01 The Measure of Love Is When You Love Without Measure　愛的限度就是無限度地去愛

Freda Bright says,"Only in opera do people die of love."It's true. You really can't love somebody to death.I've known people to die from no love, but I've never known anyone to be loved to death.We just can't love one another enough.

A heart-warming story tells of a woman who finally decided to ask her boss for a raise in salary. All day she felt nervous and apprehensive.Late in the afternoon she summoned the courage to approach her employer.To her delight, the boss agreed to a raise.

The woman arrived home that evening, finding a beautiful table set with best dishes. Candles were softly glowing.Her husband had come home early and prepared a festive meal.She wondered if someone from the office had tipped him off, or…why did he just somehow know that she would not get turned down?

She found him in the kitchen and told him the good news. They embraced and kissed, then sat down to the wonderful meal.Next to her plate the woman found a beautifully lettered note. It read:"Congratulations, darling!I knew you'd get the raise!These things will tell you how much I love you."

After the supper, her husband went into the kitchen to clean up. She noticed that a second card had fallen from his pocket.Picking it off the floor, she read:"Don't worry about not getting the raise!You deserve it anyway!These things will tell you how much I love you."

Someone has said that the measure of love is when you love without measure. What this man feels for his spouse is total acceptance and love, whether she succeeds or fails.His love celebrates her victories and soothes her wounds.He stands with her, no matter what life throws in their direction.

Upon receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, Mother Teresa said:"What can you do to promote world peace?Go home and love your family."And love your friends. Love them without measure.

弗里達·布賴特說：“只有在歌劇中，人們才會為愛而死。”千真萬確。的確，你不會因為愛一個人而死。我知道有人因為缺乏愛而死，可我從來沒有聽說過誰因被愛而死。愛永遠都不會多。

有一個感人的故事，講的是有個女人終于決定去向老板提出加薪的要求。她一整天都焦慮不安。下午晚些時候，她鼓起勇氣向老板提議。讓她感到高興的是，老板同意給她加薪。

當晚，女人回家后，發現漂亮的餐桌上已經擺滿了豐盛的菜肴，燭光在輕輕地搖曳著。丈夫提早回家準備了一頓慶祝宴。她心想，會不會是辦公室里有人向他通風報信了呢？不然他怎么知道她不會被拒絕？

她在廚房里找到了他，告訴了他這個好消息。他們擁抱親吻，然后坐下來共享美餐。在她的盤子旁邊，女人看到了一張字跡優美的便條。上面寫著：“祝賀你，親愛的！我就知道你會順利加薪的。我為你做的這一切會告訴你，我有多么愛你。”

晚餐后，丈夫到廚房洗碗。她注意到又有張卡片從他口袋里掉了出來。她從地板上撿起卡片，念道：“不要因為沒有加薪而煩惱！你本該值得加薪！我為你做的這一切會告訴你，我有多么愛你。”

有人曾經說過，愛的限度就是無限度地去愛。不管妻子成功還是失敗，這個男人都給予她完全的包容和愛。他的愛慶祝她的勝利，也撫平她的創傷。不管生活的道路上遇到什么，他們始終同舟共濟。

特蕾莎修女在接受諾貝爾和平獎時說道：“你能為促進世界和平做些什么呢？回家愛你的家人吧。”還要愛你的朋友，毫無限度地愛他們。

單詞解析 Word Analysis

opera[?ɑ?pr?]n.歌劇；歌劇藝術，歌劇業

例　He was aIso Iearned in cIassicaI music with a great Iove of opera.

他還是個酷愛歌劇的古典音樂家。

nervous[?n??rv?s]adj.神經質的；緊張不安的；焦慮的

例　She was apparentIy a very nervous woman, and that affected her career.

她顯然是一個很神經質的女人，這一點影響了她的事業。

apprehensive[??pr??h?ns?v]adj.憂慮的；惶惑的；有理解力的

例　PeopIe are stiII terribIy apprehensive about the future.

人們對于將來仍然非常擔心。

summon[?s?m?n]v.傳喚，召喚；鼓起（勇氣）；傳訊（出庭）

例　Howe summoned a doctor and hurried over.

豪叫了醫生，然后匆忙趕了過來。

candle[?k?ndl]n.蠟燭；燭光；蠟燭狀物 v.對光檢查

例　The bedroom was Iit by a singIe candIe.

臥室里只點了一支蠟燭。

festive[?f?st?v]adj.喜慶的；歡樂的；節日的，過節似的

例　The factory was due to shut for the festive period.

節日期間工廠將關門。

tip[t?p]n.小費；小竅門；末梢 v.給小費；傾斜，翻倒；裝頂端

例　The sIeeves covered his hands to the tips of his fingers.

袖子遮住了他的手，一直蓋到指尖。

plate[plet]n.盤子，盆；金屬板；底片，感光底片 v.鍍；覆蓋；電鍍

例　The pIate broke.

盤子打破了。

sooth[su?θ]n.真實 adj.撫慰的；真實的；溫柔的；甜蜜的

例　SoothIy to say, I got up Iate.

說實話，我起來晚了。

wound[wund]n.傷口；創傷；傷害 v.傷；傷害

例　The wound is heaIing niceIy.

傷口愈合得很好。

語法知識點 Grammar Points

①Freda Bright says，“Only in opera do people die of love.”

這個句子中有一個結構“Only……do……”，是一個倒裝結構，表示“只有……才會……”，強調opera。

例　OnIy in this way can the experiment succeed.

唯有這樣做，試驗才能成功。

②I’ve known people to die from no love, but I’ve never known anyone to be loved to death.

這個句子中有一個結構“die from”，表示“死于……”，相當于die of。

例　The oId man died from cancer.

那位老人死于癌癥。

③Late in the afternoon she summoned the courage to approach her employer.

這個句子中有一個結構“summon the courage to do sth.”，表示“鼓起勇氣做某事”，相當于gather the courage to do sth.。

例　It took me six months to summon（up）the courage to ask him out for a drink.

我用了半年時間才鼓起勇氣邀請他出來喝一杯。

④……did he just somehow know that she would not get turned down?

這個句子中有一個結構“turn sb.down”，表示“拒絕……”。同義詞還有refuse和reject。

例　Why did he turn me down?

他為什么拒絕了我？

⑤Upon receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, Mother Teresa said：“What can you do to promote world peace?Go home and love your family.”

這個句子中有一個結構“upon doing sth.”，表示“一……就……”，相當于on doing sth.。

例　Upon seeing him, she ran to him happiIy.

一看到他，她就開心地跑了過去。

經典名句 Famous Classics

1.Take away love, and our earth is a tomb.

把愛拿走，我們的地球就變成了一座墳墓。

2.Once you really need love, you will find that it is waiting for you.

一旦你確實需要愛，你就會發現它正在等待著你。

3.The only great thing about marriage is the only love between two hearts of mutual loyalty.

婚姻唯一的偉大之處在于唯一的愛情——兩顆心的互相忠實。

4.The most important thing in a person's life is to find themselves, and in the marriage is to be found.

人的一生中最重要的事是發現自己，而在婚姻中則是被人所發現。

5.It is universally acknowledged that you are indispensible to me.

全世界都知道你是我不可或缺的一個人。

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