Once upon a time, a man punished his 5-year-old daughter for using up the family’s only roll of expensive gold wrapping paper.从前，一位父亲惩罚了自己5岁的女儿，因为她用光了家里仅有的一卷昂贵的金色包装纸。Money was tight, and he became even more upset when on Christmas Eve, he saw that the child had pasted the gold paper so as to decorat

I was nine when my father first sent me flowers.我九岁那年，父亲第一次送花给我。I had been taking tap-dancing lessons for six months, and the school was giving its yearly recital.当时，我加入学校踢踏舞班才六个月，正逢学校举办一年一度的演出。As an excited member of the beginners’ chorus line, I was aware of my lowly status.我只能加入新学员合唱队，却依然兴致勃勃，不过我

Night after night, she came to tuck me in, even long after my childhood years.在我的童年时期，很长一段时间里，每个夜里，母亲总习惯来为我掖住被角。Following her longstanding custom, she’d lean down and push my long hair out of the way, then kiss my forehead.撩开我的长头发，亲吻我的额头。I don’t remember when it first started annoying me—her hands p

Freda Bright says, “Only in opera do people die of love.”弗雷德·布莱特说过，“只有在歌剧中，人们才会为爱而死。”It’s true. You really can’t love somebody to death.这是真的。的确，你不能因为爱一个人而死。I’ve known people to die from no love, but I’ve never known anyone to be loved to death.我也知道有人死于缺失爱，但我从来没有听说过谁因被爱而死。We just can’t love one anoth

As a result they had a bountiful harvest that provided food for the coming winter.结果，他们得到了丰厚的收成，为即将到来的冬天提供了食物。The Pilgrims had much to celebrate although nearly half of their people died.尽管有近半数的人死去，清教徒们依然有许多值得庆祝的东西。They had successfully built homes in the wilderness raised enough crops to keep them

If parents had job descriptions mine would read: organize bills, playmates, laundry, meals, laundry, carpool, laundry, snacks, outings and shopping, and laundry.如果为人父母有职务简述的话，我的“职务简述”将会包括如下内容：管理账单、和孩子们玩耍、洗衣、做饭、洗衣、安排与人合伙用车、洗衣、准备小吃、安排短途旅游、购物、洗衣。The only thing on my husband’s description would be the w

In 1989 an 6.9 earthquake almost flattened America, killing over 270 people in less than four minutes.1989年，一场6.9级的地震几乎铲平美国，在短短不到4分钟的时间里，夺去了270余人的生命！In the midst of utter devastation and chaos, a father left his wife safely at home and rushed to the school where his son was supposed to be, only to d

All you remember about your child being an infant is the incredible awe you felt about the precious miracle you created.你所记得的，当你的孩子是个婴儿时，你对自己创造出的堪称完美奇迹的作品，感到不可思议的敬畏。You remember having plenty of time to bestow all your wisdom and knowledge.你记得你有大量的时间去传授你所有的智慧和知识。You thought your child would take all

A father is always making his baby into a little woman.父亲总是把他的女儿塑造成一个小女人。And when she is a woman he turns her back again. Enid Bagnold当她成了一个真正的女人时，他又不断地指引她前进。巴格诺尔德It no longer bothers me that I may be constantly searching for father figures by this time, I have found several and dearly enjoyed knowi

Passing through the Atlanta airport one morning, I caught one of those trains that take travelers from the main terminal to their boarding gates.一天早晨去亚特兰大机场，我看见一辆列车载载着旅客从航空集散站抵达登记处。Free, sterile and impersonal, the trains run back and forth all day long.这类免费列车每天单调、无味地往返其间。Not many people consider th

In the doorway of my home, I looked closely at the face of my 23-year-old son, Daniel, his backpack by his side.在家门口，我凝视着23岁的儿子丹尼尔的脸，他的背包就放在身旁。We were saying goodbye.几个小时之后我们即将道别。In a few hours he would be flying to France.他就要飞往法国。He would be staying there for at least a year to learn another langua

This is for all the mothers who didn’t win Mother of the Year last year, all the runners-up and all the wannabes, including the mothers too tired to enter or too busy to care.本文谨献给所有未能获得去年“年度母亲”的妈妈们，所有的亚军和希望超越她们的人们，还包括那些太过牢累没能参加或是太过忙碌而无暇顾及的母亲们。This is for all the mothers who froze their buns off on

Bob Richards, the former pole-vault champion, shares a moving story about a skinny young boy who loved football with all his heart.鲍勃·理查兹，前撑杆跳世界冠军队成员，一个极其瘦弱但非常热爱橄榄球的男孩，有一个非常感人的故事。Practice after practice, he eagerly gave everything he had.每次球队训练，他都全身心地投入。But being half the size of the other boys, he

Photography has been my passion ever since I was old enough to pick up a camera, but today I want to share with you the 15most treasured photos of mine, and I didn&#39t take any of them.自从我年纪大到足以拿起相机以来，我一直热衷摄影，但我今天想和你们分享15张我最珍爱的照片中没有一张是我拍的。There were no art directors, no stylists,no chance for resho

Many years ago, a baby boy came into this world.很多年前，一个男婴来到了这个世界。But unfortunately, he didn&#39t come with a cry, which was a big problem from the medical point of view.但遗憾的是，他没有“呱呱落地”，从医学角度来说，这是一个很大的问题！The doctor, tough and quick, turned the baby upside down and slapped his bottom sharply.好在医生当时反应很

After 21 years of marriage, I discovered a new way of keeping alive the spark of love.结婚21年后，我发现了保持爱之火花的一种新方法。I started to go out with another woman.我开始与另一个女人出去约会。It was really my wife’s idea.其实这还是我妻子的主意呢。“I know that you love her.” she said one day, taking me by surprise.“我知道你爱她。”有一天妻子对我说，这令我感到十分惊讶

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings, but shorter tempers wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints we spend more, but have less we buy more but enjoy less.我们处于历史上的矛盾时代：我们拥有更高的建筑，但是有更暴的脾气；我们拥有更宽阔的高速公路，却有更狭隘的观点；我们花费得更多，拥有得却更少；我们购买得更多却享受得更少。We have bigger houses and smalle

Like any good mother, when Karen found out that another baby was on the way, she did what she could to help her 3-year-old son, Michael, prepare for a new sibling.像其他的好妈妈一样，当卡伦发现自己又怀孕了时，她就尽力帮她三岁的儿子，迈克尔，作好准备迎接这个新生儿的到来。They find out that the new baby is going to be a girl, and day after day, night aft

Early in the 17th century, a group of people called the pilgrims wanted to reform and purify England&#39s churches.17世纪早期，被称作清教徒的一群人想要改革并净化英格兰教会。As a result of their efforts, they were persecuted, so they sailed to the Netherlands also known as Holland, seeking religious freedom.他们努力的结果却是遭到了迫害，于是他们横

“I love you, Mom. See you tomorrow.”“我爱您，妈妈。明天见。”I said these words every day as I kissed my mom goodbye.每天在跟妈妈吻别的时候，我都会说这些话。Most girls I know don’t tell their mothers they love them when they say goodbye.我认识的大多数女孩在跟妈妈说再见的时候，都不会告诉妈妈自己爱她。But I wasn’t like girls I knew.可是，我不像她们。As a baby, I was adopte

What do students around the world have in common?全世界的学生们有什么共同点？Hopes, dreams, yes, but also teachers.希望，梦想，是的，还有老师们。So many of the things we know how to do in our lives are thanks to a teacher.我们在生活中学习到的很多事都要感谢老师。Thanks to a teacher you&#39ve learned how to learn.因为老师，你懂得了要如何学习。It&#39s their skill a

“Do you like my dress?” she asked of a passing stranger.“你喜欢我的连衣裙吗？”她问一位正走过她身边的陌生人。“My mommy made it just for me.” She said with a tear in her eye.“我妈妈专门给我做的。”她说道，脸上带着泪珠。“Well, I think it’s very pretty, so tell me, little one, why are you crying?”“嗯，我认为你的裙子很漂亮。告诉我，小家伙，你为什么哭呢？”With a quiver in her vo

I&#39ve been doing a lot of thinking and the thing is, I love you.我思考了很久，结论是我爱你。You are the epitome of everything I&#39ve ever looked for in another human being.你拥有我对人梦寐以求的一切美好品质。Love is，is too weak a word for the way I feel. I lurv you. You know I loave you. I luff you.用爱这个词来形容我的感受太苍白了。我耐你。我中意你。我稀罕

Every once in a while I will dial the familiar number.我每隔一段时间都要拨打一个熟悉的电话号码。It is usually he that picks up the phone.每次总是他接起电话。She will come up to him asking who the caller is.然后她问他，这是谁打来的。Knowing it’s me, she will grab the phone, say a few greeting words, and then start talking bad of him, complaint

“Can I see my baby?” the happy new mother asked.“我可以看看我的宝宝吗？”初为人母的她开心地问道。When the bundle was nestled in her arms and she moved the fold of cloth to look upon his tiny face, she gasped.当裹在襁褓里的婴儿被放到她臂弯里时，她掀开折叠着的布，看到他的小脸时，她不禁倒吸了一口气。The doctor turned quickly and looked out the tall hospital window.医生迅速地

After Mom died, I began visiting Dad every morning before I went to work.妈妈去世之后，我开始在每天上班之前都去探望一下爸爸。He was frail and moved slowly, but he always had a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice on the kitchen table for me, along with an unsigned note reading, “Drink your juice.”他身体虚弱，行走缓慢，但是，他总是为我亲手榨好一杯鲜

Just give me one second. Sure! Hey. Two minutes, thank you. Hi, good afternoon. Sorry about that.等我一下。没问题！嘿。两分钟，谢谢你。嗨，午安。真是不好意思。Hi, nice to meet you. Nice to meet you as well. Have you ever done one of these interviews over the camera before? No!嗨，很高兴认识你。我也很开心认识你。你以前曾在摄影机前进行过任何这种面试吗？没有！Let me tell y

29th, January 1945.1945年1月29日。My dearest one, I have just heard the news that all the Army men taken POW are to return to their homes.我的挚爱，我刚刚听到一个消息。战俘们就要返乡了。Because of the shipping situation we may not commence to go before the end of February, but can probably count on being in England sometime in

Time is running out for my friend.时光荏苒，朋友已经老大不小了。While we are sitting at lunch she casually mentions she and her husband are thinking of starting a family.我们吃午饭时，她漫不经心地提起她和她丈夫正考虑要小孩的事。“We’re taking a survey.” she says, half-joking. “Do you think I should have a baby?”“我们正在作一项调查，”她半开玩笑地说，“你觉得我应该要个小孩吗

A young man was getting ready to graduate from college.一个年轻人即将大学毕业。For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer’s showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted.数月来，他爱上了某经销商的展室中那一辆漂亮的跑车，他知道自己的父亲有能力负担得起，就告诉父亲，这是他最想要的礼物。As Graduation Day