高中课外英语美文欣赏44篇(适合高中学生)

As a teenager，I felt I was always letting people down. I was rebellious1 out－side，but I wanted to be liked inside.

Once I left home to hitch-hike2 to California with my friend Penelope. The trip wasn?t easy，and there were many times I didn?t feel safe. One situation in particular kept me grateful 3to still be alive. When I returned home，I was different，not so outwardly sure of myself.

I was happy to be home. But then I noticed that Penelope，who was staying with us，was wearing my clothes. And my family seemed to like her better than me. I wondered if I would be missed if I weren?t there. I told my mom，and she explained that though Penelope was a lovely girl，no one could replace me.

I pointed out，“Ｓhe is more patient and is neater tha n I have ever been.” My mom said these were wonderful qualities，but I was the only person who could fill my role. She made me realize that even with my faults—and there were many－I was a loved member of the family who couldn?t be replaced.

I became a searcher，wanting to find out who I was and what made me unique4. My view of myself was changing. I wanted a solid5 base6 to start from. I started to resist7 pressure to act in ways that I didn?t like any more，and I was delighted8 by who I really was. I came to feel much more sure that no one can ever take my place.

Each of us holds a unique place in the world. You are special，no matter what others say or what you may think. So forget about being replaced. You can?t be.

1.rebellious 英[r??belj?s] 美[r??b?lj?s] adj. 反叛的; 造反的; 难控制的;

2.hitch-hike 英['h?t?'ha?k] 美['h?t?'ha?k] n. 免费搭乘他人之车;

3.grateful 英[?gre?tfl] adj. 感激的，感谢的; 令人愉快的; 宜人的;

4.unique 英[ju?ni:k] 美[ju?nik] adj. 唯一的，仅有的; 独一无二的，独特的

5. solid 英[?s?l?d] 美[?sɑ:l?d] adj. 固体的; 实心的; 结实的

6. base 英[be?s] 美[bes] n. 基地; 基础; 根据

7. resist 英[r??z?st] 美[r??z?st] v. 抵抗，抗拒; 忍耐; 反对，抵制

8. delighted 英[d??la?t?d] 美[d??la?t?d] adj. 高兴的; 欣喜的; v. 使高兴; 使欣喜

当我还是个10几岁的少年的时候，觉得自己总是让人失望。从外表上看，我似乎很

叛逆，但是在内心深处，我是如此地渴望被人疼爱。

有一次我离开了家和我的朋友佩内洛普搭便车去了加利福尼亚。这次旅行并不轻松，而且有很多次我感觉不安。有一次的突发状况让我一直庆幸自己还活着。回到家，我发觉自己变了，看

上去不那么自信了。

我很高兴能回到家，但不久我注意到和我们一起的佩内洛普穿着我的衣服，而且我父母看上去更喜欢她，我想知道如果我不在家的话他们是否会想念我。后来，我把我的想法告诉了母亲，她说尽管佩内洛普是个可爱的女孩，但她始终不能取代我，我说：“她比我有耐心而且无论何时看上去她都比我要整洁大方。”母亲说这些都是非常好的优点，但我却是惟一个能扮演好自己角色的人。母亲让我感到尽管我有缺点———似乎还很多———但是，我被家中每一个人爱着，谁也无法取代。

我成了一个探寻者，想要知道自己到底是谁，又是什么让我变得独一无二。我的人生观开始改变。我需要一个坚固的基础来发展，我忍受住压力，不再做自己不喜欢做的事。而且我为真实的我感到高兴。渐渐地我越发肯定自己无可替代。

每个人在这个世界上都占有一个独一无二的位置。无论别人说什么，你自己怎么想，你都是特别的。所以，不要担心自己会被取代，因为你永远是惟一的。

太多的时候，我们总认为光明就在脚下，就在不远的前方，于是忘了去仰望头顶的那片天……

If you put a buzzard1 in a pen2) six to eight feet square and entirely open at the top, the bird, in spite of its ability to fly, will be an absolute prisoner. The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a run of ten to twelve feet. Without space to run, as is its habit, it will not even attempt3) to fly, but remain a prisoner for life in a small jail with no top.

The ordinary bat that flies around at night, who is a remarkable nimble4) creature in the air, cannot take off from a level place. If it is placed on the floor or flat ground, all it can do is to shuffle5) about helplessly and, no doubt, painfully, until it reaches some slight elevation6) from which it can throw itself into the air. Then, at once, it takes off like a flash.

A bumblebee7) if dropped into an open tumbler8) will be there until it dies, unless it is taken out. It never sees the means of escape at the top, but persists9) in trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom. It will seek a way where none exists, until it completely destroys itself.

In many ways, there are lots of people like the buzzard, the bat and the bumblebee. They are struggling about with all their problems and frustrations10), not realizing that the answer is right there above them.

1.buzzard n. [动]秃鹫

2.pen [pen] n. 围栏，围圈

3.attempt vt. 尝试，企图

4.nimble adj. 敏捷的

5.shuffle v. 拖着脚走，慢吞吞地走

6.elevation n. 高地，海拔

7.bumblebee n. [动]大黄蜂

8.tumbler n. (平底)玻璃杯

9.persist vi. 坚持，持续

10.frustration n. 失败，挫折

如果把一只秃鹫放在一个6～8平方英尺的无顶围栏里，这只大鸟尽管会飞，也绝对会成

为这栏中之囚。原因是秃鹫从地面起飞前总要先助跑10～12英尺的距离。这是它的习惯，如果没有了足够的助跑空间，它甚至不会尝试去飞，只会终身困囿于一个无顶的小囚笼中。

晚上飞来飞去的普通的蝙蝠，本是一种在空中极其敏捷的动物，但却无法在平地上起飞。如果

被放在地板或平坦的地面上，它就只会无助地挪动，毫无疑问这样很痛苦。除非它到了稍高的位置，有了落差，才可以立刻闪电般地起飞。

一只大黄蜂如果掉进了一个敞口平底玻璃杯里，除非有人把它拿出来，否则它就会一直呆在里边直到死去。它永远不知道可以从杯口逃出，只坚持试图从杯底的四壁寻找出路。它会在根本不存在出口的地方寻找出路，直到彻底毁了自己。

其实在很多方面，很多人也像秃鹫、蝙蝠和大黄蜂一样，使尽浑身解数试图解决问题、克服挫折，却没有意识到解决之道就在正上方。

Both my parents came from towns in Mexico. I was born in El Paso, Texas, and when I was four, my family moved to a housing project in East Los Angeles.

Even though we struggled to make ends meet, my parents stressed1) to me and my four brothers and sisters how fortunate we were to live in a great country with limitless opportunities. They imbued2) in us the concepts of family, faith and patriotism.

I got my first real job when I was ten. My dad, Benjamin, injured his back working in a

cardboard-box factory and was retrained as a hairstylist. He rented space in a little mall and gave his shop the fancy name of Mr. Ben's Coiffure3).

The owner of the shopping center gave Dad a discount on his rent for cleaning the parking lot three nights a week, which meant getting up at 3 a.m. To pick up trash, Dad used a little machine that looked like a lawn mower. Mom and I emptied garbage cans and picked up litter4) by hand. It took two to three hours to clean the lot. I'd sleep in the car on the way home.

I did this for two years, but the lessons I learned have lasted a lifetime. I acquired5) discipline and a strong work ethic6), and learned at an early age the importance of balancing life's competing interests7) —in my case8), school, homework and a job. This really helped during my senior year of high school, when I worked 40 hours a week flipping9) burgers at a fast-food joint10) while taking a full load of percolate courses.

The hard work paid off11). I attended12) the U.S. Military Academy and went on to receive graduate degrees in law and business from Harvard. Later, I joined a big Los Angeles law firm and was elected to the California state assembly. In these jobs and in everything else I've done, I have never forgotten those days in the parking lot. The experience taught me that there is dignity13) in all work and that if people are working to provide for themselves and their families that is something we should honor.

V ocabulary

1.stress [stres] v. 强调，着重

2.imbue v. 灌输，深深影响

3.coiffure n. 发式

4.litter n. 废弃物，被胡乱扔掉的东西(尤指废纸等杂物)

5.acquire vt. 获得，学到

6.work ethic: 职业道德

7.interest n. 利益，利害关系

8.in one's case: 就某人的情况而言

9.flip vt. 使翻转

10.joint n. 连接，结合，本文中指连锁店

11.pay off: 得到好结果，取得成功

12.attend vt. 上(大学等)

13.dignity n. 尊贵，高贵

我的父母都来自墨西哥的小镇。我出生于得克萨斯州的埃尔帕索城。我四岁时，全家搬到了东洛杉矶的一处低收入住宅区。

尽管我们当时要做到收支平衡都很困难，但父母仍对我和四个兄弟姐妹强调说，能在这样一个充满无限机遇的国家里落户，我们是多么幸运啊！他们给我们灌输了家庭、信仰以及爱国主义的观念。

十岁的时候，我得到了人生第一份真正的工作。我的爸爸本杰明在纸箱厂工作时背部受了伤。经过再培训，他成了一名发型师。他在一个规模不大的商业区租下了一个摊位，并给他的店取了个奇妙的名字：“本先生的发型”。

商业中心的老板在租金上给爸爸打了个折扣，但条件是每周打扫三次停车场，这意味着凌晨三点就要起床干活。爸爸用一个看起来像除草机的小机器来收捡垃圾，而我和妈妈则要清空垃圾桶并用手拾捡散落的垃圾。打扫这个停车场要用两到三个小时。我总是在回家时的车里就睡着了。

这份工作我干了两年，但从中学到的东西却让我受用终生。我学会了自律，建立了很强的职业道德。从小我就懂得了平衡生活中各种利益冲突的重要性——对我而言，就是上学、作业和工作。这在我高二那年真是很有用处。那时，我在一家快餐连锁店制作汉堡包，每周工作四十个小时，同时还肩负着沉重的大学预科课程的学习任务。

辛勤的工作终见回报。我考入了美国军事学院，接着又获得了哈佛大学的法律和商业硕士学位。后来，我进入洛杉矶一家著名的律师事务所并被选为加州议会参议员。在做这些工作和其他所有事情的过程中，我从未忘记过在停车场辛勤工作的那些日子。那段经历使我懂得工作无贵贱, 靠自食其力来供养自己和家人就值得人们敬佩。

Forty-three years seems like a long time to remember the name of a mere1)acquaintance. I have forgotten the name of an old lady, who was a customer on the paper route in my home town when I was a twelve-year-old boy. Yet it dwells2)in my memory that she taught me a lesson in forgiveness that I shall never forget.

On a winter afternoon, a friend and I were throwing stones onto the slanted3)roof of the old lady's house from a spot near her backyard. The object of our play was to observe how the stones changed to missiles4)as they rolled to the roof's edge and shot out into the yard like comets5)falling from the sky. I found myself a perfectly smooth rock and threw it out. The stone was too smooth, however, so it slipped from my hand as I let it go and headed straight not for the roof but for a small window on the old lady's back porch6). At the sound of fractured7)glass, we knew we were in trouble. We turned tail8)and ran faster than any of our missiles flew off her roof.

I was too scared about getting caught that first night to be concerned about9)the old lady with the broken window in winter. However, a few days later, when I was sure that I hadn't been discovered, I started to feel guilty for her misfortune. She still greeted me with a smile each day when I gave her the paper, but I was no longer able to act comfortable in her presence10).

I made up my mind that I would save my paper delivery money, and in three weeks I had the seven dollars that I calculated would cover the cost of her window. I put the money in an envelope with a note explaining that I was sorry for breaking her window and hoped that the seven dollars would cover the cost for repairing it.

I waited until it was dark, snuck up11)to the old lady's house, and put the letter I didn't sign through the letter slot12)in her door. My soul felt redeemed13)and I could have the freedom of, once again, looking straight into the old lady's kind eyes.

The next day, I handed the old lady her paper and was able to return the warm smile that I was receiving from her. She thanked me for the paper and gave me a bag of cookies she had made herself. I thanked her and proceeded14)to eat the cookies as I continued my route.

After several cookies, I felt an envelope and pulled it out of the bag. When I opened the envelope, I was stunned15). Inside were the seven dollars and a short note that said, "I'm proud of you."

记住一个仅是认识的人的名字，43年似乎是段很长的时间。我已经忘了那位老太太的名字，她是我12岁那年在家乡送报时的一位客户。不过，她曾给我上的那堂关于“宽恕”的课却始终让我难以忘怀。

一个冬天的下午，我和一个朋友在离这个老太太家屋后不远的一个地方往她家斜斜的屋顶上扔石子玩。我们的目的是观察这些石子如何顺着屋顶的斜坡变成一颗发射物，在滚落到屋顶边缘的瞬间，像滑过天空的彗星那样射入院中。我给自己找了颗十分光滑的石子，然后扔了出去。但是，这颗石子太光滑了，出手的一刹那，它偏离了方向。它没有落在屋顶上，反而直接击中了老太太屋后门廊上的一扇小窗户。听到玻璃破碎的声音，我们知道闯祸了。我们掉头拔腿就跑，跑得比任何一颗从她屋顶发射的石子都要快。

当天晚上，我太害怕被抓住，没有考虑到冬天里的破玻璃窗会给老太太带来什么样的麻烦。但是，过了几天，当我确信自己没被发现时，就开始对给她带来的倒霉事感到内疚了。每天我给她送报纸时，她依旧笑眯眯地迎接我。不过，在她面前，我已经不像过去那样自在了。

我决定把送报挣的钱攒起来。三周后，我便有了7美元。我估计这大概够赔偿她的窗户了。我把钱装进一个信封，并附上一张纸条，解释说我对打破她家的窗户感到很抱歉，希望这7美元足够赔付修窗户的钱。

我一直等到天黑，才悄悄走到她家门前，把这封没有署名的信从信箱口投进了她家。做完这件事情后，我感到自己的灵魂好像得到了解脱，获得了新的自由，能够重新正视老太太慈祥的目光了。

第二天，当老太太微笑着从我手上接过报纸时，我也能向她回报一个热情的微笑。她对我的送报工作表示感谢，送了我一纸袋她亲手做的饼干。谢过她后，我一边吃着饼干，一边继续去给别

的客户送报纸。

吃了几块饼干后，我摸到了一个信封，就把它拽了出来。当我打开信封时，我不禁怔住了。信

封里有7美元和一张纸条，上面写道：“我为你感到骄傲。”

The air we breathe is so freely available 1）that we take it for granted2）. Yet without it we could not survive more than a few minutes. For the most part, the same air is available to everyone, and everyone needs it. Some people use the air to sustain3）them while they sit around and feel sorry for themselves. Others breathe in the air and use the energy it provides to make a magnificent4）life for themselves.

Opportunity is the same way. It is everywhere. Opportunity is so freely available that we take it for granted. Yet opportunity alone is not enough to create success. Opportunity must be seized and acted

upon in order to have value. So many people are so anxious to "get in on the ground floor5）" of opportunity, as if the opportunity will do all the work. That's impossible.

Just as you need air to breathe, you need opportunity to succeed. It takes more than just breathing in

the fresh air of opportunity, however. You must make use of that opportunity. That's not up to the opportunity. That's up to you. It doesn't matter what "floor" the opportunity is on. What matters is what

you do with it.

1.available 英[??ve?l?bl] 美[??vel?b?l] adj. 可获得的; 有空的; 可购得的

2.take it for granted英[teik it f?: ?grɑ:nt?d]视为当然

3.sustain 英[s??ste?n] 美[s??sten] vt.维持; 供养; 支撑

4.magnificent 英[m?g?n?f?snt] 美[m?ɡ?n?f?s?nt]adj. 壮丽的; 瑰丽的; 伟大的

5.get in on the ground floor (n. 有利的地位，投机的初期)

我们呼吸的空气如此易得，以至于我们视它为理所当然，但没有了空气我们却坚持

不了几分钟。从很大程度上来说，每个人呼吸到的空气都是一样的，并且每个人都离不开空气。

有些人靠呼吸空气来维持生命，但他们只会坐在那里自怨自艾。另外一些人吸进空气，利用空气

提供的能量为自己开创壮丽的人生。

机遇也是如此。它无处不在。机遇如此易得，以至于我们视它为理所应当。然而仅凭机遇却不

足以创造成功。必须抓住机遇并采取行动才能实现其价值。有许多人一得到有利的机会，就急着

要成功，好像有了机遇就万事大吉。这是不可能的。

正如你需要空气来呼吸，你也需要机遇来获得成功。但是只吸进机遇的新鲜空气远远不够。你

必须好好利用机遇。这并不取决于机遇本身，而是由你自己决定。你在什么时候得到机遇并不重

要。重要的是你怎样把握机遇。

Everybody doesn't have to love me. 无须人人都爱我

Not everyone has to love me or even like me. I don't necessarily like everybody I know, so why should everybody else like me? I enjoy being liked and being loved, but if somebody doesn't like me, I will still be okay and still feel like I am an okay person. I cannot make somebody like me anymore than someone can get me to like them. I don't need approval all the time. If someone does not approve of1) me, I will still be okay.

It is okay to make mistakes. 犯错误没什么大不了的

Making mistakes is something we all do, and I am still a fine and worthwhile person when I make them. There is no reason for me to get upset when I make a mistake. I am trying, and if I make a mistake, I am going to continue trying. I can handle making a mistake. It is okay for others to make a mistake, too.

I will accept my mistakes and also the mistakes that others make.

Other people are okay and I am okay. 互相尊重

People who do things that I don't like are not necessarily bad people. They should not necessarily be punished just because I don't like what they do or did. There is no reason why other people should bethe way I want them to be, and there is no reason why I should be the way somebody else wants me to be. People will be whatever they want to be, and I will be whatever I want to be. I cannot control other people or change them. They are who they are; we all deserve basic respect.

I don't have to control things. 我无须控制一切

I will survive if things are different than what I want them to be. I can accept things the way they are, accept people the way they are, and accept myself the way I am. There is no reason to get upset if I can't change things to fit my idea of how they ought to be. There is no reason why I should have to like everything. Even if I don't like it, I can live with it.

I am responsible for my day. 我对自己的一生负责

I am responsible for how I feel and what I do. Nobody can make me feel anything. If I have a rotten2) day, I am the one who allowed it to be that way. If I have a great day, I am the one who deserves credit

for being positive. It is not the responsibility of other people to change so that I can feel better. I am the one who is in charge of my life.

I can handle it when things go wrong. 出问题时我能应付

I don't need to watch out for things to go wrong. They usually go just fine, and when they don't, I can handle it. I don't have to waste energy worrying. The sky won't fall; things will be okay.

It is important to try. 试一试很重要

I can. Even though I may be faced with difficult tasks, it is better to try than to avoid them. Avoiding

a task does not give me any opportunities for success or joy, but trying does. Things worth having are worth the effort. I might not be able to do everything. But I can do something.

I am capable. 我能做到。

I don't need someone else to take care of my problems. I am capable.

I can take care of myself. I can make decisions for myself. I can think for myself. I don't have to depend on somebody else to take care of me.

I can change. 我可以改变

I don't have to be a certain way because of what has happened in the past. Every day is a new day. It's silly to think I can't help being the way I am. Of course I can. I can change.

I can be flexible. 我能随机应变

There is more than one way to do something. More than one person has had good ideas that will work. There is no one and only "best" way. Everybody has ideas that are worthwhile. Some may make more sense to me than others, but everyone's ideas are worthwhile, and everyone has something worthwhile to contribute.

给予比获得更让人幸福......

Paul received an automobile from his brother as a Christmas present. On Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office, a street boy was walking around the shiny new car, admiring it.

"Is this your car, Mister?" he asked.

Paul nodded. "My brother gave it to me for Christmas." The boy was astonished. "You mean your brother gave it to you and it didn't cost you anything? Boy, I wish...." He hesitated. Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for. He was going to wish he had a brother like that. But what the lad1 said made Paul quite surprised.

"I wish," the boy went on, "that I could be a brother like that."

Paul looked at the boy in astonishment, then impulsively2 he added, "Would you like to take a ride in my automobile?"

"Oh, yes, I'd love that."

After a short ride, the boy turned and with his eyes shining, said, "Mister, would you mind driving in front of my house?" Paul smiled a little. He thought he knew what the lad wanted. He wanted to show his neighbors that he could ride home in a big automobile. But Paul was wrong again.

"Will you stop where those two steps are?" the boy asked. He ran up the steps. Then in a little while Paul heard him coming back, but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled3 brother. He sat him down on the bottom step, then sort of4 squeezed up5 against him and pointed to the car. "There she is, Buddy, just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it didn't cost him a cent. And some day I'm gonna6 give you one just like it... then you can see for yourself all the pretty things in the Christmas windows that I've been trying to tell you about."

Paul got out and lifted the lad to the front seat of his car. The shining-eyed older brother climbed in beside him and the three of them began a memorable holiday ride.

That Christmas Eve, Paul learned that it was more blessed to give....

保罗收到一辆汽车，那是他哥哥送的圣诞礼物。圣诞节前夜，保罗从办公室出来时，一个街头少年绕着那辆闪闪发亮的新车，十分羡慕。

“先生，这是你的车？”少年问道。

保罗点点头：“这是我哥哥送我的圣诞礼物。”男孩十分惊讶：“你是说这是你哥送你的，你一分钱也没花？好家伙，我希望……”他停住了。保罗当然知道男孩他希望什么。他希望能有一个那样的哥哥。但那少年接下来说的话却让保罗大吃一惊。

“我希望，”男孩继续说：“我能成为那样的哥哥。”

保罗惊愕地看着那男孩，他冲口而出：“你要不要坐我的车去兜一兜风？”

“哦，当然，我愿意！”

车开出一小段路后，男孩转过头来，眼睛闪闪发亮地说：“先生，你是否介意把车子开到我家门前？”保罗微笑。他想他知道男孩想干什么。那男孩肯定是要向邻居炫耀他能坐一部大轿车回家。但是这次保罗又猜错了。

“你能不能把车子停在那两个台阶前？”男孩要求。男孩跑上台阶，过了一会儿保罗听到他回来了，但动作有些缓慢。他背来了他跛脚的弟弟。他让弟弟坐在最下面的台阶上，略有些挤靠着自己，然后指着那辆车。“这就是那车，巴迪，就是我刚才在楼上对你说的。他哥哥送他的圣诞礼物，他一分钱也没花。将来某一天我也会送给你一辆像这样的车，到那时候，你就能自己去看我一直努力给你描绘的那些圣诞节陈列窗里的漂亮东西了。”

保罗走下车子，把跛脚的男孩抱到车子前座。兴奋得满眼放光的哥哥也爬上车子，坐在弟弟身旁。三个人开始了一次令人难忘的假日兜风。

那个圣诞节前夜，保罗体会到“施与比获得更让人幸福……”

The heart that seeks to do good will always bring something worthwhile to the world, something in which all can rejoice — even if for only a moment.

A cactus1) stood all alone in the desert, wondering why it was stuck in the middle of nowhere.

"I do nothing but stand here all day," it sighed. "What use am I? I'm the ugliest plant in the desert. My spines2) are thick and prickly3), and my skin is thick and bumpy. I can't offer shade or juicy fruit to any passing traveler. I don't see that I'm any use at all."

All it did was stand in the sun day after day, growing taller and fatter. Its spines grew longer and its skin tougher and it grew here and there until it was lumpy4) and unbalanced all over. It truly was

strange-looking.

"I wish I could do something useful," it sighed.

By day hawks5) circled high overhead.

"What can I do with my life?" the cactus called. Whether they heard or not, the hawks sailed away.

At night the moon floated into the sky and cast its pale glow on the desert floor.

"What good can I do with my life?" the cactus called. The moon only stared coldly as it mounted its course.

A lizard6) crawled by, leaving a little trail in the sand with its tail.

"What worthy deed can I do?" the cactus called.

"You?" the lizard laughed, pausing a moment. "Worthy deed? Why, you can't do anything! The hawks circle overhead, tracing delicate patterns for us all to admire. The moon hangs high like a lantern at night, so we can see our ways home to our loved ones. Even I, the lowly lizard, have something to do. I decorate the sands with these beautiful brushstrokes7) as I pull my tail along. But you? You do nothing but get uglier every day."

And so it went on, year after year. At last the cactus grew old, and it knew its time was short.

"Oh," it cried out, "I've wondered so long, and I've tried so hard. Forgive me if I've failed to find something worthy to do. I fear that now it's too late."

But just then the cactus felt a strange motion and unfolding, and it knew a flow of joy that erased all despair. At its very tip, like a sudden crown, a glorious flower suddenly opened in bloom.

Never had the desert known such a blossom. Its fragrance8) perfumed the air far and wide and brought happiness to all passing by. The butterflies paused to admire its beauty, and that night even the moon

smiled when it rose to find such a treasure.

In the desert, a voice was sounding:

"You have waited long, and the heart that seeks to do good will always bring something worthwhile to the world, something in which all can rejoice — even if for only a moment."

1. cactus n. [植]仙人掌

2. spine n. [植]剌

3. prickly adj. 多刺的

4. lumpy adj. 粗笨的

5. hawk n. [鸟]鹰

6. lizard n. [动]蜥蜴

7. brushstroke n. 一笔

8. fragrance n. 芬芳

一株仙人掌孤独地站在沙漠里，困惑为什么它被困在蛮荒之地。

“我整天站在这里无所事事，”它叹息道。“我有什么用呢？我是沙漠中最丑陋的植物。我的刺又粗又多，我的皮又厚又糙。我不能为任何过路的旅行者提供荫凉或者多汁的果实。我看不出自己到底有什么用。”

仙人掌所做的只是日复一日地站在太阳底下，长得更高更胖。它的刺长得越来越长，而它的表皮则更加坚韧，它向四处疯长，直至变得粗笨结实、倒向一边。它确实长得很奇怪。

“我希望我能够做点有用的事，”它叹息道。

白天，有几只鹰在它头顶的高空盘旋。

“我能做些什么呢？”仙人掌大声说道。那几只鹰也不知道听见没有，但都飞走了。

晚上，月亮浮现在天空中，将其苍白的月光投射在沙漠上。

“我能为我的生活做点什么有益的事呢？”仙人掌大声喊道。月亮只冷冷地看了仙人掌一眼，就踏上了行程。

一只蜥蜴从旁边爬过，它的尾巴在沙地上留下一道淡淡的痕迹。

“我能做些什么有价值的事呢？”仙人掌大声喊道。

“就你？”蜥蜴驻足片刻，笑道。“有价值的事？嗨，你什么也做不了！鹰在上空盘旋，描绘出精巧的图案供我们大家仰慕。月亮高高地挂在天上，就像夜间的一盏灯，所以我们才能看清回家的路，与我们所爱的人团聚。即便是我——地位这么低下的蜥蜴，也有事可做。我拖着尾巴走路时留下了这些美丽的线条，装点了沙地。而你呢？你除了每天变得更丑之外什么也没做。”

日子就这样年复一年地过下去。最后，仙人掌变老了，它知道自己的时间不多了。

“哦，”它大声呼喊，“我已经困惑了很久，而且我一直如此努力。如果我没有找到值得去做的事，那就原谅我吧。恐怕现在已经太迟了。”

但是就在此时，仙人掌感觉到一阵奇怪的激动和舒展，它意识到一股消除了所有沮丧的喜悦。在它的顶端，一朵灿烂的鲜花霎时绽放，就像一顶突然出现的王冠。

沙漠里还从不知道有这样的一朵花。它芬芳的香气向四处飘散，并且给所有路过者带来了快乐。蝴蝶们停下来夸赞它的美丽，而就在那天晚上，月亮升起，发现了这一珍宝时，也绽放出了笑容。

在沙漠里回响着一个声音：

“你已经等了很久，试图做好事的心总会给世界带来一些有价值的东西、一些让所有人都欣喜的东西——哪怕只存在一瞬间。”

Sir Edmund Hillary is famous for being the first person to climb Mt. Everest 1.

What many people do not know is that Sir Hillary did not make it to the top of Everest the first time he tried. The first attempt was a complete failure. His climbing party encountered one problem after another and more than half his climbing party died.

Nonetheless2, the British Parliament3decided to honor him with some type of award. When he entered the chamber to receive his award, Sir Hillary saw that a large picture of Everest had been setup.

During the standing ovation4 that he was receiving, he walked over to the picture, shook his fist at it and said, “You won, this time. But you are as big as you are ever going to get. And I'm still growing.”

We frequently hear the stories of people who have succeeded. And we frequently assume5that they succeeded the first time.

But in fact it's the exact opposite.

The road to success is paved6with the bricks of failure.

1.Mt. Everest n. 珠穆朗玛峰3. nonetheless adv. 虽然如此3. parliament n. 议会4. ovation n. 热烈欢迎

5. assume vt.假定，认为

6. pave v.铺设

埃德蒙·希拉里爵士是登上珠穆朗玛峰的第一人，他因此而闻名天下。

然而，很多人并不知道，希拉里爵士第一次试着攀登珠穆朗玛峰时并未成功登顶。第一次登山以彻底的失败而告终。他们接二连三遇到问题，登山队中超过半数的人都丧生了。

尽管如此，英国议会还是决定授予他某种奖励。希拉里爵士走进议会大厅领奖时，看到里面竖着一幅很大的珠穆朗玛峰的画。

大家起立热烈欢迎希拉里爵士，这时他走到画跟前，冲画挥动了一下拳头，说道：“你这次赢了。但是你就这么高，再也不会长，而我还在长。”

我们常常听到成功人士的故事。我们常常以为他们第一次就成功了。

但事实恰恰相反。

成功之路是由失败之砖垫就的。

L.A. Youth是洛杉机一家青少年报纸。它隔期选一个主题，进行征文大赛。大赛获奖作品语言流畅、见解独到，我们将摘录一些获奖征文，与大家分享。本期选登的是2005年11～12月份征文大赛一等奖得主的作品，该期的主题是“What I dread about the future？”本文很有感染力，充分表达了作者对生命的热爱。

When the final sunset comes, will I be able to walk away knowing I had completely enjoyed the days of my life? I often find myself thinking and reflecting. However, at the end of it all, I realize that my fear about the future is not having a future.

I'm worried that in the blink1 of an eye my life would end. I would not have experienced everything life has to offer or accomplished all my goals. My life would be lived without ever having a purpose. I need to live a life with a purpose, the purpose of improving and impacting2 others' lives. I don't want to close my eyes, with the millions of things in my life left undone, not experienced, not achieved, running endlessly until my last breath is a painful regret.

I have not yet brought joy to my parents. The many expectations they have for me have not been met.

I want to make them proud; the love they have given me is beyond words. To bring happiness to them by

fulfilling the expectations they have for me, will be the first step in living a fulfilled life.

I have not yet become the role model I want to be for my younger siblings3. I want to be the person they look up to, the person that they turn to for guidance. However, I have not yet been through enough of life's hardships to be wise enough to give them the advice they need. I love the innocence in their smiles, but I also know with time that will fade. I want to be the person who protects them and the one who shows them the right way when they're lost in peer4 pressure or their own depression.

I have not yet experienced true friendship. Life has given me many friends, but it seemed with time, people changed and so did the relationships. Friends, it seems, come and go. I value friendship, but so far in life, distance or another factor always comes in the way of maintaining a friendship.

I have not yet had my heart broken. I want to live life until I am able to be in love. I want to be able to trust a boy enough to give him my heart, and yet not be afraid to get it broken. I want to feel the warmth of being in love and the sorrows of having my heart broken. I fear my future will never come, my life ending unfinished. I am not ready for my final sunset. I want to continue my days in the sun, to experience the happiness of the sunshine and the pain of the sunburn. My life is not ready to end; it is barely beginning. I have just started to learn the meaning of life, my wants and needs, my goals and dreams. I want to be able to live long enough to live a fulfilled life, a life that will be remembered, a life that made an impact. As of now, I am enjoying the sunrise, hoping the sunset will come when I will be able to walk away knowing I completely enjoyed the days of my life.

1. blink眨眼睛

2. impact 影响; 碰撞，冲击

3. sibling 兄弟，姐妹

4. peer同辈，同等的人; 同伴

当生命中最后一次日落来临，我能否在离开人世之前，已然知道自己已充分享受了生活？我时常想起并思考这个问题。但最终，我意识到我对未来的恐惧就是害怕没有未来。我担心一眨眼的功夫我的生命就到了尽头。我还未经历生命所给予的每件事，还未实现我所有的目标。我的生命将毫无意义地度过。我需要过有意义的一生，来改善和影响他人的生活。当我的生命中还有无数件事情没有去做，没有去经历，没有实现或者还在无限运转时，我可不想就这样闭上双眼，在痛苦中遗憾地呼出最后一口气。我还没有给父母带来欢乐。他们对我抱有很多期望，我还没有实现。我想让他们为我而骄傲；他们给予我的爱无以言表。实现他们对我的期望，给他们带来欢乐，这将是充实生活的第一步。

我想成为弟妹的榜样，但还未实现。我想成为他们仰慕的对象，希望他们来找我寻求引导。然而，我在生活中经受的艰难还不够多，还没有足够的智慧给他们所需的建议。我爱他们笑容中的天真，但我也知道这天真也会随着时光的流逝而消失。我想成为他们的保护者，当他们遇到来自同辈的压力或陷入沮丧时，我希望能给他们指出正确的道路。

我还未经历过真正的友谊。生活已经给予我很多朋友，但是好像时间一久，人们就变了，我和他们之间的关系也变了。朋友们好像都匆匆而来，又匆匆离去。我珍惜友谊，但目前在生活中，距离或别的因素总阻碍我去维持一份友谊。

我还未曾心碎过。我想活到我能爱上一个人的时候。我想能充分信任一个男孩，把我的心交给他，却不怕心碎。我想感受恋爱时的那种温暖，心碎时的那种悲伤。我害怕我的未来永远不会到来，生命还未完整，就走到了尽头。我并没有为最后一次日落做好准备。我想在太阳下继续过我的日子，去经历阳光明媚时的欢乐，以及受到阳光灼伤时的痛苦。我的生命还没有准备好终结；它才刚刚开始。我才开始领悟生命的意义，知道我想要什么，我需要什么，我的目标和梦想是什么。我想能够活足够长的时间，充实地生活，过一种能被人们记住的生活，一种有影响力的生活。就现在而言，我正在享受日出，希望当日落来临时，我知道自己已充分享受了生活，可以安心地

离去。

童子军团这个词对于中国人来说也许有点陌生，这是个什么样的组织，为什么有那么多人都会参加？让出生于美国的Diana为我们介绍一下吧！

As far as I know, the Boy Scouts movement was founded by a British man. Then one day in 1909 in London, England, An American Visitor, William D. Boyce, lost his way in a dense fog1. He stopped under a street lamp and tried to figure out2 where he was. A boy approached3 him and asked if he could help. The boy told the American about himself and about his brother scouts. Boyce became very interested. After finishing his errand4, he had the boy take him to the British Scouting office. Boyce was so impressed with what he learned that he decided to bring Scouting home with him. On February 8, 1910, Boyce and a group of outstanding leaders founded the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). From that day forth5, Scouts have celebrated February 8 as the birthday of Scouting in the United States.

The boy Scouts in America is very popular. It?s probably a bit strange for Chinese teenagers. What is that for? Actually, the Boy Scouts of America was incorporated to provide a program for community organizations that offers effective character, citizenship, and personal fitness training for youth. Specifically, the BSA endeavors6to develop American citizens who are physically, mentally, and emotionally fit and have a keen respect for the basic rights of all people and are prepared to participate in7 and give leadership to American society and so on. And while they are in BSA, they will learn so many skills, which are very important for their future life, such as the first aid, camping, stalking skills8, equipment maintenance etc. It?s really like learning from life. And there won?t be any spoiled kids fooling around9 any more.

Take this true story for an example, on Nov. 4, 1999, Christopher Bell, 15, heard cars crashing behind his home in Birmingham, Ala. He saw fellow Scout Doug Sweet, 18, lying in the road and called 9-1-1. Chris ran to see if he could help. After checking the area around the car, Chris determined that leaking10 fuel wasn?t dangerous. Chris borrowed a blanket from a bystander and covered Doug to keep him warm and guard against shock. An ambulance took Doug to the hospital. He suffered a severe injury to his elbow, a broken leg and a cut forehead. Life Scout Christopher Bell received a Heroism Award for the rescue.

Here are the boy scouts laws: there?re TRUSTWORT HY, LOYAL, HELPFUL, FRIENDLY, COURTEOUS, KIND, OBEDIENT, CHEERFUL, THRIFTY, BRA VE, CLEAN, REVERENT. Through this, we can see what they are trying to present. And in the scouts they have a scouts oath: On my honor I will do my best, to do my duty to God and my country, and to obey the Scout Law; To help other people at all times; To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight. And their motto is to be prepared. Probably it?s only a few simple words but don?t you think that is what we really should do?

据我了解，童子军是一位英国人创建的。而后在1909年的一天，一位名叫威廉·D·博伊斯的美国游客在英国伦敦大雾迷茫的大街上迷了路，正当他驻足在一盏街灯下思索着行走的路线时，一个男孩儿主动走近他，问他需不需要帮助。这个英国男孩儿告诉了博伊斯关于他自己和童子军团的事情，博伊斯立即对这一组织产生了极大的兴趣。在忙完自己的事情后，他就跟随这个男孩儿到了英国童子军司令部。在司令部里了解到的事情使博伊斯非常感动。于是，他便决定把这一组织形式带回国内。回国不久的一天，也就是1910年2月8日，博伊斯以及一些精英终于组织成立了美国童子军。从那时开始，美国童子军把每年的2月8日定为童子军的生日。

童子军在美国很受欢迎。但对于中国少年来说，童子军可能有点陌生。它是做什么的呢？实际上，美国童子军是一项给美国青少年提供各方面教育的社区组织，比如性格锻炼、公民教育和个人塑身训练等。确切地说，美国童子军致力于培育美国公民强健的体魄、坚强的意志和情感，而且让大家深深尊重人民基本的权力，且随时准备着参与并引导美国社会。在参加童子军期间，童子军们会学到非常多的生活技巧，例如急救、野营、追踪捕猎及器具维修等等。这真正实现了从生活中学习，就不会再有那些不明事理被宠坏的孩子了。

有一个真实的事例：在1999年11月4 日，在亚拉巴马州伯明翰市，一名名叫克里斯托夫·贝尔的15岁的童子军突然听到在他家后面撞车的声音。他越窗而望，看到他的军友，18岁的道格·斯威特躺在大街上。于是他急忙拨打了911。打完电话后，克里斯就跑去看看有没有什么可以帮上忙。他察看了道格的车子，看到漏油情况不严重，又从路人那里借来一条毯子给道格盖上，让道格可以保持体温，压压惊。一辆救护车把道格送到了医院。道格的肘关节伤得很重，腿断了，额头也有不少伤口。因为这次救援行动，童子军克里斯获得了英雄奖。

童子军也有他们的法律，它们是：可信、忠诚、帮助、友好、谦恭、宽容、服从、愉快、节俭、勇敢、公正、恭敬。从这里我们就可以清楚地看出他们想表达的理念。而且童子军还有自己的誓言：我以人格担保，为上帝和国家尽职尽责，遵纪守法，永助人民。身体强壮，头脑清醒以及品行端正。他们的格言则是：时刻准备着。也许这些只是些简单的词语，但难道这不就是我们正应该去做的吗？

在无法看见彼岸的时候，请坚信浓雾后的不远处一定是陆地……把你的目标放在心里！

When she looked ahead, Florence Chadwick saw nothing but a solid wall of fog1. Her body was numb2. She had been swimming for nearly sixteen hours.

Already she was the first woman to swim the English Channel in both directions. Now, at age 34, her goal was to become the first woman to swim from Catalina Island to the California coast.

On that Fourth of July morning in 1952, the sea was like an ice bath and the fog was so dense3 she could hardly see her support boats.

Alongside Florence in one of the boats, her mother and her trainer offered encouragement. They told her it wasn?t much farther. But all she could see was fog. They urged her not to quit. She never had...until then. With only a half mile to go, she asked to be pulled out.

Still warming her chilled4body several hours later, she told a reporter,“Look, I?m not excusing myself, but if I could have seen land I might have made it.”It was not fatigue5 or even the cold water that defeated her. It was the fog. She was unable to see her goal.

Two months later, she tried again. This time, despite the same dense fog, she swam with her faith and her goal clearly pictured in her mind. She knew that somewhere behind that fog was land and this time she made it! Florence Chadwick became the first woman to swim the Catalina Channel, eclipsing6 the men?s record by two hours!

当弗洛伦斯·查德威克朝前方看去时，除了一团浓雾，她什么也看不见。她的身体已经麻木，她游了快16个小时了。

她是第一位游泳往返英吉利海峡的女性。现在她已34岁了，她的目标是成为第一个从卡特林娜岛游到加利福尼亚海岸的女性。

1952年7月4日的早晨，大海就像个冰窖，雾浓得她连自己的支援船都看不见。

在靠近她的一艘船上，她的母亲和教练在不断鼓励她。他们告诉她离岸已经不太远了，但她的眼前只有雾。他们劝她不要放弃，她从未在中途放弃过……除了这次。她在离岸仅半英里处要求支援船把她拉上去。

几个小时后，她还在暖着她那冻僵了的身体，她告诉记者：“听着，我不是为自己辩解，但是如果我能看到陆地，我是可以成功的。”打败她的不是疲劳或者寒冷的海水，而是浓雾。她无法看到目标。

两个月后，她再一次尝试。这次，尽管雾依然很浓，但是她怀着坚定的信念，目标清晰地呈现在心中。她知道浓雾后的某个地方就是陆地，而这次她成功了！弗洛伦斯·查德维克成为第一个游过卡特林娜海峡的女性，而且还比男子纪录快了两个小时！

One of my fondest memories as a child is going by the river and sitting idly on the bank. There I would enjoy the peace and quiet, watch the water rush downstream, and listen to the chirps1 of birds and the rustling2 of leaves in the trees. I would also watch the bamboo trees bend under pressure from the wind and watch them return gracefully to their upright or original position after the wind had died down.

When I think about the bamboo tree?s ability to bounce back or return to it?s original position, the word resilience3 comes to mind. When used in reference to a person this word means the ability to readily recover from shock, depression or any other situation that stretches4the limits of a person?s emotions.

Have you ever felt like you are about to snap5? Have you ever felt like you are at your breaking point? Thankfully, you have survived the experience to live to talk about it.

During the experience you probably felt a mix of emotions that threatened your health. You felt emotionally drained, mentally exhausted and you most likely endured unpleasant physical symptoms.

Life is a mixture of good times and bad times, happy moments and unhappy moments. The next time you are experiencing one of those bad times or unhappy moments that take you close to your breaking point, bend but don?t b reak. Try your best not to let the situation get the best of you.

A measure of hope will take you through the unpleasant ordeal6. With hope for a better tomorrow or a better situation, things may not be as bad as they seem to be. The unpleasant ordeal may be easier to deal with if the end result is worth having.

If the going gets tough and you are at your breaking point, show resilience. Like the bamboo tree, bend, but don?t break.

1. chirp鸟叫，虫鸣

2. rustling瑟瑟声，沙沙声

3. resilience弹性; 回弹

4. stretch 伸展; 延伸

5. snap折断; 猛地咬住

6. ordeal折磨; 严峻的考验; 苦难的经验

对我而言，童年时代最珍爱的回忆就是去河边散步、在堤岸上慵懒地闲坐。在那里，我可以尽情地享受这份恬静和闲适，看着向下游奔涌的河水、倾听鸟鸣和树叶的“沙沙”声。我也会经常注视那片竹林，由于风的压力，竹子会弯下身子，然而当风力逐渐减小乃至完全停止时，它们便会优雅地恢复到原来那种竖直状态。

当我回想起竹子所具有的这种恢复原状的本领时，“韧性”这个词便在我的脑海中浮现出来。这个词用来形容人的时候，则表示一个人具有从惊吓、沮丧以及其它任何超越人类情感极限的状态中从容地恢复过来的能力。

你是否曾觉得自己就要垮掉？你是否曾感到自己正处在崩溃的边缘？令人欣慰的是，当你谈论这些事情的时候，你已经通过了这些考验并使生活能得以继续了。

当你经历这些考验的时候，你也许察觉到了对你的健康产生危害的复杂情绪；当你感到萎靡不振、心力憔悴时，各种讨厌的病症也很可能会接踵而来。

人生是复杂的，其中既有美好，也有痛苦；既有快乐，也有悲伤。当你下一次经历痛苦或悲伤的时候，当你感到自己接近崩溃边缘的时候，要顺应而不是使自己崩溃，尽你的全力不要让现状战胜你。

心怀希望将会帮助你度过难关。当你对一个更好的明天或者更好的状况到来充满希望时，所有事情都不会像看上去的那么糟糕。如果结局值得拥有，你将会更容易战胜那些不愉快的考验。

假如生活艰难，以至于你正处在崩溃的边缘，那么就要拿出你的韧性来，像那片竹林一样弯曲顺应而不是折断崩溃。

The first snow came.

How beautiful it was, falling so silently, all day long, all night long, on the mountains, on the meadows, on the roofs of the living, on the graves1) of the dead!

All white save the river, that marked2) its course by a winding black line across the landscape3), and

the leafless trees, that against the leaden4)sky now revealed more fully the wonderful beauty and intricacy5) of their branches!

What silence, too, came with the snow, and what seclusion6)! Every sound was muffled7); every noise changed to something soft and musical.

No more trampling8) hoofs9), no more rattling10) wheels!

Only the chiming11) of sleigh-bells12), beating as swift and merrily as the hearts of children.

第一场雪降临了。

真美啊！整日整夜，悄无声息地飘落，落在高山上，落在草地上，落在生者的房顶上，落在逝者的坟茔上！

万物皆白，惟有河流蜿蜒成一条黑线穿过雪野，还有无叶的林木，衬映在铅灰色的天空下，此刻更显得枝桠交错，仪态万千。

初雪飘落时，是何等的宁谧，何等的幽静！万籁俱寂，所有的噪音都化做柔和的音乐。

再也听不见得得马蹄声，也听不见嘎嘎车轮声！

只有雪橇的铃声如乐，似孩子们的心儿在欢快地跃动。

亨利·华兹华斯·朗费罗(Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1807～1882)，美国诗人，一生创作了大量的抒情诗、叙事诗、歌谣和诗剧。在朗费罗的这首诗中，描写了第一场雪纷飞飘落的情景，仿佛把人们带进了一个童话般的世界。一片静谧之中，所有的灵魂都能感受到如白雪般的圣洁之美。

The mega1) popular Harry Potter books don't touch on religion, but they do teach lessons many religions would agree on: Don't kill and don't lie. But beyond that are more subtle2) life lessons.

非常流行的《哈利·波特》系列书中没有谈到宗教，但却确实教给了我们一些哲理。这些哲理为众多宗教所认可，即：不杀生、不撒谎。但除此之外，它还包含着一些更为微妙的生活哲理。

1. Beware of pompous3) people

No one would deny that the series' obvious villains4)—V oldemort5) and Draco Malfoy6)—are dangerous. But it's the conceited7) secondary characters — like Gilderoy Lockhart8), Percy Weasley9), and Cornelius Fudge10) —who often do just as much damage as the true bad guys. Their self-satisfied bumbling11) leaves Harry and his friends exposed to the Basilisk12), an impostor Mad-Eye Moody13), and

V oldemort himself.

In Harry's world as in real life, serious evildoers14) are always a threat, but pompous people wreak15) plenty of havoc16).

1．小心自命不凡的人

任何人都不会否认，该系列书中最明显的恶棍——伏地魔和德拉科·马尔福——是危险人物。但还有一些自负的次要人物——比如吉德罗·洛哈特、珀西·韦斯莱和康奈利·福吉——也常会像真正的大坏蛋一样带来同样的破坏。他们自满的愚蠢错误把哈利和朋友们直接推到了蛇怪、假冒的“疯眼汉”穆迪以及伏地魔本人的面前。

哈利的魔法世界一如我们的现实生活，大坏蛋们固然是威胁，但自负之人也会带来浩劫。

2. Stay true to your nerdy17) friends

From the moment Harry first met hapless18), round-faced Neville who was searching for his lost toad, he's been kind to this timid Gryffindor19). Harry has been loyal to daffy20) Luna and to Dobby, the often irritating and unconventional21) elf. And Harry defended his best friend Ron when everyone else was furious with him for his poor Quidditch22) skills. All these characters have stuck by23) Harry in his hour of need, in some cases saving his life.

The lesson: Don't disown24) your true friends, even they are nerdy.

2．对不讨人喜欢的朋友也要保持真诚

哈利第一次遇到倒霉的圆脸纳威时，纳威正在寻找失踪的宠物蟾蜍。从那一刻起，哈利便一直友善对待这位羞涩的格兰芬多学员。哈利还一直真诚对待疯疯癫癫的卢娜以及时常发怒的古怪精灵多比。当挚友罗恩因魁地奇球球技不佳遭到其他人恼怒攻击时，哈利也总会挺身而出维护他。在哈利需要帮助的时候，所有的这些人也都忠诚地帮助他，甚至在某些情况下还救了哈利一命。

这就告诉我们：不要轻视你真正的朋友，即便他们并不是那么讨人喜欢。

3. Realize that your family is more important than you think

Ron's brothers overshadow him, and his parents often embarrass him. Harry's aunt, uncle, and cousin actively oppress him — and his parents are dead. Yet for both of them, family holds the key to mysteries. Ron's parents and brothers are in the Order of the Phoenix, protecting Ron and Harry in ways they learn only late in book five. Harry's parents died to save him, yet live on in important ways. And his nasty25) aunt is grudgingly26) part of a secret blood spell protecting him from V oldemort.

In other words, even when we feel distant from our families, they may be helping us in ways we don't know.

3．要认识到：家人远比你想象的更重要

罗恩被兄长们的光芒遮盖，父母也常令他感到难堪。而哈利则处于姨妈、姨夫和表弟的故意折磨之下——并且父母双亡。但对他们俩来说，家人是解开疑团的关键。罗恩的父母和兄长们是凤凰社的成员，竭尽全力保护罗恩和哈利，但他们俩到了第五部书中才知道这些情况。哈利的父母为救哈利牺牲了，不过依然以重要的方式存在着。而哈利那个讨厌的姨妈，虽然很不情愿，却还是成为了神秘血咒的一部分——正是这个咒语保护着哈利免受伏地魔的伤害。

也就是说，即便我们感到和家人心存隔阂，他们仍然可能正以某些不为我们所知的方式帮助着我们。

4. Speak your pain

Harry's refusal to share his fears and feelings, or ask for help, once seemed like a frustrating tic27). In the past few books, however, it's become clear that it's his tragic flaw. In the early books, it's worrisome when he doesn't alert Dumbledore that his scar is hurting; if he did, Dumbledore might know when V oldemort is plotting something. In Goblet of Fire, it's maddening when Harry doesn't tell Neville that he needs a way to survive under water, since Neville knows about a plant that makes humans grow gills28). And in Order of the Phoenix, it's heartbreaking to contemplate the alternate future lost when Harry doesn't use Sirius' mirror to talk to him — or warn him of danger29) .

In every case, Harry would have saved time, trouble, and maybe even a life if he had opened up to

those who care about him. In each book, despite the rising stakes30), he thinks that he'll just worry people or that they won't be able to help him anyway. Assuming31) he knows how people will react, and hiding the truth in a misguided attempt to protect them, is Harry's great failing. When Harry does talk to his friends, they often are able to help him or allay32)his fears. But when he keeps secrets, Harry makes himself and others miserable33) and more vulnerable34).

4．说出你的痛苦

哈利拒绝让别人分担自己的恐惧和感受，也拒绝寻求帮助，这种拒绝一度有些像令人恼火的痉挛。而前面的几部书已经很清楚地表明，这种拒绝正是哈利的可悲缺点。前几部书中，哈利额头的疤痕隐隐作痛，但他却不告诉邓不利多。这实在令人担忧；如果他说了，邓不利多校长或许在伏地魔策划阴谋时，就能有所察觉。在《火焰杯》中，哈利需要知道一种在水下存活的方法，但却没有告诉纳威。这真让人发狂，因为纳威知道有种植物能让人长出腮来。而在《凤凰社》中，哈利没有通过小天狼星的镜子和小天狼星交谈或是示警，结果眼睁睁让可以改变的未来消失不见。这简直令人心碎欲狂。

在所有这些事件中，如果哈利能向关心他的人敞开心扉，就可以省时省力，甚至还可能避免一个人的牺牲。可在每部书中，尽管风险在不断增加，哈利却认为自己只会让别人担忧，或是认为别人根本就帮不了自己。哈利以为自己知道别人会怎样反应，并出于保护别人的错误想法而把真相掩藏了起来，这正是哈利犯的最大错误。当哈利向朋友们倾诉时，他们常常能够帮助他或是减轻他的恐惧；而一旦严守秘密，哈利就只会让自己和他人痛苦万分，并且更容易受到伤害。

It was on May 25, 1977, that Star Wars premiered1) and changed the world. Oh sure, you might have heard that it revolutionized special effects, ushered2) in the era of the modern blockbuster3) or any of a million things that are probably true but still downplay4) the film's massive impact. Star Wars changed the world by ultimately changing the way that we perceived5) it. It changed us.

就在1977年5月25日这天，《星球大战》首次公映，世界也因此改变。当然，你也许曾经听说，这部影片革新了电影特效、开启了现代大片时代，还产生了其他许许多多的影响。这些说法或许都是真的，但却仍不足以描述这部电影巨大而深远的影响。通过从根本上改变我们认知世界的方式，《星球大战》改变了世界——改变了我们所有人。

1. Use the Force6).

...But the tools to our salvation lie within us as well. Discovering how to channel these forces is what makes our journey. Let it go. The greatest lesson Star Wars teaches us is that the hero is within.

2. The worst enemies you'll face are those you bring with you.

When Luke enters the forbidden tree cave on Dagobah, Yoda tells him that all he will face is what he fears inside. Evil doesn't come from some external trickster7) —it is a reflection of our own foul natures....

3. Life is better the first time around.

Often imitated, never duplicated8). The original is always the best.

4. No matter where you are or what you're doing, someone is going to have a bad feeling about it.

Go ahead, say it aloud: Admitting your fears is the first step toward overcoming them.

5. "Size matters not."

This is a cooler, more complicated way of saying, "Don't judge a book by its cover."

1. 使用原力。

……但能拯救我们的力量也同样存在于我们自身。我们历尽艰辛就是为了寻找利用自身力量的方法。顺其自然吧！《星球大战》教给我们的最伟大一课就是：英雄就在我们的心里。

2. 你要面对的最可怕的敌人，来自于你的内心。

当卢克进入达可巴星球上禁树的树洞时，尤达大师告诉他，他要面对的所有敌人其实就是他自己内心的恐惧。罪恶并不是外来的妖魔，而是我们自己邪恶天性的一种反映……

3. 生活中的第一次最美好。

常常可以模仿，但绝不能复制。最初的总是最好的。

4. 无论你在哪里、在做什么，总有某些人会为此心中不快。

只管做你的！要大声对自己说：承认内心的恐惧是征服它的第一步。

5. “外表无关紧要。”

下面是一种更酷、更复杂的说法：“不要以封面来判断一本书的好坏。”

6. Never desert your friends.

The best we can hope for in our journeys across the galaxy are good, honest companions. They stick by you through thick and thin and won't judge you based on your crazy family. So next time you're debating leaving Jedi training to rescue your friends from Cloud City, remember who it was that shot down Darth Vader during the Death Star attack. You owe them.

7. Everybody means something to somebody.

Remember that scene at the beginning of Return of the Jedi when the Rancor9) dies and a guard comes in bawling10) after him? Even the most twisted11), deformed12) and evil beings can be loved for who they are. Everybody is somebody's child.

8. All things are true ... from a particular point of view.

This is what Obi-Wan tells Luke when asked why he didn't reveal the truth about Darth Vader. But truth is a delicate13) and malleable14) thing: Is Luke Skywalker a freedom fighter or a terrorist? I guess it depends on what side of the Death Star you happen to be on when he blows it up.

9. "Do or do not. There is no try."

Any task worth doing is worth doing right.

10. Fear and anger always lead to the dark side.

Even if you're facing certain death at the hands of a playful sadist15) (who just happens to be threatening your sister), releasing your anger will only please him more. Relax — victory can only be achieved through calmness.

11. "These are not the droids we are looking for."

Searching is futile16) when you don't know what you're looking for.

永不抛弃朋友。