精美英文欣赏:美是大地的微笑-爱美之心

The Love of Beauty

The love of beauty is an essential part of all healthy human nature. It is a moral quality. The absence of it is not an assured ground of condemnation¹, but the presence of it is an invariable sign of goodness of heart. In proportion to the degree in which it is felt will probably be the degree in which nobleness and beauty of character will be attained².

Natural beauty is an all-pervading presence. The universe is its temple.

It unfolds into the numberless flowers of spring. It waves in the branches of trees and the green blades of grass.

It haunts the depths of the earth and the sea. It gleams from the hues³ of the shell and the precious stone.

And not only these minute objects but the oceans, the mountains, the clouds, the stars, the rising and the setting sun - all overflow⁴ with beauty.

This beauty is so precious, and so congenial to our tenderest and noblest feelings, that it is painful to think of the multitude of people living in the midst of it and yet remaining almost blind to it.

All persons should seek to become acquainted with the beauty in nature.

There is not a worm we tread upon, nor a leaf that dances merrily as it falls before the autumn winds, but calls for our study and admiration⁵.

The power to appreciate beauty not merely increases our sources of happiness - it enlarges our moral nature, too.

Beauty calms our restlessness and dispels⁶ our cares.

Go into the fields or the woods, spend a summer day by the sea or the mountains, and all your little perplexities and anxieties will vanish.

Listen to sweet music, and your foolish fears and petty jealousies⁷ will pass away. The beauty of the world helps us to seek and find the beauty of goodness.

by John Ruskin, English essayist and artist

爱美

对美之热爱是所有健康人性的必不可少的一部分，这是一种道德品质。缺乏美并不是注定要遭受谴责，但是当美出现的时候，却都是仁爱之心的一致表现，感受美的深度也就是高尚情操与美好品德的程度。

自然的美是无处不在的，整个宇宙都是美的所在。

美存在于春天无数之花草之中，它舞动在树枝上，和那绿草的青青叶片上。

美飘荡于大地之上，游弋在深海之中，它闪烁在海摈贝壳和宝石的色调中。

美不仅仅存在于这些细微之处，也存在于大海中、山巅上、白云间、群星畔、旭日与孤霞中...万物都浸润在美之中。

美是如此宝贵，如此适意于我们的最温柔和高贵的情感，所以一想到芸芸众生居处在美之间，却对美几乎视而不见,就会令人内心苦痛。

所有的人都应该谙熟自然之美。

我们脚下的爬虫，秋风来临之时轻盈飘落的树叶，一切都等我们去观察、去欣赏。

欣赏美的能力不仅仅能够增加我们的快乐之源泉--它也使得我们的品德情操更加高尚。

在我们浮躁之时，美使得我们平静,，驱散我们的忧虑。

到田野或者树林中去，在海边或者山间度一夏日，那么你所有小小的疑惑和焦躁都将一扫而光。

倾听那天籁之音，那么你所有愚蠢的恐惧感和小小的嫉妒心都会消失，这个世界的自然之美帮助我们去追求和寻找心灵的善良之美。

1 condemnation   

n.谴责; 定罪

参考例句：

• There was widespread condemnation of the invasion. 那次侵略遭到了人们普遍的谴责。
• The jury's condemnation was a shock to the suspect. 陪审团宣告有罪使嫌疑犯大为震惊。

2 attained   

（通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况）

参考例句：

• She has attained the degree of Master of Arts. 她已获得文学硕士学位。
• Lu Hsun attained a high position in the republic of letters. 鲁迅在文坛上获得崇高的地位。

3 hues   

色彩( hue的名词复数 )； 色调； 信仰； 观点

参考例句：

• When the sun rose a hundred prismatic hues were reflected from it. 太阳一出，更把它映得千变万化、异彩缤纷。
• Where maple trees grow, the leaves are often several brilliant hues of red. 在枫树生长的地方，枫叶常常呈现出数种光彩夺目的红色。

4 overflow   

v.(使)外溢，(使)溢出；溢出，流出，漫出

参考例句：

• The overflow from the bath ran on to the floor.浴缸里的水溢到了地板上。
• After a long period of rain,the river may overflow its banks.长时间的下雨天后，河水可能溢出岸来。

5 admiration   

n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕

参考例句：

• He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。
• We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。

6 dispels   

v.驱散，赶跑( dispel的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• This landmark case dispels the absolute finality of this dreaded disease. 这个划时代的病例终于改观了这可怕疾病的绝对结局。 来自辞典例句
• Charles's experience--and that of all other researchers I have met--dispels many myths about water buffaloes. 查尔斯以及我所见到的其他研究人员的经验破除了关于水牛的许多奇谈。 来自辞典例句

7 jealousies   

n.妒忌( jealousy的名词复数 )；妒羡

参考例句：

• They were divided by mutual suspicion and jealousies. 他们因为相互猜疑嫉妒而不和。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• I am tired of all these jealousies and quarrels. 我厌恶这些妒忌和吵架的语言。 来自辞典例句