Category: art

战胜自己，其实并不难

张颖慧

二十几个身穿西装的学生围坐在红褐色的会议桌旁。这就是模拟联合国的安理会会场，来自东北三省各中学的英语佼佼者代表世界的不同国家，围桌共谈关于拉美武器的世界性问题。而我作为阿根廷的代表，是其中唯一的初中生。

我看着身边的各国代表踊跃地高高举起手中的牌子，起身用英语侃侃而谈，我的心中也涌现出不同的观点想与他们共同交流。与生俱来的不自信使我紧握在手中的牌子迟迟没有举起，指尖的汗水浸湿了纸制的牌子，我不自觉的用指甲抠着牌子的一角。会场中的气氛紧张而热烈，而我的四周却似有一道玻璃墙，把我与周围隔绝开来。 我

的内心世界里巨浪翻腾着：你的英语不比他们差，内心的想法也已成熟，站起来表达出去——不行，我从没学过政治和军事，我的想法一定很幼稚——可是你是阿根廷的代表，应该是这个会场的主角••••••

一抹阳光透过窗户照在我的笔记本上，娟秀的英文字符跳入我的眼帘，那是我写下的文件草稿。我不知哪来的勇气，高高举起了手中攥得发皱的牌子，没有想到的是，主席看到我，竟投来鼓励的目光，在会议进程上输下“阿根廷”，示意我来发表观点。

我猛吸一口气，站起身，用我流利的英文说出自己的想法，自信而坦然。话音未落，掌声在我的耳畔响起，我不知那是对我主张和平地观点的赞许，还是对我勇气的鼓励，只知道我已战胜了自己，而这一切并不难。

在接下来的会议中，我常常发表见解，与学哥学姐们对峙，我收获了许多，走向了更高的平台。

但我知道，在我鼓起勇气高举起牌子的那一刻，我就已经成功了，我战胜了自己，翻越了心中那座曾经高不可攀的山峰。战胜自己，让我拥有自信，让我化茧成碟，从此在人生舞台上一展风采。

走出会场，感受着阳光的明媚，体验着战胜自己的那份喜悦，不禁又想起了培根的那句话：深窥自己的心，而后发觉一切的奇迹在你自己。而战胜自己，其实并不难……

Y.Hong

A loaf of bread

K.Park

I gently knocked on the door three times, but there was no answer. After a while, I finally heard some noise inside the apartment. The door creaked open, and a tiny old woman peeked out. Although her hollowed cheeks were nothing like those of my own grandmother, I felt as though I had known her for a very long time. Her face was lined and creased like the pages of an old notebook with a lifetime of stories. Perhaps that was why, as I stepped into the cramped and cinnamon-scented room, there was a feeling of comfort embracing me in her gentle smile and wise eyes.

In contrast to the soothing smell of warm cinnamon, the room was gray and dim. Soon the awkward movement of a small soul crawling about near my feet caught my attention. There, on the floor, was a little girl whose anxious eyes met mine. I turned to the old woman as she began talking.

“Come in, come in. Oh, look at your face. The weather must’ve been killin’ you!”

Trying not to alarm the girl, I tried to say hello but realized that she was nervously dragging herself away from where I stood toward her grandmother.

“Don’t worry my dear, my little one needs no legs. She has me here all the time.”

The old woman put her bony arms around the child, brushing her soft hair and hugging her tightly as if she would never let her go. Watching her cuddling the little girl as if she were holding a treasure, I felt tears welling in my eyes.

Lost in my thoughts in this beautiful yet sorrowful scene, I didn’t realize that the old woman had stopped talking and seemed to be waiting for something. Suddenly remembering why I was there, I hurriedly rummaged through my bag for the loaf of bread and gave it to her, who now appeared sincerely apologetic. I felt my face redden for making her feel this way and silently watched as she tore the bread into tiny pieces and put them into the girl’s hungry mouth. As she slowly and carefully fed each piece to the beaming child, I wondered whether I had ever had such as a delicious meal myself.

Finding Something Requires Losing Something

Are you afraid of losing things?

Before you answer this seemingly straightforward question, I think you should think carefully about what losing really means.

No one is completely calm when he or she loses something valuable. Sometimes this loss…like losing a loved one…can be devastating.

On the other hand, we should keep in mind that those who are likely to succeed are ones who can overcome their loss and become stronger. This is because the key to success may be learning from the loss.

For example, in John Steinbeck’s novel The Grapes of Wrath, Joad’s family is driven from their land by drought and the dust bowl. They move west to find a better life, and as a result, they lose their familiar homeland. That is, they lose their home only to take the risk of finding a better one. Later they find no jobs and a hard life and therefore begin to lose hope and confidence. However, they are determined to work harder because they want new opportunities and a better life. As a result, the more they lose, the harder they try and more they find.

As another example, Rosa Parks was arrested and jailed in 1955 because she refused to give up her seat to a white person. This event inspired Martin Luther King to become one of the most powerful figures in the civil rights movement, eventually leading to the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. What did King lose? He lost his freedom, peace, and time. And he lost the most important thing to any person…his life……a hero killed by a madman. However, he found his life’s purpose and helped the oppressed find freedom.

On a personal note, I have faced two main paths in my academic career: to take Gao Kao and go to a Chinese college or take the SAT and go to an American college. The choice was very hard for me. Going to a Chinese college means staying close to my family and friends. Going to an American college means more diversity and new experiences and opportunities. No one knows what the future holds, and so I don’t know which path is the right one. However, I have chosen the American path because I am one adventurous woman! J This also means that I would lose the Chinese path. So, does this loss mean I would gain something in America? Well, I think that depends on how hard I work and challenge myself. I am ready!

There is a saying that water continues to exist even after turning into vapor. This tells us that, each time we lose something, we have a new opportunity to reach our ultimate goals.

Finding something requires losing something.

J.Du