一篇好的讀物能夠使我們感到身心愉悅,心情舒暢。感到疲憊的時候就靜下心來,去看一篇使你身心受益的美文吧!
1. The Love of Beauty
The love of beauty is an essential part of all healthy human nature. It is a moral quality. The absence of it is not an assured ground of condemnation, but the presence of it is an invariable sign of goodness of heart. In proportion to the degree in which it is felt will probably be the degree in which nobleness and beauty of character will be attained.
Natural beauty is an all-pervading presence. The universe is its temple. It unfolds into the numberless flowers of spring. It waves in the branches of trees and the green blades of grass. It haunts the depths of the earth and the sea. It gleams from the hues of the shell and the precious stone. And not only these minute objects but the oceans, the mountains, the clouds, the stars, the rising and the setting sun---all overflow with beauty. This beauty is so precious, and so congenial to our tenderest and noblest feelings, that it is painful to think of the multitude of people living in the midst of it and yet remaining almost blind to it.
All persons should seek to become acquainted with the beauty in nature. There is not a worm we tread upon, nor a leaf that dances merrily as it falls before the autumn winds, but calls for our study and admiration. The power to appreciated beauty not merely increases our sources of happiness---it enlarges our moral nature, too. Beauty calms our restlessness and dispels our cares. Go into the fields or the woods, spend a summer day by the sea or the mountains, and all your little perplexities and anxieties will vanish. Listen to sweet music, and your foolish fears and petty jealousies will pass away. The beauty of the world helps us to seek and find the beauty of goodness.
譯文:
愛美及是整個健全人性不可或缺之一部分。它是一種道德品質(zhì)。缺乏這種品質(zhì)并不能作為受到責難的充分理由,但是擁有這種品質(zhì)則是心靈美好的永恒標志。品德的高尚與美好所達到的程度可能與對美的感受程度成正比。
大自然的美無處不在,整個宇宙就是美的殿堂。美,在春日百花中綻放;美,在綠葉嫩枝間搖曳;美,在深海幽谷里游弋;美,在奇石與貝殼的繽紛色彩中閃爍。不只是這些細微之物,還有海洋,山川,云彩,繁星,日升日落 ,一切都是洋溢著美。這樣的美是如此珍貴,與我們最溫柔,最高尚的情愫是如此相宜。然而,想到很多人置身于美之中,卻幾乎對它熟視無睹,真是令人痛心不已。
所有的人都應該去認識大自然之美。沒有一條我們踩過的小蟲,沒有一片在秋風拂掠之際飛舞的樹葉不值得我們研究與贊賞。欣賞美的能力不僅增加了我們快樂的來源,也加強了我們德性的修養(yǎng)。美使我們不安的心平靜下來,也驅(qū)散了我們的憂慮。到田野或森林去,在夏日的海邊或山上呆上一天,那么你所有微不足道的困惑與焦慮都會煙消云散。傾聽悅耳的音樂,你那愚蠢的恐懼與狹隘的嫉妒都會過去。世界之美將有助于我們找到為善之美。
2. Born to Win
Each human being is born as something new, something that never existed before. Each is born with the capacity to win at life. Each person has a unique way of seeing, hearing, touching, tasting and thinking. Each has his or her own unique potentials---capabilities and limitations. Each can be a significant, thinking, aware, and creative being---a productive person, a winner.
The word “winner” and “loser” have many meanings. When we refer to a person as a winner, we do not mean one who makes someone else lose. To us, a winner is one who responds authentically by being credible, trustworthy, responsive, and genuine, both as an individual and as a member of a society.
Winners do not dedicated their lives to a concept of what they imagine they should be; rather, they are themselves and as such do not use their energy putting on a performance, maintaining pretence and manipulating others. They are aware that there is a difference between being loving and acting loving, between being stupid and acting stupid, between being knowledgeable and acting knowledgeable. Winners do not need to hide behind a mask.
Winners are not afraid to do their own thinking and to use their own knowledge. They can separate facts from opinions and don’t pretend to have all the answers. They listen to others, evaluate what they say, but come to their own conclusions. Although winners can admire and respect other people, they are not totally defined, demolished, bound, or awed by them. Winners do not play “helpless”, nor do they play the blaming game. Instead, they assume responsibility for their own lives. They don’t give others a false authority over them. Winners are their own bosses and know it.
A winner’s timing is right. Winners respond appropriately to the situation. Their responses are related to the message sent and preserve the significance, worth, well-being, and dignity of the people involved. Winners know that for everything there is a season and for every activity a time. Although winners can freely enjoy themselves, they can also postpone enjoyment, can discipline themselves in the present to enhance their enjoyment in the future. Winners are not afraid to go after what he wants, but they do so in proper ways. Winners do not get their security by controlling others. They do not set themselves up to lose.
A winner cares about the world and its peoples. A winner is not isolated from the general problems of society, but is concerned, compassionate, and committed to improving the quality of life. Even in the face of national and international adversity, a winner’s self-image is not one of a powerless individual. A winner works to make the world a better place.
譯文:
人皆生而為新,為前所未有之所存在;人皆生而能贏。人皆有其特立獨行之方式去審視,聆聽,觸摸,品味及思考,因而都具備獨特潛質(zhì)-能力和局限。人皆能舉足輕重,思慮明達,洞察秋毫,富有創(chuàng)意,成就功業(yè)。
“成功者”與“敗者”含義頗多。談及成功者我們并非指令他人失意之人。對我們而言,成功者必為人守信,值得信賴,有求必應,態(tài)度誠懇,或為個人,或為社會一員皆能以真誠回應他人。
成功者行事并不拘泥于某種信條,即便是他們認為應為其奉獻一生的理念;而是本色行事,所以并不把精力用來表演,保持偽裝或操控他人。他們明了愛與裝家,愚蠢與裝傻,博學與賣弄之間迥然有別。成功者無須藏于面具之后。
成功者敢于利用所學,獨立思考,區(qū)分事實與觀點,且并不佯裝通曉所有答案。他們傾聽,權(quán)衡他人意見,但能得出自己的結(jié)論。盡管他們尊重,敬佩他們,但并不為他們所局限,所推翻,所束縛,也不對他人敬若神靈。
成功者既不佯裝“無助”,亦不抱怨他人。相反,他們對人生總是獨擔責任,也不以權(quán)威姿態(tài)凌駕他人之上。他們主宰自己,而且能意識到這點。
成功者善于審時度勢,隨機應變。他們對所接受的信息做出回應,維護當事人的利益,康樂和尊嚴。成功者深知成一事要看好時節(jié),行一事要把握時機。
盡管成功者可以自由享樂,但他更知如何推遲享樂,適時自律,以期將來樂趣更盛。成功者并不忌憚追求所想,但取之有道,也并不靠控制他們而獲取安然之感。他們總是使自己立于不敗。
成功者心憂天下,并不孤立塵世弊病之外,而是置身事內(nèi),滿腔熱情,致力于改善民生。即使面對民族,國家之危亡,成功者亦非無力回天之個體。他總是努力令世界更好。
3. Work and Pleasure
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.
譯文:
工作和娛樂
要想真正生活得幸福和平安,一個人至少應該有兩三種業(yè)余愛好,而且必須是真正的愛好。到了晚年才開始說“我要培養(yǎng)這個或那個興趣”是毫無用處的,種這種嘗試只會增加精神上的負擔。在與自己日常工作無關(guān)的領(lǐng)域中,一個人可以獲得淵博的知識,但卻很難有所收益或得到放松。做自己喜歡的事是無益的,你得喜歡自己所做的事。廣言之,人可以分為三個類別:勞累而死的人,憂慮而死的人和無聊而死的人。對于那些體力勞動者來說,一周辛苦的工作使他們精疾力竭,因此在周六下午給他們提供踢足球或者打棒球的機會是沒有意義的。對于政界人士,專業(yè)人士或者商人來說,他們已經(jīng)為棘手的事務(wù)操勞或者煩惱了六天,因此在周末請他們?yōu)楝嵤聞谏裢瑯雍翢o意義。
或者可以這么說,理智的,勤奮的,有用的人可以分為兩類:對第一類人而言,工作就是工作,娛樂就是娛樂;對于第二類人而言,工作和娛樂是合二為一的。很大一部分人屬于前者。他們可以得到相應的補償。在辦公室或工廠里長時間的工作,不僅帶給他們維持生計的金錢,還帶給他們一種渴求娛樂的強烈欲望,哪怕這種娛樂消遣是以最簡單,最淳樸的方式進行的。而第二類人則是命運的寵兒。他們的生活自然而和諧。在他們看來,工作時間永遠不夠多,每天都是假期;而當正常的假日到來時,他們總會抱怨自己有趣的休假被強行中斷。然而,有一些東西對于這兩類人來說都十分必要,那就是變換一下視角,改變一下氛圍,嘗試做點不同的事情。事實上,那些把工作看作娛樂的人可能是需要以某種方式將工作不時地驅(qū)趕出自己的大腦。
4. Mirror, Mirror---What do I See?
A loving person lives in a loving world. A hostile person lives in a hostile world. Everyone you meet is your mirror. Mirrors have a very particular function. They reflect the image in front of them. Just as a physical mirror serves as the vehicle to reflection, so do all of the people in our lives.
When we see something beautiful such as a flower garden, that garden serves as a reflection. In order to see the beauty in front of us, we must be able to see the beauty inside of ourselves. When we love someone, it’s a reflection of loving ourselves. When we love someone, it’s a reflection of loving ourselves. We have often heard things like “I love how I am when I’m with that person.” That simply translates into “I’m able to love me when I love that other person.” Oftentimes, when we meet someone new, we feel as though we “click”. Sometimes it’s as if we’ve known each other for a long time. That feeling can come from sharing similarities.
Just as the “mirror” or other person can be a positive reflection, it is more likely that we’ll notice it when it has a negative connotation. For example, it’s easy to remember times when we have met someone we’re not particularly crazy about. We may have some criticism in our mind about the person. This is especially true when we get to know someone with whom we would rather spend less time.
Frequently, when we dislike qualities in other people, ironically, it’s usually the mirror that’s speaking to us.
I began questioning myself further each time I encountered someone that I didn’t particularly like. Each time, I asked myself, “What is it about that person that I don’t like?” and then “Is there something similar in me?” in every instance, I could see a piece of that quality in me, and sometimes I had to really get very introspective. So what did that mean?
It means that just as I can get annoyed or disturbed when I notice that aspect in someone else, I better reexamine my qualities and consider making some changes. Even if I’m not willing to make a drastic change, at least I consider how I might modify some of the things that I’m doing.
At times we meet someone new and feel distant, disconnected, or disgusted. Although we don’t want to believe it, and it’s not easy or desirable to look further, it can be a great learning lesson to figure out what part of the person is being reflected in you. It’s simply just another way to create more self-awareness.
譯文:
鏡子,鏡子,告訴我
充滿愛意人的生活在充滿愛意的世界里,充滿敵意的人則生活在充滿敵意的世界里。你所遇到的每一個人都是你的鏡子。
鏡子里有一個非常獨特的功能,那就是映射出在其前面的影像。就像真正的鏡子具有反射功能一樣,我們生活中的所有人也都能映射出他人的影子。
當我們看到美麗的事物時,例如一座花園,那這花園就起到了反射作用。為了發(fā)現(xiàn)我們面前美好的事物,我們必須能發(fā)現(xiàn)在自己內(nèi)在的美。我們愛某個人,也正是我們愛自己的表現(xiàn)。我們經(jīng)常聽到這樣的話:“當我和那個人在一起的時候,我愛那時的自己。”這句話也可以簡單地說成:“在我愛那個人的同時,我也能愛我自己。”有時,我們遇見一個陌生人,感覺仿佛是一見如故,就好像我們已經(jīng)相識甚久。這種熟悉感可能來自于彼此身上的共同點。
就像“鏡子”或他人能映射出我們積極的一面一樣,我們更有可能注意到映射出自己消極方面的“鏡子”。例如,我們很容易就能記住我們碰到自己不太喜歡的人的時刻。我們可能在心里對那個人有些反感。當我們認識自己不喜歡與之相處的人時,這種情況就更為明顯?! 【哂兄S刺意味著的是,通常當我們討厭別人身上的某些特質(zhì)時,那就說明你其實討厭自己身上相類似的特質(zhì)。
每次,當我遇到不太喜歡的人時,我就開始進一步質(zhì)問自己。我會捫心自問:“我不喜歡那個人的哪些方面?”然后還會問:“我是不是有和他相似的地方?”每次,我都能在自己身上看到一些令我厭惡的特質(zhì)。我有時不得不深刻地反省自己。那這意味著什么呢?
這意味著,就像我會對其他人身上令我厭惡的特質(zhì)感到惱怒或不安一樣,我應該更好地重新審視自己的特質(zhì),并考慮做一些改變。即使我不想做大的改變,至少我會考慮該如何修正自己正在做的一些事情。
我們時常會遇到陌生人,并感到疏遠或厭惡。盡管我們不想去相信,不容易也不想去深究,但是弄清楚別人的哪些特質(zhì)在自己身上有所體現(xiàn)是非常有意義的一課,這也正是增強自我意識的另一個途徑。
對短篇美文感興趣的可以關(guān)注小編哦!后期會有更多推薦的。