【www.jianqiaoenglish.com--英语美文】
As a teenager，I felt I was always letting people down. I was rebellious1 out－side，but I wanted to be liked inside. Once I left home to hitch-hike2 to California with my friend Penelope. The trip wasn’t easy，and there were many times I didn’t feel safe. One situation in particular kept me grateful to still be alive. When I returned home，I was different，not so outwardly sure of myself. I was happy to be home. But then I noticed that Penelope，who was staying with us，was wearing my clothes. And my family seemed to like her better than me. I wondered if I would be missed if I weren’t there. I told my mom，and she explained that though Penelope was a lovely girl，no one could replace me. I pointed out，“Ｓhe is more patient and is neater than I have ever been.” My mom said these were wonderful qualities，but I was the only person who could fill my role. She made me realize that even with my faults—and there were many－I was a loved member of the family who couldn’t be replaced. I became a searcher，wanting to find out who I was and what made me unique. My view of myself was changing. I wanted a solid base to start from. I started to resist3 pressure to act in ways that I didn’t like any more，and I was delighted by who I really was. I came to feel much more sure that no one can ever take my place. Each of us holds a unique place in the world. You are special，no matter what others say or what you may think. So forget about being replaced. You can’t be. 当我还是个10几岁的少年的时候，觉得自己总是让人失望。从外表上看，我似乎很叛逆，但是在内心深处，我是如此地渴望被人疼爱。 有一次我离开了家和我的朋友佩内洛普搭便车去了加利福尼亚。这次旅行并不轻松，而且有很多次我感觉不安。有一次的突发状况让我一直庆幸自己还活着。回到家，我发觉自己变了，看上去不那么自信了。 我很高兴能回到家，但不久我注意到和我们一起的佩内洛普穿着我的衣服，而且我父母看上去更喜欢她，我想知道如果我不在家的话他们是否会想念我。后来，我把我的想法告诉了母亲，她说尽管佩内洛普是个可爱的女孩，但她始终不能取代我，我说：“她比我有耐心而且无论何时看上去她都比我要整洁大方。”母亲说这些都是非常好的优点，但我却是惟一个能扮演好自己角色的人。母亲让我感到尽管我有缺点———似乎还很多———但是，我被家中每一个人爱着，谁也无法取代。 我成了一个探寻者，想要知道自己到底是谁，又是什么让我变得独一无二。我的人生观开始改变。我需要一个坚固的基础来发展，我忍受住压力，不再做自己不喜欢做的事。而且我为真实的我感到高兴。渐渐地我越发肯定自己无可替代。 每个人在这个世界上都占有一个独一无二的位置。无论别人说什么，你自己怎么想，你都是特别的。所以，不要担心自己会被取代，因为你永远是惟一的。 word/media/image1.png
太多的时候，我们总认为光明就在脚下，就在不远的前方，于是忘了去仰望头顶的那片天…… If you put a buzzard1) in a pen2) six to eight feet square and entirely open at the top, the bird, in spite of its ability to fly, will be an absolute prisoner. The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a run of ten to twelve feet. Without space to run, as is its habit, it will not even attempt3) to fly, but remain a prisoner for life in a small jail with no top. The ordinary bat that flies around at night, who is a remarkable nimble4) creature in the air, cannot take off from a level place. If it is placed on the floor or flat ground, all it can do is to shuffle5) about helplessly and, no doubt, painfully, until it reaches some slight elevation6) from which it can throw itself into the air. Then, at once, it takes off like a flash. A bumblebee7) if dropped into an open tumbler8) will be there until it dies, unless it is taken out. It never sees the means of escape at the top, but persists9) in trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom. It will seek a way where none exists, until it completely destroys itself. In many ways, there are lots of people like the buzzard, the bat and the bumblebee. They are struggling about with all their problems and frustrations10), not realizing that the answer is right there above them. 如果把一只秃鹫放在一个6～8平方英尺的无顶围栏里，这只大鸟尽管会飞，也绝对会成为这栏中之囚。原因是秃鹫从地面起飞前总要先助跑10～12英尺的距离。这是它的习惯，如果没有了足够的助跑空间，它甚至不会尝试去飞，只会终身困囿于一个无顶的小囚笼中。 晚上飞来飞去的普通的蝙蝠，本是一种在空中极其敏捷的动物，但却无法在平地上起飞。如果被放在地板或平坦的地面上，它就只会无助地挪动，毫无疑问这样很痛苦。除非它到了稍高的位置，有了落差，才可以立刻闪电般地起飞。 一只大黄蜂如果掉进了一个敞口平底玻璃杯里，除非有人把它拿出来，否则它就会一直呆在里边直到死去。它永远不知道可以从杯口逃出，只坚持试图从杯底的四壁寻找出路。它会在根本不存在出口的地方寻找出路，直到彻底毁了自己。 其实在很多方面，很多人也像秃鹫、蝙蝠和大黄蜂一样，使尽浑身解数试图解决问题、克服挫折，却没有意识到解决之道就在正上方。
Vocabulary 1.buzzard n. [动]秃鹫 2.pen [pen] n. 围栏，围圈 3.attempt vt. 尝试，企图 4.nimble adj. 敏捷的 5.shuffle v. 拖着脚走，慢吞吞地走 6.elevation n. 高地，海拔 7.bumblebee n. [动]大黄蜂 8.tumbler n. (平底)玻璃杯 9.persist vi. 坚持，持续 10.frustration n. 失败，挫折
Both my parents came from towns in Mexico. I was born in El Paso, Texas, and when I was four, my family moved to a housing project in East Los Angeles. Even though we struggled to make ends meet, my parents stressed1) to me and my four brothers and sisters how fortunate we were to live in a great country with limitless opportunities. They imbued2) in us the concepts of family, faith and patriotism. I got my first real job when I was ten. My dad, Benjamin, injured his back working in a cardboard-box factory and was retrained as a hairstylist. He rented space in a little mall and gave his shop the fancy name of Mr. Ben"s Coiffure3). The owner of the shopping center gave Dad a discount on his rent for cleaning the parking lot three nights a week, which meant getting up at 3 a.m. To pick up trash, Dad used a little machine that looked like a lawn mower. Mom and I emptied garbage cans and picked up litter4) by hand. It took two to three hours to clean the lot. I"d sleep in the car on the way home. I did this for two years, but the lessons I learned have lasted a lifetime. I acquired5) discipline and a strong work ethic6), and learned at an early age the importance of balancing life"s competing interests7) — in my case8), school, homework and a job. This really helped during my senior year of high school, when I worked 40 hours a week flipping9) burgers at a fast-food joint10) while taking a full load of percolate courses. The hard work paid off11). I attended12) the U.S. Military Academy and went on to receive graduate degrees in law and business from Harvard. Later, I joined a big Los Angeles law firm and was elected to the California state assembly. In these jobs and in everything else I"ve done, I have never forgotten those days in the parking lot. The experience taught me that there is dignity13) in all work and that if people are working to provide for themselves and their families that is something we should honor. 我的父母都来自墨西哥的小镇。我出生于得克萨斯州的埃尔帕索城。我四岁时，全家搬到了东洛杉矶的一处低收入住宅区。 尽管我们当时要做到收支平衡都很困难，但父母仍对我和四个兄弟姐妹强调说，能在这样一个充满无限机遇的国家里落户，我们是多么幸运啊！他们给我们灌输了家庭、信仰以及爱国主义的观念。 十岁的时候，我得到了人生第一份真正的工作。我的爸爸本杰明在纸箱厂工作时背部受了伤。经过再培训，他成了一名发型师。他在一个规模不大的商业区租下了一个摊位，并给他的店取了个奇妙的名字：“本先生的发型”。 商业中心的老板在租金上给爸爸打了个折扣，但条件是每周打扫三次停车场，这意味着凌晨三点就要起床干活。爸爸用一个看起来像除草机的小机器来收捡垃圾，而我和妈妈则要清空垃圾桶并用手拾捡散落的垃圾。打扫这个停车场要用两到三个小时。我总是在回家时的车里就睡着了。 这份工作我干了两年，但从中学到的东西却让我受用终生。我学会了自律，建立了很强的职业道德。从小我就懂得了平衡生活中各种利益冲突的重要性——对我而言，就是上学、作业和工作。这在我高二那年真是很有用处。那时，我在一家快餐连锁店制作汉堡包，每周工作四十个小时，同时还肩负着沉重的大学预科课程的学习任务。 辛勤的工作终见回报。我考入了美国军事学院，接着又获得了哈佛大学的法律和商业硕士学位。后来，我进入洛杉矶一家著名的律师事务所并被选为加州议会参议员。在做这些工作和其他所有事情的过程中，我从未忘记过在停车场辛勤工作的那些日子。那段经历使我懂得工作无贵贱, 靠自食其力来供养自己和家人就值得人们敬佩。
Vocabulary 1.stress [stres] v. 强调，着重 2.imbue v. 灌输，深深影响 3.coiffure n. 发式 4.litter n. 废弃物，被胡乱扔掉的东西(尤指废纸等杂物) 5.acquire vt. 获得，学到 6.work ethic: 职业道德 7.interest n. 利益，利害关系 8.in one"s case: 就某人的情况而言 9.flip vt. 使翻转 10.joint n. 连接，结合，本文中指连锁店 11.pay off: 得到好结果，取得成功 12.attend [E5tend] vt. 上(大学等) 13.dignity [5dI^nItI] n. 尊贵，高贵
给予比获得更让人幸福...... Paul received an automobile from his brother as a Christmas present. On Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office, a street boy was walking around the shiny new car, admiring it. "Is this your car, Mister?" he asked. Paul nodded. "My brother gave it to me for Christmas." The boy was astonished. "You mean your brother gave it to you and it didn"t cost you anything? Boy, I wish...." He hesitated. Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for. He was going to wish he had a brother like that. But what the lad1 said made Paul quite surprised. "I wish," the boy went on, "that I could be a brother like that." Paul looked at the boy in astonishment, then impulsively2 he added, "Would you like to take a ride in my automobile?" "Oh, yes, I"d love that." After a short ride, the boy turned and with his eyes shining, said, "Mister, would you mind driving in front of my house?" Paul smiled a little. He thought he knew what the lad wanted. He wanted to show his neighbors that he could ride home in a big automobile. But Paul was wrong again. "Will you stop where those two steps are?" the boy asked. He ran up the steps. Then in a little while Paul heard him coming back, but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled3 brother. He sat him down on the bottom step, then sort of4 squeezed up5 against him and pointed to the car. "There she is, Buddy, just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it didn"t cost him a cent. And some day I"m gonna6 give you one just like it... then you can see for yourself all the pretty things in the Christmas windows that I"ve been trying to tell you about." Paul got out and lifted the lad to the front seat of his car. The shining-eyed older brother climbed in beside him and the three of them began a memorable holiday ride. That Christmas Eve, Paul learned that it was more blessed to give.... word/media/image2.png 保罗收到一辆汽车，那是他哥哥送的圣诞礼物。圣诞节前夜，保罗从办公室出来时，一个街头少年绕着那辆闪闪发亮的新车，十分羡慕。 “先生，这是你的车？”少年问道。 保罗点点头：“这是我哥哥送我的圣诞礼物。”男孩十分惊讶：“你是说这是你哥送你的，你一分钱也没花？好家伙，我希望……”他停住了。保罗当然知道男孩他希望什么。他希望能有一个那样的哥哥。但那少年接下来说的话却让保罗大吃一惊。 “我希望，”男孩继续说：“我能成为那样的哥哥。” 保罗惊愕地看着那男孩，他冲口而出：“你要不要坐我的车去兜一兜风？” “哦，当然，我愿意！” 车开出一小段路后，男孩转过头来，眼睛闪闪发亮地说：“先生，你是否介意把车子开到我家门前？”保罗微笑。他想他知道男孩想干什么。那男孩肯定是要向邻居炫耀他能坐一部大轿车回家。但是这次保罗又猜错了。 “你能不能把车子停在那两个台阶前？”男孩要求。男孩跑上台阶，过了一会儿保罗听到他回来了，但动作有些缓慢。他背来了他跛脚的弟弟。他让弟弟坐在最下面的台阶上，略有些挤靠着自己，然后指着那辆车。“这就是那车，巴迪，就是我刚才在楼上对你说的。他哥哥送他的圣诞礼物，他一分钱也没花。将来某一天我也会送给你一辆像这样的车，到那时候，你就能自己去看我一直努力给你描绘的那些圣诞节陈列窗里的漂亮东西了。” 保罗走下车子，把跛脚的男孩抱到车子前座。兴奋得满眼放光的哥哥也爬上车子，坐在弟弟身旁。三个人开始了一次令人难忘的假日兜风。 那个圣诞节前夜，保罗体会到“施与比获得更让人幸福……”
Sir Edmund Hillary is famous for being the first person to climb Mt. Everest (n. 珠穆朗玛峰). What many people do not know is that Sir Hillary did not make it to the top of Everest the first time he tried. The first attempt was a complete failure. His climbing party encountered one problem after another and more than half his climbing party died. Nonetheless (adv. 虽然如此), the British Parliament (n. 议会) decided to honor him with some type of award. When he entered the chamber to receive his award, Sir Hillary saw that a large picture of Everest had been setup. During the standing ovation (n. 热烈欢迎) that he was receiving, he walked over to the picture, shook his fist at it and said, “You won, this time. But you are as big as you are ever going to get. And I"m still growing.” We frequently hear the stories of people who have succeeded. And we frequently assume that they succeeded the first time. But in fact it"s the exact opposite. The road to success is paved with the bricks of failure. 埃德蒙·希拉里爵士是登上珠穆朗玛峰的第一人，他因此而闻名天下。 然而，很多人并不知道，希拉里爵士第一次试着攀登珠穆朗玛峰时并未成功登顶。第一次登山以彻底的失败而告终。他们接二连三遇到问题，登山队中超过半数的人都丧生了。 尽管如此，英国议会还是决定授予他某种奖励。希拉里爵士走进议会大厅领奖时，看到里面竖着一幅很大的珠穆朗玛峰的画。 大家起立热烈欢迎希拉里爵士，这时他走到画跟前，冲画挥动了一下拳头，说道：“你这次赢了。但是你就这么高，再也不会长，而我还在长。” 我们常常听到成功人士的故事。我们常常以为他们第一次就成功了。 但事实恰恰相反。 成功之路是由失败之砖垫就的。
在无法看见彼岸的时候，请坚信浓雾后的不远处一定是陆地……把你的目标放在心里！ When she looked ahead, Florence Chadwick saw nothing but a solid wall of fog1. Her body was numb2. She had been swimming for nearly sixteen hours. Already she was the first woman to swim the English Channel in both directions. Now, at age 34, her goal was to become the first woman to swim from Catalina Island to the California coast. On that Fourth of July morning in 1952, the sea was like an ice bath and the fog was so dense3 she could hardly see her support boats. Alongside Florence in one of the boats, her mother and her trainer offered encouragement. They told her it wasn’t much farther. But all she could see was fog. They urged her not to quit. She never had...until then. With only a half mile to go, she asked to be pulled out. Still warming her chilled4 body several hours later, she told a reporter,“Look, I’m not excusing myself, but if I could have seen land I might have made it.”It was not fatigue5 or even the cold water that defeated her. It was the fog. She was unable to see her goal. Two months later, she tried again. This time, despite the same dense fog, she swam with her faith and her goal clearly pictured in her mind. She knew that somewhere behind that fog was land and this time she made it! Florence Chadwick became the first woman to swim the Catalina Channel, eclipsing6 the men’s record by two hours! word/media/image3.png 当弗洛伦斯·查德威克朝前方看去时，除了一团浓雾，她什么也看不见。她的身体已经麻木，她游了快16个小时了。 她是第一位游泳往返英吉利海峡的女性。现在她已34岁了，她的目标是成为第一个从卡特林娜岛游到加利福尼亚海岸的女性。 1952年7月4日的早晨，大海就像个冰窖，雾浓得她连自己的支援船都看不见。 在靠近她的一艘船上，她的母亲和教练在不断鼓励她。他们告诉她离岸已经不太远了，但她的眼前只有雾。他们劝她不要放弃，她从未在中途放弃过……除了这次。她在离岸仅半英里处要求支援船把她拉上去。 几个小时后，她还在暖着她那冻僵了的身体，她告诉记者：“听着，我不是为自己辩解，但是如果我能看到陆地，我是可以成功的。”打败她的不是疲劳或者寒冷的海水，而是浓雾。她无法看到目标。 两个月后，她再一次尝试。这次，尽管雾依然很浓，但是她怀着坚定的信念，目标清晰地呈现在心中。她知道浓雾后的某个地方就是陆地，而这次她成功了！弗洛伦斯·查德维克成为第一个游过卡特林娜海峡的女性，而且还比男子纪录快了两个小时！
One of my fondest memories as a child is going by the river and sitting idly on the bank. There I would enjoy the peace and quiet, watch the water rush downstream, and listen to the chirps1 of birds and the rustling2 of leaves in the trees. I would also watch the bamboo trees bend under pressure from the wind and watch them return gracefully to their upright or original position after the wind had died down. When I think about the bamboo tree’s ability to bounce back or return to it’s original position, the word resilience3 comes to mind. When used in reference to a person this word means the ability to readily recover from shock, depression or any other situation that stretches4 the limits of a person’s emotions. Have you ever felt like you are about to snap5? Have you ever felt like you are at your breaking point? Thankfully, you have survived the experience to live to talk about it. During the experience you probably felt a mix of emotions that threatened your health. You felt emotionally drained, mentally exhausted and you most likely endured unpleasant physical symptoms. Life is a mixture of good times and bad times, happy moments and unhappy moments. The next time you are experiencing one of those bad times or unhappy moments that take you close to your breaking point, bend but don’t break. Try your best not to let the situation get the best of you. A measure of hope will take you through the unpleasant ordeal6. With hope for a better tomorrow or a better situation, things may not be as bad as they seem to be. The unpleasant ordeal may be easier to deal with if the end result is worth having. If the going gets tough and you are at your breaking point, show resilience. Like the bamboo tree, bend, but don’t break. word/media/image4.png 对我而言，童年时代最珍爱的回忆就是去河边散步、在堤岸上慵懒地闲坐。在那里，我可以尽情地享受这份恬静和闲适，看着向下游奔涌的河水、倾听鸟鸣和树叶的“沙沙”声。我也会经常注视那片竹林，由于风的压力，竹子会弯下身子，然而当风力逐渐减小乃至完全停止时，它们便会优雅地恢复到原来那种竖直状态。 当我回想起竹子所具有的这种恢复原状的本领时，“韧性”这个词便在我的脑海中浮现出来。这个词用来形容人的时候，则表示一个人具有从惊吓、沮丧以及其它任何超越人类情感极限的状态中从容地恢复过来的能力。 你是否曾觉得自己就要垮掉？你是否曾感到自己正处在崩溃的边缘？令人欣慰的是，当你谈论这些事情的时候，你已经通过了这些考验并使生活能得以继续了。 当你经历这些考验的时候，你也许察觉到了对你的健康产生危害的复杂情绪；当你感到萎靡不振、心力憔悴时，各种讨厌的病症也很可能会接踵而来。 人生是复杂的，其中既有美好，也有痛苦；既有快乐，也有悲伤。当你下一次经历痛苦或悲伤的时候，当你感到自己接近崩溃边缘的时候，要顺应而不是使自己崩溃，尽你的全力不要让现状战胜你。 心怀希望将会帮助你度过难关。当你对一个更好的明天或者更好的状况到来充满希望时，所有事情都不会像看上去的那么糟糕。如果结局值得拥有，你将会更容易战胜那些不愉快的考验。 假如生活艰难，以至于你正处在崩溃的边缘，那么就要拿出你的韧性来，像那片竹林一样弯曲顺应而不是折断崩溃。
The first snow came. How beautiful it was, falling so silently, all day long, all night long, on the mountains, on the meadows, on the roofs of the living, on the graves1) of the dead! All white save the river, that marked2) its course by a winding black line across the landscape3), and the leafless trees, that against the leaden4) sky now revealed more fully the wonderful beauty and intricacy5) of their branches! What silence, too, came with the snow, and what seclusion6)! Every sound was muffled7); every noise changed to something soft and musical. No more trampling8) hoofs9), no more rattling10) wheels! Only the chiming11) of sleigh-bells12), beating as swift and merrily as the hearts of children. 第一场雪降临了。 真美啊！整日整夜，悄无声息地飘落，落在高山上，落在草地上，落在生者的房顶上，落在逝者的坟茔上！ 万物皆白，惟有河流蜿蜒成一条黑线穿过雪野，还有无叶的林木，衬映在铅灰色的天空下，此刻更显得枝桠交错，仪态万千。 初雪飘落时，是何等的宁谧，何等的幽静！万籁俱寂，所有的噪音都化做柔和的音乐。 再也听不见得得马蹄声，也听不见嘎嘎车轮声！ 只有雪橇的铃声如乐，似孩子们的心儿在欢快地跃动。 亨利·华兹华斯·朗费罗 (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1807～1882)，美国诗人，一生创作了大量的抒情诗、叙事诗、歌谣和诗剧。在朗费罗的这首诗中，描写了第一场雪纷飞飘落的情景，仿佛把人们带进了一个童话般的世界。一片静谧之中，所有的灵魂都能感受到如白雪般的圣洁之美。 word/media/image5.png
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Each spring brings a new blossom of wild flowers in the ditches along the highway I travel daily to work. There is one particular blue flower that has always caught my eyes. I’ve noticed that it blooms only in the morning hours, the afternoon sun is too warm for it. Every day for approximately two weeks, I see those beautiful flowers. This spring, I started a wildflower garden in our yard. I can look through the kitchen window while doing the dishes and see the flowers. I’ve often thought that those lovely blue flowers from the ditch would look great in that bed alongside other wildflowers. Everyday I drove past the flowers thinking, “I’ll stop on my way home and dig them,” “Gee, I don’t want to get my good clothes dirty”... Whatever the reason, I never stopped to dig them. My husband even gave me a folding shovel1 one year in my trunk to be used for that expressed purpose. One day on my way home from work, I was saddened to see that the highway department had mowed2 the ditches and the pretty blue flowers were gone. I thought to myself, “Way to go, you waited too long. You should have done it when you first saw them blooming this spring.” A week ago we were shocked and saddened to learn that my oldest sister-in-law has a terminal brain tumor. She is 20 years older than my husband and unfortunately, because of age and distance, we haven’t been as close as we all would have liked. I couldn’t help but see the connection between the pretty blue flowers and the relationship between my husband’s sister and us. I do believe that God has given us some time left to plant some wonderful memories that will bloom every year for us. And yes, if I see the blue flowers again, you can bet I’ll stop and transplant them to my wildflower garden. 每年春天，在我每日上班所经的高速路旁的沟渠边，总会有一些野花盛开。 有一种独特的蓝色小花总能吸引我的目光。我注意到它只在早上开放，下午的日光对它来说太温暖了。大概有两周的时间，我每天都能看到那些美丽的花儿。 今年春天，我在自家院子里开辟了一片野花花园。我可以在做菜的时候通过厨房的窗户看到这些花儿。我常想，沟渠中那些可爱的蓝色小花要是能在这块花床上和其他野花在一起该有多好看。每天，当我开车经过那些花儿的时候我就会想:“回家的时候，我要停下来挖走一些，”“算了，我不想把我得体的衣服弄脏，”……不管是什么原因，我从未停下来挖一些。有一年，我丈夫甚至在我汽车的后备箱里放了一把可折叠的铲子，好用来实现我那已表明的目的。 有一天下班回家，我伤心地发现高速公路部门已经刈过沟渠上的草了，那些可爱的蓝色花儿不见了踪影。我对自己说：“看你做的好事，你等了太长时间。你应该在今年春天第一次看到它们盛开的时候就挖一些的。” 一周前，得知我丈夫的大姐患晚期脑瘤，我们很震惊也很伤心。她比我丈夫大20岁，不幸的是，因为年龄和距离的关系，我们没有像我们所希望的那样亲密。我禁不住把那些可爱的蓝色小花和我们同我丈夫的姐姐之间的关系联系起来。我确信上帝已经给我们留下了一段时间来培育一些美妙的回忆，好让它们每年都为我们开放。 是的，如果我再次看到那些蓝色的花儿，我敢打赌，我会停下来把它们移植到我的野花花园里。
Before it was proven that the earth was round, it was a well-known“fact”that it was flat. This“fact”was so widely accepted that no one dared test it, because they thought if they did sail out beyond the horizon they would fall off the edge. In other words, because they believed it couldn’t be done, it wasn’t done. That is, until Columbus questioned common knowledge and asked“what if?”This question literally expanded the boundaries2)of his country, changed history, and permanently altered accepted reality forever. In spite of our tendency3)to think of reality as the non-negotiable4)basis of our experience, the definition5)of reality changes every time someone pushes the boundary conditions of conventional6)wisdom. When our perception7)of reality changes, our behavior changes accordingly, based on what is newly considered possible. When Columbus returned from the New World, a revised world map was drawn up and this began a new era of exploration and adventure. Examples of the impossible being made possible can be found throughout history. When Chuck Yeager flew the X-1, he shattered8)the myth that there was such a thing as a sound barrier9). His training and instincts10), combined with the new technology of the day, not only enabled him to go beyond the speed of sound, but reinforced11)the fact that even alleged12)technological barriers can be overcome as well. People often approach me in my seminars13)with statements such as, “I’ll never be successful because my parents never supported me,”“I don’t have the right education to create wealth,”or“I can’t pursue my dreams because I have too many obligations14).” I even hear, “I can’t do what I want in my life because I don’t have the money.”These statements are clear indicators of the boundary conditions of their own thinking. They are accepting certain seeming truths proven true by their experience and coming up against the individual15)horizons beyond which they cannot conceive of venturing16). Success follows beliefs such as, “I have all I need to be incredibly wealthy and massively successful.”Warren Buffett, the most successful investor of all time, was once asked, “How have things changed for you now that you have incredible wealth?”He responded, “Well, I can afford anything I want...”Then he paused before adding, “...but then again, I always could.”Even before Buffett had actually created the wealth he enjoys today, he already had the mind-set17)of wealth—and therefore the power to create it, because he saw the world in those terms.“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world,”wrote Bernard Shaw, “the unreasonable17)one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” When we dare to go beyond our own internal boundary conditions, we discover a whole new world of possible futures for ourselves. Let’s play a little game. It’s called the“What’s Possible”game. The dictionary definition of possible is something“that can or may be, exist, happen, or be done.” Each of the following questions I want you to answer yes or no. Has someone, somewhere on the planet today, achieved these things? ·Is it possible to have a million dollars in the bank? ·Is it possible to have a successful business? ·Is it possible to wake up excited about life? ·Is it possible to have happy, loving relationships? ·Is it possible to be fit and healthy? ·Is it possible to find your life’s work and feel passionate18)about your life most of the time? You may have experienced one of the side effects of this game as you answered the questions. This is called the“yes, buts.”The“yes, buts”are responses such as“Yes, but that won’t happen to me,”or“Yes, but that’s because they had privileges19)I don’t have,”and so forth. Ignore the“yes, buts”for the time being. All I want you to do right now is open your mind to the possibility that the world is made up of a countless array of experiences from the very worst to the very best. As someone once said,“A mind is like a parachute20)—it works best when open.”And here is my promise: If you open your mind, you will enjoy a more abundant and fulfilling21)life.
在地球没有被证明是圆的以前，人们普遍接受的“事实”是：它是扁平的。这个“事实”得到了广泛的认同，以至于没人敢去验证它是否正确，因为大家担心如果航行的船只一跨过地平线，就会从边界上掉下去。换句话说，因为大家都相信这件事情不能做，于是就没有人去做。 这种状况一直延续到哥伦布质疑这个常识的那一刻——“如果不是……会怎样？”这个疑问彻底拓宽了他祖国的疆域，改写了历史，并且永久性地改变了人们所接受的现实。 尽管我们倾向于把现实视为累积经验的毫无争议的基础，但是每当有人撼动了传统智慧的边界，现实的定义也就随之改变。当我们认知的现实发生变化，我们的行为由于那些最新被认为是可能的东西，也会发生相应的变化。当哥伦布从新大陆返航，一张新的世界地图就被绘制出来了，这张新地图开创了一个勇于探险和冒险的新时代。 纵观整个历史，“不可能”变成“可能”的例子不胜枚举。当查克·耶格尔驾驶X-1型飞机腾空而起的时候，他就颠覆了世界上存在声障的神话。他的训练和天分，加上当代的新技术，不仅帮助他超越了声速，也再次证明了即使是所谓的技术障碍也能够被克服。 在我的演讲会上，经常有许多人走过来说“我永远不会成功，因为我父母不支持我”，“我没有受过良好的教育，无法创造财富”，或者“我无法追求自己的梦想，因为我有太多的责任”。我甚至听到有人说“我不能做自己想做的事，因为我没有钱”。这种种言辞清楚地显示出他们思维的边缘效应，他们正在接受某种由自己的经验证明的所谓“真理”，遇到了他们不敢逾越的个人边界。 其实，这样的信念才能带来成功：“我拥有能够带来无尽财富和巨大成功的所有一切。”有史以来最成功的投资人沃伦·巴菲特曾经被问到：“现在你有数不尽的财富，你是怎样创造这一切的？”他回答说：“哦，我可以买下任何我想要的东西……”他顿了一下补充说：“……不过，我一直都可以。” 巴菲特在创造出现有财富之前，已经把这些财富装进头脑里了。“理性的人调整自己以便适应这个世界，”肖伯纳认为，“不理性的人坚持改变世界以适应自己。因此所有的进步都有赖于不理性的人。” 当我们超越自己内心的边界，就会发现一个全新的世界，里面有我们可能的未来。 让我们玩一个小游戏，它叫“什么是可能的”。在字典里，“可能”的意思是“能够或者也许存在、发生或者完成的东西”，请你用“是”或“不是”来回答下面每个问题。今天，在这世界上的某个地方，是否会有人取得这些成就？ 在银行中有一百万美元存款，可能吗？ 有一份成功的事业，可能吗？ 带着对生活的激情醒来，可能吗？ 拥有快乐、友爱的人际关系，可能吗？ 找到你一生要投身的职业，并且在大多数时间里对生活充满热情，可能吗？ 在回答问题的时候，你也许会感受到这种游戏的负面效应。这种效应叫做“是的，但是”。“是的，但是”是诸如“是的，但是那不会发生在我身上”，或者“是的，但那是因为他们有我没有的特权”等等。 从现在开始忘掉“是的，但是”。现在你做的就是认识到这样一种可能性，即世界是由无数从最好到最坏的经历组成的。正如有人曾说过的：“头脑就像降落伞——在打开的时候工作得最好。”我的承诺是：如果你能够广开思路，就会享受到更加丰富、更加充实的人生。 word/media/image10.png
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Mr. Dawson was an old grouch2), and everyone in town knew it. Kids knew not to go into his yard to pick a delicious apple, even off the ground, because old Dawson, they said, would come after you with his ball bullet gun. One Friday, 12-year-old Janet was going to stay all night with her friend Amy. They had to walk by Dawson’s house on the way to Amy’s house, but as they got close Janet saw him sitting on his front porch3)and suggested they cross over to the other side of the street. Like most of the children, she was scared4)of the old man because of the stories she’d heard about him. Amy said not to worry, Mr. Dawson wouldn’t hurt anyone. Still, Janet was growing more nervous with each step closer to the old man’s house. When they got close enough, Dawson looked up with his usual frown5), but when he saw it was Amy, a broad smile changed his entire face as he said, “Hello Miss Amy. I see you’ve got a little friend with you today.” Amy smiled back and told him Janet was staying overnight and they were going to listen to music and play games. Dawson told them that sounded fun, and offered them each a fresh picked apple off his tree. They gladly accepted. Dawson had the best apples in town. When they got out of Dawson?on earshot6), Janet asked Amy, “Everyone says he’s the meanest7)man in town. How come was he so nice to us?” Amy explained that when she first started walking past his house he wasn’t very friendly and she was afraid of him, but she pretended he was wearing an invisible smile and so she always smiled back at him. It took a while, but one day he half-smiled back at her. After some more time, he started smiling real smiles and then started talking to her. Just a“hello”at first, then more. She said he always offers her an apple now, and is always very kind. “An invisible smile?”questioned Janet. “Yes,”answered Amy, “my grandma told me that if I pretended I wasn’t afraid and pretended he was smiling an invisible smile at me and I smiled back at him, that sooner or later he would really smile. Grandma says smiles are contagious8).” If we remember what Amy’s grandma said, that everyone wears an invisible smile, we too will find that most people can’t resist9)our smile after a while. We’re always on the go10)trying to accomplish so much, aren’s we? Getting groceries, cleaning the house, mowing the lawn — there’s always something. It’s so easy to get caught up in everyday life that we forget how simple it can be to bring cheer to ourselves and others. Giving a smile away takes so little effort and time, let’s make sure that we’ve not the one that others have to pretend is wearing an invisible smile. word/media/image12.png 道森先生是个坏脾气的老头子，镇上的每个人都知道这个。小孩们知道不能到他的院子里摘美味的苹果，甚至掉在地上的也不能捡，因为据他们说，老道森会端着他的弹丸猎枪跟在你后面追。 一个周五，12岁的珍妮特要陪她的朋友艾米过夜。她们去艾米家的途中得路过道森先生的房子。当她们离道森家越来越近时，珍妮特看见道森先生坐在前廊，于是她建议她们过马路从街的另一边走。跟大多数孩子一样，珍妮特听过他的故事，对他很是害怕。 艾米说别担心，道森先生不会伤害任何人。但每向前走一步，离老人的房子越近，珍妮特就越紧张。当她们走到房子那儿，道森抬起了头，一如既往地皱着他的眉头。但当他看到是艾米，一个灿烂的笑容让他整个表情都变了，他说：“你好，艾米小姐，我看见今天有位小朋友陪你。” 艾米也对他微笑，告诉他珍妮特会陪她过夜，她们要一起听音乐玩游戏。道森告诉她们这听上去很有趣，给她们每人一个从他的树上刚摘下来的苹果。她们很高兴地接受了，因为道森的苹果是镇上最棒的。 走到道森听不到的地方，珍妮特问艾米：“每个人都说他是镇上最不好打交道的人，但他为什么对我们这么好呢？” 艾米说当她第一次路过他家时，他不是很友好，这让她害怕。但她假装他有着看不见的微笑，所以她总对他回之以微笑。终于过了一段时间，有一天，他也对她露出了一点笑容。 再过了些日子，他开始真正地对她笑了，并开始和艾米说话。开始只是打个招呼，后来越来越多。她说他现在总给她苹果，总是很友善。 “看不见的笑容？”珍妮特问。 “是的，”艾米回答道。“我奶奶告诉我如果我假装不害怕，假装他有着看不见的笑容，我对他微笑，总有一天他会真正微笑起来。奶奶说笑容是可以互相感染的。” 如果我们记住艾米奶奶说的，每个人都有着看不见的笑容，我们会发现大多数人在一段时间后是无法抗拒我们的微笑的。 我们总是忙着去尽量完成更多的事，不是吗？买东西，打扫屋子，割院子里的草——总有些什么事。这就使我们很容易在日常生活中忘记：给自己和别人带来快乐是多么简单的事情。绽放微笑花费的精力与时间很少，让我们确保自己不会成为这样的人——别人总得假装我们有看不见的笑容。
The motivation to succeed comes from the burning desire to achieve a purpose. Napoleon Hill wrote, “Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve.” A young man asked Socrates the secret to success. Socrates told the young man to meet him near the river the next morning. They met. Socrates asked the young man to walk with him toward the river. When the water got up to their neck, Socrates took the young man by surprise and ducked(vt. 将……猛按入水) him into the water. The boy struggled to get out but Socrates was strong and kept him there until the boy started turning blue. Socrates pulled his head out of the water and the first thing the young man did was to gasp(vi.喘息) and take a deep breath of air. Socrates asked, “What did you want the most when you were there?” The boy replied, “Air.” Socrates said, “That is the secret to success. When you want success as badly as you wanted the air, then you will get it.There is no other secret.” A burning desire is the starting point of all accomplishment. Just like a small fire cannot give much heat, a weak desire cannot produce great results. 成功的行动来自于那燃烧着的想要达成目的的欲望。拿破仑·希尔写道：“成功的意念能够到达个人的构想与信念所能到达的任何地方。” 一个年轻人向苏格拉底询问成功的秘诀，苏格拉底让年轻人第二天早晨到河边见他。他们见面后，苏格拉底叫年轻人和他一起走向河里，当河水淹至他们的脖子时，苏格拉底出其不意地抓住年轻人并把其压入水中，那人想要挣出水面，而强壮有力的苏格拉底将他摁在水中直到他变得无力抗争，脸色发青。苏格拉底将他的头拖出水面，这个年轻人所做的第一件事就是大口喘息后，深吸一口气。苏格拉底问：“当你闷在水里的时候你最想要的是什么？”年轻人回答说：“空气。”苏格拉底说：“那就是成功的秘诀。当你像渴望空气一样渴望成功，你就能够获得它！没有其他的秘密了。” 强烈的欲望是一切成功的起点，正如小火苗不能放出大量的热一样，一个微小的愿望也不能促成伟大的成就。
There once was a king who offered a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of peace. Many artists tried. The king looked at all the pictures. But there were only two he really liked, and he had to choose between them. One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror for peaceful towering (adj.高耸的, 杰出的, 激烈的)mountains all around it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy (adj.绒毛似的, 蓬松的) white clouds. All who saw this picture thought that it was a perfect picture of peace. The other picture had mountains, too. But these were rugged ( adj.高低不平的, 崎岖的)and bare. Above was an angry sky, from which rain fell and in which lightning played. Down the side of the mountain tumbled ( vi.翻倒, 滚动) a foaming waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all. But when the king looked closely, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had built her nest. There, in the midst of the rush of angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest—in perfect peace. Which picture do you think won the prize? The king chose the second picture. Do you know why? “Because,”explained the king, “peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all those things and still be calm in your heart. That is the real meaning of peace.” 很久以前，曾有一个国王向画家们悬赏征集一幅最能表现安宁主题的画。画家们纷纷尝试。然而国王看完所有的画后，只挑中了两幅，他得在二者中择其一。 第一幅画画的是一个宁静的湖泊。水波不兴的湖面就像一面完美的镜子，为静静挺立的群山所环抱。湖的上方则是白丝绒般的云朵，飘浮于蔚蓝的苍穹。所有看到此画的人无不称赞其对宁静主题的完美体现。 另一幅画画的也是群山。但这些山却崎岖不平，寸草不生。群山上空是狂怒的天空，电闪雷鸣，暴雨倾盆。在山的一侧还有瀑布翻腾而下，撞击出白色的水沫。这幅画看来毫无安宁可言。 但是国王凝神细看的时候，却发现瀑布后面岩石的缝隙中有一小丛灌木，一只鸟妈妈已在灌木丛中筑好了自己的巢。在如此狂奔四泄的瀑布旁，鸟妈妈却安详地端坐巢中，完全没受到打扰。 你认为哪一幅赢得了赏金？国王选中了第二幅。知道是什么缘故吗？ “那是因为，”国王解释道：“宁静并非意味着身处没有噪音、没有烦扰、毫无艰辛的环境之中。宁静是一种处乱不惊的内心祥和。这才是宁静的真谛。”
I had the meanest mother in the whole world. While other kids ate candy for breakfast, I had to have cereal1), eggs or toast2). When others had cokes and candy for lunch, I had to eat a sandwich. As you can guess, my supper was different from the other kids" also. But at least, I wasn"t alone in my sufferings. My sister and two broth ers had the same mean mother as I did. My mother insisted upon knowing where we were at all times. You"d think we were on a chain gang3). She had to know who our friends were and where we were going. She insisted if we said we"d be gone an hour, that we be gone one hour or less — not one hour and one minute. We had to wear clean clothes and take a bath everyday. The other kids always wore their clothes for days. We reached the height of insults4) because she made our clothes herself, just to save money. The worst is yet to come. We had to be in bed by nine each night and up at eight the next morning. We couldn"t sleep till noon like our friends. So while they slept — my mother actually had the nerve5) to break the Child Labor Law. She made us work. We had to wash dishes, make beds, learn to cook and all sorts of cruel things. I believe she laid awake at night thinking up mean things to do to us. Through the years, things didn"t improve a bit. We could not lie in bed, "sick" like our friends did, and missschool. Our marks in school had to be up to par6). Our friends" report cards had beautiful colors on them, black for passing, red for failing. My mother, being as different as she was, would settle for7) nothing less than8) ugly black marks. As the years rolled by, first one and then the other of us was put to shame. We were grad uated from high school. With our mother behind us, talking, hitting and demanding respect, none of us was allowed the plea sure of being a drop-out. My mother was a complete failure as a mother. Out of four children, a couple of us attained some higher education. None of us have ever been arrested or divorced. Each of my brothers served his time in the service of this country. She forced us to grow up into God-fearing, educated, honest adults. Using this as a background, I am now trying to raise my three children. I am filled with pride when my children call me mean. Why? Because now I thank God every day for giving me the meanest mother in the whole world. 我的母亲是世界上最无情的母亲。别的孩子早餐可以吃糖果，我却必须吃谷类食品、鸡蛋或烤面包。别的孩子午餐可以喝可乐吃糖果，我却必须吃一块三明治。可想而知，我的晚餐也和别的孩子不同。不过，好在我不是一个人受这些苦。我还有一个姐姐和两个哥哥，他们和我一样有一个无情的母亲。 我的母亲坚持要随时对我们的行踪了如指掌。你一定觉得我们是一帮被拴在同一条链子上的囚犯。她必须了解我们的朋友们是谁、我们打算去哪里。她强调说如果我们告诉她要出去1个小时，就只能在外面呆1个小时或少于1个小时——绝对不能是1个小时零1分钟。 我们必须每天都穿着干净整洁的衣服，并且每天洗澡。而其他孩子的衣服总是一穿就好几天。最最让我们感到丢脸的是，为了省钱，我们的衣服都是她自己做的。 最糟的还在后面呢。我们每晚都必须9点以前睡觉，第二天早晨8点起床。我们不能像朋友们一样睡到中午才起床。所以当他们在睡觉时，我的母亲实际上正在勇敢地违反童工法。她让我们干活。我们得洗盘子、铺床、学习做饭以及做其他各种各样痛苦的事情。我相信她一定是彻夜不眠地盘算着如何残忍地折磨我们。 这么多年来，这样的状况没有得到丝毫改善。我们不能像朋友们一样，躺在床上装病来逃课。我们在学校的成绩必须达标。朋友们的成绩单上总是有各种漂亮的颜色，黑色表示通过，红色表示不及格。而我的母亲在这一点上仍是与众不同，她只满足于那些难看的黑乎乎的分数。 时间一年年地过去，母亲的所作所为让我们各个兄弟姐妹感到无地自容。我们全都高中毕业了。由于母亲在身后不停地唠叨、打骂并要求得到尊重，我们中没人能享受到辍学的乐趣。 作为母亲，我的妈妈是一个彻头彻尾的失败者。我们四个孩子中，有两个获得了接受高等教育的机会。我们中没有人被捕，也没有人离婚。我的哥哥们都服了兵役，为国效力。 她迫使我们成长为虔诚的、有教养的、诚实的成年人。利用这样的人生经历，如今的我正在努力抚养我的三个孩子。当我的孩子说我很无情时，我的心中充满了自豪。为什么呢？因为现在我每天都会感谢上帝，谢谢他赐予我一个世界上最无情的母亲。
1． cereal [5sIErIEl] n. 谷类食品，谷类 2． toast [tEust] n. 烤面包(片)，吐司 3. gang [^AN] n. (匪徒、盗贼的)一伙，(囚犯的)一群 4. insult [5InsQlt] n. 侮辱 5. nerve [nE:v] n. 胆量，勇气 6. up to par: 达到预期标准 7. settle for: 满足于 8. nothing less than: 肯定语气，完全是
本文节选自Oliver Twist(《雾都孤儿》)第22章。凶恶的抢劫者Sikes强迫Oliver和他们一起深夜潜入Mr. Brownlow家盗窃。面对身后一触即发的枪口，善良的Oliver到底会怎样做呢？ Before Oliver had time to look round, Sikes had caught him under the arms; and in three or four seconds he and Toby were lying on the grass on the other side. Sikes followed directly. And they stole cautiously1) towards the house. And now, for the first time, Oliver, well-nigh2) mad with grief and terror, saw that housebreaking and robbery, if not murder, were the objects of the expedition3). He clasped his hands together, and involuntarily uttered a subdued4) exclamation of horror. A mist came before his eyes5); the cold sweat stood upon his ashy face; his limbs failed him; and he sank upon his knees. "Get up!" murmured Sikes, trembling with rage, and drawing the pistol from his pocket, "Get up, or I"ll strew6) your brains7) upon the grass." "Oh! For god"s sake, let me go!" cried Oliver,"Let me run away and die in the fields. I will never come near London; never, never! Oh! Pray8) have mercy on me9), and do not make me steal. For the love of all the bright angels that rest in heaven, have mercy upon me!" The man to whom this appeal10) was made, swore a dreadful oath, and had cocked11) the pistol, when Toby, striking it from his grasp, placed his hand upon the boy"s mouth, and dragged him to the house. .... "Take this lantern," said Sikes, looking into the room, "You see the stairs afore12) you?" Oliver, more dead than alive13), gasped out, "Yes." Sikes, pointing to the street-door with the pistol-barrel, briefly advised him to take notice that he was within shot all the way14); and that if he faltered15), he would fall dead that instant. "It"s done in a minute," said Sikes, in the same low whisper, "Directly I leave go of you. Do your work. Hark16)!" "What"s that?" whispered the other man. They listened intently. "Nothing," said Sikes, releasing his hold of Oliver, "Now!" In the short time he had had to collect his senses, the boy had firmly resolved that, whether he died in the attempt or not, he would make one effort to dart upstairs from the hall, and alarm the family. Filled with this idea, he advanced at once, but stealthily17). "Come back!" suddenly cried Sikes aloud. "Back! Back!" Scared by the sudden breaking of the dead stillness of the place, and by a loud cry which followed it, Oliver let his lantern fall, and knew not whether to advance or fly18). 没等奥利弗来得及看看四周，赛克斯就已经把他夹在了胳膊下，三四秒后，他和托比已经躺在了围墙里边的草地上，赛克斯也紧跟着跳了进来。三个人蹑手蹑脚地朝那所房子走去。 奥利弗这才明白过来，这次远行的目的即便不是谋杀，也是入室抢劫，伤心和恐惧几乎让他发疯。他双手紧握在一起，情不自禁地发出一声压抑的惊叫。他眼前一片模糊，惨白的脸上直冒冷汗，两条腿怎么也不听使唤，一下子跪倒在地上。“起来！”赛克斯气得直哆嗦，从衣袋里掏出手枪，低声喝道，“起来，不然我叫你脑浆溅到草地上。” “啊！看在上帝的分上，放了我吧！”奥利弗哭叫着，“放我走，让我死在野地里吧。我再也不靠近伦敦了，再也不了，永远都不了！啊！求求你们可怜可怜我，别让我去偷东西。看在天国所有光明天使之爱的分上，可怜可怜我吧！”那个听了这番请求的家伙恶狠狠地骂了一句，扣上了扳机。这时，托比一把打掉他手中的枪，用一只手捂住男孩的嘴，拖着他往那所房子走去。 …… “拿上这盏灯，”赛克斯朝屋子里望了望说，“看见你前面的楼梯没有？”吓得全身发软的奥利弗好不容易说了一声“看见了”。赛克斯用枪口指了指当街的大门，简略地提醒奥利弗留神，他始终处于射程之内，要是他胆敢畏缩不前，立刻就叫他毙命。“这事一分钟就办妥了，”赛克斯的嗓门依然压得很低，“我一放手，你就去。听！”“怎么啦？”另一个家伙低声说。他们紧张地听了听。“没事，”赛克斯说着，放开了奥利弗，“开始！” 在这一会儿的功夫，奥利弗恢复了知觉。他拿定主意，一定要奋力从门厅冲上楼去，向这家人报警，哪怕因此送命也在所不惜。主意已定，他立刻轻手轻脚地朝前走去。 “回来！”赛克斯猝然大叫起来，“回来！快回来！”四周死一般的沉寂突然被打破了，紧接着是一声高喊，奥利弗吓得连手里的灯都掉了，不知道究竟该上前，还是该逃走。
1.cautiously] adv. 谨慎地，小心地 2.well-nigh adv. 几乎，可谓 3.expedition [7ekspI5dIFEn] n. 远征，出行 4.subdued [sEb5djJd] adj. 被抑制的，减弱的 5.a mist came before his eyes: 来自习语a mist before one"s eyes，意思是“眼前一片模糊” 6.strew [stru:] vt. 散播，点缀，撒满 7.brain [breIn] n. 复数形式，常表示“脑髓，脑浆” 8.pray: 意思是“请求”文中此处实际上是“I pray you”的省略 9.have mercy on sb.: 对某人表示怜悯 10.appeal [E5pI:l] n. 请求，呼吁 11.cock v. 扣扳机(准备发射) 12.afore prep. 在……前 13.more dead than alive: 惯用语，意思是：身体非常疲弱 14.all the way: 自始至终，一路上 15.falter v. 迟疑，动摇，畏缩 16.hark [vi. 听(常用于命令) 17.stealthily [5stelWIlI] adv. 偷偷地，暗中地 18.fly [flaI] v. 逃离，逃跑
They say “Make the best of a bad situation”. But I believe the bad situation makes the best of you. Even the irritations1 of life can be useful. President Abraham Lincoln showed us how this is so. One of his cabinet appointees2, Edwin Stanton, frequently found flaws with the president and criticized him ---- sometimes in public. Lincoln seemed to show excessive patience with him. The president was asked why he kept such a man in a high level position. Lincoln characteristically responded with a story. He told about a time he was visiting with an old farmer. He noticed a big horsefly3 biting the flank4 of the farmer’s horse. Lincoln said he reached over to brush the fly away. As he did so, the farmer stopped him and cautioned5, “Don’t do that, friend. That horsefly is the only thing keeping this old horse moving.” Even life’s many irritations and problems have their place. They may cause us to change directions. Or prod6 us to greater achievement. Or keep us moving along when it’s easier to go nowhere. Are you simply making the best of a bad situation, or will it make the best of you? 人们常说：“用最好的办法处理逆境。”但我相信逆境会让你做到最好，就连生活中让你烦恼的事都可能会有用处的。亚伯拉罕·林肯总统就向我们展示了这一点。 他手下的一名内阁官员埃德温·斯坦顿经常找他的缺点，并以此指责他——有时候还在公开场合这样做。林肯对他似乎一直都很忍让。有人问总统为什么要把这样一个人放在高层位置上。 林肯的回答很特别，他讲了一个故事。他说有一次他去拜访一位老农，注意到一只大马蝇正在咬马的肋腹。林肯说他伸手去驱赶那只马蝇，但老农阻止了他，并警告说：“别赶它，朋友。那只马蝇是唯一能让这匹老马活动的东西。” 即便是生活中许多令人烦恼和棘手的事情都有它存在的必要。它们或许会让我们改变方向，或许会促使我们取得更大的成就，或许会在我们容易懈怠的时候促使我们继续前进。 你是用最好的办法处理逆境，还是在它的促使下做到最好？ word/media/image13.png
永远不要去预支明天的痛苦，“活在今天”是享受生活的最好方式！
I have been through the depths of poverty and sickness. When people ask me what has kept me going through the troubles that come to all of us, I always reply: "I stood yesterday. I can stand today. And I will not permit myself to think about what might happen tomorrow."
I have known want and struggle and anxiety and despair. I have always had to work beyond the limit of my strength. As I look back upon my life, I see it as a battlefield strewn3) with the wrecks of dead dreams and broken hopes and shattered illusions—a battle in which I always fought with the odds tremendously4) against me, and which has left me scarred and bruised5) and maimed6) and old before my time.
Yet I have no pity for myself; no tears to shed over the past and gone sorrows; no envy for the women who have been spared all I have gone through. For I have lived. They only existed.
I have drunk the cup of life down to its very dregs7). They have only sipped the bubbles on top of it. I know things they will never know. I see things to which they are blind.
It is only the women whose eyes have been washed clear with tears who get the broad vision that makes them little sisters to all the world.
I have learned in the great University of Hard Knocks a philosophy that no woman who has had an easy life ever acquires. I have learned to live each day as it comes and not to borrow trouble by dreading the morrow8). It is the dark menace of the future that makes cowards of us. I put that dread from me because experience has taught me that when the time comes that I so fear, the strength and wisdom to meet it will be given me. Little annoyances9) no longer have the power to affect me. After you have seen your whole edifice10) of happiness topple11) and crash in ruins about you, it never matters to you again that a servant forgets to put the doilies12) under the finger bowls13）, or the cook spills 14) the soup.
I have learned not to expect too much of people, and so I can still get happiness out of the friend who isn"t quite true to me or the acquaintance15) who gossips16). Above all, I have acquired a sense of humour, because there were so many things over which I had either to cry or laugh. And when a woman can joke over her troubles instead of having hysterics17), nothing can ever hurt her much again.
I do not regret the hardships I have known, because through them I have touched life at every point I have lived. And it was worth the price I had to pay.
我曾经经历贫穷和病痛的深渊！每每人们问起我，是什么力量让我克服这些人人都会面临的困难，我总是这样回答：“我熬得过昨天，就熬得过今天。而且我决不让自己去考虑明天将会发生什么。”
我体会过希望、挣扎、焦虑与绝望的真正含义。我总是超越身体极限地努力工作着。回首我过去的生活，那就像一个战场，里面充满了破碎的梦想、希望与幻想。这场极不利于我的战争令我遍体鳞伤、提前衰老。
然而我并未因此悲悯自己；我没有为过去流泪与伤悲；我丝毫不去嫉妒那些从未经历过我的痛苦的女人们。因为我真正地活过一回，而她们，也只是生存着而已。
我品尝了生命之杯的每一滴，包括那些渣滓，而她们仅仅只是吮到了杯口的泡沫而已。我的所知、所见，她们永远不会知晓，不会看到。
只有被泪水洗过眼睛的女人们，才能有更宽广的视野，这使她们能与整个世界的人们形同姐妹。
我在充满艰辛曲折的社会的大学中，曾领悟到一条哲学真理，那是养尊处优的女人们无法体会到的。我学会了“活在今天，而不去庸人自扰地预支明天的烦恼。”正是对未来的担忧使我们怯懦，我之所以不去理会，是因为经验告诉我，每当我感到如此害怕的时候，上天赐予的力量和智慧就会如约而至。那些小小的烦恼再也无法左右我的行为——当你亲眼目睹所有幸福的生活在你面前轰然崩塌之后，你就再也不会去在乎那些诸如仆人忘了在洗指盆下加垫、厨师不小心弄洒菜汤这类琐事了。
我学会了不要对人们期望过高，因此我仍能从那些对我并不真心的朋友或是爱道人长短的熟人那里获得快乐。最重要的，我已经培养出了一种幽默感，因为以前有太多的事情让我非喜即悲。当一个女人在困难面前淡然一笑，而不再歇斯底里时，已经没有什么能够伤害到她了。
我对经历过的困难一点也不后悔，正因为有了这些经历，才让我真实地触摸到了生活的方方面面。为此，我的付出是值得的。
1. The angry is that taking the other’s mistake to punish oneself. 2. The hope of tomorrow lets us forget today’s pain. 3. Shining is not the sun"s patent, you also may shine. 4. The only way to obtain happiness is that, cherish what you have got and forget what you haven’t got.5. You may obtain the world with love; you also may lose the world with hate.6. The true love should surmount the length of life, the width of mind and the depth of soul 7. The strength of love is big enough to cause the person to forget all, but actually as small which cannot hold just a sand of envy. 8. No matter when you start, the more importantly is that do not stop after started. No matter when you end, the more importantly is that do not regret after ended. 9. Entertains the highest hope, for the greatest endeavor, make the worst plan. 10. The place which the ideal is in, the hell maybe a heaven. The place which hope is in, the pain may becomes happiness.11. God never complains people’s ignorance while people actually complains the unfair of God.12. The happy life should fill the anticipation, pleasantly surprise and grateful. 13. In the world the most exhausting matter is that spending every day falsely 14. Actually it is just in an idea when feel oneself can achieve and cannot achieve15. Low down the anticipation in advance then the concern’s for people could be more comfortable.16. The person will not lose oneself so long as not lose the direction.17. If you once eulogized the daybreak, then also asks you to hug the dark night. 18. The regards shouldn’t be so careful but it must be sincerely to be moved. 19. The important line in life is not the position which stands, but the direction which faces. 20. When you can fly, do not have to give up fly. When you can dream, do not have to give up the dream. When you can love, do not give up the love. 21. People always treasure the ones which haven’t obtained, but forget the ones which had already had. 22. One today will exceed two tomorrow. 23. Must engrave on mind; every day is the happiest day in a year. 24. The optimism sees the opportunity in the disaster; the pessimist sees the disaster in the opportunity. 25. It doesn’t mean the in existence of fear if have courage, but is dares facing to fear, to overcome the fear.26. The biggest mistake in life is the unceasingly worried about making mistake. 27. Turn your face to the sunlight then there cannot have the shadow. 28. The experience takes out by the essence of pain.29. Face the past with the least lamentation, face present with the least waste and with the most dream to face future.30. If you want to have the perfect friendship, possibly you may find no friend for all lifetime.31. Do not put yourself in the deep of sorrow when you feel unpleasant, think about the days with laughter.32. Before correct others, meditate on yourself whether you make mistake first.33. If you cannot put yourself in the battle of heights just because of the fear of defeat, you will never get successes.34. If you want to overcome the anxiety and depressed in life, you may learn to be your own master first.35. You cannot control the weather, but you can change your mood. 36. the most fearful poverty is the feeling of lonely and be abandoned.37. Treat others kindly when you are self-satisfied, because you will need them when you are frustrated.38. There are two kinds of people in the world: requester and giving. Perhaps the former can eat well, but the latter absolutely can have good sleep.39. The 100 sheep under the leadership of one lion are more fearful than the 100 lions under the leadership of one sheep.40 We always like the person who adore ourselves, but we not necessarily like the person which ourselves worship.1. 生气是拿别人做错的事来惩罚自己。 2. 明天的希望,让我们忘了今天的痛苦。3. 发光并非太阳的专利,你也可以发光。 4. 获致幸福的不二法门是珍视你所拥有的、遗忘你所没有的。 5. 你可以用爱得到全世界,你也可以用恨失去全世界。6. 真正的爱,应该超越生命的长度、心灵的宽度、灵魂的深度。 7. 爱的力量大到可以使人忘记一切,却又小到连一粒嫉妒的沙石也不能容纳。 8. 不论你在什麽时候开始,重要的是开始之後就不要停止.不论你在什麽时候结束,重要的是结束之後就不要悔恨。 9. 抱最大的希望,为最大的努力,做最坏的打算。 10. 有理想在的地方,地狱就是天堂。有希望在的地方,痛苦也成欢乐。 11. 上帝从不埋怨人们的愚昧,人们却埋怨上帝的不公平。 12. 美好的生命应该充满期待、惊喜和感激。 13. 世上最累人的事,莫过於虚伪的过日子。 14. 觉得自己做得到和做不到,其实只在一念之间。 15. 少一点预设的期待,那份对人的关怀会更自在。 16. 人只要不失去方向,就不会失去自己。 17. 如果你曾歌颂黎明,那麽也请你拥抱黑夜。 18. 问候不一定要慎重其事,但一定要真诚感人。 19. 人生重要的不是所站的位置,而是所朝的方向。 20. 当你能飞的时候就不要放弃飞。当你能梦的时候就不要放弃梦。当你能爱的时候就不要放弃爱。21. 人总是珍惜未得到的,而遗忘了所拥有的。 22. 一个今天胜过两个明天。 23. 要铭记在心；每天都是一年中最美好的日子。 24. 乐观者在灾祸中看到机会；悲观者在机会中看到灾祸。 25. 有勇气并不表示恐惧不存在,而是敢面对恐惧、克服恐惧。 26. 人生最大的错误是不断担心会犯错。 27. 把你的脸迎向阳光,那就不会有阴影。 28. 经验是由痛苦中粹取出来的。 29. 用最少的悔恨面对过去。用最少的浪费面对现在。用最多的梦面对未来。 30. 如你想要拥有完美无暇的友谊,可能一辈子找不到朋友。 31. 不如意的时候不要尽往悲伤里钻,想想有笑声的日子吧。 32. 要纠正别人之前,先反省自己有没有犯错。 33. 因害怕失败而不敢放手一搏,永远不会成功。 34. 要克服生活的焦虑和沮丧,得先学会做自己的主人。 35. 你不能左右天气,但你能转变你的心情。 36. 孤单寂寞与被遗弃感是最可怕的贫穷。 37. 得意时应善待他人,因为你失意时会需要他们。 38. 世界上有两种人：索取者和给予者。前者也许能吃得更好,但后者绝对能睡得更香。 39. 1头狮子领导下的100只绵羊,要比1只绵羊领导的100头狮子可怕得多。 40. 我们向来喜欢崇拜自己的人,但我们不一定喜欢自己崇拜的人。
