无论是在学校还是在社会中，大家对作文都不陌生吧，作文是从内部言语向外部言语的过渡，即从经过压缩的简要的、自己能明白的语言，向开展的、具有规范语法结构的、能为他人所理解的外部语言形式的转化。那么你有了解过作文吗？
About ten years ago when I was an undergraduate in college, I was working as an intern at my University’s Museum of Natural History. One day while working at the cash register in the gift shop, I saw an elderly couple come in with a little girl in a wheelchair.
As I looked closer at this girl, I saw that she was kind of perched on her chair. I then realized she had no arms or legs, just a head, neck and torso. She was wearing a little white dress with red polka dots.
As the couple wheeled her up to me I was looking down at the register. I turned my head toward the girl and gave her a wink. As I took the money from her grandparents, I looked back at the girl, who was giving me the cutest, largest smile I have ever seen. All of a sudden her handicap was gone and all I saw was this beautiful girl, whose smile just melted me and almost instantly gave me a completely new sense of what life is all about. She took me from a poor, unhappy college student and brought me into her world; a world of smiles, love and warmth.
That was ten years ago. I’m a successful business person now and whenever I get down and think about the troubles of the world, I think about that little girl and the remarkable lesson about life that she taught me.
十年前我还是一名在校大学生，那时我在学校的自然历史博物馆实习。一天，在礼品店的收银机那儿工作时，我看到一对老年夫妇推着一个坐轮椅的小女孩走了进来。
近看这个小女孩时，我注意到她几乎是完全被放在轮椅里，意识到她没有胳膊和腿，只剩下了头部、脖子以及躯干了。她穿着一件小白裙，上面还有红色的圆点花纹。
当这对夫妇推着她走到我身边时，我低头看了看清单。转头看到小女孩，于是我对她眨了眨眼睛。从她爷爷奶奶手中接钱的时候，我又看了一眼小女孩，她正向我展示我所见过的最可爱、最宽大的笑容。就在那一霎那间，她的身体缺陷消失了，我看到的只是一个美丽的女孩儿，她的笑容使我融化，并几乎立刻使我对人生有了一种新的认识。她把我这个贫穷而不幸的大学生带进了她的世界，一个充满微笑、爱和温暖的世界。
那已经是十年前的事情了。现在我已� 无论何时当我感到沮丧，回想到世界上的烦恼时，我就会想起那个小女孩以及她教给我的那堂不寻常的课。
What will matter?
Ready or not, some day it will all come to an end. There will be no more sunrises, no days, no hours or minutes. All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else.
Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance. It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.
Your grudges, resentments, frustrations, and jealousies will finally disappear.
So, too, your hopes, ambitions, plans, and to-do lists will all expire. The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.
It won’t matter where you came from, or on what side of the tracks you lived.
It won’t matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant. Your gender, skin color, ethnicity will be irrelevant.
So what will matter? How will the value of your days be measured?
What will matter is not what you bought, but what you bui< not what you got, but what you gave.
What will matter is not your success, but your significance.
What will matter is not what you learned, but what you taught.
What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage and sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example.
What will matter is not your competence, but your character.
What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many will feel a lasting loss when you’re gone.
What will matter is not your memories, but the memories of those who loved you.
What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what.
Living a life that matters doesn’t happen by accident.
It’s not a matter of circumstance but of choice.
译文：
不管你是不是已经准备好了，生命终将有走到终点的那一天。不再有旭日东升，不再有日日时时，也不再有一分一秒。你所有的一切，无论是所珍爱的还是已遗忘的，都将交到另一个人的手里。
你的财富、名望和凡世的权力都将变得卑微，成为无关紧要的东西。你欠了世人什么，世人又欠了你什么，所有这一切都不再重要。
希望、抱负、计划以及想要做的林林总总，和幽怨、愤恨、失败、妒忌一起，都归于灰飞烟灭。曾经是那么在意的成败得失也变得无足轻重。
你来自哪里，你住在路的那边，都不足挂齿。你是否拥有美貌和才气也不值一提。你的'性别、肤色、民族亦变得无关紧要。
那么，什么才是生命中重要的东西呢？你生命的价值又是如何体现的？
生命中重要的不是你买到了什么，而是你创建了什么；不是你得到了什么，而是你给予了什么；不是你所取得的成功，而是你创造的价值；不是你学到了什么，而是你教会了别人什么。
生命中重要的是你正直、仁慈、勇敢、奉献的每一个行为。这些行为充实了别人、鼓舞着别人
生命中重要的不是你的能力，而是你的性格；不是你认识多少人，而是当你离去时会有多少人感到永远地失去了些什么；不是你的记忆，而是那些深爱着你的人的怀念。
生命中重要的是人们会怀念你多久，谁会怀念你，怀念你什么。
拥有一个有意义的人生不是偶然的事情，也不是环境所能决定的事情，而是你自己的选择。
"Today, you see that I am still in this company, which is because I once met a wise man, who told me a workplace truth at my most hesitant time, in the workplace, I want to turn myself into water and be put into any container.
This is a friend of mine, A Qiang, who works in a famous company. He has a masters degree and his talent in mold design ability. But he cant get the promotion and reuse of the company leader. Because he is only focused on technology and does not take time to engage in relationships.
Finally, in charge of the intolerable supervisor when could not play fast and loose, Jiagongjisi, he decided to resign. When he submitted his letter of resignation, he met a manager of a neighbouring department at the staircase, because there were only a few sides with him. The two people smiled and greeted each other.
The manager saw a strong hand on the letter of resignation, a look of surprise, he said: "if you have another job, congratulations to you. If you are in charge of your department, you have to think about it: you must learn how to get along with different people, otherwise you will always meet such a person, and then lose your mind.
This is not too familiar with the managers words, all of a sudden when it comes to the tip. A lot of people in the workplace angrily stumbled does not understand the problem, the original only in this short a few words.
John was shocked. After that, he ripped the letter back to the post, practicing how to get along with hate charge, although he still does not agree with some things against his principles, but he began to seriously, try to look on the bright side of things, and thus also changed from confrontation between supervisor and.
A year later, because of a strong business is outstanding, company to set up a branch, and served as a responsible person.
He often meet that he learned from a few words of the manager, the manager still has a cool look. Although a strong never asked him to say thank you, but he will always remember the day when I met, the wise man in the staircase, a few words of light, open a frozen and full of corners of the original stone heart.
We should learn to thank others for laziness, because it is their laziness that enables us to have more opportunities to do things, and set up the stage for us to show their talents and the way to success.
I graduated from college to be a clerk in an office of a group company. The director of the office has a special skill, that is, the article is well written and thoughtful. The chairman of the board attached much importance to him. The chairmans speech and the year-end summary of the company were all written by him.
I got to the office, only a handyman, dirty, dirty work, did not name the live all I do. After I arrived, the director became more and more lazy, and some of the work that he had to do by himself was often pushed to me.
Because of the great reputation of the enterprises, enterprises often have to participate in such activities as long run, mountaineering and performance organized by provinces and cities, and should be interviewed and photographed on the spot. For a long time and not working overtime, the director arranged for me to go.
Company meetings often make use of their spare time in the evening, and the chairman of the meeting often forgets the time and goes to the early hours of the morning. And the meeting needs to be recorded and recorded. The director always lets me go so hard. As a result, I have a lot of night time to attend the meeting, second days to sort out the records, write reports, a lot of work.
Some of our new students together, often scolded those old comrades, how lazy and Diao, exploitation of our work, take our time, the wisdom and the fruits of our labor for himself, so indignant, but some people still do.
A reporter from a provincial television station to interview the chairman of the chairman, the chairman of the time is relatively tight, so arranged at 8 oclock on Sunday evening.
The chairman is accompanied by the director. But the directors home is far away from the company. It takes 40 minutes to ride a bike. So he asked me to accompany him. I heard on the air, usually at night to work overtime, I have full stomach, Sunday also let me, too that. And whats more, the chairman of the board is for him to attend, and I have an appointment with my girlfriend. I wanted to top him, but later I was reluctant to take part in it.
In the interview with TV reporters on that day, chairman of the board was in good spirits, and there were several sparks. That is, the development of the enterprise has been ten years now. It needs ten years to go to zero for second times, and is ready to make a big move in 10th anniversary Daqing.
The interview was only half an hour, but as the chairman and the reporters talked very much about them, they talked for more than two hours and then went to tea together. When everything is over, its one oclock in the morning. When the reporter sent, I have been very tired, not wash sleep.
On the second day, I arranged the interview summary and gave it to the chairman. Then write a business newspaper published the article, the title of the article is "ten years of zero is from" - Chairman issued second entrepreneurial mobilization. The chairman felt that I was very keen to capture his inspiration, and the emphasis of the article was new and the theme was novel. The chairman was very happy. By the way, why didnt the director come last night. I said, "his home is far away." The chairman then said, "to thank the lazy people around you, to create more opportunities for yourself!"
Since then, the chairman has often asked me to go to the office, and some of his thoughts and feelings have made me clear. The final report of the end of the year is also let me write. My salary doubled. I became the red man of the company, and I got more and more exercise.
Most of the time, there are a lot of people dont want to do extra work in front of us, we are often not actively accept and try to do a good job, but the fear of difficulty, managed to escape, always indulge in complain and complain, in a negative, pessimistic attitude or passive waiting, watching. If you have more work to do from another point of view, it should be a very lucky thing. Because, by doing more work, you can improve your ability, increase the experience of the world, and improve the quality of your work. So, when the extra work comes in front of us, we should cherish this rare opportunity, hold it tightly, and dont let it slip away in vain.
The pie in the sky, there is always a reason for it to fall out of thin air. Therefore, we must learn to thank others for laziness, because it is their laziness that enables us to have more opportunities to do things, and set up the stage for us to show their talents and the way to success.
In our daily life, we have to come into contact with people in every walk of life.therefore, it is very important for us to know how to get along with other people. to get well along with others and win their friendships, we must observe strictly the following words.
To begin with, we need to be honest with others and shouh{ always say what we mean. lies will surely make people stay far away from us in the long run. after all,honesty is the best policy. second, we have to be humble enough. if we are proud in public, we can hardly win others respect, not to mention "friendship"
Finally, we must not be selfish. we should learn how to show concern for others.
As long as we abide by what is mentioned above, we will find it easy to get along well with others.
We meet at very short intervals,not having had time to acquire any new value for each other.We meet at meals three times a day,and give each other a new taste of that old mushy cheese that we are.We have had to agree on a certain set of rules,called etiquette and politeness,to make this frequent meeting tolerable and that we need not come to open war.We meet at the post office,and at the sociable,and about the fireside every night;we live thick and are in each others way,and stumble over one another,and I think that we thus lose some respect for one less frequency would suffice for all important and hearty the girls in a factory-never alone,hardly in their dreams.It would be better if there were but one inhabitant to a square mile,as where I live.The value of a man is not in his skin.
我们相聚的时间十分短暂，没有足够的时间让彼此获得任何有价值的新事物。我们在一日三餐的。时候见面，我们就如陈腐的奶略，却让彼此相互品尝出新味道。我们必须一致同意若干条规则，也就是我们所谓的礼节和礼貌，使这种经常的聚会相安无事，我们还要一致同意我们没有争吵的必要。我们在邮局碰面，在社交场合碰面，每天晚上在炉火边碰面；我们生活得很拥挤，相互干扰，彼此牵绊，我想，我们因此失去了对彼此的尊重。当然，所有重要的、真诚的沟通，次数少一些就足够了。想一想工厂里的女工——永远不会独处，甚至在梦中也难得是独自一人。如果一平方英里只有一个居民，就像我这样，那要好多了。一个人的价值不在于他的外在。
Chinese Undergraduates in the US
Each year, elite American universities and liberal arts colleges, such as Yale, Harvard, Columbia, Amherst and Wellesley, offer a number of scholarships to Chinese high school graduates to study in their undergraduate programs.
Four years ago, I received such a scholarship from Yale.
What are these Chinese undergrads like? Most come from middle-class families in the big urban centers of China.
The geographical distribution is highly skewed, with Shanghai and Beijing heavily over-represented.
Outside the main pool, a number of Yale students come from Changsha and Ningbo,swhereseach year American Yale graduates are sent to teach English.
The overwhelming majority of Chinese undergraduates in the US major in science, engineering or economics.
Many were academic superstars in their high schools - gold medallists in international academic Olympiads or prize winners in national academic contests.
Once on US campuses, many of them decide to make research a lifelong commitment.
Life outside the classroom constitutes an important part of college life.
At American universities the average student spends less than thirteen hours a week in class.
Many Chinese students use their spare time to pick up some extra pocket money.
At Yale, one of the most common campus jobs is washing dishes in the dining halls.
Virtually all Chinese undergraduates at Yale work part-time in the dining halls at some point in their college years.
As they grow in age and sophistication, they upgrade to better-paying and less stressful positions.
The more popular and interesting jobs include working as a computer assistant, math homework grader, investment office assistant and lab or research assistant.
The latter three often lead to stimulating summer jobs.
Student activities are another prominent feature of American college life.
Each week there are countless student-organized events of all sorts - athletic, artistic, cultural, political or social (i.e.just for fun).
New student organizations are constantly being created, and Chinese undergrads contribute to this ferment.
Sport looms much larger on US campuses than in China.
At Yale, intramural sports from soccer to water polo take place all year long; hence athletic talent is a real social asset.
One of the Chinese students at Yale several years ago was a versatile sportsman.
His athletic talents and enthusiastic participation in sporting events, combined with his other fine qualities, made him a popular figure in his residential college.
BE PATRIOTIC要爱国
It is the duty of every citizen to make the country rich and powerful（To make the country rich and strong is.。.）。In order to accomplish this object one must be patriotic(love his country)。I consider this an unchangeable truth.
How can a student love his country(be patriotic)？I find my answer very simple and clear.He must study hard and store up knowledge so as to serve his(the)country in the future.If every student can do according to what I said,the country will certainly be rich and powerful.
要使国家富强是每个公民的责任。为了达到此目的，必须爱国。我认为这是一条不易的定理。
一个学生如何才能爱国呢？我发觉答复很简单明了。他必须用功读书并积储知识以便将来服务国家。如果每个学生能按照我所说的去做，国家一定会富强。
One morning a countryman went to his goose's nest, and saw a yellow and glittering1 egg there.
He took the egg home. To his delight, he found that it was an egg of pure gold.
Every morning the same thing occurred, and he soon became rich by selling his eggs.
The countryman became more and more greedy. He wanted to get all the gold at once, so he killed the goose, when he looked inside, he found nothing in its body.
一天早晨，一位农夫发现自家的鹅窝中有一只金灿灿的蛋。
他将蛋带回家，惊喜地发现这是一个金蛋。
此后，农夫每天都能得到一个金蛋。从此，他靠卖他的金蛋变得富有起来。
农夫变得越来越贪婪，他想一下子得到鹅肚子中所有的金蛋。于是他杀死了鹅，但是，鹅肚子中什么也没有。
One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the framer tried to figure out what to do. Finally he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway and it just wasn't worth to retrieve the donkey. So, he decided to bury it!
He invited all his neighbours to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly, then slowly he quieted down till nothing more was heard.
A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well, and was astonished at what he saw. With every shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing! He would shake it off and take a step up!
As the farmer's neighbours continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off!
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping stone. We can get out of the deepest wells by not stopping, never giving up, shaking it off, and taking a step up!
Remember the five simple rules to be happy:
1、 Free your heart from hatred.
2、 Free your mind from worries.
3、 Trust in God.
4、 Give more.
5、 Expect less.
When the fox first saw1 the lion he was2 terribly3 frightened4. He ran5 away, and hid6 himself7 in the woods.
The second time, however8, he came9 near the lion. He stopped at a safe distance10, and watched him pass by.
The third time they came near one another.The fox went straight11 up to the lion, and stayed the whole12 day with him. He asked the lion how his family was, and when they would13 meet again.
They soon became14 good friends.
狐狸第一次见到狮子时非常害怕，赶紧藏到森林里。
当他第二次遇到狮子时，则站在附近看狮子经过。
第三次遇到狮子时，他竟有胆量，走了上去，与狮子进行十分亲切的谈话。
不久，他们变成了好朋友。
If you dislike a person in your work or personal life, focusing on her bad qualities is not going to make things better. You need to let go of your assumptions about her and know that she is human too, which means she makes mistakes. Either you move on and stop thinking and talking about her, or learn to approach her or think about her in a positive manner. Focus on her good qualities, and repeat them to yourself instead of honing in on the unpleasant things.
如果工作或生活中有你讨厌的人，只关注她的缺点有害无益。你需要放下对她的所有成见，告诉自己她也是个人，也有犯错的时候。要么就不再谈论她和想着她，要么学着去接近她，或想想她好的一面。多想想她的优点，不要再专注于让你不开心的事情。
Both are so much related to each other． And both are so dissimilar！ What are the differences between friendship and love? Is platonic friendship possible between persons of opposite sex? Let us try and understand．
两者联系是如此密切，两者却又那么截然不同。友情和爱情有什么区别？异性朋友间的理想化的友谊真的存在吗？我们来试着理解下。
What is friendship? Why do we call a person our friend? When do we call someone a very good friend? If we care for a person， if we are always ready to help that person and if we share most of our thoughts with a person， they are our good friends． We can always count upon our good friends in an emergency． We are always sure that our friend will understand why we acted in a certain way． We need not explain anything to our very good friends． The friendship is so deep and the relationship is so intimate， that most of the things are automatically understood by our friends．
什么是友情？为什么我们管一个人叫“朋友”?什么时候我们管一个人叫作“好朋友”?如果我们关心一个人，我们总是准备帮助那个人；如果我们和某个人分享大部分的想法，那个人一定是我们的。好朋友。在紧急情况下我们总是依靠好朋友。我们总是确定好友会理解我们行事的方式。我们不需要向亲密的朋友解释什么。友情如此深，关系如此牢，以致于朋友间的事双方都会很自然地理解。
What about love? In a relationship of deep love， all the sharing that we discussed above are taken for granted． But love transcends all this． During love， we are attached with a particular person， while in friendship， one may have many friends． A loving relationship makes one so much attached to the other， that one gets pained if his/her beloved is hurt！ Love also involves a physical element． Friendship does not have that． This is a vital difference． Nature gives us love so that the specie can go forward． Nature does not give us friendship．
什么是爱情？在深爱中，上面我们讨论的事情都是理所当然的。但是爱情远远超过这些。恋爱中，我们总是和某个人关系密切。但是在友情中，一个人可能有很多朋友。恋爱的两个人联系得如此紧密，如果他/她受到了伤害，另一个人也会心痛。爱情总会有身体上的接触。友情却没有。这是至关重要的区别。上苍给予了我们爱情，以使种族延续。但是上苍却没有给我们友情。
Your heart beats will never increase in anticipation of meeting your friend． You will not lie awake at night thinking about your friend． You will not feel totally lost， if you don't meet your friend for a few days． You will not have dreams in your eyes thinking about your friend． But in love， you will do all this and much more． Indeed， there is no comparison between love and friendship．
在盼朋友出现时，你的心跳不会增加；你不会夜不能寐地想着你的朋友；如果几天没见到朋友，你也不会完全迷失；想到朋友时，你的眼中不会有梦想。但是在恋爱中，这一切你都会做而且程度会更深。确实，爱情和友情没有可比性。
Walk clean around the hill
NOW THAT I can look back across the years from the so-called vantage point of experience in two World Wars,travel throughout a large part of the world, and contact with many of the outstanding personalities of our time,it gives me a great deal of real reassurance each day to know that way down deep I learned some fundamental values when I was a boy in a small town in Nebraska.
I have found one thing to be so very true - the virtues I learned as a boy are still fundamental virtues.My point of view has changed,of course，over the years, and so has that of my friends,but so much of all this change of viewpoint is like a small boy gazing at a hill on the plains of Nebraska.The hill remains the same. The small boy only sees it from another angle as he grows up.
I have always tried to walk completely around every hill I have found in existence since, so that I could get a view from every angle. This,I think,reveals the difference between honsty and cynicism.When you see the hill from every angle, you have a much better chance at keeping life in focus.When you only see it from one angle you run the very great danger of becoming cynical.
Two of the fundamental virtues that have benn such a great comfort to me in my life, from the days of my boyhood in Wahoo,Nebraska, until now are loyalty and charity. There are other fundamentals I learned as a boy, but principally loyalty and charity.
Loyalty is not only just a term - it has been a way of life for me. I mean not only loyalty to my friends and family, but to the honest values on which our country was founded.And to me, this guidepost of loyalty of necessity means loyalty to ones own self.
When I was growing up, I rebelled against so many things, and fought against so many of the basic ideas of life - but I found ofter so much rebellion and walking completely around that hill on the Nebraska plains, in my minds eye,that these virtues had not been tested over the centuries in vain.
Charity is another rule that has been of great comfort to me in so many trying situatuons. Charity is something you must learn.I have been very lucky in life because I have been in a position to give charity,and one should never expect and other reward from charity that the satisfaction it gives.
In taking part in any charity you must give from your heart.Any other type of giving is a terrible cheat on life itself.
Charity and loyalty are two things that have touched my life very deeply. They have been a source of tremendous satisfaction to me every day I have lives. This rule of loyalty has caused me to check back on the course of my activities at the close of rach day, to be sure I havent knowingly hurt anyone in my days activities.
I have tried to repair any hurts I have caused before the days end. This undoubtedly is very selfish of me because I have learned that this rechecking of each day gives me a good nights sleep.
In walking around the hill on the plain each day of my life,the virtues I see - whether I am in London, Paris, Rome,Cairo,Now York,Hollwood or Wahoo,Nebraska - are always the same.
I am grateful for those old-fashioned virtues that I learned as a boy in Nebraska.And I hope I will have enough humility always to be thankful I was born in a country that give me this chance at life.
A 4 feet cupcake weighing a hefty 1,224 pounds has been officially recognized as the worlds largest by the Guinness Book of Records.一个“身高”4英尺、“体重”达1224磅的杯蛋糕日前被《吉尼斯世界记录》正式认证为世界上最大的杯形蛋糕。
Unveiled on Monday,in Detroit,Michigan,US,the enormous cake-with a whopping circumference of 11 feet-was over eight times bigger than the previous record holder.这块巨型蛋糕于本周一在美国密歇根州的底特律市公布于众，它的“腰围”惊人，达到11英尺，比之前的记录保持者大8倍之多。
Baked over the course of 12 hours,the gigantic cup cake was made from 200 pounds of flour,200 pounds of sugar,200 pounds of butter and 800 eggs.这一庞大的杯形蛋糕经过12小时烘制而成，共用掉200磅面粉、200磅糖、200磅黄油和800个鸡蛋。
When covered with frosting and custard,the one-of-a-kind dessert boasted 2,000,000 calories.The brainchild of American firm Gourmet Gift Baskets,the cupcake smashed the previous record of 151 pounds set on July 20.再加上糖霜和蛋奶沙司，这块独一无二的大蛋糕所含的热量高达200万卡路里。这块蛋糕的创意来自美国“美食礼品篮公司”，它打破了之前于7月20日创下的151磅的`记录。
Appearing at the Woodward Avenue Dream Cruise Classic Car Show in Detroit,proceeds from the sale of the cupcake went to cancer charity Passionately Pink for the Cure.这块蛋糕在底特律的伍德沃得大街梦想之航经典车展上亮相，它的销售收益将捐献给“粉色激情治疗”癌症慈善组织。
Ryan Abood,CEO of ,assembled a cupcake "dream team" including master-baker George Algarin to begin making the cake on August 12,five days before the scheduled unveiling.“美食礼品篮”网站的首席执行官莱恩·阿布德组建了一支制作杯蛋糕的“梦之队”，其中还包括特级面包师乔治·阿尔加林。这块蛋糕于8月12日开始制作，当时据计划展出还有5天的时间。
"We started off with a goal of a 7,000 pounds cupcake but fate intervened on Friday morning when the baking was supposed to be complete," said Mr Abood.
The clock just struck two,the expiring taper rises and sinks in the socket,the watchman forgets the hour in slumber,the laborious and the happy are at rest,and nothing wakes but meditation,guilt,revelry,and despair.The drunkard once more fills the destroying bowl,the robber walks his midnight round,and the suicide lifts his guilty arm against his own sacred person.
Let me no longer waste the night over the page of antiquity,or the sallies of contemporary genius,but pursue the solitary walk where Vanity,ever changing,but a few hours past walked before me,where she kept up the pageant,and now,like a froward child,seems hushed with her own importunities.
What a gloom hangs all around! The dying lamp feebly emits a yellow gleam;no sound is heard but of the chiming clock,or the distant watchdog.All the bustle of human pride is forgotten.An hour like this may well display the emptiness of human vanity.
There will come a time when this temporary solitude may be made continual,and the city itself,like its inhabitants,fade away,and leave a desert in its room.
What cities,as great as this,have once triumphed in existence;had their victories as great,joy as just,and as unbounded;and,with short-sighted presumption,promised themselves immortality! Posterity can hardly trace the situation of some:the sorrowful traveler wanders over the awful ruins of others;and,as he beholds,he learns wisdom and feels the transience of every sublunary possession.
“ Here,” he cries,“stood their citadels,now grown over with weeds;there their senate house,but now the haunt of every noxious reptile;temples and theatres stood here,now only an undistinguished heap of ruin.They are fallen,for luxury and avarice first made them feeble.The rewards of the state were conferred on amusing,and not on useful members of society.Their riches and opulence invited the invaders,who,though at first repulsed,returned again,conquered by perseverance,and at last swept the defendants into undistinguished destruction.”
How few appear in those streets which but some few hours ago were crowded! and those who appear now no longer wear their daily mask,nor attempt to hide their lewdness or their misery.
But who are those who make the streets their couch,and find a short repose from wretchedness at the doors of the opulent?These are strangers,wanderers,and orphans,whose circumstances are too humble to expect redress,and whose distresses are too great even for pity.Their wretchedness excites rather horror than pity.Some are without the covering even of rags,and others emaciated with disease;the world has disclaimed them;society turns its back upon their distress,and has given them up to nakedness and hunger.These poor shivering females have once seen happier days,and been flattered into beauty.They have been prostituted to the gay luxurious villain,and are now turned out to meet the severity of winter.Perhaps,now lying at the doors of their betrayers,they sue to wretches whose hearts are insensible,or debauchees who may curse,but will not relieve them.
Why,why was I born a man,and yet see the sufferings of wretches I cannot relieve! Poor houseless creatures! The world will give you reproaches,but will not give you relief.The slightest misfortunes of the great,the most imaginary uneasiness of the rich,are aggravated with all the power of eloquence,and held up to engage our attention and sympathetic sorrow.The poor weep unheeded,persecuted by every subordinate species of tyranny;and every law which gives others security becomes an enemy to them.
Why was this heart of mine formed with so much sensibility,or why was not my fortune adapted to its impulse?Tenderness,without a capacity of relieving,only makes the man who feels it more wretched than the object which sues for assistance.Adieu.
Questions for Comprehension and Consideration:
1.How do you understand para.2 of the passage?What function do you think it serves?
2.Oliver Goldsmith states that cities promised themselves immortality but actually the decendants cannot find its brilliant trace.As the traveler wanders he learns wisdom and feels the transience of every sublunary possesion from what he sees.The following para.6,7 are his descriptive examples to proe his statement.Observe how the author develop his ideas.
3.Para.9 and 10 deliver the authors feeling and comment on what he observed.What do you get from these commentary paragraphs.
4.The title of the essay is “The Night in the City”。Do you think “the night” is a pun?Is there any symbolic meaning in the title?
To be really happy and really safe, one ought to have at least two or three hobbies, and they must all be real. It is no use starting late in life to say: “I will take an interest in this or that.” Such an attempt only aggravates the strain of mental effort. A man may acquire great knowledge of topics unconnected with his daily work, and yet hardly get any benefit or relief. It is no use doing what you like; you have got to like what you do. Broadly speaking, human being may be divided into three classes: those who are toiled to death, those who are worried to death, and those who are bored to death. It is no use offering the manual laborer, tired out with a hard week’s sweat and effort, the chance of playing a game of football or baseball on Saturday afternoon. It is no use inviting the politician or the professional or business man, who has been working or worrying about serious things for six days, to work or worry about trifling things at the weekend.
It may also be said that rational, industrious, useful human beings are divided into two classes: first, those whose work is work and whose pleasure is pleasure; and secondly, those whose work and pleasure are one. Of these the former are the majority. They have their compensations. The long hours in the office or the factory bring with them as their reward, not only the means of sustenance, but a keen appetite for pleasure even in its simplest and most modest forms. But Fortune’s favored children belong to the second class. Their life is a natural harmony. For them the working hours are never long enough. Each day is a holiday, and ordinary holidays when they come are grudged as enforced interruptions in an absorbing vacation. Yet to both classes the need of an alternative outlook, of a change of atmosphere, of a diversion of effort, is essential. Indeed, it may well be that those whose work is their pleasure are those who most need the means of banishing it at intervals from their minds.
英语晨读365 118
We Were Dear to Each Other 相亲相爱
Stray birds of summer come to my window to sing and fly away.
And yellow leaves of autumn,which have no songs,flutter and fall there with a sign.
O Troupe of little vagrants of the world,leave your footprints in my words.
The world puts off its mask of vastness to its lover.
It becomes small as one song,as one kiss of the eternal.
It is the tears of the earth that keep her smiles in bloom.
The mighty desert is burning for the love of a blade of grass who shakes her head and laughs and flies away.
If you shed tears when you miss the sun,you also miss the stars.
The sands in your way beg for your song and your movement,dancing water,Will you carry the burden of their lameless?
Her wishful face haunts my dreams like the rain at night.
Once we dreamt that we were strangers.
We wake up to find that we were dear to each other.
夏天的飞鸟，飞到我的窗前唱歌，又飞去了。
秋天的黄叶，它们没有什么可唱，只叹息了一声，飞落在那里。
世界上的一小队小小的漂泊者呀，请留下你们的脚印在我的文字里。
世界对着它的爱人，把它浩瀚的面具揭了下来。
它变小了，小如一首歌，小如一回永恒的吻。
是大地的泪点，使她的微笑保持着青春不谢。
无垠的沙漠热烈地追求一叶绿草的爱，她摇摇头笑着飞开了。
如果你因失去了太阳而流泪，那么你也将将失去群星了。
跳着舞的流水呀，在你途中的泥沙，要求你的歌声，你的欢跳。你肯挟痂足的泥沙而俱下么？
她的热切的脸，如夜雨似的，搅扰着我的`梦魂。
有一次，我们梦见大家都是不认识的。
我们醒了，却知道我们是相亲相爱的。
英语晨读365 123 Prometheus 普罗米修斯
Prometheus
Prometheus was a Titan ．In the war between Zeus the giants he had stood on the side of the new Olympian gods．Out of the clay he made the first man，to whom Athena gave soul and holy breath．Prometheus spent a lot of time and energy in creating the gift of fire．The fire raised man above all animals ．Later，there held a joint meeting of gods and men．The meeting was to decide what part of burnt animals should be given to gods and what to men．Prometheus cut up an ox and divided it into two parts：under the skin he placed the fresh，and under the fat he put the bones，for he knew the selfish Zeus loved fat． Zeus saw through the trick and felt displeased at the Prometheus' favor towards men．So in a masterful way he took away the gift of fire from mankind．However，Prometheus managed to steal fire from heaven and secretly brought it down to men．Flying into an anger at this unjustified act of rebellion，Zeus let the other gods chain Prometheus to a rock on Mountain Caucasus，where a hungry eagle ever tore at his liver which ever grew again．His period of pain was to be thirty-thousand years．Prometheus faced his bitter fate firmly and never lost courage before Zeus．At last Heracles made Prometheus and Zeus restore to friend ship，when Heracles came over in search of the golden apple and killed the eagle and set the friend of mankind free．
普罗米修斯
普罗米修斯是泰坦巨人之一。在宙斯与巨人的战争中，他站在新的奥林波斯山神一边。他用粘土造出了第一个男人。雅典娜赋予了这个男人灵魂和神圣的生命。普罗米修斯还花费了很多时间和精力创造了火，并将之赠予人类。火使 在这之后，举行了第一次神与人的联席会议。这个会议将决定烧烤过的动物的哪一部分该分给神，哪一部分该给人类。普罗米修斯切开一头牛，把它分成两部分：他把肉放在皮下，将骨头放在肥肉下。因为他知道自私的宙斯爱吃肥肉。宙斯看穿了他的把戏。普罗米修斯偏袒人类，这使宙斯感到不快。因此，他专横地把火从人类手中夺走。然而，普罗米修斯设法窃走了天火，偷偷地把它带给人类。宙斯对他这种肆无忌惮的违抗行为大发雷霆。他令其他的山神把普罗米修斯用锁链缚在高加索山脉的一块岩石上。一只饥饿的老鹰天天来啄食他的肝脏，而他的肝脏又总是重新长出来。他的痛苦要持续三万年。而他坚定地面对苦难，从来不在宙斯面前丧失勇气。最后，海格立斯使普罗米修斯与宙斯恢复了他们的友谊，找到了金苹果，杀死了老鹰，因而解救了人类的老朋友。
英语晨读365 136 Friendship 友谊
Friendship
If you're ever in a jam
Here i am
If you're ever in a mess
S.O.S
If you ever land in jail
I am your bail
If you're ever up a tree
pnone to me
If you're ever down a well
Ring my bell
If you ever lost your teeth and you're out to dine
Borrow mine
If they ever black your eyes
put me wise
If they ever cook your goose
Turn me loose
If they ever put a bullet through your brain
I'll complain
It's friendship,friendship
Just a perfect blend-ship
When other friendships have been forgot
Ours will still be it
英语晨读365 158 Beauty 美丽
Would her life have been different had she been pretty? Chances are it would have. And yet there were a sensitivity and a beauty to her that had nothing to do with looks. She was one to be listened to, whose words were so easy to take to heart. Her words came from a wounded but loving heart, very much like all hearts, but she had more of a need to be aware of it, to live with it and learn from it. She possessed a fine-tuned sense of beauty. Her only fear in life was the loss of a friend.
How long does it take most of us to reach that level of human growth, if we ever get there? We get so consumed and diminished, worrying about all the things that need improving, we can easily forget to cherish those things that last. Friendship, so rare and so good, just needs our care--maybe even the simple gesture of writing a little note now and then, or the dropping of some beautiful words in a basket, in the hope that such beauty will be shared and taken to heart.
the truth of her life was a desire to see beyond the surface for a glimpse of what it is that matters. She found beauty and grace and they befriended her, and showed her what is real.
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 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)
Think about the last time you felt a negative emotion---like stress, anger, or frustration. What was going through your mind as you were going through that negativity? Was your mind cluttered with thoughts? Or was it paralyzed, unable to think?
The next time you find yourself in the middle of a very stressful time, or you feel angry or frustrated, stop. Yes, that’s right, stop. Whatever you’re doing, stop and sit for one minute. While you’re sitting there, completely immerse yourself in the negative emotion.
Allow that emotion to consume you. Allow yourself one minute to truly feel that emotion. Don’t cheat yourself here. Take the entire minute---but only one minute---to do nothing else but feel that emotion.
When the minute is over, ask yourself, “Am I wiling to keep holding on to this negative emotion as I go through the rest of the day?”
Once you’ve allowed yourself to be totally immersed in the emotion and really fell it, you will be surprised to find that the emotion clears rather quickly.
If you feel you need to hold on to the emotion for a little longer, that is OK. Allow yourself another minute to feel the emotion.
When you feel you’ve had enough of the emotion, ask yourself if you’re willing to carry that negativity with you for the rest of the day. If not, take a deep breath. As you exhale, release all that negativity with your breath.
This exercise seems simple---almost too simple. But, it is very effective. By allowing that negative emotion the space to be truly felt, you are dealing with the emotion rather than stuffing it down and trying not to feel it. You are actually taking away the power of the emotion by giving it the space and attention it needs. When you immerse yourself in the emotion, and realize that it is only emotion, it loses its control. You can clear your head and proceed with your task.
Try it. Next time you’re in the middle of a negative emotion, give yourself the space to feel the emotion and see what happens. Keep a piece of paper with you that says the following:
Stop. Immerse for one minute. Do I want to keep this negativity? Breath deep, exhale, release. Move on!
This will remind you of the steps to the process. Remember; take the time you need to really immerse yourself in the emotion. Then, when you feel you’ve felt it enough, release it---really let go of it. You will be surprised at how quickly you can move on from a negative situation and get to what you really want to do!
I have lived most of my life in the 20th century. You will live most of your lives in the 21st century. What does the future hold for your century?
45 years ago, an American political leader, Wendell Willkie, traveled around the world and then wrote a best-selling book entitled, “One World.” World War 2 followed. The world was brutally battered by that war but it survived. Today the choice is either one world or no world.
As I look ahead to the 21st century—to your century—I see one world. But the one world I see is not a world without differences between nations or peoples. Rather, it is one in which we all recognize that we have profound differences and that we must learn to live with our differences rather than dying over them.
I do not see a world without nuclear weapons. But I do see one where the awesome power of these weapons has made world war obsolete as an instrument of policy. For that reason, I do not believe there will be a Third World War.
I see a world where the honor of being called great is bestowed not on the world’s warriors but in the world’s peacemakers.
And I see one world, but not a world drab in its uniformity but one enriched by its diversity. I see an open world, a world of open cities, open skies, open minds and open hearts; a world where our enemies are not other peoples but the common enemies of all mankind: poverty, hunger, misery, and injustice wherever they may exist in the world.
And I see a world in which there will continue to be conflict but where competition between great peoples will build rather than destory---where it will be a force for peace and progress rather than a force for war.
Some will question my optimism. But of this one thing I am sure: without cooperation between the Chinese people and the American people, there is no chance that the 21st century in which you will live will be a century of peace and progress for all people.
This is what I hope for China. This is what I hope for the world. This is what I hope for you., the new generation of China, whose task is to help to build and to meet those goals.