One possible version:
How to read English article better?
It is very important for us to have the right way to read when we learn English. There are all kinds of good ways to improve our abilities to read. When reading, we can find out the main sentences so that we can know the main idea of the article. If we meet the new words in the article, we should guess what they are meanings. We』 better try our best to get the key information, and then infer what the writer』s purpose is. Besides, we should have a good habit of reading, such as, scanning or skimming. I believe good ways are the secret of reading.
⑷ 請速提供一篇短篇英語美文
The Wallet
As I walked home one freezing day, I stumbled on a wallet someone had lost in the street. I picked it up and looked inside to find some identification so I could call the owner. But the wallet contained only three dollars and a crumpled letter that looked as if it had been in there for years.
The envelope was worn and the only thing that was legible on it was the return address. I started to open the letter, hoping to find some clue. Then I saw the dateline--1924. The letter had been written almost sixty years ago.
It was written in a beautiful feminine handwriting on powder blue stationery with a little flower in the left-hand corner. It was a "Dear John" letter that told the recipient, whose name appeared to be Michael, that the writer could not see him anymore because her mother forbade it. Even so, she wrote that she would always love him.
It was signed, Hannah.
It was a beautiful letter, but there was no way except for the name Michael, that the owner could be identified. Maybe if I called information, the operator could find a phone listing for the address on the envelope.
"Operator," I began, "this is an unusual request. I'm trying to find the owner of a wallet that I found. Is there anyway you can tell me if there is a phone number for an address that was on an envelope in the wallet?"
She suggested I speak with her supervisor, who hesitated for a moment then said, "Well, there is a phone listing at that address, but I can't give you the number." She said, as a courtesy, she would call that number, explain my story and would ask them if they wanted her to connect me.
I waited a few minutes and then she was back on the line. "I have a party who will speak with you."
I asked the woman on the other end of the line if she knew anyone by the name of Hannah. She gasped, "Oh! We bought this house from a family who had a daughter named Hannah. But that was 30 years ago!"
"Would you know where that family could be located now?" I asked.
"I remember that Hannah had to place her mother in a nursing home some years ago," the woman said. "Maybe if you got in touch with them they might be able to track down the daughter."
She gave me the name of the nursing home and I called the number. They told me the old lady had passed away some years ago but they did have a phone number for where they thought the daughter might be living.
I thanked them and phoned. The woman who answered explained that Hannah herself was now living in a nursing home.
This whole thing was stupid, I thought to myself. Why was I making such a big deal over finding the owner of a wallet that had only three dollars and a letter that was almost 60 years old?
Nevertheless, I called the nursing home in which Hannah was supposed to be living and the man who answered the phone told me, "Yes, Hannah is staying with us."
Even though it was already 10 p.m., I asked if I could come by to see her. "Well," he said hesitatingly, "if you want to take a chance, she might be in the day room watching television."
I thanked him and drove over to the nursing home. The night nurse and a guard greeted me at the door. We went up to the third floor of the large building. In the day room, the nurse introced me to Hannah.
She was a sweet, silver-haired oldtimer with a warm smile and a twinkle in her eye. I told her about finding the wallet and showed her the letter. The second she saw the powder blue envelope with that little flower on the left, she took a deep breath and said, "Young man, this letter was the last contact I ever had with Michael."
She looked away for a moment deep in thought and then said softly, "I loved him very much. But I was only 16 at the time and my mother felt I was too young. Oh, he was so handsome. He looked like Sean Connery, the actor."
"Yes," she continued. "Michael Goldstein was a wonderful person. If you should find him, tell him I think of him often. And," she hesitated for a moment, almost biting her lip, "tell him I still love him. You know," she said smiling as tears began to well up in her eyes, "I never did marry. I guess no one ever matched up to Michael..."
I thanked Hannah and said goodbye. I took the elevator to the first floor and as I stood by the door, the guard there asked, "Was the old lady able to help you?"
I told him she had given me a lead. "At least I have a last name. But I think I'll let it go for a while. I spent almost the whole day trying to find the owner of this wallet."
I had taken out the wallet, which was a simple brown leather case with red lacing on the side. When the guard saw it, he said, "Hey, wait a minute! That's Mr. Goldstein's wallet. I'd know it anywhere with that bright red lacing. He's always losing that wallet. I must have found it in the halls at least three times."
"Who's Mr. Goldstein?" I asked as my hand began to shake.
"He's one of the oldtimers on the 8th floor. That's Mike Goldstein's wallet for sure. He must have lost it on one of his walks." I thanked the guard and quickly ran back to the nurse's office. I told her what the guard had said. We went back to the elevator and got on. I prayed that Mr. Goldstein would be up.
On the eighth floor, the floor nurse said, "I think he's still in the day room. He likes to read at night. He's a darling old man."
We went to the only room that had any lights on and there was a man reading a book. The nurse went over to him and asked if he had lost his wallet. Mr. Goldstein looked up with surprise, put his hand in his back pocket and said, "Oh, it is missing!"
"This kind gentleman found a wallet and we wondered if it could be yours?"
I handed Mr. Goldstein the wallet and the second he saw it, he smiled with relief and said, "Yes, that's it! It must have dropped out of my pocket this afternoon. I want to give you a reward."
"No, thank you," I said. "But I have to tell you something. I read the letter in the hope of finding out who owned the wallet."
The smile on his face suddenly disappeared. "You read that letter?"
"Not only did I read it, I think I know where Hannah is."
He suddenly grew pale. "Hannah? You know where she is? How is she? Is she still as pretty as she was? Please, please tell me," he begged.
"She's fine...just as pretty as when you knew her." I said softly.
The old man smiled with anticipation and asked, "Could you tell me where she is? I want to call her tomorrow." He grabbed my hand and said, "You know something, Mister? I was so in love with that girl that when that letter came, my life literally ended. I never married. I guess I've always loved her."
"Mr. Goldstein," I said, "Come with me."
We took the elevator down to the third floor. The hallways were darkened and only one or two little night-lights lit our way to the day room where Hannah was sitting alone watching the television. The nurse walked over to her.
"Hannah," she said softly, pointing to Michael, who was waiting with me in the doorway. "Do you know this man?"
She adjusted her glasses, looked for a moment, but didn't say a word. Michael said softly, almost in a whisper, "Hannah, it's Michael. Do you remember me?"
She gasped, "Michael! I don't believe it! Michael! It's you! My Michael!" He walked slowly towards her and they embraced. The nurse and I left with tears streaming down our faces.
"See," I said. "See how the Good Lord works! If it's meant to be, it will be."
About three weeks later I got a call at my office from the nursing home. "Can you break away on Sunday to attend a wedding? Michael and Hannah are going to tie the knot!"
It was a beautiful wedding with all the people at the nursing home dressed up to join in the celebration. Hannah wore a light beige dress and looked beautiful. Michael wore a dark blue suit and stood tall. They made me their best man.
The hospital gave them their own room and if you ever wanted to see a 76-year-old bride and a 79-year-old groom acting like two teenagers, you had to see this couple.
A perfect ending for a love affair that had lasted nearly 60 years.
Author Unknown
⑸ 我每天背誦一篇英語美文，堅持半年英語會有怎樣的進步
《英語美文背誦復50篇》大概是制這么一個書名。我是在大學裡面的書店買的，一般大學附近的書店都會有售啊。美文背誦的書很多。
這本由mp3，不大，但是字體不會小，蠻管用的。有些文章有長句啊，美句啊，用了一些修辭：排比，比喻什麼的。比較好背，詞彙也比較高級，但是不難記。
如果能堅持每周背2-3篇，也就是半年內能把這本小冊子啃下來，你的英語水平，無論是讀，說，或是寫，都能得到很大的提高。 有時讓你即興用英文演講什麼的，腦子里也有料。
我就是背了5篇的時候，有一天口語課老師突然讓上去演講2分鍾，腦子里有貨有積累，自然就出口成章了。
我是英語專業的學生。
寫作啊什麼的時候也會懂得運用的。因為你腦子里有貨，還有語感。
加油啊！ 背完一篇別忘了回過頭去復習，要不等你背到第五篇的時候第一篇造就忘光光了。「溫故而知新」在英語學習中是極其重要的。
推薦的這本書是我自己用的，考專四的時候就買了，到專八還繼續拿出來背呢。裡面有的文章是勵志的，或者哲理的，反正寫文章都很用得上就是了。
而且是小冊子，紙質很輕，方便攜帶。
或者你要打基礎的就用《新概念3》或者《新概念4》。
希望能幫到你。 加油！
⑹ 英語勵志美文
英語勵志文章： Be a Fighter A young friend of mine asked me in a letter, "What kind of man should I be?" My answer was, "Be a fighter."Another friend of mine inquired, "How should I live my life?" Again my answer was, "Be a fighter."The author of In Praise of the Fighter says:Riding on the ceaseless rushing torrent of life, I should pursue and overtake it so as to create an even greater and deeper torrent of my own.If I were a lamp, it would be my ty to light up thick darkness. If I were the sea tide, I would marshal rolling waves to cleanse the beach of all accumulated filth.This quotation reflects aptly the state of mind of a lighter.Fighters are badly needed in our time. But such fighters do not necessarily go to the battle- field gun in hand. Their weapons are not necessarily bullets. Their weapons may be knowledge, faith and strong will. They can bring the enemy sure death without drawing his blood.A fighter is always in pursuit of light. Instead of basking in the sunshine under a clear sky, he holds a burning torch in the darkness of night to illuminate people's way so that they can continue their journey till they see the dawn of a new day. It is the task of a fighter to dispel darkness. Instead of shirking darkness, he braves it and fights the hidden demons and monsters therein. He is determined to wipe them out and win light. He knows no compromise. He will keep on fighting until he wins light.A fighter is perennially young. He is never irresolute or inactive. He plunges deep into teeming crowds in search of such vermin as flies and venomous mosquitoes. He will fight them relentlessly and refuse to coexist with them under the same sky. To him, life means nothing but continuous fighting. He either survives by winning light, or perishes with his body covered all over with cuts and bruises. In the course of the struggle, it is the "future" that serves as the beacon light to him; the "future" gives people hope and inspiration. He will never lose his youthful vigour.A fighter will never lose heart or despair. He will pile up broken pieces of brick and stone to rebuild a nine-story pagoda on the ruins of failure. No blows will ever break his will. He will never close his eyes until he has breathed his last.A fighter is always fearless. His steps are firm. Once he has settled on an objective, he will press right ahead. He is never afraid of being tripped by a stumbling block. No obstacles will ever make him change his mind. His eyes will never be hoodwinked by false appearances. His actions are guided by faith. He can enre any hardships or sufferings while striving to attain his chosen objective. He will never abandon work as long as he is alive.This is the kind of fighter we now need. He is not necessarily possessed of superhuman capability. He is just an ordinary person. Anyone can be a fighter so long as he has the determination. Hence a few words of mine about "being a fighter" to encourage those young people who wander about in a depressed state, not knowing which way to go.參考譯文：做一名進攻型戰士一個年輕的朋友寫信問我：「應該做一個什麼樣的人?「我回答他：「做一個戰士。」另一個朋友問我：「怎樣對付生活了，我仍舊答道：「做一個戰士。」《戰士頌》的作者曾經寫過這樣的話：「我激盪在這綿綿不息、滂沱四方的生命洪流中，我就應該追逐這洪流，而且追過它，自己去造更廣、更深的洪流。」「我如果是一盞燈，這燈的用處便是照徹那多量的黑暗。我如果是海潮，便要鼓起波濤去洗滌海邊一切陳腐的積物。」這一段話很恰當地寫出了戰士的心情。在這個時代，戰士是最需要的。但是這樣的戰士並不一定要持槍上戰場。他的武器也下一定是槍彈。他的武器還可以是知識、信仰和堅強的意志。他並不一定要流仇敵的血，卻能更有把握地致敵人的死命，戰士是永遠追求光明的。他並不躺在晴空下享受陽光，在晴夜裡燃起火炬，給人們照亮道路，使他們走向黎明。驅散黑暗，這是戰士的任務。他不躲避黑暗，卻要面對黑暗，跟躲藏在陰影里的魑魅、魍魎搏鬥。他要消滅它們而取得光明。戰士是不知道妥協的。他得不到光明便不會停止戰斗。戰士永遠是年輕的。他不猶豫，不休息。他深入人叢中，找尋蒼蠅、毒蚊等等危害人類的東西。他不斷地攻擊它們，不肯與它們共同生存在一個天空下面，對於戰士，生活就是不停的戰斗，他不是取得光明而牛存，便是帶著滿身傷痕而死去。在戰斗中力量只有增長，信仰只有加強，在戰斗中給戰士指路的是「未來」，「未來」給人以希望和鼓舞。戰士永遠不會失去青春的活力。戰士是不知道灰心與絕望的。他甚至在失敗的廢墟上，還要堆起破碎的磚石重建九級寶塔。任何打擊都不能擊破戰士的意志。只有在死的時候他才閉上眼睛。戰士是不知道畏縮的，他的腳步很堅定。一旦他認准目標，便會向前走去。他不怕被絆腳石摔倒，沒有一種障礙能使他改變心思，假象絕不能迷住戰士的眼睛，支配戰士的行動的是信仰。他能夠忍受一切艱難、痛苦，而達到他所選定的目標。除非他死，否則他決不放棄工作。這便是我們現在需要的戰士。這樣的戰士並不一定具有超人的能力。他是一個平凡的人。每個人都可以做戰士，只要他有決心。所以我用「做一個進攻型的戰士」來激勵那些還在苦悶中彷徨，不知何去何從的年輕朋友。 尊重版權，原文鏈接地址： http://www.lz13.cn/liyingyu/200901129583.html
⑺ 速求5篇經典英語美文閱讀
YOUTH
By Samuel Ullman 塞繆爾·厄爾曼
Youth is not a time of life; it is a state of mind; it is not amatter of rosy cheeks, red lips and supple knees; it is a matter of thewill, a quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions; it is thefreshness of the deep springs of life.
Youth means a tempera-mental predominance of courage over timidity,of the appetite for adventure over the love of ease. This often existsin a man of 60 more than a boy of 20. Nobody grows old merely by anumber of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals.
Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles thesoul. Worry, fear, self-distrust bows the heart and turns the springback to st.
Whether 60 or 16, there is in every human being』s heart the lure ofwonder, the unfailing childlike appetite of what』s next and the joy ofthe game of living. In the center of your heart and my heart there is awireless
station: so long as it receives messages of beauty, hope, cheer,courage and power from men and from the Infinite, so long are you young.
When the aerials are down, and your spirit is covered with snows ofcynicism and the ice of pessimism, then you are grown old, even at 20,but as long as your aerials are up, to catch waves of optimism, thereis hope you may die young at 80.
Transforming Obstacles into Benefits
By Richard Stewart,Los Angeles, U.S.A. (Originally in English)
美國洛杉磯 理查德．史都華德（原文為英文）
A group of frogs was traveling through the woods and two of themfell into a deep pit. Immediately, all the other frogs in the groupgathered around the pit and watched as the imprisoned frogs tried tojump out. The frogs on top could see that the pit was very deep and itlooked as if there was no way out, so they started yelling at the twofrogs in the pit to give up. "The pit is too deep. You're as good asdead," the chorus of frogs said. When the trapped frogs kept trying,the crowd yelled louder, "Give up. You're as good as dead." After awhile, one of the exhausted frogs took heed to what the others weresaying, and fell down and died.
But amazingly, the second frog kept jumping as hard as she coulddespite the negative remarks of those that kept yelling at her toaccept the inevitable and just die. Finally, with one valiant leap, shemade it out of the pit!
This amazing result occurred because the second frog was deaf annable to hear what the others had been saying. She thought they hadbeen cheering her on the entire time they were yelling! What she hadmistakenly perceived as encouragement inspired her to try harder andsucceed against all odds. And that made all the difference!
With a positive mindset, and being deaf to others' opinions, thesecond frog made use of such negativity to overcome obstacles and reachher goals by using it as encouragement, instead of being influenced byothers like the first frog, who failed to develop her potential tostrive for survival. Thus, when we surmount others' criticism, ridiculeor cynical comments, we can do anything we set our minds to, just asthe second frog did. But, if we are not deaf like this frog, who couldnot be influenced by others e to a physical condition, we need the Wisdom to guide us to the proper way, so as not to be blindly guided byworldly opinion.
Transforming Obstacles into Benefits
By Richard Stewart,Los Angeles, U.S.A. (Originally in English)
美國洛杉磯 理查德．史都華德（原文為英文）
A group of frogs was traveling through the woods and two of themfell into a deep pit. Immediately, all the other frogs in the groupgathered around the pit and watched as the imprisoned frogs tried tojump out. The frogs on top could see that the pit was very deep and itlooked as if there was no way out, so they started yelling at the twofrogs in the pit to give up. "The pit is too deep. You're as good asdead," the chorus of frogs said. When the trapped frogs kept trying,the crowd yelled louder, "Give up. You're as good as dead." After awhile, one of the exhausted frogs took heed to what the others weresaying, and fell down and died.
But amazingly, the second frog kept jumping as hard as she coulddespite the negative remarks of those that kept yelling at her toaccept the inevitable and just die. Finally, with one valiant leap, shemade it out of the pit!
This amazing result occurred because the second frog was deaf annable to hear what the others had been saying. She thought they hadbeen cheering her on the entire time they were yelling! What she hadmistakenly perceived as encouragement inspired her to try harder andsucceed against all odds. And that made all the difference!
With a positive mindset, and being deaf to others' opinions, thesecond frog made use of such negativity to overcome obstacles and reachher goals by using it as encouragement, instead of being influenced byothers like the first frog, who failed to develop her potential tostrive for survival. Thus, when we surmount others' criticism, ridiculeor cynical comments, we can do anything we set our minds to, just asthe second frog did. But, if we are not deaf like this frog, who couldnot be influenced by others e to a physical condition, we need the Wisdom to guide us to the proper way, so as not to be blindly guided byworldly opinion.
⑻ 英語美文閱讀
Right Beside You 身邊總有你
The passengers on the bus watched sympathetically as the young woman with the white cane made her way1 carefully up the steps. She paid the driver and then, using her hands to feel the location of the seats, settled in to one. She placed her briefcase on her lap and rested her cane against her leg.
It had been a year since Susan, thirty-four, became blind. As the result of a medical accident she was sightless, suddenly thrown into a world of darkness, anger, frustration and self-pity. All she had to cling to2 was her husband Mark.
Mark was an Air Force officer and he loved Susan with all his heart. When she first lost her sight, he watched her sink into despair and he became determined to use every means possible to help his wife.
Finally, Susan felt ready to return to her job, but how would she get there? She used to take the bus, but she was now too frightened to get around the city by herself. Mark volunteered to ride the bus with Susan each morning and evening until she got the hang of3 it. And that is exactly what happened.
For two weeks, Mark, military uniform and all, accompanied Susan to and from work each day. He taught her how to rely on her other senses, specifically her hearing, to determine where she was and how to adapt to4 her new environment. He helped her befriend the bus drivers who could watch out for her, and save her a seat.
Each morning they made the journey together, and Mark would take a taxi back to his office. Although that meant he had to travel through the city and the routine was costly and exhausting, Mark knew it was only a matter of① time before Susan would be able to ride the bus on her own. He believed in her.
Finally, Susan decided that she was ready to try the trip on her own. Monday morning arrived. Before she left, she embraced her husband tightly. Her eyes filled with tears of gratitude for his loyalty, his patience, and his love. She said good-bye and, for the first time, they went their separate ways. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday... Each day on her own went perfectly, and a wild gaiety5 took hold of Susan. She was doing it! She was going to work all by herself!
On Friday morning, Susan took the bus to work as usual. As she was exiting the bus, the driver said, 「Miss, I sure envy you.」 Curious, Susan asked the driver why.
「You know, every morning for the past week, a fine looking gentleman in a military uniform has been standing across the corner watching you when you get off the bus. He makes sure you cross the street safely and he watches you until you enter your office building. Then he blows you a kiss, gives you a salute6 and walks away. You are one lucky lady,」 the bus driver said.
Tears of happiness poured down Susan's cheeks. She was so lucky for he had given her a gift more powerful than sight, a gift she didn't need to see to believe—the gift of love that can bring light where there is darkness.
當這個手持白杖的年輕女子小心翼翼地上車時，車上的乘客都向她投去憐憫的目光。她向司機付了車費之後，雙手摸索著座位，然後坐好，把公文包放在膝蓋上，手杖靠著腿。
34歲的蘇珊失明已有一年了。一起醫療事故奪去了她的視力，她頓時陷入黑暗之中，內心充滿憤怒、沮喪，還有顧影自憐，而她可以依靠的只有她的丈夫馬克了。
馬克是名空軍軍官，他深愛著蘇珊。蘇珊失明的頭些日子，他眼睜睜地看著妻子陷入絕望，心裡打定主意，要盡一切辦法幫助她。
蘇珊終於願意重返工作崗位了。可她怎麼去上班呢？以前都是乘公交車去的，但是她現在很害怕，自己一個人不敢在城裡轉。於是馬克自告奮勇早晚坐公車接送，直到她可以一個人應付。這就是事情的經過。
整整兩周，馬克每天都一身戎裝，陪著蘇珊一起上下班，教她怎麼憑借其他感官，尤其是聽覺，判斷她所處的位置，以及如何適應新的環境。他還幫她與司機交好，這樣司機能照顧她，並給她留個座位。
每天早上，他們都一起同行，然後馬克再乘計程車回去上班。盡管馬克得穿過整座城市，而且疲憊不堪，又花費不菲，但是他堅信蘇珊一定能獨立乘車的，只是時間問題。
最後，蘇珊決定自己獨自坐車上班。星期一上午，臨行前，她緊緊地擁抱著自己的丈夫，眼裡蓄滿了感激的淚水，感謝他的忠誠，他的耐心，還有他的愛。她向他道了別，他們第一次朝著不同的方向走去。周一、周二、周三、周四……每天她的獨行之旅都很順利，蘇珊感到一陣狂喜。她成功了！她真的能一個人去上班了！
周五早上，蘇珊照常乘公共汽車去上班。就要下車了，司機說：「小姐，我真羨慕你啊。」蘇珊感到很奇怪，便問司機為什麼。
「是這樣的，上星期，每天早上都有一個儀表堂堂穿著軍裝的男士一直站在拐彎處看著你下車，看著你安全地穿過街道，又看著你走進辦公樓，他向你飛一個吻，沖你行個禮，然後才動身離去。你真是個幸運的姑娘啊！」 司機說。
蘇珊的臉上流下幸福的淚水。她是幸運的，因為馬克給了她比視力更珍貴的禮物，一份她不需要看就能體會到的禮物——這就是愛的禮物，它能給黑暗帶來光明。
⑼ 求一篇英文美文的原文
The sound of MUSIC.
⑽ 求英語美文一篇
Outside the Bible, these six words are the most famous in all the literature of the world. They were spoken by Hamlet when he was thinking aloud, and they are the most famous words in Shakespeare because Hamlet was speaking not only for himself but also for every thinking man and woman. To be or not to be, to live or not to live, to live richly and abundantly and eagerly, or to live lly and meanly and scarcely. A philosopher once wanted to know whether he was alive or not, which is a good question for everyone to put to himself occasionally. He answered it by saying: "I think, therefore am."
But the best definition of existence ever saw did another philosopher who said: "To be is to be in relations." If this true, then the more relations a living thing has, the more it is alive. To live abundantly means simply to increase the range and intensity of our relations. Unfortunately we are so constituted that we get to love our routine. But apart from our regular occupation how much are we alive? If you are interest-ed only in your regular occupation, you are alive only to that extent. So far as other things are concerned--poetry and prose, music, pictures, sports, unselfish friendships, politics, international affairs--you are dead.
Contrariwise, it is true that every time you acquire a new interest--even more, a new accomplishment--you increase your power of life. No one who is deeply interested in a large variety of subjects can remain unhappy; the real pessimist is the person who has lost interest.
Bacon said that a man dies as often as he loses a friend. But we gain new life by contacts, new friends. What is supremely true of living objects is only less true of ideas, which are also alive. Where your thoughts are, there will your live be also. If your thoughts are confined only to your business, only to your physical welfare, only to the narrow circle of the town in which you live, then you live in a narrow cir-conscribed life. But if you are interested in what is going on in China, then you are living in China~ if you』re interested in the characters of a good novel, then you are living with those highly interesting people, if you listen intently to fine music, you are away from your immediate surroundings and living in a world of passion and imagination.
To be or not to be--to live intensely and richly, merely to exist, that depends on ourselves. Let widen and intensify our relations. While we live, let live!
生存還是毀滅
「生存還是毀滅。」如果把《聖經》除外，這六個字便是整個世界文學中最有名的六個字了。這六個字是哈姆雷特一次喃喃自語時說的，而這六個字也就成了莎士比亞作品中最有名的幾個字了，因為這里哈姆雷特不僅道出了他自己的心聲，同時也代表了一切有思想的男男女女。是活還是不活——是要生活還是不要生活，是要生活得豐滿充實，興致勃勃，還是只是活得枯燥委瑣，貧乏無味。一位哲人一次曾想弄清他自己是否是在活著，這個問題我們每個人也大可不時地問問我們自己。這位哲學家對此的答案是： 「我思故我在。」
但是關於生存我所見過的一條最好的定義卻是另一位哲學家下的：「生活即是聯系。」如果這話不假的話，那麼一個有生命者的聯系越多，它也就越有生氣。所謂要活得豐富充實也即是要擴大和加強我們的各種聯系。不幸的是，我們往往會因為天性不夠豐厚而容易陷入自己的陳規舊套。試問除去我們的日常工作，我們的真正生活又有多少?如果你只是對你的日常工作才有興趣，那你的生趣也就很有限了。至於在其它事物方面，比如詩歌、散文、音樂、美術、體育、無私的友誼、政治與國際事務，等等——你只是死人一個。
但反過來說，每當你獲得一種新的興趣——甚至一項新的造詣——你就增長了你的生活本領。一個能對許許多多事物都深感興趣的人是不可能總不愉快的，真正的悲觀者只能是那些喪失興趣的人。
培根曾講過，一個人失去朋友即是死亡。但是憑著交往，憑著新朋，我們就能獲得再生。這條對於活人可謂千真萬確的道理在一定程度上也完全適用於人的思想，它們也都是活的。你的思想所在，你的生命便也在那裡。如果你的思想不出你的業務范圍，不出你的物質利益，不出你所在城鎮的狹隘圈子，那麼你的一生便也只是多方受著局限的狹隘的一生。但是如果你對當前中國那裡所發生的種種感到興趣，那麼你便可說也活在中國；如果你對一本佳妙小說中的人物感到興趣，你便是活在一批極有趣的人們中間；如果你能全神貫注地聽點好的音樂，你就會超脫出你的周圍環境而活在一個充滿激情與想像的神奇世界之中。
生存還是毀滅——活得熱烈活得豐富，還是只是簡單存在，這就全在我們自己。但願我們都能不斷擴展和增強我們的各種聯系。只要一天我們活著，就要一天是在活著。
