01 The Measure of Love Is When You Love Without Measure　爱的限度就是无限度地去爱

Freda Bright says,"Only in opera do people die of love."It's true. You really can't love somebody to death.I've known people to die from no love, but I've never known anyone to be loved to death.We just can't love one another enough.

A heart-warming story tells of a woman who finally decided to ask her boss for a raise in salary. All day she felt nervous and apprehensive.Late in the afternoon she summoned the courage to approach her employer.To her delight, the boss agreed to a raise.

The woman arrived home that evening, finding a beautiful table set with best dishes. Candles were softly glowing.Her husband had come home early and prepared a festive meal.She wondered if someone from the office had tipped him off, or…why did he just somehow know that she would not get turned down?

She found him in the kitchen and told him the good news. They embraced and kissed, then sat down to the wonderful meal.Next to her plate the woman found a beautifully lettered note. It read:"Congratulations, darling!I knew you'd get the raise!These things will tell you how much I love you."

After the supper, her husband went into the kitchen to clean up. She noticed that a second card had fallen from his pocket.Picking it off the floor, she read:"Don't worry about not getting the raise!You deserve it anyway!These things will tell you how much I love you."

Someone has said that the measure of love is when you love without measure. What this man feels for his spouse is total acceptance and love, whether she succeeds or fails.His love celebrates her victories and soothes her wounds.He stands with her, no matter what life throws in their direction.

Upon receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, Mother Teresa said:"What can you do to promote world peace?Go home and love your family."And love your friends. Love them without measure.

弗里达·布赖特说：“只有在歌剧中，人们才会为爱而死。”千真万确。的确，你不会因为爱一个人而死。我知道有人因为缺乏爱而死，可我从来没有听说过谁因被爱而死。爱永远都不会多。

有一个感人的故事，讲的是有个女人终于决定去向老板提出加薪的要求。她一整天都焦虑不安。下午晚些时候，她鼓起勇气向老板提议。让她感到高兴的是，老板同意给她加薪。

当晚，女人回家后，发现漂亮的餐桌上已经摆满了丰盛的菜肴，烛光在轻轻地摇曳着。丈夫提早回家准备了一顿庆祝宴。她心想，会不会是办公室里有人向他通风报信了呢？不然他怎么知道她不会被拒绝？

她在厨房里找到了他，告诉了他这个好消息。他们拥抱亲吻，然后坐下来共享美餐。在她的盘子旁边，女人看到了一张字迹优美的便条。上面写着：“祝贺你，亲爱的！我就知道你会顺利加薪的。我为你做的这一切会告诉你，我有多么爱你。”

晚餐后，丈夫到厨房洗碗。她注意到又有张卡片从他口袋里掉了出来。她从地板上捡起卡片，念道：“不要因为没有加薪而烦恼！你本该值得加薪！我为你做的这一切会告诉你，我有多么爱你。”

有人曾经说过，爱的限度就是无限度地去爱。不管妻子成功还是失败，这个男人都给予她完全的包容和爱。他的爱庆祝她的胜利，也抚平她的创伤。不管生活的道路上遇到什么，他们始终同舟共济。

特蕾莎修女在接受诺贝尔和平奖时说道：“你能为促进世界和平做些什么呢？回家爱你的家人吧。”还要爱你的朋友，毫无限度地爱他们。

单词解析 Word Analysis

opera[ˈɑːprə]n.歌剧；歌剧艺术，歌剧业

例　He was aIso Iearned in cIassicaI music with a great Iove of opera.

他还是个酷爱歌剧的古典音乐家。

nervous[ˈnɜːrvəs]adj.神经质的；紧张不安的；焦虑的

例　She was apparentIy a very nervous woman, and that affected her career.

她显然是一个很神经质的女人，这一点影响了她的事业。

apprehensive[ˌæprɪˈhɛnsɪv]adj.忧虑的；惶惑的；有理解力的

例　PeopIe are stiII terribIy apprehensive about the future.

人们对于将来仍然非常担心。

summon[ˈsʌmən]v.传唤，召唤；鼓起（勇气）；传讯（出庭）

例　Howe summoned a doctor and hurried over.

豪叫了医生，然后匆忙赶了过来。

candle[ˈkændl]n.蜡烛；烛光；蜡烛状物 v.对光检查

例　The bedroom was Iit by a singIe candIe.

卧室里只点了一支蜡烛。

festive[ˈfɛstɪv]adj.喜庆的；欢乐的；节日的，过节似的

例　The factory was due to shut for the festive period.

节日期间工厂将关门。

tip[tɪp]n.小费；小窍门；末梢 v.给小费；倾斜，翻倒；装顶端

例　The sIeeves covered his hands to the tips of his fingers.

袖子遮住了他的手，一直盖到指尖。

plate[plet]n.盘子，盆；金属板；底片，感光底片 v.镀；覆盖；电镀

例　The pIate broke.

盘子打破了。

sooth[suːθ]n.真实 adj.抚慰的；真实的；温柔的；甜蜜的

例　SoothIy to say, I got up Iate.

说实话，我起来晚了。

wound[wund]n.伤口；创伤；伤害 v.伤；伤害

例　The wound is heaIing niceIy.

伤口愈合得很好。

语法知识点 Grammar Points

①Freda Bright says，“Only in opera do people die of love.”

这个句子中有一个结构“Only……do……”，是一个倒装结构，表示“只有……才会……”，强调opera。

例　OnIy in this way can the experiment succeed.

唯有这样做，试验才能成功。

②I’ve known people to die from no love, but I’ve never known anyone to be loved to death.

这个句子中有一个结构“die from”，表示“死于……”，相当于die of。

例　The oId man died from cancer.

那位老人死于癌症。

③Late in the afternoon she summoned the courage to approach her employer.

这个句子中有一个结构“summon the courage to do sth.”，表示“鼓起勇气做某事”，相当于gather the courage to do sth.。

例　It took me six months to summon（up）the courage to ask him out for a drink.

我用了半年时间才鼓起勇气邀请他出来喝一杯。

④……did he just somehow know that she would not get turned down?

这个句子中有一个结构“turn sb.down”，表示“拒绝……”。同义词还有refuse和reject。

例　Why did he turn me down?

他为什么拒绝了我？

⑤Upon receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, Mother Teresa said：“What can you do to promote world peace?Go home and love your family.”

这个句子中有一个结构“upon doing sth.”，表示“一……就……”，相当于on doing sth.。

例　Upon seeing him, she ran to him happiIy.

一看到他，她就开心地跑了过去。

经典名句 Famous Classics

1.Take away love, and our earth is a tomb.

把爱拿走，我们的地球就变成了一座坟墓。

2.Once you really need love, you will find that it is waiting for you.

一旦你确实需要爱，你就会发现它正在等待着你。

3.The only great thing about marriage is the only love between two hearts of mutual loyalty.

婚姻唯一的伟大之处在于唯一的爱情——两颗心的互相忠实。

4.The most important thing in a person's life is to find themselves, and in the marriage is to be found.

人的一生中最重要的事是发现自己，而在婚姻中则是被人所发现。

5.It is universally acknowledged that you are indispensible to me.

全世界都知道你是我不可或缺的一个人。

读书笔记

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