英语朗读文章

英语朗读文章

1.CompanionshipofBooks

Amanmayusuallybeknownbythebookshereadsaswellasbythecompanyhekeeps;forthereisacompanionshipofbooksaswellasofmen;andoneshouldalwaysliveinthebestcompany,whetheritbeofbooksorofmen.

Agoodbookmaybeamongthebestoffriends.Itisthesametodaythatitalwayswas,anditwillneverchange.Itisthemostpatientandcheerfulofcompanions.Itdoesnotturnitsbackuponusintimesofadversityordistress.Italwaysreceivesuswiththesamekindness;amusingandinstructingusinyouth,andcomfortingandconsolingusinage.

Menoftendiscovertheiraffinitytoeachotherbythemutuallovetheyhaveforabookjustastwopersonssometimesdiscoverafriendbytheadmirationwhichbothentertainforathird.Thereisanoldproverb,‘Loveme,lovemydog.”Butthereismorewisdominthis:”Loveme,lovemybook.”Thebookisatruerandhigherbondofunion.Mencanthink,feel,andsympathizewitheachotherthroughtheirfavoriteauthor.Theyliveinhimtogether,andheinthem.

Agoodbookisoftenthebesturnofalifeenshriningthebestthatlifecouldthinkout;fortheworldofaman’slifeis,forthemostpart,buttheworldofhisthoughts.Thusthebestbooksaretreasuriesofgoodwords,thegoldenthoughts,which,rememberedandcherished,becomeourconstantcompanionsandcomforters.

Bookspossessanessenceofimmortality.Theyarebyfarthemostlastingproductsofhumaneffort.Templesandstatuesdecay,butbookssurvive.Timeisofnoaccountwithgreatthoughts,whichareasfreshtodayaswhentheyfirstpassedthroughtheirauthor’sminds,agesago.Whatwasthensaidandthoughtstillspeakstousasvividlyaseverfromtheprintedpage.Theonlyeffectoftimehasbeentosiftoutthebadproducts;fornothinginliteraturecanlongsurvivebutwhatisreallygood.

Booksintroduceusintothebestsociety;theybringusintothepresenceofthegreatestmindsthathaveeverlived.Wehearwhattheysaidanddid;weseethemasiftheywerereallyalive;wesympathizewiththem,enjoywiththem,grievewiththem;theirexperiencebecomesours,andwefeelasifwewereinameasureactorswiththeminthesceneswhichtheydescribe.

Thegreatandgooddonotdie,eveninthisworld.Embalmedinbooks,theirspiritswalkabroad.Thebookisalivingvoice.Itisanintellecttowhichonestilllistens.

(461words)

2.Ambition

Itisnotdifficulttoimagineaworldshortofambition.Itwouldprobablybeakinderworld:withoutdemands,withoutabrasions,withoutdisappointments.Peoplewouldhavetimeforreflection.Suchworkastheydidwouldnotbeforthemselvesbutforthecollectivity.Competitionwouldneverenterin,conflictwouldbeeliminated,tensionwouldbecomeathingofthepast.Thestressofcreationwouldbeatanend.Artwouldnolongerbetroubling,butpurelycelebratoryinitsfunctions.Longevitywouldbeincreased,forfewerpeoplewoulddieofheartattackorstrokecausedbytumultuousendeavor.Anxietywouldbeextinct.Timewouldstretchonandon,withambitionlongdepartedfromthehumanheart.

Ah,howunrelievedboringlifewouldbe!

Thereisastrongviewthatholdsthatsuccessisamyth,andambitionthereforeasham.Doesthismeanthatsuccessdoesnotreallyexist?Thatachievementisatbottomempty?Thattheeffortsofmenandwomenareofnosignificancealongsidetheforceofmovementsandeventsnownotallsuccess,obviously,isworthesteeming,norallambitionworthcultivating.Whichareandwhicharenotissomethingonesoonenoughlearnsonone’sown.Buteventhemostcynicalsecretlyadmitthatsuccessexists;thatachievementcountsforagreatdeal;andthatthetruemythisthattheactionsofmenandwomenareuseless.Tobelieveotherwiseistotakeonapointofviewthatislikelytobederanging.Itis,initsimplications,toremoveallmotivesforcompetence,interestinattainment,andregardforposterity.

Wedonotchoosetobeborn.Wedonotchooseourparents.Wedonotchooseourhistoricalepoch,thecountryofourbirth,ortheimmediatecircumstancesofourupbringing.Wedonot,mostofus,choosetodie;nordowechoosethetimeorconditionsofourdeath.Butwithinallthisrealmofchoicelessness,wedochoosehowweshalllive:courageouslyorincowardice,honorablyordishonorably,withpurposeorindrift.Wedecidewhatisimportantandwhatistrivialinlife.Wedecidethatwhatmakesussignificantiseitherwhatwedoorwhatwerefusetodo.Butnomatterhowindifferenttheuniversemaybetoourchoicesanddecisions,thesechoicesanddecisionsareourstomake.Wedecide.Wechoose.Andaswedecideandchoose,soareourlivesformed.Intheend,formingourowndestinyiswhatambitionisabout.

(427words)

5.GivingLifeMeaning

Haveyouthoughtaboutwhatyouwantpeopletosayaboutyouafteryou’regone?Canyouhearthevoicesaying,“Hewasagreatman.”Or“Shereallywillbemissed.”Whatelsedotheysay?

Oneofthestrangestphenomenaoflifeistoengageinaworkthatwilllastlongafterdeath.Isn’tthatalotlikeinvestingallyourmoneysothatfuturegenerationscanbareinterestonit?Perhaps,yetifyoulookdeepinyourownheart,you’llfindsomethingdrivesyoutomakethiskindofcontribution—somethingdriveseveryhumanbeingtofindapurposethatlivesonafterdeath.

Doyouhopetomemorializeyourname?Haveanamethatiswhisperedwithreverentawe?Doyouhopetohaveyourfacecarvedupon50feetofgraniterock?Istheanswerreallythatsimple?Isthepurposeoflifetimecontributionanego-drivendesireforamortalbeingtohaveanimmortalnameorisitsomethingmore?

Achildalivetodaywilldietomorrow.AbabythathadthepotentialtobethenextEinsteinwilldiefromcomplicationatbirth.Thecircumstancesoflifearenotsetinstone.Wearenotallmeanttolivelifethroughtooldage.We’vegrowntoperceivelifeasafullcyclewithacertainnumberofyearsinbetween.Ifallofthoseyearsaren’tlivedout,it’satragedy.Atragedybecauseahuman’spotentialwasneverrealized.Atragedybecauseasparkwassnuffedoutbeforeiteverbecameaflame.

Byvirtueofinhabitingabodyweaccepttheserisks.Weexposeourmortalfleshtothelawsofthephysicalenvironmentaroundus.Thetradeoffisn’tsobadwhenyouthinkaboutit.Theproblemcomeswhenweconstructmortalfantasiesofwhatlifeshouldbelike.Whenlifedoesn’tconformtoourfantasywegrowupset,frustrated,ordepressed.

Wearealive;letuslive.Wehavetheabilitytoexperience;letusexperience.Wehavetheabilitytolearn;letuslearn.Themeaningoflifecanbegraspedinamoment.Amomentsobriefitoftenevadesourperception.

Whatmeaningstandsbehindthedramaticunfoldingoflife?Whatsingletruthcanwegraspandhangontofordearlifewhenallothertruthsaroundusseemtofadewithtime?

Thesemomentsarestrungtogetherinaserieswecallevents.Theseeventsarestrungtogetherinaserieswecalllife.Whenweseizethemomentandbenditaccordingtoourwill,awilldrivenbythespiritdeepinsideus,thenwehavediscoveredthemeaningoflife,ameaningforusthatshallgoonlongafterwedepartthisEarth.

(467words)

6.ToBeorNottoBe

OutsidetheBible,thesesixwordsarethemostfamousinalltheliteratureoftheworld.TheywerespokenbyHamletwhenhewasthinkingaloud,andtheyarethemostfamouswordsinShakespearebecauseHamletwasspeakingnotonlyforhimselfbutalsoforeverythinkingmanandwoman.Tobeornottobe,toliveornottolive,toliverichlyandabundantlyandeagerly,ortolivedullyandmeanlyandscarcely.Aphilosopheroncewantedtoknowwhetherhewasaliveornot,whichisagoodquestionforeveryonetoputtohimselfoccasionally.Heanswereditbysaying:"Ithink,thereforeIam."

Butthebestdefinitionofexistenceeverwasdonebyanotherphilosopherwhosaid:"Tobeistobeinrelations."Ifthistrue,thenthemorerelationsalivingthinghas,themoreitisalive.Toliveabundantlymeanssimplytoincreasetherangeandintensityofourrelations.Unfortunatelywearesoconstitutedthatwegettoloveourroutine.Butapartfromourregularoccupationhowmucharewealive?Ifyouareinterestedonlyinyourregularoccupation,youarealiveonlytothatextent.Sofarasotherthingsareconcerned—poetryandprose,music,pictures,sports,unselfishfriendships,politics,internationalaffairs—youaredead.

Contrariwise,itistruethateverytimeyouacquireanewinterest—evenmore,anewaccomplishment—youincreaseyourpoweroflife.Noonewhoisdeeplyinterestedinalargevarietyofsubjectscanremainunhappy;therealpessimististhepersonwhohaslostinterest.

Baconsaidthatamandiesasoftenashelosesafriend.Butwegainnewlifebycontacts,newfriends.Whatissupremelytrueoflivingobjectsisonlylesstrueofideas,whicharealsoalive.Whereyourthoughtsare,therewillyourlivebealso.Ifyourthoughtsareconfinedonlytoyourbusiness,onlytoyourphysicalwelfare,onlytothenarrowcircleofthetowninwhichyoulive,thenyouliveinanarrowcirconscribedlife.ButifyouareinterestedinwhatisgoingoninChina,thenyouarelivinginChina;ifyou’reinterestedinthecharactersofagoodnovel,thenyouarelivingwiththosehighlyinterestingpeople;ifyoulistenintentlytofinemusic,youareawayfromyourimmediatesurroundingsandlivinginaworldofpassionandimagination.

Tobeornottobe—toliveintenselyandrichlyormerelytoexist,thatdependsonourselves.Letuswidenandintensifyourrelations.Whilewelive,letuslive!

(442words)

7.BorntoWin

Eachhumanbeingisbornassomethingnew,somethingthatneverexistedbefore.Eachisbornwiththecapacitytowinatlife.Eachpersonhasauniquewayofseeing,hearing,touching,tastingandthinking.Eachhashisorherownuniquepotentials—capabilitiesandlimitations.Eachcanbeasignificant,thinking,aware,andcreativebeing—aproductiveperson,awinner.

Theword“winner”and“loser”havemanymeanings.Whenwerefertoapersonasawinner,wedonotmeanonewhomakessomeoneelselose.Tous,awinnerisonewhorespondsauthenticallybybeingcredible,trustworthy,responsive,andgenuine,bothasanindividualandasamemberofasociety.

Winnersdonotdedicatetheirlivestoaconceptofwhattheyimaginetheyshouldbe;rather,theyarethemselvesandassuchdonotusetheirenergyputtingonaperformance,maintainingpretenceandmanipulatingothers.Theyareawarethatthereisadifferencebetweenbeinglovingandactingloving,betweenbeingstupidandactingstupid,betweenbeingknowledgeableandactingknowledgeable.Winnersdonotneedtohidebehindamask.

Winnersarenotafraidtodotheirownthinkingandtousetheirownknowledge.Theycanseparatefactsfromopinionsanddon’tpretendtohavealltheanswers.Theylistentoothers,evaluatewhattheysay,butcometotheirownconclusions.Althoughwinnerscanadmireandrespectotherpeople,theyarenottotallydefine