英文青春勵志經典散文

　　人生的新生季節，就是一生只有一度的青春，青春時期的我們應該時常找一些來看看，那麼都有哪些呢?一起來看看吧。

　　：假如給我三天光明

　　All of us have read thrilling stories in which the hero had only a limited and specified time to live. Sometimes it was as long as a year; sometimes as short as twenty-four hours. But always we were interested in discovering just how the doomed man chose to spend his last days or his last hours. I speak, of course, of free men who have a choice, not condemned criminals whose sphere of activities is strictly delimited.

　　Such stories set us thinking, wondering what we should do under similar circumstances. What events, what experiences, what associations should we crowd into those last hours as mortal beings? What happiness should we find in reviewing the past, what regrets?

　　Sometimes I have thought it would be an excellent rule to live each day as if we should die tomorrow. Such an attitude would emphasize sharply the values of life. We should live each day with a gentleness, a vigor, and a keenness of appreciation which are often lost when time stretches before us in the constant panorama of more days and months and years to come. There are those, of course, who would adopt the Epicurean motto of "Eat, drink, and be merry," but most people would be chastened by the certainty of impending death.

　　In stories the doomed hero is usually saved at the last minute by some stroke of fortune, but almost always his sense of values is changed. he becomes more appreciative of the meaning of life and its permanent spiritual values. It ahs often been noted that those who live, or have lived, in the shadow of death bring a mellow sweetness to everything they do.

　　我們大家都讀過一些令人激動的故事，這些故事裡的主人公僅僅活在有限並且特定的時間內，有時長達一年，有時短到24小時。但我們總是有興趣發現，那命中註定要死的是那些有選擇自由的人，而不是那些活動範圍被嚴格限定了的判了刑的犯人。

　　這樣的故事讓我們思考，在相似的情況下，我們該怎麼辦，作為終有一死的人，在那最終的幾個小時內安排什麼事件，什麼經歷，什麼交往?在回顧往事時，我們該找到什麼快樂?什麼悔恨?

　　有時我想到，過好每一天是個非常好的習慣，似乎我們明天就會死去。這種態度鮮明地強調了生命的價值。我們應該以優雅、的精力充沛、的善知樂趣的方式過好每一天。而當歲月推移，在經常瞻觀未來之時日、的未來之年月中，這些又常常失去。當然，也有人願按伊壁鳩魯的信條“吃、的喝和歡樂”去生活。***譯註：伊壁鳩魯是古希臘哲學家，他認為生活的主題目的是享樂，而最高的享受唯通過合理的生活，如自我控制才能得到。因為生活享受的目的被過分強調，而達此目的之手段被忽視，所以伊壁鳩魯的信徒現今變為追求享樂的人。他們的信條是：“讓我們吃喝，因為明天我們就死亡”***，但絕大多數人還是被即將面臨死亡的必然性所折磨。

　　在故事裡，註定要死的主人公往往在最後一刻由某種命運的突變而得救，但幾乎總是他的價值觀被改變了。他們對生活的意義和它永恆的精神價值變得更具欣賞力了。常常看到那些生活或已生活在死亡的陰影之中的人們都賦予他們所做的每件事以芳醇甜美。

　　：美麗的微笑與愛心

　　The poor are very wonderful people. One evening we went out and we picked up four people from the street. And one of them was in a most terrible condition，and I told the sisters: You take care of the other three. I take care of this one who looked worse. So I did for her all that my love can do. I put her in bed, and there was such a beautiful smile on her face. She took hold of my hand as she said just the words “thank you” and she died. I could not help but examine my conscience[良心]before her and I asked what would I say if I was in her place. And my answer was very simple. I would have tried to draw a little attention to myself. I would have said I am hungry, that I am dying, I am cold, I am in pain, or something, but she gave me much more-she gave me her grateful love. And she died with a smile on her face. As did that man whom we picked up from the drain[陰溝、下水道], half eaten with worms, and we brought him to the home. “I have lived like an animal in the street, but I am going to die like an angel, loved and cared for.” And it was so wonderful to see the greatness of that man who could speak like that, who could die like that without blaming anybody, without cursing anybody, without comparing anything. Like an angel-this is the greatness of our people. And that is why we believe what Jesus had said: I was hungry, I was naked, I was homeless, I was unwanted, unloved, uncared for, and you did it to me.

　　窮人是非常了不起的人。一天晚上，我們外出，從街上帶回了四個人，其中一個生命岌岌可危。於是我告訴修女們說：“你們照料其他三個，這個瀕危的人就由我來照顧了。”就這樣，我為她做了我的愛所能做的一切。我將她放在床上，看到她的臉上綻露出如此美麗的微笑。她握著我的手，只說了句“謝謝您”就死了。我情不自禁地在她面前審視起自己的良知來。我問自己，如果我是她的話，會說些什麼呢?答案很簡單，我會盡量引起旁人對我的關注，我會說我飢餓難忍，冷得發抖，奄奄一息，痛苦不堪，諸如此類的話。但是她給我的卻更多更多――她給了我她的感激之情。她死時臉上卻帶著微笑。我們從排水道帶回的那個男子也是如此。當時，他幾乎全身都快被蟲子吃掉了，我們把他帶回了家。“在街上，我一直像個動物一樣地活著，但我將像個天使一樣地死去，有人愛，有人關心。”真是太好了，我看到了他的偉大之處，他竟能說出那樣的話。他那樣地死去，不責怪任何人，不詛咒任何人，無慾無求。像天使一樣――這便是我們的人民的偉大之所在。因此我們相信耶穌所說的話――我飢腸轆轆――我衣不蔽體――我無家可歸――我不為人所要，不為人所愛，也不為人所關心――然而，你卻為我做了這一切。

　　I believe that we are not real social workers. We may be doing social work in the eyes of the people, but we are really contemplatives[修行者、沉思冥想的人] in the heart of the world. For we are touching the body of Christ twenty-four hours…And I think that in our family we don't need bombs and guns, to destroy, to bring peace, just get together, love one another, bring that peace, that joy, that strength of presence of each other in the home. And we will be able to overcome all the evil that is in the world.

　　我想，我們算不上真正的社會工作者。在人們的眼中，或許我們是在做社會工作，但實際上，我們真的只是世界中心的修行者。因為，一天24小時，我們都在觸控基督的聖體。我想，在我們的大家庭時，我們不需要槍支和炮彈來破壞和平，或帶來和平――我們只需要團結起來，彼此相愛，將和平、歡樂以及每一個家庭成員靈魂的活力都帶回世界。這樣，我們就能戰勝世界上現存的一切邪惡。

　　And with this prize that I have received as a Prize of Peace, I am going to try to make the home for many people who have no home. Because I believe that love begins at home, and if we can create a home for the poor I think that more and more love will spread. And we will be able through this understanding love to bring peace be the good news to the poor. The poor in our own family first, in our country and in the world. To be able to do this, our Sisters, our lives have to be wove with prayer. They have to be woven with Christ to be able to understand, to be able to share. Because to be woven with Christ is to be able to understand, to be able to share. Because today there is so much suffering…When I pick up a person from the street, hungry, I give him a plate of rice, a piece of bread, I have satisfied. I have removed that hunger. But a person who is shut out, who feels unwanted, unloved, terrified, the person who has been thrown out from society-that poverty is so full of hurt and so unbearable…And so let us always meet each other with a smile, for the smile is the beginning of love, and once we begin to love each other naturally we want to do something.

　　我準備以我所獲得的諾貝爾和平獎獎金為那些無家可歸的人們建立自己的家園。因為我相信，愛源自家庭，如果我們能為窮人建立家園，我想愛便會傳播得更廣。而且，我們將通過這種寬容博大的愛而帶來和平，成為窮人的福音。首先為我們自己家裡的窮人，其次為我們國家，為全世界的窮人。為了做到這一點，姐妹們，我們的生活就必須與禱告緊緊相連，必須同基督結結一體才能互相體諒，共同分享，因為同基督結合一體就意味著互相體諒，共同分享。因為，今天的世界上仍有如此多的苦難存在……當我從街上帶回一個飢腸轆轆的人時，給他一盤飯，一片面包，我就能使他心滿意足了，我就能軀除他的飢餓。但是，如果一個人露宿街頭，感到不為人所要，不為人所愛，惶恐不安，被社會拋棄――這樣的貧困讓人心痛，如此令人無法忍受。因此，讓我們總是微笑想見，因為微笑就是愛的開端，一旦我們開始彼此自然地相愛，我們就會想著為對方做點什麼了。

　　：我與媽媽有個約會

　　After 21 years of marriage, I discovered a new way of keeping alive the spark of love. I started to go out with another woman. It was really my wife's idea.

　　“I know that you love her,” she said one day, taking me by surprise. “But I love YOU,” I protested. “I know, but you also love her.”

　　The other woman that my wife wanted me to visit was my mother, who has been a widow for 19 years, but the demands of my work and my three children had made it possible to visit her only occasionally. That night I called to invite her to go out for dinner and a movie. “What's wrong, are you well?” she asked. My mother is the type of woman who suspects that a late night call or a surprise invitation is a sign of bad news. “I thought that it would be pleasant to pass some time with you,” I responded. “Just the two of us.” She thought about it for a moment, then said, “I would like that very much.”

　　That Friday after work, as I drove over to pick her up I was a bit nervous. When I arrived at her house, I noticed that she, too, seemed to be nervous about our date. She waited in the door with her coat on. She had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to celebrate her last wedding anniversary. She smiled from a face that was as radiant as an angel's. “I told my friends that I was going to go out with my son, and they were impressed,” she said, as she got into the car. “They can't wait to hear about our meeting.”

　　We went to a restaurant that, although not elegant, was very nice and cozy. My mother took my arm as if she were the First Lady. After we sat down, I had to read the menu. Her eyes could only read large print. Half way through the entries, I lifted my eyes and saw Mom sitting there staring at me. A nostalgic smile was on her lips. “It was I who used to have to read the menu when you were small,” she said. “Then it's time that you relax and let me return the favor,” I responded.

　　During the dinner we had an agreeable conversation — nothing extraordinary — but catching up on recent events of each other's life. We talked so much that we missed the movie. As we arrived at her house later, she said, “I'll go out with you again, but only if you let me invite you.” I agreed.“How was your dinner date?” asked my wife when I got home. “Very nice. Much more so than I could have imagined,” I answered.

　　A few days later my mother died of a massive heart attack. It happened so suddenly that I didn't have a chance to do anything for her. At that moment I understood the importance of saying in time: “I LOVE YOU” and to give our loved ones the time that they deserve. Nothing in life is more important than your family. Give them the time they deserve, because these things cannot be put off till “some other time”.

　　結婚21年後，我發現了保持愛之火花的一種新方法。我開始與另一個女人出去約會。其實這還是我妻子的主意呢。

　　“我知道你愛她，”有一天她對我說，這令我感到驚奇。“但我也愛你，”我宣告。“我知道，不過，你也愛她。”

　　我妻子想讓我去拜訪的另一個女人就是我的媽媽，她守寡19年了，但由於我的工作需要以及有三個孩子要撫養，我很少有機會去看望她。那天晚上，我打電話約她吃飯看電影。“出什麼事了?你還好吧?”她問。我媽媽是那種認為深夜電話或出其不意的邀請代表壞訊息徵兆的女人。“我覺得與您共度一段時間將是一件愉快的事，”我這樣回答。“就我們兩個人。”她想了一想，便說：“其實我很想這樣。”

　　於是週五下班後，我開車去接她。我有點兒不安。到了她的住所，我注意到，她對我們的約會好像也有些緊張。她穿著外套在門口等我。她將頭髮盤了起來，並且穿著最後一次結婚紀念日那天穿的套裝，天使般容光煥發的臉上帶著笑容。“我告訴朋友們我要跟兒子出去約會，他們都很感動，”上車時她對我說。“他們急迫地想了解我們約會的情況。”

　　我們去了一家雖不是一流卻很優雅舒適的飯店。媽媽挽著我的手臂，宛如第一夫人。我們坐下後，我開始看選單。她的眼睛現在只能看清一些大字。透過條目的縫隙，我抬眼看到媽媽正坐在那兒盯著我，嘴上帶著懷舊的笑容。“你小的時候，都是我看選單，”她說。“現在輪到您休息了，該我回報您了，”我答道。

　　吃飯的時候，我們談得很愉快——也沒什麼特別的事——只是簡單描述一下彼此生活中最近發生的事。我們談得太盡興以至錯過了看電影。當我送她回到家時，她說：“我會再跟你出去約會，但必須是我邀請你。”我同意了。

　　“飯吃得怎麼樣啊?”回到家時我妻子問。“非常好。比我想象中要好得多。”我回答。

　　幾天後，媽媽由於嚴重的心臟病發作去世了。發生的如此突然以至我沒有機會為她做任何事。那一刻，我明白了及時說出“我愛你”以及給予我們所愛的人他們應該得到的時間的重要性。生命中沒有什麼比你的家庭更重要。多花些時間陪陪你的家人，因為這些事情不能被推遲到“改天”。