One fine day, an old couple around the age of 70, walks into a lawyer’s office. Apparently, they are there to file a divorce. Lawyer was very puzzled, after having a chat with them, he got their story.

    This couple had been quarreling all their 40 over years of marriage nothing ever seems to go right.

    They hang on because of their children, afraid that it might affect their up-bringing. Now, all their children have already grown up, have their own family, there’s nothing else the old couple have to worry about, all they wanted is to lead their own life free from all these years of unhappiness from their marriage, so both agree on a divorce.

    Lawyer was having a hard time trying to get the papers done, because he felt that after 40 years of marriage at the age of 70, he couldn’t understand why the old couple would still wants a divorce.

    While they were signing the papers, the wife told the husband. “I really love you, but I really can’t carry on anymore, I’m sorry.”

    “It’s OK, I understand.” said the husband. Looking at this, the lawyer suggested a dinner together, just three of them, wife thought, why not, since they are still going be friends.

　　At the dining table, there was a silence of awkwardness.

    The first dish was roasted chicken, immediately, the old man took the drumstick for the old lady. “Take this, it’s your favorite.”

    Looking at this, the lawyer thought maybe there’s still a chance, but the wife was frowning when she answer. “This is always the problem, you always think so highly of yourself, never thought about how I feel, don’t you know that I hate drumsticks?”

    Little did she know that, over the years, the husband have been trying all ways to please her, little did she know that drumsticks was the husband’s favorite.

    Little did he know that she never thought he understand her at all, little did he know that she hates drumsticks even though all he wants is the best for her.

    That night, both of them couldn’t sleep, toss and turn, toss and turn. After hours, the old man couldn’t take it anymore, he knows that he still loves her, and he can’t carry on life without her, he wants her back, he wants to tell her, he is sorry, he wanted to tell her, “I love you.”

    He picks up the phone, started dialing her number. Ringing never stops. He never stop dialing.

    On the other side, she was sad, she couldn’t understand how come after all these years, he still doesn’t understand her at all, she loves him a lot, but she just can’t take it any- more. Phone’s ringing, she refuses to answer knowing that it’s him. “What’s the point of talking now that it’s over. I have asked for it and now. I want to keep it this way, if not I will lose face. “She thought. Phone still ringing. She has decided to pull out the cord.

    Little did she remember, he had heart problems.

    The next day, she received news that he had passed away. She rushed down to his apartment, saw his body, lying on the couch still holding on to the phone. He had a heart attack when he was still trying to get thru her phone line.

    As sad as she could be. She will have to clear his belongings. When she was looking thru the drawers, she saw this insurance policy, dated from the day they got married, beneficiary is her. Together in that file there’s this note.

    “To my dearest wife, by the time you are reading this, I’m sure I’m no longer around, I bought this policy for you, though the amount is only $100k, I hope it will be able to help me continue my promise that I have made when we got married, I might not be around anymore, I want this amount of money to continue taking care of you, just like the way I will if I could have live longer. I want you to know I will always be around, by your side. I love you.”

    Tears flowed like river.   

    When you love someone, let them know. You never know what will happen the next minute. Learn to build a life together. Learn to love each other for who they are,Not what they are.

    【中文译文】：

　　在一个阳光明媚的日子里，一对70多岁的老夫妇走进了律师事务所。显然地，他们准备到那儿办理离婚手续。律师对这对年老的夫妇提出要离婚的事感到非常困惑。后来，跟他们交谈了之后，他得知他们之间有这样一段故事：
　　
    这对夫妇从40年前结婚之日起就一直吵个不停。他们似乎找不到共同点，一切在他们看来都格格不入。 　　

　　由于担心他们的离婚会给孩子的成长带来不良影响，这对老夫妇把离婚的事搁浅到现在。现在，他们的孩子都长大成人了，也有他们各自的家庭了。于是，这对 老夫妇再也没有什么事可以担忧的了。他们现在渴望的就是过各自的生活，免受这些年来婚姻带给他们的种种不幸。正因为这样，两个老人都赞同通过离婚解决事情 的争端。
　　
    律师极其艰难地为他们拟造了一份离婚协议书，因为他觉得，经过婚后40年的相濡以沫现在两个老人都70多岁了，他就是弄不明白为什么这对老夫妇仍然坚持要离婚。
　　
　　当他们签署文件时，老夫人遗憾地告诉丈夫：“我真的很爱你，但我再也不能忍受下去了，我非常抱歉。”
　　
    “没有关系，我理解。”她的丈夫有点悲伤地回答道。看到他们夫妇还有一线挽救的希望，律师于是建议他们三个人一起去吃顿晚餐。就他们三个人，老夫人想道，为什么不呢，反正他们很快就成为朋友了。

    餐桌上，这对夫妇沉默不语，尴尬的气氛顿时弥漫开来。
　　
    第一道菜是烤鸡。立刻地，老夫人的丈夫夹了一个鸡腿给她说道：“尝尝这个，我知道你最喜欢吃鸡腿了。”
　　
　　见到这种情景，律师心想，他们相亲相爱到这个地步本不应该提出离婚的。然而，出奇意料的是，当老夫人接过丈夫所夹的菜时，眉毛却很不自然地皱了一下答道：“这就是问题所在，你总是自以为是，从来没有顾及过我的感受，难道你就不知道我很讨厌吃鸡腿吗？”
　　
　　她一点也不清楚，这些年来，她的丈夫一直使尽办法讨她开心；她一点也不知道，鸡腿是她丈夫最喜爱吃的食物。
　　
    他一点也不清楚，他的妻子会认为他完全不了解她；他一点也不知道，他妻子讨厌吃鸡腿，尽管他把自己最喜爱吃的都给了她。
　　
    那天晚上，两个老人都睡不着，各自在自己的床上辗转反侧，辗转反侧。挣扎了几个小时后，老夫人的丈夫终于忍耐不住，他发觉他仍然深爱着老夫人。他的生活不能没有老夫人，他要她回来，他要亲口告诉她，“我很抱歉；”他要亲口告诉她，“我爱你。”
　　
    于是，他拿起电话，开始按老夫人的电话号码，铃声响个不停，但另一边却没人接。尽管对方不接通他的电话，他还是一直不停地在按着重拔键。
　　
    另一方面，老夫人也很伤心，她搞不清楚为什么经过多年来的相处她丈夫仍然一点都不了解她。事实上，她也非常爱她的丈夫，但她再也不愿意跟他一起生活了。电 话铃声在响，老夫人知道是她丈夫打来的，但她心意已决不再接他的电话。 “现在谈论还有什么意思呢？我和你的感情已经结束了。当初，第一次提出离婚的人是我，那我现在也得保持这种现状。要不然，你会说我反悔，那我岂不是很丢 脸。对，对，就这样下去。”老夫人心想道。电话铃声仍然在响，她于是索性把电话线拉开了。
　　
　　悲剧就这样发生了，她一点也不曾记起，她的丈夫有心脏病。
　　
    第二天早上，老夫人得知她丈夫昨晚已逝世的消息。她径直向他的公寓里跑去，发现死后的丈夫躺在沙发上，手里仍然拿着电话。那天晚上，当她的丈夫试图接通她的电话时，心脏病突然发作，他就这样离开了她。
　　
　　尽管她很悲伤，老夫人仍不得不亲自动手清理他的遗物。当老夫人认真细致地翻着一个抽屉时，她发现了一张保险单。保险日期从他们结婚之日起算起，毫无疑问，保险受益人是她。在这个文件夹里，还有一份就是她丈夫亲手写的遗嘱，里面说道：
　　
　　“献给我最亲爱的妻子：当你读着这封遗嘱的时候，我确信我已不在人间。我为你买了这份保险。虽然金额总数才区区100英磅，但我希望它能帮助我继续履 行我们结婚时我所起的照顾你一生一世的诺言。我不能再陪你一起度过你的余生，但我希望保险金额里的钱能够帮助我实现照顾你后半生生活的愿望，就像我可以重 生的话那样照顾你。我同时也想让你知道，我会一直在你的周围，在你的身边，保护你关心你，我爱你！”
　　
　　老夫人读着读着，泪水如小河流水般奔涌而出。
　　
　　当你爱着一个人的时候，务必要让他们知道，因为你永远不知道下一分钟将会发生什么事。学会一起生活，学会互爱，不是他们是你的什么，而是他们是你的谁. 

Everyday is A Gift        珍惜每一天

    My brother-in-law opened the bottom drawer of my sister's bureau and lifted out a tissue-wrapped package. "This", he said, "is not a slip. This is lingerie." He discarded the tissue and handed me the slip.

    It was exquisite, silk, handmade and trimmed with a cobweb of lace. The price tag with an astronomical figure on it was still attached.

    "Jan bought this the first time we went to New York, at least 8 or 9 years ago. She never wore it. She was saving it for a special occasion.

    Well, I guess this is the occasion.

    He took the slip from me and put it on the bed, with the other clothes we were taking to the mortician. His hands lingered on the soft material for a moment, then he slammed the drawer shut and turned to me, "Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Every day you' re alive is a special occasion."

    I remembered those words through the funeral and the days that followed when I helped him and my niece attend to all the sad chores that follow an unexpected death. I thought about them on the plane returning to California from the midwestern town where my sister's family lives. I thought about all the things that she hadn't seen or heard or done. I thought about the things that she had done without realizing that they were special.

    I'm still thinking about his words, and they've changed the weeds in the garden. I'm spending more time with my family and friends and less time in committee meetings. Whenever possible, life should be a pattern of experience to savour, not endure. I'm trying to recognize these moment now and cherish them.

    I'm not "saving" anything; we use our good china and crystal for every special. Event such as losing a pound, getting the sink unstopped, the first camellia blossom… I wear my good blazer to the market if I feel like it. My theory is if I look prosperous, I can shell out $28. 49 for one small bag of groceries without wincing. I'm not saving my good perfume for special parties; clerks in hardware stores and tellers in banks have noses that function as well as my party going friends.

    "Someday" and "one of these days" are losing their grip on my vocabulary. If it's worth seeing or hearing or doing, I want to see and hear and do it now. I' m not sure what my sister would've done had she know that she wouldn't be here for the tomorrow we all take for granted.

    I think she would have called family members and a few close friends. She might have called a few former friends to apologize, and mend fences for past squabbles. I like to think she would have gone out for a Chinese dinner, her favorite food. I'm guessing. I'll never know.

    It's those little things left undone that would make me angry if I knew that my hours were limited. Angry because I put off seeing good friends whom I was going to get in touch with someday. Angry because I hadn't written certain letters that I intended to write one of these days. Angry and sorry that I didn't tell my husband and daughter often enough how much I truly love them.

    I'm trying very hard not to put off, hold back, or save anything that would add laughter and luster to our lives. And every morning when I open my eyes, I tell myself that every day, every minute, every breath truly, is... a gift from God.

    【中文译文】：

    妹夫打开了妹妹衣柜最底层抽屉，拿出一个用纸包装的包裹。“这个，”他说，“不是件普通内衣，而是一件豪华内衣。”他把薄纸撕开，递给了我那件内衣。

    它的确精致无比，丝质、全手工缝制，周围还有一圈网状蕾丝花边。价签都尚未拆去，上面的数字高得惊人。

    “这是我们第一次去纽约时简买的，至少已是八、九年前的事了。她从没有穿过它。她想等一个特殊的日子再穿它。”

    唉，我想现在便是那特殊的日子了。

    妹夫从我手中拿过内衣放在床上，和其他我们要带给殡仪服务人员的衣服放在一起。他的手在那柔软织物上徘徊了一会儿，随即砰然关上抽屉，转身对我说：“永远不要把任何东西留给什么特殊日子。你活着的每一天就是一个特殊的日子。”

    这两句话久久在我耳边回响着，伴我度过了葬礼和帮妹夫、侄女处理妹妹意外死亡后的伤心后事的那几天。我从位处中西部的妹妹家返回加州时，在飞机上还是在想这两句话。我想到妹妹未曾有机会看到、听到或去做的事。我想到她淡然做过，但却没有意识到其特殊性的事。

    我至今还在想着妹夫说的话，正是它们改变了我的心境。我花了更多的时间与家人朋友在一起，而少花些时间在那些工作会议上。无论何时，生活应当是一种“品味”而非一种“忍受”。我在学习欣赏每一刻，并珍惜每一刻。

    我不再去“珍藏”任何东西；只要有一点好事，我们就不吝啬使用精美的瓷器和水晶制品，比如说当体重减了一磅时，当厨房水槽堵塞通了时，当第一朵山茶花绽放 时……如果我想穿，我就穿上我名牌衣服去市场购物。我的理论是：如果我看上去还富足的话，我可以毫不心疼地为一小袋杂货付出28.49美元。我不再为特殊 的派对而珍藏我上好的香水；五金店售货员和银行出纳员们的嗅觉，不会比派对上朋友们来得差。

    “有朝一日”和“终有一天”这样的词正从我的常用词汇中淡出。如果值得去看、去听或去做，我当即就要去看、去听或去做。人们总是理所当然的以为自己必然有明天，不知假如妹妹知道她将没有明日，她会做些什么。

    我想她会给家人和几位密友打电话。她可能还会给几位昔日朋友打电话主动道歉，摒弃前嫌。我想她可能会外出吃顿她喜欢的中餐。我只是猜想而已。我永远也不会知道。

    假如我知道我的时间不多了，那些没来得及做的小事会让我恼火。恼火是因为我一拖再拖没能去看看“有朝一日”会去看的好友们。恼火是因为我还没有写出我“终有一天”要写的信。恼火与内疚是因为我没能更经常地告诉我的丈夫和女儿：我是多么真切地爱他们。

    我正努力不再拖延、保留或珍藏那些能给我们生活带来欢笑和光彩的东西。每天清晨当我睁开双眼，我便告诉自己每一天、每一分钟、每一瞬间都真是……上帝赐予的礼物。

Winds of Forgiveness Can Erase Hurt Away

    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."

    【中文译文】：

    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。

    被打的人感到自己受了伤害，但什么也没有说，只是在沙地上写下了这样一句话：“今天我最好的朋友掴了我耳光。”

    他们继续前行，看见到处绿洲，他们正打算在那里洗澡时，刚才被打的人不小心陷入了泥潭，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：“今天我最好的朋友救了我的命。”

    他的朋友问：“为什么我伤你之后，你在沙子上写字，现在却把字刻在石头上？”

    他回答道：“当有人伤害了我们，我们应该把它写进沙里，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，没有风可以将它抹去。”

                                                                                          By Floyd Dell

    Petey hadn’t really believed that Dad would be doing It — sending Granddad away. “Away” was what they were calling it.Not until now could he believe it of his father.

    But here was the blanket that Dad had bought for Granddad, and in the morning he’d be going away. This was the last evening they’d be having together. Dad was off seeing that girl he was to marry. He would not be back till late, so Petey and Granddad could sit up and talk.

    It was a fine September night, with a silver moon riding high. They washed up the supper dishes and then took their chairs out onto the porch. “I’ll get my fiddle,” said the old man, “and play you some of the old tunes.”

    But instead of the fiddle he brought out the blanket. It was a big double blanket, red with black stripes.

    “Now, isn’t that a fine blanket!” said the old man, smoothing it over his knees. “And isn’t your father a kind man to be giving the old fellow a blanket like that to go away with? It cost something, it did—look at the wool of it! There’ll be few blankets there the equal of this one!”

    It was like Granddad to be saying that. He was trying to make it easier. He had pretended all along that he wanted to go away to the great brick building—the government place. There he’d be with so many other old fellows, having the best of everything. . . . But Petey hadn’t believed Dad would really do it, not until this night when he brought home the blanket.

    “Oh, yes, it’s a fine blanket,” said Petey. He got up and went into the house. He wasn’t the kind to cry and, besides, he was too old for that. He’d just gone in to fetch Granddad’s fiddle.

    The blanket slid to the floor as the old man took the fiddle and stood up. He tuned up for a minute, and then said, “This is one you’ll like to remember.”

    Petey sat and looked out over the gully. Dad would marry that girl. Yes, that girl who had kissed Petey and fussed over him, saying she’d try to be a good mother to him, and all. . . .

    The tune stopped suddenly. Granddad said, “It’s a fine girl your father’s going to marry. He’ll be feeling young again with a pretty wife like that. And what would an old fellow like me be doing around their house, getting in the way? An old nuisance, what with my talks of aches and pains. It’s best that I go away, like I’m doing. One more tune or two, and then we’ll be going to sleep. I’ll pack up my blanket in the morning.”

    They didn’t hear the two people coming down the path. Dad had one arm around the girl, whose bright face was like a doll’s. But they heard her when she laughed, right close by the porch. Dad didn’t say anything, but the girl came forward and spoke to Granddad prettily: “I won’t be here when you leave in the morning, so I came over to say good-bye.”

    “It’s kind of you,” said Granddad, with his eyes cast down. Then, seeing the blanket at his feet, he stooped to pick it up. “And will you look at this,” he said. “The fine blanket my son has given me to go away with.”

    “Yes,” she said. “It’s a fine blanket.” She felt the wool and repeated in surprise, “A fine blanket—I’ll say it is!” She turned to Dad and said to him coldly, “That blanket really cost something.”

    Dad cleared his throat and said, “I wanted him to have the best. . . .”

    “It’s double, too,” she said, as if accusing Dad.

    “Yes,” said Granddad, “it’s double—a fine blanket for an old fellow to be going away with.”

    17 The boy went suddenly into the house. He was looking for something. He could hear that girl scolding Dad. She realized how much of Dad’s money—her money, really—had gone for the blanket. Dad became angry in his slow way. And now she was suddenly going away in a huff. . . .

    As Petey came out, she turned and called back, “All the same, he doesn’t need a double blanket!” And she ran off up the path.

    Dad was looking after her as if he wasn’t sure what he ought to do.

    “Oh, she’s right,” Petey said. “Here, Dad”—and he held out a pair of scissors. “Cut the blanket in two.”

    Both of them stared at the boy, startled. “Cut it in two, I tell you, Dad!” he cried out. “And keep the other half.”

    “That’s not a bad idea,” said Granddad gently. “I don’t need so much of a blanket.”
    
    “Yes,” the boy said harshly, “a single blanket’s enough for an old man when he’s sent away. We’ll save the other half, Dad. It’ll come in handy later.”

    “Now what do you mean by that?” asked Dad.

    “I mean,” said the boy slowly, “that I’ll give it to you, Dad— when you’re old and I’m sending you—away.”

    There was a silence. Then Dad went over to Granddad and stood before him, not speaking. But Granddad understood. He put out a hand and laid it on Dad’s shoulder. And he heard Granddad whisper, “It’s all right, son. I knew you didn’t mean it. . . .” And then Petey cried.

    But it didn’t matter—because they were all crying together.

    【中文译文】：

    一床双人毛毯

    （美） 弗罗伊德•戴尔

    晴朗的九月的夜晚，银色的月光洒落在溪谷上。此时，十一岁的彼得没有观赏月亮，也没感觉到微微的凉风吹进厨房。他的思绪全在厨房桌上那条红黑相间的毛毯上。那是爸爸送给爷爷的离别礼物。他们说爷爷要走。他们是这么说的。

    彼得不相信爸爸真会把爷爷送走。可是现在离别礼物都买好了。爸爸今天晚上买的。今晚是他和爷爷在一起的最后一个晚上了。

    吃完晚饭，爷孙俩一块洗碗碟，爸爸走了，和那个就要与他成亲的女人一起走的，不会马上回来。洗完碗碟，爷孙走出屋子，坐在月光下。

    “我去拿口琴来给你吹几支老曲子。”爷爷说。一会儿，爷爷从屋里出来了，拿来的不是口琴，而是那床毛毯。

    那是条大大的双人毛毯。“这毛毯多好！”老人轻抚着膝头的毛毯说，“你爸真孝，给我这老家伙带这么床高级毛毯走。你看这毛，一定很贵的。以后冬天晚上不会冷了。那里不会有这么好的毛毯的。”

    爷爷总这么说，为了避免难堪，他一直装着很想去政府办的养老院的样子，想象着，离开温暖的家和朋友，去哪个地方与许多其他老人一起共度晚年。可彼得从没想到爸爸真会把爷爷送走，直到今晚看到爸爸带回这床毛毯。

    “是床好毛毯，”彼得搭讪着走进小屋。他不是个好哭的孩子，况且，他已早过了好哭鼻子的年龄了。他是进屋给爷爷拿口琴的。

    爷爷接琴时毛毯滑落到地上。最后一个晚上了，爷孙俩谁也没说话。爷爷吹了一会儿，然后说，“你会记住这支曲子。”

    月儿高高挂在天边，微风轻轻地吹过溪谷。最后一次了，彼得想，以后再也听不到爷爷吹口琴了，爸爸也要从这搬走，住进新居了。若把爷爷一个人撇下，美好的夜晚自己独坐廊下，还有什么意思！

    音乐停了，有那么一会儿工夫，爷孙俩谁也没说话。过了一会儿，爷爷说，“这只曲子欢快点。彼得坐在那怔怔地望着远方。爸爸要娶那个姑娘了。是的，那个姑娘亲过他了，还发誓要对他好，做个好妈妈。

    爷爷突然停下来，“这曲子不好，跳舞还凑合。“怔了一会儿，又说，”你爸要娶的姑娘不错。有个这么漂亮的妻子他会变年轻的。我又何必在这碍事，我一会儿这 病一会儿那疼，招人嫌呢。况且他们还会有孩子。我可不想整夜听孩子哭闹。不，不！还是走为上策呀！好，再吹两支曲子我们就上床睡觉，睡到明天早晨，带上毛 毯走人。你看这支怎么样？调子有些悲，倒很合适这样的夜晚呢。“

    他们没有听到爸爸和那个瓷美人正沿溪谷的小道走来，直到走近门廊，爷孙俩才听到她的笑声，琴声嘎然而止。爸爸一声没吭，姑娘走到爷爷跟前恭敬地说：“明天早晨不能来送您，我现在来跟您告别的。“

    “谢谢了，“爷爷说。低头看着脚边的毛毯，爷爷弯腰拾起来，“你看，”爷爷局促地说，“这是儿子送我的离别礼物。多好的毛毯！”

    “是不错。”她摸了一下毛毯，“好高级呀！”她转向爸爸，冷冷地说，“一定花了不少钱吧。”

    爸爸支吾着说，“我想给他一床最好的毛毯。”“哼，还是双人的呢。”姑娘没完地纠缠毛毯的事。

    “是的，”老人说，“是床双人毛毯。一床一个老家伙即将带走的毛毯。”彼得转身跑进屋。他听到那姑娘还在唠叨毛毯的昂贵，爸爸开始慢慢动怒。姑娘走了，彼得出屋时她正回头冲爸爸喊“甭解释，他根本用不着双人毛毯。”爸爸看着她，脸上有种奇怪的表情。

    “她说得对，爸爸，”彼得说，“爷爷用不着双人毛毯。爸爸，给！”彼得递给爸爸一把剪刀，“把毛毯剪成两块。”

    “好主意，”爷爷温和地说，“我用不着这么大的毛毯。”

    “是的，”彼得说，“老人家送走时给床单人毛毯就不错了。我们还能留下一半，以后迟早总有用处。”

    “你这是什么意思？”爸爸问。

    “我是说，”彼得慢腾腾地说，“等你老了，我送你走时给你这一半。”

    大家都沉默了。好半天，爸爸走到爷爷面前呆呆地，没有一句话。爷爷望着儿子喃喃地说：“没关系，孩子，我知道你不是这么想的……我知道……”这时，彼得哭了。

    但没什么，因为爷爷，爸爸都哭了，哭成了一团……

    Since the pre-historic times, man has had an urge to satisfy his needs. Be it hunger, shelter or search for a mate, he has always manipulated the circumstances to the best of his advantages. Probably this might be the reason why we human are the most developed of all living species on the earth, and probably also in the universe. As we climbed the steps of evolution with giant leaps, we somehow left behind common sense and logical thinking — we forgot that we have stopped thinking ahead of times.

    If you are hungry, what do you do? Grab a piece of your favorite meal and stay quiet after that? Just like your stomach, even your mind is hungry. But it never lets you know, because you keep it busy thinking about your dream lover, favorite star and many such absurd things. So it silently began to heed to your needs and never let itself grow. When mind looses its freedom to grow, creativity gets a full stop. This might be the reason why we all sometimes think "What happens next?", "Why can't I think?", "Why am I always given the difficult problems?" Well this is the aftermath of our own karma of using our brain for thinking of not-so-worthy things.

    Hunger of the mind can be actually satiated through extensive reading. Now why reading and not watching TV? Because reading has been the most educative tool used by us right from the childhood. Just like that to develop other aspects of our life, we have to take help of reading. You have innumerable number of books in this world which will answer all your “How to?” questions. Once you read a book, you just don't run your eyes through the lines, but even your mind decodes it and explains it to you. The interesting part of the book is stored in your mind as a seed. Now this seed is unknowingly used by you in your future to develop new ideas. The same seed if used many times, can help you link and relate a lot of things, of which you would have never thought of in your wildest dreams! This is nothing but creativity. More the number of books you read, your mind will open up like never before. Also this improves your oratory skills to a large extent and also makes a significant contribution to your vocabulary. Within no time you start speaking English or any language fluently with your friends or other people and you never seem to run out of the right words at the right time.

    Actually, I had a problem in speaking English fluently, but as I read, I could improve significantly. I am still on the path of improvement to quench my thirst for satisfaction. So guys do join me and give food for your thoughts by reading, reading and more reading. Now what are you waiting for? Go, grab a book, and let me know!

    【中文译文】： 

    自史前时代起，人类就已有满足自己需求的强烈欲望。无论是饥饿、避难或寻觅配偶，人类总是操纵着环境使其达到最利于自己的状态。这或许解答了为什么人类是 地球上甚至是宇宙中最高级的现存物种。然而在进化的阶梯上取得巨大飞跃之时，我们却不知何故将一些常识和逻辑思维抛诸脑后了——我们忘记了自己已经停止了 超前思维。

    如果你饿了，你会怎么做？抓起你最喜爱的美食饱餐一顿，然后静静地呆在那里？而你的大脑也像你的胃，是会感到饥饿的，但它却从不让你知道，因为你让它一直 想着你的梦中情人、你最喜爱的明星和许多诸如此类的荒唐事。因此它只是默默地留意着你的需要却从不让自己成长。当思维恣意成长时，创造力就嘎然而止。这也 许就是为什么我们有时会想“下一步该如何”、“为什么我想不到？”、“为什么我总是碰到难题？”的原因吧。这也是我们的大脑总在考虑那些毫无价值的事情产 生的后果。

    事实上，思维的饥荒可以通过广泛的阅读来满足。为什么是阅读而不是选择看电视呢？因为自孩提时代起，读书就已经是最具教育性的工具了。正如人生发展的其他 方面一样，我们不得不求助于阅读。世界上有无数书籍可以回答你“如何做”的问题。读书时不仅要用眼睛浏览文字，还要用脑去解读、诠释。书中有趣的部分就会 像种子一样贮存在你的脑海里。将来你会不自觉地运用这粒种子引发新的想法。多次运用这粒种子将有助于你把许多事情联系起来，即使你做梦都想不到这些！这不 是别的，就是创造力！你读的书越多，你的心智就会前所未有地开阔。而且这还会大幅度地提高你的演讲能力、丰富你的词汇量。你很快就能用流利的英语或别的语 言与你的朋友或别人交谈，而且你再也不会在适合的场合缺少适合的词语。

    实际上，我的英语还是不够流利，但只要我阅读，我就会取得显著进步。现在我仍在“自我提高”、为头脑“解渴”的长路上跋涉。请加入到我的行列吧！通过阅读、阅读、再阅读来为你的思想“喂食”。你还在等什么？现在就拿起一本书让我瞧瞧！

    Tucked away in our subconscious is an idyllic vision. We see ourselves on a long trip that spans the continent. We are traveling by train. Out the windows, we drink in the passing scene of cars on nearby highways, of children waving at a crossing, of cattle grazing on a distant hillside, of smoke pouring from a power plant, of row upon row of corn and wheat, of flatlands and valleys, of mountains and rolling hillsides, of city skylines and village halls.
 
    But uppermost in our minds is the final destination. On a certain day at a certain hour, we will pull into the station. Bands will be playing and flags waving. Once we get there, so many wonderful dreams will come true and the pieces of our lives will fit together like a completed jigsaw puzzle. How restlessly we pace the aisles, damning the minutes for loitering --waiting, waiting, waiting for the station.

    "When we reach the station, that will be it! "we cry. "When I'm 18. ""When I buy a new 450SL Mercedes Benz! ""When I put the last kid through college. ""When I have paid off the mortgage!""When I get a promotion.""When I reach the age of retirement, I shall live happily ever after! "

    Sooner or later, we must realize there is no station, no one place to arrive at once and for all. The true joy of life is the trip. The station is only a dream. It constantly outdistances us.

    "Relish the moment "is a good motto, especially when coupled with Psalm 118：24："This is the day which the Lord hath made；we will rejoice and be glad in it. "It isn't the burdens of today that drive men mad. It is the regrets over yesterday and the fear of tomorrow. Regret and fear are twin thieves who rob us of today.
 
    So stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles. In stead, climb more mountains, eat more ice cream, go barefoot more often, swim more rivers, watch more sunsets, laugh more, cry less. Life must be lived as we go along. The station will come soon enough.

    【中文译文】： 

    我们的潜意识里藏着一派田园诗般的风光! 我们仿佛身处一次横贯大陆的漫漫旅程之中! 乘着火车, 我们领略着窗外流动的景色：附近高速公路上奔驰的汽车、十字路口处招手的孩童、远山上吃草的牛群、源源不断地从电厂排放出的烟尘、一片片的玉米和小麦、平 原与山谷、群山与绵延的丘陵、天空映衬下城市的轮廓, 以及乡间的庄园宅第!

    然而我们心里想得最多的却是最终的目的地! 在某一天的某一时刻, 我们将会抵达进站! 迎接我们的将是乐队和飘舞的彩旗! 一旦到了那儿, 多少美梦将成为现实, 我们的生活也将变得完整, 如同一块理好了的拼图! 可是我们现在在过道里不耐烦地踱来踱去, 咒骂火车的拖拖拉拉! 我们期待着, 期待着, 期待着火车进站的那一刻!

     "当我们到站的时候, 一切就都好了! "我们呼喊着! "当我18岁的时候! ""当我有了一辆新450SL奔驰的时候! ""当我供最小的孩子念完大学的时候! ""当我偿清贷款的时候! ""当我官升高任的时候! ""当我到了退休的时候, 就可以从此过上幸福的生活啦! "

    可是我们终究会认识到人生的旅途中并没有车站, 也没有能够"一到永逸"的地方!生活的真正乐趣在于旅行的过程, 而车站不过是个梦, 它始终遥遥领先于我们!

    "享受现在"是句很好的箴言, 尤其是当它与《圣经·诗篇》中第１１８页２４行的一段话相映衬的时候, 更是如此："今日乃主所创造；生活在今日我们将欢欣、高兴! "真正令人发疯的不是今日的负担, 而是对昨日的悔恨及对明日的恐惧! 悔恨与恐惧是一对孪生窃贼, 将今天从你我身边偷走!

    那么就不要在过道里徘徊吧, 别老惦记着你离车站还有多远! 何不换一种活法, 将更多的高山攀爬, 多吃点儿冰淇淋甜甜嘴巴, 经常光着脚板儿溜达溜达, 在更多的河流里畅游, 多看看夕阳西下, 多点欢笑哈哈, 少让泪水滴答! 生活得一边过一边瞧! 车站就会很快到达!

    Michael is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I’d be twins!” He was a natural motivator.

    If an employee was having a bad day, Michael was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation. Seeing this style. really made me curious, so one day I went up to Michael and asked him, "I don' t get it. You can' t be positive all the time. How do you do it?"

    Michael replied, each morning I wake up and say to myself 'Mike, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood.' I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.

    "Yeah, right. It isn't that easy." I protested.

    "Yes it is, " Michael said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line is: It's your choice how you live life. " I reflected on what Michael said.

    Soon thereafter, I left the big enterprise that I had worked in for years to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often though about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it. Several years later, I heard Michael was involved in a serious accident, falling off 60 feet from a communications tower.

    After l8 hours of surgery, and weeks of intensive care, Michael was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back. I saw Michael about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I’d be twins. Wanna see my scars?" I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place.

    "The first thing that went through my mind was the well being of my soon-to-born daughter," Michael replied. "Then, as I lay on the ground, remembered I had two choices: I could choose to live or I could choose to die. I chose to live." "Weren’t you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked. Michael continued, "... the paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the operation room and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, l read 'He's a dead man.' I knew I needed to take action." "What did you do?" I asked. "Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me” said Michael. "She asked me if I was allergic to anything. ‘Yes,’ I said. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled", ‘Gravity’” Over their laughter, I told them, 'I'm choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead'."

    Michael lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I 1eamed from him that every day we have a choice to live fully. Attitude is everything.

    【中文译文】：

    迈克尔是那种你真想恨一恨的家伙，他总是乐呵呵的，总是说些积极上进的话。如果有人问他近况如何，他会这样回答：“如果我还能再好，我就成双胞胎了！”他生来就会让人积极进取。

    如果哪位雇员有天过得很糟糕，迈克尔会告诉他如何看待问题的积极一面。他的这种方式着实让我好奇，所以有一天我找到迈克尔问：“我真弄不明白。你怎么能总是那样积极乐观？你是如何做到这一点的？”

    迈克尔回答说，“每天早晨醒来时我对自己说，‘迈克，今天你有两种选择。你可以选择心情愉快，你也可以选择心情恶劣。’我选择心情愉快。每次什么不愉快的 事情发生时，我可以选择成为一个牺牲品，也可以选择从中吸取教训。我选择从中吸取教训。每次有什么人找我来抱怨，我可以选择接受他们的抱怨，也可以选择向 他指出生活的积极面。我选择指出生活的积极面。”

    “是的，不错。可并不那么容易呀。”我表示异议。

    “其实很容易，”迈克尔说。“生活就是选择。从每一事物剔除一切枝节后剩下的都是一种选择。你选择如何应付生活中的种种情形。你选择他人会怎样影响你的情绪。你选择是心情愉快还是心情恶劣。说到底：如何生活是你自己的选择。”我琢磨着迈克尔的这席话。

    那以后不久，我离开了工作数年的大企业去创建自己的公司。我们失去了联系，但当我对生活做出一种选择而非对它做出反应时，我时常想起迈克尔。几年之后，我听说迈克尔遭遇一场恶性事故，从一座通讯大楼的60英尺高处掉了下来。

    在经历了18个小时的手术和数周的精心护理之后，迈克尔出院了，背部装有金属杆。大约事故半年之后，我见到了迈克尔。当我问他怎么样时，他回答，“如果我还能再好，我就成双胞胎了。想看看我的伤疤吗？”我拒绝看他的伤痕，但的确问了他事故发生时他是怎么想的。

    “我首先想到的是我那即将出世的女儿的幸福生活，”迈克尔答道。“当时我躺在地上，我记起我有两种选择：我可以选择活着，也可以选择死。我选择了活。”“ 你难道不害怕吗？你失去知觉了吗？”我问。迈克尔接着说，“……那些护理人员棒极了。他们不停地告诉我我会好的。但当他们把我推进手术室，我看到医生和护 士脸上的表情时，我真是吓坏了。在他们的眼里，我读出了‘他是个死人。’我知道我应该采取行动。”“你采取了什么行动？”我问道。“有一位人高马大的护士 大声冲我问问题，”迈克尔说。“她问我是否对什么过敏。‘是的，’我说。医生和护士都停下手中的活儿等我回答。我深吸一口气大声说出，‘万有引力。’他们 的笑声未了，我告诉他们，‘我选择活着。把我当活人而不是死人来做手术。”’

    迈克尔活了下来，这要感谢他那些医生的高明医术，但也要归功于他那令人赞叹的态度。我从他那里学到了我们每天都有机会充实地活着，关键是态度。

A Glass of Milk

    One day, a poor boy who was trying to pay his way through school by selling goods door to door found that he only had one dime left. He was hungry so he decided to beg for a meal at the next house.

    However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry so she brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, “How much do I owe you?”

    “You don’t owe me anything,” she replied. “Mother has taught me never to accept pay for a kindness.” He said, “Then I thank you from the bottom of my heart.” As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but it also increased his faith in God and the human race. He was about to give up and quit before this point.

    Years later the young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where specialists can be called in to study her rare disease. Dr. Howard Kelly, now famous was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Immediately, he rose and went down through the hospital hall into her room.

    Dressed in his doctor’s gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at once. He went back to the consultation room and determined to do his best to save her life. From that day on, he gave special attention to her case.

    After a long struggle, the battle was won. Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it and then wrote something on the side. The bill was sent to her room. She was afraid to open it because she was positive that it would take the rest of her life to pay it off. Finally she looked, and the note on the side of the bill caught her attention. She read these words...

    “Paid in full with a glass of milk.”

    (Signed) Dr. Howard Kelly

    Tears of joy flooded her eyes as she prayed silently: “Thank You, God. Your love has spread through human hearts and hands.”

    【中文译文】：

    一天，一个贫穷的小男孩为了攒够学费正挨家挨户地推销商品。饥寒交迫的他摸遍全身，却只有一角钱。于是他决定向下一户人家讨口饭吃。

    然而，当一位美丽的年轻女子打开房门的时候，这个小男孩却有点不知所措了。他没有要饭，只乞求给他一口水喝。这位女子看到他饥饿的样子，就倒了一大杯牛奶给他。男孩慢慢地喝完牛奶，问道：“我应该付多少钱？”

    年轻女子微笑着回答：“一分钱也不用付。我妈妈教导我，施以爱心，不图回报。”男孩说：“那么，就请接受我由衷的感谢吧！”说完，霍华德-凯利就离开了这户人家。此时的他不仅自己浑身是劲儿，而且更加相信上帝和整个人类。本来，他都打算放弃了。

    数年之后，那位女子得了一种罕见的重病，当地医生对此束手无策。最后，她被转到大城市医治，由专家会诊治疗。大名鼎鼎的霍华德-凯利医生也参加了医疗方案的制定。当他听到病人来自的那个城镇的名字时，一个奇怪的念头霎时间闪过他的脑际。他马上起身直奔她的病房。

    身穿手术服的凯利医生来到病房，一眼就认出了恩人。回到会诊室后，他决心一定要竭尽所能来治好她的病。从那天起，他就特别关照这个对自己有恩的病人。

    经过艰苦的努力，手术成功了。凯利医生要求把医药费通知单送到他那里，他看了一下，便在通知单的旁边签了字。当医药费通知单送到她的病房时，她不敢看。因 为她确信，治病的费用将会花费她整个余生来偿还。最后，她还是鼓起勇气，翻开了医药费通知单，旁边的那行小字引起了她的注意，她不禁轻声读了出来：

    “医药费已付：一杯牛奶。”

    (签名)霍华德-凯利医生

    喜悦的泪水溢出了她的眼睛，她默默地祈祷着：“谢谢你，上帝，你的爱已通过人类的心灵和双手传播了。”

---

                                    The Rose of First Love

  Girl: I will go…

  Bending her head, she says to a boy, who is a shy guy as she is.

  The boy, not echoing, only kicks small pebbles with his tiptoes, here and there.

  After a while, the girl says again, in an oblique voice: I should go…

  Raising her head, casting a quick glance at him and diverting her eyesight again, she tangles the fringes of her dress.

  Boy: Enh…
  Inarticulately giving her a response, the boy hides carefully the other hand behind his back again. It seems that there are some tiny sweats on his front, or a shade flurry in his mind of saying something or not.

  Still a long silence.

  “I’ll go.” Seemingly being angry, the girl bravely raises her head, glares at him, with a shred of gentle encouragement in her eyes. Becoming more anxious, he seems not to know how to jump out of this dilemma; or seems to make crucial decision. Finally, strengthening that hand, turning red, with a little trill, the boy says: “…for you!”

  It is a rose, very rosy, keenly flowering, like a mass of fire, burning on the boy’s hand. The girl smiles, very happily. But immediately, she turns back and runs away, while turns her head and says with smile: “I will go!”

  However, after no more than several paces, it seems that something bring to her mind. She runs back to the boy, with red cheeks, “Enh----” snatching the rose from his hand, without saying a word, runs away again.

  Watching her silhouette in distance, the boy smiles…

  I stand on the terrain, occasionally witnessing this scene of the prologue of love in the sunshine, and can not help giving a smile from my heart. I recall my own first love, which not make her debut from a bouquet of red rose hiding behind the back?

 【中文译文】：
  女孩儿：“我走了……”低着头，向对面那个同样腼腆的男孩子说。

  男孩子用脚尖踢着地上的小石子儿，没有回答。

  过了会儿，女孩儿又小声说了一遍，“我该走了……”一边抬起头来飞快的看了男孩子一眼，重又垂下了眼帘，绞着裙角。

  男孩子：“嗯……”含糊地应了一声，把刚才一直藏在身后的手藏得更深了……额上似乎有些细细的汗珠，又像有些欲说还休的慌乱……

  又是好一阵沉默。

  “我走了！” 女孩儿好像有些嗔怒了…… 勇敢的抬起头来，盯着男孩子，目光里却有温柔的鼓励……
  男孩子更慌乱了，像是没有办法似的，又像是下了好大的决心……终于把藏在身后的手递到女孩儿的面前，脸红得厉害，似乎声音也有些在抖：“ ……给你。”

  那是一支鲜红的玫瑰，开得正艳，像是一团火，燃烧在男孩子的手上。

  女孩儿笑了，笑得好开心。但一转身就跑开了，一边回头一边笑着说：“我走了！”可没有跑几步，又像想起了什么，红着脸颊又跑回来，一把抢过男孩子手里的那支红玫瑰，也不说话，就又跑远了……

  望着女孩子跑远的背影，男孩子笑了……

  我在阳台上，无意中目睹了夕阳底下这一幕爱情的序曲，忍不住也会心地笑了……想起了自己的初恋，不也是开始于一支藏在身后的红玫瑰里吗？

---

    In my dual profession as an educator and health care provider, I have worked with numerous children infected with the virus that causes AIDS. The relationships that I have had with these special kids have been gifts in my life. They have taught me so many things, but I have especially learned that great courage can be found in the smallest of packages. Let me tell you about Tyler.

  Tyler was born infected with HIV: his mother was also infected. From the very beginning of his life, he was dependent on medications to enable him to survive. When he was five, he had a tube surgically inserted in a vein in his chest. This tube was connected to a pump, which he carried in a small backpack on his back. Medications were hooked up to this pump and were continuously supplied through this tube to his bloodstream. At times, he also needed supplemented oxygen to support his breathing.

  Tyler wasn’t willing to give up one single moment of his childhood to this deadly disease. It was not unusual to find him playing and racing around his backyard, wearing his medicine-laden backpack and dragging his tank of oxygen behind him in his little wagon. All of us who knew Tyler marveled at his pure joy in being alive and the energy it gave him. Tyler’s mom often teased him by telling him that he moved so fast she needed to dress him in red. That way, when she peered through the window to check on him playing in the yard, she could quickly spot him.

  This dreaded disease eventually wore down even the likes of a little dynamo like Tyler. He grew quite ill and, unfortunately, so did his HIV-infected mother. When it became apparent that he wasn’t going to survive, Tyler’s mom talked to him about death. She comforted him by telling Tyler that she was dying too, and that she would be with him soon in heaven.

  A few days before his death, Tyler beckoned me over to his hospital bed and whispered, “I might die soon. I’m not scared. When I die, please dress me in red. Mom promised she’s coming to heaven, too. I’ll be playing when she gets there, and I want to make sure she can find me.”

  【中文译文】：

  作为一名教育和保健护理工作者,我曾经和数不清的感染上艾滋病病毒的孩子打过交道.我和这些特殊的孩子之间的关系是生活赋予的恩赐.他们教会我许多东西,我尤其懂得了即使在最弱小的人物身上也能发现其所蕴含的巨大勇气.让我告诉你泰勒的故事.

  泰勒出生前就从母体感染上艾滋病病毒.自他来到人间就一直靠药物维持生命.他5岁时做手术,胸部插了一根管子,管子连着他背的背包里的泵,泵不断地把药通过管子输入他的血液.有时他还需要补充氧气帮助呼吸.

  泰勒不愿把童年的一分一秒屈服于致命的疾病.经常能发现他背着装药的背包和拖着载有氧气罐的小车在他家后院玩耍奔跑.我们所有认识泰勒的人都惊叹生命带给 他那纯朴的欢乐和赋予他的活力.泰勒的妈妈经常逗他说,他动的那么快,得给他穿件红衣服.这样她透过窗户查看他在院子里玩的怎样时,能一眼发现他.

  可怕的疾病最终还是拖垮了精力充沛的像台小电动机似的泰勒.他的病情越来越严重,不幸的是身染艾滋病病毒的妈妈也病入膏肓.泰勒即将撒手人寰时,妈妈和他谈起死亡.她安慰他说,她也将要离开人世,不久会和他在天堂见面.

  泰勒病逝前几天,招呼我到他病床前,低声对我说,“我可能就要死了,我不害怕.我死时请给我穿上红色的衣服.妈妈答应我她也会来天堂的,她来的时候我会在玩,我得保证她能找到我.”

---

People have been passionate about roses since the beginning of time. In fact, it is said that the floors of Cleopatra1’s palace were carpeted with delicate rose petals, and that the wise and knowing Confucius had a 600-book library specifically on how to care for roses.

    The rose is a legend on its own. The story goes that during the Roman Empire, there was an incredibly beautiful maiden named Rhodanthe. Her beauty drew many zealous suitors who pursued her relentlessly. Exhausted by their pursuit, Rhodanthe was forced to take refuge from her suitors in the temple of her friend Diana. Unfortunately, Diana became jealous. And when the suitors broke down her temple gates to get near their beloved Rhodanthe, she became angry turning Rhodanthe into a rose and her suitors into thorns.

    In Greek legend, the rose was created by Chloris, the Greek goddess of flowers. It was just a lifeless seed of a nymph2 that Chloris found one day in a clearing in the woods. She asked the help of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, who gave her beauty? Dionysus, the god of wine, added nectar3 to give her a sweet scent, and the three Graces4 gave her charm, brightness and joy. Then Zephyr, the West Wind, blew away the clouds so that Apollo, the sun god, could shine and made this flower bloom. And so the Rose was born and was immediately crowned the Queen of Flowers.

    The first true primary red rose seen in Europe was “Slater’s Crimson China” introduced in 1792 from China, where it had been growing wild in the mountains. Immediately, rose breeders began using it to hybridize5 red roses for cultivation. Ever since, the quest for the perfect red rose has been the Holy Grail6 of rosarians： a fragrant, disease-resistant, long-lasting, long-stemmed, reblooming, perfectly formed rose with a clear non-fading vivid red color. Absolute perfection still hasn’t been attained, and of course never will!

    There is a special rose language invented as a secret means of communication between lovers who were not allowed to express their love for one another openly. In the mid 18th century the wife of the British ambassador in Constantinople described this in her letters, which were published after her death. These letters inspired many books on the language of flowers, each describing the secret message hidden in each flower. A red rose bud stands for budding desire? an open white rose asks “Will you love me﹖” An open red rose means “I’m full of love and desire,” while an open yellow rose asks “Don’t you love me any more﹖”　

    【中文译文】：

    人类有史以来就钟情于玫瑰。据说，克娄巴特拉的宫殿的地面就铺满了娇嫩的玫瑰花瓣，博学的孔子有600册藏书专门讲述如何培育玫瑰。

    玫瑰本身就是一个传说。在罗马帝国时代，有一个名叫罗丹斯的美丽绝伦的少女。她的丽姿引来了无数狂热的求婚者锲而不舍地追求她。罗丹斯实在招架不住了，不 得不到朋友狄安娜的神庙里躲避她的求婚者。不幸的是，狄安娜产生了嫉妒之心。当求婚者冲进了神庙的大门，要接近他们所爱恋着的罗丹斯时，狄安娜一怒之下将 罗丹斯变成了一枝玫瑰花，将她的求婚者变成了花刺。

    在希腊传说中，玫瑰是希腊花神克罗斯创造的。当初玫瑰只是林中一个仙女的尚无生命的一粒种子。一天，花神克罗斯偶然在森林的一块空地上发现了它。克罗斯请 求爱神阿佛洛狄特赋予了它美丽的容貌；让酒神狄俄尼索斯浇洒了神酒，使它拥有了芬芳的气味。又有美惠三女神将魅力、聪颖和欢乐赐予了它。随后，西风之神吹 散了云朵，太阳神阿波罗得以照耀它并使它开花。玫瑰就这样诞生了，并立即被封为花中之皇后。

    欧洲见到的第一枝真正的原色红玫瑰叫做“斯莱特中国深红”，于1792年从中国引进。当时，它一直生长在中国山区的野地里。玫瑰培育者马上开始用它进行杂 交种植。从此，寻求完美的红玫瑰一直是玫瑰栽培者所追求的理想。这种玫瑰应具有芳香的气味、抵御疾病的能力、持久的花期、修长的花茎、反复开花的本领、优 美的体态以及不褪色的纯鲜红颜色。然而，绝对的完美却始终未达到，当然也永远无法达到！

    人们发明了一种特殊的玫瑰语言，作为不被允许公开示爱的情侣间秘密交流的方式。18世纪中期，英国驻君士坦丁堡大使的夫人在信中对此做了描述。这些信件在 她死后出版，激发了许许多多关于花草语言书籍的问世，每一本书都对每种花所隐藏的信息进行了描述。一朵红玫瑰花蕾代表萌发中的情欲；一枝盛开的白玫瑰则是 在探问：“你会爱我吗？”一枝绽开的红玫瑰的含义是：“我对你满怀着爱意和渴望”，而一枝开放的黄玫瑰则是在询问：“你是不是不再爱我了？”

---

     Can it really be sixty-two years ago that I first saw you?  

　 　It is truly a lifetime, I know. But as I gaze into your eyes now, it seems like only yesterday that I first saw you, in that small cafe in Hanover Square. 

　　From the moment I saw you smile, as you opened the door for that young mother and her newborn baby. I knew. I knew that I wanted to share the rest of my life with you.  

　 　I still think of how foolish I must have looked, as I gazed at you, that first time. I remember watching you intently, as you took off your hat and loosely shook your short dark hair with your fingers. I felt myself becoming immersed in your every detail, as you placed your hat on the table and cupped your hands around the hot cup of tea, gently blowing the steam away with your pouted lips.  

　　 From that moment, everything seemed to make perfect sense to me. The people in the cafe and the busy street outside all disappeared into a hazy blur. All I could see was you. 

　　All through my life I have relived that very first day. Many, many times I have sat and thought about that the first day, and how for a few fleeting moments I am there, feeling again what is like to know true love for the very first time. It pleases me that I can still have those feelings now after all those years, and I know I will always have them to comfort me.  

　  Not even as I shook and trembled uncontrollably in the trenches, did I forget your face. I would sit huddled into the wet mud, terrified, as the hails of bullets and mortars crashed down around me. I would clutch my rifle tightly to my heart, and think again of that very first day we met. I would cry out in fear, as the noise of war beat down around me. But, as I thought of you and saw you smiling back at me, everything around me would be become silent, and I would be with you again for a few precious moments, far from the death and destruction. It would not be until I opened my eyes once again, that I would see and hear the carnage of the war around me.

　　I cannot tell you how strong my love for you was back then, when I returned to you on leave in the September, feeling battered, bruised and fragile. We held each other so tight I thought we would burst. I asked you to marry me the very same day and I whooped with joy when you looked deep into my eyes and said "yes" to being my bride. 

　　I'm looking at our wedding photo now, the one on our dressing table, next to your jewellery box. I think of how young and innocent we were back then. I remember being on the church steps grinning like a Cheshire cat, when you said how dashing and handsome I looked in my uniform. The photo is old and faded now, but when I look at it, I only see the bright vibrant colors of our youth. I can still remember every detail of the pretty wedding dress your mother made for you, with its fine delicate lace and pretty pearls. If I concentrate hard enough, I can smell the sweetness of your wedding bouquet as you held it so proudly for everyone to see.  

　　I remember being so over enjoyed, when a year later, you gently held my hand to your waist and whispered in my ear that we were going to be a family. 

　　I know both our children love you dearly; they are outside the door now, waiting. 

　 　Do you remember how I panicked like a mad man when Jonathon was born? I can still picture you laughing and smiling at me now, as I clumsily held him for the very first time in my arms. I watched as your laughter faded into tears, as I stared at him and cried my own tears of joy. 

　Sarah and Tom arrived this morning with little Tessie. Can you remember how we both hugged each other tightly when we saw our tiny granddaughter for the first time? I can't believe she will be eight next month. I am trying not to cry, my love, as I tell you how beautiful she looks today in her pretty dress and red shiny shoes, she reminds me so much of you that first day we met. She has her hair cut short now, just like yours was all those years ago. When I met her at the door her smile wrapped around me like a warm glove, just like yours used to do, my darling. 

　　I know you are tired, my dear, and I must let you go. But I love you so much and it hurts to do so. 

　 　As we grew old together, I would tease you that you had not changed since we first met. But it is true, my darling. I do not see the wrinkles and grey hair that other people see. When I look at you now, I only see your sweet tender lips and youthful sparkling eyes as we sat and had out first picnic next to that small stream, and chased each other around that big old oak tree. I remember wishing those first few days together would last forever. Do you remember how exciting and wonderful those days were? 

　　I must go now, my darling. Our children are waiting outside. They want to say goodbye to you. 

　 　I wipe the tears away from my eyes and bend my frail old legs down to the floor, so that I can kneel beside you. I lean close to you and take hold of your hand and kiss your tender lips for the very last time. 

　　Sleep peacefully my dear. 

　 　I am sad that you had to leave me, but please don't worry. I am content, knowing I will be with you soon. I am too old and too empty now to live much longer without you. 
 
　　I know it won't be long before we meet again in that small cafe in Hanover Square. 

　　Goodbye, my darling wife. 

    【中文译文】：

    我们初次相遇，难道真的是六十二年前吗？

    年华似水，倏忽间我们已相携一世。望着你的眼睛，当年的邂逅历历如在昨昔，就在汉诺威广场的那间小咖啡馆里。

　　从见到你的那一刻起，那一刻你正为一位年轻的母亲和她的小宝宝开门，那一刻当看到你的盈盈笑靥，我就明白我只愿与你执手携老，共度今生。

    我仍然不时想起，那天自己那样地盯着你，一定很傻；就那样情不自禁怔怔地望着你，追随你摘下小帽，用手指松了松短短的黑发，追随你把帽子放在桌前，双手捧 起暖暖的茶杯，追随你微撅樱唇，轻轻吹走飘腾的热气，我的目光始终追随着你，感觉自己在你的温柔举止间慢慢融化。

　　从那一刻起，一切似乎都鲜明了意义。咖啡馆里的来来往往和外面闹市的熙熙攘攘忽然都模糊了起来，我眼里能看到的，只有你。  

　　光阴似箭，那一天却不断在我的记忆里重演，鲜活如初。多少次我再次坐下，不断追忆那天的点滴，不断回味那些飞纵的瞬间，重新体会一见钟情的美丽。岁月的流逝却并没有带走我的爱恋感觉，这些体验会永远伴随我，安抚我的寥寥余生。

    即使是当我在战壕中控制不住地颤抖，我也不曾忘记你的容颜。我蜷缩在稀泥中，身边是枪林弹雨，弥漫硝烟，我把步枪紧紧地攥在胸前，一颗惊恐不安的心，还是 想起了我们初识的那一天。身旁战火呼啸，恐惧让我想要大声呼叫，直到想起你，仿佛见到你在我身后盈盈浅笑，战场忽然沉寂下来，在这珍贵的瞬间，我觉得自己 暂时远离了毁灭和死亡，飞向你的身旁。我拼命想留住这美好，直到睁开眼，周围却依然是血与火的生死战场。

    九月休假回到你身边，我疲惫而脆弱，没能再告诉你战火纷飞时我对你的爱有多深。我们只能紧紧拥抱在一起，仿佛要把对方挤碎。也就在那天，面对我的求婚，你深深凝望我的眼睛，答应做我的新娘，而我早已欢喜地大喊大叫。

　 　我现在正看着我们的结婚照片，总是放在妆台上的那张，就在你的首饰盒旁。那时候，我们多么年轻，多么纯真。我记得我们站在教堂的台阶上，开心得像一对甜 蜜的鸳鸯，你还说我穿着制服多么英武俊朗。照片已经旧得泛黄了，但我看到的，却只有当年青春的明媚姿彩。我仍然记得你母亲为你做的那件新娘礼服，那些精致 的花边和漂亮的珠饰。让我再想一想，我还能闻到那婚礼花束的甜香，你那么骄傲地捧着花，让每一个人分享你的幸福时光。

　　一年后，你轻轻地把我的手放到你的腹前，对着我的耳朵悄悄透露这个让我欣喜若狂的好消息：我们就快有宝宝啦。   
 

　　我知道我们的孩子都深深地爱你，他们现在就在门外等候。

　　你还记得乔纳森出生的时候我那手足无措的慌张样子吗？当我笨拙地把他抱在怀里，我还记得你笑话我的样子，我看着他，我们都情不自禁地迸出了开心的泪花。

　 　今天早晨撒拉和汤姆带着小缇西也赶到了。你还记得吗？第一次看到这个可爱的小孙女，我俩高兴地紧紧拥抱。真让人难以相信，她下个月就八岁了。亲爱的，我 不得不忍住眼泪告诉你，小家伙今天穿着漂亮的裙子，闪亮的红色小鞋，让我立刻想起当年相遇时的你，连她的短发也像极了年轻的你。当我在门口看到她的时候， 她的笑容暖人心脾，这竟然也和你一模一样。

　　我明白，亲爱的，你累了，我应该让你离开。可是爱人即逝，孤侣何伤！

　 　这些年我们相濡以沫，白首到老，我总是逗你说你的容颜依然如昔。可这是真的，亲爱的，我真的见不到他人眼里的皱纹和白发。现在我望着你，也还是只能看到 你娇嫩温柔的红唇和秋水流盼的眼眸，仿佛我们第一次在那条小溪边野餐，在那棵巨大的老橡树旁追逐嬉戏。那时候我们刚刚在一起，总是盼望那样的日子生生世 世，你还记得吗？那些日子是多么激情荡漾，让人不忍回首…… 

　　亲爱的，我应该走了。孩子们都等在外面，他们要和你道别。

　　我擦去了眼角的泪，跪在你的身边，轻轻靠近你，握住你的双手，最后一次吻你。

　　亲爱的，安心地睡吧。

　　这分离扯碎了我的心。别担心，我很快就会来陪伴你。生死茫茫，尘世间没有你，这满腔的衷肠凭谁倾诉？这只影的寂寥复有何欢？ 

　　很快，我们就能在汉诺威广场的那间小咖啡馆里再相逢。 

 　　再会了，我的爱妻。

Tell Someone You Love Within: You Love Them 

    In a class I teach for adults, I recently did the “unpardonable.” I gave the class homework! The assignment was to “go to someone you love within the next week and tell them you love them.It has to be someone you have never said those words to before or at least haven't shared those words with for a long time.” Now that doesn't sound like a very tough assignment, until you stop to realize that most of the men were over 35 and were raised in the generation of men that were taught that expressing emotions is not “macho.”Showing feelings or crying (heaven forbid!) was just not done.So this was a very threatening assignment for some.

　　At the beginning of our next class,I asked if someone wanted to share what happened when they told someone they loved them.I fully expected one of the women to volunteer, as was usually the case,but on this evening one of the men raised his hand.He appeared quite moved and a bit shaken. As he unfolded out of his chair(all 6 2" of him),he began by saying, "Dennis, I was quite angry with you last week when you gave us this assignment.I didn't feel that I had anyone to say those words to, and besides,　who were you to tell me to do something that personal? But as I began driving home my conscience started talking to me.It was telling me that I knew exactly who I needed to say I love you to."

　　"You see, five years ago, my father and I had a vicious disagreement and really never resolved it since that time.We avoided seeing each other unless we absolutely had to at Christmas or other family gatherings.But even then, we hardly spoke to each other. So last Tuesday by the time I got home I had convinced myself I was going to tell my father I loved him.It’s weird, but just making that decision seemed to lift a heavy load off my chest.''

　　''When I got home, I rushed into the house to tell my wife what I was going to do. She was already in bed, but I woke her up anyway. When I told her, she didn’t just get out of bed, she catapulted out and hugged me, and for the first time in our married life she saw me cry. We stayed up half the night drinking coffee and talking. It was great!"

　　“The next morning I was up bright and early. I was so excited I could hardly sleep. I got to the office early and accomplished more in two hours than I had the whole day before."

　　“At 9:00 I called my dad to see if could come over after work. When he answered the phone, I just said, ‘Dad, can I come over after work tonight? I have something to tell you.’ My dad responded with a grumpy, ‘Now what?’ I assured him it wouldn’t take long, so he finally agreed.

　 　“At 5:30, I was at my parents’ house ringing the doorbell, praying that Dad would answer the door. I was afraid if Mom answered that I would chicken out and tell her instead. But as luck would have it, Dad did answer the door."

　　“I didn’t waste any time – I took one step in the door and said, ‘Dad, I just came over to tell you that I love you.’

　 　“It was as if a transformation came over my dad. Before my eyes his face softened, the wrinkles seemed to disappear and he began to cry. He reached out and hugged me and said, ‘I love you too, son, but I’ve never been able to say it.’

　　“It was such a precious moment I didn’t want to move. Mom walked by with tears in her eyes. I just waved and blew her a kiss. Dad and I hugged for a moment longer and then I left. I hadn’t felt that great in a long time.

　 　“But that’s not even my point. Two days after that visit, my dad, who had heart problems, but didn’t tell me, had an attack and ended up in the hospital, unconscious. I don’t know if he'll make it. 

　 　“So my message to all of you in this is: Don’t wait to do the things you know need to be done. What if I had waited to tell my dad – maybe I will never get the chance again! Take the time to do what you need to do and do it now!”

    【中文译文】：

　 　最近在我执教的一个成人班级里，我干了一件“不可饶恕的”事情。我居然给班上的学生布置了一份家庭作业！任务是“下周之内要走到你所爱的人面前，告诉他 们你爱他。 此人必须是一位此前你从未对之说过此话的对象，或至少很久没有与他们交流过这些爱意盎然的话语了。” 听起来这不像是一份苛刻的任务，直到你意识到这个班里多数男生已年逾35岁。何况在他们成长的那个年代，他们受到的是这样的灌输：流露情感没有“阳刚之 气”。 人们不会轻易流露情感和哭泣(老天也不允！)。因此对某些人来说，这是一项令人生畏的任务。

　　第二 次上课一开始，我就问：当你告诉别人你爱他/她时，结果怎样？有没有人愿意讲一讲？ 我满心指望像平常一样，某位女士能自告奋勇，但是这天晚上，一位男士举起了手。他看上去很受感动的样子，还有一点颤抖。当他从座椅上直起身来时(他身高6 英尺2英寸)， 他这样说道：“丹尼斯，上周你给我们布置任务时，我很生你的气。我认为我没有什么人需要我说那些话，而且，你是谁？凭什么让我们去干这种涉及隐私的事？ “但我驱车回家时，我的良知开始与我对话。 它告诉我，我确实知道需要向谁说‘我爱你'这句话。

　　“你瞧，5年 前，我与父亲发生了激烈的争执，而且从此再也没有消除隔阂。我们互相回避，除非绝对必须出席圣诞节聚会或其他的家庭聚会。但甚至在那些场合，我们彼此几乎 也不说一句话。“因此，上周二到家时，我确信自己做得不对，打算告诉父亲我爱他。“这事儿有点怪怪的，但就是这个决定似乎搬走了一块压在我胸口的重石。

　　到家的时候，我冲进屋里，想告诉妻子我的打算。当时她已经上床睡了，但我无论如何还是叫醒了她。我如此这般告诉她，她不单是起了床，简直就是跳起来拥抱我，婚后第一次她目睹了我哭泣的样子。那一夜我们品着咖啡说着话一直聊到半夜。这感觉真棒！

　　“第二天一大清早我就起了床。我激动得睡不着觉，提前到办公室上班，两个小时之内就干完了比以前干一整天还要多的活。

　　“在九点的时候我打电话给父亲问问能不能下班后去看他，当他接电话的时候，我只是说：‘老爸，今晚上下班后我能到你哪儿去吗？我有事跟你说。’父亲不耐烦的应答：‘什么事？’我向他保证花不了多长时间，最终他同意了。

　　“五点半，我就来到父母家摁响了门铃。我暗自祷告老爸会应声开门。害怕如果应声开门的是母亲，我会因胆怯而对她说出那几个字。终归我的运气好，老爸应声来到门口。

　　“我抓紧时间———我一脚跨进门槛说：‘老爸，我来就是为了特地告诉你一声我爱你。’

　　“听了这话，老爸似乎前后判若两人。只见他脸变得柔和起来，连皱纹似乎也消失了，他泣不成声。他伸出手拥抱我说：‘儿子，我也爱你，但这话以前我从来没能说出口。’

　　“这一刻如此宝贵以至于我不想挪动半步。妈妈双眼含泪走过来，我只挥了挥手，给了她一个飞吻。我和父亲又相拥片刻，然后我离开了。许久以来，我都没有过那么棒的感觉了。

　　“但这并不是我说这些的目的。那次上门之后过了两天，我的父亲———他患有心脏病，但没有告诉我———突发心肌梗塞，结果被送往医院，昏迷不醒。我不知他是否能挺过去。

　　“所以我要忠告全班同学的是：如果你知道有些事情需要做的话，千万不要等。要是我等到以后再对父亲说‘我爱你’那句话会怎么样呢———也许我永远没有机会了！抓紧时间去干你需要干的事情，现在就行动！” 

    注：这 也是很久的一个故事了。有人说真理总蕴含在最平淡和简约之间，对我们中国人来说，爱在不言中，做力所能及的事，给予爱人所有的关怀，这都是我们最擅长的。 只是有时候，肯定的话语，赞赏的眼光，爱的表达，也会让人热泪盈眶的，可我们明明知道，却总是吝于这几个字，或为羞涩，或为不重视，或自以为是的借口不需 要。说话是大多数人的本能，喜欢赞美在某种程度上也是人的本能，遵循本能，说出爱，给予爱，真的有我们想象的那么难吗？更何况爱本身，就是对一个人最大的 赞美吧！人有旦夕祸福，在大灾面前，这还真不是一句空话，珍惜眼前人，千万不要在物是人非时，兀自徘徊，徒留伤感。

---

 

　导读：世上并非缺少美，而是缺少发现美的眼睛。同理，世间并非缺少温暖，很多时候只是缺少一个善意的微笑和理解，作者已然发现，我们是否也该从碌碌工作中抬头，细细欣赏一下周边的风景呢？　

    Every April I am beset by the same concern—that spring might not occur this year. The landscape looks dull, with hills, sky and forest forming a single gray color, like the light tint an artist paints on a canvas before the masterwork. My spirit ebbs, as it did during an April snowfall when I first came to Maine 15 years ago. “Just wait,” a neighbor counseled.“You'll wake up one morning and spring will just be here.”And look, on May 3 that year, I awoke to a green so startling as to be almost electric, as if spring were simply a matter of flipping a switch. Hills, sky and forest revealed their purples, blues and greens. Leaves had unfurled, goldfinches had arrived at the feeder and daffodils were fighting their way towards heaven.

    Then there was the old apple tree. It sits on an undeveloped land in my neighborhood. It belongs to no one and therefore to everyone. The tree's dark, twisted branches sprawl in unpruned abandon. Each spring it blossoms so freely that the air fills with the fragrance of apple. When I drive by with my windows rolled down, it gives me the feeling of moving in another world, like a kid on a water slide.

    Until last year, I thought I was the only one aware of this tree. And then one day, in a fit of spring madness, I set out with a pruner and lopped off a few errant branches. No sooner had I arrived under the tree than neighbors opened their windows and stepped onto their porches. These were people I barely knew and seldom spoke to, but it was as if I had come unbidden into their personal gardens.

    My mobile home① neighbor was the first to speak.“ You're not going to cut it down, are you?” she asked anxiously. Another neighbor winced as I cut off a branch.“Don't kill it, now,”he cautioned.

    Soon half the neighborhood had joined me under the apple tree. It struck me that I had lived there for five years and only now was learning these people's names, what they did for a living and how they passed the winter. It was as if the old apple tree was gathering us under its branches for the dual purpose of acquaintanceship and shared wonder. I couldn't help recalling Robert Frost's words:
The trees that have it in their pent-up buds
To darken nature and be summer woods②

    One thaw led to another. Just the other day I saw one of my neighbors at the local store. He said how this recent winter had been especially long and complained not having seen or spoken to anyone in our neighborhood. And then, he looked at me and said,“We need to prune that apple tree again.”

    【中文译文】：

    每年四月，我总被一种忧虑所袭扰——今年的春天也许不会来了。四周气象萧疏，丘陵、天空和森林灰蒙蒙一片，仿佛水彩画家完成其杰作之前涂在画布上的一层淡 淡的色彩。我情绪低落，就像 15年前我第一次到缅因州来看到四月飞雪时的心情一般。“等等看吧，”一个邻居劝道，“说不定哪天你一早醒来，春天就已经悄然而至了。”果然，那年的5月 3日，我醒来时外面已是一番绿意迎人的景象，惊得我目瞪口呆——春天简直像由开关控制，一按就来似的。紫色的丘陵、蓝色的天空、绿色的森林众彩纷呈，树叶 舒展，黄雀觅食，水仙花也竞相生长。

    有一棵老苹果树，就长在我家附近的一块荒地上。它不属于任何人，所以也就归每个人所有。树上乌黑的虬枝因无人修剪而恣意蔓生。每到春天，满树的花儿竞相怒放，连空气中都弥漫着苹果的芳香。当我开着车窗驱车经过时，仿若进入了另一番天地，犹如乘坐水滑梯的孩子一般。

    直到去年，我还以为就我意识到这棵树的存在。后来有一天，春意盎然，我心血来潮拿起整枝器和修枝剪直奔苹果树，想除掉一些多余的枝桠。我刚站到树下，就有 邻居打开窗户，或走到门廊上。这些人我几乎不认得，也很少说过话，但眼前这情形就好像我擅自闯进了他们的私家花园一般。

    一位住在活动房中的邻居首先开口：“你不是要砍倒它吧？”她不安地问道。当我剪掉一条树枝的时候，另一个邻居心疼得哆嗦了一下。“喂，别把它弄死了。”他告诫道。

    不一会儿，半数邻居跑过来和我一起站到了苹果树荫下。我猛然意识到，我已在此住了五年，可直到现在才知道这些人的名字，了解他们的生计以及如何过冬的。这 棵老苹果树把我们召集到它的树干之下，似乎有着双重的目的：让我们彼此相识和共享自然的美妙。此时，我不禁想起了罗伯特·弗罗斯特的诗句：
春树幽闭的芽中藏着碧绿
即将长成荫荫夏木

    那次融洽的交流开了个好头。就在几天前，我在附近的店里看见一个邻居。他说这次冬天特别漫长，并哀叹没能跟邻居们见见面、说说话。然后，他看着我说：“我们又该给那棵苹果树修修枝了。”

        有人说，女儿是爸爸前世的情人，所以才倍受宠溺。也许吧，只是希望大家在接受父爱的同时，不要忘记聆听父亲们内心的声音，那种超越语言、超越时间、超越死亡直抵心灵的永恒的爱，别忘了送给父亲一缕祝福、一丝回报。

    Once upon a time there was a great man who married the woman of his dreams. With their love, they created a little girl. She was a bright little girl and the man loved her very much.

　　When she was very little, he would pick her up, hum a tune and dance with her, and he would tell her, "I love you, little girl."

　　When the little girl was growing up, the great man would hug her and tell her, "I love you, little girl." The little girl would pout and say, "I'm not a little girl anymore." Then the man would laugh and say, "But to me, you'll always be my little girl."

　　The little girl who-was-not-little-anymore left her home and went into the world. As she learned more about herself, she learned more about the man. She saw that he truly was great and one of his strengths was his ability to express his love to his family. It didn't matter where she went in the world, the man would call her and say, "I love you, little girl."

　　The day came when the great man had a stroke. He couldn't talk anymore. He could no longer smile, laugh, walk, hug, dance or tell the little girl that he loved her.

　　And so she went to the side of the great man. He looked at her and tried to speak, but he could not.

　　The little girl did the only thing she could do. She climbed up on the bed next to the great man. Tears ran from both of their eyes and she drew her arms around the shoulders of her father.

　　Her head on his chest, she thought of many things. She remembered the wonderful times together and how she had always felt protected and cherished by the great man. She felt grief for the loss she was to endure, the words of love that had comforted her.

　　And then she heard from within the man, the beat of his heart, the heart where the music and the words had always lived. And while she rested there, the magic happened. She heard what she needed to hear.

　　His heart beat out the words that his mouth could no longer say …

　　I love you, little girl!
　　I love you, little girl!
　　I love you, little girl!

【中文译文】：

　　从前有一个了不起的人，娶了他理想中的女人为妻。他们相爱并生了一个小女孩。小女孩很聪明，父亲很喜欢她。

　　在她很小的时候，他经常会抱着她，哼着歌曲跳舞，并对她说“我爱你，小丫头。”

　　小女孩慢慢长大，他还会拥抱着她对她说：“我爱你，小丫头。”这时小女孩总会撅起嘴说：“我已经不再是小丫头了。”他就会笑着说：“可在我眼里，你永远都是我的小丫头。”

　　“不再是小丫头的”小女孩离开了家来到了外面的世界。当她更多地认识了自己之后，她也就更多地认识了她的父亲。她发现他是一个真正伟大的人，而这种伟大的表现之一就是他善于表达对家人的爱。无论她走到哪里，他都会打电话给她对她说：“我爱你，小丫头。”

　　直到有一天，这位了不起的父亲突发中风。他再也不能说话，再也不能微笑、大笑、行走、拥抱、跳舞，再也不能对小女孩说他爱她了。

　　于是她回到了父亲的身边。他看着她想对她说些什么却什么也说不出来。

　　小女孩做了她唯一可以做的事情。她爬到了父亲的床边。泪水从他们的眼中流出，她伸出胳膊搂住了父亲的双肩。

　　她把头靠在父亲的胸前，往事涌上心间。她想起了和父亲共度的美好时光，想起了父亲的呵护与宠爱。她再也不能听到曾给她安慰的爱的话语，无法承受的痛苦让她感到悲伤。

　　然而，就在此时她听到了来自父亲心底的声音，那是那颗永远充满音乐和爱的语言的心跳动的声音。就在她把头靠在父亲胸前的时候，奇迹发生了。她听到了她想听到的声音。

　　他的心唱出了他不能说出的话…

　　我爱你，小丫头！
　　我爱你，小丫头！
　　我爱你，小丫头！

电脑高手常用的组合键（非常不错）

    by Rudyard Kipling

    If you can keep your head when all about you
    Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
    If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
    But make allowance for their doubting too;
    If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
    Or, being lied about,don't deal in lies,
    Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
    And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

    If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
    If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
    If you can meet with triumph and disaster
    And treat those two impostors just the same;
    If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
    Twiseted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
    Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
    And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;

    If you can make one heap of all your winnings
    And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
    And lose, and start again at your beginnings
    And never breathe a word about your loss;
    If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
    To serve your turn long after they are gone,
    And so hold on when there is nothin in you
    Except the Will which says to them:"Hold on!";

    If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
    Or walk with Kings -nor lose the common touch;
    If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
    If all men count with you, but none too much;
    If you can fill the unforgiving minute
    With sixty second' worth of distance run -
    Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
    And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!


    如果所有人都失去理智，咒骂你，
    你仍能保持头脑情形；
    如果所有人都怀疑你，
    你仍能坚信自己，让所有的怀疑动摇；
    如果你要等待，不要因此厌烦，
    为人所骗，不要因此骗人，
    为人所恨，不要因此抱恨，
    不要太乐观，不要自以为是；

    如果你是个追梦人——不要被梦主宰；
    如果你是个爱思考的人——光想会达不到目标；
    如果你遇到骄傲和挫折
    把两者当骗子看待；
    如果你能忍受，你曾讲过的事实
    被恶棍扭曲，用于蒙骗傻子；
    看着你用毕生去看护的东西被破坏，
    然后俯身，用破烂的工具把它修补；

    如果在你赢得无数桂冠之后‘
    突遇颠峰下跌之险，
    失败过后，东山再起，
    不要抱怨你的失败；
    如果你能迫使自己，
    在别人走后，长久坚守阵地，
    在你心中已空荡荡无一物’
    只有意志告诉你“坚持！”；

    如果你与人交谈，能保持风度，
    伴王行走，能保持距离；
    如果仇敌和好友都不害你；
    如果所有人都指望你，却无人全心全意；
    如果你花六十秒进行短程跑，
    填满那不可饶恕的一分钟——
    你就可以拥有一个世界，
    这个世界的一切都是你的，
    更重要的是，孩子，你是个顶天立地的人。

弄几个英语学习网站，以显示很有决心开始学习！呵呵！开玩笑！

首推中国日报英语点津：http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/language_tips/

几个练习听力的好去处：http://www.listeningexpress.com/ 听力特快

                                      http://www.listeningexpress.com/ 普特英语

                                      http://www.24en.com/av/tv/2006-01-05/3052.html 网络广播大全

几个免费网上图书馆：http://www.ipl.org/

                                   http://www.thefreelibrary.com/

                                   http://shakespeare.mit.edu/ 莎翁作品全集

几个国外阅读网站：http://www.c-span.org/ 美国政治新闻

                                http://www.time.com/time/ 时代周刊

                                http://www.rd.com/ 读者文摘

                                http://www.asiaing.com/ 免费书籍，杂志，报纸，视频下载

几个国内阅读网站：http://www.bjreview.com.cn/ 北京周报

                               http://english.gov.cn/official/workreports.htm 中国政府官方网站英文版

                               http://english.cri.cn/ 中国国际广电新闻网

                               http://www.ahgzw.gov.cn/dangwei/d_wxuan/ 中文版小平文选

                               http://english.people.com.cn/dengxp/ 英文版小平文选

几个英语学习网站：http://www.studioclassroom.com/ 英语空中教室

                               http://classweb.gmu.edu/accent/english0.html 英语发音大全

                               http://zoucheng.com.cn/jiayuan/book/book/english/study/sbpage/trst.htm 英语比萨园地

                               http://www.en8848.com.cn/Article/Beauty/ 小说阅读

                               http://eleaston.com/  英语学习与教学