英语美文：人生50大信条

 　1. Listening enough to care and caring enough to listen.

　　2. Being a dreamer but not living in a dream world.

　　3. Saying "It doesn't matter" and meaning it.

　　4. Being a positive influence in any way possible, to as many as possible, for as long as I possibly can.

　　5. Balancing justice with mercy and fairness with common sense.

　　6. Being patient and patiently enduring.

　　7. Earning credibility instead of demanding compliance¹.

　　8. Valuing the wisdom of discernment, the danger of pleasure without restraint, and the joy of victory with integrity.

　　9. Being worthy² of trust and trusting what's worthwhile.

　　10. Enjoying all things small and beautiful.

　　11. Words that heal.

　　12. Words that help.

　　13. And words that encourage.

　　14. Forgiving myself for what I've done and others for what they haven't.

　　15. Gaining what I desire without losing what I should gain.

　　16. Maintaining the passion of purpose while avoiding the pit falls of making hasty decisions with little or no discernment.

　　17. Watching "You've Got Mail" one more time.

　　18. Enjoying life for all it holds instead of holding out for all it has yet to become.

　　19. Giving praise without demands and encouragement without expectations.

　　20. Hugs.

　　21. Healing wounds.22. And helping³ people realize their dreams.

　　23. Knowing when I can, can't and shouldn't.

　　24. Laughter for the sake of laughter!

　　25. Leading while not forgetting how to follow.

　　26. Honoring the honorable and avoiding the painful errors of the disgraceful.

　　27. Knowing the power of commitment, the rewards of self-discipline and the meaning of faith in myself and others.

　　28. Smiles -- lots of them.

　　29. Learning as much as I can for as long as I can.

　　30. Standing⁴ for what's right when everything's wrong, and saying "I'm wrong" when something's not right.

　　31. Letting the music play.

　　32. Knowing I can and seeking help when I can't.

　　33. Just doing nothing at just the right time.

　　34. Filling my mind with all that is excellent, truthful⁵, full of hope, and worthy of thinking about again.

　　35. Kisses that say "I love you" more than "I need you."

　　36. Treasuring ideas for their untapped potential.

　　37. Caring.

　　38. Giving.

　　39. And having fun.

　　40. Refusing to believe lies about myself or others regardless of the source -- including what I hear from within.

　　41. Trusting enough to see good in people without blindly trusting in the goodness of all people.

　　42. Success without self-absorption.

　　43. Showing I know the difference between keeping the rules and listening with understanding.

　　44. Winning with dignity.

　　45. Losing with grace.

　　46. And learning from both.

　　47. Believing in all my possibilities -- and yours too!

　　48. Appreciating the wisdom of maturity⁶ and the beauty of childhood.

　　49. Avoiding the bondage⁷ of bitterness, the deceit of wealth without character, and the vanity of pride without gratefulness.

　　50. Loving for all I'm worth because in the end it's worth it all.

1 compliance   

n.顺从；服从；附和；屈从

参考例句：

• I was surprised by his compliance with these terms.我对他竟然依从了这些条件而感到吃惊。
• She gave up the idea in compliance with his desire.她顺从他的愿望而放弃自己的主意。

2 worthy   

adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的

参考例句：

• I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
• There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。

3 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

4 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

5 truthful   

adj.真实的，说实话的，诚实的

参考例句：

• You can count on him for a truthful report of the accident.你放心，他会对事故作出如实的报告的。
• I don't think you are being entirely truthful.我认为你并没全讲真话。

6 maturity   

n.成熟；完成；(支票、债券等)到期

参考例句：

• These plants ought to reach maturity after five years.这些植物五年后就该长成了。
• This is the period at which the body attains maturity.这是身体发育成熟的时期。

7 bondage   

n.奴役，束缚

参考例句：

• Masters sometimes allowed their slaves to buy their way out of bondage.奴隶主们有时允许奴隶为自己赎身。
• They aim to deliver the people who are in bondage to superstitious belief.他们的目的在于解脱那些受迷信束缚的人。