赖大师的精选---我的挚爱(12)

第十二弹：青春永在
Youth

Youth is not just a stage of life; it is a state of mind. It is not a matter
of rosy¹ cheeks, red lips and supple² knees; it is a matter of the will, a
quality of the imagination, a vigor³ of the emotions, it is the freshness
of the deep spring of life.

Youth means the predominance of courage over timidity, of adventure
over the love of ease. This often exists in a man of sixty more than in a
boy of twenty. Nobody grows old merely by believing a number of years.
We grow old by deserting our ideals.

Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.
Worry, doubt, self-distrust, fear and despair---these bow the head and
turn the growing spirit back o dust.

Whether sixty or sixteen there is in every human being’s heart the love
of wonder, the sweet amazement⁴ of the stars and the star-like things,
the undaunted challenge of events, the unfailing childlike appetite for
what-next and the joy of the game of living.

You are ay young ad your faith, as old as your doubt, as young as your
self-confidence, as old as your fear, as young as your hope, as old as
your despair.

1 rosy   

adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的

参考例句：

• She got a new job and her life looks rosy.她找到一份新工作，生活看上去很美好。
• She always takes a rosy view of life.她总是对生活持乐观态度。

2 supple   

adj.柔软的，易弯的，逢迎的，顺从的，灵活的；vt.使柔软，使柔顺，使顺从；vi.变柔软，变柔顺

参考例句：

• She gets along well with people because of her supple nature.她与大家相处很好，因为她的天性柔和。
• He admired the graceful and supple movements of the dancers.他赞扬了舞蹈演员优雅灵巧的舞姿。

3 vigor   

n.活力，精力，元气

参考例句：

• The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。
• She didn't want to be reminded of her beauty or her former vigor.现在，她不愿人们提起她昔日的美丽和以前的精力充沛。

4 amazement   

n.惊奇，惊讶

参考例句：

• All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
• He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。