英语美文背诵文选15篇(欧洲文化渊源第一学期)

英语名篇名段背诵精华21 The English Character 英国人的性格以下这段文字选自哥尔德史密斯的《世界公民》一书中有关英国社会的论述。

关于英国人的性格，我们现在依然可以从中窥见一二。

The English seem as silent as the Japanese, yet vainer than the inhabitants of Siam. Upon my arrival I attributed that reserve to modesty, which, I now find, has its origin in pride. Condescend to address them first, and you are sure of their acquaintance; stoop to flattery, and you conciliate their friendship and esteem. They bear hunger, cold, fatigue, and all the miseries of life without shrinking, danger only calls forth their fortitude; they even exult in calamity, but contempt is what they cannot bear. An Englishman fears contempt more than death; he often flies to death as a refuge from its pressure, and dies when he fancies the world has creased to esteem him.Except from Letters of a Citizen of the World by Oliver Goldsmith注释vain [vein]: too proud of one’s ability or achievements自负的fortitude [´fɔ:titju:d]: strength of mind that allows one to endure pain or adversity with courage坚韧，刚毅exult[ig´zʌlt]: to rejoice greatly; be jubilant or triumphant狂喜，喜气洋洋或得意洋洋contempt [kən´tempt]: disgrace, scorn 轻蔑，鄙视作者简介Oliver Goldsmith (1728-1774) was a great man. Despite the disintegration of his personality, his excessive drunkenness and incurable extravagance, he was a man of rare talents that bordered on genius, one of the first natural writers in the English language. This reputation is based on, and justified by, some half a dozen books, essays, plays, poems, and one novel, The Vicar of Wakefield. And An History of the Earth and Animated Nature has been described as everything from “hackwork” to his “most substantial literary legacy”.奥利弗.哥尔德史密斯，是18世纪著名的英国剧作家。

英语背诵美文30篇　英文＋翻译第一篇：Youth 青春Youth is not a time of life; it is a state of mind; it is not a matter of rosy cheeks, red lips and supple1) knees; it is a matter of will, a quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions; it is the freshness of the deep springs of life.Youth means a temperamental2) predominance3) of courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over the love of ease. This often exists in a man of 60 more than a boy of 20. Nobody grows old merely by a number of years. We grow old by deserting4) our ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul. Worry, fear, self-distrust bows the heart and turns the spirit back to dust.Whether 60 or 16, there is in every human being’s heart the lure of wonders, the unfailing childlike appetite of what’s next and the joy of the game of living. In the center of your heart and my heart there is a wireless station: So long as it receives messages of beauty, hope, cheer, courage and power from men and from the infinite5), so long are you young.When the aerials are down, and your spirit is covered with snows of cynicism6) and the ice of pessimism, then you are grown old, even at 20; but as long as your aerials are up, to catch waves of optimism, there is hope you may die young at 80.[Annotation:]1）supple adj. 柔软的2）temperamental adj. 由气质引起的3）predominance n. 优势4) desert vt. 抛弃5) the Infinite上帝6) cynicism n. 玩世不恭青春青春不是年华，而是心境；青春不是桃面、丹唇、柔膝，而是深沉的意志、恢弘的想象、炙热的感情；青春是生命的深泉在涌动。

Module 1 Europe欧洲，尤其是古希腊，是西方文化的发源地。

目前，选择去欧洲旅游的人越来越多，欧洲之所以吸引人是因为那片大陆有着独特的建筑和迷人的风景。

Europe is known all over the world as the place which sawthe origins(起源) of western culture. These interesting factsabout Europe would tell you many more details about thiscontinent. Here’s a look at some interesting facts aboutEurope.Geographically speaking, Europe covers about 10，160，000 square kilometers.The Arctic Ocean lies to the north ofEurope while the Atlantic Ocean lies on the western side.Europe enjoys quite different climates depending upon each region. The climate may be really freezing in areas of Scandinavia while certain countries enjoy very warm weather.Europe has an interesting mix of cultures, which is probably because of the appearance of many religions(宗教). There are many countries in Europe that have official religions. An interesting fact is that certain Swiss villages even have their religion written across at the signs seen at the entrance to these villages.There are many interesting musical styles in Europe. These range from the traditional kinds to modern folk or even rock music. There are also lots of festivals in Europe. Here, we can see the celebration of the Oktoberfest, which is held in Germany, as well as the celebration of the Cannes Film Festival, which is held inFrance.Europe is connected with the origins of many sports that have become popular all over the world. Cricket originated(起源于) in the southern area of England and golf which is yet another popular sport originated in Scotland. Also, there are games like tennis and handball that are extremely popular in Europe.Section ⅠIntroduction & Reading and Vocabulary—Comprehending重点单词写作词汇1.across prep. 横过；穿过2.face vt. 面向；面对3.range n. 山脉4.symbol n. 象征；符号5.project n．计划；项目；工程6.birthplace n. 发源地7.ancient adj. 古代的ndmark n. 标志性建筑拓展词汇9.continental adj. 大陆的；大洲的→continent n. 大洲10.situated adj. 坐落(某处)的；位于(某处)的→situate v．(位置)使位于，使处于……地位→situation n．形势，状况，位置11.located adj. 位于→locate v．位于；确定……的位置→location n．位置；所在地阅读词汇12.boot n．长统靴；皮靴13.gallery n. 美术馆；画廊14.architect n. 建筑师15.sculpture n. 雕刻；泥塑16.civilisation n. 文明重点短语1.off__the__coast 在(离岸边不远的) 海面上2.__be__covered__by 被……覆盖着3.be__famous__for 因……而著名4.be__known__as 作为……而出名/闻名5.because__of 因为；由于6.of__all__time 有史以来重点句型1.方位句型： be/lie＋in/on/to the＋方位名词＋of...：Italyis__in__the__south__of__Europe(在欧洲南部) on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.2.全部倒装：Between__France__and__Spain__is__another__mountain__range(法国和西班牙之间横亘着另外一条山脉)—the Pyrenees.3.形容词短语作定语：Paris is the capital and largest city of France, situated__on(坐落在) the River Seine.4.“分数/百分数＋of＋主语” 构成的短语在句中作主语时，谓语动词的单复数与of 后面的名词或代词一致：About two­thirds of France’s artists and writerslive__in__Paris(住在巴黎).5.ever since 自从……以来：Their workhas__influenced__other__writers__ever__since(自那以来一直影响着其他作家).ⅠRead the text and match the main idea of each paragraph.1．Paris A．is known as the birthplace of western civilisation.2．Barcelona B．is the capital and largest city of France.3．Florence C．is the second largest city of Spain.4．Athens D．is an Italian city which became famous because of the Renaissance.答案：1－4.BCDAⅡRead the text carefully and choose the best answer according to the text.1．Which of the following cities is a capital?A．Venice. B．Barcelona.C．Florence. D．Athens.2．Which of the following is NOT the element(要素) to make Paris famous?A．The Eiffel Tower.B．The Louvre.C．Its restaurants, cafés and theatres.D．The artists and writers living in Paris.3．Florence is famous for many things EXCEPT________．A．the RenaissanceB．the landscape of the cityC．many great artists and their worksD．some art galleries, churches and museums4．In which way mentioned in the passage was Athens different from the other three cities?A．It is the capital city and the birthplace of the civilisation.B．It was the world’s most powerful city with a long history.C．There are many famous buildings in Athens.D．Many writers living in Athens have influenced other writers with their works.答案：1－4.DDBBⅢAnalyze the following difficult sentences in the text.1．Barcelona is the second largest city of Spain and is situated on the northeast coast, about five hundred kilometres east of the Spanish capital, Madrid.[翻译] 巴塞罗那是西班牙第二大城市，位于西班牙的东北海岸线上，距离首都马德里东部约500公里处。

1\Russell on Affection (罗素论爱) The best type of affection is reciprocally life-giving; each receives affection with joy and gives it without effort, and each finds the whole world more interesting in consequence of the existence of this reciprocal happiness. There is, however, another kind, by no means uncommon, in which one person sucks the vitality of the other, one receives what the other gives, but gives almost nothing in return. Some very vital people belong to this bloodsucking type. They extract the vitality from one victim after another, but while they prosper and grow interesting, those upon whom they live grow pale and dim and dull. Such people use others as means to their own ends, and never consider them as ends in themselves. Fundamentally they are not interested in those whom for the moment they think they love; they are interested only in the stimulus to their owe activities, perhaps of a quite impersonal sort. Evidently this springs from some defect in their nature, but it is one not altogether easy either to diagnose of to cure. It is a characteristic frequently associated with great ambition, and is rooted, I should say, in an unduly one-sided view of what makes human happiness. Affection in the sense of a genuine reciprocal interest of two pe rsons in each other, not solely as means to each other’s good, but rather as a combination having a common good, is one of the most important elements of real happiness, and the man whose ego is so enclosed within steel walls that this enlargement of it is impossible misses the best that life has to offer, however successful he may be in his career. A too powerful ego is a prison from which a man must escape if he is to enjoy the world to the full. A capacity for genuine affection is one of the marks of the man who has escaped form this prison of self. To receive affection is by no means enough; affection which is received should liberate the affection which is to be given, and only where both exist in equal measure does affection achieve its best possibilities. 最好的那种爱是彼此愉悦的爱；彼此很愉快地接受，很自然地给出，并且由于有了这种互惠的快乐，彼此都觉得整个世界更有趣味。

40篇非常值得背诵的英语美文，背完口语16级，赶紧收藏~英语·美文The City of SongListening to music is the favorite pastime of many people all over the world.This is especially true for people living in Vienna, the city of song. Being the home of Mozart, this city is the birthplace of classical music and the waltz.Music fills the air in Vienna. Going to public concerts is often free of charge.And don’t forget, Vienna is also home to the world -famous Vienna Boys’ Choir. No wonder people say Austria is always alive with the sound of music.音乐之都听音乐是全世界许多人最喜爱的消遣。

这对生活在音乐之都的维也纳人民来说更是贴切。

这个城市不但是莫扎特的故乡，也是古典音乐和华尔兹舞曲的发源地。

音乐缭绕于整个维也纳。

欣赏公开的演奏会通常都是免费的。

别忘了，维也纳也是世界著名维也纳少年合唱团的所在地。

难怪人们说奥地利永远充满着音乐的声音。

Television AddictionTelevision provides us with a wide range of information and entertainment. However, it’s a pity that it may also have a bad influence on young minds. For instance, some TV shows have too much violence and crime. These programs may lead youngsters astray. It is easy for students to become addicted to the excitement of these programs and neglect their homework. Parents must, therefore, keep an eye on what their children watch.电视瘾电视给我们提供广泛的信息和娱乐。

China University of Mining and Technology Yinchuan College European Culture: An IntroductionThe Contrast between Ancient Greek Culture and Chinese Ancient Culture外国语言文学系09 英语一班2011年11月27日熊媛媛027In the history of the world, both of the ancient Greek and Chinese acquired high development in many fields of human endeavor: philosophy, science, poetry, historical writing, architecture, sculpture, drama, etc, in which they had a lot of resemblances and differences. It is interesting, useful and worthy to make comparisons between these two ancient peoples.Greece is a marine country with many islands around the Aegean and the Mediterranean. In the ancient time, Greece was separated into many city-states and was never centralized, except the one under the control of King Alexander and the one of the Roman Empire. The ancient Greeks were active to trade around the Greek states and abroad by ships, and made the economy flourishing. They were especially willing to adventure, to sail to the distance with hope of reaching the Heaven and gaining happiness. China is a continental country with immense area of mainland. The ancient Chinese had so many concerns with the farmland and agriculture that they hated to leave their homeland and that they expected to be ruled by a powerful central government, which actually dominated China in most of the time throughout the Chinese history.Greek is a kind of language of alphabet; Chinese is a kind of pictograph. Greek is more logical, explicit and accurate, so it is fit to the development of science and philosophical thinking and reasoning. The ancient Chinese is more implicit, simple and artistic, favoring thedevelopment of poetry, calligraphy and the doctrine of intuition and inspiration. Small wonder that the Greeks presented a splendid sight of philosophies; while the Chinese exerted themselves to develop the classic poetry to the fullest which reached a high point and became the dominant of the Chinese literature.From the viewpoint of history, the ancient Greece and China had much in common. In a remote period of the Greek history, probably around 1200B.C. a war was fought between Greece and Troy. Almost to the same time, the King of Zhou and his alliances revolted against Shang Dynasty, which was brought to overthrow in the final war in Maya. The Greeks were very romantic and claimed that they fought only for the beauty Helen, showing great admiration and respect to beauty and women. The Chinese were much more serious and mystic and declared that they, by receiving the order of the Lord of the Heaven and obeying the fate of the heavenly laws, fought for the crowd ------the common people of the world whom were considered to be the most important, which reflected the common philosophies of the ancient Chinese.Greek culture reached a high point of development in the 5th century B.C. that was marked by the successful repulse of the Persian invasion early in the century, the establishment of democracy and the flourishing of science, philosophy, literature, art and historical writing in Athens. Soon after the repulse against Persian, the civil war between Athens andSparta broke out, that many city-states involved, and continued to the close of the century and did not cease until the second half of the 4th century when Greece was brought under the rule of Alexander, King of Macedon. It was much alike the period of the Warring States in the history of China, which was marked by the frequent wars among states and the contending of hundred schools of thought. However, there were also many obvious differences between these two nations. Before the 1st B.C century, Greece had been invaded by Persian, ruled by Alexander, King of Macedon, and conquered by Romans in 146 B.C.; as they also revenged the Persians after repulse and successfully attacked them with an armed force in the expeditions to Persia, colonized part of Italy and controlled large areas around Mediterranean as well. Out of so many wars and events, the Greeks realized that Greece was not the strongest nation in the world and the other peoples were no less inferior to them so that they kept up-to-date and open-minded to the outside world, accepted new things easily and were willing to create new techniques and to compete with others. The situation was quite different in the Chinese history through which no well-matched nations evenly and continually competed with Han nationality for a long time. Around 320s, King Alexander the Great invaded India and brought Greek cultures there. He was ambitious to conquer the world, but he was stopped expanding his empire in India and failed to reach China out of diseases and the Himalayas. No wanderthat Liang Quiche has written: “the Ch inese and Indian histories would have changed a lot without the Himalayas.” King Alexander failed, while China lost a chance to contact the well-matched western component. As a result, the Chinese thought patterns and ideas had no much change for more than 3000 years and the Chinese gradually became too proud and considered they the best of the world. Little wonder that the Chinese felt insulted and pained to the core and simply could not get rid of the pain when they were defeated in the Opium Wars and especially in the war against Japan in 1895. What if there is no the Himalayas? What if the Persians invaded China as well as they did in Greece? What if Alexander’s armed phalanxes encountered the powerful forces of Qin?Many of those histories mentioned above have been exerted to become the rhythmic poems and stirring epics. The Trojan War turned to Homer’s epics in which Homer expressively narrated and reappeared the magnificence of the war, displayed his great talents and skills in epic writing and revealed his profound understanding of human nature. But there was no one in Chinese history that wrote epics as Homer did. Apart from the epics, lyrics and pastorals also came to beings. These poems described the Greek common life and expressed their feelings. Of the many lyric poets of the time, Sappho (about 612-580 B.C.) and Pindar (about 518-438B.C.) were most outstanding. During the period from Homer to Sappho to Pindar, no big figure of poetry existed in China, butonly the Book of Songs, which reflects the common life of the ancient Chinese, was very popular at that time. Later on, the first giant in the Chinese history of poetry appeared, that was Qu Y uan who was alive around 340-277 B.C. and whose super-eminent skills in writing the Elegies of Chu was not surpassed until the appearance of A Dream of the Red Mansion. From then on, more and more Chinese poets came to beings with vivid personalities and poetry gradually became the mainstream of the Chinese literature. According to Zhu Jungian’s theories, the Greek poetry was comparatively more profound and more magnificent, while the Chinese was more meaningful and more sentimental. According to my own understanding, the Greek poets with the awareness of being poets and exerting their talents in writing of poetry were more individualistic, more optimistic, more adventurous, while pursuing freedom, private happiness and internal harmony through their life; the Chinese poets with the ambitions of administering a country were more generous, more pessimistic, more conservative, while wishing to display their talents in polity, to make a better world for people to live, and to drink more wine to free themselves for they had so much anxiety and were suffered so much by the ambitions as heavy burdens of their life.Drama relates to poetry very closely. In Zhu Jungians’opinion, drama has always been a dominant in the western literature from theGreek dramas in the ancient time to Shakespeare’s plays during the Renaissance to Goethe’s and Schiller’ plays in the Age of Enlightenment Movement and the European Romanticism. Early in the remote past, the Greeks started to perform plays at religious festivals. Out of these origins a powerful drama developed in the 5th century B.C. Performances were given in an open-air theater by actors masked, with the audience sitting on stone benches and looking down the stage from three sides. Out of many dramatists of the time, three tragic dramatists Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides, and a comic dramatist Aristophanes were most eminent and influential. Aeschylus was an actor, dramatist, and poet, and was noted for his vivid character portrayal and majestic poetry. Sophocles has contributed greatly to tragic art and has had a strong impact on European literature. Euripides wrote mainly about women and was called the first writer of “problem plays”. Most of their tragic dramas are originally from Homer’s epics and the Greek myths and legends, whereas Aristophanes’ comic plays treat of contemporary events and contain direct attacks and satires on well-known people of the day. In China, drama was not the mainstream in the Chinese literature and did not acquire enough development until the reign of Y uan Dynasty through which drama developed rapidly. Then Chinese drama developed accelerative and the perfect formulation of Beijing Opera finally finished in Qing Dynasty.The Greek poets and dramatists had many concerns\interests with private life, society and history, while the Greek philosophers were curious about many other things. The earliest philosophers kept on thinking: what made the universe; where it was from; and why stars shined, etc. They had the spirit of free enquiry and were ready to drop established ideas, to speculate, to use their imagination and to form their own conclusions without being afraid to speak their minds.The earliest philosophers focused on nature and were eager to acquire the knowledge of nature. They spoke their minds directly. Thales declared that the universe was made of water and that everything had spirit of itself. Pythagoras, the founder of scientific mathematics, had the idea that all things were numbers, that all beauties were of only harmony, and that spirit was eternal. Heraclitus declared the world was not made by God, believed fire to be the primary element of the universe, and introduced the notion of logos and the simple dialectics that both greatly contributed to the formulation and development of logic. He held the theory of the mingling of opposites and believed that it was the strife between the opposites that produced harmony.I think, Chinese ancient culture and ancient Greek culture has its advantages. We want to dialectical thinking the cultural differences between countries, can not only see the bad side.Vocabulary:Endeavor vt.／n.努力，尽力，尝试Resemblances [riˈzembləns]n.相似，形似Aegean adj. 爱琴海的Mediterranean [ˌmeditəˈreiniən]n.地中海 a.地中海的Pictograph ['piktəˌgrɑ:f]n. 象形文字, 统计图表Calligraphy [kəˈligrəfi]n.书法Doctrine [ˈdɔktrin]n.教义，教条，主义Viewpoint [ˈvju:pɔint]n.观点Alliances n.结盟，联盟Persia n.波斯[现称伊朗]Aristophanes n.阿里斯托芬(古希腊诗人, 喜剧作家, 享有“喜剧之父”的美名) Aeschylus n. 埃斯库罗斯（希腊的悲剧诗人）Sophocles n. 萨福克里斯(古代希腊的悲剧诗人)Euripides n. 欧里庇得斯(希腊的悲剧诗人)。

46. Western Civilization Faces a Stark Choice Ⅰ西方文明面临严峻抉择(一)(美音)In 1900, most westerners were confident and optimistic,full of pride about their civilization.Since then, the west has made enormous strides in economic,scientific, military, political and social terms.Yet the earlier confidence has gone.We stopped believing in the ideasthat drove earlier generations to improve the world.Six main ideas made the west, century after century,progressively successful, powerful,and attractive—Christianity, optimism, science,economic growth, individualism and liberalism.Are these ideas past their sell-by date?OptimismThe importance of optimism in driving success—of individuals, of whole civilizations—has been greatly overlooked.Optimism comes from th ree Greek and Christian “myths”—the myth of autonomy, the myth of progressand the myth of human goodness.Creation is ultimately good.So, too, are people—God's creation.We have stopped believing people are good.After 1760, our stories began to feature bad heroes—egotistical people, amoral or immoral.The last century confirmed a dim view of human nature—Freud's ideas, Hitler, two world wars,horrific and hateful societies.A diminished view of people facilitated these horrors.Optimism and pessimism, however, are fancies, not facts.Only if we recover belief in human goodnesscan we resume building a better world.ChristianityWestern secular values, above all the gods of consumption,have trumped Christian ones. Doubt is rampant.And Christians today are deeply divided.Yet perhaps we need not worry. Christianity transformed the west. It was the world's first individualized, activist,self-help movement. Ordinary people were encouraged to clean up their act and given God's help to do so.Everyone had a “soul”; individual human dignityand responsibility were greatly enhanced.Today many of us do not believe in the soul or Christ.In a way, however, we all still believe the Christian message.We believe we have a self, just like we have arms and legs.With the idea of the soul safely transmuted in the idea of the self, Christianity has permanently changed the west.The modern self-help movement best exemplifiesthe central Christian innovation-personal responsibility. Christianity's crisis does not threaten the west.But the attacks on the other five ideas do.ScienceScience is preeminently western.It arose through belief in a perfect, rational Creator,and in our ability to figure outthe perfect universe that God created.Since 1900, we have lost our faith in science.Superstition and mumbo-jumbo abound.Science seems to have become weird.It portrays a baffling and inscrutable universe,ruled by mystery, uncertainty, random chance.Also, the dark side of science has emerged:monstrous weapons, poisoning the planet.Yet science is still fundamentally benign and rational.The micro-world might be weird.But scientists still follow the scientific method-reason and investigation.The challenge to understanding is greater,but logic and research still hold the key.We cannot give up our trust in rationality and sciences,for the best forms of civilization depend utterly upon them.47. Western Civilization Faces a Stark Choice Ⅱ西方文明面临严峻抉择(二)(美音)Economic GrowthThe west's stunning economic advanceover the past 1000 years, and especially the last 200 years,has made mankind an ecological success and the west dominant.Victories over hunger and disease are unprecedented.Yet, if non-western countries eventually reachedwestern consumption levels, the damage to the environment would be multiplied 12 times. The planet cannot cope with that. Happily, a new factor is emerging—the “personalised economy”,driven by imagination and intellect,not capital and hierarchy.Growth today can be increasingly “weightless”—we consume software and services rather than hunks of metal. In the last century the US economy grew to20 times its earlier size, but the weightof output stayed roughly the same.Averting ecological suicide requires growthusing far fewer finite resources.IndividualismThis has always been the west's most striking characteristic. Now many inside the west are worried by individualism.Our highly atomistic society makes it easy to feel a failure. Every civilization has had self-made people.Ours is the first to foster millionsof self-destroyed people.Yet selfish individualism is a recent heresy,a contradiction. Historically,individualism has advanced higher standardsof personal behavior, with community building,with leadership. We have stopped requiring that.If we do not demand truly responsible individualism,from our leaders, role models and ourselves,our civilization will disintegrate.LiberalismThe greatest threat to the west comes from liberalism's decline and from the “liberal imperialists”and neo-conservatives so influential in America.Also from the “ultra-liberals”,the relativists who see nothing specialabout western liberal society,who deny personal responsibilityand incubate the “victim mentality”.But the greatest threat to liberalism is thatfew still believe passionately in it.Liberalism's successes have blunted its appeal.Western civilisation has reached a fork in the road.Down one road lie cynicism, aggression,indifference, neo-conservatism and ultra-liberalism.Down the other lies a recovery of nerve,confidence in ourselves and our culture,unity within and between America and Europe,a society of individuals held together by self-improvement, striving, optimism, reason, compassion,equality and mutual identity.The road chosen will determine whether our civilisation collapses or reaches its destiny.48. The Tao of Coffee咖啡之道(英音)What exactly do you do when you make a cup of coffee?● Take one cup● Put in a spoonful of dark, bitter powder● Add a spoonful of sweetness● Pour in hot, clear liquid● Add whitenessAlone, each item has a complete flavor of its own.The only item that cannot be consumed alone is the bitterness, the coffee powder.Why is this so significant?Because a cup of coffee represents life, it represents you.You are both the vessel and the contents.You are the one who chooses bitterness, sweetness, life, spirituality.Spirituality and faith are like the milk in coffee;without it the coffee is too bitter and sharp, with no depth to its flavor. Imagine the cup:when you add the bitterness (coffee) and the "waters of life",you have a sharp, bitter drink, with no sweetness, no depth.It is shallow, it is incomplete, it is missing many factors.For some people this may be what they choose,this may be the life they settle for.You add a spoonful of sugar.With the addition of that sweetness the bitterness is gone!But the depth is still missing. It is still a shallow drink.Again, some people may settle for this.You add the whiteness—spirituality, belief in yourself,or belief in something greater than yourself to the drink.The drink lightens in both color and flavor.It is rich and deep. It is complete.The only remaining ingredient that could lift this drink to a new height,that could transform the drink into something more magnificent,is a more powerful whiteness,a more intense and undoubted spirituality and faith,a greater passion for life itself,a commitment to your own dreams and goals: whipped cream!The cup of coffee is perfect without the whipped cream,it can stand alone against the world, and know its glory.But, a coffee with whipped cream is even more magnificent.Once you have known coffee with whipped cream,you will not desire anything less.You will look upon a whipped creamless coffee and see it as lesser—satisfying, but lesser. The ingredients in your coffee are of your choosing,just as the ingredients in your life are of your choosing.You choose the amount of coffee powder that you add to the vessel,just as you choose the amount of bitterness you add,or create in your life.You choose the amount of sweetness you add to the vessel,just as you choose the amount of sweetness, joy, laughter, love and happiness that you bring into, or create in your life.You choose the heat and amount of water,just as you choose the quality of energy you bring into your lifethrough diet, attitude, and addiction.You choose the amount of milk you add to your coffee,just as you choose the amount of faith, spiritual understanding and truththat you bring or invite into your life.You choose, or do not choose, the whipped cream, just as you choose to believe, or not to believe, in a Divine energy or in your own passions, dreams and goals.You do not need to put that bitter coffee powder into your drink, but you do so because you find the drink more interesting.You relish the aroma, the flavor, the depth,the intensity of the experience—both of the coffee, and of your life.49. On Learning English谈谈学英语(美音)A correspondent from the Czech Republicasks a powerful question:“How would you encourageEnglish language learners at secondaryand postsecondary schools;what do they have to be careful aboutand what joys can they expectwhen dealing with a language ofsome 2 billion speakers worldwide?”In a way, the question answers itself.English enables you to communicate witha third of the world's population,and that has to be a plus on the agenda of anyonewith an international outlook. That third, moreover,is hugely diverse. English is present, as a first,second, or foreign language, in every country in the world.So, in using it as a tool,you have an unparallelled opportunity toexplore the individuality of nations and peoples.The metaphor of the tool is important.English is not a prism, through which you see others.It is a tool which enables you tohave a close encounter with others.Culture is not wholly dependent on language,but it does need language to explain its uniqueness—an experience all travellers have had, as they watch,say, a local folk dance and wonder what it is all about.However, the metaphor of the tool only goes so far,because you can change the character of the toolto suit your purposes. If you have adopted Englishas one of your languages, then you are able to adapt it—to take personal ownership of it.One of the great joys of making headwayin a new language is that you can use it to talk aboutwhat you want to talk about—and ifthat means inventing new words,to express your local experience,then do not hesitate to invent them.Just translating the culture of your schooland town into English—such as the names of localitiesand personalities—will immediately add dozens of new expressions. Don't restrict yourself to the wordsthat are already in the dictionaries.English is yours now. The words and expressionsyou and your fellows invent today might bein the dictionaries of tomorrow, if they catch on.You're doing nothing that hasn't already been donethousands of times before. New words were added toEnglish within days of the first settlersarriving in America from Britain,and the same pattern has been observedin all countries where a community of users has evolved.What you find yourselves doing you will seebeing done elsewhere. So to adopt the motto ofthe scouting movement—be prepared.Be prepared for linguistic diversity, change,playfulness, and creativity wherever you listenand look on radio and television, in the press,literature, film, pop music, the internet...Develop a sense of the kind of Englishthat is appropriate to particular circumstances.And make it your major aim to be soin control of your own English that you can vary itto suit the circumstances in which you find yourself.Your goal is not to learn English, but Englishes.The same principle applies to any language, of course,but it is particularly important in the case of Englishbecause of its global reach.50. How to Have Less Awkward Conversation如何避免尴尬谈话(美音)What is assuming rapport?Basically, instead of going into a conversationor meeting nervously and thinking “how will this go?”you take different approach.You assume that you and the person will establish a good connection.How do you do that? You simply pretendthat you are meeting one of your best friends.Then you start the interaction in that frame of mind instead of the nervous one.I have found that this advice is surprisingly usefuland easy to implement.This also helps you and the other people toset a good frame for the interaction.A frame is always set in at the start of an interaction.It might be a nervous and stiff frame,a formal and let's-get-to-the-point kind of frameor perhaps a super relaxed one. The thing is thatthe frame that is set in the beginning of the conversation is often one that may stay on for a while.First impressions last.If it's a very stiff frame then it may very well continueto be so until the end. It can be quite difficult to,for instance, change that frame into a more relaxed one. Often people—you and the others—adapt to the frame that is set and interact within it.Breaking or changing that frame may feeluncomfortable or a bit weird. And so you and the others can become reluctant to do so and instead just play along. When you're with your friend you don't think aboutwhat you should say next or what funny commentyou could pull out of your sleeve.You just stay in the present moment, moment by moment, and the conversation flows easily and naturally.I think this is what some people meanwhen they give the often confusing adviceto “just be yourself”. When your friends give youthat advice then they may mean that you should be“like you are when you are hanging out with us”.They want to see you bring out your naturaland relaxed self in other interactions.One final useful thing about assuming rapport isthat you may also start to feel positive feelingstowards this new person, as you do with your friendwhen you meet him/her. This is a pretty good starting pointfor getting the new person to reciprocateand for developing a good relationship.51. Dreaming about Future梦想美好未来(英音)Now is the time to dream.When things are at their worst,when people say there is no hope,when the future looks bleak, now is the time to dream.Forget about transport hikes, CPF cuts, ERP and GST raises.There is so much more in store, greater things to see,new heights to reach, new depths to hollow.Now is the time to dream.If we have a large enough ambition to serve an entire community ourselves instead of looking to the government for answers,would not ours be a better place?If we enlarge our thinkingand invite a wider circle to contribute to the vision of a better Singapore, is it not better than complaining about long queues and less savings?Is it not better that we dream dreamsand reach for more instead of concentrating on what we have less?So let us meet, let us talk,let us gather in discussion for a better Singapore.Let us articulate our hopes, our missions, our values and our vision instead of waiting for the government to state it for us.Let us recognize and respect diverse approaches and questionsand celebrate our unique Singapore culture, a blend of many races, born out of adversity but perhaps spoiled in prosperity.And let us not laugh, declare foolish or cower in alarmif different views result from our efforts.Those who emerge strongest, as Singapore did 37 years ago,belonged to many races, many aptitudes, many interests,and many points of view but happened to pull together.Should we be fired with a passionate vision to work on somethingthat needs doing, let us not wait for the government to give us a grant, a handout or a memo on how to go about doing it.Let us move, on our own accord, with the community,expecting nothing but seeing everything.We are not hopeless. We are not children without voices.But we are restricted in our own minds.We self censor our thoughts for fear of reprisal.We hush our voices for fear of being heard.And perhaps we are also bound by our own laziness.The government, after all, can do the thinking for us.Our sense of civic duty to engage in public debate andcritical thinking is lostexcept unfortunately for issues that affect our pockets.But understand this: we may not be in governmentbut we are whom the government works for.We can contribute and do instead of follow.We can let go of our parent's hand and grow up.Now is the time to dream.Perhaps all of us have tentative notions about the future.Some of us fear, some of us rejoice.Only a few of us will probably seecorrectly and understand how to get there.Not all of us will be good at identifying and analysing problems. Solutions will perhaps escape most of us. But without discourse, without sharing,we do not even give ourselves the simple chanceof being able to try to work things out.Would you gather to discuss a better vision for our Singapore? 52. On Going a Journey旅行——在路上(英音)One of the pleasantest things in the world is going a journey:but I like to go by myself. I can enjoy society in a room;but out of doors, nature is company enough for me.I am then never less alone than when alone."The fields his study, nature was his book."I cannot see the wit of walking and talking at the same time. When I am in the country I wish to vegetate like the country.I am not for criticizing hedges and black cattle.I go out for town in order to forget the town and all that is in it.There are those who for this purpose go to watering places,and carry the metropolis with them.I like more space and fewer obstacles.I like solitude, when I give myself up to it, for the sake of solitude;nor do I ask for "a friend in my retreat,whom I may whisper solitude is sweet."The soul of journey is liberty, perfect liberty,to think, feel, do, just as one pleases.We go a journey chiefly to be free of all obstacles and all inconveniences; to leave ourselves behind, much more to get rid of others.It is because I want a little breathing spaceto ponder on indifferent matters,where contemplation "May plume her feathers and let grow her wings, that in the various bustle of resort were all too ruffled,and sometimes impaired."I absent myself from the town for a while,without feeling at a loss the moment I am left by myself.Instead of a friend in a post chaise or in a carriage,to exchange good things with, and vary the same stale topics over again, for once let me have a time free from manners.Give me the clear blue sky over my head,and the green turf beneath my feet, a winding road before me,and the three hours' march to dinner — and then to thinking!It is hard if I cannot start some game on these lone heaths.I laugh, I run, I leap, I sing for joy!From the point of yonder rolling cloud I plunge into my past being,and revel there as the sun-burnt Indian plunges headlong into the wave that wafts him to his native shore.Then long-forgotten things like "sunken wrack and sumless treasuries", burst upon my eager sight, and I begin to feel, think, and be myself again. Instead of an awkward silence,broken by attempts at wit or dull commonplaces,mine is that undisturbed silence of the heartwhich alone is perfect eloquence.53. The Most Historically Inaccurate MoviesⅠ与历史最相左的电影(一)(美音)10 000 B.C.Director Roland Emmerich is usually a stickler for realism.So we hate to inform him that woolly mammoths were not,in fact, used to build pyramids.Woolly mammoths weren't even found in the desert.They wouldn't need to be woolly if that were the case.And there weren't any pyramids in Egypt until 2 500 B.C. or so.GladiatorEmperor Commodus was not the sniveling sister-obsessed creep portrayed in the movie.A violent alcoholic, sure, but not so whiny.He ruled ably for over a decade rather thanineptly for a couple months.He also didn't kill his father, Marcus Aurelius,who actually died of chickenpox.And instead of being killed in the gladiatorial arena, he was murdered in his bathtub.300Though this paean to ancient moral codesand modern physical training is based onthe real Battle of Thermopylae,the film takes many stylistic liberties.The most obvious one being Persian king Xerxes was not an 8-foot-tall leader. The Spartan councilwas made up of men over the age of 60,with no one as young as Theron(played by 37-year-old Dominic West).And the warriors of Sparta went into battlewearing bronze armor, not just leather Speedos.The Last SamuraiThe Japanese in the late 19th century did hire foreign advisers to modernize their army,but they were mostly French, not American.Ken Watanabe's character was based onthe real Saigo Takamori who committed ritual suicide, in defeat rather than in a volley of Gatling gun fire. Also, it's doubtful that a 40-somethingalcoholic Civil War veteran,even one with great hair, would master the chopsticks much less the samurai sword.ApocalyptoThis one movie has given entireanthropology departments migraines.Sure the Maya did have the odd human sacrificebut not to the Sun God, and only high-ranking captivestaken in battle were killed. The conquistadorsarriving at the end of the film made for unlikely saviors:an estimated 90% of indigenous American populationwas killed by smallpox from their infected livestock.54. The Most Historically Inaccurate Movies Ⅱ与历史最相左的电影(二)(美音)Memoirs of a GeishaThe geisha coming-of-age, was really more of a makeover,where she changed her hairstyle and clothes.It didn't involve her getting intimate with a client.In the climactic scene where Sayuri wowsGion patrons with her dancing prowess,her routine—which involves some platform shoes,fake snow, and a strobe light—seems more like a Studio 54 drag showthan anything in pre-war Kyoto.Brave HeartLet's forget the fact that kilts weren't bornin Scotland until about 300 years after William Wallace's dayand just do some simple math. According to the movie,Wallace's blue-eyed charm at the Battle of Falkirkwas so overpowering, he seduced King Edward II's wife,Isabella of France, and the result of their affair was Edward III.But according to the history books,Isabella was three years old at the time of Falkirk,and Edward III was born seven years after Wallace died. Elizabeth: The Golden AgeIn 1585, when the movie takes place,Queen Elizabeth was 52 years old—Cate Blanchett was 36 when she shot the film—and was not being courted by suitors like Ivan the Terrible who was dead by then. And though the moviehas her rallying the troops at Tilbury astridea white steed in full armor with a sword,in fact she rode side saddle, carrying a baton.She was more of a regal majorette than Joan of Arc.The PatriotRevolutionary War figure Francis Marion “The Swamp Fox”was the basis for Mel Gibson's character,but he wasn't the forward-thinking family manthey show in the flick. He was a slave ownerwho didn't get married (to his cousin) untilafter the war was over. Historians also saythat he actively persecuted and murdered native Cherokees. Plus, the thrilling Battle of Guilford Court Housewhere he vanquishes his British enemy?In reality, the Americans lost that one.2001: A Space OdysseyAccording to this film, in year 2001we would have had manned voyages to Jupiter,a battle of wits with a sentient computer,and a quantum leap in human evolution.Instead we got the Mir Space Station falling from the sky, Windows XP, and Freddy got fingered.Apparently the lesson here is that sometimesit's better when the movies get the facts all wrong.55. Hollywood Is Flush With Movies电影云集好莱坞(美音)When Meg Ryan and Antonio Banderas signed up to starin an independently produced comedy-action moviecalled My Mom's New Boyfriend, the film's backersfigured they had a slam dunk-a modestly priced filmwith bankable stars that would surge at the box office. The producers say the $17 million movie scored wellin test screenings in the U.S. this springand did decent business in Spain, Israel and Russia.But the U.S. distributor, Sony Corp.'s Sony Pictures, quietly sent the movie straight to DVD on June 17.“I believe that three years ago this movie absolutelywould have been on screens, if for no other reasonthan the actors involved.” says George Gallo,who wrote and directed the film.These days, scores of films such as “Boyfriend”are finding there's no room at the multiplex.The reason: Hollywood is flush with roughly$13 billion to $18 billion in financing for moviesthat poured in over the past few years,according to bankers and producers,vastly expanding the number of pictures getting made. The flood of money is paying for filmsmade by both relative newcomersand veteran film investors and producers.Another factor in the pullback is a rise in marketing costs.A decade ago, campaigns for independent movieswere driven by free publicity and word of mouth.The crowded market is prompting distributorsto spend big to distinguish themselves.According to the MPAA, the amount of moneythe indie labels at the major studioswere spending on marketing shot up 44% to $25.7 million in 2007 from $17.8 million in 2006. Since 2002,that marketing spending has doubled,driving up competition for all films trying togain traction in the marketplace.Yet it is increasingly common to seecritical darlings of the festival circuit get trampled.Son of Rambow, a coming-of-age comedyabout two boys in England who dream of filmmaking,was a darling at Sundance in 2007,where it was reportedly sold for distributionfor about $7.5 million-one of the largest buysat the festival that year.Vantage released the film in May 2008to top-notch reviews. But it flopped,grossing just $1.78 million.The film was put out via a platform release on the same daythat Paramount's Iron Man hit theaters in early May.While Rambow added screens through May,it never gained traction in a monththat was chock-full of blockbusters,from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom ofthe Crystal Skull to Sex and the City.“Son of Rambow is the poster child for a moviethat would have worked five years agobut fails in today's marketplace.”says Mark Gill, a veteran film executivewho isn't affiliated with the movie.“It got great reviews, audiences really liked it,it was well-marketed. It had everything going for it,and yet it didn't work, because there is such a glutof movies and a mass of clutter right now thatnothing can break out in this climate.”56. Top 10 Odd College Courses美国高校十大另类课程(美音)College courses aren't all Economics and The History of Europe.A trend among many colleges and universities is to offer courses that are slightly off the beaten track.Many of these courses draw their themes from pop culture or sports, or they may be the brainchildren of professors。

生而为赢——英语背诵美文30 篇目录：·第一篇：Youth 青春·第二篇：Three Days to See(Excerpts)假如给我三天光明（节选）·第三篇：panionship of Books 以书为伴（节选）·第四篇：If I Rest, I Rust 如果我休息，我就会生锈·第五篇：Ambition 抱负·第六篇：What I have Lived for 我为何而生·第七篇：When Love Beckons You 爱的召唤·第八篇：The Road to Success 成功之道·第九篇：On Meeting the Celebrated 论见名人·第十篇：The 50-Percent Theory of Life 生活理论半对半·第十一篇：What is Your Recovery Rate? 你的恢复速率是多少？·第十二篇：Clear Your Mental Space 清理心灵的空间·第十三篇：Be Happy 快乐·第十四篇：The Goodness of life 生命的美好·第十五篇：Facing the Enemies Within 直面内在的敌人·第十六篇：Abundance is a Life Style 富足的生活方式·第十七篇：Human Life a Poem 人生如诗·第十八篇：Solitude 独处·第十九篇：Giving Life Meaning 给生命以意义2·第二十篇：Relish the Moment 品位现在·第二十一篇：The Love of Beauty 爱美·第二十二篇：The Happy Door 快乐之门·第二十三篇：Born to Win 生而为赢·第二十四篇：Work and Pleasure 工作和娱乐·第二十五篇：Mirror, Mirror--What do I see 镜子,镜子,告诉我·第二十六篇：On Motes and Beams 微尘与栋梁·第二十七篇：An October Sunrise 十月的日出·第二十八篇：T o Be or Not to Be 生存还是毁灭·第二十九篇：Gettysburg Address 葛底斯堡演说·第三十篇：First Inaugural Address(Excerpts) 就职演讲（节选）·第三篇：panionship of Books 以书为伴（节选）panionship of BooksA man may usually be known by the books he reads as well as by the pany he keeps; for there is a panionship of books as well as of men; and one should always live in the best pany, whether it be of books or of men.A good book may be among the best of friends. It is the same today that it always was, and it will never change. It is the most patient and cheerful of panions. It does not turn its back upon us in times of adversity or distress. It always receives us with the same kindness; amusing and instructing us in youth, and forting and consoling us in age.Men often discover their affinity to each other by the mutual love they have for a book just as two persons sometimes discover a friend by the admiration which both entertain for a third. There is an old proverb, …Love me, love my dog.” But there is more wisdom in this:” Love me, love my book.” The book is a truer and higher bond of union. Men can think, feel, and sympathize with each other through their favorite author. They live in him together, and he in them.A good book is often the best urn of a life enshrining the best that life could think out; for the world of a man‟s life is, for the most part, but the world of his thoughts. Thus the best books are treasuries of good words, the golden thoughts, which, remembered and cherished, bee our constant panions and forters.Books possess an essence of immortality. They are by far the most lasting products of human effort. T emples and statues decay, but books survive. Time is of no account with great thoughts, which are as fresh today as when they first passed through their author‟s minds, ages ago. What was then said and thought still speaks to us as vividly as ever from the printed page. The only effect of time have been to sift out the bad products; for nothing in literature can long survive e but what is really good.Books introduce us into the best society; they bring us into the presence of the greatest minds that have ever lived. We hear what they said and did; we see the as if they were really alive; we sympathize with them, enjoy with them, grieve with them; their experience bees ours, and we feel as if we were in a measure actors with them in the scenes which they describe.The great and good do not die, even in this world. Embalmed in books, their spirits walk abroad. The book is a living voice. It is an intellect to which on still listens.7·第四篇：If I Rest,I Rust 如果我休息，我就会生锈If I Rest, I RustThe significant inscription found on an old key---“If I rest, I rust”---would be an excellent motto for those who are afflicted with the slightest bit of idleness. Even the most industrious person might adopt it with advantage to serve as a reminder that, if one allows his faculties to rest, like the iron in the unused key, they will soon show signs of rust and, ultimately, cannot do the work required of them.Those who would attain the heights reached and kept by great men must keep their faculties polished by constant use, so that they may unlock the doors of knowledge, the gate that guard the entrances to the professions, to science, art, literature, agriculture---every department of human endeavor.Industry keeps bright the key that opens the treasury of achievement. If Hugh Miller, after toiling all day in a quarry, had devoted his evenings to rest and recreation, he would never have bee a famous geologist. The celebrated mathematician, Edmund Stone, would never have published a mathematical dictionary, never have found the key to science of mathematics, if he had given his spare moments to idleness, had the little Scotch lad, Ferguson, allowed the busy brain to go to sleep while he tended sheep on the hillside instead of calculating the position of the stars by a string of beads, he would never have bee a famous astronomer.Labor vanquishes all---not inconstant, spasmodic, or ill-directed labor; but faithful,unremitting, daily effort toward a well-directed purpose. Just as truly as eternal vigilance is the price of liberty, so is eternal industry the price of noble and enduring success.8·第五篇：Ambition 抱负AmbitionIt is not difficult to imagine a world short of ambition. It would probably be a kinder world: with out demands, without abrasions, without disappointments. People would have time for reflection. Such work as they did would not be for themselves but for the collectivity. petition would never enter in. conflict would be eliminated, tension bee a thing of the past. The stress of creation would be at an end. Art would no longer be troubling, but purely celebratory in its functions. Longevity would be increased, for fewer people would die of heart attack or stroke caused by tumultuous endeavor. Anxiety would be extinct. Time would stretch on and on, with ambition long departed from the human heart.Ah, how unrelieved boring life would be!There is a strong view that holds that success is a myth, and ambition therefore a sham. Does this mean that success does not really exist? That achievement is at bottom empty? That the efforts of men and women are of no significance alongside the force of movements and events now not all success, obviously, is worth esteeming, nor all ambition worth cultivating. Which are and which are not is something one soon enough learns on one‟s own. But even the most cynical secretly admit that success exists; that achievement counts for a great deal; and that the true myth is that the actions of men and women are useless. T o believe otherwise is to take on a point of view that is likely to be deranging. It is, in its implications, to remove all motives for petence, interest in attainment, and regard for posterity.We do not choose to be born. We do not choose our parents. We do not choose our historical epoch, the country of our birth, or the immediate circumstances of our upbringing. We do not, most of us, choose to die; nor do we choose the time or conditions of our death. But within all this realm of choicelessness, we do choose how we shall live: courageously or in cowardice, honorably or dishonorably, with purpose or in drift. We decide what is important and what is trivial in life. We decide that what makes us significant is either what we do or what we refuse to do. But no matter how indifferent the universe may be to our choices and decisions, these choices and decisions are ours to make. We decide. We choose. And as we decide and choose, so are our lives formed. In the end, forming our own destiny is what ambition is about.9·第六篇：What I have Lived for 我为何而生What I Have Lived ForThree passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life: the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind. These passions, like great winds, have blown me hither and thither, in a wayward course, over a deep ocean of anguish, reaching to the very verge of despair.I have sought love, first, because it brings ecstasy---ecstasy so great that I would oftenhave sacrificed all the rest of my life for a few hours for this joy. I have sought it, next, because it relieves loneliness---that terrible loneliness in which one shivering consciousness looks over the rim of the world into the cold unfathomable lifeless abyss. I have sought it, finally, because in the union of love I have seen, in a mystic miniature, the prefiguring vision of the heaven that saints and poets have imagined. This is what I sought, and though it might seem too good for human life, this is what---at last---I have found.With equal passion I have sought knowledge. I have wished to understand the hearts of men. I have wished to know why the stars shine. And I have tried to apprehend the Pythagorean power by which number holds sway above the flux. A little of this, but not much, I have achieved.Love and knowledge, so far as they were possible, led upward toward the heavens. But always it brought me back to earth. Echoes of cries of pain reverberate in my heart. Children in famine, victims tortured by oppressors, helpless old people a hated burden to their sons, and the whole world of loneliness, poverty, and pain make a mockery of what human life should be. I long to alleviate the evil, but I cannot, and I too suffer. This has been my life. I have found it worth living, and would gladly live it again if the chance were offered me.10·第七篇：When Love Beckons You 爱的召唤When Love Beckons YouWhen love beckons to you, follow him, though his ways are hard and steep. And when his wings enfold you, yield to him, though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you. And when he speaks to you, believe in him, though his voice may shatter your dreams as the north wind lays waste the garden.For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning. Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun, so shall he descend to our roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth.But if, in your fear, you would seek only love‟s peace and love‟s pleasure, then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love‟s threshing-floor, into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears. Love gives naught but it self and takes naught but from itself. Love possesses not, nor would it be possessed, for love is sufficient unto love.Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself. But if you love and must have desires, let these be your desires:T o melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.T o know the pain of too much tenderness.T o be wounded by your own understanding of love;And to bleed willingly and joyfully.T o wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;T o rest at the noon hour and meditate love‟s ecstasy;T o return home at eventide with gratitude;And then to sleep with a payer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise uponyour lips.11·第八篇：The Road to Success 成功之道The Road to SuccessIt is well that young men should begin at the beginning and occupy the most subordinate positions. Many of the leading businessmen of Pittsburgh had a serious responsibility thrust upon them at the very threshold of their career. They were introduced to the broom, and spent the first hours of their business lives sweeping out the office. I notice we have janitors and janitresses now in offices, and our young men unfortunately miss that salutary branch of business education. But if by chance the professional sweeper is absent any morning, the boy who has the genius of the future partner in him will not hesitate to try his hand at the broom. It does not hurt the newest er to sweep out the office if necessary. I was one of those sweepers myself.Assuming that you have all obtained employment and are fairly started, my advice to you is “aim high”. I would not give a fig for the young man who does not already see himself the partner or the head of an important firm. Do not rest content for a moment in your thoughts as head clerk, or foreman, or general manager in any concern, no matter how extensive. Say to yourself, “My place is at the top.” Be king in your dreams. And here is the prime condition of success, the great secret: concentrate your energy, thought, and capital exclusively upon the business in which you are engaged. Having begun in one line, resolve to fight it out on that line, to lead in it, adopt every improvement, have the best machinery, and know the most about it. The concerns which fail are those which have scattered their capital, which means that they have scattered their brains also. They have investments in this, or that, or the other, here there, and everywhere. “Don‟t put all your eggs in one basket.” is all wrong. I tell you to“put all your eggs in one basket, and then watch that basket.” Look round you and take notice, men who do that not often fail. It is easy to watch and carry the one basket. It is trying to carry too many baskets that breaks most eggs in this country. He who carries three baskets must put one on his head, which is apt to tumble and trip him up. One fault of the American businessman is lack of concentration.T o summarize what I have said: aim for the highest; never enter a bar room; do not touch liquor, or if at all only at meals; never speculate; never indorse beyond your surplus cash fund; make the firm‟s interest yours; break orders always to save owners; concentrate; put all your eggs in one basket, and watch that basket; expenditure always within reven ue; lastly, be not impatient, for as Emerson says, “no one can cheat you out of ultimate success but yourselves.”12·第九篇：On Meeting the Celebrated 论见名人On Meeting the CelebratedI have always wondered at the passion many people have to meet the celebrated. The prestige you acquire by being able to tell your friends that you know famous men proves only that you are yourself of small account. The celebrated develop a technique to deal with the persons they e across. They show the world a mask, often an impressive on, but take care to conceal their real selves. They play the part that is expected from them,and with practice learn to play it very well, but you are stupid if you think that this public performance of theirs corresponds with the man within.I have been attached, deeply attached, to a few people; but I have been interested in men in general not for their own sakes, but for the sake of my work. I have not, as Kant enjoined, regarded each man as an end in himself, but as material that might be useful to me as a writer. I have been more concerned with the obscure than with the famous. They are more often themselves. They have had no need to create a figure to protect themselves from the world or to impress it. Their idiosyncrasies have had more chance to develop in the limited circle of their activity, and since they have never been in the public eye it has never occurred to them that they have anything to conceal. They display their oddities because it has never struck them that they are odd. And after all it is with the mon run of men that we writers have to deal; kings, dictators, mercial magnates are from our point of view very unsatisfactory. T o write about them is a venture that has often tempted writers, but the failure that has attended their efforts shows that such beings are too exceptional to form a proper ground for a work of art. They cannot be made real. The ordinary is the writer‟s richer field. Its unexpectedness, its singularity, its infinite variety afford unending material. The great man is too often all of a piece; it is the little man that is a bundle of contradictory elements. He is inexhaustible. You never e to the end of the surprises he has in store for you. For my part I would much sooner spend a month on a desert island with a veterinary surgeon than with a prime minister.13·第十篇：The 50-Percent Theory of Life 生活理论半对半The 50-Percent Theory of Life I believe in the 50-percent theory. Half the time things are better than normal; the other half, they re worse. I believe life is a pendulum swing. It takes time and experience to understand what normal is, and that gives me the perspective to deal with the surprises of the future.Let‟s benchmark the parameters: yes, I will die. I‟ve dealt with the deaths of both parents, a best friend, a beloved boss and cherished pets. Some of these deaths have been violent, before my eyes, or slow and agonizing. Bad stuff, and it belongs at the bottom of the scale.Then there are those high points: romance and marriage to the right person; having a child and doing those Dad things like coaching my son‟s baseball team, paddling around the creek in the boat while he‟s swimming with the dogs, discovering his passion so deep it manifests even in his kindness to snails, his imagination so vivid he builds a spaceship from a scattered pile of Legos.But there is a vast meadow of life in the middle, where the bad and the good flip-flop acrobatically. This is what convinces me to believe in the 50-percent theory.One spring I planted corn too early in a bottomland so flood-prone that neighbors laughed. I felt chagrined at the wasted effort. Summer turned brutal---the worst heat wave and drought in my lifetime. The air-conditioned died; the well went dry; the marriage ended; the job lost; the money gone. I was living lyrics from a country tune---music I loathed. Only a surging Kansas City Royals team buoyed my spirits.Looking back on that horrible summer, I soon understood that all succeeding good things merely offset the bad. Worse than normal wouldn‟t last long. I am owed and savor the halcyon times. The reinvigorate me for the next nasty surprise and offer assurance that can thrive. The 50-percent theory even helps me see hope beyond my Royals‟ recent slump, a field of struggling rookies sown so that some year soon we can reap an October harvest.For that on blistering summer, the ground moisture was just right, planting early allowed pollination before heat withered the tops, and the lack of rain spared the standing corn from floods. That winter my crib overflowed with corn---fat, healthy three-to-a-stalk ears filled with kernels from heel to tip---while my neighbors‟ fields yielded only brown, empty husks.14Although plantings past may have fallen below the 50-percent expectation, and they probably will again in the future, I am still sustained by the crop that flourishes during the drought.15·第十一篇：What is Your Recovery Rate? 你的恢复速率是多少？What is Your Recovery Rate?What is your recovery rate? How long does it take you to recover from actions and behaviors that upset you? Minutes? Hours? Days? Weeks? The longer it takes you to recover, the more influence that incident has on your actions, and the less able you are to perform to your personal best. In a nutshell, the longer it takes you to recover, the weaker you are and the poorer your performance.You are well aware that you need to exercise to keep the body fit and, no doubt, accept that a reasonable measure of health is the speed in which your heart and respiratory system recovers after exercise. Likewise the faster you let go of an issue that upsets you, the faster you return to an equilibrium, the healthier you will be. The best example of this behavior is found with professional sportspeople. They know that the faster they can forget an incident or missd opportunity and get on with the game, the better their performance. In fact, most measure the time it takes them to overe and forget an incident in a game and most reckon a recovery rate of 30 seconds is too long!Imagine yourself to be an actor in a play on the stage. Your aim is to play your part to the best of your ability. You have been given a script and at the end of each sentence is a ful stop. Each time you get to the end of the sentence you start a new one and although the next sentence is related to the last it is not affected by it. Y our job is to deliver each sentence to the best of your ability.Don‟t live your life in the past! Learn to live in the present, to overe the past. Stop the past from influencing your daily life. Don‟t allow thoughts of the past to reduce your personal best. Stop the past from interfering with your life. Learn to recover quickly. Remember: Rome wasn‟t built in a day. Reflect on your recovery rate each day. Every day before you go to bed, look at your progress. Don‟t lie in bed saying to you, “I did that wrong.” “I should have done better there.” No. look at your day and note when youmade an effort to place a full stop after an incident. This is a success. You are taking control of your life. Remember this is a step by step process. This is not a make-over. You are undertaking real change here. Your aim: reduce the time spent in recovery.The way forward?Live in the present. Not in the precedent.16·第十二篇：Clear Your Mental Space 清理心灵的空间Clear Your Mental SpaceThink about the last time you felt a negative emotion---like stress, anger, or frustration. What was going through your mind as you were going through that negativity? Was your mind cluttered with thoughts? Or was it paralyzed, unable to think?The next time you find yourself in the middle of a very stressful time, or you feel angry or frustrated, stop. Yes, that‟s right, stop. Whatever you‟re doing, stop and sit for one minute. While you‟re sitting there, pletely immerse yourself in the negative emotion. Allow that emotion to consume you. Allow yourself one minute to truly feel that emotion. Don‟t cheat yourself here. T ake the entire minute---but only one minute---to do nothing else but feel that emotion.When the minute is over, ask yourself, “Am I wiling to keep holding on to this negative emotion as I go through the rest of the day?”Once you‟ve allowed yourself to be totally immersed in the emotion and really fell it, you will be surprised to find that the emotion clears rather quickly.If you feel you need to hold on to the emotion for a little longer, that is OK. Allow yourself another minute to feel the emotion.When you feel you‟ve had enough of the emotion, ask yourself if you‟re willing to carry that negativity with you for the rest of the day. If not, take a deep breath. As you exhale, release all that negativity with your breath.This exercise seems simple---almost too simple. But, it is very effective. By allowing that negative emotion the space to be truly felt, you are dealing with the emotion rather than stuffing it down and trying not to feel it. You are actually taking away the power of the emotion by giving it the space and attention it needs. When you immerse yourself in the emotion, and realize that it is only emotion, it loses its control. You can clear your head and proceed with your task. Try it. Next time you‟re in the middle of a negative emotion, give yourself the space to feel the emotion and see what happens. Keep a piece of paper with you that says the following:Stop. Immerse for one minute. Do I want to keep this negativity? Breath deep, exhale, release. Move on!17This will remind you of the steps to the process. Remember; take the time you need to really immerse yourself in the emotion. Then, when you feel you‟ve felt it enough, release it---really let go of it. You will be surprised at how quickly you can move on from a negative situation and get to what you really want to do!18·第十三篇：Be Happy 快乐Be Happy!“The days that make us happy make us wise.”----John Masefieldwhen I first read this line by England‟s Poet Laureate, it startled me. What did Masefield mean? Without thinking about it much, I had always assumed that the opposite was true. But his sober assurance was arresting. I could not forget it.Finally, I seemed to grasp his meaning and realized that here was a profound observation. The wisdom that happiness makes possible lies in clear perception, not fogged by anxiety nor dimmed by despair and boredom, and without the blind spots caused by fear. Active happiness---not mere satisfaction or contentment ---often es suddenly, like an April shower or the unfolding of a bud. Then you discover what kind of wisdom has acpanied it. The grass is greener; bird songs are sweeter; the shortings of your friends are more understandable and more forgivable. Happiness is like a pair of eyeglasses correcting your spiritual vision.Nor are the insights of happiness limited to what is near around you. Unhappy, with your thoughts turned in upon your emotional woes, your vision is cut short as though by a wall. Happy, the wall crumbles.The long vista is there for the seeing. The ground at your feet, the world about you----people, thoughts, emotions, pressures---are now fitted into the larger scene. Everything assumes a fairer proportion. And here is the beginning of wisdom.19·第十四篇：The Goodness of life 生命的美好The Goodness of LifeThough there is much to be concerned about, there is far, far more for which to be thankful. Though life‟s goodness can at times be overshadowed, it is never outweighed. For every single act that is senselessly destructive, there are thousands more small, quiet acts of love, kindness and passion. For every person who seeks to hurt, there are many, many more who devote their lives to helping and to healing.There is goodness to life that cannot be denied.In the most magnificent vistas and in the smallest details, look closely, for that goodness always es shining through.There si no limit to the goodness of life. It grows more abundant with each new encounter. The more you experience and appreciate the goodness of life, the more there is to be lived.Even when the cold winds blow and the world seems to be cov ered in foggy shadows, the goodness of life lives on. Open your eyes, open your heart, and you will see that goodness is everywhere.Though the goodness of life seems at times to suffer setbacks, it always endures. For in the darkest moment it bees vividly clear that life is a priceless treasure. And so the goodness of life is made even stronger by the very things that would oppose it.Time and time again when you feared it was gone forever you found that the goodness of life was really only a moment away. Around the next corner, inside every moment, the goodness of life is there to surprise and delight you.T ake a moment to let the goodness of life touch your spirit and calm your thoughts. Then, share your good fortune with another. For the goodness of life grows more and moremagnificent each time it is given away.Though the problems constantly scream for attention and the conflicts appear to rage ever stronger, the goodness of life grows stronger still, quietly, peacefully, with more purpose and meaning than ever before.20·第十五篇：Facing the Enemies Within 直面内在的敌人Facing the Enemies Within We are not born with courage, but neither are we born with fear. Maybe some of our fears are brought on by your own experiences, by what someone has told you, by what you‟ve read in the papers. Some fears are valid, like walking alone in a bad part of town at two o‟clock in the morning. But once you learn to avoid that situation, you won‟t need to live in fear of it.Fears, even the most basic ones, can totally destroy our ambitions. Fear can destroy fortunes. Fear can destroy relationships. Fear, if left unchecked, can destroy our lives. Fear is one of the many enemies lurking inside us.Let me tell you about five of the other enemies we face from within. The first enemy that you‟ve got to destroy before it destroys you is indifference. What a tragic disease this is! “Ho-hum, let it slide. I‟ll just drift along.” Here‟s one problem with drifting: you can‟t drift your way to the to of the mountain.The second enemy we face is indecision. Indecision is the thief of opportunity and enterprise. It will steal your chances for a better future. T ake a sword to this enemy. The third enemy inside is doubt. Sure, there‟s room for healthy skepticism. You can‟t believe everything. But you also can‟t let doubt take over. Many people doubt the past, doubt the future, doubt each other, doubt the government, doubt the possibilities nad doubt the opportunities. Worse of all, they doubt themselves. I‟m telling you, doubt will destroy your life and your chances of success. It will empty both your bank account and your heart. Doubt is an enemy. Go after it. Get rid of it.The fourth enemy within is worry. We‟ve all got to worry some. Just don‟t let conquer you. Instead, let it alarm you. Worry can be useful. If you step off the curb in New York City and a taxi is ing, you‟ve got to worry. But you can‟t let worry loose like a mad dog that drives you into a small corner. Here‟s what you‟ve got to do with your worries: drive them into a small corner. Whatever is out to get you, you‟ve got to get it. Whatever is pushing on you, you‟ve got to push back.The fifth interior enemy is overcaution. It is the timid approach to life. Timidity is not a virtue; it‟s an illness. If you let it go, it‟ll conquer you. Timid people don‟t get promoted. They don‟t advance and grow and bee powerful in the marketplace. You‟ve got to avoid overcaution.21Do battle with the enemy. Do battle with your fears. Build your courage to fight what‟s holding ou back, what‟s keeping you from your goals and dreams. Be courageous in your life and in your pursuit of the things you want and the person you want to bee.22。