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，有一个蚕茧上面出现了一道裂缝。一个人坐在那儿，好几个小时里，他看着蝴蝶挣扎着穿破小小的缝隙，试图挤出来。然而，它看起来毫无进展，似乎已竭尽全力，无法往前再迈一步。于是，这个人决定帮蝴蝶一把。他拿来一把剪刀，剪破蚕茧的其他部分后，蝴蝶轻易地破茧而出。
然而，蝴蝶的身体肿胀，翅膀小且皱巴巴的，没有展开。这个人继续观察蝴蝶，他希望在某一刻，蝴蝶的翅膀能够展开张大，身体慢慢缩小，最终翅膀能够支撑身体飞起来。但他始终没有看到这一幕。事实上，这只蝴蝶只能拖着肿胀的身体和皱褶的翅膀，爬行着度过它的余生，再也飞不起来。这个急躁而好心的人并不知道，束缚蝴蝶的蚕茧，穿过狭小的缝隙所需的挣扎，都是上帝的安排。在那个过程中，蝴蝶将体内的水分挤到翅膀里，作好起飞的准备，一旦它突破蚕茧获得自由，就能飞翔。
有时候，我们需要的正是奋斗。若上帝让我们的生活一帆风顺，那么，我们的人生就会有缺陷。我们也就不能达到我们应有的强壮。
我渴求力量
上帝给予困难，让我变得强大。
我渴求智慧
上帝给予难题，让我去解决。
我渴求勇气
上帝给予危险，让我去征服。
我渴求爱
上帝给予危难中的人，让我去帮助。
我没有得到任何我想要的，
我却得到了所有我需要的。
“不经一番寒彻骨，哪来梅花扑鼻香！”在成长的路上没有捷径可走，即使有，也是一条布满荆棘、迂回曲折的坎坷之路。因为只有体验荆棘之痛，我们才会懂得坚强；只有经历坎坷之苦，我们才能变得坚韧；也只有具备这些品质，我们才能在未来的人生路上冲破各种困境，自由飞翔。
cocoon [k'ku:n] n. 茧；蚕茧
The children tore the cocoon open to see if there was a pupa.
孩子们撕开蚕茧看看里面有没有蛹。
emerge [i'm:d] v. 露头；显现；显露
When patterns are broken, new worlds can emerge.
打破固定的模式，新世界才能出现。
swollen ['swln] adj. 膨胀的；肿起的；浮肿的
Her eyes were swollen with weeping.
她把眼睛都哭肿了。
shrivelled ['rivld] adj. 干瘪的；皱缩的；枯萎的
He had become a shrivelled old man.
他已变成一个干巴老头。
一旦它突破蚕茧获得自由，就能飞翔。
有时候，我们需要的正是奋斗。
若上帝让我们的生活一帆风顺，那么，我们的人生就会有缺陷。我们也就不能达到我们应有的强壮。
Then it seemed to stop making any progress.
make progress：取得进步；进展；前进
He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon.
snip off：剪掉；铰掉
为了哨子你付出昂贵的代价
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!