名家短文系列欣赏英文版113篇.docx

名家短文系列欣赏英文版113篇.docx

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名家短文系列欣赏英文版113篇

ADayatTheTradition

ByChristineClifford

SeveralyearsagoIwasdiagnosedwithcancer.ItwasthemostdifficulttimeIhaveeverfaced.Ithinkitwasmysenseofhumorthatallowedmetoholdontomysanity.Likemanypeoplewhohavegonethroughchemotherapy,IlostallofmyhairandIwasbaldasacueball.Ialwayshadenjoyedwearinghats,sowhenmyhairdesertedme,Iorderedseveralspecialhatswiththehairalreadyattached.ItwaseasyandIneverhadtoworryabouthowmyhairlooked.

Ihavealwaysbeenabiggolffan.Infact,Ihavebeentotwenty-threestraightU.S.Opens.Atonepointduringmycancertreatments,myhusbandJohnandIdecidedtogetawayfromthecoldMinnesotawinterandtookatriptoScottsdale,Arizona.TherewasaSeniorPGAToureventcalledTheTraditionbeingplayed,andthatseemedlikejustthetickettoliftmyspirits.

Thefirstdayofthetournamentbroughtoutahugegallery.Itwasabeautifulday,andIwasinheaven.Iwasstandingjustoffthethirdtee,behindthefairwayropes,watchingmythreefavoritegolfersintheworldapproachtheteebox:

JackNicklaus,RaymondFloydandTomWeiskopf.

Justastheyarrivedatthetee,theunimaginablehappened.Ahugegustofwindcameupfromoutofnowhereandblewmyhatandhairrightoffmyheadandintothemiddleofthefairway!

Thethousandsofspectatorsliningthefairwayfellintoanawkwardsilence,alleyesonme.Evenmygolfidolswerewatchingme,asmyhairwasintheirflightpath.Iwasmortified!

EmbarrassedasIwas,IknewIcouldn'tjuststandthere.Someonehadtodosomethingtogetthingsmovingagain.

SoItookadeepbreath,wentundertheropesandoutintothemiddleofthefairway.Igrabbedmyhatandhair,nestledthembackonmyheadasbestIcould.ThenIturnedtothegolfersandloudlyannounced,"Gentlemen,thewindisblowingfromlefttoright."

Theysaidthelaughtercouldbeheardallthewaytothenineteenthhole.

Ask,Ask,Ask

ByJackCanfieldandMarkV.Hansen

Thegreatestsaleswomanintheworldtodaydoesn'tmindifyoucallheragirl.That'sbecauseMarkitaAndrewshasgeneratedmorethaneightythousanddollarssellingGirlScoutcookiessinceshewassevenyearsold.

Goingdoor-to-doorafterschool,thepainfullyshyMarkitatransformedherselfintoacookie-sellingdynamowhenshediscovered,atage13,thesecretofselling.

Itstartswithdesire.Burning,white-hotdesire.

ForMarkitaandhermother,whoworkedasawaitressinNewYorkafterherhusbandleftthemwhenMarkitawaseightyearsold,theirdreamwastotraveltheglobe."I'llworkhardtomakeenoughmoneytosendyoutocollege,"hermothersaidoneday."You'llgotocollegeandwhenyougraduate,you'llmakeenoughmoneytotakeyouandmearoundtheworld.Okay?

"

Soatage13whenMarkitareadinherGirlScoutmagazinethattheScoutwhosoldthemostcookieswouldwinanall-expenses-paidtripfortwoaroundtheworld,shedecidedtosellalltheGirlScoutcookiesshecould-moreGirlScoutcookiesthananyoneintheworld,ever.

Butdesirealoneisnotenough.Tomakeherdreamcometrue,Markitaknewsheneededaplan.

"Alwayswearyourrightoutfit,yourprofessionalgarb,"herauntadvised."Whenyouaredoingbusiness,dresslikeyouaredoingbusiness.WearyourGirlScoutuniform.Whenyougouptopeopleintheirtenementbuildingsat4:

30or6:

30andespeciallyonFridaynight,askforabigorder.Alwayssmile,whethertheybuyornot,alwaysbenice.Anddon'taskthemtobuyyourcookies;askthemtoinvest."

LotsofotherScoutsmayhavewantedthattriparoundtheworld.LotsofotherScoutsmayhavehadaplan.ButonlyMarkitawentoffinheruniformeachdayafterschool,readytoask-andkeepasking-folkstoinvestinherdream."Hi,Ihaveadream.I'mearningatriparoundtheworldformeandmymombymerchandisingGirlScoutcookies,"she'dsayatthedoor."Wouldyouliketoinvestinonedozenortwodozenboxesofcookies?

"

Markitasold3,526boxesofGirlScoutcookiesthatyearandwonhertriparoundtheworld.Sincethen,shehassoldmorethan42,000boxesofGirlScoutcookies,spokenatsalesconventionsacrossthecountry,starredinaDisneymovieaboutheradventureandhasco-authoredthebestseller,HowtoSellMoreCookies,Condos,Cadillacs,Computers...AndEverythingElse.

Markitaisnosmarterandnomoreextrovertedthanthousandsofotherpeople,youngandold,withdreamsoftheirown.ThedifferenceisMarkitahaddiscoveredthesecretofselling:

Ask,Ask,Ask!

Manypeoplefailbeforetheyevenbeginbecausetheyfailtoaskforwhattheywant.Thefearofrejectionleadsmanyofustorejectourselvesandourdreamslongbeforeanyoneelseeverhasthechance-nomatterwhatwe'reselling.

Andeveryoneissellingsomething."You'resellingyourselfeveryday-inschool,toyourboss,tonewpeopleyoumeet,"saidMarkitaat14."Mymotherisawaitress:

shesellsthedailyspecial.Mayorsandpresidentstryingtogetvotesareselling...IseesellingeverywhereIlook.Sellingispartofthewholeworld."

Ittakescouragetoaskforwhatyouwant.Courageisnottheabsenceoffear.It'sdoingwhatittakesdespiteone'sfear.And,asMarkitahasdiscovered,themoreyouask,theeasier（andmorefun）itgets.

Once,onliveTV,theproducerdecidedtogiveMarkitahertoughestsellingchallenge.MarkitawasaskedtosellGirlScoutcookiestoanotherguestontheshow."WouldyouliketoinvestinonedozenortwodozenboxesofGirlScoutcookies?

"sheasked.

"GirlScoutcookies?

Idon'tbuyanyGirlScoutcookies!

"hereplied."I'maFederalPenitentiarywarden.Iput2,000rapists,robbers,criminals,muggersandchildabuserstobedeverynight."

Unruffled,Markitaquicklycountered,"Mister,ifyoutakesomeofthesecookies.maybeyouwon'tbesomeanandangryandevil.And,Mister,Ithinkitwouldbeagoodideaforyoutotakesomeofthesecookiesbackforeveryoneofyour2,000prisoners,too."

Markitaasked.

TheWardenwroteacheck.

BreakingtheSilence

ByBarrySpilchuk

"Howdidyoudoit,Dad?

Howhaveyoumanagedtonottakeadrinkforalmost20years?

"Ittookmealmost20yearstohavethecouragetoevenaskmyfatherthisverypersonalquestion.WhenDadfirstquitdrinking,thewholefamilywasonpinsandneedleseverytimehegotintoasituationthat,inthepast,wouldhavestartedhimdrinkingagain.Forafewyearswewereafraidtobringitupforfearthedrinkingwouldbeginagain.

"IhadthislittlepoemthatIwouldrecitetomyselfatleastfourtofivetimesaday,"wasDad'sreplytomy18-year-oldunaskedquestion."ThewordswereaninstantreliefandconstantremindertomethatthingswereneversotoughthatIcouldnothandlethem,"Dadsaid.Andthenhesharedthepoemwithme.Thepoem'ssimple,yetprofoundwordsimmediatelybecamepartofmydailyroutineaswell.

Aboutamonthafterthistalkwithmyfather,Ireceivedagiftinthemailfromafriendofmine.Itwasabookofdailyaffirmationswithoneaffirmationlistedforeachdayoftheyear.

Ithasbeenmyexperiencethatwhenyougetsomethingwithdaysoftheyearonit,youautomaticallyturntothepagethatlistsyourownbirthday.

IhurriedlyopenedthebooktoNovember10toseewhatwordsofwisdomthisbookhadinstoreforme.Ididadouble-takeandtearsofdisbeliefandappreciationrolleddownmyface.There,onmybirthday,wastheexactsamepoemthathadhelpedmyfatherforalltheseyears!

ItiscalledtheSerenityPrayer:

God,grantme

theSerenitytoacceptthethingsIcannotchange;

theCouragetochangethethingsIcan;and

theWisdomtoknowthedifference.

MissedOpportunities

ByNickLazaris

Ihadofferedtowatchmy3-year-olddaughter,Ramanda,sothatmywifecouldgooutwithafriend.IwasgettingsomeworkdonewhileRamandaappearedtobehavingagoodtimeintheotherroom.Noproblem,Ifigured.ButthenitgotalittletooquietandIyelledout,"Whatareyoudoing,Ramanda?

"Noresponse.Irepeatedmyquestionandheardhersay,"Oh...nothing."Nothing?

Whatdoes"nothing"mean?

Igotupfrommydeskandranoutintothelivingroom,whereuponIsawhertakeoffdownthehall.Ichasedherupthestairsandwatchedherasherlittlebehindmadeahardleftintothebedroom.Iwasgainingonher!

Shetookoffforthebathroom.Badmove.Ihadhercornered.Itoldhertoturnaround.Sherefused.Ipulledoutmybig,mean,authoritativeDaddyvoice,"Younglady,Isaidturnaround!

"

Slowly,sheturnedtowardme.Inherhandwaswhatwasleftofmywife'snewlipstick.Andeverysquareinchofherfacewascoveredwithbrightred（exceptherlipsofcourse）!

Asshelookedupatmewithfearfuleyes,lipstrembling,Iheardeveryvoicethathadbeenshoutedtomeasachild."Howcouldyou...Youshouldknowbetterthanthat...Howmanytimeshaveyoubeentold...Whatabadthingtodo..."ItwasjustamatterofmypickingoutwhicholdmessageIwasgoingtouseonhersothatshewouldknowwhatabadgirlshehadbeen.ButbeforeIcouldletloose,Ilookeddownatthesweatshirtmywifehadputonheronlyanhourbefore.Inbiglettersitsaid,"I'MAPERFECTLITTLEANGEL!

"Ilookedbackupintohertearfuleyesandinsteadofseeingabadgirlwhodidn'tlisten,IsawachildofGod...aperfectlittleangelfullofworth,valueandawonderfulspontaneitythatIhadcomedangerouslyclosetoshamingoutofher.

"Sweetheart,youlookbeautiful!

Let'stakeapicturesoMommycanseehowspecialyoulook."ItookthepictureandthankedGodthatIdidn'tmisstheopportunitytoreaffirmwhataperfectlittleangelHehadgivenme.

FromtheHeartofaJoyousChild

ByDonnaMcDermott

DearMommyandDaddy