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12005一个人的生命究竟有多大意义，这有什么标准可以衡量吗？提出一个绝对的标准当然很困难；但是，大体上看一个人对待生命的态度是否严肃认真，看他对待劳动、工作等等的态度如何，也就不难对这个人的存在意义做出适当的估计了。古来一切有成就的人，都很严肃地对待自己的生命，当他活着一天，总要尽量多劳动、多工作、多学习，不肯虚度年华，不让时间白白地浪费掉。我国历代的劳动人民及大政治家、大思想家等等都莫不如此。Howsignificantisapersonslife?Isthereanystandardtomeasureit?Itwillbeverydifficulttoputforwardanabsolutestandard,butingeneral,thesignificanceofonesexistencecanbeestimatedbyhowhetreatshislife,bywhatattitudehetakestoworkandwhatwayshechoosestolive.Fromancienttimesuptonow,alltheaccomplishedpeopletreattheirlivesveryseriously.Theyworkand,learnasmuchaspossible.Theyhatetospendthebestoftheirlivesinvain,theydonotwanttolettheirtimeslipby.Allthelaboringpeople,greatstatesmenandthinkersofourcountryatallagestreasuretheirtimeinthisway.原文Itissimpleenoughtosaythatsincebookshaveclassesfiction,biography,poetry—weshouldseparatethemandtakefromeachwhatitisrightthateachshouldgiveus.Yetfewpeopleaskfrombookswhatbookscangiveus.Mostcommonlywecometobookswithblurredanddividedminds,askingoffictionthatitshallbetrue,ofpoetrythatitshallbefalse,ofbiographythatitshallbeflattering,ofhistorythatitshallenforceourownprejudices.Ifwecouldbanishallsuchpreconceptionwhenweread,thatwouldbeanadmirablebeginning.Donotdictatetoyourauthor;trytobecomehim.Behisfellowworkerandaccomplice.Ifyouhangback,andreserveandcriticizeatfirst,youarepreventingyourselffromgettingthefullestpossiblevaluefromwhatyouread.Butifyouopenyourmindaswidelyaspossible,thensignsandhintsofalmostimperceptiblefines,fromthetwistandturnofthefirstsentences,willbringyouintothepresenceofahumanbeingunlikeanyother.Steepyourselfinthis,acquaintyourselfwiththis,andsoonyouwillfindthatyourauthorisgivingyou,orattemptingtogiveyou,somethingfarmoredefinite.英译汉：然而几乎没有什么人会从书中提问：书能给我们什么。最为普遍的是，我们接触书时怀有一种不甚清晰及与其相抵触的想法：要求小说必须是真实的，要求诗歌必须是虚构的，要求传记必须是唱赞歌的，要求历史必须能够增强读者原有的认识。我们读书时若能驱逐所有这些先入之见，读书就会有一个良好的开端。不要规定作家做什么，要设法使自己变成他，变成他的合作者，他的同伙。如果你读书伊始就犹豫不决，持保留态度，或者要进行批评，你就不能从阅读中得到最大益处。如果你能尽量打开思路，那么极细微的美质符号和暗示都会从曲折婉转的语句中显现出来，把你引到一个与众不同的人面前。2003得病以前，我受父母宠爱，在家中横行霸道，一旦隔离，拘禁在花园山坡上一幢小房子里，我顿感打入冷宫，十分郁郁不得志起来。一个春天的傍晚，园中百花怒放，父母在园中设宴，一时宾客云集，笑语四溢。我在山坡的小屋里，悄悄掀起窗帘，窥见园中大千世界，一片繁华，自己的哥姐，堂表弟兄，也穿插其间，个个喜气洋洋。一霎时，一阵被人摒弃，为世所遗的悲愤兜上心头，禁不住痛哭起来。BeforeIfellill,myparentsdotedonmealot.Icouldhavemywayathome.OnceIwasisolatedandconfinedinachamberonthehillsideofthegarden,IsuddenlyfeltIwasneglectedandbecameverydepressed.Onespringevening,myparentsheldaBanquetinthegarden,whereallsortsofflowerswereinfullbloom.Innotime,acrowdoftheirguestscollectedandlaughterwasheardalloverthere.I,withoutbeingnoticed,liftedthecurtaininmysmallroom,onlytospythe2bustleofakaleidoscopicworlddowninthegarden,andmyeldersisters,brothersandmycousins,eachfullofthejoysofspring,wereshuttlingamongtheguests.Quicklyenough,Iwasthrownintoafistofsorrowfulangeratbeingforgottenanddiscardedbytherestandcouldnothelpcryingmyheartout.E-C原文：Inhisclassicnovel,“ThePioneers”,James,FeminoreCooperhashishero,alanddeveloper,takehiscousinonatourofthecityheisbuilding.Hedescribesthebroadstreets,rowsofhouses,ateemingmetropolis.Buthiscousinlooksaroundbewildered.Allsheseesisaforest,“Wherearethebeautiesandimprovementswhichyouweretoshowme?”sheasks.He’sastonishedshecan’tseethem.“Where!Whyeverywhere,”hereplies.Forthoughtheyarenotyetbuiltonearth,hehasbuilttheminhismind,andtheyareasconcretetohimasiftheywerealreadyconstructedandfinished.CooperwasillustratingadistinctlyAmericantrait,future-mindedness:theabilitytoseethepresentfromthevantagepointofthefuture;thefreedomtofeelunencumberedbythepastandmoreemotionallyattachedtothingstocome.AsAlbertEinsteinoncesaid,“LifefortheAmericanisalwaysbecoming,neverbeing.”译文在其经典小说《开拓者》中，詹姆士·菲尼摩尔·库珀让主人公，一个土地开发商，带他的表妹参观正在由他承建的一座城市。他描述了宽阔的街道，林立的房屋，热闹的都市。他的表妹环顾四周，大惑不解。她所看见的只是一片树林。“你想让我看的那些美景和改造了的地方在哪儿啊?”她问道。他见表妹看不到那些东西，感到很惊讶。“哪儿?到处都是啊!”他答道。虽然那些东西还未建成在大地上，但他已在心中将它们建好了。对他来说，它们都是实实在在的，宛如已建成竣工一样。库珀这里阐明的是一种典型的美国人特性：着眼于未来，即能够从未来的角度看待现在；可以自由地不为过去所羁绊，而在情感上更多地依附于未来的事物。正如阿尔伯特·爱因斯坦曾经说过的那样：“对美国人来说，生活总是在发展变化中，从来不会静止不变。”2004在人际关系问题上我们不要太浪漫主义。人是很有趣的，往往在接触一个人时首先看到的都是他或她的优点。这一点颇像是在餐馆里用餐的经验。开始吃头盘或冷碟的时候，印象很好。吃头两个主菜时，也是赞不绝口。愈吃愈趋于冷静，吃完了这顿筵席，缺点就都找出来了。于是转喜为怒，转赞美为责备挑剔，转首肯为摇头。这是因为，第一，开始吃的时候你正处于饥饿状态，而饿了吃糠甜加蜜，饱了吃蜜也不甜。第二，你初到一个餐馆，开始举筷时有新鲜感，新盖的茅房三天香，这也可以叫做“陌生化效应”。Weshouldn’tbetooromanticabouthumanrelationships.Humanbeingsarefunny.Usually,whentheymeetapersontheywillfirstnoticehisorhermerits.It’sjustliketheexperienceofdinninginarestaurant.Thestarterorcolddishwillleaveyouaverygoodimpression.Youwillbefullofpraisewhileeatingthefirsttwomaincourses.Themoreyoueat,thecalmeryouwillbecome.Attheendofthedinneralltheshortcomingscomeout.:first,youarehungrywhenyoubegineating.Whenyouarehungry,thebrantastesassweetashoney;whenyouarefull,eventhehoneE-C原文：Formethemostinterestingthingaboutasolitarylife,andminehasbeenthatforthelasttwentyyears,isthatitbecomesincreasinglyrewarding.WhenIcanwakeupandwatchthesunriseovertheocean,asIdomostdays,andknowthatIhaveanentiredayahead,uninterrupted,inwhichto3writeafewpages,takeawalkwithmydog,readandlistentomusic,Iamfloodedwithhappiness.IamlonelyonlywhenIamovertired,whenIhaveworkedtoolongwithoutabreak,whenforthetimebeingIfe