OfLove
Thestageismorebeholdingtolove,thanthelifeofman.Forastothestage,loveisevermatterofcomedies,andnowandthenoftragedies;butinlifeitdothmuchmischief;sometimeslikeasiren,sometimeslikeafury.
Youmayobserve,thatamongstallthegreatandworthypersons(whereofthememoryremaineth,eitherancientorrecent)thereisnotone,thathathbeentransportedtothemaddegreeoflove:whichshowsthatgreatspirits,andgreatbusiness,dokeepoutthisweakpassion.Youmustexcept,nevertheless,MarcusAntonius,thehalfpartneroftheempireofRome,andAppiusClaudius,thedecemvirandlawgiver;whereoftheformerwasindeedavoluptuousman,andinordinate;butthelatterwasanaustereandwiseman:andthereforeitseems(thoughrarely)thatlovecanfindentrance,notonlyintoanopenheart,butalsointoaheartwellfortified,ifwatchbenotwellkept.
ItisapoorsayingofEpicurus,Satismagnumalteralteritheatrumsumus;asifman,madeforthecontemplationofheaven,andallnobleobjects,shoulddonothingbutkneelbeforealittleidol,andmakehimselfasubject,thoughnotofthemouth(asbeastsare),yetoftheeye;whichwasgivenhimforhigherpurposes.
Itisastrangething,tonotetheexcessofthispassion,andhowitbravesthenature,andvalueofthings,bythis;thatthespeakinginaperpetualhyperbole,iscomelyinnothingbutinlove.Neitherisitmerelyinthephrase;forwhereasithathbeenwellsaid,thatthearch-flatterer,withwhomallthepettyflatterershaveintelligence,isaman'sself;certainlytheloverismore.Fortherewasneverproudmanthoughtsoabsurdlywellofhimself,astheloverdothofthepersonloved;andthereforeitwaswellsaid,Thatitisimpossibletolove,andtobewise.Neitherdoththisweaknessappeartoothersonly,andnottothepartyloved;buttothelovedmostofall,exceptthelovebereciproque.Foritisatruerule,thatloveiseverrewarded,eitherwiththereciproque,orwithaninwardandsecretcontempt.
Byhowmuchthemore,menoughttobewareofthispassion,whichlosethnotonlyotherthings,butitself!Asfortheotherlosses,thepoet'srelationdothwellfigurethem:thathethatpreferredHelena,quittedthegiftsofJunoandPallas.Forwhosoeveresteemethtoomuchofamorousaffection,quittethbothrichesandwisdom.
Thispassionhathhisfloods,inverytimesofweakness;whicharegreatprosperity,andgreatadversity;thoughthislatterhathbeenlessobserved:bothwhichtimeskindlelove,andmakeitmorefervent,andthereforeshowittobethechildoffolly.Theydobest,whoiftheycannotbutadmitlove,yetmakeitkeepquarters;andseveritwhollyfromtheirseriousaffairs,andactions,oflife;forifitcheckoncewithbusiness,ittroublethmen'sfortunes,andmakethmen,thattheycannowaysbetruetotheirownends.
Iknownothow,butmartialmenaregiventolove:Ithink,itisbutastheyaregiventowine;forperilscommonlyasktobepaidinpleasures.
Thereisinman'snature,asecretinclinationandmotion,towardsloveofothers,whichifitbenotspentuponsomeoneorafew,dothnaturallyspreaditselftowardsmany,andmakethmenbecomehumaneandcharitable;asitisseensometimeinfriars.
Nuptiallovemakethmankind;friendlyloveperfectethit;butwantonlovecorrupteth,andembasethit.
TheHand
AThanksgivingDayeditorial(社论)inthenewspapertoldofaschoolteacherwhoaskedherclassoffirstgraderstodrawapictureofsomethingtheywerethankfulfor.Shethoughtofhowlittlethesechildrenfrompoorneighborhoodsactuallyhadtobethankfulfor.Butsheknewthatmostofthemwoulddrawpicturesofturkeysortableswithfood.Theteacherwastakenaback(吃惊；惊讶)withthepictureDouglashandedin…asmilechildishlydrawnhand.
Butwhosehand?Theclasswascaptivated(迷惑；困惑)bytheabstract(抽象的)image.“IthinkitmustbethehandofGodthatbringsusfood,”saidonechild.“Afarmer,”saidanother,“becausehegrowstheturkeys.”Finallywhentheotherswereatwork,theteacherbent(弯腰；屈身)overDouglas’sdeskandaskedwhosehanditwas.“It’syourhand,Teacher,”hemumbled(咕哝；含糊地说).
Sherecalledthatfrequentlyatrecess(课间休息)shehadtakenDouglas,ascrubby(身材矮小的)forlorn(孤独的)childbythehand.Sheoftendidthatwiththechildren.ButitmeantsomuchtoDouglas.Perhapsthiswaseveryone’sThanksgiving,notforthematerialthingsgiventousbutforthechance,inwhateversmallway,togivetoothers.
Frankness
Youmuststudytobefrankwiththeworld:franknessisthechildofhonestyandcourage.Sayjustwhatyoumeantodo,oneveryoccasion.Ifafriendasksafavor,youshouldgrantit,ifitisreasonable;ifnot,tellhimplainlywhyyoucannot.Youwouldwronghimandwrongyourselfbyequivocationofanykind.
Neverdoawrongthingtomakeafriendorkeepone.Themanwhorequiresyoutodosoisdearlypurchasedatasacrifice.Dealkindlybutfirmlywithallyourclassmates.Youwillfinditthepolicywhichwearsbest.Aboveall,donotappeartootherswhatyouarenot.
Ifyouhaveanyfaulttofindwithanyone,tellhim,notothers,ofwhatyoucomplain.Thereisnomoredangerousexperimentthanthatofundertakingtodoonethingbeforeaman'sfaceandanotherbehindhisback.Weshouldsayanddonothingtotheinjuryofanyone.Itisnotonlyamatterofprinciple,butalsothepathofpeaceandhornor.
ByRobertE.Lee
扩展阅读：英文简介
英文（English）是印欧语系-日耳曼语族下的语言，由26个字母组合而成，英文字母渊源于拉丁字母，拉丁字母渊源于希腊字母，而希腊字母则是由腓尼基字母演变而来的。英文是国际指定的官方语言（作为母语），也是世界上最广泛的第一语言，也是欧盟以及许多国际组织以及英联邦国家的官方语言，拥有世界第三位的母语使用者人数，仅次于汉语和西班牙语母语使用者人数。
英文由古代从丹麦等斯堪的'纳维亚半岛以及德国、荷兰及周边移民至不列颠群岛的盎格鲁、撒克逊以及朱特部落的白人所说的语言演变而来，并通过英国的殖民活动传播到了世界各地。由于在历史上曾和多种民族语言接触，它的词汇从一元变为多元，语法从“多屈折”变为“少屈折”，语音也发生了规律性的变化。在19至20世纪，英国以及美国在文化、经济、军事、政治和科学在世界上的领先地位使得英文成为一种国际语言。如今，许多国际场合都使用英文做为沟通媒介。
英文也是与电脑联系最密切的语言，大多数编程语言都与英文有联系，而且随着网络的使用，英文的使用更普及。英文是联合国的工作语言之一。苏格兰语、低地撒克逊语、丹麦语、德语、荷兰语、南非荷兰语和英文也很接近。拥有法国血统的诺曼人于11世纪征服英格兰王国，带来数万法语词汇和拉丁语词汇，很大程度地丰富了英文词汇外，相对也驱使不少原生的语汇作废。
