的大学生进入到她的世界——一个充满微笑、爱和温暖的世界。
　　那天的事一转眼已过去10年了。如今我已是一位成功的商人。只要我变得沮丧，想到世间的烦恼，我就会想起那个小姑娘，还有她教给我的那一节关于人生的非凡课程。
　　■心灵小语
　　微笑能够使陌生的人变得熟悉起来，能够化解冷漠。你无需花一分钱，就可以绽开笑脸，给自己带来幸福的同时，也为别人送去快乐。不要做一个吝啬的人，让自己的生活多一些微笑。
　　World of Smiles
　　Anonymous
　　About ten years ago when I was an undergraduate in college, I was working as an intern at my University’s Museum of Natural History. One day while working at the cash register in the gift shop, I saw an elderly couple come in with a little girl in a wheelchair1.
　　As I looked closer at this girl, I saw that she was kind of perched on her chair. I then realized she had no arms or legs, just a head, neck and torso2. She was wearing a little white dress with red polka dots.
　　As the couple wheeled her up to me I was looking down at the register. I turned my head toward the girl and gave her a wink. As I took the money from her grandparents, I looked back at the girl, who was giving me the cutest, largest smile I have ever seen. All of a sudden her handicap was gone and all I saw was this beautiful girl, whose smile just melted me and almost instantly gave me a completely new sense of what life was all about. She took me from a poor, unhappy college student and brought me into her world: a world of smiles, love and warmth.
　　That was ten years ago. I’m a successful business person now. And whenever I get down and think about the troubles of the world, I think about that little girl and the remarkable3 lesson about life that she taught me.
　　友谊的故事
　　佚名
　　上高一时，有一天，在放学路上我看到了同班的一个男孩——凯尔。他好像把所有的书都拿上了，我心想：谁会在周末把书都带回家啊？他一定是个书呆子。我的周末已经有了安排（明天下午和朋友去踢足球，参加聚会），因此我耸耸肩，继续往前走。
　　正走着，我看到一帮孩子朝他跑去。他们冲过去撞掉他怀中的书，并将他绊倒在泥里。他的眼镜飞了出去，落在离他约10英尺的草地上。他扬起脸朝上看时，我看到了他眼中的悲哀。我有些同情他，于是慢慢走到他身边，当他趴着找眼镜时，我看到了他眼中含着的泪水。我把眼镜递给他，说：“他们简直无聊透顶，真应该受到惩罚。”他看着我说：“嗨，谢谢！”他的脸上带着灿烂的笑容，那笑容代表着真正的感激之情。
　　我帮他捡起书，问他住在哪里。原来他和我住得很近，于是我便问为什么从未见过他。他说他以前在一家私立学校上学。在此之前，我从不和私立学校的孩子打交道。我帮他抱着一些书，和他聊了一路。他挺帅，挺酷。我问他是否愿意和我们一起踢足球，他回答说好。于是我们度过了一个愉快的周末，而且对凯尔了解得越多，我就越喜欢他，我的朋友们也有同感。
　　周一早上，凯尔又抱了一大堆书。我拦住他，说：“好家伙，你真要每天抱着这些书锻炼肌肉啊！”他只是微微一笑，把半摞书递给我。接下来的四年中，我们成了最好的朋友。临近毕业时，我们开始考虑上大学的事。凯尔决定上乔治敦大学，而我准备去杜克大学。我知道距离不是问题，我们永远都是朋友。他想当一名医生，而我获得了橄榄球奖学金，准备去学商务。
　　凯尔将代表我们班致告别辞。我一直取笑他是个书呆子。他得为毕业典礼准备演讲稿，而我也很高兴不用自己去演讲。毕业那天，我看到了凯尔，他简直帅呆了。在高中，他简直如鱼得水。他长大了，戴着眼镜的样子看起来很棒。他的约会比我还多，所有女孩都喜欢他。天啊，有时我真嫉妒他，今天就是。看得出他对演讲有些紧张，于是我拍拍他的背，说：“嗨，棒小伙，你会是最棒的！”他看着我笑了，神情中依然带着那种真诚的感激。“谢谢。”他说。
　　他准备演讲时，先清了清嗓子，然后开始了。“毕业之际，要感谢那些曾在我们艰难时伸出援手的人。他们是我们的父母、老师、兄弟姐妹，或者是某个辅导员，但大部分还是我们的朋友。在此，我想告诉在座的所有人，做某人真正的朋友是你所给予他的最好的礼物。我想给大家讲一个故事。”我难以置信地看着我的朋友，听他讲起我们初次认识的情形。他曾计划在那个周末自杀。他讲他如何清空锁柜，将所有的东西带回家，以便他妈妈将来不必再清理。他努力看着我，对我微微一笑。“令人感激的是，我得救了。我的朋友救了我，使我没做那种可怕的傻事。”
　　当这个帅气、受欢迎的男孩讲述了他最脆弱的时刻时，我听到人群中一片惊讶的声音。我看到他的父母在看我，并同样感激地对我微笑着。直到那一刻，我才真正意识到那个微笑的意义。永远不要低估你行为的力量。你不经意间的一个小举动也许就会改变一个人的命运。无论福祸，上帝让我们介入彼此的生活以某种方式影响着对方。从他人身上去寻找上帝的影子。正如你所知的：“当我们的翅膀受伤时，朋友就是天使，会将我们扶起，让我们想起如何飞翔。”
　　■心灵小语
　　生命是脆弱的，情感的力量是伟大的。每个人，无论你是智者还是拙人，你肯定拥有自己的独特之处，有自身的价值。永远也不要因为外界因素的评定而低估了自己。只要你有爱，只要你肯付出爱，你就会影响他人的生活。
　　A Story about Friendship
　　Anonymous
　　One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my class walking home from school. His name was Kyle. It looked like he was carrying all of his books. I thought to myself, “Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday？ He must really be a nerd.” I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on.
　　As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him. They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt. His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him. He looked up and I saw the terrible sadness in his eyes. My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him and as he crawled around looking for his glasses, I saw a tear in his eye. As I handed him his glasses, I said, “Those guys are jerks. They really should be punished.” He looked at me and said, “Hey, thanks！” There was a big smile on his face. It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude.
　　I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived. As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before. He said he had gone to private school before now. I would have never hung out with a private school kid before. We talked all the way home, and I carried some of his books. He turned out to be a pretty cool kid. I asked him if he wanted to play a little football with my friends. He said yes. We hung out all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends thought the same of him.
　　Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again. I stopped him and said, “Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday！” He just laughed and handed me half the books. Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends. When we were seniors, we began to think about college. Kyle decided on Georgetown, and I was going to Duke. I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a problem. He was going to be a doctor, and I was going for business on a football scholarship.
　　Kyle was valedictorian of our class. I teased him all the time about being a nerd. He had to prepare a speech for graduation. I was so glad it wasn’t me having to get up there and speak. Graduation day, I saw Kyle. He looked great. He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school. He filled out and actually looked good in glasses. He had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him. Boy, sometimes I was jealous. Today was one of those days. I could see that he was nervous about his speech. So, I smacked him on the back and said,“Hey, big guy, you’ll be great！” He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled. “Thanks.” he said.
　　As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began. “Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years. Our parents, our teachers, our siblings, maybe a coach but mostly our friends. I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them. I am going to tell you a story.” I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the story of the first day we met. He had planned to kill himself over the weekend. He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom wouldn’t have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home. He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile. “Thankfully, I was saved. My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable.”
　　I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment. I saw his Mom and Dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile. Not until that moment did I realize its depth. Never underestimate the power of your actions. With one small gesture you can change a person’s life. For better or for worse. God puts us all in each other’s lives to impact one another in some way. Look for God in others. As you can see, “Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.”
　　另类英雄
　　托尼.卢纳
　　当古尔利克森博士正在为实验心理学课安排研究小组时，我默默地祈祷他能够把我与一个可爱的女生，至少是一个志趣相投的同学分在一组。总而言之，我希望他不要让我与一个具有强烈竞争意识、异常严肃的家伙做搭档，这种人个性十足，并且总爱穿着深颜色的衣服。经过一番深思熟虑之后，古尔利克森博士公布了分组决定，宣布我与一个我最想躲避的人成为一组，这就像命中注定似的。
　　我走到自己的实验搭档面前，作了自我介绍。他看着我的样子，仿佛我并不存在似的。我感觉到，他似乎认为我会阻碍他进步，并且很可能导致他的平均成绩直线下降。他并不完全怀有恶意,只是给了我这样的印象，无论什么实验，如果他独自去做就会做得更好。我的加入似乎只会妨碍他的研究，只能成为他不得不花时间和精力应付的麻烦，因为他是一个能够独立完成任务的人，他有重要的事情要做。
　　当然，我不想把整个学期都荒废掉，为了不让事情变得更加糟糕，我什么也没说，只是尽力把实验做好。根据计划，每个实验小组要提出假设、作实验检验假设、作统计学分析、介绍研究结果。小组所取得的成绩就是每个小组成员的成绩。我每次都忐忑不安地与同伴讨论实验的问题，他的专注和优秀的成绩是出了名的，他是一个勇于挑战的人。正相反，我与他相差甚远，事实上，我心里曾经闪现过逃课的念头，然而，我不想被他看扁，所以很快放弃了这种想法。我向那些忙于工作的朋友请教我该如何去做，他们的答复全部是，无论发生什么，你都要坚持到最后。
　　经过长时间讨论之后，我们终于达成一致，决定做一项关于空间触觉和动觉感知的研究。我们已经确定了题目，虽然我并不明白这是一项什么研究。为了制定计划，我们定期碰面，每次讨论决定之后，我都觉得是他制定了计划。我们碰面的次数越多，我对他的才智和直击问题核心的能力就越憎恨。我逐渐意识到，他的水平比我高很多。他很了解技术方面的知识，并且能够带着非常明确的目标去处理细节问题。
　　另一方面，我能提出的建议微乎其微，看起来似乎很幼稚。有一次，我鼓起勇气问他，他为什么那么紧张严肃。他回答我说，他没有闲聊的时间，对他来说，无聊的人和事情只是浪费时间，这令我感到惊讶。他甚至告诉我，那些所谓的朋友只会令人分心，因此，他没有结交很多朋友。不过，他补充说，一旦选择某人作为自己的朋友，他就会把他们当作一生的朋友。他的冷淡和愤世嫉俗，令我感到非常震惊。当时，我恨不得这个学期马上结束。
　　时光荏苒，我们尝试设计了一个非常出色的实验，而且实验操作也很简单。挑选志愿做实验对象的学生成为了我们工作的一部分，我决定致力于招募研究对象，他负责阐述科学方法。我抓住一切可能的机会陈述自己的意见，然而，我仍然有一种感觉：他才是整个实验的推动力量。
　　有一天，我得知他生病住进了医院。很显然，他是因为溃疡出血才住进医院的。他想取得最好的成绩，想找一份工作，想帮助生病的女朋友度过危险期，他背负的这些压力把他压垮了。
　　当去医院看望这个坚忍克己的实验伙伴时，我第一次发现，他脸上有了一种脆弱的表情。我知道，他是担心我会把实验搞砸，担心他非常高的总平均成绩会被小组实验成绩给毁掉，甚至会突然失掉进研究院的机会。我告诉他应该一心一意恢复健康，并保证我一定会付出最大的努力，不会让他失望的。我们都很清楚，我必须比最好做得还要好。
　　任务非常艰巨，我埋头整理统计资料，这些资料已经超出了我的理解范围。我有生以来所做的任何作业，都不曾付出这么多的时间和精力。我不能让他看到我失败，不愿意因为我而影响他的成绩。为了能够利用一切安静的时间进行研究，我把工作时间调整到夜里，从午夜一直干到凌晨六点。我被工作吸引住了，感觉自己全身心地投入到了一场挑战之中。仍然还有问题，我能解决吗？
　　在本学期即将结束的时候，各个小组终于要在所有组合小组前陈述自己的研究成果了。轮到我们组的时候，我使用自己的表演技巧阐述了他的科学方法，我竭尽了全力。我们得了“A”，这令我感到异常惊喜！
　　当我告诉实验伙伴，我们共同的努力取得了成功时，他笑着感谢我完成了实验。那一刻,某些东西将我们联系在了一起。这些特别的东西,与信赖有关,与分享获奖的喜悦有关。
　　这些年来，我们仍然保持着密切的关系。通过不断学习，他获得了博士学位，并与大学女友建立了家庭。
　　那个学期，我学到了更多的东西，而不仅仅是统计学分析和实验过程。他是我生活中的另类英雄，我的生活因他而面临挑战，因他而变得广阔。
　　事实证明，他是正确的，我们成了终生的朋友。
　　An Unlikely Hero
　　Tong Lu
　　When Dr. Gullickson was assigning project mates for his introduction to experimental psychology class, I secretly hoped he would pair me with a cute coed or at least a classmate I could have some fun with. Above all, I hoped he wouldn’t assign me to work with the intense, fiercely competitive, singularly serious fellow who always wore dark clothes and apparently had a personality to match. As fate would have it, Dr. Gullickson very deliberately matched everyone in class and announced that I would be working with the one person in class I wanted to avoid.
　　I went up to my new lab mate and introduced myself. He looked at me as though I weren’t there. I felt he treated me as though I would hold him back and probably cause his gradepoint average to take a nosedive1. He wasn’t outright mean or abusive2. He just gave me the impression he could do whatever project we dreamed up better if he did it alone. He was a loner, and I could only impede3 his research. He had important things to do, and I was going to be something of an annoyance he’d have to deal with.
　　Needless to say, I didn’t look forward to an entire semester of being brushed off, but I tried to make the best of it and didn’t say anything, lest I make things worse.
　　The project required each lab team to develop a hypothesis, set up an experiment to test the hypothesis, run the tests, do the statistical analysis and present the findings. Whatever grade the team received would be shared by both students. When my lab mate and I met to discuss our project, I was uneasy. Here was this challenging student who had a reputation for singlemindedness and good grades—the exact opposite of me. I was outmatched. I actually wanted to drop the class at one point, but stopped short because I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of my chickening out. I asked my friends at work what I should do, and the overall response was to stick it out no matter what.
　　After lengthy discussions, we somehow agreed to do a study on the tactilekinesthetic perception of space. I wasn’t sure what it meant, but at least we had a topic. We started to meet regularly to formulate4 our plans, and every time I felt the project was more his than mine. The more we met, the more I resented his intelligence and his ability to cut through to the core issues. And I was aware he was much more advanced than I. He knew technical things and approached every detail with great singularity of purpose.
　　I, on the other hand, must have seemed naive, with little to offer. At one point l summoned up my courage and asked him why he seemed so uptight and serious. To my surprise, he replied that he didn’t have time for small talk or petty people and things that would waste his time. He even went on to say that he didn’t have any friends because most socalled friends were just a distraction. But, he added, when he did choose someone to be his friend, they would be a friend for life. I was floored by his cold and cynical response. Right then and there, I realized the end of the semester couldn’t come soon enough.
　　As the semester wore on, we tried to fashion a simple yet elegant experiment. Part of our job was to ‘ students who had voluneered to be subjects for our project. I decided to devote5 myself to the task of working with the subjects, while he developed the scientific model. I put in my two cents’ worth whenever I could, but I still felt he was the driving force.
　　Then one day I got word that he was in the hospital. Apparently, he had been admitted for a hemorrhaging ulcer. The stress of getting the best grades, holding down a job and helping his girlfriend through the medical crisis she was going through had taken its toll on him.
　　When I visited him in the hospital, I noticed for the first time a sense of vulnerability on the face of my stoic lab mate. I knew that he was aware that I could blow the experiment, and our shared grade would shatter his lofty G. P. A. and possibly derail his chances for graduate school. I assured him I would not let him down and he should only concentrate on getting better. I would do my best. We both knew I’d have to do better than my best.
　　I had a formidable task ahead of me. I was in over my head, running the statistical data. I poured more time and energy into that project than I had ever done on any assignment in my life. I was not going to let him see me fail and have it reflect on him. I was working the graveyard shift at my job, so I used whatever quiet time from midnight to 6 A. M. to work on the project. The work consumed me. There was a sense of challenge that completely overtook me. The question remained: Was I up to it？
　　Eventually, the semester came to a close, and each team had to present its findings in front of the assembled class. When it was our turn, I did my level best to present his scientific methodology with my showmanship6. To my amazement, we were awarded an A！
　　When I told my lab mate about our shared triumph, he smiled and thanked me for carrying on. Something connected then. Something special. It had to do with trust and the exhilaration of sharing a common prize.
　　We have stayed close throughout the years. He went on to achieve a doctorate. He also went on to marry his college girlfriend.
　　I learned more than statistical analysis and experimental procedures that semester. My life has been enhanced by our encounter and challenged by this man, who became my unlikely hero.
　　And in the end, he was right: we have become friends for life.
　　朋友就该这么做
　　T.苏珊.埃勒
　　杰克把文件扔到我桌上，皱着眉头，气愤地瞪着我。
　　“怎么了？”我问道。
　　他指着计划书狠狠地说道：“下次想作什么改动前，先征求一下我的意见。”然后转身走了，留下我一个人在那里生闷气。
　　他怎么能这样对我！我想，我只是改了一个长句，更正了语法错误，但这都是我的分内之事啊。
　　其实也有人提醒过我，上一任在我这个职位上工作的女士就曾大骂过他。我第一天上班时，就有同事把我拉到一旁小声说：“已有两个秘书因为他而辞职了。”
　　几周后，我逐渐有些鄙视杰克了，而这又有悖于我的信条——别人打你左脸，右脸也转过去让他打；爱自己的敌人。但无论怎么做，总会挨杰克的骂。说真的，我很想灭灭他的嚣张气焰，而不是去爱他。我还为此默默祈祷过。
　　一天，因为一件事，我又被他气哭了。我冲进他的办公室，准备在被炒鱿鱼前让他知道我的感受。我推开门，杰克抬头看了我一眼。
　　“有事吗？”他突然说道。
　　我猛地意识到该怎么做了。毕竟，他罪有应得。
　　我在他对面坐下：“杰克，你对待我的方式很有问题。还从没有人像你那样对我说话。作为一个职业人士，你这么做很愚蠢，我无法容忍这样的事情再度发生。”
　　杰克不安地笑了笑，向后靠靠。我闭了一下眼睛，祈祷着，希望上帝能帮帮我。
　　“我保证，可以成为你的朋友。你是我的上司，我自然会尊敬你，礼貌待你，这是我应做的。每个人都应得到如此礼遇。”我说着便起身离开，把门关上了。
　　那个星期余下的几天，杰克一直躲着我。他总趁我吃午饭时，把计划书、技术说明和信件放在我桌上，并且，我修改过的文件不再被打回来。一天，我买了些饼干去办公室，顺便在杰克桌上留了一包。第二天，我又留了一张字条，在上面写道：“祝你今天一切顺利。”
　　接下来的几个星期，杰克不再躲避我了，但沉默了许多，办公室里再也没发生不愉快的事情。于是，同事们在休息室把我团团围了起来。
　　“听说杰克被你镇住了，”他们说，“你肯定大骂了他一顿。”我摇了摇头，一字一顿地说：“我们会成为朋友。”我根本不想提起杰克，每次在大厅看见他时，我总冲他微笑。毕竟，朋友就该这样。
　　一年后，我32岁，是三个漂亮孩子的母亲，但我被确诊为乳腺癌，这让我极端恐惧。癌细胞已经扩散到我的淋巴腺。从统计数据来看，我的时间不多了。手术后，我拜访了亲朋好友，他们尽量宽慰我，都不知道说些什么好，有些人反而说错了话，另外一些人则为我难过，还得我去安慰他们。我始终没有放弃希望。
　　就在我出院的前一天，我看到门外有个人影。是杰克，他尴尬地站在门口。我微笑着招呼他进来，他走到我床边，默默地把一包东西放在我旁边，那里边是几个球茎。
　　“这是郁金香。”他说。
　　我笑着，不明白他的用意。
　　他清了清嗓子，“回家后把它们种下，到明年春天就长出来了。”他挪挪脚，“我希望你知道，你一定看得到它们发芽开花。”
　　我泪眼朦胧地伸出手。
　　“谢谢你。”我低声说。
　　杰克抓住我的手，生硬地答道：“不必客气。到明年长出来后，你就能看到我为你挑的是什么颜色的郁金香了。”之后，他没说一句话便转身离开了。
　　转眼间，十多年过去了，每年春天，我都会看着这些红白相间的郁金香破土而出。事实上，今年九月，医生已宣布我痊愈了。我也看着孩子们高中毕业，进入大学。
　　在那绝望的时刻，我祈求他人的安慰，而这个男人寥寥数语，却情真意切，温暖着我脆弱的心。
　　毕竟，朋友之间就该这么做。
　　■心灵小语
　　成长中，每个人都在与形形色色的人打交道。有一种人，他们坦诚以待，相互鼓励，我们称之为朋友。
　　That’s What Friends Do
　　    
　　T. Suzanne Eller
　　Jack tossed the papers on my desk—his eyebrows knit into a straight line as he glared at me.
　　“What’s wrong？” I asked.
　　He jabbed a finger at the proposal. “Next time you want to change anything, ask me first,” he said, turning on his heels and leaving me stewing1 in anger.
　　How dare he treat me like that, I thought. I had changed one long sentence, and corrected grammar—something I thought I was paid to do.
　　It’s not that I hadn’t been warned. The other women, who had served in my place before me, called him names I couldn’t repeat. One coworker took me aside the first day. “He’s personally responsible for two different secretaries leaving the firm,” she whispered.
　　As the weeks went by, I grew to despise Jack. It was against everything I believed in—turn the other cheek and love your enemies. But Jack quickly slapped a verbal insult on any cheek turned his way. I prayed about it, but to be honest, I wanted to put him in his place, not love him.
　　One day, another of his episodes2 left me in tears. I stormed into his office, prepared to lose my job if needed, but not before I let the man know how I felt. I opened the door and Jack glanced up.
　　“What？” he said abruptly.
　　Suddenly I knew what I had to do. After all, he deserved it.
　　I sat across from him. “Jack, the way you’ve been treating me is wrong. I’ve never had anyone speak to me that way. As a professional, it’s wrong, and it’s wrong for me to allow it to continue,” I said.
　　Jack snickered3 nervously and leaned back in his chair. I closed my eyes briefly. God help me, I prayed.
　　“I want to make you a promise. I will be a friend,” I said. “I will treat you as you deserve to be treated, with respect and kindness. You deserve that,” I said. “Everybody does.” I slipped out of the chair and closed the door behind me.
　　Jack avoided me the rest of the week. Proposals, specs, and letters appeared on my desk while I was at lunch, and the corrected versions were not seen again. I brought cookies to the office one day and left a batch on Jack’s desk. Another day I left a note. “Hope your day is going great,” it read.
　　Over the next few weeks, Jack reappeared. He was reserved, but there were no other episodes. Coworkers cornered me in the break room.
　　“Guess you got to Jack,” they said. “You must have told him off4 good.” I shook my head. “Jack and I are becoming friends,” I said in faith. I refused to talk about him. Every time I saw Jack in the hall, I smiled at him. After all, that’s what friends do.
　　One year after our “talk,” I discovered I had breast cancer. I was 32, the mother of three beautiful young children, and scared. The cancer had metastasized5 to my lymph nodes and the statistics were not great for longterm survival. After surgery, I visited with friends and loved ones who tried to find the right words to say. No one knew what to say. Many said the wrong things. Others wept, and I tried to encourage them. I clung6 to hope.
　　The last day of my hospital stay, the door darkened and Jack stood awkwardly on the threshold. I waved him in with a smile and he walked over to my bed and, without a word, placed a bundle beside me. Inside lay several bulbs.
　　“Tulips,” he said.
　　I smiled, not understanding.
　　He cleared his throat, “If you plant them when you get home, they’ll come up next spring.” He shuffled his feet. “I just wanted you to know that I think you’ll be there to see them when they come up.”
　　Tears clouded my eyes and I reached out my hand.
　　“Thank you,” I whispered.
　　Jack grasped my hand and gruffly7 replied,“You’re welcome. You can’t see it now, but next spring you’ll see the colors I picked out for you.” He turned and left without a word.
　　I have seen those red and white striped tulips push through the soil every spring for over ten years now. In fact, this September the doctor will declare me cured. I’ve seen my children graduate from high school and enter college.
　　In a moment when I prayed for just the right word, a man with very few words said all the right things.
　　After all, that’s what friends do.
　　你一定会有好运
　　佚名
　　八月一个闷热的下午，我实在是倒霉透顶：开始是机场安检时的一场闹剧，然后是抽样药检，最后因天气和机械故障造成航班误点。
　　在登机口的一片混乱中，我注意到一个五岁的小男孩，他站在他妈妈身边，盯着我。他的目光在我和我的包之间来回游移。
　　他小心地离开他妈妈，慢慢朝我走来，不时瞟一眼他妈妈的和我的包。待他靠近我时，我才奇怪地发现他不是冲我来的，而是冲着我的帽子。
　　我正打算告诉他别动我的东西，但某种因素阻止了我，我继续看着他。他在我的提包前停下来，盯着我的帽子，然后，抬起头来，看着我。
　　他睁着大大的眼睛，轻轻地抚摩我的帽檐，食指慢慢地移动，然后仔细地摸着徽章。
　　他又抬起头来看我，微笑着，一句话也不说。我问他是不是想戴上我的上尉军帽。他兴奋地点点头，仍然面带微笑。我把帽子放在他头顶上，但帽子很快滑到他耳朵下，他毫不在意，用两只小手把帽子举到合适的位置。跑过去给他妈妈看，又笑呵呵地跑回来。
　　带着无比的敬意，他以某种礼节的方式，两只手举着帽子递还给我，如同交还王冠。
　　我戴上帽子，递给他一张明信片，他仍然充满敬畏地用两只手捧着。
　　交换过后，他仍一言不发，我知道他很激动。他驱散了我心情的烦闷，我也因此感到很开心。
　　他两只手仍小心地托着明信片，抬起头来，看着我说，“先生，您一定会有好运的。”
　　“是的，”我说，“我会有好运的。”
　　我最后一个坐上返乡的飞机，在飞机上，我思考着这个五岁孩子的智慧。
　　You Sure Ａre Lucky
　　Anonymous
　　It was a hot, muggy August afternoon, and I had every reason to feel sorry for myself. A com   edy of hassles began with the normal airport security gauntlet, followed by a random drug test, and a missed flight home due to a number of mechanical, weather problems.
　　During the usual pandemonium at the gate, I noticed a 5yearold boy standing by his mother and watching me. He looked at me, then my bag, then back at me.
　　Cautiously, he left his mother’s side and slowly began to walk toward me, glancing among my bag, his mother, and me. As he came closer, I was both relieved and alarmed that it wasn’t me he was after. It was my hat.
　　I started to tell him not to bother my things, but something made me stop and watch. He stopped in front of my bag, looking at my hat, then up at me.
　　With wide eyes, he gently touched the bill of my hat. Running his index finger slowly along the edge, carefully touching the emblem.
　　Again, he looked up at me, now smiling, but saying nothing. I asked him if he would like to wear my captain hat. He excitedly nodded his head, still smiling. I placed my hat on his head, but it fell down around his ears. He didn’t seem to mind and held it up in the proper position with both hands. He ran to show his mother, then back to me still smiling from ear to ear.
　　With much reverence and ceremony, he slowly removed my hat with both hands and presented it to me as though it were the crown jewels.
　　I put my hat on and gave him an airplane card. This, too, he held with both hands in awe.
　　After this exchange, he still hadn’t spoken, although I knew he was excited, I also was happy that I had been briefly distracted from my selfpity fester.
　　Still holding the card carefully with both hands, he looked up at me and said, “Mister, you sure are lucky,”
　　“Yes,” I said, “I sure am.”
　　I contemplated the wisdom of a 5yearold, as I got the last seat on that flight home

美丽英文—故事篇(13)

　爱如断臂
　　佚名
　　“可要是我又把胳膊摔断了怎么办？”五岁的女儿颤抖着嘴唇问我。我跪下来，扶住自行车，看着她的眼睛。我知道她很想学骑车。每次她的朋友们骑着脚踏车路过我们家时，她都有强烈的失落感。但自从上次骑车摔断胳膊后，她就畏惧了。
　　“噢，宝贝，”我说，“我确信你不会摔断另一条胳膊。”
　　“但那有可能，不是吗？”
　　“是有可能，”我承认，想努力找一些能说服她的理由。每到此时，我就希望有人能帮我找到合适的语言，解决女儿遇到的问题。但是，经历一场不幸的婚姻后，单身母亲的苦楚，我倒也能欣然接受了。我曾坚定地告诉给我介绍男朋友的人，我要单身一辈子。
　　“我不想骑车了。”女儿边说边跳下自行车。
　　我们走到路边，坐在树旁。
　　“难道你不想和朋友们一起骑车吗？”我问她。
　　“当然想。”她点点头。
　　“我以为你想明年就能骑车上学呢。”我补充道。
　　“我是这么想的。”她说着，声音几乎颤抖起来。
　　“宝贝，你知道吗？”我说，“无论做什么事都有风险，汽车失事会折断胳膊，再坐车也会害怕。跳绳能摔断胳膊，做体操也能，难道你也不想练早操了吗？”
　　“当然不是。”女儿坚定地说。然后她站起来，鼓起勇气决定再试试。我扶着车尾，直到她有胆量说：“放手！”
　　整个下午，我都在公园看着勇敢的女儿克服心中的恐惧，并暗自庆幸自己是个独当一面的单身母亲。
　　回家的路上，我们推着自行车走在人行横道上，她问起昨晚无意中听到的我和母亲的谈话。
　　“昨晚你为什么和姥姥吵架呢？”
　　母亲和别人一样关心我的婚姻，总是给我介绍男朋友。我总是拒绝和她物色的人见面，她认为史蒂夫很适合我。
　　“没什么。”我跟女儿讲。
　　她耸耸肩：“姥姥说她就希望你找个爱人。”
　　“姥姥想再找个人来伤我的心。”我突然说道，我很气愤，母亲竟把这事也跟女儿讲。
　　“但是，妈妈……”
　　“你还小，不懂。”我对她说。
　　她沉默了一会儿，然后抬起头，小声地说了句话，使我陷入了沉思。
　　“这样看，爱情和摔断胳膊是不同的了。”
　　我无言以对，我们没再说话，默默地走完了余下的路。到家后，我给母亲打了个电话，责备她不该把这事说给女儿听。接着，像下午我的小宝贝那样，我克服了心理障碍，答应去见史蒂夫。
　　史蒂夫很适合我，不到一年，我们结婚了。看来母亲和女儿是对的。
　　■心灵小语
　　在人生的旅途中，每次的阻碍和挫折都是一道风景。当你面对它的时候，放松心情，勇敢地接受生活的挑战，克服障碍，前面迎接你的将会是一片风和日丽的好景色。
　　Love Is Just Like a Broken Arm
　　Anonymous
　　“But what if I break my arm again？” my five yearold daughter asked, her lower lip trembling. I knelt holding onto her bike and looked her right in the eyes. I knew how much she wanted to learn to ride. How often she felt left out when her friends pedaled by our house. Yet ever since she’d fallen off her bike and broken her arm, she’d been afraid.
　　“Oh honey,” I said. “I don’t think you’ll break another arm.”
　　“But I could, couldn’t I？”
　　“Yes,” I admitted, and found myself struggling for the right thing to say. At times like this, I wished I had a partner to turn to someone who might help find the right words to make my little girl’s problems disappear. But after a disastrous marriage and a painful divorce, I’d welcomed the hardships of being a single parent and had been adamant in telling anyone who tried to fix me up that I was terminally single.
　　“I don’t think I want to ride,” she said and got off her bike.
　　We walked away and sat down beside a tree.
　　“Don’t you want to ride with your friends？” I asked.
　　“Yes,” she admitted.
　　“And I thought you were hoping to start riding your bike to school next year,” I added.
　　“I was,” she said, her voice almost a quiver.
　　“You know, honey,” I said. “Most everything you do come with risks. You could get a broken arm in a car wreck and then be afraid to ever ride in a car again. You could break your arm jumping rope. You could break your arm at gymnastics. Do you want to stop going to gymnastics？”
　　“No,” she said. And with a determined spirit, she stood up and agreed to try again. I held on to the back of her bike until she found the courage to say, “Let go！”
　　I spent the rest of the afternoon at the park watching a very brave little girl overcome a fear, and congratulating myself for being a selfsufficient single parent.
　　As we walked home, pushing the bike as we made our way along the sidewalk, she asked me about a conversation she’d overheard me having with my mother the night before.
　　“Why were you and grandma arguing last night？”
　　My mother was one of the many people who constantly tried to fix me up. How many times had I told her “no” to meeting the Mr. Perfect she picked out for me. She just knew Steve was the man for me.
　　“It’s nothing,” I told her.
　　She shrugged. “Grandma said she just wanted you to find someone to love.”
　　“What grandma wants is for some guy to break my heart again,” I snapped, angry that my mother had said anything about this to my daughter.
　　“But Mom...”
　　“You’re too young to understand,” I told her.
　　She was quiet for the next few minutes. Then she looked up and in a small voice gave me something to think about.
　　“So I guess love isn’t like a broken arm.”
　　Unable to answer, we walked the rest of the way in silence. When I got home, I called my mother and scolded her for talking about this to my daughter. Then I did what I’d seen my brave little gift do that very afternoon. I let go and agreed to meet Steve.
　　Steve was the man for me. We married less than a year later. It turned out mother and my daughter were right.
　　断翅
　　吉姆.胡里汉
　　有些人注定就是要失败的。这是一些成人看待问题少年的观点。也许你曾听说过这句谚语：“断翅的鸟儿永远飞不高。”我相信，蒂杰每天在学校里也都是这样定义自己的。
　　直到上高中，蒂杰都是镇上远近闻名的捣蛋鬼。只要看到蒂杰的名字出现在留级学生名册上，老师们个个都是毛骨悚然。蒂杰不爱说话，而且不回答老师的问题，打架是家常便饭。进入高中后，他差不多门门功课都不及格，却每年都能跟班升级，其原因就是老师们不想来年再教他。蒂杰的确天天都去上学，可显然丝毫没有长进。
　　在一次周末学生领导会议上，我第一次遇见蒂杰。学校邀请所有学生签名参加一项旨在鼓励他们积极参与社团活动的ACE培训课程。405名学生都签了名，蒂杰也是其中一位。在我第一次主持他们的会议前，社团主席向我大体介绍了学生们的情况：“今天我们这里的学生可谓良莠不齐，从学生会主席到拥有小镇历史上最长时间被捕记录的男生——蒂杰。”我知道，这不是我第一次听别人这样介绍蒂杰——先从他的缺点开始介绍。
　　大会开始后，蒂杰又是站在学生圈外，背靠着墙，脸上一副“来啊，来打动我”的表情。他没有打算参与小组讨论，似乎也没什么要说的。但互动的游戏渐渐引起了他的兴趣。当各个小组开始讨论本年度校园里发生的好事和坏事时，他心中的冰雪才开始融化。在这些问题上，蒂杰有着自己明确的观点。和他一组的学生们都十分赞赏他。刹那间，蒂杰感觉自己成了小组的一分子，而且不久之后便成为了小组的领导。他的观点意义深刻，每个人都在仔细聆听。蒂杰是个聪明的孩子，他有许多伟大的思想。
　　第二天，蒂杰成为所有研讨班上最活跃的人。会议临近结束时，他参加了“无家工程”队。他理解贫穷、饥饿和绝望，他的思想和高昂的热情感染了队里的同学。队员们推选他为联合主席。学生会主席将采纳蒂杰的执行计划。
　　周一上午刚到学校，蒂杰却面临着一个困难。一群老师向校长反映反对蒂杰当联合主席。原来社区服务工程的第一个任务就是由“无家工程”队组织的大型食物募捐活动。对于这个久负盛名的3年行动计划，这些老师不相信校长居然会把这项活动的重要开端交到一无是处的蒂杰手上。他们提醒校长：“蒂杰的犯罪记录和你的手臂一样长，他可能会偷走一半募捐到的食物。”考格劭先生提醒老师们，ACE课程的宗旨就是要培养学生们积极向上的热情，并使他们更多地将这种热情投入到实践活动中去，直到有了真正的改变为止。老师们失望地摇着头离开了，他们坚持认为失败近在眼前。
　　两个星期后，蒂杰和他的朋友们率领一支由70名学生组成的队伍募捐食物。仅仅在两个小时之内，他们就创下了学校募捐纪录——2854罐食物。附近两条街区中心的空货架被装得满满的，这些食物解决了这一地区贫困家庭75天的温饱问题。第二天，当地报纸用了整整一个版面对这一事件进行了报道。报纸被张贴在学校的公告栏上——每个人都可以看到的地方。当然少不了蒂杰的照片，因为他做了件大事，他创造了学校募捐食物的纪录。这张报纸在每一天都提醒他曾做过的事情。大家公认蒂杰具有领导天赋。
　　蒂杰开始每天出现在校园里，并第一次回答老师们提出的问题。他还组织领导了第二项工程，收集了300条毯子和1000双鞋捐给那些无家可归的贫民。他的业绩达到一天内募捐到9000罐食物，解决了贫困家庭一年内70％的食物需求。
　　蒂杰的事迹提醒我们：断翅的鸟儿需要的只是疗伤。只要伤口愈合，它就可以飞得更高。蒂杰找到了一份工作，他很能干。现在他飞得相当精彩。
　　■心灵小语
　　不同的人，总有着不同的成长历程，每个人脚下的路都曲曲折折，不尽相同。在定义一个人时，我们更应该认识到他的优点。沉沦中的人更需要他人的支持、帮助和关爱。暂时身处顺境中的人们，伸出援助之手，就极有可能成就一个天才！
　　Broken Wing
　　Jim Hullihan
　　Some people are just doomed to be failures. That’s the way some adults look at troubled kids. Maybe you’ve heard the saying,  “A bird with a broken wing will never fly as high.” I’m sure that T. J. Ware was made to feel this way almost every day in school.
　　By high school, T. J. was the most celebrated troublemaker in his town. Teachers literally cringed when they saw his name posted on their classroom lists for the next semester. He wasn’t very talkative, didn’t answer questions and got into lots of fights. He had flunked almost every class by the time he entered his senior year, yet was being passed on each year to a higher grade level. Teachers didn’t want to have him again the following year. T. J. was moving on, but definitely not moving up.
　　I met T. J. for the first time at a weekend leadership retreat. All the students at school had been invited to sign up for ACE training, a program designed to have students become more involved in their communities. T. J. was one of  405  students who signed up. When I showed up to lead their first retreat, the community leaders gave me this overview of the attending students, “We have a total spectrum represented today, from the student body president to T. J. Ware, the boy with the longest arrest record in the history of town.” Somehow, I knew that I wasn’t the first to hear about T. J.’s darker side as the first words of introduction.
　　At the start of the retreat, T. J. was literally standing outside the circle of students, against the back wall, with that“go ahead, impress me” look on his face. He didn’t readily join the discussion groups, didn’t seem to have much to say. But slowly, the interactive games  drew him in. The ice really melted when the groups started building a list of positive and negative things that had occurred at school that year. T. J. had some definite thoughts on those situations. The other students in T. J. ’s group welcomed his comments. All of a sudden T. J. felt like a part of the group, and before long he was being treated like a leader. He was saying things that made a lot of sense, and everyone was listening. T. J. was a smart guy and he had some great ideas.
　　The next day, T. J. was very active in all the sessions. By the end of the retreat, he had joined the Homeless Project team. He knew something about poverty, hunger and hopelessness. The other students on the team were impressed with his passionate concern and ideas. They elected T. J. cochairman of the team. The student council president would be taking his instruction from T. J. Ware.
　　When T. J. showed up at school on Monday morning, he arrived to a firestorm. A group of teachers were protesting to the school principal about his being elected cochairman. The very first communitywide service project was to be a giant food drive, organized by the Homeless Project team. These teachers couldn’t believe that the principal would allow this crucial beginning to a prestigious, threeyear action plan to stay in the incapable hands of T. J. Ware. They reminded the principal, “He has an arrest record as long as your arm. He’ll  probably steal half the food.” Mr. Coggshall reminded them that the purpose of the ACE program was to uncover any positive passion that a student had and reinforce its practice until true change can take place. The teachers left the meeting shaking their heads in disgust, firmly convinced that failure was imminent.
　　Two weeks later, T. J. and his friends led a group of 70 students in a drive to collect food. They collected a school record：2,854 cans of food in just two hours. It was enough to fill the empty shelves in two neighborhood centers, and the food took care of needy families in the area for 75 days. The local newspaper covered the event with a fullpage article the next day. That newspaper story was posted on the main bulletin board at school, where everyone could see it. T.J.’s picture was up there for doing something great, for leading a recordsetting food drive. Every day he was reminded about what he did. He was being acknowledged as leadership material.
　　T. J. started showing up at school every day and answered questions from teachers for the first time. He led a second project, collecting 300 blankets and 1,000 pairs of shoes for the homeless shelter. The event he started now yields 9,000 cans of food in one day, taking care of 70 percent of the need for food for one year.
　　T. J. reminds us that a bird with a broken wing only needs mending. But once it has healed, it can fly higher than the rest. T. J. got a job.  He became productive. He is flying quite nicely these days.
　　真正的勇气
　　佚名
　　我知道勇气是什么样子的，6年前我在飞机上看到了。直到现在，我才可以不落泪地凭着记忆把这个故事讲出来。
　　那个周五的早上，当我们乘坐的L1011航班飞离奥兰多机场时，飞机上的人们个个精神饱满。搭载早班飞机的人主要是前往亚特兰大出差一两天的职业人士。我环顾四周，看到很多的品牌西装、准经理人式发型、皮质公文包以及各种老练的商务旅行者所用的东西。我向后靠靠身子，准备用读书的方式度过剩下的那段旅程。
　　起飞不久，飞机很显然发生了一些故障。机身剧烈地上下颠簸、左右晃动。所有有经验的旅行者，包括我在内，都会心地微笑着四下看看。大家同样的表情是在彼此相告：我们经历过这样的小麻烦和混乱情况。如果飞机乘坐多了，你就会遇见这样的事情，就知道该如何应对了。
　　可是，我们的心没能平静多久。飞机升入空中几分钟后，机身就开始大幅度倾斜，一只机翼朝下。飞机想要飞得更高些，可是无济于事，根本飞不起来。没过多久，飞行员就沮丧地向乘客们作了通报。
　　他说：“我们现在遇到了一些麻烦。目前看来，似乎是前轮转向引擎坏了。指示器显示，飞机的水压系统失灵。我们现在要返回奥兰多机场。由于缺少液压装置，我们不能确定着陆传动装置能否固定得住，因此飞机上的乘务人员会帮助你们做好防着陆冲击准备。另外，如果你向窗外看一下的话，就会看到我们正在倾倒飞机燃料。我们希望尽可能地减缓因机身的重量造成的颠簸。”
　　换句话说，我们要坠机了。数百加仑的燃料倾倒出来，从我眼前的舷窗外流下，再没有哪种景象比这更令人清醒的了。乘务人员帮助乘容做好防冲姿势，并安慰着那些已经歇斯底里的人。
　　当我再看那些商务出差的旅伴们时，我对他们脸上表情的突变感到惊讶。现在，显然很多人都受到了惊吓，就连那些最有自制力的人，表情也变得严峻起来，面色如灰。是的，他们的脸色看上去成了真正的灰色，这是我从来都没有看到过的。我想在场的人都是害怕的，无一例外。每个人都在这样或那样的举动中失去了镇静。
　　我开始在人群中寻找这样一个人：他能在这样的境况中，保持安宁和镇定，能给予人们真正的勇气和伟大的信仰。我没能找到这样的人。接着，我听到我左侧几排椅子处传来一个女人的声音，她的声音依然是镇定的。她正在以一种绝对正常的、聊天式的声调说着话。她的声音中没有恐惧的颤抖，也没有紧张，就连声调也是那样的悦耳。我得去弄明白这声音是谁发出来的。
　　四周的人们都在哭泣。很多人都在哀号和尖叫，很少一部分人死死地抓着椅子把手，紧咬着牙来保持镇定，然而，恐惧早已写在他们身上。尽管我的信仰使我没有变得歇斯底里，但是此刻，我已经不能沉着地、像我听到的那个声音那样悦耳，充满信心地讲话了。最后，我看到了她。
　　混乱中，一位母亲正在与她的孩子交谈着。她三十多岁，相貌平平，正全神贯注地看着自己大约四岁女儿的脸。孩子倾听着，察觉到了母亲所说的话的分量。母亲如此专注的目光，似乎使她不会受到周围哀伤和恐惧的声音的影响。
　　另一个小女孩的形象在我的脑子里闪现，她是最近一场空难的幸存者。据推测，她能幸免于难，是因为她的母亲为了保护她，用安全带将她和自己捆在一起，用自己的身体把她压在了身下。母亲没能活下来。对于这个小女孩在事后接受的心理治疗，报纸在几个星期内作了追踪报道。心理治疗的目的是为了消除这个幸存者的负罪感。医生一遍又一遍地告诉小女孩，母亲的离去并不是她的过错。但愿今天的故事不会这样结束。
　　我努力去听清楚母亲对孩子所说的话。我必须听到，需要听到。我弯下身子，终于奇迹般地听到了那温柔的、自信的、令人放心的声音。一遍又一遍，母亲告诉女儿：“我很爱你。你相信妈妈爱你胜过一切吗？”
　　“相信，妈妈。”小姑娘回答说。
　　“不管发生什么事，你都要记住，妈妈会一直爱你。你是个好孩子。有些事情的发生并不是你的错，你还是个好孩子，我的爱将会永远与你同在。”
　　说完，母亲伏身遮住女儿的身体，用座位上的安全带将两个人系在一起，做好了防冲准备。然而，飞机着陆传动装置竟然奇迹般地挺住了，看似注定的着陆惨案没有发生。潜在的危险在数秒之内结束。
　　我在那天听到的那个声音，从始至终都从没有颤抖过，没有半点犹豫，一直保持着情绪上和身体上令人难以置信的平和。我们这些坚毅的商人，没有一个可以保持自己的讲话声音不颤抖。只有最伟大的勇气，在更伟大的爱的鼓舞下，才能支持住母亲，使她超然于周围的混乱。那位母亲向我展示出了真正的英雄形象。就在那短短的几分钟内，我听到了勇气的声音。
　　What Courage Looks Like？
　　Anonymous
　　I know what courage looks like. I saw it on a flight I took six years ago, and only now can I speak of it without tears filling eyes at the memory.
　　When our L1011 left the Orlando airport that Friday morning, we were a chipper1, highenergy group. The earlymorning flights hosted mainly professional people going to Atlanta for a day or two of business. As I looked around, I saw lots of designer suits, CEOcaliber haircuts, leather briefcases and all the trimmings of seasoned business travelers. I settled back for some light reading and the brief flight ahead.
　　Immediately upon take off, it was clear that something was amiss. The aircraft was bumping up and down and jerking left to right. All the experienced travelers, including me, looked around with knowing grins. Our communal looks acknowledged to one another that we had experienced minor problems and disturbances before. If you fly much, you see these things and learn to act blase about them.
　　We did not remain blase for long. Minutes after we were airborne2, our plane began dipping wildly and one wing lunged downward. The plane climbed higher but that didn’t help. It didn’t. The pilot soon made a grave announcement.
　　“We are having some difficulties,” he said. “At this time, it appears we have no nosewheel steering. Our indicators show that our hydraulic system has failed. We will be returning to the Orlando airport at this time. Because of the lack of hydraulics, we are not sure our landing gear will lock, so the flight attendants will prepare you for a bumpy landing. Also, if you look out the windows, you will see that we are dumping fuel from the airplane. We want to have as little on board as possible in the event of a tough touchdown.”
　　In other words, we were about to crash. No sight has ever been so sobering as that fuel, hundreds of gallons of it, streaming past my window out of the plane’s tanks. The flight attendants helped people get into position and comforted those who were already hysterical3.
　　As I looked at the faces of my fellow business travelers, I was stunned by the changes I saw in their faces. Many looked visibly frightened now. Even the most stoic looked grim and ashen. Yes, their faces actually looked gray in color, something I’d never seen before. There was not one exception. No one faces death without fear, I thought. Everyone lost composure in one way or another.
　　I began searching the crowd for one person who felt peace and calm that true courage or great faith gives people in these events. I saw no one. Then a couple of rows to my left, I heard a still calm voice, a woman’s voice, speaking in an absolutely normal conversational tone. There was no tremor or tension. It was a lovely, even tone. I had to find the source of this voice.
　　All around, people cried. Many wailed and screamed. A few of the men hold onto their composure by gripping armrests and clenching teeth, but their fear was written all over them. Although my faith kept me from hysteria, I could not have spoken so calmly, so sweetly at this moment as the assuring voice I heard. Finally I saw her.
　　In the midst of all the chaos, a mother was talking, just talking, to her child. The woman, in her mid30’s and unremarkable looking in any other way, was staring full into the face of her daughter, who looked to be four years old. The child listened closely, sensing the importance of her mother’s words. The mother’s gaze held the child so fixed and intent that she seemed untouched by the sounds of grief and fear around her.
　　A picture flashed into my mind of another little girl who had recently survived a terrible plane crash. Speculation4 had it that she had lived because her mother had strapped her own body over the little girl’s in order to protect her. The mother did not survive. The newspapers had been tracking how the little girl had been treated by psychologists for weeks afterward to ward off feelings of guilt and unworthiness that often haunt survivors. The child was told over and over again that it had not been her fault that her mommy had gone away. I hoped this situation would not end the same way.
　　I strained5 to hear what this mother was telling her child. I was compelled to hear. I need to hear. Finally, I leaned over and by some miracle could hear this soft, sure voice with the tone of reassurance. Over and over again, the mother said, “I love you so much. Do you know for sure that I love you more than anything？”
　　“Yes, Mommy,” the little girl said.
　　“And remember, no matter what happens, that I love you always. And that you are a good girl. Sometimes things happen that are not your fault. You are still a good girl and my love will always be with you.”
　　Then the mother put her body over her daughter’s, strapped the seat belt over both of them and prepared to crash. For no earthly reason, our landing gear held and our touchdown was not the tragedy it seemed destined to be. It was over in seconds.
　　The voice I heard that day never wavered, never acknowledged doubt, and maintained an evenness that seemed emotionally and physically impossible. Not one of us hardened business people could have spoken without a tremoring6 voice. Only the greatest courage, undergirded by even greater love, could have borne that mother up and lifted her above the chaos around her. That mom showed me what a real hero looks like. And for those few minutes, I heard the voice of courage.
　　看得见风景的房间
　　佚名
　　两位身患重病的人住在同一间病房里，遵照医嘱，其中一个每天下午要在床上坐一个小时，以便能将肺内的积液排出体外，他的床紧临病房里唯一的一扇窗户。另一个必须终日平躺在床上。他们总是连续几个小时地谈话，谈起各自的家庭和妻子，以及他们的工作和服兵役时在部队里发生的一些事，还有他们都曾度过假的地方。每天下午，靠窗子的病人坐起来，都要向他的病友描述发生在窗外的事，以此来打发时光。这一个多小时，让另一个病人有了更多的生存渴望，他向往窗外那丰富多彩的生活，那会使他视野开阔，心情畅快。
　　窗外有一个公园，公园里有一个可爱的湖泊。鸭子和天鹅在水中自由自在地游着，孩子们在水面玩着模型船。青年情侣手挽着手漫步于五彩缤纷的花丛中。擎天大树使风景更加幽雅迷人，极目远眺，整个城市尽收眼底。窗边的男人栩栩如生地描述着窗外的美景，此时，另一个男人总是闭上眼睛，幻想着这些如诗如画的美景。
　　一个阳光和煦的午后，窗边男人又向病友描述着路经的游行队伍，尽管病友听不见鼓乐声，但他可以通过窗边男人的描述，凭借自己的想象在脑海中勾画窗外的繁荣。时间就这样一天天，一周周过去了。一天早上，值班护士给他们送洗澡水时，发现窗边的男人已经死了，他是在睡梦中安静地死去的。她伤心极了，让医院的护理员抬走了尸体。
　　选择了一个恰当的时机，另一个男人便问护士他是否可以搬到靠窗的床上去，护士很高兴地答应了，打理好一切后，便离开了病房。他努力地用一只胳膊慢慢地支撑着使自己坐起来，他要亲眼看一下外面的世界。他很高兴，终于有机会能亲眼看风景了。他紧张地慢慢扭头望向窗外，看到的是一堵光秃秃的墙。
　　男人不解地问护士，是什么力量促使已故的病友把窗外的东西描述得那么美好呢？护士回答说那个男人是个盲人，根本连那堵墙都看不到。她说：“他或许只是想给你些鼓励。”
　　A Room with  a View
　　Anonymous
　　Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain1 the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room’s only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement2 in the military service, where they had been on vacation. And every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the other bed began to live for those onehour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.
　　The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite3 detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.
　　One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade4 passing by. Although the other man couldn’t hear the band, he could see it in his mind’s eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive5 words. Days and weeks passed. One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.
　　As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone. Slowly, painfully, he propped6 himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the world outside. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it for himself. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall.
　　The man asked the nurse what could have compelled7 his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall.  She said, “Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you.”
　　77美分
　　佚名
　　我在新墨西哥州的爱伯克奇城居住，许多无家可归的人都聚集在市区，特别是在高校区。出于对他们不幸的同情，我过去常会给他们很多钱。然而，随着时间的流逝，我也沦为他们中的一员。离婚后，身为单身母亲的我无家可归，没有收入，还要还一大笔债。我变得很吝啬，不再给街头的流浪者们一分钱。
　　在我的努力下，生活有所好转。我已经能为女儿买带后院的房子，为她提供丰盛的饭菜，而且债务也渐渐还清。一天，我们看到一个流浪汉，胸前挂着这样的牌子：“请给我点吃的吧。”我漠然地走过。女儿感叹道：“妈妈，您以前总会帮助他们，可是现在怎么……”我回答说：“亲爱的，他们只会用那些钱去喝酒或干坏事。”女儿默不作声。但我觉得自己不应该那么说。
　　三天后，我开车去学校接女儿。看到一个男子满脸焦虑地站在角落，顿时我心中有个声音说：“去帮助他吧。”于是我摇下车窗，只见他喜出望外地跑了过来，说：“好心的女士，我只需要77美分。”我去摸钱包，却发现没有带。我只好尴尬地摊开手，以示我无能为力。但当他转身要离开时，我叫住了他：“稍等一下！”我在烟灰缸里找到了三张25美分和2个便士。实在太巧了，刚好77美分。
　　看到这些，我感到皮肤一阵刺痛。我将零钱拿出来，给了他。他顿时开心得热泪盈眶，说：“噢，您让我能够在圣诞节回家看望母亲了！太感谢您了！我已经三年没看过母亲了。汽车还有20分钟就开了！我得走了。”
　　我永远忘不了那一刻。我想他也不会忘记，但生活却带给了我最珍贵的礼物——给予。它也让我在瞬间明白：一切并非偶然，任何给予都意义非凡，就算只有这极少的77美分。
　　77Cents
　　Anonymous
　 　I live in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and there are some homeless people in the downtown, especially the University area. I used to1 give a lot of money to the homeless, feeling sorry for their misfortune2. But as time passed, I fell into a victim to many of the circumstances3 of a homeless person. After I was divorced from my husband, I became a single mom with no home, a huge debt, and hardly any income. As a result, I became very mean and stopped giving to the people on the side of the road.
　　Through my working hard, things started to change for me. I became responsible enough to have a home with a backyard for my daughter, and plenty of food, and I started to pull myself out of debt. One day we saw a homeless person with the sign“Will work for food”. I passed by. My daughter commented, “Mommy, you used to always give to those people in need. But now ...” I replied, “Honey, they just use that money for alcohoｌ4 or other bad things.” She didn’t respond. But when I said that, I didn’t feel right.
　　Three days later, I was driving to pick up my daughter from school. A man was standing on the corner with the appearance of worries, and suddenly something deep inside me said, “Just help the guy.” So I rolled down my window, and he ran over with enthusiasm5. He said, “Kind lady, I only need 77 cents.” I reached into my pocket and found that I didn’t take my purse. And then embarrassedly6 spread out my hands to show that I was in no position to help him. But when he turned away, I called to him, “Wait a moment！” I found in my ashtray there sat three quarters and two pennies. Oddly enough, it was the very 77 cents.
　　My skin was prickling as I saw this. I scooped7 it up and gave it to him. He burst out with joy and tears in his eyes, “Wow, you just made it possible for me to see my mom for Christmas！Thank you so much！I haven’t visited my mother for three years. The bus is leaving in 20 minutes！I have to go now.”
　　It was the moment that I’ll never forget. I think that man won’t forget it either, but I was the one who got the best gift in life—GIVING. It also strikes me that nothing is a coincidence8, and every giving has meaning, although it is the humble 77 cents.
　　美丽的失误
　　佚名
　　我的外公纳巴肯是一个热爱生活的人，尤其是跟别人开玩笑的时候。每每开某人的玩笑时，他那高大的挪威人的身躯就会随着朗朗的笑声颤抖，他还一面假装毫不知情地大叫：“噢，别再这样诬陷我！”但是在芝加哥的一个寒冷的周六，外公觉得上帝和他开了一个玩笑，而这一次他没有笑。
　　外公是一个木匠。在那特别的一天，外公为当地的教堂做一些箱子，用来将一些衣物运往国外的一个孤儿院。回家的路上，他伸手到衬衣的口袋里掏眼镜，却发现眼镜不见了。外公清楚地记得，早晨的时候把眼镜放在口袋里了，于是他返回教堂去找。结果一无所获。
　　他仔细地回忆着自己之前的每个举动，知道到底是怎么一回事了。原来，眼镜不小心从口袋里滑落，掉进了一个箱子里，但是那个箱子他已经钉上了。他那副新牌子的眼镜正被运往中国！
　　当时正值经济大萧条时期，外公还有六个孩子，那天早晨他刚花了20美元买了一副眼镜。
　　开车回家的路上，他沮丧地向上帝抱怨着：“这太不公平了。我已经很虔诚了，我花钱、花时间支持你的工作，可是现在却落得个这样的结果。”
　　数月后，那所孤儿院的院长来美国度假。他想参观一下所有援助过他的教堂，于是在一个星期天的夜晚，院长来到了芝加哥那所外公所在的教堂。稀稀疏疏的人群中，外公和他的家人们就坐在他们常坐的位子上。
　　院长说：“此次来访最重要的一个目的，就是要感谢去年给我们寄眼镜的那个人。”“即使我有钱，也不可能买到那样的眼镜。因为眼睛看不清楚，我每天都要忍受头痛的煎熬，因此我和我的同事热切地希望能有一副眼镜。后来你们的木箱运到了。我的工人们打开盖子后，发现有一副眼镜就放在衣服的最上面。”
　　院长停顿了好一会儿，来让人们充分理解他的意思。然后，他继续说下去，仍旧感触于这个不可思议的奇迹：“各位，当我戴上眼镜时，它简直就是为我量身定做的！我太感激你们能送我一副这样的眼镜了！”
　　人们都聆听着他的话，为这样一副不可思议的眼镜而感到高兴。但是他们认为，一定是这位院长把寄眼镜的那家教堂错当成他们这家教堂了。因为在他们运往海外的捐助物品清单上并没有眼镜。
　　然而，那位静静地坐在后面、泪流满面的平凡木匠懂得了，真主耶稣以一种特别的方式让他发挥了作用。(译者注：这里说到Master Carpenter，因为耶稣曾是木匠)。
　　■心灵小语
　　每个人在生活中或许都会有一些大大小小的失误，然而，有时候失误也会成为人生道路上一道美丽的风景。文中的爷爷，因为不小心把眼镜掉进了运送募捐物品的箱子中，然而这副眼镜却给了受捐赠者极大的帮助，令他感激不已。
　　The Perfect Mistake
　　Anonymous
　　Grandpa Nybakken loved life—especially when he could play a trick on somebody. At those times, his large Norwegian frame shook with laughter while he feigned innocent surprise, exclaiming, “Oh， forevermore！” But on a cold Saturday in downtown Chicago, grandpa felt that God played a trick on him, and grandpa wasn’t laughing.
　　Mother’s father worked as a carpenter. On this particular day, he was building some crates for the clothes his church was sending to an orphanage1 abroad. On his way home, he reached into his shirt pocket to find his glasses, but they were gone. He remembered putting them there that morning, so he drove back to the church. His search proved fruitless.
　　When he mentally replayed his earlier actions, he realized what happened. The glasses had slipped out of his pocket unnoticed and fallen into one of the crates, which he had nailed shut. His brand new glasses were heading for2 China！
　　The Great Depression was at its height, and grandpa had six children. He had spent twenty dollars for those glasses that very morning.
　　“It’s not fair,” he told God as he drove home in frustration.“I’ve been very faithful in giving of my time and money to your work, and now this.”
　　Several months later, the director of the orphanage was on furlough3 in the United States. He wanted to visit all the churches that supported him, so he came to speak on Sunday night at my grandfather’s small church in Chicago. Grandpa and his family sat in their customary seats among the sparse4 congregation.    
　　“But most of all,” he said, “ I must thank you for the glasses you sent last year.”
　　“Even if I had the money, there was simply no way of replacing those glasses. Along with not being able to see well, I experienced headaches every day, so my coworkers and I were much in prayer about this. Then your crates arrived． When my staffed removed the covers, they found a pair of glasses lying on top.”
　　The missionary5 paused long enough to let his words sink in. Then, still gripped with the wonder of it all, he continued,“Folks, when I tried on the glasses, it was as thought they had been custommade just for me！I want to thank you for being a part of that！”
　　The people listened, happy for the miraculous6 glasses. But the missionary surely must have confused their church with another, they thought, there were no glasses on their list of items to be sent overseas.
　　But sitting quietly in the back, with tears streaming down his face, an ordinary carpenter realized the Master Carpenter had used him in an extraordinary way.

美丽英文—故事篇(14)

　韦达.博 伊德.乔恩
　　几年前，我从学校毕业，刚来丹佛工作时，一次开车去密苏里州的父母家过圣诞节。我在离俄克拉何马城约50英里的一个加油站停了下来，准备去看望一位朋友。我加满油，在收银台前排着队，并跟一对也在交款的老夫妇打了个招呼。
　　我驾车离开，走了不过几英里，汽车的排气管就冒出了浓浓黑烟。我把车停在路边，想着该怎么办。
　　一辆车在我身后停了下来。原来是刚才在加油站问候过的那对老夫妇。他们说可以把我送到我朋友家。我们在进城途中聊了一路，下车时，老先生把他的名片给了我。
　　后来，我写了一封感谢信感谢他们对我的帮助。很快，我就收到了他们寄来的圣诞包裹，并附有一张纸条，上面说，他们的假期因为帮助我而充满意义。
　　多年后，在一个雾蒙蒙的早晨，我驾车去附近的一个城镇参加会议。黄昏时，我回到车前，发现车灯一整天都亮着，蓄电池的电已经耗完了。就在那时，我看到旁边正好是“福特经销处”。走过去，发现两个销售员正在展厅里休息，店里并没有什么顾客。
　　“请问福特公司可以帮我一个忙吗？”我问道，并解释着自己遇到的麻烦。
　　很快，他们就开着一辆轻便小汽车来到我的车前，接上跳线的电缆，开动了我的车。他们没有接受任何报酬，因此当我回到家时，我就为他们写了一封感谢信。
　　后来我收到其中一位销售员的回信。他说，从来都没有人会花时间写信对他说谢谢，这封信对他来说意义深远。
　　几年后，朋友的丈夫帕特去世了。他曾在一家大医院工作，是一位受人尊敬的医生，因此家里收到了数百张卡片。其中一张极富同情的卡片，是曾为他们家工作过的水管工送的。他在卡片上写道，当帕特为他付工钱时曾在发票上写道：“谢谢您完美的工作。”
　　“谢谢”——多么有力的两个字。他们很容易说出口，但意义非凡。
　　■心灵小语
　　“谢谢”，简单的两个字，却蕴涵着无限深情和意义。别人为你做的哪怕丁点儿的小事，你会心存感激并说出“谢谢”二字吗？你会对身边所发生的一切存有一份感激之心吗？请记住：当你遇到不懂的事情，要感谢它让你有了一次学习的机会；当你遇到挫折，要感谢它让你经历成长；当你犯错时，要感谢它让你得到了宝贵的教训。说声“谢谢”并不难，它会使你的生活更加充实，更加意义非凡。
　　All It Took Was Two Words
　　Veda Boyd Jones
　　Many years ago, when I was fresh out of school working in Denver, I was driving to my parents’ home in Missouri for Christmas. I stopped at a gas station about 50 miles from Oklahoma City, where I was planning to stop and visit a friend. I pumped the tank full, stood in line at the cash register, and said hello to an older couple who were also paying for gas.
　　I took off, but had gone only a few miles when black smoke poured from my exhaust pipe. I pulled over and wondered what I should do.
　　A car pulled up behind me. It was the couple I had spoken to at the gas station. They said they would take me to my friend’s. We chatted on the way into the city, and when I got out of the car, the husband gave me his business card.
　　I wrote him and his wife a thankyou note for rescuing me. Soon afterward, I received a Christmas package from them. Their note that came with it said that helping me had made their holidays meaningful.
　　Years later, I drove through a foggy morning to a conference in a nearby town. In late afternoon I returned to my car and found that I’d left the lights on all day, and the battery was dead. Then I noticed that the Friendly Ford dealership was right next door. I walked over and found two salesmen relaxing in a showroom devoid of customers.
　　“Just how friendly is Friendly Ford？” I asked and explained my trouble.
　　They quickly drove a pickup truck to my car, attached jumper cables, and started my car. They would accept no payment, so when I got home, I wrote them a note to say thanks.
　　I received a letter back from one of the salesmen. No one had ever taken the time to write him and say thank you, and it meant a lot, he said.
　　Another few years had passed when a friend’s husband died. Pat had been a wellrespected doctor at a big hospital, and hundreds of cards were sent to the family. Among them was a sympathy card from a plumber who had once worked at their house. He wrote that when Pat had paid the bill, he wrote on the invoice, “Thank you for a good job.”
　　“Thank you”—the two powerful words. They’re easy to say and mean so much
　　第五卷 你的生命是个奇迹
　　Miraole,YourLife!
　　她把头从臂弯里抬起来，告诉我，父亲说教练的想法是错误的，他们根本不懂梦想的力量。他告诉她，如果她真想去一个好大学打球并获得奖学金，除了自己的态度，没有什么能阻止她，他一再说，“只要心中有梦，就永不言败。”
　　追随梦想
　　佚名
　　我的朋友蒙提.罗伯兹在圣思多罗有一个牧马场。他那宽敞的住宅经常被我借用来举办筹募活动，募集的资金用来资助青少年冒险计划。
　　上次活动，他在致辞中说：“我把房子借用给杰克是有原因的。这个故事要从一个小男孩说起，他父亲是个马术师，他从小就跟着父亲东奔西跑，求学过程并不顺利。读初中时，有一次，老师让全班同学写作文，题目是‘我的梦想’”。
　　“那晚，他一气呵成，整整写了七页，描述他的宏图大志：拥有一座属于自己的牧马场，他仔细画了一张200亩农场的设计图，上面标有马厩、跑道等位置，还要在农场中央建造一栋占地4000平方英尺的豪宅。”
　　“他费尽心思写完作文，第二天交给老师。两天后文章发下来，一个又红又大的F赫然出现在第一页，旁边还有一行字：下课后来找我。”
　　“下课后，他满脑子幻想，拿着作文去找老师：‘为什么给我不及格呢？’老师答道：‘你年龄还小，理想太不切实际了。你没钱，没背景，一无所有。盖农场是一个大工程，要花很多钱；你还要买地、买纯种马匹、雇人照料。对于你来说，这些都是不可能的。’他接着又说，‘如果你愿意重写一个现实的理想，我会重新给你打分。’”
　　“男孩回家后，辗转反侧，思考了很久。后来征求父亲的意见。父亲对他说：‘儿子，这个决定很重要，你要自己慎重考虑。’”
　　“经过几天的深思熟虑后，他决定原封不动地交回原稿。他告诉老师：‘就算得大红F，我也绝不放弃梦想。’”
　　这时蒙提对大家说：“我讲这个故事，是因为各位现在就坐在200亩的农场，占地4000平方英尺的豪华住宅里。我至今还保留着初中时写的那篇作文。”他顿了顿说，“有趣的是，那位老师，在两年前的夏天，带着他的30个学生来我的农场露营一周。他离开前对我说：‘蒙提，你看，说来惭愧。我做你老师的时候，曾打击过你，这些年，我似乎对很多学生都这样做过。幸好你有毅力坚持自己的梦想。’”
　　不管怎样，都要追随自己的梦想，不要被别人的一句话所击退。
　　Follow Your Dream
　　Anonymous
　　I have a friend named Monty Roberts who owns a horse ranch in San Ysidro. He has let me use his house to put on fundraising events to raise money for youth at risk programs.
　　The last time I was there he introduced me by saying, “I want to tell you why I let Jack use my house. It all goes back to a story about a young man who was the son of an itinerant1 horse trainer who would go from stable to stable, race track to race track, farm to farm and ranch2 to ranch, training horses. As a result, the boy’s high school career was continually interrupted. When he was a senior, he was asked to write a paper about what he wanted to be and do when he grew up.
　　“That night he wrote a sevenpage paper describing his goal of someday owning a horse ranch. He wrote about his dream in great detail and he even drew a diagram of a 200acre ranch, showing the location of all the buildings, the stables and the track. Then he drew a detailed floor plan for a 4,000squarefoot house that would sit on a 200acre dream ranch.
　　“He put a great deal of his heart into the project and the next day he handed it in to his teacher. Two days later he received his paper back. On the front page was a large red F with a note that read, ‘See me after class.’
　　“The boy with the dream went to see the teacher after class and asked, ‘Why did I receive an F？’ The teacher said, ‘This is an unrealistic dream for a young boy like you. You have no money. You come from an itinerant family. You have no resources. Owning a horse ranch requires a lot of money. You have to buy the land. You have to pay for the original breeding stock and later you’ll have to pay large stud3 fees. There’s no way you could ever do it.’ Then the teacher added, ‘if you will rewrite this paper with a more realistic goal, I will reconsider your grade.’
　　“The boy went home and thought about it long and hard. He asked his father what he should do. His father said, ‘Look, son, you have to make up your own mind on this. However, I think it is a very important decision for you.’
　　“Finally, after sitting with it for a week, the boy turned in the same paper, making no changes at all. He stated, ‘You can keep the F and I’ll keep my dream.’”
　　Monty then turned to the assembled4 group and said, “I tell you this story because you are sitting in my 4000squarefoot house in the middle of my 200acre horse ranch. I still have that school paper framed over the fireplace.” He added, “The best part of the story is that two summers ago that same schoolteacher brought 30 kids to camp out5 on my ranch for a week. ”When the teacher was leaving, he said, ‘Look, Monty, I can tell you this now. When I was your teacher, I was something of a dream stealer. During those years I stole a lot of kids’ dreams. Fortunately you had enough gumption6 not to give up on yours.’”
　　Don’t let anyone steal your dreams. Follow your heart, no matter what.
　　追梦人
　　佚名
　　9岁时,我住在北卡罗来纳州的一个小镇上。在一本儿童杂志的封底，我看到一则招聘贺卡推销员的广告，认为自己能胜任。征得妈妈的同意后，我让人把全套货物送来。两周后，货到了，我把棕色包装纸扯开，抓起卡片，就冲了出去。三个小时后，卡片卖光了，我的口袋里装满了钱，跑回家高喊着：“妈妈，人们都争先恐后地买我的贺卡!”一个推销员诞生了。
　　12岁时，父亲带我拜访齐格.齐格勒先生。记得那时我们坐在昏暗的礼堂里听着齐格勒先生演说，他的话让所有人都受到了鼓舞,大家的情绪都很高昂。离开时我觉得自己无所不能了。上车后，我对父亲说：“爸爸，我也想让人们有这样的感觉。”爸爸问我是什么意思。“我想成为齐格勒先生那样的动员演说者。”我答道。一个梦想诞生了。
　　最近，我开始鼓动他人，激励他们实现自己的梦想。此前的四年里，我在一个拥有100家公司的财团工作，从一个销售培训员做到地区销售经理，在事业达到巅峰时我离开了公司。很多人不理解，我为什么会放弃六位数的高薪，去冒险实现自己的梦想。
　　我是在参加了一次地区销售会议后，决定离开安全港湾，自己开创公司的。那次会议上，公司副总裁作的一次演说，改变了我的命运。他问我们：“如果一个神能满足你三个愿望，那你希望得到什么？”他让我们把自己的愿望写下来，然后问：“你们为什么需要神呢？”那一刻，这句话让我震撼不已，令我永生难忘。
　　我意识到自己拥有成功所具备的一切条件：毕业文凭、成功的销售经验、无数的演讲经历，在一个拥有100家公司的财团做过销售培训和管理工作。要成为一名动员演说者，我已经准备好了，无须神的帮助。
　　当我含泪把计划告诉老板时，这位我所敬重的领导，出乎意料地说：“勇往向前吧!你一定会成功。”
　　我刚决定下来，便遇到了考验。辞职一周后，丈夫也失业了。我们刚买了一栋新房子，需要双方用工资来支付每月的抵押贷款，可现在却一分收入都没有。此时我想重返公司，我知道他们仍想接纳我，但也知道一旦回去就很难再出来了，我下定决心继续前行，决不做一个满口“如果”，却不付诸行动的人，一个动员演说者诞生了。
　　我紧追自己的梦想。即使是在最艰苦的时候也不曾放弃，最终奇迹出现了。丈夫在较短的时间内找到了一份满意的工作，我们一个月的抵押贷款都没拖欠。我也开始有新客户预约演说了。我发现了梦想的无穷力量。我喜欢先前的工作、同事和离开的那家公司，但我实现梦想的时机已成熟。为了庆贺成功，我请当地一位艺术家把新办公室改造成一座花园，在一面墙的顶端印了这么一句话：“机会总是垂青有准备的头脑。”
　　■心灵小语
　　机会总是垂青有准备的头脑，只要执着地追逐自己的梦想，终有一天会好梦成真。文中的主人公在小小的年纪，就开始拥有自己的梦想，并为之而奋斗，让一个又一个梦想都成为了现实。在遭遇挫败的时候，她也没有轻言放弃，而是勇往直前地追逐直到实现梦想。
　　
　　The Dreamer
　　Anonymous
　　When I was nine years old living in a small town in North Carolina, I found all ads for selling greeting cards in the back of a children’s magazine. I thought to myself I can do this. I begged my mother to let me send for the kit. Two weeks later when the kit arrived, I ripped off the brown paper wrapper, grabbed the cards and dashed from the house. Three hours later, I returned home with no card and a pocket full of money proclaiming1, “Mama, all the people couldn’t wait to buy my cards!” A salesperson was born.
　　When I was twelve years old, my father took me to see Zig Zigler. I remembered sitting in that dark auditorium listening to Mr. Zigler raise everyone’s spirits up to the ceiling. I left there feeling like I could do anything. When we got to the car, I turned to my father and said, “Dad, I want to make people feel like that.” My father asked me what I meant. “I want to be a motivational2 speaker just like Mr. Zigler!” I replied. A dream was born.
　　Recently, I began pursuing my dream of motivating others. After a 4year relationship with a major fortune 100 company beginning as a sales trainer and ending as a regional sales manager, I left the company at the height of my career. Many people were astounded3 that I would leave after earning a sixfigure income. And they asked why I would risk everything for a dream.
　　I made my decision to start my own company and leave my secure position after attending a regional sales meeting. The vicepresident of our company delivered a speech that changed my life. He asked us, “If a genie would grant you three wishes what would they be？” After giving us a moment to write down the three wishes, he then asked us, “Why do you need a genie？” I would never forget the empowerment I felt at that moment.
　　I realized that everything I had accomplished—the graduate degree, the successful sales career, speaking engagements, training and managing for a fortune 100 company—had prepared me for this moment. I was ready and did not need a genie’s help to become a motivational speaker.
　　When I tearfully told my boss my plans, this incredible leader whom I respect so much replied, “Precede with reckless abandon and you will be successful.”
　　Having made that decision, I was immediately tested. One week after I gave notice, my husband was laid off from his job. We had recently bought a new house and needed both incomes to make the monthly mortgage4 payment and now we were done to no income. It was tempting to turn back to my former company, knowing they wanted me to stay but I was certain that if I went back, I would never leave. I decided I still wanted to move forward rather than end up with a mouth full of “if onlys” later on. A motivational speaker was born.
　　When I held fast to my dream, even during the tough times, the miracles really began to happen. In a short period my husband found a better job. We didn’t miss a mortgage payment. And I was able to book several speaking engagements with new clients. I discovered the incredible power of dreams. I loved my old job, my peers and the company I left, but it was time to get on with my dream. To celebrate my success I had a local artist paint my new office as a garden. At the top of one wall she stenciled5, “The world always makes way for the dreamer.”
　　明尼苏达州的梦想家
　　佚名
　　我一直都有计划，即使在我一个梦想都没有的时候。在读大学期间，我学会了做人要有责任感，做事要讲究条理，要树立切实可行的目标。从那以后，所有的事情都发生了变化。去年,大学毕业前的一周是我终生难忘的日子。大学毕业的前几天，我在离家很远的地方被诊断为脑瘤。我陷入了绝望，独自从医院里跑了出来，泪水止不住地掉下来，我不知道将来的生活会是什么样子。生活在瞬间变得无法预测，我感到茫然。尽管在好友的安慰下痛苦缓解了许多，然而，我无法在他们面前掩饰自己对死亡的恐惧。尽管烦乱至极，不知道什么原因，我还是完成了考试。
　　我的朋友们正忙着毕业、庆祝，急切地掀开新的生活篇章，我却无法加入他们，不能与他们一起庆祝，我逐渐发现自己变得与众不同了。我饶有兴趣地观察身边的人对我生病消息的反应。一些人因为不知道跟我说些什么而远离我；一些人的反应富于戏剧性；还有一些人好像什么都没有发生过一样，而当我面对这些人时却备感舒服。
　　几天之内，我收拾好了学校里的所有行李，回家与家人一起面对这突如其来的不幸。到家后，我马上去找高中时最好的朋友，高三那年她患了癌症。我知道，她能够给我与疾病作战的勇气，因为四年前，我亲眼目睹了她勇敢地克服了诸多磨难。
　　在切除肿瘤手术的日子来临的那段时间，剧烈的病痛折磨着我的身体。我一边想随它去，一边又感到极度烦乱，建立起来的精神支柱濒临崩溃的边缘。身边的其他人都健健康康地活着，我却要遭受病痛的折磨，这让我变得非常愤怒。我经常问自己：为什么会是我？
　　就在这个时候，一些令人惊奇的事情发生了，这使我开始以全新的眼光看待周围所有美好的事物。我开始关注那些极其微小的事情，曾经，我忽略了它们的存在。我注意到，当花一点时间去享受落日时，你就会发现那是多么缤纷和平静；从山腰飘落下来的绿色叶片，看起来是那么鲜亮；只要听听小孩子的笑声，我在一天中所受到的煎熬马上就会消失得无影无踪。
　　我从手术中醒来后，感激自己健康地活了下来，这真是不可思议。我获得了第二次生命，那一刻心中充满了难以言表的幸福感。我要重新学习走路、做一些简单的事情，所以身体完全恢复是一个很长的过程。记得，在回到家里之后，我第一次仔细地看自己光秃秃的脑袋，这令我惊讶，其实，我本不该如此。具有讽刺意味的是，之前我把头发剪短捐给了美国癌症学会，一个月之后被诊断为患有脑瘤。我发现，短发和没有头发简直有着天壤之别。
　　生活会在你意想不到的时候捉弄你一下，这是必然的。既然我有了这个新的开始，我就要珍惜生命的每一分钟。以前，我常常听别人说，你不要梦想那些不可能的事情，我也总是喜欢按部就班。现在，心怀梦想，跟着内心的渴望向前走,而不必考虑结果如何，成了剩余的时间我所要做的唯一的一件事。
　　■心灵小语
　　生命会因为调整而改变方向，你也会因此看到许多以前不曾看到的美丽风景。昔日看似平凡的生活，也会出现许多意想不到的奇迹。学会梦想，这会成为你今天的快乐，或许还会成为明天的现实。
　　Minnesota Dreamer
　　Anonymous
　　Even if I did not have a dream, I always had a plan. In college, I learned to be responsible and organized and to set goals that I could attain. Then everything changed. I will never forget my final week from college last year. Days away from graduation and miles away from home, I was diagnosed1 with a brain tumor. I left the hospital alone, in devastation. Unsure of what my future would hold, I shed countless tears. Life suddenly became an unforeseeable thing, and I could not know what to do. Although close friends eased the pain, I could not hide from them my fear of facing death. Somehow, I managed to complete the exams in spite of my jangled2 nerves.
　　I began to feel different from everyone else, since my friends were graduating, celebrating, and eager to move on to new chapters in their lives. But I could not join them and celebrate with them. I especially found it interesting to see how others around me dealt with my news. Some acted suddenly distant for lack of words, some dramatized the whole thing, and some acted perfectly normal, which felt the most comfortable for me.
　　Within days, I had packed up all of my college belongings and headed home with my family ready to face this unexpected hurdle. I immediately turned to my best friend from high school. She had gone through cancer in our senior year, and because of watching her courageously overcome so many obstacles3 four years before, I knew she could give me the fuel I needed for my own battle.
　　As my surgery date to remove the tumor got closer, I was experiencing intense physical pain. Part of me wanted it over with and the other part of me was coming unglued. The wall of strength I had built was crumbling. I was so angry that I had to go through this when all those around me were going on with their lives. I spent a lot of time asking, why me？
　　But something wonderful started happening in the midst of all this. I began to see all the beauty around me in a wholly new way. The smallest things that I neglected before started to catch my eyes. I noticed how colorful and serene4 a sunset could be when you took time to enjoy it. Blades of grass cascading5 along hillsides looked a brighter shade of green. A small child’ s laughter became an instant remedy for a bad day.
　　Miraculously, I woke up from surgery grateful to be alive and well. Words cannot describe the happiness I felt at that special moment—to be given a second chance. My recovery was a long process as I learned to walk again and so simple tasks. I remember when I went home and studied my bald head for the first time. It shouldn’t have surprised me, but it did! Ironically, a month before I knew I had a tumor, I cut my long hair short and donated6 it to the American Cancer Society. I discovered there is a huge difference between short and bald！
　　Life can sure throw a good curve ball when you least expect it. Yet I have had this new start, and I am enjoying every minute of it. I used to hear people say you should dream the unimaginable, and I always preferred to plan instead. Now, dreaming big and following my heart’s desire without knowing how it will end up is the only thing I have time to do.
　　为了心中的梦想
　　佚名
　　透过厨房的窗户，我经常看见她穿梭于操场上，挤在一群男孩子中间，显得格外瘦小。学校就在我家街道对面，课间休息时，我经常能看见很多孩子在操场上打球，但总觉得，她与众不同。
　　我还记得第一天看到她打篮球的情景。看着她在其他孩子身边绕来绕去，我感到非常奇怪。她总是设法让球快速飞跃他们的头顶，进入篮筐，那些男孩子拼命阻止，但没人做得到。
　　我开始注意到，她有时也会一个人打篮球，反复地练习运球和投篮，直到天黑。一天，我问她为什么这样刻苦练习。她直视我的眼睛，不假思索地说：“我想上大学，唯一的方法就是获得奖学金。我喜欢打篮球，我想只要我打得好，就能获得奖学金，到大学里打篮球了，我还想成为最优秀的球员。父亲告诉我，只要心中有梦想，什么也难不倒。”说完，她笑着跑向篮球场，又开始了无数次的我曾看到的练习。
　　我很佩服她的恒心。看着她从初中升到高中。每个星期，她带领的校篮球队都能取得胜利。
　　她读高中的一天，我见她坐在草地上，头埋在臂弯里，便穿过街道，坐在她身旁的草地上。我轻声问她发生了什么事。“噢，没什么，”她轻声地回答我，“只是我个子太矮了。”教练告诉她，5.5英尺的身高绝对达不到一流球队的标准——更别说拿奖学金了——所以她应该放弃大学梦。
　　她沮丧极了，见她如此失望，我也很难过，便问她是否和父亲谈过此事。
　　她把头从臂弯里抬起来，告诉我，父亲说教练的想法是错误的，他们根本不懂梦想的力量。他告诉她，如果她真想去一个好大学打球并获得奖学金，除了自己的态度，没有什么能阻止她，他一再说，“只要心中有梦，就永不言败。”
　　一年后，当她和她的球队去参加北加利福尼亚州冠军赛时，被一位大学的招生人员看中。她真的获得了奖学金，并且是全额，同时进入了全国大学体育协会其中之一的女子甲组篮球队。她将接受梦寐以求并为之奋斗了多年的大学教育。
　　的确，只要心中有梦想，就要永不言败。
　　If the Dream Is Big Enough
　　Anonymous
　　I used to watch her from my kitchen window, she seemed so small as she muscled1 her way through the crowd of boys on the playground. The school was across the street from our home and I would often watch the kids as they played during recess2. A sea of children, and yet to me, she stood out from them all.
　　I remember the first day I saw her playing basketball. I watched in wonder as she ran circles around the other kids. She managed to shoot jump shots just over their heads and into the net. The boys always tried to stop her but no one could.
　　I began to notice her at other times, basketball in hand, playing alone. She would practice dribbling3 and shooting over and over again, sometimes until dark. One day I asked her why she practiced so much. She looked directly in my eyes and without a moment of hesitation4 she said, “I want to go to college. The only way I can go is if I get a scholarship. I like basketball. I decided that if I were good enough, I would get a scholarship. I am going to play college basketball. I want to be the best. My daddy told me if the dream is big enough, the facts don’t count5.” Then she smiled and ran towards the court to recap the routine6 I had seen over and over again.
　　Well, I had to give it to her—she was determined. I watched her through those junior high years and into high school. Every week, she led her varsity7 team to victory.
　　One day in her senior year, I saw her sitting in the grass, with head cradled in her arms. I walked across the street and sat down in the cool grass beside her. Quietly I asked what was wrong. “Oh, nothing.” came a soft reply. “I am just too short.” The coach told her that at 5’5” she would probably never get to play for a top ranked team—much less offered a scholarship—so she should stop dreaming about college.
　　She was heartbroken and l felt my own throat tighten as I sensed her disappointment. I asked her if she had talked to her dad about it yet.
　　She lifted her head from her hands and told me that her father said those coaches8 were wrong. They just did not understand the power of a dream. He told her that if she really wanted to play for a good college, if she truly wanted a scholarship, that nothing could stop her except one thing—her own attitude. He told her again, ”If the dream is big enough, the facts don’t count.”
　　The next year, as she and her team went to the Northern California Championship game, she was seen by a college recruiter9. She was indeed offered a scholarship, a full ride, to a Division I, NCAA women’s basketball team. She was going to get the college education that she had dreamed of10 and worked toward for all those years.
　　It’s true: if the dream is big enough, the facts don’t count.
　　七美元的梦想
　　佚名
　　求购：小提琴，支付能力有限，请拨打电话……
　　我怎么会注意到这个呢？我很少看分类广告。我把报纸放在腿上，闭上眼睛，大萧条时期的事历历在目。那时，我们一家人在农场生活。我很想有一把小提琴，但家里没钱买……
　　当我的双胞胎姐姐们开始对音乐产生兴趣，哈里特.安开始学习弹外婆的竖式钢琴时，苏珊娜也开始拉父亲的小提琴了，随着两姐妹不断练习，简单的曲调很快变成了优美的旋律。伴着令人陶醉的乐曲，爸爸低哼着调子，妈妈吹着口哨，就连不到一岁的弟弟也跳起了舞。而我，只是默默地听着。
　　等我的胳膊足够长时，我试着拉苏珊娜的小提琴。我喜欢硬朗的琴弓拉过琴弦发出的圆润柔美的声音。噢，我多想要一把小提琴啊！但那是不可能的。
　　一天傍晚，当她们在学校管弦乐队演奏时，我紧闭双眼，尽力把这个场景定格在脑海中。我暗自发誓，总有一天，我也会坐在那里。
　　那年我们的日子过得很清苦。收获时，庄稼的产量比预料的要低。我实在按捺不住对小提琴的渴求：“爸爸，我能拥有自己的小提琴吗？”
　　“你就不能用苏珊娜的吗？”
　　“我也想参加管弦乐队，我们不能同时用一把小提琴。”
　　父亲看上去很难过。自那晚后，我每天晚上都能听到父亲给全家祈祷时提到我的愿望，“……上帝啊，玛丽.卢想拥有一把属于自己的小提琴。”
　　一个傍晚，我们围坐在桌旁。双胞胎姐妹在做功课，妈妈在缝衣服，父亲给他在哥伦布的朋友乔治.菲克写信。他说菲克先生是个很棒的小提琴家。
　　父亲边写边把信中的大部分内容大声地念给母亲听。几个星期后，我发现他有一段话没念出来——“您能帮我的三女儿找一把小提琴吗？我付不起太多钱，但她酷爱音乐，我们也希望她能有自己的乐器。”
　　数周后，当父亲收到了一封来自哥伦布的信时，他就宣布：“等找到照顾农场的人，我们就开车去哥伦布艾丽丝姨妈那里。”
　　那天终于来了，我们开车到了艾丽丝姨妈家后，我听见父亲打了个电话。之后，他问我：“玛丽.卢，你想和我一起去拜访菲克先生吗？”
　　“当然想。”我回答。
　　我们驱车到了一个住宅区，停在一所典雅的旧房子的车道上。我们走上台阶，按响门铃。一个比父亲年纪大的高个儿先生开了门，“请进！”他和父亲热烈地握手，二人立刻攀谈起来。
　　“玛丽.卢，我听说了你的事，你爸爸给你准备了一份大惊喜！”菲克先生把我们带到了客厅，拿起一个盒子，打开后，取出一把小提琴开始拉起来。优美的旋律如瀑布般倾泻下来。噢，我真想演奏得像他那么棒！
　　一曲过后，菲克先生对父亲说：“卡尔，这是我在一家当铺用七美元买下的，很不错。玛丽.卢可以用它拉出动听的曲子。”接着，他把小提琴交给了我。
　　看到父亲的眼中噙着泪水，我终于明白，这是我的小提琴了。我轻抚着琴，这是一把金棕色的木制小提琴，在灯光下显得极其柔美。“好漂亮的琴啊，”我激动不已。
　　返回艾丽丝姨妈家，一进门，所有的目光都投向我们。我看见父亲冲母亲眨眼，我这才意识到，大家都知道此事，只有我还蒙在鼓里。父亲的祈祷和我的渴望最终得以实现。
　　我第一次拎着小提琴去学校上课的那天，内心无比激动。一连几个月，我每天不停地练习，感受着下巴下那温暖的木制琴面，似乎它是我身体的延伸。
　　当我准备好参加学校管弦乐队时，兴奋不已。我身着女王礼服般的白色乐队服，坐在第三排。
　　第一次参加学校的一个小歌剧公开演出，我的心狂跳不止。礼堂里坐满了人，当我们调试乐器时，观众席上传来了兴奋的谈话声。接着，我们开始演奏了，聚光灯集中到我们身上，全场静了下来。我敢肯定，每位听众都看着我。爸爸妈妈自豪地看着他们的小女儿，欣慰地笑着，他们的女儿正扮演着一个令世人羡幕的角色，拿着自己心爱的小提琴演奏着美妙的乐章。
　　时光飞逝，到姐姐们毕业时，我的小提琴已经拉得很棒了。
　　两年后，我毕业了。我把心爱的小提琴放入琴盒，这时，我也步入了成人世界。护士培训，结婚，在医院工作，抚养四个女儿占据了我这些年的大部分生活。
　　许多年过去了，这把小提琴一直跟随着我们。每每打开它，我就回忆起曾经是多么地珍爱它，并暗下决心，总有一天，我还要拉小提琴。
　　我的孩子对这把小提琴都满不在乎，他们一个个地结婚，离开了家……
　　此刻，我正拿着一张登有求购广告的报纸。努力让思绪回到现实，于是又读了一遍这张勾起我儿时记忆的广告。我把报纸放到一旁，自言自语道：“我必须找到我的小提琴。”
　　在壁橱的一个隐蔽处，我找到了琴盒。打开盒盖，我把放在玫瑰色天鹅绒衬套上的小提琴取了出来，抚摸着它金色的木壳，拨动琴弦，真是不可思议，它仍旧是那么完美无缺。我紧了紧琴弦，然后把松香放到干马尾毛上。
　　接着，我又拉起了心爱的小提琴，那些从未在记忆中消退的曲调在琴弦间跳动。我不知道自己拉了多久，又想起了父亲，是他满足了我儿时的心愿。我曾经感谢过父亲吗？
　　最后，我把小提琴放回琴盒，拿起报纸，走到电话机旁，拨通了那个号码。
　　天快黑时，一辆老车停在了我家车道上，一个三十多岁的男人叩响了门。“我一直都在祈祷有人回应我的广告。我女儿太想要一把小提琴了，”他说着，就开始看我的琴，“您要多少钱呢？”
　　我很清楚，无论是哪家音乐店铺都会高价收购我的琴。但我这样回答道：“七美元。”
　　“您确定吗？”他问道，这让我想起了父亲。
　　“七美元，”我又说了一遍，然后补充道，“我希望你女儿能喜欢它，就像我曾经那样。”
　　他走后，我关上门。透过窗帘的缝隙，我看到这个男人的妻子和孩子正在车上等着他。突然车门打开了，一个小女孩向他跑去，他把小提琴递给了她。
　　小女孩紧紧抱着小提琴，然后跪下来打开了琴盒。她轻轻抚摸着小提琴，这时，夕阳的余晖洒在琴上，发出异样的光芒。接着，小女孩转过身，抱住正在微笑的父亲。
　　A Seven dollar Dream
　　Anonymous
　　Wanted: Violin. Can’t pay much. Call...
　　Why did I notice that？ I wondered, since I rarely look at the classified ads. I laid the paper on my lap and closed my eyes, remembering what had during the Great Depression, when my family struggled to make a living on our farm. I, too, had wanted a violin, but we didn’t have the money...
　　When my older twin sisters began showing an interest in music, Harriet Anne learned to play Grandma’s upright piano, while Suzanne turned to Daddy’s violin, simple tunes soon became lovely melodies as the twins played more and more. Caught up in the rhythm of the music, my baby brother danced around while Daddy hummed and Mother whistled. I just listened.
　　When my arms grew long enough, I tried to play Suzanne’s violin, I loved the mellow sound of the firm bow drawn across the strings. Oh, how I wanted one！ But I knew it was out of the question.
　　One evening as the twins played in the school orchestra1, I closed my eyes tightly to capture the picture firmly in my mind. Someday, I’ll sit up there, I vowed silently.
　　It was not a good year. At harvest the crops did not bring as much as we had hoped, I couldn’t wait any longer to ask, “Daddy, may I have a violin of my own？”
　　“Can’t you use Suzanne’s？”
　　“I’d like to be in the orchestra, too, and we can’t both use the same violin at the same time.”
　　Daddy’s face looked sad. That night, and many following nights, I heard him remind God in our family devotions, “...and Lord, Mary Lou wants her own violin.”
　　One evening we all sat around the table. The twins and I studied. Mother sewed, and Daddy wrote a letter to his friend, George Finkle, in Columbus. Mr. Finkle, Daddy said, was a fine violinist.
　　As he wrote, Daddy read parts of his letter out loud to Mother. Weeks later I discovered he’d written one line he didn’t read aloud, “Would you watch for a violin for my third daughter？ I can’t pay much, but she enjoys music, and we’d like her to have her own instrument.”
　　When Daddy received a letter from Columbus a few weeks later, he announced, “We’ll be driving to Columbus to spend the night with Aunt Alice as soon as I can find someone to care for the livestock2.”
　　At last the day arrived, and we drove to Aunt Alice’s. After we arrived, I listened while Daddy made a phone call. He hung up and asked, “Mary Lou, do you want to go with me to visit Mr. Finkle？”
　　“Sure,” I answered.
　　He drove into a residential3 area and stopped in the driveway of a fine, old house. We walked up the steps and rang the door chime4. A tall man, older than Daddy, opened the door. “Come in！” He and Daddy heartily shook hands, both talking at once.
　　“Mary Lou, I’ve been hearing things about you. Your daddy has arranged a big surprise for you！ ”Mr. Finkle ushered us into the parlor. He picked up a case, opened it, lifted out a violin and started to play. The melody surged and spoke like waterfalls. Oh, to play like him, I thought.
　　Finishing the number, he turned to Daddy, “Carl, I found it in a pawnshop for seven dollars. It’s a good violin. Mary Lou should be able to make beautiful music with it.” Then he handed the violin to me.
　　I noticed the tears in Daddy’s eyes as I finally comprehended. It was mine！ I stroked the violin gently. The wood was a golden brown that seemed to warm in the light. “It’s beautiful,” I said, barely breathing.
　　When we arrived back at Aunt Alice’s, all eyes turned as we entered. I saw Daddy wink at mother, and then I realized everyone had known but me. I know Daddy’s prayer, and mine, had been answered.
　　The day I carried my violin to school for my first lesson no one could imagine the bursting feeling in my heart. Over the months I practiced daily, feeling the warm wood fit under my chin like an extension of myself.
　　When I was ready to join the school orchestra, I trembled with excitement. I sat in the third row of violins and wore my white orchestra jacket like a royal robe.
　　My heart beat wildly at my first public performance, a school operetta. The auditorium5 filled to capacity and the audience buzzed while we softly tuned our instruments. Then the spotlight centered on us, and a hush fell as we started to play. I felt sure everyone in the audience was watching me. Daddy and mother smiled proudly at their little girl who held her cherished violin for the whole world to admire.
　　The years seemed to run more swiftly then. And by the time my sisters graduated, I found myself in the firstviolin chair.
　　Two years later, I graduated. I packed my cherished violin in its case and stepped into the grownup world. Nurse’s training, marriage, working in the hospital, rearing four daughters filled my years.
　　More years passed. My violin made every move with us, and I unpackedbriefly remembering how much I still loved it and promising myself to play it soon.
　　None of my children cared about the violin. Later, one by one, they married and left home....
　　Now here I was with the newspaper want ads. I forced my thoughts to the present and read again the ad that had transported me back to childhood memories. Laying aside the paper, I murmured, “I must find my violin.”
　　I discovered the case deep in the recesses of my closet. Opening the lid, I lifted the violin from where it nestled on the rosevelvet lining. My fingers caressed its golden wood. I tuned the strings, miraculously6 still intact, tightened the bow, and put rosin on the dry horsehairs.
　　And then my violin began to sing again those favorite tunes that had never left my memory. How long I played I’ll never know. I thought of Daddy, who did all he could to fill my needs and desires when I was a little girl. I wondered if I had ever thanked him.
　　At last I laid the violin back in its case. I picked up the newspaper, walked to the phone and dialed the number.
　　Later in the day, an old car stopped in my driveway. A man in his thirties knocked on the door. “I’ve been praying someone would answer my ad. My daughter wants a violin so badly,” he said, examining my instrument. “How much are you asking？”
　　Any music store, I knew, would offer me a nice sum. But now I heard my voice answer, “Seven dollars.”
　　“Are you sure？” he asked, reminding me so much of Daddy.
　　“Seven dollars,” I repeated, and then added, “I hope your little girl will enjoy it as much as I did.”
　　I closed the door behind him. Peeking out between the drapes, I saw his wife and children waiting in the car. A door suddenly opened and a young girl ran to him as he held out the violin case to her.
　　She hugged it against her, then dropped to her knees and snapped open the case. She touched the violin lightly as it caught the glow of the lateafternoon sun, then turned and threw her arms around her smiling father.

美丽英文—故事篇(15)

　红木钢琴
　　佚名
　　多年以前，我是圣路易斯市一家钢琴公司的推销员。那时，我二十几岁。
　　我们的广告刊登在各小镇的报纸上，在全州范围内出售我们的钢琴。当收到某个地方足够的订单时，我们就会用小卡车把钢琴送到订购人的家里。
　　每次，在密苏里州东南部的棉花之乡登广告时，我们都会收到一份写在明信片上的订单，大意是说：“请为我的小孙女送来一架钢琴，一定要红木质的。我会每月用卖鸡蛋的钱，付给你们10美元。”这位老妇人在明信片上写满了字，还翻过来在正面的四边上也写满了字，以至于几乎没有地方写地址了。
　　当然，我们不可能接受每月10美元的付款方式。因为没有哪一家信贷公司会接受这么小额的付款合同，所以，我们没有理睬她的订单。
　　可是，有一天正赶上我去老妇人所在的地区送货，出于好奇，我决定去她家看看。我看到的和我想象的差不多：她住在棉花地中一间只有一个房间的佃农小屋里。
　　小屋是泥土地，而且，里边还养着鸡。很显然老妇人没有资格以借贷方式买任何东西——因为她没有车，没有电话，没有正式的工作，只有一个不怎么好的屋顶。我发现屋顶的好几处地方都透光。她的孙女大约10岁，穿着用装饲料的麻袋做成的裙子。
　　我向老妇人解释说，我们不能接受每月10美元的付款方式，并且告诉她下次看到我们的广告后不要再寄订单了。我非常悲痛地离开了她的家。然而，我的话对她没起任何作用。
　　我们每隔6个星期就会收到同样的明信片，都是要订购一架红木新钢琴，并且发誓每月都会付10美元。这很让人伤心。
　　几年后，我有了自己的钢琴公司，当我在那个地区登广告时，老妇人就把明信片寄到了我的公司。好几个月我都没有理会她的订单，除此之外我还能做什么呢？
　　但是，一天当我在那个地区时，我有了其他的想法。我的小卡车上有一架红木钢琴，尽管我知道自己是在做赔本的买卖，但还是把那架钢琴送到了她的家里，并以个人名义和她约定她每月付给我10美元，分52次付清，没有利息。我把钢琴放在她屋里我认为最不可能漏雨的地方，并且告诉她和她的孙女不要让鸡飞到钢琴上。然后，我离开了，就只当扔了一架新钢琴。
　　但是，按事先约定的，我准时收到了52次分期付款。有时是用胶带粘在3×5英寸的卡片上，并装在信封里的硬币，这简直让人难以置信。
　　然而，这件特殊的事，我一忘就是20年。
　　直到某一天，我去孟菲斯办事，在黎威河畔的一家度假宾馆吃过饭后，我走进休闲厅。坐下来喝饮料时，我听到身后传来优美的钢琴曲。我四处寻找，看到一位年轻女子在弹一架很棒的大钢琴。
　　在某种程度上我也可以算是一位钢琴家，我被她的高超技艺折服了。我拿起饮料来到她身旁的桌子边，边听边打量她。她朝我微笑，问我想听什么曲子，并在休息的时候来到我的桌子前。
　　“你就是多年前卖给我奶奶钢琴的那个人吧？”
　　当时，我被她问愣了，所以我让她解释到底是怎么回事。
　　她开始解释，我突然记起了当年的事情。天哪，她就是那个光着脚丫，穿着用装饲料的麻袋做成的裙子的小女孩。
　　她告诉我她叫埃莉斯，因为她的祖母没钱供她去上钢琴课，所以，她只能通过收音机学习钢琴。她说她开始和祖母一起走两英里多的路去教堂弹琴。在学校弹琴，她也赢得了很多奖项，还赢得了音乐奖学金。后来，她嫁给孟菲斯的一位律师，他给她买了一架大钢琴。
　　我突然想起一件事情，我问：“埃莉斯，你能告诉我，你祖母给你买的那架钢琴是什么质地的吗？”
　　“它是红木的，”她问道，“你为什么问这个问题？”
　　我没有说话。
　　她是否懂得红木的意义？她是否知道她祖母的勇敢呢？她的祖母明明知道没有人会卖给她任何一架钢琴，却坚持要红木的。我想她是不会懂得这些的。
　　另一方面，那个老妇人能够想到她贫穷的、穿饲料袋做成的裙子的孙女能取得如此大的成就吗？我想她也不会想到。
　　而这一切我都看到了，我的喉咙哽咽了。
　　最后，我说：“我只是好奇。我为你感到骄傲，但是，我要回房间了。”
　　我必须回到我的房间去，因为，男人不想让别人看到他的眼泪。
　　■心灵小语
　　勇敢，就是不计较个人得失，不考虑各种危险、障碍和压力，去做自己应该做的事情。这位钢琴公司的老板和那位老妇人都是勇敢的人，他们为了实现美好的愿望做出了令人尊敬的行为，一起谱写了小女孩的音乐梦想和幸福人生。
　　The Red Mahogany Piano
　　Anonymous
　　Many years ago, when I was a young man in my twenties, I worked as a salesman for a St. Louis piano company.
　　We sold our pianos all over the state by advertising in small town newspapers and then, when we had received sufficient replies, we would load our little trucks, drive into the area and sell the pianos to those who had replied.
　　Every time we advertised in the cotton country of Southeast Missouri, we would receive a reply on a postcard which said, in effect, “Please bring me a new piano for my little granddaughter. It must be red mahogany1. I can pay ＄10 a month with my egg money.” The old lady scrawled on and on and on that postcard until she filled it up, then turned it over and even wrote on the front—around and around the edges until there was barely room for the address.
　　Of course, we could not sell a new piano for ＄10 a month. No finance company would carry a contract with payments that small, so we ignored her postcards.
　　One day, however, I happened to be in that area calling on other replies, and out of curiosity I decided to look the old lady up. I found pretty much what I expected: the old lady lived in a one room sharecroppers cabin in the middle of a cotton field.
　　The cabin had a dirty floor and there were chickens in the house. Obviously, the old lady could not have qualified to purchase anything on credit—no car, no phone, no real job, nothing but a roof over her head and not a very good one at that. I could see daylight through it in several places. Her little granddaughter was about 10, barefoot and wearing a feed sack dress.
　　I explained to the old lady that we could not sell a new piano for ＄10 a month and that she should stop writing to us every time she saw our ad. I drove away heartsick, but my advice had no effect—she still sent us the same postcard every six weeks. Always wanting a new piano, red mahogany, please, and swearing she would never miss a ＄10 payment. It was sad.
　　A couple of years later, I owned my own piano company, and when I advertised in that area, the postcards started coming to me. For months, I ignored them—what else could I do？
　　But then, one day when I was in the area something came over me. I had a red mahogany piano on my little truck. Despite knowing that I was about to make a terrible business decision, I delivered the piano to her and told her I would carry the contract myself at ＄10 a month with no interest, and that would mean 52 payments. I took the new piano in the house and placed it where I thought the roof would be least likely to rain on it. I admonished her and the little girl to try to keep the chickens off it, and I left—sure I had just thrown away a new piano.
　　But the payments came in, all 52 of them as agreed—sometimes with coins taped to a 3×5 inch card in the envelope. It was incredible！
　　So, I put the incident out of my mind for 20 years.
　　Then one day I was in Memphis on other business, and after dinner at the Holiday Inn on the Levee, I went into the lounge. As I was sitting at the bar having an afterdinner drink, I heard the most beautiful piano music behind me. I looked around, and there was a lovely young woman playing a very nice grand piano.
　　Being a pianist of some ability myself, I was stunned by her virtuosity2, and I picked up my drink and moved to a table beside her where I could listen and watch. She smiled at me, asked for requests, and when she took a break she sat down at my table.
　　“Aren’t you the man who sold my grandma a piano a long time ago？”
　　It didn’t ring a bell, so I asked her to explain.
　　She started to tell me, and I suddenly remembered. My Lord, it was her！ It was she, little barefoot girl in the feed sack dress！
　　She told me her name was Elise and since her grandmother couldn’t afford to pay for lessons, she had learned to play by listening to the radio. She said she had started to play in church where she and her grandmother had to walk over two miles, and that she had then played in school, had won many awards and a music scholarship. She had married an attorney in Memphis and he had bought her a grand piano.
　　Something else entered my mind. “Look, Elise,” I asked, “May I ask you what kind of wood is your first piano made of, the one your grandmother bought you？”
　　“It’s red mahogany,” she said, “Why？”
　　I couldn’t speak.
　　Did she understand the significance3 of the red mahogany？ The unbelievable audacity of her grandmother insisting on a red mahogany piano when no one in his right mind would have sold her a piano of any kind？ I think not.
　　And then did the old lady understand the marvelous accomplishment of that beautiful, terribly underprivileged child in the feed sack dress？ No, I’m sure she didn’t understand that either.
　　But I did, and my throat tightened.
　　Finally, I found my voice. “I just wondered,” I said. “I’m proud of you, but I have to go to my room. ”
　　And I did have to go to my room, because men don’t like to be seen crying in public
　　你的生命是个奇迹
　　佚名
　　我从不认为自己与众不同，但人们总是不断地说：“你是个奇迹。”对我来说，我只是一个怀着现实目标和伟大梦想的普通人。我曾是得克萨斯大学一名19岁的学生，当时我正在为成为一名整形外科医生的伟大理想而努力。
　　1981年2月17日的晚上，我和相处了3年的女友莎伦，在图书馆里作一个器官试验。因为天色已晚，莎伦要我开车送她回宿舍。我们上了车，并没有意识到这次上车会让我的人生从此改变。很快，我就注意到油表显示为零，于是我将车停在附近的一家便利店前，去买两块钱的汽油。“两分钟就回来。”关车门时我对莎伦喊道。而事实上，我的人生即将在两分钟内发生改变。
　　进了那家便利店如同进了地狱。在外面我还是个健康的、充满活力的未婚学生，但在门内，我成了一次暴力犯罪的牺牲品。我还以为进了一家没人的商店，但我马上意识到这家店并非空无一人。3名抢劫犯正在店内抢劫，我的到来让他们大为吃惊。其中一名罪犯立即掏出一把口径为38毫米的手枪指着我的头，命令我走到冷冻机旁，然后把我摁倒在地，像执行死刑般朝我的后脑勺开了一枪。他没有朝我开第二枪，显然是以为我死了。打劫后，3名劫匪逃之夭夭。
　　这时候，莎伦正在纳闷我为什么还没回去。看到那3名男子离开那家店，她真的开始担心起来，因为我是她看到的进那家店的最后一个人。她马上跑到店内去找我，但是没看到一个人，只有几乎被洗劫一空的收银机上挂着一张账单，还有几枚硬币散落在上面。她在货架间飞快地边跑边喊：“迈克，迈克！”
　　这时，一名店员从店后面走出来喊道：“小姐，快趴下，我刚才被打劫了，他们还开了枪。”
　　莎伦赶快趴在地上，哭喊道：“你见到我男朋友了吗？他长着褐色的头发。”那人默默走到冷冻机旁，找到了我，此时我正呕吐不止。他赶忙帮我擦了嘴，然后报了警，叫来救护车。
　　莎伦被吓坏了。她这才意识到我受伤了，但她根本想象不到我的伤势有多严重。
　　警察赶来后，很快断定这是桩杀人案。他们都不相信我还能活过来，救护人员也说她从来没有见过伤势如此严重的人还能存活。凌晨一点半，住在休斯敦的父母被布莱肯瑞吉医院的电话铃惊醒，医院通知他们尽快赶到奥斯汀，因为他们担心我熬不过当晚。
　　但那天夜里我挺了过来，第二天一大早，神经科医生决定给我动手术。然而，他很快又通知我的家人和莎伦，说如果接受手术的话，我存活的可能性只有40%。如果这还不算糟糕的话，那么医生接下来的话又使我的家人受到了更大的打击。他告诉他们，即便我万幸活了下来，也不可能再走路、说话，连最简单的指令也不会明白。
　　我的家人本来期望能从医生那里听到一些鼓励的话，哪怕是一点点。但医生悲观的言语使我的家人没有理由相信我还会重新成为一个对社会有用的人。但是，我又一次从3个半小时的手术中奇迹般地活了下来。但正如医生所说的那样，我不能说话了，我的整个右侧身体瘫痪了，很多人认为我成了傻子，不过还好，我的身体状况很稳定。在私人看护病房里待了一个星期后，医生觉得我的恢复情况很好，可以坐救护飞机转到休斯敦的德欧洛康复医院。
　　幻觉伴随着生理上的病症让我看不到希望。然而随着时间的流逝，我的意识逐渐清晰起来，大约6周过后，我的右腿可以轻微地动了。到了第七个星期，我的右臂能慢慢地挪动；第八个星期时，我第一次咕哝出了几个词。最初的时候，我讲话非常艰难而且很慢，毕竟这只是刚开始。我开始盼望着新的每一天，看看我能取得多大的进步。但就在我想着自己的生活最终将呈现光明的时候，我接受了医院一位心理专家的测试，她向我解释说，从我的测试结果来看，她认为我不应该再对重返大学校园抱有什么希望，最好制定一些“现实的目标”。
　　她的这番话惹恼了我，我心想：“她是谁，凭什么断定我能干什么，不能干什么。她甚至都不认识我。我是一个坚定而倔犟的人！”我相信就是在那一刻，我下定决心，无论如何终有一天我要重返校园。
　　我花了很长时间，付出了很多艰辛，最终在经过了一年半的垂死挣扎后，于1983年的秋天重新回到得州大学。接下来在奥斯汀的那几年对我来说充满了艰辛，但我坚信，为了看到生命中的美好，你不得不去经历一些磨难。也许是我经历了太多的不幸，我有一个信念——充实地度过每一天，尽力做到最好。我的每一天都过得忙碌而充实，除了学校的课程，我每周还要去布莱肯瑞吉医院接受三到五天的治疗。如果这还不够的话，还要每隔一周乘飞机去一次休斯敦，去同汤姆.威廉斯——一位教练兼主管一起锻炼，他曾为很多大学和职业队效力，他还帮助了很多受伤的运动员，如厄尔.坎贝尔和艾立克.迪克森等。从汤姆那里我学会了：“没有什么是不可能的，永远不要放弃或退出。”
　　早在我接受治疗的时候，父亲就总是重复着他喜欢的那句话，每天当我感到痛苦的时候我也对自己重复那句话——“脚踏实地，切勿急功近利。”
　　1986年6月，一个阳光明媚的下午，当我步履蹒跚地走上台阶去领取得州大学文学学位时，我想到了那些鼓励我的话，想到了汤姆，想到了对我深信不疑的家人和莎伦。当我听到院长宣布我以“最优异的成绩”毕业时，我心中充满了激动和骄傲。接着他还宣布我被选入美国大学优等生荣誉学会，并在1600名毕业生中当选为12名迪安文学院的杰出毕业生之一。在许多观众站起来为我鼓掌的那一刻，我心潮澎湃、百感交集。我甚至觉得生命中不可能再经历那样的感慨和激情，甚至到我获得社会学硕士学位时，当我成为得克萨斯止痛减压中心的一名全职工作人员时也不曾有过。但是我错了！
　　1987年5月24日，我和莎伦结婚了，我觉得再没有什么能与此时的快乐相提并论。莎伦是我高中时期的女友，9年的风风雨雨，她一直陪在我身旁。对我来说，她是我的奇迹，是我在这个充满艰辛和伤痛的世界上拥有的一颗钻石。为了能日夜守候在我身旁，莎伦在我受伤时放弃了学业。她对我的爱从未动摇过，她从未抛弃过我,是她的忠诚和爱伴着我度过了无数个黑暗的日子。当别的19岁女孩儿去参加舞会、享受生活的时候，莎伦把青春献给了病床上的我，等待我的康复。对我来说，这就是爱的真谛。在那个美满的婚礼之后，我继续在止痛中心做兼职工作，并获得了硕士学位。我们过得很开心，而莎伦怀孕的消息更让我觉得幸福。
　　1990年7月11日0点15分，莎伦把我从梦中唤醒：“我们得去医院了……我的羊水破了。”我不禁感叹，命运真让人啼笑皆非，它差点让我在那家便利店里丢了性命，而现在在7月11日，它却要让我们迎接一个新的生命。多年来，莎伦帮我度过了一个又一个难关，这次该我来帮助她了。经历了15个小时的分娩，在下午3点10分，莎伦和我一起迎来了我们美丽的女儿——萧恩.艾丽斯.斯高！看到美丽的女儿健康地诞生，我的喜悦和幸福化做泪水夺眶而出。我们迫不及待地数着她的10个手指和10个脚趾，看着她用大大的眼睛注视着她的世界。初生的婴儿躺在妈妈柔软的怀里，这一幅优美的画面将永远留在我的心中。就在那一刻，我感谢上帝赐予我们如此伟大的奇迹——我的萧恩.艾丽斯.斯高。
　　Miracle, Your Life ！
　　Anonymous
　　I never considered myself unique, but people are constantly telling me, “you are a miracle.” To me, I was just an ordinary “guy” with realistic goals and big dreams. I was a 19yearold student at the University of Texas and well on my way toward fulfilling my “big dream” of one day becoming an orthopedic1 surgeon.
　　On the night of February 17, 1981, I was studying for an Organic Chemistry test at the library with Sharon, my girlfriend of three years. Sharon had asked me to drive her back to her dormitory as it was getting quite late. We got into my car, not realizing that just getting into a car would never quite be the same for me again. I quickly noticed that my gas gauge was registered on empty so I pulled into a nearby convenience store to buy two dollars’ worth of gas. “ I’ll be back in two minutes,” I yelled at Sharon as I closed the door. But instead, those two minutes changed my life forever.
　　Entering the convenience store was like entering the twilight zone. On the outside I was a healthy, athletic, premed student, but on the inside I was just another statistic of a violent crime. I thought I was entering an empty store, but suddenly I realized it was not empty at all. Three robbers were in the process of committing a robbery and my entrance into the store caught them by surprise. One of the criminals immediately shoved a 38 caliber handgun to my head, ordered me to the cooler, pushed me down on the floor, and pumped a bullet into the back of my head—execution style. He obviously thought I was dead because he did not shoot me again. The trio of thieves finished robbing the store and left calmly.
　　Meanwhile, Sharon wondered why I had not returned. After seeing the three men leave the store she really began to worry as I was the last person she saw entering the store. She quickly went inside to look for me, but saw no oneonly an almost empty cash register containing one check and several pennies. Quickly she ran down each aisle shouting, “Mike, Mike！”
　　Just then the attendant appeared from the back of the store shouting, “Lady, get down on the floor. I’ve just been robbed and shot at.”
　　Sharon quickly dropped to the floor screaming, “Have you seen my boyfriend. He has auburn hair.” The man did not reply but went back to the cooler where he found me choking on my vomit. The attendant quickly cleaned my mouth and then called for the police and an ambulance.
　　Sharon was in shock. She was beginning to understand that I was hurt, but she could not begin to comprehend or imagine the severity2 of my injury.
　　When the police arrived they immediately called the homicide division as they did not think I would survive and the paramedic3 reported that she had never seen a person so severely wounded survive. At 1:30 a.m. my parents who lived in Houston, were awakened by a telephone call from Brackenridge Hospital advising them to come to Austin as soon as possible for they feared I would not make it through the night.
　　But I did make it through the night and early in the morning the neurosurgeon decided to operate. However, he quickly informed my family and Sharon that my chances of surviving the surgery were only 40%. If this were not bad enough, the neurosurgeon further shocked my family by telling them what life would be like for me if I beat the odds and survived. He said I probably would never walk, talk, or be able to understand even simple commands.
　　My family was hoping and praying to hear even the slightest bit of encouragement from that doctor. Instead, his pessimistic words gave my family no reason to believe that I would ever again be a productive member of society. But once again I beat the odds and survived the three and a half hours of surgery. Granted, I still could not talk, my entire right side was paralyzed and many people thought I could not understand, but at least I was stable. After one week in a private room the doctors felt I had improved enough to be transferred by jet ambulance to Del Oro Rehabilitation Hospital in Houston.
　　My hallucinations4, coupled with my physical problems, made my prognosis still very bleak. However, as time passed my mind began to clear and approximately six weeks later my right leg began to move ever so slightly. Within seven weeks my right arm slowly began to move and at eight weeks I uttered my first few words. My speech was extremely difficult and slow in the beginning, but at least it was a beginning. I was starting to look forward to each new day to see how far I would progress. But just as I thought my life was finally looking brighter I was tested by the hospital europsychologist. She explained to me that judging from my test results she believed that I should not focus on returning to college but that it would be better to set more “realistic goals.”
　　Upon hearing her evaluation I became furious for I thought, “Who is she to tell me what I can or cannot do. She does not even know me. I am a very determined and stubborn person.” I believe it was at that very moment that I decided I would somehow, someday return to college.
　　It took me a long time and a lot of hard work but I finally returned to the University of Texas in the fall of 1983—a year and a half after almost dying. The next few years in Austin were very difficult for me, but I truly believe that in order to see beauty in life you have to experience some unpleasantness. Maybe I have experienced too much unpleasantness, but I believe in living each day to the fullest, and doing the very best I can. And each new day was very busy and very full, for besides attending classes at the University I underwent therapy three to five days each week at Brackenridge Hospital. If this were not enough I flew to Houston every other weekend to work with Tom Williams, a trainer and executive who had worked for many colleges and professional teams and also had helped many injured athletes, such as Earl Campbell and Eric Dickerson. Through Tom I learned, “Nothing is impossible and never, never give up or quit.”
　　Early, during my therapy, my father kept repeating to me one of his favorite sayings. I have repeated it almost every day since being hurt, “Mile by mile it’s a trial, yard by yard it’s hard, but inch by inch it’s a cinch.”
　　I thought of those words, and I thought of Tom, my family and Sharon who believed so strongly in me as I climbed the steps to receive my diploma from the Dean of Liberal Arts at the University of Texas on that bright sunny afternoon in June of 1986. Excitement and pride filled my heart as I heard the dean announce that I had graduated with “highest honors”, been elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and been chosen as one of 12 Dean’s Distinguished Graduates out of 1600 in the College of Liberal Arts. The overwhelming emotions and feelings that I experienced at that very moment, when most of the audience gave me a standing ovation, I felt would never again be matched in my life—not even when I graduated with a master’s degree in social work and not even when I became employed full time at the Texas Pain and Stress Center. But I was wrong.
　　On May 24, 1987, I realized that nothing could ever match the joy I felt as Sharon and I were married. Sharon, my high school sweetheart of nine years, had always stood by me, through good and bad times. To me, Sharon is my miracle, my diamond in a world filled with problems, hurt, and pain. It was Sharon who dropped out of school when I was hurt so that she could constantly be at my side. She never wavered or gave up on me. It was her faith and love that pulled me through so many dark days. While other nineteenyearold girls were going to parties and enjoying life, Sharon devoted her life to my recovery. That, to me, is the true definition of love. After our beautiful wedding I continued working part time at the Pain Center and completed my work for a master’s degree. We were extremely happy, but even happier when we learned Sharon was pregnant.
　　On July 11, 1990, at 12:15 a.m., Sharon woke me with the news, “We need to go to the hospital... my water just broke.” I couldn’t help but think how ironic it was that my life almost ended in a convenience store and now on the date “711” we were about to bring a new life into this world. This time it was my turn to help Sharon as she had helped me over those past years. She was in labor for 15 hours. At 3:10 p.m. Sharon and I experienced the birth of our beautiful daughter, Shawn Elyse Segal. Tears of joy and happiness came to my eyes as our healthy, alert, wonderful daughter entered this world. We anxiously counted her 10 fingers and her 10 toes and watched her wide eyes taking in the world about her. It was truly a beautiful picture that was etched in my mind forever as she lay in her mother’s waiting arms, just minutes after her birth. At that moment I thanked God for blessing us with the greatest miracle of all—Shawn Elyse Segal
　　爱的奇效
　　玛丽.舍曼.希尔伯特
　　1944年，我们都害怕过圣诞节。对于我们全家而言，战争永远也不会结束。
　　电报在8月里寄到了我家。鲍勃很少的一些私人物品、盖在棺木上的旗子、他在菲律宾群岛的墓地平面图，还有一枚“杰出飞行十字勋章”也被接二连三地寄到。而这更加深了我们的悲伤和痛苦。
　　在中西部大草原出生的哥哥，每天骑马去上学，但是从看到飞机的第一天起，他就梦想着自己能驾驶飞机。他21岁以前，我们住在华盛顿州的西雅图。第二次世界大战爆发时，鲍勃动身去了最近的一个空军招兵处。他身材单薄，就像父亲一样骨瘦如柴，体重差10磅未能达标。
　　他没有放弃，而是说服母亲尽可能地每天为他做她能想到的可以增肥的饭菜。饭前、饭中和饭后，他都要吃东西。我们笑称他是“顿顿肉”。
　　在海军军校办公室里，他登上秤——还是差3磅。哥哥绝望了，他的朋友们接二连三地参军走了，他最好的朋友也已进入海军空军团。第二天早上，他吃了1磅油腻腻的熏肉，6个鸡蛋，5根香蕉，还喝了2加仑牛奶，他的身体肿胀得像只肥猪，以此来增加他的体重。他的体重达标了，还多出8盎司。
　　哥哥在华盛顿的帕斯科初级飞行员培训学校里被提名为“热火飞行员”，并自愿加入加利福尼亚州圣玛丽斯的“牵引机俱乐部”(后因发动机故障，被迫离开)，这让我们都摇头叹息，为他担心。母亲为他祈祷。哥哥生来就天不怕地不怕，这一点母亲很清楚。在从科帕斯克里斯蒂毕业之前，哥哥申请转到佛罗里达州的彭萨科拉的海军空军团。他在那里接受过鱼雷轰炸机驾驶训练后，被派遣到海外战场。
　　人们都说，在敌军的火力攻击下，鲍勃在新几内亚岛上空，在他渴望驾驶的飞机里牺牲了。
　　我从未为鲍勃的死而哭泣过。我在自己的脑海中勾勒出这样一幅画面：兴奋的哥哥驾驶着飞机穿过云霄，做着他最喜欢做的事，他那蓝色的眼睛因为对生活的热爱而闪闪发光。然而，父母眼中那永远都挥之不去的悲伤却让我流泪了。
　　母亲的信念支撑着她，但是父亲明显苍老了。不管牧师什么时候上门，父亲总是礼貌地倾听着，但是我们知道，他心里是苦的。他每天强迫自己去工作，但是对每一件事都失去了兴趣，其中包括他喜爱的会员俱乐部。他特别想拥有一枚会员戒指，在母亲的支持下，他开始省钱准备买一枚。当然，鲍勃死后，这件事情也就搁置了下来。
　　我害怕圣诞节的到来。鲍勃很喜欢过圣诞节。他的热情也会早早地感染我们一起兴奋起来。他给我们的惊喜总是充满了传奇色彩：在学校里做一件玩具小木屋送给我们，或者在神秘的地方为弟弟藏一只玩具小狗，用他挣的第一份钱给母亲买一件昂贵的裙子。他所做的每一件事情都给我们带来了惊喜。
　　没有鲍勃的圣诞节将会是怎样的？不怎么样。叔叔阿姨们，还有奶奶都来了，尽管我们又做着往年过节的事情，但都是心不在焉。父亲一直坐着，默默地凝神望着窗外，母亲也是心情沉重，忧心忡忡……
　　12月23日，又一个政府邮包寄来了。母亲伤心地打开包裹，里面是鲍勃的蓝色制服，父亲面无表情地看着它们。这段时间之后，为什么，为什么他们——不知道姓名的他们——要寄鲍勃的制服回来？我悲痛地想着。当时房间死一般寂静。当母亲重新把衣服折好，准备收起来时，出于作为母亲的本性，她机械地、麻木地翻看着每个口袋。
　　在上衣里面的一个小口袋里，整齐地叠放着50美元，还附带着一张鲍勃写的小纸条，上面的字迹是那样熟悉：“为爸爸买会员戒指的钱。”
　　如果我活到了100岁，也永远忘不了当时父亲脸上的表情。在他的脸上发生了一些喜人的转变——你可以欣喜地看到一丝惊讶，一丝喜悦，还有一丝淡淡的平静。噢，爱的奇效！爸爸呆呆地站在那里，盯着他手里的那张纸条和叠得整整齐齐的50美元看了许久，然后走到挂在墙上醒目位置的鲍勃的照片前，庄严地敬了个礼。
　　“圣诞快乐，儿子。”他低声说道，接着转身去迎接圣诞节了。
　　The Healing Power of Love
　　Mary Sherman Hilbert
　　We dreaded Christmas that year. It was 1944, and the war would never be over for our family.
　　The telegram had arrived in August. Bob’s few personal possessions, the flag from his coffin, the plan of his burial site in the Philippine Islands, and a Distinguished Flying Cross had arrived one by one, adding to our agonizing grief.
　　Born on a Midwest prairie, my brother rode horseback to school but wanted to fly an airplane from the first day he saw one. By the time he was twentyone, we were living in Seattle, Washington. When World WarⅡbroke out, Bob headed for the nearest Air Force recruitment office. Slightly built, skinny like his father, he was ten pounds underweight.
　　Undaunted, he persuaded mother to cook every fattening food she could think of. He ate before meals, between meals and after meals. We laughed and called him“lardo”.
　　At the Navy Cadet Office he stepped on the scale—still three pounds to go. He was desperate. His friends were leaving one after the other; his best buddy was already in the Marine Air Corps. The next morning, he ate a pound of greasy bacon, six eggs and five bananas, drank two gallons of milk, and, bloated like a pig, staggered back on their scale. He passed the weighin with eight ounces to spare.
　　When he was nominated Hot Pilot of primary training school in Pasco, Washington, and involuntarily joined the “Caterpillar Club” (engine failure causing the bailout) at St. Mary’s, California, we shook our heads and worried. Mother prayed. He was born fearless, and she knew it. Before graduating from Corpus Christi, he applied for transfer to the Marine Air Corps at Pensacola, Florida. He trained in torpedo bombers before being sent overseas.
　　They said Bob died under enemy fire over New Guinea in the plane he wanted so desperately to fly.
　　I never wept for Bob. In my mind’s eye, I pictured my debonair big brother wingtapping through the clouds, doing what he loved best, his blue eyes sparkling with love of life. But I wept for the sadness that never left my parents’ eyes.
　　Mother’s faith sustained her, but my father aged before our eyes. He listened politely whenever the minister came to call, but we knew Daddy was bitter. He dragged himself to work every day but lost interest in everything else, including his beloved Masonic Club. He very much wanted a Masonic ring, and at Mother’s insistence he had started saving for the ring. Of course, after Bob died, that too ceased.
　　I dreaded the approach of Christmas. Bob loved Christmas. His enthusiasm excited us long before season took over. His surprises were legendary: a dollhouse made at school, a puppy hidden in mysterious places for little brother, an expensive dress for Mother bought with the very first money he ever earned. Everything had to be a surprise.
　　What would Christmas be without Bob？ Not much. Aunts, uncles and Grandmother were coming, so we went through the motions as much for memory as anything, but our hearts weren’t in it. Dad sat for longer and longer periods, staring silently out the window, and Mother’s heart was heavy with worry...
　　On December 23, another officiallooking package arrived. My father watched stonefaced as Mother unpacked Bob’s dress blues. After all this time, why oh, why did they—the nameless they—send his dress uniform, I thought bitterly. Silence hung heavy. As she refolded the uniform to put it away, a mother’s practicality surfaced, and she went through the pockets almost by rote, aching with grief.
　　In a small, inside jacket pocket was a neatly folded fiftydollar bill with a tiny note in Bob’s familiar handwriting, “For Dad’s Masonic ring.”
　　If I live to be a hundred, I will never forget the look on my father’s face. Some kind of beautiful transformation took place—a touch of wonder, a hint of joy, a quiet serenity that was glorious to behold. Oh, the healing power of love！ He stood transfixed, staring at the note and the trimly folded fiftydollar bill in his hand for what seemed an eternity; then he walked to Bob’s picture hanging prominently on the wall and solemnly saluted.
　　“Merry Christmas, Son, ”he murmured, and turned to welcome Christmas.

美丽英文—故事篇(16)
　实现梦想，永远不会太迟
　　丹.克拉克
　　上学的第一天，教授向化学班的全体同学作了自我介绍，还鼓励我们去结识并不认识的人。我站起来向四周望去，正当这时，有人轻轻拍了拍我的肩膀。我转过身来，看到一位满脸皱纹、个子矮小的老太太正对着我开心地笑着，而她的笑容使她看起来容光焕发。
　　她说道：“你好，英俊的小伙子。我是罗斯，今年87岁。我能不能拥抱你一下？”
　　我笑了，热情地回答道：“当然可以。”她给了我一个友好的拥抱。
　　“你为什么在这么年轻、这么纯真的年纪选择上大学？”我开玩笑地说。
　　她也开玩笑地回答：“我到这里来就是想找一个有钱的丈夫，结婚，生几个孩子，然后退休去旅行。”
　　“你不是在开玩笑吧？”我问道。我对此非常好奇，是什么力量使她在这样的年纪去迎接这样的挑战。
　　“我一直以来的梦想就是接受大学教育，如今我终于如愿以偿了。”她告诉我。
　　下课之后，我们走进学生会大楼，一起分享了一杯泡沫巧克力牛奶。没过一会儿，我们便成了朋友。在接下来的三个月里，我们每天都会一起离开教室，进行长时间交谈。我经常入迷似的倾听着这位“时间机器”，一起分享她的智慧和经验。
　　整整一个学年，罗斯成了校园里的偶像，不管走到哪里，她都会很轻松地交到朋友。她喜欢装扮自己，因为大家投给她的关注使她兴奋不已。她陶醉于欢乐之中。
　　在学期即将结束的时候，我们请罗斯在我们的足球宴会上致辞，我永远不会忘记她给我们的谆谆教诲。在主持人介绍过之后，罗斯走上了讲台。就在她要开始发表早就准备好的演讲时，三五张卡片从她的手里掉到了地上。她有点沮丧，有点慌乱，她向着麦克风倾了倾身子，坦言道：“不好意思，我抖得厉害。我在四旬斋时戒了酒。今天的威士忌太烈了！我无法整理好今天的演讲。如此一来，让我和你们说说我所知道的事情。”我们听完之后哈哈大笑起来，她清了清嗓子，开始了她的演讲：
　　“我们再也不动了，并不是因为老了；而是由于停止运动，我们才会变老。想要拥有年轻、快乐、成功，只有四个秘诀。
　　“每天要开怀大笑，要保持幽默感。
　　“心怀梦想。一旦失去梦想，你就完了。
　　“了解慢慢变老和不断成长之间有着天壤之别。你19岁，在床上躺上整整一年的时间，不做任何有益的事，你变成20岁的人。我87岁，在床上躺一年，不做任何事情，我会变成88岁。每个人都会慢慢变老，这不需要任何才能。我想要说的是，要通过寻找变化中的机会来发展自己。
　　“不要心怀遗憾。老年人往往会感到遗憾，并非为自己已做的事，而是为自己尚未做过的事。害怕死亡的人都是一些留有遗憾的人。”
　　她精神十足地以歌曲《玫瑰花》结束了她的演讲，激励我们每一个人去研读其中的歌词，于日常生活中实行歌中传达的箴言。
　　年终的时候，罗斯取得了多年之前便开始攻读的大学学位。在毕业一周后，罗斯在睡梦中静静地离开了人世。有2000多名大学生参加了她的葬礼，他们用这一行动来表示对这位伟大的女士的敬重。她用自身经历告诉我们：实现梦想，永远不会太迟。
　　■心灵小语
　　年轻人就好似不朽的神灵，永远怀有无限的希望和梦想，拥有令人目不暇接的人生好风景。他们能够听任自己的志趣自由驰骋，让精神高涨，让生命充满活力。这种人热爱生活，热爱人生，也被别人所敬重。他们拥有许多朋友和梦想，并有信心实现自己的梦想。就像勇敢乐观的罗斯，最终梦想成真。
　　Never Too Old to Live Your Dream
　　Dan Clark
　　The first day of school our professor introduced himself to our chemistry class and challenged us to get to know someone we didn’t already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder. I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming1 up at me with a smile that lit up her entire being.
　　She said, “Hi, handsome. My name is Rose. I’m eightyseven years old. Can I give you a hug？”
　　I laughed and enthusiastically responded, “Of course you may！” And she gave me a giant squeeze.
　　“Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age？” I asked.
　　She jokingly replied, “I’m here to meet a rich husband, get married, have a couple children, and then retire and travel.”
　　“Not seriously,” I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age.
　　“I always dreamed of having a college education and now I’m getting one！” she told me.
　　After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake. We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months we would leave class together and talk nonstop. Ｉ was always mesmerized2 listening to this“time machine” as she shared her wisdom and experience with me.
　　Over the course of the school year, Rose became a campus icon and easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up.
　　At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet and I’ll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her threebyfive cards on the floor. Frustrated and a bit embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said, “I’m sorry I’m so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me！ I’ll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell you what I know.” As we laughed, she cleared her throat and began,
　　“We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy and achieving success.
　　“You have to laugh and find humor each and every day.
　　“You’ve got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die.
　　“There is a giant difference between growing older and growing up. If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don’t do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am eightyseven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eightyeight. Anybody can grow older. That doesn’t take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding the opportunity in change.
　　“Have no regrets. The elderly usually don’t have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets.”
　　She concluded her speech by courageously singing “The Rose.” She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives.
　　At year’s end, Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago. One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep. Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it’s never too late to be all you can possibly be.
　　我被法学院开除的日子
　　佚名
　　由于我的分数太低了，科罗拉多大学法学院的院长决定，我从下个秋季开始就不能再回到学校上课了。他说，我永远不可能成为一名律师。即使是今天，我也无法用语言来形容当时的烦乱心情。以前，我在一些重大的事情上还从来没有真正失败过。毕竟，玻尔得的科罗拉多大学是一扇通往司法职业和名气很高的律师事务所的大门，它就是一座泰姬陵。
　　然而，我决定再尝试一下，于是就去找威斯敏斯特法学院的克利福德.米尔斯院长，这个法学院没有终生教授和法学刊物，是一个穷人学校。在看了我的大学成绩单之后，米尔斯决定接受我进入威斯敏斯特法学院，条件是我要认真地重读一年级的所有课程。他说：“我会一直关注你的表现的。”
　　一扇门关上了，其他的门敞开了。
　　得到了第二次学习的机会，我更加努力地学习，并且逐渐对证据法产生了浓厚的兴趣。第二年，学院居然请我教授这门课程，因为教这门课的教授去世了，这种事情在玻尔得那样的法学院简直是无法想象的。多年来，我一直为全国各地的法官、法学专业的学生和见习律师讲授这门课程，证据法成为了我的终生专业。
　　与此同时，白天我在丹佛市检察官办公室做职员，这是一份没有什么吸引力的工作。然而，这段经历却让我在毕业后找到了担任市助理检察官的工作。
　　我在28岁的时候成为了一名县法官，同时也是丹佛市最年轻的法官之一。后来，我当选为地区法官，再后来，我被总统任命为联邦司法部美国地区法官。最后，为了接受科罗拉多大学的乔治.诺林奖和荣誉法学博士学位，我又回到了波尔得。
　　每个人或早或晚都会在人生大事上遭遇一些短暂的挫败，不管那是工作、梦想还是各种关系。正是因为被法学院开除才使我成为一名更加优秀的法官，对此我深信不疑。毋庸置疑，这个经历让我认识到了人性的弱点，认识到给予别人第二次机会的重要意义。
　　除此之外，我也从失败中懂得，人生的旅途充满了不可预知的岔路口和意料之外的明天。你不能让自己被失败摧毁，不能让别人束缚自己实现梦想的能力，而是要充分利用这些挫折。
　　■心灵小语
　　人生的道路不会永远平坦，但也不会永远坎坷与落寞。当身处困境的时候，不要灰心，不要认为生活已经无法改变，而要变得更加坚强；当机遇再次来临的时候，要懂得好好珍惜。不要因为挫败和别人的束缚，而放弃自己的追求和梦想。
　　The Day I Flunked Out of Law School
　　Anonymous
　　The dean of the University of Colorado School of Law, decided that I couldn’t return to class next fall because my grades were too low. He said I would never make a lawyer. Even today words cannot describe my upset. I’d never really failed at anything significant１. After all, the University of Colorado at Boulder was a Taj Mahalthe door to judicial clerk  ships and prestigious law firms.
　　But I decided to try again and went to see Clifford Mills, the dean of Westminster Cortege of Law—a poor man’s school with no tenured professors or law review. After reading my college transcript, Dean Mills let me enroll into Westminster, on one condition: that I repeat all my firstyear classes, this time paying attention. “I’ll be looking over your shoulder,” he said.
　　One door had closed. But others opened.
　　Given a second chance, I worked much harder, becoming fascinated by the law of evidence. In my second year the professor who taught the course passed away. Ｉ was asked to take over—inconceivable at a law school like Boulder. Evidence became a lifelong specialty, and for many years I taught classes on the subject for judges, law students and practicing lawyers throughout the country.
　　Meanwhile I worked days in the Denver City Attorney’s office as a clerk. It was anything but glamorous. But it led to a job as an assistant city attorney after graduation.
　　I would became a county judge at age 28, one of Denver’s youngest. Later I was elected as a district judge, and then appointed by the President to the federal judiciary as a U. S. district judge. And, ultimately, I did return to Boulder—to receive the University of Colorado’s George Norlin Award, and an honorary doctorate of law.
　　Sooner or later everyone will fall short at something important to them—whether it be a job, a dream or a relationship. Flunking out of law school, I believe, made me a better judge, it certainly taught me about the frailties of the human condition, and about the need to give people second chance.
　　But failure also taught me that life is a road with unpredictable forks and unexpected tomorrows. To take advantage of them, you can’t let yourself be destroyed by a defeat, or let others set the limits on your ability to achieve.
　　行走在梦乡
　　苏珊娜.施奈德
　　17年前，我们三十个年轻人都梦想着在戏剧圈干出一番真正的大事业，那时我们都是20岁左右。我们有充分的理由拥有这样的梦想，毕竟我们是从几百名考生中选拔出来考进萨尔茨堡莫扎特学院这三个戏剧班的。那可是一件了不起的事情，因此我们自视甚高，认为自己很有才能。
　　我们或许都是一些才华横溢的人，然而，我们或多或少都缺乏经验——只是拥有对表演的热爱和对于自己走向世界最伟大剧院的自信。我们希望自己服务于伟大的艺术事业，与此同时伟大的艺术事业也值得我们为之奋斗一生。当时，我们的想法就是这样的。
　　然而，现实生活与我们的想象相去甚远。第一节课的时候，我们得知，戏剧专业的学生要不分时间和地点地学习接吻和拥抱。那些有名气的人来给我们进行示范，我们要与形形色色的人相爱，无论他们给我们的是什么烟，我们都要抽。一年之后，当一批新学生入校后，我们就自豪地摆出一副戏剧专业高年级学生的姿态。
　　戏剧专业的学生并不是一开始就学习朗诵席勒和莎士比亚的作品，而是先要学习表演。学习的课程包括击剑、踢踏舞、唱歌、抛接想象中的球以及闭着眼睛摸同学的手来辨认他是谁。那些与伟大艺术相关的一些事物，一点一点地呈现在我们的眼前。我们期望着登上舞台进行表演，经历了漫长的学习过程后，我们终于获准登上舞台。然而，我们很快就懂得，世界上最孤单的地方就是那个黑暗的舞台。
　　外行人或许很难理解，把台词记住然后再表演出来是一件多么艰难的事情。当然还会出现怯场的情况，然而其他的困难呢？仅仅走台步就是所有事情中最难的一件了，没有一个人能够走得恰到好处。走台步是在表演一个角色，绝非像人们散步那样简单。然而，是什么角色呢？这就是表演的难题了。
　　没过多久，清醒代替了最初的兴奋。任何一个能够诚实面对自己的人都能够确定，自己到底是相信无限才能还是已经真正拥有了它。看看究竟谁有表演的热情，谁的才情只是一闪而过的火花，这从自身和其他人的身上不难得出答案。因为，三年来，人们总是关注自己的情感、声音、躯体和内心的障碍，有些人战胜了这些障碍，有些人却没有。最初，激情可以暂时弥补才华的缺乏，因此，人们很容易被自己的错觉所欺骗。
　　17年之后，我们三十个人的梦想会变成什么样子呢？总之，这个故事不是几句话就可以讲完的。不，应该是三十个故事。我们中的一些人已经小有名气，几乎是家喻户晓了。比如安德烈亚和艾普丽尔，一个多年来一直演电视剧，另一个则是星期六问答秀节目组的唯一一位女演员。有些人却没了消息，比如马法和马赛厄斯。在记忆中，马法的舞蹈和钢琴都很出色，然而，第一个学年的假期之后，他就再也没有回到学校。现在，马赛厄斯在维也纳经营一家录音室，他最终意识到：“也许，我当年的雄心壮志有点过头。”他说的倒是真话,不像许多蹩脚的演员,用谎言来自我安慰：没有得到认可是因为运气太差;如果遇见一位能够发掘自己才能的导演，他们无限的才华就能够得到赏识。
　　在任何一所戏剧学校的任何一个班级里，那些绝对是随时都有可能发生的平常事。不过，在我们那个班级里，有两件事给人们留下的印象最深刻，一件是令人伤心的，另一件则是令人愉快的。
　　先说说那件令人伤心的故事吧。埃伯哈德.施密特的生命太短暂了，没能实现自己的梦想。他梦想成为一名大导演，在为几位大牌导演当助理的时候，他已初露锋芒。八年前，他死于艾滋病。我只在法兰克福见过他一次，那是在他生病去世的前一年。
　　因为我们两个人的名字的字母相连，因此，我们有些缘分。他的姓是施密特，我的姓是施奈德。在被戏剧学校录取之前，我们一共参加了6次考试，每次考试的时候，我们总是一起被叫到前台。因为每个班只录取12个人，因此最初的时候，我们都把彼此当作敌人和竞争对手。到了后来，我们——施密特和施奈德距离希望越近，我们就越不愿意看到对方被淘汰。当两人都被成功录取时，我们拥抱在一起，那是我们第一次拥抱对方。在法兰克福永别时，我们第二次拥抱了对方。
　　现在说说令人愉快的故事吧。斯文.贝克托夫，他是目前唯一一位实现梦想，甚至所达到的目标已经超出了我们当时敢于想象的人。他在1996年被评为年度最佳导演，这可是一个不同寻常的奖项。
　　然而，我与斯文第一次见面时，彼此相处得并不愉快。当时，我与其他11名同学刚刚通过入学考试，我和弗兰泽斯卡坐在排练台前的一条长椅上。斯文比我们高一个年级，他当时穿着一条紫红色的粗棉布裤子，站在台阶上望着我们。他傲慢地站在那里，纹丝不动，不过他长得倒是很英俊——俊朗的五官，棕色的眼睛和一头金发。
　　然后，他从台阶上走了下来，朝着我走过来，可是到了跟前，他却转向弗兰泽斯卡问道：“你叫什么名字？”
　　不过，我们还是成了很好的朋友。三年之后，在河边的一个夜晚，当我们正在为舞蹈课的期末考试练习踢踏舞的时候，他向我作了一个承诺，那就是让我在他导演的第一部片子中饰演一个角色。
　　现在，斯文成为了一名导演，同时也是汉堡的塔里亚剧院管理委员会的委员。塔里亚剧场是德国顶级剧场之一。此外，他还成功演绎了许多不朽的角色，人们奉他为演艺界的巨星。
　　戏剧学院的课程即将结束的时候，每个学生都不得不准备一个可能一生都不会在舞台上表演的角色。我选中了歌德诗剧中的格莱琴。由于我没有这个角色所需要的一头金发和高雅气质，因此没有一个导演愿意让我演这个角色。在剧本的结尾，格莱琴坐在监狱中等待死亡的降临，她几近疯狂地说道：“咳，咳，他们即将降临，令人痛苦的死亡。”我之所以放弃演艺事业，就是因为那句台词。
　　那句台词说得确实不够流畅。当然，我可以先把它们背诵下来，然而，每当说这句台词的时候，我总是不断地问自己：谁会相信你的绝望呢？我还不如说：“谁把我的娃娃糖吃了？”“什么，已经五时一刻了？”那些都是一样的。我绝望地一遍又一遍地重复着这句台词，希望能够找到死亡的恐惧感。然而，结果恰恰相反。
　　一名出色的演员和一名蹩脚的演员的区别就在于角色的逼真程度，当然，这显然也是我一段时间以来失败的原因。能够使观众忘记演员仅仅是在扮演一个角色的艺术，才是真正的艺术。
　　当我意识到自己不适合从事这个职业的时候，我感到非常痛苦。表演就是我在戏剧学院三年的生活，一段非常美好的生活。博索.施特劳斯曾经写过一段关于戏剧的名言：“阻止我成为一名好演员的就是戏剧。”是的，对于我来说也是如此。
　　■心灵小语
　　愿望能够激发梦想，同时梦想也能够激发愿望。人生本来就应该过得充实而有意义，鼓舞自己内心的斗志，倾听自己内心的声音，明白自己想要的生活。
　　
Walks in the Theatre World
　　Suannen Schneider
　　Seventeen years ago there were thirty of us, all aged around 20, and dreaming of a really great career in the theatre. We had good reason for dreaming. After all we had been chosen from hundreds of candidates and accepted for the Salzburg Mozarteum’s three drama classes. That meant something, so we felt talented and important.
　　We probably all were talented, to a greater or lesser degree, and inexperienced too—in love with acting and convinced that our ability would bring us to the great theatres of this world. We wanted to serve great art, and great art deserved us. That is how we thought then.
　　Everyday reality looked rather different. The first lesson we had to learn was that drama students kiss and hug always and everywhere. The great figures showed us how. We fell in love with all and sundry, and smoked whatever was offered to us. A year later, when new pupils turned up, we proudly presented ourselves as advanced drama students.
　　Instead of declaiming Schiller and Shakespeare on stage we first had to learn our craft. Fencing, tapdancing, singing. Throwing and catching imaginary balls. Recognizing, with closed eyes, fellow students by their hands. What all that had to do with great art only became apparent to us very slowly. We wanted to be on stage. When we were at long, long last allowed to walk the boards, we quickly understood that a dark stage could be the loneliest place in the world.
　　It is not at all easy for outsiders to comprehend what is supposedly so difficult about learning a few sentences by heart and then presenting them. Of course there is stage fright, but what else？ The most complex thing of all is simply walking across the stage. One never quite gets that right. A person crossing a stage is not simply someone walking, but a person acting a part. But what part？ That is the problem.
　　The initial euphoria soon gave way to sobriety. Anyone honest with him—or herself could already ascertain whether he merely believed in the immensity of his talent or whether he really possessed it. It was not difficult to see in oneself and in others who was burning with passion for acting and who only had a flickering talent—because for three years one was preoccupied with nothing but oneself, with one’s feelings, voice, body, and the inner barriers which some could surmount and others not. But it was easy to deceive oneself to begin with since for a while passion can be a good substitute for lack of talent.
　　What has become of us—thirty dreams and seventeen years later？ A long story, above all. No, thirty stories. Some of us are wellknown, almost famous. Andrea and April for instance. One has played in a TV opera for years, and the other is the only woman in the actors’ team in Saturday’s quiz show. Some of us have vanished, like Mafia and Mathias. Mafia, who could dance and play the piano so beautifully, simply didn’t return after the vacation in the first year. Mathias, now running a sound studio in Vienna, finally realized that “my ambitions were perhaps a little excessive.” By saying this, he preserved himself from a lifelie with which too many bad actors console themselves: that they are unlucky to be unrecognized, and that if the right director turned up, their immense talent would be appreciated.
　　Perhaps those are absolutely everyday stories as could be told at any time of any class at any drama school. However, two stories of our class stand out, one sad and one wonderful.
　　The sad story. Eberhard Schmidt had too little time to realize his dreams. He wanted to become a great director and he had already got quite a way as assistant to some eminent directors. He died of AIDS eight years ago. I only met him once again, in Frankfurt a year before his death.
　　We were linked because our names followed one another in the alphabet. He was Schmidt and I am Schneider. We were called forward in couples for the six tests we had to undergo before both were accepted in the drama school. To begin with of course we were enemies, competitors for one of at most twelve training places per class. The further we got, Schmidt and Schneider, the more we hoped that the other would not be left behind. When we both got through, we embraced. For the first time. And for the second time in Frankfurt when saying goodbye forever.
　　The wonderful story. Sven Bechtolf is for the moment the only one of us about whom it can already be said that he has achieved even more than we all dared dream at the time. In 1996, he was chosen best director of the year. That was really something.
　　However, my first meeting with Sven was not very agreeable. Together with eleven others I had just got through the enhance examination. I was sitting with Franziska on a bench in front of the rehearsal stage. Sven, a year ahead of us, stood on some steps, wearing mauve dungamess, and looking us over: motionless and a little arrogant but damned goo—looking with a well—structured face, brown eyes, and blonde hair.
　　Then he came down the steps, right towards me, and then at the last moment swerved aside so as to ask Franziska instead of me, “What’s your name？”
　　Nevertheless we became friends. Three years later on the riverbank at night, when we were practising the tapsteps for our final examination in dance, he promised to give me a part in the first film he made.
　　Today Sven is at once a director and a member of the executive board of the Thalia Theater in Hamburg, one of Germany’s best companies. He has also acted many great parts and was elevated to the aristocracy of the craft.
　　Right at the end of our training we had to prepare a role that we would probably never perform on stage. I chose Goethe’s Gretchen. No director would have cast me as Gretchen since I lack the blondeness and delicacy for the part. That was the great attraction. At the end of the play,when Gretchen sits in prison close to madness and awaiting death,  she says, “Woe, woe, they are coming. Bitter death.” I gave up the acting profession because of that sentence.
　　The words simply didn’t flow. I could of course have recited them, but while I was saying this sentence I constantly asked myself,  Who is going to believe in your desperation？ I could just as well have said, “Who’s eaten my jelly baby？” or “What, a quarter past five already？” There would not have been any difference. In desperation I said this sentence again and again, hoping that a fear of death would arise. The opposite was the case.  
　　What distinguishes a good actor from a bad one—and the reason for my failure. which had of course been evident for some time—is credibility. True art consists of making the spectator forget that the actor is only playing a part.
　　Recognition that this profession was not for me was painful. For three years it was my life, a wonderful life. Botho Strauss has written a kind of universal sentence about the theatre,“Only theatre prevented me from becoming a great actor.” Yes, that’s true of me, too.
美丽英文励志篇(1)

　从零开始
　　We’re Just Beginning
　　大多数人的生活由他们所处的环境决定。他们不仅接受既定的命运，而且顺从命运的安排。他们就像街上的电车一样，在既定的轨道上行驶，而对于那些不时出没于车水马龙间和欢快地奔驰于空旷原野上的廉价小汽车却不屑一顾。
　　从零开始
　　佚名
　　“我们正在阅读一本书的首章首节，这本书的页数永无止境……”
　　虽不知道这段文字出自谁手，但我一直把它作为自己的座右铭，它警醒我——未来掌控在自己手中。我们可以把神秘莫测的未来想象成任何模样，如同雕刻家可以把不成形的石头刻成任何雕像一样。
　　人人都是农夫。撒播优良的种子，我们就会获得丰收。反之，种子劣质，地里杂草丛生，收成自然不好。没有耕耘就没有收获。
　　我希望未来比昨天更美好。我不愿那些充斥于历史的过失与错误把未来玷污。我们都将在未来中度过余生，所以，我们都应关注未来。
　　对于寂然不动、已消逝的往昔，我们无能为力，但未来就在我们眼前，生机勃勃，我们可以通过自己的行为去构筑它。如果我们独具慧眼，那么，不论在生活中，还是事业上，我们每天都能发现新知。在人类的各个探索领域，一切才刚刚开始。
　　心灵小语
　　对于寂然不动、已消逝的往昔，我们无能为力，但未来就在我们眼前，生机勃勃，我们可以通过自己的行为去构筑它。
　　We’re Just Beginning
　　Anonymous
　　“We are reading the first verse of the first chapter of a book whose pages are infinite...”
　　I do not know who wrote these words, but I have always liked them as a reminder that the future can be anything we want to make it. We can take the mysterious, hazy future and carve out of it anything that we can imagine, just as a sculptor1 carves a statue from a shapeless stone.
　　We are all in the position of the farmer. If we plant a good seed, we reap a good harvest. If our seed is poor and full of weeds, we reap a useless crop. If we plant nothing at all, we harvest nothing at all.
　　I want the future to be better than the past. I don’t want it contaminated2 by the mistakes and errors with which history is filled. We should all be concerned about the future because that is where we will spend the remainder of our lives.
　　The past is gone and static. Nothing we can do will change it. The future is before us and dynamic. Everything we do will affect it. Each day brings with it new frontiers, in our homes and in our businesses, if we will only recognize them. We are just at the beginning of the progress in every field of human endeavor.
　　发现自己
　　佚名
　　不知不觉中，所有的中国哲人都认为最重要的一个问题是：该怎样享受生活？谁最能享受生活？没有至善论，没有未果的追求，没有无知的假定，仅仅是把可怜的、致命的人类本性视为生命。我们该怎样组织我们的生命，以使我们能携带着崇高平静地工作、幸福地生活？
　　第一个问题我们是谁？这是一个几乎无法回答的问题。但是，我们都认为日常生活中忙碌的自我，并不是十分真正的自我。我们相当确定，在纯粹的生活追求中我们丢失了一些什么。当我们看到一个人在一片田地中来回地寻找什么东西时，智者会为旁观者设置一个迷：那个人丢失了什么?有人认为丢了手表，有人认为是钻石胸针，还有人作着其他的猜测。然而，所有的猜测都是错误的，后来，那个其实并不知道真相的智者告诉那些人说：“我来告诉你们吧，他丢了一些气息。”没有人能够否认他的话的正确性。因此，在生活的追求中我们往往会忘记真实的自我，就像庄子的寓言——一只鸟在捕食螳螂时忘记了自身的危险，而那只螳螂在捕捉另一只猎物时也忘记了自身的危险一样，惟妙惟肖。
　　心灵小语
　　在生活中，我们往往会忘记真实的我，那么从现在开始，从点点滴滴开始，寻找自我，做真正的自己。
　　Find Yourself
　　Anonymous
　　The only problem unconsciously assumed by all Chinese Philosophers to be of any importance is: How shall we enjoy life, and who can best enjoy life? No perfectionism1, no straining after the unattainable, no postulating of the unknowable, but taking poor, mortal human nature as it is, how shall we organize our life so that we can work peacefully, endure nobly2 and live happily?
　　Who are we? That is the first question. It is a question almost impossible to answer. But we all agree that the busy self occupied in our daily activities is not quite the real self. We are quite sure we have lost something in the mere pursuit3 of living. When we watch a person running about looking for something in a field, the wise man can set a puzzle for all the spectators to solve: what has that person lost? Some one thinks it is a watch; another thinks it is a diamond brooch; and others will essay other guesses. After all the guesses have failed, the wise man who really doesn’t know what the person is seeking after, tells the company, “I’ll tell you. He has lost some breath.” And no one can deny that he is right. So we often forget out true self in the pursuit of living, like a bird forgetting its own danger in pursuit of a mantis, which again forgets its own danger in pursuit of another prey, as is so beautifully expressed in a parable by Chuangtse.
　　我为何而生
　　伯特兰?罗素
　　对爱的期望，对知识的追求以及对人类苦难的深切怜悯之心——这三种质朴而不可抗拒的情感主宰着我的生活。这些情感像一阵阵飓风，把我吹得飘来荡去，穿过痛苦的海洋，抵达绝望的彼岸。
　　我曾追寻过爱，首先是因为爱可以使人欣喜若狂——它让人如此高兴。为了这片刻的快乐，我宁愿拿我的余生作为牺牲；我曾追寻过爱，其次是因为它能排解人孤独的感觉——置身于这无比可怕的孤独中，那让人战栗的感觉，会掠过这个世界的边缘，把人带入那无声无息而且寒气逼人的无底深渊。我曾追寻过爱，还因为在爱的结合、在这神秘的缩影中，我看到了圣人和诗人们曾经幻想的天堂美景。我追寻的正是如此。尽管对凡人而言，这世间好像是一种奢望，但这是我最终所寻觅的。
　　带着同样的情感，我曾追寻过知识。我曾希望对人类的心灵有所了解，我曾想知道星辰为什么会发光，我曾试图理解毕达哥拉斯的力量，他认为数的力量驾驭着万物的变化。我得到了为数不多的一点知识。
　　爱和知识可以把人带入天堂。但是怜悯之心又常常把我拉回尘世之中，我的心中激荡着痛苦的呼唤。嗷嗷待哺的孩子、受压迫者折磨的受害者、孤苦无助的老人——他们是儿女们憎恶的负担。还有那充满着孤独、贫穷和痛苦的世界，都在嘲弄着人类生活本应有的美好。我渴望减少人间的邪恶，对此却无能为力，因此也承受着煎熬。
　　这就是我的生活，我觉得值得活下去。如果天赐良机，我愿意再快乐地活一次。
　　What I Have Lived For
　　Bertrand Russell
　　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 verge of despair.
　　I have sought love, first, because it brings ecstasy — ecstasy so great that I would 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 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 wished to know why the stars shine. And I have tried to apprehend the Pythagorean power by which number holds away above the flux. 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 reverberated 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 I would gladly live it again if the chance were offered to me.
　　学会接受自己
　　佚名
　　自我怀疑并非天性，而是后天学来的。事实上，怀疑自己通常是被教化的结果。那些教化者往往正经历困惑和犹疑，他们善意地以为自己是出于保护和关爱，他们（通常是父母或其他重要的长辈）希望我们成为强壮、能干和自信的人。但不经意间，他们教导我们思考的方式却常常导致不良的后果。可喜的是，我们可以理解这种方式，并学习新的方式以更好地接受自我。以下有六种行为可以帮你增强自我认可度，你可能学过但并不一定完全理解。
　　说教式的自我评价
　　用说教的方式进行自我评价确是令人自暴自弃的一种方式。人们经常耗费大量时间和精力用这样的形容词来评定自己：“差劲”、“可恶”和“低劣”。如果你用这些词来形容自己，想要自我认可是非常困难的。有这样一种方式可以让你更欣赏自己，不是用说教式的自责，而是开始问自己一些这样的问题：“在这种情形下，我是在做自己真正想做的事吗？”“我要怎样消除误会呢？”换言之，你开始用有无成效来看待问题，而不是用好坏来评判。如果某事没有成效，你可以集中精神吸取教训，并尝试其他的方法以取得更大的成效。
　　以偏概全
　　导致你无法接受自己的另一种情况是，你对自己做过却并不喜欢的事“以偏概全”。比如说，如果某次考试不及格，你可能会说：“我真是个傻瓜。”你这样评价其实是对自己过去和未来的全盘否定，而不是针对时下的情况。相反，你应该先明确这个科目的分数在这次考试中确实少得可怜，然后再决定要怎么应对。以偏概全只会打消你的积极性，让你无法在下一次考试中进步，丧失对未来的信心。
　　不切实际的高标准
　　给自己定下不切实际的标准是第三种无法认可自我的原因。大多数人对自己的要求比对别人严格，这不足为奇。但我们能容忍别人的失败：他们不一定总是完美，做过的事不一定总引以为豪——却很难接受我们自己身上人性的弱点。追求完美的渴望是导致自己感到失败、增强自我排斥的另一种原因。人人都会犯错误，我们应该认识到人性中固有的局限性。要学会自我欣赏，而不要一味渴求成为怎样的人。在莱纳斯一部流行的喜剧片中，有一个镇定并总是忧虑的角色，引用他的话来说：“世界上最沉重的负担就是潜在的焦虑。”如果我们总是去做那些想去做的一切事，岂不是会将自己完全吞没？没有人拥有那么多的时间和精力。我们必须有所选择地去追求，然后在某些条件（顺带说一句，不一定总是很理想）下付出最大的努力。
　　不能接受你能力有限的事实
　　我们以为只要努力奋斗就一定能达到目标，这是阻碍自我认可的另一个因素。你可能达到很多目标，并由此树立信心。可是，很多人却看不到成功，因为他们总是把注意力集中在失败上。特别是当我们付出艰辛、遭受磨难后仍然要面对多次失败时，所有的努力看起来都付之东流了。我们很难接受目标无法达成的事实，这可能是许多因素造成的，包括我们没有那方面的才干或技能。当然，也可能是其他一些操作上的问题使目标在那个时期落空——健康因素、经济问题、家庭困难、外在压力或其他单个或多个因素的综合作用。自我认可真正的诀窍在于要意识到这个目标是不可实现的，至少现在不能，然后转移你的注意力，集中到当时条件允许的、能达到的目标上。这可能包括评估你原来的目标，然后决定是否继续追求，也意味着你能从已达成的目标和学到的经验中树立信心。
　　攀比
　　用他人达成的目标来评判自己，必定会降低你对自我的认可。你是否注意到，你从不与看似不如你的人比较，而总是选择那些最优秀、最成功的人来比较？你跟你的朋友、兄弟、姐妹、父母或其他人一样好吗？试着做一个普通人会怎样？（谁是或用什么来界定“普通人”呢？）你比别人好就真的很优秀吗？当我们把别人当做自己的尺码时，并没有想过自身的缺陷或才干。比如，某人的口才看上去比你好，你可能有两种反应：你可能变得不安和沮丧，告诉自己你也要有如那个人那般好的口才；或者，你能够认识到，可能有更多的人在特定的场合和时间口才很好，你能接受这个事实，觉得没什么，对你来说无关紧要。攀比会导向绝路，它可能会使你丧失自身的其他品质，如诚实、友善、怜悯、奉献等等。事实上，你的价值并不体现在多么像某个人，而在于你自身。
　　被动
　　被动的处世态度会让你更难接受自己。从事你所喜欢的活动有助于自我欣赏。回想那些最不能接受自己的时候，你在做什么？你是怎样度过的？接受和欣赏自己意味着对自己的生活很满意。如果没有自我认同感，你可能正在做自己不喜欢的事，或对生活不满意。增加自我认可度的一个方法是：更积极地面对生活。寻找那些更积极、更能给你带来快乐的关系——不一定是你能拥有的最大的快乐，但一定是从你当时的选择中能得到的最大快乐。尝试一些新的东西，也许，你总是想尝试更多，却总觉得做不到。那么，带着一种寻根问底的态度去试试看吧，你可能会发现它们令你愉快，并想继续下去；可能发现它们很好，但不值得继续；也可能发现自己根本不喜欢，把它们删除会感觉更好。尝试并真正去经历，会让你的自我感觉更好，也会让你对自己的能力更有信心。
　　心灵小语
　　在日常生活中，我们所接受的教育往往会使我们对自己产生怀疑，认为自己缺乏某种能力。但我们可以尝试着去理解这种教育方式，并学习新的方式以增强自我认可度、自我认同感，真正地接受自己。
　　Learning to Accept Yourself
　　Anonymous
　　We are not born doubting ourselves. We learn to do it. In fact, we are usually taught to doubt ourselves. Often we are taught to do so by otherwise wellmeaning people who are passing along their own doubts and uncertainties and who believe they are being protective and caring. What these people (usually parents and other significant adults) want are strong, capable and selfconfident people, but they often inadvertently teach us thought processes that lead to something else. That’s the bad news. The good news is that we can understand some of these processes and learn new ways of coping that allow us to become more accepting of ourselves. Following are six behaviors you may have learned that can be unlearned and allow you to move toward greater selfacceptance.
　　Moralistic1 Selfjudgment
　　One way to really dislike yourself is to always judge yourself in a very moralistic way. People often spend a lot of time and energy labeling their behavior with moral adjectives such as “bad” “hateful” and “mean”. When you apply these kinds of words to yourself you make liking yourself much more difficult. There is a more productive way of looking at yourself that will allow you to begin to like yourself more.  Instead of evaluating yourself in this moralistic way, begin to ask questions like: “Did I do what I really wanted to do in this situation?”“How can I correct the misunderstanding that occurred?” In other words, you can start to view what you’ve done as productive or nonproductive rather than as good or bad. If something is nonproductive, you can focus on what you have learned from it and try another approach that might be more productive.
　　Overgeneralizing
　　Another thing that might cause you not to accept yourself is overgeneralizing about something you’ve done that you don’t like. So, for example, if you fail a test you might generalize and say, “I’m really a stupid person.” When you do this you are making a statement about all of you all of the time and not just about this one situation at this time. Instead, you might decide that your grade on this test in this subject at this time was indeed poor, and then go on to decide what you want to do about your poor grade, if anything. Getting stuck in overgeneralizing discourages you from taking steps that might allow you to do better on the next exam and builds an expectation of future failure.
　　Impossibly High Standards
　　Having standards that are impossibly high is a third way you can not accept yourself. It may not come as a surprise to you that most of us are more demanding of ourselves than we are of others. Somehow we can tolerate the fact that other people fail, that they aren’t always kind, that they’ve done things they aren’t proud of, but we have difficulty accepting those very human aspects of ourselves. The need to be perfect is another way to set yourself up for failure and enhance the feeling that you are not acceptable. We all make mistakes. Accepting less than perfection simply means recognizing the limitations inherent2 in being born a human being.  Learn to value who you are rather than who you could become. To quote Linus, a sober and often worried character from a popular comic strip,“The world’s heaviest burden is a great potential.” Wouldn’t it be overwhelming if we always had to do what we imagine we could do? Nobody has the time and energy to do all of that. We must make choices about what we will pursue and do them the best we can under the circumstances (which aren’t always ideal, by the way).
　　Not Accepting that there Are Real Limits to Your Abilities
　　The idea that you should always be able to attain your goals as long as you work hard enough is another factor interfering with selfacceptance. You will reach many of your goals and should give yourself credit for having done so.  Some of us have trouble seeing our successes because we focus so much on our failures and many times the failures come after a lot of hard work and personal suffering. It seems that all that hard work should pay off in our having reaching the goal we set out to achieve. It is hard to accept that a given goal may be out of our reach and that may be because of many factors, including the fact that we may not have the talent or skill needed to reach the goal. Of course there may be other factors in operation that make the achieving of that goal at that time impossible— health concerns, financial problems, family difficulties, extraneous stressors, or any number of other factors acting alone or together. The real trick to selfacceptance is to see that the goal is unattainable, at least for now, and shifting your focus to accomplishing what you can accomplish under the circumstances. That could include evaluating your original goal and deciding whether or not to continue with it. It also means giving yourself credit for what you have accomplished and what you have learned from your experiences.
　　The Comparison Trap
　　Judging yourself by what others have accomplished is a sure way to lower your selfacceptance. Have you noticed that you never compare yourself to people who seem to aspire to less than you do and that you always chose those people who are the top performers or the most popular as your yardstick3 for success? Are you as good as your friends, your brother or sister, your parents or Joe Blow? And how about trying to be like “normal” people are? (And who or what determines what is “normal”?) Can you only be good if you’re better than someone else? When we use other people as our yardstick, we aren’t taking into consideration our own personal limitations or talents. For example, if someone seems to be more articulate than you, you can respond in one of two ways: You can become upset and depressed by telling yourself that you should be as articulate4 as that person, or you can recognize and accept the fact that there are probably a lot of people out there who are more articulate than you at certain times and under certain circumstances and that is OK. It doesn’t mean a thing about you. Playing the comparison game is a dead end street. By doing that you are probably missing some other qualities by which you can judge your own worth, like your honesty, friendliness, caring nature, dedication and so forth. And really, people don’t value you for how much you are like someone else. They do value you for the ways you are being you.
　　Passivity5
　　Just passively letting your life happen may make it more difficult to accept yourself. Part of accepting yourself is engaging in activities that help you like yourself. Think back to those times when you weren’t concerned about your acceptability. What kinds of things were you doing? How were you spending your time? To accept and like yourself means that you approve of how you are living your life. If you aren’t accepting yourself, you probably don’t like the activities you’re engaged in. You are feeling dissatisfied. A way to increase your selfacceptance is to become more actively engaged in your life. Look for those activities and relationships that give you the most enjoyment —not necessarily the most enjoyment you could possibly have, but the most you can get from your choices at the moment. Try new things, perhaps things you have always wanted to try but didn’t because you felt you couldn’t do them. Try them with the attitude that you want to know what it would actually be like to do them. You may find that they are enjoyable and that you want to continue them. You may find that they are OK, but not worth continuing. You may find that you don’t like them at all and feel fine about crossing them off your list of things to do. Trying and getting real experience is a way of feeling better about yourself and gaining more confidence in your abilities.
　　爱自己
　　佚名
　　小时候，我总觉得自爱是一种虚荣，不是优点。
　　长大后，像很多人一样，我逐渐摈弃了这种观念。虚荣和自爱之间有着天壤之别。
　　我们都在人世间努力奋斗，所追寻的或多或少有几分相似：奉献、让我们的人生有价值、爱与被爱、欢笑甚至……哭泣。
　　我们寻求庇护所、食物、伴侣、温暖、衣服、家庭、朋友，追求赞赏、爱情和自尊。我们都不完美。通常，在追求过程中，我们忘记了生活中细微的快乐。过分沉溺在过去，专注在未来，和其他的一切可能，结果我们的今天反而遗失了。让昨天长眠吧，活在今天，来期待和梦想明天。
　　如果某些部分有损你的形象，妨碍你去爱自己，只要你能够，改变它吧！生活中有太多控制不了的事，但是我们自己，却可以控制。你是黏土，同时也是雕刻家，你有能力创造一幅杰作。模型和样板已经形成，你要做的只是精雕细琢。
　　这个任务轻松吗？不，它有瑕疵和缺陷，你需要坚持不懈地努力，像一个雕刻家那样在作品完成之前，反复雕琢。雕塑家难道会因为某件作品有一点瑕疵或裂痕，就认为该作品毫无价值，而将之抛弃吗？当然不会，那样的话，世间还有艺术珍品吗？我想一件都没有。你想想，会有多少杰作在创造的过程中是毫无缺陷、没有经过任何改动、一蹴而就的呢？我们怎能看不见所有艺术品中最最珍品的人类呢？它才是最有生命力、生生不息的杰作。
　　多少次，你听到一个这样的问题：人类将何去何从？至少在我看来，这个答案要看我们的创造，因为是我们在编织未来。你就是无价之宝，万事万物中无可替代。尽管身为杰作，我们并不完美，但别让昨天阻碍你明天的成就。
　　再重申一次，这些言语只是我个人的感受和想法，人的思想会随着明天的日落而改变，尽管我也在继续雕琢这块与生俱来的泥塑，它就叫做自我。
　　Love of Self
　　Anonymous
　　When I was younger, I thought that to love one’s self was vanity and not a virtuous1 trait.
　　As I have grown older, that belief has passed away, as have so many others. There is a vast deviation2 between being vain and loving one’s self.
　　We are all in this world together striving for more or less the same things. To contribute and have our lives count for something. To love and be loved, to laugh and…yes, to cry.
　　We seek shelter, nourishment, a mate, warmth, clothing, family, friends; we seek approval, love and selfesteem. We are all imperfect. Often during our search we forget to simply enjoy what life is. We become so caught up in what could have been, what should be, what might be, that many of our todays are lost. Let yesterday rest, live for today, hope and dream for your tomorrows.                   
　　If there is some part of you that lessens your selfimage, some part of you that prevents you from loving yourself, change it, for only you can. Life is filled with things we have no control over, but ourselves, we can control. You are the clay, you are the sculptor3 and you have the ability to create a masterpiece. The shape and form are there. You have only to refine the work.
　　Is the task an easy one? No. There will be sips and flaws and you will be required to work and rework just as a sculptor must rework the clay before the piece is completed. Should the sculptor throw out the piece condemning it as worthless because of a blemish or nick? Of course not, where then would all the world’s treasured art be? I doubt we would have any. How many masterpieces do you think have been created in one fellswoop, a first effort completely successful without error, without change? Is it possible we fail to see that mankind is the most marvelous of all works of art? A living, continuous, developing work of art.
　　How often have you heard the question“what is the human race coming to”? The answer, in my mind at least, is whatever we make it, for we are the weavers4 of tomorrow. You are a treasure, beyond price, one of a kind, irreplaceable5. Not perfect but well on your way to being a masterpiece. Do not let your yesterdays hinder tomorrow’s achievements.
　　Again, I say to you that these words are merely feelings and thoughts, one person’s outlook and subject to change with tomorrows setting sun, as I too continue to sculpt the lump of clay given to me at birth, called self.
　　接受自己
　　佚名
　　爱自己是件很困难的事，这真是一种很奇怪的现象！或许有人以为这是世界上最容易的事，因为我们始终都在关心自己。我们总对能获得多少、表现多好、如何舒适地生活怀有极大的兴趣。那为何真正地爱自己就那么难呢?
　　当然，爱自己并不意味着放纵自己。很多人都没有真正地爱过自己，他们知道，很多东西并不是自己渴望就能得到的。每个人都有很多想法，有不同反应和好恶。他们会认为：没有这些，他们会更快乐。当一个人肯定自己某些方面而厌恶其他方面时，他就作出了判断。于是，我们对自身不满的方面被压制下去，不想去了解，也不想承认它的存在。这是非常有碍自己成长的方式。
　　讨厌自己看似消极的一面也是一种愚蠢的做法。每次这种消极面出现的时候都要自责，从而使事情变得更为糟糕，恐惧和挑衅也随之而来。若你想以一种平和的方式对待自己，装作消极方面——争强好胜、脾气暴躁、自负享乐等倾向都不存在，那是没有裨益的。若我们如此伪装自己，那就与现实相去甚远，也就人为地把自己割裂了。这样的人即使是健全的，给我们的外表印象也未必真实。我们都曾遇到过这样的人，外表甜美得不切实际，因为那是经过伪装和压制的。自责并不奏效。这两种情况下人们都把自己的反应传达给别人。有些人指责他人真实或虚幻的缺点，甚至有时不把他们当做普通人。每个人都生活在一个虚幻的世界里，这是由自负导致的，特别不真实。因为这里的一切要么太完美，要么太糟糕。
　　唯一真实的是我们的心间藏有六个根源——三个善良的，三个邪恶的。后者是贪婪、憎恶和幻觉，与此同时，我们也拥有慷慨、仁慈和智慧。我们试着关注下面这件事：如果一个人察觉到了这一点，并不因此而焦虑，那么他就可以接受人人都有这六个根源的事实。当他发现自己身上也有这些根源时，再接受这一事实便很容易。这些是我们个人行为的内在根源。之后，我们会更客观地看待自己，既不因有不健康的根而自责，也不因有健康的根而骄傲，而是欣然接受它们现存的方式。我们也可以更确定地接受别人，与他人相处得更轻松融洽。
　　我们不再受失望的折磨，也不再自责，因为我们不会生活在仅有黑白两种色彩的世界中，即好或坏任意一方的三个根源。任何地方都不存在这样的世界，只有阿罗汉是唯一完美的人。事实上，这只不过是程度问题。这个程度调整得近乎完美，以至于使我们每个人心中好坏相区别的程度细微到可以忽略。培养善根，摈弃恶根，是人类的共同任务。
　　显然，我们每个人各有不同。这也是一种幻觉。我们都面临相同的难题，也有相同的应对措施。受训练的长度不同是我们的唯一的区别。或许持续较久的训练，让我们更明白罢了。
　　净化了的感情能使思维更清晰，这是一项有待达到却又很难达到的境界。只有一个人感情清晰明确直率，才有望实现目标。当确定要那么做时，就把针刺拔除。认为自己完美无缺或一无是处，就不可能实现目标。我们既非完美无缺也非一无是处，每个人集潜能和障碍于一身。如果一个人可以爱有某些才能倾向的“我”，那他也可以切实、有效而有益地爱他人。但如果将这两部分割裂开，只爱好的部分，而讨厌坏的部分，那他永远不会拥有现实。
　　如果我们以那种方式看待自己，也就学会了用健康的方式爱自己。“就像危难之时，母亲关爱和保护自己的孩子那样”做你自己的母亲！如果我们想与自己建立一种真实的、有利于成长的关系，那我们需要成为自己的母亲。明智的母亲能辨别对孩子有益和有害的事物。但当孩子行为不端时，她还是会情不自禁地去爱他。这是待己方面特别要注意的问题。人们时常都会有思想和言行不端之时，思想上最为常见，其次是言语上，再次是行为上。我们应对此采取什么措施呢?一位母亲又会怎么做呢？她会告诉孩子别再那么做，并仍会和从前一样爱他，继续养育他。我们也可以这样对待自己，或许我们也便开始养育自己。
　　这个训练的过程也是一个成熟的过程。成熟是一种与年龄无关的智慧。如果它们之间有关联，那么事情就会很简单了，一个人的成熟就有了保障——到了一定年龄他必然会走向成熟，因为这是一份艰难的工作，是一项有待完成的工作。首先要会识别，然后学着不再怨天尤人，而是以理解的心面对一切，确信“事情本应如此”。第三步才是改变。对多数人来说，识别是最困难的一步，认清自己并非易事。这是沉思最重要也最有趣的方面。
　　我们过着沉思的生活，但并不是说我们要终日静坐沉思。沉思的生活是指我们要把生活中发生的一切都看成学习经验的资源。无论在什么情况下都应养成自省的习惯。当你外出时，你就带着自己的思想和言行融入了这个世界。一个人需时常追忆往事并在内心细细品味。对于我们来说，这就是沉思与生活方式的结合。沉思的生活存于一个人的内心，不管是否有回忆的介入，他都可以做几件相同的事。沉思是自省最重要的一个方面，但整日无所事事，坐观自己的呼吸并无必要。每一举动、每一思想甚至每句话都能给你灵感，让你更能理解自己。
　　对待自己的这种行为能给内心带来一种根植于现实的安全感。多数人都渴望这种安全，但却不能确切地表达出这种渴望。生活在虚幻中，持续的希望和恐惧是与拥有坚强的意志相悖的。当一个人看到了自己内心的真实，同时也看到了其他人心中的真实，并与之达成谅解时，安全感便随之而来。
　　沉思的生活通常很繁忙。某种乐趣的缺乏可以通过与人友好相处进行弥补，可往往事与愿违。我们应培养一种轻松愉快的心境，但是只限于内心。没有什么事情是值得担心和恐惧的，也没有什么事情是非常困难的。因此我们应以轻松的心态去面对自己和他人遭遇的困难，但切勿过于外露。做一个内敛的人，怀有些许的愉悦心情，这样会达到更好的效果。如果一个人在对待自己时有幽默感，就很容易正确地爱自己，同样也更容易爱他人。
　　有时我们以为可以美化自己，那是不可能的。人们总是希望展现给别人的比真实的自己更完美。当然，当实现不了时，就会对自己和他人都感到失望。只有真实地了解自己才能真正地爱自己。接受真实的自己和他人，我们的净化工作——祛除心灵的杂质，才会更容易。
　　心灵小语
　　爱自己，接受自己，不会因自己的缺陷而厌恶自己，也不会因自己的富有而沾沾自喜，客观地看待自己，接受真实的自我——用健康的方式爱自己。
　　Accepting Oneself
　　Anonymous
　　It’s a strange phenomenon how difficult people find it to love themselves. One would think it is the easiest thing in the world, because we’re constantly concerned with ourselves. We’re always interested in how much we can get, how well we can perform, how comfortable we can be. So with all that, why is it so difficult to actually love oneself?
　　Loving oneself certainly doesn’t mean indulging oneself. Really loving is an attitude towards oneself that most people don’t have, because they know quite a few things about themselves which are not desirable. Everybody has innumerable1 attitudes, reactions, likes and dislikes which they’d be better off without. Judgment is made and while one likes one’s positive attitudes, one dislikes the others. With that comes suppression of those aspects of oneself that one is not pleased with. One doesn’t want to know about them and doesn’t acknowledge them. That’s one way of dealing with oneself, which is detrimental2 to growth.
　　Another unskillful way is to dislike that part of oneself which appears negative and every time it arises one blames oneself, which makes matters twice as bad as they were before. With that comes fear and very often aggression. If one wants to deal with oneself in a balanced way, it’s not useful to pretend that the unpleasant part doesn’t exist, those aggressive, irritable, sensual, conceited tendencies. If we pretend we are far from reality and put a split into ourselves. Even though such a person may be totally sane, the appearance given is that of not being quite real. We’ve all come across people like that, who are too sweet to be true, as a result of pretense and suppression. Blaming oneself doesn’t work either. In both instances one transfers one’s own reactions to other people. One blames others for their deficiencies, real or imagined, or one doesn’t see them as ordinary human beings. Everyone lives in an unreal world, because it’s egodeluded, but this one is particularly unreal, because everything is considered either as perfectly wonderful or absolutely terrible.
　　The only thing that is real is that we have six roots within us. Three roots of good and three roots of evil. The latter are greed, hate and delusion, but we also have their opposites： generosity3, lovingkindness and wisdom. Take an interest in this matter. If one investigates this and doesn’t get anxious about it, then one can easily accept these six roots in everybody. No difficulty at all, when one has seen them in oneself. They are the underlying roots of everyone’s behavior. Then we can look at ourselves a little more realistically, namely not blaming ourselves for the unwholesome roots, not patting ourselves on the back for the wholesome ones, but rather accepting their existence within us. We can also accept others more clearsightedly and have a much easier time relating to them.
　　We will not suffer from disappointments and we won’t blame, because we won’t live in a world where only black or white exists, either the three roots of unwholesomeness or their opposites. Such a world doesn’t exist anywhere, and the only person to be like that is an Arahant. It’s largely a matter of degree in everyone else. These degrees of good and evil are so finely tuned, there’s so little difference within the degrees in each one of us that it really doesn’t matter. Everybody has the same job to do, to cultivate the wholesome tendencies and uproot the unwholesome ones.
　　Apparently we’re all very different. That too is an illusion. We’re all having the same problems and also the same faculties to deal with them. The only difference is the length of training that one has had. Training which may have been going on for a number of lifetimes has brought about a little more clarity, that’s all.
　　Clarity of thinking comes from purification of one’s emotions, which is a difficult job that needs to be done. But it can only be done successfully when it isn’t an emotional upheaval, but clear cut, straight forward work that one does on oneself. When it is considered to be just that, it takes the sting out of it. The charge of “I’m so wonderful” or “I’m so terrible” is defused. We are neither wonderful nor terrible. Everyone is a human being with all the potential and all the obstructions. If one can love that human being, the one that is “me” with all its faculties and tendencies, then one can love others realistically, usefully and helpfully. But if one makes a break in the middle and loves the part which is nice and dislikes the part which isn’t nice enough, one’s never going to come to grips with reality.
　　If we look at ourselves in that manner, we will learn to love ourselves in a wholesome way.“Just as a mother at the risk of life, loves and protects her child...” Become your own mother!If we want to have a relationship with ourselves that is realistic and conducive to growth, then we need to become our own mother. A sensible mother can distinguish between that which is useful for her child and that which is detrimental. But she doesn’t stop loving the child when it misbehaves. This may be the most important aspect to look at in ourselves. Everyone, at one time or another, misbehaves in thought or speech or action——most frequently in thought, fairly frequently in speech and not so often in action. So what do we do with that? What does a mother do? She tells the child not to do it again, loves the child as much as she’s always loved it and just gets on with the job of bringing up her child. Maybe we can start to bring up ourselves.
　　The whole of this training is a matter of maturing. Maturity is wisdom, which is unfortunately not connected to age. If it were, it would be very easy. One would have a guarantee. Since it is hard work, a job to be done. First comes recognition, then learning not to condemn, but to understand, “This is the way it is.” The third step is change. Recognition4 may be the hardest part for most people; it’s not easy to see what goes on inside of oneself. This is the most important and the most interesting aspect of contemplation.
　　We lead a contemplative life, but that does not mean we sit in meditation all day long. A contemplative life means that one considers every aspect of what happens as part of a learning experience. One remains introspective under all circumstances. When one becomes outgoing, one goes to the world with one’s thoughts, speech and action. One needs to recollect oneself and return within. In our way it’s a combination of meditation and lifestyle. The contemplative life goes on inside of oneself. One can do the same thing with or without recollection. Contemplation is the most important aspect of introspection. It isn’t necessary to sit still all day and watch one’s breath. Every move, every thought, every word can give rise to understanding oneself.
　　This kind of work on oneself will bring about deep inner security, which is rooted in reality. Most people are wishing and hoping for this kind of security, but are not even able to voice their longing. Living in a myth, constantly hoping or being afraid is opposed to having inner strength. The feeling of security arises when one sees reality inside of oneself and thereby the reality in everyone else and comes to terms with it.
　　The contemplative life is often lived heavyhandedly. A certain lack of joy is compensated for by being outgoing. This doesn’t work. One should cultivate certain lightheartedness, but stay within oneself. There’s nothing to be worried or fearful about, nothing that is too difficult. So we need a lighthearted approach to our own difficulties and those of everyone else, but not exuberance and outpouring. Rather a constant inwardness, which contains a bit of amusement. This works best. If one has a sense of humor about oneself, it is much easier to love oneself properly. It’s also much easier to love everybody else.
　　We sometimes think we can portray something we are not. That is not possible. People generally try to show themselves off as something better than they really are. Then, of course, they become disappointed in themselves when they fail, and equally disappointed in others. To realistically know oneself makes it possible to truly love. That kind of feeling gives the lightheartedness to this job in which we’re engaged, which is needed. By accepting ourselves and others as we truly are, our job of purification, chipping away at the defilements, is made much easier.
　　喜欢自己多一些
　　佚名
　　最近，我问坐在我车里的一位朋友：“你喜欢自己什么?”沉默了好几分钟后，她转向我，满脸歉意地说：“我想不出来。”
　　我十分诧异,她竟看不到自己的任何优点。她是一个多么聪明、迷人而又富有同情心的姑娘啊！
　　我深知并非只有她一人如此，自尊心较低已成为女性最大的困扰。尽管上帝保证深爱着我们，但我们大多数人不能相信他是说的“我们”。就像愤世嫉俗的编辑对初出茅庐的记者说：“如果你妈妈说她爱你，那就去确认一下吧。”
　　我已经做了12年的记者，在采访中我首先学到的是“错进，错出”。若你的初始资料有误，那么你的结论也不会正确。同理，我们看待自己也是如此。如果我们缺乏自信心，那也是正在操作有错误的数据资料。
　　事实上，通过许多种微妙的方式，我们的信心被文化、家庭、朋友甚至是精神生活共同削弱。我们成长的家庭缺乏肯定、鼓励和尊重，而这些正是建立自信的基石。于是，我们发现，自己所处的世界推崇好莱坞二流明星和芭比娃娃的形象。我们的薪水、头衔或者其他人为的标准让我们临时步入所谓的上流社会。但是，在内心深处，我们知道它并不真实，那通往真实的道路到底在哪里呢？
　　我有科技恐惧症，我的哥哥却对此极有天赋,能读懂操作手册，修理东西，使用电脑。当我为了找工作，第一次学习电脑时，我就坚信自己毕生都学不会它。
　　我痛苦而又清醒地记得，在电脑初学者培训班里，老师让我们“按任意键”，我徒劳地寻找“任意”键。那堂课终于结束后,我敢确信，自己连开车回家的能力都没有了，明天打扮得体地去上班就更不可能了，尽管事实上我管理了一栋房子，一个家庭，拥有一份工作，是一个专业的职员。
　　为什么会觉得如此丢脸呢？因为，我与隔壁那个十岁的小女孩比较，她轻轻松松地在网上搜索期末成绩，而我煞费苦心只是想上网。我没有认为科技能力不是我的强项，而是得出自己很愚蠢这样的结论。这是不正确的。
　　我们怎样尊重别人，别人就会同样地尊重我们。这就是不自信会暗示别人不要相信我们的原因。
　　多年来，我努力学习优雅地接受恭维。如果有人夸赞我的头发，我会不予理会。我会说，我的发型让我的脸看起来更胖了，或者我的头发是灰色的。我真正想说的是，肯定会有不足之处，我不值得您称道。我不喜欢自己，也不相信您会真正喜欢。问题是，如果我们一味贬低自己，最终别人也会相信我们所说的是对的。
　　有时候，错误的信息不是问题，而是我们对自己或处境要有一个正确的判断。但是，别人一旦质疑，我们就屈从了。
　　几年前，我发现自己左胸上长了一个葡萄状的硬块。我的医生立刻安排了一次外科手术。一个月以后，当我继续作定期体检时，我感觉在那个地方又发现了相同的硬块，我确定有。当我打电话给医生，跟他讨论他可能没有切除掉硬块时，他坚持说我错了，不可能有一个硬块，他说，因为他已经切除了。毕竟，他是医生。
　　我挂掉电话，怀疑自己的手的感觉。但是，对死亡的恐惧促使我鼓起勇气，坚持让他给我重新检查，他极不情愿地指着那个地方承认了，是的，它好像还是原来的那个硬块。他再次给我动外科手术切除了。
　　对我来说，我必须坦白承认，我很愚蠢，因为我不懂技术方面的东西。但是，承认这个事实后，我的确是一个相当聪明的人。只是令我悲伤的是，不论多少课程或者培训都不能完全解决我的技术缺陷。
　　另一个不正确的观点，是我自认为很自私，因为我只生了一个孩子。事实上，生我女儿时我差点儿丧命，而且，我的丈夫不想收养。许多年来我依然觉得自己是个不称职的母亲，就像我应该信仰上帝会在以后的分娩中保佑我一样。
　　对我而言，现在我相信，一个孩子正是上帝的旨意。我拒绝受到谴责。不过，我为不能实现满屋子的孩子的愿望，仍感到悲哀。
　　Liking Yourself More
　　Anonymous
　　Recently I turned to a friend who was riding in my car and asked her, “What do you like about yourself?” We rode in silence for several minutes. Finally, she turned to me and said, apologetically, “I can’t think of anything.”
　　I was stunned. My friend is intelligent, charming, and compassionate—yet she couldn’t see any of that.
　　I know she’s not alone. Low selfesteem has become the numberone issue plaguing women. Despite God’s assurance that he’s absolutely crazy about us, most of us can’t believe he means us. It’s like the cynical editor who tells the cub reporter,“If your mother says she loves you, check it out.”
　　I have been a reporter for 12 years. One of the first things I learned in researching a story was “garbage in, garbage out.” If your raw data is flawed, you end up with a faulty conclusion. The same is true with how we see ourselves. If we lack selfconfidence, maybe we’re working with flawed data.
　　The reality is, in hundreds of subtle ways, our culture, family, friends—even our thought life—conspire to undermine our confidence. We grow up in families void of affirmation, encouragement, and respect—the building blocks to selfconfidence. Then we find ourselves smack dab in the middle of a world that lionizes Size Two Hollywood starlets and Barbiedoll figures. Our paycheck, our title, or some other artificial yardstick gives us temporary entree into the world of The Accepted. But in our hearts, we know it isn’t real. How do we find our way to the truth?
　　I’m technophobia. My brother got all the genes required to understand operating manuals, to repair things, or to make sense of computers. When I first had to learn how to use a computer for my job, I was convinced it was the end of life as I knew it.
　　I remember with painful clarity a beginner’s computer class where the instructor told us to “press any key”. I searched in vain for the “any” key. By the end of the class, I was certain I wasn’t smart enough to drive myself home, much less dress for work the next day. This was despite the fact that I managed a home, a family, a job, and a professional staff.
　　Why was it so humiliating? Because I compared myself to the l0yearold girl next door who effortlessly surfed the Net to research her term papers while I struggled just to log on. Instead of simply concluding that technical prowess is not one of my strengths, I concluded I must be stupid. It was a lie.
　　People respect us as much as we respect ourselves. That’s why the absence of selfconfidence can telegraph to others not to believe in us.     
　　For years I struggled to receive a compliment graciously. If someone complimented my hair, I’d discount it. I’d say my hairstyle made my face look fat or that my hair was a mousy color. What I really meant was, there must be some mistake. I’m not worth your regard. I don’t like myself and can’t really believe you do, either. The trouble is, if we persist in putting ourselves down, eventually people start to believe we’re right.
　　Sometimes the problem isn’t faulty data. We have an accurate picture of ourselves or a situation, but we capitulate the first time someone challenges us.
　　Several years ago, I discovered a grapesized lump on my left breast. My doctor scheduled outpatient surgery right away. A month later, when I resumed periodic selfexamination, I felt the same lump in the same hardtoreach place. I was certain of it! When I called the doctor to suggest he might have missed the lump in question, he insisted I was wrong. It could not possibly be a lump, he said, because he had removed it. After all, he was the doctor.
　　I got off the phone, doubting what I’d felt with my own hand. But fear of lethal consequences gave me the courage to insist he reexamine me, at which point he reluctantly acknowledged that, yes, it did seem to be the original lump. He removed it in a second surgery.
　　In my case, I had to confess that I was stupid because I didn’t understand technical things. Yet, even after acknowledging that I’m actually a pretty intelligent person, I still had to grieve the fact that no amount of classes or training would ever completely solve my technical ineptitude!
　　Another lie I believed about myself was that I’d been selfish for having only one child. The truth is, I nearly died giving birth to my daughter, and my husband didn’t want to adopt. Still, I spent years feeling like an inferior mother—like I should have trusted God to protect me in subsequent childbirths.
　　I now believe that—in my case—one child was God’s will for me. I’ve rejected the condemnation. Nevertheless, I had to grieve that I’d never have the houseful of children I’d always wanted.

美丽英文励志篇(2)
　说出你的想法
　　佚名
　　你是否曾逃避过某种局面，并希望用不同的方式来处理呢？有时候，你是否觉得自己的权利被忽视？你能否回想起发脾气，以及没人理解你的意见的时候？如果，你对其中任何一个问题回答“是的”的话，你可能在坚定自信的表达方面受到了挑战。坚定自信的表达是能够以双方相互尊重的方式，清晰地说出你的看法和感受。它不会侵犯别人的权利，也不会因结果而愧疚。坚定自信的表达以天赋人权为前提，不是建立在地位或成就上。你有权利表达自己的观点，有权利承担自己的责任，并拒绝承担他人的责任。能否进行“有价值”的交流，关键在于你如何支配自己的这些权利。
　　当沟通的双方——说者和听者都受到尊重时，交流才有价值。主要的沟通方式有三种：消极被动的接受、坚定自信的交流、强迫他人接受。三者的差异性在于交流双方和信息质量不同。消极接受使你的表达和被认可的能力降低，强迫他人接受，是为了导致某种结果，而施加了其他的力量，不是建立在互相尊重的基础上。只有坚定自信的交流才使双方都受到尊重，才能进行有价值的交流。
　　一个人需要有一定程度的自信、自我肯定和自知之明，才能进行坚定自信的交流。自信，是要从内心凸现，而不是伪装出来的。它发自内心，不依赖于任何人。自我肯定，即相信自己的价值，相信自己是生活中美好事物的承载者。自知之明，源于自我控制，它能通过自身评定获知自己的优缺点。对于一个自信并自知的人，坚定自信的表达是一个很自然的过程。从本质上说，在你向他人证明自己之前，必须有自信。
　　Selfassertion
　　Anonymous
　　Have you ever walked away from a situation and wished you handled it differently? At times, do you feel that others overlook your rights? Can you recall losing your temper and not getting your point across effectively? If you have answered “yes” to any of these questions, you may feel challenged in the area of assertiveness. Assertiveness is the ability to clearly represent your thoughts and feelings in a mutually respectful way. It does not infringe on the rights of others or rely on guilt for results. Assertiveness starts with the premise that each human being is given rights that do not depend on status or performance. You have the right to express your perspective. You have the right to assume personal responsibility and to decline responsibility for others. How you govern yourself in relation to these rights is important for “valued” communication.
　　Communication is valued when both parties, the sender and the receiver, are respected. There are three primary styles of communication: passive, assertive, and aggressive. The difference between passive, assertive, and aggressive communication rests with the exchange between parties and quality of the message. Passiveness diminishes your capacity to be heard and validated. Aggressiveness exerts differential power to promote a certain end result that is not based on mutual respect. Only assertiveness respectfully engages both parties for valued communication.
　　In order to achieve assertive communication, one needs a level of selfconfidence, selfworth, and selfawareness. Selfconfidence is projected, not performed. It has to radiate from within and does not rely on others. Selfworth comes from believing that you are a worthwhile individual who deserves the best that life has to offer. Selfawareness develops from personal monitoring. One learns of strengths and weaknesses by making internal assessments. Selfassertion is a natural process for individuals who are confident and aware. In essence, you must have confidence within before you can demonstrate it in the midst of others.
　　自我发现和自我强大的16步
　　佚名
　　1.我们确有掌控自己生活的能力，不再依赖物质和他人来维护自己的自尊和安全。
　　2.我们相信，当我们准备就绪，乐意且有能力敞开心扉，接受恢复过程时，一个全新的自我会赋予我们此刻所需的智慧。
　　3.我们下定决心展现真我，完全相信真理的力量。
　　4.我们要在这个辈分分明的文化背景中，不断地审视自己的信念、癖好以及依赖性的行为。
　　5.我们要将羞愧和内疚的事与他人和全新的自我共同分享。
　　6.我们要对自己的优点、天赋和创造力予以肯定和赞赏，不要为了不伤及他人的颜面而掩藏这些优点。
　　7.让愧疚、自责顺其自然地发生吧，用实际行动大胆地去爱自己和他人。
　　8.列一张清单，写下我们伤害过和伤害过我们的人，并通过道歉和诉苦来减轻苦痛或清除负面影响，当然，我们要用礼貌的方式。
　　9.向别人表达爱意和感激的同时，要不断地赞赏生命的惊奇和我们所拥有的幸福。
　　10.继续相信现实，对我们每天看到的一切、感知到的一切给予肯定。
　　11.要及时承认过错，并在恰当时机予以修正，但不要为我们未做过的事道歉，不掩盖和分析他人的缺点，更不对其负责。
　　12.找寻能对我们的智力、观察力和自我价值予以肯定的环境、工作和人群，远离那些无益环境和有害人群。
　　13，采取措施恢复体能，使生活井然有序。减少压力，使生活充满欢乐。
　　14.寻找心灵的共鸣，培养毅力和启迪智慧以回应内心的召唤。
　　15.正视生活中的坎坷，把它当做成长中的教训。
　　16.我们逐渐意识到，我们与万物有着千丝万缕的联系。因而，我们应为人类的和平和生态的平衡作出应有的贡献。
　　16Steps to Selfdiscovery and Selfempowerment
　　Anonymous
　　1. We affirm that we have the power to take charge of our own lives and to stop being dependent on substances or other people for our selfesteem or our security.
　　2. We come to believe that our emerging self will reveal to us the healing wisdom that lives within us all when we are ready, willing and able to open ourselves up to the healing process.
　　3. We make a decision to become our authentic1 selves and trust in the healing power of the truth.
　　4. We examine our beliefs, our addictions, and our dependent behaviour in the context of living in a hierarchical2, patriarchal3 culture.
　　5. We share with another person and our emerging self all those things inside of us for which we feel shame and guilt.
　　6. We affirm and enjoy our strengths, our talents, and our creativity, striving not to hide these qualities to protect others’ egos4.
　　7. We become willing to let go of our shame, our guilt, and any behaviour that keeps us from loving ourselves and others.
　　8. We make a list of people we have harmed and people who have harmed us, and take steps to clear out negative energy by making amends and sharing our grievances; both in a respectful way.
　　9. We express love and gratitude to others，and increasingly appreciate the wonder of life and the blessings we do have.
　　10. We continue to trust our reality and daily affirm that we see what we see，we know what know，and we feel what we feel.
　　11. We promptly acknowledge our mistakes and make amends when appropriate, but we do not say we are sorry for things we have not done and we do not cover up, analyze5, or take responsibility for the shortcomings of others.
　　12. We seek out situations, jobs, and people that affirm our intelligence, perceptions, and selfworth and avoid situations or people who are hurtful, harmful, or demeaning to us.
　　13. We take steps to heal our physical bodies, organize our lives, reduce our stress, and have fun.
　　14. We seek to find our inward calling, and develop the will and wisdom to follow it.
　　15. We accept the ups and downs of life as natural events that can be used as lessons for our growth.
　　16. We grow in awareness that we are interrelated with all living things, and we contribute to restoring peace and balance on the planet.
　　坚持不懈，直到成功
　　佚名
　　在东方，挑选小公牛去竞技场格斗有一定的程序。每只小公牛都被带进场地，向手持长矛刺它们的斗牛士发起攻击。小公牛的勇敢程度以它所表现出的可以忍受矛刃刺痛的次数来衡量。我从中意识到——生活里，我每天都经历着类似的测试。如果我坚持下去、不断尝试、勇往向前，就能获得成功。
　　我并不是为了失败才来到这个世界的，我的血管里流淌的也不是失败的血液。我不是一只任人宰割的羔羊，而是一头决不与羊群为伍的猛狮。我不愿听到弱者的哭泣和抱怨，因为他们的脆弱会影响到我。让他们加入羔羊的行列吧！失败者的屠宰场不是我的宿命。
　　生活的犒赏不会出现在旅途的起点附近，而往往在旅程的终点。我不知道要走多远才能到达目的地。走到第一千步，我仍然可能遭遇失败，然而成功就在下一个拐弯处；如果我不转过去，我永远也不会知道它离我有多近。通常,我都会再前行一步；如果还没成功，我还会再向前一步，然后再往前一步。事实上，每一步也并非那么困难。
　　因此，我认为，每天的努力就好比往大橡树上砍一刀。最开始的一击也许对大树没有任何影响，第二刀也是这样，第三刀还是这样。每一刀似乎都没什么效果，都可以忽略。但这小小的一刀刀累积起来，大橡树终将倒掉。同样，我们也可以把今天所做的努力比作冲刷山岭的雨滴、蚕食老虎的蚂蚁、照亮地球的星星和建造金字塔的奴隶。我要一砖一瓦地垒筑起自己的城堡，因为我知道，小小的努力，只要坚持下去，也能成就伟业。
　　我决不会考虑失败，我要从我的字典里去掉这些愚蠢的词和短语：放弃、无法、不能够、不会发生、不可能、没有可能性、失败、难以实行、无望和退却等。我会尽量摆脱失望的控制，即使染上这种思想疾病，我也将在绝望中继续前进。我要挥洒汗水，不停劳作，忍受一切磨难痛苦。我会全身心向着目标前行，藐视所有阻障，因为我坚信，沙漠尽头必有绿洲。
　　我将牢记古老的平均律，并为我所用。我相信，每一次失败都增加了成功的胜算，每一次否定都是肯定的砝码，每一次失败都是成功的前奏，每一次不幸都预示着明天的好运。只有经历过黑夜，才能欣赏到白昼的明亮；只有历经了多次的失败，才能取得最终的成功。
　　我将努力，努力，再努力。我将视每一个障碍为成功路上的一个小小延误，是对我的职业的一种挑战。我将坚持下去，像水手一样不断提高自己的技能，乘风破浪，勇往直前。
　　我不会因昨日的成功而骄傲自大，因为这是失败的祸根。不论昨日的一切是好是坏，我都将忘记，满怀自信地迎接新一轮太阳的升起，我相信这将是最美好的一天。只要一息尚存，我就要坚持到底。因为我已经知道了成功的最大秘诀：只要坚持到底，我就一定会获得成功。
　　坚持下去，定会成功。
　　心灵小语
　　生活的犒赏不会出现在旅途的起点附近，而往往在旅程的终点。我不知道要走多远才能到达目的地。走到第一千步，我仍然可能遭遇失败，然而成功就在下一个拐弯处；如果我不转过去，我永远也不会知道它离我有多近。
　　I Will Persist Until I Succeed
　　Anonymous
　　In the Orient young bulls are tested for the fight arena in a certain manner. Each is brought to the ring and allowed to attack a picador who pricks them with a lance. The bravery of each bull is then rated with care according to the number of times he demonstrates his willingness to charge in spite of the sting of the blade. Henceforth will I recognize that each day I am tested by life in like manner. If I persist, if I continue to try, if I continue to charge forward, I will succeed.
　　I was not delivered unto this world in defeat, nor does failure course in my veins. I am not a sheep waiting to be prodded by my shepherd. I am a lion and I refuse to talk, to walk, to sleep with the sheep. I will hear not those who weep and complain, for their disease is contagious. Let them join the sheep. The slaughterhouse of failure is not my destiny.
　　The prizes of life are at the end of each journey, not near the beginning; and it is not given to me to know how many steps are necessary in order to reach my goal. Failure I may still encounter at the thousandth step, yet success hides behind the next bend in the road. Never will I know how close it lies unless I turn the corner. Always will I take another step. If that is of no avail I will take another, and yet another. In truth, one step at a time is not too difficult.
　　Henceforth, I will consider each day’s effort as but one blow of my blade against a mighty oak. The first blow may cause not a tremor in the wood , nor the second, nor the third. Each blow, of itself, may be trifling, and seem of no consequence. Yet from childish swipes the oak will eventually tumble. So it will be with my efforts of today. I will be likened to the rain drop which washes away the mountain; the ant who devours a tiger; the star which brightens the earth; the slave who builds a pyramid. I will build my castle one brick at a time for I know that small attempts, repeated, will complete any undertaking.
　　I will never consider defeat and I will remove from my vocabulary such words and phrases as quit, cannot, unable, impossible, out of the question, improbable, failure, unworkable, hopeless, and retreat; for they are the words of fools. I will avoid despair but if this disease of the mind should infect me then I will work on in despair. I will toil and I will endure. I will ignore the obstacles at my feet and keep my eyes on the goals above my head, for I know that where dry desert ends, green grass grows.
　　I will remember the ancient law of averages and I will bend it to my good. I will persist with knowledge that each failure will increase my chance for success at the next attempt. Each nay I hear will bring me closer to the sound of yea. Each frown I meet only prepares me for the smile to come. Each misfortune I encounter will carry in it the seed of tomorrow’s good luck. I must have the night to appreciate the day. I must fail often to succeed only once.
　　I will try, and try, and try again. Each obstacle I will consider as a mere detour  to my goal and a challenge to my profession. I will persist and develop my skills as the mariner develops his, by learning to ride out the wrath of each storm.
　　I will not allow yesterday’s success to lull me into today’s complacency, for this is the great foundation of failure. I will forget the happenings of the day that is gone, whether they were good or bad, and greet the new sun with confidence that this will be the best day of my life. So long as there is breath in me, that long will I persist. For now I know one of the greatest principles of success: if I persist long enough I will win.
　　I will persist. I will win.
　　别人其实是你的一面镜子
　　佚名
　　第一次见到某人时，在第一瞬间，你的脑海里会形成一个印象。你对他人的反应，其实就像你如何看待自己的晴雨表，更多的是反映出你自己，而不是其他人。你不可能真正喜欢或讨厌他人的某个方面，除非它反射出你对自身某方面的喜好。通常，我们靠近与自己类似的人，而那些展示出我们自身某个不喜欢的方面的人，往往令我们讨厌。
　　所以，你以他人为镜，能更清楚地折射出你对自我价值的感受。反过来，对于你不认同的人，你也能以之为镜，显露出对自身不满意的方面。
　　要与他人和睦相处，你必须学会容忍。你要从根本上转变视角，不去评判别人，而去不断地反省自身，而这是一个巨大的挑战。你的任务是，以你对别人作出的所有的决定、评判为线索，来改进和完善自我。
　　最近，我与一位客户一起吃午饭，他吃饭的样子实在令我很反感。我的第一反应就是：他粗鲁无礼，吃饭的样子令人恶心。当我意识到自己正评判他时，便停下来，扪心自问是什么感受。被人看到与这么个张着嘴咀嚼、大声擤鼻涕的人在一起，我发现自己感到很难堪。我还发现自己很在乎餐馆里其他人对我的看法，这让我感到很惊讶。
　　记住，你对他人的评判并不意味着你就不会像他那样。比如，仅仅因为我评判那位客户粗鲁无礼，并不能保证我永远都不会有像他那样的行为。同样，如果我容忍他的行为，也并不会因此突然张嘴咀嚼。
　　假如你用这种方式走进生活，你就能同时以你最不满的人，和你最尊敬、最爱的人为镜，指引你发现自身的缺陷，同时欣赏自己的最佳品质。
　　Others Are Only Mirrors of You
　　Anonymous
　　The first time you meet someone, in the first moment you form an impression in your mind of that person. Your reactions to other people, however, are really just barometers for how you perceive yourself. Your reactions to others say more about you than they do about others. You cannot really love or hate something about another person unless it reflects something you love or hate about yourself. We are usually drawn to those who are most like us and tend to dislike those who display those aspects of ourselves that we dislike.
　　Therefore, you can allow others to be the mirror to illuminate more clearly your own feelings of selfworth. Conversely, you can view the people you judge negatively as mirrors to show you what you are not accepting about yourself.
　　To coexist peacefully with others, you will need to learn tolerance. A big challenge is to shift your perspective radically from judgment of other to a lifelong exploration of yourself. Your task is to assess all the decisions, judgments you make onto others and to begin to view them as clues to how you can heal yourself and become whole.
　　I recently had a business lunch with a man who displayed objectionable table manners. My first reaction was to judge him as offensive and his table manners as disgusting. When I noticed that I was judging him, I stopped and asked myself what I was feeling. I discovered that I was embarrassed to be seen with someone who was chewing with his mouth open and loudly blowing his nose. I was astonished to find how much I cared about how the other people in the restaurant perceived me.
　　Remember that your judgment of someone will not serve as a protective shield against you becoming like him. Just because I judged my lunch partner as offensive does not prevent me from ever looking or acting like him. In the same way, extending tolerance to him would not cause me to suddenly begin chewing my food with my mouth open.
　　When you approach life in this manner, those with whom you have the greatest grievances as well as those you admire and love can be seen as mirrors, guiding you to discover parts of yourself that you reject and to embrace your greatest quality.
　　生命的启示
　　佚名
　　施与别人尽可能多的东西，并要欣然而为之。
　　牢记你最爱的诗歌。
　　不要相信你所听来的一切，也不要耗尽你所拥有的一切，更不要将时间都浪费在睡眠上。
　　说“我爱你”时，要满怀诚意。
　　说“对不起”时，要注视对方的眼睛。
　　至少在订婚半年后再结婚。
　　要笃信一见钟情。
　　对别人的梦想不妄加嘲讽，没有梦想的人不会拥有很多。
　　全心投入地去爱，或许你会受到伤害，可是，这却是使生活完整的唯一途径。
　　意见相悖时，要公正地争论，切不可大吵大嚷。
　　不要以一个人的亲戚来评判此人。
　　说话语速宜慢，但反应要快。
　　当有人问及你不想回答的问题时，要笑问对方：“为何想知道答案？”
　　谨记：不朽的爱情和伟大的成就要冒巨大风险才可获得。
　　要多打电话问候父母。
　　听到某人打喷嚏时，要说：“上帝保佑你。”
　　失败时，要记着吸取教训。
　　铭记3R原则，即：尊重自己，尊重他人，对自己的行为负责。
　　不可因小事而伤害友谊。
　　一旦意识到自己犯了错误，就要及时采取措施予以补救。
　　接听电话要保持微笑，因为对方可以通过你的声音感受到你的热情。
　　与有共同语言的人结为夫妻，那样在你年老时，就会发觉有共同的话题比其他任何事情都更为重要。
　　给自己留些独处的时间。
　　勇于改变，但切不可放弃你的价值观。
　　记住：有时沉默是最好的回答。
　　多读书，少看电视。
　　过一种优质而高尚的生活，那样，当你逐渐老去，回首往事时，才会再次体味到生命的意义。
　　相信上帝，但要锁好你的车。
　　爱的氛围对一个家是何等重要，努力营造一个温馨和睦的家吧。
　　与至爱的人意见相左时，要恰当处理当前事态。
　　不要总翻旧账，过去的就让它过去吧。
　　要透过现象看事情的本质。
　　经常祈祷，它会使你力量倍增。
　　不要打断别人对你的溢美之言。
　　管好自己的事儿。
　　不可相信睁眼接受你亲吻的人。
　　一年当中，去一次你从未去过的地方。
　　倘若你发了财，要在有生之年用这些钱去帮助别人。
　　这是财富最伟大的满足。
　　谨记：塞翁失马，焉知非福？
　　谨记：伟大的友情往往都是付出的多，而索取的少。
　　判断一个人成功与否，要将他的办事能力与实际结果予以比较；而不是将他与别人作比较。
　　要想得到爱情和食粮，就要不吝舍弃。
　　Instructions for Life
　　Anonymous
　　Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
　　Memorize your favorite poem.
　　Don’t believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.
　　When you say, “I love you”, mean it.
　　When you say, “I’m sorry”, look the person in the eye.
　　Be engaged at least six months before you get married.
　　Believe in love at first sight .
　　Never laugh at anyone’s dreams. People who don’t have dreams don’t have much.
　　Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it’s the only way to live life completely .
　　In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.
　　Don’t judge people by their relatives.
　　Talk slowly but think quickly.
　　When someone asks you a question you don’t want to answer, smile and ask, “Why do you want to know?”
　　Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
　　Call your parents.
　　Say “bless you” when you hear someone sneeze.
　　When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.
　　Remember the rules of 3R: Respect for self; Respect for others; Responsibility for all your actions.
　　Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
　　When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
　　Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.
　　Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.
　　Spend some time alone.
　　Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.
　　Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
　　Read more books and watch less TV.
　　Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll get to enjoy it a second time.
　　Trust in God but lock your car.
　　A loving atmosphere in your home is so important. Do all you can to create a tranquil harmonious home.
　　In disagreements with loved ones, deal with the current situation.
　　Don’t bring up the past.
　　Read between the lines.
　　Pray. There’s immeasurable power in it.
　　Never interrupt when you are being flattered.
　　Mind your own business.
　　Don’t trust a man/woman who doesn’t close his/her eyes when you kiss.
　　Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.
　　If you make a lot of money, put it to use helping others while you are living. That is wealth’s greatest satisfaction.
　　Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a stroke of luck.
　　Remember that the best relationship is one where your love for each other is greater than your need for each other.
　　Judge your success by what you have done compared to what you could have done, not to what others have done with their abilities.
　　Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.
　　谱写生命的乐章
　　佚名
　　设想，如果有人给了你一支单色的不可拆装的钢笔。你根本看不到里面究竟有多少墨水。也许你试着写几个字后它就没水了，也许里面的墨水足够完成一部（也可能是几部）意义深远的传世之作。但这一切在动笔前，都不得而知。
　　这样的游戏规则，其结果你的确很难预料。只能赌一把！
　　实际上，游戏规则并未规定你一定要做点儿什么，反之，你甚至完全可以把它放到书架上或抽屉里，不去动它，任由墨水自然干枯。
　　可是，倘若你打算用它，你会将其派上什么用场呢？你将如何开展这一游戏呢？
　　你会在写一个字之前，不断犹豫，反复计划吗？你会因为计划过于周详而没时间动笔吗？
　　或许你只是手握钢笔，埋头苦写，笔耕不辍，顺着泉涌的文思被动前行呢？
　　你写字时会很小心，似乎这支笔的墨水下一刻就会枯竭一样吗？或是你会假装相信这支笔永无枯竭之时呢？
　　那么你会写些什么呢：情爱？憎恶？喜悦？痛苦？生命？死亡？虚无？抑或是一切？
　　你的写作目的是充实自己，还是愉悦他人呢？或是两者兼而有之？
　　你落笔胆怯审慎，还是铿锵有力？你的想象力是丰富还是匮乏？
　　也许你根本没有落笔，因为没有规则要求你拿到笔后必须要去写作。或许你会去素描？乱画一通？信笔涂鸦？
　　你会写在线内还是线上，或许你根本看不到线，即使有又在哪里呢？那些是吗？
　　就此有许多该考虑的问题，难道不是吗？
　　此刻，如果有人给你一支谱写生命乐章之笔……
　　Write Your Own Life
　　Anonymous
　　Suppose someone gave you a pen—a sealed, solidcolored pen. You couldn’t see how much ink it had. It might run dry after the first few tentative words or last just long enough to create a masterpiece(or several) that would last forever and make a difference in the scheme of things. You don’t know before you begin.
　　Under the rules of the game, you really never know. You have to take a chance!
　　Actually, no rule of the game states you must do anything. Instead of picking up and using the pen, you could leave it on a shelf or in a drawer where it will dry up, unused.
　　But if you do decide to use it, what would you do with it? How would you play the game?
　　Would you plan and plan before you ever wrote a word? Would your plans be so extensive that you never even got to the writing?
　　Or would you take the pen in hand, plunge right in and just do it, struggling to keep up with the twists and turns of the torrents of words that take you where they take you?
　　Would you write cautiously and carefully, as if the pen might run dry the next moment, or would you pretend or believe (or pretend to believe) that the pen will write forever and proceed accordingly?
　　And of what would you write: Of love? Hate? Fun? Misery? Life? Death? Nothing? Everything?
　　Would you write to please just yourself? Or others? Or yourself by writing for others?
　　Would your strokes be tremblingly timid or brilliantly bold? Fancy with a flourish or plain?
　　Would you even write? Once you have the pen, no rule says you have to write. Would you sketch? Scribble? Doodle draw?
　　Would you stay in or on the lines, or see no lines at all, even if they were there? Or are they?
　　There’s a lot to think about here, isn’t there?
　　Now, suppose someone gave you a life…
　　我相信
　　佚名
　　对我来说，从哈佛毕业后的25年里，我懂得了坚信希望而不陷入绝望，努力奋斗而不听天由命，坚定信念而不愤世嫉俗。
　　我相信知识的力量会使世界更美好。愤世嫉俗者可能说：人类从未在历史中学到什么，知识的真正作用只是使人类优于其他物种。但是他们错了：我们能够从错误中吸取教训，并超越过去。在哈佛，我们学会了这个事实——真理能让我们自由。
　　我相信履行家庭义务是我们的职责，因为有意义的生活的真正核心是家。愤世嫉俗者可能说：所有的家庭都很狭隘且毫无价值。家庭观念已经过时，无法运转。但是他们错了：让我们学会爱的正是家庭。
　　我相信通过努力，可以实现社会公正和全民自由。愤世嫉俗者可能要嘲笑这种想法太幼稚，他们声称：努力追求机会均等、公平公正、自由自在，只会创构一个绝望的荒原。但是他们错了：自由是我们的命运，公正是我们的向导，我们将所向无敌。
　　我相信，保护地球环境，可以抵制前所未有的冲击。愤世嫉俗者可能嘲笑道：一片古树林，一阵清风，或者一条山涧，都毫无价值。但是他们错了：人类无法独立生存，我们是世界的一部分。
　　我相信你，相信这里的每个人，也相信这个群体。愤世嫉俗者说，你们的内心受贪欲驱使，最终，你们只会在乎自己，而毫不顾及他物。但是他们错了：我们彼此关心，珍爱自由，崇尚公正，追求真理。
　　最终，一个重要的抉择摆在我们面前：愤世嫉俗还是坚定信念。它们都能扎根在我们的心灵深处，像能自我实现的预言一样，它们会塑造我们的生活。我相信，我们一定会相互敞开心扉，在无限可能的基础上，创造一切可能。这是一个自信民族的任务，也是贯穿我们整个历史，至今仍深植在我们内心深处的品格。
　　我相信我们的未来!
　　I Believe
　　Anonymous
　　For my part, in the 25 years since my Harvard graduation, I have come to believe in hope over despair, striving over resignation1, faith over cynicism.
　　I believe in the power of knowledge to make the world a better place. Cynics may say， human beings have never learned anything from history. All that is truly useful about knowledge is that it can provide you with advantages over the pack. But the cynics are wrong: we have the capacity to learn from our mistakes and transcend2 our past. Indeed, in this very place we have been taught that truth—Veritas3—can set us free.
　　I believe in finding fulfillment in family, for the family is the true center of a meaningful life. Cynics may say， all families are confining and ultimately dysfunctional. The very idea of family is outdated and unworkable. But the cynics are wrong: it is in our families that we learn to love.
　　I believe in working to achieve social justice and freedom for all. Cynics may scorn this notion as naive, claiming that all our efforts for equal opportunity, for justice, for freedom have created only a wasteland of failed hopes. But the cynics are wrong: freedom is our destiny; justice is our guide; we shall overcome.
　　I believe in protecting the Earth’s environment against an unprecedented onslaught4. Cynics may laugh out loud and say there is no utility in a stand of thousand year old trees, a fresh breeze, or a mountain stream. But the cynics are wrong: we are part of God’s earth，and can not separate from it.
　　I believe in you, all of you here, individually and as a group. The cynics say you are motivated principally by greed and that ultimately you will care for nothing other than yourselves. But the cynics are wrong： you care about each other, you cherish freedom, you treasure justice, you seek truth.
　　In the end we face a fundamental choice, cynicism or faith, each equally capable of taking root in our souls and shaping our lives as self fulfilling prophecies. I believe we must open our hearts to each other and build on all the vast and creative possibilities. This is a task for a confident people, which is what we have been throughout our history and what we still are in our deepest character.
　　I believe in our future.
　　展示个人魅力
　　佚名
　　展示个人魅力源于一种观念——按照自己的方式实现自己的目标。有影响力的人可以带动、鼓舞其他人毫不隐讳地表达自己。你可以通过培养以下特点来展示自己的魅力。
　　权威权威是一种内心的自信——是对你的技能和能力的信任。它发自内心，来自于“我能行”“我应该成功”的态度。当你维护自己的权利，真诚地要求你的所想、所需时，这种态度就得以流露，并成为一种意愿来传递给他人和自己。
　　果断果断的举止是主动的、直率的、诚实的。它传达出一种自尊与尊重他人的感觉。果断让我们看到了自己的所想、所需和与他人平等的权利。一个果断的人通过影响、倾听他人，并与之洽谈取胜，因此他人都愿意选择与他合作。
　　易接近有影响力的人是位网络构建大师。好的人际关系可以增加你的知名度，使你拥有一个重要的人际圈。你可以施予支持与信息于这个圈子里的人，也可以接受他们给予你的。把自己想象成一个轮子的中心，四周由联系着的轮辐围绕。
　　形象你的魅力通过你的形象展现。你展现出了一种与强大的领导能力相吻合的形象了吗?站得挺直，走得昂首阔步，时刻记得：你是一个有价值的人。与他人见面时，大方地与之接触，握手有力而友好，清楚地说明你是谁，你的工作是什么。
　　交际习惯深吸一口气，使自己的语气听起来坚定。不说粗话，不信口开河，犹豫的语气也同样会妨碍交流的有效进行。要用必要的肢体语言和手势来阐述你的观点，但不可过多地使用。学会清晰简洁的书面表达技巧。
　　Communicating a Sense
　　of Personal Power
　　Anonymous
　　Communicating a sense of personal power comes from a belief1 that you can reach your goals in your own way. Powerful people empower2 others and encourage others to express themselves openly. You communicate a sense of personal power by developing these traits:
　　Authority
　　Authority is inner confidence—a trust in your skills and abilities. It comes from the inside, from an attitude of “I can do that.” “I deserve success.” This attitude radiates3 outward as you assert your rights, honestly ask for what you want and need, and develop a willingness to give to others and yourself.
　　Assertiveness
　　Assertive behavior is active, direct, and honest. It communicates an impression4 of selfrespect and respect for others. By being assertive, we view our wants, needs, and rights as equal with those of others. An assertive person wins by influencing, listening, and negotiating so that other people choose to cooperate willingly.
　　Accessibility
　　The powerful person is a master net worker. Good network increases your visibility and gives you a valuable circle of people from whom you can give and receive support and information5. Imagine yourself as the hub of a wheel surrounded by spokes of contacts.
　　Image
　　You communicate power through your image. Do you project an image consistent with strong leadership? Stand tall and walk proudly, remembering that you have value as a person. When you meet others, make direct contact and keep your handshake firm and friendly. Clearly state who you are and what you do.
　　Communication Habits
　　Take a deep breath to project a firm voice. Avoid slang, and jargon, and vocal hesitations that can hinder effective communication. Use only the body movements and gestures necessary to make your point, no more. Learn how to write clearly and succinctly.

美丽英文励志篇(3)

　美丽人生
　　佚名
　　她有一种从外表看来无法诠释的聪颖和秀美。她的声音正是我们所要聆听的那种，她的言语能轻易地进驻人们的心灵。
　　据说人生的真谛是无以言说的。言语的阐述、艺术的表达，还有人类那似乎永无休止的错综复杂的思考，三者的目的都是在追求人生的真谛。希望接近，甚至是完全把握人生存在的意义，这可以使人近乎痴狂。偶尔有人会坚信真理，并以之为自己的志趣，追求真理重于保全生命，于是就有了舍身取义的壮举。然而，也有另一种人生，即在追求真理的过程中润泽生命。
　　过去我常会在教堂的心意篮中发现一些短小精悍的美文，一些是有关我的布道的，还有一些是作者平时读《圣经》的感想。写这些短文的人不仅反思了我的某些观点，同时还引用了一些他（她）曾读过的，他（她）所喜爱的诗人或神秘主义者那些令人难忘的话语。这些短文深深吸引了我。我看到了执著追求真与美的人。这些珍藏的话语优美且感人。我有种感觉，这些字句好像很高兴被我们发现，它们如此慷慨地为无名作者所用，之后又轮到让无名读者来学习与分享这些美文的奥秘。这样的分享使美愈加生辉。事实上，世上唯一的真理是可以免费索取的。
　　很久以后我才看到这些美文的作者。
　　一个周日早上，我被告知办公室有人等我。给我应门的年轻人说：“是个女士，她说留言是她放的。”见到她时我不禁大吃一惊，因为我一下子就认出了她是我教区的信徒，只是我始终不知道那些美文是出自她手。她坐在椅子上，双手相握放在大腿上，头低垂着。她抬头看我时，带着微笑却显得十分费力。那是一张被毁容的脸，外科手术使她的脸皮紧绷，笑对她来说是非常困难的事儿。为了去除脸上碍眼的肉瘤，她经受了痛苦的手术治疗。
　　那个周日早上我们聊了一会儿，并商量好改天再找个时间共进午餐。
　　此后我们不止吃了一顿午饭，而是吃了好多顿。每次她都头戴帽子。我想或许是某种治疗使她掉了好多头发。我们将各自生活中的点点滴滴讲出来一起分享。我向她讲述了我读书和成长的故事。她告诉我她在一家保险公司工作了好多年。但她从未提及她的家庭，我也没有过问。
　　我们还谈及了大家都读过的一些文章的作者，显然她是一个酷爱读书的人。
　　这些年我常会想起她，在这个物欲横流的残酷社会中她是怎样一路挣扎着走过的呢？损毁的容貌无论如何也无法使她变得魅力四射。我知道这对于她是个巨大的打击。
　　如果她外表美丽，她的生命能否会是另一番情形呢？或许会的。不过她有一种从外表看来无法诠释的聪颖和秀美。她的声音正是我们所要聆听的那种，她的言语能轻易地进驻人们的心灵。她的隽语处于一颗受过伤害却满怀爱意的心之中，如所有人的心一样，只是她比别人更关注自己的心灵，更关注专心体会生活并从中学习来获得提高。她有一种细腻的美。她生命中唯一惧怕的就是失去朋友。
　　像她这样如此高度的成熟我们要花费多长时间才可能达到呢？最终能否真正达到还不得而知。我们总是身心俱疲，怀才不遇，只担心眼前的不足，却忽视了那些经久不衰的东西。友谊珍贵且美好，要我们用心去呵护，有时简单的暗示便已足够了。比如偶尔给朋友写几句话，或把一些感人的美文写在纸条上投入篮子里，以供大家分享，让大家一起记住这美妙时刻的美好感觉。
　　她的生命真谛便是透过事物的表面认清其实质。她发现了美和慈爱，而美和慈爱也把她当做朋友，把生命的真谛展现给她。
　　心灵小语
　　外表的美丽，会令人赏心悦目，可到了暮年，这种美就会消失；但是一个人的心灵美是无法用言语来诠释的，这种美将使她的人生更加耀眼夺目。
　　Beauty
　　Anonymous
　　There were a sensitivity and a beauty to her that have nothing to do with looks. She was one to be listened to, whose words were so easy to take to heart.
　　It is said that the true nature of being is veiled. The labor of words, the of art, the seemingly ceaseless buzz that is human thought all have in common the need to get at what really is so. The hope to draw close to and possess the truth of being can be a feverish one. In some cases it can even be fatal, if pleasure is one’s truth and its attainment more important than life itself. In other lives, though, the search for what is truthful gives life.
　　I used to find notes left in the collection basket, beautiful notes about my homilies and about the writer’s thoughts on the daily scriptural readings. The person who penned the notes would add reflections to my thoughts and would always include some quotes from poets and mystics he or she had read and remembered and loved. The notes fascinated me. Here was someone immersed in a search for truth and beauty. Words had been treasured, words that were beautiful. And I felt as if the words somehow delighted in being discovered, for they were obviously very generous to the as yet anonymous writer of the notes. And now this person was in turn learning the secret of sharing them. Beauty so shines when given away. The only truth that exists is, in that sense, free.
　　It was a long time before I met the author of the notes.
　　One Sunday morning, I was told that someone was waiting for me in the office. The young person who answered the rectory door said that it was “the woman who said she left all the notes.” When I saw her I was shocked, since I immediately recognized her from church but had no idea that it was she who wrote the notes. She was sitting in a chair in the office with her hands folded in her lap. Her head was bowed and when she raised it to look at me, she could barely smile without pain. Her face was disfigured, and the skin so tight from surgical procedures that smiling or laughing was very difficult for her. She had suffered terribly from treatment to remove the growths that had so marred her face.
　　We chatted for a while that Sunday morning and agreed to meet for lunch later that week.
　　As it turned out we went to lunch several times, and she always wore a hat during the meal. I thought that treatments of some sort had caused a lot of her hair to fall out. We shared things about our lives. I told her about my schooling and growing up. She told me that she had worked for years for an insurance company. She never mentioned family, and I did not ask.
　　We spoke of authors we both had read, and it was easy to tell that books are a great love of hers.
　　I have thought about her often over the years and how she struggled in a society that places an incredible premium on looks, class, wealth and all the other fineries of life. She suffered from a disfigurement that cannot be made to look attractive. I knew that her condition hurt her deeply.
　　Would her life have been different had she been pretty? Chances are it would have. And yet there were a sensitivity and a beauty to her that had nothing to do with looks. She was one to be listened to, whose words were so easy to take to heart. Her words came from a wounded but loving heart, very much like all hearts, but she had more of a need to be aware of it, to live with it and learn from it. She possessed a finetuned sense of beauty. Her only fear in life was the loss of a friend.
　　How long does it take most of us to reach that level of human growth, if we ever get there? We get so consumed and diminished, worrying about all the things that need improving, we can easily forget to cherish those things that last. Friendship, so rare and so good, just needs our care—maybe even the simple gesture of writing a little note now and then, or the dropping of some beautiful words in a basket, in the hope that such beauty will be shared and taken to heart.
　　The truth of her life was a desire to see beyond the surface for a glimpse of what it is that matters. She found beauty and grace and they befriended her, and showed her what is real.
　　个性的表露
　　阿诺德?贝内特
　　我意识到一件很奇异也很有意义的事情是：人们从来不清楚自己留给别人的印象怎样。印象是好,是坏，还是不好不坏，人们总是——希望准确地猜测出来——有些人甚至没有必要让你去猜测，他们差不多就讲给你听了——但是我想要说的不是这个。我想要说的远不止这个。我想要说的是,一个人头脑中对自己的印象和他本人在他朋友们头脑中的印象往往很不一致。你曾经想到这样的事吗?——世上有那么一个诡异的人，到处跑来跑去，走街访友，又说又笑，口出怨言，大发议论，他的朋友都对他很熟悉，对他早已知根知底，对他的看法早有定论——但除了偶尔且谨慎的只言片语外，平时却很少对你透露。而那个人就是你自己。比如，你走进一家餐厅去喝茶，你敢说你能认得这个人就是你自己吗?我看不一定。很可能，你也会像餐厅里的客人那样，当你难以忍受其他客人的骚扰时心里就盘算说：这是哪个家伙，真是怪异。但愿他少讨人嫌。你的第一反应就是略带敌意。甚至就连你突然在一面镜子前面遇到了你自己，穿的衣服也正是你心里记得很清楚的那天的服装，无论如何，你还是会因认出了你就是你而感到吃惊。还有，当你偶尔到镜子前整理头发时，尽管是在你头脑清醒的早晨，你不是也好像瞥见一个完全陌生的人吗？而且这陌生人还让你颇为好奇呢。如果说连形式、颜色、动作这类准确的外观细节都是这样，那么对于像心智和道德这种不易把握的复杂情况又将怎样呢？
　　有人真心实意地去努力留下一个好印象。结果怎样呢？他的朋友们内心深处会认为他是一个刻意给人留下好印象的人。如果只凭单独会一次或几次面，——一个人倒很可能使另一个人接受他本人希望形成的某种印象。但是如果接受印象的人有足够的时间来自由支配，那么印象的给予者就只能束手静坐了，因为他的所有招数都丝毫改变不了或影响不了他最终所形成的印象。最后，真正的印象是无意地而不是刻意地形成的。同时,它也是无意地而不是刻意地接受的。它的形成要靠双方，而且是事先就已经确定的，最终的欺骗是不可能的……
　　Expressing One’s Individuality
　　Arnold Bennet
　　A most curious and useful thing to realize is that one never knows the impression one is creating on other people. One may often guess pretty accurately1 whether it is good, bad, or indifferent — some people render it unnecessary for one to guess, they practically inform one — but that is not what I mean. I mean much more than that. I mean that one has one’s self no mental picture corresponding to the mental picture which one’s personality leaves in the minds of one’s friends. Has it ever struck you that there is a mysterious individual going around , walking the streets, calling at houses for tea, chatting, laughing, grumbling,  arguing, and that all your friends know him and have long since added him up and come to a definite conclusion about him — without saying more than a chance,  cautious word to you; and that that person is you! Supposing that you came into a drawing room where you were having tea, do you think you would recognize yourself as an individuality? I think not. You would be apt to say to yourself as guests do when disturbed in drawing rooms by other guests，“Who’s this chap2? Seems rather queer. I hope he won’t be a bore.”And your first telling would be slightly hostile. Why, even when you meet yourself in an unsuspected mirror in the very clothes that you have put on that very day and that you know by heart, you are almost always shocked by the realization that you are you. And now and then, when you have gone to the glass to arrange your hair in the full sobriety of early morning, have you not looked on an absolute stranger, and has not that stranger piqued your curiosity? And if it is thus with precise external details of form, colour, and movement, what may it not be with the vague complex effect of the mental and moral individuality?
　　A man honestly tries to make a good impression. What is the result? The result merely is that his friends, in the privacy of their minds, set him down as a man who tries to make a good impression. If much depends on the result of a single interview, or a couple of interviews, a man may conceivably force another to accept an impression of himself which he would like to convey. But if the receiver of the impression is to have time at his disposal, then the giver of the impression may just as well sit down and put his hands in his pockets, for nothing that he can do will modify or influence in any way the impression that he will ultimately give. The real impress is, in the end, given unconsciously, not consciously; and further, it is received unconsciously, not consciously. It depends partly on both persons. And it is immutably3 fixed beforehand. There can be no final deception…
　　健全的人生
　　佚名
　　从前，有个圆圈缺失了一块楔子。它想保持完整，所以它到处寻找那块楔子。但因为它是不完整的，所以它只能慢慢地往前滚。在路上，它观赏各种花儿；它与虫子谈天说地；它还享受了灿烂阳光。圆圈找到了许多不同的楔子，但没有一个适合它。所以，它将它们全都留在路边，继续寻觅。终于有一天，它找到了一个完美的楔子。圆圈是如此地高兴，因为现在它可以说是完美无缺了。它装好配件，开始滚动起来。它已成为一个完美的圆圈，所以它滚动得非常快，以至于没有时间观赏花儿，也无暇与虫子交谈。当圆圈意识到因为它滚得如此之快，以至于眼中的世界变得截然不同时，它停了下来，将找到的配件扔在路边，又开始慢慢地往前滚动。
　　我想，这个故事告诉人们，从某种奇怪的意义上来说，当我们失去了一些东西时，反而会更加完整。一个拥有一切的人在某些方面其实是个穷人，因为他永远也体会不到什么是渴望、期待以及如何用美好的梦想去滋养自己的灵魂。他也永远不可能感悟到一个爱他的人送给他某种他梦寐以求的或者从未拥有过的东西意味着什么。
　　人生的完整性在于知道如何面对缺陷，如何勇敢地摒弃不现实的幻想而又不以此为憾。人生的完整性还在于学会勇敢地面对人生悲剧而继续活下去，能够在失去某人后依然表现出完整的个人风范。
　　人生并不是上帝为了谴责我们的缺陷而给我们设下的陷阱。人生也不是一场拼字游戏——不管你拼出了多少单词，一旦出现失误，你便前功尽弃。人生更像是一个棒球赛季，即使最好的球队也可能输掉三分之一的比赛，而最差的球队也有辉煌的时刻。我们的目标就是多赢球，少输球。当我们接受“不完整性”是人类本性的一部分时，当我们不断地在生命中前行并欣赏其价值时，我们就会获得其他人仅能渴望的完整人生。我相信这就是上帝对我们的要求：不求“完美”，也不求“永不犯错”，而是追求人生的“完整”。
　　如果我们有足够的勇气去爱，有足够的坚强去宽容，有足够的度量去为别人的快乐而高兴，有足够的睿智去理解充溢于我们身边的爱，那么我们便可得到其他生物所不能获得的满足感。
　　The Wholeness of Life
　　Anonymous
　　Once a circle missed a wedge1. The circle wanted to be whole, so it went around looking for its missing piece. But because it was incomplete， and therefore could roll only very slowly. It admired the flowers along the way； It chatted with worms； It enjoyed the sunshine；It found lots of different pieces, but none of them fit. So it left them all by the side of the road and kept on searching. Then one day the circle found a piece that fit perfectly. It was so happy. Now it could be whole, with nothing missing. It incorporated2 the missing piece into itself and began to roll. Now that it was a perfect circle, it could roll very fast, too fast to notice flowers or talk to the worms. When it realized how different the world seemed when it rolled so quickly, it stopped, left its found piece by the side of the road and rolled slowly again.
　　The lesson of the story, I suggested, was that in some strange sense we are more whole when we are missing something. The man who has everything is in some ways a poor man. He will never know what it feels like to yearn, to hope, to nourish his soul with the dream of something better. He will never know the experience of having someone who loves him give him something he has always wanted or never had.
　　There is a wholeness about the person who has come to terms with his limitations, who has been brave enough to let go of his unrealistic dreams and not feel like a failure for doing so. There is a wholeness about the man or woman who has learned that he or she is strong enough to go through a tragedy and survive, she can lose someone and still feel like a complete person.
　　Life is not a trap set for us by God so that he can condemn3 us for failing.  Life is not a spelling bee, where no matter how many words you’ve gotten right, you’re disqualified if you make one mistake. Life is more like a baseball season, where even the best team loses one third of its games and even the worst team has its days of brilliance. Our goal is to win more games than we lose. When we accept that imperfection is part of being human, and when we can continue rolling through life and appreciate it, we will have achieved a wholeness that others can only aspire to. That, I believe, is what God asks of us—not“Be perfect”,  not “Don’t even make a mistake”, but “Be whole”.
　　If we are brave enough to love, strong enough to forgive, generous enough to rejoice in another’s happiness, and wise enough to know there is enough love to go around for us all, then we can achieve a fulfillment that no other living creature will ever know.
　　计划自己的人生
　　佚名
　　一个所谓的成长的现实就是对你生命中的可能与不可能的顺从和接受。想象你对自己或别人对你说了多少次“现在现实点儿……”天啊！现实的基础是什么？是社会的期望？是想减轻我们与期望的结果失之交臂的痛苦的父母的担心？还是我们朋友和亲人的才能和能力？而今，现实是管理自己的期望和确保自己的安全的一种方法。然而，这首先是自己不敢去尝试一次冒险和一段非凡的经历的一个很好的借口。
　　在过去与成千上万人的交往中，我发现，很多人甚至不允许他们自己去梦想。我发现，很难去想象人类拒绝自身最伟大的能力时的那种钝化的疼痛，那种证明和共同创造现实的那种能力。
　　你曾降低你的追求或者束缚你的梦想、热情或想象吗？如果你这样做过，接下来的五分钟里我要求你别太现实，别审视你的需求、梦想和渴望。只要随你自己的思想和感情来回答下面的问题。什么是你想要的？你想成为什么样的人？想做什么？想拥有什么？在海滩上生活，周游世界各地，建立一个家庭，开创一份事业，培养一段恋情，学习另一种语言，成为一位富翁，退休，游戏，教书，分享你所知道的，传递你的创造力……你想要什么？让自己的思维跳出肤浅的答案，想想你真正想要的是什么？
　　当你脑海中的画面变得越来越清晰时，我希望你能抓住其中的一页，并在上面加上标题：我的理想生活。写下你的理想生活：你在哪里，感觉如何，和谁在一起，你们的关系怎样，你如何打发时间，你怎样描述你对世界的贡献。不要仅仅是翻过这一页，或者只是在你的头脑中思考这些。事实上，你应有意识地抽出一些时间来计划一下你想创造的人生和阅历。悲哀的是，大部分人用更多的时间来计划他们的婚礼，而不是他们的生活！你书面的理想生活将是实现你的每个需求、希望的蓝图。每天都读一读、温习一下你的理想生活，并和别人一起分享。从现在开始寻求帮助，迈出向它挺进的步伐吧！
　　当你的梦想开始实现的时候，我坚信理查德?巴赫对此的话语是最贴切的：“你没有被赋予实现梦想的能力，那么你将永远被给予希望。不过，你或许可以为之而努力。”
　　Design Your Own Life
　　Anonymous
　　One of the socalled realities of growing up is the resignation1 and acceptance of what is or is not possible in our lives. Consider how many times you have been told or have said to yourself “Now be realistic...” OUCH!!! Realistic based upon what? The expectations of society? The fears of our parents who wanted to “save” us the pain of unmet2 expectations and failure? The capacity and capability of our friends and siblings? Now being realistic3 can be a way of managing your expectations and making sure you are safe, however it can also be a great excuse not to risk and a marvelous4 story of why you should not even try in the first place.
　　Something that I have discovered in the past decade of working with thousands of people is that many people will not even allow themselves to dream. I find it difficult to image the dull ache of denying one of our greatest capacities as human beings, the ability to manifest and cocreate our reality.
　　Have you been lowering your wants or blocking your dreams, passion and vision? If that is true for you, for the next five minutes I am going to ask you not to be realistic, not to censor5 your wants, dreams and desires. Just allow yourself to be free with your thoughts and feelings in order to answer the following questions. What do you want? What do you want to be, do and have? Live on the beach, travel round the world, start a family, start a business, create a loving relationship, learn another language, become a millionaire, retire, play, teach and share what you know, express your creativity... What do you want? Allow yourself to go past the surface answers and get to what it is that you truly want.
　　As the picture becomes clearer and clearer, I want you to grab a piece of paper and title it “My Ideal Life”. Write down your ideal life, where you are, how you feel, who you are with, the quality of your relationships, what you do with your time and how you express your unique contribution to the world. Do not just turn the page or think about it in your head, actually take some time to consciously design your life and the experiences you want to create. The sad truth is that most people spend more time planning their wedding day than they spend planning their lives!Your written ideal life becomes your blueprint to manifest6 everything you want to be, do and have in your life. Read and review our ideal life daily. Share it with others. Ask for support and begin taking steps toward making it a reality now!
　　When it comes to manifesting your dreams, I believe that Richard Bach said it best, “You are never given a wish without also being given the power to make it come true. You may have to work for it, however.”
　　让内心的灯指引你
　　佚名
　　当你必须独自站立的时刻来临时，你一定要有足够的自信去追寻自己的梦想，并要做好准备为之有所牺牲。
　　你必须拥有改变自己和决定轻重缓急的能力，这样，你的最终目标才能实现。
　　有时，你需要挑战熟悉和安逸；有时，你需要抓住更多的机会，创造属于自己的未来。
　　你要足够坚强，至少，要试着使自己的生活更美好。
　　要相信自己，而不要轻易妥协，不要得过且过。
　　要欣赏自己，给自己成长、发展的机会，并找到自己生活的真正意义所在。
　　不要活在别人的阴影里，属于你的阳光会指引你前进的道路。
　　努力去做自己喜欢做的事，努力克服所有的障碍。
　　笑对自己的过失，从中吸取教训，并引以为豪。
　　摘些花朵，欣赏大自然的美。
　　向陌生人问好，享受熟人的陪伴。
　　别害怕流露真情，放声大笑、纵情哭泣会让你感觉更好。
　　全心全意地爱你的家人、朋友，他们是你生活中最重要的部分。
　　在阳光灿烂的日子里，感受安宁。
　　寻找彩虹，活在梦想的世界，永远记住，生活比看上去的更美好。
　　Allow Your Own Inner
　　Light to Guide You
　　Anonymous
　　There comes a time when you must stand alone. You must feel confident enough within yourself to follow your own dreams. You must be willing to make sacrifices.
　　You must be capable of changing and rearranging your priorities, so that your final goal can be achieved.
　　Sometimes, familiarity and comfort need to be challenged. There are times when you must take a few extra chances and create your own realities.
　　Be strong enough to at least try to make your life better.
　　Be confident enough that you won’t settle for a compromise just to get by.
　　Appreciate yourself by allowing yourself the opportunities to grow, develop, and find your true sense of purpose in this life.
　　Don’t stand in someone else’s shadow when it’s your sunlight that should lead the way.
　　Work hard at what you like to do and try to overcome all obstacles.
　　Laugh at your mistakes and praise yourself for learning from them.
　　Pick some flowers and appreciate the beauty of nature.
　　Say hello to strangers and enjoy the people you know.
　　Don’t be afraid to show your emotions, laughing and crying make you feel better.
　　Love your friends and family with your entire being for they are the most important part of your life.
　　Feel the calmness on a quiet sunny day.
　　Find a rainbow and live your world of dreams, always remember life is better than it seems.
　　打造“全新的你”
　　佚名
　　处理问题的方式并不影响你成功的可能性，这很令人惊讶。准备充分并运用独特技艺能对结果产生决定性的作用。以下策略将有助于你目标的实现。
　　1.制定一个可预测结果的目标和一个有助于目标实现的计划。决心不明确就会使计划很难实施。
　　2.相信自己。调查研究表明，成功人士都相信自己能改变事情的现状。
　　3.鼓励自己。适当地给予自己一些特殊的奖赏，如外出玩个通宵或修一次指甲和脚，这些都是有益的自我缓解方式。
　　4.对自己宽容。研究发现，第一个月后，成功者与失败者犯同样多的错，只是成功者将错误当成教训，警示自己以更大的决心去实现目标。而那些失败者却说，再次的失败证明他们没有实现目标的能力。
　　心灵小语
　　成功者与失败者犯同样多的错，只是他们对待错误的方式不同。成功者会从中吸取教训以达到自己的目标，而失败者则认为自己没有实现目标的能力。
　　Personalize Your “New You” Plan
　　Anonymous
　　Surprisingly, your odds of success aren’t affected by the kind of resolution you make. Being ready and using specific skills are what determine the results. These strategies will help you reach your goal:
　　1. Set a goal with measurable1 results and a plan to help achieve it. It’s harder to follow through on vague resolutions2.
　　2. Believe in yourself. Research shows that those who are most successful have the selfconfidence that they can change.
　　3. Get reinforcements3. Special rewards, liked night out or a manicure and pedicure, can help you stay on track.
　　4. Forgive yourself. In a research, after the first month, the people who were successful slipped up4 just as many times as those who failed. But they see it as a reason to recommit5, a reminder to refocus on their goal with more determination. Those who are unsuccessful say a relapse is evidence that they can’t do it.
　　你可以选择……
　　佚名
　　清晨，我早早醒来，为自己在午夜的钟声敲响前将要做的一切激动不已。我有责任让今天过得充实，我很重要。
　　选择如何度过每一个日子，这是我的工作。
　　今天下雨了，所以我可以抱怨；但是，草地无须花费力气去浇灌了，所以我还可以感激。
　　今天没有足够的钱了，所以我可以难过；但这也使我懂得理性消费，引导我远离了浪费，所以我也可以欣喜。
　　今天为自己的健康问题，我可以满腹牢骚；但自己仍然活着，所以我可以欢呼雀跃。
　　今天因为小时候父母给予的太少，我可以悲叹不已；但是，他们赋予我生命，所以我也可以万分感激。
　　今天因为玫瑰的刺，我可以呜咽哭泣；但有刺的茎上有玫瑰花，所以我又可以欢心庆贺。
　　今天因为自己缺少朋友，我可以哀伤悲痛；但我能去发掘新的感情，所以我又兴奋不已。
　　今天因为不得不上班，我可以抱怨哭诉；但起码我还有工作可以去做，所以我可以高声欢呼。
　　今天因为不得不做家务，我唉声叹气；但这是上帝赐予我的避风港，我又备感荣耀。
　　今天伸展在我面前，等待着我去塑造，而我正是它的雕刻师，赋予它某种形状。
　　今天是什么样，完全由我决定，今天怎样度过，由我来选择！
　　You Have a Choice...
　　Anonymous
　　I woke up early today, excited over all I get to do before the clock strikes midnight. I have responsibilities to fulfill today. I am important.
　　My job is to choose what kind of day I am going to have.
　　Today I can complain because the weather is rainy or I can be thankful that the grass is getting watered for free.
　　Today I can feel sad that I don’t have more money or I can be glad that my finances encourage me to plan my purchases wisely and guide me away from waste.
　　Today I can grumble about my health or I can rejoice that I am alive.
　　Today I can lament over all that my parents didn’t give me when I was growing up or I can feel grateful that they allowed me to be born.
　　Today I can cry because roses have thorns or I can celebrate that thorns have roses.
　　Today I can mourn my lack of friends or I can excitedly embark upon a quest to discover new relationships.
　　Today I can whine because I have to go to work or I can shout for joy because I have a job to do.
　　Today I can murmur dejectedly because I have to do housework or I can feel honored because the Lord has provided shelter for my mind, body and soul.
　　Today stretches ahead of me, waiting to be shaped. And here I am, the sculptor who gets to do the shaping.
　　What today will be like is up to me. I get to choose what kind of day I will have!
　　生活的道路
　　威廉?萨默塞特?毛姆
　　大多数人的生活由他们所处的环境决定。他们不仅接受既定的命运，而且顺从命运的安排。他们就像街上的电车一样，在既定的轨道上行驶，而对于那些不时出没于车水马龙间和欢快地奔驰于空旷原野上的廉价小汽车却不屑一顾。我尊重他们，他们是好公民、好丈夫和好父亲。当然，总得有些人来缴税，但是，他们并没有令人激动的地方。另外有一些人，他们把生活掌握在自己的手里，可以按照自己的喜好去创造生活，尽管这样的人少之又少，但我却被他们深深地吸引着。可能世界上并没有诸如自由意志这样的事情，但是无论怎样，我们总有关于自由意志的幻想。当我们处在一个十字路口时，我们似乎可以决定向左走还是向右走，可是一旦作出选择，我们却很难意识到，实际上是世界历史的全部进程强迫我们作出了那样的选择。
　　心灵小语
　　生活的道路并不似一条平坦的大路，而是充满了许多不定的因素。不管前方的道路如何，不管环境将如何改变，不管面临什么样的选择，我们都要昂首挺胸，走出属于自己的生活道路！
　　The Road of Life
　　William Somerset Maugham
　　The lives of most men are determined by their environment. They accept the circumstances amid1 which fate has thrown them not only with resignation but even with good will. They are like streetcars running contentedly on their rails and they despise the sprightly flitter that dashes in and out of the traffic and speeds so jauntily2 across the open country. I respect them; they are good citizens, good husbands, and good fathers, and of course somebody has to pay the taxes; but I do not find them exciting. I am fascinated by the men, few enough in all conscience, who take life in their own hands and seem to mould it to their own liking. It maybe that we have no such thing as free will, but at all events, we have the illusion of it. At a cross road it does seem to us that we might go either to the right or the left and, the choice once made, it is difficult to see that the whole course of the world’s history obliged3 us to take the turning we did.
　　人生苦短
　　佚名
　　你们有些人听任一些不幸的误会年复一年地继续存在，打算将来有一天再去澄清；你们有些人听任一些可怜的争执继续为害，因为你们不能现在就下定决心牺牲自己的自尊，消除那些争执；你们有些人在大街上遇见某些人的时候，由于某种愚蠢的怨恨，故意不同他们讲话，但是你们自己心里也知道，如果在明天早晨听说其中的某个人离开了人世，自己的心中一定会充满羞愧和悔恨之情；你们有些人吝惜一句感激或同情的话，因而使朋友在痛苦中等待——只要你们突然间知道、看到或感觉到“人生苦短”，那你们的心胸就会豁然开朗，不再沉迷于那些无谓的计较，你会马上去做一些如果现在不做以后也许就永远没有机会去做的事情。
　　心灵小语
　　人生苦短，不要因为一些无谓的争执、误会而浪费我们的人生。在这有限的时间里，去做一些我们也许永远没有机会去做的事情，不要给自己留下遗憾。
　　The Time Is Short
　　Anonymous
　　You who are letting miserable1 misunderstandings run on from year to year, meaning to clear them up some day; you who are keeping wretched quarrels alive because you cannot quite make up your mind that now is the day to sacrifice2 your pride and kill them; you who are passing men sullenly upon the street, not speaking to them out of some silly spite, and yet knowing that it would fill you with shame and remorse3 if you heard that one of those men were dead tomorrow morning; you who are letting your friend’s heart ache for a word of appreciation or sympathy if only you could know and see and feel, all of a sudden4, that “the time is short” how it would break the spell!How you would go instantly and do the thing which you might never have another chance to do!

美丽英文励志篇(4)
　第二卷
　　我们在旅途中
　　We Are on a Journey
　　我们的生活是一种运动，一种趋势，是向一个看不见的目标稳定而不停地前进。每一天，我们都会赢得某些东西，或者会失去某些东西。甚至当我们的位置和我们的性格看起来跟以前完全相似时，它们事实上仍然在变化着。
　　起点
　　佚名
　　在起点，一切都满怀希望。我们准备重新开始。虽然我们的目的是前方瑰丽的旅程，但我们的一切希望——乐观、信念、决心和直率，却都包含在开始的那一刻。
　　为了开始，我们应先作好决定。这一决定是我们日常自我修养的一种承诺。我们要将它与自己的内心建立一种密切的关联。除此之外的事都是多余的。我们终生劳碌，最终孤独而赤裸地离去。所以，一定要有所作为，那样可以引导我们去体会生活中最深层的精神实质。
　　一旦我们下定决心，所有的事情就会接连不断地发生。吉兆并非迷信，而是对事情的肯定预测，是事物的反应。据说，若有人虔诚地向岩石祈祷，岩石便会被赋予生命。同样，若我们坚定自己的精神之旅，即使高山和峡谷也会回应我们坚定的呼声。
　　心灵小语
　　起点意味着旧的结束、新的开始，意味着新的准备和新的挑战。起点让人精神抖擞、满怀希望。有了好的起点，就应该有好的结局，即要善始善终。而在这一过程中最重要的就是坚持。
　　The Beginning
　　Anonymous
　　In the beginning, all things are hopeful. We prepare ourselves to start anew. Though we may be intent on the magnificent journey ahead, all things are contained in the first moment: our optimism, our faith, our resolution, our innocence.
　　In order to start, we must make a decision. The decision is a commitment to daily selfcultivation. We must make a strong connection to our inner selves. Outside matters are superfluous1. Alone and naked, we negotiate all of life’s travails. Therefore, we alone must make something of ourselves, transforming ourselves into the instruments for experiencing the deepest spiritual essence of life.
　　Once we make our decision, all things will come to us. Auspicious signs are not a superstition2, but a confirmation. They are a response. It is said that if one chooses to pray to a rock with enough devotion, even that rock will come alive. In the same way, once we choose to commit ourselves to spiritual practice, even the mountains and valleys will reverberate3 to the sound of our decision.
　　走自己的路！
　　佚名
　　几年前，我收到一张明信片，是一位住在怀俄明州的朋友杰克逊?霍尔寄来的。他写道：“我正在尽情地滑雪。”我感到很奇怪，因为滑雪时我总是惊恐不安的。我相信，他是说自己正熟练、欢快、平稳而又自信地滑雪。尽管，我是毫无希望那样滑雪的，但我梦想尽情地生活。我相信，经时间证明那些生活幸福的人，都掌握了尽情生活的以下五个秘诀。
　　自尊这意味着要对自己的言行高度负责；要遵守诺言、对自己、家庭和事业忠诚；信仰自己的事业并为之努力奋斗；要树立自身的内在准则，不与他人攀比。这不是说一定要比别人更好，自尊和正直要求自己比自我感觉的更好。
　　面对敌对者，温斯顿?丘吉尔树立了自尊和正直的典范。他任职的最后一年，参加了一次公务典礼。他后面几排有两位绅士窃窃私语：“那就是温斯顿?丘吉尔。”“他们说他越来越老了。”“他们说，他应该退位，应该由精力充沛、能力更强的人来替代他来管理国家。”典礼结束后，丘吉尔转身向那两个人说道：“先生们，他们说丘吉尔还是个聋子！”
　　丘吉尔懂得：要在正确的基础上选择自己的行动，虽然这并非权宜之计，但我们也不要因受到责难而动摇。这是保持自尊的一个秘诀。
　　为他人付出要相信他人，慢慢培养他们的梦想。一位智者说过：“种植庄稼可以使你获得一年的兴旺，而育人可以得到十年的繁荣昌盛。”
　　对于家人，朋友和同事，只要你愿意给予感激和鼓励，愿意花时间和精力去满足他们的愿望，你们就能够生活得和睦融洽。如果一棵树只获得微量的营养时，它会存活，但不会成长；但如果，它的给养充足，超过了生存的需要，它就可以生存下来，并长成参天大树、开花结果。
　　化失望为动力人们尽情地生活时便会发现，磨砺在培养毅力和个性的同时，也让他们更机敏、更富于爱心。他们深知，成就凝结着辛勤的血汗，铭刻着失望的疤痕，所以值得回忆纪念。
　　刚毅无畏的人们战胜残疾和不幸，显示出伟大的胜利精神，他们的英雄事迹写满了历史的每一个篇章。如在贫困中成长的亚伯拉罕?林肯，失明又失聪的海伦?凯勒。
　　享受生活过程，而不仅仅是酬劳我们生活在一个以目标为导向的社会，所有的问题需要马上解决：3分钟内我们就想喝上燕麦粥；1小时内洗好衣服；立即成功……但是，要尽情地生活，我们必须一天天地生活，品味细小的胜利的喜悦，意识到生活是永无止境的自我发现和自我充实的过程。它意味着要留些时间，去拥抱你的孩子，亲吻你的爱人，在高速公路上让别人先行。
　　作家唐?赫罗尔德写道：“无论走到哪里，我都会带着温度计、热水瓶、雨衣和伞。如果给我重新生活的机会，我会赤脚在早春漫步；我会骑更多的旋转木马；我会抓住更多的机会；我会品尝更多的冰淇淋。”
　　投身于比自身价值更高的事业我绝不相信你只会为你一个人生活而快乐，所以选择一项高于你自身价值的事业，并以卓越的精神为之努力拼搏。当你的目标实现时，它将成为你生命的一部分。成功与否，不在于你做了什么，而在于你能够做什么。
　　心灵小语
　　每个人都有自己的路要走，不要随波逐流，掌握尽情生活的秘诀——自尊，为他人付出，化失望为动力……不管成功与否，不在于你做了什么，而在于你能够做什么。
　　Let Yourself Go!
　　Anonymous
　　Several years ago, I received a post card from a friend in Jackson Hole, Wyo., who wrote, “I am skiing with abandon!” I wondered what he meant, for when I ski it is always with trepidation. I believe he meant he was skiing skillfully, joyfully, peacefully and confidently. Although I have no hopes of ever skiing that way, I do dream of living with abandon. I believe that men and women through the ages who have led successful lives have captured these five secrets of living life to the fullest.
　　Have a selfrespectThis means having a deep sense of responsibility for your thoughts and actions. It means keeping your word, and being faithful to self, family and work. It means believing in what you do and working hard. It means setting your own internal standards, and not comparing yourself to others. It’s not a question of being better than someone else; respect and integrity demand that you be better than you thought you could be.
　　Winston Churchill exemplified integrity and respect in the face of opposition. During his last year in office, he attended an official ceremony. Several rows behind his two gentlemen began whispering. “That’s Winston Churchill.” “They say he is getting senile.” “They say he should step aside and leave the running of the nation to more dynamic and capable men.” When the ceremony was over, Churchill turned to the men and said, “Gentlemen, they also say he is deaf !”
　　Churchill knew that one secret to a self you can respect is to choose a course of action based on what is right, not expedient, and not waver from it when criticized.
　　Commit yourself to othersBelieve in others, and take time to nurture their dreams. A wise man said, “If you want one year’s prosperity, grow grain. But if you want ten years’ prosperity, grow men and women.”
　　You can build into the lives of your family, friends and colleagues by providing nutrients of gratitude and encouragement, and by investing your time and energy in their aspirations. If a tree is given minimal nourishment, it will live, but it will not grow. But if nourishment is given over and beyond what is needed for life, the tree will live and grow upward, producing fruit.
　　Turn disappointments into strengthsIndividuals who live with abandon have discovered that personal trials make them more sensitive and loving, while building endurance and character. They have learned that achievements worth remembering are stained with the blood of diligence and etched with the scars of disappointment.
　　The pages of history are filled with the heroic stories of undaunted men and women who triumphed over disabilities and adversities to demonstrate victorious spirits. Raise him in abject poverty, and you have an Abraham Lincoln. Make her blind and deaf, and you have a Helen Keller.
　　Enjoy life’s process, not just life’s rewardsWe live in a goaloriented society that wants problems resolved now. We want threeminute oatmeal, onehour dry cleaning, and instant success. But to live with abandon, we must live one day at a time, savoring the little victories, realizing that life is an endless journey in selfdiscovery and personal fulfillment. It means taking time to hug your kids, kiss your spouse and let the other fellow ahead of you on the freeway.
　　“I was one of those people who never go anywhere without a thermometer, hot water bottle, raincoat and parachute,” wrote author Don Herold.“If I had my life to live over, I would go barefoot earlier in spring. I would ride more merrygorounds. I would take more chances, and I would eat more ice cream.”
　　Become involved in something bigger than yourselfI do not believe you will live happily if you set out to live life for yourself alone. Choose a cause bigger than you are and work at it in a spirit of excellence. It will become a part of you as you see your goals through to the end. Measure success not by what you’ve done, but what you could do.
　　培养自信
　　佚名
　　自信是一种感觉——一种能使人们获得基本满足感的内在激情和外在光芒。它不是某些人与生俱来，而其他人则没有的品质，它是后天形成的。
　　自信可以通过学习获得，同时又能促使你不断学习，它不是某些人的私有财产。世界上再聪明的人也同其他人一样，以信念和经历为基础来培养自信。虽然不同的人所使用的工具也不尽相同，但核心目的是相同的。倘若我们依靠自己的能力，根据自己的需求，运用自己的才智使之不断增强，我们就可以做到自信且沉着冷静。
　　自信最令人欣慰的一点是，它不受年龄和生活水平的限制，时刻伴随着我们——无论是孩子、男人、女人、名人、平凡人，还是富人、穷人、艺术家、行政人员、青少年、老人都可以拥有自信。你甚至可以满怀自信地步入老年。一个老人对自己、对他人、对未来怀有美好的愿望，拥有乐观的心境和坚定的信念，这比任何事都更能激励人心。反之，无欲无求，不被人所需的感觉是老人绝望的根源。
　　多数人都比他们料想的更有作为。一位著名的物理学家把自信称为尚待利用的优势资源，认为开发并利用自信这种潜能，是当代生活的主要挑战之一。高估自己的能力并非最大的危险，而低估且不充分利用这些能力，则阻碍了潜能的开发。
　　没有问题存在的生活，并不是理想的生活。没有问题会单调得令人无法忍受，创造性地解决问题才能令生活有意义。或许“问题”一词听起来令人有点不舒服，但它只意味着一个被提出的需要解决的问题。实际上，生活就是由这一系列的提出问题和解决问题所构成的，每个问题都有别于前一个问题。
　　自信是令人愉悦的，它使生活充满了喜悦，让快乐包围你，快乐地工作，快乐地成长，人生的种种坎坷历程都会令你快乐。教师以教书育人为乐，无暇对他的所作所为是否正确表示怀疑。他们清楚地知道，只要尽心尽力地工作，有朝一日定会成为一名优秀的教师。母亲也如此，她们也不会过多地担心自己是否适合母亲这一角色。毕竟，她照料的是活生生的孩子，而不是无生命的物质。
　　规则通常是生活成功的向导，而非生活的附属物。规则并不完全与现实相吻合，因为它源于经验，而非其他。生活是一种无从定义的发明创造，总会超越那些束缚它的规章制度，因为生活始终处于变化之中。当生活把你精心制定的计划或准则打乱时，舍弃那些计划，适应环境吧，你会发现意想不到的力量，而不可能的梦想也会得以实现。
　　自信并不能战胜一切，但它的确是人类不甘于失败，勇于进取的品质。谨记，面对错误，你可以采取两种态度：逃避或成长。
　　心灵小语
　　自信是我们获得基本满足感的内在激情和外在光芒。它不受年龄和生活水平的限制，时刻伴随着我们，令我们的生活充满了喜悦。
　　Developing Selfconfidence
　　Anonymous
　　Confidence is a feeling—an inner fire and an outer radiance1, a basic satisfaction with what one is plus a reaching out to become more. Confidence is not something a few people are born with and others are not, for it is an acquired characteristic.
　　Confidence is the personal possession of no one; the person who has it learns it—and goes on learning. The most gifted individual on earth has to construct confidence in his gifts from the basis of faith and experience, like anybody else. The tools will differ from one person to the next, but the essential task is the same. Confidence and pose are available to us all according to our abilities and needs—not somebody else’s—provided we utilize our gifts and expand them.
　　One of the most rewarding aspects of confidence is that it sits gracefully on every age and level of life—on children, men, women, the famous, the obscure2, rich, poor, artist, executive, teenager, the very old. And you can take it with you into old age. There is nothing more inspiring than an old person who maintains his good will, humor, and faith in himself, in others, in the future. Conversely, the root cause of old people’s despair is a feeling of not being wanted, of nothing to contribute, no more to conquer and become.
　　Most people have more to work with than they realize. One noted physicist calls this unused excellencies and finding and releasing this potential in ourselves is one of the major challenges of modern life. The great danger is not that we shall overreach our capacities but that we shall undervalue and underemploy them, thus blighting our great possibilities.
　　The goal of life is not a problemless existence, which would be unbearably dull, but a way to handle problems creatively. That word“problem” may sound a little prickly, but it only means a question put forth for solution, and actually life consists of a series of problemsandsolutions, each different from the last.
　　Confidence is delight—delight in living, in being who you are, in what you do, in growing, in the endless and sometimes exasperating3 adventure of what it means to be human. The teacher who delights in teaching has no time for bogging down in a swamp of doubt that he or she is doing it “right,” and they are well aware that they can become a better teacher tomorrow, but only by doing their best today and enjoying today. So, too, the mother who delights in being a mother does not worry overmuch about whether she fits the rules. She is not the mother, after all, of something material but of a living child.
　　Rules can often be a guide to successful living, but they are not a substitute for living. Rules never quite keep up with reality, because rules come from experience, not the other way around. Life happens, and it is infinitely inventive. It will always outrun and outmaneuver4 any attempt to bottle it up in a cutanddried system, for life is perpetual5 becoming. When life turns your wisest plans or best rules upside down, throw out the plans and bend with the circumstance. You will find powers you did not suspect, and possibilities undreamed of.
　　Confidence is not always winning, not always victory. Indeed, it is that very quality in humanity which refuses to stay defeated. A kind of stubborn cheerfulness. Remember there are two things you can do with mistakes, you can run away and you can grow.
　　主动还是被动
　　佚名
　　前两天晚上，我和朋友散步，走到一个书报摊前，朋友买了一份报纸，很礼貌地跟那位报贩道谢，而那报贩却置若罔闻。
　　“他可真是个沉闷的家伙，不是吗？”我批评道。
　　“噢，他每个晚上都这样。”朋友耸耸肩说道。
　　“那你为什么还对他这么有礼貌？”我问道。
　　“为什么不呢？”朋友反问道，“我怎么做，为什么要让他决定呢？”
　　后来，我反复思索这件小事，“主动”这个重要的词让我受到触动。朋友的举动是主动待人，而我们大多数都是被动地回应。
　　他拥有内心的平衡感，而我们大多数人都很缺乏平衡感；他了解自我，明确自己的立场，通晓处世之道。他拒绝以怨抱怨，那样他将不再是自己行为的主宰。
　　遵奉《圣经》以德报怨的训诫时，我们视其为一种道德规范——它的确如此。但同时，它也是精神健康的一剂良药。
　　一味被动回应的人最不容易快乐。他情感的重心随外界转移，而非根植于自己的内心世界；他的情绪随周围的社会风尚变迁，成了受这些因素摆布的可怜虫。
　　称赞并不能给他带来真正的快乐，因为它不持久，也并非来自自我认可；批评会使他过度悲伤，因为他内心深处的不自信再一次得到确认；冷落会使他伤痛，他也会因某处，哪怕一点点的怠慢而痛苦不堪。
　　要做到平心静气，我们就要主宰自己的行为和态度。如果我们的举止是粗鲁或优雅、是欢欣或沮丧，都要由他人来决定的话，那就是放弃对自我的主宰，而这正是我们真正拥有的东西。我们唯一真正拥有的就是自我控制。
　　Do You Act or React
　　Anonymous
　　I walked with my friend to the newsstand the other night, and he bought a paper, thanking the newspaper seller politely. The vendor1 didn’t even acknowledge it.
　　“A sullen2 fellow, isn’t he?” I commented.
　　“Oh, he’s that way every night,” shrugged my friend.
　　“Then why do you continue to be so polite to him?” I asked.
　　“Why not?” inquired my friend. “Why should I let him decide how I’m going to act?”
　　As I thought about this incident later, it occurred to me that the important word was “act.” My friend acts toward people; most of us react toward them.
　　He has a sense of inner balance which is lacking in most of us; he knows who he is, what he stands for, how he should behave. He refuses to return incivility3 from incivility, because then he would no longer be in command of his own conduct.
　　When we are enjoined in the Bible to return good for evil, we look upon this as a moral injunction—which it is. But it is also a psychological prescription for our emotional health.
　　Nobody is unhappier than the perpetual reactor. His center of emotional gravity is not rooted within himself, where it belongs, but in the world outside him. His spiritual temperature is always being raised or lowered by the social climate around him, and he is a mere creature at the mercy of these elements.
　　Praise gives him a feeling of euphoria, which is false, because it does not last and it does not come from self approval4. Criticism depresses him more than it should, because it confirms his own secretly shaky opinion of himself. Snubs hurt him, and the merest suspicion of unpopularity in any quarter rouses him to bitterness.
　　A serenity of spirit cannot be achieved until we become the masters of our own actions and attitudes. To let another determine whether we shall be rude or gracious5, elated or depressed, is to relinquish control over our own personalities, which is ultimately all we possess. The only true possession is selfpossession.
　　敢于梦想
　　佚名
　　生命！多么宝贵的礼物啊，这是上帝赐予人类的。我们应该为能生活在这样一个美好、充满生机和无限可能的世界里而感到幸福！然而，灾难降临了，这份“礼物”给人的感觉更像是一种诅咒、一场灾难。“为什么?为什么倒霉的是我?”我们不解。我们永远无从知晓其答案，不是吗？我七岁时得了霍奇金病(译者注：这是一种病因不明的疾病，特征为淋巴结及肝脾进行性肿大及贫血)，只有六个月的存活时间，而我却奇迹般地战胜了病魔。运气、希望也好，信念、勇气也罢，总之，世界上有几千个这样的幸存者!我们这些胜利者知道答案——“为什么我们没有失败，因为我们控制了它!”癌症没能将我击垮。我与癌症并存。无论以后遭遇什么困难，我都不会恐惧了，因为天生我材必有用。
　　大二时，班上举行一英里赛跑。那一天我永生难忘。因为手术，腿上留下了很多肿块和疤痕。我怕别人嘲笑，在恐惧中生活了两年。整整两年，我都没穿短裤。但那天，我不在乎了。我准备好了——短裤，心理和思想也都早有准备。我来到起跑线前，周围立刻议论纷纷。“好臃肿!”“真胖！”“难看死了！”对这些议论，我充耳不闻。
　　然后，教练大喊：“各就各位——预备——跑!”我像离弦的箭一样冲了出去，开始的20英尺，我跑得比谁都快。那时，我还不太懂控制速度，那也没关系，因为我下定决心要第一个冲到终点。一共要跑四圈。第一圈时，跑道上随处可见同学的身影。第二圈快结束时，许多同学都放弃了，停下来拼命地喘着气。当我开始跑第三圈时，跑道上只剩几个同学了，我的步履也开始蹒跚。第四圈时，跑道上就我一个人了。我突然意识到，并没有人放弃，而是他们都跑完了。跑最后一圈时，我哭了。我知道自己输给了班里的所有同学。跑了12分42秒后，我终于冲到了终点。我跌坐在地上，汗如雨下。我简直羞愧难当。
　　突然，教练跑过来，把我抱起，喊道：“你成功了。曼纽尔！曼纽尔，你做到了，孩子。你跑完了!”他手里挥动着一张纸条，注视着我。我忽然想起来了，那是上课前我交给他的，是那天我为自己制定的一个目标。他大声地把纸条读给大家听，上面简单地写着：“我，曼纽尔?迪耶特，无论如何，都要完成明天的一英里赛跑。痛苦和挫折并不能将我击退。因为，上帝赐予了我力量，使我有足够的能力实现这一目标，相信自己一定可以。”署名为曼纽尔?迪耶特——在字母“D”当中，我画了一张笑脸，这是我署名的一个习惯。我深受鼓舞，像吃了香蕉一样甜蜜，不禁破涕为笑。同学们都站起身来鼓掌，这是我生平第一次得到如此“礼遇”。就是在那时，我意识到，胜利并非总意味着最先完成某事，有时，仅仅完成某事也是胜利。
　　心灵小语
　　现代社会中有太多的不如意，生活中有太多的无奈与不协调，但我们不能因此而消沉。因为生活中还有许多美好，值得我们去体味、去珍惜。
　　Dare to Dream
　　Anonymous
　　Life!What a precious1 gift from God. What a blessing to be alive in a wonderful, vibrant world of unlimited possibilities. Then, adversity strikes, and this “gift” feels more like a curse2. “Why? Why me?” We ask. Yet we never get an answer, or do we? After contracting Hodgkin’s disease at age seven and being given six months to live, I triumphed over the odds. Call it luck, hope, faith or courage, there are thousands of survivors! Winners like us know the answer—“Why not us? We can handle it!” I’m not dying3 of cancer. I’m living with cancer. God doesn’t make junk, regardless of what comes our way, and I don’t have to be afraid anymore.
　　In my sophomore4 year of high school, the class was scheduled to run the mile. I will always remember that day because due to the swelling and scars from surgery on my leg, for two solid years I had not worn shorts. I was afraid of the teasing. So, for two years I lived in fear. Yet that day, it didn’t matter. I was ready —shorts, heart and mind. I no sooner got to the starting line before I heard the loud whispers.“Gross !”“How fat!”“How ugly!” I blocked it out.
　　Then the coach yelled, “Ready. Set. Go!” I jetted out of there like an airplane, faster than anyone for the first 20 feet. I didn’t know much about pacing then, but it was okay because I was determined to finish first. As we came around the first of four laps, there were students all over the track. By the end of the second lap, many of the students had already quit. They had given up and were on the ground gasping for air. As I started the third lap, only a few of my classmates were left on the track, and I began limping. By the time I hit the fourth lap, I was alone. Then it hit me. I realized that nobody had given up. Instead, everyone had already finished. As I ran that last lap, I cried. I realized that every boy and girl in my class had beaten me, and 12 minutes, 42 seconds after starting, I crossed the finish line. I fell to the ground and shed oceans. I was so embarrassed.
　　Suddenly my coach ran up to me and picked me up, yelling,“You did it. Manuel!Manuel, you finished, son. You finished!”He looked me straight in the eyes, waving a piece of paper in his hand. It was my goal for the day, which I had forgotten. I had given it to him before class. He read it aloud to everyone. It simply said,“I, Manuel Diotte, will finish the mile run tomorrow, come what may. No pain or frustration will stop me. For I am more than capable of finishing, and with God as my strength, I will finish.” Signed, Manuel Diotte—with a little smiling face inside the D, as I always sign my name. My heart lifted. My tears went away, and I had a smile on my face as if I had eaten a banana. My classmates applauded and gave me my first standing ovation5. It was then I realized winning isn’t always finishing first. Sometimes winning is just finishing.
　　勇气是才能
　　佚名
　　勇气就是敢于冒险，勇于进取，勇往直前。在工作和生活中，你经常对自己的思想、行为或动机提出质疑吗?若你不锻炼经常检验自己的能力，你不仅会丧失信心，更重要的是，你认识自我、朋友和客户的能力也将丧失殆尽。
　　面对抉择与挑战时，你要时刻警醒自己，这样可以使勇气倍增，也可以发现对自己至关重要的东西；同时，对你有意义的特殊情形，你想获得的结果或解决问题的方法也会凸显出来。
　　很多人都不能过上他们理想中的生活。如果现实与理想相去甚远，不要怨天尤人。要清楚你希望达到的目标，然后对你追求目标所采取的行动进行检验，看其适当与否。把你的回答与别人对你寄予的期望加以比较。要记住，事业的成功和生活的美满都需要深入地了解自己，并确立适当的目标。
　　勇气能让人形成自省的习惯，并让你的感受真实、适当。假如你想成长起来并获得成功，把这种自我评价运用到工作和生活中就显得很重要了。这个方法确实有效。
　　好奇之心，人人都有，但好奇需要勇气（切不可过分）。学习一些生活常识，以及了解与你打交道的人是大有裨益的。无论你想做什么，都要努力找到该做的理由来说服自己，这对活跃你的思维很有好处。如果写日记对你有帮助的话，你就应该去做。一段时日过后，可以回头看看，在某一问题上，你曾经的行动（或反应）所产生的结果。这样，在面对未来或类似的问题时，你就会有的放矢。
　　认清自己的弱点并极力加以改进。要不断地给自己注入生机和活力，并记住生活总会不时地检验你处理问题的能力和勇气。当你懂得欣赏工作和生活中的挑战时，你就会发现自身潜在的力量。而后，你就会获得内心的安宁与精神的慰藉，这样有助于你更好地建立自信和自尊。
　　每个人的内心都有一些东西，可以激发我们的动机、热情和理智以获取成功。想要增加信心，就要不断地鼓舞自己冒一些必要的风险。审视自己的动机，然后寻求答案。倘若你有获得成功的勇气，不要轻信自己或他人对此的怀疑。重要的是你自己。
　　切不可让消极思想妨碍你的进步或目标的实现。控制你的思想，想想什么事对你是重要的。积极的思想，可以使你重振旗鼓。不论挑战多么大，如何频繁，不论它怎样影响你的情绪，千万不要向消极的思想屈服，要义无反顾地站起身来继续前行，并把注意力集中在那些给你力量和个性的事物上。
　　谨记：无论是生活中，还是工作中，获取成功的动机、热情和理智，都是你目标实现不可或缺的条件。生活需要有平静的思想，坚强的性格以及适当的信念和信仰，不断地思考。这样才能磨练你的勇气。
　　心灵小语
　　即使面对困境、挫折，我们也要有勇气去追寻我们的梦想，不轻易妥协、放弃。即使最后失败了，我们也不会遗憾！因为，勇气也是一种才能。
　　Courage Is a Gift
　　Anonymous
　　Courage is daring to be Brave， Enterprising, and Bold. In your business or personal life, how often do you question your thoughts, your actions, or your motives? When you don’t exercise the ability to always test yourself, you may lose not only your confidence, but more importantly, you lose the ability to focus, to know yourself, your friends, and your customers.
　　When faced with decisions and challenges, asking yourself questions every day, every hour, every moment gives you the courage to discover what is important to you and what a particular situation means to you, and what result or solution you will like to accomplish.
　　Not many people experience life the way they want it to be. If things don’t work out the way you want, don’t find someone else to blame. Know what goals you want, then question your actions in reaching them. Compare your answers to what others may wish for you. After all, having a successful business or a life of contentment requires you to know yourself and the goals that are best for you.
　　Courage is getting in the habit of looking inward and going with your highest feeling of what is true and what feels right for you. Apply this inner evaluation1 in your business and in your personal life. This is important if you wish to grow and stay successful. It works!
　　Have the courage to be curious(not nosy!). A quest for knowledge about life and the people you interact with is good. Look for answers to whatever you plan to do. This keeps you thoughtful. Keep a journal if it helps. Over time, you can look back and discover the results of your actions (or reactions) to certain problems. Then when faced with future or similar problems, you’ll have a ready solution.
　　Realize your weaknesses and work toward improving them. Continue to renew yourself and remember that life has a way of constantly testing your ability and courage to deal with it. When you can learn to appreciate the challenges in both your business and personal life, you find inner strength. Then you are able to bring about an inner peace and spirituality2 that gives you a good tool for building selfconfidence and self esteem.
　　There is something inside each of us that fuels our motivation, our passion, and our reason to succeed. Keep encouraging yourself to take the necessary risks to refuel your confidence. Question your motives. Then search for the answer. Question any doubts you or others may have about your courage to succeed. You are what is important.
　　Don’t let negative thoughts get in the way of your progress and your goals. Control your thoughts. Think about what is important to you. When your thoughts are positive, they have a way of replenishing3 your courage. No matter how often unpleasant or difficult challenges get you down, don’t give in to negative thinking. Just pick yourself up and move on. Focus on what gives you your strength and uniqueness.
　　Remember: motivation, passion, and your reason to succeed in life, as well as in business, are essential requirements to reaching your goals. Live life in a constant state of awareness, with peaceful thoughts, a dash4 of forcefulness, and a good measure of faith and spirituality. You will then be exercising your gift of courage.
　　生命就是希望
　　佚名
　　我在俄亥俄州读八年级时，班上有一个女孩名叫海伦，她遭遇了一场严重的车祸。她怕错过公交车，急匆匆地跑过去时，不慎踩到冰块，滑倒在后车轮下。她幸免于难，但腰部以下瘫痪了。去探望她时，13岁的我想，从此以后，她再也不能正常的生活了。
　　数年后，我搬了家，也没有再想起过海伦。三年前，在佛罗里达州，我的大儿子骑车时被汽车撞倒，脑部受到严重创伤。在我照顾儿子期间，有一位女士打来电话，自称是医院义工。那是最难熬的日子，我毫无来由地失声痛哭，然后挂了电话。
　　不久，一位坐着轮椅的漂亮女士出现在儿子的病房，她手里拿着纸巾。16年以后，我仍然认出，是海伦。她微笑着，递纸巾给我，拥抱我。我告诉她自己是谁后，我们为此都非常震惊。她开始告诉我，我们分别后她的生活经历。她结婚生子，并获得了学位。这样她能为那些比自己更不幸的人们，点燃前进的希望。她告诉我，现在倘若她有什么可以给我的，那将是“希望”。
　　看着这位了不起又乐于奉献的女士，我深感渺小。但是，自从儿子受伤后，我也感受到了第一份希望。这位我曾以为没有生活质量的人让我明白：只要有生命，就有希望。儿子奇迹般地康复了，我们又搬回了北方。但是，我欠海伦的情谊将永远无法偿还。
　　心灵小语
　　你的能力有多大，成功就有多大。要想得到更多的回报，就不要吝啬付出。只要存在一丝生命的气息，那么我们的希望就不会破灭。
　　Where There Is Life, There Is Hope
　　Anonymous
　　When I was in the 8th grade in Ohio, a girl named Helen in my class had a terrible accident. As she was running to the bus in order not to miss it, she slipped on some ice and fell under the rear wheels of the bus. She survived the accident, but was paralyzed from the waist down. I went to see her, in my 13yearold mind thinking she wouldn’t live normally from then on.
　　Over the years, I moved and didn’t think much about Helen after that. Three years ago, in Florida, my oldest son was hit by a car while riding his bike, causing a terrible brain injury. While I was looking after my son, a lady who said she was the hospital’s social worker called. It was a particularly trying day. I burst into tears for no reason and hung up.
　　A short time later, a beautiful woman, in a wheelchair, rolled into my son’s room with a box of tissues. After 16 years, I still recognized Helen. She smiled, handed me the tissues and hugged me. I told her who I was, and after we both got through the shock of that, she began to tell me about her life since we last saw each other. She had married, had children and gotten her degree so that she could smooth the path for those less fortunate than her.  She told me that if there was anything she could give me, it would be hope.
　　Looking at this wonderful, giving person, I felt small. But I also felt the first hope I had felt since learning that my son was hurt. From this person that I thought would have no quality of life, I learned that where there is life, there is hope.  My son miraculously recovered and we moved back north, but I owe Helen a debt that I can never repay.

美丽英文励志篇(5)
　第二卷
　　我们在旅途中
　　We Are on a Journey
　　我们的生活是一种运动，一种趋势，是向一个看不见的目标稳定而不停地前进。每一天，我们都会赢得某些东西，或者会失去某些东西。甚至当我们的位置和我们的性格看起来跟以前完全相似时，它们事实上仍然在变化着。
　　起点
　　佚名
　　在起点，一切都满怀希望。我们准备重新开始。虽然我们的目的是前方瑰丽的旅程，但我们的一切希望——乐观、信念、决心和直率，却都包含在开始的那一刻。
　　为了开始，我们应先作好决定。这一决定是我们日常自我修养的一种承诺。我们要将它与自己的内心建立一种密切的关联。除此之外的事都是多余的。我们终生劳碌，最终孤独而赤裸地离去。所以，一定要有所作为，那样可以引导我们去体会生活中最深层的精神实质。
　　一旦我们下定决心，所有的事情就会接连不断地发生。吉兆并非迷信，而是对事情的肯定预测，是事物的反应。据说，若有人虔诚地向岩石祈祷，岩石便会被赋予生命。同样，若我们坚定自己的精神之旅，即使高山和峡谷也会回应我们坚定的呼声。
　　心灵小语
　　起点意味着旧的结束、新的开始，意味着新的准备和新的挑战。起点让人精神抖擞、满怀希望。有了好的起点，就应该有好的结局，即要善始善终。而在这一过程中最重要的就是坚持。
　　The Beginning
　　Anonymous
　　In the beginning, all things are hopeful. We prepare ourselves to start anew. Though we may be intent on the magnificent journey ahead, all things are contained in the first moment: our optimism, our faith, our resolution, our innocence.
　　In order to start, we must make a decision. The decision is a commitment to daily selfcultivation. We must make a strong connection to our inner selves. Outside matters are superfluous1. Alone and naked, we negotiate all of life’s travails. Therefore, we alone must make something of ourselves, transforming ourselves into the instruments for experiencing the deepest spiritual essence of life.
　　Once we make our decision, all things will come to us. Auspicious signs are not a superstition2, but a confirmation. They are a response. It is said that if one chooses to pray to a rock with enough devotion, even that rock will come alive. In the same way, once we choose to commit ourselves to spiritual practice, even the mountains and valleys will reverberate3 to the sound of our decision.
　　走自己的路！
　　佚名
　　几年前，我收到一张明信片，是一位住在怀俄明州的朋友杰克逊?霍尔寄来的。他写道：“我正在尽情地滑雪。”我感到很奇怪，因为滑雪时我总是惊恐不安的。我相信，他是说自己正熟练、欢快、平稳而又自信地滑雪。尽管，我是毫无希望那样滑雪的，但我梦想尽情地生活。我相信，经时间证明那些生活幸福的人，都掌握了尽情生活的以下五个秘诀。
　　自尊这意味着要对自己的言行高度负责；要遵守诺言、对自己、家庭和事业忠诚；信仰自己的事业并为之努力奋斗；要树立自身的内在准则，不与他人攀比。这不是说一定要比别人更好，自尊和正直要求自己比自我感觉的更好。
　　面对敌对者，温斯顿?丘吉尔树立了自尊和正直的典范。他任职的最后一年，参加了一次公务典礼。他后面几排有两位绅士窃窃私语：“那就是温斯顿?丘吉尔。”“他们说他越来越老了。”“他们说，他应该退位，应该由精力充沛、能力更强的人来替代他来管理国家。”典礼结束后，丘吉尔转身向那两个人说道：“先生们，他们说丘吉尔还是个聋子！”
　　丘吉尔懂得：要在正确的基础上选择自己的行动，虽然这并非权宜之计，但我们也不要因受到责难而动摇。这是保持自尊的一个秘诀。
　　为他人付出要相信他人，慢慢培养他们的梦想。一位智者说过：“种植庄稼可以使你获得一年的兴旺，而育人可以得到十年的繁荣昌盛。”
　　对于家人，朋友和同事，只要你愿意给予感激和鼓励，愿意花时间和精力去满足他们的愿望，你们就能够生活得和睦融洽。如果一棵树只获得微量的营养时，它会存活，但不会成长；但如果，它的给养充足，超过了生存的需要，它就可以生存下来，并长成参天大树、开花结果。
　　化失望为动力人们尽情地生活时便会发现，磨砺在培养毅力和个性的同时，也让他们更机敏、更富于爱心。他们深知，成就凝结着辛勤的血汗，铭刻着失望的疤痕，所以值得回忆纪念。
　　刚毅无畏的人们战胜残疾和不幸，显示出伟大的胜利精神，他们的英雄事迹写满了历史的每一个篇章。如在贫困中成长的亚伯拉罕?林肯，失明又失聪的海伦?凯勒。
　　享受生活过程，而不仅仅是酬劳我们生活在一个以目标为导向的社会，所有的问题需要马上解决：3分钟内我们就想喝上燕麦粥；1小时内洗好衣服；立即成功……但是，要尽情地生活，我们必须一天天地生活，品味细小的胜利的喜悦，意识到生活是永无止境的自我发现和自我充实的过程。它意味着要留些时间，去拥抱你的孩子，亲吻你的爱人，在高速公路上让别人先行。
　　作家唐?赫罗尔德写道：“无论走到哪里，我都会带着温度计、热水瓶、雨衣和伞。如果给我重新生活的机会，我会赤脚在早春漫步；我会骑更多的旋转木马；我会抓住更多的机会；我会品尝更多的冰淇淋。”
　　投身于比自身价值更高的事业我绝不相信你只会为你一个人生活而快乐，所以选择一项高于你自身价值的事业，并以卓越的精神为之努力拼搏。当你的目标实现时，它将成为你生命的一部分。成功与否，不在于你做了什么，而在于你能够做什么。
　　心灵小语
　　每个人都有自己的路要走，不要随波逐流，掌握尽情生活的秘诀——自尊，为他人付出，化失望为动力……不管成功与否，不在于你做了什么，而在于你能够做什么。
　　Let Yourself Go!
　　Anonymous
　　Several years ago, I received a post card from a friend in Jackson Hole, Wyo., who wrote, “I am skiing with abandon!” I wondered what he meant, for when I ski it is always with trepidation. I believe he meant he was skiing skillfully, joyfully, peacefully and confidently. Although I have no hopes of ever skiing that way, I do dream of living with abandon. I believe that men and women through the ages who have led successful lives have captured these five secrets of living life to the fullest.
　　Have a selfrespectThis means having a deep sense of responsibility for your thoughts and actions. It means keeping your word, and being faithful to self, family and work. It means believing in what you do and working hard. It means setting your own internal standards, and not comparing yourself to others. It’s not a question of being better than someone else; respect and integrity demand that you be better than you thought you could be.
　　Winston Churchill exemplified integrity and respect in the face of opposition. During his last year in office, he attended an official ceremony. Several rows behind his two gentlemen began whispering. “That’s Winston Churchill.” “They say he is getting senile.” “They say he should step aside and leave the running of the nation to more dynamic and capable men.” When the ceremony was over, Churchill turned to the men and said, “Gentlemen, they also say he is deaf !”
　　Churchill knew that one secret to a self you can respect is to choose a course of action based on what is right, not expedient, and not waver from it when criticized.
　　Commit yourself to othersBelieve in others, and take time to nurture their dreams. A wise man said, “If you want one year’s prosperity, grow grain. But if you want ten years’ prosperity, grow men and women.”
　　You can build into the lives of your family, friends and colleagues by providing nutrients of gratitude and encouragement, and by investing your time and energy in their aspirations. If a tree is given minimal nourishment, it will live, but it will not grow. But if nourishment is given over and beyond what is needed for life, the tree will live and grow upward, producing fruit.
　　Turn disappointments into strengthsIndividuals who live with abandon have discovered that personal trials make them more sensitive and loving, while building endurance and character. They have learned that achievements worth remembering are stained with the blood of diligence and etched with the scars of disappointment.
　　The pages of history are filled with the heroic stories of undaunted men and women who triumphed over disabilities and adversities to demonstrate victorious spirits. Raise him in abject poverty, and you have an Abraham Lincoln. Make her blind and deaf, and you have a Helen Keller.
　　Enjoy life’s process, not just life’s rewardsWe live in a goaloriented society that wants problems resolved now. We want threeminute oatmeal, onehour dry cleaning, and instant success. But to live with abandon, we must live one day at a time, savoring the little victories, realizing that life is an endless journey in selfdiscovery and personal fulfillment. It means taking time to hug your kids, kiss your spouse and let the other fellow ahead of you on the freeway.
　　“I was one of those people who never go anywhere without a thermometer, hot water bottle, raincoat and parachute,” wrote author Don Herold.“If I had my life to live over, I would go barefoot earlier in spring. I would ride more merrygorounds. I would take more chances, and I would eat more ice cream.”
　　Become involved in something bigger than yourselfI do not believe you will live happily if you set out to live life for yourself alone. Choose a cause bigger than you are and work at it in a spirit of excellence. It will become a part of you as you see your goals through to the end. Measure success not by what you’ve done, but what you could do.
　　培养自信
　　佚名
　　自信是一种感觉——一种能使人们获得基本满足感的内在激情和外在光芒。它不是某些人与生俱来，而其他人则没有的品质，它是后天形成的。
　　自信可以通过学习获得，同时又能促使你不断学习，它不是某些人的私有财产。世界上再聪明的人也同其他人一样，以信念和经历为基础来培养自信。虽然不同的人所使用的工具也不尽相同，但核心目的是相同的。倘若我们依靠自己的能力，根据自己的需求，运用自己的才智使之不断增强，我们就可以做到自信且沉着冷静。
　　自信最令人欣慰的一点是，它不受年龄和生活水平的限制，时刻伴随着我们——无论是孩子、男人、女人、名人、平凡人，还是富人、穷人、艺术家、行政人员、青少年、老人都可以拥有自信。你甚至可以满怀自信地步入老年。一个老人对自己、对他人、对未来怀有美好的愿望，拥有乐观的心境和坚定的信念，这比任何事都更能激励人心。反之，无欲无求，不被人所需的感觉是老人绝望的根源。
　　多数人都比他们料想的更有作为。一位著名的物理学家把自信称为尚待利用的优势资源，认为开发并利用自信这种潜能，是当代生活的主要挑战之一。高估自己的能力并非最大的危险，而低估且不充分利用这些能力，则阻碍了潜能的开发。
　　没有问题存在的生活，并不是理想的生活。没有问题会单调得令人无法忍受，创造性地解决问题才能令生活有意义。或许“问题”一词听起来令人有点不舒服，但它只意味着一个被提出的需要解决的问题。实际上，生活就是由这一系列的提出问题和解决问题所构成的，每个问题都有别于前一个问题。
　　自信是令人愉悦的，它使生活充满了喜悦，让快乐包围你，快乐地工作，快乐地成长，人生的种种坎坷历程都会令你快乐。教师以教书育人为乐，无暇对他的所作所为是否正确表示怀疑。他们清楚地知道，只要尽心尽力地工作，有朝一日定会成为一名优秀的教师。母亲也如此，她们也不会过多地担心自己是否适合母亲这一角色。毕竟，她照料的是活生生的孩子，而不是无生命的物质。
　　规则通常是生活成功的向导，而非生活的附属物。规则并不完全与现实相吻合，因为它源于经验，而非其他。生活是一种无从定义的发明创造，总会超越那些束缚它的规章制度，因为生活始终处于变化之中。当生活把你精心制定的计划或准则打乱时，舍弃那些计划，适应环境吧，你会发现意想不到的力量，而不可能的梦想也会得以实现。
　　自信并不能战胜一切，但它的确是人类不甘于失败，勇于进取的品质。谨记，面对错误，你可以采取两种态度：逃避或成长。
　　心灵小语
　　自信是我们获得基本满足感的内在激情和外在光芒。它不受年龄和生活水平的限制，时刻伴随着我们，令我们的生活充满了喜悦。
　　Developing Selfconfidence
　　Anonymous
　　Confidence is a feeling—an inner fire and an outer radiance1, a basic satisfaction with what one is plus a reaching out to become more. Confidence is not something a few people are born with and others are not, for it is an acquired characteristic.
　　Confidence is the personal possession of no one; the person who has it learns it—and goes on learning. The most gifted individual on earth has to construct confidence in his gifts from the basis of faith and experience, like anybody else. The tools will differ from one person to the next, but the essential task is the same. Confidence and pose are available to us all according to our abilities and needs—not somebody else’s—provided we utilize our gifts and expand them.
　　One of the most rewarding aspects of confidence is that it sits gracefully on every age and level of life—on children, men, women, the famous, the obscure2, rich, poor, artist, executive, teenager, the very old. And you can take it with you into old age. There is nothing more inspiring than an old person who maintains his good will, humor, and faith in himself, in others, in the future. Conversely, the root cause of old people’s despair is a feeling of not being wanted, of nothing to contribute, no more to conquer and become.
　　Most people have more to work with than they realize. One noted physicist calls this unused excellencies and finding and releasing this potential in ourselves is one of the major challenges of modern life. The great danger is not that we shall overreach our capacities but that we shall undervalue and underemploy them, thus blighting our great possibilities.
　　The goal of life is not a problemless existence, which would be unbearably dull, but a way to handle problems creatively. That word“problem” may sound a little prickly, but it only means a question put forth for solution, and actually life consists of a series of problemsandsolutions, each different from the last.
　　Confidence is delight—delight in living, in being who you are, in what you do, in growing, in the endless and sometimes exasperating3 adventure of what it means to be human. The teacher who delights in teaching has no time for bogging down in a swamp of doubt that he or she is doing it “right,” and they are well aware that they can become a better teacher tomorrow, but only by doing their best today and enjoying today. So, too, the mother who delights in being a mother does not worry overmuch about whether she fits the rules. She is not the mother, after all, of something material but of a living child.
　　Rules can often be a guide to successful living, but they are not a substitute for living. Rules never quite keep up with reality, because rules come from experience, not the other way around. Life happens, and it is infinitely inventive. It will always outrun and outmaneuver4 any attempt to bottle it up in a cutanddried system, for life is perpetual5 becoming. When life turns your wisest plans or best rules upside down, throw out the plans and bend with the circumstance. You will find powers you did not suspect, and possibilities undreamed of.
　　Confidence is not always winning, not always victory. Indeed, it is that very quality in humanity which refuses to stay defeated. A kind of stubborn cheerfulness. Remember there are two things you can do with mistakes, you can run away and you can grow.
　　主动还是被动
　　佚名
　　前两天晚上，我和朋友散步，走到一个书报摊前，朋友买了一份报纸，很礼貌地跟那位报贩道谢，而那报贩却置若罔闻。
　　“他可真是个沉闷的家伙，不是吗？”我批评道。
　　“噢，他每个晚上都这样。”朋友耸耸肩说道。
　　“那你为什么还对他这么有礼貌？”我问道。
　　“为什么不呢？”朋友反问道，“我怎么做，为什么要让他决定呢？”
　　后来，我反复思索这件小事，“主动”这个重要的词让我受到触动。朋友的举动是主动待人，而我们大多数都是被动地回应。
　　他拥有内心的平衡感，而我们大多数人都很缺乏平衡感；他了解自我，明确自己的立场，通晓处世之道。他拒绝以怨抱怨，那样他将不再是自己行为的主宰。
　　遵奉《圣经》以德报怨的训诫时，我们视其为一种道德规范——它的确如此。但同时，它也是精神健康的一剂良药。
　　一味被动回应的人最不容易快乐。他情感的重心随外界转移，而非根植于自己的内心世界；他的情绪随周围的社会风尚变迁，成了受这些因素摆布的可怜虫。
　　称赞并不能给他带来真正的快乐，因为它不持久，也并非来自自我认可；批评会使他过度悲伤，因为他内心深处的不自信再一次得到确认；冷落会使他伤痛，他也会因某处，哪怕一点点的怠慢而痛苦不堪。
　　要做到平心静气，我们就要主宰自己的行为和态度。如果我们的举止是粗鲁或优雅、是欢欣或沮丧，都要由他人来决定的话，那就是放弃对自我的主宰，而这正是我们真正拥有的东西。我们唯一真正拥有的就是自我控制。
　　Do You Act or React
　　Anonymous
　　I walked with my friend to the newsstand the other night, and he bought a paper, thanking the newspaper seller politely. The vendor1 didn’t even acknowledge it.
　　“A sullen2 fellow, isn’t he?” I commented.
　　“Oh, he’s that way every night,” shrugged my friend.
　　“Then why do you continue to be so polite to him?” I asked.
　　“Why not?” inquired my friend. “Why should I let him decide how I’m going to act?”
　　As I thought about this incident later, it occurred to me that the important word was “act.” My friend acts toward people; most of us react toward them.
　　He has a sense of inner balance which is lacking in most of us; he knows who he is, what he stands for, how he should behave. He refuses to return incivility3 from incivility, because then he would no longer be in command of his own conduct.
　　When we are enjoined in the Bible to return good for evil, we look upon this as a moral injunction—which it is. But it is also a psychological prescription for our emotional health.
　　Nobody is unhappier than the perpetual reactor. His center of emotional gravity is not rooted within himself, where it belongs, but in the world outside him. His spiritual temperature is always being raised or lowered by the social climate around him, and he is a mere creature at the mercy of these elements.
　　Praise gives him a feeling of euphoria, which is false, because it does not last and it does not come from self approval4. Criticism depresses him more than it should, because it confirms his own secretly shaky opinion of himself. Snubs hurt him, and the merest suspicion of unpopularity in any quarter rouses him to bitterness.
　　A serenity of spirit cannot be achieved until we become the masters of our own actions and attitudes. To let another determine whether we shall be rude or gracious5, elated or depressed, is to relinquish control over our own personalities, which is ultimately all we possess. The only true possession is selfpossession.
　　敢于梦想
　　佚名
　　生命！多么宝贵的礼物啊，这是上帝赐予人类的。我们应该为能生活在这样一个美好、充满生机和无限可能的世界里而感到幸福！然而，灾难降临了，这份“礼物”给人的感觉更像是一种诅咒、一场灾难。“为什么?为什么倒霉的是我?”我们不解。我们永远无从知晓其答案，不是吗？我七岁时得了霍奇金病(译者注：这是一种病因不明的疾病，特征为淋巴结及肝脾进行性肿大及贫血)，只有六个月的存活时间，而我却奇迹般地战胜了病魔。运气、希望也好，信念、勇气也罢，总之，世界上有几千个这样的幸存者!我们这些胜利者知道答案——“为什么我们没有失败，因为我们控制了它!”癌症没能将我击垮。我与癌症并存。无论以后遭遇什么困难，我都不会恐惧了，因为天生我材必有用。
　　大二时，班上举行一英里赛跑。那一天我永生难忘。因为手术，腿上留下了很多肿块和疤痕。我怕别人嘲笑，在恐惧中生活了两年。整整两年，我都没穿短裤。但那天，我不在乎了。我准备好了——短裤，心理和思想也都早有准备。我来到起跑线前，周围立刻议论纷纷。“好臃肿!”“真胖！”“难看死了！”对这些议论，我充耳不闻。
　　然后，教练大喊：“各就各位——预备——跑!”我像离弦的箭一样冲了出去，开始的20英尺，我跑得比谁都快。那时，我还不太懂控制速度，那也没关系，因为我下定决心要第一个冲到终点。一共要跑四圈。第一圈时，跑道上随处可见同学的身影。第二圈快结束时，许多同学都放弃了，停下来拼命地喘着气。当我开始跑第三圈时，跑道上只剩几个同学了，我的步履也开始蹒跚。第四圈时，跑道上就我一个人了。我突然意识到，并没有人放弃，而是他们都跑完了。跑最后一圈时，我哭了。我知道自己输给了班里的所有同学。跑了12分42秒后，我终于冲到了终点。我跌坐在地上，汗如雨下。我简直羞愧难当。
　　突然，教练跑过来，把我抱起，喊道：“你成功了。曼纽尔！曼纽尔，你做到了，孩子。你跑完了!”他手里挥动着一张纸条，注视着我。我忽然想起来了，那是上课前我交给他的，是那天我为自己制定的一个目标。他大声地把纸条读给大家听，上面简单地写着：“我，曼纽尔?迪耶特，无论如何，都要完成明天的一英里赛跑。痛苦和挫折并不能将我击退。因为，上帝赐予了我力量，使我有足够的能力实现这一目标，相信自己一定可以。”署名为曼纽尔?迪耶特——在字母“D”当中，我画了一张笑脸，这是我署名的一个习惯。我深受鼓舞，像吃了香蕉一样甜蜜，不禁破涕为笑。同学们都站起身来鼓掌，这是我生平第一次得到如此“礼遇”。就是在那时，我意识到，胜利并非总意味着最先完成某事，有时，仅仅完成某事也是胜利。
　　心灵小语
　　现代社会中有太多的不如意，生活中有太多的无奈与不协调，但我们不能因此而消沉。因为生活中还有许多美好，值得我们去体味、去珍惜。
　　Dare to Dream
　　Anonymous
　　Life!What a precious1 gift from God. What a blessing to be alive in a wonderful, vibrant world of unlimited possibilities. Then, adversity strikes, and this “gift” feels more like a curse2. “Why? Why me?” We ask. Yet we never get an answer, or do we? After contracting Hodgkin’s disease at age seven and being given six months to live, I triumphed over the odds. Call it luck, hope, faith or courage, there are thousands of survivors! Winners like us know the answer—“Why not us? We can handle it!” I’m not dying3 of cancer. I’m living with cancer. God doesn’t make junk, regardless of what comes our way, and I don’t have to be afraid anymore.
　　In my sophomore4 year of high school, the class was scheduled to run the mile. I will always remember that day because due to the swelling and scars from surgery on my leg, for two solid years I had not worn shorts. I was afraid of the teasing. So, for two years I lived in fear. Yet that day, it didn’t matter. I was ready —shorts, heart and mind. I no sooner got to the starting line before I heard the loud whispers.“Gross !”“How fat!”“How ugly!” I blocked it out.
　　Then the coach yelled, “Ready. Set. Go!” I jetted out of there like an airplane, faster than anyone for the first 20 feet. I didn’t know much about pacing then, but it was okay because I was determined to finish first. As we came around the first of four laps, there were students all over the track. By the end of the second lap, many of the students had already quit. They had given up and were on the ground gasping for air. As I started the third lap, only a few of my classmates were left on the track, and I began limping. By the time I hit the fourth lap, I was alone. Then it hit me. I realized that nobody had given up. Instead, everyone had already finished. As I ran that last lap, I cried. I realized that every boy and girl in my class had beaten me, and 12 minutes, 42 seconds after starting, I crossed the finish line. I fell to the ground and shed oceans. I was so embarrassed.
　　Suddenly my coach ran up to me and picked me up, yelling,“You did it. Manuel!Manuel, you finished, son. You finished!”He looked me straight in the eyes, waving a piece of paper in his hand. It was my goal for the day, which I had forgotten. I had given it to him before class. He read it aloud to everyone. It simply said,“I, Manuel Diotte, will finish the mile run tomorrow, come what may. No pain or frustration will stop me. For I am more than capable of finishing, and with God as my strength, I will finish.” Signed, Manuel Diotte—with a little smiling face inside the D, as I always sign my name. My heart lifted. My tears went away, and I had a smile on my face as if I had eaten a banana. My classmates applauded and gave me my first standing ovation5. It was then I realized winning isn’t always finishing first. Sometimes winning is just finishing.
　　勇气是才能
　　佚名
　　勇气就是敢于冒险，勇于进取，勇往直前。在工作和生活中，你经常对自己的思想、行为或动机提出质疑吗?若你不锻炼经常检验自己的能力，你不仅会丧失信心，更重要的是，你认识自我、朋友和客户的能力也将丧失殆尽。
　　面对抉择与挑战时，你要时刻警醒自己，这样可以使勇气倍增，也可以发现对自己至关重要的东西；同时，对你有意义的特殊情形，你想获得的结果或解决问题的方法也会凸显出来。
　　很多人都不能过上他们理想中的生活。如果现实与理想相去甚远，不要怨天尤人。要清楚你希望达到的目标，然后对你追求目标所采取的行动进行检验，看其适当与否。把你的回答与别人对你寄予的期望加以比较。要记住，事业的成功和生活的美满都需要深入地了解自己，并确立适当的目标。
　　勇气能让人形成自省的习惯，并让你的感受真实、适当。假如你想成长起来并获得成功，把这种自我评价运用到工作和生活中就显得很重要了。这个方法确实有效。
　　好奇之心，人人都有，但好奇需要勇气（切不可过分）。学习一些生活常识，以及了解与你打交道的人是大有裨益的。无论你想做什么，都要努力找到该做的理由来说服自己，这对活跃你的思维很有好处。如果写日记对你有帮助的话，你就应该去做。一段时日过后，可以回头看看，在某一问题上，你曾经的行动（或反应）所产生的结果。这样，在面对未来或类似的问题时，你就会有的放矢。
　　认清自己的弱点并极力加以改进。要不断地给自己注入生机和活力，并记住生活总会不时地检验你处理问题的能力和勇气。当你懂得欣赏工作和生活中的挑战时，你就会发现自身潜在的力量。而后，你就会获得内心的安宁与精神的慰藉，这样有助于你更好地建立自信和自尊。
　　每个人的内心都有一些东西，可以激发我们的动机、热情和理智以获取成功。想要增加信心，就要不断地鼓舞自己冒一些必要的风险。审视自己的动机，然后寻求答案。倘若你有获得成功的勇气，不要轻信自己或他人对此的怀疑。重要的是你自己。
　　切不可让消极思想妨碍你的进步或目标的实现。控制你的思想，想想什么事对你是重要的。积极的思想，可以使你重振旗鼓。不论挑战多么大，如何频繁，不论它怎样影响你的情绪，千万不要向消极的思想屈服，要义无反顾地站起身来继续前行，并把注意力集中在那些给你力量和个性的事物上。
　　谨记：无论是生活中，还是工作中，获取成功的动机、热情和理智，都是你目标实现不可或缺的条件。生活需要有平静的思想，坚强的性格以及适当的信念和信仰，不断地思考。这样才能磨练你的勇气。
　　心灵小语
　　即使面对困境、挫折，我们也要有勇气去追寻我们的梦想，不轻易妥协、放弃。即使最后失败了，我们也不会遗憾！因为，勇气也是一种才能。
　　Courage Is a Gift
　　Anonymous
　　Courage is daring to be Brave， Enterprising, and Bold. In your business or personal life, how often do you question your thoughts, your actions, or your motives? When you don’t exercise the ability to always test yourself, you may lose not only your confidence, but more importantly, you lose the ability to focus, to know yourself, your friends, and your customers.
　　When faced with decisions and challenges, asking yourself questions every day, every hour, every moment gives you the courage to discover what is important to you and what a particular situation means to you, and what result or solution you will like to accomplish.
　　Not many people experience life the way they want it to be. If things don’t work out the way you want, don’t find someone else to blame. Know what goals you want, then question your actions in reaching them. Compare your answers to what others may wish for you. After all, having a successful business or a life of contentment requires you to know yourself and the goals that are best for you.
　　Courage is getting in the habit of looking inward and going with your highest feeling of what is true and what feels right for you. Apply this inner evaluation1 in your business and in your personal life. This is important if you wish to grow and stay successful. It works!
　　Have the courage to be curious(not nosy!). A quest for knowledge about life and the people you interact with is good. Look for answers to whatever you plan to do. This keeps you thoughtful. Keep a journal if it helps. Over time, you can look back and discover the results of your actions (or reactions) to certain problems. Then when faced with future or similar problems, you’ll have a ready solution.
　　Realize your weaknesses and work toward improving them. Continue to renew yourself and remember that life has a way of constantly testing your ability and courage to deal with it. When you can learn to appreciate the challenges in both your business and personal life, you find inner strength. Then you are able to bring about an inner peace and spirituality2 that gives you a good tool for building selfconfidence and self esteem.
　　There is something inside each of us that fuels our motivation, our passion, and our reason to succeed. Keep encouraging yourself to take the necessary risks to refuel your confidence. Question your motives. Then search for the answer. Question any doubts you or others may have about your courage to succeed. You are what is important.
　　Don’t let negative thoughts get in the way of your progress and your goals. Control your thoughts. Think about what is important to you. When your thoughts are positive, they have a way of replenishing3 your courage. No matter how often unpleasant or difficult challenges get you down, don’t give in to negative thinking. Just pick yourself up and move on. Focus on what gives you your strength and uniqueness.
　　Remember: motivation, passion, and your reason to succeed in life, as well as in business, are essential requirements to reaching your goals. Live life in a constant state of awareness, with peaceful thoughts, a dash4 of forcefulness, and a good measure of faith and spirituality. You will then be exercising your gift of courage.
　　生命就是希望
　　佚名
　　我在俄亥俄州读八年级时，班上有一个女孩名叫海伦，她遭遇了一场严重的车祸。她怕错过公交车，急匆匆地跑过去时，不慎踩到冰块，滑倒在后车轮下。她幸免于难，但腰部以下瘫痪了。去探望她时，13岁的我想，从此以后，她再也不能正常的生活了。
　　数年后，我搬了家，也没有再想起过海伦。三年前，在佛罗里达州，我的大儿子骑车时被汽车撞倒，脑部受到严重创伤。在我照顾儿子期间，有一位女士打来电话，自称是医院义工。那是最难熬的日子，我毫无来由地失声痛哭，然后挂了电话。
　　不久，一位坐着轮椅的漂亮女士出现在儿子的病房，她手里拿着纸巾。16年以后，我仍然认出，是海伦。她微笑着，递纸巾给我，拥抱我。我告诉她自己是谁后，我们为此都非常震惊。她开始告诉我，我们分别后她的生活经历。她结婚生子，并获得了学位。这样她能为那些比自己更不幸的人们，点燃前进的希望。她告诉我，现在倘若她有什么可以给我的，那将是“希望”。
　　看着这位了不起又乐于奉献的女士，我深感渺小。但是，自从儿子受伤后，我也感受到了第一份希望。这位我曾以为没有生活质量的人让我明白：只要有生命，就有希望。儿子奇迹般地康复了，我们又搬回了北方。但是，我欠海伦的情谊将永远无法偿还。
　　心灵小语
　　你的能力有多大，成功就有多大。要想得到更多的回报，就不要吝啬付出。只要存在一丝生命的气息，那么我们的希望就不会破灭。
　　Where There Is Life, There Is Hope
　　Anonymous
　　When I was in the 8th grade in Ohio, a girl named Helen in my class had a terrible accident. As she was running to the bus in order not to miss it, she slipped on some ice and fell under the rear wheels of the bus. She survived the accident, but was paralyzed from the waist down. I went to see her, in my 13yearold mind thinking she wouldn’t live normally from then on.
　　Over the years, I moved and didn’t think much about Helen after that. Three years ago, in Florida, my oldest son was hit by a car while riding his bike, causing a terrible brain injury. While I was looking after my son, a lady who said she was the hospital’s social worker called. It was a particularly trying day. I burst into tears for no reason and hung up.
　　A short time later, a beautiful woman, in a wheelchair, rolled into my son’s room with a box of tissues. After 16 years, I still recognized Helen. She smiled, handed me the tissues and hugged me. I told her who I was, and after we both got through the shock of that, she began to tell me about her life since we last saw each other. She had married, had children and gotten her degree so that she could smooth the path for those less fortunate than her.  She told me that if there was anything she could give me, it would be hope.
　　Looking at this wonderful, giving person, I felt small. But I also felt the first hope I had felt since learning that my son was hurt. From this person that I thought would have no quality of life, I learned that where there is life, there is hope.  My son miraculously recovered and we moved back north, but I owe Helen a debt that I can never repay.

美丽英文励志篇(6)
　每个成功者都知道的秘密
　　佚名
　　1982年10月，在纽约城举行的马拉松赛中，一位25岁的女子跑完了全程。你可能觉得这没什么大不了的，但如果你知道琳达?唐的情况，就不会这么认为了。琳达?唐患有脑瘫，她是第一位倚靠拐杖完成26.2英里赛跑的女人。唐摔倒了很多次，但她毅然坚持跑下去，终于在比赛开始的11个小时后到达终点。她身体的残疾影响了速度，但丝毫没有削弱她的决心。
　　亨利?沃德兹华斯?朗费罗曾说：“开始是伟大的艺术，而更为伟大的是结束。”如果人人都有一个能帮助自己达到目标的神，那该多好啊！遗憾的是，没有这样的神。我们所拥有的内在动力，就叫做自律，而这种自律是需要我们付出巨大代价的。潘得瑞?伍斯基的一场演出结束后，一位狂热崇拜者对他说：“我要想弹这么好，需要弹一辈子。”这位才华横溢的钢琴家回答道：“我正是这么做的。”
　　成就往往带有欺骗性，因为它背后的痛苦和坚韧，我们往往看不到。所以我们常常把成就归结于头脑聪明、身体好或运气佳。别再自寻烦恼了，这三个方面我们都无法达到，我们自身某些努力的背后就有着成功的潜质，连续不断地练习并不能使我们成为钢琴家，只有坚定的意志，全身心地付出，才能达到目的。
　　如何做到坚韧不拔呢？没有简单速成的办法。但我总结出了一种让我多次从困境中解脱出来的思维模式，以下是其基本要点：
　　“不”的力量它和意志力同等重要。中国古代思想家孟子说过：“人必须有所取舍，这样他们才能集中精力做好该做的事。”
　　自律意味着选择确定一个目标，就等于放弃了追求其他目标。任何成功都要付出代价。成功就是我们锁定的目标，而其中伴随的代价并非我们所追求的。著名的乌克兰美籍男中音歌唱家埃戈?格里，讲述了他早期学歌的经历。他喜欢吸烟，一天，教授对他说：“埃戈，你是想成为一名伟大的歌唱家还是一个烟鬼？你得择其一，不能两个都选。”从那以后，他不再吸烟了。
　　迟到的喜悦畅销书《捷径》的作者斯考特?派克是这样形容他的自律方法的：“这是一个合理安排苦乐时序的过程。这一过程使我们由苦及甜，从而让幸福升级。”
　　这也许囊括了平日生活中的大小决定，譬如放弃喜爱的晚间电视节目，早早上床休息，以便有清醒的头脑和饱满的精神参加第二天的会议。即使这样的小决定，或许也要坚持不懈。一个带着三个孩子的年轻寡妇决定让自己接受大学教育。她知道自己经济困窘，又没多余时间，但她认为，这些牺牲与学历所带来的机会相比微不足道。如今，她已是拥有高薪的财务顾问了。
　　做到如此全身心投入的秘诀是能从繁重乏味中看到希望。“事实上，很多有价值的努力毫无乐趣可言，”辛迪加广播电台和电视评论员默特?克莱姆说，“的确，只工作不休息会让人变成傻子。但想让每项工作都充满乐趣，只会遭遇更为惊骇的磨难，因为生活——即使是最具价值的一面——也有枯燥乏味的时候。我热爱自己的记者工作，虽然这工作并不总充满乐趣，但我知足了。”
　　保持平衡不要把自律和千篇一律混为一谈。完美并非我们追求的目标；掌控自己，从而保持平和的心态才是目的。
　　每个人都需要休息，工作之余，外出散散步或吃点儿东西。无论是哪种，只要能使我们精力充沛，恢复活力就行，但休息时间不要过长。这种劳逸结合的方式能让人精神焕发，也能更好地激励人们做好自己的工作。
　　要真正做到自律，就需要在自我调控上下工夫，而不是一味地拼命盲行。要知道，自律本身也需要管理。
　　自我发展自律的人更快乐，因为他们内心的潜在需求得到了满足。在我的一个研讨会上，一位女士告诉我，她六岁的女儿参加了一支游泳队，每天早上练习一小时，游2000到3000米。她还说起了她女儿和家里一个朋友的对话。
　　“你喜欢游泳吗？”那个朋友问。
　　“当然，我很喜欢。”
　　“游泳好玩吗？”
　　“不好玩！”
　　一个六岁的孩子已经领悟到了大人们未曾体味到的东西，即自律和自我发展的乐趣。遗憾的是，自律一词往往令人生畏，听起来给人一种受限制和惩罚的感觉——就好像一个不称职的长官偷偷溜到我们身旁，审查遵纪守法的状况。真正的自律不是困扰在心头的、势在必行之事，它就在你身旁，时刻催你奋进。你一旦明白，自律不是自虐，而是关爱自己，那么，你便会着力培养它，而不会退避三舍。
　　查尔斯?波斯威尔曾是阿拉巴马大学的一位足球明星，他想成为一名职业棒球运动员，但在二战期间双目失明了，可这并未阻止他“17次成为全国盲人高尔夫球赛的冠军”。他曾说：“我从不计较失去的东西，我只在乎现在拥有的。”这就是自我发展，即自律。
　　改变习惯策略很多人之所以失败，是因为他们总想用自己都厌烦的行为来替代坏习惯。
　　不止一个人这样跟我讲，他们想吃健康食品，但又不愿放弃可口的垃圾食品。他们应该考虑自己能吃什么，而不是不能吃什么。果汁加矿泉水是高热量软饮料的极好替代品；全麦和炸水果等点心丝毫不比糖果逊色。
　　改掉老习惯并非易事。研讨会上，一个很胖的女人走过来对我说：“我缺乏自律，控制不了饮食，房间总是乱七八糟，感觉自己就像邋遢的懒汉。”我告诉她，她并非毫无自律性。“你参加了这次会议，每个阶段都及时到场，况且你还衣着整洁呢。”她笑了，我接着补充道：“你减肥不成功或没把房间整理好，或许有其他的原因吧。”
　　之后，我发现她果真有难言之隐。她一年前就成了寡妇。丈夫是一个酒鬼，结婚24年里，他经常辱骂她。她从未想过，一个糟糕的自我形象让她不能积极有效地改变现状。意识到这一点，她就开始寻求专业意见，采取措施给生活注入一些自律成分。同时，她的一些朋友也提出去她家帮忙清理屋子，这让她更坚定了改掉坏习惯的决心。
　　集中注意力解决关键问题记得上学时，妈妈每天都喊：“起床了！”我在被子里痛苦地挣扎到最后一刻，把妈妈也惹恼了。后来，我离家上大学，就得自己起床了。最后，我厌倦了和起床作斗争，决定闹钟一响就爬起来——仅仅是我想这么做，并没考虑自己的感受。这种方法很奏效，从那以后，我正常起床了。
　　《感觉良好，新心理疗法》大卫?伯恩斯在这本书中写道：“先有行动，后有动机。你得先给水泵注水，让它启动起来。如果想等到有心情时再做，那不知要等到什么时候。”不想做某事时，你可能会先把它放一放，但我们往往会在投身做这件事后才会劲头十足。
　　自律是习惯的形成过程。它的益处很多，自律行为由少及多，久而久之，便形成了习惯。一旦彻底克服了旧习性，你就会感觉更好。自律时——无论是身体上，还是精神上——我们都处于最佳状态。
　　Secrets Every Achiever Knows
　　Anonymous
　　In October 1982, a 25yearold woman finished the New York City Marathon. No big deal until you learn that Linda Down has cerebral palsy and was the first woman ever to complete the 26.2mile race on crutches. She fell down half a dozen times, but kept going until she crossed the finish line, 11 hours after she started. Her handicap limited her speed but not her determination.
　　Henry Wadsworth Longfellow once wrote，“Great is the art of beginning, but greater the art is of ending.” How nice it would be if we all had a genie who could help us finish what we begin. Unfortunately, we don’t. But what we do have is a dynamic called discipline—which extracts a high price. Following one of Paderewski’s performances, a fan said to him, “I’d give my life to play like that.” The brilliant pianist replied, “I did.”
　　Accomplishment is often deceptive because we don’t see the pain and perseverance that produced it. So we may credit the achiever with brains, brawn or lucky breaks, and let ourselves off the hook because we fall short in all three. Not that we could all be concert pianists just by exercising enough discipline. Rather, each of us has the makings of success in some endeavor, but we will achieve this only if we apply our wills and work at it.
　　How can we acquire stickatitiveness? There is no simple, fast formula. But I have developed a way of thinking that has rescued my own vacillating will more than once. Here are the basic elements:
　　“Don’t” powerThis is as important as willpower. The ancient Chinese philosopher Mencius said, “Men must be decided on what they will not do, and then they are able to act with vigor in what they ought to do.”
　　Discipline means choicesEvery time you say yes to a goal or objective, you say not to many more. Every prize has its price. The prize is the yes; the price is the no. Igor Gorin, the noted UkrainianAmerican baritone, told of his early days studying voice. He loved to smoke a pipe, but one day his professor said,“Igor, you will have to make up your mind whether you are going to be a great singer, or a great pipesmoker, you cannot be both.” So the pipe went.
　　Delayed gratificationM. Scott Peck, M.D., author of the bestseller The Road Less Traveled, describes this tool of discipline as “a process of scheduling the pain and pleasure of life in such a way as to enhance the pleasure by meeting and experiencing the pain first and getting it over with.”
　　This might involve routine daily decisions—something as simple as skipping a favorite latenight TV show and getting to bed early, to be wide awake for a meeting the next morning. Or it might involve longerterm resolves. A young widow with three children decided to invest her insurance settlement in a college education for herself. She considered the realities of a tight budget and little free time, but these seemed small sacrifices in return for the doors that a degree would open. Today she is a highly paid financial consultant.
　　The secret of such commitment is getting past the drudgery and seeing the delight. “The fact is that many worthwhile endeavors aren’t fun,” says syndicated radio and TV commentator Mort Crim. “True, all work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy. But trying to turn everything we do into play makes for terrible frustrations, because life even the most rewarding one includes circumstances that aren’t fun at all. I like my job as a journalist. It’s personally satisfying, bit it isn’t always fun.”
　　Achieving a balanceNever confuse discipline with rigidity. Perfection is not the aim; rather, strive for the peace of mind that comes from being in charge of yourself.
　　Most of us need interludes in our work to take a walk or eat snackwhatever revives and refreshes. Your breathers don’t need to be lengthy to shake out the cobwebs and give some relief. Such rewards act as incentives for finishing a task, as well as helping you to maintain momentum.
　　True discipline achieves a balance of producing, not driving. Even discipline needs to be disciplined.
　　SelfdevelopmentDisciplined people are happier people because they are fulfilling inner potential. A woman at one of my seminars told me about her six yearold daughter who swam with a team and practiced every morning for an hour, swimming 2000 to 3000 meters, she related a conversation her daughter had with a family friend.
　　“Do you like swimming?” the friend asked.
　　“Yes, I love it.”
　　“Is it fun?”
　　“No!”
　　That sixyearold had learned what many adults never experience: the joy of discipline and selfdevelopment. Unfortunately, the very word discipline puts us off because it sounds restrictive and punitive—like a truant officer stalking us to make sure we toe the line. True discipline isn’t on your back needling you with imperatives; it is at your side, nudging you with incentives. When you understand that discipline is selfcaring, not selfcastigating, you won’t cringe at its mention, but will cultivate it.
　　Charley Boswell, a former University of Alabama football star with hopes of a professional baseball career, lost his eyesight in World War II, but that didn’t stop him“to become the National Blind Golf Champion 17 times.” He was quoted as saying,“I never count what I’ve lost. I only count what I have left.” That is selfdevelopment that is discipline.
　　Habitchanging strategiesMany a person’s downfall comes in trying to change a bad habit by focusing on an undesirable behavior to replace it.
　　Countless people tell me they would like to eat better but don’t want to “give up” tasty food. Rather than thinking about what they can’t have, they should think about what they can eat. Fruit juice with sparkling mineral water is a delicious substitute for highcalorie soft drinks; snacks and cookies prepared with whole grains and fried fruits give candy bars good competition.
　　It isn’t easy to change old habits. An overweight woman came to me during a seminar and said, “I’m so undisciplined. I can’t stick to a diet and my house is always a mess. I feel like a slob.” I told her she wasn’t totally undisciplined.“You made it to this conference. You arrive promptly at each session, and you are neatly dressed.” She almost smiled, and then I added, “There’s probably a reason why you haven’t been able to lose weight or get your home in order.”
　　Later, I found out there was a big reason. She was widowed a year before. Her husband had been an alcoholic who verbally abused her all 24 years of their marriage. It never occurred to her that a poor selfimage was keeping her from effecting positive changes. With this realization, she took the next step in bringing more discipline to her life   by going for counseling. Meanwhile, some of her friends offered to come to her house and help her clean up, putting her even more solidly on a habitchanging course.
　　Mind over matterI remember my school days and Mom’s regular reveille， “Time to get up!” I agonized in bed until the last minute and ran my mother’s patience short. Then I went away to college and had to get myself up. Finally, tired of waging war with waking, I decided that when the alarm rang, I would rise  just because I wanted to, regardless of how I felt. It has worked ever since.
　　In Feeling Good, The New Mood TherapyDavid D. Burns, M.D., writes， “Motivation does not come first, action does!You have to prime the pump. If you wait until you’re ‘in the mood,’ you may wait forever.” When you don’t feel like doing something, you tend to put it off, but it’s often after we get involved in a task that we become highly motivated.
　　Discipline is habitforming. A little leads to more, because the benefits prove increasingly desirable. When you finally overcome inertia, you will feel better all around. We are at our best  physically and mentally when we are disciplined.
　　成功人士的共性
　　佚名
　　世间可有“成功的个性”——也就是那些注定使人成功的优势组合？如果的确有，那么，其秘诀何在?每个人都能培养出“成功的个性”吗?
　　近来我们在盖洛普组织集中深入地对成功问题进行了研究，在美国《名人录》中随机选取了1500名杰出人物，研究他们的态度和性格特征。在《名人录》中选取人物的重要标准是他们在其所属领域作出了被公众接受的贡献，而不是财富和社会地位。我们的研究将高成就者身上频繁出现的几种性格特征准确地显示出来。以下是最重要的5条：
　　良好的判断力这是被调查者所拥有的最普遍的品质。79%的人在这一项上都得了高分。并且61%的人说判断力为他们的成功立下了汗马功劳。
　　对多数人来说，判断力是指合情合理地解决日常事务的能力。要做到这一点，就该扫除无关主题的思想的羁绊，确定事情的核心。一名得克萨斯的石油和天然气业的巨头如是说：“简单化是获取成功的一个重要能力。在主持会议和处理工业规定时，将一个复杂问题变成最简单的条款非常有必要。”
　　良好的判断力是一个人与生俱来的特征，还是后天提高的呢?那位石油大亨回答说，良好的判断力肯定可以培养出来。他把自己的这种能力归功于在学校学习辩论的技巧。增强判断力的另一种方法是观察别人，从别人和自己的错误中学习。
　　对你所在的领域了如指掌在良好的判断力后，拥有某一领域的专业知识是被调查者的第二个普遍特征，3／4的人在这一项上给自己打了满分。
　　曾任坦尼科石油勘探公司总裁的地质学家菲利浦?奥克斯勒，现任坦尼科公司欧洲分公司的主席。他把曾在油田工作过作为自己成功的一大原因，通过“在油井边坐着，观察地质队员”，他学到了第一手成功秘诀。“要成为出色的管理者需要对自己的事业所处的行业有切实的了解。”他说。如今，他的专业知识为他赢得了六位数的年薪。
　　专业知识的重要性在实际的工作经验中得到了证明。他说了解自己设备的工作方式是他成功秘诀的一部分。值得注意的是：他不是通过正规的学校教育获得专业知识的，而是自学成才的。
　　依赖自己成就大事业的人基本是依赖自身的资源和能力。77%的被调查者给自己的这一特点打A。依赖自己并非你感觉如何或认为你有多好就可以了；而要看你是否有魄力采取实际行动，并在生活中真正实施这些事情。这包括人们通常所说的意志力以及实现目标的能力。
　　被调查者中有2／3的人说他们曾有确定的生活和职业目标。其中半数人给自己的意志力打A。与其他能力相比，意志力是一种主动开展一个项目并持之以恒的能力。
　　一般智能这是做出突出成就不可缺少的，因为它包括对困难的概念迅速理解并能清晰、准确地对其进行分析的自然能力。至少在我们的被调查者眼中是这样的——43%的人说这是他们取得成功的一个非常重要的因素，另有52%的人肯定了它的重要性。
　　完成任务的能力高成就者中几乎有3／4的人认为他们“非常有能力”完成任务。他们普遍认为，至少有三个重要的品质有助于他们这么做，即组织能力、良好的工作习惯和勤奋精神。
　　一位物理学教授在总结他的成功模式时这样说：“全力以赴，紧张工作，使自己有规律地匀速前行。”他坦言一周的工作时间总计有100小时。
　　除此5条，影响成功还有其他诸多因素，比如领导能力、创造能力、协调能力，当然，运气也不可缺少。但是，良好的判断力、对你所在的领域了如指掌、依赖自己、一般智能和完成任务的能力这5项较为突出。如果具有了这些特点，你就可能获得成功，甚至在某一天，你会突然发现《名人录》中有自己的名字。
　　心灵小语
　　失败的原因各有不同，而那些成功的人士却有着共性，即有良好的判断力、对所在领域了如指掌、依赖自己等等。
　　What Successful People Have in Common
　　Anonymous
　　Is there a “success personality”—some winning combination of traits that leads almost inevitably to achievement? If so, exactly what is that secret success formula, and can anyone cultivate it?
　　At the Gallup Organization we recently focused in depth on success, probing the attitudes and traits of 1 500 prominent people ‘ed at random from Who’s Who in America. The main criterion for inclusion in Who’s Who is not wealth or social position, but current achievement in a given field. Our research pinpoints a number of traits that recur regularly among top achievers. Here are five of the most important:
　　Common senseThis is the most prevalent quality possessed by our respondents. Seventynine percent award themselves a top score in this category. And 61 percent say that common sense was very important in contributing to their success.
　　To most, common sense means the ability to render sound, practical judgments on everyday affairs. To do this, one has to sweep aside extraneous ideas and get right to the core of what matters. A Texas oil and gas magnate puts it this way，“The key ability for success is simplifying. In conducting meetings and dealing with industry regulators, reducing a complex problem to the simplest terms is highly important.”
　　Is common sense a trait a person is born with, or can you do something to increase it? The oil man’s answer is that common sense can definitely be developed. He attributes his store of comm on sense to learning how to debate in school. Another way to increase your store of common sense is to observe it in others, learning from their and your own mistakes.
　　Knowing one’s fieldAfter common sense, specialized knowledge in one’s field is the second most common trait possessed by the respondents, with threefourths giving themselves an A in this category.
　　Geologist Philip Oxley, former president of Tenneco Oil Exploration and Production Co. and now chairman of Tenneco Europe, attributes his success to having worked in the oil fields, by “sitting on wells and birddogging seismic crews,” he learned the tricks of the trade firsthand. “People, who are going to be good managers need to have a practical understanding of the crafts in their business,” he says. Today his expertise earns him a sixfigure salary.
　　Onthejob experience convinced people the importance of specialized knowledge. He says that“understanding why my equipment performs the way it does” is part of his success formula. A noteworthy point: he obtained his specialized knowledge through selfeducation and not through formal schooling.
　　SelfrelianceTop achievers rely primarily on their own resources and abilities. Seventyseven percent give themselves an A rating for this trait. Selfreliance is not how you feel or how good you are; rather, it’s whether you have the gumption to take definitive action to get things moving in your life. It includes plain old willpower and the ability to get goals.
　　Twothirds of the respondents say they’ve had clear goals for their lives and careers. And half of those we interviewed give themselves an A in willpower. Among other capabilities, willpower encompasses the ability to be a selfstarter and to persevere after a project has begun.
　　General intelligenceThis is essential for outstanding achievement because it involves your natural ability to comprehend difficult concepts quickly and to analyze them clearly and incisively. At least that’s the way our respondents see it—43 percent say it is a very important ingredient of their success, and another 52 percent say it is fairly important.
　　Ability to get things doneNearly threefourths of our high achievers rank themselves“very efficient” in accomplish tasks. And they agree that at least three important qualities have helped them to do so: organizational ability, good work habits and diligence.
　　A physics professor summarizes his success formula this way，“Sheer hard, tenacious work, with the ability to pace oneself.” He admits working up to 100 hours a week.
　　Besides the five listed here, there are other factors that influence success: leadership, creativity, relationships with others, and, of course, luck. But common sense, knowing your field, selfreliance, intelligence and the ability to get things done stand out. If you cultivate these traits, chances are you’ll succeed. And you might even find yourself listed in Who’s Who someday.
　　没有错误，只有教训
　　佚名
　　人的成长是一个不断尝试，不断经历失败，又不断获得新知的过程。每次，当你信心十足，准备采取行动时，对于会有什么样的结果发生，你无从知晓——或许成功，或许失败。然而，失败并不意味着毫无价值。事实上，我们往往能从失败中学到更多的东西。
　　假如你犯了一个错误，或是未达到自己所期望的标准，你很可能会在真我与所谓的犯错者之间构筑一道壁垒。然而，对以往的行为全盘否定，势必会让你感到内疚、自责。深陷其中，你就不可能从中汲取有益的东西。因此，过分苛求自己时，最需要的就是自我宽恕。
　　宽恕就是放下情感上的包袱，抹平心灵上的创伤。它有四种类型：
　　第一种是对自己的初级宽恕。
　　第二种是对他人的初级宽恕。
　　第三种是对自己更深层次的宽恕。这种宽恕是针对自己深感羞愧的极大恶行而言。如果你所做的事有悖于自己的价值观和道德观，这时，你就在自己的为人准则和实际行动间制造了一道裂痕。这种情况下，你就必须努力悔改，以此来弥补过错，并要重新找到自我。当然，这并不是说你可以随意原谅自己，毫无悔意，但一味地埋怨自己是不健康的，过分地自我惩罚只会让你偏离自己道德准则的轨道越来越远。
　　第四种可能是最难的一种宽恕——是对他人更深层次的宽恕。生活中，你也许会受到极大委屈和伤害。以此来看，这似乎是不可原谅的。但是，心怀怨恨、企图报复只会使你陷于受伤害的阴影中。在这种情况下，你就要强迫自己放宽胸怀。只有这样，才能把注意力转移开来，不至于一味地沉浸在恼怒和仇恨中。只有做到宽恕，你才能忘却过错，净化心灵。于是，当你最终把自己解脱出来时，很自然地，你就会把它看成是成长过程中必不可少的一部分。
　　There Are No Mistakes, Only Lessons
　　Anonymous
　　Human growth is a process of experimentation, trial, and error, ultimately leading to wisdom. Each time you choose to trust yourself and take action, you can never quite be certain how the situation will turn out. Sometimes you are victorious, and some times you become disillusioned. The failed experiments, however, are no less valuable than the experiments that ultimately prove successful; in fact, you usually learn more from your perceived “failures” than you do from your perceived “successes”.
　　If you have made what you perceive to be a mistake, or failed to live up to your own expectations, you will most likely put up a barrier between your essence and the part of you that is the alleged wrong doer. However, perceiving past actions as mistakes implies guilt and blame, and it is not possible to learn anything meaningful while you are engaged in blaming. Therefore, forgiveness is required when you are harshly judging yourself.
　　Forgiveness is the act of erasing an emotional debt. There are four kinds of forgiveness:
　　The first is beginner forgiveness for you.
　　The second kind of forgiveness is beginner forgiveness for another.
　　The third kind of forgiveness is advanced forgiveness of yourself. This is for serious transgressions1, the ones you carry with deep shame. When you do something that violates your own values and ethics, you create a chasm2 between your standards and your actual behavior. In such a case, you need to work very hard at forgiving yourself for these deeds so that you can close this chasm and realign with the best part of yourself. This does not mean that you should rush to forgive yourself or not feel regret or remorse; but wallowing in these feelings for a protracted3 period of time is not healthy, and punishing yourself excessively will only creates a bigger gap between you and your ethics.
　　The last and perhaps most difficult one is the advanced forgiveness of another. At some time of our life, you may have been severely wronged or hurt by another person to such a degree that forgiveness seems impossible. However, harboring resentment and revenge fantasies only keeps you trapped in victimhood. Under such a circumstance, you should force yourself to see the bigger picture, by so doing, you will be able to shift the focus away from the anger and resentment. It is only through forgiveness that you can erase wrongdoing4 and clean the memory. When you can finally release the situation, you may come to see it as a necessary part of your growth.
　　成功的准则
　　佚名
　　成功是什么?
　　我并不打算诠释成功的概念，我认为要精确地下一个定义是不可能的。成功是在奥运会上赢得金牌或赢得温布尔登大奖赛，或被授予诺贝尔奖或是其他的什么吗？我认为，个人的成功其实可以是任何事情——它不必受到公众的认可。不快乐的百万富翁，或者被忽视的人过着简单而又快乐的生活，谁更成功呢？成功最简单的定义，我认为是“开始做某件事，并在做的过程中获得成就感”。至于具体做什么，做的事情有多么渺小，都不重要。
　　相信自己能成功，你就会获得成功。也许，生活的目标就是，无论你选择在哪个方面，都努力地去达到成功。因为它使你从烦恼中解脱出来，不是吗？
　　对于我们每一个人来说，成功的意义都有所不同。一些人认为要用金融数目来衡量，比如，拥有财富；另一些人认为是乐于助人，而不是帮助自己。也许两者兼而有之，或者，只是为了达到目的而已，成功是个人的事。对很多人来说，成功是他们生存的根本——我们存在的理由就是要去完成生命中一些有价值的事。对很大一部分人来说，他们想成功与否无关紧要；而对于我来说，也无所谓。只要这是你真正想要的，并能使你快乐地生活。但是，很多人则渴望并激励自己去追求公众的认可和残酷的竞争得到的成果。多少人会真正快乐呢？多少人是真正在做他们想做的事呢？（附带一句，有能力想象使我们有别于动物。）
　　不论是什么激发你个人的追求，不论你选择一生做什么，不要期待立刻成功。多年的奋斗、努力和学习如何选择你奋斗的领域或者职业，这并不是一件容易的事。我完全同意这个观点。要想在任何一个领域获得成功，都需要勇气、品质和自律。所有成功的人几乎都曾在某方面怀疑过自己，并想过要放弃。但是，他们坚持了下来。在离矿井中的金矿层仅有一或两英尺的时候，很多人却放弃了，与成功仅有一步之遥。可以肯定的是：成功孕育成功，因为它自身积累了动力，当一切顺利时，你便获得了飞速成功的机会。
　　我喜欢下面这些语录。他们都能代表我个人对成功的理解，因而，我将与你分享……
　　“成功是不断向预先确定的有价值的目标前进的旅程。”“用自己的方式生活，达到自己定下的目标，做自己想做的人——这就是成功。”
　　The Principle of Success
　　Anonymous
　　What is success?
　　I am not going to try to define success. I think a precise1 definition is impossible. Is it winning a Gold Medal at the Olympic Games or winning Wimbledon, or being awarded a Nobel Prize? What else? I believe personal success could be anything at all—it does not have to involve public recognition. Who is more successful? A millionaire who is unhappy, or an unnoticed person who has led a simple, happy life? The simplest definition of success I think is“to set out to do something and to succeed in doing it”. It really doesn’t matter what, or how humble2 the undertaking is.
　　Believe you can succeed and you will. Achieving success in whatever endeavor3 you choose may be the goal of life， because it gives you freedom from worry. Could that be?
　　Success means different things to every one of us. Some people believe it is measured in financial terms, such as having wealth; others believe it is helping others rather than helping themselves. A bit of both perhaps!Or it could be simply achieving for achievement’s sake. Success is such a personal thing. To many people it is the very root of their being—the reason for existing is to achieve something worthwhile in our lives. To the vast majority4 of the population it doesn’t matter much whether they want to be successful or not; that’s OK by me, as long as that is what you really want and you are happy with life. However, most people want and are motivated to a great extent by public recognition and a relentless pursuit of achievement. How many people too are really happy? How many people are really doing what they want to with their lives?(Incidentally, the ability to imagine makes us different from animals).
　　No matter what motivates you personally...whatever you choose to do with your life, don’t expect instant success. The years of struggle, commitment and learning in excelling at whatever endeavor or trade you choose, is no easy task. I would wholeheartedly agree with that statement. It takes a lot of courage, character and discipline5 to achieve success in any field. Nearly all successful people have doubted themselves at some point and wanted to give up. Yet they carried on. So many people give up within an inch or two away from the gold in the seam down the mine—a whisker away from success. One thing is for sure: success breeds success, as it gathers a momentum of its own and you get on an inning streak when everything seems to fit into place.
　　I like all of the following quotations. They all stand for what success means to me personally. So I’ll share them with you...
　　“Success is the continuous journey towards the achievement of predetermined worthwhile goals.” “To live your life in your own way. To reach the goals you’ve set for yourself. To be the person you want to be—that is success.”
　　你接受挑战吗
　　佚名
　　面对生活中的尴尬和艰辛，我们应该轻易悲痛吗？或者，我们是否应该直面阻碍，接受它的挑战呢？选择不同的立场，可能使自己成为被压抑的牺牲品。不论发生什么事，我们都可以把它当成生活中某种不祥的征兆。很多时候，我们需要确定自己作出的选择是受智慧的指引还是受恐惧的驱使。
　　如果把生活比喻成杂耍，或是一种体育竞赛，我们就会认同那些设置的限制和阻碍，然后寻找方法、集中精力去跨越。我们需要不同的才能和力量以清除障碍；我们的信念、幽默和希望都可能受到考验，但它们在我们全力克服各种困难的过程中，促进了我们的成长。
　　歧视和偏见都是挑战。我们迫使自己付出比别人更多的努力，但是，工作的回报却由自己享用。更重要的是，我们去从事那些更有意义和价值的工作。
　　要获得成功，你必须接受挑战。通常，各种障碍如文化差异、缺乏了解等困扰着我们，但团结一致、相互帮助、敏锐察觉彼此的需要，却有利于我们的成长。只有处于一个建立在合作、荣耀、自豪和热情之上的健康社会时，我们才可能保持文化的差异性和完整性。只要我们致力于提高如知识共享、团结协作、随机应变和敢于冒险等重要技能，我们的未来就会更加美好。
　　团结起来吧！通过改变我们和他人看待问题的方式，我们就能使这个世界更加美好，让我们勇敢地迎接挑战吧！
　　Do You Accept Challenges
　　Anonymous
　　Should we easily wail about the embarrassment and the unfairness of life? Or should we accept obstacles as challenges? With a choice of stance we can allow ourselves to be oppressed victims. When anything happens to us, we can take it as a sign that we should not expect anything good out of our lives. These are times when we need to determine whether it is wisdom or fear that motivates us in our choices.
　　If we view our lives as a juggling act or a sort of sporting contest, we learn to go along with the limitations and obstacles that are dealt with us. We then find ways to make it through the event in good shape and with energy. Different talents and strengths will be called upon to get through the obstacles. Our faith, humor, and hope may be tested, but they are what keeps us going as we try to overcome the various obstacles.
　　Discrimination and prejudice are challenges. We force ourselves to work twice as hard as others; however, the rewards from our work are ours to enjoy. The important thing is to be working at something we find meaningful and worthwhile.
　　To succeed, you must accept challenges. There will always be barriers, cultural differences, and lack of understanding around us, but it is beneficial for us to stay together, be sensitive to each other needs, and to help each other. Maintaining cultural diversity and integrity is possible as a healthy community builds on teamwork, praise, pride and enthusiasm. Once, we are dedicated to improve critical skills such as knowledge sharing, collaboration, flexibility and risk taking, we will improve our future.
　　Together, we can make our world a better place in which to live by changing the way we and the rest of the population view it—positively. Let’s make this challenge a reality.

美丽英文励志篇(7)
　生命的礼物
　　佚名
　　我没有回报过社会。父亲时常教导我和姐姐，仁爱始于家庭。因而，我慷慨地给予家人和朋友关爱，但没为别人做过什么。我一直很钦佩那些人——他们自愿花时间和金钱救助身处困境的人们。当然，我也富有同情心，当看到报道红十字会拯救遭飓风袭击的灾民时，我的心都碎了，要知道，除了身上的衣服，这些难民失去了一切。我从未被动地援助过任何人，也从未捐过款。
　　我常因此感到不安，即便如此，这种负罪感也没能激发我做任何关爱他人的事。我宁愿不去想世间的苦难，所以，看电视时，只要有“援助儿童”的广告，我就换频道。眼不见，心不烦——这就是我对待世间苦难的方式。
　　内心中，我常为自己找借口，比如我对他人疾苦过于敏感，倘若过分关注，自己也会深感痛苦。我很清楚，自己不可能救人于危难。卷入他们的生活，只会让自己像他们一样沮丧、心烦意乱。我告诉自己，那不是他们真正需要的，他们也不想得到别人的同情；他们真正需要的是安慰，对，是精神慰藉，最重要的是，他们需要别人给予希望。而我从不相信自己能给谁希望。
　　数月后，我22岁的侄女打电话给我，她的声音非常甜美，总让我内心深受触动。“姑姑，血库打电话问我献不献血。你可以陪我去吗？”我同意了。
　　我第一次，也是仅有的一次献血是在十年前的海湾战争时期。那时，我最好的朋友是流动陆军外科医院的护士，我是因她才献血的。我还寄给她一个装满糖果和日用品的包裹，这些都是她在前线不可能有的。我记得我还为此很开心。
　　去血库前，我不知道会以具体人的名义献血。那里有一个公告栏，上面都是儿童医院小患者们的照片。两年前，正是在这家医院，我身患癌症的女儿离开了人世。因此，我很同情这些与绝症抗争的孩子们。有一张照片是一个九岁的黑人小女孩，由于药物缘故，她的小脸有些肿胀，但那漂亮的脸蛋似乎会说话。她叫亚里克西斯，正与病魔作着斗争。她生命的大部分时间几乎都在与癌症抗争，我了解到，她的病情曾两次好转，但现在又恶化了，这已经是第三次了。于是，我请求以她的名义献血。
　　我不晕针，整个献血过程无丝毫疼痛。血库要赠我一个毛茸茸的小动物和一件T恤，被我婉言谢绝了。我献血并非有所图，仅仅只是想献血。一个半月后，我又来献血。再一个半月后，我第三次献血。我觉得这是我力所能及的，因此我暗自发誓，只要身体健康，就经常来献血。
　　我几乎不看电视，但我坚持在上班前打开电视。虽然并没坐在电视前收看，但我能听到播放的内容。一天早上，我听到播音员报道一个名为亚里克西斯的小女孩。我立即上前看，想知道报道的是不是我在血库认识的那个小女孩，的确是她。
　　亚里克西斯在抗击绝症的过程中死去了，我非常伤心。我听着亚里克西斯的故事，泪流满面。报道说她是一个非常出色的孩子，对这一点我并不感到惊讶，因为在血库的那张照片上，我从她的眼睛里就看出来了。她有着天使般的面庞，微笑中满是乐观和勇气。我第一眼看到她，就喜欢上了她。
　　那天早上，我得知她的故事和死讯并非巧合。她现在是一个天使了，她觉得让我知道这一切很重要；于我而言，我的献血行为没什么大不了的，但对她，对那些在生命边缘挣扎的孩子们，却是极了不起的。
　　我从未见过这个了不起的孩子，也没接触过她，然而，她却深深地打动了我，她的精神触动了我灵魂的最深处，令我无法忘怀。我喜欢把她当做我女儿的好朋友，在另外一个世界里，她们很快乐、很健康，像所有小女孩一样，她们嬉笑着，玩闹着。
　　我的医疗师总对我说，尽管我做的事不占用太多时间，不花费太多气力和金钱，但这并不意味着我所做的没有价值。对需要帮助的人们，我们做的每件小事都意义深远。因此，我建议你们，勿以善小而不为。点点滴滴的善行加起来，价值就不菲了。
　　心灵小语
　　也许我们付出的只是点滴的金钱、时间或力气，但这些点点滴滴汇集起来的力量就会犹如大海，不可估量。
　　The Gift of Life
　　Anonymous
　　I am not someone who had ever given back to the community. My father had drilled into my sisters and me all our lives that charity1 begins at home, and so I gave generously to family and friends, but rarely to any？outside of that. I have always greatly admired those who volunteer their time and money and are in the trenches helping other human beings when they are in the most need. I have a side of me that is very compassionate2, and my heart breaks when I watch news reports of the Red Cross helping storm victims after hurricanes or tornadoes3 that destroyed everything but the clothes on their backs. Only I have never been compelled to do anything to help the effort，not even to write out a check.
　　I always felt bad about that, but even guilt didn’t motivate me to do anything about it. I preferred not to think about all the suffering in the world, and I did this by switching4 the station on the TV whenever a “Feed the Children” commercial came on. Out of sight, out of mind was how I dealt with all the suffering in the world.
　　In my mind, I often defended myself, saying I was just so sensitive to other people’s suffering, and that I would only suffer myself if I got too close and personal to it. I knew I could never be in the trenches with people when they were in dire needs, because I’d probably be as upset and emotional as they were. I told myself that was not what they needed, for me to feel sorry for them and cry with them. What they needed was comfort, yes, but most importantly they needed is someone to give them hope, and I never trusted that I could give that to anyone.
　　Several months ago, my 22yearold niece phoned me. “Aunt Lene,” she said in her sweet voice that never fails to melt my heart, “the blood bank called and asked if I would donate blood. Would you come and donate with me?” I couldn’t refuse her.
　　The first and only time I had donated blood was during the Gulf War ten years ago. My best friend was a nurse in a M. A. S. H. unit on the front line, and I did it for her. I also sent her a care package full of goodies and necessities she couldn’t get over there in the middle of hell. I remember how good it made me feel to do this for her.
　　I didn’t know before going to the blood bank, that I would be able to donate blood in the name of someone specific. There was a bulletin board with photos of children who were patients at Children’s Hospital. It was the same hospital where I had lost my daughter for cancer two years prior, so my heart went out to these children who were battling lifethreatening illnesses. One photo was of a little black girl, only 9 years old, and her beautiful face, although swollen from drugs, spoke to me. Her name was Alexis, and she was battling cancer. She had been fighting the disease most of her life, and I read where she had been in remission5 twice, but the cancer had returned for a third time. I requested to donate my blood in Alexis’s name.
　　I braved the needle and the procedure was relatively painless. The blood bank wanted to give me a stuffed animal and a Tshirt, but I declined. I wasn’t there to get anything for my effort, but was there only to give. A month and a half later, I went back, and then a month and a half after that, I went back again. I felt this was something I could do, and so I made a promise to myself to go as often as I could while I was in good health.
　　I hardly watch TV, but I do keep the TV on in the morning while I’m getting ready for work. Although I am not in front of the TV, I am listening to it. One morning I heard a newscaster reporting about a young girl named Alexis, and I immediately went to the TV to see if she was talking about my Alexis from the blood bank. She was.
　　Alexis had lost her battle with cancer, and my heart broke. As I sat with tears running down my face, I listened to Alexis’s story, and the legacy6 she left behind. I wasn’t surprised to hear what an extraordinary child Alexis was, because I saw it in her eyes when I saw her photograph at the blood bank. She had the most angelic face, and a smile that was so full of joy and courage, that she endeared herself to me instantly.
　　It was no coincidence that I learned of Alexis’s life and death that morning. She was an angel now, and she saw the big picture, and knew it was important for me to know that what I was doing by giving blood may not seem like a big thing to me, but it was to her, and it is to all the children who are still fighting the fight like she did.
　　I never met this wonderful child, never touched her, but she surely touched me. Her spirit went right to my soft spot, and I will never forget her. I like to think she is a great friend to my daughter on the other side, and they are happy, healthy, laughing and playing like little girls should.
　　My therapist is always telling me that even though I do something that doesn’t take much of my time, effort or money, it doesn’t mean that what I do has no value. Every little thing we do to help another has value to the one who needs it, so I encourage you all to do what you can. A dollar here, a dollar there, a minute here, a minute there, a gesture here, a gesture there will all add up.
　　我们在旅途中
　　佚名
　　不论你处在什么地方，也不论你是什么人，不管是在此时此刻，还是在我们生命中的任何一个瞬间，有一件事对你我来说是恰巧相同的：我们不是在休息，我们是在一次旅途中。我们的生活是一种运动，一种趋势，是向一个看不见的目标稳定而不停地前进。每一天，我们都会赢得某些东西，或者会失去某些东西。甚至当我们的位置和我们的性格看起来跟以前完全相似时，它们事实上仍然在变化着。因为仅仅是时间的前进就是一种变化。对于一块荒地来说，在一月和七月是不同的，季节会制造差异。能力上的缺陷对于孩子来说是一种可爱的品质，但对于大人来说就是一种幼稚的表现。
　　我们做的每一件事都是朝着一个或另一个方向前进一步。甚至“没有做任何事情”这件事本身也是一种行为，它让我们前进或后退，一根磁针阴极的作用和阳极的作用都是一样的真实，拒绝也是一种接受——这些都是二中择一的选择。
　　你今天比昨天更接近你的港口了吗？是的——你必须接近某一个港口或者其他港口。自从你第一次被抛入生活之海，你的船连一分钟都没有静止过。海是如此之深，你不可能找到一个抛锚的地方，于是你也不可能停下来，直到到达自己的港口。
　　心灵小语
　　你注意过海上的帆船吗？它在水中漂来漂去，没有一刻停止。其实，我们的生命就像海上的帆船，生活就是那无边无际的海洋，我们在漂泊，在航行。找准生活的方向，尽快到达港口吧。
　　We Are on a Journey
　　Anonymous
　　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 towards 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 child 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 untill you come into port.
　　生活的启示
　　佚名
　　一天早上，八岁的桑戈特敲开了我的门。他是我的学生，是来帮我打扫房间的。他发现有几本厚重的书整齐地摆在我的书桌上。
　　他好奇地问：“老师，这些是什么书？”我告诉他，这些是大学入学考试的备考书籍，这场考试对我很重要。他皱起了眉头——也难怪，在这个偏远的地方，自行车都没听过，何况这种事呢。通过几张大学校园图片，我向他解释大学是什么样的。那时，沙捞越州还没有大学，最近的一所也要穿过中国南海的马来西亚半岛。
　　他吃惊地问道：“您是老师啊，还要学习吗？”
　　我们坐了下来，我给他讲述了有关教育的事情，并鼓励他成为有所作为的人，告诉他这些都有机会实现。他拿起最厚的一本书看了看，惊叫道：“好小的字，有几百万吧，怎么能读完呢？”
　　我对他讲，学会读书并领会课堂所学的知识非常重要。并告诉他，我这样的老师，是特地派来教他这样的学生的，以使他们有朝一日能读懂如他手中那样的大书籍。他离开了我的房间。
　　桑戈特常自愿帮我打扫房间的事传开了，其他同学也想来帮忙。很快，这几乎成了每天的惯例。最后，我不得不多买些扫把，好让更多人一起做。而桑戈特总不忘把我的书给大家看，每次还都用伊班语发表一番见解。
　　我并没有意识到自己的话会对桑戈特产生什么影响，直到我出事的那天才发觉。那天，我滑进河里，摔断了脖子，肩头以下落下了终生残疾。
　　人们用快艇把我送回城里。我躺在快艇里，精疲力竭，一动也不能动，当时，我注意到全校学生都来河边与我道别。望着他们的脸，我知道我会想念他们的。快艇发动引擎时，河边有一阵小骚动。
　　我看见桑戈特泪流满面地向船走来。他呜咽着问我：“老师，您还回来吗？或许您不会回来了吧？”
　　停了一下，他说：“老师，如果您不回来，我们就在大学里见，好吗？”
　　我被深深地感动了，就在船离开的那一刹那，我领会了一个重要的道理：老师须时刻不忘给学生积极的教导。有时，简单真诚的话语会对他们产生深远的影响，他们的生活也会由此而改变。生活中点点滴滴的快乐最终会结出丰硕的果实，因此，我们应该抓住每个机会来帮助年轻人实现自我价值。
　　心灵小语
　　生活是需要我们用心来体会的。一句简单而真诚的话语，也会影响一个人的一生。因为藏于记忆中的时光永远不会流失。抓住每个机会来帮助年轻人实现自我价值吧。
　　A Lesson for Life
　　Anonymous
　　One morning， Sanggat, an eightyearold pupil of mine, knocked at my door. He was here to help me sweep my quarters. He noticed some thick books neatly arranged on my reading table.
　　Curiously he asked, “Sir, what books are these?” I told him that those were books that I needed to study for an important exam so that I might go to university someday. He frowned because in a remote area where we were, even a bicycle was unheard of. I tried to explain university to him with the help of pictures that looked like a university campus. At that time, Sarawak did not have a university and the nearest one was across the South China Sea, in Peninsular Malaysia.
　　He was surprised, “But, sir, you are a teacher. Why study?”
　　So we sat down and I told him all about this thing called Education and gave him a pep talk about his chances of becoming someone great in the future. He took one of my books，the thickest one，in his hands and upon opening it exclaimed, “Now, the words are so tiny and there are millions of them. How can you possibly finish reading it?”
　　I explained to him the importance of learning to read well and to make the best out of the lessons that he was learning at school, and that teachers like me, were specially sent to teach special children like him so that someday they could read great books like the one he was holding. He left my room.
　　When the other pupils learned that Sanggat always volunteered to sweep my room, they wanted to do the same and soon it became an almost daily ritual which ended up with my buying more brooms to maximize participation. And Sanggat would never fail to show them my books, each time adding a little commentary of his own about them in the Iban language.
　　I did not realize the impact my words had on him until the day I slipped into the river and broke my neck. I was to be paralyzed from my shoulders downward for the rest of my life.
　　I was carried into a speedboat and transported back to civilization. As I lay motionless and exhausted, I noticed that the whole school had gathered by the riverside to bid me farewell. A gaze at their faces told me that I was going to miss them. Then, as the engine of the speedboat started to roar, there was a little commotion by the river.
　　I could see Sanggat making his way to the boat. With tearfilled eyes he approached and in between sobs he asked, “Sir, are you coming back? Perhaps not?”
　　Then after a short pause he said, “Sir, if you cannot come back, I’ll see you in the university, ya?”
　　 My heart was profoundly touched and as the boat moved away, I realized an important lesson of my own: Teachers must never fail to take time explaining positive lessons to the young ones. Simple and sincere gestures sometimes can have far teaching effects on them and life may never be the same again. It is the small simple pleasures we gather from life that ultimately bear great fruits of profound magnitude. We should watch out for every opportunity we have to assist the young ones towards selfaccomplishments.
　　人生不是一次彩排
　　佚名
　　营造一种生活，真正的生活，而不要狂躁地追求一次又一次地晋升、更高的薪水和更大的房子。
　　营造一种不孤单的生活，寻找你爱的人和爱你的人。并谨记：爱不是闲暇，而是工作。打个电话，发封邮件，写封信，营造一种慷慨的生活。
　　要知道最美好的东西是生命，你不能视之为理所当然。
　　我们很容易浪费自己的生命，挥霍自己的每一个日子、每一小时、每一分钟。我们很容易忽视孩子眼睛的颜色，淡漠悦耳的交响乐旋律的跌宕起伏……
　　我们很容易活着而不是生活着。
　　多年前，我学会了生活。我遭遇了一个巨大的不幸，令我的生活为之改变。如果当时，我还有选择，这些改变根本不会发生。我从中得到了一个至今最难忘的教训。
　　我学会了热爱旅途，而不是终点。我明白了人生不是一次彩排，今天是你唯一能把握的。
　　我学会了去注视世间的一切美好，并试着给予回报，因为我虔诚地笃信美好。我这样做，有部分原因是想告诉别人我的感悟，告诉他们：想想田间的百合，看看婴儿耳朵上的绒毛，在后院读读书，让阳光洒满你的脸颊。学着去快乐。
　　假设你的生命处于癌症晚期，因为如果你这样做，会让生活充满喜悦和激情，这才是生命的本色。
　　心灵小语
　　人只有一次生命，每一天都是你真实生活的写照；人生不是一次彩排，我们能把握住的唯有今天。
　　Life Isn’t a Dress Rehearsal
　　Anonymous
　　Get a life，a real life, not a manic pursuit of the next promotion, the bigger paycheck, the larger house.
　　Get a life in which you are not alone. Find people you love, and who love you. And remember that love is not leisure, it is work. Pick up the phone， send an email，write a letter, get a life in which you are generous.
　　And realize that life is the best thing, and that you have no business taking it for granted.
　　It is so easy to waste our lives, our days, our hours, our minutes. It is so easy to take for granted the color of our kids’ eyes, the way the melody in a symphony rises and falls and disappears and rises again...
　　It is so easy to exist instead of to live.
　　I learned to live many years ago. Something really, really bad happened to me, something that changed my life in ways that, if I had my option, it would never have been changed at all. And what I learned from it is what, today, seems to be the hardest lesson of all.
　　I learned to love the journey, not the destination. I learned that it is not a dress rehearsal, and that today is the only guarantee you get.
　　I learned to look at all the good in the world and try to give some of it back because I believed in it, completely and utterly. And I tried to do that, in part, by telling others what I had learned, by telling them this: Consider the lilies of the field. Look at the fuzz on a baby’s ear. Read in the backyard with the sun on your face. Learn to be happy.
　　And think of life as a terminal illness, because if you do, you will live it with joy and passion as it ought to be lived.
　　学会珍惜
　　佚名
　　不管你是否作好了心理准备，终有一天，一切都会结束。那时，将不再有日出、天、小时和分钟的概念。你曾拥有的一切，无论是值得珍惜的还是应该遗忘的，都将转予他人。
　　你的财富、声望和世俗的权力都将与你脱离关系。你所拥有的和所亏欠的都将与你不相干。
　　你的恶意、愤恨、挫败感和嫉妒都会消失殆尽。当然，你的希望、抱负、计划和要做的事也会无法实现。曾对你至关重要的得与失，也慢慢地淡漠了。
　　到时，你来自何方和如何生活都不重要。同样，曾经非常光鲜靓丽的你也毫无意义。你的性别、肤色和种族也都会与你无关。
　　那么，究竟什么才是真正该珍惜的呢?又该以什么标准去衡量人生的价值呢?
　　你要珍惜的，不是你买了什么，也不是你创造了什么，更不是你获得了什么，而是你给予了什么。
　　你要珍惜的，不是你曾经获得的成功，而是你的价值。
　　你要珍惜的，不是你曾学会了什么，而是你留下了什么。
　　真正值得珍惜的，应该是你是否曾用自身的正直、同情心、勇气，以及奉献精神去感染和鼓舞过他人，使自己成为一个好榜样。
　　你要珍惜的，不是你的能力，而是你的为人。
　　你要珍惜的，不是你曾与多少人相识，而是当你离开时，那些会因你的离去而久久陷于悲伤中的人。
　　你要珍惜的，不是你的全部记忆，而是对你爱的人的情怀。
　　你要珍惜的，不是你离去后，会在人们的心中留下多久的回忆，而是哪些人会因哪些事而将你铭记于心。
　　这些值得珍惜的事情在人的一生中并非偶然。
　　外界环境并不重要，要谨慎地作出最后的选择。
　　重中之重是选择一个适合自己的生活方式。
　　心灵小语
　　你要珍惜的，不是你曾与多少人相识，而是当你离开时，那些会因你的离去而久久陷于悲伤中的人。你要珍惜的，不是你的全部记忆，而是对你爱的人的情怀。你要珍惜的，不是你离去后，会在人们的心中留下多久的回忆，而是哪些人会因哪些事而将你铭记于心。珍惜现在，珍惜你现在所拥有的，这样才能不枉一生。
　　What Will Matter
　　Anonymous
　　Ready or not, some day it will all come to an end. There will be no more sunrises, no days, no hours or minutes. All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else.
　　Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance. It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.
　　Your grudges, resentments, frustrations, and jealousies will finally disappear. So, too, your hopes, ambitions, plans, and todo lists will all expire. The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.
　　It won’t matter where you came from, or on what side of the tracks you lived. It won’t matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant. Your gender, skin color, ethnicity will be irrelevant.
　　So what will matter? How will the value of your days be measured?
　　What will matter is not what you bought, but what you built; not what you got, but what you gave.
　　What will matter is not your success, but your significance.
　　What will matter is not what you learned, but what you taught.
　　What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage and sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example.
　　What will matter is not your competence, but your character.
　　What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many will feel a lasting loss when you’re gone.
　　What will matter is not your memories, but the memories of those who loved you.
　　What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what.
　　Living a life that matters doesn’t happen by accident.
　　It’s not a matter of circumstance but of choice.
　　Choose to live a life that matters.
　　如何面对未来
　　佚名
　　对我们而言，未来总是个未知数。但有一点，某种极有可能发生的事情是可以预见的。我们可以争取最好的结局。
　　明智之人吸取以往的经验教训，努力规划未来。他们时刻准备跃上未来的机会快车。他们熟知目前的状况，并期待未来美景的实现。
　　反之，闲散之人好像不会仔细计划未来。他们犹如漂流的叶子，毫无目标地漂着。海浪到达的地方就是它们最好的归宿。
　　我们不时地听到一位朋友表示他对某事的担忧，对未来的发展不十分确定，也不知该如何规划，那么也许，他需要你的建议。
　　一个人一定要对未来有信念。焦虑绝不会有什么好处。只要有敏锐的判断力，加之不懈努力，你就能拥抱辉煌的未来，或者，至少能避免发生不愉快的事。
　　心灵小语
　　未来是个未知数，那么我们就应该努力去规划它，争取最好的结局。正如穆尔说过：“胜利是不会向我们走来的，我们必须自己走向胜利。”
　　How to Face the Future
　　Anonymous
　　Future is always unknown to us, but to some extent1 we can foresee what will most likely come out. We can strive for2 the best.
　　Wise people learn from past experiences and try to arrange for the future. They are always making preparations so as to jump on a future chance. They know where they are and expect where they will arrive in the future.
　　On the other hand, idle people do not seem to give serious thoughts about the future. They are just like floating leaves, drifting aimlessly3. The best place they can get to is where the tide carries thorn.
　　We sometimes hear a friend say that he is worried about something. He is not quite certain of the future and cannot plan for it. He needs advice, perhaps.
　　One must have faith in4 the future. Worrying will never do any good. As long as one is sensible and does one’s best, one can expect a bright future or at least avoid something unpleasant.
　　坚持不懈与成功的欲望
　　佚名
　　你是否是那种持之以恒的人？是否会坚持不懈地寻找办法逐步解决问题？当你承揽一个项目时，能否坚持到最后?
　　无论遭遇怎样的艰辛，目标未实现就决不会放弃的人，很值得你去学习。
　　做那些你的确觉得没有可能成功的事是浪费时间。要掌握适时坚持或放手。
　　只有持之以恒的精神还不够，你还需要有强烈追求成功的欲望。明确你的期望和目标，而后锁定这些目标，为之努力。这些对你理想的实现有着巨大的影响和推动作用。一切成功的背后，都有一个迫切渴望实现目标的人。向你确定的目标努力奋斗。确定自己究竟想要什么，这是你最先要做的。
　　心灵小语
　　每个人都有成功的欲望，那么我们就要有为达到目标决不放弃的精神；锁定你的目标，并为之努力奋斗。
　Persistence and the Desire to Succeed
　　Anonymous
　　Are you a persistent type of person? Do you constantly whittle1 away at a problem, trying to find a solution? When you start a project, will you continue until you are finished?
　　They will work on a problem until they find a solution, come hell or high water. You need to learn to do the same thing.
　　Working on something that you can truly see won’t work is time wasting. The trick is to develop the skill of knowing when to persist and when to let it go. This comes with time and practice.
　　But persistence is not enough. You have to have a deep desire to succeed. Figure out exactly what your desires are regarding your business, where your goals are leading you, then focus on those desires. They are a powerful influence2 to help you get to where you want to go. All successful businesses have an owner who has strong desires to achieve what they have set out to achieve. Figure out what yours are and pull your energy from them to drive you forward. But, understanding exactly what you desire to do, is the first step.　
　　态度决定成功
　　佚名
　　你来自何方，无关紧要。你去往何处才是重要的。
　　你的决定超出常人的范围，势必也会面临更大的困难。有时你的巨大财富只是因为你有比别人更耐久的能力。
　　你无法掌控事物的发展，但可以改变自己的态度。只有这样，你才能不被事物所左右，成为其主宰。
　　一些人能不断地获取新知识，并将其运用到工作和生活中，他们是社会进步和变革的发起者和倡导者。
　　你越是努力寻求安全，就越会感到不安。你越是努力争取机会，就越能得到你想要的安全。
　　成功人士总是寻求机会去帮助别人，而不成功的人总会问这样的问题：“这跟我有什么关系？”
　　成功人士，无论男女，都是伟大的梦想家。他们会勾勒未来的蓝图，每一方面都考虑得很完美，而后，他们每天不停地工作，努力向自己的既定目标前进。
　　心灵小语
　　歌德说过：“要有坚强的意志、卓越的能力以及坚决要达到目标的恒心，此外都是细节。”当你对生活感到迷茫，不知前方的路在何方时，试着深呼吸，坚定自己的态度，踏出前进的脚步，那么你离成功也就不远了。
　　Attitudes towards Success
　　Anonymous
　　It doesn’t matter where you are coming from. All that matters is where you are going.
　　Your decision to be, have and do something out of ordinary entails1 facing difficulties that are out of the ordinary as well. Sometimes your greatest asset is simply your ability to stay with it longer than anyone else.
　　You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your attitude toward what happens to you, and in that, you will be mastering change rather than allowing it to master you.
　　Those people who develop the ability to continuously acquire new and better forms of knowledge that they can apply to their work and to their lives will be the movers and shakers in our society for the indefinite2 future.
　　The more you seek security, the less of it you have. But the more you seek opportunity, the more likely it is that you will achieve the security that you desire.
　　Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people are always asking, “What’s in it for me?”
　　All successful people, men and women, are big dreamers. They imagine what their future could be, ideal in every respect, and then they work every day toward their distant vision, that goal or purpose.
　　不言放弃
　　佚名
　　如果你想让自己的人生有所成就，请不要忘记，我们必须坚持。如果我们希望学业有成，就必须勤奋努力，并且，不管何时，遇到怎样的困难，都永不放弃。我们会发现很多课程非常难，但要想到如果我们能持之以恒，彻底地学会它们，那么，难度越大，我们从中获益也就越多。
　　但是，我们当中有些人，当他们遇到数学难题时就准备放弃，说：“我不会做这道题。”如果他们这样觉得，那么永远也不能攻克难题。“我不行”对任何事都毫无作用，然而“我会尽力”则会创造奇迹。要谨记，人生中，我们会有很多困难，这是每个人都必须经历的。如果我们不断地努力，那么，遇到的每一个难题一定都能被征服和战胜。如果今日我们能竭力学好遇到困难的课程，那么，明日更大的难题，我们也能有所准备。而且，如果我们掌握了学校里的困难课程，那么当我们的学生时代结束后，它也会为我们战胜生活中的困难而作好准备。
　　心灵小语
　　人一生中会遇到很多的困难，但这是我们必须面对的。只要我们不言放弃，并为之努力奋斗，每一道难题一定都会被我们征服、战胜。
　　Don’t Give Up
　　Anonymous
　　If we would ever accomplish1 anything in life, let us not forget that we must persevere. If we would learn our lessons in school, we must be diligent2 and not give up whenever we come to anything difficult. We shall find many of our lessons very hard, but let us consider that the harder they are the better they will do to us if we will persevere and learn them thoroughly3.
　　But there are some among us who are ready to give up when they come to a hard example in mathematics, and say, “I can’t do this.” They never will if they feel so. “I can’t” never does anything worthwhile; but “I’ll try ” accomplishes wonders. Let us remember that we shall meet with difficulties all through life. They are in the pathway of everyone. If we will only try and keep trying, we shall be sure to conquer and overcome every difficulty we meet with. If we have a hard lesson today, let us strive to learn it well and then we shall be prepared for a harder one tomorrow. And if we learn to master hard lessons in school, it will prepare us to overcome4 the hard things that we shall meet in life, when our school days are over.
　　迈向成功的第一步
　　——消除内心的障碍
　　佚名
　　回顾一下，在你生命中的某个时刻，你突然灵光一闪，并冲动地想作出一个重大改变。你会努力去争取实现，还是会被内心的障碍阻止了脚步呢？
　　你的思想和信仰是你成功的基础。在泥土和残骸的地基上，你无法建造一栋结实的房子，成功也存在着同样的道理。
　　如果你的思想和信仰摇摇欲坠，如果你不清除内心的障碍，它们就会阻碍你的前进。
　　学会清理障碍是立足于大地并获得成功的最好办法，而逃避只会有损你的自尊。
　　大自然将这些挑战呈现在你面前，是为了让你学会经受风雨的磨炼，更茁壮地成长。
　　要成功清除障碍，你需要有坚决不放弃的勇气，看清事物的本质，对自己拥有坚定的信念，胜过于对那些障碍，还要有清除障碍所必需的主动。
　　这意味着你必须勇敢地抵抗自身的障碍，要相信自己一定能征服。当你向这些障碍发起攻击，并有所行动时，就会发现它们并不像起初看上去的那样可怕。
　　下定决心，永不放弃。如果一定要有一方让步的话，那一定是障碍，而不是你。
　　与你的障碍对抗，你将获得一种成就感，它会使你内心的力量强大。培养一种直面反抗的好习惯，你就可以慢慢地给心灵灌输一种忍耐和成功的强大信念。这会使你对自身的信仰和信心有所增加，从而对提醒你对自己负责很有帮助。
　　要清除障碍，有时你还要采取其他的办法。如果你不能攻克障碍，就试着绕过去；如果无法绕过去，那就控制它；如果控制不了，那就越过去；如果无法越过，那就径直冲过去。
　　心灵小语
　　正如莱斯?布朗所说：“在通往成功人生的路上，你是自己唯一真正的障碍。”突破你内心的障碍，是你向成功迈进的第一步。
　　Your First Step to Success
　　—Eliminate Inner Obstacles
　　Anonymous
　　Think back to a time in your life when you felt inspired1 and excited to make a significant change. Did you go for it or did your inner obstacles get in the way?
　　Your thoughts and beliefs are the foundation on which you build your success. You can’t build a solid house on a foundation of clay and debris2, and the same truth holds for your success.
　　If your thoughts and beliefs are shaky, these internal obstacles will hold you back unless you eliminate them.
　　Learning to handle obstacles is the best way to stand your ground and succeed. While running away only undermines your selfesteem.
　　Nature presents you with these challenges in order to learn to weather3 the storm and grow stronger.
　　To succeed in overcoming obstacles, you need to have the gut not to quit, but to see things through, to have the strong faith to believe more in yourself than in the obstacles and to have the willingness to do what it takes to turn the obstacles around.
　　This means, you need to stand up to your obstacles and believe you can overcome them.  When you attack your obstacles and do something about them, you’ll find that they are not as threatening as they appeared to be at first.
　　Decide that you will not give up and if something has to give up, it will have to be the obstacles and not you.
　　Standing up to your obstacles imparts4 you with a sense of accomplishment and reinforces5 the sense of your inner power. By developing a habit of facing resistance, you instill into your psyche6 a strong message of endurance and success. This strengthens the faith and the belief in yourself, which helps remind you of the responsibility to yourself.
　　Sometimes you may have to resort to some other measures to overcome obstacles. If you can’t get through the problem, try going around it, and if you can’t go around it, try getting under it, and if you can’t get under it, try going over it, and if you can’t go over it, just dive straight into it.

美丽英文励志篇(8)

　话说旅行
　　威廉?哈兹里特
　　世界上最令人愉快的事情之一就是旅行，不过我喜欢一个人的旅行。在室内，我能享受与人共处的乐趣，而在室外，有自然为伴足矣。在那时，我就不会孤独。
　　“大地为书房，自然为书本。”
　　我不能了解行走与谈论同步的乐趣。当我身在乡村时，我希望简单纯粹地生活，就像村民们一样。我不会为了评论灌木篱墙和黑色的牲畜而来到这里。我走出城镇，是为了忘记城镇和城镇中的一切。有些人，他们出于这个动机来到海滨，可是他们也带着城市来了。我喜欢多一些自由的空间，少一些阻碍物。我喜欢孤独，当放松自己沉浸其中时，我无欲无求，只希望享受孤独。
　　“我独处时的朋友，我可能在你耳边低语：孤独是甜美的。”
　　旅行的灵魂就是自由，完美的自由，可以随心所欲地去想、去感受、去做。旅游的目的，主要就是摆脱所有的障碍和不便，释放自我，更忘记他人。这是因为，我想有不大的自由空间，来思考不同的事情。
　　“祝愿有美丽的羽毛，结实她的翅膀，
　　在各处拥挤的胜地，
　　我们的羽翼都太褶皱，有时也会脱落。”
　　我暂时离开城镇，在我孤独的时候，并未感觉迷失了自己。马车上没有熟识的朋友可以互换好的东西，不断地与我念叨往事，因为我曾与无礼写下休止协定。给我头顶清澈的蓝天，让我脚踏碧绿的草地，在我面前有一条曲折的小路，让我用三个小时去享受一个宴会——还可以进行思考！在这片石南树丛里，不放纵一下自己实在很难。我笑，我跑，我跳，我歌唱快乐!
　　心灵小语
　　钢筋水泥的森林怎及青枝绿叶让人心醉？喧闹烦乱的都市又怎比田野山间叫人神往？独自一人出游吧!忘却所有烦恼，忘却自我，投入大自然的怀抱，去享受一份难得的安宁和自由。
　　Going on a Journey
　　William Hazlitt
　　 One of the pleasantest things in the world is going a journey; but I like to go by myself. I can enjoy society in a room; but out of doors, nature is company enough for me. I am then never less alone than when alone.
　　“The fields were his study, nature was his book.”
　　I cannot see the wit of walking and talking at the same time. When I am in the country I wish to vegetate1 like the country. I am not for criticizing hedgerows and black cattle. I go out of town in order to forget the town and all that is in it. There are those who for this purpose go to watering places, and carry the metropolis with them. I like more elbowroom2 and fewer incumbrances3. I like solitude, when I give myself up to it, for the sake of solitude; nor do I ask for.
　　“A friend in my retreat, whom I may whisper solitude is sweet.”
　　The soul of journey is liberty, perfect liberty, to think, feel, do, just as one pleases. We go a journey chiefly to be free of all impediments4 and of all inconveniences; to leave ourselves behind, much more to get rid of others. It is because I want a little breathing space to muse on indifferent matters, where contemplation.
　　“May plume her feathers and let grow her wings, that in the various hustle of resort were all too ruffled, and sometimes impaired.”
　　I absent myself from the town for a while, without feeling at a loss the moment I am left by myself. Instead of a friend in a post chaise or in a tilbury, to exchange good things with, and vary the same stale topics over again, for once let me have a truce with impertinence5. Give me the clear blue sky over my head, and the green turf beneath my feet, a winding road before me, and the three hours’ march to dinner — and then to thinking! It is hard if I cannot start some game on these lone heath. I laugh, I run, I leap, I sing for joy!
　　成长
　　佚名
　　一粒微小的玫瑰花子被植入土壤时，我们并不因它“无根无茎”而加以批评。我们把它当做一粒种子来对待，施予它所需的水分和养料。
　　当它刚刚破土而出时，我们不因它幼稚、发育不良而诋毁它；当出现花蕾时，我们也不因它们不绽放而责备它。在它成长的不同阶段，给予它所需的照顾。我们会惊喜地目睹整个过程。
　　玫瑰，从一粒种子开始，到凋零，直至死亡，始终是玫瑰。在它生命的每时每刻，体内都蕴藏着巨大的潜能。它似乎总在不断地变化，但是在任何阶段，任何时刻，都是最真实、最完美的。
　　一朵花，在每一阶段都是相同的，无论是尽情绽放的花朵还是含苞欲放的花骨朵，都是这朵花——一朵时刻展现自己潜能的花。
　　心灵小语
　　从一粒微小的种子成长为一朵艳丽的花，它的每一次变化，都是最真实、最完美的。
　　Growth
　　Anonymous
　　When we plant a rose seed in the earth, we notice it is small, but we do not criticize it as “rootless and stemless1.” We treat it as a seed, giving it the water and nourishment2 required of a seed.
　　When it first shoots up out of the earth, we don’t condemn it as immature3 and underdeveloped, nor do we criticize the buds for not being open when they appear. We stand in wonder at the process taking place, and give the plant the care it needs at each stage of its development.
　　The rose is a rose from the time it is a seed to the time it dies. Within it, at all times, it contains its whole potential4. It seems to be constantly in the process of change: Yet at each state, at each moment, it is perfectly all right as it is.
　　A flower is not better when it blooms than when it is merely a bud; at each stage it is the same thinga flower in the process of expressing its potential.
　　成功的秘诀
　　佚名
　　1.心怀远大抱负——构思、设想和创造出一幅激动人心的宏伟蓝图。
　　2.目标要明确——学习一种强大的、能检验目标设定的训练，以改变你的生活。
　　3.掌控自己——全面地掌控自己的事业和生活。
　　4.做自己感兴趣的事——确定自己理想的工作，然后再考虑报酬是否可观。
　　5.使自己变得卓越——是跃居你所在行业前10%强的方法。
　　6.更长时间、更努力地工作——怎样安排你的时间可以让你完成更多事情，创造更多价值。
　　7.终生学习——怎样不断地提升你的才干和能力。
　　8.学习行业的每个细节——怎样在你所选的行业中成为行家。
　　9.终生为他人服务——这是所有人成功的起点，也是人们起步的方式。
　　10.对自己和他人绝对忠诚——一个人的成功与诚实并驾齐驱。
　　11.主次分明，集中精力——每天都把精力放在最重要的事情上，这很重要。
　　12.赢得高效可靠的名声——无论做什么事，都把自己放在胜利的边缘，使自己比别人更有成功的优势。
　　13.在任何事上都要培养自己的自律——这是成功最重要的品质。
　　14.挖掘自己的潜能——学着解决各种问题，克服任何障碍，实现目标。
　　15.与可交之人为伍——在事业的每个阶段，身边有成功人士很重要。
　　16.特别注意身体健康——提高并维持自己的旺盛精力和适应能力。
　　心灵小语
　　一味地蛮干而不注重方式、方法，你一定会事倍功半。那么请掌握我们的成功秘诀，你一定会事半功倍。
　　Secrets of Success
　　Anonymous
　　1. Dream Big Dreams — How to visualize, imagine and create an exciting picture of prosperity.
　　2. Develop a Clear Sense of Direction—Learn a powerful, proven goalsetting exercise that can change your life.
　　3. See Yourself as Selfemployed — How to take complete control of your career and your life.
　　4. Do What You Love to Do — Identify1 the ideal work for you and then get paid well for doing it.
　　5. Commit to Excellence — How to move into the top 10% in your field.
　　6. Work Longer and Harder—How to organize your time so you get more done and contribute more value.
　　7. Dedicate Yourself to Lifelong Learning—How to continually upgrade2 your talents and abilities.
　　8. Learn Every Detail of the Business—How to become an expert in your chosen field.
　　9. Dedicate3 Yourself to Serving Others—The starting point of all personal success and how to begin.
　　10. Be Absolutely4 Honest with Yourself and Others—How and why personal integrity goes hand in hand with success.
　　11. Set Priorities and Concentrate Singlemindedly—The importance of focusing on your most important tasks all day long.
　　 12. Develop a Reputation for Speed and Dependability—How to give yourself the winning edge in everything you do.
　　13. Practice Selfdiscipline5 in All Things—Develop the most important quality for success.
　　14. Unlock Your Inborn Creativity—Learn how to solve any problem, overcome any obstacle, achieve any goal.
　　15. Get Around the Right People—The importance of surrounding yourself with winners at each stage of your career.
　　16. Take Excellent Care of Your Physical Health— How to develop and maintain high levels of energy and fitness.
　　关于成就和梦想
　　佚名
　　有时，强烈的渴望不仅会给你创造机会，还会激发你的才智。
　　我们逃避时，总感到获得了自由——即使是从一个糟糕的环境换到另一个更糟糕的环境。
　　如果生活在一起的人们无法相互理解，社会就不会存在。
　　预测未来的唯一方法是，用自己的力量开创未来。
　　不论我们有怎样的成就，真正为自己骄傲的时刻却很少。我们能看到自己的缺点和错误，但仍需要别人给我们作出评判；我们需要得到别人的肯定——我们并没有想象的那么糟糕。
　　通过观察对手恐吓你的手段，你可以发现他最害怕什么。
　　领导者必须是务实家和现实主义者，但他发表演说则必须像个空想家和理想主义者。
　　时代发生巨变时，只有学习者才能继承未来，他们通常会发现自己全副武装地生活在前所未有的世界。
　　我们并不会真正感激那些使我们梦想成真的人，因为是他们打碎了我们的美梦。
　　我们需要有自己的梦想。
　　On Achievements and Dreams
　　Anonymous
　　It sometimes seems that intense desire creates not only its own opportunities, but its own talents.
　　We feel free when we escape—even if it be but from the frying pan to the fire.
　　There would be no society if living together depended upon understanding each other.
　　The only way to predict the future is to have power to shape the future.
　　No matter what our achievements might be, we think well of ourselves only in rare moments. We need people to bear witness against our inner judge, who keeps looking on our shortcomings and transgressions. We need people to convince us that we are not as bad as we think we are.
　　You can discover what your enemy fears most by observing the means he uses to frighten you.
　　The leader has to be practical and a realist, yet must talk the language of the visionary and the idealist.
　　In a time of drastic change it is the learners who inherit the future. The learned usually find themselves equipped to live in a world that no longer exists.
　　We do not really feel grateful toward those who make our dreams come true; they ruin our dreams.
　　We need our own dreams.
　　成功的钥匙
　　佚名
　　一个人最重要的品质是：信心。在人生每一个领域，它都具有无法估量的价值。特别是在商业或任何伟大的成就当中，它显得更为重要。不幸的是，这个重要的技能却让我们几乎无处可学。但是，它既然是一项技能，只要方法得当,就能培养起来。
　　知识是获取信心的第一种工具。认知自身的强项和弱项,认知你想有所成就的领域。但是，只有知识还不够，知识只有通过实践证明以后，才能带来自信。我们把所想的或者所信仰的理论，放到真正的实际中去证实，从经验中收集数据或者反馈信息。如果反馈的信息是积极的，我们的理论就是正确的，从而采取相应的行动；如果反馈信息是消极的，我们当中勇敢的人会改变局势，而更多的怯懦者通常会被这些消极的反馈阻挠，停止了前进的脚步。
　　信心通过了解、理解和正确运用下面这些原则和因素，通常可以获得。
　　(1)知识 经验 积极反馈=自信。
　　(2)成功的结果带来积极的反馈。
　　(3)成功的结果源自不懈的努力和反复的尝试。
　　(4)唯有相信自己终会成功，才能不断尝试。
　　这个原则似乎表明，我们必须相信自己有能力成功，才有可能经历某些成功。确实如此。信心原则中的知识部分就源于此，也是原则中第一个等式成立的原因。在没有任何尝试就相信我们会成功前，我们必须拥有一些知识，如成功需要什么，要有怎样的优势和能力的综合作用，也必须了解“失败”的真相。
　　尝试了，却没能如愿达到目标的结果，不是失败。只有当我们承认达不到，并放弃尝试时，才会出现失败。事实上，只有两种方式会导致失败。（1）在达到真正想要的目标前，你放弃了；（2）继续在错误的道路上前进，因为，你最初作出的选择是错误的，但你仍执拗地坚持。
　　举个例子，假设你开车去见一个朋友，但地点不熟悉。你走错了方向，迷路了。
　　在第一个失败的原则中，你发现自己迷失了方向，并试图改正路线。但是，你偏离得太远，因而不能一次性地改正，回归正轨。所以，你要一次又一次地改正。三四次以后，你确信永远无法找到自己的路，于是，你放弃了，停下了车，你的目的地将永远无法到达。
　　在第二个失败原则中，尽管你走错了方向，但你必须坚持。因为作出一个新选择意味着，你作出的最初选择让你迷失了方向，你失败了。所以，你坚持在错误的道路上，尽管知道它是错误的、错得有多严重，仍然拒绝改变。
　　上文中提到的这两种假设听起来很荒谬，但是，在达到目标前就放弃或离开，或者坚持在已经发现的错误上的人，在这个世界上还有很多。
　　你必须愿意改变你的路线，并且坚持改变，一次又一次地根据需要进行调整，去接近你的目标，才能确保成功。你是否能达到目标，取决于你认为自己最终能成功的信念。这就又给我们带来了信心原则。+
　　你对自己和自身能力的了解，以及懂得如何使它们产生更大的效用，会产生一种信念让你坚持不懈地去尝试。在当今这个匆忙的世界，有时，我们忽略了认真去审视自己最有价值的资产——自身。只有自知和自我了解，能让我们相信，自己拥有找到正确的解决方法和达到目的的能力。
　　不了解自己的人容易走弯路，他们的个人范畴模糊，精力没有集中。深入而准确的自我评估，可以为我们实现目标导航。没有核心力量和明确的个人界限的引导，我们决不可能成功，因为我们的目标是什么，或者应该怎么样，连自己都不清楚。
　　了解并尊重自己本质的人，才会开心快乐、精力集中、目标明确。他们用基本的工具尝试新事物，树立新目标，并持之以恒地去追求。这些人才会获得成功。他们成功是因为每一个目标的达到，增强了他们对自己有能力成功的信心，使他们更努力地去尝试更多。充分的自信会产生好的结果，有充分的自信，就一定能获得成功。
　　Your Key to Certain Success
　　Anonymous
　　One of the most important attributes an individual can have is confidence. Confidence is invaluable in every area of life, especially in business or in achieving any degree of greatness, it is absolutely essential. Unfortunately, there are few places we can go to learn this essential skill. Yet, it is a skill and, as such, can be developed with the right tools.
　　The first tool for gaining confidence is knowledge：knowledge of your own strengths and limitations, and knowledge of the arena1 in which you wish to excel. But knowledge alone isn’t enough. Knowledge leads to confidence only when it is validated by experience. We test the validity of what we think or believe by putting the theory into actual2 practice and gathering data or feedback from the experience. If the feedback3 is positive, we assume our theories are correct and act accordingly. If the feedback is negative, the bold among us will adjust our course, while the more timid often allow the negative feedback to stop them cold.
　　Confidence can be gained by knowing, understanding and correctly applying the following formulas and factors:
　　(1) Knowledge   Experience   Positive Feedback = Confidence.
　　(2) Positive feedback comes from successful outcomes.
　　(3) Successful outcomes are the result of consistent practice and repeated attempts.
　　(4) Repeated attempts are possible only when we believe we will eventually succeed.
　　The formula seems to say that we must believe in our ability to succeed before we have experienced any semblance of success, and that is true. That’s where the knowledge part of the confidence formula comes in, and why it is the first equation in the formula. Before we can believe we will succeed without ever having made an attempt, we must have some knowledge as to what success entails and what strengths and abilities we bring to the mix. We must also know the truth about “failure”.
　　Failure is not the result of attempting to achieve a goal and falling short of the mark. Failure occurs when we allow falling short of the mark to cause us to quit trying. Actually, there are only two ways to fail；(1) Give up before you reach a goal you really want； or (2) Continue on a path that is wrong for you because you made a wrong choice initially and believe the erroneous choice is the one you must stay with.
　　Suppose, for example, you got into your car intending to meet a friend at an unfamiliar location. You get turned around on the way there and get lost.
　　In failure formula4 number one you discover you are lost and attempt to correct your course. However, you are too far off course for just one correction to get you back on track, so you make another correction and another one. After three or four corrections you decide you will never be able to find your way, so you give up, park your car, and never reach your destination.
　　In failure formula number two you decide that even though you made a wrong turn, you must stick with it because to make a new choice would mean you failed when you made the original decision that got you lost. So you continue down the wrong road, knowing it’s wrong, but refusing to make an alteration because you’ve already made a choice, however wrong it may be.
　　Both scenarios sound pretty absurd5 in that context, but the world is full of people who give up and quit before reaching their goal, and who stay with bad choices long after they have discovered they are bad.
　　To ensure success you must be willing to alter your course and keep altering it, and to try again and again, as many times as it takes, to reach your destination. Whether you reach it or not will depend on your belief in your ability to eventually arrive, and that brings us back to the confidence formula.
　　The faith to keep trying ultimately comes from knowing yourself and your abilities, and knowing how to use them most effectively. In the hustlebustle of today’s world, we sometimes forget to take a thorough look at our most valuable asset—ourselves. Only with selfawareness and understanding can we come to believe in our ability to find the right solution and to arrive at our goals.
　　People who don’t know themselves are easily sidetracked. They have no welldefined personal boundaries and no center of power. A thorough and accurate selfassessment can provide the compass we need to get and stay on track. Without a center of power and personal boundaries6 to guide us, there is no way we can achieve our goals because there is no way to know for sure what our goals are, or should be.
　　Happy, centered, welldirected people are people, who know their own core being and honor it. These are the people who have the basic tools to attempt new things, to set new goals, to persist in pursuing them. These are the people who succeed. They succeed because every achieved goal increases their faith in their ability to succeed and enables them to try greater and greater things. The happy result is a high degree of selfconfidence and, with sufficient selfconfidence, success is certain.
　　生活本身就是一种礼物
　　佚名
　　如今，在你出言不逊前，
　　想想那些身患哑疾的人吧。
　　在抱怨食物不够美味前，
　　想想那些还在忍饥挨饿的人吧。
　　在抱怨婚姻对象不尽人意时，
　　想想那些还在为找不着对象而愁苦的人吧。
　　在为生活的种种深感郁闷前，
　　想想那些已早早离开人世的人吧。
　　在为孩子不听话而气恼前，
　　想想那些不能生育而渴求孩子的人吧。
　　在为房子没人清洁打理而发牢骚前，
　　想想那些无家可归的人吧。
　　在抱怨行车旅途太长前，
　　想想那些要走相同距离的徒步者吧。
　　在你感到疲惫，厌烦工作前，
　　想想那些下岗工人和残疾人以及渴望有你这样一份工作的人吧。
　　在指责他人时，
　　想想吧，人都不是完美的，我们都对上帝尽责。
　　当消极思维让你深感沮丧时，
　　微笑吧，并感谢上帝赐予你生命。
　　生活是一份礼物，
　　享受它…
　　庆祝它…
　　实现它。
　　当你要向某人表达爱意，
　　用你的言行去爱吧，
　　爱并非深藏于心底，
　　表达出来吧，“现在就去爱！”
　　心灵小语
　　人们都在为生活忙碌着，很多人都认为生活很艰难，甚至不愿生活在这个世上。难道生活真的那么恐怖吗？其实还在于人们对它的看法。不管你的生活多么卑微，勇敢地面对，不可逃避，不可报以恶言，用微笑来面对它。
　　Life Is a Gift
　　Anonymous
　　Today before you think of saying an unkind word,
　　Think of someone who can’t speak.
　　Before you complain about the taste of your food,
　　Think of someone who has nothing to eat.
　　Before you complain about your husband or wife,
　　Think of someone who’s crying out to God for a companion1.
　　Today before you complain about life,
　　Think of someone who went too early to heaven.
　　Before you complain about your children,
　　Think of someone who desires children but they’re barren2.
　　Before you argue about your dirty house someone didn’t clean or sweep,
　　Think of the people who are living in the streets.
　　Before whining about the distance you drive,
　　Think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet.
　　And when you are tired and complain about your job,
　　Think of the unemployed, the disabled and those who wished they had your job.
　　But before you think of pointing the finger or condemning3 another,
　　Remember that not one of us is without sin and we all answer to one maker.
　　And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down,
　　Put a smile on your face and thank God you’re alive and still around.
　　Life is a gift,
　　Enjoy it...
　　Celebrate it...
　　And fulfill it.
　　And while you want to give love to someone today,
　　Love someone with what you do and the words you say,
　　Love is not meant to be kept locked inside of us and hidden,
　　So give it away “Give Love to someone today!”
　　第三卷
　　永远也不要低估
　　Never Underestimate
　　每个人从生下来就具有一定的潜能，即使是一个孩子，我们也不要低估他们对所见所闻的逻辑思维能力。对成年人来说更是如此，永远也不要低估自己或他人。
　　做你自己
　　佚名
　　在我认识的人中，我所拥有的婚姻绝对是最美好的。
　　我怎么知道的？其实我不知道，只是感觉。
　　我的妻子、房子、汽车、身体、孩子、工作、教堂和祖国都让我感到很开心，很幸福。
　　他们当然都有缺点，都有令人遗憾的地方，但他们是独一无二的，我很幸福。
　　记得一个小男孩曾说过这样一句话：“幸福不是追求你想要的，而是珍惜你现在所拥有的。”真理，绝对是真理。
　　社会不会适应我们现在所拥有的东西。要不然，我们就不会去买那些更为先进的新版和改良过的东西。我们有了一种感觉，为了让自己开心，我们总需要一些不同的、更好的东西。
　　世上还有比我妻子更出色的女子吗？或许有。就算我拥有了那个更出色的，那比她更好的还有吗？或许还有。
　　更好，更别致，更强大，更奢侈的物品总是会有的。即使现在没有，那将来也会有。
　　为了应对现有程序的混乱，电脑程序总需要升级，但升级也往往会导致新的混乱。
　　虽然现在的我们已经很不错了，但我们还常常想做不一样的自己。因此我们不断尝试着更好、更新鲜的东西。如果你连做自己都不开心，那你还能做谁呢？
　　做自己我很开心，我不想，也没有能力跟任何一个人交换这个位置。我继续努力着改善自己，带着生活的坎坷，带着一生的差错。我很快乐。
　　世上富有的人很多，但因富有而幸福的人却不多。这就是关键。你对你所拥有的感到快乐吗？
　　你对自己感到满意吗？你就是你，这是永远不能改变的。古语说：“做你自己，不要做别人，当你做的不是自己时，你就不再是你自己了。”
　　It’s You
　　Anonymous
　　I have absolutely the best marriage of anyone that I know.
　　How do I know that? I don’t, it’s just what I feel.
　　I am happy with my wife, my house, my car, my body, my kids, my job, my church, and my country.
　　Sure, all of them have snags1, all of them have faults, but overall I wouldn’t trade them, I am happy.       
　　“Happiness is not having what you want, but having what you have.” That’s a quote that I remember from a little boy. It’s true, very true.      
　　Society doesn’t gear2 us to want what we have. Otherwise, we wouldn’t buy the new and improved version. We are made to feel as though we need something different to be happy, something better.      
　　Are there better wives out there than mine? Maybe. Even if there were and I had her, would there then be a better one than that one? Probably.
　　There is always something better, fancier, more powerful, and more expensive. If not now, it’s coming.   
　　Computer programs keep us waiting for an upgrade. An upgrade supposedly fixes all of the current bugs. Often, the upgrade introduces new bugs.
　　We are in a constant state of trying to get something better and different. We are often trying to be someone different, even when the current us is pretty decent3. If you are not happy being you, then who else can you be? 
　　I neither want to nor have the ability to trade places with anyone. I am happy with myself.  With all life’s faults, with all of my faults and my continuing struggle to improve, I am happy.    
　　There are a lot of others who have more stuff4. But there aren’t many who are happier with the stuff they do have. That’s the key. Are you happy with the stuff that you do have?
　　Are you happy with yourself ? You are you and that isn’t going to change. An old proverb says,“Be what you are, not what you aren’t, because when you are what you aren’t, then you aren’t what you are.”
　　清理你的精神空间
　　佚名
　　回想一下你上一次产生的消极情绪，如压抑、气愤或受挫。当你身处那种消极的情绪中时，你的头脑中在想什么？是混乱如麻吗？还是瘫痪了，不能再进行思考？
　　下一次，当你发现自己非常压抑，或极其愤怒、万分沮丧时，尽管停止。对！就是停止。无论你现在正做着什么，停止手头的工作，静坐一会儿。静坐的同时，把自己完全沉浸在消极的情绪之中。
　　让那种情绪完全地将你吞噬，让自己有一点儿时间真实地去感受那种情绪。在这里，不要自己欺骗自己。用整整的一分钟——仅仅一分钟——不去做其他任何事情，只去感受那种情绪。
　　当整整一分钟过去，问问你自己：“在今天剩余的时间里，我愿意继续这种消极的情绪吗？”
　　只要你彻底地将自己沉入这种情绪，并真实地去体会它，你就会意外地发现那种情绪很快就消失了。
　　如果你觉得有必要再将这种情绪继续一段时间，那好，没关系，再给自己一分钟，去体会它。
　　当你觉得自己体会得很透彻了，那就问问自己是否愿意让这种消极继续在你剩余的时间里存在。如果不，那就深呼吸一次，让所有的消极随着你的呼吸释放出去。
　　这种方法看似简单——几乎是过分简单了，但是其效果却很显著。通过给自己真正体会消极情绪的空间，你能够真正地去与这种情绪接触，而不是去压抑它、回避它。给这种情绪一定的空间，给它必要的关注，这样真正使你消解其势力。当你在这种情绪中沉浸时，就会明白它只是一种情感，就会不再受其影响。然后，你就可以清理自己的头脑，继续自己的工作了。
　　试试这种方法。下一次当你处于消极的情绪之中时，让自己有体会这种情绪的一点儿空间，然后看看接下来会发生什么。随身带着一张写着下面这些话的纸：
　　停止。让自己在这种情绪中沉浸一分钟。我想要这种情绪继续下去吗？深呼吸，放松，继续行动！
　　这张纸会提醒你要做的步骤。需要牢记的是，用必要的时间真正将自己沉浸于那种情绪之中。然后，当你认为自己充分体会情绪时，就将其释放——让它真正地从你的心中消失。你一定会惊讶于摆脱消极情绪和着手工作之迅速。
　　Clear Your Mental Space
　　Anonymous
　　Think about the last time you felt a negative emotion—like stress, anger, or frustration1. What was going through your mind as you were going through that negativity? Was your mind cluttered with thoughts? Or was it paralyzed2, unable to think?
　　The next time you find yourself in the middle of a very stressful time, or you feel angry or frustrated, stop. Yes, that’s right, stop. Whatever you’re doing, stop and sit for one minute. While you’re sitting there, completely immerse3 yourself in the negative emotion.
　　Allow that emotion to consume you. Allow yourself one minute to truly feel that emotion. Don’t cheat yourself here. Take the entire minute — but only one minute — to do nothing else but feel that emotion.
　　When the minute is over, ask yourself, “Am I willing to keep holding on to this negative emotion as I go through the rest of the day?” 
　　Once you’ve allowed yourself to be totally immersed in the emotion and really feel it, you will be surprised to find that the emotion clears rather quickly. 
　　If you feel you need to hold on to the emotion for a little longer, that is ok. Allow yourself another minute to feel the emotion.
　　When you feel you’ve had enough of the emotion, ask yourself if you’re willing to carry that negativity with you for the rest of the day. If not, take a deep breath. As you exhale4, release all that negativity with your breath. 
　　This exercise seems simple—almost too simple. But, it is very effective. By allowing that negative emotion the space to be truly felt, you are dealing with the emotion rather than stuffing it down and trying not to feel it. You are actually taking away the power of the emotion by giving it the space and attention5 it needs. When you immerse yourself in the emotion, and realize that it is only emotion, it loses its control. You can clear your head and proceed with your task.
　　Try it. Next time you’re in the middle of a negative emotion, give yourself the space to feel the emotion and see what happens. Keep a piece of paper with you that says the following:
　　Stop. Immerse for one minute. Do I want to keep this negativity? Breath deep, exhale, release. Move on!
　　This will remind you of the steps to the process. Remember, take the time you need to really immerse yourself in the emotion. Then, when you feel you’ve felt it enough, release it — really let go of it. You will be surprised at how quickly you can move on from a negative situation and get to what you really want to do!
　　腾些时间做你想做的事
　　佚名
　　两年前，圣路易斯的雪莉?米歇尔斯发现，为了满足日常的生活需求，自己起床的时间越来越早，上床睡觉的时间也越来越晚。她履行着一个做妻子、母亲、眼科技师的责任，可是总也没有时间做她最重要的事情。
　　她的丈夫维克是一名律师。他们开始寻找各种简化生活的方法。“我们需要确定什么才是真正重要的。”雪莉说。他们明白，多一些时间与三岁的儿子瑞安一起玩耍、作运动、让他吃好、培养他们之间的感情，是他们共同的心愿。
　　于是，他们选择更适度地节俭生活，只买必需的用品，享受诸如阅读、烹饪、去公园等低消费的娱乐。雪莉辞掉了工作，开始做兼职。她印制了这样的名片：为您服务——节省您的时间。她受雇做一些私人的工作，如为他人购物、付款、组织聚会、作因特网调查等——所有顾客需要的事情。
　　“尽管我工作还是辛苦，可是我能够控制自己的时间，来使一切都变得不同。”她说，“我能抽出时间带儿子去动物园，或者和他一起打篮球。压力引发的头痛也好了,也有了解邻居的机会。这不仅带给我喜悦，也使我们的生活进一步简单化。”
　　根据趋势观察者所说，米歇尔斯一家不单单是想放慢生活的节奏，他们还想要过一种更舒服的生活。盖洛普民意测验发现，声称没有足够的时间做想做的事的美国人占50%，表示和孩子在一起的时间太少的家长达54%，抱怨没有时间相聚的已婚夫妇达47%。
　　时间都花到哪里了？对于大多数人来说，工作和乘公交车占据了大部分的时间。根据劳动局的统计数字，我们每5个人当中，就有一人每周花49个小时在工作上；每12个人中，就有一人每周工作60个小时或更多。
　　那么，这里有丰富的瑞典自助餐式的现代生活——如此多的可筛选的信息，那么多令人心动的产品。“在试图拥有一切的过程中，我们正透支自己的精力。”《过一种简单的生活》的作者伊莱恩?圣?詹姆斯如是说。
　　生活的简单化，意味着注重生活的细节，关注花钱、时间和精力的方式，然后，找出控制浪费的方法。这里有一些专家关于控制生活中的冲突的建议，有使你有享受欢乐的时间。
　　心灵小语
　　正如加德纳所说：“对聪明人来说，每一天的时间都是要精打细算的。”这就是说我们要注重生活细节，分配好金钱、时间和精力，不要浪费一丝一毫。
　　Free up Time to Do What You Love Most
　　Anonymous
　　Two years ago Shirley Michels of St. Louis found herself getting up earlier and earlier, and going to bed later and later, just to meet everyday demands. The wife, mother and ophthalmic technician met her responsibilities, but lacked time for the things that mattered most.
　　She and her husband Vic, an attorney, began searching for ways to simplify their lives. “We had to decide what was really important,” says Shirley. They knew they wanted more time to play with their threeyearold son Ryan, to exercise and eat right, and to nurturefriendships.
　　So the couple chose to live more modestly, shopping with care for necessities and enjoying inexpensive pleasures such as reading, cooking and going to the park. Shirley quit her job and began working part time from home. She printed up business cards that read “At your service — buy yourself a little time,” and hired herself out for personal tasks such as shopping, paying bills, organizing parties, doing Internet research — whatever clients needed.
　　“I still work hard, but being able to control my hours makes all the difference,” she says. “I can carve out1 time to take my son to the zoo or play basketball with him. My stress headaches are gone. Having a chance to get to know neighbors not only has been fun, but it has also helped us further simplify.
　　According to trend watchers, the Michelses are far from alone in wanting to slow down and live a more satisfying life. A Gallup Poll found that half of all Americans claim they lack enough time to do what they want. Fiftyfour percent of parents say they spend too little time with their children, and fortyseven percent of married couples complain that they lack time together.
　　Where does the time go? For most people, work and commuting dominate the day. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, one out of five of us put in fortynine or more hours a week on the job; one out of twelve logged sixty hours or more.
　　Then there’s the rich smorgasbord2 of modern life—so much information to sift through, so many products beckoning. “We’re wearing ourselves out trying to have it all,” says Elaine St. James, author of Living the Simple Life.
　　Simplifying means becoming aware of the ways, big and small, that we expend money, time and energy, and then raking steps to curb the waste. Here, from the experts, are some suggestions for gaining control over life’s hassles in order to have time for the pleasures.
　　做个尝新高手
　　佚名
　　生活不是一场时装秀，尝试一些有趣的事情，可以让你感受到不同的生活乐趣。
　　我是一个私人教练，指导需要转型的人。我认为生活就是一次大实验。试问你自己几个问题：
　　今天你能做些什么事情来使自己未来的生活更快乐？
　　你想改善生活的哪一个方面？
　　告诉我你生活中冒险的一面。
　　你梦想要做的事需要得到别人的允许吗？
　　当你小的时候，你会尝试生命中出现的许多新情况（独自学走路、骑车、爬树、乘地铁等）。由于你不断增长的阅历逐渐成为一种习惯，形成了你现在的生存准则。然而，这些准则还适用吗？是否需要提升到新的、更适合现在需求的水平呢？这些需要尝试来实现。
　　尝试不一定非要冒险，它只要你亲身体验一些新的、自己梦寐以求的事情，或是检验你的某个想法。这个尝试可能是你的一个秘密，只有你知道它的结果。随着这些结果不断产生，你可以接受改变，也可以重新考虑你的下一步。谨记：作为一个高超的尝试者，没有失误可言，只存在有或没有实现的可能性的尝试。
　　Master Experimenter
　　Anonymous
　　Life is not a dress rehearsal, so trying something new for the fun that it can provide a different life for you.
　　As a coach who works with people in transition, I like to promote the concept that life is one big experiment. Just ask yourself the questions:
　　What can you do different today that will bring great pleasure in your future?
　　What aspect of your life do you want to improve?
　　Tell me about the adventuresome side of your life.
　　Do you need permission to do something you dream about?
　　When you were a young child, you experimented with new situations in your life (learning how to walk, ride a bike, climb trees, ride the subway — alone, and so on.). As your experiences grew, some become habits that formed the standards that you live by now. Are these standards still useful? Do they need to be traded in on newer, more sensitive standard to your present needs? This is where the experimentation process takes effect.
　　Experimentation does not have to be risky. Experimentation is your personal process where you get to try something new, something that you have been dreaming about, and something that will test out a thought or belief you might have. It can be your secret, and only you will know the results. And with those results, you can either move toward change, or reconsider what your next step will be. Remember, by being a master experimenter, there are no mistakes, just experiments that show promise or not.

美丽英文励志篇(9)

　支持自己的决定！
　　佚名
　　当你明确要做某件事情或作某项改变时，应该营造一个支持你的环境。
　　尤其是当原来的观点已经成为一种习惯，而且这种习惯有一定的生命力，会一直存在下去，直到你的观点取代它成为一种习惯。所以，营造一个支持你的决定的环境就尤为重要了。
　　怎样营造支持你的决定的环境呢？根据不同的情况有许多不同的方法。下面有几种方法供你选择。
　　1．寻求他人来支持自己的新决定。例如，在某次庆典上，你想自己挑选饭菜，不想被别人邀请吃你以前习惯吃的饭菜，你可以告诉一些人你的想法，让他们帮你。
　　2．对你的工作和生活环境作一下表面的改变，让它们和你的新决定一致。
　　3．选择一套适合你的新决定的服装。
　　4．为将要得到的东西准备空间。
　　例如，你要买一辆新车，就要准备好一个车库；你要买新家具，首先要准备好放家具的房间或客厅；在买赛车之前，要想好在什么地方驾驶。总之，你要为你将要得到的东西准备好空间。
　　5．为支持你的决定，重新安排时间表和日常事物，并改变你的习惯。你什么时候采取相关措施来支持你的决定呢？
　　6．把你的新决定告诉你的朋友或同事，向他们寻求帮助和支持。
　　7．假如你惯于把自己的想法告诉他人，而又不按照你所说的去做，那就先隐藏自己的决定，集中精力实施你的计划，最后再把结果告诉他人。
　　8．改变你的社交范围，多向他人宣传自己的新决定，与那些支持你先前决定的人保持距离，多和那些乐于支持你的新决定的人交往。
　　9．设计一个标志你的新决定取得成功的纪念品，并关注它。
　　10．关注现在，采取行动支持你的新决定，现在……拒绝沉迷于过去和将来，从现在开始用自己喜欢的方式生活。
　　Support the Decision !
　　Anonymous
　　When you make a deep decision to do something or to make a change, it is a good idea to create an environment that supports and sustains1 the decision.
　　This is especially important as there are probably already in place old habits that support previous decisions, habits that may have some life of their own, and that may tend to continue on their own... out of habit... until and unless they are replaced with habits that support your new decision.
　　How can you create an environment that supports a decision? There are many ways, depending upon the circumstances. Here are some possibilities to help you get started:
　　1. Ask others, enlist and enroll2 others to help support your new decision. For example, at a celebration event, when you want to watch what you eat — instead of allowing people to pressure you into“enjoying” yourself by eating what you used to eat, ask them to help you keep yourself on track, and to help you ward off3 other people who might press you to eat in your old ways.
　　2. Make physical changes in your work and living space that supports and is in line with your new decision.
　　3. New clothes that suit your new decision.
　　4. Create a space that will make room for what you want.
　　Might be a garage for a new car, or floor space for new furniture or or an entertainment center, or space for an exercise bike... for instance. Create a space that can be filled with what you want.
　　5. Re work your schedule and your habits and routines to support what you decided for.When will you take certain steps that are related to4 and support your decision?
　　6. Tell others in your personal or work community about your new decision, and ask for their help and support.
　　7. If you are in the habit of telling people about intentions you then don’t act on... then consider keeping it a secret, and using all that energy towards implementing5 your new decision,  and show people the results.
　　8. Change your community: educate people about your decision, and associate less with those who support your old decision, and associate more with people who will gladly support your new decision.
　　9. Plan a legacy, or something else that implies having succeeded at your new decision. Focus on that.
　　10. Pay attention to the present, and take actions that support your new decision, now... refusing to live in the future or the past. Live the way you want to live, now.
　　大脚丫，大胸怀
　　佚名
　　这是一个不合时节的热天。似乎每个人都在寻找某种方法来消暑，因此，冰淇淋店自然变成了让人驻足的地方。
　　一个小女孩手中紧握着钱走进小店。她还没有开口，店员便厉声呵斥她出去看看贴在门上的告示，如果不穿上鞋子就不要进来。小女孩慢慢地转身离开，一个大个子男人也随着她走出了商店。
　　她站在商店的门前，读着上面告示：禁止赤足。他看着她。当她转过身准备离开时，泪水从她的脸颊滑落。就在这时，大个子男人喊住了小女孩，他坐在路边脱下自己12号的鞋子送到她面前，说：“给你，穿上它们你可能不能走路，但是如果拖着走，你就能吃到冰淇淋了。”
　　于是他抱起小女孩，帮她穿上了那双鞋。他说：“不用着急。我走累了，坐在这儿吃我的冰淇淋还是不错的。”
　　当小女孩拖着那双大鞋来到柜台买到冰淇淋时，她那双闪着泪光的眼睛让人难以忘记。
　　他是个大个子男人，一点儿也不错——大肚子、大鞋子，最重要的是他有很大的胸襟。
　　Big Feet and Big Heart
　　Anonymous
　　It was an unseasonably hot day. Everybody it seemed was looking for some kind of relief, so an ice cream store was a natural place to stop.
　　A little girl, clutching her money tightly, entered the store. Before she could say a word, the store clerk sharply told her to get outside and read the sign on the door, and stay out until she put on some shoes. She left slowly, and a big man followed her out of the store.
　　He watched as she stood in front of the store and read the sign “No Bare Feet”. Tears started rolling down her cheeks as she turned and started to walk away. Just then the big man called her. Sitting down on the curb, he took off his size12 shoes, he set them in front of the girl and said, “Here, you won’t be able to walk in these, but if you sort of slide along, you can get your ice cream cone.”
　　Then he lifted the little girl up and set her feet into the shoes.“Take your time,” he said, “I get tired of moving them around, and it’s good to sit here and eat my ice cream.”
　　The shining eyes of the little girl could not be missed as she shuffled up to the counter and ordered her ice cream cone.
　　He was a big man, all right. Big belly, big shoes, but most of all, he had a big heart.
　　提升自我价值
　　佚名
　　今日，我要将自己的价值提升百倍。
　　在天才的手中，桑叶变成了丝绸。
　　在天才的手中，泥地变成城堡。
　　在天才的手中，柏树变成神殿。
　　在天才的手中，羊毛变成王袍。
　　既然桑叶、粘土、柏树、羊毛的价值可千百倍地增加，我们为什么不能将自己的价值提升百倍呢？ 
　　今日，我要将自己的价值提升百倍。
　　我就像一颗麦粒，面临着三种命运：可能被装进麻袋，放在货架上，用来喂猪；或被制成面粉，烘烤成面包；亦或播进田地，任其生长，等待金黄的麦穗结出麦粒。
　　我就像一颗麦粒，唯一不同的是：麦粒无法选择是被用来喂猪，用来烘烤成面包，或是用来做种子。而我可以选择，我不会让自己生命变成猪饲料，不会让它毁于失败和绝望的岩石下，也不会让它任人摆布。
　　今日，我要将自己的价值提升百倍。
　　为了使麦粒生长和繁殖，必须将它种在漆黑的土壤中；为了将自己锻造成熟，我被培植在失败、绝望、无知、无能的黑暗中。在阳光、雨露与和风的滋养下，麦粒发芽、开花并结出粮食。为了使梦想成真，我必须充实自己的身躯和思想。为了日臻成熟，麦粒一定要静待合适的大自然时机，而我有权选择自己的命运，因此，不必等待。
　　今日，我要将自己的价值提升百倍。
　　我该如何去实现呢？最初，我要为每一天、每一周、每一月、每一年，甚至整个一生制定目标。正如麦种在破壳而出并发芽之前，需要雨露的滋养，我的生命需要制定目标才能结出果实。在制定目标的过程中，我将会参照过去的最佳成就，并以此为基础，更进一步，这将会成为未来生活的准则。我永远不会担心目标过高，因为，把矛头瞄准月亮而击中老鹰，与把矛头瞄准老鹰而击中月亮，两者并无区别。
　　Multiply My Value
　　Anonymous
　　Today I will multiply my value a hundredfold.
　　A mulberry leaf touched with the genius of man becomes silk.
　　A field of clay touched with the genius of man becomes a castle.
　　A Cyprus tree touched with the genius of man becomes a shrine.
　　A cut of sheep‘s hair touched with the genius of man becomes raiment for a king.
　　If it is possible for leaves and clay and wood and, hair to have their value multiplied a hundred, yea a thousand fold by man, cannot I do the same with the clay which bears my name?
　　Today I will multiply my value a hundredfold.
　　I am liken to a grain of wheat which faces one of three futures. The wheat can be placed in a sack and dumped in a stall until it is fed to swine. Or it can be ground to flour and made into bread. Or it can be placed in the earth and allowed to grow until its golden head divides and produces a thousand grains from the one.
　　I am liken to a grain of wheat with one difference. The wheat cannot choose whether it be fed to swine, ground for bread, or planted to multiply. I have a choice and I will not let my life be fed to swine nor will I let it be ground under the rocks of failure and despair to be broken open and devoured by the will of others.
　　Today I will multiply my value a hundredfold.
　　To grow and multiply it is necessary to plant the wheat grain in the darkness of the earth and my failures, my despairs, my ignorance, and my inabilities are the darkness in which I have been planted in order to ripen. Now, like the wheat grain which will sprout and blossom only if it is nurtured with rain and sun and warm winds, I too must nurture my body and mind to fulfill my dreams. But to grow to full stature the wheat must wait on the whims of nature. I need not wait for I have the power to choose my own destiny.
　　Today I will multiply my value a hundredfold.
　　And how will I accomplish this? First I will set goals for the day, the week, the month, the year, and my life. Just as the rain must fall before the wheat will crack its shell and sprout, so must I have objectives before my life will crystallize. In setting my goals I will consider my best performance of the past and multiply it a hundredfold. This will be the standard by which I will live in the future. Never will I be of concern that my goals are too high for is it not better to aim my spear at the moon and strike only an eagle than to aim my spear at the eagle and strike only a rock?
　　明智之举
　　佚名
　　很多年前的一天，那时我还在一所儿童机构里做心理医生，候诊室里来了一个小男孩儿。我走进候诊室时，他正在那里不安地走来走去。
　　我带他进了我的办公室，并示意他坐到我办公桌对面的椅子上。正值晚秋，窗外的丁香树上叶子早已落光了。“请坐。”我说。
　　那天大卫穿了一件黑色的雨衣，衣服上的扣子一直扣到了颈部。他脸色苍白，眼睛紧盯着双脚，双手也不安地来回搓动。他很小的时候就没了爸爸，一直同妈妈和爷爷相依为命。但是，在大卫12岁那年，爷爷去世了，而妈妈也死在了一场车祸中。现在他已经15岁了，在家庭救济中心生活。
　　他的校长曾经跟我提到过他。在信上，校长写道：“这个男孩很忧伤，也很沮丧，这是可以理解的。他拒绝和别人交谈，为此我很为他担心。您可以帮他吗？”
　　我看着大卫。我该怎样帮他呢？对于人间的悲剧，心理学上并没有给出解决的方案，也没有对此的只言片语。有时候，带着同情去倾听一个人的心声将是最好的办法了。
　　我们前两次的见面，大卫一句话也没说。他弯着腰坐在椅子上，只是抬头看着我后面墙上孩子们的画。第二次来我的办公室时，当他准备离开的时候，我把手放在他的肩上。他没有躲闪，但也没有看我。
　　“如果你喜欢的话，下星期还来。”我这样说。
　　那周他来了，我建议我们两个下象棋，他点点头表示赞同。从那以后，我们每周三的下午都在一起下棋——完全沉默地，没有任何的眼神交流。在棋中作弊并不是一件容易事，我承认我也故意输给了大卫一两次。
　　通常，大卫都会比约定的时间早到。他会在我坐好之前从架子上取下棋盘和棋子，并把它们摆好。看上去似乎他喜欢和我在一起，但是，为什么他从来不看我一眼呢？
　　“或许，他只是需要有人来与他一起分担痛苦吧。”我想，“也或者他认为我尊重他的苦楚吧。”晚冬的一个下午，大卫脱下雨衣挂在椅子靠背上。在他摆放棋子的时候，他的脸看上去更活泼，动作更活跃了。
　　数月后，外面的丁香开得正旺。我坐在那里，在大卫俯在棋盘上的时候，我注视着他的脑袋，我在想，对于与康复有关的治疗和神秘的过程，我知道的是何其少啊！突然，他抬起头看着我。
　　“现在轮到你了。”他说。
　　那天之后，大卫开始和人交谈。他在学校交了朋友，加入了自行车俱乐部。他曾写过几封信给我（我正和几个朋友一起骑车，我感觉好极了），信中讲他是怎样努力考入大学的。一段时间过后，他不再给我写信。现在，他真的开始了自己的生活。
　　也许，我曾给予了大卫一些什么。至少，从他身上我懂得了许多东西。我明白了时间是怎样使克服看似不能克服的痛苦成为可能，明白了对需要帮助的人伸出援助之手。而且，大卫让我看到不用任何语言就能向他人伸出援助之手，它只需要是一个拥抱、一个友好的抚摸、一个有同情心的本性，和一双倾听的耳朵。
　　心灵小语
　　一个简单的握手、一个热情的拥抱、一个友好的抚摸，无须任何言语，就会使我们感动不已。
　　The Right Moves
　　Anonymous
　　One day, many years ago, when I was working as a psychologist at a children’s institution in England, an adolescent boy showed up in the waiting room. I went out there where he was walking up and down restlessly.
　　I showed him into my office and pointed to the chair on the other side of my desk. It was in late autumn, and the lilac bush outside the window had shed all its leaves. “Please sit down.” I said.
　　David wore a black raincoat that was buttoned all the way up to his neck. His face was pale, and he stared at his feet while wringing his hands nervously. He had lost his father as an infant, and had lived together with his mother and grandfather since. But the year before David turned 13, his grandfather died and his mother was killed in a car accident. Now he was 15 and in family care.
　　His head teacher had referred him to me. “This boy,” he wrote, “is understandably very sad and depressed. He refuses to talk to others and I’m very worried about him. Can you help?”
　　I looked at David. How could I help him? There are human tragedies which psychology doesn’t have the answer to, and which no words can describe. Sometimes the best thing one can do is to listen openly and sympathetically1.
　　The first two times we met, David didn’t say a word. He sat hunched up in the chair and only looked up to look at the children’s drawings on the wall behind me. As he was about to leave after the second visit, I put my hand on his shoulder. He didn’t shrink back, but he didn’t look at me either.
　　“Come back next week, if you like.” I said.
　　He came, and I suggested we play a game of chess. He nodded. After that we played chess every Wednesday afternoon in complete silence and without making any eye contact. It’s not easy to cheat in chess, but I admit that I made sure David won once or twice.
　　Usually, he arrived earlier than agreed, took the chessboard and pieces from the shelf and began setting them up before I even got a chance to sit down. It seemed as if he enjoyed my company. But why did he never look at me?
　　“Perhaps he simply needs someone to share his pain with.” I thought. “Perhaps he senses that I respect his suffering.” One afternoon in late winter, David took off his raincoat and put it on the back of the chair. While he was setting up the chess pieces , his face seemed more alive and his motions more lively.
　　Some months later, when the lilacs2 blossomed outside, I sat staring at David’s head while he bent over the chessboard. I thought about how little we know about therapy and the mysterious process associated with healing. Suddenly, he looked up at me.
　　“It’s your turn.” he said.
　　After that day, David started talking. He got friends in school and joined a bicycle club. He wrote to me a few times (“I’m biking with some friends and I feel great!”), letters are about how he would try to get into university. After some time, the letters stopped. Now he had really started to live his own life.
　　Maybe I gave David something. At least I learned a lot from him. I learned how time makes it possible to overcome what seems to be an insuperable3 pain. I learned to be there for people who need me. And David showed me how one without any words can reach out to another person. All it takes is a hug, a friendly touch, a sympathetic nature, and an ear that listens.
　　监督自身行为
　　佚名
　　20年以来，关于自我监督的研究报告，我一直在阅读，并且我自己也曾作了一些研究。说实话，我还是没有彻底地明白这种方法为何会奏效，不过它确实很有效果，而且对大多数人而言，效果明显不错。事实上，如果你能对自己的行为有所监督，你就可能做得更好。
　　定期称称自己的体重，或许你就会真正地开始减肥行动。记录你的饮食情况，你可能就会开始更精细地进食。
　　采用一些小技巧。如果你说“你知道”的次数太多，那就在你的手腕上戴个高尔夫计数器吧，只要你发现自己说了“你知道”，就按一次计数键。我敢肯定，用不了几天，你说它的次数就会减少。如果腕部记数器会令你局促不安，那就在你每次说“你知道”的时候，在口袋里的纸上撕一片纸屑。最后的效果是一样的：你会变得对自己的行为更加留意，这也会使你的表现更加出色。
　　虽然像这样的方法听上去很愚蠢，但是请记住：自我监督的力量，已被40年来的各种调查研究所证实。在1978年我和克莱尔?戈斯发表的一篇研究报告中，我们列举了这样一个实例：我们教一个淘气的五年级小男孩每天对自己的课堂表现每天进行两次评判。他只要给自己打个分数，来说明上午或下午的表现有多好就可以了。随着他留意的程度的增加，他比平时坐在自己座位上的时间多了，作业完成的也多了，而且也很少惹麻烦了。
　　加拿大研究员托马斯?麦肯齐和布伦特?拉希尔也作了相似的研究，他们研究发现，在游泳训练时，青少年们被发给出勤表来记录他们的到达时间时，他们会更迅速地到达集合地点。通过对情绪失常儿童的研究，东南路易斯安那大学的索尼亚?卡尔与新奥尔良教师丽贝卡?庞佐共同发表声明说，自我监督可以提高学生的阅读、数学和拼写成绩。甚至最近的研究证明，给学生一张列有好的写作要素的清单，他们的文章就会写得更好些。类似的结果在大量研究中得到了验证，用的都是加强自我行为意识的方法。
　　Monitor Your Behavior
　　Anonymous
　　I’ve been reading research studies on selfmonitoring for 20 years, and I’ve conducted some myself. To be honest, I still don’t fully understand why this technique works, but it does, and remarkably well for most people. The fact is, if you monitor1 what you do, you’ll probably do better.
　　Weigh yourself regularly and you may well start to lose weight. Keep a record of what you eat and you’ll probably start eating more wisely.
　　Use gizmos. If you say“you know” too much, wear a golf counter on your wrist2, and press the button whenever you catch yourself saying“you know”. I’ll bet you say it less frequently in just a few days. If a wrist counter is embarrassing3, then make a small tear in a piece of paper in your pocket each time you say“you know”. The result is the same: you become more aware of what you’re doing, and that makes you perform better.
　　If techniques like this sound silly, keep in mind that the power of selfmonitoring has been demonstrated4 by a variety of research conducted over the last four decades. In a study I published in 1978 with Claire Goss, for example, we taught a disruptive5 fifthgrade boy to rate his own classroom behavior twice a day. He simply checked off a score for himself, indicating how wellbehaved he had been in the morning or afternoon. With his awareness increased, he stayed in his seat more than usual, completed more assignments and rarely got in trouble.
　　A similar study by Canadian researchers Thomas McKenzie and Brent Rushall showed that teenagers arrived more promptly at a swim practice when they were given an attendance sheet to record their arrival times. Working with emotionally disturbed children, Sonya Carr of Southeastern Louisiana University and Rebecca Punzo, a New Orleans6 teacher reported that selfmonitoring improves academic performance in reading, mathematics and spelling. Recent research even demonstrated that students will compose better stories given a simple checklist7 that includes elements of good writing. Dozens of studies have similar results； all spurred by heightening our awareness of our behavior.
　　人生的味道
　　佚名
　　由于汽水味甜且口味繁多，通常少年们都喜欢喝。无忧无虑的他们认为，生活的滋味就只是单纯的甜蜜。世界在他们眼里，也像口味多样的汽水一样丰富多彩。
　　而那些眼中只有工作和爱情的青年人，却用苦中微甜并伴有芳香的咖啡代替了汽水。因为，多愁善感的青年人都深深迷恋着咖啡那种成熟的刺激感。在这一时期，踌躇满志的年轻人开始了自己的事业。然而，有时年轻人不得不强颜欢笑，因为事业和爱情都不会是一帆风顺的，都会有挫折。对他们而言，体味得失都是痛并快乐着。
　　中年人渐渐开始喜欢茶，它清香淡出而又若有若无，它温和淡雅而又意蕴深远。轻轻地抿上一口，齿间就会留下淡淡的清香，而且对你的味觉也不会造成任何刺激。中年人珍惜每时每刻，因为他们现在没有了超乎现实的渴望，也完全意识到这逐渐消逝的夕阳美。伴着平淡而真实的幸福，他们所拥有的每一天都是甜蜜的。
　　老年人喝的是简单的不含糖精、咖啡因和茶碱的白开水。平淡无味的它经过慢慢品尝，却会有丝丝甜味。对老年人来说，一切名利都只是过眼云烟，因为他们也曾在人生的风雨中摸爬滚打，也曾经历过艰难困苦。此时，任由思绪飞扬的他们，可以舒舒服服地坐在扶手椅里。对他们来说，过去发生的一切和所有的现实都如水一般平淡无奇。
　　心灵小语
　　平淡无味的白开水，经过慢慢品尝，也会有丝丝甜味；清香淡出的茶水，温和淡雅；苦中微甜的咖啡，给人成熟的刺激；味甜且口味繁多的汽水，给人甜密的感觉。不同阶段的人，也有着各自不同的人生味道。
　　The Taste of Life
　　Anonymous
　　The adolescent usually loves soft drinks for their sweetness and variety. He knows nothing of sadness and his taste of life is sweetness to the exclusion of all the others. In his eyes the world is full of facets just as soft drinks are varied in flavor. 
　　Youth sees him usually on a job or in a love. Now, soft drinks will have to give the way to coffee, which is bitter yet somewhat sweet and fragrant. It gives a stimulating sensation suggestive of maturity, appealing to him, as he is fickle and moody. At this stage, he begins his career full of ambition and ideals. However, either his work or his love affairs may bring small setbacks, for which he is sometimes seen forcing a tearful smile. Considerations of gains and losses seem to him an enjoyment as a torture.
　　Middle age turns him to Chinese tea that gives a delicate fragrance very gradual to come out, only discernible off and on. It is bland and elegant, deep and profound. It never stimulates your sense of taste but a sip of it will leave a faint fragrance lingering in your mouth. Free from impractical longings and fully aware of the evanescent beauty of the sunset, he cherishes every minute of the day and each day of his is sweetened with a simple but real happiness.
　　The elderly drinks plain boiled water which is devoid of saccharin, caffeine, or theophyline. It tastes insipid yet a slow sipping will doubtless yield a wee bit of sweetness. He has been tossed in life’s storms and taught by rough and bitter experience which appear to him now as transient as a fleeting cloud, for this is the time he can sit comfortably in an armchair letting his minds wander. All that happened in the past and all that exists in the world seem to him as plain and insipid as water.
　　从自我做起
　　佚名
　　在威斯敏斯特修道院的地下室里，安放着英国国教主教的墓碑。墓碑上写着下面这些文字：
　　在我年轻的时候，我是那样无拘无束，我的想象毫无止境，我梦想改变世界。随着我越来越老，我的头脑也越来越睿智，我发觉这个世界是不可改变的，于是，我稍稍收拢自己的视野，决心只去改变我的国家。
　　只是，似乎我的国家也是不可改变的。
　　当我人至暮年，在最后的拼死尝试中，我企图改变我的家庭。可是，唉，那些我最亲近的人没有一个可以改变的。
　　而现在，在我临终之时，我突然明白：如果我曾先改变了自己，然后作为榜样，或许我就能改变我的家庭了。
　　有了他们的启发和鼓舞，我就能更好地改变我的国家，也许我也改变了世界，这又有谁知道呢！
　　心灵小语
　　如果你改变不了环境，那你就设法适应环境。只有适应环境后，才有可能改变环境。做事不能好高骛远。要从小事做起，从自我做起。
　　Start with Yourself
　　Anonymous
　　The following words were written on the tomb of an Anglican Bishop in the crypts1 of Westminster Abbey:
　　When I was young and free and my imagination had no limits, I dreamed of changing the world. As I grew older and wiser, I discovered the world would not be changed, so I shortened my sights somewhat and decided to change only my country.
　　But it, too, seemed immovable2.
　　As I grew into my twilight3 years, in one last desperate attempt, I settled for changing only my family, those closest to me, but alas, they would have none of it.
　　And now as I lie on my deathbed, I suddenly realize: If I had only changed myself first, then by example I would have changed my family.
　　From their inspiration and encouragement, I would then have been able to better my country and, who knows, l may have even changed the world.
　　做你想做的事
　　佚名
　　我很幸运——很早我就发现了生命中热爱的事业。在我父母的车库里，我和沃兹开创了苹果公司，当时我20岁。我们很努力地工作，10年间，苹果公司从只有我们两人在一间车库办公的小公司成长为一个拥有20亿资产的大公司，雇员4000多人。我们研发了公司最好的产品——麦金托什机(Macintosh)——那年，我刚30岁。后来，我被解雇了。
　　有几个月我真的不知道做点儿什么。我觉得自己让先前的创业伙伴失望了——当指挥棒传递给我的时候，我却把它弄丢了。我去见戴维?帕卡德和鲍勃?诺伊斯，试图要为如此糟糕的结果说抱歉。慢慢地，我开始明白一些东西——我依然热爱我的事业，这一点没有因为在苹果公司的事件而改变。我是被抛弃了，但我却依然热爱它。于是，我决定重新开始。
　　在那时，我没有领会到，但后来证明，被苹果公司解雇是在我身上发生的最好的事情。重新开始的轻松感代替了作为成功者的重压，我不再需要确保每件事的可靠性。它让我自由地步入生命中最富创造性的阶段。
　　在接下来的5年里，我创办了一家名为NeXT的公司，另一家叫皮克斯，我还爱上了一位令人惊奇的女孩，她后来成了我的妻子。皮克斯制作了世界上第一部用电脑制作的动画电影——《玩具总动员》，现在也是世界上最成功的动画制作工作室。在一个不寻常的事件转变中，NeXT被苹果公司收购，我又回到了苹果公司，并且，苹果公司这次重新崛起的主要核心是我们在NeXT发展的技术。而我和劳伦娜也有了美满的家庭。
　　我非常肯定，如果苹果公司没有开除我，这一切也不可能会发生。良药苦口利于病。有时，生活会用砖块撞击你的头脑，但不要失去信念。我深信，我对我所做的事业的热爱，是使我坚持走下去的唯一支柱。你已找到自己的所爱，选择工作与选择爱人是同样的道理。你的任务是充实你的大部分生命，而真正完成这一任务的唯一方法是去做你相信是伟大的事情。如果你还没有发现你的所爱，那就继续寻找吧，不要停滞不前。当你全心全意地寻找时，就会知道何时能找到它。所以，继续寻找，直到你找到为止，不要停滞。
　　你的时间有限，所以不要将时间浪费在过别人的生活上。不要被教条所束缚，否则你的生活就是遵循他人思考的结果。不要让你内心真正的声音被其他人嘈杂的观点所湮没。勇敢跟随自己的心灵和直觉，才是最重要的。不知不觉中，它们早已知道你真正想成为怎样的人，其他的一切都是次要的。
　　非常感谢你们。
　　心灵小语
　　时间对每一个人都非常苛刻，那么你就要在这有限的时间里，去做自己想做的事情，做你自己的主人。
　　You’ve Got to Find What You Love
　　 Anonymous
　　I was lucky — I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz and I started Apple in my parents’ garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company with over 4,000 employees. We had just released our finest creation — the Macintosh — a year earlier, and I had just turned 30. And then I got fired.
　　I really didn’t know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs1 down — that I had dropped the baton as it was being passed to me. I met with David Packard and Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up so badly. But something slowly began to dawn on me — I still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I had been rejected, but I was still in love. And so I decided to start over.
　　I didn’t see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.
　　During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the world’s first computer animated feature film, Toy Story, and is now the most successful animation2 studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT, I retuned to Apple, and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the heart of Apple’s current renaissance. And Laurene and I have a wonderful family together.
　　I’m pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn’t been fired from Apple. It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith. I’m convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You’ve got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.
　　Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma3, which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And the most important is to have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.
　　Thank you all very much.
　　永远也不要低估
　　佚名
　　这个故事发生在16年前。虽然儿子现在22岁了，可看着已经长大的他，我想起了小时候他眼中含泪的样子。
　　那时，我家养的母猫快要有宝宝了。跟所有的小孩子一样，想看小猫出生的儿子又好奇又兴奋。对于这种奇妙的场面，我觉得儿子也到了可以观看的年龄了。因此，为了避免到时候他太震惊或被吓倒，对他我是有问必答，尽可能让他作好准备。
　　那晚猫宝宝要诞生了。儿子从学校回来时，一只小猫刚刚出生。看到眼前的一切，儿子吃惊得发抖。他把手放在猫妈妈的腹部，感觉那些等待出生的小猫在动。猫妈妈开始大叫时，这意味着第二只小猫就要出生了。
　　看着这一幕，儿子一言不发。直到第二只小猫出生，猫妈妈忙着照顾它，并准备迎接下一只的时候，儿子问我：“妈咪，为什么宝宝出生的时候，猫妈妈叫得那么大声呢？”我非常高兴，能让儿子看到这神奇的一刻，我以为作好了所有的准备，根本没想过分娩时的痛苦该如何去给他解释。但为了不让儿子错过目睹奇迹的任何细节，我试着跟他解释说这是没有伤害的痛苦。对于知道自己孩子即将降生的猫妈妈来说，是痛并快乐着。
　　母猫又叫了起来，显然，第三只小猫就要出生了。我瞥了一眼儿子，如果他看到眼前的情形而紧张的话，我会给他一些安慰的。我看到泪水从他的脸颊上滚落了下来，因此我问他为什么哭，他抬头看着我说：“妈咪，我很抱歉出生的时候给你带来那么多痛苦。”
　　那一刻我的心脏仿佛停止了跳动，我只能紧紧地把他搂在怀里。但我知道，不能让他总认为出生时给我带来了痛苦。于是为了让儿子放心，我小心谨慎地组织着语言。我对他说，他的出生为我的生活带来了欢笑，并没有让我痛苦，即使经历一百次我也愿意。因为那点痛苦和拥有他的欢乐相比，实在微不足道。
　　儿子给了我一个热情的拥抱，然后说：“妈咪，我明白为什么小猫从那一头出来了。”我问他原因，他说：“因为另一头有牙齿。”我几乎差点儿笑出来。有些事，大人认为是习以为常的，而孩子却总有让我大吃一惊的新奇发现。
　　现在儿子也已经长大成人，但那一天会永远清晰地留在我们的记忆中。今天他还说，那段美好的回忆让他最终了解了“爱”这个词的含义。而我唯一记得的是儿子给我的爱，那是有生以来他给我的最热烈的拥抱。对孩子的理解能力永远也不要低估，更重要的是，永远也不要低估孩子理解所见所闻的逻辑思维能力。
　　心灵小语
　　每个人从生下来就具有一定的潜能，即使是一个孩子，我们也不要低估他们对所见所闻的逻辑思维能力。对成年人来说更是如此，永远也不要低估自己或他人。
　　Never Underestimate
　　Anonymous
　　This story happened sixteen years ago. My son is now 22 years old, but when I look at him even as a grown man, I remember the small child with the tears.
　　We had a female cat who was ready to give birth to her kittens. And like all young children, my son was curious and excited to see the birth of these new babies. I felt he was old enough to view this miraculous event. So I answered all his questions and prepared him the best I could so he wouldn’t be shocked or scared.
　　The night the blessed event took place, one kitten had been born by the time my son arrived home from school. He was so thrilled and amazed at what he saw. He would lay his hand on the mother cat’s belly1 and feel the other kittens moving and awaiting their turn to be born. When the mother cat began to yell very loudly, it was clear the second was on its way.
　　My son watched but never said a word. When the second kitten was born and the mother was busy taking care of it, preparing for the next, my son asked me, “Mommy, how come she cries so loud when the baby comes?” In my delight of having my son wanting to view this miraculous event and thinking I had prepared him for it, I had not thought to explain about the pain of giving birth. Not wanting to take anything away from the miracle he was witnessing, I tried to explain to him that it was not a hurtful pain but a pain of great pleasure for the mother cat, knowing her babies would soon be born.
　　When the birth of the third kitten became obvious by the crying of the mother, I glanced at my son to offer words of comfort if he showed signs of it becoming too stressful for him. When I looked at his face, he had tears rolling down his cheeks. So I asked him why he was crying and he looked up at me and said, “Mommy, I’m sorry I gave you all that pain to have me.”
　　I thought my heart had stopped. It was all I could do to contain myself from grabbing him and just holding him close to me, but I knew I couldn’t have him thinking that his birth was something that caused me pain in the way he was thinking. With a careful choice of words and reassurance2, I told him his birth has done nothing but bring smiles to my life and that I would go through it 100 times—that the pain meant so little compared to the joy of having him.
　　He gave me this big hug and then he said, “Mommy, I know why the kittens come out that end?” I asked him why and he said,“Because the other end has got teeth.” I was laughing so much inside, I thought I would  burst. The things a child will notice that an adult takes for granted will always surprise me.
　　My son is a grown man now but he and I always remember that day so well and he still says today the memory for him was finally understanding what the word“love” meant. The memory for me was feeling the love of my child as he wrapped his arms around me and gave me the biggest hug he had ever given me. Never underestimate what your child is capable of3 understanding, or more important, the logic they use to understand what they are seeing or hearing.

美丽英文励志篇(10)

　把握生命的分分秒秒
　　佚名
　　生病了，我就卧床休息。因为我知道，一天不工作，地球照样转动。
　　我会点燃雕成玫瑰状的红蜡烛，不至于让它在闲置中消融。
　　我要少说话，多聆听。
　　我要请朋友来家中做客，即使地毯弄脏了，或沙发褪色了，也不在乎。
　　我要在装潢“考究”的客厅里吃爆米花，就算有人在壁炉里生火带起了炉灰，我也不会操那么多闲心。
　　我要从容悠闲地听爷爷讲他年轻时候的故事。
　　我决不会因为在夏天头发刚梳理好，还喷过发胶，就坚持要把车窗玻璃摇起来。
　　我要和孩子们一起坐在草地上，丝毫不顾忌草渍。
　　我要在看电视时少哭点儿，少笑些——在看人生时，多哭些，多笑点儿。
　　我不会在买东西时只注重实用性、耐脏或耐磨。我不会在期盼中度过九个月妊娠期，我要珍惜每一刻，要清楚地认识到，体内孕育着的神奇是我今生唯一一次协助上帝创造奇迹的机会。
　　在孩子们猛烈地亲吻我时，我决不会说“等等，去洗洗手，准备吃饭”，我要说很多遍“我爱你们……”，说很多遍“对不起……”。
　　心灵小语
　　什么是生命的美好？可能就是和朋友共度周末，从容悠闲地听故事，陪孩子们做游戏……把握生命中每一分钟的美好，就是把握整个生命的美好。
　　Seizing Every Minute in Life
　　Anonymous
　　I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren’t there for the day.
　　I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.
　　I would have talked less and listened more.
　　I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded.
　　I would have eaten the popcorn in the“good” living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.
　　I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.
　　I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.
　　I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.
　　I would have cried and laughed less while watching television—and more while watching life.
　　I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn’t show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime. Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I’d have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.
　　When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said,“Later. Now go get washed up for dinner.” There would have been more “I love you...” more “I’m sorry...”
　　别停下梦想的脚步
　　佚名
　　放下昨日错误的重负，勇敢地融入明日的生活。将昨日载入史册，满怀信心地迎接每个新日子的到来，努力将理想变为现实。
　　我们的梦想不能买卖，也不能用它作任何交易。梦想是我们生命的组成部分，其他任何人都无权占有。梦想能使生命激情四溢，活力无限。
　　我们的梦想和发展方向不要让别人来决定。如若准许别人对我们予以限定，那么我们就会处于别人的掌控之下。我们的梦想从来就不是别人的，它只属于我们自己。
　　永远不要觉得你征服了虚无的生命而将自己的梦想放弃。
　　友谊可以滋养我们的生命，而它正是在我们追随梦想的路上获得的。
　　梦想是复杂的，它的实现需要一定的时间，而保有一颗纯朴的童心也是必要的。
　　切勿因疲于奔命而觉得难以承载梦想的重负。
　　梦想并不是富人和名人等成功人士的专利。让我们如风儿般去追随梦想吧！
　　事实上，吟咏这些文字的此时，已是一个梦想实现的过程。孩提时，我就梦想着创作一些文字，杂诗也好，浅显的故事或随笔也罢，只要能供人赏阅就好。我没有获取财富和声誉的梦想，我只想使自己的写作风格为别人所接受，若可能，最好能让自己的作品对他人的生活有所影响。
　　人们有阅读的需求，我有文字创作的欲望，正像音乐家需要用乐器来演奏或艺术家需将想象力用画作的形式表达出来，展示在人们面前一样。
　　永不言弃，勇往直前地去追求梦想吧!
　　Never Stop Dreaming
　　Anonymous
　　Leave the excess baggage of yesterday’s mistakes and dare to enter into all the tomorrow. Leave yesterday to history and resolve to begin fresh each new day daring to make dreams become a reality.
　　Dreams cannot be bought, sold, nor traded. Dreams are the part of us that no one else can claim right to posses. Dreams are what keep life full of passion and vitality!
　　Do not allow others to define who we are or what our desires may be. When we allow others to define our boundaries, we become the limits others have imposed upon us. Our dreams are our own and belong to no one else.
　　Never admit defeat to a wasted life by forsaking your dreams!
　　Life is sweetened by friendships we encounter along the highways that journey into our dreams.
　　Dreams are complex and take years to accomplish, while holding onto the simplicity of a very young child.
　　Do not allow life and the demands of making a living force you to put dreams on hold.
　　Not just the successfully rich and famous have a right to their dreams. Chase after them as the wind!
　　The very fact that you are reading these words at this moment is the accomplishment of a dream come true. Since early childhood, I have had a dream to write for others to read what I have written, whether it is poetry or simple stories and ideas. I have not dreamed of fortune or fame, but only to be able to write in a manner that others can read and possibly make a difference in their lives.
　　People have a need to read, I have a need to create with words same as a musician creates music with instruments, or an artist paints his imaginations before our eyes.
　　Please keep dreaming and never give up on yourself.
　　人的指导者
　　温斯顿?伦纳德?斯宾塞?丘吉尔
　　在人类历史的这一时刻，对于自然力量的控制，人类已经大大超越了以往所梦想的程度。如果人类希望的话，摆在他们面前的是一个和平与发展的黄金年代。他们仅仅需要征服最后也是最厉害的敌人——自己。
　　对一个人来说，唯一的指导者是他自己的良心，记忆唯一的护卫是他行为的正直和真诚。如果在人生的旅途之中前行而没有这个保护，是轻率的，因为我们常会被希望的破灭所嘲弄，但是有了这个保护，不管命运如何，我们可以永远前进在荣誉的行列中。
　　我们将一起前行，向前的路很长。旅途中，我们可能会遇到一些黑暗而危险的幽谷，我们必须从那里经过，而且还要与之进行艰苦的斗争。但是只要我们坚持不懈——我们将坚持不懈——我们一定可以走出这些黑暗而危险的幽谷，进入一个人类前所未知的广阔、温暖而持久的光明世界。
　　心灵小语
　　思想支配着一个人的行动，而他唯一的指导者是自己的良心。我们前行的道路还很长，充满了危险与不可知，但我们必须突破它，与之斗争。坚持不懈，走进一个令所有人都向往的光明世界。
　　Man’s Guide
　　Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill
　　Man in this moment of his history has emerged in greater supremacy over the forces of nature than has ever been dreamed of before. There lies before him, if he wishes, a golden age of peace and progress. He has only to conquer his last and worst enemy—himself.
　　The only guide to a man is his conscience; the only shield to his memory is the rectitude and sincerity of his actions. It is very imprudent to walk through life without this shield, because we are so often mocked by the failure of our hopes, but with this shield, however the Fates may play, we march always in the ranks of honor.
　　We shall go forward together. The road upward is long. There are upon our journey dark and dangerous valleys, through which we have to make and fight our way. But it is sure and certain that if we persevere, and we shall persevere, we shall come through these dark and dangerous valleys into a sunlight broader and more genial and more lasting than mankind has ever known.
　　人与机会
　　奥里森?马登
　　缺乏机会，向来都是胆小懦弱和优柔寡断者的借口。机会！生活中无处不在。
　　无论是中学，还是大学里的每堂课都是一个机会。考试是生活给予的机会。每一次的事务处理是机会。生活给予人们礼貌待人，诚实宽厚的机会，更是广交朋友的大好机会。生活对个人自信度的考验也是个极好的机会。
　　个人能力和诚信所负担的每一份责任都是无价的。只有奋斗不息，才有生存的空间；只有不断追求，提升能力，成功的机会才会纷至沓来。
　　年轻人，你们为何整天无所事事？难道在你们来到这个世界之前，所有的土地都被占据了？难道地球停止增长了？难道所有的位置都坐满了？难道所有的职位都无空缺了？难道机会已消失殆尽？难道国家的资源已被全部开发？难道所有的自然奥秘你已掌握？难道你毫无办法抓住这转瞬即逝的时光提高自己，或者使他人受益吗？
　　机会不会主动垂青于你。学学拿破仑，在“不可能”中创造机会。像所有战时或和平时期的领袖一样，为自己创造成功的机会。人人都须创造机会，为值得付出之事尽心尽力。好机会，对于懒惰之人毫无益处，而勤奋却能点石成金。
　　心灵小语
　　马登的一生本身就是一个由贫穷迈向成功的典范，他那催人奋进、令人顿悟的文学铸就了伟大的“马登精神”，一直鼓舞着世上的年轻人奋力向前！
　　The Man and the Opportunity
　　Orison Marden
　　The lack of opportunity is ever the excuse of a weak, vacillating mind. Opportunities! Every life is full of them.
　　Every lesson in school or college is an opportunity. Every examination is a chance in life. Every business transaction is an opportunity—an opportunity to be polite, an opportunity to be manly, an opportunity to be honest, an opportunity to make friends. Every proof of confidence in you is a great opportunity.
　　Every responsibility thrust upon your strength and your honor is priceless. Existence is the privilege of effort, and when that privilege is met like a man, opportunities to succeed along the line of your aptitude will come faster than you can use them.
　　Young men and women, why do you stand here all the day idle? Was the land all occupied before you were born? Has the earth ceased to yield its increase? Are the seats all taken? The positions all filled? The chances all gone? Are the resources of your country fully developed? Are the secrets of nature all mastered? Is there no way in which you can utilize these passing moments to improve yourself or benefit another?
　　Don’t wait for your opportunity. Make it, make it as Napoleon made his in a hundred “impossible” situations. Make it, as all leaders of men, in war and in peace, have made their chances of success. Make it, as every man must, who would accomplish anything worth the effort. Golden opportunities are nothing to laziness, but industry makes the commonest chances golden.
　　看清你的目标
　　佚名
　　弗洛伦斯?查德威克向前望去，能看到的却只有浓浓的大雾。她已经游了将近16个小时，现在全身都麻木了。如今，34岁的她是第一位两次从不同方向游过英吉利海峡的女性，她现在想要创下从卡塔利那岛游到加利福尼亚海岸的第一位女性的纪录。
　　1952年7月4日清晨，在冰冷的海水和浓雾中，她甚至连旁边保护她的小船都看不到。面对朝她游来的鲨鱼，她只能用来复枪赶走。时间一小时一小时地过去，她忍受着冰冷的海水，努力地向前游着。与此同时，全国数百万的观众正通过电视关注着她。
　　母亲和教练在她身边的一条船上鼓励着她，告诉她没多远了，但她却只能看到浓雾。他们劝她不要放弃，她也从未想过放弃。但在距终点只有半英里时，她却要求放弃了。
　　几个小时后，全身冰冷的她边取暖边对记者说：“你知道，我并不是在为自己辩解，但如果没有那么大的雾，我能看到陆地的话，就一定会成功的。”她不是因为体力不支，也不是因为海水太凉，而是由于雾太大，看不清目标而失败的。
　　两个月后，她又尝试了一次。尽管这次大雾依然浓厚，但她凭着坚定的信仰和头脑中明确的目标，最终成功了。因为她知道，陆地就在大雾后的某个地方。弗洛伦斯?查德威克成为了第一位游过卡塔利那海峡的女性，而且比男子记录还要快两个小时。
　　心灵小语
　　许多人并不是因为自身的缺陷而失败，只是因为他没有看清自己的目标，不知道自己前进的方向。
　　Keep Your Goals in Sight
　　Anonymous
　　When she looked ahead, Florence Chadwick saw nothing but a solid wall of fog. Her body was numb. She had been swimming for nearly sixteen hours. Already she was the first woman to swim the English Channel in both directions. Now, at age 34, her goal was to become the first woman to swim from Catalina Island to the California coast.
　　On that Fourth of July morning in 1952, the sea was like an ice bath and the fog was so dense that she could hardly see her support boats. Sharks cruised toward her lone figure, only to be driven away by rifle shots. Against the frigid grip of the sea, she struggled on — hour after hour — while millions watched on national television.
　　Alongside Florence in one of the boats, her mother and her trainer offered encouragement. They told her it wasn’t much farther. But all she could see was fog. They urged her not to quit. She never had...until then. With only a half mile to go, she asked to be pulled out.
　　Still thawing her chilled body several hours later, she told a reporter, “Look, I’m not excusing myself, but if I could have seen land I might have made it.” It was not fatigue or even the cold water that defeated her. It was the fog. She was unable to see her goal.
　　Two months later, she tried again. This time, despite the same dense fog, she swam with her faith intact and her goal clearly pictured in her mind. She knew that somewhere behind that fog was land and this time she made it!Florence Chadwick became the first woman to swim the Catalina Channel, eclipsing the men’s record by two hours!
　　生命不息，奋斗不止
　　佚名
　　11岁时，贝瑟妮?汉密尔顿便开始了她的冲浪生涯。13岁时，她已经是一位熟练的冲浪运动员了，并在冲浪界备受尊崇。
　　2003年10月31日，她成为一名专业冲浪运动员的终生梦想被迫中断。因为在考艾岛北岸冲浪时，她遭到了一条身长14+英尺的虎鲨的袭击。
　　尽管贝瑟妮的一条手臂被虎鲨咬断，但是她追逐梦想的热情和勇气丝毫没受到损伤。如果说发生了什么变化，那就是她变得更加坚强。
　　“我知道，我有一些重要的话要说。这些话对有些人会有所帮助。但有时人们过于关注我失去手臂的故事，从而错过了我的真正用意。”贝瑟妮?汉密尔顿说。
　　贝瑟妮选择用自己的经历，去鼓舞和帮助他人克服困难，不管困难有多大。“甚至有些不认识的人也来看我，我猜他们是把我看成了勇气和鼓舞的象征。”
　　“但有一样东西是没有改变的。那就是在冲浪时，我的感觉仍和以前一样棒。就像曾经我在这里，现在依然在，我和我的冲浪板依旧存在。”
　　贝瑟妮失去手臂后，国内、国际的所有媒体竞相关注。数不清的报纸、杂志、新闻节目、脱口秀节目、商业节目等都报道了她的故事。她还成为杂志的封面人物和电视剧的女主角。
　　在《奥普拉》《今夜》《20/20》及《艾伦秀》等节目中，我们都看到过她的身影。她也曾出现在《人物杂志》《时代杂志》及其他众多杂志的封面上。
　　电视节目中对她的故事的改编也是不计其数。瑞普科尔冲浪服装公司还为贝瑟妮提供了赞助。2004年10月5日，她出版发行了自己的书，2005年开拍电影。
　　2004年贝瑟妮被授予2004+ESPY最佳复出运动员奖。同年，她也在全国青少年观众票选大赛中，获得了由珍妮?杰克逊颁给她的一份特殊的勇气奖。
　　与此同时，贝瑟妮也在继续追求着她的冲浪梦想。她在意外事故之后很快就回到冲浪界，这令每个人都感到惊奇。更没有人料到，在国家冲浪锦标赛中她竟获得了第五名。冲浪对于双手健全的人来说，都是一项很难的运动。
　　贝瑟妮不得不重新学习冲浪。意外事件后，她参加过无数次决赛，并在三项竞赛中夺冠。八月份，在夏威夷NSSA巡回赛中，她赢得了公开赛女子组第一站的冠军。
　　贝瑟妮继续参加世界最具挑战的冲浪赛。她出色的表现震撼了每个人。在2005年的全国锦标赛中，她技压群雄，赢得了女子探险组的冠军。
　　只要贝瑟妮还在继续着力争完美的拼搏，她的故事就依然会被传颂着。
　　心灵小语
　　虽然失去了一条手臂，贝瑟妮对冲浪的热情并没有消减，而是更加勇于挑战自己。她的这种生命不息、奋斗不止的精神将鼓舞我们每一个人向前迈进。
　　Where There Is Life, There Is Struggle
　　Anonymous
　　Bethany Hamilton began her career as a surfer with her first competition at age 11. By age 13, she was an accomplished surfer and wellrespected in the surfing world.
　　Her lifelong dream of becoming a professional surfer was interrupted on October 31, 2003. She was attacked by a 14foot tiger shark while surfing off Kauai’s North Shore.
　　The attack left Bethany with a severed arm but did not destroy her eagerness and courage to continue to pursue her dream. If anything, it just made her stronger.
　　“I know I have something important to say. It’s something that people need to hear. But sometimes they get so caught up in the story about me losing my arm that they miss the meaning,” says Bethany Hamilton.
　　Bethany has chosen to use her experience to become an inspiration1 and help others to overcome adversity, no matter how big. “People I don’t even know come up to me. I guess they see me as a symbol of courage and inspiration.”
　　“One thing hasn’t changed. How I feel when I’m riding a wave is just as great as before. It’s like, here I am. I’m still here. It’s still me and my board.”
　　Since losing her arm, Bethany has featured all over the media, both nationally and internationally. Her story has been told in dozens of newspapers, magazines, news shows, talk shows, commercials, and more. She has graced the cover of magazines and has starred in a TV episode.
　　She has appeared on Oprah, The Tonight Show, 20/20, and Ellen. She’s also been on the covers of People Magazine, Time Magazine, and numerous others.
　　The number of times her story has been featured on TV is hard to count. Bethany is sponsored2 by the Rip Curl surf wear company. She had a book released on October 5, 2004. Filming of a movie started in 2005.
　　Bethany has been awarded the 2004 ESPY Award for Best Comeback Athlete. She was also presented with a special Courage Award by Janet Jackson at the 2004 Teen Choice Awards.
　　Bethany has also continued to pursue her dreams in the surf world as well. Everyone was surprised to see Bethany surfing so soon after her accident. But no one expected her to win fifth place at the National Surfing Championships. Surfing is a difficult sport even when you have two arms.
　　She had to relearn the sport entirely. Since her attack, Bethany has made numerous finals and has won three contests. In August, at the first stop on the Hawaii NSSA circuit3, she took first in the Open Women’s division.
　　Bethany continues to compete in the most challenging waves in the world. She amazes everyone by achieving the unimaginable. She dominated the 2005 National Scholastic Surfing Association Nationals Championships, taking first place in the Explorer Women’s division.
　　The story continues to be told, with Bethany’s continuing drive to be the best at whatever she is called to do.
　　活出个性
　　佚名
　　在浩渺的大千世界中，每个人都仅有一次生存的机会——它是无与伦比、不可挽回的。正如卢梭所说，上帝创造了你，即刻打碎了那个属于你的特定模子。
　　名誉、财富、知识等仅为身外之物，并且每个人都在为获取它们而努力奋斗着。但你的人生经历和感受却是你的私人财产，无人可与你分享。你死后，也无人能替你再活一次。如果你真正意识到了这一点，你就会懂得，人生在世，活出自己的独特个性和滋味是最重要的。衡量你的人生有意义与否的标准不是外在的成功，而是你对人生意义的独特理解和感悟，从而使个性绽放异彩。
　　真正做成自己并非一件易事。世间有好多人，你可以通过许多途径去识别他，他的职业、身份、社会地位等，唯独不是通过他的个性去识别。如果一个人总是按别人的意愿生活，没有自己的独立思想，总是忙于身外之物，没有自己的个性生活，那么，说他不是他自己就一点儿都不为过。因为从他的头脑到他的心灵，你确实找不到一样只属于他自己的东西，他只不过是别人的一个影子和办事的机器罢了。
　　心灵小语
　　时代在发展，社会在进步，人们的个性也愈加鲜明。曾有一句话这样说道：世上没有相同的两片叶子。每个人都是这个世上独一无二的，都有着自己独特的优势。“跟风”只会将自己的特别之处埋没。所以，我们要活出个性，做我们自己！
　　An Identity of One’s Own
　　Anonymous
　　In the eternal universe, every human being has a oneoff chance to live—his existence is unique and irretrievable1 , for the mold with which he was made, as Rousseau said, was broken by God immediately afterwards.
　　Fame, wealth and knowledge are merely worldly possessions that are within the reach of anybody striving for them. But your experience of and feelings about life are your own and not to be shared. No one can live your life over again after your death. A full awareness of this will point out to you that the most important thing in your existence is your distinctive individuality or something special of yours. What really counts is not your worldly success but your peculiar2 insight into the meaning of life and your commitment to it, which add luster to your personality.
　　It is not easy to be what one really is. There is many a person in the world who can be identified as anything—either his job, his status or his social role—that shows no trace about his individuality. It does do him justice to say that he has no identity of his own, if he doesn’t know his own mind and all his things are either arranged by others or done on others’ suggestions; if his life, always occupied by external things, is completely void of an inner world. You won’t be able to find anything whatever, from head to heart, that truly belongs to him. He is, indeed, no more than a shadow cast by somebody else or a machine capable of doing business.
　　学会生活在此时此刻
　　理查德?卡里森
　　在很大程度上，能不能生活在此时此刻，是衡量我们内心世界是否平和的一个标准。不论昨日或去年发生了什么，也不管将会发生什么，此刻才是我们的真正所在——并且始终都是！
　　诚然，许多人把生命耗费在焦虑之中，我们同时对一连串的事情忧心，因此而导致的神经过敏几乎成了一种我们熟稔的艺术。对过去的困惑和对未来的忧虑占据了我们当前的每时每刻。于是，我们整日忧心忡忡，灰心丧气，情绪低落，甚至悲观绝望。另一方面，我们不断推延让自己获得满足感的时间，推延应当优先考虑的事，推后自己的幸福感，并常用最有力的理由说服自己，“有一天”将会比今天更加美好。遗憾的是，如此期待未来的精神安慰只会周而复始地重复。所以，“有一天”永远都不会真正到来。约翰?列农曾经说过：“生活就是我们忙于制定其他计划时所发生的一切。”当我们正制定“其他的计划”时，孩子们正迅速地成长，爱人或离开或死亡。我们的身体开始变形，梦想开始消逝。总之，我们正失去生活。
　　许多人沉迷于对未来的幻想中。现在的生活,对他们而言,就像是未来生活的彩排。然而,生活绝非如此。事实上，任何人都不能保证自己明天仍存于世间。此刻是我们拥有的唯一时间，也是唯一能控制的时间。当我们的注意力集中于此刻时，就会将恐惧抛至脑后。恐惧是我们对未来可能发生之事的忧虑——我们没有足够的钱，我们的孩子会陷入麻烦，我们会变老甚至死亡，等等。
　　战胜恐惧最好的策略是，学会将注意力转回现在的每时每刻。马克?吐温说过：“我一生经历过许多恐怖的事，但有一些纯粹是偶然。”我想，没有比这说得更好的了。把你的注意力集中在此时此刻，你的付出终将有硕果回报。
　　心灵小语
　　许多人在为过去的过错懊悔，可是我们不应总是停留在过去；展望未来是好事，可是不应一味将希望寄托于明天。懂得把握今天的人，才是真正懂得生活的人。
　　Learn to Live in the Present Moment
　　Richard Carison
　　To a large degree, the measure of our peace of mind is determined by how much we are able to live in 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!
　　Without question, many of us have mastered the neurotic art of spending much of our lives worrying about a variety of things—all at once. We allow past problems and future concerns to dominate our 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 ourselves that “someday” will be 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. John Lennon once said, “Life is what’s happening while we’re busy making other plans.” When we’re busy making“other plans”, our children are busy growing up, and 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.
　　Many people live as if life were a dress rehearsal for some later date. It isn’t. In fact, no one has 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 our attention is in 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 enough money, our children will get into trouble, we will get old and die, whatever.
　　To combat fear, the best strategy is to learn to bring your attention back to the present. Mark Twain said,“I have been through some terrible things in my 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 efforts will pay great dividends.
    生活给我上的一课
　　佚名
　　每当我遇到困难时，母亲就对我说：“如果你坚持下去，一切都会好的。不经历风雨，怎能见彩虹。”
　　直到1932年大学毕业，我才发现母亲是对的。当时我已决意在电台谋求发展，努力成为一名体育节目播音员。我搭便车抵达芝加哥后，开始奔波于各个电台之间——但被一一拒绝。
　　一位在播音室里工作的好心女士告诉我，大型的电台是不会冒险接纳毫无经验的新人的——“到乡下去，找家能给你机会的小电台吧，”她说。
　　我乘车返回了家乡伊利诺伊州的迪克森。当时，家乡还没有电台播音员，父亲告诉我，蒙哥马利?沃德新开了家商店，正需要个管理体育部的当地运动员。上中学时，我曾在迪克森踢过足球，于是我申请了这份工作。我似乎挺适合做这项工作的，但结果却被拒绝了。
　　我失望极了。“一切总会好的，”母亲提醒我。为了方便找工作，父亲送我一辆汽车。我去爱荷华州的达文波特，到当地电台求职。那里的电台节目总监，苏格兰人彼得?麦克阿瑟告诉我，播音员已有合适的人选。
　　走出他的办公室时,挫折感油然而生。我大声说道：“如果在电台都找不到工作，又怎么能当体育节目的播音员呢？”
　　等电梯时，麦克阿瑟的声音传入我的耳畔：“你说什么体育呢！你懂足球吗？”然后他让我到麦克风前，想象一场比赛，来作解说。
　　去年秋天，我们的球队赢得了一场比赛——在最后20秒的时间里以65码的距离获胜，我用15分钟将那场精彩的比赛解说下来。彼得对我说，我可以解说周六的那场比赛。
　　回家途中，母亲的话又在耳边响起：“坚持下去，终究会有转机。不经历风雨，怎能见彩虹？”我常想，当年，如果我能到蒙哥马利?沃德工作，我的人生又会驶向何方？
　　心灵小语
　　“不经历风雨，怎么见彩虹。”所谓“阳光总在风雨后”。付出了努力，才会有获得成功的机会。人生没有“天上掉馅饼”的事情，一切都要靠自己去创造！付出终有回报！
　　A Lesson of Life
　　Anonymous
　　“Everything happens for the best,” my mother said whenever I faced disappointment. “If you can carry on1, one day something good will happen. And you’ll realize that it wouldn’t have happened if not for that previous disappointment.”
　　Mother was right, as I discovered after graduating from college in 1932, I had decided to try for a job in radio, then work my way up to sports announcer. I hitchhiked2 to Chicago and knocked on the door of every station—and got turned down every time.
　　In one studio, a kind lady told me that big stations couldn’t risk hiring inexperienced person—“Go out in the sticks and find a small station that’ll give you a chance,”she said.
　　I thumbed3 home to Dixon, Illinois. While there was no radioannouncing jobs in Dixon, my father said Montgomery Ward had opened a store and wanted a local athlete to manage its sports department. Since Dixon was where I had played high school football, I applied. The job sounded just right for me. But I wasn’t hired.
　　My disappointment must have shown.“Everything happens for the best,” Mom reminded me. Dad offered me the car to job hunt. I tried WOC Radio in Davenport, Iowa. The program director, a wonderful Scotsman named Peter MacArthur, told me they had already hired an announcer.
　　As I left his office, my frustration boiled over. I asked aloud, “How can a fellow get to be a sport announcer if he can’t get a job in a radio station?”
　　I was waiting for the elevator when I heard MacArthur calling,“What was that you said about sports? Do you know anything about football?” Then he stood me before a microphone and asked me to broadcast an imaginary game.
　　The preceding4 autumn, my team had won a game in the last 20 seconds with a 65yard run. I did a 15minute buildup to that play, and Peter told me I would be broadcasting Saturday’s game!
　　On my way home, as I have many times since, I thought of my mother’s words,“if you carry on, one day something good will happen. Something wouldn’t have happened if not for that previous5 disappointment.” I often wonder what direction my life might have taken if I’d gotten the job at Montgomery Ward.
　　做自己情绪的主人
　　佚名
　　潮涨潮落，冬去夏来；暑消寒长，日升日落；月圆月缺，雁来雁往；花开花谢，春种秋收。自然界万事万物都处于情绪的循环变化中，我是大自然的一部分，所以，我也有如潮水般的情绪，时涨时落。
　　很少有人懂得，这是大自然的一种愚弄。每天早晨，我醒来时，心情都与昨天有所不同。昨天的欢乐可能成了今天的悲伤，然而，今天的悲伤可能发展成明天的欢乐。在我的内心深处，好像有一个轮子，不断地从悲伤转到欢乐，从狂喜转到绝望，从快乐变为忧郁。就像花儿，今天绽放的喜悦会慢慢消退，变成明天凋谢的绝望，但是我会记住，今天枯萎的花朵同样孕育着明天绽放的种子，正如今天的悲伤也播种了明天的欢乐。
　　要让每一天都卓有成效，我该怎样控制这些情绪呢？如果我心浮气躁，那么这一天将会在失败中度过。植物树木的繁盛依赖于天气，但我创造着自己的天气，可以随时掌控。
　　那么我要怎样控制自己的情绪，让每一个日子充满快乐和成效呢？我要学会这个千古秘诀：行为受控于情绪的人是弱者，强者只会用行为控制情绪。每天醒来时，我要这样对抗悲伤、自怜、失败的情绪，这样才不会被它们俘虏——
　　如果我觉得沮丧，就放声歌唱。
　　如果我感到悲伤，就露出微笑。
　　如果我身体不适，就加倍工作。
　　如果我陷入恐惧，就埋头苦干。
　　如果我自惭形秽，就换上新装。
　　如果我犹疑不决，就提高分贝。
　　如果我囊中羞涩，就想象财富将至。
　　如果我力不从心，就回忆以往的成功。
　　如果我自轻自贱，就铭记自己的目标。
　　从今以后，我懂得，只有能力较低的人才会一直处于最佳状态，而我并非低能者。总有些时候，有些力量企图将我毁灭，而我必须不断地与之对抗。其中失望与悲伤很容易识破，但是，还有其他一些力量往往带着微笑靠近我，并向我伸出友谊之手，可它们却能将我毁灭。我同样要与它们抗争，永远不放弃对它们的掌控——
　　如果我骄傲自负，就追寻失败的记忆。
　　如果我沉湎享乐，就想想挨饿的过去。
　　如果我安于现状，就想想竞争对手。
　　如果我居功自傲，就回想屈辱之时。
　　如果我自以为是，就试着让风儿止步。
　　如果我腰缠万贯，想想那些食不果腹的人。
　　如果我目空一切，就想起自己怯懦的时候。
　　如果我不可一世，就抬起头来仰望群星。
　　从此，我能识别和辨认人类所有情绪变化的奥秘，包括自己的在内。从今以后，无论我的个人情绪如何变化，我都会随时做出积极的行动来控制。一旦我控制了自己的情绪，就掌握了自己的命运，也将成为自己的主人，变得卓尔不群。
　　心灵小语
　　每个人都有自己的个性，有自己的情绪，他们都会跟随自己的性格做事，这样就会成就属于自己的成功。不应随波逐流，要善于挖掘自己的独特性，从而创造新的灿烂！
　　Today I Will Be Master of My Emotions
　　Anonymous
　　The tides advance; the tides recede. Winter goes and summer comes. Summer wanes and the cold increases. The sun rises; the sun sets. The moon is full; the moon is black. The birds arrive; the birds depart. Flowers bloom; flowers fade. Seeds are sown; harvests are reaped. All nature is a circle of moods and I am a part of nature and so, like the tides, my moods will rise; my moods will fall.
　　It is one of nature’s tricks, little understood, that each day I awake with moods that have changed from yesterday. Yesterday’s joy will become today’s sadness; yet today’s sadness will grow into tomorrow’s joy. Inside me is a wheel, constantly turning from sadness to joy, from exultation to depression, from happiness to melancholy. Like the flowers, today’s full bloom of joy will fade and withers into despondency, yet I will remember that as today’s dead flower carries the seed of tomorrow’s bloom so, too, does today’s sadness carry the seed of tomorrow’s joy.
　　And how will I master these emotions so that each day will be productive? For unless my mood is right, the day will be a failure. Trees and plants depend on the weather to flourish but I make my own weather, yea I transport it with me.
　　And how will I master my emotions so that every day is a happy day, and a productive one? I will learn this secret of the ages: Weak is he who permits his thoughts to control his actions; strong is he who forces his actions to control his thoughts. Each day, when I awake, I will follow this plan of battle before I am captured by the forces of sadness, selfpity and failure—
　　If I feel depressed I will sing.
　　If I feel sad I will laugh.
　　If I feel ill I will double my labor.
　　If I feel fear I will plunge ahead.
　　If I feel inferior I will wear new garments.
　　If I feel uncertain I will raise my voice.
　　If I feel poverty I will think of wealth to come.
　　If I feel incompetent I will remember past success.
　　If I feel insignificant I will remember my goals.
　　Henceforth, I will know that only those with inferior ability can always be at their best, and I am not inferior. There will be days when I must constantly struggle against forces which would tear me down. Those such as despair and sadness are simple to recognize but there are others which approach with a smile and the hand of friendship and they can also destroy me. Against them, too, I must never relinquish control—
　　If I become overconfident I will recall my failures.
　　If I overindulge I will think of past hungers.
　　If I feel complacency I will remember my competition.
　　If I enjoy moments of greatness I will remember moments of shame.
　　If I feel allpowerful I will try to stop the wind.
　　If I attain great wealth I will remember one unfed mouth.
　　If I become overly proud I will remember a moment of weakness.
　　If I feel my skill is unmatched I will look at the stars.
　　Henceforth I will recognize and identify the mystery of moods in all mankind, and in me. From this moment I am prepared to control whatever personality awakes in me each day. I will master my moods through positive action and when I master my moods I will control my destiny. I will become master of myself. I will become great.

美丽英文励志篇(11)

　打造自己的生活
　　佚名
　　每个人都在创造着自己的生活。拥有自己的生活是你的绝对权利。然而，人们总是否认自己拥有描绘所渴望的生活的能力，他们忽视了这样一个最根本的真理：决定我们成败的不是外部环境，而是我们内心深处的自我信念和创造我们最想得到的生活的意愿。
　　显然，这里的挑战是创造和拥有你自己的真实生活。当你开始过着自己的生活，认识到怎样去营造完全取决于自己时，你就能根据自己的选择和渴望来设计生活。你会在这里学到一些东西，比如责任和无限，它们将会指引你打造自己想要的生活。这些启示将会赋予你打造生活所必需的基本工具。
　　承担责任意味着承担义务，并承认你对环境的影响和你在环境中的角色。它意味着你要对自己的行为负责，并完全接受你的行为所导致的一切后果。
　　承担责任将会促使你不断前进，直到实现更大的目标。我认识一个叫玛丽的女士，她对自己负责的故事一直鼓舞着我。玛丽出生在古巴，两岁时和全家一起搬到迈阿密。他们住在迈阿密最危险的贫困区，那里每天都充斥着犯罪和吸毒。然而，玛丽仅八岁时，就决定打造自己的生活，不走当女仆或在当地做超市收银员的老路。于是，她每天去上学，有时候不得不跨过门口的醉汉，只有这样她才能接受教育，过上更好的生活。
　　玛丽最终离开了迈阿密，受到了很好的教育，并开发了自身在音乐方面的潜力。她本可以屈从于生来注定的命运，或者一味埋怨她的父母和所处的环境；她也可以拒绝对当前的情形负责。但是，她却对自己负责，打造了能引以为豪的生活。
　　责任是成年人的主修课，如果你还没有学会这堂课，现在还不晚。记住，生活会赐予你足够多的机会让你完全学懂。
　　无限，你最后必须学会的课程是无限，它是一种你去成就自我或创造生活时没有任何束缚的感觉。当你懂得自己的发展永无止境、潜能无穷无尽时，便学会了这门课。
　　你生下来便知道自己的潜能。可是，当你长大成为社会中的一员，你可能会开始相信，有太多的限定阻碍你实现最高的精神、情感或智力进展。然而，限定只存在于你的心里。当你能超越它们的时候，你就学会了无限这一课。
　　我孩提时的一位老师深谙无限的重要性。她每天都提醒我们，无论多么艰难，只要用心，我们就能成就任何事。我衷心地希望世界上的每一个学校都有一位像卡波恩夫人这样的老师，那样，我们的孩子就能知道自身的潜力，并努力去挖掘。世界上，无数的人都证明了这个道理：世上无难事，只怕有心人。
　　心灵小语
　　当你开始过属于自己的生活，认识到怎样去营造完全取决于自己时，你就能根据自己的选择和渴望来设计生活。自己的生活要靠自己来创造，没有人可以替代我们去做自己想做的事。我们是独一无二的，无可替代的，我们要用自己的独特性，打造属于自己的生活。
　　How to Build Your Life
　　Anonymous
　　Every person creates his or her own reality. Authorship of your life is one of your absolute rights; yet so often people deny that they have the ability to script the life they desire. They look past the fundamental truth that it is not our external resources that determine our success or failure, but rather our own belief in ourselves and our willingness to create a life according to our highest aspirations.
　　Clearly, the challenge here is to create and own your own reality. When you begin to live your life understanding that what you make of it is up to you, you are able to design it according to your authentic choices and desires. You will learn lessons here, such as responsibility and limitlessness, which will lead you to the life you were meant to live. These lessons provide you with the essential tools you need in order to take command of your life.
　　To take responsibility means you admit your accountability and acknowledge your influence and role in the circumstances in which you find yourself. It means you are answerable for your behavior and you fully accept any consequences created by your actions.
　　To take responsibility will propel you forward and onward to your greater good. I know of a woman named Mary whose story of personal responsibility has always inspired me. Mary was born in Cuba and moved to Miami with her family when she was two years old. They lived in terrible poverty in a dangerous part of the city, where crime and drugs were part of everyday life. Mary was determined, however, even at the young age of eight, to make something of her life other than follow the expected route of becoming a maid, or a cashier at the local supermarket. So she got herself to school each and every day, sometimes having to step over drunks passed out in the doorway, just so she could get education and give herself a better life.
　　Mary eventually left Miami, obtained a good education, and fostered her natural musicability. Mary could have given in to the life she was born into, or remained mired in blaming her parents and culture for her circumstances. She could have refused to take responsibility for the situation. Instead, however, Mary took responsibility for herself and created a life of which she can be proud.
　　Responsibility is a major lesson of adulthood. If you still haven’t learned the lesson of responsibility, it’s not too late. Remember, life will provide you with plenty of opportunities to get it right.
　　Limitlessness, the final lesson you must learn is limitlessness, it is the sense that there are no boundaries to what you can become or do. You learn it when you know that your evolution is neverending and your potential for growth reaches to infinity.
　　You were born knowing your limitlessness. As you grew and became socialized in this world, however, you might have come to believe that there are boundaries that prevent you from reaching the highest levels of spiritual, emotional, or mental evolution. However, boundaries exist only in your mind. When you are able to transcend them, you learn the lesson of limitlessness.
　　When I was young, I had a teacher who understood the importance of this lesson. She reminded us every day that we could do anything we set our minds to, no matter how impossible it might seem or how strong the opposition is. It is my sincere hope that there is a teacher like Mrs. Carbene in every school around the world, so that our children can know the wonder and power they have within themselves and will strive to access it. In this world, we have countless people who have proven that a person can do whatever he or she strives to do.
　　第四卷
　　品味现在
　　Relish the Moment
　　在我们内心深处，总隐藏着一片诗情画意的风景。我们觉得自己正处于一次跨越大陆的漫长旅行中。
　　让心中充满阳光
　　奥里森?马登
　　美国作家詹姆斯?巴克海姆曾这样回忆一个人：“有一个老人十分有趣，每天早晨，他都会乘8点30分的火车去小镇。我不知道他叫什么，可我是镇上最了解他的人。只要老人进入你的视线，他就会向你传达快乐。老人总是一副笑意融融的样子，我几乎没有听过他说话，可一旦开口，他的语气肯定十分和蔼、谦逊、慈祥。路过的人都会向老人点头打招呼，甚至陌生人也是一样；老人也向所有人点头回敬，但从未显现出丝毫的做作或不敬之意。在阳光灿烂的日子，他那令人欢快的问候声会使天气愈加明媚；换作是雨天的话，他提到天气时的乐观语气则如同彩虹一样美丽。”
　　美国医学家惠普尔说：“有些与生俱来的亲切感本身就是一种财富。”有一些人，不管身在何处，阳光都会跟随着他们的步履；这里的阳光意味着对穷人的怜悯、对痛苦者的同情、对不幸者的帮助以及对所有人的仁慈。
　　每个人都喜欢阳光乐观的人：他的笑脸就是万能的护照，所有的大门都为他开启；他能送走骄傲与妒忌，因为他赋予每一个人好心情；所有家庭像喜欢阳光一样喜欢他。
　　在自己的回忆录里，英国作家卡莱尔曾关注过苏格兰宗教改革运动领袖爱德华?欧文乐观向上的性格：“他十分沉静、乐观、亲切。他的心灵仿佛镜子一般平滑、清亮，他真心地爱他人，也被他人所爱；欧文的话语在我的耳中就是满怀希望和幸福感的声音。”
　　对于废奴先驱威廉?威尔伯福斯，英国著名诗人骚塞曾这样表达自己的敬佩之情：“除了他，我从未见过其他任何人享受精神上永恒的平静和快乐。”
　　在佛兰德斯期间，英国作家戈德史密斯遇到了一个他所见过的最快乐的人。虽然日夜不息地埋头干活，他却总是欢歌笑语不断。这个阳光向上的人却是一个奴隶，而且身体残废、面貌丑陋，还戴着镣铐。他很好地解释了那句令我们深省的话——假如看不到光明的一面，就去驱除阴暗的一面吧!
　　在一次花展上，一个苍白、瘦弱的小女孩儿夺得了第一名。她的家在伦敦东区一个拥挤、阴暗的庭院里；评委问她如何能在这样一个阴暗、缺少光照的地方，培育出如此美丽的花。小女孩的答案是：庭院内只有一缕阳光，每天早上只要太阳出来，她就让花接触这缕阳光，然后随着光线的改变，不断地挪动花盆，这样，花就一整天都在阳光的照射下。
　　“水、空气和阳光，是最有益于健康的三种能量，而且可以任意索取，触手可及。”沃尔特?惠特曼说，“十二年前，我打算去坎登等待死亡。意想不到的事情发生了，因为每天在乡村里散步，在阳光里沐浴，与鸟儿和松鼠为伴，在水中与鱼儿嬉戏，这一切让我精神焕发。大自然又让我重新拥有了健康。”
　　“从我照顾病人的所有经验来看，”弗洛伦斯?南丁格尔说，“有人说除了对新鲜空气的需要，病人最需要的是灯光，这种观点是不正确的。在一个密闭的房间里，阴暗对病人伤害最大；他们需要的不只是灯光，更重要的是直接晒太阳。”
　　太阳促使万物生长，同时也展现着最令人快乐的影响，人们才得以精神焕发、心情愉悦。假如一个人心中拥有阳光，他就会踏上幸福之路：在压力重重时也乐意向前看，就算有片刻沮丧，也不会丧失丝毫的精神力量或希望；不管自己现状如何，都因所拥有的一切而骄傲；就算衣衫褴褛，也感激不已；不但自己快乐，也把快乐传递给他人。
　　心灵小语
　　世上有两种人，他们拥有着同样的健康、财富和生活。然而，一种人快乐，另一种人却烦恼。快乐也是一天，不快乐也是一天，那何不快乐地度过每一天呢？只要我们心中充满阳光，快乐就会围绕在我们身边；而你也会犹如温暖的阳光，把快乐播洒给每个人。
　　The Sunshineman
　　Orison Marden
　　“There’s the dearest little old gentleman,” says James Buckram, “who goes into town every morning on the 8:30 train. I don’t know his name, and yet I know him better than anybody else in town. He just radiates cheerfulness as far as you can see him. There is always a smile on his face, and I never heard him open his mouth except to say something kind, courteous, or good natured. Everybody bows to him, even strangers, and he bows to everybody, yet never with the slightest hint of presumption1 or familiarity. If the weather is fine, his jokily compliments make it seem finer; and if it is raining, the merry way in which he speaks of it is as good as a rainbow.”
　　“The inborn geniality2 of some people,” says Whipple,“amounts to genius.” There are those whose very presence carries sunshine with them wherever they go; a sunshine which means pity for the poor, sympathy for the suffering, help for the unfortunate, and benignity toward all.
　　Everybody loves the sunny soul. His very face is a passport anywhere. All doors fly open to him. He disarms prejudice and envy, for he bears good will to everybody. He is as welcome in every household as the sunshine.
　　“He was quiet, cheerful, genial,” says Carlyle in his “Reminiscences” concerning Edward Irving’s sunny helpfulness. “His soul unruffled, clear as a mirror, honestly loving and loved, Irving’s voice was to me one of blessedness and new hope.”
　　And to William Wilberforce the poet Soothey paid this tribute, “I never saw any other man who seemed to enjoy such perpetual serenity3 and sunshine of spirit.”
　　When Goldsmith was in Flanders he discovered the happiest man he had ever seen. At his toil, from morning till night, he was full of song and laughter. Yet this sunnyhearted being was a slave, maimed, deformed, and wearing a chain. How well he illustrated that saying which bids us, if there is no bright side, to polish up the dark one!
　　The first prize at a flowershow was taken by a pale, sickly little girl, who lived in a close, dark court in the east of London. The judges asked how she could grow it in such a dingy and sunless place. She replied that a little ray of sunlight came into the court; as soon as it appeared in the morning, she put her flower beneath it, and, as it moved, moved the flower, so that she kept it in the sunlight all day.
　　“Water, air, and sunshine, the three greatest hygienic agents, are free, and within the reach of all. Twelve years ago,” says Walt Whitman,“I came to Camden to die. But every day I went into the country, and bathed in the sunshine, lived with the birds and squirrels, and played in the water with the fishes. I received my health from nature.”
　　“It is the unqualified result of all my experience with the sick,” said Florence Nightingale,“that second only to their need of fresh air，is their need of light; that, after a close room, what most hurts them is a dark room; and that it is not only light, but direct sunshine they want.”
　　The sun, making all living things to grow, exerts its happiest influence in cheering the mind of man and making his heart glad, and if a man has sunshine in his soul he will go on his way rejoicing; content to look forward if under a cloud, not bating one jot of heart or hope if for a moment cast down; honoring his occupation, whatever it be; rendering even rags respectable by the way he wears them; and not only happy himself, but giving happiness to others.
　　世界源于你的思想
　　詹姆斯?艾伦
　　你的内心世界如何决定着你生活的好坏。宇宙中的一切事物都源于你的内心体验。外界的影响微乎其微，因为这完全是你内心意识的一种反映。
　　你的思想影响着所有错综复杂的关系，因为外界的事物会如实、具体地反映着你的内心世界。
　　同样的道理，你所掌握的知识都是从以前的经历中得来。你每一点知识的积累，一定要经历时间的验证，最终才造就了如今的你。
　　你的世界是由你自己的思想、愿望和热情塑造的，对你来说，这个世界是环境优美，到处欢声笑语、祝福不断，还是丑陋破旧，周围唉声叹气、痛苦不堪。这些早已印刻在你的思想中了。
　　你可以用自己的思想改变或毁灭你的生活，你的世界，甚至你的宇宙。正是因为你用自己的思想塑造了自我，你周围的生活与环境也会相应地变化。
　　在无法阻挡的自然规律下，无论如何，你的内心深处都要坚持梦想，那么总有一天你会美梦成真。
　　动机不纯、肮脏、自私的灵魂一直与不幸和灾难藕断丝连；而真诚、无私、高贵的灵魂则与幸福和美好息息相关。
　　每个人的灵魂都是与众不同的，没有什么其他的灵魂能够与之为伍。
　　创造也好，毁灭也罢，个人内心世界的品质和力量决定了人生所经历的每一件事情。每个人的灵魂都是个人的经验积累与思想的复杂结合体。我们的身体仅仅是为实现思想而时刻准备着的工具而已。
　　所以你心中的所思所想，才是一个真实的自我。无论是一片欣欣向荣，还是郁郁寡欢，你周围的世界都是穿着你思想的外衣。
　　一个人懦弱还是英勇，愚蠢还是聪明，烦躁还是平静，内心决定了他的精神状态，与外界没有丝毫关联。现在我似乎听见很多人提出异议：“可是，你真的是想说外部的环境不会影响你的内心世界吗?”我绝对没有这个意思，我所强调的是客观存在的真理，环境对你的影响取决于你对环境的控制程度。
　　你的心情由于环境的变化而摇摆不定，那是因为你没有正确地理解思想的本性、用途和力量。
　　你相信周围的环境拥有成就或毁坏你生活的力量（这简单的词汇决定了你的快乐与悲伤），那样的话，你便会屈服于环境的支配；那样的话，你便会承认自己是环境的奴隶，你成了绝对服从的人;那样的话，你便赋予了环境原本不属于它的权利。实际上，你不仅屈从了环境，更重要的是放弃了自己思想的出发点，放弃了选择悲伤或快乐、恐惧或希望、优点或弱点。
　　我有两个朋友，他们曾在多年前失去了含辛茹苦而积攒的储蓄。面对这样的困境，其中一个人从此一蹶不振，并陷入了无尽的愤懑、担忧与失望之中。
　　而另外一个人在读早报时，才发现存钱的那家银行倒闭了，而自己将分文皆无。他只是稍微镇定了一会儿，便语气坚定地说道：“既然已经没了，烦恼与忧愁也不会有什么用处，还是继续努力工作挽回损失吧!”
　　精神焕发的他再次全身心地投入到工作中去，不久以后便又成了有钱人。而前者还在为失去的钱而悲痛不已，并不停地抱怨自己的坏运气。他依然迷失在艰难的处境里，而这都是自己软弱而卑微的思想造成的。
　　对前者来说，失去全部金钱意味着最恶毒的诅咒，因为他会用阴暗、悲观的情绪去对待这件事情；不过，对后者而言失去了全部金钱却无异于一种恩赐，因为他从中学到了坚强，拥有了希望与重新焕发的力量。
　　假如环境拥有足够的力量去祝福或摧毁我们的生活，那么它应该一视同仁。然而现实生活中，相同的境遇却产生了两种截然相反的思想——积极的思想和消极的思想。由此可知，在遇到某种境遇后，一个人心境好坏不在于环境，而仅仅在于人们内心不同的反应。
　　当你认识到这个道理，你就可以掌握自己的思想，调节并训练自己的思想。最终重新塑造灵魂的宫殿，彻底驱除所有华而不实、没有价值的思想，并让快乐与平静、生命与活力、爱心和怜悯围绕在你的身边。
　　在大多数人看来，广阔无垠的大海不过是既可以让船只航行，又可以让其颠覆而已。然而在音乐家的眼中，大海却是活生生的，他可以倾听大海变化多端的情绪，还有一种美妙和谐的韵律。
　　普通人只看得到灾难与不幸，而哲人头脑中却预见了理想的因果关系;相同的道理，实物主义者的眼中除了无尽的死亡，别无他物，神秘主义者却能体会到永恒跳动的生命。
　　心灵小语
　　美好的世界就掌握在你的手中。带着肮脏而自私的灵魂看世界，世界将是一片阴郁灰暗;而载着快乐和美丽的心灵，眼里的世界将是五彩斑斓。用积极的思想改变你的生活，打造你的美好人生！
　　The World a Reflex of Mental States
　　James Allen
　　What you are, so is your world. Everything in the universe is resolved into your own inward experience. It matters little what is without, for it is all a reflections of your own state of consciousness.
　　It matters everything what you are within, for everything without will be mirrored and colored accordingly.
　　All that you positively know is contained in your own experience; all that you ever will know must pass through the gateway of experience, and so become part of yourself.
　　Your own thoughts, desires, and aspirations1 comprise your world, and, to you, all that there is in the universe of beauty and joy and bliss, or of ugliness and sorrow and pain, is contained within yourself.
　　By your own thoughts you make or mar your life, your world, your universe, as you build within by the power of thought, so will your outward life and circumstances shape themselves accordingly.
　　Whatsoever you harbor in the inmost chambers of your heart will, sooner or later by the inevitable law of reaction, shape itself in your outward life.
　　The soul that is impure, sordid and selfish, is gravitating with unerring precession toward misfortune and catastrophe2; the soul that is pure, unselfish, and noble is gravitating with equal precision toward happiness and prosperity.
　　Every soul attracts its own, and nothing can possibly come to it that does not belong to it.
　　The incidents of every human life, which both make and mar, are drawn to it by the quality and power of its own inner thoughtlife. Every soul is a complex combination of gathered experiences and thoughts, and the body is but an improvised vehicle3 for its manifestation．
　　What, therefore, your thoughts are, that is your real self; and the world around, both animate and inanimate, wears the aspect with which your thoughts clothe it.
　　Whether one be fearful or fearless, foolish or wise, troubled or serene, within that soul lies the cause of its own state or states, and never without. And now I seem to hear a chorus of voices exclaim,“But do you really mean to say that outward circumstances do not affect our minds?” I do not say that, but I say this, and know it to be an infallible4 truth, that circumstances can only affect you in so far as you allow them to do so.
　　You are swayed by circumstances because you have not a right understanding of the nature, use, and power of thought.
　　You believe(and upon this little word belief hang all our sorrows and joys) that outward things have the power to make or mar your life; by so doing you submit to those outward things, confess that you are their slave, and they your unconditional master; by so doing, you invest them with a power which they do not, of themselves, possess, and you succumb, in reality, not to the mere circumstances, but to the gloom or gladness, the fear or hope, the strength or weakness, which your thoughtsphere has thrown around them.
　　I knew two men who, at an early age, lost the hardearned savings of years. One was very deeply troubled, and gave way to chagrin, worry, and despondency.
　　The other, on reading in his morning paper that the bank in which his money was deposited had hopelessly failed, and that he had lost all, quietly and firmly remarked, “Well, it’s gone, and trouble and worry won’t bring it back, but hard work will.”
　　He went to work with renewed vigor, and rapidly became prosperous, while the former man, continuing to mourn the loss of his money, and to grumble at his“bad luck”, remained the sport and tool of adverse circumstances, in reality of his own weak and slavish thoughts.
　　The loss of money was a curse to the one because he clothed the event with dark and dreary thoughts; it was a blessing to the other, because he threw around it thoughts of strength, of hope, and renewed endeavor.
　　If circumstances had the power to bless or harm, they would bless and harm all men alike, but the fact that the same circumstances will be alike good and bad to different souls proves that the good or bad is not in the circumstance, but only in the mind of him that encounters it.
　　When you begin to realize this you will begin to control your thoughts, to regulate and discipline your mind, and to rebuild the inward temple of your soul, eliminating all useless and superfluous material, and incorporating into your being thoughts alone of joy and serenity, of strength and life, of compassion and love.
　　To the many, the ocean is but a dreary expanse of water on which ships sail and are sometimes wrecked; to the soul of the musician it is a living thing, and he hears, in all its changing moods, divine harmonies.
　　Where the ordinary mind sees disaster and confusion, the mind of the philosopher5 sees the most perfect sequence of cause and effect, and where the materialist sees nothing but endless death, the mystic sees pulsating and eternal life.
　　心中充满希望
　　查尔斯?汉尼尔
　　或许在“外部世界”中只有三件事是人们最渴望的，在“内心世界”，我们也可以找到它们的身影。而找到它们的秘诀就是，只需使用能让每个人都获得无穷力量的正确“途径”。
　　这三件事不仅是所有人都渴望的，也是人们最高表现和全面发展所必需的。它们就是健康、财富和爱。所有的人都承认健康是必需的，如果身体疼痛不适，谁还会觉得快乐？并非所有人都乐于承认财富是必不可少的，但不得不承认的是，至少要拥有足够的供给。如果一个人的需求无法得到满足，那他便会感到痛苦；正如大自然为我们提供的资源不仅仅是足够的，而且是极其丰富的，我们意识到所谓的缺乏和限制不过是人为的分配方式所造成的。大概每个人都会承认把爱排在第三位，但或许也会有人说爱是人类幸福最基本的需求；不管怎样，那些同时拥有健康、财富和爱的人，会发现他们幸福的杯盏已容不下更多。
　　我们发现，宇宙的宗旨就是“全部的健康”、“全部的财富”和“全部的爱”，而我们能够有意识与这种无限供给相连接的有效途径，就存在于我们的思维方式中。正确的思考，就能进入这“最高境界的秘密之地”。
　　什么才是我们应该思考的？如果知道了这一点，就相当于发现了联系我们与“我们渴望的一切事物”的正确途径。当我告诉你这个途径时，你会觉得它似乎很简单，然而请继续读下去，你会发现它就像现实中的“万能钥匙”、“阿拉丁神灯”，如果你愿意的话，你会发现它是幸福安康的基础、必要条件以及绝对的准则。
　　只有了解“真实”，我们才能恰当、正确地思考。此处的真实指的是在所有事务和社交联系中的潜在规则。它是每一项正确行为的先决条件，是充满怀疑、斗争和危险的世界中唯一的坚实之地。
　　既然如此，为了掌握与无限资源之间的连接途径，我们应如何了解这种真实呢？
　　倘若我们认识到真实就是普遍思想的必要原则，是无处不在的，那我们对它的了解便毫无差错。举例来说，如果你需要健康，就应该明白这样的事实：你的“自我”是精神上的，而且所有的精神皆为一体；无论在任何情况下，部分都与整体共存，这将会使你处于健康的状态。因为当你了解这一事实时，身体内的每一个细胞都必须把它表现出来。如果你看到的是疾病，它们就会显现为疾病；如果你看到完美，它们必然会显现出完美。“我完整、完美、坚强、强大、充满爱心、和谐并快乐”，这样肯定的说法会让你的状态趋于和谐。原因就是，这样的肯定与真实保持严格的一致，当真实出现，任何形式的错误与不和谐都必将烟消云散。如果一个人学会将这些伟大的精神原理与所谓的生活琐事相联系，那他就已发现了解决自身问题的秘诀。
　　当一个人接近伟大的思想、伟大的事件、伟大的目标以及伟大的人时，总能受到鼓舞，思想也会更为深刻。很多人都说，当他们走近林肯，总会有一种面临高山的感觉。
　　确实有人已经将真实付诸行动，也有人在自己的生活中证实了它们。偶尔听说这些，也是一种鼓舞。下面是来自弗雷德里克?安德鲁斯的一封信，信中是这样说的：
　　“我大约十三岁时，现已过世的玛西先生曾对我母亲说：‘安德鲁斯夫人，恐怕没有治愈的机会。我的小儿子也得过同样的病，任何可能的努力我都试过了，但最终还是失去了他。对于这些病例，我做过专门的研究，因此我明白几乎没有治愈的可能。’
　　“母亲转向他，说：‘医生，假如他是你的孩子，你会怎样？’他回答说：‘只要有一线希望，我都会努力坚持下去，决不放手。’
　　“那只是一场持久战役的开始，前方的道路充满了曲折与坎坷。虽然医生们一直尽最大的努力鼓舞激励着我们，但他们依然认为没有治愈的可能。
　　“然而我们最终迎来了胜利，曾经那个瘦小病弱、手与膝盖饱受病痛的我，如今已经长成一个强壮、挺直、健康的大男人了。”
　　现在，我明白你很想知道这个秘诀，我会尽可能简洁、快速地告诉你。
　　我为自己制定了一句口号，其中包含了我最需要的品质，然后一遍遍肯定地告诉自己：“我完整、完美、坚强、强大、充满爱心、和谐并快乐。”我坚持着这一口号，从未改变过，甚至夜里醒来我也会发现自己在重复着这句话：“我完整、完美、坚强、强大、充满爱心、和谐并快乐。”这已经成为我每晚睡觉之前和早晨起床之后必做的功课。
　　心灵小语
　　一颗残缺、虚弱、痛苦的心，表现出来的必将是疾病和无奈；而一颗完美、强大、快乐的心，展现的则是健康和幸福。因此，只要我们怀揣梦想，把伟大的思想和目标装进口袋，并持之以恒、不懈努力，成功一定是属于我们的！
　　Full of Desires
　　Charles F.  Haanel
　　There are only three things which can possibly be desired in the“world without” and each of them can be found in the“world within”. The secret of finding them is simply to apply the proper “mechanism1” of attachment to the omnipotent power to which each individual has access.
　　The three things which all mankind desires and which are necessary for his highest and complete development are Health, Wealth and Love. All will admit that health is absolutely essential2; no one can be happy if the physical body is in pain. All will not so readily admit that Wealth is necessary, but all must admit that a sufficient supply at least is necessary, and what would be considered sufficient for one, would be considered absolute and painful lack for another;  and as Nature provides not only enough but abundantly, wastefully, lavishly, we realize that any lack or limitation is only the limitation which has been made by an artificial method of distribution. All will probably admit that Love is the third, or maybe some will say the first essential necessary to the happiness of mankind; at any rate, those who possess all three, Health, Wealth, and Love, find nothing else which can be added to their cup of happiness.
　　We have found that the Universal substance is“All Health”,“All Substance” and “All Love” and that the mechanism of attachment whereby we can consciously connect with this Infinite supply is in our method of thinking. To think correctly is therefore to enter into the “Secret Place of the Most High.”
　　What shall we think? If we know this we shall have found the proper mechanism of attachment which will relate us to“Whatsoever things we desire”. This mechanism may seem very simple when I give it to you, but read on; you will find that it is in reality the “MasterKey”, the“Aladdin’s tamp”, if you please; you will find that it is the foundation, the imperative condition, the absolute law of welldoing, which means, wellbeing.
　　To think correctly, accurately, we must know the “Truth”. The truth then is the underlying principle in every business or social relation. It is a condition precedent to every right action. It is the only solid ground in a world of doubt, conflict and danger.
　　How then are we to know the truth in order to attach this mechanism which will relate us to the Infinite?
　　We can make no mistake about this if we realize that truth is the vital principle of the Universal Mind and is Omnipresent. For instance, if you require health, a realization of the fact that the“I” in you is spiritual and that all spirit is one; that wherever a part is the whole must be, will bring about a condition of health, because every cell in the body must manifest the truth as you see it. If you see sickness, they will manifest3 sickness; if you see perfection they must manifest perfection. The affirmation, “I am whole, perfect, strong, powerful, loving, harmonious and happy”, will bring about harmonious conditions. The reason for this is because the affirmation is in strict accordance with the truth, and when truth appears every form of error or discord must necessarily disappear. He who has learned to bring the greatest spiritual truths into touch with the socalled lesser things of life has discovered the secret of the solution of his problem.
　　One is always quickened, made more thoughtful, by his nearness of approach to great ideas, great events, great natural objects, and great men. Lincoln is said to have begotten in all who came near him the feeling awakened when one approaches a mountain.
　　It is sometimes an inspiration to hear from someone who has actually put these principles to the test, someone who has demonstrated them in their own life. A letter from Frederick Andrews offers the following insight:
　　“I was about thirteen years old when Dr. T. W.  Marsee, since passed over, said to my mother: ‘There is no possible chance, Mrs. Andrews. I lost my little boy the same way, after doing everything for him that it was possible to do. I have made a special study of these cases, and I know there is no possible chance for him to get well.’
　　“She turned to him and said: ‘Doctor, what would you do if he were your boy?’ and he answered, ‘I would fight, fight, as long as there is a breath of life to fight for.’
　　“That was the beginning of a long drawnout battle, with many ups and downs, the doctors all agreeing that there was no chance for a cure, though they encouraged and cheered us the best they could.
　　“But at last the victory came, and I have grown from a little, crooked, twisted, cripple, going about on my hands and knees, to a strong, straight, well formed man.”
　　Now, I know you want the formula4, and I will give it to you as briefly and quickly as I can.
　　I built up an affirmation for myself, taking the qualities I most needed, and affirming for myself over and over again,“I am whole, perfect, strong, powerful, loving, harmonious and happy.” I kept up this affirmation, always the same, never varying, till I could wake up in the night and find myself repeating,“I am whole, perfect, strong, powerful, loving, harmonious and happy.” It was the last thing on my lips at night and the first thing in the morning.
　　品味现在
　　佚名
　　在我们内心深处，总隐藏着一片诗情画意的风景。我们觉得自己正处于一次跨越大陆的漫长旅行中。坐在火车上，窗外流动的风景在我们面前一掠而过：附近高速公路上驰骋的汽车；十字路口挥手的孩童；远处山坡上放牧的牛群；电厂排放的袅袅烟尘；成片的玉米地和小麦地；还有，平原、峡谷、山脉和丘陵；城市的轮廓和乡间的农舍。
　　可是，我们想的最多的还是目的地。某天的某一刻，我们抵达站点，会有乐队演奏，欢迎旗帜飘扬。一旦我们到达了目的地，梦想就会变成现实，而我们破碎的生活会像一幅拼好的画图，变得完美。我们焦躁不安地在车厢里踱来踱去，诅咒火车的迟缓——等啊等，等待进站的那一刻。
　　“进站时，一切都好了！”我们呼喊着。“我满１８岁时。”“我买了一辆新的450SL奔驰轿车时！”“当我供最小的孩子读完大学。”“当我还了所有的贷款。”“当我退休的时候，就从此过上了幸福的生活！”
　　迟早，我们会意识到人生没有终点站，没有什么地方真正完美。生命的真正乐趣在于旅行的过程。终点站只是一个梦，它永远在我们的前方。
　　“品味现在”本身就是一句很好的箴言，再加上《圣经?诗篇》第118章第24行的这样一句话，使得它更显特别：“主创造了今天，我们为活在今日而欢欣雀跃。”导致人们疯狂的往往不是今日的沉重，而是对昨日的懊悔和对明日的畏惧。懊悔和畏惧如同一对孪生的窃贼，偷走了我们的今天。
　　因此，别再在车厢内徘徊，不要计算着余下的行程吧！让我们攀登更多的高山，吃冰激凌，赤脚漫步，游泳，欣赏日落，多点儿欢笑，少些泪水吧。让生命活在我们前进的脚步中，那么车站很快就会到达。
　　Relish the Moment
　　Anonymous
　　Tucked away in our subconsciousness is an idyllic vision. We see ourselves on a long trip that spans the continent. We are traveling by train. Out the windows, we drink in the passing scene of cars on nearby highways, of children waving at a crossing, of cattle grazing on a distant hillside, of smoke pouring from a power plant, of row upon row of corn and wheat, of flatlands and valleys, of mountains and rolling hillsides, of city skylines and village halls.
　　But uppermost in our minds is the final destination. On a certain day at a certain hour, we will pull into the station. Bands will be playing and flags waving. Once we get there, so many wonderful dreams will come true and the pieces of our lives will fit together like a completed jigsaw puzzle. How restlessly we pace the aisles, damning the minutes for loitering —waiting, waiting, waiting for the station.
　　“When we reach the station, that will be it!” we cry. “When I’m 18.” “When I buy a new 450SL Mercedes Benz!”“When I put the last kid through college.”“When I have paid off the mortgage!” “When I get a promotion.” “When I reach the age of retirement, I shall live happily ever after!”
　　Sooner or later, we must realize there is no station, no one place to arrive at once and for all. The true joy of life is the trip. The station is only a dream. It constantly outdistances us.
　　“Relish the moment” is a good motto, especially when coupled with Psalm 118:24, “This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” It isn’t the burdens of today that drive men mad. It is the regrets over yesterday and the fear of tomorrow. Regret and fear are twin thieves who rob us of today.
　　So stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles. Instead, climb more mountains, eat more ice creams, go barefoot more often, swim more rivers, watch more sunsets, laugh more, cry less. Life must be lived as we go along. The station will come soon enough.

美丽英文励志篇(12)

　积极向上
　　奥里森?马登
　　在圣赫勒拿，拿破仑曾对蒙托洛说：“亚历山大、恺撒、查理曼还有我自己都曾建立帝国，但我们天赋的创造基于什么之上？是武力。只有基督耶稣在爱的基础上建起了他的帝国，因而此刻有无数的人愿为他而死。我将提早离开人世，而我的躯体也将回归尘埃。这便是那个号称‘伟大的拿破仑’的命运。在我深深的痛苦和基督耶稣永恒的帝国之间，有着怎样的一道深渊啊！那永恒的帝国正表明了，爱慕与崇敬可以遍布整个地球。”
　　传说，所罗门（以色列国王）收到示巴女王所赠的翡翠瓶后，便往瓶内装满了只有他自己知道配方的长生不老药，而这种药只须一滴便可无限地延长寿命。一个垂死的罪犯曾向他乞求一滴珍贵的灵药，但所罗门拒绝了，他不愿延长一个罪恶的生命。而好人去求灵药时，或被拒绝，或得到允诺却迟迟拿不到药，因为国王总会忘记或根本不愿打开瓶子，哪怕只是一滴药。最终国王病倒了，他吩咐仆人拿来翡翠瓶，却发现里面的灵药早已全部蒸发。所以说，这所谓的灵药通常都承载着我们的希望、信念、雄心和渴望。
　　一个垂头丧气的人无法拥有雄心壮志。上帝创造我们时，并没有给我们对于无法攀登的高度所需的热望和期待。乐观向上地生活，因为那些不曾得到的一切依然召唤着我们朝生命的巅峰前进，到伟大灵魂生活、呼吸、存在的地方去。生活就应该满怀热情。它不是懒惰的游戏，也不是可以轻易忘却的搞笑闹剧，它是严肃的现实，满载着比天上繁星更多的责任。你无法拥有太多的渴望，因为即使无法实现自己的理想，你的努力也不会付诸东流，而是会收获祝福。
　　终有一天，我们都会明白：财富、地位、权势等一切世间的浮华仅仅是过眼云烟，如果无法得到内心的那份宁静，一切外在的优势也不过是其悲惨境遇的笑柄而已。睿智的人会将心中自私的野心斩草除根。莎士比亚认为，应采取措施将这近乎罪恶的野心转变为一种美德。
　　当一个笨拙、暴戾、无能、懒惰的人满怀爱的力量，谁会注意不到呢？他会变得举止优雅、言语谦和、精力充沛。爱会激发出他内心的诗意。那或许只是一个念头、一种情感，但它却起到了神奇的作用。我们并不知道是什么影响了他，但他却发生了翻天覆地的转变。
　　然而，不要为了那些不切实际的目标而努力。的确，你有着巨大的潜能，但不能因此就想成为国王。在劳动生涯中被选为美国总统或英国首相的人又有多少呢？就算有无数的年轻人想成为总统或首相，那又怎样？当你有能力争取这些令人向往的荣誉时，切记：你必须非常杰出，而且必须拥有最高等级的资格，否则你就没有希望得到它们。太多人都会被他们能力之外的野心所迷惑，或深受无法实现的渴望的折磨。当然，你可以满怀信心地在能力与权力方面变得杰出，但前提是你必须在自身修养上打好坚实的基础；然而那些专注于雄心的人和专注于科学的人，都容易变得狭隘、片面。达尔文年轻时，非常喜爱诗歌与音乐，然而当他投身科学后，却惊讶地发现莎士比亚曾感受到的沉闷与无聊。他说，如果上天再给他一次生命，他会每天朗读诗歌、聆听音乐，以防失去欣赏这些美好事物的能力。
　　人永远无法超越他惯有的思维水平。偶尔乘着迷人的翅膀，畅游在无限的宇宙，是远远不够的。我们必须习惯在那里居住。伟人之所以成为伟人，是因为他们能毫不费力地坚守在别人艰难且偶尔才能到达的高度。不要让胆小懦弱的座右铭终日徘徊在你的耳旁，它们会压低你雄心壮志的声音或阻碍你的渴望。在希望的引导下，我们一步步踏上神秘的阶梯，而这阶梯的顶端却不曾有人见过。虽然我们并没有发现希望的任何承诺，但却在攀登中变得更为强壮，同时拓宽了生活的视野，这也是努力所得的回报。的确，如果不曾跟随希望的引导，我们就会在绝望的阶梯上慢慢滑落。因此要不断奋斗，让自己达到最佳状态。
　　心灵小语
　　正如戈达德所言：“很难说什么是不可能的，因为昨天的梦想，就是今天的希望和明天的现实。”只要我们既不好高骛远，又不畏首畏尾，而是胸怀大志、坚定目标，就一定能够到达成功的巅峰。
　　Live Upward
　　Orison Marden
　　“Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne and myself have founded empires,” said Napoleon to Menthol at St. Helena,“but upon what did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ alone founded his empire on love, and at this moment millions of men would die for him. I die before my time and my body will be given back to worms. Such is the fate of him who has been called the great Napoleon. What an abyss between my deep misery and the eternal kingdom of Christ, which is proclaimed, loved and adored, and which is extended over the whole earth.”
　　Tradition says that when Solomon received the gift of an emerald vase from the Queen of Sheba he filled it with an elixir which he only knew how to prepare, one drop of which would prolong life indefinitely. A dying criminal begged for a drop of the precious fluid, but Solomon refused to prolong a wicked life. When good men asked for it they were refused, or failed to obtain it when promised, as the king would forget or prefer not to open the vase to get but a single drop. When at last the king became ill, and bade his servants bring the vase, he found that the contents had all evaporated. So it is often with our hope, our faith, our ambition, our aspiration.
　　A man cannot aspire if he looks down. God has not created us with aspirations and longings for heights to which we cannot climb. Live upward. The unattained still beckons us toward the summit of life’s mountains, into the atmosphere where great souls live and breathe and have their being. Life should be lived in earnest. It is no idle game, no farce to amuse and be forgotten. It is a stern reality, fuller of duties than the sky of stars. You cannot have too much of that yearning which we call aspiration, for, even though you do not attain your ideal, the efforts you make will bring nothing but blessing.
　　To all will come a time when the love of glory will be seen to be but a splendid delusion, riches empty, rank vain, power dependent, and all outward advantages without inward peace a mere mockery of wretchedness. The wisest men have taken care to uproot selfish ambition from their breasts. Shakespeare considered it so near a vice as to need extenuating circumstances to make it a virtue.
　　Who has not noticed the power of love in an awkward, crabbed, shiftless, lazy man? He becomes gentle, chaste in language, energetic. Love brings out the poetry in him. It is only an idea, a sentiment, and yet what magic it has wrought. Nothing we can see has touched the man, yet he is entirely transformed.
　　But do not strive to reach impossible goals. It is wholly in your power to develop yourself, but not necessarily so to make yourself a king. How many Presidents of the United States or Prime Ministers of England are chosen within the working lifetime of a man? What if a thousand young men resolve to become President or Prime Minister? While such prizes are within your reach, remember that your will must be tremendous and your qualifications of the highest order, or you cannot hope to secure them. Too many are deluded by ambition beyond their power of attainment, or tortured by aspirations totally disproportionate to their capacity for execution. You may, indeed, confidently hope to become eminent in usefulness and power, but only as you build upon a broad foundation of selfculture; while, as a rule, specialists in ambition as in science are apt to become narrow and onesided. Darwin was very fond of poetry and music when young, but after devoting his life to science, he was surprised to find Shakespeare tedious. He said that, if he were to live his life again, he would read poetry and hear music every day, so as not to lose the power of appreciating such things.
　　Man never reaches heights above his habitual thought. It is not enough now and then to mount on wings of ecstasy into the infinite. We must habitually dwell there. The great man is he who abides easily on heights to which others rise occasionally and with difficulty. Don’t let the maxims of a low prudence daily dinned into your ears lower the tone of your high ambition or check your aspirations. Hope lifts us step by step up the mysterious ladder, the top of which no eye hath ever seen. Though we do not find what hope promised, yet we are stronger for the climbing, and we get a broader outlook upon life which repays the effort. Indeed, if we do not follow where hope beckons, we gradually slide down the ladder in despair. Strive ever to be at the top of your condition.
　　渴望中诞生希望
　　查尔斯?汉尼尔
　　传说，人类拥有“主宰世上万物的权力”：这样的主宰权是通过思想建立起来的。思想掌控着在它之下所有原则的行为。由于它卓越的本质，这最高的准则必然对环境、外界及与它相接触的任何事物的联系起着决定性作用。
　　自然界中最完美的是精神力量的共鸣，因而它也是最强大的。对那些认识到精神力量的本质与卓越的人而言，身体上的所有力量都显得微不足道。
　　通常我们会通过五官感觉的透镜来观察世间的万物，这些经验便成为我们人神同形概念的起源，然而真正的概念只有通过精神的洞察才能确保形成。这种洞察力需要思想共鸣的活力，只有当思想不间断地集中于一个特定方向时，才能确保这种能力的形成。
　　不间断集中就意味着连贯而完整的思想流，这是耐心的、持久稳固的、井井有条的系统的产物。
　　伟大的发现皆是坚持不懈调查研究的结果。要掌握数学必须经过多年专注的努力，而要想在最伟大的科学——思想方面有所成就，就只有更全神贯注地付出努力。
　　在很大程度上，渴望是下意识的；如果不立即将潜意识的渴望付诸实践，那它就很难实现。下意识的渴望激发出思想潜在的能量，因此任何困难都会自行解决。
　　潜意识的思想可以被唤起，并以任何形式付诸实践，通过精神的集中，我们可以利用它实现任何目标。精神集中的练习需要支配及调节身体、精神等生命的各方面；所有意识的模式，无论是身体还是精神方面的，都应服从支配控制。
　　所有精神上的发现和成就都是渴望和专注的成果；渴望是行动最强烈的模式；对渴望的坚持愈久，所取得的成就就愈具权威性。渴望与专注联手，任何自然的秘密都会露出真实的面目。
　　每克服一次困难、赢得胜利，都会增加你的信心和力量，同时你也将获得更强大的能力。你的力量取决于你的精神态度；只要这一态度渴望着成功，就永远把握住坚定的目标，你将会在精神的世界中如愿以偿。
　　过早地拥有的财富或地位不可能持久，因为它并非自己所得；我们只能拥有我们应得的，那些试图不劳而获的人们总会发现补偿的规则会无情地将一切趋于平衡。
　　通常思想会从表面上决定进化的趋势，但也会将其转化至内部，以便能掌握事物基本的原理、核心与精髓。接触到事物的核心，你就能相当容易地理解和支配它们。
　　原因是事物的灵魂其实便是事物本身，是它至关重要的部分，也就是它的本质。形式仅仅是内在精神活动的外部表现。
　　如果你想消除恐惧，那就将精神集中于勇气。
　　如果你想消除贫乏，那就将精神集中于富裕。
　　如果你想消除疾病，那就将精神集中于健康。
　　永远将精神集中于自己的理想，并将其看作是存在的现实，这便是生命的初始，也是生命的法则，它不断前进，并最终实现那些指引生命并带来必要联系的目标。
　　心灵小语
　　没有了希望，生活便失去了阳光；没有了希望，人类就失去了动力。希望，是一种比金钱、地位等任何东西都要重要的信念。是希望，让我们在逆境中产生信心，给我们以力量，促使我们不断进步，让我们取得成就。
　　Faith Consist in Desire
　　Charles F. Haanel
　　We are told that Man has“dominion1 over all things”; this dominion is established through Mind. Thought is the activity which controls every principle beneath it. The highest principle by reason of its superior essence and qualities necessarily determines the circumstances, aspects and relations of everything with which it comes in contact.
　　The vibrations of mental forces are the finest and consequently the most powerful in existence. To those who perceive the nature and transcendence of mental force, all physical power sinks into insignificance.
　　We are accustomed to look upon the universe with a lens of five senses, and from these experiences our anthropomorphic2 conceptions originate, but true conceptions are only secured by spiritual insight. This insight requires a quickening of the vibrations of the Mind, and is only secured when the Mind is continuously concentrated in a given direction.
　　Continuous concentration means an even, unbroken flow of thought and is the result of patient, persistent, persevering and wellregulated system.
　　Great discoveries are the result of longcontinued investigation. The science of mathematics requires years of concentrated effort to master it, and the greatest science—that of the mind—is revealed only through concentrated effort.
　　Desire is largely subconscious3; conscious desire rarely realizes its object when the latter is out of immediate reach. Subconscious desire arouses the latent faculties of the mind, and difficult problems seem to solve themselves.
　　The subconscious mind may be aroused and brought into action in any direction and made to serve us for any purpose, by concentration. The practice of concentration requires the control of the physical, mental, and physical being; all modes of consciousness whether physical, mental, or physical, must be under contro1.
　　All mental discovery and attainment give the result of desire plus concentration; desire is the strongest mode of action; the more persistent the desire, the more authoritative the revelation. Desire added to concentration will wrench any secret from nature.
　　Every obstacle conquered, every victory gained, will give you more faith in your power, and you will have greater ability to win. Your strength is determined by your mental attitude; if this attitude is one of success, and is permanently held with an unswerving purpose, you will attain to you from the invisible domain, the things you silently demand.
　　Premature wealth or position cannot be retained because it has not been earned; we get only what we are given, and those who try to get without giving always find that the law of compensation is relentlessly bringing about an exact equilibrium.
　　Thought ordinarily leads outwardly in evolutionary directions, but it can be turned within where it will take hold of the basic principles of things, the heart of things, the spirit of things. When you get to the heart of things it is comparatively easy to understand and command them.
　　This is because the spirit of a thing is the thing itself, the vital part of it, the real substance. The form is simply the outward manifestation of the spiritual activity within.
　　If you wish to eliminate fear, concentrate on courage.
　　If you wish to eliminate lack, concentrate on abundance.
　　If you wish to eliminate disease, concentrate on health.
　　Always concentrate on the ideal as an already existing fact; this is the germ cell, the life principle which goes forth and sets in motion those causes which guide direction and bring about the necessary relation, which eventually manifest in form.
　　你是生命最强音
　　佚名
　　我在内华达大学拉斯韦加斯分校任经济学的老师，每个星期上三次课。上周一，刚一上课，我便兴高采烈地询问学生们周末过得如何。一个男生说，由于被拔掉了智齿，他的周末过得很痛苦，接着他又问我为何总能保持如此愉悦的心情。
　　他的问题使我想起了一句曾经在哪里看到过的一句话：“每天早上起床时，你可以为如何面对这一天的生活作出选择。”我说：“选择快乐。”
　　“举例来说，”我对着全班60个学生继续说道，“我不但在这里授课，还在汉德森的一所社区大学任教，那里距离我家有17英里的路程。几个星期之前，有一天我开车前往那所学校，从高速公路上下来之后，我驶入了校园区。在离学校只有400多米的地方，我的车抛锚了。我试着重新发动引擎，然而不起任何作用。因此我只好打亮指示灯，抓起课本向学校冲去。
　　“到了学校，我立刻打电话给汽车协会，请他们在我下课之后开一辆拖车过来。院长办公室的秘书问我发生了什么事情。‘我今天运气真好呀。’我笑着回答。
　　“‘你的车坏了，你却还说今天运气真好？’她满脸疑惑，‘你在说什么啊？’
　　“‘我的家距离这里有17英里。’我回答说，‘我的车没准会在高速公路的某个地方抛锚。然而幸运的是，它没有。相反，汽车是在驶离高速公路之后才抛锚的，恰巧在步行区之内。我仍然来得及去上课，还能安排拖车在我上完课之后来处理。假如我的汽车注定要在今天抛锚的话，我感觉自己已经相当幸运了。’
　　“那个秘书听得目瞪口呆，然后她笑了。我也冲她笑了笑，便上课去了。”这就是我所经历的一件事。
　　我环视了全班60张面孔。尽管是大清早，可没有一个学生在打瞌睡。不知是什么原因，我的经历触动了他们。或者触动他们的并非故事本身。事实上，最初有学生看到我兴致勃勃的时候，他们就已经被我的快乐感染了。
　　You Can Speak Louder than Anything
　　Anonymous
　　I teach economics at UNLV three times per week. Last Monday, at the beginning of class, I cheerfully asked my students how their weekend had been. One young man said that his weekend had not been so good. He had his wisdom teeth removed. The young man then proceeded to ask me why I always seemed to be so cheerful.
　　His question reminded me of something I’d read somewhere before, “Every morning when you get up, you have a choice about how you want to approach1 life that day,” I said. “I choose to be cheerful.”
　　“Let me give you an example,” I continued，addressing all sixty students in the class. “In addition to2 teaching here at UNLV, I also teach out at the community college in Henderson, 17 miles down the freeway from where I live. One day a few weeks ago I drove those 17 miles to Henderson. I exited the freeway and turned onto College Drive. I only had to drive another quarter mile down the road to the college. But just then my car died. I tried to start it again, but the engine wouldn’t turn over. So I put my flashers3 on, grabbed my books, and marched down the road to the college.”
　　“As soon as I got there I called AAA and arranged for a tow truck to meet me at my car after class. The secretary in the Provost’s office asked me what has happened. ‘This is my lucky day.’ I replied, smiling.”
　　“‘Your car breaks down4 and today is your lucky day?’ She was puzzled. ‘What do you mean?’”
　　“‘I live 17 miles from here,’ I replied，‘My car could have broken down anywhere along the freeway. It didn’t. Instead, it broke down in the perfect place: off the freeway, within walking distance of here. I’m still able to teach my class, and I’ve been able to arrange for the tow truck to meet me after class. If my car was meant to break down today, it couldn’t have been arranged in a more convenient fashion.’”
　　“The secretary’s eyes opened wide, and then she smiled. I smiled back and headed for class.” So ended my story.
　　I scanned5 the sixty faces in my economics class at UNLV. Despite the early hour, no one seemed to be asleep. Somehow, my story had touched them. Or maybe it wasn’t the story at all. In fact, it had all started with a student’s observation that I was cheerful.
　　用快乐装点生活
　　奥里森?马登
　　要满足幸福生活，就必须具备十个条件。第一是要有良好的消化能力，其他九个无一例外都是——金钱。最起码当代的哲学家都是这样说的。不过，《温柔的生活》的作者却有着更为现实的看法，他说这种神圣产物中蕴涵着不计其数的多余欢乐，如果一个人对生活毫无所求的话，这些欢乐是根本没有必要的。
　　他自己便是一个享受快乐的人，他知道如何寻觅快乐——不是来源于理想状态的幻想，而是来源于身边的实际生活。一个人若是领悟了这个秘密，就不会期待不切实际的幻境，不会等待下一年、下一个十年的到来，不会等到自己成为富人，不会等到自己能够去国外旅行，也不会默默地等待自己拥有一切，而是尽情地享受今天的生活，掌控自己。
　　每个角落都是天堂，但你的心中一定要带着欢乐，否则你将永远错过它。
　　人们应该在工作时间之后放松精神，而不是在工作时间之内。人们应该以菲利普?阿穆尔为榜样，在完成工作时，就丢掉钥匙，并马上打开一扇有益于健康的娱乐大门。莱曼?比彻博士经常利用一把小提琴来调节自己的心情。他有一套不变的并被他称为“解缚”的系统，以此来消除自己的紧张感。
　　约翰逊博士建议：“一个人应当多花一些时间来欢笑。”
　　同普通人一样，幽默是林肯的快乐秘诀。他常挂在嘴边的一句话便是：“如果不是因为这样，我可能早就活不下去了。”正是他的笑话和新奇故事，为处于低潮时期的国家带来一片光明。
　　“除了美德，”艾格尼丝?斯特里克兰说，“欢笑也是这个世界上我们能够分享的最少的东西之一。”
　　“我整天都很快乐，”编辑查尔斯?达纳问一个未老先衰的朋友，+“你平时看小说、打台球、散步吗?”格莱斯顿很早就养成了乐观看待事物的习惯，他从未因担心公务而失眠过。
　　人们可以从许多户外运动和自然景象中获得快乐，这是毋庸置疑的。如果我们愉快、满足，大自然都会向我们微笑——空气似乎比平常更加清新，蔚蓝的天空更加晴朗，大地披上更鲜绿的地毯，树木穿上更茂盛的衣服，花儿散发出更醉人的芬芳，鸟儿鸣唱得更甜美清脆，太阳、月亮和星星都更加光彩夺目。“活着的感觉真美好——清晨睁开眼来，欣赏着窗外的世界，呼吸着纯净的空气，沐浴着温暖的阳光，感受着脉搏的跳动，并为每一根神经里蕴涵的力量而激动；简单的存在就是一件美好的事，虽然我们常常给这个世界带来伤害，但我们依然生活在一个美妙的世界里。”
　　每个人的身上都蕴藏着被我们称为“未开采的欢乐宝藏”，而且这个宝藏无所不在。
　　每天都去“采矿”，能够有新发现的人才是真正的聪明——他尝试用自己的眼睛从每个地方、每件事情中发掘美好。
　　歌德说：“一个人应该每天最少听一首歌、读一首好诗、看一幅精美的画，而且，如果条件允许的话，说几句有道理的话。”如果这对一个人自身有益的话，何不试着去听歌、读诗、看画，并对其他人讲有道理的话呢？为那些既不能拓展性格，对心灵也毫无价值的东西而努力奋斗时，音乐和诗歌便在你心中消失了吗？循规蹈矩的想象力如何能让你头脑中迸发出美丽的图画呢？一个心智灵敏的人，每天都能找到利于身心健康的娱乐活动……
　　在书籍的海洋里，优美的、鼓舞人心的内容很快地成为每个人生活的一部分。比起对优秀的文学作品、精彩的小说、游记、历史文献和人物传记的衷爱——还有什么可与之媲美呢？
　　心灵小语
　　蓝蓝的天空，朵朵的云彩，绿绿的草坪，芬芳的花朵，飞翔的小鸟……多么美妙的生活！既然大自然为我们创造了这么美好的环境，那么我们有什么理由去烦恼沮丧、愁眉不展呢？发现生活的美，把握自己，享受生活吧！
　　Taking Your Fun Every Day as You Do Your Work  
　　Orison Marden
　　Ten things are necessary for happiness in this life, the first being a good digestion, and the other nine, —money; so at least it is said by our modern philosophers. Yet the author of A Gentle Life speaks more truly in saying that the Divine creation includes thousands of superfluous1 joys which are totally unnecessary to the bare support of life.
　　He alone is the happy man who has learned to extract happiness—not from ideal conditions, but from the actual ones about him. The man who has mastered the secret will not wait for ideal surroundings; he will not wait until next year, next decade, until he gets rich, until he can travel abroad, until he can afford to surround himself with works of the great masters;  but he will make the most out of life today, where he is.
　　Paradise is here or nowhere, you must take your joy with you or you will never find it.
　　It is after business hours, not in them, that men break down. Men must, like Philip Amour, turn the key on business when they leave it, and at once unlock the doors of some wholesome recreation. Dr. Lyman Beecher used to divert himself with a violin. He had a regular system of what he called “unwinding”, thus relieving the great strain put upon him.
　　“A man,” says Dr. Johnson, “should spend part of his time with the laughers.”
　　Humor was Lincoln’s lifepreserver, as it has been of thousands of others.“If it were not for this,” he used to say,“I should die.” His jests and quaint stories lighted the gloom of dark hours of national peril.
　　“Next to virtue,” said Agnes Strickland, “the fun in this world is what we can least share.”
　　“I have fun from morning till night,” said the editor Charles A. Dana to a friend who was growing prematurely old.“Do you read novels, and play billiards, and walk a great deal?”
　　Gladstone early formed a habit of looking on the bright side of things, and never lost a moment’s sleep by worrying about public business．
　　There are many outofdoor sports，and the very presence of nature is to many a great joy. How true it is that, if we are cheerful and contented, all nature smiles with us—the air seems more balmy2, the sky more clear，the earth has a brighter green, the trees have a richer foliage, the flowers are more fragrant, the birds sing more sweetly, and the sun, moon, and stars all appear more beautiful. “It is a grand thing to live—to open the eyes in the morning and look out upon the world, to drink in the pure air and enjoy the sweet sunshine, to feel the pulse bound，and the being thrill with the consciousness of strength and power in every nerve; it is a good thing simply to be alive, and it is a good world we live in, in spite of the abuse we are fond of giving it.”
　　Upon every side of us are to be found what one has happily called—unworked joy mines．
　　And he who goes “prospecting” to see what he can daily discover is a wise man, training his eye to see beauty in everything and everywhere．
　　“One ought, every day,” says Goethe,“at least to hear a little song，read a good poem, see a fine picture, and, if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable words.” And if this be good for one’s self, why not try the song, the poem, the picture, and the good words on some one else? Shall music and poetry die out of you while you are struggling for that which can never enrich the character, nor add to the soul’s worth?  Shall a disciplined imagination fill the mind with beautiful pictures? He who has intellectual resources to fall back upon will not lack for daily recreation most wholesome..．
　　In the world of books, what is grand and inspiring may easily become a part of every man’s life. A fondness for good literature，for good fiction, for travel, for history, and for biography—what is better than this?
　　探寻未知的美好
　　奥里森?马登
　　一天，在詹姆士?罗斯查尔德爵士家的宴会上，法国著名画家欧仁?德拉克罗瓦当场透露：在过去的一段时间里，他一直在为他正在创作的一幅画里的乞丐模特而发愁，因为没有找到合适的人选。当他的目光停留在爵士的脸上时，一个灵感突然闪现在脑中——他梦寐以求的人就在眼前。作为一名忠实的艺术爱好者，罗斯查尔德高兴地答应扮演一名乞丐坐在那里。第二天，罗斯查尔德来到画室，德拉克罗瓦将一件束腰外衣围在爵士肩上，让爵士手握一根短棍，并摆出一个造型，如同正在一座古罗马神庙前的阶梯上休息一样。德拉克罗瓦离开了画室，这时他最得意的一名学生进来看到了罗斯查尔德的乞丐造型。年轻人本能地认为这个乞丐是刚刚来到画室，便带着同情的表情一声不吭地将一些钱塞在他手里。罗斯查尔德只是道了声谢，便把钱放进兜里，然后那个学生就走出了画室。过了一会儿，罗斯查尔德从画家那儿得知那个年轻人很有绘画天分，只是没有什么处世经验。
　　没过多久，那个年轻人便收到了一封信。信的大意是，因为他的善良本性——他将钱给了一个他认为是乞丐的人，而作为答谢，他将得到一万法郎，可以随时到罗斯查尔德的办公室领取。
　　这件事很好地说明了艺术令人愉快的魅力，即使很富有的人也不例外——画家的灵感，假扮的乞丐，以及一个可敬的学生的善举。
　　轻快的感觉不正像波光粼粼的水流吗？英国前首相格莱斯顿曾说：“我最大的快乐是在劳动中得到的。我从小就养成了勤奋的习惯，并因此获益匪浅。年轻人很容易认为休息就是停止一切的努力，可我觉得最佳的休息就是转变一种形式的努力。假如看书、学习太多而感到头昏脑涨时，就出去晒一下温暖的阳光，呼吸一下新鲜的空气，让身心得到彻底的放松。大脑不久就会恢复平静并得到休息。天性中的努力成分是永不枯竭的。即便我们睡觉的时候，心脏也还在不停地跳动着。我试着使自己的生活方式更顺应于天性，并在劳动中尽力模仿，而最终的硕果会是甜美的睡眠、健康的消化能力以及旺盛的精力。我所得到的这些皆源于勤奋的酬劳。”
　　……
　　美国小说家霍桑也曾说过，相互分享的快乐才是内心所有快乐中的巅峰。
　　从前有一个国王，他十分溺爱自己的小儿子，并想尽办法让他开心。因此国王买来小马给他骑，建造漂亮的房子让他住，当然还有图画、书、数不清的玩具，教育他的老师、伙伴以及一切用钱能做到的事情。虽然小王子什么都有，可他还是闷闷不乐。无论到哪里，他总是一副愁眉苦脸的样子，并一直期待拥有他所没有的东西。直到最终一位魔术师来到宫廷才改变了这一切。魔术师看到愁容满面的小男孩后，便对国王说：“只要我告诉你儿子一个秘密，我就能让他快乐起来，将他的苦脸变为笑脸，可你必须要为这个秘密给我一大笔钱。”
　　“好吧，”国王说，“不管你要什么，我都会答应的。”小男孩被带到一个单独的房间里，魔术师用一个白色的东西在一张纸上写了些字，并递给小男孩一支蜡烛，叫他点燃后，把纸放在蜡烛的上方，然后看可以读到什么。吩咐完之后，魔术师就走出了屋子。小男孩按照魔术师的话去做，这时白色的字母变成了美丽的蓝色，并组成了这样一句话：“每天做一件好事。”王子接受了这个建议，成为王国里最快乐的人。
　　所谓快乐的人就是，他不会觉得自己与宇宙的和谐有丝毫偏差，他会敞开心扉拥抱天性和精神领域的呼唤，他能看到天地间从未展现的光芒。唯有这样的生命才能表露出内心的融洽。每一个纯洁、健康的思想，每一种对善良和真理的崇高向往，每一颗对更高尚、更美好生活的渴望心灵，每一个崇高的目标和每一次无私的努力，都使人类的精神愈加坚强、愈加和谐、愈加美好。
　　心灵小语
　　英国小说家霍桑说：“相互分享的快乐才是内心所有快乐中的巅峰。”一个自私的人，以为有了财富就会快乐。其实不然，为什么呢？这是因为他没有将快乐分享。只有帮助他人，给别人带去温暖，才会真正感受到人生的美好。
　　Finding What You Do Not Seek
　　Orison Marden
　　Dining one day with Baron James Rothschild, Eugene Delacroix, the famous French artist, confessed that, during some time past, he had vainly sought for a head to serve as a model for that of a beggar in a picture which he was painting; and that, as he gazed at his host’s features, the idea suddenly occurred to him that the very head he desired was before him. Rothschild, being a great lover of art, readily consented to sit as the beggar. The next day, at the studio, Delacroix placed a tunic around the Baron’s shoulders, put a stout staff in his hand, and made him pose as if he were resting on the steps of an ancient Roman temple. In this attitude he was found by one of the artist’s favorite pupils, in a brief absence of the master from the room. The youth naturally concluded that the beggar had just been brought in, and with a sympathetic look quietly slipped a piece of money into his hand. Rothschild thanked him simply, pocketed the money, and the student passed out. Rothschild then inquired of the master, and found that the young man had talent, but very slender means.
　　Soon after, the youth received a letter stating that charity bears interest, and that the accumulated interest on the amount he had given to one he supposed to be a beggar was represented by the sum of ten thousand francs, which was awaiting his claim at the Rothschild’s office.
　　This illustrates well the art to cheerful amusement even if one has great business cares—the entertainment of the artist, the personation of a beggar, and an act of beneficence toward a worthy student.
　　Are not buoyant spirits like water sparkling when it runs? “I have found my greatest happiness in labor,” said Gladstone. “I early formed a habit of industry, and it has been its own reward. The young are apt to think that rest means a cessation from all effort, but I have found the most perfect rest in changing effort. If brainweary over books and study, go out into the blessed sunlight and the pure air, and give heartfelt exercise to the body. The brain will soon become calm and rested. The efforts of Nature are ceaseless. Even in our sleep the heart throbs on. I try to live close to Nature, and to imitate her in my labors. The compensation is sound sleep, a wholesome digestion, and powers that are kept at their best; and this, I take it, is the chief reward of industry.”
　　…
　　And Hawthorne has said that the inward pleasure of imparting pleasure is the choicest of all.
　　There was once a king who loved his little boy very much, and took a great deal of pains to please him. So he gave him a pony to ride, beautiful rooms to live in, pictures, books, toys without number, teachers, companions, and everything that money could buy or ingenuity devise; but for all this, the young prince was unhappy. He wore a frown wherever he went, and was always wishing for something he did not have. At length a magician came to the court. He saw the scowl on the boy’s face, and said to the king, “I can make your son happy, and turn his frowns into smiles, but you must pay me a great price for telling him this secret.”
　　“All right,” said the king, “whatever you ask I will give.” The magician took the boy into a private room. He wrote something with a white substance on a piece of paper. He gave the boy a candle, and told him to light it and hold it under the paper, and then see what he could read. Then the magician went away. The boy did as he had been told, and the white letters turned into a beautiful blue. They formed these words:“Do a kindness to some one every day.” The prince followed the advice, and became the happiest boy in the realm.
　　Happy is he who has no sense of discord with the harmony of the universe, who is open to the voices of nature and of the spiritual realm, and who sees the light that never was on sea or land. Such a life can but give to its inward harmony. Every pure and healthy thought, every noble aspiration for the good and the true, every longing of the heart for a higher and better life, every lofty purpose and unselfish endeavor, makes the human spirit stronger, more harmonious, and more beautiful.

美丽英文励志篇(13)

　开辟幸福人生
　　塞缪尔?斯迈尔斯
　　想要生活节俭是一件十分容易的事。首要原则是：收入大于支出。为了将来，我们应该储存一部分钱。而那些支出大于收入的人则是十足的笨蛋。
　　第二条原则就是不要四处借钱。抵制任何让自己负债累累的理由。
　　负债的人大都习惯编造谎言。如果某人一旦债务缠身，他就很容易变得不再诚实。“将花销控制在收入的范围内，就会使自己变得富有。”
　　第三条原则就是在无法预料的金钱到手之前，永远不要动用自己的存款。一旦没有得到利润，你便会深陷债务危机，甚至永远不能翻身。
　　第四条原则就是定期将你所有的收入与花销记录下来。无论做什么事，一个生活有规划的人事先总会知道要做什么，并为达成此事提供所需的资金。更重要的是，他们往往能够达到收支平衡。
　　人们很难确定节俭的程度。培根曾说过，如果一个人要达到收支平衡，他花销的数额一定不能超出收入额的一半，并能将其余的钱都存起来。或许这种定位太过苛刻，连培根也没有遵循自己的言论。一个人应该将收入的多少用在房租上？这恐怕得由个人的情况而定。
　　无论家庭成员有多少，积累的钱越多，人们的生活就越好。节俭，无论对中等收入家庭还是贫穷人群，都是至关重要的。不知道节俭的人，就无法成为一个大方的人——囊中羞涩的他，只能远离所有的社会慈善活动。
　　假如一个人身无分文，那就根本谈不到帮助别人。他既不能给予孩子良好的教育，也不能指导孩子在社会上找到发展方向。日常生活中，不计其数的事实已充分证明，即使智商不高的人也可以成功地养成节俭的习惯。
　　然而节俭对于各阶层人士的影响仍显得微不足道。他们更习惯过着负债的生活。出于贪欲与吝啬而存钱与节俭是截然不同的概念。两者都主张杜绝浪费，竭尽全力节省每一样东西，不过两者的出发点则各不相同。吝啬鬼唯一的快乐在于积累；而节俭的人是在力所能及的范围内，尽情享受生活的同时，积攒钱以备不时之需。在贪婪的人心中，金子就是他的偶像；而在节俭之人看来，金子只是一种有用的工具，一种提高自身以及家人生活质量的手段。吝啬鬼永远不会有满足感，他们从不享用自己积累起来的财富，而他们留下的遗产，最大的可能就是被他的家人挥霍一空。而节俭的人根本没有积累多少财富的想法，他们在乎的是眼前的生活，确保优质生活的同时积累金钱。
　　在极具价值目标的激励下，一个人努力地节省金钱，即便最终没有成功，也能够体现个人的尊严。这一过程能够促使人更好地组织思想，彻底改掉肆意浪费的陋习；促使美德战胜邪恶；并且能控制住冲动，解除忧虑，确保人们过上舒适的生活。即便你的储蓄少得可怜，也可以使你抹去许多泪水，摆脱痛苦与不安的困扰。有部分存款在手，我们的步履就会变得轻盈，心情也会更加愉悦。
　　当失业或不幸降临时，我们可以坦然地接受一切，可以利用现有的资本战胜困难或阻止情况恶化。通过一个人的节俭，我们可以看到他的尊严，生活也将变成一种福音。
　　心灵小语
　　节俭是一种美德。节俭可以使人过上幸福独立的生活，节俭可以让我们对需要帮助的人给予援助。而吝啬和挥霍则是我们所摒弃的，它们只会毁坏我们的生活。因此保持节俭的好习惯，个人的尊严尽显其中，生活也会变得有滋有味！
　　Methods of Economy
　　Samuel Smiles
　　The methods of practicing economy are very simple. Spend less than you earn. That is the first rule. A portion should always be set apart for the future. The person who spends more than he earns, is a fool.
　　The next rule is to pay ready money, and never, on any account, to run into debt.
　　The person who runs into debt is apt to1 get cheated; and if he runs into debt to any extent, he will himself be apt to get dishonest. “Who pays what he owes, enriches himself.”
　　The next is, never to anticipate uncertain profits by expending them before they are secured. The profits may never come, and in that case you will have taken upon yourself a load of debt which you may never get rid of.
　　Another method of economy is, to keep a regular account of all that you earn, and of all that you expend. An orderly man will know beforehand what he requires, and will be provided with the necessary means for obtaining it. Thus his domestic budget will be balanced; and his expenditure2 kept within his income.
　　It is difficult to fix the precise limits of economy. Bacon says that if a man would live well within his income, he ought not to expend more than onehalf, and save the rest. This is perhaps too exacting; and Bacon himself did not follow his own advice. What proportion of one’s income should be expended on rent? That depends upon circumstances.
　　Wherever there is a large family, the more money that is put to one side and saved, the better. Economy is necessary to the moderately rich, as well as to the comparatively poor man. Without economy, a man cannot be generous. He cannot take part in the charitable work of the world.
　　If he spends all that he earns, he can help nobody. He cannot properly educate his children, nor put them in the way of starting fairly in the business of life.  Thousands of witnesses daily testify, that men even of the most moderate intelligence, can practice the virtue with success.
　　Men of all classes are, as yet, too little influenced by these considerations. They are apt to live beyond their incomes.
　　To save money for avaricious purposes is altogether different from saving it for economical purposes. The saving may be accomplished in the same manner—by wasting nothing, and saving everything. But here the comparison ends. The miser’s only pleasure is in saving. The prudent economist spends what he can afford for comfort and enjoyment, and saves a surplus for some future time. The avaricious person makes gold his idol, whereas the thrifty person regards it as a useful instrument, and as a means of promoting his own happiness and the happiness of those who are dependent upon him. The miser is never satisfied. He amasses wealth that he can never consume, but leaves it to be squandered by others, probably by spendthrifts; whereas the economist aims at securing a fair share of the world’s wealth and comfort, without any thought of amassing a fortune.
　　There is a dignity in the very effort to save with a worthy purpose, even though the attempt should not be crowned with eventual success. It produces a wellregulated mind；it gives prudence a triumph over extravagance3; it gives virtue the mastery over vice; it puts the passions under control; it drives away care; it secures comfort. Saved money, however little, will serve to dry up many a tear；will ward off many sorrows and heart burnings, which otherwise might prey upon us. Possessed of a little store of capital, a man walks with a lighter step—his heart beats more cheerily.
　　When interruption of work or adversity happens, he can meet them; he can recline on his capital, which will either break his fall, or prevent it altogether. By prudential economy, we can realize the dignity of man; life will be a blessing.
　　世界换个角度更美丽
　　玛丽?特德
　　最近，我和丈夫有幸帮助了两位完全陌生的人。这件事令我感到非常愉快，觉得应该与大家共同分享一下。
　　感恩节来临的那个星期，我们一起回墨西哥与家人共度。由于我经常出差，所以累积了足够的旅程，可以将机票等级升级为头等舱。当我们坐在头等舱最前排的两个座位等待起飞时，我无意中听到一位空中小姐对其他人说，有一对前一天刚结婚的夫妇坐在飞机的后排，正要开始他们的蜜月旅行。实际上，他们在8个月前就预订了航班，可是由于航班时间作了调整，最后他们不能坐在一起了。飞机上的乘客没有人愿意与他们调换座位，新娘这时正伤心地哭呢。
　　我转向丈夫，告诉他我所听到的事情。我们立刻达成共识，我叫来空中小姐，告诉她我们愿意将座位让给这对夫妇。空中小姐非常惊讶地说：“真的吗？你们确定吗？”我和丈夫回答说：“非常确定！”
　　于是，我们挪到了飞机的后面。我坐在靠近后面的中间位置，我那身高６英尺３英寸的丈夫则坐在飞机最后排靠窗的位置。
　　空中小姐非常感激我们，对我们照顾有加，虽然我们已经不在头等舱了，可我们与自己旁边的乘客成了朋友（后来得知，他们其实并不知道那位年轻的女士为什么哭泣，也不知道他们是一对新婚夫妇），度过了一段非常开心的旅程。中途，我不得不回到原来的座位取忘在那里的东西，看到那对夫妇正紧紧地靠在一起，开心地喝着香槟。
　　这件事让我这一天以及感恩节的整个星期都有了一个愉快的开始！
　　The World Looks Better from the Way Back
　　Mary Tedd
　　Recently, my husband and I had the opportunity to do something good for two people who were complete strangers to us. It made us feel so good to be able to do it that I thought I should share.
　　We were traveling down to Mexico for Thanksgiving week with our family. Since I travel a lot for work, we had enough frequent flier miles to upgrade our tickets to first class seats. As we were sitting in the very first two seats in the first row of first class waiting for the plane to depart,  I overheard one of the flight attendants telling the others that there was a couple sitting in the back of the plane who had just been married the previous day and were headed off on their honeymoon. They had booked their flight eight months in advance but, due to some schedule changes, had not been able to get seats together, no one else on the plane was willing to move and the bride was in tears.
　　I turned to my husband and told him what I heard. We immediately agreed and I called the flight attendant over to tell her that we would be happy to give up our seats for this couple. The flight attendant seemed shocked and amazed and said, “Really? Are you sure?” We said, “Absolutely!”
　　So, we moved to the back of the plane, I in a middle seat part way back and my husband,  who is 6’3”, in the window seat of the last row of the plane.
　　The flight attendants were extremely grateful and took good care of us even though we were no longer sitting in first class, and we both made friends with the people sitting around us(who, as it turns out, didn’t know why the young woman was crying or that they were newlyweds) and had a great flight. I had to go back to the front of the plane to retrieve a forgotten item at one point during the flight and observed that the newlyweds were sitting very close together, happily sipping champagne.
　　It really made my day and Thanksgiving week to get off with such a wonderful start!
　　梦想去飞
　　佚名
　　能够将梦想变为现实的人绝对是凤毛麟角，而拉里?沃尔特斯正是其中之一。他的故事是真实的，尽管你可能觉得有些不切实际。
　　拉里是卡车司机，然而他毕生的梦想却是飞行。高中毕业后，梦想成为飞行员的拉里决定参加美国空军。不幸的是，糟糕的视力没能让他如愿。所以，直到最后退役，拉里也只好在后院里看着喷气式战斗机在空中往来穿梭，以得到一丝安慰。每当拉里坐在草坪椅上，便会想象着飞翔的美妙。
　　一天，拉里?沃尔特斯想到了一个主意。他去了当地海军剩余物资供应处，买了一罐氦气和45只皮气球。这些气球可不是派对上五彩缤纷的气球，而是载重气球，充足气后可以达到4英尺多宽。回到院子后，拉里用绳子将气球系在草坪椅上。这种椅子在你们家后院里或许就能找到。
　　拉里将椅子固定在吉普车的保险杆上，然后给气球注入氦气，随后准备好三明治、饮料，以及装满子弹的BB猎枪，打算到时候打爆几个气球就可以返回地面了。
　　万事俱备后，拉里?沃尔特斯便坐到椅子上，割断了固定绳索。他原本计划慢悠悠地飘上一阵子，然后再慢悠悠地返回地面。然而，情况并不是那么简单。
　　当拉里割断绳索时，他并没有慢悠悠地飘上去，反而像大炮里射出的炮弹一样射向了天空，而且也不是仅仅升到几百英尺的高空。他不断攀升，最终居然升到了11000英尺的高空！在这样的高度，拉里可不敢放掉任何气球的氦气，要是失去平衡，就真的要在空中飞了！所以，他老老实实地待在那里，整整飘了+14个小时，根本不知道该如何着陆。最终，他飘到了洛杉矶国际机场的航道上。一名泛美航空公司的飞行员向控制台报告：有名男子坐在11000英尺高空中的一个草坪椅上……腿上还放着一把枪。
　　洛杉矶国际机场靠近海洋。你知道，一到黄昏时分，海岸上的风向会变。因此，随着夜幕慢慢降临，拉里便开始向海的方向飘去。
　　这时，海军派了一架直升机前来营救。然而，救援队很难接近拉里，因为螺旋桨的气流总是将他自制的装置推得更远。最终，他们盘旋在拉里的上方，抛下营救绳索，才将他慢慢拖回到地面。
　　拉里的脚刚一着地就被逮捕了。
　　然而，当拉里戴着手铐被带走时，一名电视台记者大声喊道：“沃尔特斯先生，你为什么要这样做？”
　　拉里止住脚步，看了看这个人，若无其事地说：“是个男人，就不能只坐着。”
　　心灵小语
　　每个人都有一个梦想，梦想有多大，世界就有多辽阔。有的梦想是毕生抱负，是无论如何都要实现的，而这些梦想通常与事业有关；有的则是生活小梦，仅是追求人生的平衡。那么你的梦想又是什么呢？你是如何对待自己的梦想的呢？是付诸实践，还是坐以待毙？
　　Dream to Fly
　　Anonymous
　　Larry Walters is among the relatively few who have actually turned their dreams into reality. His story is true, even though you may find it hard to believe.
　　Larry was a truck driver, but his lifelong dream was to fly. When he graduated from high school, he joined the Air Force in hopes of becoming a pilot. Unfortunately, poor eyesight disqualified him. So, when he finally left the service, he had to satisfy himself with watching others fly the fighter jets that crisscrossed the skies over his backyard. As he sat there in his lawn chair, he dreamed about the magic of flying.
　　Then one day, Larry Walters got an idea. He went down to the local ArmyNavy surplus store and bought a tank of helium1 and fortyfive weather balloons. These were not your brightly colored party balloons, these were heavyduty spheres measuring more than four feet across when fully inflated. Back in his yard, Larry used straps to attach the balloons to his lawn chair, the kind you might have in your own back yard.
　　He anchored the chair to the bumper2 of his jeep and inflated the balloons with helium. Then he packed some sandwiches and drinks and loaded a BB gun, figuring he could pop a few of those balloons when it was time to return to earth.
　　His preparations completed, Larry Walters sat in his chair and cut the anchoring cord. His plan was to lazily float up away, and then lazily back down to terra firma. But, things didn’t quite work out that way.
　　When Larry cut the cord, he didn’t float lazily up—he shot up as if fired from a cannon!Nor did he go up a couple hundreds feet. He climbed and climbed, until he finally leveled off3 at eleven thousand feet!At that height, he could hardly risk deflating any of the balloons, lest he unbalance the load and really experience flying！ So, he stayed up there, sailing around for fourteen hours, totally at a loss as to how to get down. Eventually, Larry drifted into the approach corridor for Los Angeles International Airport. A Pan Am pilot radioed the tower about passing a guy on a lawn chair at eleven thousand feet... with a gun on his lap.
　　LAX is fight on the ocean, and you may know that at nightfall, the winds on the coast begin to change. So, as dusk fell, Larry began drifting out to sea.
　　At that point, the Navy dispatched a helicopter4 to rescue him. But, the rescue team had a hard time getting to him, because the draft from their propeller kept pushing his homemade contraption5 farther and farther away. Eventually, they were able to hover over him and drop a rescue line with which they gradually hauled him back to earth.
　　As soon as Larry hit the ground, he was arrested.
　　But as he was being led away in handcuffs, a television reporter called out to ask, “Mr. Walters, why did you do it?”
　　Larry stopped, eyed the man for a moment and replied nonchalantly,“A man can’t just sit around.”
　　快乐是种感觉
　　佚名
　　人类的一切快乐都是生理上的快乐，这种说法的确是科学的。你们有可能对此产生误解，因此我必须要更加清晰地解释一下：人类所有的快乐都是感官上的快乐。我敢肯定，唯心主义者会误解我。因为唯心主义者和唯物主义者之间没有共通的语言，或者表达同种事物的方式不同，所以他们永远都是互相误解的。在什么是快乐的问题上，难道我们也要被唯心主义者所迷惑，而承认真正的快乐只是精神上的快乐吗？让我们首先接受这个观点，并立即这样完善它：精神是内分泌腺充分作用的一种表现。
　　对我而言，快乐主要是一个消化方面的问题。为了使我的话更有说服力，我会引用一位美国大学校长的话。这位校长通常会在对每班的新生致词中，极富智慧地说这样一句话：“我想让你们铭记两件事，一是诵读《圣经》，二是保持排便通畅。”他能说出这样的话，真不愧是一位博学而慈祥的长者！肠动，人欢；肠止，则人颓。道理就在于此。
　　当我们谈论快乐时，千万不能在抽象中迷失自我，而应认真地考虑事实，主动分析在我们生活中什么才是真正的快乐。我们经常用否定的方式来定义快乐，比如无忧、无辱和无恙。当然，快乐也会以肯定的形式出现，我们叫它欢乐。
　　比如，对我来说，真正的快乐时光有：睡了一夜好觉后，早晨起来大口呼吸着清新的空气，感受到肺部在扩张。并且深呼吸时，还感觉到胸部四周的皮肤和肌肉在舒展。那种感觉非常惬意，这是工作的好时候。或者，拿着烟斗，把脚放在椅子上，让烟草缓慢地燃烧。或者，夏日里旅游中，当我口干舌燥时忽见一汪清泉，叮咚的泉水声让我心旷神怡，我脱下鞋袜，把两脚伸入凉爽的水中。或者，一顿美餐后，我懒洋洋地躺在扶手椅里，身边的人都十分顺眼，大家轻松而不着边际地闲聊着，我的身心也融入了这个世界，非常平静。或者，夏日的午后，我看到天边翻滚的乌云，确信7月的一场阵雨即将来临，但为了避免被人看到不带伞跑入雨中的窘态，于是匆匆出门，穿过田野，到半路上去迎接阵雨，回家时全身湿透，却还对家人说只是路上遭遇大雨了。
　　我难以说清楚，当听见孩子们唧唧喳喳的声音或看见他们胖嘟嘟的小腿时，自己是爱他们的身体还是精神。因此，我也无法完全区分精神上和肉体上的快乐。有哪个人只爱一个女人的精神，而不爱她的身体？分析并说出他所爱的女人的魅力，如她的谈笑举止或处世态度，这对一个男人来说会是件容易的事吗？
　　毕竟，每个女孩，当她打扮得漂亮时，都会格外开心。口红和胭脂可以提升她们的精神，知道自己穿着得体可以使她们心境平和，对女孩来说这是千真万确的。而对于这些，唯心主义者却一无所知。作为凡人，我们的精神和肉体之间的界限极其狭小；如果没有感觉，我们将无法拥有精神世界、最纤细的情感及对精神美的最伟大的常识。触觉、仪态和视觉，与精神上的道德与否毫不相干。我们之所以丧失享受生活中切实快乐的能力，在很大程度上，是要归咎于我们感官的麻木和对它们的不充分利用。
　　心灵小语
　　不同的人，对于快乐的事有不同的认识，然而有一点是相同的——快乐是一种感官上的感受。时刻让自己的触觉、视觉对外界的事物有较高的敏感度，那么我们感觉到的快乐就会更多。
　　Human Happiness Is Sensuous
　　Anonymous
　　All human happiness is biological happiness. That is strictly scientific. At the risk of being misunderstood, I must make it clearer: all human happiness is sensuous happiness. The spiritualists will misunderstand me, I am sure; The spiritualists and materialists must forever misunderstand each other, because they don’t talk the same language, or mean by the same word with. different things. Are we, too, in this problem of securing happiness to be deluded by the spiritualists, and admit that true happiness is only happiness of the spirit? Let us admit at once and immediately proceed to qualify it by saying that the spirit is a condition of the perfect functioning of the endocrine glands.
　　Happiness for me is largely a matter of digestion. I have to take over under an American college president to insure my reputation and respectability when I say that happiness is largely a matter of the movement of the bowels. The American college president in question used to say with great wisdom in his address to each class of freshmen, “There are only two things I want you to keep in mind: read the Bible and keep your bowels open.” What a wise, genial old soul he was to have said that! If one’s bowels move, one is happy, and if they don’t move, one is unhappy. That is all there is in it.
　　Let us not lose ourselves in the abstract when we talk of happiness, but get down to facts and analyze for ourselves what are the truly happy moments of our life. In this world of ours, happiness is very often negative, the complete absence of sorrow or mortification or bodily ailment1. But happiness can also be positive, and then we call it joy.
　　To me, for instance, the truly happy moments are: when I get up in the morning after a night of perfect sleep and sniff the morning air and there is an expansiveness in the lungs, when I feel inclined to inhale deeply and there is a fine sensation or movement around the skin and muscles of the chest, and when therefore, I am fit for work; Or when I hold a pipe in my hand and rest my legs on a chair, and the tobacco burns slowly and evenly; Or when I am traveling on a summer day, my throat parched with the thirst, and I see a beautiful clear spring, whose very sound makes me happy, and I take off my socks and shoes and dip my feet in the delightful, cool water; or when after a perfect dinner I lounge in an armchair, when there is no one I hate to look at in the company and conversation rambles off at a light pace to an unknown destination, and I am spiritually and physically at peace with the world; or when on a summer afternoon I see black clouds gathering on the horizon and know for certain a July shower is coming in a quarter of an hour, but being ashamed to be seen going out into the rain without an umbrella, I hastily set out to meet the shower halfway across the fields and come home drenched2 through and through and tell my family that I was simply caught by the rain.
　　Just as it is impossible for me to say whether I love my children physically or spiritually when I hear their chattering voices or when I see their plump legs, so I am totally unable to distinguish between the joys of the mind and the joys of the flesh. Does anybody ever love a woman spiritually without loving her physically? And is it so easy a matter for a man to analyze and separate the charms of the woman he lovesthings like laughters, smiles, a way of tossing one’s head, a certain attitude toward things?
　　And after all every girl feels happier when she is welldressed. There is a souluplifting quality about lipstick and rouge and a spiritual calm and poise that comes from the knowledge of being welldressed, which is real and definite for the girl herself and of which the spiritualist has no inkling of an idea. Being made of this mortal flesh, the partition separating our flesh from our spirit is extremely thin, and the world of spirit, with its finest emotions and greatest appreciations of spiritual beauty, cannot be reached except with our senses. There is no such thing as morality and immorality in the sense of touch,  bearing and vision. There is a great probability that our loss of capacity for enjoying the positive joys of life is largely due to the decreased sensibility3 of our senses and our lack of full use of them.
　　幸福快乐就好
　　佚名
　　我们努力想让子女生活得更好，最终却事与愿违。对我的孙儿们，我知道了怎么做才会更好。
　　我很想让他们知道，兄长传给我的旧衣服、家里自制的冰淇淋，以及剩下的肉糕的故事。我的确很想讲给他们听。
　　我的宝贝孙子，我希望你在遭遇失败后懂得谦逊，也希望你能诚实，即使没有人关注你。
　　我希望你能学会整理床铺，修剪草坪，清洗汽车，也希望当你满16岁时没有人送你新轿车。
　　我希望你能有幸目睹一次牛犊出生的过程，或是在一位朋友的陪伴下为老狗送终。
　　我希望你宁愿被别人打得鼻青脸肿，也要坚守自己的信仰。
　　我希望你能和弟弟同住一室，即使你在卧室中间画一条分界线也无所谓。当弟弟因为害怕要钻进你的被窝时，我希望你能接纳他。
　　还有，当你要去看迪斯尼电影，而弟弟想跟你一起去时，我希望你能带上他。
　　我希望你能与朋友们一起爬山，而且，我希望你居住的城市爬山不会有任何危险。
　　如果你想要一把弹弓，我希望你父亲能教你自己制造，而不是给你买把现成的。我希望你学会玩泥巴和读书；当你学会使用计算机时，也学会了加减法的心算。
　　当你第一次对一个女孩动心时，我希望你会被朋友们嘲弄；而当你跟母亲顶嘴时，希望她让你尝尝象牙色肥皂的滋味。
　　我希望你能饱尝岁月的艰辛、挫折和失望，并希望你努力工作，幸福快乐。
　　Happiness Is Better
　　                                        
　　 Anonymous
　　We tried so hard to make things better for our kids that we made them worse. For my grandchildren, I’d know better.
　　I’d really like for them to know about handmedown clothes and homemade ice cream and leftover meatloaf. I really would.
　　My cherished grandson, I hope that you learn humility by surviving failure and that you learn to be honest even when no one is looking.
　　I hope you learn to make your bed and mow the lawn and wash the car and I hope nobody gives you a brandnew car when you are sixteen.
　　It will be good if at least one time you can see a baby calf born, and you have a good friend to be with you if you ever have to put your old dog to sleep.
　　I hope you get a black eye fighting for something you believe in.
　　I hope you have to share a bedroom with your younger brother. And it is all right to draw a line down the middle of the room, but when he wants to crawl under the covers with you because he’s scared, I hope you’ll let him.
　　And when you want to see a Disney movie and your kid brother wants to tag along, I hope you take him.
　　I hope you have to walk uphill with your friends and that you live in a town where you can do it safely.
　　If you want a slingshot, I hope your father teaches you how to make one instead of buying one. I hope you learn to dig in the dirt and read books, and when you learn to use computers, you also learn how to add and subtract in your head.
　　I hope you get razzed by friends when you have your first crush on a girl, and that when you talk back to your mother you learn what Ivory soap tastes like.
　　These things I wish for you—tough times and disappointment, hard work and happiness.
　　为你的目标点燃欲望之火
　　布朗?兰登
　　希望终究是希望，唯一的作用不过是使你产生更多新的希望；欲望则是灵魂的心声，它会要求并督促你采取行动。希望只是徘徊，希望其他的事物让你愿望成真；而欲望则不断发展，它勇于伸展，热情万丈，注定要转化为现实。
　　请注意以下这些事实：欲望源于你内心完美的思想，它是你心中燃起的一团火焰；有时，这团火焰会很暗淡，甚至彻底熄灭；有时，它会转变成一团熊熊燃烧的烈火，甚至激励你采取行动。如果我们不能将欲望与行动结合在一起，内心的那团烈火就会熄灭，你的欲望永远不会成真。当你因为从前的失败而感到气馁，致使心中的欲望之火变得黯淡时，你该怎样做呢？让自己的感受与情绪重新点燃你内心的欲望之火！你的思想根本没有作用，它们就像潮湿的木头和被水浸湿的沙子一样。内心单纯的思考和想法，只会使火焰更加暗淡无光。
　　这一点是现实的，而又是不能随便被忽视的——过去失败的经历会使你产生一种挫败感，使你无法燃起心中的欲望，或者刚刚燃起的欲望之火由于害怕失败而变得越来越弱。点燃你内心的欲望之火，你的梦想才能成真。将你的真实的情感融入到你内心的烈焰中吧！
　　假设你是一个女人，你是否渴望变得像玫瑰花一样娇艳呢？在头脑中想象出玫瑰花的颜色吧！想象被这种颜色所包围带给你的快乐吧！如果你的脸庞像玫瑰花一样红润，那将会是多么美好的事情啊！再次默默地想象着玫瑰花的颜色，想象着玫瑰花的芬芳；想象着你的衣服上洒满了玫瑰香水；感受着衣服质地的轻柔。总之，尽情陶醉吧！难道你就不想将强烈的欲望转化为现实吗？没错，这种强烈的欲望会激励你采取正确的方法来获得你想要的一切。
　　假设你是一个年轻俊美的少年，你就不渴望拥有一套合体的衣服吗？点燃你内心强烈的欲望吧。想象它的颜色、款式、质地，以及你穿上衣服的样子。想象穿着这套衣服与女友约会时的浪漫！想象穿着这件衣服去见母亲的骄傲，或是穿着这件衣服到办公室的满足感……总之，肆意地想象穿着这套衣服之后的场景。难道你不想做些什么来使自己获得这套衣服吗？难道你不想靠着欲望的指引，用正确的方法来获得这套衣服吗？
　　有没有你期盼已久的职位？想象一下收入丰厚的职位所带来的喜悦。想象着收获的欢欣；想象着自己在不断进步；想象着自己得到这份工作后的愉悦心情。总之，无拘无束地想象你得到这个职位后的快乐心情，以及它对你的影响，而不仅仅只是停留在思考和许愿上，你便会迈出脚步，让梦想成真。
　　心灵小语
　　如果仅用双眼去看周围的世界而不懂得如何去抑制消极思想，那么你的头脑中根本不会出现希望的明灯。如果把思想比做摄像机，那么你一定要学会捕捉美景，这样才能将未来定格在美好的画面上！
　　Firing the Heartdesire of Your Ideal
　　Brown Landone
　　Wishes are but wishes; they lead only to wishing more wishes. Desires are heartbeats of soul; they demand and impel to action. A wish turns ever to itself, wishing that something will come to make itself true. A desire goes out from self; It daringly1 reaches out, demanding the thing desired, and divinely creates it in reality.
　　Put the following truths together: Desire is the heart of your ideal; in this heart are the fires of attainment; sometimes they die down and are dim; sometimes they burn brightly and glow with hope and set fire to action; unless they thus burn with the light of hope and the fire of action, your ideal will not come true. When the fires of desire are dimmed by disappointments or discouragement, or memories of the failures of the past, what are you going to do about it? Feed the fires with your feelings and emotions!Your thoughts will not do; they are but damp wood and wet sand. Desires are of the heart; they cannot be made to burn brightly by adding ideas and thoughts of the mind.
　　Is it a thing—a material thing—you have desired and for which desire burns low because of past failures to attain it, or is it a new desire that dares not burn brightly for fear of disappointment should it not be attained? Fire your desire so that it will come true. Fire it with your feelings and emotions.
　　Are you a young woman and is it a dainty rosecolored gown you desire? Image the color of it and feel the joy of gowning yourself in that color. Feel the pleasure it would give you to look at yourself in that color. Think of its color again, the color of roses. Imagine that you have perfumed2 the gown with just a touch of essence of roses. Feel the joy of smelling the sweet odor of roses. Feel the joy of smelling the perfume with which your dress is scented. Think of the feel of the material, —how soft and delicate. Feel the joy you feel in feeling it. Isn’t your desire fired and burning with impulse to act? Will you not do something to get that dress？ And, idealizing your doing, you will do it in the right way and get it in the right way.
　　Are you a young man desiring a new suit of clothes? Fire your desire with your feelings. Image the suit you wish—its color, cut, form, material, and fit to you. Feel how happy you would feel dressed in that suit calling on the girl you love. Feel how proud you would feel if you could wear it when going home to see mother. Feel how satisfied you would feel walking into the office dressed in that suit. Feel all your good feelings—felt under all other conditions—in relation to that suit. Isn’t your desire fired to the point where you will do something to get it and, idealizing your doing, you will do the right thing and get it in the right way?
　　Is it a position you desire? Feel the joy the income of that position would give you. Feel the pleasures you could obtain with that income. Feel the true pride of advancement3. Feel the joy of knowing you have attained the position and made good. Feel all these feelings—feeding your desires with your feelings—instead of with wishes and thoughts，and you will do something to attain that which you desire.
　　幸福
　　佚名
　　西方有一句广为流传的谚语：“如果你想要几个小时的幸福，那就去喝酒；如果你想要三年的幸福，那就去结婚；如果你想要一生的幸福，那就去做园艺工作。”据说这句谚语源于古老的中国。人们对于最后一种选择是这样解释的：“园艺工作不仅实用，而且有助于让你与自然合为一体，从而改善你的健康状况，每天给你带来全新的快乐。”
　　我曾读过美国一所大学发表的一篇研究报告，它是这样定义“幸福”的：让人觉得舒适、心情畅快。具体说来，一个人对自己的生活感到有意义、满意和舒适的积极状态就是幸福。幸福不是短暂的，而应该是一种持续的状态。
　　许多人认为，最大的幸福莫过于处于空闲的状态。然而，一项调查显示，有大量空闲时间的人是感受不到幸福的，忙于工作的人才能享受到幸福，尤其是那些几乎没有闲暇时间的、在工作中忙碌的人们。获得并不是幸福，对所追求事物的渴望才是幸福。对于已经拥有的东西，人们常常不懂得珍惜，却渴望那些无法得到的东西。有些男人就是如此，他们不肯静下心来对待陪伴在身旁的女人，却痴迷于无数个梦中情人的幻想中。
　　幸福是一种对已经拥有事物和渴望拥有事物的平衡游戏，也就是梦想和实现梦想的可能性。一项研究表明：幸福的人是既能够树立高远的目标，又不会忘记实际情况的人；幸福的人是认为自己的能力和潜能富有挑战性的人；幸福的人是因自己的成就和社会的认可而感到自豪的人；幸福的人是自尊、自信的人，他肯定自我，并且热爱自由；幸福的人善于社交，并且能够从与其他人进行的广泛交流中得到乐趣；幸福的人热心助人，并且愿意接受别人的帮助；幸福的人能够承受痛苦和挫折，并且善于从日常琐事中得到乐趣；幸福的人是拥有爱心，并富于热情的人。
　　Happiness
　　Anonymous
　　A proverb allegedly from ancient China was widely spread in the West:“If you want to be happy for a few hours, go to get drunk; If you want the happiness to last three years, get married; If you want a lifetime happiness, take up gardening.” The reason for the last option is this: Gardening is not only useful, it helps you to identify yourself with nature, and thus brings you new joy each day besides improving your health.
　　A research of a U.S. university that I’ve read gives a definition of happiness as what makes a person feel comfortably pleased. To put it specifically, happiness is an active state of mind where one thinks one’s life is meaningful, satisfactory and comfortable. This should be something lasting rather than transitory.
　　Lots of people regard it the happiest to be at leisure. But according to a study, it is not a person with plenty of leisure but one at work that feels happy, especially those busy with work having little time for leisure. Happiness does not spell gains one is after but a desire to harvest what one is seeking for. People often do not cherish what they already have but yearn for what they cannot get. That is somewhat like a man indulging in fond dreams of numerous lovers while reluctant to settle down with the woman beside him.
　　Happiness is a game balancing between two ends—what one has and what one wishes for, such as one’s dream and the possibility to realize it. The study comes to this conclusion: A happy man is one who aims high but never forgets his actual situation: one who meets challenges that tap his ability and potentiality； one who is proud of his achievements and the recognition given to him. He has selfrespect and selfconfidence; treasures his own identity and loves freedom. He is sociable and enjoys wide range communication with others; he is helpful and ready to accept assistance. He knows he is able to endure sufferings and frustrations； he is sensible enough to get fun from daily chores. He is a man capable of love and passion.

美丽英文励志篇(14)

　美妙感觉
　　丹尼斯?斯科菲尔德
　　我最喜欢讨论的话题是“条理”，这是显而易见的事情。但是，我为什么会对这样一个无聊的话题感兴趣呢？让我解释给大家听。
　　我们生活的家庭是个只有负面回报的环境，也就是说，当我把事情做得很完美时，我几乎听不到赞扬；然而，一旦事情没做好，就会听到很多抱怨！这听起来是不是很熟悉呢？
　　我蹲在地上，花了几个小时把冰箱清理干净，却从不记得听到有任何一个人说：“哎呀，妈妈，冰箱可真干净呀！”我也从来没听人说过：“我今天早上真高兴，衬衫上的扣子是全的！”或者：“噢，亲爱的，你把床铺好了！”然而，如果衣服上丢了一颗扣子，地板黏糊糊的，或者没把床铺好，我就会听到抱怨的话。有时，大家似乎有一个错误的共识：缝纫机、拖把和衣橱是专门归我所有的。现在，我正在努力改变这种观念。
　　或许，你已经注意到了，做家务活就像是把水注进筛子。菲利斯?迪勒作了一个恰到好处的概括：“在孩子小的时候，打扫房间就像雪没停的时候扫雪。”
　　没有人会记住你做得好的时候，然而每个人都会记住你做得不好的时候，我们每天都要面对这些负面回报。也许你已经注意到了，人们在家中享受不到多少荣耀，我们在家中很少能够得到赞赏或鼓励(母亲节和父亲节除外)。一年中，在母亲节和父亲节以外的日子，我的拥护者们都到哪里去了？哎呀，我擦干净的冰箱被他们溅上了牛奶，他们把口香糖包装纸丢进了自己放袜子的抽屉，此外，他们还自愿为下次家长会(常常就是在当天晚上举行)提供400个纸托蛋糕。所以，我们会得出这样的结论：“有条理的生活最好留给那些没有孩子、单身或者非常勇敢的父母！”
　　所有这些促使我要向大家说一说，为什么把事情做得有条有理会令人感到兴奋。当你把壁橱、食橱或者抽屉整理得很整齐时，那些整整齐齐的地方似乎会对你说：“干得好！坚持下去呀！”这是多么大的动力呀！能够听到那些称赞的话语，感觉真是好极了，因为在家中你十有八九没有机会听到这样的赞扬。
　　我每天都能够收到来自全国各地的来信，而且每天都会收到一封这样的信：“我今天收拾了自己的壁橱，没过5分钟我就会走到它跟前，只是为了看看它！”
　　条理会让人产生美好感觉，这种感觉会流淌到你的性格中，从而改善你对生活的整体看法。你会从有条理的生活中获得宽慰感，它能大大地减轻你的压力，把你从绝望中拯救出来。
　　我仍然记得自己第一次注意到“美妙感觉”的情景，那是一家银行为了吸收储蓄和贷款客户而作的宣传。从那以后，我注意到了广播中有许多相似的宣传：“我们拥有了，我们完全拥有了美好的感觉。”“我们将美好的事物赋予生活。”“有一种美妙的感觉蕴藏于牛奶之中。”“万事达信用卡会员组织让你的世界变得更美好。”甚至，当一只狗吃了高蛋白食物，都会兴高采烈地在院子里跑来跑去。
　　现在，“美妙感觉”为每个人带来了好处。我也正在为你免费提供这种感觉，你需要做的只是进行一些思考和一些循规蹈矩的工作。
　　克里斯多夫?罗宾(来自A.A.米尔恩的《小熊维尼》)作出了最恰当的评价：“在你做事情之前，你就应该做到有条理，如此一来，你在做事情的时候，才不会把事情搞得乱糟糟的。”
　　如果你希望与孩子们一起过有条理的生活，你就能够做到。请大家紧紧地跟随我，我们一起努力，平稳、系统地向着解放的道路缓缓前行。
　　心灵小语
　　经过忙碌的一个工作日，疲惫的你是否会为乱七八糟的房间而心烦意乱？不要紧，保持平和的心态，想想别人的表扬和期待，用自我肯定的心理暗示，让普通的日子变得阳光遍布。你不妨试一试。
　　The Good Feeling
　　Deniece Schofield
　　Obviously, organization is my favorite subject. How could such a boring subject be so satisfying? Let me explain.
　　At our house, we work on a system of negative rewards. By that I mean, I don’t hear too much about it when I do things right, but I hear plenty when I mess up1! Sound familiar?
　　After spending hours on cleaning the refrigerator, I can’t remember ever hearing anyone say, “Gee, Mom, the refrigerator looks great!” And no one ever says, “l’m so glad all the buttons are on my shirt this morning.” Or, “Aw shucks, dear, you made the bed!” But, boy, I do hear about it if there’s a button missing, a sticky floor, or an unmade bed. Sometimes it seems there’s a universal misconception that I have exclusive rights to the sewing box, the mop, and the linen closet. I’m doing my best to reconceive that idea!
　　You too will have noticed that doing housework is like fining a sieve with water. Phyllis Diller sums it up nicely: “Cleaning the house while the children are growing is like shoveling snow before it stops snowing. ”
　　Negative rewards. We face them daily. Do it right and no one remembers, but do it wrong and no one forgets. Maybe you’ve noticed that there’s not a lot of glory at home. We don’t often receive accolades2 or pats on the back (with the obvious exception of Mother’s Day or Father’s Day). And where are my loyal supporters the rest of the year? Why, they’re spilling milk in my clean refrigerator, throwing gum wrappers in their sock drawers, and volunteering four hundred cupcakes for the next PTA meeting (which is usually this evening). No wonder we conclude that organized living is best left to the childless, the single, or to incredibly stouthearted parents!
　　All these lead me to say why getting things in order is exciting! When you have a closet, a cupboard, or a drawer in perfect order, that one little area seems to say, “You’re doing a wonderful job! Keep up the good work!” What motivation! It’s terrific to feel those words, because chances are ten to one you’ll never hear them.
　　Every day I get letters from people all over the country. Invariable I get one that says, “Today I cleaned out my closet. Every five minutes I go in there—just to look at it!”
　　Organization feels good, and that good feeling spills over into your disposition3. It can improve your entire outlook on life. Organized living sets you free from feelings of despair, and stress is greatly reduced. You experience a feeling akin to relief.
　　I remember when I first observed a savings and loan promoting the “good feeling” that banking with them gave their customers. Since then I’ve noticed a lot of similar claims wafting through the airways: “We’ve got it and we’ve got it good.” “We bring good things to life.” “Milk has it.” “Make the world your oyster4 with Master Card.” Even the dog is running around the yard with the HiPro glow.
　　These days everyone is cashing in on the good feeling. I, too, am offering it to you—free of charge. All it takes is some forethought, a little time, and some good oldfashioned work.
　　Christopher Robin (from A. A. Milne’s WinniethePooh) said it best: “Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it’s not all mixed up.”
　　If you want organized living with kids, you can have it. Stick with me and we’ll work together—gradually, smoothly, and systematically—down the road to emancipation.
　　自由思想与心灵的作用
　　杰基?罗宾逊
　　1947年，世界职业棒球大赛开赛当天，我的心随着美国国歌的响起产生了一种全新的情感。就像曾经为其他人奏响那样，这一次国歌为我奏响。这是职业棒球大赛，我成为了整个赛事的一分子，与其他人一起站在这里。
　　大约一年之后，佐治亚州的亚特兰大举行了一场棒球表演赛，我参加了这次比赛。这是黑人和白人运动员第一次同时出现在亚特兰大的体育场上，除了我，还有其他的黑人选手。我想，那一刻，我终于实现了自己的梦想。
　　那么，我的梦想是什么呢？首先，我知道人无完人，然而人只要能够呼吸和思考，不管经过多么漫长的过程，都一定能够消除这些缺陷。我不认为我们已经找到了完美，或离完美越来越近。在人类社会中，完美并不是必不可少的一部分。残疾、障碍或偏见，这些都是存在于社会中的不完美，我们必须面对它们。
　　不管遇到什么障碍，它们都只能使我更加努力地去克服。我坚信，奋斗是有希望的，如果没有了这种信念，我将无法坚持到现在。因为这是一个自由的社会，所以我的奋斗是有希望的。不止一次，我遇到了无法逾越的障碍；也不止一次，我遭遇了严峻的形势，几乎陷入了绝境。然而，自由的思想和心灵使我的身心得到了救助，从而使我走出了窘境。现在，我看着自己的孩子，知道我要帮助他们作好面对障碍与歧视的准备。
　　但是，我可以告诉他们，前人的努力战斗将使他们以后永远不用去面对这些歧视。同时，我也告诫自己，社会上的许多教条会随着孩子们的逐渐长大而被淘汰，因为社会必然要进步。因此，我会对孩子们说：虽然我无法向你们作出什么保证，但你们是有希望的，一定会有希望。你们会有希望，因为思想自由的人不会停留在原地。中世纪的荒谬逻辑曾经是那么强大，它阻断了人类前进的步伐，不过，以后再也不会出现这样的逻辑了。让每个行业的每个人都能够克服障碍取得成功，这只是一种完美境界，所以我并不认同这种观点。我之所以能够取得现在的成就，发现当前的真理，或许还能够找到未来的伟大，这是因为我摒弃了过时的教条——这就是我无时不刻都在坚持的信念。
　　我相信人类。
　　我相信温暖的心。
　　我相信人类的正直。
　　我相信自由的社会是美好的。
　　我还相信，只要我们愿意奋斗，愿意与一切缺陷作斗争，社会将会一直美好。
　　我与阻止黑人参加棒球比赛这个障碍作斗争，因为这就是社会中存在的一个缺陷，是我力所能及的事情，是一场并非注定要失败的战斗。
　　总而言之，我相信我对上帝的信仰使他一直支持我，自己所做的一切是上天赋予我的使命。我相信，上天也一定会把这个使命赋予其他人。
　　心灵小语
　　人无完人。社会中也存在着或多或少的不完美，如残疾、障碍或偏见。而不管遇到什么困难，只要我们勇敢面对，始终坚持，就一定会看到希望。让我们一起放飞自由的思想和心灵，迎接美好的明天。
Free Minds and Hearts at Work
　　Jackie Robinson
　　At the beginning of the World Series of 1947, I experienced a completely new emotion, when the National Anthem was played. This time, I thought, it is being played for me, as much as for anyone else. This is organized major league baseball, and I am standing here with all the others; and everything that takes place includes me.
　　 About a year later, I went to Atlanta, Georgia, to play in an exhibition1 game. On the field, for the first time in Atlanta, there were Negroes and whites. Other Negroes, besides me. And I thought， what I have always believed has come to be.
　　And what is it that I have always believed? First, that imperfections are human. But that wherever human beings were given room to breathe and time to think, those imperfections would disappear, no matter how slowly. I do not believe that we have found or even approached perfection. That is not necessarily in the scheme of human events. Handicaps, stumbling blocks, prejudices—all of these are imperfect. Yet, they have to be reckoned with2 because they are in the scheme of human events.
　　Whatever obstacles I found made me fight all the harder. But it would have been impossible for me to fight at all, except that I was sustained by the personal and deep rooted belief that my fight had a chance. It had a chance because it took place in a free society. Not once was I forced to face and fight an immovable object. Not once was the situation so castiron rigid that I had no chance at all. Free minds and human hearts were at work all around me; and so there was the probability of improvement. Look at my children now, and know that I must still prepare them to meet obstacles and prejudices.
　　But I can tell them, too, that they will never face some of these prejudices because other people have gone before them. And to myself I can say that, because progress is unalterable, many of today’s dogmas will have vanished by the time they grow into adults. I can say to my children， there is a chance for you. No guarantee, but a chance. And this chance has come to be, because there is nothing static with free people. There is no Middle Ages logic so strong that it can stop the human tide from flowing forward. I do not believe that every person, in every walk of life, can succeed in spite of any handicap3. That would be perfection. But I do believe—and with every fiber in me—that what I was able to attain came to be because we put behind us (no matter how slowly) the dogmas of the past: to discover the truth of today; and perhaps find the greatness of tomorrow.
　　I believe in the human race.
　　I believe in the warm heart.
　　I believe in man’s integrity.
　　I believe in the goodness of a free society.
　　And I believe that the society can remain good only as long as we are willing to fight for it, and to fight against whatever imperfections may exist.
　　My fight was against the barriers that kept Negroes out of baseball. This was the area where I found imperfection, and where I was best able to fight. And I fought because I knew it was not doomed to be a losing fight.
　　And, in the largest sense, I believe that what I did was done for me, and that it was my faith in God that sustained me in my fight. And that what was done for me must and will be done for others.　　
平和心态
　　佚名
　　一场争论、一次误会或者一些其他痛苦的事情总会令大多数人产生愤恨之感，以至无法忘怀。我们总是顽固地等待他人先做出表率，相信这才是我们能够宽恕他人或者重修旧好的唯一途径。
　　我的一个老朋友身体一直不太好，最近她告诉我她和她的儿子已经有将近三年没说话了。“为什么？”我问道。她说，她和她的儿子曾经因为他的妻子发生过争执，如果儿子不先打电话，她是不会先开口的。我建议她主动一点儿，最初她拒绝了，说道：“我不可以那样做，应该道歉的是他。”她明确地表示，死之前是不会理她这个唯一的儿子的。不过，经过我苦口婆心的劝解，她决定采取主动了。令她惊讶的是，儿子非常感激她主动打来电话，还承认了自己的过错。通常就是这样，当有人抓住机会采取主动时，就会有一番美好的景象。
　　每当我们积蓄着愤怒时，就会将“小事”变为脑中的“大事”。我们开始相信我们的立场比我们的幸福更重要。他们错了。如果你想成为一个更平和的人，就必须理解这些所谓的“正确”绝不会比让自己幸福更重要。幸福的方法是宽容和主动。让别人正确吧，这并不意味着你就是错的，一切都会好起来的。你会体验到宽容的和睦以及让别人体会到正确的喜悦。你也会注意到，一旦你采取主动，让别人“正确”，他们就会对你减少提防，还会更爱你。他们或许还会回报你。可是，如果因为某些原因，他们没有那样做，也好，你会从心底里得到满足，知道自己已经做了应该做的——创造一个更友爱的世界，你一定会变得更平和。
　　心灵小语
　　保持平和的心态，创造友爱的世界，这是我们大家共同的责任。能够将别人的顽固和怨恨化解为宽容和幸福的人，才是真正的高人。
　　To Be a Peaceful Person
　　Anonymous
　　So many of us hold on to little resentment that may have stemmed from an argument, a misunderstanding, or some other painful events. Stubbornly, we wait for someone else to reach out to us believing this is the only way we can forgive or rekindle a friendship or family relationship .
　　An acquaintance of mine, whose health isn’t very good, recently told me that she hasn’t spoken to her son for almost three years. “Why not?” I asked. She said that she and her son had had a disagreement about his wife and that she wouldn’t speak to him again unless he called first. When I suggested that she be the one to reach out, she resisted initially and said, “I can’t do that. He’s the one who should apologize.” She was literally willing to die before reaching out to her only son. After a little gentle encouragement, however, she did decide to be the first one to reach out. To her amazement, her son was grateful for her willingness to call and offered an apology of his own. As is usually the case when someone takes the chance and reaches out, everyone wins.
　　Whenever we hold on to our anger, we turn “small stuff” into really “big stuff” in our minds. We start to believe that our positions are more important than our happiness. They are not. If you want to be a more peaceful person you must understand that being right is almost never more important than allowing yourself to be happy. The way to be happy is to let go, and reach out. Let other people be right. This doesn’t mean that you’re wrong. Everything will be fine. You’ll experience the peace of letting go, as well as the joy of letting others be right. You’ll also notice that, as you reach out and let others be “right”, they will become less defensive and more loving toward you. They might even reach back. But, if for some reason they don’t, that’s okay too. You will have the inner satisfaction of knowing that you have done your part to create a more loving world, and certainly you will be more peaceful yourself.
　　彼岸无尽头，知足才常乐
　　佚名
　　很多人都认为，只有实现了自己既定的目标，我们才会幸福快乐。目标因人而异：有的人想拥有万贯家财；有的人想把令人厌烦的十几磅肉减掉；还有些人想觅到心仪的伴侣。获得一份较好的工作，开一部漂亮的车子，或拥有一份理想的职业，这些都可以是一个目标。不管你的目标何在，有一点是肯定的——只要达到了目标，你就可以获得梦想中的安静与平和，你也一定会快乐、心满意足。
　　可事实往往并非如此。多数时候，当你达到彼岸时，仍不会满足，而且又会有新的憧憬。你总是劳心费神地去追求一个又一个目标，对当前拥有的一切却从不用心去欣赏和珍惜。每个人都有不满足现状的欲望，重要的是——头脑要时刻保持清醒。一方面，你的梦想和渴望使你的生活更丰富多彩；另一方面，这些欲望又驱使你越来越远离现有生活中的欢愉。
　　人们从远古时代开始便苦苦探究这一问题——我们如何能活在现实中。林林总总的幻想和憧憬始终在诱惑着我们——更多的荣耀、美貌和声誉。因而，这也是现代社会所面临的一个严峻挑战。你若知道感恩，就可以真切地生活在现实中。
　　感恩是指对所拥有的一切和所处的人生境遇怀有感激之情，并懂得珍惜。你的心会因存有感恩而满溢愉悦，人生道路上的种种感受你都能亲身体验。如果你极力地将目光定格在现实当中，你就能体会到它的美妙之处。培养感恩之心的方法很多，建议你试试以下几种：
　　试想你丧失了目前正拥有的一切，你的生活将会如何？肯定会令你追悔不已——你是那么喜爱和珍惜这一切。
　　每天，将你感激的事物罗列出来，这样你就会意识到自己有多么幸运。天天都这么做，尤其在你觉得没什么可感激之时。或者，你也可以在睡前花几分钟对所拥有的一切表示感激。
　　花点儿时间向那些不如你幸运的人伸出援助之手，这样你可以对生活有更深刻的认识。
　　然而，你采取哪种方法学会感恩并不重要，努力去欣赏和珍惜正拥有的一切才是最为重要的，这样你就可以更幸福地享受当前的生活。
　　“There” Is No Better than “Here”
　　Anonymous
　　Many people believe that they will be happy once they arrive at some specific goal they have set for themselves. For some the goal may be amassing1 a million dollars, for others losing those annoying tenplus pounds, and for still others it is finding a soulmate. It could be getting a better job, driving a nicer car, or pursuing a dream career. Whatever your “there” is, you may be convinced that once you arrive, you will finally find the peace you have always dreamed of; you will finally become fulfilled, happy, and content.
　　However, more often than not, once you arrive “there” you will still feel dissatisfied, and move your “there” vision to yet another point in the future. By always chasing after another “there”, you are never really appreciating what you already have right “here”. It is important for human beings to keep “soberminded” about the ageold drive to look beyond the place where you now stand. On one hand, your life is enhanced2 by your dreams and aspirations. On the other hand, these drives can pull you farther and farther from your enjoyment of your life right now.
　　People from the beginning of time have struggled with the question of how we can live in the present moment. And it is a challenge that has become particularly difficult in the modern world in which we are constantly lured3 by visions of greater glory, beauty, fame. If you learn to be grateful, you can fulfill the challenge of living in the present.
　　To be grateful means you are thankful for and appreciative of what you have and where you are on your path right now. Gratitude fills your heart with the joyful feeling and allows you to fully appreciate everything that arises on your path. As you strive4 to keep your focus on the present moment, you can experience the full wonder of “here”. There are many ways to cultivate gratitude. Here are just a few suggestions you may wish to try:
　　Imagine what your life would be like if you lost all that you had. This will most surely remind you of how much you do appreciate it.
　　Make a list each day of all that you are grateful for, so that you can stay conscious daily of your blessings. Do this especially when you are feeling as though you have nothing to feel grateful for. Or spend a few minutes before you go to sleep giving thanks for all that you have.
　　Spend time offering assistance to those who are less fortunate than you, so that you may gain perspective5.
　　However you choose to learn gratitude is irrelevant. What really matters is that you create a space in your consciousness for appreciation for all that you have right now, so that you may live more joyously in your present moment.
　　另一扇门
　　佚名
　　读报的时候，看到一篇好文章，总想把它剪下来收藏。就在我拿起剪刀准备剪的时候，才发现反面的文章也很有趣，它要么是讨论如何保持健康，要么是建议你怎样为人处世。假如你剪了这面的文章，那面的文章势必会被损坏，只留下一半或缺少文章题目。因此，举起的剪刀往往停留在半空舍不得再剪，继而不可避免地后悔、遗憾。
　　有时候，在同一时间有两件事要做，并且这两件事都值得你去关注。你只能选择其中一个，另一件事只能等到以后再做或者干脆放弃。可是你知道，未来不可预知，今后的变化可能不允许你完成剩下的这件事。所以你会觉得郁闷：为什么这么好的机遇和绝妙的想法会聚集到同一个时间？有可能就是因为你选择了这件事而放弃了那件事，你的一生就会发生戏剧性的改变。
　　这就是生活，像剪报一样，我们经常面临正反都完美的一件事，可是当我们忙碌于这件事的时候，注意力却又被另一件事所吸引。前者或许比后者更重要，我们举棋不定。我仍然记得一位哲学家的话：“当一扇门关闭时，生活会为你开启另一扇门。”所以不经意或被动选择，或许并不是坏事。
　　不管我们做什么，不管生活的暴风雨把我们吹向何处，我们一定可以实现梦想，哪里都有我们可以落脚的海岸，因为生活会为我们开启另一扇门。当有一扇门对你关闭时，一定会有另一扇门为你敞开。
　　Another Door
　　Anonymous
　　When I come across a good essay in reading newspapers, I am often inclined to cut and keep it. But just as I am about to do so I find the article on the opposite side is as much interesting. It may be a discussion of the way to keep in good health, or advice about how to behave and conduct oneself in society. If I cut the front essay, the opposite one is bound to suffer damage, leaving out half of it or keeping the text without the subject. As a result, the scissors would stay before they start, or halfway done when I find out the regretful consequence that inevitably causes my repentance.
　　Sometimes two things are to be done at the same time, both deserving your attention. You can only take up one of them, the other has to wait or be given up. But you know the future is unpredictable—the changed situation may not allow you to do what is left behind. Thus you are caught in a fix and feel sad？ How come that nice opportunities and brilliant ideas should gather around all at once？ It may happen that your life changes dramatically on your preference of one alternative to the other.
　　In fact that is what life is like: we are often faced with the two opposite aspects of a thing which are both desirable like newspaper cutting. It often occurs that our attention is drawn to one thing only after we are engaged in another. The former may be more important than the latter and give rise to a divided mind. I still remember a philosopher’s remarks, “When one door shuts, another opens in life.” So a casual or passive choice may not be a bad one.
　　Whatever we do in our lifetime, wherever life’s storm tosses us, there must be something we can achieve, some shore we can land, that opens up new vistas to us. Don’t forget God always keeps an alternative door open for every one. While the front door is closed, there must be another open for you.
　　充满活力、愉快地生活
　　佚名
　　充满活力、愉快地生活……问问自己下面的问题，按照你所知道的，并且能够带来变化的方式行事。简单吗？当然！容易吗？不一定！它能作出既巨大又奇妙的改变吗？你可以相信。
　　做哪些事情可以帮助你处于最佳状态？你可以与世界协调起来，充满爱心、自信、慷慨和耐性。成为勇猛、敏感、开放、友爱和忠诚之人，然后系统地摆脱分心、耗力、烦忧、渴望或任何一种类型的难题。明确地判断自己（它们会不知不觉地走近我们，我们就去适应它们）——问问你自己下面这些问题。
　　我设定怎样的目标，才能使我：
　　能够充满活力愉快地生活？
　　不会筋疲力尽？
　　不会焦虑或担忧？
　　不会烦躁不安？
　　不会因某种环境或人类的影响而变得消极？
　　心灵小语
　　你能做到活力四射、精神充沛、开心快乐地生活吗？其实答案就是自信、勇敢、宽容、热情地生活，不要忧愁满腹、怨声载道，要对一切都充满希望。这些听起来很简单，可是做起来就不那么容易了。问问自己，能做到吗？
　　To Be Full of Energy，Joy and Life
　　Anonymous
　　To be full of energy，joy and life... ask yourself such questions as these，and take what actions you know will make the difference you need. Simple? You bet! Easy? Not necessarily! Will it make a huge and wonderful difference? You can be sure of it.
　　Do those things that help you be your best self， attuned1 with the universe，loving，confident，generous，and patient. Being bold，vulnerable2，open，loving，and committed. Then systematically get rid of distractions3，drains，causes of worry，anxiety or problems of any kind. To identify these clearly for yourself (they tend to sneak up on us and we tend to get used to them)—ask yourself questions such as these.
　　What limits do I set，so that：
　　So I can be being full of energy，joy and life?
　　I am not being drained of energy?
　　I do not worry or be anxious?
　　I am not distracted?
　　I am not negatively affected by certain circumstances or people?