Homesick乡愁
When I was a child， my homesickness was a small stamp
Linking Mum at the other end and me this.
When grown up， I remained homesick， but it became a ticket
By which I sailed to and from my bride at the other end.
Then homesickness took the shape of a grave，
Mum inside of it and me outside.
Now I’m still homesick， but it is a narrow strait
Separating me on this side and the mainland on the other.
小时候，乡愁是一枚小小的邮票，
我在这头，母亲在那头。
长大后，乡愁是一张窄窄的船票，
我在这头，新娘在那头。
后来啊！乡愁是一方矮矮的坟墓，
我在外头，母亲在里头。
而现在，乡愁是一湾浅浅的海峡，
我在这头，大陆在那头。
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，温柔地问：“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。”
Love Her More Than You Love Yourself爱她，甚于爱你自己
Those Childhood Days
When you came into the world， she held you in her arms.
You thanked her by weeping your eyes out.
When you were 1 year old， she fed you and bathed you.
You thanked her by crying all night long.
When you were 2 years old， she taught you to walk.
You thanked her by running away when she called.
When you were 3 years old， she made all your meals with love.
You thanked her by tossing your plate on the floor.
When you were 4 years old， she gave you some crayons.
You thanked her by coloring the dining room table.
When you were 5 years old， she dressed you for the holidays.
You thanked her by plopping into the nearest pile of mud.
When you were 6 years old， she walked you to school.
You thanked her by screaming， “I'm not going！”
When you were 7 years old， she bought you a baseball.
You thanked her by throwing it through the next-door-neighbor's window.
When you were 8 years old， she handed you an ice cream.
You thanked her by dripping it all over your lap.
When you were 9 years old， she paid for piano lessons.
You thanked her by never even bothering to practice.
When you were 10 years old， she drove you all day， from soccer to gymnastics to one birthday party after another.
You thanked her by jumping out of the car and never looking back.
When you were 11 years old， she took you and your friends to the movies.
You thanked her by asking to sit in a different row.
When you were 12 years old， she warned you not to watch certain TV shows.
You thanked her by waiting until she left the house.
Those Teenage Years
When you were 13， she suggested a haircut that was becoming.
You thanked her by telling her she had no taste.
When you were 14， she paid for a month away at summer camp.
You thanked her by forgetting to write a single letter.
When you were 15， she came home from work， looking for a hug.
You thanked her by having your bedroom door locked.
When you were 16， she taught you how to drive her car.
You thanked her by taking it every chance you could.
When you were 17， she was expecting an important call.
You thanked her by being on the phone all night.
When you were 18， she cried at your high school graduation.
You thanked her by staying out partying until dawn.
Growing Old and Gray
When you were 19， she paid your college tuition， drove you to campus， carried your bags.
You thanked her by saying good-bye outside the dorm so you wouldn't be embarrassed in front of your friends.
When you were 20， she asked whether you were seeing anyone.
You thanked her by saying， “It's none of your business.”
When you were 21， she suggested certain careers for your future.
You thanked her by saying， “I don't want to be like you.”
When you were 22， she hugged you at your college graduation.
You thanked her by asking whether she could pay for a trip to Europe.
When you were 23， she gave you furniture for your first apartment.
You thanked her by telling your friends it was ugly.
When you were 24， she met your fiance10 and asked about your plans for the future.
You thanked her by glaring and growling， “Muuhh-ther， please！”
When you were 25， she helped to pay for your wedding， and she cried and told you how deeply she loved you.
You thanked her by moving halfway across the country.
When you were 30， she called with some advice on the baby.
You thanked her by telling her， “Things are different now.”
When you were 40， she called to remind you of a relative's birthday.
You thanked her by saying you were “really busy right now.”
When you were 50， she fell ill and needed you to take care of her.
You thanked her by reading about the burden parents become to their children.
And then one day she quietly died.
And everything you never did came crashing down like thunder.
“Rock me baby， rock me all night long.”
“The hand who rocks the cradle...may rock the world”.
Let us take a moment of the time just to pay tribute and show appreciation to the person called mom though some may not say it openly to their mother. There's no substitute for her. Cherish every single moment. Though at times she may not be the best of friends， may not agree to our thoughts， she is still your mother！！！ She will be there for you...to listen to your woes， your braggings， your frustrations， etc. Ask yourself...have you put aside enough time for her， to listen to her “blues” of working in the kitchen， her tiredness？ Be tactful， loving and still show her due respect though you may have a different view from hers. Once gone， only fond memories of the past and also regrets will be left.
Don't take for granted the things closest to your heart.
Love her more than you love yourself.
Life is meaningless without her...
童年时光
你来到人世，她抱你在怀。
你报答她，哭得天昏地暗。
你1岁时，她为你哺乳，为你洗澡。
你报答她，哭了个通宵。
你2岁时，她教你走路。
你报答她，她一叫你就跑。
你3岁时，她满怀爱心为你备三餐。
你报答她，把盘子一抛摔在地。
你4岁时，她给你几支彩笔。
你报答她，把餐桌涂成大花脸。
你5岁时，节日里她盛妆打扮你。
你报答她，扑通一声摔进旁边一堆泥巴里。
你6岁时，她步行送你去上学。
你报答她，扯着嗓子叫：“我就是不去！”
你7岁时，她给你买来个棒球。
你报答她，把邻居的玻璃砸得稀里哗啦。
你8岁时，她递给你一支冰淇淋。
你报答她，膝盖上滴的全是它。
你9岁时，她掏钱让你学钢琴。
你报答她，从来不费心去练它。
你10岁时，她整天开车为你忙，从足球场到健身房，到一个又一个的生日会场。
你报答她，跳下车，头也不回背朝她。
你11岁时，她带你和朋友去影院。
你报答她，请她坐到另一排。
你12岁时，她警告你有些电视不要看。
你报答她，等她离开偏要看。
少年岁月
你13岁，她建议你把发型剪得体。
你报答她，对她连说没品味。
14岁时，她掏钱送你进夏令营。
你报答她，整月没有一封信。
15岁时，她下班回到家，期望有人拥抱她。
你报答她，把房门反锁不理她。
你16岁时，她手把手教你开她的车。
你报答她，逮着机会就玩车。
你17岁，她在等一个重要电话。
你报答她，电话粥煲了一通宵。
18岁你高中毕业时，她喜极而泣把泪洒。
你报答她，在外面聚会通宵达旦不回家。
成人、渐老
你19岁，大学学费她买单，扛着包开车送你到学校。
你报答她，在宿舍门外说再见，为的是不在朋友面前现大眼。
你20岁，她问你是否在约会。
你报答她，对她说，“这事不管不行吗！”
你21岁，她为你将来事业提建议。
你报答她，对她说，“我才不愿学你样！”
你22岁，大学毕业典礼上，她伸手把你紧拥抱。
你报答她，问她能否掏钱让你到欧洲逛一趟。
你23岁，她为你第一套公寓置家具。
你报答她，告诉朋友家具的模样丑。
你24岁，她遇到你的未婚夫，问你们将来何打算。
你报答她，对她怒目加咆哮，“妈……，得了吧，求你啦！”
你25岁，她花钱帮你筹办婚礼，哭诉深深爱着你。
你报答她，安家离她千万里。
你30岁，她打来电话为宝宝抚养提忠告。
你报答她，告诉她，“如今情况不同啦！”
你40岁，她打电话把醒提，亲戚的生日匆忘记。
你报答她，说你“实在忙得不用提。”
你50岁，她病倒需要你照顾。
你报答她，念叨父母成负担。
后来有一天，她悄悄地去了。
突然间，你该做未做的事，仿佛霹雳，在你耳边炸响。
“摇啊摇，摇我这个小宝宝，一夜到天亮。”
“摇摇篮的手啊……可以摇世界。”
让我们花一小会儿时间，对那个叫“妈”的人表示敬意，表达感谢，虽然有些人当着面说不出口。妈妈是不可替代的。珍惜与她在一起的每一时刻吧。虽然有时候，她可能不是我们最好的朋友，可能不同意我们的想法，但妈妈就是妈妈！她始终陪伴你身边，听你的伤心事，听你吹大牛，听你把沮丧倾诉……扪心自问，你是否曾经抽出过足够的时间陪伴她，听她讲围着灶台转的“伤心事”，讲她也会疲劳？就算你与她意见不一，也要委婉，充满爱心，对她表示出应有的尊敬。一旦她去了，剩下的就只有对过去岁月的美好回忆，还有就是终生的遗憾。
不要以为，与你心最近，你就理所应得。
爱她，要甚于爱你自己。
生命中没有了她，将了无意义……
A Boy with a Mission男孩的使命
In 1945， a 12-year-old boy saw something in a shop window that set his heart racing. But the price—five dollars—was far beyond Reuben Earle's means. Five dollars would buy almost a week's groceries for his family.
Reuben couldn't ask his father for the money. Everything Mark Earle made through fishing in Bay Roberts， Newfoundland， Canada. Reuben's mother， Dora， stretched like elastic to feed and clothe their five children.
Nevertheless， he opened the shop's weathered door and went inside. Standing proud and straight in his flour-sack shirt and washed-out trousers， he told the shopkeeper what he wanted， adding， “But I don't have the money right now. Can you please hold it for me for some time？”
“I'll try，" the shopkeeper smiled. “Folks around here don't usually have that kind of money to spend on things. It should keep for a while.”
Reuben respectfully touched his worn cap and walked out into the sunlight with the bay rippling in a freshening wind. There was purpose in his loping stride5. He would raise the five dollars and not tell anybody.
Hearing the sound of hammering from a side street， Reuben had an idea.
He ran towards the sound and stopped at a construction site. People built their own homes in Bay Roberts， using nails purchased in Hessian sacks from a local factory. Sometimes the sacks were discarded in the flurry of building， and Reuben knew he could sell them back to the factory for five cents a piece.
That day he found two sacks， which he took to the rambling wooden factory and sold to the man in charge of packing nails.
The boy's hand tightly clutched the five-cent pieces as he ran the two kilometers home.
Near his house stood the ancient barn that housed the family's goats and chickens. Reuben found a rusty soda tin and dropped his coins inside. Then he climbed into the loft of the barn and hid the tin beneath a pile of sweet smelling hay.
It was dinnertime when Reuben got home. His father sat at the big kitchen table， working on a fishing net. Dora was at the kitchen stove， ready to serve dinner as Reuben took his place at the table.
He looked at his mother and smiled. Sunlight from the window gilded her shoulder-length blonde hair. Slim and beautiful， she was the center of the home， the glue that held it together.
Her chores were never-ending. Sewing clothes for her family on the old Singer treadle machine， cooking meals and baking bread， planting and tending a vegetable garden， milking the goats and scrubbing soiled clothes on a washboard. But she was happy. Her family and their well-being were her highest priority.
Every day after chores and school， Reuben scoured the town， collecting the hessian nail bags. On the day the two-room school closed for the summer， no student was more delighted than Reuben. Now he would have more time for his mission.
All summer long， despite chores at home weeding and watering the garden， cutting wood and fetching water—Reuben kept to his secret task.
Then all too soon the garden was harvested， the vegetables canned and stored， and the school reopened. Soon the leaves fell and the winds blew cold and gusty from the bay. Reuben wandered the streets， diligently searching for his hessian treasures.
Often he was cold， tired and hungry， but the thought of the object in the shop window sustained him. Sometimes his mother would ask： “Reuben， where were you？ We were waiting for you to have dinner.”
“Playing， Mum. Sorry.”
Dora would look at his face and shake her head. Boys.
Finally spring burst into glorious green and Reuben's spirits erupted. The time had come！ He ran into the barn， climbed to the hayloft and uncovered the tin can. He poured the coins out and began to count.
Then he counted again. He needed 20 cents more. Could there be any sacks left any where in town？ He had to find four and sell them before the day ended.
Reuben ran down Water Street.
The shadows were lengthening when Reuben arrived at the factory. The sack buyer was about to lock up.
“Mister！ Please don't close up yet.”
The man turned and saw Reuben， dirty and sweat stained.
“Come back tomorrow， boy.”
“Please， Mister. I have to sell the sacks now—please.”The man heard a tremor in Reuben's voice and could tell he was close to tears.
“Why do you need this money so badly？”
“It's a secret.”
The man took the sacks， reached into his pocket and put four coins in Reuben's hand. Reuben murmured a thank you and ran home.
Then， clutching the tin can， he headed for the shop.
“I have the money！” he solemnly told the owner.
The man went to the window and retrieved Reuben's treasure.
He wiped the dust off and gently wrapped it in brown paper. Then he placed the parcel in Reuben's hands.
Racing home， Reuben burst through the front door. His mother was scrubbing the kitchen stove. “Here， Mum！ Here！”Reuben exclaimed as he ran to her side. He placed a small box in her work roughened hand.
She unwrapped it carefully， to save the paper. A blue-velvet jewel box appeared. Dora lifted the lid， tears beginning to blur her vision.
In gold lettering on a small， almond-shaped brooch was the word Mother.
It was Mother's Day， 1946.
Dora had never received such a gift； she had no finery except her wedding ring. Speechless， she smiled radiantly and gathered her son into her arms.
1945年，一个12岁的男孩在一家商店橱窗里看到一样令他心动的东西，但是——5美元——远不是鲁本·厄尔能付得起的。5美元几乎够买全家一周的食品呢。
鲁本不能向父亲要钱。马克·厄尔的每一分钱都是靠在加拿大纽芬兰的罗伯茨湾捕鱼挣来的。鲁本的母亲多拉，为了不让五个孩子冻着饿着，差不多是一个钱当两个钱用。
尽管如此，鲁本还是推开商店那扇久经风雨的门走了进去。他穿着面粉袋改做的衬衫和洗得褪了色的裤子，站得笔直，丝毫不觉困窘。他告诉了店主他想要的东西，又加上一句：“可我现在还没有钱买它，您能为我预留一段时间吗？”
“我尽量吧，”店主微笑着说，“这儿的人买起东西来，一般不会花那么大一笔钱的，一时半会儿卖不出去 。”
鲁本很有礼貌地碰了碰他的旧帽沿儿，走出店外。阳光下清新的微风吹得罗伯茨湾的海水泛起阵阵涟漪。鲁本迈着大步，下定决心：他要凑齐那5美元，而且不告诉任何人。
听到街边传来的铁锤声，鲁本有了主意。
他循声跑过去，来到一处建筑工地。罗伯茨湾的人喜欢自己建房，用的钉子是从本地一家工厂买的，都用麻袋来装。有时干活时忙乱中麻袋就被随手丢弃，而鲁本知道他可以 5分钱一条把麻袋再卖给工厂。
那天，他找了两条麻袋，拿到杂乱的木材厂，卖给为钉子装袋的人。
两公里的路程他是一路跑着回的家，手里紧紧攥着两个5分硬币。
他家旁边有个颇有年头的谷仓，里面圈着家里的山羊和鸡。鲁本在那里找到一个生锈的装苏打的铁罐，把两枚硬币放了进去。然后，他爬上谷仓的阁楼，把铁罐藏在一堆散发着甜香味的干草下面。
晚饭时分，鲁本跨进家门。父亲正坐在厨房大餐桌旁摆弄渔网，多拉在灶台边忙碌着，准备开饭。鲁本就在桌边坐下了。
他看着妈妈，笑了。窗户透进的夕阳余晖将她棕褐的披肩发染成了金色。苗条、美丽的母亲是这个家的中心，她像胶水一样使这个家紧紧黏结在一起。
母亲的家务活永远也没个完。用老式的“胜家”缝纫机为一家人缝缝补补；要做饭、烤面包；要照料菜园；要挤羊奶；还要在洗衣板上搓洗脏衣服。可母亲是快乐的，全家人的幸福、健康在她心中是最重要的。
每天放学，做完家务事后，鲁本就在镇上搜寻装钉子的麻袋。只有两间教室的学校开始放暑假的那天，没人能比鲁本更高兴了。现在他有更多时间去完成他的使命。
整整一个夏天，鲁本除了干家务——给菜园锄草、浇水，砍柴和打水外，始终进行着他的秘密任务。
转眼菜园里该采收了，蔬菜被装罐腌制后储藏，学校也开学了。再不久，树叶飘零，海湾吹起阵阵寒风。鲁本在街头徘徊，努力寻找着被他视为宝物的麻袋。
他经常是饥寒交迫，疲惫不堪，但是一想到商店橱窗里的那样东西，他就又有劲儿坚持下去了。有时妈妈会问：“鲁本，你上哪儿啦？我们等你吃饭呢！”
“玩去啦，妈妈。对不起。”
这时候，多拉总会瞧着他的脸，无奈地摇摇头，心想：男孩就是男孩。
春天终于来了，带来片片绿意，鲁本的精神也随之振奋。是时候了！他跑到谷仓，爬上草垛，打开铁罐，倒出所有硬币清点起来。
他又数一遍，还差20美分。镇上哪儿还会有丢弃的麻袋吗？他必须在今天结束之前再找4条去卖掉。
鲁本沿着沃特街走着。
鲁本赶到工厂，厂房的影子已被夕阳拉得很长了。收购麻袋的人正要锁门。
“先生！请先不要关门。”
那人转过身来，看到了脏兮兮、汗涔涔的鲁本。
“明天再来吧，孩子。”
“求您了，先生，我必须现在把麻袋卖掉——求您啦。”那人感觉到鲁本的声音在颤抖，知道他快要哭了。
“你为什么这么急着要这点儿钱？”
“这是秘密。”
那人接过麻袋，手伸进口袋，掏出4个硬币放在鲁本手里。鲁本轻轻说了声“谢谢”就往家跑。
接着，他紧紧搂着铁罐，直奔那家商店。
“我有钱啦！”他一本正经地告诉店主。
店主走向橱窗，取出鲁本梦寐以求的东西。
他掸去灰尘，用牛皮纸把它小心包好，然后把这个小包放到鲁本手上。
鲁本一路狂奔到家，冲进前门。妈妈正在厨房擦洗灶台。“瞧，妈妈！瞧！”鲁本一边跑向她一边大叫着。他把一个小盒子放在她因劳作而变得粗糙的手上。
为了不损坏包装纸，她小心翼翼地把它拆开，一个蓝色天鹅绒的首饰盒映入眼帘。多拉打开盒盖，泪水顿时模糊了她的双眼。
在一个小巧的心状胸针上刻着金字：母亲。
那是1946年的母亲节。
多拉从未收到过这样的礼物；除了结婚戒指外，她没有别的饰物。哽咽无语，她把儿子一把揽入怀中，脸上洋溢着动人的光彩。
A Womans Tears女人的眼泪
A little boy asked his mother "why are you crying？"
"Because I'm a woman，" she told him.
"I don't understand，" he said.
His mum just hugged him and said， "And you never will."
Later the little boy asked his father， "Why does mother seem to cry for no reason？"
"All women cry for no reason，" was all his dad could say.
The little boy grew up and became a man， still wondering why women cry.
Finally he put in a call to god； and when god got on the phone， he asked， "god， why do women cry so easily？"
God said： "when I made the woman she had to be special. I made her shoulders strong enough to carry the weight of the world； yet， gentle enough to give comfort."
"I gave her an inner strength to endure childbirth and the rejection that many times comes from her children."
"I gave her a hardness that allows her to keep going when everyone else gives up， and take care of her family through sickness and fatigue without complaining."
"I gave her the sensitivity to love her children under any and all circumstances， even when her child has hurt her very badly."
"I gave her strength to carry her husband through his faults and fashioned her from his rib to protect his heart."
"I gave her wisdom to know that a good husband never hurts his wife， but sometimes tests her strengths and her resolve to stand beside him unfalteringly."
"And finally， I gave her a tear to shed. this is hers exclusively to use whenever it is needed."
"You see： the beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears， the figure that she carries， or the way she combs her hair."
"The beauty of a woman must be seen in her eyes， because that is the doorway to her heart * the place where love resides."
一个男孩问他的妈妈：“你为什么要哭呢？”
妈妈说：“因为我是女人啊。”
男孩说：“我不懂。”
他妈妈抱起他说：“你永远不会懂得。”
后来小男孩就问他爸爸：“妈妈为什么毫无理由的哭呢？”
“所有女人都这样。”他爸爸回答。
小男孩长成了一个男人，但仍就不懂女人为什么哭泣。
最后，他打电话给上帝；当上帝拿起电话时，他问道：“上帝，女人为什么那么容易哭泣呢？”
上帝回答说：“当我创造女人时，让她很特别。我使她的肩膀能挑起整个世界的重担，并且又柔情似水。”
“我让她的内心很坚强，能够承受分娩的痛苦和忍受自己孩子多次的拒绝。”
“我赋予她耐心使她在别人放弃的时候继续坚持，并且无怨无悔地照顾自己的家人渡过疾病和疲劳。”
“我赋予她在任何情况下都会爱孩子的感情，即使她的孩子伤害了她。”
“我赋予她包容她丈夫过错的坚强和用他的肋骨塑成她来保护他的心。”
“我赋予她智慧让她知道一个好丈夫是绝不会伤害他的妻子的，但有时我也会考验她支持自己丈夫的决心和坚强。”
“最后，我让她可以流泪，只要她愿意，这是她所独有的。”
“你看，女人的漂亮不是因为她穿的衣服，她保持的体型或者她梳头的方式。”
“女人的漂亮必须从她的眼睛中去看，因为那是她心灵的窗户和爱居住的地方。”
A Brother Like That哥哥的心愿
A friend of mine named Paul received an automobile from his brother as a Christmas present. On Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office， a street urchin was walking around the shiny new car， admiring it.
"Is this your car， Mister？" he said.
Paul nodded. "My brother gave it to me for Christmas." The boy was astounded. "You mean your brother gave it to you and it didn't cost you nothing？ Boy， I wish . . ." He hesitated.
Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for. He was going to wish he had a brother like that. But what the lad said jarred Paul all the way down to his heels.
"I wish，" the boy went on， "That I could be a brother like that."
Paul looked at the boy in astonishment， then impulsively he added， "Would you like to take a ride in my car？"
"Oh yes， I'd love that."
After a short ride， the boy turned with his eyes aglow， said， "Mister， would you mind driving in front of my house？"
Paul smiled a little. He thought he knew what the lad wanted. He wanted to show his neighbors that he could ride home in a big automobile. But Paul was wrong again. "Will you stop where those two steps are？" the boy asked.
He ran up the steps. Then in a little while Paul heard him coming back， but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled brother. He sat him down on the bottom step， then sort of squeezed up against him and pointed to the car.
"There she is， Buddy， just like I told you upstairs.His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it didn't cost him a cent. And some day I'm gonna give you one just like it . . . then you can see for yourself all the pretty things in the Christmas windows that I've been trying to tell you about."
Paul got out and lifted the lad to the front seat of his car. The shining-eyed older brother climbed in beside him and the three of them began a memorable holiday ride.
That Christmas Eve， Paul learned what Jesus meant when he said： "It is more blessed to give…"
圣诞节时，保罗的哥哥送他一辆新车。圣诞节当天，保罗离开办公室时，一个男孩绕着那辆闪闪发亮的新车，十分赞叹地问：
“先生，这是你的车？”
保罗点点头：“这是我哥哥送给我的圣诞节礼物。”男孩满脸惊讶，支支吾吾地说：“你是说这是你哥送的礼物，没花你一分钱？天啊，我真希望也能……”
保罗当然知道男孩他真想希望什么。他希望能有一个像那样的哥哥。但是小男孩接下来说的话却完全出乎了保罗的意料。
“我希望自己能成为送车给弟弟的哥哥。”男孩继续说。
保罗惊愕地看着那男孩，冲口而出地说：“你要不要坐我的车去兜风？”
“哦，当然好了，我太想坐了！”
车开了一小段路后，那孩子转过头来，眼睛闪闪发亮，说道：“先生，你能不能把车子开到我家门前？”
保罗微笑，他知道孩子想干什么。那男孩必定是要向邻居炫耀，让大家知道他坐了一部大轿车回家。但是这次保罗又猜错了。“你能不能把车子停在那两个台阶前？”男孩要求道。
男孩跑上了阶梯，过了一会儿保罗听到他回来了，但动作似乎有些缓慢。原来把他跛脚的弟弟带出来了，将他安置在第一个台阶上，紧紧地抱着他，指着那辆新车。
只听那男孩告诉弟弟：“你看，这就是我刚才在楼上对你说的那辆新车。这是保罗他哥哥送给他的哦！将来我也会送给你一辆像这样的车，到那时候你就能自己去看那些在圣诞节时，挂在窗口上的漂亮饰品了，就像我告诉过你的那样。”
保罗走下车子，把跛脚男孩抱到车子的前座。兴奋得满眼放光的哥哥也爬上车子，坐在弟弟的身旁。就这样他们三人开始一次令人难忘的假日兜风。
那个圣诞夜，保罗才真正体会主耶稣所说的“施比受更有福”的道理。
A Boy and His Tree男孩和树
A long time ago， there was a huge apple tree. A little boy loved to come and play around it every day. He climbed to the tree top， ate the apples， took a nap under the shadow… He loved the tree and the tree loved to play with him.
Time went by…The little boy had grown up and he no longer played around the tree.
One day， the boy came back to the tree and looked sad. “Come and play with me，” the tree asked the boy.
“I am no longer a kid， I don’t play around trees anymore.” The boy replied， “I want toys. I need money to buy them.”
“Sorry， but I don’t have money…but you can pick all my apples and sell them. So， you will have money.” The boy was so excited. He picked all the apples on the tree and left happily. The boy didn’t come back after he picked the apples. The tree was sad.
One day， the boy returned and the tree was so excited. “Come and play with me.” The tree said.
“I don’t have time to play. I have to work for my family. We need a house for shelter. Can you help me？”
“Sorry， but I don’t have a house. But you can cut off my branches to build your house.” So the boy cut all the branches of the tree and left happily.
The tree was glad to see him happy but the boy didn’t appear since then. The tree was again lonely and sad.
One hot summer day， the boy returned and the tree was delighted. “Come and play with me！” the tree said.
“I am sad and getting old. I want to go sailing to relax myself. Can you give me a boat？”
“Use my trunk to build the boat. You can sail and be happy.” So the boy cut the tree trunk to make a boat. He went sailing and did not show up for a long time.
Finally， the boy returned after he left for so many years.
“Sorry， my boy. But I don’t have anything for you anymore. No more apples for you.” the tree said.
“ I don’t have teeth to bite.” The boy replied.
“ No more trunk for you to climb on.”
“I am too old for that now.” the boy said.
“I really want to give you something…the only thing left is my dying roots.” The tree said with tears.
“I don’t need much now， just a place to rest. I am tired after all these years.” The boy replied. “Good！ Old tree roots are the best place to lean on and rest. Come here， please sit down with me and have a rest.” The boy sat down and the tree was glad and smiled with tears…
This is a story of everyone. The tree is our parent. When we were young， we loved to play with Mom and Dad… When we grow up， we leave them， and only come to them when we need something or when we are in trouble. No matter what， parents will always be there and give everything they could to make you happy. You may think that the boy is cruel to the tree but that's how all of us are treating our parents.
很久以前有一棵苹果树。一个小男孩每天都喜欢来到树旁玩耍。他爬到树顶，吃苹果，在树荫里打盹……他爱这棵树，树也爱和他一起玩。
随着时间的流逝，小男孩长大了。他不再到树旁玩耍了。
一天男孩回到树旁，看起来很悲伤。“来和我玩吧！”树说。
“我不再是小孩了，我不会再到树下玩耍了。”男孩答道，“我想要玩具，我需要钱来买。”
“很遗憾，我没有钱……但是你可以采摘我的所有苹果拿去卖。这样你就有钱了。”男孩很兴奋。他摘掉树上所有的苹果，然后高兴地离开了。自从那以后男孩没有回来。树很伤心。
一天，男孩回来了，树非常兴奋。“来和我玩吧。”树说。
“我没有时间玩。我得为我的家庭工作。我们需要一个房子来遮风挡雨，你能帮我吗？”
“很遗憾，我没有房子。但是，你可以砍下我的树枝来建房。”因此，男孩砍下所有的树枝，高高兴兴地离开了。
看到他高兴，树也很高兴。但是，自从那时起男孩没再出现，树又变得孤独、伤心起来。
突然，在一个夏日，男孩回到树旁，树很高兴。“来和我玩吧！”树说。
“我很伤心，我开始老了。我想去航海放松自己。你能不能给我一条船？”
“用我的树干去造一条船，你就能航海了，你会高兴的。”于是，男孩砍倒树干去造船。他航海去了，很长一段时间未露面。
许多年后男孩终于回来了。
“很遗憾，我的孩子，我再也没有任何东西可以给你了。没有苹果给你……”树说。
“我没有牙齿啃。” 男孩答道。
“没有树干供你爬。”
“现在我老了，爬不上去了。” 男孩说。
“我真的想把一切都给你……我唯一剩下的东西是快要死去的树墩。”树含着眼泪说。
“现在，我不需要什么东西，只需要一个地方来休息。经过了这些年我太累了。”男孩答道。 “太好了！老树墩就是倚着休息的最好地方。过来，和我一起坐下休息吧。”男孩坐下了，树很高兴，含泪而笑……
这是一个发生在每一个人身上的故事。那棵树就像我们的父母。我们小的时候，喜欢和爸爸妈妈玩……长大后，便离开他们，只有在我们需要父母亲，或是遇到了困难的时候，才会回去找他们。尽管如此，父母却总是有求必应，为了我们的幸福，无私地奉献自己的一切。你也许觉得那个男孩很残忍，但我们何尝不是这样呢？
Father and Son in An Earthquake地震中的父与子——父爱是一诺千金
No matter what happens， I’ll always be there for you！
In 1989 an 8.2 earthquake almost flattened America， killing over 30，000 people in less than four minutes.
In the midst of utter devastation and chaos， a father left his wife safely at home and rushed to the school where his son was supposed to be， only to discover that the building was as flat as a pancake.
After the unforgettably initial shock， he remembered the promise he had made to his son： "No matter what， I ll always be there for you！" And tears began to fill his eyes.
As he looked at the pile of ruins that once was the school， it looked hopeless， but he kept remembering his commitment to his son.He began to direct his attention towards where he walked his son to class at school each morning. Remembering his son s classroom would be in the back right corner of the building， he rushed there and started digging through the ruins.
As he was digging， other helpless parents arrived， clutching their hearts， saying： "My son！" "My daughter！" Other well meaning parents tried to pull him off what was left of the school， saying： "It s too late！ They’re all dead！ You can’t help！ Go home！ Come on， face reality， there s nothing you can do！"
To each parent he responded with one line： "Are you going to help me now？" And then he continued to dig for his son， stone by stone.
The fire chief showed up and tried to pull him off the school s ruins saying， "Fires are breaking out， explosions are happening everywhere. You’re in danger. We ll take care of it. Go home." To which this loving， caring American father asked， "Are you going to help me now？"
The police came and said， "You re angry， anxious and it s over. You’re endangering others. Go home. We ll handle it！" To which he replied， "Are you going to help me now？" No one helped.
Courageously he went on alone because he needed to know for himself： "Is my boy alive or is he dead？" He dug for eight hours...12 hours...24 hours...36 hours...then， in the 38th hour， he pulled back a large stone and heard his son s voice.
He screamed his son’s name， "ARMAND！" He heard back， "Dad！？！ It’s me， Dad！ I told the other kids not to worry. I told em that if you were alive， you d save me and when you saved me， they d be saved. You promised， No matter what happens， I ll always be there for you！ You did it， Dad！"
"What s going on in there？ How is it？" the father asked.
"There are 14 of us left out of 33， Dad. We’re scared， hungry， thirsty and thankful you re here. When the building collapsed， it made a triangle， and it saved us."
"Come out， boy！"
"No， Dad！ Let the other kids out first， bcause I know you ll get me！ No matter what happens， I know you ll always be there for me！"
不管发生什么，我永远都会在你的身边！
1989年，一次8.2级的地震几乎铲平美国，在短短不到4分钟的时间里，夺去了3万多人的生命！
在彻底的破坏与混乱之中，有位父亲将他的妻子在家里安顿好后，跑到他儿子就读的学校，而触目所见，却是被夷为平地的校园。
看到这令人伤心的一幕，他想起了曾经对儿子所作的承诺：“不论发生什么事，我都会在你身边。”至此，父亲热泪满眶。
目睹曾经的学校成为了一堆瓦砾，真叫人绝望。但父亲的脑中仍然牢记着他对儿子的诺言。他开始努力回忆每天早上送儿子上学的必经之路，终于记起儿子的教室应该就在那幢建筑物后面，位于右边的角落里，他跑到那儿，开始在碎石砾中挖掘，搜寻儿子的下落。
当这位父亲正在挖掘时，其他束手无策的学生家长赶到现场，揪心地叫着：“我的儿子呀！”“我的女儿呀！”一些好意的家长试图把这位父亲劝离现场，告诉他“一切都太迟了！他们全死了！这样做没用的！回去吧，这样做只会使事情更糟”。
面对种种劝告，这位父亲的回答只有一句话：“你们愿意帮我吗？”然后继续进行挖掘工作，在废墟中寻找他的儿子。
消防队长出现了，他也试图把这位父亲劝走，对他说：“火灾频现，四处都在发生爆炸，你在这里太危险了，这边的事我们会处理，你回家吧！”对此，这位慈爱、关切的父亲仍然回答：“你们要帮我吗？”
警察赶到现场，对他说：“你现在又气又急，该结束了，你在危及他人，回家吧！我们会处理一切的。”这位父亲依旧回答：“你们愿意帮我吗？”然而，人们无动于衷。
为了弄清楚儿子是死是活，这位父亲独自一人鼓起勇气，继续进行他的工作。他挖掘了8小时，12小时，24小时，36小时，38小时后，父亲推开了一块巨大的石头，听到了儿子的声音。
父亲尖叫着：“阿曼德！”儿子的回音听到了：“爸爸吗！？是我，爸，我告诉其他的小朋友不要着急。我告诉他们如果你活着，你会来救我的。如果我获救了，他们也就获救了。你答应过我，不论发生什么，你永远都会在我的身边，你做到了，爸！”
“你那里的情况怎样？”父亲问。
“我们有33个，只有14个活着。爸，我们好害怕，又渴又饿，谢天谢地，你在这儿。教室倒塌时，刚好形成一个三角形的洞，救了我们。”
“快出来吧！儿子！”
“不，爸，让其他小朋友先出来吧！因为我知道你会接我的！不管发生什么事，我知道你永远都会来到我的身边！”
A Good Heart to Lean on善心可依
When I was growing up， I was embarrassed to be seen with my father. He was severely crippled and very short， and when we would walk together， his hand on my arm for balance， people would stare. I would inwardly squirm at the unwanted attention. If he ever noticed or was bothered， he never let on.
It was difficult to coordinate our steps—his halting， mine impatient — and because of that， we didn't say much as we went along. But as we started out， he always said， "You set the pace. I will try to adjust to you. "
Our usual walk was to or from the subway， which was how he got to work. He went to work sick， and despite nasty weather. He almost never missed a day， and would make it to the office even if others could not. A matter of pride！
When snow or ice was on the ground， it was impossible for him to walk， even with help. At such times my sisters or I would pull him through the streets of Brooklyn， NY， on a child's sleigh to the subway entrance. Once there， he would cling to the handrail until he reached the lower steps that the warmer tunnel air kept ice-free. In Manhattan the subway station was the basement of his office building， and he would not have to go outside again until we met him in Brooklyn' on his way home.
When I think of it now， I marvel at how much courage it must have taken for a grown man to subject himself to such indignity and stress. And at how he did it — without bitterness or complaint.
He never talked about himself as an object of pity， nor did he show any envy of the more fortunate or able. What he looked for in others was a "good heart"， and if he found one， the owner was good enough for him.
Now that I am older， I believe that is a proper standard by which to judge people， even though I still don’t know precisely what a "good heart" is. But I know the times I don't have one myself.
Unable to engage in many activities， my father still tried to participate in some way. When a local sandlot baseball team found itself |without a manager， he kept it going. He was a knowledgeable baseball fan and often took me to Ebbets Field to see the Brooklyn Dodgers play. He liked to go to dances and parties， where he could have a good time just sitting and watching.
On one memorable occasion a fight broke out at a beach party， with everyone punching and shoving. He wasn't content to sit and watch， but he couldn't stand unaided on the soft sand. In frustration he began to shout， "I'll fight anyone who will tit down with me！"
Nobody did. But the next day people kidded him by saying it was the first time any fighter was urged to take a dive even before the bout began.
I now know he participated in some things vicariously through me， his only son. When I played ball (poorly)， he "played" too. When I joined the Navy he "joined" too. And when I came home on leave， he saw to it that I visited his office. Introducing me， he was really saying， "This is my son， but it is also me， and I could have done this， too， if things had been different." Those words were never said aloud.
He has been gone many years now， but I think of him often. I wonder if he sensed my reluctance to be seen with him during our walks. If he did， I am sorry I never told him how sorry I was， how unworthy I was， how I regretted it. I think of him when I complain about trifles， when I am envious of another's good fortune， when I don't have a "good heart".
At such times I put my hand on his arm to regain my balance， and say， "You set the pace， I will try to adjust to you."
在我成长的过程中，我一直羞于让别人看见我和父亲在一起。我的父亲身材矮小，腿上有严重的残疾。当我们一起走路时，他总是挽着我以保持身体平衡，这时总招来一些异样的目光，令我无地自容。可是如果他注意到了这些，不管他内心多么痛苦，也从不表现出来。
走路时，我们很难相互协调起来——他的步子慢慢腾腾，我的步子焦躁不安。所以一路上我们交谈得很少。但是每次出行前，他总是说：“你走你的，我想法儿跟上你。”
我们常常往返于从家到他上班乘坐的地铁站的那段路上。他有病也要上班，哪怕天气恶劣。他几乎从未误过一天工，就是在别人不能去的情况下，他也要设法去上班。实在值得骄傲！
每当冰封大地，雪花飘飘的时候，若是没有帮助，他简直举步维艰。每当此时，我或我的姐妹们就用儿童雪橇把他拉过纽约布鲁克林区的街道，一直送他到地铁的入口处。一到那儿，他便手抓扶手一直走到底下的台阶时才放开手，因为那里通道的空气暖和些，地面上没有结冰。到了曼哈顿，地铁站就在他办公楼的地下一层，在我们在布鲁克林接他回家之前他无须再走出楼来。
如今每当我想起这些，我惊叹一个成年男子要经受住这种侮辱和压力得需要多么大的勇气啊！叹服他竟然能够做到这一点，不带任何痛苦，没有丝毫抱怨。
他从不说自己可怜，也从不嫉妒别人的幸运和能力。他所期望的是人家“善良的心”，当他得到时，人家真的对他很好。
如今我已经长大成人，我明白了“善良的心”是评价人的恰当的标准，尽管我仍不很清楚它的确切涵义，但是我却知道我有缺乏善心的时候。
虽然父亲不能参加许多活动，但他仍然没法以某种方式参与进来。当一个地方棒球队发现缺少一个领队时，他便作了领队。因为他是个棒球迷，有丰富的棒球知识，他过去常带我到埃比茨棒球场观看布鲁克林的鬼精灵队的比赛。他喜欢参加舞会和晚会，乐意坐着看。
记得有一次的海边晚会上，有人打架，动了拳头，推推搡搡。他不甘于坐在那里当观众，但又无法在松软的沙滩上自己站起来。于是，失望之下，他吼了起来：“谁想坐下和我打？”
没有人响应。但是第二天，人们都取笑他说比赛还没开始，拳击手就被劝认输，这还是头一次看见。
现在我知道一些事情他是通过我——他唯一的儿子来做的。当我打球时(尽管我打得很差)，他也在“打球”。当我参加海军时，他也“参加”。当时我回家休息时，他一定要让我去他的办公室，在介绍我时，他真真切切地说，“这是我儿子，但也是我自己，假如事情不是这样的话，我也会去参军的。” 但这些话他从未大声说出来过。
父亲离开我们已经很多年了，但是我时常想起他。我不知道他是否意识到我曾经不愿意让人看到和他走在一起的心理。假如他知道这一切，我现在感到很遗憾，因为我从没告诉过他我是多么愧疚、多么不孝、多么悔恨。每当我为一些琐事而抱怨时，为别人的好运而妒忌时，为我自己缺乏“善心”时，我就会想起我的父亲。
此时，我会挽着他的胳膊保持身体平衡，并且说“你走你的，我想法儿跟上你。”
To be a better friend 做个更好的朋友
Back when we were kids， the hours spent with friends were too numerous to count. There were marathon telephone conversations， all-nigh studying and giggling sessions. Even after boyfriends entered the picture， our best friends remained irreplaceable. And time was the means by which we nurtured those friendships. Now as adult women we never seem to have enough time for anything. Husbands， kids， careers and avocations—all require attention； too often， making， time for our friends comes last on the list of priorities. And yet， ironically， we need our friends as much as ever in adulthood. A friendship network is absolutely crucial for our well-being as adults. We have to do the hard work of building and sustaining the network. Here are some important ways for accomplishing this.
Let go of your less central friendships
Many of our friendships were never meant to last a lifetime. It's natural that some friendships have time limits. Furthermore， now everyone has a busy social calendar， so pull back from some people that you don't really want to draw close to and give the most promising friendship a fair chance to grow.
Be willing to "drop everything" when you're truly needed
You may get a call from a friend who is really depressed over a certain problem when you are just sitting down to enjoy a romantic dinner with your husband. This is just one of those instances when a friend's needs mattered more. Sometimes， because of our unbreakable commitments or other circumstances， we simply can't give a needy friend the time we'd like. If you can't be there at that given moment， say something like， "I wish I could be with you—I can hear that you're in pain. May I call you tomorrow？" Be sure your friend knows she's cared about.
Take advantage of the mails
Nearly all of us have pals living far away—friends we miss very much. Given the limited time available for visits and the high price of phone calls， writing is a fine way to keep in touch—and makes both sender and receiver feel good. Besides， letters， cards and postcards have the virtue of being tangible—friends can keep them and reread them for years to come.
Risk expressing negative feelings
When time together is tough to come by， it's natural to want the mood during that time to be upbeat. And many people fear that others will think less of you if you express the negative feelings like anger and hurt. Remember honesty is the key to keeping a friendship real. Sharing your pain will actually deepen a friendship.
Don' t make your friends' problems your own
Sharing your friend's grief is the way you show deep friendship. But taking on your friend's pain doesn't make that pain go away. There's a big difference between empathy or recognizing a friend's pain， and over identification， which makes the sufferer feel even weaker-"I must be in worse pain than I even thought， because the person I' m confiding in is suffering so much！" Remember troubled people just need their friends to stay grounded in their own feelings.
Understand that long-turn friendship wax and wane
Long-term friendship are similar to marriage in that there will be both periods of excitement and dullness. Your friends and you might be out of touch for a year or more because things get so hurried nowadays. But understand that if you need each other， you'll be there for each other as much as you can.
Never underestimate the value of loyalty
Loyalty has always been rated as one of the most desired qualities in friends. True loyalty can be a fairly subtle thing. Some people feel it means that， no matter what， your friend will always take your side. But real loyalty is being accepting the person， not necessarily of certain actions your friend might take.
Give the gift of time as often as time allows
Time is what we don' t have nearly enough of —and yet， armed with a little ingenuity， we can make it to give it to our friends. The trick is remembering that a little is better than none and that you can do two things at once. For instance， if you both go for a weekly aerobics， go on the same day. If you both want to go on vocation， schedule the same destination.
The last but not the least thing to keep a friendship alive is to say to your friends "I miss you and love you." Saying that at the end of a phone conversation， or a visit， or writing it on a birthday card， can sustain your friendship for the times you aren't together.
在孩提时代，我们和朋友呆在一起的时间不计其数：马拉松式的电话交谈，整夜在一起学习和玩耍。即使在交了男朋友之后，我们最好的朋友的位置还是不可取代。正是相互在一起的时间培养了我们之间的友谊。现在是成人女子了，时间似乎总不够用。丈夫、孩子、事业和业余爱好都要投入精力，因而很多时候便把朋友搬到了一边。然而有讽刺意义的是，我们在成年时和儿童时代一样需要友谊。一个由友谊编织成的网络对我们成年人的幸福至关重要。我们必须努力去建立和保持这个网络。以下便是达到这个目的的几个重要方法：
舍得放弃
许多友情本来就不能终生维持。有的友情随时光的流逝而消失是情理之中的事。此外，现在每个人都那么忙碌，所以，放弃那些你并不想真正接近的人，以更多的时间去培养那些最重要的友情。
急朋友之所急
当你刚刚坐下想和丈夫享受一顿浪漫的晚餐时，你的朋友却突然打来电话，她正为某一问题沮丧不已。在一些情况下，朋友之需显得更为重要，这只是其中的一个例子。有时候，因为我们有事无法分身或别的原因，我们虽然想助一臂之力，但苦于没有时间。如果你不能及时给朋友以帮助，那么不妨对她说，“我真希望能陪陪你——我能听出来你很痛苦。我明天给你打电话行吗？”一定要让你的朋友知道你对她的关心。
利用鸿雁传书
几乎我们所有人都有远在异地让我们非常想念的朋友。考虑到抽不出时间去走访，电话费又那么贵，那么写信是保持联系的好方法。这种方式让写信人和收信人都感到很高兴。另外，信件、卡片和明信片都是看得见摸得着的，朋友可以将其保存，以后还可以再读。
吐露真情实感
大家聚在一起不容易，自然希望彼此都有个好心情。好多人都担心，把自己的心事——愤怒和受伤害等吐露出来会让人家瞧不起。记住以诚相待是保持友谊真实的关键。让朋友分担你的痛苦其实反倒会加深友谊。
不要过分卷入朋友的痛苦
分担朋友的痛苦是表露友情的一种方式。但是承受朋友的痛苦并不能消除其痛苦。心灵相通（即理解朋友的痛苦）与过分卷入朋友的痛苦有很大区别。过分卷入使对方感到自己更脆弱——“我的痛苦肯定比我感受到的更可怕，因为听我倾诉的朋友都如此难过。”记住，处于逆境中的人需要的只是朋友的理解和支持。
友情也会有盛衰
长期的友情同婚姻一样，既有兴奋期，也有觉得乏味的时候。现在一切都这么匆忙，你和你的朋友有可能一两年都不通音信。但相信一旦彼此需要，你们仍会竭尽所能。
切勿低估忠诚的价值
忠诚一直被列为朋友间最重要的品质之一。真正的忠诚是件相当微妙的事情。有人认为忠诚意味着不管你做什么，你的朋友总是站在你这一边。但真正的忠诚指的是接受其人，而不一定赞同其所有的行为。
巧妙利用时间，增进友谊
时间似乎总是不够用，但稍微变通一下便可以为朋友挤出时间来。重要的是要记住时间即使少一点也总比没有好，而且有时你可以一箭双雕。比如说，如果你和某位朋友每个星期都要去做一次健美操，那么就安排同一天去。如果双方都要去度假，那么不妨选择同一个去处。
维持友谊的最后一点，但并不是最无关紧要的一点，就是在通完电话或拜访结束时说一句，或在生日卡上写一句：“我想你，爱你！”这简单的话语会在你们分开的日子里维系友谊。
Love Is Just a Thread 爱只是一根线
Sometimes I really doubt whether there is love between my parents. Every day they are very busy trying to earn money in order to pay the high tuition for my brother and me. They don’t act in the romantic ways that I read in books or I see on TV. In their opinion， “I love you” is too luxurious for them to say. Sending flowers to each other on Valentine’s Day is even more out of the question. Finally my father has a bad temper. When he’s very tired from the hard work， it is easy for him to lose his temper.
One day， my mother was sewing a quilt. I silently sat down beside her and looked at her.
“Mom， I have a question to ask you，” I said after a while.
“What？” she replied， still doing her work.
“Is there love between you and Dad？” I asked her in a very low voice.
My mother stopped her work and raised her head with surprise in her eyes. She didn’t answer immediately. Then she bowed her head and continued to sew the quilt.
I was very worried because I thought I had hurt her. I was in a great embarrassment and I didn’t know what I should do. But at last I heard my mother say the following words：
“Susan，” she said thoughtfully， “Look at this thread. Sometimes it appears， but most of it disappears in the quilt. The thread really makes the quilt strong and durable. If life is a quilt， then love should be a thread. It can hardly be seen anywhere or anytime， but it’s really there. Love is inside.”
I listened carefully but I couldn’t understand her until the next spring. At that time， my father suddenly got sick seriously. My mother had to stay with him in the hospital for a month. When they returned from the hospital， they both looked very pale. It seemed both of them had had a serious illness.
After they were back， every day in the morning and dusk， my mother helped my father walk slowly on the country road. My father had never been so gentle. It seemed they were the most harmonious couple. Along the country road， there were many beautiful flowers， green grass and trees. The sun gently glistened through the leaves. All of these made up the most beautiful picture in the world.
The doctor had said my father would recover in two months. But after two months he still couldn’t walk by himself. All of us were worried about him.
“Dad， how are you feeling now？” I asked him one day.
“Susan， don’t worry about me.” he said gently. “To tell you the truth， I just like walking with your mom. I like this kind of life.” Reading his eyes， I know he loves my mother deeply.
Once I thought love meant flowers， gifts and sweet kisses. But from this experience， I understand that love is just a thread in the quilt of our life. Love is inside， making life strong and warm..
有时候，我真的怀疑父母之间是否有真爱。他们天天忙于赚钱，为我和弟弟支付学费。他们从未像我在书中读到，或在电视中看到的那样互诉衷肠。他们认为“我爱你”太奢侈，很难说出口。更不用说在情人节送花这样的事了。我父亲的脾气非常坏。经过一天的劳累之后，他经常会发脾气。
一天，母亲正在缝被子，我静静地坐在她旁边看着她。
过了一会儿，我说：“妈妈，我想问你一个问题。”
“什么问题？”她一边继续缝着，一边回答道。
我低声地问道：“你和爸爸之间有没有爱情啊？”
母亲突然停下了手中的活，满眼诧异地抬起头。她没有立即作答。然后低下头，继续缝被子。
我担心伤害了她。我非常尴尬，不知道该怎么办。不过，后来我听见母亲说：
“苏珊，看看这些线。有时候，你能看得见，但是大多数都隐藏在被子里。这些线使被子坚固耐用。如果生活就像一床被子，那么爱就是其中的线。你不可能随时随地看到它，但是它却实实在在地存在着。爱是内在的。”
我仔细地听着，却无法明白她的话，直到来年的春天。那时候，我父亲得了重病。母亲在医院里待了一个月。当他们从医院回来的时候，都显得非常苍白。就像他们都得了一场重病一样。
他们回来之后，每天的清晨或黄昏，母亲都会搀扶着父亲在乡村的小路上漫步。父亲从未如此温和过。他们就像是天作之合。在小路旁边，有许多美丽的野花、绿草和树木。阳光穿过树叶的缝隙，温柔地照射在地面上。这一切形成了一幅世间最美好的画面。
医生说父亲将在两个月后康复。但是两个月之后，他仍然无法独立行走。我们都很为他担心。
有一天，我问他：“爸爸，你感觉怎么样？”
他温和地说：“苏珊，不用为我担心。跟你说吧，我喜欢与你妈妈一块散步的感觉。我喜欢这种生活。”从他的眼神里，我看得出他对母亲的爱之深刻。
我曾经认为爱情就是鲜花、礼物和甜蜜的亲吻。但是从那一刻起，我明白了，爱情就像是生活中被子里的一根线。爱情就在里面，使生活变得坚固而温暖。
Love Is Not Merchandise爱情不是商品
A reader in Florida， apparently bruised by some personal experience， writes in to complain， “If I steal a nickel’s worth of merchandise， I am a thief and punished； but if I steal the love of another’s wife， I am free.”
This is a prevalent misconception in many people’s minds—that love， like merchandise， can be “stolen”. Numerous states， in fact， have enacted laws allowing damages for “alienation of affections”.
But love is not a commodity； the real thing cannot be bought， sold， traded or stolen. It is an act of the will， a turning of the emotions， a change in the climate of the personality.
When a husband or wife is “stolen” by another person， that husband or wife was already ripe for the stealing， was already predisposed toward a new partner. The “love bandit” was only taking what was waiting to be taken， what wanted to be taken.
We tend to treat persons like goods. We even speak of the children “belonging” to their parents. But nobody “belongs” to anyone else. Each person belongs to himself， and to God. Children are entrusted to their parents， and if their parents do not treat them properly， the state has a right to remove them from their parents’ trusteeship.
Most of us， when young， had the experience of a sweetheart being taken from us by somebody more attractive and more appealing. At the time， we may have resented this intruder—but as we grew older， we recognized that the sweetheart had never been ours to begin with. It was not the intruder that “caused” the break， but the lack of a real relationship.
On the surface， many marriages seem to break up because of a “third party”. This is， however， a psychological illusion. The other woman or the other man merely serves as a pretext for dissolving or a marriage that had already lost its essential integrity.
Nothing is more futile and more self-defeating than the bitterness of spurned love， the vengeful feeling that someone else has “come between” oneself and a beloved. This is always a distortion of reality， for people are not the captives or victims of others—they are free agents， working out their own destinies for good or for ill.
But the rejected lover or mate cannot afford to believe that his beloved has freely turned away from him— and so he ascribes sinister or magical properties to the interloper. He calls him a hypnotist or a thief or a home-breaker. In the vast majority of cases， however， when a home is broken， the breaking has begun long before any “third party” has appeared on the scene.
佛罗里达州的一位读者虽然是在个人经历上受过创伤，他写信来抱怨道：“如果我偷走了五分钱的商品，我就是个贼，要受到惩罚，但是如果我偷走了他人妻子的爱情，我没事儿。”
这是许多人心目中普遍存在的一种错觉——爱情，像商品一样，可以 “偷走”。实际上，许多州都颁布法令，允许索取“情感转让”赔偿金。
但是爱情并不是商品；真情实意不可能买到，卖掉，交换，或者偷走。爱情是志愿的行动，是感情的转向，是个性发挥上的变化。
当丈夫或妻子被另一个人“偷走”时，那个丈夫或妻子就已经具备了偷走的条件，事先已经准备接受新的伴侣了。这位“爱匪”不过是取走等人取走、盼人取走的东西。
我们往往待人如物。我们甚至说孩子“属于”父母。但是谁也不“属于”谁。人都属于自己和上帝。孩子是托付给父母的，如果父母不善待他们，州政府就有权取消父母对他们的托管身份。
我们多数人年轻时都有过恋人被某个更有诱惑力、更有吸引力的人夺去的经历。在当时，我们兴许怨恨这位不速之客——但是后来长大了，也就认识到了心上人本来就不属于我们。并不是不速之客“导致了”决裂，而是缺乏真实的关系。
从表面上看，许多婚姻似乎是因为有了“第三者”才破裂的。然而这是一种心理上的幻觉。另外那个女人，或者另外那个男人，无非是作为借口，用来解除早就不是完好无损的婚姻罢了。
因失恋而痛苦，因别人“插足”于自己与心上人之间而图报复，是最没有出息、最自作自受的乐。这种事总是歪曲了事实真相，因为谁都不是给别人当俘虏或牺牲品——人都是自由行事的，不论命运是好是坏，都由自己来作主。
但是，遭离弃的情人或配偶无法相信他的心上人是自由地背离他的——因而他归咎于插足者心术不正或迷人有招。他把他叫做催眠师、窃贼或破坏家庭的人。然而，从大多数事例看，一个家的破裂，是早在什么“第三者”出现之前就开始了的。
The furthest distance in the world世界上最遥远的距离
The furthest distance in the world
Is not between life and death
But when I stand in front of you
Yet you don’t know that
I love you
The furthest distance in the world
Is not when I stand in font of you
Yet you can’t see my love
But when undoubtedly knowing the love from bot
Yet cannot
Be together
The furthest distance in the world
Is not being apart while being in love
But when plainly cannot resist the yearning
Yet pretending
You have never been in my heart
The furthest distance in the world
Is not resist the yearning yet pretending you have never been in my heart
But using one’s indifferent heart
To dig an uncrossable river
For the one who loves you
世界上最遥远的距离
不是生与死
而是我就站在你的面前
你却不知道
我爱你
世界上最遥远的距离
不是我站在你面前，你却不知道我爱你
而是明明知道彼此相爱
却不能
在一起
世界上最遥远的距离
不是明明知道彼此相爱，却不能在一起
而是明明无法抵挡这股想念
却还得故意装作
丝毫没有把你放在心里
世界上最遥远的距离
不是明明无法抵挡这股想念
却还得故意装作丝毫没有把你放在心里
而是用自己冷漠的心
掘了一条无法跨越的沟渠
对爱你的人
11 Sensations in Your Life生命中的11种感动
1、It hurts to love someone and not be loved in return. But what is more painful is to love someone and never find the courage to let that person know how you feel.
2、A sad thing in life is when you meet someone who means a lot to you，only to find out in the end that it was never meant to be and you just have to let go.
3、The best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on a porch swing with，never say a word，and then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you've ever had.
4、It's true that we don't know what we've got until we lose it， but it's also true that we don't know what we've been missing until it arrives.
5、It takes only a minute to get a crush on someone，an hour to like someone，and a day to love someone- but it takes a lifetime to forget someone.
6、Don't go for looks；They can deceive. Don't go for wealth；Even that fades away. Go for someone who makes you smile because it takes only a smile to make a dark day seem bright.
7、Dream what you want to dream；go where you want to go；be what you want to be，because you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you want to do.
8、Always put yourself in the other's shoes. If you feel that it hurts you，it probably hurts the person too.
9、A careless word may kindle strife；a cruel word may wreck a life；a timely word may level stress；a loving word may heal and bless.
10、The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.
11、Love begins with a smile，grows with a kiss，ends with a tear. When you were born，you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so that when you die，you're the one smiling and everyone around you is crying.
1、只有付出的爱是痛苦的，但比这更痛苦是爱一个人却没有勇气让那人知道你的感情。
2、生命中令人悲伤的一件事是你遇到了一个对你来说很重要的人，但却最终发现你们有缘无份，因此你不得不放手。
3、最好的朋友就是那种能和你促膝而坐，彼此不说只字片语，分别时却感到这是你有过的最好的一次交流！
4、的确只有当我们失去时才知道曾拥有的是什么，同样，只有当我们拥有了才知道曾经失去了什么。
5、迷上某人只需一分钟，喜欢上某人需要一小时，爱上某人则要一天，然而，忘记某人却是一辈子的事情。
6、别倾心于容貌，因为它具有欺骗性，也别倾心于财富，它也会消散，倾心于那个能带给你笑容的人吧，因为一个笑容能使漫漫长夜如白昼般明亮。
7、做你想做的梦吧，去你想去的地方吧，成为你想成为的人吧，因为你只有一次生命，一个机会去做所有那些你想做的事。
8、要设身处地的为别人着想， 如果一双鞋你穿着夹脚， 别人的感觉可能也一样。
9、无心快语可能引发争执，无情之词可能折损生命，适时温语可能消弭压力，而关爱之声可能治愈心灵。
10、幸福之人并非拥有一切，只是尽力享受生活的赐予。
11、爱情以笑开始，以吻转浓，以泪结束。当你哭着降临人世时，身边的每个人都在为此欢笑，好好生活吧，这样你就能含笑离开人世，而身边的每个人都在为此哭泣。
How Do I Love Thee ？我是如何爱你？
How do I love thee？ Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height to
My soul can reach， when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday’s
Most quiet need， by sun and candlelight.
I love thee freely， as men strive for Right；
I love thee purely， as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs， and with my childhood’s faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints—I love thee with the breath，
Smiles， tears， of all my life！ - and， if God choose，
I shall but love thee better after death.
我是如何爱你？说不尽万语千言。
我爱你之深邃，之宽广，之高远
尽我的灵魂所能及之处——犹如探求
玄冥中神的存在和美好之极。
我爱你如每日之必需，
阳光下和烛焰前都少不了。
我自由地爱着你，像人们争取他们的权利；
我纯洁地爱着你，如人们在赞美前会垂首。
我爱你，带着我昔日悲伤时的
那种激情，童年时的那种诚意；
我爱你，抵得上往日对圣者怀有的
如今似已消逝的那种爱——我用呼吸，
用微笑，用眼泪，用我整个生命来爱你！
——假使上帝愿意，我死后将更加爱你！
About Love关于爱情
I love you not because of who you are， but because of who I am when I am with you.
No man or woman is worth your tears，and the one who is ，won't make you cry.
The worst way to miss someone is to be sitting right beside them knowing you can't have them.
Never frown， even when you are sad， because you never know who is falling in love with your smile.
To the world you may be one person，but to one person you may be the world.
Don't waste your time on a man/woman，who isn't willing to waste their time on you.
Just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to， doesn’t mean they don't love you with all they have.
Don't try to hard， the best things come when you least expect them to.
Maybe God wants us to meet a few wrong people before meeting the right one， so that when we finally meet the person， we will know how to be grateful.
Don't cry because it is over， smile because it happened.
我爱你，不是因为你是一个怎样的人，而是因为我喜欢与你在一起时的感觉。
没有人值得你流泪，值得让你这么做的人不会让你哭泣。
失去某人，最糟糕的莫过于，他近在身旁，却犹如远在天边。
纵然伤心，也不要愁眉不展，因为你不知是谁会爱上你的笑容。
对于世界而言，你是一个人；但是对于某人，你是他的整个世界。
不要为那些不愿在你身上花费时间的人而浪费你的时间。
爱你的人如果没有按你所希望的方式爱你，那并不代表他们没有全心全意地爱你。
不要着急，最好的总会在最不经意的时候出现。
在遇到梦中人之前，上天也许会安排我们先遇到别人；在我们终于遇见心仪的人时，便应当心存感激。
不要因为结束而哭泣，微笑吧，为你的曾经拥有。
Speak out Your Love 爱在心里口要开
There was once a guy who suffered from cancer， a cancer that can’t be cured. He was 18 years old and he could die anytime. All his life， he was stuck in his house being taken cared by his mother. He never went outside but he was sick of staying home and wanted to go out for once. So he asked his mother and she gave him permission.
He walked down his block and found a lot of stores. He passed a CD store and looked through the front door for a second as he walked. He stopped and went back to look into the store. He saw a beautiful girl about his age and he knew it was love at first sight. He opened the door and walked in， not looking at anything else but her. He walked closer and closer until he was finally at the front desk where she sat.
She looked up and asked， “Can I help you？”
She smiled and he thought it was the most beautiful smile he has ever seen before and wanted to kiss her right there.
He said， “Uh... Yeah... Umm... I would like to buy a CD.”
He picked one out and gave her money for it.
“Would you like me to wrap it for you？” she asked， smiling her cute smile again.
He nodded and she went to the back. She came back with the wrapped CD and gave it to him. He took it and walked out of the store.
He went home and from then on， he went to that store every day and bought a CD， and she wrapped it for him. He took the CD home and put it in his closet. He was still too shy to ask her out and he really wanted to but he couldn’t. His mother found out about this and told him to just ask her. So the next day， he took all his courage and went to the store as usual. He bought a CD like he did every day and once again she went to the back of the store and came back with it wrapped. He took it and when she wasn’t looking， he left his phone number on the desk and ran out...
RRRRRING！！！
One day the phone rang， and the mother picked it up and said， “Hello？”
It was the girl！！！ The mother started to cry and said， “You don’t know？ He passed away yesterday...”
The line was quiet except for the cries of the boy’s mother. Later in the day， the mother went into the boy’s room because she wanted to remember him. She thought she would start by looking at his clothes. So she opened the closet.
She was face to face with piles and piles and piles of unopened CDs. She was surprised to find all these CDs and she picked one up and sat down on the bed and she started to open one. Inside， there was a CD and as she took it out of the wrapper， out fell a piece of paper. The mother picked it up and started to read it. It said：
Hi... I think U R really cute. Do u wanna go out with me？ Love， Jocelyn.
The mother was deeply moved and opened another CD...
Again there was a piece of paper. It said：
Hi... I think U R really cute. Do u wanna go out with me？ Love， Jocelyn.
Love is... when you’ve had a huge fight but then decide to put aside your egos， hold hands and say， “I Love You.”
从前，有一个少年患了癌症，根本无法治愈。他只有18岁，随时都可能死去。他每天都待在家里，由母亲照料着。他从来都没出去过，但在家实在待烦了，想出去走走，母亲也就同意了。
他走在大街上，看到了很多商店，经过一家音像店时，他透过橱窗盯了一会儿。然后他停下来，又折回音像店向里望去。他看到了一个非常美丽的同龄女孩，并对她一见钟情。他打开门，走了进去，眼里始终只有她一个人。他不由自主地走到了柜台前，走到那个女孩坐着的地方。
女孩抬头问道：“你想要点什么？”
她微笑着，他觉得这是他一生中看到的最美的笑容，其实这时他最想做的就是吻她。
他结结巴巴地说：“是的，嗯，那个……我想买一张CD。”
他随便拿了张CD，连同钱一起递给她。
“想让我把它包起来吗？”女孩问，依然带着可爱的笑容。
他点了点头。她回到后面，出来的时候，手里拿着包装好的CD，然后交给了他。他接过CD，离开了商店。
他回家了。从那以后，这个少年每天都到那家音像店去买一张CD。女孩每次都将CD包好交给他，他也总是把CD带回去，放进自己的衣柜里。这个少年很羞涩，不敢约她出去。他真的很想，但却不能。母亲知道后，不断地鼓励他。第二天，他终于鼓起了勇气，像往常一样走进了音像店，买了一张CD，她也像往常一样，到后面去替他包起来。他接过CD，趁她不注意时将自己的电话号码放在柜台上，然后跑了出去……
叮铃铃铃！！！
有一天，电话铃响了，母亲接起电话：“喂？”
是那个女孩打来的！！！母亲伤心地哭了，她说：“你不知道吗？他昨天死了……”
电话线那端沉默了，只能听到母亲的抽泣声。那天晚些时候，母亲来到儿子的房间，她想念儿子了，就想看看他的衣服，于是打开了衣柜。
母亲看到的是衣柜里一大堆包好的CD，这些CD都没有打开过。母亲大吃一惊。她坐在床边，打开了一个包装，从包装盒中拿出CD时，盒里掉出一张小纸条，她拾了起来，上面写道：
嗨，你好，我觉得你真的很可爱，愿意和我一起出去吗？乔斯林
母亲深受感动，她又打开了一个CD盒……
里面仍有一张小纸条，上面都写着同样的话：
嗨，你好，我觉得你真的很可爱，愿意和我一起出去吗？乔斯林
爱是什么？当你作了巨大的思想斗争，最终决定抛开一切束缚时，那就攥紧手，说出“我爱你”吧。
A Chance of a lifetime 生命的机遇
"This is a chance of a life time，" I declared to my friend Stacy as I locked the door of my office and left the restaurant I managed. "It's every twenty-seven-year-old woman's dream to live in New York City， and in a few months I'll know if I get the transfer."
I watched the moonlight glisten on the waters of Laguna Beach. "I'll miss it here， but living in the Big Apple is everything I've ever wanted - a dream comes true."
We met a group of our friends at a local cafe， and I jabbered on about the possibility of my move. Laughter erupted from a nearby table. I watched as a handsome man captured the attention of his friends with his engaging story. His broad， warm smile and air of confidence held me in a trance. Stacy nudged me. "You're staring， Michelle， and about to drool."
"Wow，" I whispered. I watched the gorgeous guy push up the sleeves of his bulky sweater. Everyone at his table had their eyes fixed on him. "That's the man I want to marry." "Yeah， right，" Stacy droned. "Tell us more about where you'd like to live in New York， because we all plan to visit you there when you land this job." As I spoke my gaze drifted back to the debonair man.
Three months later my friends and I gathered at the same restaurant. "To life in the Big Apple！" they cheered as we tapped our glasses together. "My chance of a lifetime！" We talked for hours. I told them of my plan to save money by moving out of my beach cottage and renting a room for the few remaining months. Our friend offered， "I have a fellow South African friend who is considering renting one of the four bedrooms in his house. His name is Barry. A great guy." He scribbled on a napkin. "This is his number. He's a forty-two-year-old confirmed bachelor. Says he's much too busy being a single dad to be a husband."
I made an appointment to see the room the same day. I approached the entrance of the spacious house， and the door opened. "You must be Michelle，" he said. He pushed up the sleeves of his bulky sweater and flashed his handsome smile. It was the man from the restaurant months before— the man I wanted to marry.
I stood staring， my mouth gaping， hoping I wasn't drooling.
"You are Michelle， aren't you？ " he said， coaxing me out of my trance." Would you like to see the room？"
I followed him through a tour of the house， then accepted when he offered me a cup of tea. Barry had a sophisticated kindness about him and listened attentively as I chattered nervously about myself. His silver-rimmed glasses accented a few gray streaks in his dark hair. Soon， his warm， inviting smile put me at ease， and we spent the next two hours talking casually. Ultimately， I decided not to take the room and reluctantly bade him good-bye.
The months went by quickly while I busied myself with preparation for the move. I thought of Bany often， but couldn't consider calling him.
"I'm moving to New York in three weeks， "I said to Stacy as we walked out of my office and into the dining area. "As much as I'd like to see him again， it would only complicate my life.
"Well， brace yourself for complications，" Stacy muttered， then nodded toward the door. Barry， with his big blue eyes and engaging smile， walked into my restaurant.
"Hello，" he said softly. "Do you have time to join me for a cup of coffee？""Of course." I tried not to gasp.
We slid into a booth and our conversation picked up where it left off before. He， too， was making a career change and was moving back to South Africa. His departure date was one week before mine. Now I knew I had to calm my pounding heart. We obviously had no future together. He took my phone number and invited me to dinner sometime. I accepted， suppressing my sadness， knowing I would be leaving in two short weeks and the date would probably never happen.
But it did. He picked me up a few days later for a movie and dinner. We talked for hours about our lives， our hopes， our separate dreams— mine in New York， his in South Africa. Never had I spoken so freely， so comfortably， with a man. He reached across the table and took my hand. I thought I saw in his eyes the same love l felt swelling in my hear. He said， "I'm just sorry I met you only one week before l leave."
"We still have seven days.” I said meekly.
"Then let's make the most of it." He helped me on with my sweater. Hand in hand， we strolled to the car and made plans for the next day and the next and the next. As he drove me home， Tracy Chapman sang， "Give me one reason to stay， and I'll turn right back around." Was his heart singing along like mine？
“这可是我生命中的一次机遇。”我对斯泰西说。说着，我锁上办公室的门，离开了我经营多年的饭店。“在纽约生活，这可是每个27岁的女人所梦寐以求的——还有几个月我就可以知道能否获准迁入。”
我凝视着倒映在拉古纳湾水面上的月光。“我很留恋这里，可住在纽约是长久以来我心中惟一的梦想——如今，美梦就要成真了！”
在街上的一家小咖啡店里，我们遇到了一群朋友，我便和他们闲聊着我可能要走的事。这时，邻近的一张桌子爆发出阵阵笑声。我应声望去，看见一个英俊的男人正在给他的朋友讲一个引人入胜的故事。他那坦率、温暖的笑容和自信的模样让我不由地发怔。斯泰西轻轻地捅了我一下，说道：“嘿，米歇尔，你发什么呆，好像着魔了一样。”
我看着那英俊的家伙卷起他那宽松外套的衣袖。他桌边的同伴都全神贯注地望着他。我轻呼道；“哦！那正是我要嫁的男人。”“的确不错，”斯泰西说，“不过，还是快说说你在纽约打算住哪儿，要知道我们都打算等你工作定了去那儿看你。” 我回答着她的问题，目光却不由自主地移向那个神采飞扬的男人。
三个月后，我和朋友又相聚在同一家餐厅里。我们互相碰杯，欢呼道：“为了纽约的新生活！”我们聊了几个小时，我总说这是我生命中的一次机遇。我告诉他们为省钱我决定搬出海边的小木屋，准备在离开前的几个月内租一个房间住。“我有一个来自南非的朋友。”一个朋友主动提出，“他叫巴里，是个很不错的家伙。”“这是他的电话，”他在一张餐巾纸上写下了号码，“他是个42岁坚定的单身主义者。他戏言自己忙于做一个单身父亲而没有时间再做丈夫。”
当天，我便预约去看房子。我正朝那所大房子走去时，门开了。“你一定是米歇尔。”他说着，卷起他宽松外套的衣袖，脸上漾起迷人的微笑。这不就是几个月前饭店里的那个男人——那个我想要嫁的男人！
我目瞪口呆地站在那里，希望自己没有失态。
“你就是米歇尔，对吗？”他打断了我的思绪，说道：“你想看看房间吗？”
我便随着他参观了一下房子，并接受了他的邀请，喝了一杯茶。巴里沉稳而耐心，他专心地听我喋喋不休地谈论着自己。他那银镶边的眼镜使他深色头发中的几缕白发格外醒目。很快，他灿烂、热情的微笑令我放松。在接下来的两个小时里，我们随意地聊着。最后，我决定不租那房间，并依依不舍地和他道别。
之后，我整天忙于搬家的事，几个月飞快地过去了。这段日子里，尽管我常常想到巴里，却不曾想过要打电话给他。
一天，当我和斯泰西离开我的办公室走向饭厅时，我说：“再过三个星期，我就要去纽约了，再见他一面，只会使我的生活变得一团糟。”
“那么，就让它一团糟吧！”斯泰西低语道，朝着门那边点了点头。是巴里，他用那双蔚蓝色的眼睛望着我，脸上带着摄人心魄的微笑，走进了饭店。
“你好，”他温柔地说道，“现在有空喝杯咖啡吗？”“当然！”我试着不让自己窒息。
我们拐进了一家路边小店，接着上次的话题聊了起来。从他的谈话中，我得知他也正要换一份工作，回到南非去。他的行程先于我一个星期。现在我明白我必须让自己冲动的心冷静一下。很明显，我们俩不会有结果。他问了我的电话号码，说以后会请我吃饭。我强忍着悲痛接受了，因为我知道两个星期后我将离开，这可能是永远都无法实现的约会。
可它竟然实现了！几天后，他来接我，我们一起看电影，吃晚饭。我们聊了几个小时，聊生活，聊希望，聊我们各自的梦想——我的在纽约，而他的在南非。我从不曾和一个男人谈得如此畅快，如此舒服。他握住我的手。从他的眼神里，我想我看到了正在我心中急剧膨胀的爱。他说。“我真的很遗憾，走前的一个星期才遇到你。”
“可我们还有整整七天。”我无限深情地答道。
“那么就让我们充分地享受它们吧。”说着，他帮我穿上外套。我们手牵着手走向汽车，计划着我们的明天以及明天的明天。在他开车送我回家的路上，我心中响起了特蕾西·查普曼的歌——“给我一个留下的理由，我将会回头……”不知他心里是否也在和我一起歌唱呢？
Silence Is Bliss寂静的狂欢
Will and Lyra followed the stream into the wood， walking carefully， saying little， until they were in the very center.
There was a little clearing in the middle of the grove， which was floored with soft grass and moss covered rocks. The branches laced across overhead， almost shutting out the sky and letting through little moving spangles and sequins of sunlight， so that everything was dappled with gold and silver.
And it was quiet. Only the trickle of the stream， and the occasional rustle of leaves high up in a little curl of breeze， broke the silence.
Will put down the package of food； Lyra put down her little rucksack. There was no sign of the daemon- shadows anywhere. They were completely alone.
They took off their shoes and socks and sat down on the mossy rocks at the edge of the stream， dipping their feet in the cold water and feeling the shock of it invigorate their blood.
“I’m hungry，” Will said
“Me too，” said Lyra， though she was feeling more than that， something subdued and pressing and half happy and half painful， so that she wasn’t quite sure what it was.
They unfolded the cloth and ate some bread and cheese. For some reason their hands were slow and clumsy， and they hardly tasted the food， although the bread was floury and crisp from the hot baking stones， and the cheese was flaky and salty and very fresh.
Then Lyra took one of those little red fruits. With a fast beating heart， she turned to him and said， “Will...”
And she lifted the fruit gently to his mouth.
She could see from his eyes that he knew at once what she meant， and that he was too joyful to speak. Her fingers were still at his lips， and he felt them tremble， and he put his own hand up to hold hers there， and then neither of them could look； they were confused； they were brimming with happiness.
Like two moths clumsily bumping together， with no more weight than that， their lips touched. Then before they knew how it happened， they were clinging together， blindly pressing their faces towards each other.
“Like Mary said，” he whispered，“you know straight away when you like someone，when you were asleep on the mountain， before she took you away ，I told Pan.”
“I heard，” she whispered， “I was awake and I wanted to tell you the same and now I know what I must have felt all the time： I love you， Will， I love you…”
The word love set his nerves ablaze. All his body thrilled with it， and he answered her in the same words， kissing her hot face over and over again， drinking in with adoration the scent of her body and her warm honey fragrant hair and her sweet moist mouth that tasted of the little red fruit.
Around them there was nothing but silence， as if the whole world were holding its breath…
威尔和莱拉沿着溪流来到树林里，他们小心翼翼地走着，一路无语，就这样一直走到了树林中央。
树林中央有一小块空地，上面长着软软的草，岩石上还长满了苔藓。头顶的树枝交错着，将天空遮了个严严实实。阳光穿过树枝间的空隙，漏下缕缕闪闪发光的金线，一切都被渲染成金色和银色了。
树林里非常寂静。只有溪流缓缓地流淌的声音，还有徐徐的微风吹动树叶的沙沙声，才会偶尔打破这里的寂静。
威尔把食品包放下，莱拉也把她的帆布背包放下，四处根本没有一点阴森森的感觉，这里只有他们两个。
他们把鞋和袜子脱掉，在小溪边的长有青苔的石头上坐了下来。他们把脚丫伸进冰冷的溪水里，顿时感到他们的血液有一种浑然一振的冲击感。
“我饿了。”威尔说。
“我也饿了。”莱拉说，尽管她感到有什么东西在压迫着自己，那是一种喜悲参半的感觉，所以到现在，她并没有真正弄明白那是一种什么样的感觉。
他们把布打开，吃了一些面包和奶酪。面包刚出炉不久，很新鲜好吃的，成片的咸奶酪也是非常可口的，可不知道怎么回事，他们的手都反应很慢，好像还有些笨拙，他们没有仔细品味食物的味道。
莱拉从那些水果中挑了一个，然后满脸羞涩，紧张地转过身去，对威尔说：“威尔……”
然后，她轻轻地把水果递到威尔的嘴边。
从威尔的眼神里莱拉看出来了他马上明白了自己的意思，他非常高兴，都不知道该说什么。她的手还在他的唇边。威尔感到自己的嘴唇在颤抖。他抬手，紧紧抓住莱拉的手，然后，他们两人的眼中便没有了其他东西；他们俩心情很复杂，可也荡漾着无言的幸福。
就像两只毛虫笨拙地碰到了一起一样，他们的嘴唇也很自然地碰到了一起。当他们还未来得及明白这一切是如何发生的时候，他们俩已经拥抱在了一起……
“玛丽说过，”他轻声对她耳语道，“当你喜欢上一个人的时候，你能马上感觉得到。当你在山上睡觉的时候，在她夺走你的心之前，你就能感觉得到。我曾经告诉过帕恩。”
“我听过。”她小声说，“我醒后也想告诉你这个的，可现在我明白了我过去的这种感觉：我爱你，威尔，我爱你……”
“爱”这个词让他的神经为之一亮，他激动起来了，他也对她说了“我爱你，莱拉，我爱你……”然后，他吻着她烫人的脸颊，呼吸着她身体的香味，她温暖芳香的发丝，还有她温润可爱的香唇——好像那个小红水果的味道。
周围什么也没有，有的只是寂静的空旷，仿佛整个世界都在屏住了呼吸……
What True Love Is假如这都不算爱
A girl and a boy were on a motorcycle， speeding through the night.
They loved each other a lot…
Girl： Slow down a little. I'm scared...
Boy： No， it's so fun...
Girl： Please... it's so scary...
Boy： Then say that you love me...
Girl： Fine... I love you... Can you slow down now？
Boy： Give me a big hug...
The girl gave him a big hug.
Girl： Now can you slow down？
Boy： Can you take off my helmet and put it on？ It's uncomfortable and it's bothering me while I drive.
Then next day， there was a story in the newspaper： a motorcycle had crashed into a building because it sbrakes were broken.
There were two people on the motorcycle， of which one died， and the other had survived...
The guy knew that the brakes were broken. He didn't want to let the girl know， because he knew that the girl would have gotten scared.
Instead， he was told the last time that she loved him， got a hug from her， put his helmet on her so that she can live， and die himself...
Once in a while， right in the middle of anordinary life， love gives us a fairytale...
一天夜里，男孩骑摩托车带着女孩超速行驶。
他们彼此深爱着对方。
女孩：“慢一点……我怕……”
男孩：“不，这样很有趣……”
女孩：“求求你……这样太吓人了……”
男孩：“好吧，那你说你爱我……”
女孩：“好……我爱你……你现在可以慢下来了吗？”
男孩：“紧紧抱我一下……”
女孩紧紧拥抱了他一下。
女孩：“现在你可以慢下来了吧？”
男孩：“你可以脱下我的头盔并自己戴上吗？它让我感到不舒服，还干扰我驾车。”
第二天，报纸报道：一辆摩托车因为刹车失灵而撞毁在一幢建筑物上。
车上有两个人，一个死亡，一个幸存……
驾车的男孩知道刹车失灵，但他没有让女孩知道，因为那样会让女孩感到害怕。
相反，他让女孩最后一次说她爱他，最后一次拥抱他，并让她戴上自己的头盔，结果，女孩活着，他自己死了……
就在一会儿的时间里，就在平常的生活里，爱向我们展示了一个神话。
A Little Piece of Me生命的过客
When he told me he was leaving I felt like a vase which has just smashed. There were pieces of me all over the tidy， tan tiles. He kept talking， telling me why he was leaving， explaining it was for the best， I could do better， it was his fault and not mine. I had heard it before many times and yet somehow was still not immune； perhaps one did not become immune to such felony.
He left and I tried to get on with my life. I filled the kettle and put it on to boil， I took out my old red mug and filled it with coffee watching as each coffee granule slipped in to the bone china. That was what my life had been like， endless omissions of coffee granules， somehow never managing to make that cup of coffee.
Somehow when the kettle piped its finishing warning I pretended not to hear it. That's what Mike's leaving had been like， sudden and with an awful finality. I would rather just wallow in uncertainty than have things finished. I laughed at myself. Imagine getting all philosophical and sentimental about a mug of coffee. I must be getting old.
And yet it was a young woman who stared back at me from the mirror. A young woman full of promise and hope， a young woman with bright eyes and full lips just waiting to take on the world. I never loved Mike anyway. Besides there are more important things. More important than love， I insist to myself firmly. The lid goes back on the coffee just like closure on the whole Mike experience.
He doesn't haunt my dreams as I feared that night. Instead I am flying far across fields and woods， looking down on those below me. Suddenly I fall to the ground and it is only when I wake up that I realize I was shot by a hunter， brought down by the burden of not the bullet but the soul of the man who shot it. I realize later， with some degree of understanding， that Mike was the hunter holding me down and I am the bird that longs to fly. The next night my dream is similar to the previous nights， but without the hunter. I fly free until I meet another bird who flies with me in perfect harmony. I realize with some relief that there is a bird out there for me， there is another person， not necessarily a lover perhaps just a friend， but there is someone out there who is my soul mate. I think about being a broken vase again and realize that I have glued myself back together， what Mike has is merely a little part of my time in earth， a little understanding of my physical being. He has only， a little piece of me.
当他告诉我他要离开的时候，我感觉自己就像花瓶裂成了碎片，跌落在茶色瓷砖地板上。他一直在说话，解释着为什么要离开，说什么这是最好的，我可以做得更好，都是他的错，与我无关。虽然这些话我已经听上好几千遍了，可每次听完都让我很受伤，或许在这样巨大的打击面前没有人能做到无动于衷。
他走了，我尝试着继续过自己的生活。我烧开水，拿出红色杯子，看着咖啡粉末一点点地落入骨灰瓷的杯子里。这正是我自己的鲜活写照，不断地往下掉咖啡粉末，却从来没有真正地泡成一杯咖啡。
水开了，水壶发出警报声，我假装没有听见。迈克的离去也是一样，突如其来，并且无可挽回。要知道，我宁愿忍受分与不分的煎熬，也不愿意以这样的方式被宣判“死刑”。想着想着我就哑然失笑，自己竟然为一杯咖啡有如此多的人生感怀，我自己一定是老了。
可是镜子里回瞪着我的那个女孩还是那么年轻啊！明目皓齿，充满了前途与希望，光明的未来在向她招手。没关系的，反正我也从来没有爱过迈克。何况，生命中还有比爱更重要的东西在等待着我，我对自己坚持说。我将咖啡罐的盖子盖好，也将所有关于迈克的记忆尘封起来。
那天晚上，出乎意料的是，他并没有入到我的梦中。在梦里，我飞过田野和森林，俯瞰着大地。突然间，我掉了下来……醒来后才发现原来自己被猎人打中了，但是令我坠落的不是他的子弹，而是他的灵魂。我后来才渐渐明白，原来迈克就是那个使我坠落的猎人，而我是那只渴望飞翔的小鸟。到了第二天晚上，我仍然做了类似的梦，但是猎人不见了，我一直在自由地飞翔，直到遇上另外一只小鸟和我比翼双飞。我开始意识到，总有那么一只鸟，那么一个人在前面等我，这个人可能是我的爱人，可能只是朋友，但一定是知我懂我的人，这令我感觉如释重负。我想起曾经觉得自己像花瓶一样裂开了，才意识到原来自己已经把自己修理好了。迈克只是我生命过程中的小小过客，他仅仅了解我的表面，他仅仅是我生命中的小小一部分。
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