Life Is the Best Beautiful Hope
蝴蝶的翅膀
Butterfly's Wings
佚名 / Anonymous
One day a small opening appeared on a cocoon， a man sat and watched for the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no further. So the man decided to help the butterfly， he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily.
But it had a swollen body and small， shrivelled wings. The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that， at any moment， the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body， which would contract in time. Neither happened！ In fact， the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly. What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.
Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If God allowed us to go through our life without any obstacles， it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been.
I asked for strength
And God gave me difficulties to make me strong.
I asked for wisdom
And God gave me problems to solve.
I asked for courage
And God gave me danger to overcome.
I asked for love
And God gave me troubled people to help.
I received nothing I wanted.
I received everything I needed.
一天，有一個蠶繭上麵出現了一道裂縫。一個人坐在那兒，好幾個小時裏，他看著蝴蝶掙紮著穿破小小的縫隙，試圖擠出來。然而，它看起來毫無進展，似乎已竭盡全力，無法往前再邁一步。於是，這個人決定幫蝴蝶一把。他拿來一把剪刀，剪破蠶繭的其他部分後，蝴蝶輕易地破繭而出。
然而，蝴蝶的身體腫脹，翅膀小且皺巴巴的，沒有展開。這個人繼續觀察蝴蝶，他希望在某一刻，蝴蝶的翅膀能夠展開張大，身體慢慢縮小，最終翅膀能夠支撐身體飛起來。但他始終沒有看到這一幕。事實上，這隻蝴蝶隻能拖著腫脹的身體和皺褶的翅膀，爬行著度過它的餘生，再也飛不起來。這個急躁而好心的人並不知道，束縛蝴蝶的蠶繭，穿過狹小的縫隙所需的掙紮，都是上帝的安排。在那個過程中，蝴蝶將體內的水分擠到翅膀裏，作好起飛的準備，一旦它突破蠶繭獲得自由，就能飛翔。
有時候，我們需要的正是奮鬥。若上帝讓我們的生活一帆風順，那麽，我們的人生就會有缺陷。我們也就不能達到我們應有的強壯。
我渴求力量
上帝給予困難，讓我變得強大。
我渴求智慧
上帝給予難題，讓我去解決。
我渴求勇氣
上帝給予危險，讓我去征服。
我渴求愛
上帝給予危難中的人，讓我去幫助。
我沒有得到任何我想要的，
我卻得到了所有我需要的。
“不經一番寒徹骨，哪來梅花撲鼻香！”在成長的路上沒有捷徑可走，即使有，也是一條布滿荊棘、迂回曲折的坎坷之路。因為隻有體驗荊棘之痛，我們才會懂得堅強；隻有經曆坎坷之苦，我們才能變得堅韌；也隻有具備這些品質，我們才能在未來的人生路上衝破各種困境，自由飛翔。
cocoon [k'ku：n] n. 繭；蠶繭
The children tore the cocoon open to see if there was a pupa.
孩子們撕開蠶繭看看裏麵有沒有蛹。
emerge [i'm：d] v. 露頭；顯現；顯露
When patterns are broken， new worlds can emerge.
打破固定的模式，新世界才能出現。
swollen ['swln] adj. 膨脹的；腫起的；浮腫的
Her eyes were swollen with weeping.
她把眼睛都哭腫了。
shrivelled ['rivld] adj. 幹癟的；皺縮的；枯萎的
He had become a shrivelled old man.
他已變成一個幹巴老頭。
一旦它突破蠶繭獲得自由，就能飛翔。
有時候，我們需要的正是奮鬥。
若上帝讓我們的生活一帆風順，那麽，我們的人生就會有缺陷。我們也就不能達到我們應有的強壯。
Then it seemed to stop making any progress.
make progress：取得進步；進展；前進
He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon.
snip off：剪掉；鉸掉
為了哨子你付出昂貴的代價
You Give too Much for Your Whistle
佚名 / Anonymous
When I was a child of seven years old， my friends， on a holiday， filled my pocket with coppers. I went directly to a shop where they sold toys for children； and being charmed with the sound of a whistle， that I met by the way in the hands of another boy， I voluntarily offered and gave all my money for one. I then came home， and went whistling all over the house， much pleased with my whistle， but disturbing all the family. My brothers， and sisters， and cousins， understanding the bargain I had made， told me I had given four times as much for it as it was worth； put me in mind what good things I might have bought with the rest of the money； and laughed at me so much for my folly， that I cried with vexation； and the reflection gave me more chagrin than the whistle gave me pleasure.
This， however， was afterwards of use to me， the impression continuing on my mind； so that often， when I was tempted to buy some unnecessary thing， I said to myself： Don't give too much for the whistle； and I saved my money.
As I grew up， came into the world， and observed the actions of men， I thought I met with many， very many， who gave too much for the whistle.
When I saw one too ambitious of court favor， sacrificing his time in attendance on levees， his repose， his liberty， his virtue， and perhaps his friends， to attain it， I have said to myself， this man gives too much for his whistle.
When I saw another fond of popularity， constantly employing himself in political bustles， neglecting his own affairs， and ruining them by that neglect， He pays， indeed， said， too much for his whistle.
If I knew a miser， who gave up every kind of comfortable living， all the pleasure of doing good to others， all the esteem of his fellow-citizens， and the joys of benevolent friendship， for the sake of accumulating wealth， Poor man， said I， you pay too much for your whistle.
When I met with a man of pleasure， sacrificing every laudable improvement of the mind， or of his fortune， to mere corporeal sensations， and ruining his health in their pursuit， Mistaken man， said I， you are providing pain for yourself， instead of pleasure； you give too much for your whistle.
If I see one fond of appearance， or fine clothes， fine houses， fine furniture， free equipages， all above his fortune， for which he contracts debts， and ends his career in a prison， Alas！ Say I， he has paid dear， very dear， for his whistle.
When I see a beautiful sweet-tempered girl married to an ill-natured brute of a husband. What a pity， say I， that she should pay so much for a whistle！