你也许会将自己审视一番，说：“我没姐姐那么漂亮，也没朋友那么聪明，我哪方面都不出色！叫我怎么感觉良好？”
事实是：没有谁是万能的，而且大多数人都有你这种想法。
不过真相是这样的！才智和美貌很有用，但是聪明漂亮的人我们并不一定就羡慕，这样的人在我们周围大有人在。再说有些人不过是徒有虚名而已！
大多数人最看重的品质是诚实、勇敢、顽强、慷慨和谦逊。只要看看这一串词语，就能发现一件有趣的事。这些品质不是与生俱来的，是后天培养的。人人都能拥有！想自重并受人尊重，不一定非得是爱因斯坦或超级名模。
你只需努力培养自己的诚实、坚毅、慷慨、谦逊和勇敢就行了。这就叫“品格”。
简言之：自我感觉如何全看你如何把握。
练习
1．为什么弗雷德挑所有朋友的毛病呢？
2．玛丽为什么总是称赞别人？
3．什么是大多数人最看重的品质？
1．Because he feels inferior and can feel better by criticizing other people．
2．Because she doesn’t like herself and hoping other people return to praise．
3．Honesty， courage， persistence， generosity and humility．
16 Mistakes and Errors 如果你犯了错
Mistakes and errors are the disciplined true which we advance in life. Mistakes are great teachers. Success comes to those who are willing to risk making mistakes in the pursuit of their goals and aspirations， and who are able to learn from those mistakes. And in order to learn from mistakes you must be willing to pay for them.
Mistakes can be enormously valuable， but when you look to others to pay for your mistakes， then you deprive yourself of the opportunity to learn from them. When something goes wrong， it’s usually very easy to find someone else to blame， but what does that really accomplish？
Much of the value of mistakes comes from the fact that they exact a cost which must be paid. The person who learns the most from a mistake is the person who pays the price for that mistake.
When you make a mistake， the last thing you want to do is run from it， rather to accept it. There is much value to be had when you claim it. The mistake has been made， so make the most of it. Pay the price， learn the lesson， and grow that much stronger.
When you make a mistake， don’t look back at it long. Take the reason of the thing into your mind， and then look forward. Mistakes are lessons of wisdom. The past cannot be changed. The present is yet in your power， and take full advantage of achieving your goals and aspirations.
Vocabulary 词汇
disciplined ["disiplind] adj. 遵守纪律的，受过训练的；
v. 训导，使有纪律
aspiration ["？sp？"rei？？n] n. 渴望，抱负，呼气，吸引术
deprive [di"praiv] vt. 使丧失，剥夺
claim [kleim] vi. 提出要求；
vt. 要求，声称；
n. 要求，索赔，断言
wisdom ["wizd？m] n. 智慧，才智，明智，至理名言，学识
Practice
What should you do and what should not you do when you make a mistake？
译文
过失和错误让我们辨别是非，帮助我们前进。错误是伟大的老师。成功总是眷顾那些敢于冒着犯错的危险去追求他们的目标和理想，并善于从错误中吸取教训的人。为了从过失中吸取教训，你必须愿意为之付出代价。
错误可能具有巨大的价值，但是如果你想让别人来为你的错误付出代价，那你就丧失了从错误中学习的机会。当出了差错时，去责备他人总是很容易的。但是那又有什么用呢？
错误的价值在很大程度上体现为人们必须为所犯的错误付出代价。从错误中学到最多的那个人就是为之付出代价的人。
当你犯错时，你最不应该做的事情就是逃避错误。你需要接受这个事实，因为你可以从中吸取很多教训。既然已经犯了错误，就最大限度地利用它。付出代价、得到教训并成长得更加坚强。
当你犯错时，不要总放在心上。记住犯错的原因，然后向前看。犯错是智慧的课程。过去无法改变，现在仍在你的手中，要利用好你的错误来实现你的目标和理想。
练习
当你做错事时，什么是该做的，什么是不该做的？
We shouldn’t run from it， and don’t look back at it long．Take
the reason of the thing into our mind， and then look forward．
17 Freedom Parrot 呼喊自由的鹦鹉
A man， a great man， a fighter for freedom was traveling in the mountains. He stayed in a caravans for the night. He was amazed that in the caravans there was a beautiful parrot in a golden cage， continually repeating “Freedom！ Freedom！” And it was such a place that when the parrot repeated the word “Freedom！” it would go on echoing in the valleys， in the mountains.
The man thought： “I have seen many parrots， and I have thought they must want to be free from those cages… but I have never seen such a parrot whose whole day， from the morning to the evening when he goes to sleep， is spent in calling out for freedom.” He had an idea. In the middle of the night， when the owner was fast asleep， he got up and opened the door of the cage. He whispered to the parrot： “Now get out.”
But he was very surprised that the parrot was clinging to the bars of the cage. He said to him again and again： “Have you forgotten about freedom？ Just get out！ The door is open and the owner is fast asleep； nobody will ever know. You just fly into the sky， the whole sky is yours.”
But the parrot was clinging so deeply， so hard， that the man said： “What is the matter？ Are you mad？” He tried to take the parrot out with his own hands， but the parrot started pecking at him， and at the same time he was shouting： “Freedom！ Freedom！” The valleys in the night echoed and re-echoed， but the man was also stubborn， he was a freedom fighter.
He pulled the parrot out and threw him into the sky； and he was very satisfied， although his hand was hurt. The parrot had attacked him as forcefully as he could， but the man was immensely satisfied that he had made a soul free. He went to sleep.
In the morning， as the man was waking up， he heard the parrot shouting： “Freedom！ Freedom！” He thought perhaps the parrot must be sitting on a tree or on a rock. But when he came out， the parrot was sitting in the cage. The door was open.
Vocabulary 词汇
caravan ["k？r？v？n] n. 旅行队，大篷车
continually [k？n"tinju？li] adv. 频繁地，不断地
echoing ["ek？ui？] n. 回音，反照现象，呼应；
v. 回响，呼应（echo的现在分词）
cling [kli？] vi. 坚持，墨守，紧贴，附着
stubborn ["st？b？n] adj. 顽固的，难处理的，顽强的
immensely [i"mensli] adv. 极大地，无限地，广大地，庞大地
Practice
What can you see in the allegory？
译文
一个人，一个了不起的人，一个为了自由而战的斗士，正在山峦间穿行。今晚他留在一个大旅店里过夜。旅店里有一个金鸟笼，里面有一只漂亮的鹦鹉在不停地反复呼喊着“自由！自由！”，这让他很震惊。那里是这样的一种地方，当这只鹦鹉不断地反复呼喊“自由”的时候，这个词便会在山峦间、在深谷中久久回荡。
这个人想：“我看到过很多鹦鹉，也曾想过他们一定想从这些笼子里飞出去获得自由……但是，我从没有见过这样的鹦鹉，从早到晚，直到入睡，一整天都在呼喊着自由。”他有了一个想法。午夜，当店主熟睡的时候，他悄悄起身，打开了鸟笼门，小声地对鹦鹉说：“现在，出去吧。”
但令他吃惊的是这只鹦鹉竟抓着鸟笼的横木不放。他对它一遍又一遍地说：“你忘了自由了吗？快出去！门开着，店主熟睡着，没有人会看到。你只要飞向天空，整片天空就是你的了。”
但鹦鹉仍然牢牢地用力抓着横木不放，于是他说：“怎么了？你疯了吗？”他试图用手把鹦鹉弄出来，但是鹦鹉却开始啄他，同时大喊：“自由！自由！”深夜的山谷里荡起了一声又一声的回音，可是这个人也一样地顽固，谁让他是个自由之士呢。
他把鹦鹉拽出来，扔向空中。他很满意，尽管他的手受伤了。虽然鹦鹉全力地攻击他，但是他却心满意足，因为他使得一个灵魂自由了。他便回去继续睡他的觉。
早上，他睡醒了，听见鹦鹉正在大喊：“自由！自由！”他想也许鹦鹉正落在一棵树上或一块石头上。但当他出来的时候，鹦鹉正在笼子里，笼门还开着。
练习
你从这则寓言中看到了什么？
18 The Cobbler and the Banker 皮匠和银行家