文章目录[隐藏]
在现实生活或工作学习中，大家经常看到美文吧？什么是美文？就像一千个人心中就有一千个哈姆雷特一样，每个人心目中都有自己衡量美文的标准。那么，你会写美文吗？下面是小编帮大家整理的经典的英语优秀美文，欢迎大家借鉴与参考，希望对大家有所帮助。
野草 Wild Grass
有这样一个故事。
There is a story which goes like this:
有人问：世界上什么东西的气力最大?回答纷纭的很，有的说“象”，有的说“狮”，有人开玩笑似的说：是“金刚”。金刚有多少气力，当然大家全不知道。
Someone asked, “What is the most powerful thing in the world?” There was a variety of answers. “Elephant,” someone said. “Lion,” another said. “Buddha’s guardian warrior,” still another said half-jokingly. As to how powerful the Buddha’s guardian warrior was, no one was sure.
结果，这一切答案完全不对，世界上气力最大的，是植物的种子。一粒种子所可以显现出来的力，简直是超越一切，这儿又是一个故事。
In fact none of the answers was correct. The most powerful thing in the world is the seed of plants. The force displayed by a seed is simply incomparable. Here goes another story:
人的头盖骨，结合得非常致密与坚固，生理学家和解剖学者用尽了一切的方法，要把它完整地分出来，都没有这种力气，后来忽然有人发明了一个方法，就是把一些植物的种子放在要剖析的头盖骨里，给它以温度与湿度，使它发芽，一发芽，这些种子便以可怕的力量，将一切机械力所不能分开的骨骼，完整地分开了，植物种子力量之大，如此如此。
The bones of a human skull are so tightly and firmly joined that no physiologist and anatomist had succeeded in taking them apart whatever means they tried. Then someone invented a method. He put sonic seeds of a plant in the skull to be dissected and provided the necessary temperature and moisture to make them germinate. Once the seeds germinated, they manifested a terrible force with which he succeeded in opening up the human skull that had failed to be opened even by mechanical means.
这，也许特殊了一点，常人不容易理解，那么，你看见笋的成长吗?你看见过被压在瓦砾和石块下面的一颗小草的生成吗?他为着向往阳光，为着达成它的生之意志，不管上面的石块如何重，石块与石块之间如何狭，它必定要曲曲折折地，但是顽强不屈地透到地面上来，它的根往土壤钻，它的芽往地面挺，这是一种不可抗的力，阻止它的石块，结果也被它掀翻，一粒种子的力量的大，如此如此。
You may think this is too unusual a story to be grasped by the common mind. Well, have you ever seen how the bamboo shoots grow? Have you ever seen how frail young grass grow out from under debris and rubble? In order to get the sunshine and bring its will to grow into play, no matter how heavy the rocks are and how narrow the space between the rocks, it will wind its way up irresistibly, its roots drilling downward and its sprouts shooting upward. This is an irresistible force. Any rock lying in its way will be overturned. This again shows how powerful a seed can be.
没有一个人将小草叫做“大力士，但是它的力量之大，的确是世界无比。这种力，是一般人看不见的生命力，只要生命存在，这种力就要显现，上面的石块，丝毫不足以阻挡，因为它是一种“长期坑战的力，有弹性，能屈能伸的力，有韧性，不达目的不止的力。
Though the little grass has never been said to be herculean, the power it shows is matchless in the world. It is an invisible force of life. So long as there is life, the force will show itself. The rock above it is not heavy enough to prevent it from growing because it is a force that keeps growing over a period of time, because it is an elastic force that can shrink and expand, because it is a tenacious force that will not stop growing until it is grown.
种子不落在肥土而落在瓦砾中，有生命力的种子决不会悲观和叹气，因为有了阻力才有磨炼。生命开始的一瞬间就带了斗争来的草，才是坚韧的草，也只有这种草，才可以傲然地对那些玻璃棚中养育着的盆花哄笑。
The seed does not choose to fall on fertile land but among debris. If it is filled with life, it is never pessimistic or sad, for it is tempered by resistance and pressure. The grass that fights its way out since the moment it is hom can be called “strong’ and “temacious”; only the grass that fights its way up since its birth has the right to laugh with justified pride at the potted plants in glassed green houses.
First, academic The total three-year academic ranking: 5 Comprehensive results of three years the total ranking: 2 (See schedule number: 45) English proficiency: Sophomore English 4 adopted by the outstanding certificates, achievement 89.5 6 sophomore through English, or a certificate of achievement 75 Junior English through interviews in Hong Kong, access to Hong Kong to participate in training opportunities (see below) Third, to participate in the research and social practice activities
1999 July ~ August Yunnan Green A Biological Engineering Co., Ltd. Shanghai Bio-engineering Co., Ltd. Green A marketing project
Yunnan Green A Biological Engineering Co., Ltd., Shanghai, Green A Biological Engineering Co., Ltd.
Successfully assisted in the establishment of the Yangpu District, Shanghai sales network
In which I played a more crucial role
20xx August
Eastern China to investigate the use of rural land
Zhejiang University School of Management
College teachers to assist first-line investigation
Paradise Valley students of Zhejiang University Business Plan Competition
Hangzhou Municipal People’s Government, Zhejiang University
To enter the finals and achieved rank
Specific place Are not yet available
20xx July ~ August
New era in the management of the fourth training program
Chinese University of Hong Kong Kowloon, Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce
To obtain a diploma, as the main members of which a number of crown
In the training scheme, I outstanding performance demonstrated the presence of Zhejiang University
The Olympics represents the noble ideal of sports overcoming the barriers of politics withchampion athletes of all nations gathering in the spirit of sportsmanship. However, the stakesgo beyond who wins the gold medal. Shortly after each competition, nations begin to vieafresh for the bid to host the next game. Winning the vote to host is not merely an honor, itis a political conquest in global recognition. It also spins revenue from the influx of tourists,participants and Olympic related paraphernalia.
However, all that glitters is not gold. For some residents of Beijing, the site of Olympic 2008,the impact of winning the bid cuts deep and far into their personal lives. The capital isexpecting to pour billions of dollars into sports facilities and related upgrades such as roads,public transport, landscaping and sanitation. For the bustling city of bicycles and traffic jamstucked among imperial relics, the Olympics is an opportunity for urban renewal.
Yet for those within the areas, something must give way to make room for the model OlympicVillage.
Decades of family homes will be uprooted and dispersed among apartments on the outskirtsof the city. Although modern plumbing and sanitation will replace chamber pots, the move isan upheaval of a community and its way of life and social dynamics. It will be interesting tofollow up on those and study the effects ofthe transplant.
The Olympics upgrades are not disposable stage props that can be easily discarded after theshow. Experts are afraid that without the heartbeat of ordinary people dwelling in the ancientcity, the high tech Olympic City would become culturally dry. Careful urban planning andstringent regulations such as building restrictions can preserve the impression of an intactneighborhood. Nevertheless, without the residents, aesthetic is lost and only the facaderemains, waiting to be filled by tourists and businesses.
Nonetheless who can begrudge anyone a more comfortable living environment? Even withoutthe Olympics, can the drumbeat of modernization be stopped? And whether the changes arefor better or worse, who should presume to judge such things other than those whose livesbear the brunt of the impact?
奥运会所代表的崇高理想，就是各国的运动选手用运动员精神超越政治障碍聚集在一起。可是，其利害关系不仅在于谁获得金牌。每一届奥运会后不久，各国又重新开始争夺下一届奥运会的主办权。获得主办权不仅仅是一种荣誉，也代表着在政治上被全球认同的胜利。此外，还可以通过接踵而来的游客、参赛者和和奥运会有关的设备迅速增加税收。
然而，我们不能只看其表面(该句亦可直译为”闪闪发光的未必都是金子”)。对于北京2008年奥运会场地的那些居民来说，获得主办权对他们生活的影响是深远的。首都预计要在运动设施及其相关的改进，如道路、公共交通、环境景观和公共卫生等方面投入数十亿美元。对于其皇家遗址中到处存放自行车、交通拥堵的繁忙城市，奥运会是一次都市翻新的机会。可是对于那些住在规划用地的人而言，他们必须放弃一些东西来为―个现代化的奥运村腾地儿。
几十年的家园被连根拔起，而被分散到城市郊区的公寓。虽然现代化的管道和卫生设备将取代便盆，但是迁移对一个社区及其生活方式和社会变迁过程仍然是一个大变动。追踪这些人并研究迁移给他们带来的影响将是很有意义的。
为奥运会所做的改进工程，并非是戏剧演出结束后轻易就可以丢弃的舞台小道具。专家们担心在这座古城中缺乏了普通 居民的声迹，高科技的奥运城会在文化上几近枯竭。即使细心的城市规划和严厉的法规,例如建筑管制可以保留原封不动的社区外观，然而没有了居民，美感仍会失落,而只留下空壳，等待游客和商业的填充。
不过，谁能妒忌一些人有较舒适的居住环境呢?即使没有奥运会，现代化的鼓点声是否能被阻挡?而且社会变迁的好与坏，除了那些深受其影响的人以外，还有谁能擅自判断呢?
A painter hangs his or her finished pictures on a wall, and everyone can see it. A composer writes a work, but no one can hear it until it is performed. Professional singers and players have great responsibilities, for the composer is utterly dependent on them. A student of music needs as long and as arduous a training to become a performer as a medical student needs to become a doctor. Most training is concerned with technique, for musicians have to have the muscular proficiency of an athlete or a ballet dancer。
画家将已完成的作品挂在墙上，每个人都可以观赏到。 作曲家写完了一部作品，得由演奏者将其演奏出来，其他人才能得以欣赏。因为作曲家是如此完全地依赖于职业歌手和职业演奏者，所以职业歌手和职业演奏者肩上的担子可谓不轻。 一名学音乐的学生要想成为一名演奏者，需要经受长期的、严格的训练，就象一名医科的学生要成为一名医生一样。 绝大多数的训练是技巧性的。
Singers practice breathing every day, as their vocal chords would be inadequate without controlled muscular support. String players practice moving the fingers of the left hand up and down, while drawing the bow to and fro with the right arm―two entirely different movements。
音乐家们控制肌肉的熟练程度，必须达到与运动员或巴蕾舞演员相当的水平。 歌手们每天都练习吊嗓子，因为如果不能有效地控制肌肉的话，他们的声带将不能满足演唱的要求。 弦乐器的演奏者练习的则是在左手的手指上下滑动的同时，用右手前后拉动琴弓–两个截然不同的动作。
Singers and instruments have to be able to get every note perfectly in tune. Pianists are spared this particular anxiety, for the notes are already there, waiting for them, and it is the piano tuner’s responsibility to tune the instrument for them. But they have their own difficulties; the hammers that hit the string have to be coaxed not to sound like percussion, and each overlapping tone has to sound clear。
歌手和乐器演奏者必须使所有的音符完全相同协调。 钢琴家们则不用操这份心，因为每个音符都已在那里等待着他们了。 给钢琴调音是调音师的职责。 但调音师们也有他们的难处： 他们必须耐心地调理敲击琴弦的音锤，不能让音锤发出的声音象是打击乐器，而且每个交叠的音都必须要清晰。
This problem of getting clear texture is one that confronts student conductors: they have to learn to know every note of the music and how it should sound, and they have to aim at controlling these sound with fanatical but selfless authority. Technique is of no use unless it is combined with musical knowledge and understanding. Great artists are those who are so thoroughly at home in the language of music that they can enjoy performing works written in any century。
如何得到乐章清晰的纹理是学生指挥们所面临的难题：他们必须学会了解音乐中的每一个音及其发音之道。 他们还必须致力于以热忱而又客观的权威去控制这些音符。除非是和音乐方面的知识和悟性结合起来，单纯的技巧没有任何用处。 艺术家之所以伟大在于他们对音乐语言驾轻就熟，以致于可以满怀喜悦地演出写于任何时代的作品。
有些人的爱情始于外表相悦，而有些人的爱情则始于心灵相悦。建立在外表基础上的爱情最终经不住风吹雨打，像自然之花一样终会凋谢；而建立在心灵基础上的爱情则可以经得住任何考验，永远吐露芬芳，越是在障碍重重的时候，其芳香越是沁人心脾。真正的爱情在于后者。
John was waiting for the girl whose heart he knew, but whose face he didn’t, the girl with the rose. Thirteen months ago, in a Florida library he took a book off the shelf and found himself intrigued with the notes in the margin. The soft handwriting reflected a thoughtful soul and insightful mind.
In front of the book, he discovered the previous owner’s name, Miss Hollis Maynell. With time and effort he located her address. He wrote her a letter introducing himself and inviting her to correspond.
During the next year and one-month the two grew to know each other through the mail. A Romance was budding. John requested a photograph, but she refused. She felt that if he really cared, it wouldn‘t matter what she looked like. Later they scheduled their first meeting-7:00 pm at Grand Central Station in New York.
”You‘ll recognize me, ” she wrote, “by the red rose I‘ll be wearing on my lapel.” So at 7:00 he was in the station looking for the girl with the red rose.
A young woman in a green suit was coming toward him, her figure long and slim and her eyes were blue as flowers. Almost uncontrollably he made one step closer to her, and just at this moment he saw Hollis Maynell-a woman well past 40. The girl was walking quickly away. He felt as though he split in two, so keen was his desire to follow her, and yet so deep was his longing for the woman whose spirit had truly companioned him and upheld his own.
He did not hesitate. He squared his shoulders and said, “I’m John, and you must be Miss Maynell. I am so glad you could meet me; may I take you to dinner?”
The woman smiled, “I don’t know what this is about, son,” she answered, “but the young lady in the green suit begged me to wear this rose on my coat. And she said if you were to ask me out to dinner, I should tell you that she is waiting for you in the restaurant across the street. She said it was some kind of test!”
It’s not difficult to admire Miss Maynell’s wisdom. The true nature of a heart is seen in it‘s response to the unattractive.
Walking by Faith
I”ll never forget the day I met her and her glowing personality. It was the beginning of my senior year of high school. I had that typical senior attitude – I was anxious, excited, a little on the proud side. I wanted to enjoy my senior year, and I wasn”t too concerned with meeting or befriending any lowerclassmen, especially not the new kids. Fortunately, my arrogance was overcome the moment I met Sarah in my computer class on the first day of school. There was just something about her. She was so friendly and sweet, and seemed genuinely excited about being at our tiny eighty-student Christian high school.
It was only ten minutes of initial small talk that endeared Sarah to my heart. She liked basketball. Basketball was one of the highlights of my childhood, and our slightly weak team was always thrilled to welcome new players.
She was taller than me by a couple of inches, and my five-foot-seven frame was unfortunately the tallest on our team. Each practice, as we worked together toward our common goal, we became closer. She was always so encouraging and positive; it seemed like nothing could get her down.
I remember vividly an early tournament we attended that December. We were playing a team that was tough. They had been our rivals throughout my basketball years. The game went back and forth, and victory was up for grabs. However, it looked like our team would not pull through. Three of our starters had fouled out, and we were falling behind until Sarah entered the game with great enthusiasm. She played well, but it was her attitude that helped us the most. “We”re going to win this!” I remember her saying. And we did! After that game, I remember admiring Sarah”s determination to succeed and her powerful encouragement. She seemed to be fearless of any obstacle she might have to face.
Unfortunately, in only a matter of weeks, she would have to face a life-changing one. Sarah was involved in a terrible car accident on her way to school. During a bad snowstorm, her family”s van skidded off the road, and Sarah was thrown several feet onto the pavement. Her major injuries included a crushed vertebrae in her neck and a bruised spine. For a day or two, no one knew if she would survive. Then the doctors told her that she would never walk again.
As soon as I heard the tragic news, my heart sank. Why did this happen to someone like Sarah? My spirits were instantly lifted, however, as I watched classmates, friends and teachers earnestly praying for Sarah”s recovery. It wasn”t until a few weeks later when a couple of my friends and I visited Sarah in the hospital that I realized the extent of her positive attitude. She had impacted her family, friends, our basketball team and even the nurses with her faith in God and her strong will to recover completely. Despite the doctor”s negative prognosis, Sarah remained calm and determined. Her faith never wavered, even though those of us who loved her most doubted that walking would ever be in her future. Sarah put herself 100 percent into getting better and walking on her own. When she wasn”t doing painful rehabilitation exercises, she was either spreading her kindness to others or praying.
It wasn”t long before Sarah was indeed walking again. She showed the same strength and devotion toward getting better as she did each time she walked onto the basketball court. She isn”t playing basketball yet, but I don”t doubt that she will be amazing us once again. Sometimes just believing can make anything possible.
[AUTHOR”S NOTE: Sarah now attends a Christian college in southern Florida. The last time I saw her was at a varsity basketball game at our former high school. Of all the people who I wanted to see during my Christmas break, she was at the top of my list. We greeted each other with a big hug, and she had that same big smile on her face – that smile that even after all she had been through, still shone courageously. She had completed her first semester of her freshman year and would be returning after break to continue her education in writing.]
Feelings, Failure and Finding Happiness
感觉、失败及寻找幸福
The world has so many lessons to teach you. I consider the world, this Earth, to be like a school and our life the classrooms. And sometimes here in this Planet Earth school the lessons often come dressed up as detours or roadblocks. And sometimes as full-blown crises. And the secret I’ve learned to getting ahead is being open to the lessons, lessons from the grandest university of all, that is, the universe itself. It’s being able to walk through life eager and open to self-improvement and that which is going to best help you evolve, because that’s really why we’re here, to evolve as human beings. To grow into more of ourselves, always moving to the next level of understanding, the next level of compassion and growth.
这个世界将教会你们很多。我认为这个世界，这个地球，就像一所学校，而我们的人生就像是教室。在世界这所大学里，有些课程会是人生的弯路或障碍，有些课程则充满危机。而我所学到的应对这一切的私、诀就是：勇于面对一切挫折与危机，世界本身就是世上最好的大学。在人生的旅途中，妥对生活充满激情，并不断提高自我，这就是进化为人类并存在于世的意义。不断提升自我，去追求人生的更高境界，去追求更高级别的怜悯和自我提高。
I think about one of the greatest compliments I’ve ever received: I interviewed with a reporter when I was first starting out in Chicago. And then many years later, I saw the same reporter. And she said to me, “You know what? You really haven’t changed. You’ve just become more of yourself.”
我记得我所受到的最高的赞扬之一。刚在芝加哥开始工作时，我采访了一个记者。很多年以后我们又见面了。她对我说：“你知道吗?你一点也没有变，你变得更自我了。”
And that is really what we’re all trying to do, become more of ourselves. And I believe that there’s a lesson in almost everything that you do and every experience, and getting the lesson is how you move forward. It’s how you enrich your spirit. And, trust me, I know that inner wisdom is more precious than wealth. The more you spend it, the more you gain.
这就是我们一直努力在傲的，去做我们自己。我坚信你们会从自己做过的每一件事情上学到经验，这样你们才能取得进步。也只有这样你们的心灵才能更加丰富。相信我，内在的智慧比外在的财富更加珍贵。你运用智慧越多，你得到的也会越多。
My Cat Sitting Adventure
Why and how I got myself into this situation is still unclear to me. A lady friend, a quite good looking lady friend, (okay, okay, so I do know why and how I got myself into this situation) asked me to check her two cats while she was out of town for several days. I said, “Sure.” I thought to myself, “How difficult could it be to check on her cats?” Before she left she told me that one of her cats was on medication for dry skin. Yes, dry skin. I thought to myself, “Give me a break!” However I kept my mouth shut because she is a good friend and as I said before, quite a good looking friend. Her one cat was required to take two pills a day and also needed to have Neosporin put on a sore on his skin. “No problem”, I foolishly replied.
First of all, I do not, never did, and probably never will understand women and their fascination with cats. Cats like their independence, they never listen to you and they won”t come to you if you call them. They are lazy, enjoy sleeping all day and staying out all night. If they drank beer and watched sports on television then they would be just like most of the men that these women have dated in their lives. Yet they LOVE their cats. Many single women I know have cats. They never seem to have just one cat, they usually have at least two cats. Why? So the cats will have company when the woman is away. I never did understand why a cat, an animal that is very independent, would need or even want company when its owner is away. I would think that most cats are probably happy when their owner is away. They finally have got the entire place to themselves. However many women I know insist on having a second cat to keep the first cat company. All of these women are single. I also know of one woman who owns seven cats. She is also single. I believe it is because she owns seven cats.
Day One Of My Cat-Sitting Adventure
I arrived at my lady friend”s house at 11a.m. and found a note instructing me what to do. “Check food”. The food is A-OK. “Check Water”. Well, the water dish was a little low so I”ll add some water. However the note instructed me to “ONLY GIVE THEM BOTTLED WATER WHICH IS IN THE REFRIGERATOR”! I thought to myself, “Bottled water? The cats only drink bottled water?” When I visit my lady friend and ask for water, she gives me tap water. I may have to re-evaluate my friendship with this lady friend. I filled the cats” water dish with the aforementioned bottled water. I read the rest of the instructions she had left for me. The note went on saying, “poopy bags are in the flowered green fabric holder hanging off the metal rack beside the litter box.” Yes, you read me right, she wrote, “poopy bags.” I REALLY have to re-evaluate my friendship with this woman.
Now it is time to give Lucas, the male cat, his medicine. I was instructed to hide the pill inside some veggie cheese. Yes, the cat likes veggie cheese, made from soy. Apparently Lucas is a bottled water drinking, vegetarian cat. I did as instructed and put the pill inside the veggie cheese. The cat not only ate all of the veggie cheese, he also somehow managed to eat around the pill. All of the veggie cheese was gone yet the pill remained. I now must think of a “Plan B.”
I decided to hide the pill in a piece of turkey. What the heck? I could not have any worse luck, could I? Lucas ate the turkey and once again managed to eat around the pill. One thing was certain. Lucas is not a vegetarian. I next attempted to hide the pill in some tuna. Albacore, actually. Again, Lucas ate all of the tuna and left the pill. Another thing was certain. Lucas likes to eat.
I then remembered my lady friend saying that I could hide the pill inside a cat snack treat. Aha! The old hiding the pill in a cat snack treat routine. I proceeded to find the cat treats. There were “Grilled Yellowfin Tuna Flavored Treats” and “Shrimp and Crab Medley Flavored Treats” and “Oven Roasted Breast of Chicken Flavored Treats” and “Hearty Beef Flavored Treats” and “Salmon Flavored Treats.” These cats eat better than most people. I decided to first try the “Whiskas Temptations Salmon Flavored Treats.” Why? Because on the package it read, “What Cats Want”. That was good enough for me. Unfortunately it was not what this cat wanted. I put the pill in each of the treats and Lucas would not go near any of the them. One more thing was certain. Lucas was full. I now must wait until he gets hungry again. I had not thought that this would be an all day event.
While waiting for Lucas to get hungry again I thought I would make an attempt to put the Neosporin on his sore. This went better than expected. I accomplished this task in a mere 45 minutes and I successfully managed not to bleed on any of my friend”s furniture as I ran to the bathroom to cleanse my multiple scratch wounds. Although Lucas may not hold a high regard for Neosporin, I have a new found appreciation for it.
Afterwards I noticed Lucas licking the Neosporin off of his sore. My first thought was, “Well, that was a complete waste of time and blood!” Then I got an idea. I”ll put some Neosporin on his pill. He seems to like the taste of Neosporin. And you know what? IT DID NOT WORK EITHER! So much for shouting with glee and becoming rich off of my idea for a “Neosporin Flavored Cat Treat”.
I looked at my watch. It was almost 2 o”clock. This unsuccessful ordeal had taken almost 3 hours! And I am supposed to do this twice a day for the next four days. Yet one more thing was certain. I must come up with a “PLAN C”.
Knowing that I had made a valid attempt made it easier to implement “Plan C”. Because of “Plan C”, day two, three, and four of my cat-sitting adventure went smoothly. My lady friend arrived home late on day four, none the wiser, thanking me again and again for looking after her beloved cats. What was “Plan C”? Well, “Plan C” was a simple plan. I figured that since Lucas was required to take 2 pills a day for 4 days then that would equate to 8 pills. (Thank God for calculators!) I took 8 pills out of the bottle and threw them in the garbage. I used the Neosporin on my own wounds thus making it look like I used it on Lucas. I did not bother going over to her house to check on the cats at ALL on day 2 or 3. I went over just on day 4 to change the water and litter box in order to make it appear like I did everything she wanted me to do. You may be asking yourselves, “Doesn”t he feel any sense of guilt for his deceitful ways?” The answer is, “No!”. Well, maybe someday I will, after my wounds heal and the scars fade away. I did not want to implement “Plan C” but I had no other choice. I could not afford to waste several hours of my valuable time along with losing a pint of blood each day. Not when there are “Friends” rerurns to watch on television. Besides, that will teach her to give me tap water!
我的猫保姆经历
到现在我还是不明白我是为什么以及是怎样卷入这件事情的。一个女性朋友、一个长得很好看的女性朋友，(好啦!好啦!不要再嘲笑我啦!我现在知道自己是怎样卷进来的啦!)问我能不能在她不在的时候帮她照看一下她的两只猫。我说：“当然可以。” 我想，“帮她看看猫有什么难的呢?”她走之前对我说有只猫因为皮肤干燥问题在进行涂药治疗。没错，她是说干燥皮肤，我当时想，“饶了我吧!”但是我没说什么，因为她我的朋友，而且我也说过，她长得很漂亮。其中一只猫每天要吃两个药片，并且要给它涂抗生素软膏以止痛。“没问题!”我自作聪明地答应下来。
首先，我从来不明白，也可能永远也无法理解女人，以及女人对她们猫的迷恋。因为猫是喜欢独立的，它们从不听主人的话，主人叫它时它也不会应声跑过来。它们天性懒惰，喜欢成天睡觉，整晚呆在外面。如果它们也喝啤酒、看电视体育赛事，那它们就跟这些女士们一生中所约会的大多数男人没什么两样了。但她们还是喜欢她们的猫。我所认识的许多单身女性都养猫。而且看起来她们从不只养一只猫，她们至少有两只或两只以上。为什么?因为在她们外出时猫才有伴! 我从来都无法理解，为什么一只猫，一个惯于独立的动物，会在它主人不在的时候需要或喜欢一个伴呢?我认为大多数的猫在它们的主人不在时可能都挺高兴。它们终于可以享受所有地方了。但是我认识的许多女士坚持要再养一只猫来给另一只猫作伴。所有这些女士都是单身。我还认识一个养了七只猫的女士，她也单身，我认为她单身正是由于她养了七只猫的缘故。
第一天做猫保姆的经历
我在上午11点时到了我的那位女性朋友家，看到了她留给我的一张纸条，上面写着我该怎么做。“检查食物。”食物没有问题;“检查水”，嗯，水少了点，我得加点水。但是纸条上叫我只能给“放在冰箱里的罐装水”。我想：“罐装水?猫只喝罐装水?” 我到她家向她要水喝时，她只给我自来水喝。看来我得重新考虑一下我与这位朋友的关系。我用上面提到的水加毫嗣ǖ乃Ｎ铱戳丝此宜得鞯钠渌⒁馐孪睢Ｉ厦嫘醋牛骸懊ǚ啻旁谟谢ㄊ蔚穆躺即铮躺即以诶渑缘奶匙由稀！笔堑模阋部辞宄耍吹氖恰懊ǚ啻保艺娴迷俸饬恳幌挛矣胨挠岩炅!
现在到了给那只叫卢卡斯的公猫吃药的时候了。她提醒我将药片藏在素食干酪里面。是的，猫喜欢吃由大豆做的素食干酪。看来卢卡斯是只只喝罐装水、只吃素食干酪的.猫。我照章办事，将药片混在素食干酪里面。那猫很快吃光了所有的干酪，它还很有技巧地绕着药片吃。结果所有的干酪都吃光了，药片却还在。看来我必须想出另一个B计划出来。
我决定将药片藏在火鸡肉里面。也不知道是怎么回事，我就是那么倒霉!卢卡斯还是绕着药片吃完了所有的火鸡肉。这只说明了一件事――卢卡斯根本不是个素食主义者。接着我又将药片藏在金枪鱼里，其实是青花鱼。卢卡斯再次吃光了所有的鱼而留下了药片。这说明了另一件事――卢卡斯很贪吃。
这时我想起我的朋友曾经说过可以将药片藏在猫的零食里面，哈哈!又是捉迷藏的老一套!我于是去翻找那些猫零食，果然是五花八门，有烤黄鳍金枪鱼点心、小虾蟹肉味点心、炉烤鸡胸味点心、牛肉味点心和鲑鱼味点心。这些猫比大多数的人吃得还好。我决定先试试“好吃放不下”的鲑鱼味点心。为什么?因为包装上写着“猫真正喜欢的”。那对我来说这就够了。但不幸的是它并不是这里的猫真正喜欢的。我把药片放在每一个点心里，但卢卡斯却碰也没碰它们一下。这又说明了一件事――卢卡斯已经吃饱了!我现在只能等到它想再吃东西的时候再说了。我根本没想到照看猫要花掉我整整一天的时间。
在等着卢卡斯感到饥饿以前，我想我可以试着给它涂些抗生素软膏。这比我想象的容易多啦!我只用了不到45分钟就完成了，卢卡斯也没忘记在我身上留下多处的抓痕，我为此不得不急匆匆地冲向卫生间冲洗伤口，并不让伤口的鲜血掉在我朋友的家具上。尽管卢卡斯不怎么爱用抗生素软膏，我却觉得它很管用。
不久我就发现卢卡斯把涂在它身上的抗生素软膏一点点地舔了下来。我的第一反应就是：“啊?我的时间和鲜血算是全白费了!” 突然我想到了一个新主意，那就是把一些抗生素软膏涂在药片上，看起来它有点喜欢抗生素软膏的味道。结果怎么样呢?还是没戏! 枉我一片苦心才想出这个“抗生素软膏味猫点心”，开始时我还开心得大喊大叫，我真是受够了!
我看了看表，已近下午2点。这个失败的试验居然耗掉我3个小时!而这些事情在接下来的4天里我却要每天重复两次。看来我必须制订出一个“C计划”出来不可了!
有了第一次的实践经验实施“C计划”就容易多了。由于“C计划”的缘故，我第二、第三和第四天照看猫的工作进行得非常顺利。我朋友在第四天很晚时才回来，不用说，一遍又一遍地感谢我对她的心爱的猫的照顾。我的“C计划”到底是怎么回事呢?唔，“C计划”其实很简单。卢卡斯每天吃两片药，连吃四天那一共是8片。(感谢上帝!计算器帮了我很大的忙!)我从瓶子里拿出了8片药片并把它们扔进了垃圾箱里，我还把抗生素软膏涂在自己被抓伤的手上，这样看起来就好象用在了卢卡斯身上一样。第二天和第三天我根本就没去她家看她的那些猫，我只是第四天去查了查水和那小碟子，这样看起来就好象我每天都按她的吩咐做了的样子。你可能会问：“他难道不为自己的欺骗行为感到愧疚吗?”答案是：“不!”嗯，或许某天我会觉得愧疚，那要等到我的伤痊愈及疤痕消除后。我本不想执行所谓的“C计划”，但实在没有办法。我不能每天浪费好几个小时的宝贵时间，并且每天流下那么些血。起码在电视还在播放《六人行》的时候是不行的。另外，这也算是她让我喝自来水的报应! (：夏根建)
Isn’t it amazing how one person, sharing one idea, at the right time and place can change the course of your life’s history? This is certainly what happened in my life. When I was 14, I was hitchhiking from Houston, Texas, through El Paso on my way to California. I was following my dream, journeying with the sun. I was a high school dropout with learning disabilities and was set on surfing the biggest waves in the world, first in California and then in Hawaii, where I would later live.
Upon reaching downtown El Paso, I met an old man, a bum, on the street corner. He saw me walking, stopped me and questioned me as I passed by. He asked me if I was running away from home, I suppose because I looked so young. I told him, “Not exactly, sir,” since my father had given me a ride to the freeway in Houston and given me his blessings while saying, “It is important to follow your dream and what is in your heart. Son. “
The bum then asked me if he could buy me a cup of coffee. I told him, “No, sir, but a soda would be great.” We walked to a corner malt shop and sat down on a couple of swiveling stools while we enjoyed our drinks.
After conversing for a few minutes, the friendly bum told me to follow him. He told me that he had something grand to show me and share with me. We walked a couple of blocks until we came upon the downtown El Paso Public Library.
We walked up its front steps and stopped at a small information stand. Here the bum spoke to a smiling old lady, and asked her if she would be kind enough to watch my things for a moment while he and I entered the library. I left my belongings with this grandmotherly figure and entered into this magnificent hall of learning.
The bum first led me to a table and asked me to sit down and wait for a moment while he looked for something special amongst the shelves. A few moments later, he returned with a couple of old books under his arms and set them on the table. He then sat down beside me and spoke. He started with a few statements that were very special and that changed my life. He said, “There are two things that I want to teach you, young man, and they are these:
”Number one is to never judge a book by its cover, for a cover can fool you. “He followed with, “I ll bet you think I m a bum, don t you, young man?”
I said, “Well, uh, yes, I guess so, sir. “
”Well, young man, I’ve got a little surprise for you. I am one of the wealthiest men in the world. I have probably everything any man could ever want. I originally come from the Northeast and have all the things that money can buy. But a year ago, my wife passed away, bless her soul, and since then I have been deeply reflecting upon life. I realized there were certain things I had not yet experienced in life, one of which was what it would be like to live like a bum on the streets. I made a commitment to myself to do exactly that for one year. For the past year I have been going from city to city doing just that. So, you see, don’t ever judge a book by its cover, for a cover can fool you.
”Number two is to learn how to read, my boy. For there is only one thing that people can’t take away from you, and that is your wisdom. ” At that moment, he reached forward, grabbed my right hand in his and put them upon the books he’d pulled from the shelves. They were the writings of Plato and Aristotle-immortal classics from ancient times.
The bum then led me back past the smiling old woman near the entrance, down the steps and back on the streets near where we first met. His parting request was for me to never forget what he taught me.
I haven’t.
如果一个人，在适当的时候和地方因为一句话而改变了他的人生历程，你会感到惊异和不可思议吗？然而这的确是千真万确的，它就发生在我14岁那年。那时，我正在从得克萨斯州的休斯敦，经由爱坡索市前往加利福尼亚州去的旅途中。日出即行，日落即息，痴痴地追寻着我的梦想。我本来在读高中，也许我天生就不是读书的材料，因此我不得不中途辍学。随即我决心要到世界上最大的海浪上去冲浪，先准备到加利福尼亚州，再到夏威夷，然后我准备就在那里住下来。
在刚进入爱坡索市区的时候，我看到有一个老头，一个流浪者，坐在街道的拐角处。他看见了走路的我，当我就要从他的旁边走过去时，他拦住了我，并开口向我发问。他问我是不是偷着从家里跑出来的，我想他这么问我一定是看我太年轻，觉得我太嫩的缘故。“不完全是，先生，”因为是我爸爸开车把我送到休斯敦的高速公路上的，他还一边为我祝福，一边说：‘儿子，追寻你的梦想和心中的憧憬非常重要。’”
然后那个流浪者问我他能请我喝咖啡吗？我回答说：“不，先生，一杯汽水就可以了。”
于是，我们走进街道拐角处的一家酒吧，坐在一双转椅上，喝着饮料。
在闲聊了几分钟后，这个和蔼可亲的老流浪汉要我跟他走。他告诉我说他有一样大东西给我看，要与我分享。我们走过了几个街区，来到了爱坡索市的公立图书馆。
我们沿着它前面的台阶向上走，在一处小小的咨询台前停了下来。老流浪汉向一位笑容可掬的老太太说了几句话，并问她是否愿意在他和我进图书馆时帮忙照看一下我的行李。我把行李放在那位老奶奶般的人那里，走进了那座宏伟的学习殿堂。
老流浪汉先把我带到一张桌子前，让我坐下来稍等片刻，而他则到那些林立的书架中去寻找那个特别重要的东西去了。不一会儿，他腋下夹着几本旧书回来了。他把书放到桌子上，然后他在我的身边坐了下来，打开了话匣子，出口便不凡，其话语非常特别，改变了我一生的命运。他说：“年轻人，我想教你两件事，就是：第一是切记不要从封面来判断一本书的好坏，因为封面有时也会蒙骗你。”他接着说道：”我敢打赌，你一定认为我是个老流浪汉，是不是？年轻人。”
我说：“嗯，是的，先生，我想是的。”
“嗯，年轻人，我要给你一个小惊喜：其实我是这个世界上最富有的人之一，人们梦寐以求的任何东西我几乎都有。我最初从美国东北部来，凡是金钱能买到的东西，我全都有。但是一年前，我妻子死了，愿上帝保v她的在天之灵，从那以后，我开始深深地反思人生的意义。我意识到，生活中有些东西我还没有体验过，其中之一就是做一个沿街乞讨的流浪汉滋味如何。于是我对自己发誓要像流浪汉一样活一年。在过去的一年里，我从一个城市流浪到另一个城市，就像流浪汉一样生活。所以，你看，切记不要从封面来判断一本书的好坏，因为封面有时也会蒙骗你。”
“第二，我的孩子，是要学会如何读书。因为这个世界上只有一种东西是别人无法从你的身上拿走的，那，就是你的智慧！”说到这，他俯身向着我，抓住我的右手放在他从书架中找到的书上。那是柏拉图和亚里士多德的著作–尚古以降已经流传了几千年的不朽的经典。
My Favorite Fruit
我钟爱的水果
In the first place it is a perennial―if not in actual fact, at least in the greengrocer’s shop. On the days when dessert is a name given to a handful of chocolates and a little preserved ginger, when macedoine de fruits is the title bestowed on two prunes and a piece of rhubarbs, then the orange, however sour, comes nobly to the rescue; and on those other days of plenty when cherries and strawberries and raspberries, and gooseberries riot together upon the table, the orange, sweeter than ever, is still there to hold its own. Bread and butter, beef and mutton, eggs and bacon, are not more necessary to an order existence than the orange.
首先，柑橘常年都有――即使不是在树上，至少是在水果店里。有的时候，只用几块巧克力和一点蜜饯生姜充当餐后的甜点，两块李子干加一片大黄便被冠以蔬果什锦美名时，这是仍带酸味的柑橘便前来慷慨救驾;其他时候，水果丰盈，樱桃、草莓、木莓、醋栗在餐桌上相互争艳时，此时比往日更加甜美的柑橘依然能坚守自己的岗位。对于人们的日常生活，面包和黄油、牛肉和羊肉、鸡蛋和咸肉，都未必像柑橘那样不可或缺。
It is well that the commonest fruit should be also the best. Of the virtues of the orange I have not room fully to speak. It has properties of health giving, as that it cures influenza and establishes the complexion. It is clean, for whoever handles it on its way to your table, but handles its outer covering, its top coat, which is left in the hall. It is round, and forms an excellent substitute with the young for a cricket ball. The pip can be flicked at your enemies, and quite a small piece of peel makes a slide for an old gentleman.
很幸运，这种最普遍的水果恰恰是最好的水果。论其优点，难尽其详。柑橘有益于健康，比如，可以治疗流感，滋养皮肤。柑橘清洁干净，不管是谁把它端上桌子，也只触到它的表皮，亦即它的外衣，吃完后橘皮便被留在餐厅里。柑橘是圆的，给孩子当板球玩是再好不过了。柑橘核可用来弹射你的敌人，一小片橘皮也能让一个老者滑个趔趄。
But all this would count nothing had not the orange such delightful qualities of the taste. I dare not let myself go upon this subject. I am a slave to its sweetness. I grudge every marriage in that it means a fresh supply of orange blossom, the promise of so much golden fruit cut short. However, the world must go on….
但是，如若不是柑橘的味道甜美可口，上述的一切便都不足取。我真不敢纵谈柑橘的美味。我为它的美味所倾倒。每当有人结婚我便心生怨意，因为那就意味着一束鲜橘花――未来金黄果实的夭折。然而，人类总得继续繁衍。
With the orange we do live year in and year out. That speaks well for the orange. The fact is that there is an honesty about the orange which appeals to all of us. If it is going to be bad―for the best of us are bad sometimes―it begins to be bad from the outside, not from the inside. How many a pear which presents a blooming face to the world is rotten at the core. How many an innocent-looking apple is harboring a worm in the bud. But the orange had no secret faults. Its outside is a mirror of its inside, and if you are quick you can tell the shop men so before he slips it into the bag.
我们年复一年地吃着柑橘生活，这就是对它有力的辩护。事实上，是柑橘诚实的品格吸引了我们。假如它要开始腐败的话――因为我们之中的优秀者有时也会腐败的――它是从外表而不是从内里开始的。有多少梨子在向世人展示其鲜嫩的容光时，内里已经腐烂。有多少看上去纯美无瑕的苹果，刚刚发芽就已经包藏蛀虫。而柑橘从不隐藏瑕疵。它的外表是它内心的镜子，那么，如果你反应快，不等售货员把它丢进纸袋儿，你就能告诉他这是一个坏橘子。
Wisdom of the Birds
After raising three children to adulthood, my husband and I were sharing more time together, and we believed that we would have “money in the bank” some day in the not too distant future. “Won”t it be great when we”re retired?” became a frequent sentence in our conversations. Then, an unforgettable year arrived and changed everything.
It was one of those years, the kind when I found my inner voice whispering, “What else can go wrong?” My mom”s health was rapidly failing and our unwed daughter had moved back in with us after delivering a baby girl. During the previous winter, my husband”s mother died a slow, cruel death from Alzheimer”s disease and his father had been hospitalized following emergency surgery. My husband”s mental and physical health began deteriorating with the weight of life”s troubles. Our friends and relatives seemed to be experiencing their unfair share of hardships too. Then September 11th happened. Suddenly, my husband”s seemingly secure job became very insecure as the economy wavered. Life became a topsy-turvy struggle and our marriage was faltering under the strain.
Our daughter”s weakened emotional condition, created by the sudden out-of-state move by her baby”s father (he was to be the baby”s caregiver) created the need for me to request an emergency leave of absence from my job as a special education aide. I would care for her baby while my daughter was student-teaching – student-teaching was the only portion of her schooling left to earn the elementary education degree she needed to secure her future. Though I had been a dedicated district employee for eleven years, the unpaid, short-term leave I requested was denied. Unfortunately, I was caught up in the poor timing of a new superintendent and new special education supervisor; neither knew me. They didn”t realize that I had spent the last eleven years totally devoted to my special education students. Leaving a rewarding, stable job to care for my granddaughter would be a financial burden and a difficult choice, but my heart knew it was the only right choice.
From the time I was a young girl, my parents had instilled in me a love of nature, of all the best, beautiful, free things that life had to offer. Now, more than ever, I would need to draw on that love of nature; it would provide me with the strength needed to pull through the rough times. I began to take long walks with my granddaughter and I found that I would return home physically and spiritually renewed. Autumn was upon us; Alyssa would giggle with delight whenever I placed a leaf or a dried dandelion on the tray of her stroller.
As the trees became bare, I became aware of bird”s nests that had been hidden in the dense summer foliage. “Alyssa, look – a little bird”s nest,” I would say. One of the most beautiful nests we found was a tiny, circular one created from bits of dried grasses. The weaving was tight, strong, and yet soft to the touch. Surely it would have rivaled one of Frank Lloyd Wright”s creations. Some were crafted from feathers, dryer lint and bits of pet fur. Still other nests were masterpieces of corn silks, twine, strands of Easter grass and cellophane. How resourceful those little birds were! Each day, my eyes were drawn upward as I discovered more nests. Some were reinforced with mud, forming super strong foundations. Through wind, rain, thunder and lightning, they held together. I began to think about the birds – how simple, yet how hard their lives were. It occurred to me that no matter what obstacles were placed in their path, they managed to overcome, to survive. And faithfully, they started each new day with a song.
Those walks helped transform an extremely difficult, desperate time in my life to a more peaceful one. Through my observations of nature, I had faith that everything would work out and we would prevail. Like the birds and their nests, our family had a strong foundation. We were now living a more simple life, spending only what we needed to spend, and all the time becoming more resourceful. Courageously, the little birds of the air huddle close during stormy times, and the current turbulence seemed to be drawing our family closer together. And in the same way that the little birds started each day with a song, we began to listen to beautiful music more often. A sense of tranquility was settling over our home.
Time has a way of healing, of smoothing over the bumpy parts of our lives. Gradually we see things from a different perspective. One afternoon, while out walking with my granddaughter, I witnessed the most exceptional message of all from the birds. “Look at the geese, Alyssa,” I said, as a flock of geese flew overhead in a perfect V formation. For some odd reason, one goose left the group and started to fly in an entirely different direction. The main flock completely changed its course and gradually picked up their wayward member. As I watched this simple, beautiful display, I couldn”t help but think of my family. Our lives too, it seemed, had gone astray for a while. But through courage, inner strength and pure love, our family would change its course and triumph. I knew that all would be well. (:夏根建)
林肯盖茨堡演讲词
Fourscore and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation,
八十七年前，我们的祖先在这块大陆上建立了个新国家，
conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
这个国家是以自由为理念，并致力于人生而平等的主张。
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation，or any nation so conceived and so dedicated，can long endure.
现在我们投身于这场伟大的内战。这个内战在考验这个新国家或是任何一个有相同理念、致力于相同主张的国家能否长久存在。
We are met on a great battlefield of that war.
我们相会于这场战争的伟大战场上。
We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live.
我们来到这里，将这战场上的小块土地奉献给那些为国家生存而捐躯的人，以作为他们最后安息之地。
It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
我们这样做是十分适当的，也是应该的。
But in a larger sense we cannot dedicate-we cannot consecrate-we cannot hallow-this ground.
但就广义而言，我们却无法奉献这块土地，无法把这块土地变得神圣，
The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract.
因为在此奋战过的勇者，不论是生是死，都已经将这块土地变得如此神圣，以致我们薄弱的力量实不能再对它有所扬抑。
The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.
我们现在在这里所说的话，世人是不太注意的，过不久都会忘记，但这些勇者在此曾有的表现世人将水远铭记在心。
It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.
我们活着的人，应该在这块土地上献身于那些曾被努力推进却尚未完成的工作。
It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us:
我们实在应该献身于这些勇者所遗留给我们的眼前这个伟大任务:
that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion;
这些光荣过世的先烈们曾为国家大业奉献到底，而我们则应秉承他们的奉献精神，更加全力以赴;
that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain;
我们决意不计这些先烈白白牺牲;
that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom;
在上帝的庇佑之下，自由将在我国重生，
and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
而这个民有、民治、民享的政府将永存于世。
Excellence is not an act, but a habit
Our character, basically, is a composite of our habits. “Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny,” the maxim goes.
人的品德基本上是由习惯组成的。 俗语说；思想决定行动，行动决定习惯，习惯决定品德，品德决定命运。
Habits are powerful factors in our lives. Because they are consistent, often unconscious patterns, they constantly, daily, express our character and produce our effectiveness or ineffectiveness.
习惯对我们的生活有绝大的影响，因为它们是一贯的。 在不知不觉中， 经年累月影响着我们的品德，暴露出我们的本性，左右着我们的成败。
As Horace Mann, the great educator, once said, “habits are like a cable. We weave a strand of it every day and soon it cannot be broken.” I personally do not agree with the last part of his expression. I know habits can be learned and unlearned. But is also know it isn’t a quick fix. It involves a process and a tremendous commitment.
美国著名教育家曼恩曾说：“习惯就仿佛是一条缆绳，我们每天为他缠上一股新索，不要多久就会变得牢不可破。”这句话的后半段我不敢苟同，我相信习惯可以养成，也可以打破，但绝不是一蹴而就，而是需要长期的努力和无比的毅力。
Those of us who watched the lunar voyage of Apollo 11 were transfixed as we saw the first men walk on the moon and return to earth. But to get there, those astronauts literally had to break out of the tremendous gravity pull of the earth. More energy was spent in the first few minutes of lift-off, in the first few miles of travel, than was used over the next several days to travel half a million miles.
宇航员搭乘阿波罗11号太空船，首次登陆月球的刹那，的确令人叹为观止。但宇航员得先摆脱地球强大的引力，才能飞往月球。由此在刚发射的几分钟，也就是整个任务一开始的几英里之内，是最艰难的时刻，所耗的力量往往超越往后的几十万英里。
Habits, too, have tremendous gravity pull- more than most people realize or would admit. Breaking deeply imbedded habitual tendencies such as procrastination, impatience, criticalness, or selfishness that violate basic principles of human effectiveness involves more than a little willpower and a few minor changes in our lives. “Lift off” takes a tremendous effort, but once we break out of the gravity pull, our freedom takes on a whole new dimension.
习惯也是一样，它具有极大的引力，只是许多人不加注意或不肯承认了。想要革除因循苟且，缺乏耐心，吹毛求疵或自私自利等不良习性，若是缺乏意志力，不能大刀阔斧的改革，便难以实现目标。“起飞”需要极大的努力，然而一旦脱离重力的牵绊，我们便可享受前所未有的自由。
1. maxim [‘mksm] 座右铭
2. Our character, basically, is a composite of our habits.
人的品德基本上是由习惯组成的。
composite[km’pzt] n. 组合，组成物，adj 组合而成的
composite material 复合材料
China is a great composite of various nationalities.
3. Because they are consistent, often unconscious patterns
因为它们是一贯的。
consistent[kn’sstnt] adj. 始终如一的， 坚持的， 一致的
Running is my only consistent habit.
Losing weight is her consistent slogan.
4. It involves a process and a tremendous commitment.
tremendous[tr’mnds]adj.极好的， 极大的， 惊人的
The city has taken place a tremendous change these years.
commitment [k’mtmnt]n. 承诺， 保证， 承担承诺， 献身
Don’t offer any commitment if you can’t fulfill it.
5. Those astronauts literally had to break out of the tremendous gravity pull of the earth.
gravity[‘rvti]最喜欢的一首歌《Defying Gravity》 没听过的一定要去听哦！
5.Breaking deeplyimbeddedhabitual tendencies such as procrastination, impatience, criticalness, or selfishness.
想要革除拖延，缺乏耐心，吹毛求疵或自私自利等顽固地不良习性。
imbedded[m’bdId] adj 嵌入的
My whole life is imbedded in teaching English.
Since the pre-historic times，man has had an urge to satisfy his needs. Be it hunger，shelter or search for a mate，he has always manipulated the circumstances to the best of his advantages. Probably this might be the reason why we human are the most developed of all living species on the earth，and probably also in the universe. As we climbed the steps of evolution with giant leaps，we somehow left behind common sense and logical thinking―we forgot that we have stopped thinking ahead of times.
If you are hungry，what do you do?Grab a piece of your favorite meal and stay quiet after that?Just like your stomach，even your mind is hungry. But it never lets you know，because you keep it busy thinking about your dream lover，favorite star and many such absurd things. So it silently began to heed to your needs and never let itself grow. When mind looses its freedom to grow，creativity gets a full stop. This might be the reason why we all sometimes think“What happens next?”，“Why can‘t I think?”，“Why am I always given the difficult problems?”Well this is the aftermath of our own karma of using our brain for thinking of not-so-worthy things.
Hunger of the mind can be actually satiated through extensive reading. Now why reading and not watching TV?Because reading has been the most educative tool used by us right from the childhood. Just like that to develop other aspects of our life，we have to take help of reading. You have innumerable number of books in this world which will answer all your“How to?”questions. Once you read a book，you just don‘t run your eyes through the lines，but even your mind decodes it and explains it to you. The interesting part of the book is stored in your mind as a seed. Now this seed is unknowingly used by you in your future to develop new ideas. The same seed if used many times，can help you link and relate a lot of things，of which you would have never thought of in your wildest dreams!This is nothing but creativity. More the number of books you read，your mind will open up like never before. Also this improves your oratory skills to a large extent and also makes a significant contribution to your vocabulary. Within no time you start speaking English or any language fluently with your friends or other people and you never seem to run out of the right words at the right time.
Actually，I had a problem in speaking English fluently，but as I read，I could improve significantly. I am still on the path of improvement to quench my thirst for satisfaction. So guys do join me and give food for your thoughts by reading，reading and more reading. Now what are you waiting for?Go，grab a book，and let me know!
Deepak Chandrasekaran
篇二：Weakness or Strength (将弱项变为强项)
Sometimes our biggest weakness can become your biggest strength. Take，for example，the story t of one 10-year-old boy who decided to study judo despite the fact that the had lost his left arm in a devastating car accident.
The boy began lesson with an old Japanese judo master. The boy was dong well，so he couldn‘t understand why，after three months of training，the master had taught him only one move.
“Mister，”the boy finally said，“shouldn‘t I be learning more moves?”
“This is the only move you know，but this is the only move you‘ll ever need to know，”the master replied.
Not quite understanding，but believing in his teacher，the boy kept training.
Several months later，the master took the boy to his first tournament.
To his surprise，，the boy easily won his first two matches. The third match proved to be more difficult，but after some time，his opponent became impatient and charged;the boy deftly used his one move to win the match. Still amazed by his success，the boy was now in the finals.
This time，his opponent was bigger，stronger，and more experienced. For a while，the boy appeared to be overmatched.
Concerned that the boy might get hurt，the referee called a time-out. He was about to stop the match when the master intervened.“No，”his master insisted，“let him continue.”
Soon after the match resumed，his opponent made a critical mistake：he dropped his guard. Instantly，the boy used his move to pin him. The boy had won the match and the tournament. He was the champion.
On the way home，the boy and his master reviewed every move in each and every match. Then the boy summoned the courage to ask what was really in his min.
“Mister，how did I win the tournament with only one move?”
“You won for two reasons，”the master answered.“First，you‘ve almost mastered one of the most difficult throws in all of judo. Second，the only known defense for that move is for your opponent to grab your left arm.”
The boy‘s biggest weakness had become his biggest strength.
Everyday English
A Lesson Learned at Midnight By James Q. DuPont
午夜的一课 詹姆斯.Q.杜邦
Ever since one midnight, in nineteen hundred and nine, when I first heard my mother crying, I have been groping for beliefs to help me through the rough going and confusions of life. My dad’s voice was low and troubled as he tried to comfort Mother. And in their anguish, they both forgot the nearness of my bedroom. I overheard them. I was only seven then, and while their problem of that time has long since been solved and forgotten, the big discovery I made that night is still right with me: life is not all hearts and flowers; it’s hard and cruel for most of us much of the time. We all have troubles, they just differ in nature, that’s all. And that leads to my first belief.
自1909年的一个午夜第一次听到母亲哭泣以来，我一直寻找信仰帮我度过生活中的艰辛与困惑。父亲安慰母亲时，声音低沉而忧郁。极度的痛苦让他们忘记我的卧室就在附近。我无意中听到了他们的谈话，那时我只有七岁。尽管他们当时的问题如今已经解决也被遗忘，但那一晚的重大发现仍然教导我：生活并不总是充满鲜花和爱情。许多时候生活对于我们大多数人来说艰辛而残酷，我们都有烦恼，只是烦恼的性质不同，仅此而已。这就是我的第一个信念。
I believe the human race is very, very tough―almost impossible to discourage. If it wasn’t, then why do we have such words as “laugh” and “sing” and “music” and “dance”―in the language of all mankind since the beginning of recorded time? This belief makes me downright proud to be a human being.
我相信人类十分坚强，几乎不可能感到灰心沮丧。如若不然，为何有史以来人类所有的语言中都有“欢笑”、“歌唱”、“音乐”和“舞蹈”这样的词呢?这一信念让我无比自豪，因为我是一个人。
Next, I believe there is good and evil in all of us. Thomas Mann comes close to expressing what I’m trying to say with his carefully worded sentence about the “frightfully radical duality” between the brain and the beast in man―in all of us.
其次，我相信我们都有善和恶的一面。托马斯.曼字斟句酌地阐述了人类(我们所有人)身上存在的理智这一“极基本的双重性”时，几乎道出了我的观点。
This belief helps me because so long as I remember that there are certain forces of evil ever present in me―and never forget that there is also a divine spark of goodness in me, too―then I find the “score” of my bad mistakes at the end of each day is greatly reduced. “Forewarned of evil, is half the battle against it.” I believe in trying to be charitable, in trying to understand and forgive people, especially in trying to forgive very keen or brilliant people. A man may be a genius, but he can still do things that practically break your heart.
这种信仰让我受益，因为只要记住自己身上一直存在着某些邪恶的力量――但也从未忘记自己身上也有上帝赐予的善良火花――我就会发现每天结束时，错误和悔恨的“得分”大大降低。可见“事先警惕恶行是与之斗争成功的一半”。我相信人要尽量乐善好施，尽量理解和宽恕别人，尤其要宽恕特别敏锐和聪慧的人，因为即使天才也会做出让你伤心的事情。
I believe most if not all of our very finest thoughts and many of our finest deeds must be kept to ourselves alone―at least until after we die. This used confuse me. But now I realize that by their very nature, these finest things we do and cannot talk about are a sort of secret preview of a better life to come.I believe there is no escape from the rule that we must do many, many little things to accomplish even just one big thing. This gives me patience when I need it most.
我相信，即使不是全部，大多数我们提出的最富创见的思想，大多数我们实施的最富成果的行为，都不应让人知道我们提出和实施的――至少要到我们去世之后才能让人知道。这一点过去常让我感到困惑，但如今我明白，我们完成这些最美妙的事情却秘而不宣，实质上是暗地里预见未来更美好的生活。我相信我们必须做许许多多小事才能成就大事，哪怕只一件大事。这一规律无法逃避。这种信仰使我在最需要办大事的时候很耐心。
And then I believe in having the courage to be myself. Or perhaps I should say, to be honest with myself. Sometimes this is practically impossible, but I’m sure I should always try.
还有，我相信要有勇气还自己本色。或许我该说，要对自己实事求是。有时这几乎不可能，但我确信我应该永远努力为之。
Finally, and most important to me, I do believe in God. I’m sure there is a very wise and wonderful Being who designed, constructed, and operates this existence as we mortals know it: this universe with its galaxies and spiral nebulae, its stars and moons and planets and beautiful women, its trees and pearls and deep green moss―and its hopes and prayers for peace.
最后一点，也是对我而言最重要的一点，我深深信仰上帝。我确信有一位非常睿智和神奇的神灵设计、建造并统治这个世界，就像我们凡人所认识的样子：这个宇宙有星群、螺旋型的星云、星星、月亮、行星、美女、树木、珍珠和深绿的苔藓，还有希望和对和平的祈祷。