重阳节的风俗习惯-旧劳动合同法

高中英语课外美文赏读45篇
1惟独你不可取代
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 to 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
than 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 unique. My view of myself was changing. I wanted a solid base to start
from. I started to resist3 pressure to act in ways that I didn’t like
any more，and I was delighted 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.
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。



2就在正上方
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.

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。


Vocabulary
d n. [动]秃鹫
[pen] n. 围栏，围圈
t vt. 尝试，企图
adj. 敏捷的
e v. 拖着脚走，慢吞吞地走
ion n. 高地，海拔
bee n. [动]大黄蜂
r n. (平底)玻璃杯
t vi. 坚持，持续
ation n. 失败，挫折

3我的第一份工作
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.
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< br>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。


Vocabulary
[stres] v. 强调，着重
v. 灌输，深深影响
re n. 发式
n. 废弃物，被胡乱扔掉的东西(尤指废纸等杂物)
e vt. 获得，学到
ethic: 职业道德
st n. 利益，利害关系
one's case: 就某人的情况而言

vt. 使翻转
n. 连接，结合，本文中指连锁店
off: 得到好结果，取得成功
[E5tend] vt. 上(大学等)
y [5dI^nItI] n. 尊贵，高贵






4饼干里的秘密
Ｊｅｒｒｙ Ｈａｒｐｔ
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,
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，< br>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。”
5善待机会
The air we breathe is so freely available (adj. 可以得到的) that we
take it for granted. 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 sustain (v. 维持，持续) them
while they sit around and feel sorry for themselves. Others breathe in
the air and use the energy it provides to make a magnificent (adj. 壮
丽的) 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 actedupon
in order to have value. So many people are so anxious to
ground floor(n. 有利的地位，投机的初期)
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
What matters is what you do with it.
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。



6我要谨记的事情
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
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.

7一个那样的哥哥
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.

Paul nodded.
was astonished.
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.
wish,the boy went on, I could be a brother like that.
Paul looked at the boy in astonishment, then impulsively2 he added,


After a short ride, the boy turned and with his eyes shining, said,
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.
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.
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……”

8 Ａ Ｌａｔｅ Ｂｌｏｏｍｅｒ
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? 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.

By day hawks5) circled high overhead.
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.

only stared coldly as it mounted its course.
A lizard6) crawled by, leaving a little trail in the sand with
its tail.


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.
it cried out, 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:

always bring something worthwhile to the world, something in which all
can rejoice — even if for only a moment.
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< br>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。”
Vocabulary


1. cactus [5kAktEs] n. [植]仙人掌
2. spine [spaIn] n. [植]剌
3. prickly [5prIklI] adj. 多刺的
4. lumpy [5lQmpI] adj. 粗笨的
5. hawk [hC:k] n. [鸟]鹰
6. lizard [5lIzEd] n. [动]蜥蜴
7. brushstroke[5brQFstrEuk] n. 一笔
8. fragrance [5freI^rEns] n. 芬芳



9成长不息

Sir Edmund Hillary is famous for being the first person to climb Mt.
Everest (n. 珠穆朗玛峰).
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.
Nonetheless (adv. 虽然如此), the British Parliament (n. 议会)
decided 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 ovation (n. 热烈欢迎) 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 assume that they succeeded the first time.
But in fact it's the exact opposite.
The road to success is paved with the bricks of failure.
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。

10我希望充实地生活

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.
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。