ICE国际文教基金会编辑，大方小巨人潜能开发系列
儿童西方文化导读第四册：
目录
1.To My Daughter----F.Scott Fitzgerald
2.The Declaration of Independence----Thomas Jefferson 3.On Self-Discipline----Aristotle 4.What a Baby Costs---Edhar Guest 5.If You Were----Author Unknown
6.The Character of a Happy Life---Henry Wotton 7.Thinking on Friendship---William Tyler Page 8.The Athenian Oath---Ancient Athens
9.The American's Creed---Wlliam Tyler Page 10.The Ten Commandments----The Bible
11.The Quality of Mercy---William Shakespeare 12.Too Dear For The Whistle---Benjamin Franklin 13.The Farmer and His Sons---Aesop 14.The Brave Mice---Aesop
To My Daughter
By F . Scott Fitzgerald
Things to worry about :
Worry about courage
Worry about cleanliness
Worry about efficiency
Worry about horsemanship ……
Things not to worry about :
Don’t worry about popular opinion
Don’t worry about dolls
Don’t worry about the past
Don’t worry about the future
Don’t worry about growing up
Don’t worry about anybody getting ahead of you Don’t worry about popular opinion
Don’t worry about triumph
Don’t worry about failure unless it comes through your own fault
Don’t worry about mosquitoes
Don’t worry about flies
Don’t worry about insects in general
Don’t worry about parents
Don’t worry about disappointments
Don’t worry about pleasures
Don’t worry about satisfactions
Things to think about :
What am I really aiming at ?
How good am I in comparison to my contemporaries in regard to :
(a) Scholarship
(b) Do I really understand about people and am I able to get along with them ?
(c) Am I trying to make my body a useful instrument or am I neglecting it ?
The Declaration of Independence
By Thomas Jefferson
When in the course of human events , it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another , and to assume among the Powers of the earth , the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them , a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation . — We hold these truths to be self －evident , that all men are created equal , that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights , that among these are Life , Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness . — That to secure these rights , Governments are instituted among Men , deriving their just powers form the consent of the governed , — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends , it is Right of the People to alter or to abolish it , and to institute new Government , laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form , as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness .
On Self —Discipline
By Aristotle
Moral virtues come from habit … They are in us neither by nature , nor in spite of nature , but we are furnished by nature with a capacity for receiving them , and we develop them through habit … These virtues we acquire by first exercising them , as in the case of other arts . Whatever we learn to do , we learn by actually doing it : men come to be builders , for instance , by building , and harp players , by playing the harp . In the same way , by doing just acts we come to be just ; by doing self — controlled acts , we come to be self —controlled ; and by doing brave acts , we become brave ……
What a Baby Costs
By Edgar Guest
1．＂How much do babies cost ?＂said he
The other night upon my knee ;
And then I said :＂They cost a lot ;
A lot of watching by a cot ,
A lot of sleepless hours and care ,
A lot of heartache and despair ,
A lot of fear and trying dread ,
And sometimes many tears are shed
In payment for our babies small ,
But every one is worth it all .
2．For babies people have to pay
A heavy price from day to day —
There is no way to get one cheap .
Why , sometimes when they’re fast asleep
You have to get up in the night
And go and see that they’re all right .
But what they cost in constant care
And worry , does not half compare
With what they bring of joy and bliss —
You’d pay much more for just a kiss .
3．Who buys a baby has to pay
A portion of the bill each day ;
He has to give his time and thought
Unto the little one he’s bought .
He has to stand a lot of pain
Inside his heart and not complain ;
And pay with lonely days and sad
For all the happy hours he’s had .
All this a baby costs , and yet
His smile is worth it all , you bet .
IF You Were
Author Unknown
1． If you were busy being king ,
Before you knew it , you would find
You’d soon forget to think’ twas true
That someone was unkind to you .
2． If you were busy being glad ,
And cheering people who are sad ,
Although your heart might ache a bit ,
You’d soon forget to notice it .
3． If you were busy being good ,
And doing just the best you could ,
You’d not have time to blame some man
Who’s doing just the best he can .
4． If you were busy being right ,
You’d find yourself too busy quite
To criticize your neighbor long
Because he’s busy being wrong .
The Character of a Happy Life
By Henry Wotton
1． How happy is he born and taught ,
That serveth not another’s will ;
Whose armor is his honest thought ,
And simple truth his utmost skill !
2． Whose passions not his masters are ,
Whose soul is still prepared for death ,
Untied unto the worldly care
Of public fame , or private breath ;
3． Who envies none that chance doth raise ,
Or vice ; who never understood
西方文化导读4
