Once upon a time, there was an island where all the feelings lived: Happiness, Sadness, Knowledge, and all of the others, including Love. One day it was announced to the feelings that the island would sink, so all constructed boats and left. Except for Love.
Love was the only one who stayed. Love wanted to hold out until the last possible moment.
When the island had almost sunk, Love decided to ask for help.
Richness was passing by Love in a grand boat. Love said,"Richness, can you take me with you?"
Richness answered, "No, I can't. There is a lot of gold and silver in my boat. There is no place here for you."
Love decided to ask Vanity who was also passing by in a beautiful vessel. "Vanity, please help me!"
"I can't help you, Love. You are all wet and might damage my boat," Vanity answered.
Sadness was close by so Love asked, "Sadness, let me go with you."
"Oh . . . Love, I am so sad that I need to be by myself!"
Happiness passed by Love, too, but she was so happy that she did not even hear when Love called her.
Suddenly, there was a voice, "Come, Love, I will take you." It was an elder. So blessed and overjoyed, Love even forgot to ask the elder where they were going. When they arrived at dry land, the elder went her own way. Realizing how much was owed the elder, Love asked Knowledge, another elder, "Who Helped me?"
"It was Time," Knowledge answered.
"Time?" asked Love. "But why did Time help me?"
Knowledge smiled with deep wisdom and answered, "Because only Time is capable of understanding how valuable Love is."
中文翻译：
从前有一个岛，所有的情感都住在那里：幸福、悲伤、知识和所有其它的，爱也不例外。一天，所有的情感听说小岛即将沉没，因此建造小船，纷纷离开，除了爱。
爱是唯一留下来的，因为它希望能坚持到最后一刻。
小岛即将沉没了，爱决定请求帮助。
富有驾着一艘大船从爱身边经过，爱说，“富有，你能带上我么？”
富有回答说：“不行，我的船上载满金银财宝，没有你的地方。”
虚荣坐在漂亮的小船中从爱身边驶过，爱问：“虚荣，你能帮助我么？”
虚荣说：“不行，你全身湿透，会弄脏我的船。”
悲伤的船靠近了，爱问：“悲伤，请带我走吧。”
“哦。。。爱，我太难过了，想一个人呆着。”
幸福经过爱的身边，它太开心了，根本没听见爱在呼唤。
突然，一个声音喊道：“来，爱，我带你走。” 声音来自“年老”。爱太高兴了，甚至忘了问他们即将去何方。当他们来到岸上，年老自己离开了。爱突然意识到“年老”给了它多大的帮助。
于是，爱问另一位老者--知识：“谁帮助了我？”
知识说：“是时间。”
“时间？”爱问：“但是时间为什么帮助我？”
知识睿智地微笑道：“因为只有时间了解爱的价值。”
Love Your Life （热爱生活）
However mean your life is, meet it and live it; do not shun it and call it hard names.It is not so bad as you are.
It looks poorest when you are richest.The fault-finder will find faults in paradise. Love your life, poor as it is.
You may perhaps have some pleasant, thrilling, glorious hours, even in a poor-house. The setting sun is reflected from the windows of the alms-house as brightly as from the rich man's abode; the snow melts before its door as early in the spring. I do not see but a quiet mind may live as contentedly the＜＞re, and have as cheering thoughts, as in a palace.
The town's poor seem to me often to live the most independent lives of any. Maybe they are simply great enough to receive without misgiving. Most think that they are above being supported by the town; but it often happens that they are not above supporting themselves by dishonest means. which should be more disreputable.
Cultivate poverty like a garden herb, like sage.Do not trouble yourself much to get new things, whether clothes or friends. Turn the old, return to them.
Things do not change; we change. Sell your clothes and keep your thoughts.
热爱生活
不论你的生活如何卑贱，你要面对它生活，不要躲避它，更别用恶言咒骂它。它不像你那样坏。
你最富有的时候，倒是看似最穷。爱找缺点的人就是到天堂里也能找到缺点。
你要爱你的生活，尽管它贫穷。甚至在一个济贫院里，你也还有愉快、高兴、光荣的时候。夕阳反射在济贫院的窗上，像身在富户人家窗上一样光亮；在那门前，积雪同在早春融化。我只看到，一个从容的人，在哪里也像在皇宫中一样，生活得心满意足而富有愉快的思想。
城镇中的穷人，我看，倒往往是过着最独立不羁的生活。也许因为他们很伟大，所以受之无愧。大多数人以为他们是超然的，不靠城镇来支援他们；可是事实上他们是往往利用了不正当的手段来对付生活，他们是毫不超脱的，毋宁是不体面的。
视贫穷如园中之花而像圣人一样耕植它吧！不要找新的花样，无论是新的朋友或新的衣服，来麻烦你自己。找旧的，回到那里去。
万物不变，是我们在变。你的衣服可以卖掉，但要保留你的思想。
I am the wind， the gentle wind; I am the clouds， the slow， drifting clouds; I am the water， the silent water; I am the mountains， the boundless mountains… If you so want， I will be the gentle wind that will wrap around your lonely spirit! If you so desire， I will be the slow， drifting clouds that will unquestioningly be your support! If you so wish， I will be that silent water， without a murmur， protecting you by your side. If you so will， I will love you unrelentingly， just like those boundless， unbroken mountain ranges and valleys! But， I regret I am not the wind and not able to take care of you. I hate that I am not the clouds and not able to bring you warmth; I pity myself that I am not the water and not able to be so pure; I am angry that I am not the mountains and not able to have my love will be as immovable as I would like. I can only be myself this time， my mortal， earthly self， my only self， the only self that I can ever hope to be. I thirst for love but I do not understand her deep mystery. I strive for transcendence but I would rather be silent and nameless. I want to be mature but I would rather remain innocent. I would like that she love me， but I do not know even if I truly love her! Endless searching， thirsting， striving， pursuing-where are my goals? Where is my future? In this mundane world， I am one lonely speck; in this universe I am a powerless particle of dust. My love， thought beautiful， is nothing great in itself. And so， I ask only to live as well as I can. In truth， there is no need to live one‘s life basking in glory， rising above men—— so long as one’s life has some value， has some security… Fearless and capricious， love will cause me great pain. Youth， transient and inconstant， will bring me loneliness. Work， busy and mindless， will make me lost. I am just searching for and waiting for some of that which shines， that which is radiant in life…
我是风，轻轻的风；我是云，缓缓的云；我是水，静静的水；我是山，连绵的山…… 如果你愿意，我愿做那轻轻的风抚慰着你寂寞的心灵！如果你愿意，我就是那缓缓的云从容地让你依偎！如果你愿意，我来做你身边静静的水默默地将你守护！如果你愿意，我将会不懈地爱你就象那连绵不断的山川！ 我悔我不是风，因为我不够体贴；我恨我不是云，因为我不够温柔；我怨我不是水，因为我不够清澈；我怒我不是山，因为我的爱不够坚定…… 我只能做回自己，平凡的自己，唯一的自己，寻求中的自己。我渴望爱情但是却不懂她的深奥，我向往不平凡但是却甘愿默默无名。我追求成熟但是我宁愿单纯。我但愿她能喜欢我，但是我又不知道我是否喜欢她。寻求，渴望，向往，追求，哪里是我的目标和未来…… 俗世间我是孤独的一粒，宇宙间我是无为的尘埃，我的爱虽然美好，但并不伟大…… 所以我只是想好好的活着…… 其实人生未必要过的轰轰烈烈，出人头地，。只要过的有价值，活的很踏实…… 无畏的爱，会让我很痛苦；悸动的青春，会让我很寂寞；忙碌的工作，会让我容易迷茫…… 我只是在寻找，我亦是在等待英文散文朗诵4篇。生命中的璀璨光辉……