激情晨读英语美文.doc

第一章 人生如诗Human Life Like a PoemI think that, from a biological standpoint, human life almost reads like a poem. It has its own rhythm and beat, its internal cycles of growth and decay. No one can say that a life with childhood, manhood and old age is not a beautiful arrangement; the day has its morning, noon and sunset, and the year has its seasons, and it is good that it is so. There is no good or bad in life, except what is good according to its own season.And if we take this biological view of life and try to live according to the seasons, no one but a conceited fool or an impossible idealist can deny that human life can be lived like a poem.Lin Yutang我以为，从生物学角度看，人的一生恰如诗歌。人生自有其韵律和节奏，自有内在的成长与衰亡。人生有童年、少年和老年，谁也不能否认这是一种美好的安排。一天要有清晨、正午和日落，一年要有四季之分，如此才好！人生本无好坏之分，只是各个季节有各自的好处。如若我们持此种生物学的观点，并循着季节去生活，除了狂妄自大的傻瓜和无可救药的理想主义者，谁能说人生不能像诗一般度过呢？-林语堂人在旅途We Are on a Journey Wherever you are, and whoever you may be, there is one thing in which you and I are just alike, at this moment, and in all the moments of our existence. We are not at rest; we are on a journey. Our life is not a mere fact; it is a movement, a tendency, a steady, ceaseless progress towards an unseen goal. We are gaining something, or losing something, every day.Even when our position and our character seem to remain precisely the same, they are changing. For the mere advance of time is a change. It is not the same thing to have a bare field in January and in July. The season makes the difference. The limitations that are childlike in the child are childish in the man. Everything that we do is a step in one direction or another. Even the failure to do something is in itself a deed. It sets us forward or backward.The action of the negative pole of a magnetic needle is just as real as the action of the positive pole. To decline is to accept the other alternative. Are you nearer to your port today than you were yesterday? Yes, you must be a little nearer to some port or other;for since your ship was first launched upon the sea of life you have never been stillfor a single moment; the sea is too deep, you could not find an anchorage if you would;there can be no pause until you come into port.人在旅途 亨利.凡.戴克无论你身在何处，也无论你是何人，此时此刻，有一件事于你我而言都是相同的，而且只要我们活着，这个共同点就存在。那就是，我们并非停留不前，而是人在旅途。我们的生命是一种运动，一种趋势，是向一个看不见的目标无休止地奋进。每天，我们都有所得，也有所失。即便我们的位置和角色看似与原来无异，但实际上也是时时变化的。因为时间的推移本身就是一种变化。对于同一片荒地来说，在一月和七月是截然不同的，季节造成了这种差异。能力的局限在孩子身上被视为天真烂漫，而在大人身上则是幼稚的的表现。我们所做的每件事情都是朝着某个方向迈进了一步。即使是失败本身，也是有所得的，失败可以催人奋进，也可以让人一蹶不振。磁针负极的作用与正极的作用都是一样真实的。 拒绝也是一种接受，只不过是另一种选择罢了。你今天比昨天更接近你的港口了么？是的，你肯定离某个港口更近了。因为自从你的航船从生命的海洋上启航的那一刻开始，你没有哪一刻是静止的。大海如此深邃，即便你想停泊，也找不到地方；只有当你驶入自己的港口，你才能停止下来。人生如诗:真正的高贵The True Nobility By Ernest HemingwayIn a calm sea every man is a pilot. But all sunshine without shade, all pleasure without pain, is not life at all. Take the lot of the happiest it is a tangled yarn. Bereavements and blessings, one following another, make us sad and blessed by turns. Even death itself makes life more loving. Men come closest to their true selves in the sober moments of life, under the shadows of sorry and loss. In the affairs of life or of business, it is not intellect that tells so much as character, not brains so much as heart, not genius so much as self-control, patience, and discipline, regulated by judgment. I have always believed that the man who has begun to live more seriously within begins to live more simply without. In an age of extravagance and waste, I wish I could show to the world how few the real wants of humanity are. To regretones errors to the point of not repeating them is true repentance. There is nothing noble in being superior to some other man. The true nobility is in being superior to your previous self.在风平浪静的大海上,每个人都是领航员。但只有阳光没有阴影,只有快乐没有痛苦,根本不是真正的生活.就拿最幸福的人来说,他的生活也是一团缠结在一起的乱麻。痛苦与幸福交替出现,使得我们一会悲伤一会高兴。甚至死亡本身都使得生命更加可爱。在人生清醒的时刻,在悲伤与失落的阴影之下,人们与真实的自我最为接近。在生活和事业的种种事务之中，性格比才智更能指导我们，心灵比头脑更能引导我们，而由判断获得的克制、耐心和教养比天分更能让我们受益。我一向认为，内心生活开始更为严谨的人，他的外在生活也会变得更为简朴。在物欲横流的年代，但愿我能向世人表明：人类的真正需求少得多么可怜。反思自己的过错不至于重蹈覆辙才是真正的悔悟。高人一等并没有什么值得夸耀的。真正的高贵是优于过去的自已。我的世界观The World as I See It By Albert EinsteinHow strange is the lot of us mortals! Each of us is here for a brief sojourn; for what purpose he knows not, though he sometimes thinks he senses it. But without deeper reflection one knows from daily life that one exists for other people first of all for those upon whose smiles and well-being our own happiness is wholly dependent, and then for the many, unknown to us, to whose destinies we are bound by the ties of sympathy. A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving. I am strongly drawn to a frugal life and am often oppressively aware that I am engrossing an undue amount of the labor of my fellow-men. I regard class distinctions as unjustified and, in the last resort, based on force. I also believe that a simple and unassuming life is good for everybody, physically and mentally. 我们这些肉体凡胎是多么奇怪啊！每个人来到这个世上都只作短暂停留，究竟为了什么目的却无从知晓，虽然有时觉得自己好像有所感悟。但是，无需深入思考，仅从日常生活就可明白，人是为他人而存在的首先是为这样一些人：他们的欢笑、健康和福祉与我们的幸福息息相关；其次是为那些为数众多的陌生人，因为同情他们，使得我们与他们的命运联系在了一起。每一天，我都上百次地提醒自己，我的精神和物质生活都是建立在他人(包括生者和死者)的劳动基础上，对于我已经得到和正在得到的一切，我必须尽力给以相同程度的回报。我深深向往一种俭朴的生活，由于经常意识到自己占用了同胞太多的劳动而心有不安。我认为阶级区分是不正当的，其最终的达成方式常常诉诸暴力。我还认为，无论是在身体上还是心理上，过一种简单而不铺张浪费的生活对每个人都有好处。 I do not at all believe in human freedom in the philosophical sense. Everybody acts not only under external compulsion but also in accordance with inner necessity. Schopenhauers saying, that “A man can do what he wants, but not want what he wants,” has been a very real inspiration to me since my youth; it has been a continual consolation in the face of lifes hardships, my own and others, and an unfailing well-spring of tolerance. This realization mercifully mitigates the easily paralyzing sense of responsibility and prevents us from taking ourselves and other people all too seriously; it is conducive to a view of life which, in particular, gives humor its due. 我完全不相信哲学意义上的人的自由。每个人的行为不仅受外在力量的约束，还要与内在需求协调一致。叔本华说：“人可以任意而为，却不能心想事成。”这句话从我年轻时起就一直深深地启发着我。在面对生活的艰辛时无论是我自己还是他人的艰辛，这句话总能不断地给我安慰，成为永不枯竭的忍耐的源泉。这一认识能够仁慈地缓和那份令人几欲崩溃的责任感，并防止我们太把自己或者他人当回事，还有助于形成一种尤其幽默的人生观。 To inquire after the meaning or object of ones own existence or that of all creatures has always seemed to me absurd from an objective point of view. And yet everybody has certain ideals which determine the direction of his endeavors and his judgments. In this sense I have never looked upon ease and happiness as ends in themselves this ethical basis I call the ideal of a pigsty. The ideals which have lighted my way, and time after time have given me new courage to face life cheerfully, have been Kindness, Beauty, and Truth. Without the sense of kinship with men of like mind, without the occupation with the objective world, the eternally unattainable in the field of art and scientific endeavors, life would have seemed to me empty. The trite objects of human efforts possessions, outward success, luxury have always seemed to me contemptible.客观地说，探求自己或者其他所有生命存在的意义或者目标，我一直都认为是荒唐之举。然而，每个人多少都有自己的理想，决定着他的奋斗目标和他对事情的看法。从这个意义上说，我从来都不会把安逸和幸福看作终极目标我将这种伦理道德的基础称之为“猪圈理想”。一直以来，是对真、善、美的追求照亮了我的道路，一次又一次给我以新的勇气，让我愉快地面对生活。如果没有对志同道合者的那种亲近感，如果没有对客观世界那个艺术和科学研究永远也无法穷极的世界的孜孜以求，生命对我来说就是一场空。那些向来为世人竞相追求的目标财产、奢华和外在的成功我对此不屑一顾。Mypassionatesenseofsocialjusticeandsocialresponsibilityhasalwayscontrastedoddlywithmypronouncedlackofneedfordirectcontactwithotherhumanbeingsandhumancommunities.Iamtrulya“lonetraveler”andhaveneverbelongedtomycountry,myhome,myfriend,orevenmyimmediatefamily,withmywholeheart;inthefaceofalltheseties,Ihaveneverlostasenseofdistanceandaneedforsolitude-feelingswhichincreasewiththeyears.Onebecomessharplyaware,butwithoutregret,ofthelimitsofmutualunderstandingandconsonancewithotherpeople.Nodoubt,suchapersonlosessomeofhisinnocenceandunconcern;ontheotherhand,heislargelyindependent,oftheopinions,habits,andjudgmentsofhisfellowsandavoidsthetemptationtobuildhisinnerequilibriumuponsuchinsecurefoundations.一方面，我有着强烈的社会正义感和社会责任感，另一方面，我的内心又明显没有与他人和社会直接接触的需求，二者形成了一个奇怪的对比。我确实是一个“孤独的旅者”，我的心从未完全地属于过我的祖国、我的家庭、我的朋友，甚至我最亲近的家人。在面对所有这些羁绊时，我从来没有失去过距离感，也没有摆脱掉孤独感这种感觉随着年岁的增长还在增加。一个人开始强烈地意识到人与人之间的相互理解与和谐一致是有限度的，但却并不为此遗憾时，此人毫无疑问已经失去了部分天真无邪、无忧无虑的童心，但另一方面，他也在很大程度上获得了独立，不再受他人观点、习惯和判断的影响，同时也能避免内心那种要将平衡建立在这种不可靠的基础之上的强烈愿望。Themostbeautifulexperiencewecanhaveisthemysterious.Itisthefundamentalemotionwhichstandsatthecradleoftrueartandtruescience.Whoeverdoesnotknowitandcannolongerwonder,nolongermarvel,isasgoodasdead,andhiseyesaredimmed.Itwastheexperienceofmysteryevenifmixedwithfearthatengenderedreligion.Aknowledgeoftheexistenceofsomethingwecannotpenetrate,ourperceptionsoftheprofoundestreasonandthemostradiantbeauty,whichonlyintheirmostprimitiveformsareaccessibletoourmindsitisthisknowledgeandthisemotionthatconstitutetruereligiosity;inthissense,andinthisalone,Iamadeeplyreligiousman.IcannotconceiveofaGodwhorewardsandpunisheshiscreatures,orhasawillofthekindthatweexperienceinourselves.NeithercanInorwouldIwanttoconceiveofanindividualthatsurviveshisphysicaldeath;letfeeblesouls,fromfearorabsurdegoism,cherishsuchthoughts.Iamsatisfiedwiththemysteryoftheeternityoflifeandwiththeawarenessandaglimpseofthemarvelousstructureoftheexistingworld,togetherwiththedevotedstrivingtocomprehendaportion,beiteversotiny,oftheReasonthatmanifestsitselfinnature.人类所能享有的最美妙的体验就是神秘感，这是真正的科学与艺术的根源中最基础的情感。无论是谁，如果没有感受过它的魅力，如果不再感到好奇，不再发出惊叹，他就无异于行尸走肉，瞎眼盲心。正是这种神秘的体验即使夹杂着恐惧促进了宗教的产生。我们知道有某种事物的存在我们无法参透，我们对最深刻的理性与最绚丽的美的感知，只有在它们以最原始的形式出现时才能有所理解正是这种认知和情感构成了真正的宗教信仰。在这种意义上，也只有在这种意义上，我是一个笃信宗教的人。我无法臆想出一个对自己创造出来的生命加以奖赏和惩罚的上帝，也无法想象他会拥有我们自身所拥有的意志。我无法也不愿想象一个人在肉体死去之后仍然可以活着。让那些脆弱的灵魂，出于恐惧或者可笑的私利，去拥抱这种想法吧。我满足于对生命的永恒保持神秘感，满足于对现存世界神奇结构的粗浅感知和匆匆一瞥，也满足于通过不懈的努力，对自然本身显露出的一部分“道”进行理解，哪怕只是极其微小的一部分。热爱生活Love Your Life By Henry David ThoreauHowever mean your life is, meet it and live it; do not shun it and call it hard names. It is not so bad as you are. It looks poorest when you are richest. The fault-finder will find faults in paradise. Love your life, poor as it is. You may perhaps have some pleasant, thrilling, glorious hours, even in a poor house. The setting sun is reflected from the windows of the almshouse as brightly as from the rich mans abode; the snow melts before its door as early in the spring. I do not see but a quiet mind may live as contentedly there, and have as cheering thoughts, as in a palace. The towns poor seem to me often to live the most independent lives of any. Maybe they are simply great enough to receive without misgiving. Most think that they are above being supported by the town; but it often happens that they are not above supporting themselves by dishonest means, which should be more disreputable. Cultivate poverty like a garden herb, like sage. Do not trouble yourself much to get new things, whether clothes or friends. Turn the old; return to them. Things do not change; we change. Sell your clothes and keep your thoughts.不论你的生活如何卑贱，你要面对它生活，不要躲避它，更别用恶言咒骂它。它不像你那样坏。你最富有的时候，倒是看似最穷。爱找缺点的人就是到天堂里也能找到缺点。你要爱你的生活，尽管它贫穷。甚至在一个济贫院里，你也还有愉快、高兴、光荣的时候。夕阳反射在济贫院的窗上，像身在富户人家窗上一样光亮；在那门前，积雪同在早春融化。我只看到，一个从容的人，在哪里也像在皇宫中一样，生活得心满意足而富有愉快的思想。城镇中的穷人，我看，倒往往是过着最独立不羁的生活。也许因为他们很伟大，所以受之无愧。大多数人以为他们是超然的，不靠城镇来支援他们；可是事实上他们是往往利用了不正当的手段来对付生活，他们是毫不超脱的，毋宁是不体面的。视贫穷如园中之花而像圣人一样耕植它吧！不要找新的花样，无论是新的朋友或新的衣服，来麻烦你自己。找旧的，回到那里去。万物不变，是我们在变。你的衣服可以卖掉，但要保留你的思想。我的家庭信条The Road to Happiness By Bertrand RussellItisacommonplaceamongmoraliststhatyoucannotgethappinessbypursuingit.Thisisonlytrueifyoupursueitunwisely.GamblersatMonteCarloarepursuingmoney,andmostofthemloseitinstead,butthereareotherwaysofpursuingmoney,whichoftensucceed.Soitiswithhappiness.Ifyoupursueitbymeansofdrink,youareforgettingthehang-over.Epicuruspursueditbylivingonlyincongenialsocietyandeatingonlydrybread,supplementedbyalittlecheeseonfeastdays.Hismethodprovedsuccessfulinhiscase,buthewasavaletudinarian,andmostpeoplewouldneedsomethingmorevigorous.Formostpeople,thepursuitofhappiness,unlesssupplementedinvariousways,istooabstractandtheoreticaltobeadequateasapersonalruleoflife.ButIthinkthatwhateverpersonalruleoflifeyoumaychooseitshouldnot,exceptingrareandheroiccases,beincompatiblewithhappiness. 幸福之道道德家们常说：幸福靠追求是得不到的。只有用不明智的方式去追求才是这样。蒙特卡洛城的赌徒们追求金钱，但多数人却把钱输掉了，而另外一些追求金钱的办法却常常成功。追求幸福也是一样。如果你通过畅饮来追求幸福，那你就忘记了酒醉后的不适。埃毕丘鲁斯追求幸福的办法是只和志趣相投的人一起生活，只吃不涂黄油的面包，节日才加一点奶酪。他的办法对他来说是成功的，但他是个体弱多病的人，而多数人需要的是精力充沛。就多数人来说，除非你有别的补充办法，这样追求快乐就过于抽象和脱离实际，不宜作为个人的生活准则。不过，我觉得无论你选择什么样的生活准则，除了那些罕见的和英雄人物的例子外，都应该是和幸福相容的。Thereareagreatmanypeoplewhohaveallthematerialconditionsofhappiness,i.e.healthandasufficientincome,andwho,nevertheless,areprofoundlyunhappy.Insuchcasesitwouldseemasifthefaultmustliewithawrongtheoryastohowtolive.Inonesense,wemaysaythatanytheoryastohowtoliveiswrong.Weimagineourselvesmoredifferentfromtheanimalsthanweare.Animalsliveonimpulse,andarehappyaslongasexternalconditionsarefavorable.Ifyouhaveacatitwillenjoylifeifithasfoodandwarmthandopportunitiesforanoccasionalnightonthetiles.Yourneedsaremorecomplexthanthoseofyourcat,buttheystillhavetheirbasisininstinct.Incivilizedsocieties,especiallyinEnglish-speakingsocieties,thisistooapttobeforgotten.Peopleproposetothemselvessomeoneparamountobjective,andrestrainallimpulsesthatdonotministertoit.Abusinessmanmaybesoanxioustogrowrichthattothisendhesacrificeshealthandprivateaffections.Whenatlasthehasbecomerich,nopleasureremainstohimexceptharryingotherpeoplebyexhortationstoimitatehisnobleexample.Manyrichladies,althoughnaturehasnotendowedthemwithanyspontaneouspleasureinliteratureorart,decidetobethoughtcultured,andspendboringhourslearningtherightthingtosayaboutfashionablenewbooksthatarewrittentogivedelight,nottoaffordopportunitiesfordustysnobbism.很多人拥有获得幸福的全部物质条件，即健康的身体和丰足的收入，可是他们非常不快乐。就这种情况来说，似乎问题处在生活理论的错误上。从某种意义上讲，我们可以说任何关于生活的理论都是不正确的。我们和动物的区别并没有我们想象的那么大。动物是凭冲动生活的，只要客观条件有利，它们就会快乐。如果你有一只猫，它只要有东西吃，感到暖和，偶尔晚上得到机会去寻欢，它就会很快活。你的需要比你的猫要复杂一些，但还是以本能为基础的。在文明社会中，特别是在讲英语的社会中，这一点很容易被忘却。人们给自己定下一个最高的目标，对一切不利于实现这一目标的冲动都加以克制。生意人可能因为切望发财以致不惜牺牲健康和爱情。等他终于发了财，他除了苦苦劝人效法他的好榜样而搅得别人心烦外，并没有得到快乐。很多有钱的贵妇人，尽管自然并未赋予她们任何欣赏文学或艺术的兴趣，却决意要使别人认为她们是有教养的，于是他们花费很多烦人的时间学习怎样谈论那些流行的新书。这些书写出来是要给人以乐趣的，而不是要给人以附庸风雅的机会的。If you loo