英語故事美文模板

多閱讀英語的故事短文能幫助我們更好地掌握英語，下面是小編推薦給大家的英語故事美文模板，希望大家有所收穫。

Some of the animals and birds in the rainforest, such as monkeys and woodpeckers, live in the treetops. They are always swinging and flying from one tree to another looking for food among the leaves and branches. They even sleep in the treetops so they do not have to come down to the

Have you heard that such animals and birds in the rainforests are in danger? Because people are cutting down so many trees in the forests, the animals are losing their homes. Do you know the reasons for it? Yes, people want wood, paper and land. As a result many animals and plants are dying. Some forests are so badly damaged that they become deserts.

一些雨林中的動物和鳥類生活在樹頂上，例如猴子和啄木鳥。它們總是從一棵樹盪到或飛到另一棵樹上，在樹葉和樹枝間尋找食物。它們甚至在樹頂睡覺，所以它們不用到地面上來。

你知道嗎？雨林中的這些動物正處於危險中。因爲人們砍伐了森林中的許多樹，動物們失去了家園。你知道人們砍樹的原因嗎？是的，人們需要木材、紙和土地。所以，許多動物和植物正在消亡。一些森林遭到了嚴重的破壞，變成了沙漠。

In October 2002, the Biblical Archaeology Society announced a discovery which could provide historical evidence for the existence of Jesus. An inscription had been found on an ancient bone box（ossuary）that reads "James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus." If authentic, this container provides the only new Testament-era mention of the central figure of Christianity and is the first-ever archaeological discovery to corroborate biblical references to Jesus. This June, the Discovery Channel followed the story of the unearthing in Israel of this ancient ossuary, providing viewers with new information about the discovery of this historic relic and raising questions about Jesus' family life.

According to one of the world's leading specialist in ancient inscriptions, Andre Lemaire of the Sorbonne University in Paris, the Aramaic words etched on the box's side show a cursive form of writing used only from about 10 to 70 AD. Ancient inscriptions are typically found on royal monuments or on lavish tombs, commemorating rulers and other official figures. But Jesus, who was raised by a carpenter, was a man of the people, so finding documentation of his family is unexpected. The find is also significant in that it corroborates the existence of Joseph, Jesus' father, and James, Jesus’ brother and a leader of the early Christian church in Jerusalem. The family relationships contained on the ossuary helped experts uncover that the inscription very likely refers to the biblical James, brother of Jesus. Although all three names were common in ancient times, the statistical probability of their appearing in that combination is extremely slim. In addition, the mention of a brother is unusual, indicating that this Jesus must have been a well-known figure.

2002年10月，聖經考古學會宣佈一項發現，可能提供了耶穌確實存在人世的歷史證據。在一個古代的藏骨櫃上發現了以下的鐫刻文字：“雅名，約瑟之子，耶穌的兄弟”。如果屬實，這座藏骨櫃將是“新約時代”首度提及這位基督世界的中心人物，也是第一個能證實聖經提及之耶穌事蹟的考古發現。今年6 月，Discovery頻道追蹤了這座古代藏骨棺在以色列的出土過程，提供觀衆有關發現這個歷史遺物的新資訊，也對耶穌的家庭生活提出了新的疑問。

根據世界上首屈一指的碑銘研究家，巴黎索邦大學的李梅爾教授表示，刻在藏骨棺旁邊的阿拉姆文字，是以一種僅在西元10到70年間使用的草寫方式完成的。一般來說，古代銘文常在皇室紀念碑或奢華的陵墓中發現，用來紀念統治者或其他官方人物。但是耶穌生長在木匠之家，屬一介平民，因此能夠發現他家族的文字記載，實在出人意料。這項發現的重要性還在於它證實了耶穌的父親約瑟以及兄弟雅各的存在，雅各也是早期耶路撒冷基督教的領袖。記載於藏骨棺上的家庭關係有助於專家確定，此銘文極可能與聖經中耶穌的兄弟雅各脫不了關係。雖然這三個名字在古時候都很普遍，但統計機率顯示，三個名字同時出現於父子三人組合的機會微乎其微。此外，在銘文中提到某人的兄弟是很不尋常的，此舉表示這位耶穌必然曾是一位知名人物。

When I was nine years old living in a smaIl town in North Carolina I found an ad for selling greeting cards in the back of a children's magazine．I thought to myself I can do this．I begged my mother to let me send for the kit．Two weeks later when the kit arrived，I ripped off the brown paper wrapper，grabbed the cards and dashed from the house．Three hours later．I returned home with no card and a pocket full of money proclaiming，“Mama．all the people couldn't wait to buy my cards！”A salesperson was born．when I was twelve years old，my father took me to see Zig Ziegler．I remember sitting in that dark auditorium listening to Mr，Zigler raise everyone's spirits up to the ceiling，I left there feeling like I could do anything．When we got to the car，I turned to my father and said．“Dad．I want to make people feel like that．”My father asked me what I meant．"I want to be a motivational speaker just like Mr．Zigler，“I replied．A dream was born．

Recently，I began pursuing my dream of motivating others．After a four-year relationship with a major furtune 100company beginning as a salestrainer and ending as a regional sales manager，I left the company at the height of my career，Many people were astounded that I would leave after earning a six-figure income．And they asked why I would risk everything for a dream．

I made my decision to start my own company and leave my secure position after attending a regional sales meeting．The vice-president of our company delivered a speech that changed my life．He asked us,“If a genie would grant you three wishes what would they be？”After giving us a moment to write down the three wishes．he then asked us,"why do you need a genie ?"I would never forget the empowerment I felt at that moment．

I realized that everything I had accomplished一the graduate degree，the successful sales career，speaking engagements，training and managing for a fortune l00company had prepared me for this moment．I was ready and did not need a genie's help to become a motivational speaker．

When I tearfully told my boss my plans this incredible leader whom Irespect so much replied,"Precede with reckless abandon and you will be successful“

Having made that decision，I was immediately tested．One week after I gave notice，my husband was“laid off from his job．We had recently bought a new home and needed both incomes to make the monthly mortgage payment and now we were done to no income．It was tempting to turn back to my former company，knowing they wanted me to stays but l was certain that if I went back，I would never leave．I decided I still wanted to move forward rather than end up with a mouth full of”if onlys"later on．A motivational speaker was born．

When l held fast to my dream，even during the tough times．The miracles really began to happen．In a short time period my husband found a better job．We didn't miss a mortgage payment．And I was able to book several speaking engagements with new clients．I discovered the incredible power of dreams．I loved my old job,my peers and the company I left，but it was time to get on with my dream．To celebrate my success I had a local artist paint my new offlce as a garden．At the top of one wall she stenciled,“The world always makes way for the dreamer．”

我九歲的時候住在北卡羅來納州的一個小鎮上，一次在一本兒童雜誌的背面友現了一則招聘明信片推銷員的廣告。我對自己說，我能幹這事。我懇求媽媽讓我去叫人送來全套貨物。兩個星期後，貨送來了，我一把撕下明信葉上棕色的包裝紙，衝出了家門，三個小時後，我的卡片已一張不剩，倒是裝着滿滿一口袋錢回到了家，大叫：“媽媽，所有的人部迫不及待地想要買我的卡片！”一個推銷員誕生了。

我十二歲的時候，父親帶我去見齊格·齊格勒先生，我還記得當時坐在昏暗的禮堂裏聽着齊格勒先生的演說，他把每個人部說得熱情高漲、躍躍欲試，離開的時候我覺得自己可以做任何事情。我們上了車，我轉向父親對池說道：“爸爸，我也想讓人們這樣。”爸爸問我的話是什麼意思。“我想當一個象齊格勒先生這樣的動員演說者。”我回答道。一個夢想誕生了。

最近，我開始鼓舞他人，努力實現自己的夢想。在此之前的四年裏，我在一個擁有100家公司的財團做事，從一個銷售培訓者做到地區銷售經理，在我事業達到顛峯時我離開了這家公司。許多人都十分驚訝，在收入達到六位數時我卻選擇了離開。他們問我爲什麼要爲了夢想而去冒險。

我是在參加了一次地區銷售會議後，纔拿定主意離開自己的安全港灣，去開自已的公司的。在那次會議上，我們公司的副總裁做了一次演說，從而改變了我的命運。他問我們：“如果一個神仙會滿足你的三個願望，那人你將會希望得到什麼?”他讓我們寫下自已的願望，然後問我們：“爲什麼你們會需要神仙呢？”在那一刻，我永遠也忘不了這句話對我的震憾。

我意識到，我有了畢業證書、成功的銷售經驗、做過無數演講，爲一家擁有100個公司的財團做過銷售培訓和管理工作——所有這一切部使我爲這一刻做好了準備。我準備好了去成爲一名動機演說者，不需要神仙的幫助。

當我眼淚汪汪地告訴老闆我的計劃時，這個我十分尊重的領導，令人難以置信地答道：“勇往向前吧！你一定能夠成功。”

我決意剛定，就遭受了考驗，我辭職的一個星期後，丈夫也失業了。我們剛剛買了一座新房子，需要雙方的工資來付清每個月的抵押貸款，但現在我們卻一分收入也沒有了。這時我想回公司去，知道他們仍想要我，可是我知道一旦回去就再也出不來了，我決定繼續前進，決不做一個滿口“如果”、只說不做的人，一個動機演說者誕生了。

我緊緊追隨着我的夢想。甚至在最艱苦的時期也不放棄，然後奇蹟果真開始出現。短短的時間內，我丈夫找到了一汾更好的工作，我們沒有拖欠任何一個月的抵押貸款，我也開始有新客戶預約演說。我發現了夢想不可思議的力量。我熱愛我過去的工作、我的同事和我離開的那家公司，但是，我實現夢想的時機已經成熟了。爲了慶祝我的成功、我清當地一位藝術家將我的新辦公室漆成了一座花園，在一面牆的頂端，她刷下了這樣一句話：“這個世界永遠屬於追夢的人。”

There was a rich merchant who had 4 wives. He loved the 4th wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated her to 1)delicacies. He took great care of her and gave her nothing but the best.

He also loved the 3rd wife very much. He's very proud of her and always wanted to show off her to his friends. However, the merchant is always in great fear that she might run away with some other men.

He too, loved his 2nd wife. She is a very considerate person, always patient and in fact is the merchant's 2)confidante. Whenever the merchant faced some problems, he always turned to his 2nd wife and she would always help him out and tide him through difficult times.

Now, the merchant's 1st wife is a very loyal partner and has made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and business as well as taking care of the household. However, the merchant did not love the first wife and although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her.

One day, the merchant fell ill. Before long, he knew that he was going to die soon. He thought of his 3)luxurious life and told himself, "Now I have 4 wives with me. But when I die, I'll be alone. How lonely I'll be!"

Thus, he asked the 4th wife, "I loved you most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No way!" replied the 4th wife and she walked away without another word.

The answer cut like a sharp knife right into the merchant's heart. The sad merchant then asked the 3rd wife, "I have loved you so much for all my life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No!" replied the 3rd wife. "Life is so good over here! I'm going to remarry when you die!" The merchant's heart sank and turned cold.

He then asked the 2nd wife, "I always turned to you for help and you've always helped me out. Now I need your help again. When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?" "I'm sorry, I can't help you out this time!" replied the 2nd wife. "At the very most, I can only send you to your grave." The answer came like a bolt of thunder and the merchant was 4)devastated.

Then a voice called out: "I'll leave with you. I'll follow you no matter where you go." The merchant looked up and there was his first wife. She was so skinny, almost like she suffered from 5)malnutrition. Greatly grieved, the merchant said, "I should have taken much better care of you while I could have!"

Actually, we all have 4 wives in our lives

The 4th wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look good, it'll leave us when we die.

Our 3rd wife is our possessions, status and wealth. When we die, they all go to others.

The 2nd wife is our family and friends. No matter how close they had been there for us when we're alive, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the grave.

The 1st wife is in fact our soul, often neglected in our pursuit of material, wealth and sensual pleasure.

Guess what? It is actually the only thing that follows us wherever we go. Perhaps it's a good idea to cultivate and strengthen it now rather than to wait until we're on our deathbed to 6)lament.

從前，一位富有的商人娶了四個老婆。他最愛他的小老婆，給她華麗的衣裳和美味佳餚。他對她體貼入微，把最好的東西都給了她。

商人也很愛第三位老婆。他爲她感到驕傲，並常把她作爲在朋友面前炫耀的資本。但他同時也憂心忡忡，怕她與其他男人跑了。

當然，商人也愛二老婆，她既善解人意又耐心。事實上，她是商人的紅顏知己。每每遇到困難，他就會找她，而她也總能幫助他走出困境，度過難關。

至於大老婆，她是一位忠誠的伴侶，替他照料生意、打理家務，忙裏忙外，可謂勞苦功高。然而，儘管她愛得這麼深，商人卻偏不鍾情於她，甚至沒把她放在心上。

一日，商人得了重病，他自知將不久於人世。當他回顧自己奢華的一生，不禁心中悵然：“現在我雖然有四個老婆相伴，但死後卻要孤零零一人。多寂寞啊！”

於是，他問小老婆：“我最疼你，給你買最漂亮的衣服，還對你呵護備至。現在我就要離開這個世界了，你願意隨我而去，與我相伴嗎？”“絕不可能！”她丟下一句話，徑自走開了。

小老婆的回答如一把尖刀插在商人心上。傷心的商人繼而問第三個老婆：“我一直對你寵愛有加。如今，我將不久於人世，你願意隨我而去，與我相伴嗎？”“不！”她拒絕道，“人間的生活多麼美好啊！你死後我會改嫁他人！”商人的心倏地下沉，漸漸變冷。

他再轉向二老婆，問道：“我過去常常求助於你，你也總能爲我排憂解難。現在我想再請你幫一次忙。我死後，你願意隨我而去，與我相伴嗎？”“很抱歉，這一次我幫不了你，”她說，“我最多隻能讓你入土爲安。”這句話猶如晴天霹靂，商人徹底絕望了。

這時，旁邊傳來一個聲音：“我願意隨你一同離去。無論你到哪裏，我都會跟着你。”商人擡起頭，看到了自己的大老婆。她是那麼消瘦，一副營養不良的樣子。商人悲痛萬分，他說：“我過去就應該好好地珍惜你啊！”

其實，我們每個人的一生都有四位愛人相伴。

小老婆代表我們的軀體。無論我們花費多少的時間和精力想去裝扮她，我們死後它終會棄我們而去。

第三位老婆代表財產、地位與金錢。一旦我們撒手西去，它終究會轉向他人。

二老婆則代表了我們的家人與朋友。我們活着的時候，無論他們與我們多麼親近，他們最多也只能到墓前送我們最後一程。

至於大老婆，她則是我們的靈魂。當我們沉迷於追求物質、金錢或感官享受的時候，她常常會被遺忘在一旁。

結果呢？她纔是唯一與我們永遠相伴的。也許從現在開始，我們就應該悉心照顧好她，而不是等到臨終之際才悔恨不已。

The traditional holidays in our house when I was a child were spent timing elaborate meals around football games. My father tried to make pleasant chitchat and eat as much as he could during halftime. At Christmas he found time to have a cup or two of holiday cheer and do his holly-shaped bow tie1. But he didn't truly shine until Valentine's Day.

I don't know whether it was because work at the office slowed during February or because the football season was over. But Valentine's Day was the time my father chose to show his love for the special people in his life. Over the years I fondly2 thought of him as my "Valentine Man."

My first recollection3 of the magic4 he could bring to Valentine's Day came when I was six. For several days I had been cutting out valentines for my classmates. Each of us was to decorate a "mailbox" and put it on our desk for others to give us cards. That box and its contents ushered in5 a succession6 of bittersweet7 memories of my entrance into a world of popularity8 contests marked by the number of cards received, the teasing about boyfriends/girlfriends and the tender care I gave to the card from the cutest boy in class.

That morning at the breakfast table I found a card and a gift- wrapped package at my chair. The card was signed "Love, Dad", and the gift was a ring with a small piece of red glass to represent my birthstone9, a ruby10. There is little difference between red glass and rubies to a child of six, and I remember wearing that ring with a pride that all the cards in the world could not surpass11.

As I grew older, the gifts gave way to heart shaped boxes filled with my favorite chocolates and always included a special card signed "Love, Dad". In those years my "thank-yous" became more of a perfunctory12 response. The cards seemed less important, and I took for granted the valentine that would always be there. Long past the days of having a "mailbox" on my desk, I had placed my hopes and dreams in receiving cards and gifts from "significant others", and "Love, Dad" just didn't seem quite enough.

If my father knew then that he had been replaced, he never let it show. If he sensed any disappointment over valentines that didn't arrive for me, he just tried that much harder to create a positive atmosphere, giving me an extra hug and doing what he could to make my day a little brighter.

My mailbox eventually had a rural address, and the job of hand delivering candy and cards was relegated13 to the U.S. Postal Service. Never in ten years was my father's package late-- nor was it on the Valentine's Day eight years ago when I reached into the mailbox to find a card addressed to me in my mother's handwriting.

It was the kind of card that comes in an inexpensive assortment14 box sold by a child going door-to-door to try to earn money for a school project. It was the kind of card that you used to get from a grandmother or an aging aunt or, in this case, a dying father. It was the kind of card that put a lump in your throat and tears in your eyes because you knew the person no longer was able to go out and buy a real valentine. It was a card that signaled15 this would be the last you receive from him.

The card had a photograph of tulips16 on the outside, and on the inside my mother had printed "Happy Valentine's Day". Beneath it, scrawled17 in barely legible18 handwriting, was "Love, Dad".

His final card remains on my bulletin board today. It's a reminder of how special fathers can be and how important it had been to me over the years to know that I had a father who continued a tradition of love with a generosity of spirit, simple acts of understanding and an ability to express happiness over the people in his life.

Those things never die, nor does the memory of a man who never stopped being my valentine.

當我還是小孩子的時候，我們家過傳統節日時總是把精心準備的節日餐安排在足球賽時間。我父親在中場休息時儘量聊些愉快的事兒並儘可能多吃東西。在聖誕節他會找時間爲慶祝節日干上一兩杯，然後戴上他那冬青葉形狀的領結。但父親真正光彩熠熠的時候是情人節。

我不知道這是否是因爲他班上的工作在二月份不那麼緊了，還是由於足球賽季結束了。但情人節這天，是父親用來向在他生活中佔有特殊位置的人表達愛心的日子。多少年來，我天真地把他看作是我"最思念的人"。

在我6歲那年的情人節，他給我帶來了第一次美妙的回憶。一連好幾天我都忙於爲我的同學製作情人節禮物。我們每個人都要裝飾一個"信箱"，然後把它放在書桌上，這樣別人就可以投放賀卡。這個信箱和裏面的東西帶來了一連串苦樂參半的回憶：我進入了一個"人緣競賽"的世界，所收卡片的多少則顯示了比賽結果，對於男朋友和女朋友的揶揄，以及我對班裏最聰明男孩給我的賀卡的精心愛護。

那天早上吃早飯時，我在餐桌上發現了一張賀卡，並且在我的椅子上發現了一個禮品包裝紙的包裹。卡片上寫有"愛你的，爸爸"，禮物是一個戒指，上面鑲着一片紅色的玻璃來象徵我的誕生石--紅寶石。對一個6歲的孩子來說，紅玻璃和紅寶石並沒有什麼區別；我還記得我驕傲地戴着它，感到世界上所有的賀卡都無法與之相比。

當我長大了一點兒，禮物變成裝滿了我最喜愛的巧克力的心形盒子，並且裏面總是有一個賀卡寫着"愛你的，爸爸"。在那些歲月裏，我的感謝更多地成了一種敷衍的反應。賀卡似乎不再那麼重要，而且我認爲情人節禮物理所當然總會在那兒。在我的書桌上放個"信箱"的日子早已過去，我已經把我的希望和夢想都寄託在從 "其他重要的人"那裏收到賀卡和禮物，而"愛你的，爸爸"就似乎不那麼重要了。

不知爸爸那時是否知道他已經被取代，他從來沒表現出來過。如果他感覺到我因沒收到某些情人節禮物而失望，他就努力營造出一種歡快的氛圍，多擁抱我一下或是儘可能設法讓我這一天過得開心一點。

我的信箱終於有了一個鄉下的地址；原來親手贈送糖果和賀卡的工作都歸了美國郵政局管。在這10年裏爸爸給我寄的包裹從來不會晚--8年前的情人節父親給我的賀卡依然準時到達，只是那張賀卡上是我母親的筆跡。

這張賀卡是一盒整套買的那種，價格便宜，是由爲了給學校的某個項目籌款的小男孩挨家挨戶推銷的那種。這是一種你過去經常從祖母或年邁的姑媽那裏收到的那種賀卡，而這次卻從不久於人世的父親那兒收到了。這種賀卡使你嗓子哽咽，雙眼噙淚，因爲你知道給你寄賀卡的人已無法外出去買一個真正的情人節禮物了。這張賀卡預示着這將是你最後一次從他那兒收到情人節禮物。

這張賀卡的封面是一張鬱金香花的照片，裏面我母親工整地寫着"情人節快樂"，在下面是父親歪歪扭扭難以辨認的字跡"愛你的，爸爸"。

他最後一次送給我的這張賀卡如今仍保存在我的記事牌上。它提醒我父親是多麼地不同尋常，以及這些年來對我是多麼地重要，我知道我有這樣一位父親，他以慷慨的胸懷、樸素的理解和一生中向他的親人表達祝福的能力，來保持着愛的傳統。

這些事情永遠也不會消失，我將永遠記着他，他是我永遠最思念的人。

On the very first day, God created the cow. He said to the cow, "Today I have created you! As a cow, you must go to the field with the farmer all day long. You will work all day under the sun! I will give you a life span of 50 years."

The cow objected, "What? This kind of a tough life you want me to live for 50 years? Let me have 20 years, and the 30 years I'll give back to you." So God agreed.

On the second day, God created the dog. God said to the dog, "What you are supposed to do is to sit all day by the door of your house. Any people that come in, you will have to bark at them! I'll give you a life span of 20 years."

The dog objected, "What? All day long to sit by the door? No way! I'll give you back my other 10 years of life!" So God agreed.

On the third day, God created the monkey. He said to the monkey, "Monkeys have to entertain people. You've got to make them laugh and do monkey tricks. I'll give you 20 years life span."

The monkey objected. "What? Make them laugh? Do monkey faces and tricks? Ten years will do, and the other 10 years I'll give you back." So God agreed.

On the fourth day, God created man and said to him, "Your job is to sleep, eat, and play. You will enjoy very much in your life. All you need to do is to enjoy and do nothing. This kind of life, I'll give you a 20 year life span."

The man objected. "What? Such a good life! Eat, play, sleep, do nothing? Enjoy the best and you expect me to live only for 20 years? No way, man! Why don't we make a deal? Since the cow gave you back 30 years, and the dog gave you back 10 years and the monkey gave you back 10 years, I will take them from you! That makes my life span 70 years, right?" So God agreed.

AND THAT'S WHY...

In our first 20 years, we eat, sleep, play, enjoy the best and do nothing much. For the next 30 years, we work all day long, suffer and get to support the family. For the next 10 years, we entertain our grandchildren by making monkey faces and monkey tricks. And for the last 10 years, we stay at home, sit by the front door and bark at people!

第一天，上帝創造了牛。上帝對牛說：“今天，我創造了你。作爲牛，你必須跟農夫下田，整天在日頭下幹活。我給你50年的生命。”

牛反對說：“這樣的苦日子，你要我忍上50年？我只要20年，另外30年你收回吧。”上帝答應了。

第二天，上帝創造了狗。上帝對狗說：“你要整天坐在自家門口，有人進來就叫。我給你20年的生命。”

狗不樂意了，說：“什麼？整天坐在門口？絕對不行！我只要10年就夠了，其餘的10年還給你吧。”上帝答應了。

第三天，上帝創造了猴子。上帝對猴子說：“你必須耍猴把戲，逗人開心，讓他們捧腹大笑。我給你20年的生命。”

猴子可不幹，說：“什麼？逗人發笑？還要扮鬼臉，耍把戲？10年就行了，剩下的10年你留着吧。”上帝答應了。

第四天，上帝創造了人。上帝對人說：“你只要吃喝玩樂，休息睡覺，舒舒服服地過日子就行了。別的什麼都不用做，只管盡情享受。我給你20年的生命。”

人有意見了，說：“什麼？吃喝玩樂，休息睡覺，安逸享受？這樣的好日子，才讓我活20年？啊呀，不行！你看這樣好不好？牛還給你30年，狗還了10年，猴子也還了10年，就把它們還的時間全給我吧。這樣，我就能活上70年了，對吧？”上帝答應了。

這下，你明白了吧……

最初的20年，我們吃喝玩樂，休息睡覺，安逸享受。隨後的30年，我們整天工作個不停，辛辛苦苦地養家餬口。接下來的10年，我們扮鬼臉，耍把戲，逗孫子孫女們開心。最後的10年，我們終日呆在家裏，坐在門口，不住地對別人嘮叨。

There were a sensitivity and a beauty to her that have nothing to do with looks. She was one to be listened to, whose words were so easy to take to heart.

It is said that the true nature of being is veiled. The labor of words, the expression of art, the seemingly ceaseless buzz that is human thought all have in common the need to get at what really is so. The hope to draw close to and possess the truth of being can be a feverish one. In some cases it can even be fatal, if pleasure is one's truth and its attainment more important than life itself. In other lives, though, the search for what is truthful gives life.

I used to find notes left in the collection basket, beautiful notes about my homilies and about the writer's thoughts on the daily scriptural readings. The person who penned the notes would add reflections to my thoughts and would always include some quotes from poets and mystics he or she had read and remembered and loved. The notes fascinated me. Here was someone immersed in a search for truth and beauty. Words had been treasured, words that were beautiful. And I felt as if the words somehow delighted in being discovered, for they were obviously very generous to the as yet anonymous writer of the notes. And now this person was in turn learning the secret of sharing them. Beauty so shines when given away. The only truth that exists is, in that sense, free.

It was a long time before I met the author of the notes.

One Sunday morning, I was told that someone was waiting for me in the office. The young person who answered the rectory door said that it was "the woman who said she left all the notes." When I saw her I was shocked, since I immediately recognized her from church but had no idea that it was she who wrote the notes. She was sitting in a chair in the office with her hands folded in her lap. Her head was bowed and when she raised it to look at me, she could barely smile without pain. Her face was disfigured, and the skin so tight from surgical procedures that smiling or laughing was very difficult for her. She had suffered terribly from treatment to remove the growths that had so marred her face.

We chatted for a while that Sunday morning and agreed to meet for lunch later that week.

As it turned out we went to lunch several times, and she always wore a hat during the meal. I think that treatments of some sort had caused a lot of her hair to fall out. We shared things about our lives. I told her about my schooling and growing up. She told me that she had worked for years for an insurance company. She never mentioned family, and I did not ask.

We spoke of authors we both had read, and it was easy to tell that books are a great love of hers.

I have thought about her often over the years and how she struggled in a society that places an incredible premium on looks, class, wealth and all the other fineries of life. She suffered from a disfigurement that cannot be made to look attractive. I know that her condition hurt her deeply.

Would her life have been different had she been pretty? Chances are it would have. And yet there were a sensitivity and a beauty to her that had nothing to do with looks. She was one to be listened to, whose words were so easy to take to heart. Her words came from a wounded but loving heart, very much like all hearts, but she had more of a need to be aware of it, to live with it and learn from it. She possessed a fine-tuned sense of beauty. Her only fear in life was the loss of a friend.

How long does it take most of us to reach that level of human growth, if we ever get there? We get so consumed and diminished, worrying about all the things that need improving, we can easily forget to cherish those things that last. Friendship, so rare and so good, just needs our care-maybe even the simple gesture of writing a little note now and then, or the dropping of some beautiful words in a basket, in the hope that such beauty will be shared and taken to heart.

The truth of her life was a desire to see beyond the surface for a glimpse of what it is that matters. She found beauty and grace and they befriended her, and showed her what is real.

她有着一種與外表無關的靈氣和美麗。她的話語輕而易舉地征服了人心，她正是我們要聆聽的聲音。

很多人都說人生的真諦是個未知的概念。言詞的費力詮釋、藝術的着力表現還有人類那似乎永無休止的紛繁思考，三者都苦苦追尋人生的真諦。希望走近以至完全把握存在的真意可以令人十分狂熱。有時候，有些人以自己篤信的真理爲志趣，追尋真理甚於保全生命，於是就有捨生取義之舉。然而，也有另外的'一種人生，他們在尋求真諦的過程中灌溉生命。

過去，我常常在教堂的心意籃裏面發現一些優美的小短文，有些是關於我的佈道，有些是作者日常讀《聖經》的感想。寫這些短文的人不僅對我的一些觀點加以反思，同時還會引用一些他/她曾經讀過的，令他/她難忘又喜愛的詩人或者神祕主義者的話。我給這些短文迷住了。我看到了一個執着於追尋真與美的人。其珍而重之的字句，優美動人。我還感覺到好像那些字句也樂於讓我們發現，它們是那麼毫無保留地，慷慨地爲這無名氏作者借用，而現在輪到這位無名氏來學習與人分享這些美文的奧祕。分享令美愈加閃耀生輝，在這個意義上說，其實世上唯一的真理是分毫不費的。

過了很久我才見到這些短文的作者。

一個星期天早上，我被告知有人正在辦公室等我。幫我應門的年輕人說“是個女人，說留言是她放的。”看見她的時候我大吃一驚，因爲我馬上就認出她是我的教區信徒，只是我一直不知道那些短文是她寫的。她坐在辦公室的一張椅子上，兩手相扣擱在大腿上，低垂着頭。在擡頭看我的時候，她微笑起來卻十分費勁。那是一張破了相的臉，外科手術使她的臉皮繃得緊緊的，笑對她來說也是很困難的。爲了去除臉上礙眼的肉瘤她接受了手術治療，這令她吃盡苦頭。

那個星期天早上我們聊了一會兒，並決定那個星期再找個時間一起吃頓午飯。

後來我們不止吃了一頓午飯，而是好幾頓。每次一起吃飯的時候她都戴着帽子。我想可能是她接受的某種治療使她掉了不少頭髮。我們分享了各自生活中的點點滴滴。我跟她講我讀書和成長的故事。她告訴我她在一家保險公司裏已經工作多年了。她從來沒有提過自己的家庭，我也沒有問。

我們還談到大家都讀過的作家作品，不難發現她非常喜歡看書。

這些年我經常想起她，在這個以外表、地位和財富等虛名浮利掛帥的社會中她是怎樣一路挺過來的呢？毀掉的容顏使她怎麼也無法變得耀眼迷人。我知道這深深地刺痛着她。

如果她長得漂亮，她的生命軌跡會不會有所不同呢？有可能。不過她有種獨特的靈氣和美，與外表完全無關。她的話輕而易舉地征服了人心，她正是我們要聆聽的聲音。她的雋語出於一顆受過傷卻充滿愛的心，就像所有人的心一樣，只不過她比別人更注重對自己心靈的關注、用心去體會生活並從中學習。她擁有一種細膩的美感。她生命裏唯一的恐懼就是失去朋友。

我們究竟要花多長時間才能達到如此高度的成熟？能否最終達到還是個未知數呢。我們老覺得身心疲憊，懷才不遇，只顧爲眼前的不足憂心忡忡，卻忘了珍視一些歷久常新的東西。友誼珍貴而美好，只需我們用心呵護，有時候簡簡單單的表示就已經足夠了，譬如偶爾寫幾句話給朋友，或者在籃子裏投入一些優美動人的字條，以期大家都能分享，記住美妙的時刻、美好的感覺。

她生命的真諦就是要透過事物的表面一睹其真正的本質。她發現了美和上帝的慈愛，而美和慈愛也待她如友，把生命的真諦呈現給她。