态度决定生活英语美文

　　美文赏析:态度决定生活

态度决定生活英语美文

　　An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer (contractor) of his plans to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family. He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by.

　　一位老木匠打算退休了。他向自己所在的建筑公司雇主请辞，表示想要和自己的老伴以及大家庭去过一种更加闲适的生活。他会想念领薪水的日子，但他还是该退休了，他想日子总是能过下去的。

　　The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and usedinferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career.

　　老板很舍不得自己的好员工离开，他对木匠说请你再建最后一座房子吧，就算是帮我个忙。木匠答应了，但很快就明显可以看出他的心已经不在工作上了。他用拙劣的技巧和劣质的材料建这座房子，用这种状态来结束他的职业生涯其实是一种遗憾。

　　When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to inspect the house, the contractor handed the front-door key to the carpenter. "This is your house," he said, "my gift to you."

　　木匠完成了他的工作，负责人来验收房屋，老板将这座房屋的前门钥匙递到了木匠手上，说：“这房子现在归你了，作为我给你的礼物。”

　　What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had built none too well.

　　木匠顿时感到很震惊。多可惜啊！如果他知道是在为自己修建这所房子的话，他会完全以另一种态度来对待。而现在他不得不住在这座自己胡乱修建的房子里了。

　　So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best. At important points we do not give the job our best effort. Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built. If we had realized, we would have done it differently.[/en

　　这个故事也映射了我们的生活状况。我们并没有用心经营自己的生活，总是抱怨而缺少实际行动，并没有全力以赴做到最好。最重要的一点是，我们没有为自己的工作付出百分之百的努力。然后，当我们回过头看为自己创造的生活条件时我们震惊了，和木匠一样我们后悔了，要是知道我们是在为自己的生活打拼，我们可能就会用一种完全不同的态度来对待了。

　　Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Build wisely. It is the only life you will ever build. Even if you live it for only one day more, that day deserves to be lived graciously and withdignity. The plaque on the wall says, "Life is a do-it-yourself project."

　　想象一下你就是这个木匠，想象你正在建造这座房子，你每天钉进一颗钉子、安装一块板子或者筑起一面墙。请用心对待吧，这是唯一一个你为自己打造的生活。即使你只在里面住上一天，这一天也要活得有光彩、有尊严。正如格言所说，“生活是一个只有靠自己才能完成的项目。”

　　Who could say it more clearly? Your life today is the result of your attitudes and choices in the past. Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today.

　　谁还能说的再清楚些呢？你今天的生活就是你自己过去的态度和选择的结果，你未来的生活就是你现在的态度和选择的结果。

　　英语美文:让优秀成为一种习惯

　　Our character, basically, is a composite of our habits. “Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny,” the maxim goes.

　　从根本上来讲，我们的个性是塑成习惯的成分之一。有一句箴言讲到：“播下一个想法，收获一个行动；播下一个行动，收获一个习惯；播下一个习惯，收获一个性格；播下一个性格，收获一份命运。”

　　Habits are powerful factors in our lives. Because they are consistent, often unconscious patterns, they constantly, daily, express our character and produce our effectiveness or ineffectiveness.

　　习惯是我们生活中有力的`因素。因为习惯的持续性，人们常常不能意识到它们。于是，每一天，我们的习惯总在彰显着我们的性格，我们是否有效率也源自习惯。

　　As Horace Mann, the great educator, once said, “Habits are like a cable. We weave a strand of it everyday and soon it cannot be broken.” I personally do not agree with the last part of his expression. I know habits can be learned and unlearned. But I also know it isn't a quick fix. It involves a process and a tremendous commitment.

　　正如伟大的教育学家霍瑞斯·曼曾经说的那样：“习惯犹如一根缆绳。我们每日为其编织一股，不久它便不容易断裂。”我个人不认同他最后一段的表达。我知晓有些习惯是后天习得的，而有些则是不学就有的。可我也明白习惯无法速成，它是一段涉及郑重承诺的过程。

　　Those of us who watched the lunar voyage of Apollo 11 were transfixed as we saw the first men walk on the moon and return to earth. But to get there, those astronauts literally had to break out of the tremendous gravity pull of the earth. More energy was spent in the first few minutes of lift, in the first few miles of travel, than was used over the next several days to travel half a million miles.

　　我们之中见证过阿波罗11号登月的人，当看到人类在月球上跨出第一步并返回地球时，瞠目结舌。但为了抵达月球，毫不夸张地说，这些宇航员得挣脱地球对其极大的地心引力。在升起的头几分钟、太空旅程的头几英里中，宇航员耗费的能量要远大于之后几天五十万英里旅程中的能量。

　　Habits, too, have tremendous gravity pull more than most people realize or would admit. Breaking deeply imbedded habitual tendencies such as procrastination, impatience, criticalness, or selfishness that violate basic principles of human effectiveness involves more than a little willpower and a few minor changes in our lives. “Lift off” takes a tremendous effort, but once we break out of the gravity pull, our freedom takes on a whole new dimension.

　　习惯也具有极强的牵引力，比大多数人意识到或承认的还来得多。对于一些根深蒂固的习惯，像是拖延症、不耐烦、挑剔或自私，它们违反了人类效率的基本原则。而要戒掉这些陋习，仅靠那一丁点的意志力和生活中极小的改变，是无济于事的。“起飞时分”要付出巨大努力，而一旦我们挣脱地心引力，我们享有的自由便会展现出一个全新的维度。

　　Like any natural force, gravity pull can work with us or against us. The gravity pull of some of our habits may currently be keeping us from going where we want to go. But it is also gravity pull that keeps our world together, that keeps the planets in their orbits and our universe in order. It is a powerful force, and if we use it effectively, we can use the gravity pull of habit to create the cohesiveness and order necessary to establish effectiveness in our lives.

　　与其他自然力一样，地心引力对我们而言，是助力，亦可是对抗力。我们一些习惯所具有的引力也许正在妨碍我们抵达目的地。然而同时也是地心引力将世界凝聚，使各大行星在轨道上运转，让我们的宇宙井然有序。引力是很强大的，我们倘若能有效运用它，便可用习惯的引力来创建凝聚力和秩序，使我们的生活有效率。

　　美文欣赏:痛苦也是财富

　　有的人在摔倒的时候，选择咒骂磨难，把花时间在抱怨上，而有的人则选择感恩磨难，也正是以往的磕磕碰碰，抓住了正确的方向，也正是磨难，带来成功的喜悦，也正是磨难，让脆弱的心变得更加坚强。

　　今天的磨难痛苦，不算什么，熬过了，我们就成长了

　　《痛苦也是财富》节选

　　There’s no rose without a thorn. This thought is absolutely necessary to prepare you to experience less pain and more joy in your journey of life.

　　人生固然有欢乐，但也一定不乏痛苦。有了这种认识和思想准备也是非常必要的，因为这样会使你的生活增加欢乐而减少痛苦。

　　With a bird’s-eye view, you may realize something meaningful. During your school years, while joyfully acquiring knowledge you are also under the pressure of homework, examinations, and ranking. You face crises and agony. Meanwhile, all sorts of intricate affairs may happen between you and your classmates. In your youth, puberty may fill you with unrealized desires and send you into deeper perplexity.

　　鸟瞰人生，可略有领悟。上学时，有获得知识的乐趣，便有做功课、考试、排名次的危机与痛苦。同样，也有同学间相处的融合与纠结。青年时，春心萌动，幻想联翩，难以实现，亦难免陷入困扰。

　　Entering marriage, you are actually in the center of all the contradictions—the matching of different personalities, enduring of family members, children’s schooling, financial management and so on, you may also fall into marriage crisis. As you age, your health may deteriorate and various troubles in your career and family may gradually emerge. Mid-life and old-age crisis will follow, leading you to your eternity.

　　结婚之后，实际进入了更多的矛盾之中；思想的落差、相处的困难、子女的教育、财务的争执等等，也会陷入婚姻危机。随后，年龄愈大，健康愈差，事业、家庭中的许多潜在矛盾会日益突出，因而又会有中年危机和老年危机，直至步入死亡。

　　We may therefore conclude that much of our life may not be spent in contentment. However, the things that discontent are, in fact, not useless since you may learn more from them than from the things that cheered you up.

　　所以说，人生在世，如意的事不足一二，不如意的则十有八九。但这“八九”不是负担，而是有用的，因为人在痛苦中所学到的，要比在欢乐中所学到的多得多。

　　美文阅读:成功就在彼岸

　　Everybody wants success. Some people aim for it; others just talk about it. We all know what it looks like when someone else has it. Often times it just seems like something too far out of reach.

　　每个人都渴望成功。有的人努力去争取，有的人只是说说而已。我们都知道一个真正成功了的人是什么样的，但很多时候那个样子看起来是那么遥不可及。

　　The truth to success is closer than you think. It's just on the other side you have to want it enough, and be willing enough to get it.

　　实际上成功并没有你想象的那么遥远。成功就在彼岸，只要你足够期望、足够想要实现它。

　　Fear is your biggest obstacle fear of failure, fear of the judgment of others; fear of actually succeeding. It will trip you up every time. It will cause you to make decisions that may seem “right” at the time, but they're preventing you from actually getting over that wall.

　　恐惧是你最大的障碍：害怕失败，害怕他人的评判，害怕真正的成功。这些障碍会经常绊倒你，会让你在看似正确的时候做出决定，但实际上他们却阻碍了你真正翻越那道墙。

　　Success has no excuses. You either get it or you don't. The minute you find a reason not to take another step towards success is the moment you stop being successful. In the symphony of success, excuses are just noise.

　　成功没有借口。要么真的实现，要么就是未能实现。当你找到一个理由决定停止走向成功时，便是你停止成为成功之人的那一刻。在成功的交响乐中，借口只是噪音。

　　On the other side of obstacles

　　成功在障碍的另一边

　　Everyone faces changes; different ones at different times. We all handle the same challenges differently; we all have different results. It's how you handle each one and what you do with the results that count. An obstacle is something you either find a way around or allow to stop you. Remember, you've got to get passed obstacles in order to succeed.

　　每个人都会面临改变，只是不同的人会在不同的时间（面临改变）。我们都需要迎接同样的挑战，但结果却不尽相同。差别在于你是如何应对每一个挑战的，以及你如何应对每一个挑战的结果。你要么找到方法来解决它，要么停止不前，这是你通往成功的一大障碍。记住，你必须跨越障碍才能走向成功。

　　On the other side of failures

　　成功在失败的另一边

　　Not everything works; even if it works for other people, the same thing just doesn't work for us. So what? Failure can either become an obstacle and an excuse or it can become your teacher in what not to do.

　　你并不是每件事都能成功；即使是同一件事，在别人身上或许成功了，但是在你身上却不能。但那又怎么样？失败要么成为你的阻碍或者借口，要么成为你的良师益友，告诉你什么该做什么不该做。

　　It takes effort, commitment and follow-through

　　成功需要付出，需要承诺，需要坚持到底地不停尝试

　　They call it aladder of success for a reason… because you need to climb it in order to get somewhere. It's not an escalator. You just don't stand there and let it do the work for you. You have to do the work yourself. Sometimes it will be easy; other times you'll be carrying a heavy load on your shoulders. The ladder remains the same. Success still waits on the other side. It's going to take determination and persistence on your part to get up and over that wall.

　　人们把通往成功的路称作阶梯，因为你需要不停地往上攀爬才能达到某个地方。但它不是自动扶梯，你不能只是站在上面并期待它直接将你运上去，你必须自己亲自往上爬。有时候会很容易，有时候你会肩负重担往上走。但梯子并没有变，成功仍然在另一头等着你。你需要做出决定，坚持不懈往上爬，并翻越那道墙。

　　Which side do you want to be on?

　　成功或者失败，你想站在哪一边呢？

　　美文赏析:梦想成就伟大

　　The question was once asked of a highly successful businessman, “How have you done so much in your lifetime?”

　　曾经有人问一个非常成功的商人“你的人生为何如此成功？”

　　He replied, “I have dreamed. I have turned my mind loose to imagine what I wanted to do. Then I have gone to bed and thought about my dreams. In the night I dreamt about my dreams. And when I awoke in the morning, I saw the way to make my dreams real.

　　他回答道：“因为我有梦想。我放飞我的心灵驰骋想象，想象我要做的事情。之后，带着这些想象进入梦乡，在梦里我再次看见了我的梦想。当我第二天醒来时，我便找到了我实现梦想的途径”。

　　While other people were saying, 'You can't do that, it is impossible,' “I was well on my way to achieving what I wanted.” As Woodrow Wilson, 28th President of the U.S., said: “We grow great by dreams.

　　而其他人则说“你做不到，那不可能”。“而我总是坚持实现自己梦想的路。”就像美国第28届总统伍德罗·威尔逊所说“梦想成就伟大”。

　　“All big men are dreamers.” They see things in the soft haze of a spring day, or in the red fire on a long winter's evening.

　　“所有伟大的人都是梦想家。”他们在春天的迷雾中看到生机，在冬日夜晚的火苗里看到希望。

　　Some of us let these dreams die, but others nourish and protect them; nourish them through bad days until they bring them to the sunshine and light which comes always to those who sincerely hope that their dreams will come true.

　　而我们中的一些人却让梦想死去。而另一些人则养育和呵护着他们的梦想，哪怕经历磨难，他们仍不放弃，直到有一天重见光明。所以只有那些真心希望并坚持梦想的人最终才能让梦想成真。

　　So please, don't let anyone steal your dreams, or try to tell you they are too impossible. "Sing your songs, and dream your dreams, hope your hope and pray your prayer."

　　因此，请不要让任何人偷走你的梦想，或者试图告诉你梦不可能实现。“唱自己的歌，做自己的梦，给你的希望以希望，给你的祈祷以祈祷。”

　　美文赏析:从本心做自己

　　There will never be anyone else like you in the future of the universe. That's why being yourself is more important than anything else.

　　宇宙中再不会有一个人和你一样。这就是为什么做自己比什么都重要。

　　That's how life works: two steps forward, followed by one-and-a-half back as those who lost their power try to reverse the process.

　　生活就是这样：向前迈两步，接着后退一步半，而失去权势的人努力想要逆转这个顺序。

　　Those who benefit most from the status quo are naturally the least interested in change, and they find allies in the fearful and the authoritarian. Conformity always includes a threat of punishment if you fail to fit in, whether it comes from ridicule, being shunned by others, or direct attack.

　　从现状得益最多的人自然是最不希望改变的，他们与畏首畏尾者还有权威主义者结成联盟。如果你不能适应随大流，遵从一致往往有遭惩罚的风险，或是受人奚落，或是别人避之不及，甚至是受到直接攻击。

　　There’s a more fundamental power behind the urgency with which authoritarian conservatives seek to suppress individuality. That power is lack of trust. Wise leaders and outstanding thinkers are alike in two things: they’re usually non-conformists —and they display a deep trust in the basic goodness, intelligence, and capacity for development of their fellow human beings.

　　权威主义派的保守者急不可耐要压抑个性有其更为根本的原因，那就是缺乏信任。明智的领导和杰出的思想家有两点是相似的：他们不随大流，他们对他人的本善、才智和能力发展表现出高度信任。

　　In stark contrast, the most determined proponents of conformity have always been dictatorships. Under a dictatorship, any kind of variation from prescribed ways of thinking or acting is punished. Conservative thinkers often suggest too much freedom will lead to anarchy and the collapse of all standards.

　　与之对照鲜明的是，顺从最为顽固的要素在于独裁专制。在独裁控制下，凡有悖既定思维和有违既定行为者都会受到惩处。保守派思想常告诫，过度自由会引发混沌无序、会破坏标准。

　　Being who and what you are is the most natural thing there is. There may be a cost. Some people, even some friends, will disapprove of you as you truly are and will let you know it. There will be setbacks along the way. Yet the price for being yourself can never be as great as the price you will pay for stepping aside from your basic nature: a price paid in frustration, dissatisfaction, and the hopeless realization of all that you might have been, but now can never attain.

　　做自己是最自然的事情。也许会有代价，一些人，有些甚至是朋友，会不认可真实的你，并且告诉你，一路都会有挫折。但做自己的代价永远不会像违背你的本心代价那么大，背离自我的代价是挫败感、不满不悦、曾经可以企及的目标和愿望，如今却无望实现。

　　Take up the challenge. Conformity has very little to recommend it. Trust yourself and trust others. Mediocrity and inner frustration are the true price of conforming. Only those with the courage openly to live their dreams can ever hope to find lasting satisfaction with their lives.

　　接受挑战吧。循规蹈矩没什么可以褒奖的。相信自己，相信他人。平庸无才和内心挫折才是默守陈规真正的代价。只有敢于实现梦想、心怀勇气的人才能在生命中获得源源不断的满足感。

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