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     1度的爱情是中英文美文精选书籍,里面包含了45篇优美的散文小故事,中英文双译,拓展你的知识视界,带你领略散文的优美和汉语以及英文的博大精深。

    1度的爱情内容提要

    《1℃的爱情(心如花园双语悦读)》是一本读五分钟就能让你享用一生的书!五分钟——你完全可以读完一篇心灵美文;五分钟——你完全可以了解一个充满智慧的人生故事;五分钟——你完全可以感悟出一段深入浅出的处世哲理;五分钟——这本书可以帮助我们以感恩的积极心态,面对那些阴雨连绵、没有鲜花和掌声的生命时光。

    1度的爱情精彩内容

    此刻天全黑了,太阳几分钟前就落山了,外面越来越冷。她真希望自己穿着那件最喜欢的套头衫,那样就暖和了。她想象自己正穿着它。可是最终看见家门的时候,这种想法就烟消云散了。眼前的一切有些异样。屋外的花园好几天没人照料了,这让她很吃惊——她父亲总要求每样东西都干净整洁,可现在……花园好像一片荒芜。她不明白出了什么事情。

    她进了屋,先走到厨房,看见父亲留的一张字条。上面写着:“亲爱的海伦,咖啡煮好了,我出去找找。”海伦就是她的母亲,但是—母亲在哪儿?走廊的右边是她父母的房间,她走进去就看见了母亲,正在床上睡着。她看上去累极了,似乎好几天没睡了,脸色十分苍白。莫妮卡本想把她叫醒,但是母亲看起来太累了,真不忍心叫醒她。于是莫妮卡就挨着她睡了下来。莫妮卡醒来时发现有些异样:她不在母亲的房间里,穿的也不是离家出走时的衣服。她穿着睡衣躺在自己舒服的床上。

    1度的爱情章节目录

    IWould Pick More Daisies 我要多采些维菊花

    Back Home回家

    Flower in the Desert 沙漠之花

    Let Us Smile让我们微笑吧

    1℃Love 1℃的爱情

    Hospital Window窗处

    Tomato Changed My Life番茄的魔法

    IWould Pick More Daisies 我要多采些维菊花

    Love Is Inside爱情就在里面

    The Road to Success 成功之路

    Innocent Homeless无辜的流浪者

    The Sorows of Young Werther 少年维特的烦恼

    Keep Your Fork 留着你的叉子

    Paper Boats纸船

    Keep Your Fork 留着你的叉子

    Of Love 论爱情

    AHeart's-Ease心安草

    The Cobbler and the Banker鞋匠和银行家

    When the Wind Blows起风的时候

    The Eive Boons of Life人生五福

    Sonnet18土四行诗第18首

    The Potato Puppy土豆变小狗

    What Does Love Mean?爱是什么?

    In Life.We Are Happiest When.最幸福的时候

    Salty Coffee泡一杯咸咖啡

    Leave Time Behind You 把时间放在身后

    Your Angel你的天使

    The Earthest Distance 最遥远的距离

    Do Yolu Act-or React?主动还是被动?

    Youth青春

    Beloved 爱人

    Salty Coffee泡一杯咸咖啡

    Spring Beauties 春美草

    The Wedding Dance婚礼之舞

    The Boys'Ambition孩子的理想

    Simple as a Song简单如歌

    Cat People爱上流浪的猫

    The Companion in My Lonely Life伴我孤独的人

    Books 书籍

    Relish the Moment 这一刻的美好

    Beter Oneself 完善自我

    Ordinary Couple寻常去妻

    Simple as a Song简单如歌

    Courage 勇气

    Just One Last Dance 最后一支舞

    Anne of the Green Gables 绿山墙的安妮

    Stray Birds 飞鸟

    1度的爱情截图

    Copyright ? Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press 2013

    All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or

    distributed by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without

    the prior written permission of Foreign Language Teaching and Research

    Press.

    本书版权由外语教学与研究出版社独家所有。如未获得该社书面同

    意,书中任何部分之文字及图片,不得用任何方式抄袭、节录、翻印或

    存储利用于任何数据库及检索系统等。

    Published by Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press

    No. 19 Xisanhuan Beilu

    Beijing, China 100089

    http:www.fltrp.com图书在版编目(CIP)数据

    1℃的爱情=1℃ Love:英汉对照双语悦读编辑组编.—北京:

    外语教学与研究出版社,2013.6

    (心如花园双语悦读)

    ISBN 978-7-5135-3214-3

    Ⅰ.①1… Ⅱ.①双… Ⅲ.①英语-汉语-对照读物②散文集

    -世界 Ⅳ.①H319.4:I

    中国版本图书馆CIP数据核字(2013)第120766号

    出版人 蔡剑峰

    责任编辑 周 晶

    出版发行 外语教学与研究出版社

    社 址 北京市西三环北路19号(100089)

    网 址 http:www.fltrp.com

    版 次 2013年6月第1版

    书 号 ISBN 978-7-5135-3214-3

    制售盗版必究 举报查实奖励

    版权保护办公室举报电话:(010)88817519CONTENTS

    目录

    I Would Pick More Daisies 我要多采些雏菊花

    Back Home 回家

    Flower in the Desert 沙漠之花

    Let Us Smile 让我们微笑吧

    1 ℃ Love 1℃的爱情

    Hospital Window 窗外

    Tomato Changed My Life 番茄的魔法

    I Would Pick More Daisies 我要多采些雏菊花

    Love Is Inside 爱情就在里面

    The Road to Success 成功之路

    Innocent Homeless 无辜的流浪者

    The Sorrows of Young Werther 少年维特的烦恼

    Keep Your Fork 留着你的叉子

    Paper Boats 纸船

    Keep Your Fork 留着你的叉子

    Of Love 论爱情

    A Heart's-Ease 心安草

    The Cobbler and the Banker 鞋匠和银行家

    When the Wind Blows 起风的时候The Five Boons of Life 人生五福

    Sonnet 18 十四行诗第18首

    The Potato Puppy 土豆变小狗

    What Does Love Mean? 爱是什么?

    In Life, We Are Happiest When... 最幸福的时候

    Salty Coffee 泡一杯咸咖啡

    Leave Time Behind You 把时间放在身后

    Your Angel 你的天使

    The Farthest Distance 最遥远的距离

    Do You Act—or React? 主动还是被动?

    Youth 青春

    Beloved 爱人

    Salty Coffee 泡一杯咸咖啡

    Spring Beauties 春美草

    The Wedding Dance 婚礼之舞

    The Boys' Ambition 孩子的理想

    Simple as a Song 简单如歌

    Cat People 爱上流浪的猫

    The Companion in My Lonely Life 伴我孤独的人

    Books 书籍

    Relish the Moment 这一刻的美好

    Better Oneself 完善自我

    Ordinary Couple 寻常夫妻Simple as a Song 简单如歌

    Courage 勇气

    Just One Last Dance 最后一支舞

    Anne of the Green Gables 绿山墙的安妮

    Stray Birds 飞鸟I Would Pick More Daisies

    我要多采些雏菊花Back Home

    回家

    A gentle breeze blew through Monica's hair. The golden red sun was

    setting. She was on the beach, looking up at the fiery ball. She was amazed

    by its color, deep red in the middle, softly fading into yellow. She could hear

    nothing but the waves and the seagulls flying up above in the sky.

    The atmosphere relaxed her. After all she had been through, this is what

    she needed. It's getting late, she thought, I must go home, my parents will

    be wondering where I am.

    She wondered how her parents would react, when she got home after the

    three days she was missing. She kept on walking, directing herself to

    bungalow 163, where she spent every summer holiday. The road was

    deserted. She walked slowly and silently. Just in a few hundred meters she

    would have been safe in her house.

    It was really getting dark now, the sun had set a few minutes before and

    it was getting cold too. She wished she had her favorite jumper on: it kept her

    really warm. She imagined having it with her. This thought dissipated when

    she finally saw her front door. It seemed different. Nobody had taken care of

    the outside garden for a few days. She was shocked: her father was usually so

    strict about keeping everything clean and tidy, and now... It all seemeddeserted. She couldn't understand what was going on.

    She entered the house. First, she went into the kitchen where she saw a

    note written by her father. It said: Dear Helen, there is some coffee ready, I

    went looking. Helen was her mother but—where was she? On the right side

    of the hallway was her parents' room. She went in. Then she saw her. Her

    mother, lying on the bed, sleeping. Her face looked so tired, as if she hadn't

    slept for days. She was really pale. Monica would have wanted to wake her

    up but she looked too tired to force her. So Monica just fell asleep beside her.

    When Monica woke up something was different... she wasn't in her mother's

    room and she wasn't wearing the old clothes she ran away in. She was in her

    cozy bed in her pajamas.

    It felt so good being back home. Suddenly she heard a voice. Are you

    feeling better now, dear? You know you got us very, very scared.

    amaze v. 使惊讶,使惊异

    bungalow n. 平房,小屋

    dissipate v. 消失,驱散

    cozy adj. 温暖而舒适的

    微风吹过莫妮卡的头发。金红色的太阳渐渐落山。她坐在海滩上望

    着那火红的圆球,那颜色让她惊叹:中心是深红,周围渐渐淡成黄色。

    她只能听到海浪的声音,还有空中高飞的海鸥。

    周围的气氛让她放松下来,经历了之前种种,她需要这样的放

    松。“天晚了,”她想,“我该回家了,爸妈会担心我去了哪里。”

    她不知道自己离家三天再回去,父母会有什么反应。她一路朝163

    号平房走去,每年暑假她都是在那儿度过的。路上没有人,她静静地缓

    步走着,再有几百米就能安全到家了。此刻天全黑了,太阳几分钟前就落山了,外面越来越冷。她真希望

    自己穿着那件最喜欢的套头衫,那样就暖和了。她想象自己正穿着它。

    可是最终看见家门的时候,这种想法就烟消云散了。眼前的一切有些异

    样。屋外的花园好几天没人照料了,这让她很吃惊——她父亲总要求每

    样东西都干净整洁,可现在……花园好像一片荒芜。她不明白出了什么

    事情。

    她进了屋,先走到厨房,看见父亲留的一张字条。上面写着:“亲

    爱的海伦,咖啡煮好了,我出去找找。”海伦就是她的母亲,但是——

    母亲在哪儿?走廊的右边是她父母的房间,她走进去就看见了母亲,正

    在床上睡着。她看上去累极了,似乎好几天没睡了,脸色十分苍白。莫

    妮卡本想把她叫醒,但是母亲看起来太累了,真不忍心叫醒她。于是莫

    妮卡就挨着她睡了下来。莫妮卡醒来时发现有些异样:她不在母亲的房

    间里,穿的也不是离家出走时的衣服。她穿着睡衣躺在自己舒服的床

    上。

    回家的感觉真好。忽然她听见一个声音:“亲爱的,你现在感觉好

    点了吗?你知道,你把我们吓坏了!”Flower in the Desert

    沙漠之花

    There was a young flower in the desert where all was dry and sad-

    looking. It was growing by itself, enjoying every day and saying to the sun,When shall I be grown up?

    And the sun would say, Be patient—each time I touch you, you grow a

    little. She was so pleased. Because she would have a chance to bring beauty

    to this corner of sand. And this is all she wanted to do—bring a little bit of

    beauty to this world.

    One day a hunter came by and stepped on her. She was going to die and

    she felt so sad. Not because she was dying, but because she would not have a

    chance to bring a little bit of beauty to this corner of the desert.

    The Great Spirit saw her, and was listening. Indeed he said, She should

    be living. And he reached down and touched her and gave her life.

    And she grew up to be a beautiful flower and this corner of the desert

    became so beautiful because of her.

    patient adj. 有耐心的

    hunter n. 猎人干旱而荒凉的沙漠中有一朵小花,它独自生长在那里,每天都很快

    乐,每天都向太阳发问:“我什么时候才能长大?”

    太阳说:“要有耐心——我每次抚摸你,你都会长大一点儿。”小花

    很开心,因为它有机会为沙漠的一角增添美丽了。这是它的全部愿望

    ——为这个世界增添一点美丽。

    一天,一位猎人经过,正好踩在它身上——它奄奄一息,感到很伤

    心,不是因为它快要死了,而是因为再没有机会为沙漠增添一丝美丽

    了。

    大神看到了它,并且听到了它的心声。事实上,他说:“它应该活

    下来。”他俯下身,轻触了它一下,给了它生命。

    它长成了一朵好看的花,因为它的存在,这沙漠的一角变得如此美

    丽。Let Us Smile

    让我们微笑吧

    The thing that goes the farthest

    Toward making life worthwhile,That costs the least and does the most,Is just a pleasant smile.

    The smile that bubbles from the heart

    That loves its fellow men,Will drive away the clouds of gloom

    And coax the sun again.

    It's full of worth and goodness, too,With manly kindness blent;

    It's worth a million dollars,And it doesn't cost a cent.

    There is no room for sadness

    When we see a cheery smile;

    It always has the same good look;

    It's never out of style;

    It nerves us on to try again

    When failure makes us blue;The dimples of encouragement

    Are good for me and you.

    It pays the highest interest—

    For it is merely lent;

    It's worth a million dollars,And it doesn't cost a cent.

    A smile comes very easy—

    You can wrinkle up with cheer,A hundred times before

    You can squeeze out a salty tear;

    It ripples out, moreover,To the heartstrings that will tug,And always leaves an echo

    That is very like a hug.

    So, smile away! Folks understand

    What by a smile is meant;

    It's worth a million dollars,And it doesn't cost a cent.

    coax v. 劝诱,哄劝

    nerve v. 鼓起勇气,使有勇气

    wrinkle v. 起皱纹

    ripple v. 泛起涟漪

    那最能令生命变得有价值,代价最少而回报最多的,不过是一个让人欢喜的微笑。

    它涌自同胞之爱,会驱走心中的乌云,引得阳光重现。

    它珍贵而美好,混合着坚毅与善意;

    它价值连城但却不费分文。

    当我们看到欢喜的微笑,忧伤便消失无踪;

    它永远那样美好,永不过时;

    失败令我们心灰意懒,它鼓舞我们再次尝试;

    鼓励的笑靥对你我都有好处。

    它支付最高的利息,只因它是借来的;

    它价值连城却不费分文。

    微笑很容易——只需欢快地泛起笑纹,你可以微笑百次,却难挤出一滴眼泪;

    它荡起涟漪,触动心弦,而且总能留下回音,好似拥抱。

    那就继续微笑吧!人们都懂得微笑的意味;

    它价值连城但却不费分文。1 ℃ Love

    1℃的爱情

    In a cold winter, a couple had to move out from the luxury villa because

    of bankruptcy. The husband worked day and night to support the family but

    with no care of his wife. So she thought, He doesn't love me any more; he

    cares about his business, not me.

    One day, she began to take a bath; he stopped her at the door, Let me

    take it first, okay? Why not let me shower first? she asked.

    I was tired, sweetie, you take it later, okay? She was totally depressed.

    On a morose day, she found nothing to do and turned on his computer, a

    few words blurred her eyes... It was his diary:

    Today, I was quite sad, she asked me why I was always taking the bath

    first, and I said to her, I was exhausted. She was unhappy, in her mind, I

    treated her not as well as usual, but how can I do? I was not as rich as before!

    We moved to this small apartment, there was only a shower in the bathroom,it was so cold to take a shower in such a freezing winter. But I found that if

    one person took the shower first, the room could get a little warmer, so every

    time I rushed to the bathroom first. I was thinking that, when she took the

    shower, the room would get warmer, at least 1℃, 2℃ or 3℃. Now, I can't

    give her a comfortable life, bring her to the luxury restaurant, buy expensive

    dresses for her, but at least, I can give her 1℃ love.luxury adj. 奢华的

    morose adj. 郁闷的

    exhausted adj. 筋疲力尽的

    在一个寒冷的冬天,一对夫妇因为破产,不得不从豪华别墅搬了出

    来。丈夫没日没夜地工作,努力养活家人,却冷落了妻子。于是妻子

    想:“他不再爱我了,他只关心他的事业,而不是我。”

    有一天,妻子准备洗澡,丈夫在浴室门口拦住了她:“让我先洗

    吧,好吗?”“为什么不让我先洗?”妻子问。

    “我累了,亲爱的,你等一下再洗,好吗?”妻子难过极了。

    在一个郁闷的日子里,妻子无事可做,便打开丈夫的电脑,有几行

    字让她的眼睛模糊起来……那是他的日记:

    今天我很难过,她问我为什么总是我第一个洗澡,我对她说,我累

    了。她很不高兴,心里肯定觉得我对她没有以前好了,可我能怎么办

    呢?我没以前那么有钱了!我们搬到这个小公寓,浴室里只有一个花

    洒,在这么冷的冬天,洗个澡真是太冷了。但是我发现,如果有人先洗

    过的话,浴室就会稍微暖和一些。于是每次我都先冲进浴室。我想,当

    她洗澡时,浴室会暖和一点儿,温度至少能提高1℃、2℃或者3℃。现

    在,我不能给她舒适的生活,不能带她去高级餐厅,不能为她买昂贵的

    衣服,但至少我能给她1℃的爱情。Hospital Window

    窗外

    Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man

    was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the

    fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window.

    The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked

    for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their

    jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on

    vacation.

    And every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit

    up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he

    could see outside the window. The man in the other bed began to live for

    those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened

    by all the activity and color of the world outside.

    The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans

    played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers

    walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old

    trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen

    in the distance.

    As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man

    on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine thepicturesque scene.

    One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing

    by. Although the other man couldn't hear the band, he could see it in his

    mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive

    words. Days and weeks passed.

    One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to

    find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in

    his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the

    body away. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could

    be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and

    after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

    Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first

    look at the world outside. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it for

    himself.

    He strained to slowly turn to look out of the window beside the bed.

    It faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse what could have

    compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things

    outside this window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could

    not even see the wall.

    exquisite adj. 精致的

    parade n. (庆祝)游行

    prop v. 支撑

    strain v. 使劲,竭力

    两个重病的人住在同一间病房。一个人获准每天下午从病床上坐起

    来一小时,以便清除他肺部的积水。他的床在房间唯一的窗户旁边。另一个人只能整天平躺在床上。两人常常一聊几个小时,聊他们的

    妻子和家人、他们的家、他们的工作、他们的军旅生涯,以及他们曾度

    假的地方。

    每天下午,窗边的那个人坐起来后,会给病友讲他看到的窗外的一

    切。另一张床上的人开始渴望这一小时,在那段时间里,他的世界因窗

    外的生动和多彩变得宽广而鲜活。

    从那扇窗可以俯瞰一个公园,里面有个漂亮的湖,鸭子和天鹅在水

    里嬉戏,孩子们玩着船模,年轻的情侣们在五彩缤纷的花丛中手挽着手

    散步,巨大的古树让这美景更添意趣,远处可以望见城市的轮廓。

    当窗边的人绘声绘色地描述这一切时,房间另一边的人会闭上眼睛

    想象那生动的场景。

    一个温暖的午后,窗边的人描述一个经过此地的游行队伍,虽然另

    一个人没听见乐队演奏的声音,但是在窗边那人绘声绘色的描述中,他

    可以想见外面的景象。日子就这样过了一天又一天、一周又一周。

    一天早上,日班护士给他们送来洗澡水,结果发现窗边的人已经停

    止呼吸,他在睡梦中平静地去了。她很难过,叫来医院的护工,搬走了

    尸体。一等到合适的机会,另一个人立刻询问能否让他搬到靠窗的床

    位。护士很乐意帮他换过去。把他安排好以后,护士离开,留下他一个

    人在那里。

    他忍着疼痛慢慢地用手肘撑起身体,想要第一次望望外面的世界。

    他终于可以自己去看,去享受这种快乐了。

    他用尽力气慢慢扭过身看向床边的窗户。

    窗外是一堵光秃的墙。他问护士那位曾把窗外描绘得无比精彩的已

    故病友为什么要编出这些话来。护士告诉他,那人眼盲,连那面墙都看

    不见。Tomato Changed My Life

    番茄的魔法

    Spontaneity has never been my forte. As a 14-year-old, I would refuse

    to go for walks around the block with my friends if I was the least bit behind

    in my schoolwork. You're just no fun, my friend Jane would tell me.

    Unlike most teenagers, I lived not in my room, but in an unused kitchen

    upstairs where I sprawled my books and papers on a large round table. I spent

    an inordinate amount of time there, working continuously for hours, and my

    mother worried. She would try to lure me away. Come watch the parade!

    she would yell from downstairs. All our neighbors are out there! She

    thought of all kinds of enticements—the swimming pool, ice cream, stray

    cats and turtles—to dislodge me from my studies, but nothing ever worked.

    Later, in college, the pattern continued. The library and my college dorm

    replaced the unused kitchen at home. When spring came along, friends would

    stop by my dorm or peer into my library cubicle to persuade me to play

    Frisbee on the lawn outside the main building. No, I would almost always

    say, I have too much to do.

    My college days were gone, but not my need and love for schedules.

    They kept me focused. Justify my time. My friends and sisters tried to pry meaway from my plans in much the same way that my mom tried to coax me

    out of the kitchen, but they were hardly ever successful.

    This summer, though, while house-sitting for my parents, I was

    persuaded to change my plans in the most unexpected way. The sight of

    tomatoes growing in my mother's garden lured me out of my tightly

    scheduled world. They drew me with the power of a lover's gaze.

    Hundreds of them were turning ripe and red by the minute. Large

    beefsteak tomatoes—some doubled but not yet divided—hung heavily or

    dropped from their vines. Plum tomatoes—half-green, half-red—and scarlet

    cherry tomatoes, too many to count, decorated the garden like ornaments on a

    Christmas tree. They begged for attention.

    If I have time, I'll make tomato sauce, I told myself. But my long week

    in the house by myself was already filled with things to do: writing, building

    my photography portfolio, and finishing a project that I brought home from

    the office.

    Making tomato sauce was humdrum domestic work that did not

    contribute to my goals and, more important, wasn't scheduled. But there they

    hung from their vines, dropping to the ground with muted thumps, beckoning

    me. I picked them and placed them in baskets. I arranged them, adding string

    beans, peas, and onions that I pulled from the garden. I put them in the green

    house so that the light could hit it just right.

    I ate them for lunch and dinner. I gave them to friends. But they

    continued to fall to the ground in even-greater numbers. If I have time, I'll

    make sauce, I told myself one more time. And again I mentally argued about

    all the things I had planned and needed to do.

    Finally, I gave in.

    I picked up the recipe that I had scribbled down from a friend. Simmerin a little bit of water with garlic and onions for two hours. Add sugar,oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, it read. I rummaged for 20 minutes in the

    kitchen cabinet and pulled out a huge white enamel pot. I washed the

    tomatoes, cutting away sections that were spoiled, and sliced and threw them

    into the pot. I swayed and jiggled the watery mixture as if I were panning for

    gold.

    I tend to work in silence, but at that moment I—yes, spontaneously—

    decided to turn on the stereo. I sang along with Billy Joel and reviewed a step

    I'd picked up in my swing-dance class. The tomatoes simmered, their aroma

    blending with the breeze coming in from the open windows.

    The old voice returned. You should be reading, doing stuff, it told me.

    So I lowered the volume but, instead of reading The New York Times Sunday

    Magazine—as I had planned—I flipped through the furnishings and crafts in

    Better Homes Gardens. It was one of those rare occasions when I ignored

    the crotchety old voice that spoiled my fun.

    Something clicked inside me! Recalled the moments that could have

    been! Looked back on my college days when students crowded in front of the

    lawn. I wondered where I might have gone and what I might have done had I

    accepted more invitations to be among them. I thought of the conversations

    that I did not have, the people I never met.

    As I sat there flipping through the magazine, I smiled that I didn't listen

    to the voice that told me I was off schedule.

    spontaneity n. 心血来潮

    lure v. 引诱,诱惑

    vine n. 蔓,藤

    recipe n. 食谱crotchety adj. 坏脾气的

    想一出是一出从不是我的长项。十四岁的时候,我只要有一点儿功

    课没做完,就不会和小朋友出去玩。我的朋友简总说我:“你真没劲。”

    与大多数十几岁的孩子不同,我没有卧室,而是住在楼上一个废弃

    的厨房里。厨房里的大圆桌上堆满了我的书和草稿纸。我大部分时间都

    待在那儿学习,经常连续几个小时。这让母亲很担心,她总是想找办法

    让我出去放松一下。有时,她会在楼下喊:“来看游行队伍吧!我们的

    邻居都去了!”为了哄我出去,母亲想尽了各种办法——去游泳,吃冰

    激凌,跟流浪猫或小乌龟玩——就想让我从学习中走出来,然而一切都

    是徒劳的。

    上大学后我一切照旧,只不过学校的图书馆和宿舍代替了从前家里

    的那个厨房。春天,朋友们会找到寝室或图书馆隔间,劝我到主楼外面

    的草地上玩飞盘,我总是说:“不行,我还有很多事情要做呢。”

    大学生活结束了,但我仍喜欢按照计划做事,这样能让我集中精

    力。虽然朋友和姐妹们也会像母亲当年想哄我出门一样,劝我从计划中

    走出来,可是他们很少能成功。

    然而,这个夏天帮父母看房子的时候,我的计划却被意外地改变

    了。我看到母亲花园里的番茄,只一眼就把我引出了日程紧张的生活。

    它们就像爱人的眼神,让我无法抗拒。

    这会儿许多番茄都快成熟了,红彤彤的。大个儿的“牛排番茄”——

    有的两个长在一起,还没完全分开——或是沉甸甸地挂在蔓上,或是落

    在地上。还有青红相间的“梅子番茄”和大红的“樱桃番茄”,数不胜数,就像圣诞树上的小装饰,把整个花园装点得漂亮极了,实在是惹人喜

    欢。

    “如果有时间,我就做些番茄酱。”我对自己说。然而独自在家的这

    一周已经被我安排得满满的:写作,为我的摄影作品选揖挑选照片,还要完成一个从办公室带回的项目。

    做番茄酱只是一件寻常家务活,对我实现目标毫无帮助,更重要的

    是,它并不在我的计划之内。可那些番茄就挂在蔓上,还不时闷声落到

    地上,这似乎是在召唤我。我把它们摘下来放到篮子里,码放整齐,又

    从花园摘了一些菜豆、豌豆和洋葱加上去,一起放进温室,好让它们接

    受适量的阳光。

    午餐和晚餐我都会吃些番茄,还送了一些给朋友。可是园子里的番

    茄还是不断地往下掉,而且越来越多。“如果有时间的话,我就做些番

    茄酱。”我又一次这样对自己说。然而,我又想到那些计划和需要做的

    事。

    最终,我让步了。

    我拿起从朋友那里抄来的做番茄酱的菜谱:“加入大蒜、洋葱和

    水,用文火煮两个小时,再加入糖、牛至、罗勒、百里香、迷迭香即

    可。”我在碗橱里翻了二十分钟,才找到一个白色的大搪瓷罐。我洗好

    番茄,切去烂掉的部分,又把它们切块,然后放进罐里。我抱着搪瓷

    罐,就像是在淘金一样用力地把加了调料的混合物摇匀。

    我往常都喜欢安静地干活,这时却突然——是的,就是灵机一动

    ——决定打开音响,还跟着比利·乔唱了一段,复习了一个学过的摇摆

    舞步。番茄正用文火煮着,散发出来的香气和窗外吹来的微风混在一

    起。

    这时,我耳边又响起了那熟悉的声音:“你应该去读书,做有用的

    事。”于是我把音响调小了些。不过我没有去看《纽约时报杂志周日

    版》——像我原本计划的那样——而是翻看起了《家居与园艺》里的家

    具和手工艺品。我难得地无视了那个总是让人扫兴的坏脾气声音。

    我的内心忽然有了变化!我想起从前那些可能的美好时光!回想大

    学时代草坪前聚集的学生们,如果当初多接受一些邀请,我会到过哪些

    地方,做过哪些事呢?我想到那些错失的交谈和失之交臂的人。我坐在那里翻着杂志,想到自己没有理会那告诫我要执行计划的声

    音,不由衷心地笑了。I Would Pick More Daisies

    我要多采些雏菊花

    A 85-year-old lady was asked what she would do if she had her life to

    live over again.

    I'd make more mistakes next time, she said, I'd relax. I would limber

    up. I would be sillier than I have been on this trip. I would take fewer things

    seriously. I would take more chances. I would climb more mountains and

    swim more rivers. I would eat more ice cream and fewer beans. I would

    perhaps have more actual troubles, but I'd have fewer imaginary ones.

    You see, I'm one of those people who live sensibly and sanely hour

    after hour, day after day. Oh, I've had my moments, and if I had to do it over

    again, I'd have more of them. In fact, I'd try to have nothing else. Just

    moments, one after another, instead of living so many years ahead of each

    day. I've been one of those persons who never goes anywhere without a

    thermometer, a hot water bottle, and a raincoat. If I had to do it over again, I

    would travel lighter than I have.

    If I had my life to live over, I would start barefoot earlier in the spring

    and stay that way later in the fall. I would go to more dances. I would ride

    more merry-go-rounds and I would pick more daisies...limber up 运动,做准备活动

    sanely adv. 理智地

    thermometer n. 温度计

    有人问一位85岁高龄的老妇人,如果再有一次生命,她会做些什

    么。

    “下次我会多犯些错误。”她说,“我要活得很放松;我要把身体练

    得柔软灵活;我要过得傻一些;我不会对那么多事较真;我要抓住更多

    机会;我要攀登更多高山,到更多河里游泳;我要多吃点儿冰激凌,少

    吃点儿豆子;也许我会碰到更多现实中的麻烦,但是会少很多臆想的麻

    烦。”

    “你瞧,我是那种每天每时都活得很理性的人。哦,我有过精彩的

    时刻,如果必须重来一次,我要拥有更多这样的时刻。事实上,我别无

    所求;我会活在当下,而不是这么多年都在为以后的事操心。我以前是

    那种不管去哪儿都带上温度计、热水壶和雨衣的人。但是,如果要重来

    一次,我会轻装去旅行。”

    “如果再有一次生命,我要从早春赤脚到深秋,我要去多跳几次

    舞,多坐几次旋转木马,还有,我要多采些雏菊花……”Love Is Inside

    爱情就在里面

    Sometimes I really doubt whether there is love between my parents.

    Every day they are very busy trying to earn money in order to pay the high

    tuition for my brother and me. They don't act in the romantic ways that I read

    in books or I see on TV. In their opinion, I love you is too luxurious for

    them to say. Sending flowers to each other on Valentine's Day is even more

    out of the question. Finally my father has a bad temper. When he's very tired

    from the hard work, it is easy for him to lose his temper.

    One day, my mother was sewing a quilt. I silently sat down beside her

    and looked at her.

    Mom, I have a question to ask you, I said after a while.

    What? she replied, still doing her work.

    Is there love between you and Dad? I asked her in a very low voice.

    My mother stopped her work and raised her head with surprise in her

    eyes. She didn't answer immediately. Then she bowed her head and continued

    to sew the quilt.

    I was very worried because I thought I had hurt her. I was in a great

    embarrassment and I didn't know what I should do. But at last I heard my

    mother say the following words: Mary, she said thoughtfully, Look at this

    thread. Sometimes it appears, but most of it disappears in the quilt. Thethread really makes the quilt strong and durable. If life is a quilt, then love

    should be a thread. It can hardly be seen anywhere or anytime, but it's really

    there. Love is inside.

    I listened carefully but I couldn't understand her until the next spring. At

    that time, my father suddenly got sick seriously. My mother had to stay with

    him in the hospital for a month. When they returned from the hospital, they

    both looked very pale. It seemed both of them had had a serious illness.

    After they were back, every day in the morning and dusk, my mother

    helped my father walk slowly on the country road. My father had never been

    so gentle. It seemed they were the most harmonious couple. Along the

    country road, there were many beautiful flowers, green grass and trees. The

    sun gently glistened through the leaves. All of these made up the most

    beautiful picture in the world.

    The doctor had said my father would recover in two months. But after

    two months he still couldn't walk by himself. All of us were worried about

    him.

    Dad, how are you feeling now? I asked him one day.

    Mary, don't worry about me. He said gently. To tell you the truth, I

    just like walking with your mom. I like this kind of life. Reading his eyes, I

    know he loves my mother deeply.

    Once I thought love meant flowers, gifts and sweet kisses. But from this

    experience, I understand that love is just a thread in the quilt of our life. Love

    is inside, making life strong and warm...

    quilt n. 被子

    embarrassment n. 困窘,窘迫

    thoughtfully adv. 思虑地glisten v. 闪耀,闪光

    有时我真怀疑父母之间是否有爱情。他们天天忙于赚钱,为了给我

    和弟弟支付高昂的学费。他们从未像我在书中读到或在电视中看到的那

    样寻求浪漫。他们认为“我爱你”太奢侈,很难说出口,更不用说在情人

    节送花这种事了。还有一点是,父亲脾气很坏。累了一天,他经常会发

    脾气。

    一天,母亲正在缝被子,我安静地坐到她身边看着她。

    过了一会儿,我说:“妈妈,我想问你一个问题。”

    “什么问题?”她一边继续缝着,一边回答。

    “你和爸爸相爱吗?”我低声问。

    母亲停下手中的活儿,满眼诧异地抬起头。她没有马上回答,只是

    低下头继续缝被子。

    我担心自己伤害了她。我窘极了,不知道该怎么办。不过,终于我

    听见母亲开口了。“玛丽,”她想了想说,“看看这线。有些能看得见,但是大多数都藏在被子里。线使被子结实耐用。假如生活是一条被子,那么爱就是其中的线。你不能随时随地看到它,但是它却真实存在着。

    爱就在里面。”

    我仔细地听着,但直到来年春天才明白了她的话。那时父亲突然得

    了重病。母亲不得不在医院里陪了他一个月。他们从医院回来的时候,都显得非常苍白,就像两人都大病一场似的。

    他们回来之后,每天清晨和黄昏,母亲都会搀扶着父亲在乡间小路

    上散步。父亲从未如此温和。他们就像是最和谐的夫妻。乡间小路上有

    许多漂亮的野花、绿草和树木。阳光穿过树叶的缝隙柔和地照下来。这

    简直是世间最美好的画面。

    医生说父亲两个月就能康复。但是两个月之后,他仍然无法独立行

    走。我们都为他担心。“爸爸,你现在感觉怎么样?”我有一天问他。

    “玛丽,不用为我担心。”他轻声说,“跟你说实话吧,我就是喜欢

    跟你妈妈一起散步的感觉。我喜欢这种生活。”从他的眼神里,我看得

    出他深爱着母亲。

    我曾认为爱情就是鲜花、礼物和甜蜜的亲吻。但是这段经历让我明

    白,爱情是生活这条被子里的一根线。爱情在里面,让生活变得结实而

    温暖……The Road to Success

    成功之路

    卡耐基

    It is well that young men should begin at the

    beginning and occupy the most subordinate positions. Many of the

    leading businessmen of Pittsburgh had 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 a 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. The other day a fond fashionable mother in Michigan asked a young

    man whether he had ever seen a young lady sweep in a room so grandly as

    her Priscilla. He said no, he never had, and the mother was gratified beyond

    measure, but then said he, after a pause, What I should like to see her do is

    sweep out a room. It does not hurt the newest comer 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 whodoes 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 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.

    To 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 revenue; lastly be not

    impatient, for as Emerson says, No one can cheat you out of ultimate

    success but yourselves.subordinate adj. 次要的;隶属的

    salutary adj. 有益的,有利的

    gratify v. 使高兴,使满意

    exclusively adv. 排外地;全部地

    年轻人应该从头开始,从底层做起,这样很好。匹兹堡许多杰出企

    业家在刚开始工作时,都承担过一个重任:他们手持扫帚,打扫办公

    室,由此开始职业生涯。我注意到,现在的办公室都有保洁员,我们的

    年轻人不幸失去了企业教育中有益的一环。但是,如果某天早上,专职

    的清洁工碰巧没来,那么具有未来合伙人潜质的小伙子就会毫不犹豫地

    拿起扫帚。一次,密歇根一位宠爱孩子的时髦母亲问一个年轻人,是否

    见过有哪个年轻姑娘在房间里走得像她的普里茜拉那样优雅。年轻人回

    答说从来没有见过,那位母亲非常满意。可是他停了一下又说:“我想

    看的是她打扫房间。”需要的时候,让新来的员工打扫一下办公室并没

    有坏处。我自己就曾扫过办公室。

    假如你们已经有了工作并且顺利开了头,我的忠告就是:“确定远

    大的目标。”对于那些没有把自己看成大公司未来合伙人或者老板的

    人,我无话可说。无论如何,不要满足于做个首席雇员、领班或者总经

    理。告诉自己:“顶峰才是我的位置。”在你的梦想里做个国王。

    成功的基本条件和最大秘诀就是:把你的精力、思想和资本全部集

    中于你的事业。投身一个行业,就要决心在这一行做出一番事业,成为

    行业领袖,利用每一点进步,使用最好的设备,精通专业知识。

    一些公司失败就在于分散了资金,从而分散了精力。他们在这里那

    里到处投资。“不要把所有的鸡蛋放在同一个篮子里”这话大错特错。我

    要告诉你们的是:“把所有的鸡蛋都放在同一个篮子里,然后看好篮

    子。”好好观察周围,这么做的人往往不会失败。随身照看一个篮子很

    容易。正是提的篮子太多,才打破了这个国家大部分的鸡蛋。人一次提三个篮子,就得把其中一个顶在头上,这个篮子很容易掉下来并把他绊

    倒。美国商人的一个缺点就是不够专注。

    总而言之:要有远大的目标;不要流连酒吧;滴酒不饮,或者只在

    用餐时喝一点;别去投机;量入为出;视公司的利益为自身利益;只为

    帮助货主才取消订单;专注一事;把所有的鸡蛋放在同一个篮子里,并

    好好照管;不超支;最后,要有耐心,就像爱默生说的:“成功只会毁

    在你自己手里。”Innocent Homeless

    无辜的流浪者

    The hastily scrawled sign on the crumpled cardboard read: BROKE—

    NEED DOG FOOD. The desperate young man held the sign in one hand and

    a leash in the other as he paced back and forth on the busy corner in

    downtown Las Vegas.

    Attached to the leash was a husky pup no more than a year old. Not far

    from them was an older dog of the same breed, chained to a lamppost. He

    was howling into the brisk chill of the approaching winter evening, with a

    wail that could be heard for blocks. It was as though he knew his own fate,for the sign that was propped next to him read: FOR SALE.

    Forgetting about my own destination, I quickly turned the car around

    and made a beeline back toward the homeless trio. For years, I've kept dog

    and cat food in the trunk of my car for stray or hungry animals I often find.

    It's been a way of helping those I couldn't take in. It's also what I've used to

    coax many a scared dog off the road to safety. Helping needy animals has

    always been an automatic decision for me.

    I pulled into the nearest parking lot and grabbed a five-pound bag of dog

    food, a container of water and a twenty-dollar bill from my purse. I

    approached the ragged-looking man and his unhappy dogs warily. If this man

    had somehow hurt these creatures or was using them as come-ons, I knew myanger would quickly take over. The older dog was staring up at the sky,whining pitifully. Just before I reached them, a truck pulled up along-side of

    them and asked how much the man wanted for the older dog.

    Fifty bucks, the man on the corner replied, then added quickly, but I

    really don't want to sell him.

    Is he papered?

    No.

    Is he fixed?

    No.

    How old is he?

    Five. But I really don't want to sell him. I just need some money to feed

    him.

    If I had fifty bucks, I'd buy him. The light turned green, and the truck

    sped off.

    The man shook his head and continued dejectedly pacing the sidewalk.

    When he noticed me coming in his direction, he stopped walking and

    watched me approach. The pup began wagging his tail.

    Hi, I offered, as I drew nearer. The young man's face was gentle and

    friendly, and I could sense just by looking in his eyes that he was someone in

    real crisis.

    I have some food here for your dogs, I said. Dumbfounded, he took

    the bag as I set down the water in front of them.

    You brought water, too? he asked incredulously. We both knelt down

    next to the older dog, and the puppy greeted me enthusiastically.

    That one there is T.C., and this one's Dog. I'm Wayne. The sad, older

    dog stopped crying long enough to see what was in the container.

    What happened, Wayne? I asked. I felt a bit intrusive, but he answeredme directly and simply. Well, I just moved out here from Arizona and

    haven't been able to find work. I'm at the point where I can't even feed the

    dogs.

    Where are you living?

    That truck right there, he pointed to a dilapidated old vehicle that was

    parked close by. It had an extra long bed with a shell, so at least they had

    shelter from the elements.

    The pup had climbed onto my lap and settled in. I asked Wayne what

    type of work he did.

    I'm a mechanic and a welder, he said. But there's nothing out here for

    either. I've looked and looked. These dogs are my family; I hate to have to

    sell them, but I just can't afford to feed them.

    He kept saying it over and over. He didn't want to sell them, but he

    couldn't feed them. An awful look came over his face every time he repeated

    it. It was as if he might have to give up a child.

    The time seemed right to casually pass over the twenty-dollar bill,hoping I wouldn't further damage his already shaky pride. Here. Use this to

    buy yourself something to eat.

    Well, thanks, he slowly replied, unable to look me in the face. This

    could get us a room for the night, too.

    How long have you been out here?

    All day.

    Hasn't anyone else stopped?

    No, you're the first. It was late afternoon and quickly getting dark.

    Here in the desert, when the sun dropped, the temperature would dip into the

    thirties.

    My mind went fast-forward as I pictured the three of them going withouteven a single meal today, perhaps for several days, and spending many long,cold hours cooped up in their inadequate, makeshift shelter.

    Seeing people beg for food isn't anything new in this city. But this man

    stood out because he wasn't asking for food for himself. He was more

    concerned with keeping his dogs fed than with his own welfare. As a pet-

    parent of nine well-fed and passionately loved dogs of my own, it hit a deep

    chord in me.

    I don't think I'll ever really know what came over me at that moment,inspiring me to do what I did next, but I just knew it was something I had to

    do. I asked him if he'd wait there for a few minutes until I returned. He

    nodded his head and smiled.

    My car flew to the nearest grocery store. Bursting with urgency, I raced

    in and took hold of a cart. I started on the first aisle and didn't quit until I

    reached the other side of the store. The items couldn't be pulled off the

    shelves fast enough. Just the essentials, I thought. Just food that will last a

    couple of weeks and sustain their meager existence. Peanut butter and jelly.

    Bread. Canned food. Juice. Fruit. Vegetables. Dog food. More dog food

    (forty pound, to be exact). And chew toys. They should have some treats, too.

    A few other necessities and the job was done.

    The total comes to 102.91, said the checker. I didn't bat an eye. The

    pen ran over that blank check faster than I could legibly write. It didn't matter

    that the mortgage was due soon or that I really didn't have the extra hundred

    dollars to spend. Nothing mattered besides seeing that this family had some

    food. I was amazed at my own intensity and the overwhelming motivation

    that compelled me to spend a hundred dollars on a total stranger. Yet, at the

    same time, I felt like the luckiest person in the world. To be able to give this

    man and his beloved companions a tiny bit of something of which I had somuch opened the floodgates of gratitude in my own heart.

    The icing on the cake was the look on Wayne's face when I returned

    with all the groceries. Here are just a few things… I said as the dogs looked

    on with great anticipation. I wanted to avoid any awkwardness, so I hastily

    petted the dogs.

    Good luck to you, I said and held out my hand.

    Thank you and God bless you. Now I won't have to sell my dogs. His

    smile shone brightly in the deepening darkness.

    It's true that people are more complicated than animals, but sometimes

    they can be as easy to read. Wayne was a good person, someone who looked

    at a dog and saw family. In my book, a man like that deserves to be happy.

    Later, on my way home, I purposely drove past that same corner. Wayne

    and the dogs were gone. But they have stayed for a long time in my heart and

    mind. Perhaps I will run into them again someday. I like to think that it all

    turned out well for them.

    scrawl v. 潦草地写

    incredulously adv. 怀疑地,不可置信地

    dilapidated adj. 破烂的

    inadequate adj. 不适当的;不充足的

    overwhelming adj. 无法抗拒的

    anticipation n. 预期;预料

    有个绝望的年轻人在拉斯维加斯市中心繁忙的街角走来走去,一只

    手举着皱巴巴的纸板,上面潦草地写着:破产——需要狗粮;另一只手

    牵着狗链子。

    狗链上拴着一只不满一岁的哈士奇,离他们不远的灯柱上系着一只大一些的。冬夜将至,大狗在严寒中嚎叫着,那声音几个街区外都能听

    见。它似乎知道自己的命运。它的身旁立着一个写着“出售”的牌子。

    我一时忘了自己的目的地,迅速掉转车头,径自驶向这三个流浪

    者。多年来,我一直习惯在后备箱放些猫粮和狗粮,因为我经常会遇到

    流浪或饥饿的动物。我用这种方式来帮助那些我不能收养的动物,我也

    会用食物诱哄受到惊吓的狗离开危险的马路。我总是不由自主地帮助那

    些处在困境中的动物。

    我把车停在最近的停车场,拿出一包五磅重的狗粮和一罐水,又从

    钱包里掏出20美元。我小心翼翼地走向那个衣着破旧的人和他可怜的狗

    狗们。如果这个人伤害了这些动物,或者把它们当成博人怜悯的工具,我肯定会发火。大一些的狗仰天哀叫着。先我一步,一辆卡车在他们旁

    边停下来,问大狗卖多少钱。

    “50美元。”街角的年轻人回答,接着很快地又说,“但我确实不想

    卖。”

    “它上户口了吗?”

    “没有。”

    “它阉割过吗?”

    “没有。”

    “它多大了?”

    “5岁。我真不想卖它,我只是需要些钱给它买点吃的。”

    “如果我有50美元,就把它买了。”绿灯亮了,卡车加速开走了。

    年轻人摇摇头,继续无精打采地在人行道上走来走去。他注意到我

    走过来,便停下脚步看着我,小狗也开始摇尾巴。

    “嗨。”我走近后,和他打了个招呼。年轻人样子和气而友好,从眼

    神可以看出他确实遇到了麻烦。

    “我这儿有些狗粮。”我说。他愣了一下,接过袋子,我把水放在他

    们面前。“你还带了水?”他惊讶地问。我们单膝跪在大狗旁边,小狗欢快地

    跟我打招呼。

    “那只叫TC,这只叫狗狗,我叫韦恩。”那条可怜的大狗早就止住哀

    叫,来看罐子里的东西。

    “发生了什么事,韦恩?”我问,而后又觉得有些冒失,但他简单干

    脆地回答了我。“哦,我刚从亚利桑那搬到这里,还没找到事做。眼下

    我连狗都养不起。”

    “那你现在住哪儿?”

    “就在那边的卡车里。”他指着停在附近的一辆破车说。车身很长,还有车厢,至少能挡风遮雨。

    小狗爬上我的膝头趴了下来。我问韦恩做哪类工作。

    “我做机修和焊工活儿。”他说,“但这里找不到相关的工作。我找

    了好久。这两只狗是我的亲人,我真不想卖掉它们,可又实在没法养活

    它们。”

    他一遍又一遍地说着:他不想卖掉它们,但又养不起。每次说这些

    话时,他脸上都露出痛苦的表情,就像他不得已要卖掉自己的孩子一

    样。

    此时不经意地递给他20块钱似乎是最合适不过了,希望我不会让他

    脆弱的自尊再受打击。“给,拿这个给自己买些吃的。”

    “噢,谢谢。”他缓缓答道,目光无法直视我,“这都够我们找个房

    间过夜了。”

    “你们在这里多久了?”

    “整整一天。”

    “没人停下来帮你们吗?”

    “没有,你是第一个。”此时已是傍晚,夜晚会很快来临。太阳落山

    后,沙漠地区的温度会降到华氏30多度。

    我的脑子飞快地转着,心想今天他们没吃一顿饭,或许几天都没吃了,只能长时间、冷冰冰地缩在勉强栖身的破车里。

    在这个城市里看到乞丐不新鲜,但这个人却与众不同,因为他不是

    为自己乞讨。他更关心的是让他的狗吃饭,而没考虑自己。作为一个养

    着九只心爱宠物狗的人,我被深深感动了。

    我不明白当时想到了什么让我做了后来的事,我只是觉得必须这么

    做。我问他能否在那里等我回来,他点点头,笑了笑。

    我开车飞驰到最近的食品店,急急地冲进去,推了一辆手推车。我

    从第一个货架开始,一直走到店的另一头才停下来,拿东西的时候只恨

    不够快。我想就只买些必需品,够他们吃几个星期,能让他们活命就

    行。花生酱和果冻、面包、罐头、果汁、水果、蔬菜、狗粮、更多的狗

    粮(准确说是40磅)。还有磨牙玩具,它们的生活得有点儿乐趣。我还

    买了一些别的必需品,终于大功告成了。

    “一共102.91美元。”收银员说。我眼都不眨签了支票。虽然还款日

    就快到了,我也没有100块的余钱可以随意开销,但这些都不重要。最

    重要的是让这一家有些可以果腹的食物。我惊异于自己会如此迫切地为

    一个陌生人花掉100美元。然而同时,我又觉得自己是世界上最幸运的

    人。能有机会把我拥有的东西分给这个人和他心爱的伙伴哪怕是一丁点

    儿,这让我心存感激。

    当我拿着这些东西回来时,韦恩脸上的表情让我更加感到快

    乐。“这点东西……”我说的时候两只狗眼巴巴地望着我,我急忙去拍了

    拍它们,好避免尴尬。

    “祝你好运。”我说着向他伸出了手。

    “谢谢你,愿上帝保佑你,现在我不用卖狗了。”他的笑容在渐浓的

    夜色中灿烂极了。

    人确实比动物复杂,但有时他们却又很容易读懂。韦恩是个好人,他把狗看成家人。在我看来,这样的人应该快乐。

    后来,在回家的路上,我又特意从那个街角驶过。韦恩和那些狗都不在了,但是他们长久地留在我的心里。也许有一天我会再次遇到他

    们,我想他们一定过得很好。The Sorrows of Young Werther

    少年维特的烦恼

    歌 德

    Why do I not write to you? And you, a learned man, ask me this? You

    should be clever enough to guess that I am in a happy mood because in a

    word I have made an acquaintance who moves my heart in a strange way. I

    have... I do not know.

    It is not easy for me to tell you, in chronological order just how it

    happened, how I met such a lovely being. I am contented and happy, and

    therefore not a good historian.

    An angel! Nonsense! Everyone calls his loved one thus, does he not?

    And yet I cannot describe to you how perfect she is, or why she is so perfect;

    enough to say that she has captured me completely.

    So much innocence combined with so much intelligence; such kindness

    with such firmness; such inner serenity in such an active life.

    But all this is foolish talk of abstract words which fail to describe one

    single feature of her real person. Another time, no, not another time, right at

    this moment will tell you everything. If I do not do it now, it will never be

    done.Because between you and me since I began this letter I have been three

    times on the point of laying down my pen, having my horse saddled and

    riding out to her. Although I swore to myself this morning not to do it, I am

    going every other moment to the window to see how high the sun has

    climbed. I could not bear it any longer; I had to see her. Here I am back,Wilhelm; I will now eat my supper and then go on writing to you. What a

    delight it was to see her among the dear lively children, her eight brothers and

    sisters!

    acquaintance n. 相识的人,熟人

    chronological adj. 按时间先后顺序的

    serenity n. 平静;宁静

    swear v. 发誓;宣誓

    为什么我没有给你写信?你,一位如此博学的人,会问这个?你这

    么聪明准能猜到,我现在很高兴,简单说吧,我认识了一个让我心动的

    人。我已经……我也说不清。

    我很难把这事的来龙去脉说清楚,告诉你我怎样认识了一位如此可

    爱的人。我现在既快乐又满足,所以没法把一切很客观地写出来。

    一位天使!废话!谁谈起自己的意中人时都会这么说,不是吗?可

    我却无法向你描述她是多么完美,以及她为什么会那么完美;一句话,她已经把我整个心都俘获了。

    她那么纯真,又那么聪明;那么善良,又那么坚定;那么活泼,内

    心却又充满宁静。

    但所有这些都是愚蠢的空泛之词,无法描述她真实的样子。下次,不,不等下次,现在我就告诉你一切。要是现在不说,那就永远不会说

    了。因为,说实话,从动笔写这封信,我已经有三次想搁下笔,让人备

    马,出去找她了。今天早晨我还发誓不这样做,可我还是时不时地跑到

    窗前,看看太阳多高了。我忍不住,我必须见她。现在我回来了,威

    廉,我吃完晚饭继续给你写信。看到她同她活泼可爱的八个弟妹在一

    起,我真是开心!Keep Your Fork

    留着你的叉子Paper Boats

    纸船

    泰戈尔

    Day by day I float my paper boats one by one down the running stream.

    In big black letters I write my name on them and the name of the village

    where I live.

    I hope that someone in some strange land will find them and know who

    I am.

    I load my little boats with shiuli flowers from our garden, and hope that

    these blooms of the dawn will be carried safely to land in the night.

    I launch my paper boats and look up into the sky and see the little clouds

    setting their white bulging sails.

    I know not what playmate of mine in the sky sends them down the air to

    race with my boats!

    When night comes I bury my face in my arms and dream that my paper

    boats float on and on under the midnight stars.

    The fairies of sleep are sailing in them, and the lading is their baskets

    full of dreams.

    bulging adj. 鼓起的lading n. 装载的货物

    我每天把纸船一个个放在急流的溪中。

    我用大黑字写我的名字和我住的地名在纸船上。

    我希望住在异地的人得到了这纸船,就知道我是谁。

    我把园中长的希利花载在这些小船上,希望这些黎明开的花能在夜

    里平平安安地带到岸上。

    我投我的纸船到水里,仰看天空,看见小朵的云正张着满鼓着风的

    白帆。

    我不知道是不是天上的游伴把这些船放下来同我的船比赛!

    夜来了,我的脸埋在手臂里,梦见我的纸船在中夜的星辰下面渐漂

    渐远。

    “睡之仙人”坐在船里,带着他们满载着梦的篮子。Keep Your Fork

    留着你的叉子

    There was a young woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal

    illness and had been given three months to live. So as she was getting her

    things in order, she contacted her priest and had him come to her house to

    discuss certain aspects of her final wishes.

    She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what

    scriptures she would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in.

    Everything was in order and the priest was preparing to leave when the

    young woman suddenly remembered something very important to her.

    There's one more thing, she said excitedly.

    What's that? came the priest's reply.

    This is very important, the young woman continued. I want to be

    buried with a fork in my right hand.

    The priest stood looking at the young woman, not knowing quite what to

    say.

    That surprises you, doesn't it? the young woman asked.

    Well, to be honest, I'm puzzled by the request, said the priest.

    The young woman explained, In all my years of attending socials and

    dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course werebeing cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, 'Keep your fork.'

    It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming...

    like velvety chocolate cake or deep dish apple pie. Something wonderful, and

    with substance!' So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a

    fork in my hand and I want them to wonder 'What's with the fork?' then I

    want you to tell them: Keep your fork... The best is yet to come.

    The priest's eyes welled up with tears as he hugged the young woman

    good-bye. He knew this would be one of the last times he would see her

    before her death. But he also knew that the young woman had a better grasp

    of heaven than he did.

    She knew that something better was coming.

    At the funeral people were walking by the young woman's casket and

    they saw the cloak she was wearing and the fork placed in her right hand.

    Over and over, the priest heard the question: What's with the fork? And

    over and over he smiled.

    During his message, the priest told the people of the conversation he had

    with the young woman shortly before she died. He also told them about the

    fork and about what it symbolized to her. The priest told the people how he

    could not stop thinking about the fork and told them that they probably would

    not be able to stop thinking about it either.

    He was right. So the next time you reach down for your fork, let it

    remind you ever so gently, that the best is yet to come.

    diagnose v. 诊断

    terminal adj. 晚期的

    scripture n. 经文

    velvety adj. 光滑柔软的casket n. 棺材

    有一位姑娘被诊断出得了绝症,只剩三个月的生命。所以她着手安

    排后事时,联系了神父,请他到家里讨论葬礼的事。

    她告诉神父希望在自己葬礼上唱哪首歌,读哪段经文,以及穿什么

    衣服下葬。

    一切都安排妥当,神父准备离开时,姑娘突然想起了一件非常重要

    的事情。

    “还有一件事。”她兴奋地说。

    “什么事?”神父问。

    “这很重要。”姑娘接着说,“我想在下葬的时候右手拿一把叉子。”

    神父愣在那里,不知道说什么。

    “这让你很惊讶,是吧?”姑娘问。

    “嗯,说实话,我不太理解这个请求。”神父说。

    姑娘解释道:“这些年来,每次参加社交活动和宴会,我都记得当

    主菜的盘子撤走后,总是有人凑过身子对我说:‘留着你的叉子。’这是

    我最喜欢的时刻,因为我知道会有更好的东西端上来——像光滑柔软的

    巧克力蛋糕,或者厚厚的苹果派,总之是漂亮又美味的东西!所以我想

    让人们看见我在棺木里还拿着叉子,我想让他们好奇‘拿叉子干吗?’然

    后我希望你告诉他们:‘留着你的叉子……最好的还没来呢。’”

    当神父与姑娘拥抱道别时,他的眼里满是泪水。他知道自己见不了

    她几次了,但也知道这个姑娘比他对天堂的领悟更深刻。

    她确信更好的东西就要来了。

    在葬礼上,人们从姑娘的棺木旁走过,看到她穿的披风和右手的叉

    子。神父不断听到那个问题,“干吗拿着叉子?”他也一次次露出微笑。

    牧师发言时,把姑娘去世前与他的谈话讲给大家听。他还讲了叉子

    的事,以及那叉子对她的意义。神父说他的脑海中一直想着那把叉子,并且告诉大家,他们或许也会一直想着那把叉子。

    他是对的。所以,下次伸手去拿叉子时,让它静静地提醒你,最好

    的还没来呢。Of Love

    论爱情

    培 根

    The stage is more beholding to love, than the life of man. For as to the

    stage, love is ever matter of comedies, and now and then of tragedies; but in

    life it doth much mischief; sometimes like a Siren, sometimes like a Fury.

    You may observe, that amongst all the great and worthy persons

    (whereof the memory remaineth, either ancient or recent) there is not one,that hath been transported to the mad degree of love: which show that great

    spirits, and great business, do keep out this weak passion. You must except,nevertheless, Marcus Antonius, the half partner of the empire of Rome, and

    Appius Claudius, the decemvir and lawgiver; whereof the former was indeed

    a voluptuous man, and inordinate; but the latter was an austere and wise

    man; and therefore it seems (though rarely) that love can find entrance, not

    only into an open heart, but also into a heart well fortified, if watch be not

    well kept.

    It is a poor saying of Epicurus: Satis magnum alter alteri theatrum

    sumus; as if man, made for the contemplation of heaven, and all noble

    objects, should do nothing but kneel before a little idol, and make himself asubject, though not of the mouth (as beasts are), yet of the eye; which was

    given him for higher purposes.

    It is a strange thing, to note the excess of this passion, and how it braves

    the nature, and value of things, by this; that the speaking in a perpetual

    hyperbole, is comely in nothing but in love. Neither is it merely in the

    phrase; for whereas it hath been well said, that the arch-flatterer, with whom

    all the petty flatterers have intelligence, is a man's self; certainly the lover is

    more. For there was never proud man thought so absurdly well of himself, as

    the lover doth of the person loved; and therefore it was well said, that it is

    impossible to love, and to be wise. Neither doth this weakness appear to

    others only, and not to the party loved; but to the loved most of all, except the

    love be reciproque. For it is a true rule, that love is ever rewarded, either

    with the reciproque, or with an inward and secret contempt.

    By how much the more, men ought to beware of this passion, which

    loseth not only other things, but itself! As for the other losses, the poet's

    relation doth well figure them: that he that preferred Helena, quitted the gifts

    of Juno and Pallas. For whosoever esteemeth too much of amorous affection,quitteth both riches and wisdom.

    I know not how, but martial men are given to love: I think, it is but as

    they are given to wine; for perils commonly ask to be paid in pleasures.

    There is in man's nature, a secret inclination and motion, towards love of

    others, which if it be not spent upon some one or a few, doth naturally spread

    itself towards many, and maketh men become humane and charitable; as it is

    seen sometime in friars.

    Nuptial love maketh mankind; friendly love perfecteth it; but wanton

    love corrupteth, and embaseth it.decemvir n. (古罗马)十大执政官之一

    voluptuous adj. 奢侈淫逸的

    austere adj. 严峻的,一丝不苟的

    hyperbole n. 夸张

    reciproque adj. 相互的

    martial adj. 军队的

    friar n. 修士

    nuptial adj. 婚姻的

    爱情在舞台上要比在生活中美妙得多。因为在舞台上,爱情总在喜

    剧中上演,偶尔才在悲剧里客串,但在生活中,爱情却常常招来不幸,有时像诱人的海妖,有时又像复仇的女神。

    你可以看到,所有伟大的人物(无论是古代或现代,只要是能让人

    铭记的)没有一位因爱情而发狂;这说明伟人与伟业都会摒弃这种脆弱

    的感情。不过,这得除去统治罗马帝国半壁江山的安东尼和执政官克劳

    狄。前者本性就荒淫无度,后者却是严肃的智者。这说明无论人是否敞

    开心怀,只要你抵御不严,爱情就会乘虚而入。

    伊壁鸠鲁说过一句愚蠢的话:“人生不过是一场戏。”似乎为追求崇

    高事物而生的人,只应对着一个小小的偶像屈膝,就算不像野兽那样只

    追求口腹之欲,也只能屈服于色相,而人的眼睛应该看向更高远的目

    标。

    过度的爱情会夸大事物的本质和价值。只有在爱情中,浮夸献媚的

    辞令才受欢迎。而在其他场合,这样的辞令只会让人耻笑。古人有一句

    名言:“人们总是把最大的奉承留给自己。”——只有对情人的奉承例

    外。无论最骄傲的人自视多高,也远不及情人眼中出西施的程度。所以

    老话说得好:“爱中无智者。”这种弱点不仅外人看得到,被追求者也很

    清楚——除非追求是相互的。所以,爱情或者得到对方的回报,或者得到对方心里的轻蔑,这是永恒的真理。

    由此可见,人们应当警惕这种感情。因为它不但会使人丧失其他,还会让人失去爱情本身。关于爱情让人失去的东西,古代诗人早就给出

    了很好的说明,海伦的追求者放弃了朱诺和帕拉斯的礼物,深陷爱情难

    免失去财富和智慧。

    不知为何,军人更容易耽于情爱,也许这正如他们喜欢饮酒一样,危险的生活更需要欢乐的补偿。

    爱存在于人的天性之中,若不倾注于某个专一的对象,自然会广施

    于众人,那么他将成为仁善之人,像有的僧侣那样。

    夫妻之爱,使人类得以繁衍;友人之爱让人进步;但荒淫纵欲的爱

    只会使人堕落毁灭!A Heart's-Ease

    心安草

    A story is told of a king who went into his garden one morning, and

    found everything withered and dying.

    He asked the oak that stood near the gate what the trouble was. He found

    it was sick of life and determined to die because it was not tall and beautiful

    like the pine. The pine was all out of heart because it could not bear grapes,like the vine. The vine was going to throw its life away because it could not

    stand erect and have as fine fruit as the peach tree. The geranium was

    fretting because it was not tall and fragrant like the lilac... and so on all

    through the garden.

    Coming to a heart's-ease, he found its bright face lifted as cheery as

    ever. Well, heart's-ease. I'm glad, amidst all this discouragement, to find one

    brave little flower. You do not seem to be the least disheartened.

    No, I am not of much account, but I thought that if you wanted an oak,or a pine, or a vine, or a peach tree, or a geranium, or a lilac, you would have

    planted one; but as I knew you wanted a heart's-ease, I am determined to be

    the best little heart's-ease that I can.

    withered adj. 枯萎的;凋谢的geranium n. 天竺葵

    有一天早晨,国王走进花园,发现所有的花草树木都枯萎了。

    国王问门口的一棵橡树发生了什么事。原来,橡树觉得自己没有松

    树那样高大漂亮,所以了无生趣;松树因为不能像葡萄藤那样硕果累累

    而垂头丧气;而葡萄藤也不想活了,因为它不能像桃树那样挺直身体,也不能结出那么甜美的果实;天竺葵也自怨自艾,因为它没有紫丁香挺

    拔、芬芳……园中所有的花草树木都是这样。

    国王来到一株心安草跟前,发现它和以往一样精神。“啊,心安

    草,别的花草树木都垂头丧气时,我很高兴看到这样一朵勇敢的小花。

    你看上去一点儿也不沮丧。”

    “是啊,虽然我没有什么可骄傲的,但是我想如果您想要橡树、松

    树、葡萄藤、桃树、天竺葵或紫丁香的话,您会去种植它们;既然我知

    道您想要心安草,所以我就决心尽力做一株最棒的心安草。”The Cobbler and the Banker

    鞋匠和银行家

    拉封丹

    The cobbler passed his time in singing from morning till night; it was

    wonderful to see, wonderful to hear him; he was more contented in making

    shoes, than was any of the seven sages.

    His neighbor, on the contrary, who was rolling in wealth, sung but little,and slept less. He was a banker; when by chance he fell into a doze at

    daybreak, the cobbler awoke him with his song. The banker complained sadly

    that Providence had not made sleep a saleable commodity, like edibles or

    drinkables.

    Having at length sent for the songster, he said to him, How much a year

    do you earn, Master George?

    How much a year, sir? said the merry cobbler laughing; I never

    reckon in that way, living as I do from one day to another; somehow I

    manage to reach the end of the year; each day brings its meal.

    Well then! How much a day do you earn, my friend?

    Sometimes more, sometimes less; but the worst of it is—and, without

    that our earnings would be very tolerable—a number of days occur in theyear on which we are forbidden to work; and the curate, moreover, is

    constantly adding some new saints to the list.

    The banker, laughing at his simplicity, said, In future I shall place you

    above want. Take this hundred crowns, preserve them carefully, and make

    use of them in time of need.

    The cobbler fancied he beheld all the wealth which the earth had

    produced in the past century for the use of mankind. Returning home, he

    buried his money and his happiness at the same time. No more singing; he

    lost his voice, the moment he acquired that which is the source of so much

    grief. Sleep quitted his dwelling; and cares, suspicions, and false alarms took

    its place. All day, his eye wandered in the direction of his treasure; and at

    night, if some stray cat made a noise, the cat was robbing him. At length the

    poor man ran to the house of his rich neighbor, whom he no longer awoke;

    Give me back, said he, sleep and my voice, and take your hundred

    crowns.

    sage n. 贤人

    Providence n. 上天;上帝

    edibles pl. n. 食品

    reckon v. 计算,数

    curate n. 堂区牧师

    鞋匠一天到晚都哼着歌,无论是看到他,还是听他唱歌都令人心情

    愉快。做鞋子让他心满意足得连圣人都不愿当。

    相反,他的邻居很富有,却很少唱歌,睡得也不好。他是个银行

    家,他偶尔在黎明时才打个盹儿,却被鞋匠的歌声吵醒了。银行家抱怨

    上天没把睡眠也做成一种像食品或饮料那样可以买卖的商品。后来,银行家派人把这位“歌唱家”请来,问:“乔治师傅,你一年

    能挣多少钱?”

    “先生,您问我一年挣多少钱?”快乐的鞋匠笑道,“我从来没那么

    算过,我过一天算一天,反正总能过到年底,每天都有饭钱。”

    “那么你一天挣多少钱呢,我的朋友?”

    “时多时少。不过最糟糕的是,一年中总有些日子不让我们干活

    儿,而且牧师还总在圣徒名单上添新名字,否则我们的收入也还算不错

    的。”

    银行家被他的朴实逗笑了,说道:“我会让你以后不再为钱发愁。

    把这一百个金币拿去吧,小心收好,需要时可以拿出来用。”

    鞋匠觉得自己看到了一百年来世界上所有的财富。回到家后,他把

    这笔钱埋了起来,同时也埋葬了他的快乐。他不再唱歌了;那笔钱给他

    带来无数烦忧,他从此变得沉默。他的住处不再有睡眠降临,担心、怀

    疑和虚惊取而代之。他的目光整天徘徊于埋藏宝藏的地方;夜里,要是

    有流浪猫弄出一点儿声响,他就以为是来了贼。最后,这个可怜的人跑

    到不再被他吵醒的富有的邻居家,说:“把你的一百个金币拿回去,把

    我的睡眠和歌声还给我。”When the Wind Blows

    起风的时候

    Several years ago a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He

    constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on

    farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the awful storms that raged across the

    Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops. As the farmer

    interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals.

    Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer.

    Are you a good farmhand? the farmer asked him.

    Well, I can sleep when the wind blows, answered the little man.

    Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired

    him. The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk,and the farmer felt satisfied with the man's work.

    Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore. Jumping out of

    bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand's

    sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled, Get up! A storm is

    coming! Tie things down before they blow away!

    The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, No, sir. I told you, I

    can sleep when the wind blows.

    Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot.Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement, he

    discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins. The

    cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were

    barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down. Nothing

    could blow away.

    The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, so he returned to

    his bed to sleep while the wind blew, too.

    When you're prepared, spiritually, mentally, and physically, you have

    nothing to fear.

    Can you sleep when the wind blows through your life? The hired hand

    in the story was able to sleep because he had secured the farm against the

    storm.

    reluctant adj. 不情愿的

    havoc n. 大破坏

    tarpaulin n. 涂油防水布

    几年前,一个农场主在大西洋沿岸拥有一块土地,他经常贴广告招

    帮工。可是,大多数人都不愿意在大西洋岸边的农场干活,害怕大西洋

    的剧烈风暴会毁坏房屋和庄稼。农场主招工面试时,得到的总是拒绝。

    最后,有一个已过中年的瘦小男人来到农场主面前。“你干农活在

    行吗?”农场主问他。

    “是的,起风的时候我可以睡觉。”矮个儿男人回答。

    尽管农场主不太明白他的意思,可实在需要帮手,于是雇佣了他。

    矮个儿男人在农场干得不错,从天亮一直忙到天黑,农场主对他的工作

    很满意。

    一天晚上,海上狂风咆哮,农场主从床上跳起来,提起灯冲进隔壁帮工的住处。他晃着矮个儿男人喊道:“快起来!风暴来了!快把东西

    系好,别刮跑了!”

    矮个儿男人在床上翻了个身,平静地说道:“不,先生,我告诉过

    你,刮风的时候我可以睡觉。”

    这话让农场主火冒三丈,气得真想当场解雇他。可他还是赶紧跑出

    去为迎接暴风雨做准备。然而,他惊讶地发现所有的干草垛都已经盖好

    了防水油布,牛入棚,鸡入笼,门闩好了,百叶窗也关紧了,一切都拴

    牢了,什么东西都不会被刮走。

    农场主这才明白了帮工的话。于是,风刮起来的时候,他也回床上

    睡觉了。

    当精神、心理和身体上都做好准备的时候,一切就无所畏惧了。

    当生活里的风暴来临时,你能否安然入睡呢?故事中的帮工能睡

    着,是因为他已经为农场做好了抵御风暴的准备。The Five Boons of Life

    人生五福

    In the morning of life came a good fairy with her basket, and said to a

    young man: Here are gifts. Take one, leave the others. And be wary, choose

    wisely! For only one of them is valuable.

    The gifts were five: Fame, Love, Riches, Pleasure, Death. The youth

    said eagerly: There is no need to consider; and he chose Pleasure.

    He went out into the world and sought out the pleasures that youth

    delights in. But each in its turn was short-lived and disappointing, vain and

    empty; and each, departing, mocked him. In the end he said: These years I

    have wasted. If I could but choose again, I would choose wisely.

    The fairy appeared, and said: Four of the gifts remain. Choose once

    more; and oh, remember—time is flying, and only one of them is precious.

    The man considered long, then chose Love; and did not mark the tears

    that rose in the fairy's eyes.

    After many, many years the man sat by a coffin, in an empty home. And

    he communed with himself, saying: One by one they have gone away and

    left me; and now she lies here, the dearest and the last. Desolation after

    desolation has swept over me; for each hour of happiness the treacherous

    trader, Love, as sold me I have paid a thousand hours of grief! Out of myheart of hearts I curse him!

    Choose again. It was the fairy speaking. The years have given you

    wisdom—surely it must be so. Three gifts remain. Only one of them has any

    worth—remember it, and choose warily.

    The man reflected long, then chose Fame; and the fairy, sighing, went

    her way.

    Years went by and she came again, and stood behind the man where he

    sat solitary in the fading day, thinking. And she knew his thought: My name

    filled the world, and its praises were on every tongue, and it seemed well

    with me for a little while. How little a while it was! Then came envy; then

    detraction; then hate; then persecution. Then derision, which is the beginning

    of the end. And last of all came pity, which is the funeral of fame. Oh, the

    bitterness and misery of renown!

    Choose yet again. It was the fairy's voice.

    Two gifts remain. And do not despair. In the beginning there was but

    one that was precious, and it is still here.

    Wealth—which is power! How blind I was! said the man. Now, at

    last, life will be worth the living. I will spend, squander. These mockers and

    despisers will crawl in the dirt before me, and I will feed my hungry heart

    with their envy. I will have all luxuries, all joys, all enchantments of the

    spirit. I will buy, buy, buy! I have lost much time, and chosen badly

    heretofore, but let that pass; I was ignorant then, and could but take for best

    what seemed so.

    Three short years went by, and a day came when the man sat shivering

    in a mean garret; and he was gaunt and wan and hollow-eyed, and clothed in

    rags; and he was gnawing a dry crust and mumbling: Curse all the world's

    gifts, for mockeries and gilded lies! And miscalled, every one. They are notgifts, but merely lendings. Pleasure, Love, Fame, Riches: they are but

    temporary disguises for lasting realities—Pain, Grief, Shame, Poverty. The

    fairy said true; in all her store there was but one gift which was precious, only

    one that was not valueless. How poor and cheap and mean I know those

    others now to be. Bring it! I am weary, I would rest.

    The fairy came, bringing again four of the gifts, but Death was wanting.

    She said: I gave it to a mother's pet, a little child. It was ignorant, but trusted

    me, asking me to choose for it. You did not ask me to choose.

    Oh, miserable me! What is left for me?

    What not even you have deserved: the wanton insult of Old Age.

    commune v. 亲密交谈

    treacherous adj. 奸诈的

    gaunt adj. 瘦的

    mumble v. 含糊地说

    gilded adj. 镀金的

    生命的旭日升起的时候,一位仙女提着篮子走来,对年轻人

    说:“这儿有几个礼物,你可以选一个,留下其他的。你要小心,做一

    个明智的选择!因为它们中只有一个是珍贵的。”

    礼物一共有五个:名声,爱情,财富,快乐和死亡。年轻人迫不及

    待地说:“用不着多 ......

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