书城外语那些美好而忧伤的记忆(每天读一点英文)
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第5章 Power in Gratitude (2)

作为母亲,感恩在日常生活中又能如何帮助我们呢?通过注意和感谢家人所做的一切好的事情,想想你能为家庭生活带来什么变化。当你表示感恩的时候,你的爱心和感激也就表露无遗。每人每天都需要这些感受。作为母亲,有时候会感到没有人感激我们——事实也是如此,母亲总是最后一个被感谢的人。你传授感恩的一个方法就是自己树立榜样。即便有一天你的孩子和丈夫把所有的事情都搞错了,你也要找个理由感谢他们。你可以花些时间和精力,寻找他们做得好的地方。想想你的家人所做的事情,哪些值得你说一句“谢谢”。你可以对丈夫说一句:“谢谢你为我们的家努力工作。”或者对孩子说,“我非常欣赏你的幽默感——笑一笑真好。”表达你的感激会帮助你的家人理解被他人感激的心情。如果他们还是无法领悟,那就在你需要感激的时候提醒他们。你也可以告诉他们,当他们向你表达感激时,带给你的美好感受。

在你需要合作的时候,感激之情就是一股巨大的推动力。当我获得我两岁儿子的帮助时,我经常满怀激情地表扬他。我要让他知道他帮了我很大的忙。我知道,因为他要感激我,所以我就要教他学会感激。几天前,我带回家一束颜色各异的玫瑰花,一连五天,他几乎每天都要说几次谢谢。

有时,我们过于繁忙,忙于芜杂的生活琐事,连感激都忘记了。我们期望每个人都能够自觉地尽职尽责。这种态度,日积月累,在家人之间就会发展为抱怨与不和。

生活安稳的时候,表达感激就会很简单。但是,当我们面对艰辛的生活时,表达感激就很难了。经济困难,长期疾病,亲人过世和婚姻纠纷都可能让人心烦,给生活带来困难。这时候,甚至连找一个感激的理由都很难。虽然痛苦无法避免,但我们有权选择是否接受痛苦,有权选择我们该如何看待我们周围的环境。我们可以相信上帝,相信上帝会给我们做好安排的。我们感激已有的经验教训,感激给个人成长和变化的机遇。看看大千世界中的芸芸众生,他们在生活的艰难中获得了礼物。正是生活中的那些痛苦时期让我更加坚强,更加聪明,更加热爱今天!

最近,我参加了一个很有影响的研讨班,讨论的主题是人类产生的多级能量。与会者把能量分成了七级。第一级能量是根据冷漠的感情和牺牲他人的思想而定义的;第二级能量的人怀有愤怒的感情和对抗的思想。人的能量级别越高,他的感情和思想也就越积极。在第7级别,人就会获得自由的爱和辩证的思想。只有上帝才能达到第7级。人类平均拥有的能量级别为2.5级。要想拥有和平和欢乐,个人的能量级别必须达到5级或6级。

那么我们该如何提高我们的能量级别呢?该如何敞开胸怀拥抱欢乐呢?一个有效的方法就是养成感激的态度。看看那些感激的眼神,聆听你的内心和你所爱的人的内心的声音,每天说些肯定的话,感激你生命中所拥有的教训和祝福。你拥有的感激的思想和感情越多,你对社会的作用就越大,你对生命的见解也就越深。

实战提升篇

核心单词

diagnose [5daiE^nEuz] v. 诊断

overwhelm [7EuvE5hwelm] v. 战胜;征服;压倒

notice [5nEutis] n. 公告,通知,贴示

marital [5mAritl] adj. 婚姻的;夫妻的

emanate [5emEneit] v. (气体等)发出,散发;放射

conflict [5kCnflikt] n. 冲突,抵触,分歧v. 矛盾,冲突

radiate [5reidieit] v. (光、热等)散发,辐射;显出

instrumental [7instru5mentl] adj. 可作为手段的;有帮助的

实用句型

The first level of energy is defined by feelings of apathy and thoughts of victimization.

第一级能量是根据冷漠的感情和牺牲他人的思想而定义的。

①这是一个被动句,be defined by...由(以)……而定义的。

②think of想到,考虑,类似的表达还有think about考虑;think over仔细考虑等固定搭配。

翻译行不行

1.她正在寻找丢失的孩子。(look for)

2.这首歌很好,我认为它会很快流行起来的。(catch on)

3.你不管怎样该给个答复吧。(at least)

第一章 My Life Was Saved by a Smile

·Tracy Anderson·

I was sure that I was to be killed. I became terribly nervous. I fumbled in my pockets to see if there were any cigarettes,which had escaped their search. I found one and because of my shaking hands,I could barely get it to my lips. But I had no matches,they had taken those.

I looked through the bars at my jailer. He did not make eye contact with me. I called out to him,“Have you got a light?”He looked at me,shrugged and came over to light my cigarette.

“As he came close and lit the match,his eyes inadvertently locked with mine. At that moment,I smiled. I don’t know why I did that. Perhaps it was nervousness,perhaps it was because,when you get very close,one to another,it is very hard not to smile. In any case,I smiled. In that instant,it was as though a spark jumped across the gap between our two hearts,our two human souls. I know he didn’t want to,but my smile leaped through the bars and generated a smile on his lips,too.

He lit my cigarette but stayed near,looking at me directly in the eyes and continuing to smile. I kept smiling at him,now aware of him as a person and not just a jailer. And his looking at me seemed to have a new dimension too.

“Do you have kids?”he asked. “Yes,here,here.”I took out my wallet and nervously fumbled for the pictures of my family. He,too,took out the pictures of his family and began to talk about his plans and hopes for them. My eyes filled with tears. I said that I feared that I’d never see my family again,never have the chance to see them grow up. Tears came to his eyes,too.

Suddenly,without another word,he unlocked my cell and silently led me out. Out of the jail,quietly and by back routes,out of the town. There,at the edge of town,he released me. And without another word,he turned back toward the town.

My life was saved by a smile. Yes,the smile—the unaffected,unplanned,natural connection between people. I really believe that if that part of you and that part of me could recognize each other,we wouldn’t be enemies. We couldn’t have hate or envy or fear.

一个微笑挽救了一条生命

特雷西·安德森

一想到自己明天就没命了,不禁陷入极端的惶恐之中。我翻遍了口袋,终于找到一支没被他们搜走的香烟,但我的手紧张地不停发抖,连将烟送进嘴里都成了问题,而我的火柴也在搜身时被拿走了。

我透过铁栏望着外面的警卫,他并没有注意到我在看他,我叫了他一声:“能跟你借个火吗?”他转头望着我,耸了耸肩,然后走了过来,点燃我的香烟。

当他帮我点火时,他的眼光无意中扫过我的脸,这时我突然冲着他微笑。我不知道自己为何有这般反应,也许是过于紧张,或者是当你如此靠近一个人时,很难不对他微笑。不管是出于什么理由,我对他笑了。就在这一刹那,这抹微笑如同火花般,打破了我们心灵间的隔阂。受到了我的感染,他的嘴角也不自觉地现出了笑容,虽然我知道这并不是他的原意。

他点完火后并没立刻离开,两眼盯着我看,脸上仍带着微笑。我也以笑容回应,仿佛他是我的朋友,而不是守着我的警卫。他看着我的眼神也少了当初的那股凶气。

“你有小孩吗?”他开口问道。

“有,你看。”我拿出了皮夹,手忙脚乱地翻出了我的全家福照片。他也掏出了照片,并且开始讲述他对家人的期望与计划。这时我眼中充满了泪水,我说我害怕再也见不到家人。我害怕没机会看着孩子长大。他听着也流下了两行热泪。

突然间,他二话不说地打开了牢门,悄悄地带我从后面的小路逃离了监狱,出了小镇,就在小镇的边上,他放了我,之后便转身往回走,不曾留下一句话。

一个微笑居然能救自己一条命。是的,微笑是人与人之间最自然真挚的沟通方式。如果我们能用心灵去认识彼此,世间不会有结怨成仇的憾事;恨意、妒忌、恐惧也就不复存在了。

实战提升篇

核心单词

terribly [5terEbli] adv. 可怕地;很,非常

inadvertently [inEd5vE:tEntli] adv. 不慎地;非故意地

generate [5dVenE7reit] v. 产生,发生;造成,引起

fumble [5fQmbl] v. 乱摸;摸索

release [ri5li:s] v. 释放,解放;放松,松开

envy [5envi] n. 妒忌;羡慕

实用句型

I said that I feared that I’d never see my family again,never have the chance to see them grow up.

我说我害怕再也见不到家人。我害怕没机会看着孩子长大。

①这里的I’d是I would 的省略形式。

②see后用不带to的不定式,类似的词还有help;suggest;hope等。

翻译行不行

1.他们从南方远道来看我。(come over)

2.医生已拨掉了我的坏牙。(take out)

3.积雪的山上挤满了年轻的滑雪者。(fill with)