第9章 镌刻成长的印记，记忆永恒
Footprint of Our Adnascent Years
Don't forget the things you once owned.Treasure the things you can't get.Don't give up the things that belong to you and keep those lost things in memory.
曾经拥有的，不要忘记。不能得到的，更要珍惜。属于自己的，不要放弃。已经失去的，留作回忆。
转眼青春的散场
Flying Youth
◎ Doris
“Youth” seems to be fading away in my life,only leaving me some unforgettable and cherished memories.Something that we used to think would last forever in our lives,had actually vanished in a second before we realized it.Those who we used to deeply love or miss,have now become the most acquainted strangers.Our once pure and beautiful dream,is gradually fading away with time passing by ...This is youth,which is indeed an endless cycle from familiarity to strangeness,and from strangeness to familiarity,until the curtain of our youth is closing off little by little,along with our childish fantasies.
Human is such a strange animal that when we mostly did not cherish something until we lost it.We have gained a lot of things,but also lost a lot.What we want is merely getting the peace of mind.We care for children because they are the most pure-minded and kind-hearted among human beings.We are fond of staying with the old,because we can sense their inner peace from their serene faces.Maybe for them,the essence of life is to live it in the most comfortable way they deem.We may also love cats because their relaxation renders us a substantive sense of life.
There are many things in our lives that are easily gone or broken.Therefore,we will gradually learn to become apathetic[1] and indifferent towards everything.Maybe oftentimes,we are inclined to believe in ourselves rather than trust and rely on others,because in our lives,nothing will stay with us eternally and all will be gone one day eventually.Sometimes it is not the world that abandons us,but we who abandon the world.It can be evidenced by the fact that we have learnt to deny something habitually and therefore lost a lot of things.More often than not,we would believe that it is life that hurts us rather than believe that it is our personality flaw that hurts ourselves.
We are in strenuous[2] effort in changing our fate,bringing more happiness to people around us,realizing our dreams and reaching the love we are anticipating.However,we soon realize it is by no means easy to achieve any of them.It is a lifelong commitment and many things would alter with time and no one can guarantee eternity.Hence,silence becomes the best solution to all difficulties and hardships.Since we cannot make a for-sure promise,why do we still bother to boast too much about it?We still need to get down to our business with our own effort.
The flying youth has deposited too many things in our heart.Life should be treated with special care like an egg in your hands.We should treasure every moment of sincerity and gratefulness because the best things will be gone very easily.Try to forgive every lie simply because everyone has ever lied sometime.If you do not want to have tearing eyes,then just try to smile and hold a positive attitude towards your life every day!
美丽语录
Life isn't always beautiful,but the struggles make you stronger,the changes make you wiser.
生活不一定是一直美好的，但是那些挣扎可以让你变得更坚强，那些改变可以让你变得更有智慧。
“青春”这个字眼仿佛在我的生命中消失了，只留下一些难忘的美好回忆。我们总以为青春是生命中永远不会消失的东西，可它总是在我们意识到之前便转瞬即逝了。那些我们曾经深爱过或思念过的人，已经变成了最熟悉的陌生人。我们曾经拥有的纯洁而美好的梦，随着时间的推移，也慢慢地消失了……这就是青春，一个从熟悉到陌生，又从陌生到熟悉的无限循环，直到你的青春伴随着孩童的幻想一点一点消失。
人类是种很奇怪的动物，我们总是在失去之后才懂得珍惜。我们获得了许多，也失去了许多。我们渴望的仅仅是心灵的平静。我们喜爱孩子，因为他们是最纯真、最善良的人。我们享受和老人共度的时光，因为他们安详的脸庞让你感觉到他们内心的平静。也许对他们来说，生活的本质就是用最舒心的方式热爱生活。也许我们也会喜欢猫，因为它们悠闲自在，有一份真实感。
生命里有太多容易消失和破碎的东西。因此，我们要逐渐学会淡然地面对一切。也许，我们时常更愿意相信自己，而非相信或依靠别人，因为在我们的生命中，没有什么会永远追随我们，最终，一切都将离我们而去。有时，不是世界抛弃了我们，而是我们抛弃了世界。我们学会了习惯性地说不，从而与许多东西擦肩而过。很多时候，我们宁愿相信是生活伤害了我们，也不愿相信是我们的个性缺失伤害了自己。
我们千方百计地想要改变命运，想要给周遭的人带来更多的快乐，想要实现我们的梦想，想要拥有一份期盼已久的感情。然而我们很快就意识到，实现以上任何一点都不是件简单的事。这是一件需要努力一辈子的事情，因为很多东西会随着时间而改变，没有人能够保证永恒。所以，有的时候，沉默便是战胜困难艰辛的最好方式。既然我们承诺不了，又何必多说呢？实现一切靠的还是自己的努力。
飞逝的青春留给我们太多的东西。生活就像是捧在手心里的鸡蛋，需要特别的照料。我们要珍惜每一份真诚和感动，因为最好的东西总是很容易流逝。试着原谅每一个谎言吧！因为每个人都曾在某时说过谎。如果你不忍心看到一双噙满泪水的眼睛，那就微笑吧！抱着一种乐观向上的态度对待生命中的每一天！
注释
[1]apathetic['æpə'θtik] a.冷淡的；无动于衷的
[2]strenuous['strenjuəs] a.费劲的；奋发的；强烈的；紧张的
生活的一课
A Lesson of Life
◎ Ronald Reagan
“Everything happens for the best.” my mother said whenever I faced disappointment.“If you can carry on,one day something good will happen.And you'll realize that it wouldn't have happened if not for that previous disappointment.”
Mother was right,as I discovered after graduating from college in 1932.I had decided to try for a job in radio,then work my way up to sports announcer.I hitchhiked[1] to Chicago and knocked on the door of every station—and got turned down every time.
In one studio,a kind lady told me that big stations couldn't risk hiring inexperienced person—“Go out in the sticks and find a small station that'll give you a chance,” she said.
I thumbed home to Dixon,Illinois.While there was no radio-announcing jobs in Dixon,my father said Montgomery Ward had opened a store and wanted a local athlete to manage its sports department.Since Dixon was where I had played high school football,I applied.The job sounded just right for me.But I wasn't hired.
My disappointment must have shown.“Everything happens for the best.” Mom reminded me.Dad offered me the car to job hunt.I tried WOC Radio in Davenport,Iowa.The program director,a wonderful Scotsman named Peter MacArthur,told me they had already hired an announcer.
As I left his office,my frustration[2] boiled over.I asked aloud,“How can a fellow get to be a sport announcer if he can't get a job in a radio station?”
I was waiting for the elevator when I heard MacArthur calling,“What was that you said about sports?Do you know anything about football?” Then he stood me before a microphone and asked me to broadcast an imaginary game.
On my way home,as I have many times since,I thought of my mother's words:“If you carry on,one day something good will happen.Something wouldn't have happened if not for that previous disappointment.” I often wonder what direction my life might have taken if I'd gotten the job at Montgomery Ward.
美丽语录
When your day has been like a hurricane,all you can do is looking forward to the rainbow that follows.
如果你的生活经历了一场暴风雨，你要做的就是期待雨后的那缕彩虹。
每当我遇到挫折时，母亲就会说：“一切都会好的。只要你坚持下去，总有一天会有好事发生。你会认识到，如果没有以前的挫折，就不会有现在的一切。”
母亲是对的，我是在1932年大学刚毕业的时候发现了这一点。我已决定试着在电台找个事儿做，然后争取做体育节目的播音员。我搭便车到了芝加哥，挨个敲电台的门推销自己——但每次都被拒绝了。
在一个播音室里，一位好心的女士告诉我，大的广播电台是不会冒险雇佣没经验的新手的——“去乡下找一家给你机会的小电台吧。”她说。
我搭车来到我的家乡，那是伊利诺伊州的迪克森。在迪克森当时还没有电台播音员这样的工作，父亲说，蒙哥马利·沃德开了一家新商店，想雇请一个本地的运动员管理店里的体育部。我中学时曾在迪克森打过橄榄球，所以我去申请了这份工作。工作听起来挺适合我的，但是我没被聘用。
我的沮丧心情一定表现出来了。“一切总会好的。”母亲提醒我说。爸爸给了我一辆汽车找工作用。我试着到爱荷华州达文波特的WOC电台去求职。那里的电台节目总监是一个很棒的苏格兰人，名叫彼得·麦克阿瑟，他告诉我他们已经雇到播音员了。
离开他的办公室时，我的挫折感达到了极点。我大声地说：“一个连在电台都找不到工作的家伙又怎么能成为体育节目的播音员呢？”
等电梯时，我听到麦克阿瑟喊道：“你说什么体育？你懂橄榄球吗？”接着他让我站到麦克风前面，请我解说一场想象中的比赛。
在回家的路上——以后也有很多次，我思考着母亲的那句话：“只要你坚持下去，总要一天会有好事发生。如果没有以前的挫折，就不会有现在的一切。”我常想，如果当年我得到蒙哥马利·沃德的那份工作，我的人生之路又会怎样走呢？
注释
[1]hitchhiked['hitʃˌhaikt] v.搭便车（旅行）（hitchhike的过去式和过去分词）
[2]frustration[frʌs'treiʃən] n.挫折，失败，挫败
树下的男孩
The Boy Under the Tree
◎ David Coleman &Kevin Randall
In the summer recess between freshman and sophomore[1] years in college,I was invited to be an instructor at a high school leadership camp hosted by a college in Michigan.I was already highly involved in most campus activities,and I jumped at the opportunity.
About an hour into the first day of camp,amid the frenzy of icebreakers and forced interactions,I first noticed the boy under the tree.He was small and skinny,and his obvious discomfort and shyness made him appear frail and fragile.Only 50 feet away,two hundred eager campers were bumping bodies,playing,joking and meeting each other,but the boy under the tree seemed to want to be anywhere other than where he was.The desperate loneliness he radiated almost stopped me from approaching him,but I remembered the instructions from the senior staff to stay alert for campers who might feel left out.
As I walked toward him,I said,“Hi,my name is Kevin,and I'm one of the counselors.It's nice to meet you.How are you?” In a shaky,sheepish voice he reluctantly answered,“Okay,I guess.” I calmly asked him if he wanted to join the activities and meet some new people.He quietly replied,“No,this is not really my thing.”
I could sense that he was in a new world,that this whole experience was foreign to him.But I somehow knew it wouldn't be right to push him,either.He didn't need a pep talk;he needed a friend.After several silent moments,my first interaction with the boy under the tree was over.
At lunch the next day,I found myself leading camp songs at the top of my lungs for two hundred of my new friends.The campers eagerly participated.My gaze wandered over the mass of noise and movement and was caught by the image of the boy from under the tree,sitting alone,staring out the window.I nearly forgot the words to the song I was supposed to be leading.At my first opportunity,I tried again,with the same questions as before,“How are you doing?Are you okay?” To which he again replied,“Yeah,I'm all right.I just don't really get into this stuff.” As I left the cafeteria,I realized this was going to take more time and effort than I had thought—if it was even possible to get through to him at all.
That evening at our nightly staff meeting,I made my concerns about him known.I explained to my fellow staff members my impression of him and asked them to pay special attention and spend time with him when they could.
The days I spend at camp each year fly by faster than any others I have known.Thus,before I knew it,mid-week had dissolved into the final night of camp,and I was chaperoning[2] the “last dance”.The students were doing all they could to savor every last moment with their new “best friends”—friends they would probably never see again.
As I watched the campers share their parting moments,I suddenly saw what would be one of the most vivid memories of my life.The boy from under the tree,who had stared blankly out the kitchen window,was now a shirtless dancing wonder.He owned the dance floor as he and two girls proceeded to cut a rug.I watched as he shared meaningful,intimate time with people at whom he couldn't even look just days earlier.I couldn't believe it was the same person.
In October of my sophomore year,a late-night phone call pulled me away from my chemistry book.A soft-spoken,unfamiliar voice asked politely,“Is Kevin there?”
“You're talking to him,who's this?”
“This is Tom Johnson's mom.Do you remember Tommy from leadership camp?”
The boy under the tree.How could I not remember?
“Yes,I do.” I said.“He's a very nice young man.How is he?”
An abnormally long pause followed,then Mrs.Johnson said,“My Tommy was walking home from school this week when he was hit by a car and killed.” Shocked,I offered my condolences[3].
“I just wanted to call you,” she said,“because Tommy mentioned you so many times.I wanted you to know that he went back to school this fall with confidence.He made new friends.His grades went up.And he even went out on a few dates.I just wanted to thank you for making a difference for Tom.The last few months were the best few months of his life.”
In that instant,I realized how easy it is to give a bit of yourself every day.You may never know how much each gesture may mean to someone else.I tell this story as often as I can,and when I do,I urge others to look out for their own “boy under the tree”.
美丽语录
You make millions of decisions that mean nothing and then one day your order takes out and it changes your life.
你每天都在做很多看起来毫无意义的决定，但某天你的某个决定就能改变你的一生。
在大一生活结束的那个暑假，我受邀到密歇根州一所大学主办的高中领导才能夏令营担任辅导员一职。我参加过许多大学举办的活动，于是便欣然接受了这次邀请。
夏令营的第一天，我花了一个小时来缓和气氛，强迫大家进行互动。那时我第一次注意到那个树下的男孩。他又小又瘦，明显的不安和羞怯让他看起来更加弱不禁风。离他只有50英尺远的地方，两百个狂热的露营爱好者正在蹦蹦跳跳地闹着说着，互相结识。可那个树下的男孩看样子只要不待在这里，去哪儿都可以。他表现出令人绝望的孤寂，仿佛要拒我于千里之外。这时，我想起那些资深辅导员给我的提醒——给那些可能感到被忽略的队员一些特殊关注。
我朝他走去，说道：“你好，我叫凯文，我是夏令营的辅导员。很高兴见到你。你好吗？”他用颤抖羞怯的声音不情愿地回答道：“还好吧。”
我冷静地问他是否愿意参加一些活动，结交一些新朋友。他静静地答道：“不，这真的不是我想做的事情。”
我能感觉到，他处在一个崭新的世界里，这里的一切对他来说都是陌生的。可是，我有时觉得强迫他也不是什么好办法。他需要的不是鼓励的话语，而是一位朋友。一段沉默过后，我和树下男孩的第一次互动也宣告结束了。
第二天午餐的时候，我为两百位新朋友高声唱起了夏令营之歌。队员们兴高采烈地跟着我一起唱。我的目光穿过嘈杂流动的人群，停在了那个单独坐在树下凝望着窗外的男孩身上。我差点忘了正在领唱的歌词。我又抓住机会试着再一次接近他，我像上一次那样问道：“你感觉怎么样？你还好吗？”他还是那样回答我：“是的，我还好。我只是不太想做这些事情。”从餐厅走出来的时候，我明白了，要想打开他的心扉，需要的时间和精力比我之前预计的还要多。
那天晚上，在全体工作人员例行会议上，我说出了对他的忧虑。我向我的同事说明了我对他的印象，并且请他们多留意他，多抽点时间陪他。
每一年我在夏令营的日子，比我所知道的其他任何时候都要过得快。于是不知不觉，周三成了此次夏令营的最后一夜，我陪伴着他们跳最后一支舞。学生们和新交的“挚友”——或许今后再也无法相见的朋友——尽情享受这最后时刻。
正当我看着队员们共享临别时刻时，我突然看见了生命中最动人的一幕：那个曾经茫然凝望着橱窗外的树下男孩，此时早已脱去外上衣，正在热情地舞蹈着。当他和两个女孩一起热舞时，他吸引了全场的目光。我看着他与人分享着意义深长又亲密无间的时光。可就在几天前，他甚至都不愿意看这些人一眼，我简直不敢相信这是同一个人。
大二那年10月的一个深夜，我放下手中的化学书，接了一个电话。听筒里传来一个陌生、温柔、彬彬有礼的声音：“您是凯文吗？”
“我是。请问哪位？”
“我是汤姆·约翰逊的妈妈。您还记得参加过领导才能夏令营的汤米吗？”
那个树下男孩，我怎么会不记得呢？
“当然，”我说，“他是个非常不错的年轻人。他还好吗？”
很长的停顿后，约翰逊夫人接着说：“这周我的汤米在回家的路上被车撞了，就那样走了。”我震惊极了，并请她节哀。
“我只是想打个电话给你，”她说，“因为汤米曾多次向我提起你。我想让你知道，这个秋天，他信心满满地回到学校，结交了新朋友，学习成绩也提高了，甚至还和女孩子约会了几次。我想谢谢你，是你改变了汤姆。这最后几个月是他生命里最灿烂的时光。”
刹那间，我明白了：每天奉献一点点是件很容易的事，可你也许永远不会知道，每一个善意的小举动会给别人带来多大的影响。我无数次说起这个故事，我这么做就是为了让更多的人留意他们自己的那个“树下男孩”。
注释
[1]sophomore['sɔfəmɔ：] n.（大学，高中的）二年级学生
[2]chaperoning['ʃæpərəunɪŋ] v.陪伴；护送（chaperon的现在分词）
[3]condolences[kən'dəulənsiz] n.吊唁；慰问（condolence的名词复数）
与死神擦肩而过
Brush Past the Death
◎ Steve Jobs
When I was 17,I read a quote that went something like:“If you live each day as if it was your last,someday you'll most certainly be right.” It made an impression on me,and since then,for the past 33 years,I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself:“If today were the last day of my life,would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row,I know I need to change something.
Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life.Because almost everything—all external expectations,all pride,all fear of embarrassment or failure—these things just fall away in the face of death,leaving only what is truly important.Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose.You are already naked.There is no reason not to follow your heart.
About a year ago,I was diagnosed[1] with cancer.I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning,and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas.I didn't even know what a pancreas was.The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable,and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months.My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order,which is doctor's code for preparing yourself to die.It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought you'd have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months.It means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family.It means to say your goodbyes.
I lived with that diagnosis all day.Later that evening I had a biopsy,where they stuck an endoscope down my throat,through my stomach and into my intestines,put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor.I was sedated[2],but my wife,who was there,told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery.I had the surgery and I'm fine now.
This was the closest I've been to facing death,and I hope it's the closest I get for a few more decades.Having lived through it,I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept:
No one wants to die.Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there.And yet death is the destination we all share.No one has ever escaped it.And that is as it should be,because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life.It is Life's change agent.It clears out the old to make way for the new.Right now the new is you,but someday not too long from now,you will gradually become the old and be cleared away.Sorry to be so dramatic,but it is quite true.
Your time is limited,so don't waste it living someone else's life.Don't be trapped by dogma—which is living with the results of other people's thinking.Don't let the noise of others'opinions drown out[3] your own inner voice.And most important,have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.They somehow already know what you truly want to become.Everything else is secondary.
美丽语录
Never underestimate your power to change yourself.
永远不要低估你改变自我的能力！
我17岁的时候，读过一句格言，好像是这样说的：“如果你把每一天都当作最后一天去生活的话，总有一天，你会觉得自己这么做是正确的。”这句话给我留下了深刻的印象。从那以后，在过去的33年中，每天清晨我都会对着镜子问自己：“如果今天是我生命中的最后一天，那我还会去做原先计划好的那些事情吗？”可连续多日我得到的答案都是“不会”。于是，我明白我该做些改变了。
时刻提醒自己我即将死去，是帮我做出人生许多重大抉择的重要工具。因为几乎所有的一切——一切外来的期望、一切骄傲、一切关乎面子和失败的恐惧——在死亡面前，这些东西都将消失殆尽，留下的只是真正重要的东西。时刻提醒自己我即将死去，是不让自己陷入患得患失的最好办法。因为此时的你已然一无所有了，就没有理由不顺从你的心。
大约在一年前，我被诊断出患有癌症。我在早上7点半做了扫描，扫描结果清楚地显示我的胰腺上长了一个肿瘤。当时，我甚至都不知道胰腺是什么东西。医生很肯定地告诉我，我得的是一种基本上无法治愈的癌症。我活在世上的日子可能不会超过3—6个月。我的医生建议我回家，安排好后事，这是医生们专门对等死的病人说的话。这也就意味着，你要把本来打算在未来10年内对孩子们说的话，在这几个月里说完；意味着你要把一切安排妥当，让你的家人尽可能地轻松些；意味着你就要说“再见”了。
那一整天我都在想着我的诊断结果。那天夜里晚些时候，我做了活组织切片检查。医生把一个内窥镜从我的喉咙伸进去，通过我的胃，进入我的肠子，然后用一根针刺进我的胰腺，在肿瘤上取出一些细胞。我被注射了镇静剂。可当时也在场的妻子后来告诉我，当医生用显微镜观察这些细胞时，突然大叫了起来。原来我患的是一种罕见的、可以用手术治愈的胰腺癌。于是，我做了手术，现在痊愈了。
那就是我和死神擦肩而过的一次，我希望这也是接下来几十年最接近死神的一次。以前死亡对我来说只是一个有用却纯粹是理论上的概念，可有了这次经历之后，我可以更加确信地对你们说：
没有人会想死，即使人们想上天堂，也不会为了去那儿而去死。然而，死亡是我们的最终归宿，没有人能够逃脱。也许就该如此，因为死亡是生命唯一的最好发明。它是生命不断变化的原动力。它除旧呈新。如今，你们是新人，然后不久之后，你们也会慢慢变老，接着被淘汰。我很抱歉如此戏剧性，但事实就是如此。
你的时间有限，所以不要把时间浪费在重复别人的生活上。不要受教条的束缚，不然你就只能按照别人的思想生活。不要让别人纷乱的意见淹没你内心的呼声。最重要的是，要勇于听从你内心的直觉。因为内心的直觉已然知道你想要成为什么样的人。其他的一切都是次要的。
注释
[1]diagnosed['daiəgnəuzd] v.诊断（diagnose的过去式和过去分词）
[2]sedated[si'deitid] v.使昏昏入睡，使镇静（sedate的过去式和过去分词）
[3]drown out压过，盖过。
成长的树根
Growing Roots
◎ Philip Gulley
When I was growing up,I had an old neighbor named Dr.Gibbs.He didn't look like any doctor I'd ever known.He never yelled at us for playing in his yard.I remember him as someone who was a lot nicer than circumstances warranted.
When Dr.Gibbs wasn't saving lives,he was planting trees.His house sat on ten acres,and his life's goal was to make it a forest.
The good doctor had some interesting theories concerning plant husbandry.He came from the “No pain,no gain” school of horticulture[1].He never watered his new trees,which flew in the face of conventional wisdom.Once I asked why.He said that watering plants spoiled them,and that if you water them,each successive tree generation will grow weaker and weaker.So you have to make things rough for them and weed out the weenie trees early on.
He talked about how watering trees made for shallow roots,and how trees that weren't watered had to grow deep roots in search of moisture.I took him to mean that deep roots were to be treasured.
So he never watered his trees.He'd plant an oak and,instead of watering it every morning,he'd beat it with a rolled-up newspaper.Smack!Slap!Pow!I asked him why he did that,and he said it was to get the tree's attention.
Dr.Gibbs went to glory a couple of years after I left home.Every now and again,I walked by his house and looked at the trees that I'd watched him plant some 25 years ago.They're granite strong now.Big and robust.Those trees wake up in the morning and beat their chests and drink their coffee black.
I planted a couple of trees a few years back.Carried water to them for a solid summer.Sprayed them.Prayed over them.The whole nine yards.Two years of coddling has resulted in trees that expect to be waited on hand and foot.Whenever a cold wind blows in,they tremble and chatter their branches.Sissy trees.
Funny things about those trees of Dr.Gibbs’.Adversity and deprivation[2] seemed to benefit them in ways comfort and ease never could.
Every night before I go to bed,I check on my two sons.I stand over them and watch their little bodies,the rising and falling of life within.I often pray for them.Mostly I pray that their lives will be easy.But lately I've been thinking that it's time to change my prayer.
This change has to do with the inevitability of cold winds that hit us at the core.I know my children are going to encounter hardship,and I'm praying they won't be naive.There's always a cold wind blowing somewhere.
So I'm changing my prayer.Because life is tough,whether we want it to be or not.Too many times we pray for ease,but that's a prayer seldom met.What we need to do is pray for roots that reach deep into the Eternal,so when the rains fall and the winds blow,we won't be swept asunder.
美丽语录
Don't pray for easy lives.Pray to be stronger men.
不要祈祷生活的舒适，应该祈祷自己变得更加坚强。
在我还是孩子的时候，我有一个老邻居叫吉布斯医生。他不像我认识的任何一个医生。我们在他的院子里玩耍，他从来不骂我们。我记得他是一个非常和蔼的人。
吉布斯医生不去拯救生命的时候，就会去种植树木。他的住所占地10英亩，他的人生目标就是将它变成一片森林。
这个好心的医生对于植物畜牧业有一番有趣的理论。他来自一个“不劳无获”的园艺学校。他从不给他新种的树浇水，这显然有悖于常理。有一次我问为什么，他说浇水会宠坏了它们，如果浇水，每一棵成活的树的后代会变得越来越娇弱。所以，你必须让它们的生长环境变得艰苦些，尽早淘汰那些弱不禁风的树。
他还告诉我用水浇灌的树的根是如何浅，而那些没有浇水的树的根就必须深深扎进泥土深处搜寻水分。我将他的话理解为：深根是十分宝贵的。
所以他从不给他的树浇水。他种了一棵橡树，每天早上，非但不给它浇水，还用一张卷起的报纸抽打它。“啪！噼！砰！”我问他为什么这样做，他说这是为了引起树的注意。
在我离开家两年后，吉布斯医生就去世了。每一次，我走过他的房子时，就会看看那些25年前我曾看着他种下的那些树。如今它们已像岩石般硬朗了。枝繁叶茂，生机勃勃。这些树在早晨醒过来，拍打着胸脯，啜饮着苦难的汁水。
几年前，我也曾种下两三棵树。整整一个夏天我都坚持为它们浇水。给它们喷杀虫剂，为它们祈祷。整整九平方码大的地方。结果，两年的溺爱使这两棵树弱不禁风。每当寒风吹起，它们就颤抖起来，枝叶直打颤。娇里娇气的树。
吉布斯医生的树真是有趣。逆境和折磨带给它们的益处，似乎是舒适和安逸永远都无法给予的。
每天晚上睡觉前，我都要看看两个儿子。我俯视着他们那幼小的身体，生命就在其中起落沉浮。我经常为他们祈祷，祈祷他们的生活能一帆风顺。但近来，我想是时候该改变我的祈祷词了。
这种改变与寒风将不可避免地直击我们的要害。我知道我的孩子们会遇到困难，我祈祷他们不会幼稚而脆弱。某些地方总会有寒风吹过。
所以，我改变了我的祈祷词。因为无论我们愿不愿意，生活总是艰难的。我们已祈祷了太多的安逸，却少有实现。我们所要做的是祈祷深植我们的信念之根，这样，当雨落风吹时，我们就不会被伤害。
注释
[1]horticulture['hɔ:tikʌltʃə] n.园艺；园艺术
[2]deprivation[ˌdepri'veiʃən] n.剥夺；免职；损失
别让蜡烛熄灭
Let the Candle Relight
◎ Odain
A man had a little daughter—an only and much-loved child.He lived for her—she was his life.So when she became ill,he became like a man possessed,moving heaven and earth to bring about her restoration to health.
His best efforts,however,proved unavailing[1] and the child died.The father became a bitter recluse,shutting himself away from his many friends and refusing every activity that might restore his poise[2] and bring him back to his normal self.But one night he had a dream.
He was in heaven,witnessing a grand pageant of all the little child angels.They were marching in a line passing by the Great White Throne.Every white-robed angelic child carried a candle.He noticed that one child's candle was not lighted.Then he saw that the child with the dark candle was his own little girl.Rushing to her,he seized her in his arms,caressed her tenderly,and then asked,“How is it,darling,that your candle alone is unlighted?”
“Daddy,they often relight it,but your tears always put it out.”
Just then he awoke from his dream.The lesson was crystal clear,and its effects were immediate.From that hour on he was not a recluse,but mingled freely and cheerfully with his former friends and associates.No longer would his darling's candle be extinguished by his useless tears.
Don't cry because it is over,smile because it happened.
名人语库
There is no such thing as darkness;only a failure to see.
～Malcolm Muggeridge
没有黑暗这种东西，只有看不见而已。
——马尔科姆·马格里奇
一个男人有一个小女儿——他唯一的、深深爱着的孩子。他为了她而活着——她是他的整个生命。所以，当女儿生病时，他像疯了似的竭尽全力想让她恢复健康。
他尽了最大的努力，但是一切都无济于事，女儿还是死了。父亲变得痛苦遁世，远离了许多朋友，拒绝参加一切能使他恢复平静、回到正常自我的活动。然而有一天晚上，他做了一个梦。
他来到了天堂，看到了一场盛大的小天使盛会。他们走成一条直线，经过白色大宝座。每个白衣小天使都拿着一支蜡烛。他注意到，有一个小天使的蜡烛没有点亮。然后，他看到那个蜡烛灭了的小女孩正是他的女儿。他冲过去，一把把她搂在怀里，温柔地抚摸着她，然后问道：“亲爱的，怎么会这样，只有你的蜡烛没有点亮？”
“爸爸，他们经常重新点亮它，只是你的眼泪总是把它熄灭。”
就在这时，他从梦中醒来。这一课的启发是显而易见的，而且立竿见影。从那个时刻起，他不再把自己封闭起来，而是自由自在、轻松愉快地回到他从前的朋友和同事中间。宝贝女儿的蜡烛再也没有被他无用的泪水熄灭过。
不要因为结束而哭泣，微笑吧，为你的曾经拥有。
注释
[1]unavailing[ʌnə'veɪlɪŋ] a.徒劳的，无用的
[2]poise[pɔɪz] n.泰然自若；自信；体态；姿态
记忆留痕
Sometimes Happiness Requires Nail Holes in Life
◎ Roger Dean Kiser
Finally,for the first time in my life,I was going to move into brand-new house and it was an absolute beauty.
I spent hours upon hours walking up and down the hallway just looking at that sunken living room.I had never actually seen one of those before and always thought they were only for rich people.It sure made me proud to now have one for my very own.I smiled real big and then put a foot down onto the first step,which led down onto the beautifully carpeted living room.Then I carefully looked to make sure I did not get any dirt on the golden colored carpet.Then I removed my shoes and walked all around the living room,feeling the soft,new,thick carpet beneath my feet.
I met the real estate agent for the last time,signed the final papers and he handed me the keys.I jumped into my car and rushed as fast as I could to my rented mobile home to get the family and start the moving-in process.That was a very good day in my life,because no one in my family would ever have to live on the streets like I did as a young boy when running away from that abusive Florida orphanage.This house would be kept in brand-new condition,and would last forever and ever—so that all my children,grandchildren and great grandchildren would always have a nice,new looking place to live,no matter what.
That held true year after year and about five years later,we sold that immaculate house for top dollar.There was not a spot or smear or hole anywhere in that beautiful house.Not even on the walls could you find a small nail hole that would have held a picture.I was supposed to meet with the real estate agent who was selling our house later that evening and when I arrived,I was surprised to find the new owners of the house standing in the driveway.I parked my car,walked up and began talking with the older couple.
“This house is in perfect condition,” said the old man.
“Perfect in every way.Not even a nail hole in any of the wall.” I told him proudly.
“It's really too bad that nobody lived here,” said the old woman.
“I lived here for five whole years.” I said with a great big smile on my face.
“No.You didn't live here for five years.You just stayed here for five years,” said the old lady.
All the way home I thought about what she said.What did she mean?How could they not be happy about buying a house in perfect condition and without any holes in the walls?I was very puzzled.Then it hit me like a ton of bricks.I quickly pulled over to the side of the road and just sat there thinking.The old lady was absolutely right.
Just because you stay in a house,it doesn't mean you really lived in it.Not unless you put your heart into it,enjoy it and do the things that make you happy while you are there—like walking into the living room and seeing pictures of the kids and the smiling faces of the grandchildren or watching them yelling their little lungs out under the sprinkler in your front yard,and yes maybe even a picture of the old dog who decided to go to the bathroom on that beautiful carpet.
I sat there alone biting my bottom lip and feeling very much ashamed of what I had done by having lost five years of my life,not to mention what I had taken from my family without even realizing it.Living really is much more than just remembering yesterday with only your mind.It is walking into your home and living for today with your heart and your eyes.Those holes in the wall,when all the furniture is gone and the house is completely bare,are memory holes and without any memories “You didn't really live there.You just stayed there.”
Today,our home in Brunswick,Georgia has so many darn pictures of kid,grandkid,friends and dogs on the walls that it might collapse one day.And if it does that will be very sad for me.But today I'm living a happy life with everything around me.
名人语库
Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it.
～Irving Berlin
生活有百分之十在于你如何塑造它，有百分之九十在于你如何对待它。
——欧文·柏林
终于，我人生中第一次即将要搬进新家，这所房子绝对称得上美妙至极。
我来来回回地在走廊上溜达了几个小时，就为了观看那沉降式的客厅。我以前从没见过这些，也总认为那只是属于有钱人的。现在，我真的感到自豪，因为我也拥有了这样一个客厅。我笑容满面，伸出一只脚踏在第一级台阶上，台阶下面是铺着精美地毯的客厅。我小心翼翼地观看着，确保我没有把一丁点尘土留在金色的地毯上。然后我脱掉了鞋子，在客厅里来回地走，尽情感受着脚底下那柔软、厚实的新地毯。
我与房地产经纪人见了最后一次面，签署了最终的文件后，他把房子钥匙递给了我。我跳进车里，用我最快的速度驶到我租来的房屋，去那里接我的家人，并开始着手搬家。这是我生命中特别美好的一天，因为从此以后，我的家人再也不会像童年的我那样流落街头——小时候，我在逃离那个备受虐待的佛罗里达孤儿院后，就住在大街上。我要让这所房子始终保持崭新的状态，让它永久长存——这样一来，不管怎样我所有的孙子和曾孙们，就可以一直住在一个崭新而漂亮的地方。
年复一年，事情就如我想象中一样发展着。大约五年后，我们以最高的价格卖掉了这所完美的房子。这所美丽的房子里没有留下任何一处斑点、污渍或是小洞，甚至你在墙上也找不到一个曾因为挂画而留下的小钉孔！那晚稍晚些时候，我约了正在帮我们卖房子的房地产经纪人见面，当我到达的时候，惊讶地发现这所房子的新主人正站在车道上。我停下车子，走上前去，开始和这对老夫妇攀谈起来。
“这所房子堪称完美。”老先生说。
“一切都非常完美。甚至连任何一面墙上都找不到一个钉孔。”我很自豪地告诉他。
“这真是太糟糕了，没有人住过！”老太太说。
“我在这里住了整整五年呢。”我大笑着告诉她。
“不，你并没有在这里‘住’了五年，你只是在这里‘待’了五年而已。”老太太回应道。
回家的路上，我一直在思索着老太太的话。她说的是什么意思呢？他们能买到条件如此完美、墙上连一个小洞都没有的房子，怎么可能不高兴呢？我百思不得其解。突然，答案像砖头一样砸醒了我。我赶紧把车停在路边，坐在那里思考起来。老太太的话是完全正确的！
仅仅因为你搬进了一所房子里，并不意味着你真正在那里安家。除非你住在房子里的时候，全身心投入、乐在其中，并做着令自己快乐的事情——比如，走进客厅，看看墙上那些记录着子女孙辈们灿烂笑容的照片，或者看看他们在前院的喷水头下扯着嗓子大喊的照片，甚至还可以看看一张老狗在那美丽的地毯上撒尿的照片。
我独自坐在那里，紧咬着下唇，感到很惭愧，我浪费了生命中的五年时光，更不用说我从家人那里剥夺了许多快乐，而自己却根本没意识到。生活，不仅仅意味着将昨日的印记留在脑海里，还意味着走进家里，用你的真心、你的双眼度过每一个今天。有一天，当所有的家具都移走了，这所房子也变得空荡荡时，房子墙上的那些孔洞就是记忆的痕迹。没有任何记忆，那就会像老太太所说的“你并不曾真正‘住’在那里，你只是在那里‘待’过而已。”
现在，我们的新家位于佐治亚州的布伦瑞克。家里的墙上挂满了照片，有子女们的、孙辈的、朋友的，还有小狗的，我真担心钉了那么多钉子后，墙壁也许有一天会坍塌。如果真的发生那样的事，我会非常伤心的。但是现在，我和我身边的所有人都过得非常快乐。
我的动力
My Motivation
◎ Erin E.
I used to feel like my life was stressful and hard until a life-changing event happened to my mom's best friend,Anna.She was put in a life-or-death situation and remained strong.Her strength made me want to be like that in my daily life.
One night Anna was coming out of her office building when a man attacked her.He beat her with a rock,took her car keys,and threw her in her car.She told me that she was praying for God to help her the whole time.She knew she would not give up easily,but she also knew they were driving toward the river.The man didn't stop until he absolutely had to.With God's strength,she jumped out of the car and got help.
Anna is not only my mom's friend but also like another mother to me and my sister and brother.When we heard about the attack,we were devastated but so relieved she was alive.My mom became more protective of me,always wanting to know where I was going.I'd never worried about someone attacking or kidnapping me,but now I am more aware of my surroundings and realize that not everyone is as nice as I might think.
Anna stayed strong and optimistic during one of the worst possible situations.Many would have given up,but she didn't.I have so much respect for her and wish I could be more like her.I have never been through anything like that,but seeing how she responded gave me a desire to be strong and optimistic in my life.
Now,when I think of stress and difficulties,it is not about little everyday problems.Anna truly inspired me not to worry about the small things.She may not know it,but she made me want to be a better person.That is what matters to me:motivation to become a stronger,better individual.
名人语库
Courage is the ladder on which all the other virtues mount.
～Clare Boothe Luce
勇气是一架梯子，其他美德全靠它爬上去。
——C.B.卢斯
我以前觉得我的生活充满了压力和困难，直到我妈妈最好的朋友——安娜身上发生了一件改变人生的事——在一个生死攸关的境况下，她还仍然保持着坚强。她的力量让我想在日常生活中也变得一样坚强。
一天晚上，安娜走出办公大楼，一个男人袭击了她。他用一块石头打她，抢走了她的车钥匙，并把她扔在她的车上。她告诉我说，她从头到尾一直在祈祷着上帝能给予帮助。她知道她不会轻易放弃，但她也知道他们正在朝河边驶去。这个男人不到必须停车时是不会停下来的。在上帝的力量下，她从车里跳了出来，得到了帮助。
安娜不仅是我妈妈的朋友，对我和我的弟弟妹妹们来说，也像是我们的另一个妈妈。当我们听说了她遭受的攻击时，简直惊呆了，但是她还活着，我们也就放下心来。我妈妈变得更加保护我，时时刻刻都要知道我去了哪里。我从未担心过有人攻击或绑架我，但是现在我更清楚我身边的处境，而且我也意识到，不是每个人都像我想象得那样好。
安娜在最恶劣的情况下，始终保持着坚强、乐观的态度。许多人可能会放弃，但是她没有。我对她是如此尊重，而且希望我能更像她。我从来没有经历过像那样的事情，但看到她的经历所给予我的期望就是，让我在生活中变得坚强、乐观。
现在，每当我想起压力和困难时，它不是关于日常生活的小问题。安娜真正鼓舞我的是不要担心小事情。她可能不知道，是她让我想成为更好的人。这是我所在乎的：拥有动力，成为一个更强大、更完善的人。
一次难忘的邂逅
An Encounter
◎ Megan C
As the hot tears rolled down her cheeks,I knew I had asked the wrong question.The words reverberated in my mind:widowed or divorced?I looked into the lady's eyes,now dampened with the miserable tears my words had caused.
“Well,you could call me widowed,” she replied.“My husband died five months ago today.”
Her face,a haunted mask as she looked away,searched the racks as if he might appear.Tears again welled in her eyes,when she didn't find him,and she was unable to blink them back.
“I am so sorry,” I mumbled.“I needed it to fill out your credit application.” I wished I had allowed her to check the box herself.I knew well enough that words spoken aloud hold more pain than those unspoken.
“Don't worry about it,honey,” she soothed.“If I never thought about it,I would not remember the love and the memories we shared.Even after 50 years of marriage,each passing moment would bring a deeper meaning to the word love.Now,trust me,I know how foolish that sounds.We had our share of challenging times,but in the end none of that mattered.”
Unsure of what to say,I laughed nervously,not yet aware of the impact those words would have on me.I picked up the phone to relay her information;words hung in the air.My mind was not focused on the current task,and I was unsuccessful in my first few attempts.After finally completing the credit application,I turned to find myself riveted to the lady's face again.
Her eyes began to sparkle as she proceeded in a heart-to-heart.I couldn't believe someone could open up to a perfect stranger,but it was not my place to criticize.I enjoyed listening to her just as much as she appreciated having somebody to talk to.
“Have you ever been married?” she asked.
I couldn't help but laugh.I hadn't even thought about getting married.Besides,I looked nothing like a married woman—my braces stuck out from my mouth,and my frizzy hair was thrown back into a messy bun.
“Ah,no.” I replied.“I'm only 16.”
“16?” she murmured,eyes alight with the mystery of shrouded memories.“That's a great age,an age of lessons.There's so much worth learning.”
She then spoke in a hushed whisper,sharing the one lesson that I will carry with me the rest of my life.“Never,ever take anyone for granted.If you are in love with someone,let it be known as often as you feel it.Otherwise,life may pass you by.Don't spend your life angry.The ridiculous arguments you think are important won't even be remembered in a short time.”
Then,she hugged me and thanked me for letting her talk.As she turned to walk away,I could see that tears still hung in her eyes,but the smile that lit her face was amazing.After she left,I stood there replaying the conversation in my mind and letting her words sink in.Never,ever take anyone for granted.
名人语库
The miracle is this—the more we share,the more we have.
～Leonard Nimoy
神奇的是我们分享得越多，我们拥有的也越多。
——伦纳德·尼莫伊
当热泪顺着她的脸颊流下来时，我知道我问错了问题。这个词在我心中回响：丧偶还是离婚？我看着那位女士的眼睛，现在我的话引起了她悲痛的泪水。
“好吧，你可以说我寡居，”她回答说，“今天是我丈夫去世后的整整五个月。”
她的脸现出愁容，像寻找鬼魂一般向四处搜寻，仿佛他可能会出现。当她没有找到他时，眼泪在她的眼中再一次涌出，她眨着眼睛，无法把眼泪憋回去。
“很抱歉，”我咕哝着，“我需要信息来填写你的信贷申请表。”我真希望我能让她自己检查表格。我知道得很清楚，大声说出来比沉默不语让人更加痛楚。
“别担心，亲爱的，”她安慰我道，“如果我从没想过这些，我就不会记得我们曾共有的爱和回忆。即使在我们的50年婚姻之后，每一时刻还是会赋予爱这个词更深层的含义。现在，相信我——我知道这听起来多么愚蠢——我们曾共同承担艰难困苦，但最终都挺过来了。”
不知道该说什么，我紧张地笑了笑，没有意识到这些话会对我产生影响。我拿起电话来汇报她的信息；言语就这样回荡在空中。我的头脑无法专注于当前的任务，这是我第一次尝试好几次专注却都失败了。在最后完成信贷申请程序后，我发现自己再一次不自觉关注起那位女士的脸。
在她继续和我谈心时，她的眼睛开始闪耀着光亮。我不敢相信有人会对一个完全陌生的人打开心扉。但这不是我该指责的地方。我很喜欢听她说话，正如她十分感激有人可以聆听她的言语一样。
“你结婚了吗？”她问。
我忍不住笑了。我还没想过结婚。此外，我一点都不像已婚女人——我的牙套从我嘴里露出来，我卷曲的头发盘成一个凌乱的髻。
“啊，没有。”我回答说，“我还只有16岁。”
“16岁吗？”她喃喃地说，眼神仿佛笼罩在记忆的神秘面纱下，“这个年岁棒极了，一个适合学习的最佳年龄。有这么多的事值得学习呢。”
然后，她安静地低语着，与我分享了一个我余生都会时刻谨记的教导。“永远不要把任何人的爱视为理所当然。如果你爱上某人，让他像你一样常常感受到爱。否则，你可能就会错过属于你的人生。不要让自己活在懊恼之中。有些你认为很重要的荒谬言论，甚至并不会在短时间内被人记住。”
然后，她拥抱了我，并感谢我让她说了这么多。当她转身走开时，我看到眼泪仍挂在她的眼角，但她脸上的微笑却让她的脸显得如此迷人。她离开后，我站在那里回想着我们的谈话，在脑海里重复着她的言语。
If you are in love with someone,let it be known as often as you feel it.
I have never seen that woman again,but her words of inspiration still live in me.At that time,the words were only little bits of advice.Now,however,they are the words which I try to live by,words that will always remind me of my special friend.
永远不要把任何人的爱视为理所当然。如果你爱上某人，让他像你一样常常感受到爱。
我再未见过那个女人，但她的话语仍然伴随着我。当时，这些话仅仅只是一个微不足道的小建议。然而现在，我却靠着这些话而生活着，它总是让我记起我特别的朋友。