经典的英语美文（精选22篇）
有些经典的英语美文值得我们一生去细细品位，每次都能有不同的感悟，今天小编在这里为大家介绍一生必读英文经典美文，希望大家会喜欢这些英语美文!
In a calm sea every man is a pilot.
在风平浪静的大海上,每个人都是领航员。
But all sunshine without shade, all pleasure without pain, is not life at all.Take the lot of the happiest - it is a tangled yarn.Bereavements and blessings,one following another, make us sad and blessed by turns. Even death itself makes life more loving. Men come closest to their true selves in the sober moments of life, under the shadows of sorrow and loss.
但只有阳光没有阴影,只有快乐没有痛苦,根本不是真正的生活.就拿最幸福的人来说,他的生活也是一团缠结在一起的乱麻。痛苦与幸福交替出现,使得我们一会悲伤一会高兴。甚至死亡本身都使得生命更加可爱。在人生清醒的时刻,在悲伤与失落的阴影之下,人们与真实的自我最为接近。
In the affairs of life or of business, it is not intellect that tells so much as character, not brains so much as heart, not genius so much as self-control, patience, and discipline, regulated by judgment.
在生活和事业的种种事务之中，性格比才智更能指导我们，心灵比头脑更能引导我们，而由判断获得的克制、耐心和教养比天分更能让我们受益。
I have always believed that the man who has begun to live more seriously within begins to live more simply without. In an age of extravagance and waste, I wish I could show to the world how few the real wants of humanity are.
我一向认为，内心生活开始更为严谨的人，他的外在生活也会变得更为简朴。在物欲横流的年代，但愿我能向世人表明：人类的真正需求少得多么可怜。
To regret one's errors to the point of not repeating them is true repentance.There is nothing noble in being superior to some other man. The true nobility is in being superior to your previous self.
反思自己的过错不至于重蹈覆辙才是真正的悔悟。高人一等并没有什么值得夸耀的。真正的高贵是优于过去的自已。
In the eternal universe, every human being has a one-off chance to live --his existence is unique and irretrievable, for the mold with which he was made, as Rousseau said, was broken by God immediately afterwards.
在茫茫宇宙间，每个人都只有一次生存的机会，都是一个独一无二、不可重复的存 在。正像卢梭所说的，上帝把你造出来后，就把那个属于你的特定的模子打碎了。
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 peculiar insight into the meaning of life and your commitment to it, which add luster to your personality.
名声、财产、知识等等是身外之物，人人都可求而得之，但没有人能够代替你感受 人生。你死之后，没有人能够代替你再活一次。如果你真正意识到了这一点，你就会明 白，活在世上，最重要的事就是活出你自己的特色和滋味来。你的人生是否有意义，衡 量的标准不是外在的成功，而是你对人生意义的独特领悟和坚守，从而使你的自我闪放 出个性的光华。
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' sugg estions; 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.
真正成为自己不是一件容易的事。世上有许多人，你说他是什么都行，例如是一种 职业，一个身份，一个角色，惟独不是他自己。如果一个人总是按别人的意见生活，没 有自己的独立思索，总是为外在事务忙碌，没有自己的内心生活，那么，说他不是他自 己就一点儿也没有冤枉他。因为确确实实，从他的头脑到他的心灵，你在其中已经找不 到丝毫真正属于他自己的东西了，他只是别人的一个影子或一架办事的机器罢了。
Youth is not a time of life; it is a state of mind; it is not a matter of rosy cheeks, red lips and supple knees; it is a matter of the will, a quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions; it is the freshness of the deep springs of life.
Youth means a tempera-mental predominance of courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over the love of ease. This often exists in a man of 60 more than a boy of 20. Nobody grows old merely by a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals.
Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul. Worry, fear, self-distrust bows the heart and turns the spring back to dust.
Whether 60 or 16, there is in every human being‘s heart the lure of wonder, the unfailing childlike appetite of what‘s next and the joy of the game of living. In the center of your heart and my heart there is a wireless station: so long as it receives messages of beauty, hope, cheer, courage and power from men and from the Infinite, so long are you young.
When the aerials are down, and your spirit is covered with snows of cynicism and the ice of pessimism, then you are grown old, even at 20, but as long as your aerials are up, to catch waves of optimism, there is hope you may die young at 80.
青春不是年华，而是心境；青春不是桃面、丹唇、柔膝，而是深沉意志，恢宏想
象，炙热恋情；青春是生命深泉在涌流。
青春气贯长虹，勇锐盖过怯弱，进取压倒苟安。如此锐气，二十后生而有之，六旬男子则更多见。年岁有加，并非垂老，理想丢弃，，学习英语的网站，方堕暮年。
岁月悠悠，衰微只及肌肤；热忱抛却，颓废必致灵魂。忧烦，惶恐，丧失自信，定使心灵扭曲，意气如灰。
无论年届花甲，拟或二八芳龄，心中皆有生命之欢乐，奇迹之诱惑，孩童般天真久盛不衰。人人心中皆有一台天线，只要你从天上人间接受美好、希望、欢乐、勇气和力量信号，你就青春永驻，，风华常存。
一旦天线下降，锐气便被冰雪覆盖，玩世不恭、自暴自弃油然而生，即使年方二十，实已垂垂老矣；然则只要树起天线，捕捉乐观信号，你就有望在八十高龄告别尘寰时仍觉年轻。
John and Bobby joined a wholesale company togther just after graduation from college the same year. Both worked very hard. After several years, however, the boss promoted Bobby to theposotion of manager but John remained an ordinary employee. John could not take it anymore, tendered his resignation to the boss and complained the boss did not know how to delegate and did not value hard working staff, but only promoted those who flattered him.
约翰和博比同年大学毕业后，被同一家批发公司录用。他们二人工作都很努力。然而，几年后，老板提拔博比为部门经理，而约翰还是一名普通员工。约翰再也无法忍受，学习英语的网站，冲动之下写了一封辞职信，并抱怨老板不会用人，不重用那些敬业的员工，只提升那些奉承他的人。
The boss knew that John worked very hard for the years. He thought a moment and said, "Thank you for your criticism, but I have a request. I hope you will do one more thing for our company before you leave. Perhaps you will change your decision and take back your resignation."
老板知道这几年约翰工作确实很努力。他想了一会儿说：“谢谢你对我的批评。但是我只有一个请求，我希望在你离开之前再为公司做一件事情。或许到时你会改变决定，收回辞呈。”
John agreed. The boss asked him to go and find out anyone selling watermelon in the market. John went and returned soon. He said he had found out a man selling watermelon. The boss asked how much per kg? John shook his head and went back to the market to ask and returned to inform the boss $1.2 per kg.
约翰答应了。 老板让他去市场找到一个卖西瓜的人。约翰去了并很快回来。他说他找到了一个卖西瓜的人。老板问他每公斤多少钱？约翰摇摇头，回到市场去问，然后又回来告诉老板每公斤1.2美元。
Boss told John to wait a second, and he called Bobby to come to his office. He asked Bobby to go and find anyone seling watermelon in the market. Bobby went, returned and said, boss, only one person selling watermelon. $1.2 per kg, $10 for 10kg, he has inventory of 340 melons. On the table 58 melons, every melon weights about 2 kg, bought from the South two days ago, they are fresh and red, good quality.
老板让约翰等一会儿，这时他把博比叫到办公室。他让博比去市场找到一个卖西瓜的人。博比去了，回来之后说：“老板，只有一个卖西瓜的人，每公斤1.2美元，每10公斤卖10美元。这个人一共有340个西瓜，其中58个放在货架上，每个西瓜重约2公斤，免费学英语网站，都是两天前从南方运来的，新鲜，红瓤，质量好。”
John was very impresed and realized the difference between himself and Bobby. He decided not to resign but to learn from Bobby.
约翰受到很大的触动，他意识到自己与博比之间的差距。他决定收回辞呈并向博比学习。
My dear friends, a more successful person is more observant, thinks more and explores in depth. Chances exists in the daily details. For the same matter, a more successful person sees more and farther so that he can find out an opportunity and catch it to realize his aim. If a person sees one year ahead, while another sees only tomorrow. The difference between a year and a day is 365times, how could you win?
亲爱的朋友们，成功的人更善于观察，好的英语学习网站，勤于思考和孜孜探求。机遇就存在于生活的细节中。同样的一件事，一个成功的人会看得更多更远。有人看到一年后的情景，而你只看到明天。一年与一天的差距是365倍，你怎么能赢呢？
Don't be too concerned about money, because all it will do is distract you from achieving happiness. And the irony of ironies is that people think they will be happy when they have money. Money has nothing to do with happiness. If you are happy and you have money, you can use it for happiness.
不要太在意金钱，因为金钱只会对你追寻幸福的过程造成干扰。最具讽刺意味的是，人们以为自己拥有金钱就会幸福。事实上金钱与幸福毫不相干。如果你感到幸福，同时又拥有金钱，你可以用金钱来换取幸福。
If you are unhappy and you have money, you will use that money for more unhappiness. Because money is simply a neutral force.
然而如果你没有感到幸福，却拥有金钱，那么你的金钱只能换来更多的不幸。因为金钱只是一种中性的作用力。
Don't misinterpret me: I am not against money. I am not against anything. Money is a means. Your money will enhance your pattern, whatsoever it is.
请别误会：我并非反对金钱。我不想反对任何对象。但是金钱仅仅是一种手段。金钱会让你按照已有的生活模式向前迈进，无论你此时的生活模式是好是坏。
But people keep looking for money as if money is going to bring happiness. People are ready, at any moment, to change their pattern, to change their ways, if more money is available somewhere else.
可是人们还是不停地寻求金钱，似乎金钱能带给他们幸福似的。任何时候，如果他们发现在生活之路的另一个岔路口上可以找到金钱，他们就会立刻扭转自己的生活模式，改变自己的生活道路。
Once the money is there, then suddenly you are no longer yourself; you are ready to change.
可是这些人一旦找到了金钱，却会立刻迷失自我，因为已经准备好了为金钱而改变自己。
This is the way of the worldly man. Remember, I don't call a person worldly because he or she has money. I call them worldly if they change their motives for money. This applies to people with no money as well - they may simply be poor. Just being poor is not equivalent to being spiritual; and just being rich is not equivalent to being a materialist. The materialistic pattern of life is one in which money predominates over everything.
这就是世俗中芸芸众生的生活方式。记住，我称其世俗并非因为他们拥有金钱，而是因为他们为了金钱而改变了自己的生活目标。对一文不名的人来说同样如此——或许他们仅仅是贫穷，而不是清贫。贫穷并不等于精神高尚，而富贵也并不等于拜金主义。真正的拜金主义生活方式是让金钱凌驾于一切之上。
The non-materialistic life is one in which money is just a means: happiness predominates, joy predominates, your own individuality predominates. You know who you are and where you are going, and you are not distracted.
而非拜金主义的生活方式，是将金钱仅仅视作一种手段：幸福、快乐和你的个体尊严都是高于金钱的。你知道自己是谁，知道自己的目标在何处，你不会受到旁骛的干扰。
Then suddenly you will see your life has a meditative quality to it.
能够如此，你就会发现，你的生活忽然有了一种禅意。
I was in the Santa Cruz Mountains not long ago, speaking and singing at a women's conference. We were focusing on the theme of loving others in practical ways through our gifts, and something in particular happened during one of the sessions that will remain imprinted in my memory as a beautiful illustration of this practice.
不久前我在圣克鲁斯山脉，在一次妇女大会上有说有唱。我们关注的主题是通过送礼物等实用的方法来关爱他人。其中一个会议期间发生的一件特殊的事将成为最美的印迹永远铭刻在我的记忆中。
A young Syrian woman ("Lilith") had been invited to the conference at the last minute, and everyone seemed surprised and delighted that she'd actually come. Just a few days earlier, Lilith had fled her country and found refuge with one of the women attending the conference. As an Orthodox Christian in Syria, she and her loved ones had become targets of violent atrocities from radical terrorist groups in the country's ongoing civil war.
一位年轻的叙利亚女士（莉莉丝）在最后一分钟被邀请到会议上，大家看起来都很惊讶，也很高兴她真的来了。就在几天前，莉莉丝逃离她的国家，和另外一个参加会议的女士一起寻找避难所。作为叙利亚的一名东正教教徒，她和亲人们成为了这个国家正在进行的内战中激进的恐怖组织暴行的目标。
Lilith had witnessed horrors no one her young age should ever see. Despite the further danger it presented, she'd decided to leave her home and her family to find safety here in America. Knowing some of her story, and seeing her sitting through the sessions at the retreat -- head covered in a scarf, face bowed toward the floor -- broke my heart.
莉莉丝目击了她这个年纪的年轻人不该见到的恐怖。尽管要面临更大的危险，但她决定离开家和家人来美国寻求安全。知道了她的一些故事，看见她会议期间有些退却——头上包着围巾，脸朝着地面压得很低——我感觉心要碎了。
Lilith's story touched all of us, including Pam, an attendee who was a quilt maker. Pam had just finished a gorgeous, intricately-patterned quilt, and had brought it with her. She, along with a few of the leaders, decided to give it to Lilith as a symbol of their comfort and love. Lilith had left her own mother behind in her homeland, and I can't imagine how frightened and alone she felt. But in her absence I could see there were lots of "mamas" in this community of women who were more than ready to love on her.
莉莉丝的故事触动了我们所有人，包括与会的被子生产商帕姆。帕姆刚做出了一床华丽的、图案精致的被子，也带过来了。她和几位领导决定把它赠给莉莉丝，被子象征了他们的安慰和爱。莉莉丝把母亲留在了家乡，我无法想象她感到多么害怕孤单。但她的离开使我看到在这个女性团体中有很多“妈妈”，她们都准备好要把爱献给她。
During our last session together Lilith was called forward and prayed over, hugged, and wrapped up in that beautiful quilt. I thought of the many hours Pam undoubtedly spent working on it, unaware of the horrendous events that would lead Lilith to this moment--literally surrounded by the beauty and love the quilt embodied. I wept. When they told her it was for her, she wept. We all wept, honking our noses and wiping our eyes.
我们最后一次在一起开会时，莉莉丝被叫去站到前面，大家为她祈祷，拥抱她，把那条漂亮的被子围在她身上。我想到帕姆毫无疑问花了好长时间做这个被子，当时她根本不知道那些可怕的事会把莉莉丝带到这里——此时却被被子蕴含的美丽和爱所围绕。我哭了，她们告诉她这个被子是给她的时候，她哭了。我们都哭了，抽泣着擦着眼泪。
I thought about the words from 1 Peter 4:10: Serve one another with the particular gifts God has given each of you, as faithful dispensers of the magnificently varied grace of God. The words particular and varied suggest to me that there may be as many gifts as there are people and personalities. A quilt wrapped around a ravaged young woman is just one practical, loving act of service that demonstrates God's grace.
我想到了彼得前书的4章10节里的话：各人要照所得的恩赐彼此服侍，作神百般恩赐的好管家。这番话特别换了一种方式提醒我有多少人和个性就有多少礼物。一位受到伤害的年轻女子身上围的被子就是体现了上帝慈悲的一个充满爱意的行为。
It's the particular things we do that we sometimes think are too small or inconsequential compared to the overwhelming suffering we witness. But to do nothing when we see an opportunity--to serve, to comfort, to ease another's pain--is to withhold whatever facet of God's magnificently varied grace our gift offers.
这就是我们所做的特别的事，有时我们认为这和我们见到的势不可挡的苦难相比太过渺小或不重要。但有机会时-服务、安慰、缓解别人的痛苦-你什么都不做，就没有体现出上帝给予的恩赐所展现的各种慈悲的任何一面。
God puts dreams in our hearts. So, we must dream. We lose our sorrows and heartaches in dreams. And we live our fantasies in dreams. Some dreams are aborted while some come true.
上帝在我们的心中播种梦想。所以我们必须有梦。我们在梦想中丢弃悲伤与心痛，活在梦想的奇异世界里。一些梦想可能会夭折然而一些则会实现。
Most mornings, I'd sit by the Lake in my neighborhood just to witness the awesomeness of God; to be marveled at what Mother Nature is about to unfold... to shower us with her magnificence. The squirrels too gather by the edge of the Lake. The birds float effortlessly, circling the Lake in a beautiful ballet. The gators stand in awe. Yes, the gators! The leaves on the trees would suddenly stop their slow dance. Just like me, they are patiently awaiting for the grand entrance of the sun. The moon must go. Yes, the moon must go... to make room for the sun to rise. The sound of the gentle breeze is soothing, almost musical. I am filled with joy. I cannot describe the feeling of this awesomeness. You'd have to experience it to understand the feeling and joy of it. I know I am about to witness an amazing grace. So... I am silent. My spirit is at peace. The stage has been set. Behind those clouds, the sun awaits... waiting for the heavenly command. The ritual is in full bloom. Then I see a slice of sunlight, wafting through the clouds. Suddenly, the entire horizon is brightened, and the sun finally takes the center stage. Right there, I am still... humbled... to listen to God speak into my soul. When He's done, then, I share with Him all that my heart desires.
早晨我经常会静坐在家附近的湖畔，只为见证上帝的神奇之力；惊叹大自然母亲将展现的事物。震撼我们以其雄伟壮丽之景。松鼠也在湖边聚集起来。鸟儿轻快的浮在湖面上，绕着湖转着圈，好似在跳优美的芭蕾。鳄鱼肃立着。没错，是鳄鱼！树上的叶子会突然地停下她们的曼舞，耐心地等待着太阳宏大的入场礼，就像我一样。月亮必须要离开啊。是啊，月亮必须要离开啊，得给太阳腾地方啊。徐徐微风，温婉静谧，如同和乐一般。喜悦之情，溢于言表。然此景之震撼实则无法用言语表达。人们须亲身经历才能明白这种感觉和其中的喜悦。知道即将亲眼见证这一奇妙的恩典，我没有出声。我心静如水，没有一丝涟漪。舞台已准备就绪。重重云雾背后，太阳静待，等着上天的召唤。礼教已经进入它的全盛时代。然后我看到了穿过云层透出来的一缕阳光。突然，整个地平线变得透亮，太阳最终站到了中心舞台上。然，就在那，我一动不动，谦卑地聆听着上帝对我灵魂的教导。待其结束，与上帝诉说着我的心愿。
Now, here's my personal dream story:
现在，为您呈上我关于梦的故事：
Eight years ago, a young couple very dear to my heart had a miscarriage after being attacked by armed robbers in their home. They were newly weds. They share the kind of love that makes one want to give love a second chance. Why? They truly love each other and, they take God on board with them in all that they do.
八年前，持械抢劫犯入室抢劫了一对跟我很亲近的年轻夫妻，他们因此而失掉了一个还未出生的孩子。他们刚结婚不久，之间有着使人想给爱第二次机会的那种爱。为什么呢？他们真心相爱，而且他们一切都与上帝同行。
I am your typical all-year-round-positive-kinda-girl. But, it doesn't mean I do not have my down moments. I stay positive and thankful because I know there's a reason for every season. Since the couple had that miscarriage, they felt empty. For awhile, they wondered if God had abandoned them. They fasted and prayed. They cried. They isolated themselves from family and friends. Basically, they were existing, and not living. They travelled far and wide, spending all their resources, seeing different OBGYNs. Nothing worked.
我是那种典型的一年到头都很乐天派女生，但这并不意味着我没有低落的时候。我乐观开朗，常怀感恩，是因为我知道每个季节都有存在的理由。自从那对夫妻遭遇那场不幸之后，就觉得很空虚。有那么一段时间，他们在想上帝是不是把他们抛弃了。他们禁食，祈祷，哭泣。离开家庭和朋友把自己孤立起来。基本上，他们只是单纯地存在着而不是生活着。他们倾尽所能，跋山涉水四处寻医问药，找各种妇产科医生。但毫无效果。
One day, I called them to say hello. The wife sounded like someone had died. When I asked, she said, "I am fine. Nobody died. Just tired." When I spoke with her husband, he shared with me that she had just seen her period, menstrual period, that is. I asked him if I could speak with her again. I believe till this day that it was the grace of God that led me to make that phone call. It was time to share my one dream with her.
有一天，我打电话过去问候他们。这位妻子的声音听起来就像谁去世了一样很是悲伤。当我问道她就说“我很好，没有谁去世。我只是累了.”当我跟她丈夫谈起时，他告诉我说她刚刚进入经期，仅此而已。我问道是否可以再跟他妻子聊会。我相信直到这一天是上帝恩惠让我拨打这个电话。是时候和她分享我的一个梦了。
"For eight years, I always had same dream, You were in it. You were always nursing a child while rocking him/her in a rocking chair. In the dream, there was always a celebration happening...like a Christening, and you were in it, with your husband by your side." She was silent. I had to share some life lessons with her. I also had to remind her that she must never allow her faith to be shaken, instead, it should be renewed with each sunrise because God is Hope.
“八年以来，我一直在做着同样的梦，你就在梦里面。而你总是在摇着摇椅照看一个孩子。在梦里，总是有那么一场庆祝活动在举办着，像是一场洗礼，而你在那里，你的丈夫站在你旁边。”她没出声。我必须说一些生活的经验给她听。同时我也必须要提醒她一定不能动摇信念，反之，信念应当在每次太阳升起的时候得到新生，因为上帝就是希望。
I read somewhere that when Life breaks us, "We are only broken to be made whole." Therefore, we must strive not to fall apart.
当生命将我们分开的时候我就会念到，“我们只有在要组成整体的时候才会被分离开来。”因此，我们必须努力不破裂。
I shared this dream with my mother. And each time, we got excited together and submitted this dream of mine to God in prayers and in songs of praise, after all, God is just a prayer away. And God sure loves to be praised.
我跟我母亲讲了这个梦境。每次我们都会变得很兴奋，并在祷文中和赞歌中与上帝分享我这个梦，毕竟，上帝是远方的一个祷告者。再者，上帝肯定也喜欢被称赞。
Many moons ago, I remember waking up in the middle of the night, covered in sweat. I was woken up by a sharp pain in my stomach. I had a dream. This time, I was the one pregnant. I went down on my knees in total submission to the Will of God...asking Him for my one dream to come true. And no, I did not wish to be pregnant (Laughs).
数月以前，我记得自己披着一件毛衣，在午夜醒来。我被腹部的一阵刺痛而惊醒，我做了一个梦。这回，怀孕的那个人是我。完全服从上帝的旨意，我跪了下来，请求上帝能实现我的一个梦--不，我不想怀孕。（此处有笑声）
I do know one thing for sure: Dreams really do come true when you believe in your dreams, when you give God something to work with (doing your part), and when you believe in and trust God.
有一件事我可以肯定：当你相信梦想，当你做出一些努力从而能让上帝能对你有所帮助，当你相信自己并信任上帝，梦想就一定会成真。
God finally granted me the dream of my heart. This winter, this man and wife are expecting their first child.
上帝终于恩赐了我心中的梦想。今年冬天，那个男人和他的妻子正期盼着他们第一个孩子的到来。
When I received this great news, I was not surprised. The awesomeness of God is immeasurable. I am always in total submission to His Will. I believed this dream was going to come true at God's own time. And, this is God's time. For this, I am most thankful and humbled by this amazing grace.
听到这个好消息的时候我并没有感到很惊讶。上帝的奇妙是无法估量的。我一直都服从着上帝的旨意。相信等时机到了，这个梦想就会成真。而现在就是那个时机。因为这个，我非常感谢并膜拜这奇妙的恩典。
Greatness is not this wonderful, esoteric, elusive god-like feature that only the special among us will ever taste. It is something that truly exists in all of us. The way it manifests itself in all of us differs from person to person.
“伟大”并不是什么特殊的人才能体会到的特质，也没有那么精妙奇异、难以捉摸，甚至被神化。他真实地存在于我们所有人当中。每个人所表现出来的方式又因人而异。
For those of us who are compassionate we sway others to our causes with our empathy.
那些富有同情心的，凭着自己的执着，号召他人加入自己的.事业。
For those of us who are resourceful we complete our tasks without the resources we need.
那些足智多谋的，无需借助太多外力就能达成目标。
For those of us who are creative we find the solutions that no one else can think of.
那些勇于创新的，能找到独一无二的方法解决问题。
Creativity, communication, cooperation, decisiveness, leadership, love, passion, we are all born with different attributes that make us great, and it is our duty to discover that greatness. Discovering it is half the battle.
创造力、沟通能力、合作能力、决断力、领导力、爱与激情，我们与生俱来这些不同的特质，从而造就我们的伟大，发掘伟大的潜质是我们的责任。一旦发现了自己的潜质，我们就已经成功了一半。
When you do find out what it is that makes you great you will see the world before you and understand what opportunity lies in wait. It was waiting there for you all along, waiting for you to come to the realization that everything you needed to succeed in life was within you all along, and you will want to tell the whole world what you found, you will want to tell people about the greatness inside each of them, but they won’t understand because each person must discover it and declare it on their own.
当你发现了造就你的伟大的特质，你就能看清眼前的世界，就能明白是什么样的机遇在等着你。它一直在这里等了你，等着你醒悟过来，认识到成功所需的一切品质都一直都蕴藏在自己的灵魂里。你会想要告诉整个世界自己的发现，你会想要告诉大家每个人蕴藏着的伟大，可是他们不会明白，因为伟大需要每个人自己去发现，去把自己的发现宣告给这个世界。
A frail old man lived with his son, his daughter-in-law, and his four-year-old grandson. His eyes were blurry, his hands trembled, and his step faltered.
一位虚弱的老人和他的儿子、儿媳还有四岁的孙子住在一起。他双眼模糊，两手颤抖，步履蹒跚。
The family would eat together nightly at the dinner table. But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating rather difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon, drooping to the floor. When he grasped his glass of milk, it often spilled clumsily at the tablecloth.
这家人每晚会在餐桌前共用晚餐。但是年迈的爷爷双手颤抖，视力退化，连吃饭都困难。豌豆从他的勺子里滚出来，掉在了地上。去拿牛奶的时候，他行动笨拙，也常常会把牛奶洒在桌布上。
With this happening almost every night, the son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess.
这样的事每晚都在发生。他的儿子儿媳开始对这些繁杂的事情感到恼怒不已。
"We must do something about grandfather," said the son.
“我们应该对爷爷的问题想想办法了。”儿子说。
"I've had enough of his milk spilling, noisy eating and food on the floor," the daughter-in-law agreed.
“我受够了他了。他到处乱洒牛奶，吃东西很大声，还弄到地上。”儿媳也很同意。
So the couple set a small table at the corner.
所以这对夫妇在角落里又放了个小桌子。
There, grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed their dinner at the dinner table. Since grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in wooden bowls. Sometimes when the family glanced in grandfather's direction, he had a tear in his eye as he ate alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food. The four-year-old watched it all in silence.
从此，在其他人在餐桌上享用晚餐的时候，爷爷就一个人在边上吃。又由于爷爷打碎了一两个碟子，他的食物就被放在了木头碗里端给他。有时，当这家人不经意瞥向爷爷的时候，能看见他眼中的泪水。不变的是，爷爷掉了一支叉或者打翻食物的时候，这对夫妇只会严厉地警告他。四岁的孙子目睹着这一切，一言不发。
One evening, before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly: "What are you making?" Just as sweetly, the boy replied, "Oh, I'm making a little bowl for you and mama to eat your food from when I grow up." The four-year-old smiled and went back to work.
有一天晚饭前，父亲注意到了他的儿子在玩木头屑。他亲切地问孩子：“你在做什么呢？”儿子同样亲切地答：“噢，我在做木碗呢。等我长大了，它们就是用来给爸爸妈妈吃饭的。”说完，四岁的儿子带着微笑，继续做他的木碗。
These words so struck the parents that they were speechless. Then tears streamed down their cheeks. Though no words were spoken, both knew what must be done. That evening, the husband took grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table.
儿子的语出惊人让这对父母顿时语塞，泪水从脸颊流下。虽然没有说一句话，他们都下定决心要做什么了。那天晚上，那位丈夫挽起爷爷的手，缓缓地带他回到从前那个餐桌前。
For the remainder of his days, grandfather ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk was spilled or the table cloth was soiled.
接下来几天，每顿晚饭爷爷都和一家人一起吃。因为某些原因，这对夫妻再也不在乎掉下的叉子、洒出的牛奶或是弄脏的桌布了。
We all find the rhythm.
我们终将会找到属于自己的节奏。
We all remember our first days of high-school, college, our first job.
这些场景都历历在目吧：高中第一天，大学第一天，上班第一天。
We all remember the feelings of butterflies in our stomachs when we took our first steps into those positions, the feeling that we were unqualified for what we were doing, that we didn’t belong.
我们都记得迈出第一步时，心中的手足无措，担心自己不够格、担心自己不属于这个地方。
What if my coworkers don’t like me?
要是同事们不喜欢我怎么办？
What if I’m terrible at my work?
要是我做出的工作成果很糟糕怎么办？
What if I mess everything up?
要是我把一切搞砸了怎么办？
These are the thoughts that run through your mind during those first few days as you tiptoe your way around the workplace, being careful that you don’t do anything that will get you noticed, with the fear that when they notice you, you will mess up. But eventually you do get noticed, and you don’t mess up, and soon you develop a rhythm.
这些都是工作的头几天里，脑海中会浮现出的想法。你小心翼翼地在公司里走着，恨不得踮起脚尖，生怕自己的一举一动会引起周围人的注意，生怕自己搞砸一切。然而，你终究还是受到了关注，但你并没有搞砸，并且你很快就找到了自己的节奏。
It has only been a week and you have already fallen into a rhythm. You walk into your workplace and say hello to the receptionist who now knows you by name, you get you morning coffee and strike up a conversation with a coworker who you’ve quickly developed a friendship with. Whereas before you looked around chaotically for the sugar and cream, now the location is familiar and your reach for it instinctual. You walk to your desk, take a rejuvenating sip of coffee, and look over your daily schedule that has become all too familiar to you.
仅仅过去了一周，你的节奏愈发自如。走进公司，你会很自然地和前台打招呼，而他们也叫得出你的名字。取咖啡的时候，你会和同事攀谈起来，不知不觉中你们已经建立了友谊。以前你焦头烂额地到处找糖和奶油，如今你可以轻松自如地找到它们。你走到办公桌前，小啜一口咖啡，一天的活力注满了全身。接着，你从容地翻阅着日程表，里面的内容都已太熟悉了。
You notice a new task that you haven’t encountered before, but you no longer feel uncertainty and fear of messing it up. You have survived a week in this place without messing up, people have congratulated you on how good of a job you’ve done, and you belong here. A smirk creases over your face as you look forward to undertaking this new unproven challenge. The day begins and you fall into your rhythm.
即使接到以前从没接触过的任务，你也会胸有成竹，不再担心自己会搞砸了。你已在这个地方度过了一周，没有搞砸任何事，人们甚至为你出色的绩效而喝彩。你属于这里。所以在准备迎接这个未知挑战的时候，你的脸上露出了一丝得意的笑容。新的一天又开始了，你找到了属于自己的节奏。
Outside the Bible, these six words are the most famousin all the literature of the world. They were spokenby Hamlet when he was thinking aloud, and they are themost famous words in Shakespeare because Hamlet wasspeaking not only for himself but also for everythinking man and woman. To be or not to be, to live ornot to live, to live richly and abundantly andeagerly, or to live dully and meanly and scarcely. Aphilosopher once wanted to know whether he was aliveor not, which is a good question for everyone to putto himself occasionally. He answered it by saying: "I think, therefore am." But the best definition of existence ever saw did another philosopher who said: "To be is to bein relations." If this true, then the more relations a living thing has, the more it is alive. Tolive abundantly means simply to increase the range and intensity of our relations.Unfortunately we are so constituted that we get to love our routine. But apart from our regularoccupation how much are we alive? If you are interest-ed only in your regular occupation, youare alive only to that extent. So far as other things are concerned--poetry and prose, music,pictures, sports, unselfish friendships, politics, international affairs--you are dead.
Contrariwise, it is true that every time you acquire a new interest--even more, a newaccomplishment--you increase your power of life. No one who is deeply interested in a largevariety of subjects can remain unhappy; the real pessimist is the person who has lostinterest.
Bacon said that a man dies as often as he loses a friend. But we gain new life by contacts, newfriends. What is supremely true of living objects is only less true of ideas, which are alsoalive. Where your thoughts are, there will your live be also. If your thoughts are confined onlyto your business, only to your physical welfare, only to the narrow circle of the town in whichyou live, then you live in a narrow cir-conscribed life. But if you are interested in what isgoing on in China, then you are living in China~ if you’re interested in the characters of agood novel, then you are living with those highly interesting people, if you listen intently tofine music, you are away from your immediate surroundings and living in a world of passion andimagination.
To be or not to be--to live intensely and richly, merely to exist, that depends on ourselves.Let widen and intensify our relations. While we live, let live!
You cannot change the laws of physics ... but could physics actually enable us to travel through time?
It might sound crazy, but according to Einstein‘s theories, there‘s no logical reason why time travel isn‘t possible.
Time travel is clearly a trickier proposition than space travel,though. And prior to Einstein, it would have been deemed utterly impossible！ That‘s because the old idea about time was that it was like a cosmic metronome keeping a regular and constant beat throughout the universe. And it was thought to move in one direction only .
However, what physicists now know is that time is rather more flexible than the old “ Clockwork Universe” ideas they had it. And it was Albert Einstein who set the cat among the pigeons.
Einstein‘s theories about time and space were revolutionary. He became a celebrity--and not just in scientific circles. It‘s only since he published his theories that scientists have been able to demonstrate that space and time really behave the way he said they did.
In 1971, after Einstein‘s death, two scientists were able to carry out a crucial experiment. They used two atomic clocks, synchronized them, and placed one on a plane, while the other stayed in the same location on Earth. The plane then flew around the world for 80 hours. According to Einstein‘s theory, the clock on the plane would be expected to have lost time, due to being in motion over 80 hours compared to the clock on the ground. When they brought the clocks together and made a comparison, the clock on the plane was indeed a few nanoseconds slower than the other clock. The experiment was replicated in 1996 with advanced technology, and it was proved again--with an even bigger time difference this time. Which proves that not only is time “ warp-able” , but Einstein was arguably the greatest thinker the world has ever seen.
If it were possible, however, it would present some pretty knotty paradoxes... For example, what if someone or something traveled back in time and changed the ensuing future? And have you heard the one about the time traveller who dots back and forward in time and by means of various medical technologies is able to be his own father AND mother?! And besides, if time travel is possible, where are all the people from the future--surely they‘d want to come and meet us poor stranded 21st century beings?
Companionship of Books （Samuel Smiles-- The political reformer and moralist was born）
A man may usually be known by the books he reads as well as by the company（playmates） he keeps;（Birds of a feather flock together）for there is a companionship （friendship） of books as well as of men; and one should always live in the best company, whether it be of books or of men. --- the author has contrast of books and friends.
A good book may be among the best of friends.（a good book is like our best friend） It is the same today that it always was, and it will never change. It is the most patient and cheerful of companions. It does not turn its back upon us （abandon） in times of adversity or distress.（in times of misfortunes or poverty） It always receives us with the same kindness，amusing and instructing us in youth, and comforting and consoling us in age.（in old age）
一本好书就像是一个最好的朋友。它始终不渝，过去如此，现在仍然如此，将来也永远不变。它是最有耐心、最令人愉快的伴侣。在我们穷愁潦倒、临危遭难的时候，它也不会抛弃我们，对我们总是一往情深。在我们年轻时，好书陶冶我们的性情，增长我们的知识；到我们年老时，它又给我们以安慰和勉励。
Men often discover their affinity （close relationship） to each other by the love they have each for a book --- just as two persons sometimes discover a friend by the admiration which both have for a third. There is an old proverb, “Love me, and love my dog.” But there is more wisdom in this:” Love me, love my book.” The book is a truer and higher bond of union. （uniting force） Men can think, feel, and sympathize （share the feelings or ideas of another） with each other through their favorite author. They live in him together, and he （lives） in them. ---they can find their opinions from books, in reverse, the ideas of the author influence them too.
人们常常因为同爱一本书而结为知己，就像有时两个人因为敬慕同一个人而交为朋友一样。古谚说：“爱屋及乌”。但是，“爱我及书”这句话却有更深的哲理。书是更为坚实而高尚的情谊纽带。人们可以通过共同爱好的作家沟通思想感情，彼此息息相通。他们的思想共同在作者的著述里得到体现，而作者的思想反过来又化为他们的思想。
“Books,” said Hazlitt,“Wind into the heart; the poet's verse slides in the current of our blood. We read them when young, we remember them when old. We feel that it has happened to ourselves. They are to be very cheap and good. We breathe but the air of books.”
哈兹利特曾经说过：“书潜移默化人们的内心，诗歌熏陶人们的气质品性。少小所习，老大不忘，恍如身历其事。书籍价廉物美，不啻我们呼吸的空气。”
A good book is often the best urn （a vase with foot and round body, especially as anciently for storing ashes of the dead. 有腳之圓形缸，古時以此缸盛人屍體之骨殖。） of a life enshrining （inclosing or preserving as in shrine. 保而藏之（如帝王駕崩，高僧圓寂之後，藏其遺骸於神龕中）。） the best that life could think out; for the world of a man's life is, for the most part, but the world of his thoughts. Thus the best books are treasuries （a place where valuable things are kept. ） of good words, the golden （precious, excellent） thoughts, which, remembered and cherished, become our constant companions and comforters （a thing that gives comfort）。 “They are never alone,” said Sir Philip Sidney, “that are accompanied by noble thoughts.”
好书常如最精美的宝器，珍藏着人的一生思想的精华。人生的境界，主要就在于他思想的境界。所以，最好的书是金玉良言的宝库，若将其中的崇高思想铭记于心，就成为我们忠实的伴侣和永恒的慰籍。菲利普·悉尼爵士说得好：“有高尚思想作伴的人永不孤独。”
The good and true thought may in times of temptation （lure） be as an angel of mercy purifying and guarding the soul. It also enshrines the germs of action, for good words almost always inspire to good works.
当我们面临诱惑的时候，优美纯真的思想会像仁慈的天使一样，纯洁并保卫我们的灵魂。优美纯真的思想也蕴育着行动的胚芽，因为金玉良言几乎总会启发善行。
Books possess an essence of immortality （the nature of endless life）。 They are by far the most lasting products of human effort. Temples and statues decay （rot）， but books survive. Time is of no account （of no importance ） with great thoughts, which are as fresh today as when they first passed through their author's minds, ages ago. What was then said and thought still speaks to us as vividly as ever from the printed page. The only effect of time has been to sift out （make sth bad away） the bad products; for nothing in literature can long survive but what is really good.
书籍具有不朽的本质，是人类勤奋努力的最为持久的产物。寺庙会倒坍，神像会朽烂，而书却经久长存。对于伟大的思想来说，时间是无关重要的。多少年代前初次闪现在作者脑海里的伟大思想今天依然清新如故。他们当时的言论和思想刊于书页，如今依然那么生动感人。时间唯一的作用是淘汰不好的作品，因为只有真正的佳作才能经世长存。
Books introduce us into the best society they bring us into the presence of the greatest minds that have ever lived. We hear what they said and did; we see them as if they were really alive; we sympathize with them, enjoy with them, grieve with them; their experience becomes ours, and we feel as if we were in a measure （in some degree ） actors with them in the scenes which they describe.
书籍引导我们与最优秀的人物为伍，使我们置身历代伟人巨匠之间，如闻其声，如观其行，如见其人。同他们情感交融，悲喜与共。他们的感受成为我们自己的感受，我们觉得有点象是在作者所描绘的人生舞台上跟他们一起粉墨登场了。
The great and good do not die even in this world. Embalmed （Spring embalms the woods and fields.春天使森林和田野吐露芬芳。） in books, their spirits walk abroad. The book is a living voice. It is an intellect to which one still listens. Hence we ever remain under the influence of the great men of old. The imperial intellects of the world are as much alive now as they were ages ago.
即使在人世间，伟大杰出的人物，也是永生不灭的，他们的精神载入书册，传之四海。书是人们至今仍在聆听的智慧之声，永远充满着活力。所以，我们永远都是在受着历代伟人的影响。多少世纪以前的盖世英才，如今仍同当年一样，显示着强大的生命力。
In recent years, natural disasters happened frequently around the world and have caused enormous losses of life and property to human society. They pose a common challenge to all the countries in the world.
China suffers the most natural disasters of all countries. Along with global climate changes and its own economic takeoff and progress in urbanization, China suffers increasing pressure on resources, environment and ecology. The situation in the prevention of and response to natural disasters has become more serious and complicated.
Always placing people first, the Chinese government has all along put the security of people's lives and property on the top of its work, and has listed the disaster prevention and reduction in its economic and social development plan as an important guarantee of sustainable development. In recent years, China has been comprehensively implementing the Scientific Outlook on Development, further strengthened legislation as well as the building of systems and mechanisms on dis-aster prevention and reduction, committed to building on disaster-prevention capacities, encouraged public contribution, and actively participated in international cooperation in this respect.
如果你迷失了自我，请深呼吸，迷失或许能成为你人生的转折点，让你发现真正的自己，并让你知道自己想真正成为怎样的
“Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves.” ~Henry David Thoreau
迷失自我，才能发现自我。——亨利·大卫·梭罗（美国作家及自然主义者）
Everything about my future was ambiguously assumed. I would get into debt by going to college, then I would be forced to get a job to pay off that debt, while still getting into more and more debt by buying a house and a car. It seemed like a never-ending cycle that had no place for the possibility of a dream.
我们未来的一切似乎都模糊地设定好了，利用贷款上大学，然后为了还债被迫去找一份工作，还要为了买房买车背负更多的债务……这仿佛是一个无休止的循环，让我们的梦想没有实现的机会。
I want more—but not necessarily in the material sense of personal wealth and success. I want more out of life. I want a passion, a conceptual dream that wouldn’t let me sleep out of pure excitement. I want to spring out of bed in the morning, rain or shine, and have that zest for life that seemed so intrinsic in early childhood.
我们想要的更多——并不是对于个人财富和成功等物质性需求，我们对于生活，想要更多。我想要热忱、有概念的梦想，让我不会空怀纯粹的兴奋入睡。我希望能在早晨一跃起床，无论是阳光普照还是刮风下雨，也能对生活充满热情，就像我们的童年时固有的一样。
We all have a dream. It might be explicitly defined or just a vague idea, but most of us are so stuck in the muck of insecurity and self-doubt that we just dismiss it as unrealistic or too difficult to pursue.
我们都有梦想，无论它是明确的目标还是模糊的主意，但我们大多数人都受困于不安全和自我怀疑的泥泞里，我们把梦想看做是不现实的、难以追求的，最后放弃了。
We become so comfortable with the life that has been planned out for us by our parents, teachers, traditions, and societal norms that we feel that it’s stupid and unsafe to risk losing it for the small hope of achieving something that is more fulfilling.
我们变得满足于父母、老师、传统及社会规条为我们营造的安逸生活。为了那一点点能够为生活变得更充实的希望去冒险，我们会认为这是愚蠢和危险的。
“The policy of being too cautious is the greatest risk of all.” ~Jawaharlal Nehru
过于谨慎才是最大的危险——贾瓦哈拉尔·尼赫鲁（印度开国总理）
Taking a risk is still a risk. We can, and will, fail. Possibly many, many, many times. But that is what makes it exciting for me. That uncertainty can be viewed negatively, or it can empower us.
冒险始终还是有风险。我们，也有可能失败，还有可能是失败很多很多次。但这会让我们更加兴奋。不确定因素看起来有不利，但同时也能激励我们。
Failing is what makes us grow, it makes us stronger and more resilient to the aspects of life we have no control over. The fear of failure, although, is what makes us stagnant and sad. So even though I couldn’t see the future as clearly as before, I took the plunge in hopes that in the depths of fear and failure, I would come out feeling more alive than ever before.
失败能让我们成长，让我们更强大，让我们更能适应生活中难以控制的各个方面。对于失败的恐惧，让我们停滞不前，悲伤不已。尽管不能清晰地看见未来，在恐惧和失败的深渊里，我们也要保持希望，那么我们将活得更有生命力。
If you feel lost, just take a deep breath and realize that being lost can be turning point of finding out who you truly are, and what you truly want to do.
如果你迷失了自我，请深呼吸，迷失或许能成为你人生的转折点，让你发现真正的自己，并让你知道自己想真正成为怎样的人。
At the Backs of King’s College there is a memorial stone in white marble commemorating an alumnus of the College, renowned Chinese poet Xu Zhimo. Moving to the UK in 1921, Zhimo spent a year studying at King’s, where he fell in love not only with the romantic poetry of English poets like John Keats, but also with Cambridge itself.
在国王学院的后面，有一块汉白玉纪念石碑，纪念学院的一位校友，著名的中国诗人徐志摩。1921他移居英国，花了一年时间在国王学习，在那里他爱上的不只有英国诗人约翰.济慈的浪漫主义诗歌，还有剑桥本身。
His poem, 再别康桥 (variously translated as Second Farewell to Cambridge), is arguably his most famous poem, and is now a compulsory text on Chinese literature syllabuses, learnt by millions of school children across the country every year. The poem paints an idyllic portrait of King’s and the River Cam, and serves as a reminder of Xu Zhimo’s fondness for his time in Cambridge.
徐志摩的诗《再别康桥》可以说是他最著名的诗，它现在是中国语文教学大纲必修文本之一，中国每年有上百万学生学习。这首诗描绘了一幅田园诗般的国王学院和康河，并表现出徐志摩对剑桥时光的喜爱。
While the poem has been set to music many times before, King’s has commissioned the first musical setting of the text by a mainstream classical composer. The new piece, by renowned English composer John Rutter, has been written and recorded in celebration of the near 100-year link between King’s College and Xu Zhimo, and has been released on 26 January 2018 on a new album on the King’s College Record Label.
虽然这首诗已多次被配乐演绎，但国王学院委托了主流古典作曲家根据诗的文字进行创作。新作品由著名的英国作曲家约翰.卢特(John Rutter)担纲，以铭记国王学院和徐志摩之间近100年的不解之缘，并已由国王学院的唱片公司于2018年1月26日发布。
“Many intellectual transformations happened for him while he was here and in some ways the whole seed of his development as a person who became an intellectual poet, through the medium of poetry, all sort of connected up with his visit to Cambridge and the people we met.”
“国王学院极大程度帮助徐志摩拓展了学识，并种下了日后成为一名才华横溢的诗人的种子，”国王学院副院长史蒂文.切力(Steve Cherry)表示，“通过对这首诗的音乐创作，我们把学院的美丽点滴和徐志摩本人在这里的美好体验结合起来，重新带给因他而寻访的中国人民。”
“John Rutter is a very resourceful composer, and I was delighted with the way he conceived of doing this, presenting most of the text through the tenor voice for which we engage the Chinese tenor. Well, I wanted to have a go myself at making an arrangement of it which would express something of what we do at King’s.”
“很荣幸能够邀请到约翰.卢特(John Rutter)来为我们作曲。他是个经验丰富的作曲家，这次也通过与一名中国男高音歌唱家的合作充分体现了我们想表达的主题。其实我一直希望能够做出一首表达出国王学院气质的作品”，负责这首《再别康桥》曲目的编曲家，同时也担任国王学院合唱团总指挥的史蒂芬.克劳伯里(Stephen Cleobury)说。
“The inspiration I think came from the poem which is on the tablet by the bridge by the river camp here in the college. Apart from the tourist self and the words, which of course are quite big elements in it, it’s not specifically intended to be a Chinese piece. It’s the sort of arrangement I would make for something like that, and it’s a very beautiful melody.”
“康桥边石板上篆刻的诗给我带来了灵感。除去诗歌本身是中文作品及大量因此而来的中国游客等因素，我并未刻意追求音乐本身的中国化。我只是觉得这样的编曲和旋律是最适合的。”
Sitting on the drippy, cold steps of Penn Station, sharing a smoke with a boyfriend. This Saturday night is scattered with drunks, and for once, we are not the drunkest; we do not smell the worst. Late-night, paranoid tourists don’t even stare—a few ask for directions. We are spreading our wet, waiting bodies all over that stone, watching stumbling silhouettes wrestle with the escalator.
She shuffles up the steps with the last of her strength. Her pink sweatpants are tinged with brown, and her feet are buried in city-stained bunny slippers. Her eyes look like they’ve seen so much sadness they’re forever doomed to apathy. They are eyes dazed with the work it takes to stay warm, and weary of the excess of privileged people. I’m looking at those glass eyes and thinking that she reeks of survival; that I’m too cold to move, and all I’m doing is waiting for the first train home.
Out comes her wrinkled, begging hand. We turn out our pockets and find nothing. The mouth of the station swallows her descending, dejected frame.
Light another smoke. We are pushing reluctant time forward as it digs its heels in at the dusty smells and sounds of old stories, at the sucking of smoke, at our involuntary shivers.
She’s back again. The wrinkled hand, heavy with pleading, is now answering.
She drops four warm quarters into my palm and says, “Get yourselves a cup of coffee. Merry Christmas.”
The station gulps her up again before we can say thank you.
"Don"t you know? There will never be a cure!" my teenage daughter screamed from the backseat of the car.
I steadied my hands on the steering wheel while Jenna continued to rant and rave. I tried to swallow the lump in my throat. Not finding a single word that could or would change the situation, I remained quiet and tears stung my eyes. God, you"ve got to help the scientists find a cure soon. My daughter is losing all hope.
"It"s just too hard! I"m tired of feeling sick! I"m tired of being tired! I"m sick and tired of being sick and tired!" Jenna sobbed from behind. "Mom, I just don"t think I can do it anymore..." she said as her voiced faded off into silence.
Jenna"s words cut deep, for I knew that without hope, her heart would break. Wishing that this conversation wasn"t occurring on a freeway, I fought traffic and slowly made my way to the off-ramp, checking my rearview mirror only to see the penetrating look in Jenna"s eyes as she stared back at me. The unnerving silence was only interrupted by the sound of my turn signal.
It had been twelve years since Jenna truly "felt good." And for twelve years she had lived courageously, fighting her chronic disease. I understood her feelings of defeat. I too was tired of daily watching my daughter tend to her catheter site, injecting herself with the proper medications, and experiencing the unpredictable side effects. I, too, wanted to join her in screaming, "I"m sick and tired of you being sick and tired!"
Watching her in such emotional and physical pain made me ache all over. If only I could take her illness upon me, I"d give her my health and bear her infirmity. But I felt helpless not knowing how to console her.
I pulled into the first parking lot I could find. I parked the car, stepped out and then crawled into the backseat where Jenna lay motionless. I brushed her hair from her eyes hoping she"d open them and look into mine. She didn"t move. For five minutes or more, I just sat and held her, praying that God would renew her strength and will to live.
What does a mother say to her child who is living a nightmare, praying that she"d someday soon wake up and it would be over? What words could bring comfort when all hope is lost?
Not knowing the answers, I spoke from my heart, hoping to reach Jenna"s. "Jenna, I need you to look at me. I need to know that you really understand what I am about to say."
She turned her head towards me and opened her eyes. Immediately she began to repeat her words of hopelessness. Gently, I placed my finger against her lips.
"Honey, today you"re tired and you"ve lost all hope. Today, you can rest in my arms and let me hope for you. You can be assured that my hope is endless and so is my love..."
"Mom," Jenna interrupted me, smiling slightly. "If you can hope for me, I guess I can too." She draped her arms around me. "Tell me again, Mom, that your hope is forever."
"It"s forever, baby. My hope is forever."
The first Wednesday in every month was a Perfectly Awful Day--- a day to be awaited with dread, endured with courage and forgotten with haste. Every floor must be spotless, every chair dustless, and every bed without a wrinkle. Ninety-sevenjsquirming little orphans must be scrubbed and combed and buttoned into freshly starched ginghams; and all ninety-seven reminded of their manners, and told to say, "Yes, sir," "No,sir," whenever a trustee spoke.
It was a destressing time; and poor Jerusha Abbott, being the oldest orphan, had to bear the brunt of it. But this particular first Wednesday, like its predecessors, finaly dragged itself to a close. Jerusha escaped from the pantry where she had been making sandwiches for the asylum"s guests, and truned upstairs to accomplish her regular work. Her special care was room F, where eleven little tots, from four to seven, occupied eleven little tots set in a row. Jerusha assembled her charges, straightened their rumpled frocks, wiped their noses, and started them in an orderly and willing line towards the dinning-room to engage themselves for a blessed half hour with bread and milk and prune pudding.
Then she dropped down on the window seat and leaned throbbing temples against the cool glass. She had been on her feet since five that morning, doing everybody"s bidding, scolded and hurried by a nervous matron. Mrs. Lippett, behind the scenes, did not always maintain that calm and pompous dignity with which she faced an audience of trustees and lady visitors. Jerusha gazed out across a broad stretch of frozen lawn, beyond the tall iron paling that marked the confines of the asylum, down undualting ridges sprinkled with country estates, to the spires of the village rising from the midst of bare trees.
I strongly believe that it is rather important to be a good listener. And although I have become a better listener than I was ten years ago， I have to admit I'm still only an adequate1 listener.
Effective listening is more than simply avoiding the bad habit of interrupting others while they are speaking or finishing their sentences. It's being content to listen to the entire thought of someone rather than waiting impatiently for your chance to respond. In some ways， the way we fail to listen is symbolic of the way we live. We often treat communication as if it were a race. It's almost like our goal is to have no time gaps between the conclusion of the sentence of the person we are speaking with and the beginning of our own. My wife and I were recently at a cafe having lunch， eavesdropping on the conversations around us. It seemed that no one was really listening to one another， instead they were taking turns not listening to one another.I asked my wife if I still did the same thing. With a smile on her face she said，" Only sometimes." Slowing down your responses and becoming a better listener aids you in becoming a more peaceful person. It takes pressure from you. If you think about it， you'll notice that it takes an enormous amount of energy and is very stressful to be sitting at the edge of your seat trying to guess what the person in front of you (or on the telephone) is going to say so that you can fire8 back your response. But as you wait for the person you are communicating with to finish， as you simply listen more intently to what is being said， you'll notice that the pressure you feel is off. You'll immediately feel more relaxed， and so will the people you are talking to.They will feel safe in slowing down their own responses because they won't feel in competition with you for " air time " ! Not only will becoming a better listener make you a more patient person， it will also enhance the quality of your relationships. Everyone loves to talk to someone who truly listens to what they are saying.
The Board Meeting had come to an end. Bob started to stand up and jostled the table, spilling his coffee over his notes. "How embarrassing. I am getting so clumsy in my old age." Everyone had a good laugh, and soon we were all telling stories of our most embarrassing moments. It came around to Frank who sat quietly listening to the others. Someone said, "Come on, Frank. Tell us your most embarrassing moment."
Frank laughed and began to tell us of his childhood. "I grew up in San Pedro. My Dad was a fisherman, and he loved the sea. He had his own boat, but it was hard making a living on the sea. He worked hard and would stay out until he caught enough to feed the family. Not just enough for our family, but also for his Mom and Dad and the other kids that were still at home." He looked at us and said, "I wish you could have met my Dad. He was a big man, and he was strong from pulling the nets and fighting the seas for his catch. When you got close to him, he smelled like the ocean. He would wear his old canvas, foul-weather coat and his bibbed overalls. His rain hat would be pulled down over his brow. No matter how much my Mother washed them, they would still smell of the sea and of fish."
Frank's voice dropped a bit. "When the weather was bad he would drive me to school. He had this old truck that he used in his fishing business. That truck was older than he was. It would wheeze and rattle down the road. You could hear it coming for blocks. As he would drive toward the school, I would shrink down into the seat hoping to disappear. Half the time, he would slam to a stop and the old truck would belch a cloud of smoke. He would pull right up in front, and it seemed like everybody would be standing around and watching. Then he would lean over and give me a big kiss on the cheek and tell me to be a good boy. It was so embarrassing for me. Here, I was twelve years old, and my Dad would lean over and kiss me goodbye!"
He paused and then went on, "I remember the day I decided I was too old for a goodbye kiss. When we got to the school and came to a stop, he had his usual big smile. He started to lean toward me, but I put my hand up and said, 'No, Dad.'
It was the first time I had ever talked to him that way, and he had this surprised look on his face. I said, 'Dad, I'm too old for a goodbye kiss. I'm too old for any kind of kiss.' My Dad looked at me for the longest time, and his eyes started to tear up. I had never seen him cry. He turned and looked out the windshield. 'You're right,' he said. 'You are a big boy....a man. I won't kiss you anymore.'"
Frank got a funny look on his face, and the tears began to well up in his eyes, as he spoke. "It wasn't long after that when my Dad went to sea and never came back. It was a day when most of the fleet stayed in, but not Dad. He had a big family to feed. They found his boat adrift with its nets half in and half out. He must have gotten into a gale and was trying to save the nets and the floats."
I looked at Frank and saw that tears were running down his cheeks. Frank spoke again. "Guys, you don't know what I would give to have my Dad give me just one more kiss on the cheek....to feel his rough old face....to smell the ocean on him....to feel his arm around my neck. I wish I had been a man then. If I had been a man, I would never have told my Dad I was too old for a goodbye kiss."
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, in a wayward course,are over a deep ocean of anguish, reaching to the very verge of despair.
有三种简单然而无比强烈的激情左右了我的一生;对爱的渴望,对知识的探索和对人类苦难的难以忍受的怜悯。这些激情像飓风,反复地吹拂过深重的苦海,濒于绝境。
I have sought love, first, because it brings ecstasy-ecstasy so great that I would often have sacrificed all my rest of life for a few hours of this joy. I have sought it ,next because it relieves loneliness-that terrible loneliness in which one shivering consciousness looks over the rim of the world into the co1d 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.
我寻找爱,首先是因为它使人心醉神迷。这种陶醉是如此的美妙,使我愿意牺牲所有的余生去换取几个小时这样的欣喜。 我寻找爱,还因为它解除孤独(在可怕的孤独中,一颗颤抖的灵魂从世界的边缘看到冰冷、无底、死寂的深渊。最后,我寻找爱,还因为在爱的交融中,神秘而又具体入微地,我看到了圣贤和诗人们想象出的天堂的前景。 这就是我所寻找的,而且,虽然对人生来说似乎过于美妙,这也是我终于找到了的。
With equa1 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 sway above the flux. A 1ittle of this, but not much, I have achieved.
以同样的激情我探索知识。我希望能够理解人类的心灵。我希望能够知道群星为何闪烁。我试图领悟毕达哥拉斯所景仰的数字力量,它支配着此消彼长。仅在不大的一定程度上,我达到了此目的。
Love and knowledge, so far they were possible, led upward toward the heavens. But always pity brought me back to earth. Echoes of cries of pain reverberate in my heart. Children in famine, victims tortured by oppressors, helpless old people a hated burden to their pain make a mockery of what human life should be. I long to alleviate the evi1, but I can't, and I too suffer.
爱和知识,只要有可能,通向着天堂。但是怜悯总把我带回尘世。痛苦呼喊的回声回荡在我的内心。忍饥挨饿的孩子,惨遭压迫者摧残的受害者,被儿女们视为可憎的负担的痛苦无助的老人,使人类所应有的生活成为了笑柄。我渴望能够减少邪恶,但是我无能为力,而且我自己也在忍受折磨。
This has been my life. I have found it worth living, and wou1d gladly live it again if the chance were offered me.
这就是我的一生。我发现它值得一过。如果再给我一次机会,我会很高高兴地再活它一次。
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