英语美文欣赏

时间:2024-06-01 09:18:03 经典美文 我要投稿

英语美文欣赏15篇(荐)

  在学习、工作乃至生活中,大家都不可避免的会接触到美文吧?网络文化是一种开放、自由的文化,给美文的概念也赋予了更多的开放自由的元素,用通俗的讲法,写的好的文章,就是美文。你知道怎么才能写好美文吗?以下是小编整理的英语美文欣赏,希望对大家有所帮助。

英语美文欣赏15篇(荐)

英语美文欣赏1

  运动口语Sports Speaking

  Is any tennis court available at 3pm this afternoon? I wanna book one.

  预定场地

  Stretch, warm up

  任何运动前都要做一些准备活动。Stretch这里指伸展运动,warm up是热身。可以说Let’s do some stretch first. We’d better warm up first.

  Wise up, mate! Concentrate!

  如果你的peer,也就是你的partner在比赛中老是无谓的失误,messed up everything,你忍无可忍无需在忍,可以说wise up, mate! 放机灵点儿,哥们儿!或者说Concentrate!集中注意力。Harvey打网球时就经常让双打的peer练“气”功,“keep your eyes open, Harvey!”,“Time to wake up,Harvey!”“Wise up, Harvey!”……

  Sorry boss, my fault. Sorry brother, my bad.

  知错能改,善莫大焉。Boss和Brother在口语上比起Mate的称呼,更有礼下于人的语气。

  No worries, buddy. It’s OK. That’s a good try.

  责己严,待人宽是中华民族的优良传统。当你的peer 说sorry 时,你肯定会说:“No worries, buddy, It’s OK.”甚至口是心非的安慰他,“That’s a good try.”你刚才的那一拍(虽然可能把都裁判打伤了)很有创意哟!

  It’s me. Me. I’ll get it. I’ll take it. It’s mine.

  在双打比赛中,如果你的位置比较好,想自己接这个球,想表达中文“这个球是我的”或者“我来接”,只要对同伴说It’s me,或者大叫一声“Me”就行了。当然如果时间充裕,你可以慢腾腾的说I’ll get it,老外也能理解。It’s mine的说法老外很少用。It’s my ball的说法没人用。

  Gotcha!

  如果你打球时假动作逼真,骗过了对手,球回到令对手意想不到的地方而得分,就可以自鸣得意的大叫一声“Gotcha!”,意思是(I’ve)got you,骗到你了吧!不知大家记不记得电影《小鬼当家》,小机灵用玩具水枪吓得歹徒落荒而逃后,满脸童真的笑意,说了一句“Gotcha!”

  如果你开玩笑,朋友却信以为真,也可以说Gotcha,骗到你了吧。

  Well done, nice shot! Terrific, wonderful, Incredible, Fabulous

  同伴打得好要鼓励,对手打得好要赞扬。Incredible,fabulous,unbelievable等词虽然中文翻译感叹程度极高,但在老外的口语中使用频率也极高。。他们自己打不出的球通通都叫incredible。如果你遇到一个对手是learner,你打出的每一球都是incredible,你整个人都是unbelievable。 所以大家对这些词的使用也无需吝啬,练熟之后朗朗上口。老外听到后脸上笑开花,绝对不会说:“过奖,过奖。”

  Well done, good game, mate. You took me easily. You kicked my ass again.

  比赛完了输了球,要表示一下风度,Well done, mate, good game;输的很惨,You took me easily;what a wipeout! 老是输在自己的一位close friend手里,You kicked my ass again;甚至还可以开玩笑的要挟他,I won’t see your face in the court!

  Just lucky. Just the beginner’s luck, you are better though.

  赢了比赛,少不了谦虚客套。中国人强项,毋庸多说。

  Again, rematch

  老外体力好,经常输了不服气。“Again?”再来一盘?Do you wanna a rematch?

  千万别回答yes/sure/pleasure。 If so, you’re in hot water. 老外们单打独斗不行,前仆后继是会的。特别澳洲人,在Harvey的眼里,都是macho,sport is their god. 你只有春蚕到死丝方尽。

  I’m out of steam already, how about next time? It’s enough for me, let’s call it a day.

  我实在不行了,下次吧。我很累了,今天就到此为止吧。Let’s call it a day在学习场景中也常用。教授讲完课That’s all for today. Let’s call it a day. 小组讨论完,组长说Let’s call it a day.

  今天就这样了。

  What a sucky team! This team really sucks.

  这支球队糟透了。比couldn’t be worse还要worse,还要口语化的表达法。糟糕归糟糕,还是要为自己的.球队加油,“Go, Aussie, go, go!”加油,澳洲队!当然也有人唱反调,在最粗野的AFL(澳式橄榄球)比赛上,经常听到观众大叫go go go, you sissies! 加油哇,冲啊,你们这帮西施们!(注:此乃Harvey独家翻译,盗版必究) Sissy和sister生得像吧,是macho的反意词,指娘娘腔的男人。

  韩日世界杯后的一天,Harvey和朋友们在海滩草地上 Barbie(BBQ,不是玩芭比娃娃),一帮老外在旁边踢球。球不小心飞向我们这边,我忍不住脚痒,冲上前将球踢回。过来捡球的老外看我是个会家子,笑问:“Korean?” 我摇摇头:“I’m Chinese.”“Chinese? Uh… good team.”我一愣,中国队在这次世界杯上的表现和韩国相去甚远,正要谦虚,只听那老外补充道:“Next time!”言罢抱球转身离去,剩下我傻傻的站在原地,心中气苦。

  Go, China! GO, GO, GO!!!

英语美文欣赏2

  John and Bobby joined a wholesale company togther just after graduation from college the same year. Both worked very hard. After several years, however, the boss promoted Bobby to theposotion of manager but John remained an ordinary employee. John could not take it anymore, tendered his resignation to the boss and complained the boss did not know how to delegate and did not value hard working staff, but only promoted those who flattered him.

  The boss knew that John worked very hard for the years. He thought a moment and said, "Thank you for your criticism, but I have a request. I hope you will do one more thing for our company before you leave. Perhaps you will change your decision and take back your resignation."

  John agreed. The boss asked him to go and find out anyone selling watermelon in the market. John went and returned soon. He said he had found out a man selling watermelon. The boss asked how much per kg? John shook his head and went back to the market to ask and returned to inform the boss $1.2 per kg.

  Boss told John to wait a second, and he called Bobby to come to his office. He asked Bobby to go and find anyone seling watermelon in the market. Bobby went, returned and said, boss, only one person selling watermelon. $1.2 per kg, $10 for 10kg, he has inventory of 340 melons. On the table 58 melons, every melon weights about 2 kg, bought from the South two days ago, they are fresh and red, good quality.

  John was very impresed and realized the difference between himself and Bobby. He decided not to resign but to learn from Bobby.

  My dear friends, a more successful person is more observant, thinks more and explores in depth. Chances exists in the daily details. For the same matter, a more successful person sees more and farther so that he can find out an opportunity and catch it to realize his aim. If a person sees one year ahead, while another sees only tomorrow. The difference between a year and a day is 365times, how could you win?

英语美文欣赏3

  For Moms

  This is for all the mothers who DIDN’T win Mother of the Year last year, all the runners-up and all the wannabes, in- cluding the mothers too tired to enter or too busy to care.

  This is for all the mothers who froze their buns off on metal bleachers at soccer games on Friday night, instead of watching from cars. So that when their kids asked, “Did you see my goal?” They could say, “Of course, wouldn’t have missed it for the world,” and mean it.

  This is for all the mothers who have sat up all night with sick toddlers in their arms, wiping up barf laced with Oscar Mayer wieners and cherry Kool-Aid say- ing, “It’s OK honey, Mommy’s here.”

  This is for the mothers who gave birth to babies they’ll never see, and the mothers who took those babies and made them homes.

  This is for all the mothers of the victims of school shootings, and the mothers of the murderers. For the mothers of the survivors, and the mothers who sat in front of their TVs in horror, hugging their child who just came home from school, safely.

  This is for all the mothers who run carpools and make cookies and sew Halloween costumes, and all the mothers who DON’T.

  What makes a good mother anyway? Is it patience? Compassion? Broad hips?

  Is it the ability to nurse a baby, cook dinner, and sew a button on a shirt, all at the same time? Or is it heart?

  Is it the ache you feel when you watch your son or daughter disappear down the street, walking to school alone for the very first time?

  Is it the jolt that takes you from sleep to dread, as you bound from bed to crib at 2 a.m. to put your hand on the back of a sleeping baby?

  Is it the need to flee from wherever you are and hug your child when you hear news of a school shooting, a fire, a car accident, or a baby dying?

  I think so.

  So this is for all the mothers who sat down with their children and explained all about making babies, and for all the mothers who wanted to but just couldn’t.

  This is for reading “Goodnight, Moon” twice a night for a year. And then reading it again. “Just one more time.”

  This is for all the mothers who mess up, who yell at their kids in the grocery store and swat them in despair and stomp their feet like a tired 2-year-old who wants ice cream before dinner.

  This is for all the mothers who taught their daughters to tie their shoelaces before they started school. And for all the mothers who opted for Velcro instead.

  This is for all the mothers who bite their lips-sometimes until they bleed-when their 14 year olds dye their hair green. Who lock themselves in the bathroom when babies keep crying and won’t stop.

  This is for all the mothers who show up at work with spit-up in their hair and milk stains on their blouses and diapers in their purse.

  This is for all the mothers who teach their sons to cook and their daughters to sink a jump shot.

  This is for all mothers whose heads turn automatically when a little voice calls “Mom?” in a crowd, even though they know their own offspring are at home.

  This is for mothers who put pinwheels and teddy bears on their children’s graves.

  This is for mothers whose children have gone astray, who can’t find the words to reach them.

  This is for all the mothers who sent their sons to school with stomachaches, assuring them they’d be just FINE once they got there, only to get calls from the school nurse and hour later asking them to please pick them up, right away.

  This is for young mothers stumbling through diaper changes and sleep deprivation, and mature mothers learning to let go.

  This is for working mothers and stay-at-home mothers, single mothers and married mothers, mothers with money, and mothers without.

  This is for you all. So hang in there!

英语美文欣赏4

  People born in the autumn live longer than those born in the spring and are less likely to fall chronically ill when they are older, according to an Austrian scientist. Using census data for more than one million people in Austria, Denmark and Australia, scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research in the northern German town of Rostock found the month of birth was related to life expectancy over the age of 50. Seasonal differences in what mothers ate during pregnancy, and infections occurring at different times of the year could both have an impact on the health of a new-born baby and could influence its life expectancy in older age. "A mother giving birth in spring spends the last phase of her pregnancy in winter, when she will eat less vitamins than in summer," said Gabriele Doblhammer, one of a team of scientists who carried out the research. "When she stops breast-feeding and starts giving her baby normal food, it’s in the hot weeks of summer when babies are prone to infections of the digestive system." In Austria, adults born in autumn (October-December) lived about seven months longer than those born in spring (April-June), and in Denmark adults with birthdays in autumn outlived those born in spring by about four months. In the southern hemisphere, the picture was similar. Adults born in the Australian autumn - the European spring - lived about four months longer than those born in the Australian spring. The study focused on people born at the beginning of the 20th century, using death certificates and census data. Although nutrition at all times of the year has improved since then, the seasonal pattern persists, Doblhammer said.

英语美文欣赏5

  Recently, one of my best friends, whom I‘ve shared just about[几乎] everything with since the first day of kindergarten[幼儿园], spent the weekend with me. Since I moved to a new town several years ago, we‘ve both always looked forward to the few times a year when we can see each other.

  Over the weekend, we spent hours and hours, staying up late[迟迟不睡] into the night, talking about the people she was hanging around with[交往]. She started telling me stories about her new boyfriend, about how he experimented[尝试] with drugs and was into other self-destructive[自毁] behavior[行为]. I was blown away[震惊]! She told me how she had been lying to her parents about where she was going and even sneaking out[偷跑] to see this guy because they didn‘t want her around him. No matter how hard I tried to tell her that she deserved better, she didn‘t believe me. Her self-respect seemed to have disappeared.

  I tried to convince her that she was ruining her future and heading for big trouble. I felt like I was getting nowhere[毫无进展]. I just couldn‘t believe that she really thought it was acceptable to hang with a bunch of losers, especially her boyfriend.

  By the time she left, I was really worried about her and exhausted[疲惫] by the experience. It had been so frustrating[灰心的], I had come close to telling her several times during the weekend that maybe we had just grown too far apart to continue our friendship - but I didn‘t. I put the power of friendship to the ultimate[最后的] test. We‘d been friends for far too long. I had to hope that she valued me enough to know that I was trying to save her from hurting herself. I wanted to believe that our friendship could conquer[克服] anything.

  A few days later, she called to say that she had thought long and hard about our conversation, and then she told me that she had broken up with her boyfriend. I just listened on the other end of the phone with tears of joy running down my face. It was one of the truly rewarding[值得的.] moments in my life. Never had I been so proud of a friend.(by Danielle Fishel)

英语美文欣赏6

  In 1998 this guy named Marty Seligman got up in front of the American Psychological Association and gave an address telling mental health professionals that we have focused too much on the negative, and our society needed to start focusing more on the positive and potential in people (even those who do have mental health disorders.) Well, 15 years later, this movement is really starting to catch on. And we’re starting to realize how vitally important it is to embrace a smile.

  1998年,马蒂·塞利格曼直面美国心理学会发表了关于心理健康专业的演说,他认为我们过多的关注了消极方面,而我们的社会需要开始更多的关注人格中积极的方面和潜能(即使是对于那些存在心理健康紊乱的患者。)当然,15年后的今天,这项运动也真正的开始流行起来。我们开始意识到怀拥微笑是多么至关重要。

  While college is supposed to be some of the most fun years of our lives, these 4 years will undoubtedly bring some struggles and tough days. So, in lieu of the “Get Happy” movement, here are 10 ways to smile more and why it’s so important.

  虽然大学理应是人生中最欢乐的时光,但是这4年中无疑也会有挣扎和苦难的日子。所以,代替“变得快乐”这项运动,在此列出10种让您更多微笑的方式以及为什么微笑如此重要。

  1. Acknowledge the simplest of simple things.

  1. 感激小事中的最基本

  I’m talking about the things that happen everyday. Getting to/from a place without a car accident, having the door held for you when your arms are full, or being complimented for whatever reason. These are the things that people notice who have a sense of fulfillment and contentment with their life. Things that happen everyday for many of us, but we’ve become so used to them, we’ve forgotten their significance.

  我说的是每天日常发生的事情。一路平安没有车祸意外,你抱着一堆东西有人帮你开门,或是为了任何原因被称赞。对人生有满足感、知足常乐的人才会注意到这些小事。每天会有很多小事发生在很多人身上,但是我们对这些事情变得如此习惯,甚至遗忘了它们的意义。

  2. Give and maybe don’t receive.

  2. 付出,也许无需有所得

  College is a perfect time to get involved in volunteering for a cause. No matter what your passion is, there is a movement for you to plug into. Happy people give give give with all their might, and studies have shown those who do experience a similar “drug-induced high.” Ask most people who volunteer regularly why they do it, and they’ll probably say something along the lines of “I love the feeling I get from helping someone else out; once you see the results of your hard work, it makes it all worth it.”

  大学是个为了一个目标参加志愿活动的绝佳时间。不论你的热情何所在,总有一项合拍的运动适合你参与。快乐的人总是尽自己所能的给予付出。并且有研究表明这些人会感受到类似于“药物刺激下的飘飘然快感”经历。如果询问大多数定期参加志愿者活动的人为何参加,他们很可能给出一个类似这样的答案,“我喜欢那种我能够帮助别人走出困境的感觉。一旦你看到了你努力工作的结果,就会知道这一切都值了。”

  3. Get a “flow.”

  3. 获得生活之“流”

  You all ready have a flow if you have a hobby that causes you to loose track of time and get lost in it. The activity has to “be voluntary, enjoyable, require skill, and be challenging.” If you haven’t found your “flow” yet, start experimenting, and you’ll be surprised at how good you feel after have this experience.

  如果你有爱好能够让你忘却时间忘我于其中,那么你就已经拥有了一个生活之“流”。这样的活动必须是“自愿的,愉悦的,有技能要求的,有挑战的”。如果你没能发觉自己的“流动”,开始试验吧,你会惊奇的'发现经过这些体验你的自我感觉有多好。

  4. Walk a dog.

  4.遛狗

  If you don’t have a dog, borrow a friend’s. Animals bring out a joyful side of us that really can’t be replicated anywhere else. For whatever reason, the energy and simple love animals have for their human companions is contagious and automatically puts us in a better mood.

  如果你没有养狗,问朋友借一只。动物使我们欢喜的一面得以示人,而这在其他地方是别无可寻的。不论出于什么原因,动物所拥有的正能量和对人类同伴单纯的爱是有传染力的,而且会自然而然的感染我们,让我们有更好的情绪。

  5. Treat yourself more often.

  5. 时常奖励自己

  Go for 2 scoops of ice cream instead of just 1. Get that pair of shoes you’ve been staring at for over a month. Have an extra drink when you’re out. People say “as long as I do ‘x, y, & z’, I’ll go out and have fun this weekend…” While working hard and setting goals for yourself is really important, so is doing random things for yourself “just because.” If your only mindset is “oh I have to do this in order to deserve something good,” then you may be missing out on an extremely valuable part of life – bliss.

  去吃2个冰激凌球而不是只买1个。拿下那双已经盯了一个多月的鞋子。出去玩的时候多喝一杯。人们常说“只要我做了‘甲、乙和丙’,这周末我就出去找乐子……”努力工作、为自己制定目标固然重要,为自己没有原因的随意行事也同样重要。如果你唯一的思维模式是“哦,我只有做了这个才能享受”,那么你可能错过了生命中最最珍贵的部分。保重。

英语美文欣赏7

  Do you ever come across those people who are always upbeat and no matter what life throws at them, they just seem to roll with the punches? It’s quite possible they’re following a formula for happiness–right now. You can increase your own happiness quotient by doing these 7 things proven to make you happy.

  你曾遇到过这样的人吗?无论把他们丢在什么样的生活境况下,貌似他们总能从容面对。他们可能是在遵循某个幸福公式,你同样也可以提高自己的幸福指数,做下面这7件经过证明可以让你开心的事情。

  1. Start with a Good Dose of Gratitude

  以一颗感恩的心开始一天的美好生活

  Being consciously aware of what you’re thankful for can actually change your level of happiness. When you wake up each morning, spend time recalling all the things for which you feel grateful. Start with simple things: Do you have a roof over your head? Enough to eat? It might be helpful to start a gratitude journal.

  自觉地意识到你的感激之情实际上会改变幸福感受。每天早上醒来的时候,回想一下所有让你有感激之情的事情。从简单的小事开始:住得好吗?吃得好吗?开始写感恩日记会很有用。

  2. Make Sure You’re Giving Back

  一定要回报

  Do you give 10% of your income to your favorite charity or church? There’s something about giving that allows you to receive more in return besides just the awesome act of giving to help others. When you give, you’re sending a message to the Universe that you know everything’s going to be all right. By giving, you’ll be taken care of, too. You see it from those with very little to those who have millions: you have to give to get and by doing that, your happiness increases.

  你把10%的收入捐给你最喜欢的慈善机构或教会了吗?关于给予付出,除了这种超赞的助人行为之外,还会让你得到更多的回报。在你给予付出的时候,你是在向宇宙传递一种正能量:一切都会好的。通过对他人的给予付出,你也会得到关心照顾。在你看来你的给予是那样的微不足道,对于那些人而言却是帮了一个大忙:奉献了给予了才能得到,这样做了,你的幸福感才会增加。

  3. Laugh Every Day (It’s Better than Money)

  笑对每天(笑容比金钱美好)

  Do you spend time each day laughing? Do you purposefully find something to laugh about? When you laugh, you release a happy hormone called oxytocin. It’s a hormone that uplifts us as we share experiences with others. Even just making yourself smile will put you in a better place.

  你是笑对每天的吗?你有没有有意识的去寻找让你发笑的事物?人在笑的时候,释放一种称为催生素的快乐荷尔蒙。在我们与他人分享经历时,这种荷尔蒙让我们的情绪高涨。甚至只是让自己微笑,也会让你有个好情绪。

  4. Foster Good Relationships with Family and Friends

  和家人、朋友培养感情

  Happy people don’t spend large amounts of time alone. By spending time with people you like, you forge supportive relationships that help you in times of stress. You also bond with others through common experiences, such as life’s ups and downs. They become your support network. People who don’t spend as much time with family or friends are more prone to loneliness and depression.

  快乐的人大多数的时光都不自处,而是和自己喜欢的人相处,和家人朋友培养感情有助于你排解压力。还可以通过共同的经历与他人建立联系,例如,探讨一下生活中的`苦辣酸甜。家人朋友都会成为你的支持力量。不找时间和家人或朋友多多相处的人,更易于孤独抑郁。

  5. Take Some Alone Time

  找时间独处

  In contrast to spending time with family and friends, it’s important to step back and take some time for yourself, by yourself. You can recharge your spirit and find a little peace in a little bit of silence. Taking some time away and being alone can do wonders for your mood and outlook.

  除了找时间和家人朋友相处外,还要找时间自己独处,这一点也很重要。找时间让自己沉默平和一下,你会更有精气神儿。找时间独处一下的确会对你的心境情绪有好处。

  6. Do What You Love

  做自己喜欢做的事情

  Have you ever heard the phrase, “Do what you love, because the money will follow?” Doing things that you love to do–and even better, getting paid for it–are good ways to boost your levels of happiness. When work feels like play, you’re more likely to enjoy other aspects of your life better, too.

  你曾听说过这个说法吗?“做自己爱做的事情,金钱会随之而来。” 把自己喜欢做的事情做好了,是从中获得回报提升幸福感的好方式。当工作变得像玩乐般轻松,你也更能享受生命中其它方面的快乐。

  7. Volunteer Your Time

  奉献你的时间

  When you give of yourself, either by time or talent, your focus shifts from your life to that of others, helping you realize that, just maybe, your own problems aren’t that bad. You invariably forge new relationships and experience an uplift in your spirit.

  当你奉献你的时间或你的才华时,你把人生关注点转移到别人身上,有助于你认识到这一点:或许你自己遇到的问题其实并不那么糟,总能锤炼新的感受并体验精神上的升华。

英语美文欣赏8

  在美国西雅图的一所著名教堂里,有一位德高望重的牧师――戴尔·泰勒。有一天,他向教会学校一个班的学生们先讲了下面这个故事。

  那年冬天,猎人带着猎狗去打猎。猎人一枪击中了一只兔子的后腿,受伤的兔子拼命地逃生,猎狗在其后穷追不舍。可是追了一阵子,兔子跑得越来越远了。猎狗知道实在是追不上了,只好悻悻地回到猎人身边。猎人气急败坏地说:“你真没用,连一只受伤的兔子都追不到!”

  猎狗听了很不服气地辩解道:“我已经尽力而为了呀!”

  再说兔子带着枪伤成功地逃生回家了,兄弟们都围过来惊讶地问它:“那只猎狗很凶呀,你又带了伤,是怎么甩掉它的呢?”

  兔子说:“它是尽力而为,我是竭尽全力呀!它没追上我,最多挨一顿骂,而我若不竭尽全力地跑,可就没命了呀!”

  泰勒牧师讲完故事之后,又向全班郑重其事地承诺:谁要是能背出《圣经·马太福音》中第五章到第七章的全部内容,他就邀请谁去西雅图的“太空针”高塔餐厅参加免费聚餐会。

  《圣经·马太福音》中第五章到第七章的全部内容有几万字,而且不押韵,要背诵其全文无疑有相当大的难度。尽管参加免费聚餐会是许多学生梦寐以求的事情,但是几乎所有的人都浅尝则止,望而却步了。

  几天后,班中一个11岁的男孩,胸有成竹地站在泰勒牧师的'面前,从头到尾地按要求背诵下来,竟然一字不漏,没出一点差错,而且到了最后,简直成了声情并茂的朗诵。

  泰勒牧师比别人更清楚,就是在成年的信徒中,能背诵这些篇幅的人也是罕见的,何况是一个孩子。泰勒牧师在赞叹男孩那惊人记忆力的同时,不禁好奇地问:“你为什么能背下这么长的文字呢?”

  这个男孩不假思索地回答道:“我竭尽全力。”

  16年后,这个男孩成了世界著名软件公司的老板。他就是比尔·盖茨。

  泰勒牧师讲的故事和比尔·盖茨的成功背诵对人很有启示:每个人都有极大的潜能。正如心理学家所指出的,一般人的潜能只开发了2-8左右,像爱因斯坦那样伟大的大科学家,也只开发了12左右。一个人如果开发了50的潜能,就可以背诵400本教科书,可以学完十几所大学的课程,还可以掌握二十来种不同国家的语言。这就是说,我们还有90的潜能还处于沉睡状态。谁要想出类拔萃、创造奇迹,仅仅做到尽力而为还远远不够,必须竭尽全力才行。

  In a famous church in Seattle, there is a prestigious clergyman - Dale Taylor. One day, he told the following story to a class of students in the church school.

  That winter, the hunter went hunting with a hunting dog. The hind legs of a rabbit hunter shot and injured rabbit tried to escape, the dogs were subsequently pursued. But after a while, the rabbit ran farther and farther. Dogs know it is not catch up, but bitterly hunters return to the side. Hunter said angrily: "you are really useless, even an injured rabbit have not catch!"

  The hound defended, "I've done my best to do it!"

  Besides, the rabbit came home successfully with gunshot wounds. The brothers came around and asked him in surprise. "The hunting dog is very fierce. How did you take it away?"

  The rabbit said, "it is to do our best, I do my best!" It didn't catch me up to get a scolding, and if I don't try to run, but would have died!"

  When the Reverend Taylor finished the story to the class, and solemnly promise: if who can recite the "Bible Matthew" in the fifth chapter to the seventh chapter of the entire contents, he was invited to Seattle who "space needle" restaurant tower will attend the free dinner.

  There are tens of thousands of words in the fifth and seventh chapters of the gospel of the Bible. There is no doubt that it is difficult to recite the full text of the full text of the gospel. Although many students will attend the free dinner is the dream of things, but almost everyone to check, from.

  A few days later, a 11 year old boy in front of the class, standing in the answers to the Reverend Taylor, from A to Z required to recite, even not a word, not a little mistake, but in the end, it became extremely rich recite.

  Clergyman Taylor is more aware than others that among adult believers it is also rare to recite these pages, not to be a child. At the same time, while praising the boy's amazing memory, Taylor asked, "why do you have such a long word?"

  The boy replied without thinking, "I do my best."

  16 years later, the boy became the boss of the world's famous software company. He is Bill Gate.

  The story of pastor Taylor and Bill Gate's successful recitation are very inspiring to people: everyone has great potential. As psychologists have pointed out, most people only develop the potential of about 2-8, a great scientist as great as Einstein, also developed only about 12. If a person has developed 50 potential, we can recite 400 textbooks, completion of more than 10 university courses, also can acquire 20 different national languages. That is to say, we have 90 of our potential still in a state of sleep. It is not enough for anyone who wants to be outstanding and miraculous. It is far from enough to do the best.

英语美文欣赏9

  Angel 天使

  Once upon a time there was a child ready to be born.

  One day the child asked God: "They tell me you are going to send me to earth tomorrow but how am I going to live there being so small and helpless?"

  God replied: "Among the many angels, I have chosen one for you. She will be waiting for you and will take care of you."

  "But, " said the child: "tell me here in Heaven I don‘t anything else but sing and smile.

  That‘s what I need to be happy!"

  God said: "Your angel will sing for you and will also smile for you every day. And you will feel your angel‘s love and be happy."

  "And," said the child: "how am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me, If I don‘t know the language that men talk?"

  "That‘s easy", said God: "Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will ever hear, and with much patience and care, your angel will teach you how to speak."

  The child looked up at God saying: "And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you?"

  God smiled at the child saying: "Your angel will Place your hands together and will teach you how to pray."

  The child said: "I‘ve heard on earth there are bad men. Who will Protect me?"

  God put his arm around the child, saying: "Your angel will defend you - even if it means risking life!"

  The child looked sad, saying: "But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore."

  God hugged the child: "Your angel will always talk to you about me and will teach you the way to come back to me, even though I will always be next to you."

  At that moment there was much peace in Heaven, but voices from earth could already be heard.

  The child, in a hurry, asked softly: "Oh God, if I am about to leave now Please tell my Angel’s name!"

  God replied: "Your angel‘s name is of no importance...you will simply call her MOMMY!"

  有一个婴儿即将出生。

  一天,这个小孩问上帝,“他们告诉我明天你将要把我送到地球,不过为什么我在那儿会那么小和无助呢?”

  上帝说,“在所有的天使之中,我已经选中了一个给你。她将会等待你和照顾你。”

  “不过”,小孩问了,“请告诉我--在天堂我除了歌唱和微笑之外什么都不做。这些是我快乐所需要的!”

  上帝说,“你的天使每天将会为你歌唱和微笑。你将会感受到你的天使的爱,你会感到快乐。”

  “还有”,小孩又问了,“如果我不懂他们说的语言,当人们对我说话的时候我怎样才会理解呢?”

  “这很简单,”上帝说,“你的天使将教会你语言中最美丽和最甜蜜的词语,带着最大的耐心和关怀,你的天使将教会你怎样说话。

  小孩抬头看着上帝说,“我想和你说话的时候我该怎么做呢?”

  上帝微笑着对小孩说,“你的天使会把你的双手放在一起然后教会你怎样祈祷。”

  小孩说,“我听说地球上有坏人,谁将会保护我呢?”

  上帝把手放在小孩身上,说,“你的天使将会保护你,甚至会冒生命的危险!”

  小孩看起来有些悲伤,他说,“我将会一直感到悲伤因为我再也看不到你了。”

  上帝拥抱着小孩。“你的天使以后会一直跟你说有关我的事情,还会教你回到我身边的`方法,虽说我一直与你同在。”

  在这一刻小孩在天堂感到了无比的安详,不过已经可以听到从地球传来的声音。。。。

  小孩有点急促,温柔的问“上帝啊,如果我现在将要离开,请告诉我我的天使的名字!”

  上帝回答说,你的天使的名字并不那么重要,你可以简单的叫她—— “妈妈”。

英语美文欣赏10

  We’re like the cream. When the cream rises to the top, it separates itself from the milk. Perhaps that is what the New Age Movement is really all about.We find ourselves lonely at the top. Yes, it is.

  我们就像奶油。当奶油浮到顶部的时候,它会和牛奶分离。也许这种现象正像是新世纪运动的写照。我们发现自己飞得越高,就会越感孤独。是的,这就是现实。

  It is no different with political enlightenment, spiritual enlightenment, or even becoming enlightened about relating to each other. The more mentally healthy you become, the more spiritual, the more balanced, the wealthier, the more global you become… the more alone you may feel.

  不论是政治或精神修养的造诣有多深,或者甚至是与他人之间有一种默契的关系,就孤独这一点而言,是没有区别的。你越是拥有健康有理智,精神修养的造诣越深,生活越平衡,越富有,或你的名气传播得越广,你也会感觉越孤独。

  Often, we find ourselves unable to find those other rare individuals who are choosing the same path as ours. The path of sloppy and lazy is full of other people to meet and talk to. The path of whiners is full. The path of being safe, generic, and boring is so crowded you almost cannot even move forward. Isn’t that why you left that path? You had a need to move forward, a need for some elbowroom, a need to spread your arms wide, a need to be seen as special, unique, different. The masses may admire you, but they are not going to be able to really relate to you. You will be alone much of the time.

  经常,我们很难找到那些选择我们和我们同路的人们。那条潮湿,慵懒的道路挤满了可以相遇并聊天的人。那条满是牢骚者的.道路上也拥挤不堪。那条所谓安全,普通以及枯燥的道路是如此拥挤以至于你无法向前挪步。难道这不正是你离开那条道路的原因吗?你需要

  向前挪步,需要活动的空间,需要展开你的双臂,需要被认知为特别,有个性,与众不同。万千大众仰慕你,但他们却不可能真正地融入你。大部分的时间里,你将是孤独的。

  Do not be afraid of the loneliness of enlightenment. Do not force others to agree with you. Simply give your heart and know that you are growing and that they are free to grow or not. It is the nature of the game. We are all free to choose our paths.

  不要害怕因造诣深而产生的孤独感。不必要勉强别人赞识你。做你自己,坚定着你自己的成长,别人是否愿意成长就由他们自己去决定吧。这就是自然界的规则。我们都有选择自己道路的自由。

  英语美文阅读读后感悟:

  请不要害怕孤独,孤独是成功者必备的要素之一,毕竟成功者是少数的;请不要在意别人的眼光,坚持自己的理想,只要是对的,那么请勇敢的选择自己要走的路。前路或许曲折,但不要气馁,相信自己,相信自己的选择。实现梦想的路总有一天会变笔直。

英语美文欣赏11

  This the last rose of summer

  Left blooming alone;

  All her lovely companions

  Are faded and gone;

  No flower of her kindred,

  No rose-bud is nigh,

  to reflect back her blushes,

  Or give sigh for sigh.

  I'll not leave thee, thou lone one!

  To pine on the stem;

  Since the lovely are sleeping,

  Go, sleep thou with them.

  thus kindly I scatter

  Thy leaves o'er the bed

  Where thy mates of the garden

  Lie scentless and dead.

  Soon may I follow,

  When friendships decay,

  And from Love's shining circle

  The gems drop away.

  When true hearts lie withered,

  And fond ones are flown,

  O! who would inhabit

  This bleak world alone?

  这是夏日最后的玫瑰

  独自绽放着;

  所有昔日动人的同伴

  都已凋落残逝;

  身旁没有同类的花朵,

  没有半个玫瑰苞,

  映衬她的红润,

  分担她的忧愁。

  我不会离开弧零零的你!

  让你单独地憔悴;

  既然美丽的同伴都已入眠,

  去吧!你也和她们一起躺着。

  为此,我好心在散放

  你的'丽叶在花床上

  那儿,也是你花园的同伴

  无声无息躺着的地方。

  不久我也可能追随我朋友而去,

  当友谊渐逝,

  像从灿烂之爱情圈中

  掉落的宝石。

  当忠诚的友人远去,

  所爱的人飞走,

  啊!谁还愿留在

  这荒冷的世上独自凄凉?

英语美文欣赏12

  A good book may be among the best of friends.(a good book is like our best friend) It is the same today that it always was, and it will never change. It is the most patient and cheerful of companions. It does not turn its back upon us (abandon) in times of adversity or distress.(in times of misfortunes or poverty) It always receives us with the same kindness,amusing and instructing us in youth, and comforting and consoling us in age.(in old age)

  一本好书就像是一个最好的朋友。它始终不渝,过去如此,现在仍然如此,将来也永远不变。它是最有耐心、最令人愉快的伴侣。在我们穷愁潦倒、临危遭难的时候,它也不会抛弃我们,对我们总是一往情深。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,它又给我们以安慰和勉励。

  Men often discover their affinity (close relationship) to each other by the love they have each for a book --- just as two persons sometimes discover a friend by the admiration which both have for a third. There is an old proverb, “Love me, and 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. (uniting force) Men can think, feel, and sympathize (share the feelings or ideas of another) with each other through their favorite author. They live in him together, and he (lives) in them. ---they can find their opinions from books, in reverse, the ideas of the author influence them too.

  人们常常因为同爱一本书而结为知己,就像有时两个人因为敬慕同一个人而交为朋友一样。古谚说:“爱屋及乌”。但是,“爱我及书”这句话却有更深的哲理。书是更为坚实而高尚的情谊纽带。人们可以通过共同爱好的作家沟通思想感情,彼此息息相通。他们的思想共同在的著述里得到体现,而的思想反过来又化为他们的思想。

  “Books,” said Hazlitt,“Wind into the heart; the poet‘s verse slides in the current of our blood. We read them when young, we remember them when old. We feel that it has happened to ourselves. They are to be very cheap and good. We breathe but the air of books.”

  哈兹利特曾经说过:“书潜移默化人们的'内心,诗歌熏陶人们的气质品性。少小所习,老大不忘,恍如身历其事。书籍价廉物美,不啻我们呼吸的空气。”

  A good book is often the best urn (a vase with foot and round body, especially as anciently for storing ashes of the dead. 有腳之圓形缸,古時以此缸盛人屍體之骨殖。) of a life enshrining (inclosing or preserving as in shrine. 保而藏之(如帝王駕崩,高僧圓寂之後,藏其遺骸於神龕中).) 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 (a place where valuable things are kept. ) of good words, the golden (precious, excellent) thoughts, which, remembered and cherished, become our constant companions and comforters (a thing that gives comfort). “They are never alone,” said Sir Philip Sidney, “that are accompanied by noble thoughts.”

  好书常如最精美的宝器,珍藏着人的一生思想的精华。人生的境界,主要就在于他思想的境界。所以,最好的书是金玉良言的宝库,若将其中的崇高思想铭记于心,就成为我们忠实的伴侣和永恒的慰籍。菲利普·悉尼爵士说得好:“有高尚思想作伴的人永不孤独。”

  The good and true thought may in times of temptation (lure) be as an angel of mercy purifying and guarding the soul. It also enshrines the germs of action, for good words almost always inspire to good works.

  当我们面临诱惑的时候,优美纯真的思想会像仁慈的天使一样,纯洁并保卫我们的灵魂。优美纯真的思想也蕴育着行动的胚芽,因为金玉良言几乎总会启发善行。

  Books possess an essence of immortality (the nature of endless life). They are by far the most lasting products of human effort. Temples and statues decay (rot), but books survive. Time is of no account (of no importance ) 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 has been to sift out (make sth bad away) the bad products; for nothing in literature can long survive but what is really good.

  书籍具有不朽的本质,是人类勤奋努力的最为持久的产物。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,时间是无关重要的。多少年代前初次闪现在脑海里的伟大思想今天依然清新如故。他们当时的言论和思想刊于书页,如今依然那么生动感人。时间唯一的作用是淘汰不好的作品,因为只有真正的佳作才能经世长存。

  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 them as if they were really alive; we sympathize with them, enjoy with them, grieve with them; their experience becomes ours, and we feel as if we were in a measure (in some degree ) actors with them in the scenes which they describe.

  书籍引导我们与最优秀的人物为伍,使我们置身历代伟人巨匠之间,如闻其声,如观其行,如见其人。同他们情感交融,悲喜与共。他们的感受成为我们自己的感受,我们觉得有点象是在所描绘的人生舞台上跟他们一起粉墨登场了。

  The great and good do not die even in this world. Embalmed (Spring embalms the woods and fields.春天使森林和田野吐露芬芳。) in books, their spirits walk abroad. The book is a living voice. It is an intellect to which one still listens. Hence we ever remain under the influence of the great men of old. The imperial intellects of the world are as much alive now as they were ages ago.

  即使在人世间,伟大杰出的人物,也是永生不灭的,他们的精神载入书册,传之四海。书是人们至今仍在聆听的智慧之声,永远充满着活力。所以,我们永远都是在受着历代伟人的影响。多少世纪以前的盖世英才,如今仍同当年一样,显示着强大的生命力。

英语美文欣赏13

  2.The Necktie through Thick and Thin

  From hat to shoes,men's clothes are useful.Only one piece of clothing is worn just for decoration.It is the necktie,or cravat.The necktie is left over from the time when men wore ruffles,ribbons,and tassels.

  Beau Brummel was an Englishman of the early 1800's.He was famous for his fancy clothes.The story is told that he used to invite guests just to watch him knot his white cravat.

  Now,perhaps,even the necktie is going out of style.It has been getting smaller and smaller for hundreds of years.It started out as a piece of lace and turned into a silk bow.Then it became a triangle that was tied around the neck.Now many neckties are no wider than a piece of string.

  2.领带的沧桑

  人的衣物,从帽子到鞋,都有实用价值。唯有一样完全是为了装饰,那就是领带,或者叫“克拉瓦特”。领带是人们从佩戴饰边、缎带和帽穗的时代遗留下来的。

  博·布伦美是19世纪初叶的一位英国人,因穿着的花哨而出名。传说他常邀请客人专程去观看他给自己白色的领带打结。

  现在,也许连领带也快不时髦了。几百年来,领带变得越来越小。当初,它只不过是一段带子,后来变成丝制的蝴蝶结,以后又演变为缠在脖子上的三角形饰物。现在许多领带的宽度只不过相当于一根绳子的粗细罢了。

  异国的阳光其实并不遥远

  What day is it today? Is it Tuesday or Thursday? This thought raced through her mind as she sat back with her studentsgoing over the lesson that never seemed to end. Didn’t I just do this yesterday? Or was it a year ago? Hell, everything seemed to jumble together anymore. "Miss Smith

  can I go to the bathroom?" Jorge asked, as he proceeded to jump from one foot to another, holding himself. How many times have I heard this? She wondered as she abruptly said, "Yes" and watched as he raced out of the room.

  Sitting at the table she gazed at her students while thinking of what she would do after work. Maybe I’ll go to the gym or stop at the market for something to eat tonight. Mechanically she continued with her lesson on the short letter "a" with her students. "The letter "a" makes what sound?" "a, a, a", the students sang together going through the empty motions. The clock dragged away the minutes teasing her with the tediousness of the day.

  Won’t it end? She thought as the phone rang out its morse code for her room. Sighing she stood up and walked through the maze of students desks to get to the phone. Picking up the receiver the other voice seemed a hundred miles away. Oh, how I wish I were anywhere but here. Here mind wandered to the hot exotic beach of Cabo, Mexico, where she had spent her last summer break. She still remembered the cool breezes that caressed her skin as she lay on the gritty sand.

  "Miss Smith did you hear me?" the secretary annoyingly asked her. "Oh, sorry. What did you say?" "Can you send Carla to the office?" the secretary impatiently asked. "Oh, course" she replied as she hung up the phone. She turned from the phone and yelled out Carla’s name. Carla, who was one of the many who always seemed so needy that were in her class this year. Carla looked up from her desk, her hair hanging like a matted displaced doll. Her face was lined with dirt that gave her the appearance of one of those munchkins from the Wizard of Oz. "You need to go to the office", she said while Carla slowly rose from her desk. "Why do I have to go?" whined Carla. "It’s between you and the office—just go up" she hastily turned her back as Carla walked out of the room. Like having free school uniforms is the answer. It would be nice if just once someone called saying something nice or thanking me for all the endless crap I have to deal with. With a sigh she walked back to her other students who were clustered at the back table patiently waiting her return.

  The rest of the afternoon blurred into one long endless repetition. Finally the bell rang as a relief. As she led her students out the door they walked behind her as baby chicks returning to their fold. She noticed that their mother hens clucked to them behind the iron gate. As she proceeded to walk down the corridor, the air, which rose with the musical tingle of Spanish coloring everything that touched it, greeted her. She watched with a touch of envy as the children left her to return to those homes that probably were filled with laughter and warmth while she would once again return to the same endless march of boredom.

  "Senora, un momento por favor" She turned her head and noticed the small shriveled man, his brown face lined with a map to places only he knew. "Thanks for helping my grandson Julio to read" the gentleman said in his faltering broken English. She immediately thought of Julio, who once as unreachable as a hardened walnut, slowly cracked opened to reveal the eager child inside. She thought of the inner struggle Julio must have had as he tried to make sense of the foreign letters and the sudden joy when he had unbroken the mysterious code. Was the grandfather the same? She looked up at this elderly gentleman, probably his grandfather, and quickly recognized the sameness of the two. "Gracias Senora" a weathered hand came out and firmly grasped hers with warmth that radiated from his soul to hers. Just as abruptly he removed his hand and left her. As he walked away she thought of that exotic sun and realized maybe it was closer to her than she thought.

  今天是星期几?星期二还是星期三?她和学生进行那似乎永无休止的复习,课间休息时,这个念头在她脑子里转了好几圈。我是不是昨天才做完?或者那已是去年的事了?该死,好像什么事都搅到一块儿来了。“史密斯小姐,我可以去一下洗手间吗?”乔治正要迈腿,又停下问道。我是第几次听到这个了?她想着这个问题,随即说道:“去吧”,看着他跑出了教室。

  她坐在桌边,眼睛盯着学生,脑子里却在想,下了班该去哪里。也许该去健身,或者去市场买点东西晚上吃。她机械地上着课,给学生讲字母“a”。“‘a’怎么念?”“a, a, a”学生们齐声干巴巴地念着。时钟一分分过去,似乎在嘲笑她这沉闷的一天。

  该结束了吧?她正想着,教室的电话响了。她叹了一口气,站起身来,穿过学生的课桌去接电话。拿起话筒,那一端的声音似乎从100英里以外传来。天,要是身处异地该多好!。她神游到了充满异国情调的墨西哥卡波海滩,去年暑假她就是在那儿度过的`。她仍记得慵懒地躺在沙滩上,任习习凉风亲吻自己的肌肤。

  “史密斯小姐,你在听我说话吗?”秘书有点生气地问道。“哦,对不起,你刚才说什么?”“叫卡拉到我办公室来一下。”秘书更不耐烦了。“哦,好的。”她边说边挂了电话。她转过身来叫着卡拉的名字。卡拉是今年她班上许多贫困学生之一。卡拉抬起头,松散的头发像一篷乱草。满脸泥垢的她看起来像《绿野仙踪》里的芒虚金。“你去一趟办公室。”当卡拉慢慢抬起头的时候,她说道。“为什么要我去?”卡拉嗫嚅道。“去了就知道。快去吧。”她随即转过身,卡拉出去了。她是去领免费的校服的。如果能有人打电话来,说些好听的话或者感谢我做的这些讨厌的工作就好了。她叹了口气,回到后排那一群正耐心等着她的学生。

  整个下午都在不断重复着这不尽的单调。最后,救命的钟声终于敲响了。她带着学生走出了教室,就像母鸡带着小鸡回窝似的。她看到学生的妈妈正在铁门后热切等待着他们。当她穿过走廊的时候,那带着西班牙音乐气息的空气迎面扑来。她羡慕地看着孩子们离开她,回到充满欢笑和温暖的家,而自己却不得不再次回到这无尽的单调与无聊之中。

  “您好,夫人,打扰你几分钟。”她转过头看到一个窘迫的男人,棕色的脸上布满了皱纹。“谢谢您对我孙子胡里奥的帮助。”他用蹩脚的英语说道。她立即想起了胡里奥,曾经外表看来那么不可接近,后来慢慢地敞开了一个孩子热切的内心世界。胡里奥一定暗暗努力想学好外文,并且每次进步都能令他欣喜不已。这位祖父也是这样吗?她抬头看着这位也许是胡里奥祖父的老人家,很快就意识到他们两人之间的共通之处。“谢谢您,夫人。”他伸出一只饱经风霜的手,紧紧握住她,他的热情深深地感染了她。他很快又缩回了手,走开了。当他离开时,她想到了异国的阳光,而且明白,异国的阳光其实并不遥远。

英语美文欣赏14

  Love makes the world go around.

  爱开启了世界的转动之轮。

  Love to us human is what water to fish. Love shines the most beautiful light of humanity, we born in it, we live by it. Too often we take it as granted, but we should know love is a priceless gift we should cherish. But how to cherish the love? I have heard a saying: the quickest way to receive love is to give it; the fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly; the best way to keep love is to give it wings.

  爱对我们的意义来说就好比水对鱼的意义。爱照亮我们人性中最美好的部分。我们带着父母的爱出生,我们在爱的.拥抱下成长。但我们经常把爱视作理所当然,事实上我们应该知道爱应该是无价的,它需要受到珍视。我曾听人说,想要得到爱的最快方法就是付出爱,失去爱的最快方法就是抓得太紧,保持爱的最好方法就是让爱自由飞翔。

  When you are young, you may want several love experiences. But as time goes on, you will realize that if you really love someone, the whole life will not be enough. You need time to know, to forgive and to love. All this needs a very big mind.

  年轻的时候会想要谈很多次恋爱,但是随着年龄的增长,终于领悟到爱一个人,就算用一辈子的时间,还是会嫌不够。慢慢地去了解这个人,体谅这个人,直到爱上为止,是需要有非常宽大的胸襟才行。

  It is important for us to learn to love as the first class in our life. Only when you know how to love than you will be a real man in this world. Love brings us warmth in the fearful coldness, love brings us bright when life gets hard and dark. Love brings us confidence toward life when we are tired out and want to give up.

  学会爱是我们人生重要的第一课。只有当你知道如何去爱时你才会在这个世界中找到真正的自我。爱在我们恐惧时带给我们温暖,在我们疲惫气馁的时候带给对于生活的自信。

  Love deserves all the admiring words, and love is even beyond the life and death. That is what love is all about in my eyes.

  用一切言语来赞美爱情都不为过,爱超越了生死。这就是我眼中的爱。

英语美文欣赏15

  The White Envelope

  It's just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It has peeked through the branches of our tree for the past 10 years or so.

  It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas — oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it — overspending... the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma — the gifts given in desperation because you couldn't think of anything else.

  Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts, sweaters, ties and so forth. I reached for something special just for Mike. The inspiration came in an unusual way.

  Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended; and shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church. These youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged that shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, presented a sharp contrast to our boys in their spiffy blue and gold uniforms and sparkling new wrestling shoes.

  As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler's ears. It was a luxury the ragtag team obviously could not afford. Well, we ended up walloping them. We took every weight class. And as each of their boys got up from the mat, he swaggered around in his tatters with false bravado, a kind of street pride that couldn't acknowledge defeat.

  Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, “I wish just one of them could have won,” he said. “They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them.”

  Mike loved kids — all kids — and he knew them, having coached little league football, baseball and lacrosse. That's when the idea for his present came. That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes and sent the anonymously to the inner-city church.

  On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me. His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and in succeeding years.

  For each Christmas, I followed the tradition — one year sending a group of mentally handicapped youngsters to a hockey game, another year a check to a pair of elderly brothers whose home had burned to the ground the week before Christmas, and on and on.

  The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning and our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents.

  As the children grew, the toys gave way to more practical presents, but the envelope never lost its allure. The story doesn't end there. You see, we lost Mike last year due to dreaded cancer. When Christmas rolled around, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree, and in the morning, it was joined by three more.

  Each of our children, unbeknownst to the others, had placed an envelope on the tree for their dad. The tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing around the tree with wide-eyed anticipation watching as their fathers take down the envelope. Mike's spirit, like the Christmas spirit, will always be with us.

  May we all remember the reason for the season, and the true Christmas spirit this year and always. God bless — pass this along to your friends and loved ones.

  Happy Holidays!

  December is one of my favorite months as it's the month of lights, and the month of giving, and thanking. I received this mail from my friend Debra this evening, and wanted to share it. I really think it touches all of us in many ways. As it is said you can never give or receive too many mizvot (in Jewish it's the act of giving) Maybe it could be your “WHITE ENVELOPE”.

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