英语美文：简单纯粹的快乐

 You stopped looking for me a long time back, but I am still hopeful that someday you will come asking for me. I have believed that someday you will look outside your window searching for me, but, alas¹! My hopes are slowly diminishing. Seated in my little abode², I keep wondering what has changed you so much. You used to be so happy, so full of life, but now I feel sad when I see you.

　　Do you even know who I am? 

　　I am a little bird, a sparrow—in your childhood you used to be so happy to see me flying in and out of your house. Your mother always kept some water in a vessel³ for me. I had my breakfasts or lunches with your family countless⁴ times. The granite⁵ slab⁶ in your kitchen garden used to be the main place where I would find my food. I was a part of your family. 

　　You not only fed me but also gave me a home, my cute little nest. It was a project for your summer vacation to prepare a bird’s nest. You really enjoyed the task and, under the guidance of your parents, you, with a child-like dedication⁷, collected each and every twig⁸, leaf, and strand⁹ of grass, and assembled all of it into a beautiful nest. It took the whole vacation to finish, and yours was the best in your class. When the class teacher returned everyone’s nests, you brought yours home and placed it in the branches of the bougainvillea in your kitchen garden. I didn’t miss the chance. The very next morning, when you curiously¹⁰ looked into the nest, you found me resting with my wings covering my face. You screamed from excitement, and for a moment I was shocked and fluttered away from the nest—but then, when I realized you were just a child and unable to control your sudden emotions, I came fluttering back. 

　　I laid my eggs in the nest you made for me. When my chicks hatched out, you watched me feed them every day. In your innocence¹¹, you started putting huge quantities of food on that granite slab. You thought that I needed more food to feed my babies. That was so nice of you. The first time I flew out with my babies, you were happier than me. 

　　It was all going fine for a while, but gradually you became so busy in your quest to become somebody important in this world. I always prayed for your success, and my prayers were answered. You got a very good job, a handsome salary—in fact, all that you wanted to posses. In time, you became so materialistic¹² that you forgot the simple, pure happiness we used to get from each other. 

　　That’s why I flew away from the home you made for me. To my disappointment, you never ever even noticed it. The bougainvillea also no longer exists in your kitchen garden. You uprooted¹³ it to make a parking space for your car. Even the cellphone you use has a negative effect on my health. My friends and I are slowly disappearing, destined¹⁴ to become extinct soon. 

　　I wish all you humans could start caring, really caring, about species like ours, so that we can coexist. Ask yourself: When was the last time you saw me? A little vulnerable sparrow…does anyone care about creatures like me?

1 alas   

int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等)

参考例句：

• Alas!The window is broken!哎呀！窗子破了！
• Alas,the truth is less romantic.然而，真理很少带有浪漫色彩。

2 abode   

n.住处，住所

参考例句：

• It was ten months before my father discovered his abode.父亲花了十个月的功夫，才好不容易打听到他的住处。
• Welcome to our humble abode!欢迎光临寒舍！

3 vessel   

n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管

参考例句：

• The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
• You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。

4 countless   

adj.无数的，多得不计其数的

参考例句：

• In the war countless innocent people lost their lives.在这场战争中无数无辜的人丧失了性命。
• I've told you countless times.我已经告诉你无数遍了。

5 granite   

adj.花岗岩，花岗石

参考例句：

• They squared a block of granite.他们把一块花岗岩加工成四方形。
• The granite overlies the older rocks.花岗岩躺在磨损的岩石上面。

6 slab   

n.平板，厚的切片；v.切成厚板，以平板盖上

参考例句：

• This heavy slab of oak now stood between the bomb and Hitler.这时笨重的橡木厚板就横在炸弹和希特勒之间了。
• The monument consists of two vertical pillars supporting a horizontal slab.这座纪念碑由两根垂直的柱体构成，它们共同支撑着一块平板。

7 dedication   

n.奉献，献身，致力，题献，献辞

参考例句：

• We admire her courage,compassion and dedication.我们钦佩她的勇气、爱心和奉献精神。
• Her dedication to her work was admirable.她对工作的奉献精神可钦可佩。

8 twig   

n.小树枝，嫩枝；v.理解

参考例句：

• He heard the sharp crack of a twig.他听到树枝清脆的断裂声。
• The sharp sound of a twig snapping scared the badger away.细枝突然折断的刺耳声把獾惊跑了。

9 strand   

vt.使（船）搁浅，使（某人）困于（某地）

参考例句：

• She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ears.她把一缕散发夹到了耳后。
• The climbers had been stranded by a storm.登山者被暴风雨困住了。

10 curiously   

adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地

参考例句：

• He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
• He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。

11 innocence   

n.无罪；天真；无害

参考例句：

• There was a touching air of innocence about the boy.这个男孩有一种令人感动的天真神情。
• The accused man proved his innocence of the crime.被告人经证实无罪。

12 materialistic   

a.唯物主义的，物质享乐主义的

参考例句：

• She made him both soft and materialistic. 她把他变成女性化而又实际化。
• Materialistic dialectics is an important part of constituting Marxism. 唯物辩证法是马克思主义的重要组成部分。

13 uprooted   

v.把（某物）连根拔起( uproot的过去式和过去分词 )；根除；赶走；把…赶出家园

参考例句：

• Many people were uprooted from their homes by the flood. 水灾令许多人背井离乡。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The hurricane blew with such force that trees were uprooted. 飓风强烈地刮着，树都被连根拔起了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 destined   

adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的

参考例句：

• It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。
• The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。