520贝基清净果
英文
It"s just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It has peeked through the branches of our tree for the past 10 years or so.
It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas. He didn"t hate the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it; overspending, the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma and the gifts given in desperation because you couldn"t think of anything else.
Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts, sweaters, ties and so forth. I reached for something special just for Mike. The inspiration came in an unusual way.
Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended and shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church, mostly black.
These youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged that shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, presented a sharp contrast to our boys in their spiffy blue and gold uniforms and sparkling new wrestling shoes.
As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler"s ears.
It was a luxury the ragtag team obviously could not afford. Well, we ended up walloping them. We took every weight class. And as each of their boys got up from the mat, he swaggered around in his tatters with false bravado, a kind of street pride that couldn"t acknowledge defeat.
Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, "I wish just one of them could have won," he said. "They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them."
Mike loved kids-all kids-and he knew them, having coached little league football, baseball and lacrosse. That"s when the idea for his present came.
That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes and sent them 14)anonymously to the inner-city church.
On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me. His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and in succeeding years.
For each Christmas, I followed the tradition, one year sending a group of mentally handicapped youngsters to a hockey game, another year a check to a pair of elderly brothers whose home had burned to the ground the week before Christmas, and on and on.
The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning and our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal it"s contents.
As the children grew, the toys gave way to more practical presents, but the envelope never lost its allure. The story doesn"t end there.
You see, we lost Mike due to dreaded cancer. When Christmas rolled around, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree, and in the morning, three more joined it. Each of our children, unbeknownst to the others, had placed an envelope on the tree for their dad.
The tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing around the tree with wide-eyed anticipation watching as their fathers take down the envelope. Mike"s spirit, like the Christmas spirit, will always be with us.
中文
我家的圣诞树上挂着一张小小的白色信封。上面即没有收信人的名字和寄信人的签名、也没有任何提示。它挂在我家的圣诞树上已经十多年了。
一切都因丈夫迈克对圣诞的憎恨而起。他并不憎恨圣诞节本身的意义，但他讨厌圣诞被商业化了。人们大把大把地花钱；在除夕夜的最后一分钟，围着圈不顾一切地跑去为哈里大叔抢些彩带，为外祖母手抢些彩粉；疯狂地瓜分礼物，把一切都抛在脑后。
正是因为知道他的这种感受，于是有一年我决定打破常规（平时都送些衬衣呀、毛衣或是领带等礼物）。我为迈克准备了一些特别的东西。灵感是有来历的。
那年我们的儿子凯文十二岁，在学校摔跤队的初级班里接受训练。圣诞节前夕，学校安排了一场非联赛的比赛，对手是本市教会资助的一只队伍，他们大部分队员都是黑人。
这些小伙子们穿着破烂不堪的运动鞋，唯一能够绑在脚上的仿佛只有那条鞋带。而与之形成鲜明对比的是我们的孩子，他们身披金蓝相间的制服，脚蹬崭新的摔跤鞋，显得分外耀眼。
比赛开始了，我惊异地发现对方选手在摔跤的时候没有带专业头盔，只有一种好象质地很薄的帽子保护着选手的耳朵。
对贫民队来说买一顶头盔显然是一种奢侈。毫无疑问我们以绝对的优势获胜，并取得了每个级别的冠军。比赛结束了，他们队的每个男孩从地毯上爬起来，在溃败的失意中昂首阔步装出一副获胜的样子，流露出像街头地痞一样的骄横和蛮不讲理。
坐在我身旁的迈克伤心地摇摇头说道：“我真希望他们其中一个可以赢。他们很有潜力，但是就这样输掉了比赛就等于输掉了他们的信心。”
迈克爱孩子——所有的孩子。他曾带过小型的联赛橄榄球队，棒球队和长曲棍球队，所以他了解他们。而我的灵感也由此而发。
当天下午，我就到本地的一家运动用品商店买了摔跤专用的头盔和鞋子，并以匿名的形式把礼物送到了本市的教会。
那个圣诞夜，我把一个信封挂在圣诞树上，里面写着我做的事情，并告诉迈克这是我送给他的礼物。他的笑容是那年圣诞节最明亮的饰物，多少年来那笑容还一直延续着。
每年的圣诞节，我都沿袭了这个传统。我曾送给一群智障儿童一副曲棍球，也曾送给一对年老的兄弟一张支票，因为圣诞节的前一个星期大火烧毁了他们的房子。等等，等等。
在我家，拆信成了圣诞节的亮点。圣诞节的早晨，那封信总是我们最后拆开的`礼物，孩子们甚至忘记了他们自己的玩具，站在一旁，瞪着大大的眼睛，满心希望地看着父亲从树上取下信封，然后打开看里面的内容。
孩子们渐渐长大，玩具开始给更具有实用性的礼物让位了，但是信封从未失去它的吸引力。我们的故事永远都不会结束。
现在我们失去了迈克，他患了癌症先我而去。而圣诞依然年年到来，我仍沉浸在失去他的悲伤中，虽然我几乎扶不起圣诞树，但是圣诞夜我仍放一封信在树上。清晨，我看见有三四封信挂在树上。每封都是孩子们挂上去的，对大家都保密，都放了一封信在树上献给他们的父亲。
这个传统在延续，有一天会被我们的孙子传得更远，当他们瞪着大大的眼睛，满怀希望地等待着他们的父亲从树上取下信封。迈克的精神，像圣诞的精神将永远伴随着我们。
吃货JyHl
1、The Old Man and the Old Cat An old man has a cat. The cat is very old, too. He runs very quickly. And his teeth are bad. One evening, the old cat sees a little mouse. He catches it, but he can’t eat it because his teeth are not strong enough. The mouse runs away. The old man is very angry. He beats his cat. He says: “You are a fool cat. I will punish you!” the cat is very sad. He thinks：“When I was young, I worked hard for you. Now you don’t like me because I’m too old to work. You should know you are old, too.” 2、老人和老猫 一个年迈的老人养一只猫。这只猫也非常老了。她跑得很快，但是牙齿很糟糕。一天王还是那个，这只老猫看见一只小老鼠。它抓住了小老鼠，但是它却吃不了它，因为它的牙齿不够锋利了。这只小老鼠逃跑了。 老人很生气，他打了小猫，并且对它说：“你这只蠢猫！我要惩罚你！”猫非常伤心，它想：“在我还年轻的时候，我为你努力工作。现在你却因为我太老了不能工作而不喜欢我。你应该知道你也老了。”
菁菁neco
Look Within to Find Happiness
How often do you hear people say "I will be happy when ..."such as "When I get that thing, I will be happy," "I will be happy when I pass the exam" and "I would be happy if I had more money". I have heard these things before and I am sure that I will hear them again.
"等我得到那个东西就会开心","等我通过那次考试就会开心","等我有更多的钱就会开心",诸如此类的"等……的时候就会开心"话,你听过不少次吧?我听过这样话,而且相信以后还会听到。
Many people want to believe that finding happiness is all about finding or getting something that they want. However, not many people have ever found long-term happiness by achieving a goal. There will always be another thing that they want. There will always be another exam or another dollar.
许多人都相信,找到幸福就等于找到或得到他们的心仪之物。然而,很多人并没有在目标实现之后就获得长久的幸福。这是因为人们总想要得到更多的东西,总还要走入考场,总还要赚更多的钱。
To break this vicious cycle, we must find our happiness somewhere else —within ourselves. In other words, happiness is completely an inside job. The key to finding happiness is to understand that happiness is a choice rather than the result of an experience. We have been given duanwenw.com everything
为了打破这种恶性循环,我们必须在其他地方找到幸福——那就是在我们的内心世界里。换句话说,幸福是心灵的产物。得到幸福的关键就在于要懂得幸福是一种选择,而不是经历的结果。
We need to be happy. Allow yourself to choose happiness. If life was perfect, would you be happy? Life is perfect because we create it with our choices. Since we can create life, we can create happiness and choose how much better our lives can get!
我们已经拥有获得幸福所需要的一切。去选择自己的幸福吧!倘若生活是完美的,你会觉得幸福吗?人生之所以完美就因为它是我们通过选择创造出来的。既然我们能创造生活,我们就能创造幸福,并选择更美好的人生!
Only when we can accept that life is perfect as it is, and that our lives are the sum total of everything that has happened up to this moment, can we accept the joy and the happiness we deserve.
我们只有在接受生活原本就很完美,并且生活就是此刻所经历之事的全部之时,我们才能得到我们应得的那份喜悦与幸福。
Find Yourself
Who are we? That is the first question. It’s a question that’s almost impossible to answer.
我们到底是谁?这是我们要解答的第一个问题，是一个几乎回答不了的问题
But we all agree that one’s busy or daily self is not quite one’s real self. We’re quite sure that we’ve lost something in the course of just making our living.。
但是我们都同意这一点，那个每天在日常生活中奔忙的自己，并不是我们真实的自己。我们都很清楚，我们在为生计奔波的过程中失去了某些东西。
A crowd is watching a person running about looking for something in a field, and a wise man asks, “What has that person lost?” Someone may guess a watch, another a diamond ring. When everyone has guessed, the wise man who like everyone else there has no idea, says, “I’ll tell you one thing for sure. He’s lost some breath.”
当一群人看着一个人在田野中奔跑着寻找某个东西时，智者向他们出了一个谜题：“那个人到底丢失了什么?”有个人认为是一块手表，另一个人认为是一枚钻石戒指。其他人也有不同的答案，智者也不知道那个人丢失了什么，但他却说：“我可以明确地告诉你们一件事，他丢失了一些生命力。”
And no one can deny that he’s right. The point is that we often forget our true selves in pursuit of things that are external1 to us, like a bird forgetting its own danger in pursuit of a mantis, which in turn forgets its own danger in pursuit of some other prey.
没有人认为智者所言是错的。其实我们经常在为生计奔波时忘记了我们自己，就像一只鸟在捕捉螳螂时忘记了自己的`安危，相应地，螳螂在捕捉它的猎物时也忘记了自己的安危。
Just Quit
Quit making excuses! Making excuses or blaming others for any situation in your life is nothing more than playing the victim.
停止编造借口!无论生活中发生何种情况，编造借口或责怪他人无非是一种假扮受害者的行为。
Take responsibility! Make your life decisions, and if you don’t, then it’s your fault. You are a spiritual being in a physical body, and your spirit should run your life. Take it back! Make today the day you quit playing the victim by making excuses and blaming others for what happens to you.
承担起责任!你应自己做决定，如果没有，那么这是你的失误。你的思想存在于你的身体里，而你的思想左右你的生活。取回你的思想!从今天开始，当面对发生在你身上的事时，停止编造借口或责怪他人。
Quit procrastinating! Cancer is not the most deadly killer; procrastination is. It kills dreams. It kills your future. Never use the phrase “I’ll try”. There is no such thing as trying. Pay attention when others use this phrase: ninety-nine percent of the time they do nothing. The words are just an easy way to comfort oneself.
不要拖延!癌症并非最可怕的杀手，拖延才是。它扼杀梦想;它断送未来。绝不说“我试试!”这样的话，并没有尝试一说。当其他人这么说时你应注意到，99%的可能是他们并未尝试。这些词不过是种简单的自我安慰。
Quit thinking self-defeating thoughts! Quit thinking that you can’t do what you want to do. It’s not what you are that’s holding you back; it’s what you think you are. You were given all the equipment you need to accomplish anything you desire. Use that power today.
拒绝那些会让你受到打击的想法!不要认为你无法完成你想做的事。让你退却的不是你的现状如何，而是你怎样评价自己。你具备那些能够使你达成梦想的条件，从今天起，让它们发挥作用。
As for bad habits: just quit! Take the challenge. Pick one, and quit it this week. Next week pick another, and so on. Improve your life by being a “quitter” now.
戒掉不良习惯!接受这项挑战。选一个坏习惯，从这个星期开始，戒掉它!下周开始另一个，以此类推。做一个“终结者”，让你的生活越来越好。
