石头脾气
Getty Images It’s shortly after 10 a.m., and The Body—all 237 pounds of him—is in his cubicle, sifting through e-mails. I’m wedged next to his liver, sifting through the metabolic remains of his morning drink: Vitaminwater. It calls itself a “nutrient enhanced” beverage, a nutritious cocktail. Ha! It’s mostly sugar in a bottle, and I love it. It sneaks past the digestive system and lands in the liver, which converts it to fat and sends it straight to me. What a bonanza!It’s a great time for me and my brethren fat cells. After millennia of toeing the line and giving up our stores whenever the muscles and nerves called on us, we’re now taking over. You don’t have to take my word for it. You can see it on the streets every day. More than 35 percent of adult Americans are obese. Not just overweight—obese. Cardiovascular disease? Type 2 diabetes? Cancer? Not my problem. I’m livin’ large.By 11 a.m.,The Body’s starving. That muffin he had for breakfast provided plenty of calories, but they don’t satisfy him the way they used to. See, it’s my job to send a hormone signal—called leptin—to the brain so it makes The Body feel full. It used to work like a charm. But these days, I pump leptin like it’s a Middle Eastern oil well, and it just floats around in the bloodstream, aimless. With all that excess insulin swirling around to help The Body sop up his extra sugar intake, the brain doesn’t receive my usual leptin signal and issue the “you’re stuffed, stop eating” message. So he’s more apt to feel hungry soon after he finishes eating.Life is sweet—saccharine, really. But it wasn’t always. I remember 40 years ago (The Body was barely a teenager) when I was born along with many of my fatty friends (puberty, the school nurse called it, which is when most adult fat cells should finish forming). I’d wait all day for some spare fatty acids I could store. Back then, most of the nutrition got used up. We fat cells would swell slightly, then shrink again. Those were lean times.But I’m not going anywhere. I mean that literally. Fat cells never disappear. We’re virtually indestructible. The Body can deprive me of the greasy good stuff, and I’ll wither—but when he hits the drive-through again, I’ll rebound faster than he can say “Supersize me!” In a normal body, fat cells are mostly done forming after puberty. But if you’re obese, your fat cells plump up so much that new ones can be created. And lately, my neighborhood’s been getting a little crowded. Every time a fellow fat cell fills up and hits its maximum storage capacity, a new fat cell pops up next door. I’ve heard that a normal body has around 40 billion fat cells, but The Body rolls deep—in here, there are 80 billion just like me!I’m pretty lucky. Back when The Body went off to college, he developed a soda habit. At almost every lunch, he’d knock one back. It was a special treat, and I’d snag a few fat droplets from the liver each time and store them up. He liked the caffeine, too, the pep it gave him in the afternoon. Soon enough, after The Body graduated and found a job, he needed another can of soda just to push through the midafternoon slump. That was the start of my glory years.Nephron via Wikimedia Commons Hear that? The Body’s opening a can of soda as he digs in to his low-fat microwave lasagna. He’s trying to cut back, shed a few pounds—and hey, if you’re trying to lose weight, it makes sense to eat less fat. But have you ever tried lasagna without butter or oil? Tastes like cardboard. So there’s extra salt and sugar to compensate, and it’s still easy for me to convert some of that sugar to fat and squirrel it away. He has no idea!The poor sap. Back in college, when The Body skied or cycled almost every weekend, his weight was under control. His diet had a lot less sugar, and his brain listened to my leptin warnings, quashing his hunger whenever I managed to plump up. I’d get a little ahead after a big weekend of beer and wings, inflate a tad. Then the next day he’d eat a bagel and apple for breakfast and jump on his bike. His muscles burned up all the handy glucose, and I’d be forced to break down some of my precious self into fatty acids and glycerol. I’d give glycerol to the liver, which would convert it into glucose to burn, and the fatty acids would go straight to the muscles for energy. I’d deflate and hunker down, waiting for his next binge.Now he polishes off the lasagna tray in six bites and swivels back to his computer, clicking and clacking through the afternoon. When he heaves himself from his chair to head home at 5 p.m., it’s the hardest his heart has had to work all day. I’m not worried, though—there’s plenty of fuel in his muscles to provide energy, so I never have to offer up any of myself to help. I’m lying low, laughing, confident I’ll never be called on to liquidate my stash.I get to relax during the hour-long commute home. What will I have for dinner tonight? Fried chicken? Burgers? But when The Body sags into his chair at the dinner table, he sees grilled chicken and salad. Lettuce, tomatoes, peppers… and what the heck is that, toasted pine nuts?! Oil-and-vinegar dressing, not even creamy ranch. Unfortunately, the salad’s fiber slows his digestion of the sugary dinner roll he snags from the basket. What gives? he asks. We’re eating healthy, says his wife. No more junk for dinner.This could be bad for me, but I know The Body, and true to form, he cracks a beer. Sweet relief! I can score fat out of a beer as well as a can of soda. The ethanol it contains is a derivative of sugar, so some of the boozy goodness goes through the liver and converts to fat. After dinner, he takes the dog out for a walk. Thankfully, a casual stroll won’t exert enough energy to dip into my storage. Even better, when he gets home, he plops down to watch the game. Conditioned to snack at night, he grabs a Rice Krispies square, a tiny sugar boost for me. He slides into bed around midnight, hoping for his usual six hours of sleep. While The Body snoozes, I get to relax too. He doesn’t rely on my stores during the middle of the night, so I’m waiting for morning and already pulsating. I know his lack of sleep will make him stressed, hungry, and more likely to crave sugary, high-carb foods. Mmm, maybe doughnuts for breakfast?
sunshine哒哒哒
推荐一篇我自己很喜欢的给你，曾经被我用来作脱口而出的练习材料，希望你会喜欢^_^ Five Balls of Life Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them work, family, health, friends and spirit and you’re keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls family, health, friends and spirit are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life. How?Don’t undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special.Don’t set your goals by what other people deem important. Only you know what is best for you.Don’t take for granted the things closest to your heart. Cling to them as they would be your life, for without them, life is meaningless.Don’t let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past or for the future. By living your life one day at a time, you live ALL the days of your life.Don’t give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying.Don’t be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect. It is this fragile thread that binds us to each together.Don’t be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.Don’t shut love out of your life by saying it’s impossible to find. The quickest way to receive love is to give it; the fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly; and the best way to keep love is to give it wings.Don’t run through life so fast that you forget not only where you’ve been, but also where you are going.Don’t forget, a person’s greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated.Don’t be afraid to learn. Knowledge is weightless, a treasure you can always carry easily.Don’t use time or words carelessly. Neither can be retrieved.Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way.Yesterday is history, Tomorrow is a mystery and Today is a gift: that’s why we call it‘The Present’【参考译文】想象生命是一场不停丢掷五个球于空中的游戏。这五个球分别为工作、家庭、健康、朋友和心灵，而且你很努力地掷着这五个球，不让它们落地。很快地你会了解工作是一个橡皮球。如果你不幸失手落下它，它还是会弹回来。但是家庭、健康、朋友和心灵这四个球是用玻璃做成的。一旦你失手落下，它们可能会少了一角，留下无法挽回的记号、刻痕、损坏甚至碎落一地。它们将永远不会跟以前一样。你必须了解这个道理，并且为平衡你的生命而努力。但要怎么才做得到呢？别拿自己和他人比较，这只会降低了你原有的价值。因为我们都是独一无二的，因为我们每一个人都很特别。别人认为重要的事不一定是你的目标。只有你才知道什么最适合你。不要将贴近你的心的人、事物视为理所当然的存在。你必须将他们视为你的生命一般好好地抓牢他们。没有他们，生命将失去意义。别让你的生命总在依恋过去种种或是寄望未来中逝去。如果你活在每个当下，你就活出了生命中的每一天。当你还能给予的时候别轻言放弃。只要你不放弃，就有无限延伸的可能。别害怕承认你并非完美。正因如此，我们才得以藉由这脆弱的细丝紧密地串绑在一起。别害怕遇到危险。正因如此，我们才得以藉由这些机会学习勇敢。别以爱太难找到作为借口而紧闭你的心扉。最迅速找到爱的方法就是给予你的爱；最快速失去爱的方法就是紧紧地守着你的爱不放；维持爱的最好方式就是给爱一双翅膀。莫要匆忙地度过你的一生，那匆忙让你忘了曾经到过哪里，也让你忘了你要去哪里。莫忘记，人类情感上最大的需要是感恩。莫害怕学习。知识没有重量，它是可以随意携带的珍宝。莫漫不经心地蹉跎光阴或口无遮拦。时间与言词两者都是一放便收不回来。生命不是一场赛跑, 而是一步一个脚印的旅程。昨天已是历史,明天还是未知，而今天则是一个上天的礼物：那就是我们为什么称它为“现在”(Present)的原因。
暴脾气媛媛
English story:God's wifeNew York city,It's a cold day in December. A little boy about 10-year-old was standing in front of a shoe store on Broadway, barefooted, peering through the window, and shivering with cold. A lady approached the boy and said:"My little fellow, why are you looking so earnestly in that window?" "I was asking God to give me a pair of shoes." The boy replied. The lady took him by the hand and went into the store, and asked the clerk to get a half dozen pairs of socks for the boy. She then asked if he could give her a basin of water and a towel. The clerk quickly brought them to her. She took the little fellow to the back part of the store and, removing her gloves, knelt down, washed his little feet, and dried them with the towel. By this time the clerk had returned with the socks. Placing a pair upon the boy's feet, she then purchased him a pair of shoes, and tying up the remaining pairs of socks, gave them to the boy. She patted him on the head and said:"No doubt, my little fellow, you feel more comfortable now?" As she turned to go, the astonished lad caught her by the hand, and looking up in her face, with tears in his eyes, answered the question with these words:"Are you God's wife?" 纽约市，12月寒冷的一天。一个10岁的小男孩站在白老汇一家鞋店的橱窗前，赤裸着脚丫，在寒冷中颤抖着并注视着橱窗。一个女士走到小男孩跟前问到：“小家伙，你为什么这么专注的看橱窗呢？” “我在请求上帝给我一双鞋。”小孩子回答到。 女士牵着小男子的手走进了商店，她让店员取来半打棉袜给小男孩。然后她问是否能给她拿一盆水和一条毛巾。店员很快就拿过来了。女士带着小家伙走到商店后面，拿下手套，蹲下来给他洗脚，然后用毛巾擦干。这时店员拿来一双袜子。女士给小家伙穿上，并为他买了一双鞋穿上，并把剩余的袜子打包起来给小男孩，女士拍着小男孩的头说到：“小家伙，现在感觉舒服多了，不是吗？” 当女士转身要走时，小男孩拉住女士的手，抬起头看着她的脸，眼睛中充满了泪水，答到:"请问你是上帝的妻子吗？"
亲亲四合院
英语励志文章： Be a Fighter A young friend of mine asked me in a letter, "What kind of man should I be?" My answer was, "Be a fighter."Another friend of mine inquired, "How should I live my life?" Again my answer was, "Be a fighter."The author of In Praise of the Fighter says:Riding on the ceaseless rushing torrent of life, I should pursue and overtake it so as to create an even greater and deeper torrent of my own.If I were a lamp, it would be my duty to light up thick darkness. If I were the sea tide, I would marshal rolling waves to cleanse the beach of all accumulated filth.This quotation reflects aptly the state of mind of a lighter.Fighters are badly needed in our time. But such fighters do not necessarily go to the battle- field gun in hand. Their weapons are not necessarily bullets. Their weapons may be knowledge, faith and strong will. They can bring the enemy sure death without drawing his blood.A fighter is always in pursuit of light. Instead of basking in the sunshine under a clear sky, he holds a burning torch in the darkness of night to illuminate people's way so that they can continue their journey till they see the dawn of a new day. It is the task of a fighter to dispel darkness. Instead of shirking darkness, he braves it and fights the hidden demons and monsters therein. He is determined to wipe them out and win light. He knows no compromise. He will keep on fighting until he wins light.A fighter is perennially young. He is never irresolute or inactive. He plunges deep into teeming crowds in search of such vermin as flies and venomous mosquitoes. He will fight them relentlessly and refuse to coexist with them under the same sky. To him, life means nothing but continuous fighting. He either survives by winning light, or perishes with his body covered all over with cuts and bruises. In the course of the struggle, it is the "future" that serves as the beacon light to him; the "future" gives people hope and inspiration. He will never lose his youthful vigour.A fighter will never lose heart or despair. He will pile up broken pieces of brick and stone to rebuild a nine-story pagoda on the ruins of failure. No blows will ever break his will. He will never close his eyes until he has breathed his last.A fighter is always fearless. His steps are firm. Once he has settled on an objective, he will press right ahead. He is never afraid of being tripped by a stumbling block. No obstacles will ever make him change his mind. His eyes will never be hoodwinked by false appearances. His actions are guided by faith. He can endure any hardships or sufferings while striving to attain his chosen objective. He will never abandon work as long as he is alive.This is the kind of fighter we now need. He is not necessarily possessed of superhuman capability. He is just an ordinary person. Anyone can be a fighter so long as he has the determination. Hence a few words of mine about "being a fighter" to encourage those young people who wander about in a depressed state, not knowing which way to go.参考译文：做一名进攻型战士一个年轻的朋友写信问我：“应该做一个什么样的人?“我回答他：“做一个战士。”另一个朋友问我：“怎样对付生活了，我仍旧答道：“做一个战士。”《战士颂》的作者曾经写过这样的话：“我激荡在这绵绵不息、滂沱四方的生命洪流中，我就应该追逐这洪流，而且追过它，自己去造更广、更深的洪流。”“我如果是一盏灯，这灯的用处便是照彻那多量的黑暗。我如果是海潮，便要鼓起波涛去洗涤海边一切陈腐的积物。”这一段话很恰当地写出了战士的心情。在这个时代，战士是最需要的。但是这样的战士并不一定要持枪上战场。他的武器也下一定是枪弹。他的武器还可以是知识、信仰和坚强的意志。他并不一定要流仇敌的血，却能更有把握地致敌人的死命，战士是永远追求光明的。他并不躺在晴空下享受阳光，在晴夜里燃起火炬，给人们照亮道路，使他们走向黎明。驱散黑暗，这是战士的任务。他不躲避黑暗，却要面对黑暗，跟躲藏在阴影里的魑魅、魍魉搏斗。他要消灭它们而取得光明。战士是不知道妥协的。他得不到光明便不会停止战斗。战士永远是年轻的。他不犹豫，不休息。他深入人丛中，找寻苍蝇、毒蚊等等危害人类的东西。他不断地攻击它们，不肯与它们共同生存在一个天空下面，对于战士，生活就是不停的战斗，他不是取得光明而牛存，便是带着满身伤痕而死去。在战斗中力量只有增长，信仰只有加强，在战斗中给战士指路的是“未来”，“未来”给人以希望和鼓舞。战士永远不会失去青春的活力。战士是不知道灰心与绝望的。他甚至在失败的废墟上，还要堆起破碎的砖石重建九级宝塔。任何打击都不能击破战士的意志。只有在死的时候他才闭上眼睛。战士是不知道畏缩的，他的脚步很坚定。一旦他认准目标，便会向前走去。他不怕被绊脚石摔倒，没有一种障碍能使他改变心思，假象绝不能迷住战士的眼睛，支配战士的行动的是信仰。他能够忍受一切艰难、痛苦，而达到他所选定的目标。除非他死，否则他决不放弃工作。这便是我们现在需要的战士。这样的战士并不一定具有超人的能力。他是一个平凡的人。每个人都可以做战士，只要他有决心。所以我用“做一个进攻型的战士”来激励那些还在苦闷中彷徨，不知何去何从的年轻朋友。 尊重版权，原文链接地址：
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