Anonymous
心灵寄语
学会诚实做人，就要懂得承诺的重要性。无论对大事还是小事，你的承诺一经作出，就应该兑现。一个人的信用是靠始终一贯的诚实守信的行为建立起来的，所以我们不能轻视自己的每一个承诺。
My grandparents believed you were either honest or you weren"t. There was no in between. They had a simple motto hanging on heir living-room wall：“Life is like a field of newly fallen snow；where I choose to walk every step will show.”They didn"t have to talk about it—they demonstrated the motto by the way they lived.
They understood instinctively that integrity means having a personal standard of morality and ethics that does not sell out to expediency1 and that is not relative to the situation at hand. Integrity is an inner standard for judging your behavior. Unfortunately， integrity is in short supply today—and getting scarcer. But it is the real bottom line in every area of society. And it is something we must demand of ourselves.
Stand firmly for your convictions in the face of personal pressure. There"s a story told about a surgical nurse"s first day on the medical team at a well-known hospital. She was responsible for ensuring that all instruments and materials are accounted for during an abdominal operation. The nurse said to the surgeon，“You"ve only removed 11 sponges2，and we used 12. We need to find the last one.”
“I removed them all，”the doctor declared，“We"ll close now.”
“You can"t do that， sir，”objected the rookie3 nurse，“Think of the patient.”
Smiling， the surgeon lifted his foot and showed the nurse the 12th sponge.“You"ll do just fine in this or any other hospital，”he told her.
佚名
我的爷爷奶奶相信，你要么是个诚实的人，要么是不诚实的人。一个人不可能介于两者之间。在他们起居室的墙上，挂着一幅简单易懂的座右铭：“生活好像刚刚下过雪的原野，走到哪里，每一步脚印都会留下清清楚楚的印记。”他们不必多言——他们的生活方式就时时刻刻践行着这幅座右铭。
他们本能的理解是，诚实意味着具备一定的伦理道德标准，既不见风使舵，也不随着眼下的形势而改变。诚实是一种内在的标准，它时刻判断自己的行为。遗憾的是，如今我们的社会缺乏诚实这种品质——甚至越来越稀罕。然而，它却是社会各个领域的底线，而且是我们必须要做到的。
在个人压力面前，要坚定自己的信念。有一个故事讲述了关于一位外科护士在一所著名医院的医疗组第一天上班时发生的事情。在一个腹部手术中，她负责清点所有使用的手术器材。这位护士对外科医生说：“我们用了12块纱布，而你却只取出了11块。我们必须找到最后那一块。”
“我全都取出来了，”医生肯定地说，“我们现在缝合吧。”
“先生，您不能这样，”这位新来的护士反驳道，“要为病人着想。”
外科医生一边微笑，一边抬起脚，让护士看到了脚下踩着的第12块纱布。接着这位医生称赞她说，“不管在这所医院，还是在其他任何医院，你都会干得非常出色。”
词汇空间 ocabulary
1.expediency n. 权宜之计，权术
2.sponges n. 海绵；（外科用的）吸水物（如纱布）
3.rookie n. 新手
文化链接 Culture Background
提高诚信的七大招
（1）学会尊重别人；
（2）信守承诺；
（3）尽量去了解、帮助别人；
（4）宽待他人；
（5）培养耐心；
（6）守时；
（7）尽量完成答应别人的事。
妙语拾珠
1.Life is like a field of newly fallen snow；where I choose to walk every step will show.
生活好像刚刚下过雪的原野，走到哪里，每一步脚印都会留下清清楚楚的印记。
2.Integrity means having a personal standard of morality and ethics that does not sell out to expediency and that is not relative to the situation at hand. Integrity is an inner standard for judging your behavior.
诚实意味着具备一定的伦理道德标准，既不见风使舵，也不随着眼下的形势而改变。诚实是一种内在的标准，它时刻判断自己的行为。
第一章Renewing America"s Promise-Inaugural Address of Barack Obama（Ⅰ）新自由的诞生——奥巴马就职演讲（一）
心灵寄语
今天，奥巴马终于入主白宫，圆了很多人的美国梦。在全世界的注视下，奥巴马发表就职演说。他娓娓道来，他循循善诱，他面面俱到，他处处煽情，读完巴拉克·奥巴马总统演说辞，强烈的感受挥之不去。
My fellow citizens：
I stand here today humbled1 by the task before us， grateful for the trust you have bestowed， mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation， as well as the generosity2 and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.
Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath3. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity4 and the still waters of peace. Yet， every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments， America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office， but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers5，and true to our founding documents.
So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.
That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war， against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened， a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some， but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost；jobs shed；businesses shuttered. Our healthcare is too costly；our schools fail too many；and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.
These are the indicators6 of crisis， subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping7 of confidence across our land—a nagging8 fear that America"s decline is inevitable， and that the next generation must lower its sights.
Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this， America—they will be met.
On this day， we gather because we have chosen hope over fear， unity of purpose over conflict and discord9.
On this day， we come to proclaim10 an end to the petty grievances and false promises， the recriminations11 and worn out dogmas12，that for far too long have strangled13 our politics.
We remain a young nation， but in the words of Scripture14，the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit；to choose our better history；to carry forward that precious gift， that noble idea， passed on from generation to generation：the God-given promise that all are equal， all are free， and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.