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世界上最优美的散文--人生短篇-第25部分
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flight into ignorance in search of knowledge。 the great pleasur e of ignorance is; after all; the pleasure of asking questions。 the man who has lost this pleasure or exchanged it for the pleasure of dogma; which is the pleas ure of answering; is already beginning to stiffen。 one envies so inquisitive a m an as jewell; who sat down to the study of physiology in his sixties。 most of us have lost the sense of our ignorance long before that age。 we even become vain of our squirrel's hoard of knowledge and regard increasing age itself as a schoo l of omniscience。we forget that socrates was famed for wisdom not because he was omniscient but because he realized at the age of seventy that he still knew not hing。
盐
亨利。凡。戴克
本文节选自亨利。凡。戴克1898年6月在哈佛大学发表的著名演说《盐》。
“你们是世上的盐。”《马太福音》,5:13。
这是个平凡而且发人深省的比喻。盐可以用来调味,又可以用来清洁、防腐。盐是一种 奢侈品,像某位伟大的法国才子所称颂的那样是“头等必需品”。在人类历史刚刚开始的时 候,盐就被认为有很高的价值,并开始在山洞和海滩采集它。盛产盐的国家曾被视为富国。 在原始部落里,一袋盐比一个人还要珍贵。犹太人尤其珍视盐,因为他们居住的地方气候炎 热,很难储藏食物。此外,他们的宗教特别强调清洁,在向上帝献祭时需要用大量的盐。
当基督对他的门徒说“你们是世上的盐”时,选用了一个人们都熟悉的事物来做比喻。 他用这个比喻来说明他认为众门徒应该肩负的使命和应该发生的影响。他们到世上来就是要 净化、美化他们所生活的世界,使它免于腐败,给人们的生活以清新的、健康的气息。他们 的作用不是消极的,而是积极的。他们活动的范围是当下的生活,他们不必把盐省下来带到 天国去,那里不需要盐。盐的使命是渗入、调剂与净化尘世的事物。
……
salt
henry van dyke
“ye are the salt of the earth。” matthew 5: 13。
this figure of speech is plain and pungent。 salt is savory; purifying; prese rvative。 it is one of those superfluities which the great french wit defined as “things that are very necessary〃。 from the very beginning of human history men have set a high value upon salt and sought for it in caves and by the seashore。 the nation that had a good supply was counted rich。 a bag of salt; among the bar barous tribes; was worth more than a man。 the jews prized it especially; because they lived in a warm climate where food was difficult to keep; and because thei r religion laid particular emphasis on cleanliness; and because salt was largely used in their sacrifices。
christ chose an image which was familiar; when he said to his disciples; “y e are the salt of the earth。〃 this was his conception of their mission; their in fluence。 they were to cleanse and sweeten the world in which they lived; to keep it from decay; to give a new and more wholesome flavor to human existence。 thei r function was not to be passive; but active。 the sphere of its action was to be this present life。 there is no use in saving salt for heaven。 it will not be ne eded there。 its mission is to permeate; season; and purify things on earth…
择 友
佚名
好友胜于财富,因为财富买不到基本的品德,而正是这些基本品德使人们之间的交往成 为一件幸事。最好的朋友就是比我们更睿智、更出『色』的人,我们可以被他的智慧和美德所激 励,从而使我们的行为更加高尚。他们才智比我们更杰出,情『操』比我们更高尚,从而能使我 们在精神和道德的境界得到提高。
“观察一个人所结交的朋友,就可以知道他是什么样的人”这句话总是对的。高层次的 交友对于『性』情的培养特别有力。在交往中,『性』情对于『性』情的影响胜过其他一切因素。近朱者 赤,近墨者黑,这一事实告诉人们,在年轻时代,择友甚至比选择老师和监护人更为重要。
不可否认的是,有些朋友总是我们无法选择的。有些人是由于生意和各种社会关系的缘 故被硬塞给我们的。我们没有选择他们,我们也不喜欢他们,但是我们必须或多或少地跟他 们交往。如果我们坚守内心的原则,承受一些压力,这样的经历并非完全没有补偿。但总的 来说,朋友可以选择,也必须选择。如果没有事先的掂量或明确的目的,一个年轻人就随便 与张三、李四或王五交往,那是不妥当、不必要的。一些确定的交友之道应该被遵守。这一 点应放在思想最重要的位置,并时时检点自己。
无论是有益的或者有害的友谊,都是一种教育;无论对男对女,它都可以滋养高尚或卑 微的人格;它可以使灵魂升华,也可以使之堕落;它可以滋生美德,也可以催生邪恶。它的 影响没有折中之道。友谊,如果使人高尚,就会使人如天使般庄重;如果使人堕落,就会使 人如魔鬼般邪恶。它可以有力地拯救一个人,也可以轻易地毁掉一个人。世上没有什么比这 更确定无疑的事了。播种美德,收获的就是美德;播种邪恶,收获的就是邪恶。好的朋友可 以帮助我们播种美德,坏的朋友促使我们播种邪恶。
choice of companions
anonymous
a good companion is better than a fortune; for a fortune cannot purchase tho se elements of character which make companionship a blessing。 the best companion is one who is wiser and better than ourselves; for we are inspired by his wisdo m and virtue to nobler deeds。 greater wisdom and goodness than we possess lifts us higher mentally and morally。
“a man is known by the companion he keeps。〃 it is always true。 companionshi p of a high order is powerful to develop character。 character makes character in the associations of life faster than anything else。 purity begets purity; like begets like; and this fact makes the choice of companions in early life more imp ortant even than that of teachers and guardians。
it is true that we cannot always choose all of our companions。 some are thru st upon us by business and the social relations of life。 we do not choose them; we do not enjoy them; and yet; we have to associate with them more or less。 the experience is not altogether without compensation; if there be principle enough in us to bear the strain。 still; in the main; choice of companions can be made; and must be made。 it is not best or necessary for a young person to associate wi th “tom; dick and henry〃 without forethought or purpose。 some fixed rules about the company he or she keeps should be observed。 the subject should be uppermost in the thoughts; and canvassed often。
companionship is education; good or bad; it develops manhood or womanhood; h igh or low; it lifts the soul upward or drags it downward; it ministers to virtu e or vice。 there is no half way work about its influence。 if it ennobles; it doe s it grandly; if it demoralizes; it does it devilishly。 it saves or destroys lus tily。 nothing in the world is surer than this。 sow virtue; and the harvest will be virtue。 sow vice; and the harvest will be vice。 good companions help us to so w virtue; evil companions help us to sow vice。
专 心
乔治。埃勒迪斯。雷德尔
乔治。埃勒迪斯。雷德尔(1865—1934),英国记者,新闻事业家。他在本文中对于成 功的秘诀——专心作了深入浅出的描述。
有些人的成功常常让周围的人大『惑』不解,因为他们似乎从来没有工作,或者没有持续很 长时间地工作。他们的成功秘密在于能够专心,因而能够凭借最低限度的明显努力获得最高 限度的成果。爱默生说:“无论是在政治中、战争中、商业中,还是在一切人类事务的处理 中,专心都是成功的秘诀。”
专心是心灵的一种习惯。在专心的能力方面,人们并非生来完全相同,就像在玩台球的 能力方面,大家也不是生来完全相同。但是,每个人都可以把自己的能力朝着某个方向提高 到某种程度。现在是一个专家的时代。要切记,专心不仅对于做事情来说是必需的,对于选 择要做什么样的事情时也的必需的。在当今这个时代,一个人如果不能专心于某一件事情, 就不可能取得卓越的成就。
我们必须记住,对那些还没有习惯于专心的人们,专心真是一项使人心力交瘁的事情。 所以,不要把专心的紧张状态继续太久,应该在适当的时候把注意力松弛一下。也就是说, 专心的习惯是要逐渐养成的。在第一天,可以聚精会神地专心一刻钟,然后逐渐增加,到月 底时可以延长到每天两小时或两小时以上。专心最重要的是把心灵的全部力量集中于当前正 在从事的工作上面。在身心疲乏的时候,一个人不能非常圆满地做到这一点。而对于儿童和 年轻人来说,持续太久的努力对他们还会有所伤害。
concentration
george allardice riddell
the sucomess of some men bewilders those around them because they never seem to work; or to work for any length of time。 their secret is their power to conce ntrate; and thus to obtain the maximum of result with the minimum of apparent ef fort。 “concentration〃; says emerson; “is the secret of sucomess in politics; in war; in trade; in short in all the management of human affairs。〃
concentration is a habit of mind。 men are not born equal in their power of c oncentration any more than in their power of playin
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