My Financial Career
by Stephen Leacock
When I go into a bank I get rattled. The clerks rattle me; the wickets rattle me; the sight of the money rattles me; everything rattles me.
The moment I cross the threshold of a bank and attempt to transact business there, I become an irresponsible idiot.
I knew this beforehand, but my salary had been raised to fifty dollars a month and I felt that the bank was the only place for it.
So I shambled in and looked timidly round at the clerks. I had an idea that a person about to open an account must needs consult the manager.
I went up to a wicket marked "Accountant." The accountant was a tall, cool devil. The very sight of him rattled me. My voice was sepulchral.
"Can I see the manager?" I said, and added solemnly, "alone." I don't know why I said "alone."
"Certainly," said the accountant, and fetched him.
The manager was a grave, calm man. I held my fifty-six dollars clutched in a crumpled ball in my pocket.
"Are you the manager?" I said. God knows I didn't doubt it.
"Yes," he said.
"Can I see you," I asked, "alone?" I didn't want to say "alone" again, but without it the thing seemed self-evident.
The manager looked at me in some alarm. He felt that I had an awful secret to reveal.
"Come in here," he said, and led the way to a private room. He turned the key in the lock.
"We are safe from interruption here," he said; "sit down."
We both sat down and looked at each other. I found no voice to speak.
"You are one of Pinkerton's men, I presume," he said.
He had gathered from my mysterious manner that I was a detective. I knew what he was thinking, and it made me worse.
"No, not from Pinkerton's," I said, seeming to imply that I came from a rival agency. "To tell the truth," I went on, as if I had been prompted to lie about it, "I am not a detective at all. I have come to open an account. I intend to keep all my money in this bank."
The manager looked relieved but still serious; he concluded now that I was a son of Baron Rothschild or a young Gould.
"A large account, I suppose," he said.
"Fairly large," I whispered. "I propose to deposit fifty-six dollars now and fifty dollars a month regularly."
The manager got up and opened the door. He called to the accountant.
"Mr. Montgomery," he said unkindly loud, "this gentleman is opening an account, he will deposit fifty-six dollars. Good morning."
I rose.
A big iron door stood open at the side of the room.
"Good morning," I said, and stepped into the safe.
"Come out," said the manager coldly, and showed me the other way.
I went up to the accountant's wicket and poked the ball of money at him with a quick convulsive movement as if I were doing a conjuring trick.
My face was ghastly pale.
"Here," I said, "deposit it." The tone of the words seemed to mean, "Let us do this painful thing while the fit is on us."
He took the money and gave it to another clerk.
He made me write the sum on a slip and sign my name in a book. I no longer knew what I was doing. The bank swam before my eyes.
"Is it deposited?" I asked in a hollow, vibrating voice.
"It is," said the accountant.
"Then I want to draw a cheque."
My idea was to draw out six dollars of it for present use. Someone gave me a chequebook through a wicket and someone else began telling me how to write it out. The people in the bank had the impression that I was an invalid millionaire. I wrote something on the cheque and thrust it in at the clerk. He looked at it.
"What! are you drawing it all out again?" he asked in surprise. Then I realized that I had written fifty-six instead of six. I was too far gone to reason now. I had a feeling that it was impossible to explain the thing. All the clerks had stopped writing to look at me.
Reckless with misery, I made a plunge.
"Yes, the whole thing."
"You withdraw your money from the bank?"
"Every cent of it."
"Are you not going to deposit any more?" said the clerk, astonished.
"Never."
An idiot hope struck me that they might think something had insulted me while I was writing the cheque and that I had changed my mind. I made a wretched
attempt to look like a man with a fearfully quick temper.
The clerk prepared to pay the money.
"How will you have it?" he said.
"What?"
"How will you have it?"
"Oh"—I caught his meaning and answered without even trying to think—"in fifties."
He gave me a fifty-dollar bill.
"And the six?" he asked dryly.
"In sixes," I said.
He gave it me and I rushed out.
As the big door swung behind me I caught the echo of a roar of laughter that went up to the ceiling of the bank. Since then I bank no more. I keep my money in cash in my trousers pocket and my savings in silver dollars in a sock.
经典英语短篇演讲三篇 英语在许多国际组织或者会议上都是必需语言，联合国秘书长的当选条件之一，今天给大家分享一些经典英语短篇演讲，希望对大家有所帮助。 经典英语短篇演讲一 I work extremely hard every day, but I'm very tired. I need to work smarter, not harder. I must find better ways to do my job. I must find more time to enjoy life. I know hard work is a part of everybody's life. But I work too hard. My hard work is ruining my health. My hard work is killing me. Other people have time for fun, going to bars and going to parties. All I do is get in my car and go to work every day. This life is too hard. I need to make a fresh start. 经典英语短篇演讲二 Ladies and Gentlemen, good evening. Today I'd like to talk about the importance of smiling and kindness. Life is like a mirror. When you smile, people will smile back. When you treat other people kindly, they will treat you kindly in return. Try to spend one day smiling and being kind
《契诃夫中短篇小说集》读后感没有明确的世界观的生活不是生活，而是一种负担，一种可怕的事情。 不同于那些挥毫泼墨千百言，扑朔迷离千万缕的史诗级经典，契诃夫的小说集给人留下的印象是每种人，每种性格都似乎有平等的发言权：上至高高在上，炙手可热的交通部将军，下至命运悲惨的学徒万卡；无论是唯唯诺诺，阿谀谄媚的拜官主义，还是愤世妒俗，恚恨抗争的激进派，抑或囿于一方乐土，安于现状的庄园主……许多这样的微小但又个性鲜明的个体的串联构成了当时沙俄旧社会的回路。在揭露社会现实方面，显然，一篇长篇小说只会强调主角，而一篇短篇小说则有管窥蠡测。短篇小说集的形式恰到好处。 这本书收录了作者从一八八〇年到一九〇三年发表的小说。从早期单纯的滑稽故事，到文笔巧妙，夸张幽默的讽刺小说，到寓意深刻，反映民间疾苦的写实性短篇小说，再到对“不能再这样生活下去”的共鸣。我们可以感受到作者写作风格和情感的变化。 在他的早期小说中，契诃夫用幽默的笔触和完美的形式将沙俄官场的丑恶揭示得淋漓尽致。在那里强者倨傲专横，弱者唯唯诺诺。《在钉子上》《小职员之死》用一种近似戏谑的写法形象表现了“官大压死人”的现象。《胖子与瘦子》中的胖子和瘦子本是自幼交好的朋友，久别重逢，他俩拥抱接
吻，热泪盈眶。但寒暄之间，做了两年八等文官的瘦子得知胖子已是“有两个星章”的三等文官时，他顿时脸色发白，“蜷缩起来，弯腰曲背，矮了半截”，而当胖子伸手向他道别时，他只敢“握握他的三个手指头……一躬到地。”《变色龙》里巡官在有权势者的家犬前摇尾乞怜，而对百姓张牙舞爪。在那个时代，官阶将人分为三六九等，人们就活在这样一个金字塔般的牢笼里，而受压迫的，永远是那些最底层的人。 于是，契诃夫将目光投向了那些普通的劳动者。《万卡》是其中脍炙人口的一篇。这篇文章道出了一个九岁童工学徒生活的苦楚以及他对爷爷和故乡的渴望。“我没爹没娘，只有你才是我的亲人”，万科得不到家人的疼爱，更无法得到同龄儿童应有的美好童年。万卡是千千万万俄国旧社会劳动者的缩影。他们渴望幸福生活，渴望应有的社会地位，试图反抗，但却无济于事，得不到社会正真的同情。 为了更加真切地体验民间疾苦，他甚至千里迢迢，穿越西伯利亚，来到沙俄政府的流放地萨哈林岛。在此，他目睹了种种野蛮，痛苦和灾难。他也从此否定了他曾坚信的托尔斯泰主义开始为正义奔走呼告。在此背景下，《第六病房》诞生了。作者十分巧妙地安排了“疯子”格罗莫夫同“健康人”拉金医生之间的争论，暗示在沙皇统治下的俄国，有思想的感直言者是“疯子”和“狂人”。这不禁让我联想起，当今
经典演讲稿中英文对照 在中国英语作为一门外语拥有最多的外语学习者，英语演讲已成为我们生活中必不可少的一部分,并且能有效地帮助我们发展语言应用及交际能力。下面是第一范文网为你整理的几篇经典演讲稿中英文对照，希望能帮到你哟。 good morning ,boys and girl,i`m jenny peng ,today my topic is :talk about a meaningful way we can use time.at first , let me ask you a question : what do you do in your spare time ,especially in your holiday ? do you just stay at home ,watching tv,eating,and sleeping?maybe you`ll feel relax at the first time ,but if we always do like this,you`ll feel much boring . so ,the meaningful way i`m going to introduce to you is taking part-time-job in your vacation. yes ,you are right , the meaningful way of using time i`m going to introduce to you is taking part-time-job in your vacation.besides,the location we going to work is not in your hometown,in another words,it`s a after the part-time-job , we`ll more cherish our time , and find out that how happy and freedom to being a student . we`ll work hard on our study , finish our homework efficiently and struggle for our dream . as the saying going that ：yesterday is history , tomorrow is mystery , but today is a gift . let`s cherish and make full use of every minutes of our life , and believe that what we did will make sense . thank you. 早上好，男孩和女孩，我` m珍妮鹏，今天我演讲的题目是：谈论有意义的方法，我们可以利用的时间。首先，让我问你一个问题：你在业余时间做什么，尤其是在你的假期?你只是呆在家里，看电视，吃，睡?也许你会觉得`放松在第一时间，但如果我们一直这样做，你会感到很无聊`。所以，最有意义的方式我`要介绍给你的是以part-time-job在你的假期。
关于经典名人英语演讲稿 目前我国高校英语演讲教学效果差强人意,学生英语演讲水平整体不高。学习外国 名人演讲有助于提高我们的英语水平。下面小编为你整理经典名人英语演讲稿，希望 能帮到你。 经典名人英语演讲稿范文 asking the devotees of civil rights, "when will you be satisfied?" we can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. we cannot be satisfied as long as the negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. we can never be satisfied as long as a negro in mississippi cannot vote and a negro in new york believes he has nothing for which to vote. no, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousnelike a mighty stream. 出气就会心满意足的人将大失所望。在黑人得到公民权之前，美国既不会安宁， 也不会平静。反抗的旋风将继续震撼我们国家的基石，直至光辉灿烂的正义之日来临。 but there is something that i must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. in the proceof gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterneand hatred. 但是，对于站在通向正义之宫艰险门槛上的人们，有一些话我必须要说。在我们 争取合法地位的过程中，切不要错误行事导致犯罪。我们切不要吞饮仇恨辛酸的苦酒，来解除对于自由的饮渴。 we must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. we must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. 我们应该永远得体地、纪律严明地进行斗争。我们不能容许我们富有创造性的抗- 议沦为暴-力行动。我们应该不断升华到用灵魂力量对付肉体力量的崇高境界。 the marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the negro community must not lead us to distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced
契诃夫短篇小说答案 1、契诃夫是俄国的世界级短篇小说巨匠和19世纪末期最后一位批判现实主义小说家。 2、他与法国的莫泊桑，美国的欧亨利并称“世界三大短篇小说家” 3、他坚持现实主义传统，注重描写俄国人民的日常生活，塑造具有典型性格的小人物，借此反映出当时俄国社会的状况。 4、他创造了一种风格独特、言简意赅、艺术精湛的抒情心理小说。 5、他截取片段平凡的日常生活，凭借精巧的艺术细节对生活和人物作真实描绘和刻画，从中展示重要的社会内容。 6、这种小说抒情气味浓郁，抒发他对丑恶现实的不满和对美好未来的向往，把褒扬和贬抑、欢悦和痛苦之情融化在作品的形象体系之中。 7、他的小说再现了小人物的不幸和软弱，劳动人民的悲惨生活和小市民的庸俗猥琐。 8、他的作品的特征是对丑恶现象的嘲笑与对贫苦人民的深切的同情。 9、其作品无情地揭露了沙皇统治下的不合理的社会制度和社会的丑恶现象。 10、他被认为19世纪末俄国现实主义文学的杰出代表。 11、他的代表作有《套中人》、《小公务员之死》、《变色龙》等 12、《凡卡》这篇小说写得真实感人，也使我们从中看到旧俄时代穷苦劳动人民的悲惨生活。 13、《预谋犯》是契诃夫的许多短篇小说中脍炙人口的一篇。本文揭露了沙俄社会对人的青春、才能、幸福的毁灭。 14、《未婚夫和爸爸》以夸张的手法反映了沙皇俄国时不合理社会制度给人的恐惧。 15、《胖子和瘦子》反映十九世纪末沙皇专制制度下整个俄国社会现实，抨击形式那种世俗的不合理的社会制度。 16、《小公务员之死》是俄国作家契诃夫的代表作品之一。这个故事既反映了由于当时社会的极端恐怖所造成的人们的精神异化、性格扭曲、心理变态与行为荒诞，也表现了一个下等官员可悲的屈从、可鄙的奴性与可怜的结局。 17、《变色龙》是俄国作家契诃夫早期创作的一篇讽刺小说。 18、奥楚蔑洛夫的性格特征是对上诌媚，对下欺压。但他却要装出一副正义、公允的面孔，总想以美遮丑，因此往往丑态百出，令人发笑。契诃夫为了彻底剥下他的假面具，采用对比的方法，对他进行了无情的鞭挞。 19、在契河夫的经典短篇小说《变色龙》里，相对于奥楚蔑洛夫，叶尔德林是个次要角色，他除了端醋栗、帮警官脱大衣、穿大衣三个动作、以及吞吞吐吐、欲言又止的四句话外，不再有其他描写。 20、《苦闷》写出了沙皇俄国时期社会的死气沉沉和冷漠。 21、《第六病室》这部严峻深沉、震撼人心的小说无疑是作家契诃夫一生所写的最富反抗精神的作品之一，它揭露了沙皇俄国像监狱一般阴森可怕，批判了勿以暴力抗恶的主张。22、契诃夫的短篇小说《带小狗的女人》叙述一对相爱的男女在充满虚伪的社会中艰辛的情感历程。 23、在《装在套子里的人》中，契诃夫塑造了一个性格孤僻，胆小怕事，恐惧变革，想做一个纯粹的现行制度的“守法良民”别里科夫。 24、。《农民》（1897）极其真实地描述了农民在80、90年代极度贫困的生活现状，表现了他对农民悲惨命运的关心同情。 25、《普里希别叶夫中士》（1885）中，作者鞭挞了忠实维护专制暴政的奴才及其专横跋扈、暴戾恣睢的丑恶嘴脸，揭示出黑暗时代的反动精神特征。
经典英语演讲稿带翻译范文(2) Someone said we are reading the first verse of the first chapter of a book, whose pages are infinite . I don t know who wrote these words, but I ve always liked them as a reminder that the future can be anything we want it to be. We are all in the position of the farmers. If we plant a good seed ,we reap a good harvest. If we plant nothing at all, we harvest nothing at all. We are young. How to spend the youth? It is a meaningful question. To answer it, first I have to ask what do you understand by the word youth? Youth is not a time of life, it s a state of mind. It s not a matter of rosy cheeks, red lips or supple knees. It s the matter of the will. It s the freshneof the deep spring of life. A poet said To see a world in a grain of sand, and a heaven in a wild flower, hold infinity in the palm of your hand, and eternity in an hour. Several days ago, I had a chance to listen to a lecture. I learnt a lot there. I d like to share it with all of you. Let s show our right palms. We can see three lines that show how our love.career and life is. I have a short line of life. What about yours? I wondered whether we could see our future in this way. Well, let s make a fist. Where is our future? Where is our love, career, and life? Tell me.Yeah, it is in our hands. It is held in ourselves. We all want the future to be better than the past. But the future can go better itself. Don t cry because it is over, smile because it happened. From the past, we ve learnt that the life is tough, but we are tougher. We ve learnt that we can t choose how we feel, but we can choose what about it. Failure doesn t mean you don t have it, it does mean you should do it in a different way. Failure doesn t mean you should give up, it does mean you must try harder. As what I said at the beginning, we are reading the first verse of the first chapter of a book, whose pages are infinite . The past has gone. Nothing we do will change it. But the future is in front of us. Believe that what we give to the world, the world will give to us.
经典英文演讲_3(50篇) Barry Goldwater: 1964 Republican National Convention Address My good friend and great Republican, Dick Nixon, and your charming wife, Pat; my running mate, that wonderful Republican who has served us so well for so long, Bill Miller and his wife, Stephanie; to Thurston Morton who's done such a commendable job in chairmaning this Convention; to Mr. Herbert Hoover, who I hope is watching; and to that -- that great American and his wife, General and Mrs. Eisenhower; to my own wife, my family, and to all of my fellow Republicans here assembled, and Americans across this great Nation. From this moment, united and determined, we will go forward together, dedicated to the ultimate and undeniable greatness of the whole man. Together -- Together we will win. I accept your nomination with a deep sense of humility. I accept, too, the responsibility that goes with it, and I seek your continued help and your continued guidance. My fellow Republicans, our cause is too great for any man to feel worthy of it. Our task would be too great for any man, did he not have with him the hearts and the hands of this great Republican Party, and I promise you tonight that every fiber of my being is consecrated to our cause; that nothing shall be lacking from the struggle that can be brought to it by enthusiasm, by devotion, and plain hard work. In this world no person, no Party can guarantee anything, but what we can do and what we shall do is to deserve victory, and
契诃夫短篇小说精彩片段 一个文官的死（节选） 第二天，切尔维亚科夫穿上新制服，理了发，到布里兹扎洛夫那儿去解释……他走进将军的接待室，看见哪儿有很多人请托各种事情，将军本人夹在他们当中，开始听取各种请求。将军问过几个请托事情的人以后，就抬起眼睛看着切尔维亚科夫。 嫁妆（节选） 不久房门开了，我看见一个又高又瘦的姑娘，年纪十九岁左右，身穿薄纱的长连衣裙，腰间系着金黄色皮带，我还记得腰带上挂着一把珍珠母扇子。她走进来，行个屈膝礼，脸红了。先是她那点缀着几颗碎麻子的长鼻子红起来，然后从鼻子红到眼睛那儿，再从眼睛红到鬓角那儿。 胖子和瘦子（节选） 胖子本来打算反驳他，可是瘦子脸上露出那么一副尊崇敬畏、阿谀谄媚、低首下心的丑相，弄得三品文官恶心得要呕。他扭过脸去不再看瘦子，光是对他伸出一只手来告别。 变色龙（节选） 警官奥丘梅洛夫穿着新的军大衣，手里拿着个小包，穿过市集的广场。他身后跟着个警察，生着棕红色头发，端着一个粗箩，里
面盛着没收来的醋栗，装得满满的。四一片寂静……广场上连人影也没有。小铺和酒店敞开大门，无精打采地面对着上帝创造的这个世界，像是一张饥饿的嘴巴。店门附近连一个乞丐都没有。 苦恼（节选） 一个赶桥式马车的车夫破口大骂。一个行人恶狠狠地瞪他一眼，抖掉自己衣袖上的雪，行人刚刚穿过马路，肩膀撞在那匹瘦马的脸上。约纳在赶车座位上局促不安，像是坐在针尖上似的，往两旁撑开胳膊肘，不住转动眼珠，就跟有鬼附了体一样，仿佛他不明白自己是在什么地方，也不知道为什么在那儿似的。 万卡（节选） 他抱着美好希望而定下心来，过了一个钟头，就睡熟了……在梦中他看见一个炉灶。祖父坐在灶台上，耷拉着一双光脚，给厨娘们念信……泥鳅在炉灶旁边走来走去，摇尾巴…… 渴睡（片段） 神像前面点着一盏绿色的小灯；房间里，从这一头到那一头绷起一根绳子，绳子上晾着小孩的尿布和一条很大的黑色裤子。天花板上印着小长明灯照出来的一大块绿色斑点，尿布和和裤子在火炉上、摇篮上、瓦丽卡身上投下长长的阴影……小长明灯的灯火一摇闪，绿斑和阴影就活了，动起来，好像被风吹动一样。房间里很闷。有一股白菜汤的气味和做皮靴用的皮革味。
十篇经典英文演讲稿 MartinLuther King, Jr.: Dream"delivered 28 August 1963, LincolnMemorial, Washington D.C. amhappy youtoday godown greatestdemonstration ournation. Five score years ago, greatAmerican, whosesymbolic shadow we stand today, signed EmancipationProclamation. momentousdecree came greatbeacon light Negroslaves, who had been seared witheringinjustice. joyousdaybreak longnight onehundred years later, Negrostill free.One hundred years later, stillsadly crippled discrimination.One hundred years later, Negrolives lonelyisland vastocean materialprosperity. One hundred years later, stilllanguished Americansociety findshimself hisown land. sowe've come here today shamefulcondition. sensewe have come ournation's capital check.When ourrepublic wrote magnificentwords weresigning promissorynote whichevery American fallheir. allmen, yes, black men whitemen, would unalienablerights life,liberty, obvioustoday Americahas defaulted promissorynote, insofar hercitizens concerned.Instead sacredobligation, America has given Negropeople badcheck, checkwhich has come back marked "insufficient funds." werefuse bankrupt.We refuse insufficientfunds greatvaults sowe have come giveus upon demand justice.We have also come hallowedspot remindAmerica fierceurgency coolingoff tranquilizingdrug gradualism.Now makereal democracy.Now risefrom desolatevalley sunlitpath racialjustice. Now liftour nation from racialinjustice solidrock brotherhood.Now makejustice God'schildren. swelteringsummer Negro'slegitimate discontent passuntil invigoratingautumn equality.Nineteen sixty-three beginning.Those who hope Negroneeded blowoff steam rudeawakening nationreturns neitherrest nor tranquility Americauntil grantedhis citizenship rights. ournation until brightday justiceemerges. mustsay mypeople who stand warmthreshold which leads gainingour rightful place we must wrongfuldeeds. Let us satisfyour thirst drinkingfrom hatred.We must ever conduct our struggle highplane discipline.We must allowour creative protest physicalviolence. Again againwe must rise majesticheights meetingphysical force soulforce. marvelousnew militancy which has engulfed Negrocommunity must leadus allwhite people, ourwhite brothers, presencehere today, have come tiedup ourdestiny. havecome inextricablybound ourfreedom. We cannot walk alone. wewalk, we must make weshall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. thosewho civilrights, "When satisfied?"We can never unspeakablehorrors policebrutality. We can never ourbodies, heavy travel,cannot gain lodging cities.We cannot Mississippicannot vote NewYork believes he has nothing satisfieduntil justice rolls down like waters righteousnesslike mightystream. youhave come here out greattrials tribulations.Some
经典英文演讲_45 Mario Cuomo: "A Tale of Two Cities" On behalf of the Empire State and the family of New York, I thank you for the great privilege of being able to address this convention. Please allow me to skip the stories and the poetry and the temptation to deal in nice but vague rhetoric. Let me instead use this valuable opportunity to deal immediately with questions that should determine this election and that we all know are vital to the American people. Ten days ago, President Reagan admitted that although some people in this country seemed to be doing well nowadays, others were unhappy, even worried, about themselves, their families and their futures. The president said that he didn't understand that fear. He said, "Why, this country is a shining city on a hill." And the president is right. In many ways we are a shining city on a hill. But the hard truth is that not everyone is sharing in this city's splendor and glory. A shining city is perhaps all the president sees from the portico of the White House and the veranda of his ranch, where everyone seems to be doing well. But there's another city; there's another part to the shining the city; the part where some people can't pay their mortgages, and most young people can't afford one, where students can't afford the education they need, and middle-class parents watch the dreams they hold for their children evaporate. In this part of the city there are more poor than ever, more families in trouble, more and more people who need help but can't find it. Even worse: There are elderly people who tremble in the basements of the houses there. And there are people who sleep in the city streets, in the gutter, where the glitter doesn't show. There are ghettos where thousands of young people, without a job or an education, give their lives away to drug dealers every day. There is despair, Mr. President, in the faces that you don't see, in the places that you don't visit in your shining city. In fact, Mr. President, this is a nation --. Mr. President you ought to know that this nation is more a "Tale of Two Cities" than it is just a "Shining City on a Hill." Maybe, maybe, Mr. President, if you visited some more places. Maybe if you went to Appalachia where some people still live in sheds, maybe if you went to Lackawanna where thousands of unemployed steel workers wonder why we subsidized foreign steel. Maybe, maybe, Mr. President, if you stopped in at a shelter in Chicago and spoke to the homeless there; maybe, Mr. President, if you asked a woman who had been denied the help she needed to feed her children because you said you needed the money for a tax break for a millionaire or for a missile we couldn't afford to use.
经典三分钟英文演讲稿5篇 honorable judges, fellow students： good afternoon! recently, ther is a heated debate in our society. the college students arethe beneficiaries of a rare privilege, who receive exceptional education atextraordinary places. but will we be able to face the challenge and supportourselves against all odds? will we be able to better the lives of others? willwe be able to accept the responsibility of building the future of ourcountry? the cynics say the college students are the pampered lost generation, whichwould cringe at the slightest discomfort. but the cynics are wrong. the collegestudents i see are eagerly learning about how to live independently. we helpeach other clean the dormitory, go shopping and bargain together, and take parttime jobs to supplement our pocket money. the cynics say we care for nothing other than grades; and we neglect theneed for character cultivation. but again, the cynics are wrong. we care deeplyfor each other, we cherish freedom, we treasure justice, and we seek truth. lastweek, thousands of my fellow students had their blood type tested in order tomake a contribution for the children who suffer from blood cancer. as college students, we are adolescents at the critical turning point inour lives. we all face a fundamental choice：cynicism or faith, each willprofoundly impact our future, or even the future of our country. i believe inall my fellow
Clarence Darrow: "A Plea for Mercy" delivered September 1924 Now, your Honor, I have spoken about the war. I believed in it. I don’t know whether I was crazy or not. Sometimes I think perhaps I was. I approved of it; I joined in the general cry of madness and despair. I urged men to fight. I was safe because I was too old to go. I was like the rest. What did they do? Right or wrong, justifiable or unjustifiable -- which I need not discuss today -- it changed the world. For four long years the civilized world was engaged in killing men. Christian against Christian, barbarian uniting with Christians to kill Christians; anything to kill. It was taught in every school, aye in the Sunday schools. The little children played at war. The toddling children on the street. Do you suppose this world has ever been the same since? How long, your Honor, will it take for the world to get back the humane emotions that were slowly growing before the war? How long will it take the calloused hearts of men before the scars of hatred and cruelty shall be removed? We read of killing one hundred thousand men in a day. We read about it and we rejoiced in it-if it was the other fellows who were killed. We were fed on flesh and drank blood. Even down to the prattling babe. I need not tell you how many upright, honorable young boys have come into this court charged with murder, some saved and some sent to their death, boys who fought in this war and learned to place a cheap value on human life. You know it and I know it. These boys were brought up in it. The tales of death were in their homes, their playgrounds, their schools; they were in the newspapers that they read; it was a part of the common frenzy-what was a life? It was nothing. It was the least sacred thing in existence and these boys were trained to this cruelty. It will take fifty years to wipe it out of the human heart, if ever. I know this, that after the Civil War in 1865, crimes of this sort increased, marvelously. No one needs to tell me that crime has no cause. It has as definite a cause as any other disease, and I know that out of the hatred and bitterness of the Civil War crime increased as America had never seen before. I know that Europe is going through the same experience to-day; I know it has followed every war; and I know it has influenced these boys so that life was not the same to them as it would have been if the world had not made red with blood. I protest against the crimes and mistakes of society being visited upon them. All of us have a share in it. I have mine. I cannot tell and I shall never know how many words of mine might have given birth to cruelty in place of love and kindness and charity. Your Honor knows that in this very court crimes of violence have increased growing out of the war. Not necessarily by those who fought but by those that learned that blood was cheap, and human life was cheap, and if the State could take it lightly why not the boy? There are causes for this terrible crime. There are causes as I have said