英语励志文章——方向标

　　One windy spring day， I observed young people having fun using the wind to fly their kites。 Multicolored creations of varying shapes and sizes filled the skies like beautiful birds darting and dancing。 As the strong winds gusted against the kites， a string kept them in check。

　　Instead of blowing away with the wind， they arose against it to achieve great heights。 They shook and pulled， but the restraining string and the cumbersome tail kept them in tow， facing upward and against the wind。 As the kites struggled and trembled against the string， they seemed to say， “Let me go! Let me go! I want to be free!” They soared beautifully even as they fought the restriction of the string。 Finally， one of the kites succeeded in breaking loose。 “Free at last，” it seemed to say。 “Free to fly with the wind。”

　　Yet freedom from restraint simply put it at the mercy of an unsympathetic breeze。 It fluttered ungracefully to the ground and landed in a tangled mass of weeds and string against a dead bush。 “Free at last” free to lie powerless in the dirt， to be blown helplessly along the ground， and to lodge lifeless against the first obstruction。

　　How much like kites we sometimes are。 The Heaven gives us adversity and restrictions， rules to follow from which we can grow and gain strength。 Restraint is a necessary counterpart to the winds of opposition。 Some of us tug at the rules so hard that we never soar to reach the heights we might have obtained。 We keep part of the mandment and never rise high enough to get our tails off the ground。

　　Let us each rise to the great heights， recognizing that some of the restraints that we may chafe under are actually the steadying force that helps us ascend and achieve。

　　在一个有风的春日，我看到一群年轻人正在迎风放风筝玩乐，各种颜色、各种形状和大小的风筝就好像美丽的鸟儿在空中飞舞。当强风把风筝吹起，牵引线就能够控制它们。

　　风筝迎风飘向更高的地方，而不是随风而去。它们摇摆着、拉扯着，但牵引线以及笨重的尾巴使它们处于控制之中，并且迎风而上。它们挣扎着、抖动着想要挣脱线的束缚，仿佛在说:“放开我!放开我!我想要自由!”即使与牵引线奋争着，它们依然在美丽地飞翔。最后，一只风筝成功挣脱了。“最后自由了，”它好像在说，“最后能够随风自由飞翔了!”

　　然而，脱离束缚的自由使它完全处于无情微风的摆布下。它毫无风度地震颤着向地面坠落，落在一堆乱草之中，线缠绕在一颗死灌木上。“最后自由”使它自由到无力地躺在尘土中，无助地任风沿着地面将其吹走，碰到第一个障碍物便毫无生命地滞留在那里了。

　　有时我们真像这风筝啊!上苍赋予我们困境和约束，赋予我们成长和增强实力所要遵从的规则。约束是逆风的必要匹配物。我们中有些人是如此强硬地抵制规则，以至我们从来无法飞到本来能够到达的高度。我们只遵从部分戒律，因此永远不会飞得足够高，使尾巴远离地面。

　　让我们每个人都飞到高处吧，并且认识到这一点:有些可能会令我们生气的约束，实际上是帮忙我们攀升和实现愿望的平衡力。

　　英语励志文章——点亮心灵的蜡烛

　　I have a few candles stored in a drawer in my dining room. They’re meant for romantic dinners and special occasions, but since the arrival of our three children they have lain unnoticed among the napkins and other things. They are waiting to be taken out and lit to share their glow with anyone who will take the time to bask in their brilliance.

　　在我餐厅的抽屉里放着几根蜡烛。它们会用于浪漫的晚餐和一些特殊的场合，但是自从我的三个孩子出生之后，它们便被遗忘在餐巾纸和其他杂物之间了。它们一直在等待着被拿出抽屉，被点亮，以和任何一个愿意花费时间去感受它们温暖的人分享那些光亮。

　　Are not our souls like those candles, patiently waiting for someone to come and let us be ourselves? We are all waiting for our own moments to shine; we each have a special light, unmatched by any other.

　　我们的灵魂不也像蜡烛么?耐心地等待有人来发掘我们，让我们发光发亮。我们一直等待着发光发亮的一刻;我们都有自己独特的光亮，是别人所不能匹及的。

　　Candles are made up of wax and a wick; we have bodies, but our essence lies in our minds and souls. Candles are unique in their colors, shapes and designs. Our life histories and experiences are the backdrops of who we are, but our minds are like candle wicks, and make our passions flame. Unlike the candles in my drawer, who get used or not used depending on my whims, we control our own thoughts, and how brightly we will burn or dimly we will shine.

　　蜡烛由蜡状物和蜡烛心组合而成;人类有肉体，而我们的本质却存在于精神和灵魂中。蜡烛有它们独一无二的颜色、形状和图案。我们生命的历史和经历是决定我们是谁的大背景，但是只有我们的心灵才是蜡烛心，使热情形成火焰。与在抽屉里等着别人一时的兴致来决定是否被点燃的蜡烛不同，我们可以决定自己的思想，决定自己能够发光发亮还是黯淡无光。

　　Is your soul candle dimmed by circumstance or lack of passion and direction? Is it hidden in a drawer of stress, worry or resentment? Make a choice to let yourself shine the way you were meant to shine.

　　你心中的那支蜡烛是否因环境或者缺少激情，没有方向感而黯淡无光?它是否藏匿于压力、担忧和怨恨的抽屉里?做出选择吧，以自己注定的方式去发光。