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第十二篇
the cobbler and the banker
la fontaine/拉.封丹
皮匠和银行家
a cobbler passed his time in singing from morning till night;it was wonderful to see,wonderful to hear him;he was
more contented in shoes,than was any of the seven sages.his neighbor,on the contrary,who was rolling in wealth,sung
but little and slept less.he was a banker;when by chance he fell into a doze at day-break,the cobbler awoke him with
his song.the banker complained sadly that providence had not made sleep a saleable commodity,like edibles or
drinkables.having at length sent for the songster,he said to him,\"how much a year do you earn,master gregory?\"
\"how much a year,sir?\"said the merry cobbler laughing,\"i have reckon in that way,living as i do from one day to
another;somehow i manage to reach the end of the year;each day brings its meal.\"
\"well then!how much a day do you earn,my friend?\"
\"sometimes more,sometimes less;but the worst of it is,-and,without that our earnings would be very tolerable,-a
number of days occur in the year on which we are forbidden to work;and the curate,moreover,is constantly adding some
new saint to the list.\"
the banker,laughing at his simplicity,said,\"in the future i shall place you above want.take this hundred
crowns,preserve them carefully,and make use of them in time of need.\"
the cobbler fancied he beheld all the wealth which the earth had produced in the past century for the use of
mankind.returning home,he buried his money and his happiness at the same time,no more singin;he lost his voice,the
moment he acquired that which is the source of so much grief.sleep quitted his dwelling;and cares,suspicions,and
false alarms took its place,all day,his eye wandered in the direction of his treasure;and at night,if some stray cat
made a noise,the cat was robbing him.at length the poor man ran to the house of his rich neighbor;\"give my back.\"
said he,\"sleep and my voice,and take your hundred crowns.\"
一个皮匠从早到晚在唱歌中度过。无论见到他本人或听见他的歌声都使人觉得很愉快。他对于制鞋工作比当上了希腊七对还要满足。
与此相反，他的邻居是个银行家，拥有万贯家财，却很少唱歌，晚上也睡得不好。他偶尔在黎明时分迷迷糊糊刚入睡，皮匠的歌声便
于工作把他吵醒了。银行家郁郁寡欢地抱怨上帝没有睡眠也制成一种像食品或饮料那样可以买卖的商品。后来，银行家就叫人把这位
歌手请来，问道：“格列戈里师傅，你一年赚多少钱？”
“先生，你问我一年赚多少钱吗？”快乐的皮匠笑道：“我从来不算这笔帐，我是一天一天地过日子，总而言之坚持到年底，每天挣足
三餐。”
“啊，朋友，那么你一天赚多少钱呢？”
“有时多一点，有时少一点；不过最糟糕的是一年中总有些日子不准我们做买卖，牧师又常常在圣徒名单上添新名字，否则我们的收
入也还算不错的。”
银行家被皮匠的直率逗笑了，他说：“我要你从今以后不愁没钱用。这一百枚钱你拿去，小心放好，需要时拿来用吧。”
皮匠觉自己好像看到了过去几百年来大地为人类所需而制造出来的全部财富。他回到家中，埋藏好硬币，同时也埋葬了他的快乐。他
不再唱歌了；从他得到这种痛苦的根源那一刻起，他的嗓子就哑了。睡眠与他分手；取而代之的却是担心、怀疑、虚惊。白天，他的
目光尽朝埋藏硬币的方向望；夜间，如果有只迷途的猫弄出一点声响，他就以为是有人来抢他的钱。最后，这个可怜的皮匠跑到他那
富有的邻居家里说：“把你的一百枚钱拿回去，还我的睡眠和歌声来。”
第十三篇：
a greek to remember
一位值得纪念的希腊人
diogenes was a famous greek philosopher of the fourth century b.c.,who established the philosophy of cynicism.he
often walked about in the daytime holding a lighted lantern,peering around as if he were looking for something.when
auestioned about his odd behavior,he would reply,\"i am searching for an honest man.\"
diogenes held that the good man was self-sufficient and did not require material comforts or wealth.he believed that
wealth and possessions constrained humanity\'s natural state of freedom.in keeping with his philosophy,he was
perefectly satisfied with making his home in a large tub discarded from the temple of cybele,the goddess of nature.
this earthen tub,called a pithos,and formerly been used for holding wine or oil for the sacrifices at the temple.
one day,alexander the great ,conqueror of half the civilized world,saw diogenes sitting in this tub in the sunshine
.so the king,surrounded by his countries,approached diogenes and said,\"i am alexander the great.\"the philosopher
replied rather contemptuously,\"i am diogenes,the cynic.\"alexander then asked him if he could help him in any way.\"
yes,\"shot back diogenes,\"don\'t stand between me and the sun.\"a surprised alexander then replied quickly,\"if i were
not alexander,i would be diogenes.\"
提奥奇尼斯是公元前四世纪一位著名的希腊哲学家,就是他创立了犬儒派哲学。他经常在白天点着灯笼四处走动、张望，像是在找什
么东西似的。哪人们问起他这古怪行为时，他会回答说：“我正在寻找正人君子。”
提奥奇尼斯认为好人是自给自足的，不需要物质享受和财富。他认为财富、财产束缚了人们天生的自由状态。与他的哲学相一致，他
拿一个从别人从自然之母的庙里丢弃的大坛作为自己的家，还对此万分满意。这个陶制的大坛叫做圣坛，过去在庙里是用来盛装祭祀
用的酒和油的。
一天，征服了半个文明世界的亚历山大大帝看见提奥奇尼斯坐在大坛里晒太阳。于是这位君主在大臣们的簇拥下走过去，对提奥奇尼
斯说：“我是亚历山大大帝。”哲学家相当傲慢地回答说：“我是提奥奇尼斯————犬儒学者。”然后亚历山大问他是否需要任何帮助。“
是的”，提奥奇尼斯驳回道，“别站在我和太阳之间。”大吃一惊的亚历大继而迅速回答道：“假如我不是亚历山大，我就会是提奥奇斯。”
第十四篇：
friends
朋友
a true friend is someone who reaches for your hand and touches your heart.
真正的朋友是一个可以援手帮助并感动你心扉的人。
there\'s always going to be people that hurt you,so what you have to do is keep on trusting and just be more careful about who you trust next time around.
别人常常伤害你，所以你该继续付出信任，并小心挑选你下次信任的人。
make youself a better person and know who you are before you try and know someone else and expect them to know you.
在你想了解别人也想让别人了解你之前，先完善并了解自己。
remember:whatever happens,happens for a reason.
要记住：任何事情的发生都有因有起。
how many people actually have 8 true friends?hardly anyone i know.but some of us have all right friends and good friends.
有多少人可以拥有八个真正的朋友？就我所知少之又少。但我们会有泛泛之交和好友。
第十五篇：
the more loving one
让我们成为更有爱心的人
w.h.auden/w.h.奥登
looking up at the stars, i know quite well 仰望群星的时分，我一清二楚，
that, for all they care, i can go to hell, 尽管它们关怀备至，我亦有可能赴地府，
but on earth indifference is the least 可是尘世间我们丝毫不必畏惧
we have to dread from man or beast. 人类或禽兽的那份冷漠。
how should we like it were stars to burn 倘若群星燃烧着关怀我们的激情，
with a passion for us we could not return? 我们却无法回报，我们作何感想？
if equal affection cannot be, 倘若无法产生同样的感情，
let the more loving one be me. 让我成为更有爱心的人。
admirer as i think i am 尽管我自视为群星的崇拜者，
of stars that do not give a damn, 它们满不在乎，
i cannot, now i see them ,say 现在我看群星，我却难以启齿，
i missed one terribly all day. 说我成天思念一颗星星。
were all stars to disappear or die 倘若所有的星星消失或者消亡，
i should learn to look at an empty sky 我应该学会仰望空荡的天空，
and feel its total dark sublime, 同时感受天空一片漆黑的崇高，
though this might take me a little time. 虽然这样可能要花费一点时间。
第十六篇：
if i were a boy again
假如我又回到了童年
anonymous/无名氏
if i were a boy again, i would practice perseverance more often, and never give up a thing because it was or inconvenient. if we want light, we must conquer darkness. perseverance can sometimes equal genius in its results. “there are only two creatures,” syas a proverb, “who can surmount the pyramids—the eagle and the snail.”
if i were a boy again, i would school myself into a habit of attention; i would let nothing come between me and the subject in hand. i would remember that a good skater never tries to skate in two directions at once.
the habit of attention becomes part of our life, if we begain early enough. i often hear grown up people say “ i could not fix my attention on the sermon or book, although i wished to do so” , and the reason is, the habit was not formed in youth.
if i were to live my life over again, i would pay more attention to the cultivation of the memory. i would strengthen that faculty by every possible means, and on every possible occasion. it takes a little hard work at first to remember things accurately; but memory soon helps itself, and gives very little trouble. it only needs early cultivation to become a power.
假如我又回到了童年，我做事要更有毅力，决不因为事情艰难或者麻烦而撒手不干，我们要光明，就得征服黑暗。
毅力在效果上有时能同天才相比。俗话说：“能登上金字塔的生物，只有两种——鹰和蜗牛。”
假如我又回到了童年，我就要养成专心致志的习惯；有事在手，就决不让任何东西让我分心。我要牢记：优秀的滑冰手从不试图同时滑向两个不同的方向。
如果及早养成这种专心致志的习惯，它将成为我们生命的一部分。我常听成年人说：“虽然我希望能集中注意听牧师讲道或读书，但往往做不到。”而原因就是年轻时没有养成这种习惯。
假如我现在能重新开始我的生命，我就要更注意记忆力的培养。我要采取一切可能的办法，并且在一切可能的场合，增强记忆力。要正确无误地记住一些东西，在开始阶段的确要作出一番小小的努力；但要不了多久，记忆力本身就会起作用，使记忆成为轻而易举的事，只需及早培养，记忆自会成为一种才能。
if i were a boy again, i would cultivate courage. “nothing is so mild and gentle as courage, nothing so cruel and pitiless as cowardice,” syas a wise author.
we too often borrow trouble, and anticipate that may never appear.” the fear of ill exceeds the ill we fear.” dangers will arise in any career, but presence of mind will often conquer the worst of them. be prepared for any fate, and there is no harm to be freared.
if i were a boy again, i would look on the cheerful side. life is very much like a mirror: if you smile upon it, i smiles back upon you; but if you frown and look doubtful on it, you will get a similar look in return.
inner sunshine warms not only the heart of the owner, but of all that come in contact with it. “ who shuts love out ,in turn shall be shut out from love.”
if i were a boy again, i would school myself to say no more often. i might write pages on the importance of learning very early in life to gain that point where a young boy can stand erect, and decline doing an unworthy act because it is unworthy.
if i were a boy again, i would demand of myself more courtesy towards my companions and friends, and indeed towards strangers as well. the smallest courtesies along the rough roads of life are like the little birds that sing to us all winter long, and make that season of ice and snow more endurable.
finally, instead of trying hard to be happy, as if that were the sole purpose of life, i would , if i were a boy again, i would still try harder to make others happy.
假如我又回到了童年，我就要培养勇气。一位明智的作家曾说过：“世上没有东西比勇气更温文尔雅，也没有东西比懦怯更残酷无情。”
我们常常过多地自寻烦恼，杞人忧天。“怕祸害比祸害本身更可怕。”凡事都有危险，但镇定沉着往往能克服最严重的危险。对一切祸福做好准备，那么就没有什么灾难可以害怕的了。
假如我又回到了童年，我就要事事乐观。生活犹如一面镜子：你朝它笑，它也朝你笑；如果你双眉紧锁，向它投以怀疑的目光，它也将还以你同样的目光。
内心的欢乐不仅温暖了欢乐者自己的心，也温暖了所有与之接触者的心。“谁拒爱于门外，也必将被爱拒诸门外。”
假如我又回到了童年，我就要养成经常说“不”字的习惯。一个少年要能挺得起腰，拒绝做不应该做的事，就因为这事不值得做。我可以写上好几页谈谈早年培养这一点的重要性。
假如我又回到了童年，我就要要求自己对伙伴和朋友更加礼貌，而且对陌生人也应如此。在坎坷的生活道路上，最细小的礼貌犹如在漫长的冬天为我们歌唱的小鸟，那歌声使冰天雪地的寒冬变得较易忍受。
最后，假如我又回到了童年，我不会力图为自己谋幸福，好像这就是人生唯一的目的；与之相反，我要更努力为他人谋幸福。
第十七篇：
words to live by
生活的忠告 anonymous/无名氏
i’ll give you some advice about life.
给你生活的忠告
eat more roughage;
多吃些粗粮；
do more than others expect you to do and do it pains;
给别人比他们期望的更多，并用心去做；
remember what life tells you;
熟记生活告诉你的一切；
don’t take to heart every thing you hear.
don’t spend all that you have.
don’t sleep as long as you want;
不要轻信你听到的每件事，不要花光你的所有，不要想睡多久就睡多久；
whenever you say” i love you”, please say it honestly;
无论何时说“我爱你”，请真心实意；
whevever you say” i’m sorry”, please look into the other person’s eyes;
无论何时说“对不起”，请看对方的眼睛；
fall in love at first sight;
相信一见钟情；
don’t neglect dreams;
请不要忽视梦想；
love deeply and ardently, even if there is pain, but this is the way to make your life complete;
深情热烈地爱，也许会受伤，但这是使人生完整的唯一方法；
find a way to settle, not to dispute;
用一种明确的方法解决争议，不要冒犯；
never judge people by their appearance;
永远不要以貌取人；
speak slowly, but think quickly;
慢慢地说，但要迅速地想；
when someone asks you a question you don’t want to answer, simle and say, “why do you want to know?”
当别人问你不想回答的问题时，笑着说：“你为什么想知道？”
remember that the man who can shoulder the most risk will gain the deepest love and the supreme accomplishment;
记住：那些敢于承担最大风险的人才能得到最深的爱和最大的成就；
call you mother on the phone. if you can’t, you may think of her in your heart;
给妈妈打电话，如果不行，至少在心里想着她；
when someone sneezes say, “god bless you”;
当别人打喷嚏时，说一声“上帝保佑”；
if you fail, don’t forget to learn your lesson;
如果你失败了，千万别忘了汲取教训；
remember the three “ respects” .respect yourself, respect others, stand on dignity and pay attention to your behavior;
记住三个“尊”： 尊重你自己； 尊重别人； 保持尊严， 对自己的行为负责；
don’t let a little dispute break up a great friendship;
不要让小小的争端损毁了一场伟大的友谊；
whenever you find your wrongdoing, be quick with reparation!
无论何时你发现自己做错了，竭尽所能去弥补；动作要快！
whenever you make a phone call smil when you pick up the phone, because someone feel it!
无论什么时候打电话，摘起话筒的时候请微笑，因为对方能感觉到！
marry a person who likes talking; because when you get old, you’ll find that chatting to be a great advantage;
找一个你爱聊的人结婚；因为年纪大了后，你会发觉喜欢聊天是一个人最大的优点；
find time for yourself.
找点时间，单独呆会儿；
life will change what you are but not who you are;
欣然接受改变，但不要摒弃你的个人理念；
remember that silence is golden;
记住：沉默是金；
read more books and watch less television;
多看点书，少看点电视；
live a noble and honest life. reviving past times in your old age will help you to enjoy your life again;
过一种高尚而诚实的生活。当你年老时回想起过去，你就能再一次享受人生。
trust god, but don’t forget to lock the door;
相信上帝，但是别忘了锁门；
the harmonizing atmosphere of a family is valuable;
家庭的融洽氛围是难能可贵的；
try your best to let family harmony flow smoothly;
尽你的能力让家平顺和谐；
when you quarrel with a close friend, talk about the main dish, don’t quibble over the appetizers;
当你和你的亲近的少吵嘴时候，试着就事论事，不要扯出那些陈芝麻、烂谷子的事；
you cannot hold onto yesterday;
不要摆脱不了昨天；
figure out the meaning of someone’s words;
多注意言下之意；
share your knowledge to continue a timeless tradition;
和别人分享你的知识，那才是永恒之道；
treat our earth in a friendly way,don’t fool around with mother nature;
善待我们的地球，不要愚弄自然母亲；
do the thing you should do;
做自己该做的事；
don’t trust a lover who kisses you without closing their eyes;
不要相信接吻时从不闭眼的伴侣；
go to a place you’ve never been to every year.
每年至少去一个你从没去过的地方。
if you earn much money,the best way to spend it is on charitable deeds while you are alive;
如果你赚了很多钱，在活着的时候多行善事，这是你能得到的最好回报；
remember,not all the best harvest is luck;
记住有时候，不是最好的收获也是一种好运；
understand rules completely and change them reasonably;
深刻理解所有的规则，合理地更新他们；
remember,the best love is to love others unconditionally rather than make demands on them;
记住，最好的爱存在于对别人的爱胜于对别人的索求这上；
comment on the success you have attained by looking in the past at the target you wanted to achieve most;
回头看看你发誓取得的目标，然后评价你到底有多成功；
in love and cooking,you must give 100% effort……but expect little appreciation;
无论是烹饪不是爱情，都用百分之百的负责态度对待，但是不要乞求太多的回报。 |
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发表于 2004-2-10 00:00:00