性情人生

中文书名：《性情人生》

性情人生

英文书名：'Tis Our Life

出版发行：外语教育与研究出版社

版次: 2002年11月第1版  2004年8月第9次印刷

本书为《英语学习》非小说类文章精选，主要包括优美的散文、小品文和外刊专栏文章。非小说类文章来自《英语学习》的重头栏目，从选文到加工都是精心之作，其中大部分都是由知名英语专家选择或选注。《性情人生》撷取其中的精华部分，更是篇篇精品，读者可以从中真正感受到英文阅读的乐趣，本书对提高读者的文字鉴赏力及英文翻译、写作水平尤其大有裨益。

《英语学习》创刊于1958年，是中国第一本英语辅导杂志。从诞生的那一天起，《英语学习》就确立了严谨而不失活泼、品位与趣味并重的办刊风格，在帮助读者提高英语水平的同时向他们介绍国外的社会文化，力图真正成为读者们“学习英语的终身益友、了解世界的精彩橱窗”。40多年来，《英语学习》和一代又一代的读者共同成长，在广大师生及社会各界英语爱好者中树立了崇高的威望，《英语学习》巅峰时期高达百万的单期发行量便是这一点的明证。
在现代社会中，英语无疑是越来越重要的一种交流与学习的工具，人们学习英语的热情也达到了前所未有的高度。身处信息时代，各式各样的学习材料俯拾即是，作为杂志编者的我们也感到了空前的压力。我们尽力在庞大芜杂的信息流中为读者选取真正有价值的材料，并把它们加工成营养丰富同时又美味可口的精神食粮，以此来最大限度地满足读者的要求。英语之于英语国家的社会文化恰如鱼之于海，学习英语不能脱离它存在的环境；尽管全球化进程正在把我们的星球变成一个小村庄，我们对村里邻居们的了解实在也还非常有限。有鉴于此，我们尽力在杂志中为读者展现最新的国外社会风貌，使读者不光能学到鲜活生动的语言，更能对它所植根的土地有所认识。惟其如此，英语才能真正成为他们手中得心应手的工具。
我们此次推出的丛书汇集了《英语学习》杂志40年的精华，按所收文章内容分为7卷。《英语的门槛有多高》(名家箴言卷)中集中了多位名家学习英语的切身体会，读者可以从中分享他们的成功经验，更可以此为参照找出适合自己的学习方法；《时日留痕》(时文卷)中的时事文章从各个角度反映了我们的世界40年来发生的变化，折射着时间之河的粼粼波光，读者也可从中看到英语以及英语学习的流变；《性情人生》(美文卷)收录的都是精彩美妙的好文章，它们的光彩不会因时光流逝而减褪；《给我讲个故事吧》(童话传说卷)以精彩有趣的故事和传说阐释了西方传统和民俗，让你在不知不觉间跨越了不同文化之间的鸿沟；《科技之虹》(科技卷)记录了40年来科技给我们生活带来的许多变化，你会发现一些我们如今习以为常的东西曾经多么地让人惊讶；《话里话外》(语言文化卷)揭示了许多英语习语背后的历史和文化，让你知其然更知其所以然；《国外风情面面观》(异域风情卷)则是展示各国人民生活的一个万花筒。这套丛书中所有文章都曾在《英语学习》上刊载，此次结集时我们又对之进行了深入细致的整理和加工，希望能予读者最大的方便和乐趣。
谨以此丛书向王佐良、许国璋、周珏良、刘世沐、刘承沛、熊德輗等关怀《英语学习》成长的前辈及为杂志付出过心血的所有编者。作者表示敬意，并向予以我们最大支持的广大读者深致谢忱。我们相信它能对读者改进英语阅读能力有实质性的帮助，而作为一切语言能力之基础的阅读能力的改进必能带来英语整体水平的大幅提高，愿大家读得兴味盎然!

英语学习离不开阅读。在课外阅读的外文读物中，当然是优美的散文、小品最受欢迎。这类文章用词丰富、语言华丽、内容清新、气氛和谐、描写细腻，读来荡气回肠、沁人心脾，既能增长词汇量和阅读能力，又能领略语言文学的内在魅力，《性情人生》就是经过精选的这样一本书，堪称业余阅读的最佳读物之一。

Studies serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability. Their chief use for delight is in privateness and retiring; for ornament, is in discourse; and for ability, is in the judgment and disposition of business. For expert men can execute, and perhaps judge of particulars, one by one; but the general counsels, and the plots and marshalling of affairs, come best from those that are learned. To spend too much time in studies is sloth; to use them too much for ornament, is affectation; to make judgment wholly by their rules, is the humor of a scholar. They perfect nature, and are perfected by experience: for natural abilities are like natural plants, that need pruning by study; and studies themselves do give forth directions too much at large, except they be bounded in by experience. Crafty men condemn studies, simple men admire them, and wise men use them; for they teach not their own use; but that is a wisdom without them, and above them, won by observation. Read not to contradict and confute; nor to believe and take for granted; nor to find talk and discourse; but to weigh and consider. Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested; that is, some books are to be read only in parts; others to be read, but not curiously; and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention. Some books also may be read by deputy, and extracts made of them by others; but that would be only in the less important arguments, and the meaner sort of books, else distilled books are like common distilled waters, flashy things.

Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man. And therefore, if a man write little, he had need have a great memory; if he confer little, he had need have a present wit; and if he read little, he had need have much cunning...

Virtue is like a rich stone, best plain set: and surely virtue is best in a body, that is comely, though not of delicate features: and that hath rather dignity of presence, than beauty of aspect. Neither is it almost seen,that very beautiful persons,are otherwise of great virture; as if nature were rather busy not to err, than in labour, to produce excellency. And therefore, they prove accomplished, but not of great spirit; and study rather behaviour, than virtue; but this holds not always...