[00:03.83]003. Too Dear for the Whistle
[00:15.73]When I was a child of seven years old, my friends, on a holiday, filled my pocket with coppers.
[00:22.58]I went at once to a shop where they sold toys for children.
[00:27.59]Being charmed with the sound of a whistle that I had seen by the way,
[00:31.46]in the hands of another boy, I handed over all my money for one.
[00:36.59]I then came home, and went whistling all over the house, much pleased with my whistle,
[00:42.54]but disturbing all the family. My brothers and sisters and cousins,
[00:48.22]when I told of the bargain I had made, said I had given four times as much as the whistle was worth.
[00:55.51]They put me in mind of what good things I might have bought with the rest of the money,
[01:00.55]and laughed at me so much for my folly that I cried with vexation.
[01:06.26]Thinking about the matter gave me more chagrin than the whistle gave me pleasure.
[01:12.41]This, however, was afterwards of use to me, for the impression continued on my mind,
[01:19.11]so that often, when I was tempted to buy something I did not need, I said to myself,
[01:25.53]“Don’t give too much for the whistle,” and I saved my money.
[01:30.47]As I grew up, came into the world, and observed the actions of men,
[01:35.75]I thought I met with many, very many, who “gave too much for the whistle.”
[01:42.93]When I saw some men too eager for a court favour, wasting his time at court gatherings,
[01:48.58]giving up his rest, his liberty, his virtue, and perhaps his friends, for royal favour,
[01:55.61]I said to myself - “This man gives too much for the whistle.”
[02:01.40]When I saw another fond of popularity, constantly taking part in political affairs,
[02:07.29]neglecting his own business, and ruining it by neglect, “He pays, indeed,” said I, “too dear for his whistle.”
[02:17.59]If I knew a miser who gave up every kind of comfortable living,
[02:21.85]all the pleasure of doing good to others, all the esteem of his fellow citizens and the joys of friendship,
[02:28.84]for the sake of gathering and keeping wealth - “Poor man,” said I,
[02:34.05]“you pay too dear for your whistle.” When I met a man of pleasure,
[02:39.75]who did not try to improve his mind or his fortune but merely devoted himself to having a good time,
[02:46.31]perhaps neglecting his health, “Mistaken man,” said I, “you are providing pain for yourself,
[02:53.50]instead of pleasure; you are paying too dear for your whistle.”
[02:58.12]If I saw someone fond of appearance who had fine clothes, fine houses, fine furniture, fine earrings,
[03:06.86]all above his fortune, and for which he had run into debt, and ends his career in a prison.
[03:14.88]“Alas,” said I, “he has paid dear, very dear, for his whistle.”
[03:22.03]In short the miseries of mankind are largely due to their putting a false value on things -
[03:29.57]to giving “too much for their whistles”.
英语散文朗诵篇二[00:04.49]002. Home
[00:14.10]What makes a home? Love and sympathy and confidence.
[00:18.59]It is a place where kindly affections exist among all the members of the family.
[00:23.58]The parents take good care of their children, and the children are interested in the activities of their parents.
[00:29.85]Thus all of them are bound together by affection, and they find their home to be the cheeriest place in the world.
[00:36.95]A home without love is no more a home than a body without a soul is a man.
[00:42.36]Every civilized person is a social being. No one should live alone. A man may lead a successful and prosperous life,
[00:50.55]but prosperity alone can by no means insure happiness.
[00:54.77]Many great personages in the world history had deep affections for their homes.
[01:00.80]Your home may be poor and humble, but your duty lies there.
[01:05.12]You should try to make it cheerful and comfortable.
[01:08.15]The greater the difficulties, the richer will be your reward.
[01:12.17]A home is more than a family dwelling.
[01:14.90]It is a school in which people are trained for citizenship.
[01:18.81]A man will not render good services to his country if he can do nothing good for his home;
[01:24.25]for in proportion as he loves his home, will he love his country.
[01:28.51]The home is the birthplace of true patriotism.
[01:31.78]It is the secret of social welfare and national greatness. It is the basis and origin of civilization.
英语散文朗诵篇三[00:05.33]5.On Punctuality
[00:11.65]A punctual person is in the habit of doing everything at the proper time and is never late in keeping an appointment.
[00:20.59]The unpunctual man, on the other hand, never does what he has to do with the proper time.
[00:28.28]He is always in a hurry and in the end loses both time and his good name. There is a proverb that says,
[00:38.06]“Time flies never to be recalled”. This is very true.
[00:43.58]A lost thing may be found again, but lost time can never be regained. Time is more valuable than material things.
[00:54.52]In fact time is life itself, and the unpunctual man is forever wasting and mismanaging his own valuable asset as well as others’.
[01:06.46]The unpunctual man is always complaining that he finds no time to answer letters,
[01:12.22]or to return calls, or to keep appointments promptly.
[01:17.09]But the man who really has a great deal to do is very careful of his time and seldom complains of want of it.
[01:26.19]He knows that he can not get through his immense amount of work unless he faithfully keeps every appointment promptly
[01:33.59]and deal with every piece of work when it has to be attended to...
[01:39.04]Failure to be punctual is a sign of disrespect towards others.
[01:44.23]If a person is invited to a dinner and arrives later than expected,
[01:49.14]he keeps all the other guests and the host waiting for him alone. This is great impoliteness.
[01:58.33]Unpunctuality is very harmful when it comes to doing one’s duty,
[02:03.33]whether private or public.
[02:05.70]Imagine how it would be if those who are entrusted with important tasks
[02:10.44]failed to be at their proper place at the appointed time.
[02:14.67]A man who is known to be habitually unpunctual is never trusted by his friends or fellow men.
[02:22.84]And the unpunctual man is a source of annoyance both to others and to himself.
