Be Grateful to Life
Read the article quickly and answer the following question.
Why should we be grateful to our life?
Once President Roosevelt’s house was broken into and lots of things were stolen. Hearing this, one of Roosevelt’s friends wrote to him and advised him not to take it to his heart so much. President Roosevelt wrote back immediately, saying, “Dear friend, thank you for your letter to comfort me. I’m all right now. I think I should thank God. This is because of the following three reasons: firstly, the thief only stole things from me but did not hurt me at all; secondly, the thief has stolen some of my things instead of all my things; thirdly, most luckily for me, it was the man rather than me who became a thief...”
It was quite unlucky for anyone to be stolen from. However, President Roosevelt had such three reasons to be so grateful. This story tells us how we can learn to be grateful in our life.
Being grateful is an important philosophy of life and a great wisdom. It is impossible for anyone to be lucky and successful all the time so long as he lives in the world. We should learn how to face failure or misfortune bravely and generously and to try to deal with it. If so, should we complain about our life and become frustrated and disappointed ever since then or should we be grateful for our life, rise again ourselves after a fall? William Thackeray, a famous British writer, said, “Life is a mirror. When you smile in front of it, it will also smile and so will it when you cry to it.” If you are grateful to life, it will bring you shining sunlight. If you always complain about everything, you may own nothing in the end. When we are successful, we can surely have many reasons for being grateful, but we have only one excuse to show ungratefulness if we fail.
I think we should even be grateful to life whenever we are unsuccessful or unlucky. Only by doing this can we find our weakness and shortcomings when we fail. We can also get relief and warmth when we are unlucky. This can help us find our courage to overcome the difficulties we may face, and receive great impetus to move on. We should treat our frustration and misfortune in our life in the other way just as President Roosevelt did. We should be grateful all the time and keep having a healthy attitude to our life forever, keep having perfect characters and enterprising spirit. Being grateful is not only a kind of comfort, not an escape from life and nor thinking of winning in spirit like Ah Q. Being grateful is a way to sing for our life which comes just from our love and hope.
When we put a small piece of alum into muddy water, we can see the alum can soon make the water clear. If each of us has an attitude of being grateful, we’ll be able to get rid of impulse, upset, dissatisfaction and misfortune. Being grateful can bring us a better and more beautiful life.
美国总统罗斯福的家曾失窃，财物损失严重。朋友闻此消息，就写信来安慰他，劝他不必把这件事放在心上。罗斯福总统很快回信说：“亲爱的朋友，谢谢你来信安慰我，我一切都很好。我想我应该感谢上帝，因为：第一，我损失的只是财物，而人却毫发未损；第二，我只损失了部分财物，而非所有财产；第三，最幸运的是，做小偷的是那个人，而不是我！”
对任何人来说，家中失窃绝非幸事。但是，罗斯福总统却能找到三个感恩的理由。这个故事告诉我们，生活中，我们应该学会感恩。
感恩是一项重要的处世哲学，是生活的大智慧。人生在世，不可能事事顺通。对于各种失败和不幸，我们要豁达大度，勇敢面对，并想办法解决。面对困难，我们是懊恼抱怨、沮丧气馁、陷入绝望，还是对生活满怀感恩之心，跌倒后再爬起来呢？英国著名作家威廉·萨克雷说过：“生活是一面镜子，你对它笑，它也会对你笑；你对它哭，它也会对你哭。”如果对生活感恩，你的生命将充满灿烂的阳光；如果一味怨恨，终将一无所获。我们成功时，有千万个理由感恩生活；而失败时，只要一个借口就会表现出忘恩负义。
我想，不论是遭遇失败还是不幸，我们都应该感谢生活。只有这样，失败后，我们才能发现自己的缺点和不足；不幸时，我们还能感受到安慰和温暖。这些能帮我们找回勇气，战胜困难，并获取前进的强大推动力。我们应像罗斯福总统那样，换一个角度去看待生活中的失败和挫折，永远对生活充满感恩，才能时刻保持健康的心态，积极地生活，并能保持完美的人格和不断进取的精神。感恩不仅仅是一种精神慰藉，也不是对现实的规避，更不是阿Q的精神胜利法。感恩源于我们对生活的热爱和希望，它是我们歌颂生活的一种方式。
把一小块明矾放入混沌的水中，我们发现，水很快就澄清了。如果人人都有一颗感恩的心，就能沉淀许多的浮躁和不安，消融许多的不满和不幸。感恩能让我们的生活变得更加美好。
生活是一面镜子，你对它笑，它也会对你笑；你对它哭，它也会对你哭。如果对生活感恩，你的生命将充满灿烂的阳光；如果一味怨恨，终将一无所获。
Chunks in Practice
Grammer analysis
I think we should even be grateful to life whenever we are unsuccessful or unlucky. Only by doing this can we find our weakness and shortcomings when we fail.
我想，不论是遭遇失败还是不幸，我们都应该感谢生活。只有这样，失败后，我们才能发现自己的缺点和不足。
这是一个以only引导的倒装句。在这种主从复合句中，主句倒装，从句不倒装。
例如：Only after being asked three times did he come to the meeting.
Chunks in Use
Translate the following sentences into English or Chinese.
1. 没有什么比一颗感恩的心值得尊敬！
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2. 他像驴子一样倔强。
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3. One of the best things in life is the enjoyment of good health.
Now a Try
试用firstly... secondly... thirdly... 写一段话。
This is because of the following three reasons: firstly, the thief only stole things from me but did not hurt me at all; secondly, the thief has stolen some of my things instead of all my things; thirdly, most luckily for me, it was the man rather than me who became a thief..."
firstly… secondly… thirdly… 首先……其次……最后……用表示先后顺序的词语，使文章表达起来结构清晰，观点明确，突出显示了写作的着重点。