Churchill was famous for his sense of humor.
The following comment is very witty though sarcastic.
"I remember when I was a child, being taken to the celebrated Barnum's Circus, which contained an exhibition of freaks and monstrosities, but the exhibit on the program which I most desired to see was the one described as 'The Boneless Wonder.' My parents judged that the spectacle would be too demoralizing and revolting for my youthful eye, and I have waited 50 years to see The Boneless Wonder--sitting on the Treasury Bench."
--Winston Churchill, January 28, 1931,
in the House of Commons, referring to Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald
Excerpts from Kahlil Gibran, "The Prophet" , translated by 王季慶.
No man can reveal to you aught but that which already lies half asleep in the dawning of your knowledge.
沒有人能啟示你什麼，除了那在你知識的黎明時辰已半睡半醒的知識。
The teacher who walks in the shadow of the temple, among his followers, gives not of his wisdom but rather of his faith and his lovingness.
那在廟宇的陰影下行走在他弟子中間的教師，他給予弟子的毋寧是他的信心和愛，而非他的智慧。
If he is indeed wise he does not bid you enter the house of his wisdom, but rather leads you to the threshold of your own mind.
如果他確實明智，他不邀你步入他智慧的宮室，毋寧引領你到達你自己心智的門檻。
The astronomer may speak to you of his under standing of space, but he
cannot give you his under standing.
The musician may sing to you of the
rhythm which is in all space, but he cannot give you the ear which
arrests the rhythm, nor the voice that echoes it.
And he who is versed
in the science of numbers can tell of the regions of weight and
measure, but he cannot conduct you thither.
For the vision of one man lends not its wings to another man.
因為一個人的想像力不借給另一個人它的羽翼。
And even as each one of you stands alone in God's knowledge, so
must each one of you be alone in his knowledge of God and in his under
standing of the earth.
就好比你們每一個人都個別的存在於神的心目中，因此你們每一個人也需有他獨有的對神的認識，和對大地的了解。
Excerpts from "The Prophet", translated by 王季慶.
But in some of you that longing is a torrent rushing with might to the sea,
carrying the secrets of the hillsides and the songs of the forest.
And in others it is a flat stream that loses itself in angles and bends and
lingers before it reaches the shore.
但你們中，有些人的渴望是一股激流，有力的奔向大海，攜帶者山邊的奧秘與森林的歌曲。
在另一些人，它是一條平坦的小溪，在蜿蜒中迷失了自己，而閒蕩著到達海岸。
But let not him who longs much say to him who longs little, "Wherefore are
you slow and halting?"
For the truly good ask not the naked,
"Where is your garment?" nor the houseless, "What has befallen your
house?"
但別讓渴望深的對渴望淺的說：「為什麼你這麼慢，又停停歇歇的？」
因為真正善良的人不會問赤裸的人：「你的衣裳在哪裡？」或者問無家的人：「你的房子遭到了什麼？」
A politician is a patriot with great inmagnations and visions of people's future, while a politico is a speculator with expectation of one's own benefit.
Excerpts from "SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL -- A SELF-PORTRAIT"
I have a tendency against which I should, perhaps, be on my guard, to swim against the stream.
At all times, according to my lights and throughout the changing scenes through which we are all hurried,
I have always faithfully served t\vo public causes which, I think,
stand supreme the maintenance of the enduring greatness of Britain and her Empire,
and the historical continuity of our island life.
......
I am a child of the House o Commons.
I was brought up in my father s house to believe in democracy.
"Trust the people" was his message. ...
In my country, as in yours, public men are proud to be servants of the State and would be ashamed to be its masters.
Excerpts from "The Prophet", translated by 王季慶.
There are those who give with joy, and that joy is their reward.
And there are those who give with pain, and that pain is their baptism.
有些人快樂的給予，那快樂就是他們的報酬。
有些人痛苦的給予，那痛苦就是他們的洗禮。
And there are those who give and know not pain in giving, nor do they seek joy, nor give with mindfulness of virtue;
They give as in yonder valley the myrtle breathes its fragrance into space.
Through the hands of such as these God speaks, and from behind their eyes He smiles upon the earth.
又有些人他們給予，既不知給予的痛苦，也不去尋求快樂，更不懷著功德之念:
他們給予就如遠谷中的長春花，在曠野裏吐露著芬芳。
藉著這種人的手，神表達衪的意旨。從他們的眼簾後，衪對大地微笑。
......
For in truth it is life that gives unto life - while you, who deem yourself a giver, are but a witness.
因為事實上，是生命給予了生命——而你，自以為是施予者，只不過是個見證而已。
And you receivers - and you are all receivers - assume no weight of gratitude, lest you lay a yoke upon yourself and upon him who gives.
Rather rise together with the giver on his gifts as on wings;
For to be over mindful of your debt, is to doubt his generosity who has the free-hearted earth for mother, and God for father.
至於你，受施的人——你們全是受施的人——不要感激莫名，否則你便使自己以及施予的人同樣負了重軛。
不如藉他的施予，如借羽翼般，與施者一同飛昇吧。
因為過分惦念著你的債，就是懷疑施者的慷慨。而他，有心胸廣闊的大地作為母親，有神做為父親。
Excerpts from "The Prophet", translated by 王季慶.
Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.
你的孩子並不是你的。
他們是「生命」對它自身的渴慕所生的子女。
他們經你而生，卻不是你所造生，
雖然他們與你同在，卻不屬於你。
....
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
因為他們的靈魂居住的明日之屋，
甚至在你的夢中亦無法探訪。
Why did I decide to purchase Effortless English lessons?
While the lessons sounded attractive, this is not what made me decide to purchase the lessons.
The reason I chose Effortless English lessons is because AJ is a vegetarian!
I am not biased *. I just heard some points in AJ's podcast and that caused me to make the decision.
I got “FREE 7 Day Email Effortless English Course” from my eldest brother because we all put our minds into learning English and always share information.
Then I found the Effortless English Podcast website and noticed the “Vegetarian Story” podcast .
AJ broadcasted about how and why he became a vegetarian and has continued this habit for many years.
I told this story to my boyfriend, and he said, AJ must be a very kind man.
Why? Because he could sympathize with the chickens when he once was a security guard in a chicken factory and saw how they were cruelly killed. And AJ didn't want to contribute to the terrible as well as pollutant meat industry.
After discussing the stories with my boyfriend about why AJ became a vegetarian and why he decided to have his own school to teach English, we all think he is a man with conscience.
A man, who can sympathize with animals' and students' suffering, will never cheat others out of money by valueless lessons or false advertisement!
For this reason, I decided to purchase the Effortless English lesson and found it was a good decision.
* Actually, I am a vegetarian, too.
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AJ recommended this book in his podcast:
Diet for a New America
How Your Food Choices Affect Your Health, Happiness, and the Future of Life on Earth
by John Robbins; 1987; 423 pages
My elder brother, Larry was married on March 8th, 2009. Larry had planned this wedding and designed many meaningful details since last December. He did this to show how he cherishes and loves his beautiful bride, Diana.
After working in Taipei, New York and Shanghai for years, Larry hoped to settle down. He met Diana by the introduction of a former colleague.
At the beginning, Diana gave him the cold shoulder. Fortunately, her friend, who knows Larry very well, told her he is a really nice guy. Diana also found Larry has strong confidence and a respectful and caring attitude towards his elders.
(The Chineses highly values this attitude and call it "filial piety 孝順" ) These are all ideal characteristics of her Mr. Right. After a few dating and chatting online for a year , they got married.
Guests were all impressed by the atmosphere of this touching wedding. Larry hired two photographers and one videographers to capture the moving moments. Once I receive these photos, I will post some to share the happiness with you, my dear friends.
