1．珍惜每一天(Everyday is A Gift)

My brother-in-law opened the bottom drawer of my sister's bureau and lifted out a

tissue-wrapped package. "This", he said, "is not a slip. This is lingerie." He discarded the tissue and handed me the slip.

It was exquisite, silk, handmade and trimmed with a cobweb of lace. The price tag with an astronomical figure on it was still attached.

"Jan bought this the first time we went to New York, at least 8 or 9 years ago. She never wore it. She was saving it for a special occasion.

Well, I guess this is the occasion.

He took the slip from me and put it on the bed, with the other clothes we were taking to the mortician. His hands lingered on the soft material for a moment, then he slammed the drawer shut and turned to me, "Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Every day you' re alive is a special occasion."

I remembered those words through the funeral and the days that followed when I helped him and my niece attend to all the sad chores that follow an unexpected death. I thought about them on the plane returning to California from the midwestern town where my sister's family lives. I thought about all the things that she hadn't seen or heard or done. I thought about the things that she had done without realizing that they were special.

I'm still thinking about his words, and they've changed the weeds in the garden. I'm spending more time with my family and friends and less time in committee meetings. Whenever possible, life should be a pattern of experience to savour, not endure. I'm trying to recognize these moment now and cherish them.

I'm not "saving" anything; we use our good china and crystal for every special. Event such as losing a pound, getting the sink unstopped, the first camellia blossom… I wear my good blazer to the market if I feel like it. My theory is if I look prosperous, I can shell out $28. 49 for one small bag of groceries without wincing. I'm not saving my good perfume for special parties; clerks in hardware stores and tellers in banks have noses that function as well as my party going friends. "Someday" and "one of these days" are losing their grip on my vocabulary. If it's worth seeing or hearing or doing, I want to see and hear and do it now. I' m not sure what my sister would've done had she know that she wouldn't be here for the tomorrow we all take for granted.

I think she would have called family members and a few close friends. She might have called a few former friends to apologize, and mend fences for past squabbles. I like to think she would have gone out for a Chinese dinner, her favorite food. I'm guessing. I'll never know.

It's those little things left undone that would make me angry if I knew that my hours were limited. Angry because I put off seeing good friends whom I was going to get in touch with

someday. Angry because I hadn't written certain letters that I intended to write one of these days. Angry and sorry that I didn't tell my husband and daughter often enough how much I truly love them.

I'm trying very hard not to put off, hold back, or save anything that would add laughter and 1

luster to our lives. And every morning when I open my eyes, I tell myself that every day, every minute, every breath truly, is... a gift from God.

译文：

妹夫打开了妹妹衣柜最底层抽屉，拿出一个用纸包装的包裹。“这个，”他说，“不是件普通内衣，而是一件豪华内衣。”他把薄纸撕开，递给了我那件内衣。

它的确精致无比，丝质、全手工缝制，周围还有一圈网状蕾丝花边。价签都尚未拆去，上面的数字高得惊人。

“这是我们第一次去纽约时简买的，至少已是八、九年前的事了。她从没有穿过它。她想等一个特殊的日子再穿它。”

唉，我想现在便是那特殊的日子了。

妹夫从我手中拿过内衣放在床上，和其他我们要带给殡仪服务人员的衣服放在一起。他的手在那柔软织物上徘徊了一会儿，随即砰然关上抽屉，转身对我说：“永远不要把任何东西留给什么特殊日子。你活着的每一天就是一个特殊的日子。”

这两句话久久在我耳边回响着，伴我度过了葬礼和帮妹夫、侄女处理妹妹意外死亡后的伤心后事的那几天。我从位处中西部的妹妹家返回加州时，在飞机上还是在想这两句话。我想到妹妹未曾有机会看到、听到或去做的事。我想到她淡然做过，但却没有意识到其特殊性的事。

我至今还在想着妹夫说的话，正是它们改变了我的心境。我花了更多的时间与家人朋友在一起，而少花些时间在那些工作会议上。无论何时，生活应当是一种“品味”而非一种“忍受”。我在学习欣赏每一刻，并珍惜每一刻。

我不再去“珍藏”任何东西；只要有一点好事，我们就不吝啬使用精美的瓷器和水晶制品，比如说当体重减了一磅时，当厨房水槽堵塞通了时，当第一朵山茶花绽放时……如果我想穿，我就穿上我名牌衣服去市场购物。我的理论是：如果我看上去还富足的话，我可以毫不心疼地为一小袋杂货付出28.49美元。我不再为特殊的派对而珍藏我上好的香水；五金店售货员和银行出纳员们的嗅觉，不会比派对上朋友们来得差。

“有朝一日”和“终有一天”这样的词正从我的常用词汇中淡出。如果值得去看、去听或去做，我当即就要去看、去听或去做。人们总是理所当然的以为自己必然有明天，不知假如妹妹知道她将没有明日，她会做些什么。

我想她会给家人和几位密友打电话。她可能还会给几位昔日朋友打电话主动道歉，摒弃前嫌。我想她可能会外出吃顿她喜欢的中餐。我只是猜想而已。我永远也不会知道。

假如我知道我的时间不多了，那些没来得及做的小事会让我恼火。恼火是因为我一拖再拖没能去看看“有朝一日”会去看的好友们。恼火是因为我还没有写出我“终有一天”要写的信。恼火与内疚是因为我没能更经常地告诉我的丈夫和女儿：我是多么真切地爱他们。

我正努力不再拖延、保留或珍藏那些能给我们生活带来欢笑和光彩的东西。每天清晨当我睁开双眼，我便告诉自己每一天、每一分钟、每一瞬间都真是……上帝赐予的礼物。

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2．行胜于言(Louder than Anything You Can Say)

I teach economics at UNLV three times per week. Last Monday, at the beginning of class, I cheerfully asked my students how their weekend had been. One young man said that his weekend had not been so good. He had his wisdom teeth removed. The young man then proceeded to ask me why I always seemed to be so cheerful.

His question reminded me of something I'd read somewhere before: "Every morning when you get up, you have a choice about how you want to approach life that day," I said. "I choose to be cheerful."

"Let me give you an example," I continued, addressing all sixty students in the class. "In addition to teaching here at UNLV, I also teach out at the community college in Henderson, 17 miles down the freeway from where I live. One day a few weeks ago I drove those 17 miles to Henderson. I exited the freeway and turned onto College Drive. I only had to drive another quarter mile down the road to the college. But just then my car died. I tried to start it again, but the engine wouldn't turn over. So I put my flashers on, grabbed my books, and marched down the road to the college.

"As soon as I got there I called AAA and arranged for a tow truck to meet me at my car after class. The secretary in the Provost's office asked me what has happened. 'This is my lucky day,' I replied, smiling.

"'Your car breaks down and today is your lucky day?' She was puzzled. 'What do you mean?'

"'I live 17 miles from here.' I replied. 'My car could have broken down anywhere along the freeway. It didn't. Instead, it broke down in the perfect place: off the freeway, within walking distance of here. I'm still able to teach my class, and I've been able to arrange for the tow truck to meet me after class. If my car was meant to break down today, it couldn't have been arranged in a more convenient fashion.'

The secretary's eyes opened wide, and then she smiled. I smiled back and headed for class." So ended my story.

I scanned the sixty faces in my economics class at UNLV. Despite the early hour, no one seemed to be asleep. Somehow, my story had touched them. Or maybe it wasn't the story at all. In fact, it had all started with a student's observation that I was cheerful.

Deepak Chopra has quoted an Indian wise man as saying, "Who you are speaks louder to me than anything you can say." I suppose it must be so.

译文：

我在内华达大学拉斯维加斯分校教经济学，每周上三次课。上周一，在刚开始上课的时候，我兴致勃勃地问学生们周末过得怎么样。一个男生说，他的周末不太愉快，因为他的智齿被拔掉了，结果让他痛了一整天。然后，他又问我为何我总能保持那么快乐的心情。

他的问题使我想起了一句不知出处的话：“每天早上，当你起床的时候，你可以选择如何面对一天的生活”，我说：“我选择快乐。”

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“我给你们举个例子吧，”我对着全班六十个学生继续说道，“除了在这儿上课，我还在一所社区大学任教，那儿离我家17英里。几周前的一天，我驾车前往那所学校，驶离高速公路后，我转入了校园区。在只差400多米就到学校的时候，我的汽车抛锚了。我努力重新发动引擎，但就是不行。我只好把指示灯打亮，然后抓起课本直奔学校。”

我一到学校就马上打电话给汽车协会，让他们在我下课后开辆拖车过来。院长办公室的秘书问我发生了什么事。“今天我真走运。”我笑着答道。

“你的车坏了，你还说今天走运？”她一脸的困惑。“你什么意思啊？”

我回答到：“我住在离这儿17英里的地方。其实我的车有可能在高速公路上的什么地方就坏掉了的，但庆幸的是，没有。相反，汽车是在离开了高速公路后才抛锚，而且距离学校很近。我还赶得及上课，还能够安排拖车在课后来处理。如果我的汽车是注定了要在今天抛锚的，那在这个位置抛锚已经是非常幸运了。”

“那个秘书听得目瞪口呆地，然后她笑了。我也冲她笑了一下，便上课去了。”这就是我的故事。

我扫视了一下全班六十张脸。虽然是在大清早，但没有一个学生在打盹儿。不知道为什么，他们好像被我的故事触动了。也许触动他们的并不是故事本身。其实，从一开始有学生发现我兴致高昂的时候，他们便已经被我的快乐感染了。

著名的印度作家乔布拉，曾经引述过一位印度智者的名言：“你为人行事的本身，比你的语言更具说服力。”我认为这的确是真理。

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3．老爸(Dad)

The first memory I have of him — of anything, really — is his strength. It was in the late afternoon in a house under construction near ours. The unfinished wood floor had large, terrifying holes whose yawning[张大嘴] darkness I knew led to nowhere good. His powerful hands, then age 33, wrapped all the way around my tiny arms, then age 4, and easily swung[摇摆] me up tohis shoulders to command all I surveyed.

The relationship between a son and his father changes over time. It may grow and flourish[繁茂] in mutual maturity[成熟]. It may sour in resented dependence or independence. With many children living in single-parent homes today, it may not even exist.

But to a little boy right after World War II ,a father seemed a god with strange strengths and uncanny[离奇的] powers enabling him to do and know things that no mortal could do or know. Amazing things, like putting a bicycle chain back on, just like that. Or building a hamster[仓鼠] cage.Or guiding a jigsaw[拼板玩具] so it forms the letter F;I learned the alphabet[字母表] that way in those pre-television days.

There were, of course, rules to learn. First came the handshake. None of those fishy[冷冰冰的] little finger grips, but a good firm squeeze accompanied by an equally strong gaze into the other's eyes. “ The first thing anyone knows about you is your handshake,” he would say. And we'd practice it each night on his return from work, the serious toddler in the battered[用旧了的] Cleveland Indian's cap running up to the giant father to shake hands again and again until it was firm enough.

As time passed, there were other rules to learn. “Always do your best.” “Do it now.” “Never lie!” And most importantly, “You can do whatever you have to do.” By my teens, he wasn't telling me what to do anymore, which was scary[令人害怕的] and heady[使人兴奋的] at the same time. He provided perspective, not telling me what was around the great corner of life but letting me know there was a lot more than just today and the next, which I hadn't thought of.

One day, I realize now, there was a change. I wasn't trying to please him so much as I was trying to impress him. I never asked him to come to my football games. He had a high-pressure career, and it meant driving through most of Friday night. But for all the big games, when I looked over at the sideline, there was that familiar fedora. And by God, did the opposing team captain ever get a firm handshake and a gaze he would remember.

Then, a school fact contradicted something he said. Impossible that he could be wrong, but there it was in the book. These accumulated over time, along with personal experiences, to buttress my own developing sense of values. And I could tell we had each taken our own, perfectly normal paths.

I began to see, too, his blind spots, his prejudices[偏见] and his weaknesses. I never threw these up at him. He hadn't to me, and, anyway, he seemed to need protection. I stopped asking his advice; the experiences he drew from no longer seemed relevant to the decisions I had to make. He volunteered advice for a while. But then, in more recent years, politics and issues gave way to talk of empty errands and, always, to ailments.

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From his bed, he showed me the many sores and scars on his misshapen body and all the bottles for medicine. “ Sometimes,” he confided[倾诉], “ I would just like to lie down and go to sleep and not wake up.”

After much thought and practice (“ You can do whatever you have to do.” ), one night last winter, I sat down by his bed and remembered for an instant those terrifying dark holes in another house 35 years before. I told my father how much I loved him. I described all the things people were doing for him. But, I said, he kept eating poorly, hiding in his room and violating the doctor's orders. No amount of love could make someone else care about life, I said; it was a two-way street. He wasn't doing his best. The decision was his.

He said he knew how hard my words had been to say and how proud he was of me. “ I had the best teacher,” I said. “ You can do whatever you have to do.” He smiled a little. And we shook hands, firmly, for the last time.

Several days later, at about 4 A.M., my mother heard Dad shuffling[拖着] about their dark room. “ I have some things I have to do,” he said. He paid a bundle of bills. He composed for my mother a long list of legal and financial what-to-do's “ in case of emergency.” And he wrote me a note. Then he walked back to his bed and laid himself down. He went to sleep, naturally. And he did not wake up.

译文：

我对他——实际上是对所有事的最初记忆，就是他的力量。那是一个下午的晚些时候，在一所靠近我家的正在修建的房子里，尚未完工的木地板上有一个个巨大可怕的洞，那些张着大口的黑洞在我看来是通向不祥之处的。时年33岁的爸爸用那强壮有力的双手一把握住我的小胳膊，当时我才4岁，然后轻而易举地把我甩上他的肩头，让我把一切都尽收眼底。 父子间的关系是随着岁月的流逝而变化的，它会在彼此成熟的过程中成长兴盛，也会在令人不快的依赖或独立的关系中产生不和。而今许多孩子生活在单亲家庭中，这种关系 能根本不存在。

然而，对于一个生活在二战刚刚结束时期的小男孩来说，父亲就像神，他拥有神奇的力量和神秘的能力，他无所不能，无所不知。那些奇妙的事儿有上自行车链条，或是建一个仓鼠笼子，或是教我玩拼图玩具，拼出个字母“F”来。在那个电视机还未诞生的年代，我便是通过这种方法学会了字母表的。

当然，还得学些做人的道理。首先是握手。这可不是指那种冷冰冰的手指相握，而是一种非常坚定有力的紧握，同时同样坚定有力地注视对方的眼睛。老爸常说：“人们认识你首先是通过同你握手。”每晚他下班回家时，我们便练习握手。年幼的我，戴着顶破克利夫兰印第安帽，一本正经地跌跌撞撞地跑向巨人般的父亲，开始我们的握手。一次又一次，直到握得坚定，有力。

随着时间的流逝，还有许多其他的道理要学。比如：“始终尽力而为”，“从现在做起”，“永 6

不撒谎”，以及最重要的一条：“凡是你必须做的事你都能做到”。当我十几岁时，老爸不再叫我做这做那，这既令人害怕又令人兴奋。他教给我判断事物的方法。他不是告诉我，在人生的重大转折点上将发生些什么，而是让我明白，除了今天和明天，还有很长的路要走，这一点我是从未考虑过的。

有一天，事情发生了变化，这是我现在才意识到的。我不再那么迫切地想要取悦于老爸，而是迫切地想要给他留下深刻的印象。我从未请他来看我的橄榄球赛。他工作压力很大，这意味着每个礼拜五要拼命干大半夜。但每次大型比赛，当我抬头环视看台时，那顶熟悉的软呢帽总在那儿。并且感谢上帝，对方队长总能得到一次让他铭记于心的握手——坚定而有力，伴以同样坚定的注视。

后来，在学校学到的一个事实否定了老爸说过的某些东西。他不可能会错的，可书上却是这样写的。诸如此类的事日积月累，加上我的个人阅历，支持了我逐渐成形的价值观。我可以这么说：我俩开始各走各的阳关道了。

与此同时，我还开始发现他对某些事的无知，他的偏见，他的弱点。我从未在他面前提起这些，他也从未在我面前说起，而且，不管怎么说，他看起来需要保护了。我不再向他征求意见；他的那些经验也似乎同我要做出的决定不再相干。

老爸当了一段时间的“自愿顾问”，但后来，特别是近几年里，他谈话中的政治与国家大事让位给了空洞的使命与疾病。

躺在床上，他给我看他那被岁月扭曲了的躯体上的疤痕，以及他所有的药瓶儿。他倾诉着：“有时我真想躺下睡一觉，永远不再醒来。”

通过深思熟虑与亲身体验（“凡是你必须做的事你都能做到”），去年冬天的一个夜晚，我坐在老爸床边，忽然想起35年前那另一栋房子里可怕的黑洞。我告诉老爸我有多爱他。我向他讲述了人们为他所做的一切。而我又说，他总是吃得太少，躲在房间里，还不听医生的劝告。我说，再多的爱也不能使一个人自己去热爱生命：这是一条双行道，而他并没有尽力，一切都取决于他自己。

他说他明白要我说出这些话多不容易，他是多么为我自豪。“我有位最好的老师，”我说，“凡是你必须做的事你都能做到”。他微微一笑，之后我们握手，那是一次坚定的握手，也是最后的一次。

几天后，大约凌晨四点，母亲听到父亲拖着脚步在他们漆黑的房间里走来走去。他说：“有些事我必须得做。”他支付了一叠帐单，给母亲留了张长长的条子，上面列有法律及经济上该做的事，“以防不测”。接着他留了封短信给我。

然后，他走回自己的床边，躺下。他睡了，十分安详，再也没有醒来。

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4．布雨之龙(The Dragons Who Rained)

一个英文写成的中国传统神话故事，关于中国四条江的形成。

Long, long ago, rain stopped falling in China. The people prayed for rain to the Jade Emperor, for it was he who looked after everything in heaven, on the land and in the sea, but no matter how much they prayed, rain did not fall.

Four dragons lived in the East China Sea in those days. They swam to shore to see what was happening, and saw people tearing grass from the caked ground, for the people had nothing else left to eat.

"We must do something," Long Dragon said, and Yellow Dragon nodded. "We must help them ourselves," said Pearl Dragon, "for the Jade Emperor will never answer their prayers."

They suddenly thought of a way to help. They started swimming this way and that, scooping up water with their bodies. Then all four leapt into the sky. Black Dragon flew to the north, Long Dragon flew to the west, Pearl Dragon flew to the southernmost tip of China, and Yellow Dragon flew to the very center of the vast country. All at once, they let the water fall from their mouths, arms, legs, and even their tails.

The people down below looked up, but they could not see the dragons. They could only see the rain falling from the sky -- drops of rain more beautiful than any jewel. "Rain!" they cried joyfully, and all the people and animals ran out into the rain and started to dance.

When the Jade Emperor saw the rain, he was furious. "Who dares to tamper with[干预] my world?" he shouted, and then saw the four dragons swooping around in the sky. "You will not escape!" he thundered, and summoning[招集] Mountain God, he ordered him to kill the dragons. Mountain God sent four mountains tumbling after the dragons. The moment the creatures landed, the four mountains landed on top of them, crushing them. Then an odd thing happened. Suddenly four rivers formed, springing out from beneath the mountains and spreading across the whole country.

This, people say, is how the four great rivers of China were created: the Yangtze, the Yellow, the Pearl and the Heilongjiang are all that remain of the four great dragons who once saved the people of China.

译文：

在很久很久以前的中国，遇到了一次滴水不降的旱灾。人们就向掌管天上、地下、海洋的玉皇大帝求拜，但无论他们怎么祈求，雨始终不落一滴。

当时，有四条龙住在中国的东海。他们游到岸边去看怎么回事，看到人们在从结块的土地上拔草吃，因为土地上实在没有别的东西吃了。

“我们得做点什么，”长龙说道，黄龙点头附和。“我们一定得帮帮他们，”珠龙说，“因为玉帝是不会答应他们的祈求的。”

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他们突然想到了一个办法。他们在海里游，然后用他们的身体汲取水。然后他们四个分别腾飞天空。黑龙飞向了北面，长龙飞去了西面，珠龙飞去了中国的最南端，而黄龙则飞去了这个辽阔国度的最中心。突然，他们让水从他们的嘴巴、手脚、尾巴流出来。

地面的人们看到了，但他们看不到龙。他们只能看到雨从天空降下来——雨滴比任何珠宝都来得美丽。“雨！”人们欢呼雀跃，所有的人和动物都奔入雨中，欢呼起舞。

当玉帝看到雨，他十分震怒。“是谁干的？”他咆哮道，然后他看到了飞在空中的四条龙。“你们跑不了的！”他大吼道，然后招集山神，他命令山神杀死四条龙

山神派了四座山去压倒四龙。当龙一到，四座上就压倒他们，压垮他们。奇怪的事情发生了，突然间形成了四条河，从山下流出，贯穿了整个国家。

人们说，这就是中国四条大江的由来，长江、黄河、珠江和黑龙江就是这四条龙的遗赠，

5. 美丽的微笑与爱心(Beautiful Smile and Love)

作者介绍: 特蕾莎修女(Mother Teresa,1910-1997)，印度著名的慈善家，印度天主教仁爱传教会创始人，在世界范围内建立了一个庞大的慈善机构网，赢得了国际社会的广泛尊敬。19xx年被授予诺贝尔和平奖。本文所选即好在领取该奖项时的演讲辞，语言简洁质朴而感人至深。诺贝尔奖领奖台上响起的声音往往都是文采飞扬、热烈、激昂。而特雷莎修女的演说朴实无华，其所举事例听来似平凡之至，然而其中所蕴含的伟大而神圣的爱感人至深。平凡中孕育伟大，真情才能动人。我们作文时，要善于从自己所熟知的平凡中发掘伟大，以真情来打动读者。

The poor are very wonderful people. One evening we went out and we picked up four people from the street. And one of them was in a most terrible condition，and I told the sisters: You take care of the other three. I take care of this one who looked worse. So I did for her all that my love can do. I put her in bed, and there was such a beautiful smile on her face. She took hold of my hand as she said just the words “thank you” and she died. I could not help but examine my conscience[良心]before her and I asked what would I say if I was in her place. And my answer was very simple. I would have tried to draw a little attention to myself. I would have said I am hungry, that I am dying, I am cold, I am in pain, or something, but she gave me much more-she gave me her grateful love. And she died with a smile on her face. As did that man whom we picked up from the drain[阴沟、下水道], half eaten with worms, and we brought him to the home. “I have lived like an animal in the street, but I am going to die like an angel, loved and cared for.” And it was so wonderful to see the greatness of that man who could speak like that, who could die like that without blaming anybody, without cursing anybody, without comparing anything. Like an angel-this is the greatness of our people. And that is why we believe what Jesus had said: I was hungry, I was naked, I was homeless, I was unwanted, unloved, uncared for, and you did it to me.

I believe that we are not real social workers. We may be doing social work in the eyes of the people, but we are really contemplatives[修行者、沉思冥想的人] in the heart of the world. For we are touching the body of Christ twenty-four hours…And I think that in our family we don’t need bombs and guns, to destroy, to bring peace, just get together, love one another, bring that 9

peace, that joy, that strength of presence of each other in the home. And we will be able to overcome all the evil that is in the world.

And with this prize that I have received as a Prize of Peace, I am going to try to make the home for many people who have no home. Because I believe that love begins at home, and if we can create a home for the poor I think that more and more love will spread. And we will be able through this understanding love to bring peace be the good news to the poor. The poor in our own family first, in our country and in the world. To be able to do this, our Sisters, our lives have to be wove with prayer. They have to be woven with Christ to be able to understand, to be able to share. Because to be woven with Christ is to be able to understand, to be able to share. Because today there is so much suffering…When I pick up a person from the street, hungry, I give him a plate of rice, a piece of bread, I have satisfied. I have removed that hunger. But a person who is shut out, who feels unwanted, unloved, terrified, the person who has been thrown out from society-that poverty is so full of hurt and so unbearable…And so let us always meet each other with a smile, for the smile is the beginning of love, and once we begin to love each other naturally we want to do something.

译文：

穷人是非常了不起的人。一天晚上，我们外出，从街上带回了四个人，其中一个生命岌岌可危。于是我告诉修女们说：“你们照料其他三个，这个濒危的人就由我来照顾了。”就这样，我为她做了我的爱所能做的一切。我将她放在床上，看到她的脸上绽露出如此美丽的微笑。她握着我的手，只说了句“谢谢您”就死了。我情不自禁地在她面前审视起自己的良知来。我问自己，如果我是她的话，会说些什么呢？答案很简单，我会尽量引起旁人对我的关注，我会说我饥饿难忍，冷得发抖，奄奄一息，痛苦不堪，诸如此类的话。但是她给我的却更多更多――她给了我她的感激之情。她死时脸上却带着微笑。我们从排水道带回的那个男子也是如此。当时，他几乎全身都快被虫子吃掉了，我们把他带回了家。“在街上，我一直像个动物一样地活着，但我将像个天使一样地死去，有人爱，有人关心。”真是太好了，我看到了他的伟大之处，他竟能说出那样的话。他那样地死去，不责怪任何人，不诅咒任何人，无欲无求。像天使一样――这便是我们的人民的伟大之所在。因此我们相信耶稣所说的话――我饥肠辘辘――我衣不蔽体――我无家可归――我不为人所要，不为人所爱，也不为人所关心――然而，你却为我做了这一切。

我想，我们算不上真正的社会工作者。在人们的眼中，或许我们是在做社会工作，但实际上，我们真的只是世界中心的修行者。因为，一天24小时，我们都在触摸基督的圣体。我想，在我们的大家庭时，我们不需要枪支和炮弹来破坏和平，或带来和平――我们只需要团结起来，彼此相爱，将和平、欢乐以及每一个家庭成员灵魂的活力都带回世界。这样，我们就能战胜世界上现存的一切邪恶。

我准备以我所获得的诺贝尔和平奖奖金为那些无家可归的人们建立自己的家园。因为我相信，爱源自家庭，如果我们能为穷人建立家园，我想爱便会传播得更广。而且，我们将通过这种宽容博大的爱而带来和平，成为穷人的福音。首先为我们自己家里的穷人，其次为我们国家，为全世界的穷人。为了做到这一点，姐妹们，我们的生活就必须与祷告紧紧相连，必须同基督结结一体才能互相体谅，共同分享，因为同基督结合一体就意味着互 10

相体谅，共同分享。因为，今天的世界上仍有如此多的苦难存在……当我从街上带回一个饥肠辘辘的人时，给他一盘饭，一片面包，我就能使他心满意足了，我就能躯除他的饥饿。但是，如果一个人露宿街头，感到不为人所要，不为人所爱，惶恐不安，被社会抛弃――这样的贫困让人心痛，如此令人无法忍受。因此，让我们总是微笑想见，因为微笑就是爱的开端，一旦我们开始彼此自然地相爱，我们就会想着为对方做点什么了。

6.假如给你一支笔(Suppose someone gave you a pen)

Suppose someone gave you a pen - a sealed, solid-colored pen.

You couldn't see how much ink it had. It might run dry after the first few tentative words or last just long enough to create a masterpiece[名著、杰作] (or several) that would last forever and make a difference in the scheme of things. You don't know before you begin. Under the rules of the game, you really never know. You have to take a chance[碰运气]!

Actually, no rule of the game states you must do anything. Instead of picking up and using the pen, you could leave it on a shelf or in a drawer where it will dry up[干枯], unused. But if you do decide to use it, what would you do with it? How would you play the game? Would you plan and plan before you ever wrote a word? Would your plans be so extensive [广阔、宏大]that you never even got to the writing? Or would you take the pen in hand, plunge[把…投入] right in and just do it, struggling to keep up with the twists[旋涡] and turns of the torrents[急流] of words that take you where they take you? Would you write cautiously[谨慎的] and carefully, as if the pen might run dry the next moment, or would you pretend or believe (or pretend to believe) that the pen will write forever and proceed accordingly?

And of what would you write: Of love? Hate? Fun? Misery? Life? Death? Nothing? Everything? Would you write to please just yourself? Or others? Or yourself by writing for others?

Would your strokes be tremblingly[颤抖地] timid or brilliantly bold[果敢]? Fancy[想象力] with a flourish[丰富] or plain? Would you even write? Once you have the pen, no rule says you have to write. Would you sketch? Scribble? Doodle[乱画] or draw? Would you stay in or on the lines, or see no lines at all, even if they were there? Or are they?

There's a lot to think about here, isn't there?

Now, suppose someone gave you a life...

译文：

看不出里面究竟有多少墨水。或许在你试探性地写上几个字后它就会枯干，或许足够用来创作一部影响深远的不朽巨著(或是几部)。而这些，在动笔前，都是无法得知的。 在这个游戏规则下，你真的永远不会预知结果。你只能去碰运气！

事实上，这个游戏里没有规则指定你必须要做什幺。相反，你甚至可以根本不去动用这支笔，把它扔在书架上或是抽屉里让它的墨水干枯。 但是，如果你决定要用它的话，那么你会用它来做什幺呢？你将怎幺来进行这个游戏呢？你会不写一个字，老是计划来计划去吗？你会不会由于计划过于宏大而来不及动笔呢？或者你只是手里拿着笔，一头扎进去写，不停地写，艰难地随着文字汹涌的浪涛而随波逐流？ 你会小心谨慎的写字，好象这支笔在下一个时刻就可能会干枯；还是装做或相信这支笔能够永远写下去而信手写来 11

呢？

你又会用笔写下些什么呢：爱？恨？喜？悲？生？死？虚无？万物？你写作只是为了愉己？还是为了悦人？抑或是借替人书写而愉己？你的落笔会是颤抖胆怯的，还是鲜明果敢的？你的想象会是丰富的还是贫乏的？甚或你根本没有落笔？这是因为，你拿到笔以后，没有哪条规则说你必须写作。也许你要画素描，乱写一气？信笔涂鸦？画画？你会保持写在线内还是线上，还是根本看不到线，即使有线在那里？嗯，真的有线吗？ 这里面有许多东西值得考虑，不是吗？

假如有人送你一支笔，一支不可拆卸的单色钢笔。

现在，假如有人给予你一支生命的笔……

7.一小时(One Hour Of Time)

A man came home from work late again, tired and irritated[烦躁的], to find his 5-year old son waiting for him at the door. "Daddy, may I ask you a question?"

"Yeah, sure, what is it?" replied the man.

"Daddy, how much money do you make an hour?"

"That's none of your business. What makes you ask such a thing?" the man said angrily.

"I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?" pleaded the little boy. "If you must know, I make $20.00 an hour."

"Oh," the little boy replied, head bowed[弯下脑袋].

Looking up, he said, "Daddy, may I borrow $10.00 please?"

The father was furious[生气的]. "If the only reason you wanted to know how much money I make is just so you can borrow some to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you're being so selfish. I work long, hard hours everyday and don't have time for such childish games."

The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door. The man sat down and started to get even madder about the little boy's questioning. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money. After an hour or so, the man had calmed down, and started to think he may have been a little hard on his son. Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $10.00 and he really didn't ask for money very often. The man went to the door of the little boy's room and opened the door.

"Are you asleep son?" he asked.

"No daddy, I'm awake," replied the boy.

"I've been thinking, may be I was too hard on you earlier," said the man.

"It's been a long day and I took my aggravation[恼怒] out on you. Here's that $10.00 you asked for."

The little boy sat straight up, beaming[愉快的]. "Oh, thank you daddy" he yelled.

Then, reaching under his pillow, he pulled out some more crumpled up[摺皱的] bills. The man, seeing that the boy already had money, started to get angry again. The little boy slowly counted out his money, then looked up at the man. "Why did you want more money if you already 12

had some? " the father grumbled[抱怨].

"Because I didn't have enough, but now I do," the little boy replied.

"Daddy, I have $20.00 now. Can I buy an hour of your time?"

Share $20.00 worth of time with someone you love...just a short reminder to all of us working so hard for our living. However, let us not let time slip through our fingers without having spent some quality time with those who really matter to us.

忙于工作的人们，别忘了生命中还有更重要的东西，请多花一些时间来陪伴我们的亲人。

8.一个朋友(A Friend)

Recently, one of my best friends, whom I've shared just about[几乎] everything with since the first day of kindergarten[幼儿园], spent the weekend with me. Since I moved to a new town several years ago, we've both always looked forward to the few times a year when we can see each other.

Over the weekend, we spent hours and hours, staying up late[迟迟不睡] into the night, talking about the people she was hanging around with[交往]. She started telling me stories about her new boyfriend, about how he experimented[尝试] with drugs[毒品,此处为大麻] and was into other self-destructive[自毁] behavior[行为]. I was blown away[震惊]! She told me how she had been lying to her parents about where she was going and even sneaking out[偷跑] to see this guy because they didn't want her around him. No matter how hard I tried to tell her that she deserved better, she didn't believe me. Her self-respect seemed to have disappeared.

I tried to convince her that she was ruining her future and heading for big trouble. I felt like I was getting nowhere[毫无进展]. I just couldn't believe that she really thought it was acceptable to hang with a bunch of losers, especially her boyfriend.

By the time she left, I was really worried about her and exhausted[疲惫] by the experience. It had been so frustrating[灰心的], I had come close to telling her several times during the weekend that maybe we had just grown too far apart to continue our friendship - but I didn't. I put the power of friendship to the ultimate[最后的] test. We'd been friends for far too long. I had to hope that she valued me enough to know that I was trying to save her from hurting herself. I wanted to believe that our friendship could conquer[克服] anything.

A few days later, she called to say that she had thought long and hard about our conversation, and then she told me that she had broken up with her boyfriend. I just listened on the other end of the phone with tears of joy running down my face. It was one of the truly rewarding[值得的] moments in my life. Never had I been so proud of a friend. (by Danielle Fishel)

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9. 希望天使(Angel of Hope)

Ammie Reddick from East Kilbride, Lanarkshire, was only 18 months old when she had the accident that has scarred her for life. While her mother's back was turned for a moment, the inquisitive[好奇的] toddler[初学走路的孩童] reached up to grab the flex[电线] of a hot kettle[壶] in the family kitchen and poured boiling water over her tiny infant frame[稚嫩的肢体].

Her mother Ruby spun round[转过头来] and, seeing Ammie horribly scalded[烫伤], called an ambulance[救护车] which rushed her daughter to a nearby hospital. Twenty per cent of Ammie's body had been burned and all of her burns were third-degree. The doctors could tell immediately that Ammie's best chance of survival was a specialized burns unit some miles away at Glasgow Royal[皇家] Infirmary[医院]. There, using tissue taken from unburned areas of Ammie's body, surgeons[外科医生] performed complex skin grafts[移植] to close her wounds and control her injuries, an operation that took about six hours. Over the next 16 years, Ammie underwent[经受(苦难)] 12 more operations to repair her body.

When she started school at Maxwelton Primary at age four, other pupils made cruel comments or simply wouldn't play with her. "I was the only burned child in the street, the class and the school," she recalls. "Some children refused to become friends because of that."

Today, age 17, Ammie can only ever remember being a burned person with scars; pain is a permanent[持久的] part of her body. She still has to have two further skin grafts[移植]. Yet she is a confident, outgoing[开朗的] teenager who offers inspiration[鼓舞] and hope to other young burns victims[受害者].

Ammie's parents Ruby, a funeral director[葬礼承办人], and Gibby, a policeman, have been a tremendous[极大的] support. "They told me if people had a problem with my burns, the problem was theirs not mine," says Ammie. "They taught me to cope[应付] with other people's reactions and constantly reminded me I was valued and loved." Ammie's positive philosophy[积极人生观] means she is now in demand with burns organisations, helping younger patients build their self-esteem[自尊] to live with permanent[持久的] scars[伤痕].

She is a member of the Scottish Burned Children's Club, a charity[慈善组织] set up last year. Says Donald Todd, chairman of the club and a senior burns nurse at Edinburgh's Royal Hospital for Sick Children, "Ammie provides so much encouragement for younger ones. She is upbeat[乐观的] and outgoing[开朗的] and a perfect role model for them."

This month, Ammie will be joining the younger children at the Graffham Water Centre in Cambridgeshire for the charity's first summer camp . "I'll show them how to shrug off[一笑了之] unkind[不友善的] stares from others," she says. Ammie loves wearing fashionable sleeveless tops[无袖上衣], and she plans to show the youngsters at summer camp that they can too. "I do not go to great lengths[刻意] to hide my burns scars," she says. "I gave up wondering how other people would react years ago."

Donald Todd believes Ammie will be invaluable[举足轻重的] at the camp: "She is mature[成 14

熟] beyond her years. Ammie has taken a tragic experience[悲惨的经历] and used it to shape a very strong, helpful personality[个性]."

10. How to Improve Your Study Habits

Want to know how to improve your grades without having to spend more time studying? Sounds too good to be true? Well, read on...

How to Improve Your Study Habits

Perhaps you are an average student with average intelligence. You do well enough in school, but you probably think you will never be a top student. This is not necessarily the case, however. You can receive better grades if you want to. Yes, even students of average intelligence can be top students without additional work. Here's how:

1. Plan your time carefully. Make a list of your weekly tasks. Then make a schedule or chart of your time. Fill in committed time such as eating, sleeping, meetings, classes, etc. Then decide on good, regular times for studying. Be sure to set aside enough time to complete your normal reading and work assignments. Of course, studying shouldn't occupy all of the free time on the schedule. It's important to set aside time for relaxation, hobbies, and entertainment as well. This weekly schedule may not solve all of your problems, but it will make you more aware of how you spend your time. Furthermore, it will enable you to plan your activities so that you have adequate time for both work and play.

2. Find a good place to study. Choose one place for your study area. It may be a desk or a chair at home or in the school library, but it should be comfortable, and it should not have distractions. When you begin to work, you should be able to concentrate on the subject.

3. Skim before you read. This means looking over a passage quickly before you begin to read it more carefully. As you preview the material, you get some idea of the content and how it is organized. Later when you begin to read you will recognize less important material and you may skip some of these portions. Skimming helps double your reading speed and improves your comprehension as well.

4. Make good use of your time in class. Listening to what the teacher says in class means less work later. Sit where you can see and hear well. Take notes to help you remember what the teacher says.

5. Study regularly. Go over your notes as soon as you can after class. Review important points mentioned in class as well as points you remain confused about. Read about these points in your textbook. If you know what the teacher will discuss the next day, skim and read that material too. This will help you understand the next class. If you review your notes and textbook regularly, the material will become more meaningful and you will remember it longer. Regular review leads to improved performance on test.

6. Develop a good attitude about tests. The purpose of a test is to show what you have learned about a subject. The world won't end if you don't pass a test, so don't worry excessively about a single test. Tests provide grades, but they also let you know what you need to spend more time studying, and they help make your knowledge permanent.

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There are other techniques that might help you with your studying. Only a few have been mentioned here. You will probably discover many others after you have tried these. Talk with your classmates about their study techniques. Share with them some of the techniques you have found to be helpful. Improving your study habits will improve your grades.

average n. ordinary 普通的；中等的

intelligence n. ability to learn and understand 智力

necessarily ad. inevitably 必定

case n. what has really happened; actual condition 实情

additional a. added 附加的，额外的 n. addition

weekly a. done or happening every week 每周的；一周一次的

schedule n. timetable 时间表

chart n. (sheet of paper with) information written or drawn in the form of a picture 图（表） commit vt. 指定...用于

aside ad. to the side 在旁边；到（向）一边

normal a. usual 正常的

assignment n. sth. given out as a task (布置的)作业

occupy n. take up 占用

relaxation n. (sth. done for) rest and amusement 休息，娱乐 relax v.

hobby n. what one likes to do in one's free time 业余爱好

entertainment n. show, party, etc. that people enjoy 娱乐 entertain vt.

aware a. having knowledge or understanding 知道的；意识到的

furthermore ad. moreover; in addition 而且；此外

enable vt. make (sb.) able (to do sth.) 使（某人）能（做某事）

adequate a. as much as one needs; enough 充分的；足够的

distraction n. sth. that draws away the mind or attention 分心（或分散注意力）的事物 concentrate (on or upon) vi. pay close attention (to) 全神贯注（于）

skim vt. read quickly to get the main ideas (of) 略读

preview vt. have a general view of (sth.) beforehand 预习

content n. what is written in a book, etc. 内容

skip vt. pass over 略过

portion n. part; share 一部分；一份

double v. make or become twice as great or as many （使）增加一倍

comprehension n. the act of understanding or ability to understand 理解（力）

mention vt. speak or write about (sth.) in a few words 提及

confused a. mixed up in one's mind 迷惑的，混淆的 confuse vt.

performance n. achievement 成绩

meaningful a. having important meaning or value 富有意义的

attitude n. what one thinks about sth. 态度，看法

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excessively ad. too much 过多地，过分地 excessive a.

permanent a. lasting for a long time; never changing 持久的；永久的

technique n. way of doing sth. 技巧，方法

helpful a. useful; providing help or wiling to help 有益的；给予帮助的，肯帮忙的

fill in： write in 填写，填充

decide on： make a choice or decision about 选定，决定

set aside ： save for a special purpose 留出

as well ： also; too; in addition 也，还；同样

be aware (of)： know (sth.); know (what is happening) 知道，意识到

concentrate on ：direct one's attention, efforts, etc. to 全神贯注于

look over： examine (quickly) 把...看一遍，过目

lead to ： result in 导致

11．Sailing Round the World

At sixty-five Francis Chichester set out to sail single-handed round the world. This is the story of that adventure.

Sailing Round the World

Before he sailed round the world single-handed, Francis Chichester had already surprised his friends several times. He had tried to fly round the world but failed. That was in 1931.

The years passed. He gave up flying and began sailing. He enjoyed it greatly. Chichester was already 58 years old when he won the first solo transatlantic sailing race. His old dream of going round the world came back, but this time he would sail. His friends and doctors did not think he could do it, as he had lung cancer. But Chichester was determined to carry out his plan. In August, 1963, at the age of nearly sixty-five, an age when many men retire, he began the greatest voyage of his life. Soon, he was away in this new 16-metre boat, Gipsy Moth.

Chichester followed the route of the great nineteenth century clipper ships. But the clippers had had plenty of crew. Chicheater did it all by himself, even after the main steering device had been damaged by gales. Chichester covered 14, 100 miles before stopping in Sydney, Australia. This was more than twice the distance anyone had previously sailed alone.

He arrived in Australia on 12 December, just 107 days out from England. He received a warm welcome from the Australians and from his family who had flown there to meet him. On shore, Chichester could not walk without help. Everybody said the same thing: he had done enough; he must not go any further. But he did not listen.

After resting in Sydney for a few weeks, Chichester set off once more in spite of his friends' attempts to dissuade him. The second half of his voyage was by far the more dangerous part, during which he sailed round the treacherous Cape Horn.

On 29 January he left Australia. The next night, the blackest he had ever known, the sea became so rough that the boat almost turned over. Food, clothes, and broken glass were all mixed 17

together. Fortunately, bed and went to sleep. When he woke up, the sea had become calm the nearest person he could contact by radio, unless there was a ship nearby, Wild be on an island 885 miles away.

After succeeding in sailing round Cape Horn, Chichester sent the following radio message to London:" I feel as if I had wakened from a nightmare. Wild horses could not drag me down to Cape Horn and that sinister Southern Ocean again."

Just before 9 o'clock on Sunday evening 28 May, 1967, he arrived back in England, where a quarter of a million people were waiting to welcome him. Queen Elizabeth II knighted him with the very sword that Queen Elizabeth I had sailed round the world for the first time. The whole voyage from England and back had covered 28, 500 miles. It had taken him nine months, of which the sailing time was 226 days. He had done what he wanted to accomplish.

Like many other adventurers, Chichester had experienced fear and conquered it. In doing so, he had undoubtedly learnt something about himself. Moreover, in the modern age when human beings depend so much on machines, he had given men throughout the world new pride. single-handed

a & ad. (done) by one person alone 单独的（地）

adventure

n. 冒险（活动）

solo

a. single-handed 单独的

transatlantic

a. crossing the Atlantic Ocean 横度大西洋

lung

n. part of the body with which one breathes 肺

cancer

n. 癌

determined

a. with one's mind firmly made up 下定了决心的

determine

v.

determination

n.

retire

vi. stop working at one's job(because of age) 退休

voyage

n. sea journey 航海；航行

route

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n. way from one place to another 路线

clipper

n. 快速帆船

crew

n. group of people who work together on a ship or airplane 全体船员；全体乘务员 steer

vt. make (esp. a boat or road vehicle) go in a particular direction 为...撑舵

device

n. a piece of equipment 设备；装置

steering device

n. 操舵装置

damage

vt. cause harm or injury to 损坏

ad. harm, injury 损坏

gale

n. very strong wind 大风

cover

vt. travel (a certain distance) 行过（一段距离）

previously

ad. before 以前

previous

a.

attempt

n. try 试图，尝试

dissuade

vt. prevent (sb.) from doing sth. by reasoning 劝阻

treacherous

a. more dangerous than it seems 暗藏危险的；奸诈的

cape

n. 海角

rough

a. (of weather or the sea) stormy; not calm （气候）有暴风雨的；（海）波涛汹涌的 fortunately

ad. luckily 幸运地；幸亏

fortunate

a.

contact

vt. get in touch with 联系，接触

nearby

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ad. close by 在附近

following

a. next; to be mentioned immediately 接着的；下列的 waken

v. (cause to) wake 唤醒；醒来

nightmare

n. terrible dream 恶梦

drag

vt. pull along with great effort 拖，拉

sinister

a. 凶恶的，邪恶的

knight

n. 爵士

vt. 封... 为爵士

sword

n. 剑，刀

accomplish

vt. finish successfully 完成

conquer

vt. overcome 征服

undoubtedly

ad. certainly 无疑地

moreover

ad. in addition 此外，而且

human

a. of or concerning people 人们

being

n. a living thing, esp. a person 生物；人

set out

begin a course if action 着手，开始

give up

atop doing 放弃

be determined to (do)

have a strong will to (do) 决心（做）

(all) by oneself

(completely) alone

in spite of

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not taking notice of; not caring about 尽管；虽然 by far

by a large amount or degree...得多

turn over

(cause to) fall over, upset （使）翻倒，（使）倾覆 can not help

can not keep oneself from 禁不住

Francis Chichester

弗朗西斯. 奇切斯特

Gipsy Moth

吉普赛. 莫斯

Sydney

悉尼（澳大利亚城市）

Cape Horn

合恩角（智利）

London

伦敦

Elizabeth

伊丽莎白（女子名）

Drake

德雷克（姓氏）

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