The Love of Beauty
爱美
The love of beauty is an essential part of all healthyhuman nature. It is a moral quality. The absence of it is not an assured groundof condemnation, but the presence of it is an invariable sign of goodness ofheart. In proportion to the degree in which it is felt will probably be thedegree in which nobleness and beauty of character will be attained.
Natural beauty is an all-pervading presence. Theuniverse is its temple. It unfolds into the numberless flowers of spring. Itwaves in the branches of trees and the green blades of grass. It haunts thedepths of the earth and the sea. It gleams from the hues of the shell and theprecious stone. And not only these minute objects but the oceans, themountains, the clouds, the stars, the rising and the setting sun---all overflowwith beauty. This beauty is so precious, and so congenial to our tenderest andnoblest feelings, that it is painful to think of the multitude of people livingin the midst of it and yet remaining almost blind to it.
All persons should seek to become acquainted with thebeauty in nature. There is not a worm we tread upon, nor a leaf that dancesmerrily as it falls before the autumn winds, but calls for our study and admiration.The power to appreciated beauty not merely increases our sources ofhappiness---it enlarges our moral nature, too. Beauty calms our restlessnessand dispels our cares. Go into the fields or the woods, spend a summer day bythe sea or the mountains, and all your little perplexities and anxieties willvanish. Listen to sweet music, and your foolish fears and petty jealousies willpass away. The beauty of the world helps us to seek and find the beauty ofgoodness.
爱美乃是健全人性不可或缺之一部分。它是一种道德品质。缺乏这种品质并不能作为受到责难
的充分理由，但是拥有这种品质则是心灵美好的永恒标志。品德的高尚与美好所达到的程度可能与
对美的感受程度成正比。
大自然的美无处不在，整个宇宙就是美的殿堂。美，在春日百花中绽放；美，在绿叶嫩芽间摇
曳；美，在深海幽谷里游弋；美，在奇石与贝壳的缤纷色彩中闪烁。不只是这些细微之物，还有海
洋、山川、云彩、繁星、日升日落——一切都洋溢着美。这样的美是如此珍贵，与我们最温柔、最
高尚的情愫是如此相宜。然而，想到很多人置身于美之中，却几乎对它熟视无睹，真是令人痛心不
已。
所有的人都应该去认识大自然之美。没有一条我们踩过的小虫，没有一片在秋风拂略之际飞舞
的树叶不值得我们研究与赞赏。欣赏美的能力不仅增加了我们快乐的来源，也加强了我们德行的修
养。美使我们不安的心平静下来，也驱散了我们的忧虑。到田野或森林去，在夏日的海边或山上呆
上一天，那么你所有微不足道的困惑与焦虑都会烟消云散。倾听悦耳的音乐，你那愚蠢的恐惧与狭
隘的嫉妒都会过去。世界之美将有助于我们找到为善之美。
特别提示：本文选自《生而为赢-新东方英语背诵美文30篇》，如需，请购买正版图书。