【双语】美文欣赏：家 Home

What makes a home? Love and sympathy and confidence. It is a place where kindly affections exist among all the members of the family. The parents take good care of their children, and the children are interested in the activities of their parents. Thus all of them are bound together by affection, and they find their home to be the cheeriest place in the world.

家是由什么组成的？是关爱，忠诚和信任。在家里，温情萦绕着每一位成员。父母对孩子的生活关怀备至，而孩子也关注父母的活动。就这样，爱将他们维系在一起，让他们觉得家是世界上最温馨的地方。

A home without love is no more a home than a body without a soul is man. Every civilized person is a social being. No one should live alone. A man may lead a successful and prosperous life, but prosperity alone can by no means insure happiness. Many great personages in the world history had deep affections for their homes.

家没有爱，如同人没有灵魂。每个文明人都是社会的一员，不能与世隔绝。一个人可以功成名就，生活富足。但仅仅这些是无法确保幸福的。世界历史上的许多风云人物，对家都有着深深的眷恋。

Your home may be poor and humble, but your duty lies there. You should try to make it cheerful and comfortable. The greater the difficulties, the richer will be your reward.

也许，你的家是一个贫寒之家，但是，贫寒之中仍然有你的责任。你应当尽己所能使它变得温馨而又舒适。你克服的困难越多，获得的回报也越大。

A home is more than a family dwelling. It is a school in which people are trained for citizenship. A man will not render good service to his country if he can do nothing good for his home; for in proportion as he loves his home, will he love his country. The home is the birthplace of true patriotism. It is the secret of social welfare and national greatness. It is the basis and origin of civilization. 

家，不仅是一个居住的地方。它更是一所学校，人们在这里修行道德品质。如果一个人对自己的家无所作为，那么他对自己的国家也不会有任何贡献。因为，一个人的爱家之心和他的爱国之心携手而行。家，是拳拳爱国之心的萌芽地。家，是社会安康，国家富强的奥秘所在。家，也是文明社会的根基和源泉。

想起了英国威斯敏斯特教堂墓志铭 

An epitaph taken from Westminster — 

When I was young and free and my imagination had no limits I dreamed of changing the world.  

As I grew older and wiser, I discovered the world would not change. 

So I shortened my sights somewhat and decided to change only my country. But it too seemed immovable.  

As I grew into my twilight years, in one last desperate attempt I settled for changing only family, those closest to me

But alas, they would have none of it.  

And now as I lay on my deathbed, I suddenly realise: 

If I had only changed myself first  

Then, by example I would have changed my family. 

From their inspiration and encouragement, I would then have been able to better my country 

And who knows, I may even have changed the world  

在我年轻的时候

我曾梦想改变这个世界 

可当我成熟以后 

我发现我不能够改变这个世界 

于是 我将目光缩短一些 

那就只改变我的国家吧 

可当我到了暮年的时候

我发现我根本没有能力改变我的国家

于是 我最后的愿望仅仅是改变我的家庭

可是这也是不可能的

当我躺在床上行将就木的时候

我突然意识到：

如果当初我仅仅是从改变自己开始

也许我就能改变我的家庭

在家人的帮助和鼓励下

也许我就能为我的国家做一些事情

然后，谁知道呢？ 

说不定我能改变这个世界！

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