英语经典美文（一）：
A letter to our daughter
扎克伯格写给刚出生小女儿的信
A letter to our daughter
一封给我们女儿的信
Dear August，
亲爱的八月：
Wele to the world!
欢迎来到这个世界！
Your mom and I are so excited to see who you will bee.
我和你母亲迫不及待地想要明白你会长大为一个怎样的人。
When your sister was born， we wrote a letter about the world we hoped she and now you will grow up into
你姐姐出生的时候，我们给她写了一封信，告诉她我们期望她在怎样的一个世界里长大。此刻，你也将要在这个我们希冀中的世界里长大。
a world with better education， fewer diseases， stronger munities， and greater equality.
在这个世界里，教育更完善，疾病更少，社会更团结，也更公平。
We wrote that with all the advances in science and technology，
我们写道，因为科学和技术的提高，
your generation should live dramatically better lives than ours， and we have a responsibility to do our part to make that happen.
你们这一代人的生活应当远远好于我们，我们有职责将这个愿景实现。
Even though headlines often focus on what's wrong， we still believe these positive trends will win out.
虽然人们经常关注负面消息，但我们仍相信提高的趋势会占上风。
We're optimists about your generation and the future.
我们对你们这一代人、对未来都十分乐观。
But rather than write about growing up， we want to talk about childhood.[本内容由 首页 / 整理]
可是，相较于长大的话题，我们还是更想跟你说说幼年。
The world can be a serious place.
世界终究是个严肃的地方。
That's why it's important to make time to go outside and play.
所以抓紧时光出去玩耍很重要。
You will be busy when you're older， so I hope you take time to smell all the flowers and put all the leaves you want in your bucket now.
一旦长大，你就会变得很忙。所以我期望你能尽情地去嗅嗅所有的花朵，把你喜欢的叶子都放进小桶里。
I hope you read your favorite Dr. Seuss books so many times you start inventing your own stories about the Vipper of Vipp.
我期望你能翻来覆去读你最爱的苏斯博士的书，直到你灵感涌动，开始创造自我关于Vipper of Vipp的故事。
I hope you ride the carousel with Max until you've tamed every color horse.
我期望你跟Max（扎克伯格的大女儿）一齐骑旋转木马，直到你们驯服每一匹彩色马为止。
I hope you run as many laps around our living room and yards as you want.
我期望你能够在我们的客厅和后院里自由奔跑，想跑多少圈就跑多少圈。
And then I hope you take a lot of naps. I hope you're a great sleeper.
我还期望你能好好睡觉。我期望你是一个能睡的小姑娘。
And I hope even in your dreams you can feel how much we love you.
我期望即使在梦里，你依然能感受到父亲母亲是多么爱你。
Childhood is magical. You only get to be a child once， so don't spend it worrying too much about the future.
幼年时光充满魔力。你仅有一次幼年，别把它都花在担心未来上。
You've got us for that， and we'll do everything we possibly can
那些事情，留给父亲母亲，我们会竭尽所能地
to make sure the world is a better place for you and all children in your generation.
让这个世界变得更好，为了你，也为你们这一代的所有小朋友。
August， we love you so much and we're so excited to go on this adventure with you.
宝贝，父亲母亲十分爱你，我们满心激动地和你踏上这段探险旅程。
We wish you a life of joy， love and the same hope you give us.
祝愿你这一生欢喜、有爱，充满期望，如同你带给我们的一样。
英语经典美文（二）：
For it is a pleasant day
今日是完美的一天
Come， my children， e away
来啊，小孩们，出来玩
For the sun shines bright today
今日的阳光无比灿烂
Little children e with me
小朋友们，快跟我来
Birds， and brooks， and posies see
鸟儿小溪鲜花多可爱
Get your hats and e away
快拿好帽子，出来玩
For it is a pleasant day
今日是完美的一天
Everything is laughing， singing
四处都是欢歌和笑语
All the pretty flowers are springing
花儿开放，桃红柳绿
See the kitten full of fun
快来看那可爱的小猫
Sporting in the pleasant sun
在阳光下头尽情奔跑
Children too may sport and play
小孩们啊，快出来玩
For it is a pleasant day
今日是完美的一天
Bring the hoop and bring the ball
拿出皮球，拿出铁环
Come with happy faces all
小朋友们都喜眉笑眼
Let us make a merry ring
兴高采烈站成一个圈
Talk and laugh， and dance and sing
跳舞唱歌，欢笑交谈
Quickly， quickly， e away
快啊，快啊，出来玩
For it is a pleasant day
今日是完美的一天
英语经典美文（三）：
Happy Wedding Anniversary
结婚纪念日欢乐
A rose for every year
每一年的那支玫瑰
Many smiles for every tear
每滴泪水都为笑容
Way more of the first than ever of the latter
比起前者更优先后者
What's deep in our hearts is all that really matters
内心深处才是我们重要的一切
We've learned a lot， yet still a lot to learn
我们学到了很多，但还有很多要学
For that "smile in your eyes" my heart still yearns
“你眼中的笑意”仍是我内心的渴望
Keep giving me a chance to show you my love
请给我机会让我继续表达我对你的爱
We've always found a way to rise above
我们总是能找到克服问题的方法
We know what we have and we've made it this far
我们知晓我们所拥有的一切并走到了此刻
We often say to each other just how lucky we are
我们总是和彼此诉说自我有多么幸运
To have what we have when we look in their eyes
当我们看向他们的目光，我们就拥有了一切
We both know we've been given the ultimate prize
我们都知晓我们已经得到了最棒的战利品
A family who cares and can say how they feel
一个互相关爱、直言不讳的家
There is no doubt this family is real
毫无疑问这个家是存在的
It's a life full of hustle that is crazy sometimes
有时生活奔波而疯狂
But I can honestly say these are the "BEST of times"
但我会诚实地说这些都是“最棒的时光”
You have in your heart what I can't live without
你的心中拥有我赖以生存的力气
These past few years have been so special to me
过去的几年对我而言都是那么独一无二
I think I see now what everyone else can see
我想我知晓了每个人都能看到的一切
HAPPY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY
结婚纪念日欢乐
英语经典美文（四）：
Let it Be Me
让我爱着你
I bless the day I found you
感激上天让我遇到你
I want to stay around you
我想和你一齐厮守
Now and forever
不管天荒地老
Let it be me
让我爱着你
Don't take this heaven from one
不要让我的梦想破灭
If you must cling to someone
如果你真的需要温暖怀抱
Now and forever
不管天荒地老
Let it be me
让我爱着你
Each time we need love
当生命中出现爱
I found plete love
那必须是完整的爱
Without your sweet love
没有你的甜美笑容
For what would life be
我的生活将暗无天日
So never leave me lonely
请不要离开我
Say that you love me only
说你只爱我一人
And that you'll always
并且你会永久
Let it be me
让我爱着你
Say you will always
并且你会永久
Let it be me
让我爱着你
英语经典美文（五）：
What are the 10 hardest things
in life?
生活中最艰难的10件事是什么？
1. To decide whether to "leave" or "try harder".
决定是“离开”还是“更加奋力”。
2. Quit a good money job to pursue one's dreams.
辞掉高薪工作去追求自我的梦想。
3. Apologize to people you have hurt.
向你曾伤害过的人道歉。
4. Admit your own mistakes.
承认自我的错误。
5. Staying positive when you have lost everything you ever had.
拥有过的一切都轰然倒塌时，依然乐观向上。
6. Living away from family.
离家生活。
7. Bouncing back when you have fall rock bottom.
当你坠入人生低谷时重新振作。
8. Making others smile when one has not smiled for ages.
让一个很久没有笑过的人笑出来。
9. Keep a low profile despite being extremely knowledgeable about hisher profession.
尽管自我在专业相关领域知识十分渊博，却仍能坚持低调。
10. Attending a loved one's funeral.
出席所爱之人的葬礼。
When you face above things， firstly， you have to know， you must accept the fact.
如果你遇到了上述的事情，首先，你需要明白，你必须理解这个事实。
Some people are just not meant to be in your life.
有些人只是命中注定不属于你。
Everything happens for a reason， every damn thing.
每件事都事出有因，每件事。
People want you to do well but not better than them.
别人期望你做得好，可是不要比他们更好。
Of course， when you experience above things， you could e to a decision:
当然，当你经历了以上的事情中的一件或者两件，你会得出一个结论：
no matter 10 or 100 hardest things like list，
无论10件或是100件类似于我们列出的最艰难的事情，
in fact， just the two most difficult things in your heart， persevering and letting go.
事实上，仅仅有两件事情你迈可是自我那道坎——坚持不懈和放手离开。
At last， if you ask me is there anything harder than them?
最终，如果你问我还有什么事情比这些更难吗？
I could tell you one thing ultimate hard， know when to do and what to do.
我能够告诉你，还有一件顶级难的事情——明白什么时候该做什么事。
英语经典美文（六）：
Be the Best of Whatever You Are
做最好的自我
If you can't be a pine on the top of the hill
如果你当不了山巅的一棵劲松
Be a scrub in the valley
就做山谷里的灌木
But be the best little scrub by the side of the rill
但必须要做溪边最棒的一棵
Be a bush if you can't be a tree
当不了一棵树，就做一丛灌木
If you can't be a bush， be a bit of grass
如果你当不了灌木，就做一株小草
And some highway happier make
给路边带去更多欢笑
If you can't be a muskie then just be a bass
如果你当不了大梭鱼，就做一尾小鲈鱼
But the liveliest bass in the lake
但要做湖里最活泼的那条
We can't all be captains， we've got to be crew
我们不能全当船长，总得有人做船员
There's something for all of us here
但我们每个人都有事可做
There's big work to do， and there's lesser to do
有大事去做，有小事去做
And the task you must do is the near
我们必须着眼于眼前
If you can't be a highway then just be a trail
如果你当不了大道，就做一条小径
If you can't be the sun， be a star
如果你当不了阳光，就做一颗星星
It isn't by size that you win or you fail
胜负不在于大小
Be the best of whatever you are!
不论做什么，必须要做到最好
英语经典美文（七）：
Miss Me， But Let Me Go
想念我，可是让我走
When I e to the end of the road
当我走到了路的尽头
And the sun has set for me
阳光为我落下
I want no rites in a gloom-filled room
请不要给我那充满忧伤的仪式
Why cry for a soul set free?
为什么要为一个获得自由的灵魂而哭泣？
Miss me a little -- but not too long
想念我一点点，但不要太久
And not with your head bowed low
不要低头沮丧
Remember the love that we once shared
记住我们曾一齐享有过的爱
Miss me -- but let me go
想念我，可是让我走
For this is a journey that we all must take
这是我们都必经的旅程
And each must go alone
每个人必须独自走到尽头
It's all a part of the Master's plan
这是上天意旨的一部分
A step on the road to home
是通往家的路的一步
When you are lonely and sick of heart
当你孤独心痛
Go to the friends we know
去找那些我们认识的朋友
And bury your sorrows in doing good deeds
请把你的悲伤埋葬在帮忙他人的善行中
Miss Me -- But Let me Go!
想念我，可是让我走
英语经典美文（八）：
Forever Eighteen
永久十八岁
The years may e and the years may go
花开花落，韶华易逝
But many things still stay the same
许多事物却依旧如故
Just like the beautiful young woman
正如这位姿容绰约的女士
Whom I chose to share my name
这位我最初相识相知的人
Each year we grow a little older
无奈，岁月催人老
And our eyesight may not be as keen
视线，也变得模糊
But when I look at my lovely wife
但每当我凝视可爱的妻子时
She is always forever eighteen
她却好似永久定格在十八岁
I look forward to many more birthdays
我渴望和她度过无尽余生
With my best friend， my lover， my wife
只因她是挚友，亦是爱人
And I thank God he brought us together
感恩上帝让我们彼此相遇
And made me happy for the rest of my life
感恩上帝让我们欢乐永生
As we continue to grow old together
我们会继续一齐变老
And share what life has to bring
一齐回顾生活的百味
We'll get slower， grayer with more wrinkles，
我们会变得行动迟缓，华发苍颜
But you'll always forever be eighteen
但于我来说，你永久停留在十八岁
英语经典美文（九）：
I Saw Thee Weep
我曾见你哭泣
I saw thee weep---the big bright tear came o'er that eye of blue
我曾见你哭泣，碧眼里晶莹的泪珠滚落下来
And then me thought it did appear a violet dropping dew
那简直是紫罗兰滴露，我不禁这样冥想暗猜
I saw thee smile---the sapphire's blaze beside thee ceased to shine
我曾见你微笑，绚丽的蓝宝石辉耀不再
It could not match the living rays that filled that glance of thine
难比那灵动的光芒充满你顾盼的神态
As clouds from yonder sun receive a deep and mellow dye
犹如云朵面朝阳光，借得深沉、柔和的色彩
Which scarce the shade of ing eve can banish from the sky
即使黄昏将至的阴影也无法把它驱除天外
Those smiles unto the moodiest mind， their own pure joy impart
那微笑向我郁闷的内心，注入清纯的欢快
Their sunshine leaves a glow behind that lightens o'er the heart
英语经典美文（十）：
The Last Leaf
最终的一片叶
I saw him once before， as he passed by the door
他曾从门前经过，我在一旁观望
And again， the pavement stones resound
如今，石板路又哒哒作响
As he totters o'er the ground with his cane
他蹒跚走来，手里拄着拐杖
They say that in his prime
人们说他当时年轻力壮
Ere the pruning-knife of time cut him down
时光的剪刀虽有锐利锋芒，尚未削去他的青春模样
Not a better man was found
周围的人们有口皆碑
By the Crier on his round through the town
满城数他最为善良
But now he walks the streets
如今，他却在街头流浪
And he looks at all he meets sad and wan
看着别人的面孔，憔悴忧伤
And he shakes his feeble head
虚弱的脑袋，不断摇晃
That it seems as if he said， "They are gone!"
似乎在说：“他们已不在世上”？
The mossy marbles rest on the lips that he has prest in their bloom
他曾热吻过的姑娘，就在这墓中安葬
And the names he loved to hear have been carved for many a year on the tomb
一块生苔的石碑，立在墓旁，刻着他所爱慕的芳名，岁月悠长
My grandma has said-- poor old lady， she is dead， long ago--
我年迈的祖母久已过世，话音还在耳边回荡
That he had a Roman nose
说他长着高高的鼻梁
And his cheek was like a rose in the snow
说他的面颊像一朵玫瑰，在雪中绽放
But now his nose is thin， and it rests upon his chin like a staff
可是此刻，他的鼻子干瘪瘦长，贴近下巴像纤细的棍棒
And a crook is in his back， and a melancholy crack in his laugh
弯腰驼背，沙哑的笑声带着不尽的凄凉
I know it is a sin for me to sit and grin at him here
坐着笑看他的模样，一种负罪的感觉在我心底隐藏
But the old three-cornered hat
可那破旧的尖顶小帽
And the breeches， and all that
还有马裤，所有的衣装
Are so queer!
实在是奇形怪状！
And if I should live to be
假如我的生命十分久长
The last leaf upon the tree in the spring
能够成为最终的叶片挂在春天的树上
Let them smile， as I do now
让人们冲着我悬挂的残枝发笑吧
At the old forsaken bough where I cling
就像我此刻这样那残枝久已被人们淡忘
英语经典美文（十一）：
Children’s Song 作者：R.S.托马斯
Welive in our own world，
A world that is too small
For you to stoop and enter
Even on hands and knees，
The adult subterfuge.
And though you probe and pry
With analytic eye，
And eavesdrop all our talk
With an amused look，
You cannot find the centre
Where we dance， where we play，
Where life is still asleep
Under the closed flower，
Under the smooth shell
Of eggs in the cupped nest
That mock the faded blue
Of your remoter heaven.
小孩们的歌
我们生活在自我的世界，
一个对你们而言太小的世界，
即使手脚并用
俯下身子，你们也难以进来。
成年人的托辞。
即使你们用善于分析的眼睛
去探究、窥视，
用愉快的表情
去偷听我们所有的谈话，
你们仍然不能找到那个中心，
在那里，我们跳舞，我们玩耍，
生命仍在酣睡，
在那紧闭的花朵下，
在那光滑的蛋壳下，
杯状的巢内的蛋，
嘲笑着你们那更为遥远的天堂中
褪色的忧郁。
英语经典美文（十二）：
If I Rest， I Rust
The significant inion found on an old key---“If I rest， I rust”---would be an excellent motto for those who are afflicted with the slightest bit of idleness. Even the most industrious person might adopt it with advantage to serve as a reminder that， if one allows his faculties to rest， like the iron in the unused key， they will soon show signs of rust and， ultimately， cannot do the work required of them.
Those who would attain the heights reached and kept by great men must keep their faculties polished by constant use， so that they may unlock the doors of knowledge， the gate that guard the entrances to the professions， to science， art， literature， agriculture---every department of human endeavor.
Industry keeps bright the key that opens the treasury of achievement. If Hugh Miller， after toiling all day in a quarry， had devoted his evenings to rest and recreation， he would never have bee a famous geologist. The celebrated mathematician， Edmund Stone， would never have published a mathematical dictionary， never have found the key to science of mathematics， if he had given his spare moments to idleness， had the little Scotch lad， Ferguson， allowed the busy brain to go to sleep while he tended sheep on the hillside instead of calculating the position of the stars by a string of beads， he would never have bee a famous astronomer.
Labor vanquishes all---not inconstant， spasmodic， or ill-directed labor; but faithful， unremitting， daily effort toward a well-directed purpose. Just as truly as eternal vigilance is the price of liberty， so is eternal industry the price of noble and enduring success.
04 译文： 如果我休息，我就会生锈
在一把旧钥匙上发现了一则意义深远的铭文——如果我休息，我就会生锈。对于那些懒散而烦恼的人来说，这将是至理名言。甚至最为勤勉的人也以此作为警示：如果一个人有才能而不用，就像废弃钥匙上的铁一样，这些才能就会很快生锈，并最终无法完成安排给自我的工作。
有些人想取得伟人所获得并坚持的成就，他们就必须不断运用自身才能，以便开启知识的大门，即那些通往人类奋力探求的各个领域的大门，这些领域包括各种职业：科学，艺术，文学，农业等。
勤奋使开启成功宝库的钥匙坚持光亮。如果休?米勒在采石场劳作一天后，晚上的时光用来休息消遣的话，他就不会成为名垂青史的地质学家。著名数学家爱德蒙?斯通如果闲暇时无所事事，就不会出版数学词典，也不会发现开启数学之门的钥匙。如果苏格兰青年弗格森在山坡上放羊时，让他那思维活跃的大脑处于休息状态，而不是借助一串珠子计算星星的位置，他就不会成为著名的天文学家。
劳动征服一切。那里所指的劳动不是断断续续的，间歇性的或方向偏差的劳动，而是坚定的，不懈的，方向正确的每日劳动。正如要想拥有自由就要时刻坚持警惕一样，要想取得伟大的，持久的成功，就必须坚持不懈地奋力。
英语经典美文（十三）：
Companionship of Books
A man may usually be known by the books he reads as well as by the pany he keeps; for there is a panionship of books as well as of men; and one should always live in the best pany， whether it be of books or of men.
A good book may be among the best of friends. It is the same today that it always was， and it will never change. It is the most patient and cheerful of panions. It does not turn its back upon us in times of adversity or distress. It always receives us with the same kindness; amusing and instructing us in youth， and forting and consoling us in age.
Men often discover their affinity to each other by the mutual love they have for a book just as two persons sometimes discover a friend by the admiration which both entertain for a third. There is an old proverb， ‘Love me， love my dog.” But there is more wisdom in this:” Love me， love my book.” The book is a truer and higher bond of union. Men can think， feel， and sympathize with each other through their favorite author. They live in him together， and he in them.
A good book is often the best urn of a life enshrining the best that life could think out; for the world of a man’s life is， for the most part， but the world of his thoughts. Thus the best books are treasuries of good words， the golden thoughts， which， remembered and cherished， bee our constant panions and forters.
Books possess an essence of immortality. They are by far the most lasting products of human effort. Temples and statues decay， but books survive. Time is of no account with great thoughts， which are as fresh today as when they first passed through their author’s minds， ages ago. What was then said and thought still speaks to us as vividly as ever from the printed page. The only effect of time have been to sift out the bad products; for nothing in literature can long survive e but what is really good.
Books introduce us into the best society; they bring us into the presence of the greatest minds that have ever lived. We hear what they said and did; we see the as if they were really alive; we sympathize with them， enjoy with them， grieve with them; their experience bees ours， and we feel as if we were in a measure actors with them in the scenes which they describe.
The great and good do not die， even in this world. Embalmed in books， their spirits walk abroad. The book is a living voice. It is an intellect to which on still listens.
译文： 以书为伴（节选）
通常看一个读些什么书就可明白他的为人，就像看他同什么人交往就可明白他的为人一样，因为有人以人为伴，也有人以书为伴。无论是书友还是朋友，我们都应当以最好的为伴。
好书就像是你最好的朋友。它始终不渝，过去如此，此刻如此，将来也永久不变。它是最有耐心，最令人愉悦的伴侣。在我们穷愁潦倒，临危遭难时，它也不会抛弃我们，对我们总是一如既往地亲切。在我们年轻时，好书陶冶我们的性情，增长我们的知识；到我们年老时，它又给我们以慰藉和勉励。
人们常常因为喜欢同一本书而结为知已，就像有时两个人因为敬慕同一个人而成为朋友一样。有句古谚说道：“爱屋及屋。”其实“爱我及书”这句话蕴涵更多的哲理。书是更为真诚而高尚的情谊纽带。人们能够经过共同喜爱的作家沟通思想，交流感情，彼此息息相通，并与自我喜欢的作家思想相通，情感相融。
好书常如最精美的宝器，珍藏着人生的思想的精华，因为人生的境界主要就在于其思想的境界。所以，最好的书是金玉良言和崇高思想的宝库，这些良言和思想若铭记于心并多加珍视，就会成为我们忠实的伴侣和永恒的慰藉。
书籍具有不朽的本质，是为人类奋力创造的最为持久的成果。寺庙会倒坍，神像会朽烂，而书却经久长存。对于伟大的思想来说，时光是无关紧要的。多年前初次闪现于作者脑海的伟大思想今日依然清新如故。时光惟一的作用是淘汰不好的作品，因为仅有真正的佳作才能经世长存。
书籍介绍我们与最优秀的人为伍，使我们置身于历代伟人巨匠之间，如闻其声，如观其行，如见其人，同他们情感交融，悲喜与共，感同身受。我们觉得自我仿佛在作者所描绘的舞台上和他们一齐粉墨登场。
即使在人世间，伟大杰出的人物也永生不来。他们的精神被载入书册，传于四海。书是人生至今仍在聆听的智慧之声，永久充满着活力。
英语经典美文（十四）：
Three Days to See(Excerpts)
All of us have read thrilling stories in which the hero had only a limited and specified time to live. Sometimes it was as long as a year， sometimes as short as 24 hours. But always we were interested in discovering just how the doomed hero chose to spend his last days or his last hours. I speak， of course， of free men who have a choice， not condemned criminals whose sphere of activities is strictly delimited.
Such stories set us thinking， wondering what we should do under similar circumstances. What events， what experiences， what associations should we crowd into those last hours as mortal beings， what regrets?
Sometimes I have thought it would be an excellent rule to live each day as if we should die tomorrow. Such an attitude would emphasize sharply the values of life. We should live each day with gentleness， vigor and a keenness of appreciation which are often lost when time stretches before us in the constant panorama of more days and months and years to e. There are those， of course， who would adopt the Epicurean motto of “Eat， drink， and be merry”. But most people would be chastened by the certainty of impending death.
In stories the doomed hero is usually saved at the last minute by some stroke of fortune， but almost always his sense of values is changed. He bees more appreciative of the meaning of life and its permanent spiritual values. It has often been noted that those who live， or have lived， in the shadow of death bring a mellow sweetness to everything they do.
Most of us， however， take life for granted. We know that one day we must die， but usually we picture that day as far in the future. When we are in buoyant health， death is all but unimaginable. We seldom think of it. The days stretch out in an endless vista. So we go about our petty tasks， hardly aware of our listless attitude toward life.
The same lethargy， I am afraid， characterizes the use of all our faculties and senses. Only the deaf appreciate hearing， only the blind realize the manifold blessings that lie in sight. Particularly does this observation apply to those who have lost sight and hearing in adult life. But those who have never suffered impairment of sight or hearing seldom make the fullest use of these blessed faculties. Their eyes and ears take in all sights and sounds hazily， without concentration and with little appreciation. It is the same old story of not being grateful for what we have until we lose it， of not being conscious of health until we are ill.
I have often thought it would be a blessing if each human being were stricken blind and deaf for a few days at some time during his early adult life. Darkness would make him more appreciative of sight; silence would teach him the joys of sound.
译文： 假如给我三天光明（节选）
我们都读过震撼人心的故事，故事中的主人公只能再活一段很有限的时光，有时长达一年，有时却短至一日。但我们总是想要明白，注定要离世人的会选择如何度过自我最终的时光。当然，我说的是那些有选择权利的自由人，而不是那些活动范围受到严格限定的死囚。
这样的故事让我们思考，在类似的处境下，我们该做些什么？作为终有一死的人，在临终前的几个小时内我们应当做什么事，经历些什么或做哪些联想？回忆往昔，什么使我们开心欢乐？什么又使我们悔恨不已？
有时我想，把每一天都当作生命中的最终一天来边，也不失为一个极好的生活法则。这种态度会使人格外重视生命的价值。我们每一天都应当以优雅的姿态，充沛的精力，抱着感恩之心来生活。但当时光以无休止的日，月和年在我们面前流逝时，我们却常常没有了这种子感觉。当然，也有人奉行“吃，喝，享受”的享乐主义信条，但绝大多数人还是会受到即将到来的死亡的惩罚。
在故事中，将死的主人公通常都在最终一刻因突降的幸运而获救，但他的价值观通常都会改变，他变得更加理解生命的意义及其永恒的精神价值。我们常常注意到，那些生活在或以往生活在死亡阴影下的人无论做什么都会感到快乐。
然而，我们中的大多数人都把生命看成是理所当然的。我们明白有一天我们必将应对死亡，但总认为那一天还在遥远的将来。当我们身强体健之时，死亡简直不可想象，我们很少研究到它。日子多得好像没有尽头。所以我们一味忙于琐事，几乎意识不到我们对待生活的冷漠态度。
我担心同样的冷漠也存在于我们对自我官能和意识的运用上。仅有聋子才理解听力的重要，仅有盲人才明白视觉的可贵，这尤其适用于那些成年后才失去视力或听力之苦的人很少充分利用这些宝贵的本事。他们的眼睛和耳朵模糊地感受着周围的景物与声音，心不在焉，也无所感激。这正好我们仅有在失去后才懂得珍惜一样，我们仅有在生病后才意识到健康的可贵。
我经常想，如果每个人在年轻的时候都有几天失时失聪，也不失为一件幸事。黑暗将使他更加感激光明，寂静将告诉他声音的美妙。
英语经典美文（十五）：
Youth
Youth is not a time of life; it is a state of mind; it is not a matter of rosy cheeks， red lips and supple knees; it is a matter of the will， a quality of the imagination， a vigor of the emotions; it is the freshness of the deep springs of life.
Youth means a temperamental predominance of courage over timidity， of the appetite for adventure over the love of ease. This often exists in a man of 60 more than a boy of 20. Nobody grows old merely by a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals.
Years may wrinkle the skin， but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul. Worry， fear， self-distrust bows the heart and turns the spirit back to dust.
Whether 60 or 16， there is in every human being’s heart the lure of wonders， the unfailing appetite for what’s next and the joy of the game of living. In the center of your heart and my heart， there is a wireless station; so long as it receives messages of beauty， hope， courage and power from man and from the infinite， so long as you are young.
When your aerials are down， and your spirit is covered with snows of cynicism and the ice of pessimism， then you’ve grown old， even at 20; but as long as your aerials are up， to catch waves of optimism， there’s hope you may die young at 80.
译文： 青春
青春不是年华，而是心境；青春不是桃面、丹唇、柔膝，而是深沉的意志，恢宏的想象，炙热的恋情；青春是生命的深泉在涌流。
青春气贯长虹，勇锐盖过怯弱，进取压倒苟安。如此锐气，二十后生而有之，六旬男子则更多见。年岁有加，并非垂老，梦想丢弃，方堕暮年。
岁月悠悠，衰微只及肌肤；热忱抛却，颓废必致灵魂。忧烦，惶恐，丧失自信，定使心灵扭曲，意气如灰。
无论年届花甲，拟或二八芳龄，心中皆有生命之欢乐，奇迹之诱惑，孩童般天真久盛不衰。人人心中皆有一台天线，只要你从天上人间理解完美、期望、欢乐、勇气和力气的信号，你就青春永驻，风华常存。 、
一旦天线下降，锐气便被冰雪覆盖，玩世不恭、自暴自弃油然而生，即使年方二十，实已垂垂老矣；然则只要树起天线，捕捉乐观信号，你就有望在八十高龄告别尘寰时仍觉年轻。
英语经典美文（十六）：
What I Have Lived For
Three passions， simple but overwhelmingly strong， have governed my life: the longing for love， the search for knowledge， and unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind. These passions， like great winds， have blown me hither and thither， in a wayward course， over a deep ocean of anguish， reaching to the very verge of despair.
I have sought love， first， because it brings ecstasy---ecstasy so great that I would often have sacrificed all the rest of my life for a few hours for this joy. I have sought it， next， because it relieves loneliness---that terrible loneliness in which one shivering consciousness looks over the rim of the world into the cold unfathomable lifeless abyss. I have sought it， finally， because in the union of love I have seen， in a mystic miniature， the prefiguring vision of the heaven that saints and poets have imagined. This is what I sought， and though it might seem too good for human life， this is what---at last---I have found.
With equal passion I have sought knowledge. I have wished to understand the hearts of men. I have wished to know why the stars shine. And I have tried to apprehend the Pythagorean power by which number holds sway above the flux. A little of this， but not much， I have achieved.
Love and knowledge， so far as they were possible， led upward toward the heavens. But always it brought me back to earth. Echoes of cries of pain reverberate in my heart. Children in famine， victims tortured by oppressors， helpless old people a hated burden to their sons， and the whole world of loneliness， poverty， and pain make a mockery of what human life should be. I long to alleviate the evil， but I cannot， and I too suffer.
This has been my life. I have found it worth living， and would gladly live it again if the chance were offered me.
译文： 我为何而生
我的一生被三种简单却又无比强烈的活力所控制：对爱的渴望，对知识的探索和对人类苦难难以抑制的屿。这些活力像狂风，把我恣情吹向四方，掠过苦痛的大海，迫使我濒临绝望的边缘。
我寻求爱，首先因为它使我心为之着迷，这种难以名状的美妙迷醉使我愿意用所有的余生去换取哪怕几个小时这样的快乐。我寻求爱，还因为它能缓解我心理上的孤独中，我感觉心灵的战栗，仿如站在世界的边缘而面前是冰冷，无底的死亡深渊。我寻求爱，因为在我所目睹的结合中，我仿佛看到了圣贤与诗人们所向往的天堂之景。这就是我所寻找的，虽然对人的一生而言似乎有些遥不可及，但至少是我用尽一生所领悟到的。
我用同样的活力去寻求知识。我期望能理解人类的心灵，期望能够明白群星闪烁的缘由。我试图领悟毕达哥拉斯所景仰的“数即万物”的思想。我已经悟出了其中的一点点道理，尽管并不是很多。
爱和知识，用它们的力气把人引向天堂。可是同情却总把人又拽回到尘世中来。痛苦的呼喊声回荡在我的内心。饥饿的小孩，受压迫的难民，贫穷和痛苦的世界，都是对人类所憧憬的完美生活的无情嘲弄。我渴望能够减少邪恶，可是我无能为力，我也难逃其折磨。
这就是我的一生。我已经找到它的价值。并且如果有机会，我很愿意能再活它一次。
英语经典美文（十七）：
Ambition
It is not difficult to imagine a world short of ambition. It would probably be a kinder world: with out demands， without abrasions， without disappointments. People would have time for reflection. Such work as they did would not be for themselves but for the collectivity. Competition would never enter in. conflict would be eliminated， tension bee a thing of the past. The stress of creation would be at an end. Art would no longer be troubling， but purely celebratory in its functions. Longevity would be increased， for fewer people would die of heart attack or stroke caused by tumultuous endeavor. Anxiety would be extinct. Time would stretch on and on， with ambition long departed from the human heart.
Ah， how unrelieved boring life would be!
There is a strong view that holds that success is a myth， and ambition therefore a sham. Does this mean that success does not really exist? That achievement is at bottom empty? That the efforts of men and women are of no significance alongside the force of movements and events now not all success， obviously， is worth esteeming， nor all ambition worth cultivating. Which are and which are not is something one soon enough learns on one’s own. But even the most cynical secretly admit that success exists; that achievement counts for a great deal; and that the true myth is that the actions of men and women are useless. To believe otherwise is to take on a point of view that is likely to be deranging. It is， in its implications， to remove all motives for petence， interest in attainment， and regard for posterity.
We do not choose to be born. We do not choose our parents. We do not choose our historical epoch， the country of our birth， or the immediate circumstances of our upbringing. We do not， most of us， choose to die; nor do we choose the time or conditions of our death. But within all this realm of choicelessness， we do choose how we shall live: courageously or in cowardice， honorably or dishonorably， with purpose or in drift. We decide what is important and what is trivial in life. We decide that what makes us significant is either what we do or what we refuse to do. But no matter how indifferent the universe may be to our choices and decisions， these choices and decisions are ours to make. We decide. We choose. And as we decide and choose， so are our lives formed. In the end， forming our own destiny is what ambition is about.
译文： 抱负
一个缺乏抱负的世界将会怎样，这不难想象。或许，这将是一个更为友善的世界：没有渴求，没有磨擦，没有失望。人们将有时光进行反思。他们所从事的工作将不是为了他们自身，而是为了整个团体。竞争永久不会介入；冲突将被消除。人们的紧张关系将成为过往云烟。创造的重压将得以终结。艺术将不再惹人费神，其功能将纯粹为了庆典。人的寿命将会更长，因为由激烈拼争引起的心脏病和中风所导致的死亡将越来越少。焦虑将会消失。时光流逝，抱负却早已远离人心。
啊，长此以往人生将变得多么乏味无聊！
有一种盛行的观点认为，成功是一种神话，所以抱负亦属虚幻。这是不是说实际上并不丰在成功？成就本身就是一场空？与诸多运动和事件的力气相比，男男女女的奋力显得微不足？显然，并非所有的成功都值得景仰，也并非所有的抱负都值得追求。对值得和不值得的选择，一个人天然而然很快就能学会。但即使是最为愤世嫉俗的人暗地里也承认，成功确实存在，成就的意义举足轻重，而把世上男男女女的所作所为说成是徒劳无功才是真正的无稽之谈。认为成功不存在的观点很可能造成混乱。这种观点的本意是一笔勾销所有提高本事的动机，求取业绩的兴趣和对子孙后代的关注。
我们无法选择出生，无法选择父母，无法选择出生的历史时期与国家，或是长大的周遭环境。我们大多数人都无法选择死亡，无法选择死亡的时光或条件。可是在这些无法选择之中，我们的确能够选择自我的生活方式：是勇敢无畏还是胆小怯懦，是光明磊落还是厚颜无耻，是目标坚定还是随波逐流。我们决定生活中哪些至关重要，哪些微不足道。我们决定，用以显示我们自身重要性的，不是我们做了什么，就是我们拒绝做些什么。可是不论世界对我们所做的选择和决定有多么漠不关心，这些选择和决定终究是我们自我做出的。我们决定，我们选择。而当我们决定和选择时，我们的生活便得以构成。最终构筑我们命运的就是抱负之所在。
英语经典美文（十八）：
做你想做的梦 Dream What You Dream of
There are moments in life when you miss someone so much that you just want to pick them from your dreams and hug them for real!
在一生有多少这样的时刻：我们对一个人朝思暮想，只想一把把他们从梦中拉出来，真切的拥抱一回!
When the door of happiness closes， another opens， but often times we look so long at the closed door that we don't see the one which has been opened for us.
一扇通往快乐的门关掉了，另一扇快乐之门打开了，可有多少次啊，我们徘徊在那扇关掉的门前，却忽略了那扇早已为我们开启的新的快乐之门。
Don't go for looks; they can deceive. Don't go for wealth; even that fades away. Go for someone who makes you smile because it takes only a smile to make a dark day seem bright. Find the one that makes your heart smile.
不要以貌取人，外貌可能会欺骗你;不要追逐财富，财富会消失的。去寻找那个让你笑口常开的人吧，一个微笑就能够使暗淡的日子豁然开朗。去追寻那个令你心灵愉悦的人吧!
Dream what you want to dream; go where you want to go; be what you want to be， because you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you want to do.
做你想做的梦，去你想去的地方，成为你想成为的人，因为你仅有一次生命和一次机会去做你想做的事情。
May you have enough happiness to make you sweet， enough trials to make you strong， enough sorrow to keep you human， enough hope to make you happy.
愿快乐与你永伴，使你亲切可爱;愿你历经磨难，使你坚韧不拔;愿你痛彻心肺，使你通情达理，愿你充满期望，使你快乐欢乐。
The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that es along their way.
世界上最快乐的人并不必须拥有的东西，他们只是最充分利用、珍惜了他们生命中的一切。
Love begins with a smile， grows with a kiss and ends with a tear.
爱始于微笑，育于亲吻，最终流泪。
The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past， you can't go on well in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.
五彩缤纷的明天常常建立在对过去的遗忘之上。仅有对过去的失败和伤痛不再耿耿于怀，生活才会变得更加完美。
When you were born， you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so that when you die， you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.
当你呱呱落地、啼哭不已时，周围的人却笑逐颜开;要认真的生活，仅有这样，当你走到生命的尽头时，你才会含笑而眠，而周围的人却痛哭不已。
英语经典美文（十九）：
沙子和石头 Sand and Stone
The story goes that two friends were walking through the desert. During some point of the journey they had an argument， and one friend slapped the other one in the face.The one who got slapped felt hurt， but without saying anything， wrote in the sand: "Today my best friend slapped me in the face."
They kept on walking until they found an oasis， where they decided to take a bath. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning， but the friend saved him.After he recovered from the near drowning， he wrote on a stone: "Today my best friend saved my life."
The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him， "After I hurt you， you wrote in the sand and now you write on a stone. Why?"
The other friend replied: "When someone hurts us we should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But when someone does something good for us， we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it."
两个朋友结伴穿越沙漠，旅途中二人突然吵了起来，其中一个掴了对方一记耳光。被打的人感到自我受了伤害，但什么也没有说，只是在沙地上写下了这样一句话：“今日我的朋友掴了我耳光。他们继续前行，看见到处绿洲，他们正打算在那里洗澡时，刚才被打的人不细心陷入了泥潭，开始深陷，他的朋友救了他。等他从几近淹死的边缘苏醒过来后，他在石头上刻下：“今日我的朋友救了我的命。”他的朋友问：“为什么我伤你之后，你在沙子上写字，此刻却把字刻在石头上?”他回答道：“当有人伤害了我们，我们应当把它写进沙里，宽恕的风会把仇恨抹去。而当有人为我们做了好事，我们应当把它刻在石头上，没有风能够将它抹去。”
英语经典美文（二十）：
真爱，零期待
I once had a friend who grew to be very close to me. Once when we were sitting at the edge of a swimming pool， she filled the palm of her hand with a little water and held it before me， and said this:
我曾有个朋友，我们的关系很亲密。有一次我们坐在游泳池边上，她在手掌里盛了点儿水，捧在我面前，说:
You see this water carefully contained on my hand? It symbolizes Love. As long as you keep your hand curly open and allow it to remain there， it will always be there. However， if you attempt to close your fingers around it and try to possess it， it will spill through the first cracks it finds. This is the greatest mistake that people do when they meet love. They try to posses it， they demand， they expect and just like the water spilling out of your hand， love will retrieve from you.
你仔细看我手上这水了吗?那代表爱。只要你弯曲着你的手指，并允许它坚持在那儿，它会永久在那儿。可是，如果你试图把你的手指在它周围合起并试图占有它，它会经过它找到的缝溢出去。这是人们遇到爱时犯的错误。他们试图占有它，他们有所求有所期待，那样就像溢出你的手掌的水一样，爱会从你身边流走。
For love is meant to be free， you cannot change its nature.
因为爱意味着自由随意，你不能改变它的本性。
If you have people you love， allow them to be free beings. Give and don't expect. Advise， but don't order. Ask， but never demand. It might sound simple， but it is a lesson that may take a lifetime to truly practice. It is the secret to true Love. To truly practice it， you must sincerely feel no expectations from those who you love， and yet an unconditional caring.
如果你有爱的人，让他们做一个自由随意的人。给予而不指望，提议而不命令，请求而不要求。这可能听起来简单，但却需要一辈子去实践。这就是真爱的秘诀。真正去实践时，你必须对那些你爱的人没有期望，并给予无条件的关爱。