一天，一个年轻人站在小镇中心，声称他的心是世界上最美丽的。一大群人围了过来，人人都称赞他的心确实完美无缺，没有一丝伤痕或瑕疵。他们一致认为这是最美丽的心。年轻人深感自豪，更大肆鼓吹起来。
突然，一个老人出现在人群前，说道：“我的心比你的更美丽。”大家都看着老人的心。这颗心有力地跳动着，布满了伤痕，有些地方被挖走了，虽然重新补上，但并不完全吻合，依然有很深的锯齿状印迹，有的地方甚至还有很深的沟壑，那里的整个部分完全没有了。
人们凝视着，心想——他怎么能说自己的心更美呢？年轻人看着老人的心，大笑起来。“您在开玩笑吧，”他说，“与我的心相比，您的心布满了伤疤和裂痕，而我的是那么完美。”
“是的，”老人说，“你的心看起来是很完美，但我绝不与你交换。你看，每一个伤疤都代表着我对别人的爱——我付出一份真心，他们常会回赠一份，填在我的空白处，由于不是完全吻合，伤口的边缘就会留下疤痕。我非常珍惜这些伤疤，它们常使我想起我们共有的爱心。有时，我付出了真心，却没得到回报，因此就出现了这些沟壑——献出爱心其实也是一种冒险。这些沟壑整日敞着，虽然很疼痛，却让我想起曾给予别人的爱。我希望有一天，他们能回来填补我心上的空白。现在，你明白什么是真正的美丽了吧？”
年轻人默默地站着，眼泪顺着脸颊流下来。他走到老人身旁，把手伸进自己完美年轻的心，撕下一片，颤抖着双手献给了这位老人。
老人接受了他的馈赠，把它放在心上，然后，又掏出自己的一片年老而又伤痕累累的心，放进年轻人的心里。很合适，但不完全吻合，因此有一些疤痕。年轻人看着自己的心，虽不再那么完整，却比以前更美丽了，因为老人心中流淌出来的爱流进了他的心里。他们互相拥抱，然后并肩离开了。
心灵小语
世间最美的心不是不曾受伤、不曾被污染的心，而是曾经被伤害，又经历了千锤百炼，仍然对世界充满爱的心。
记忆填空
1. A large____gathered and they all admired his____ for it was perfect. There was not a mark or a flaw in it. Yes, they all agreed it truly was the most______ heart they had ever seen.
2. Sometimes I have given____of my heart away, and the other person hasn’t____a piece of his heart to me. These are the empty gouges—giving love is taking a__ . Although these gouges are painful, they stay open, reminding me of the love I have for these people too, and I hope someday they may return and fill the____in my heart. 佳句翻译
1. 我非常珍惜这些伤疤，它们常使我想起我们共有的爱心。
译__________________________
2. 有时，我付出了真心，却没得到回报，因此就出现了这些沟壑——献出爱心其实也是一种冒险。
译__________________________
3. 因为老人心中流淌出来的爱流进了他的心里。
译__________________________
短语应用
1. ...reminding me of the love I have for these people too...
remind of：提醒；使想起；令……回忆
造________________________
2. They embraced and walked away side by side.
side by side：肩并肩；一起；二平分；一个挨一个；并排
造________________________
治疗心灵创伤的药物
Medicine for a Broken Heart
佚名 / Anonymous
Within my group of friends, when one of us is struggling with a recent breakup after a long-term relationship, the castaway will be sad and depressed. The response to sadness takes one of two courses—either appetite fails totally, or we eat excessively to quell our yearnings over lost loves.
If one of the girls in my dorm wants to indulge her appetite for food after a breakup, we all join in. We all eat terrible food in terrible quantities. For instance, ice cream, cakes, cookies and potato chips all become comfort foods that we consume in excess. I think this happens for a variety of reasons. To begin with, at my age—nineteen—we are all very concerned with our physical appearance. We want to be attractive, to have the kind of body image our society values. To that end, we moderate what kinds of foods we eat, how much, and how often; and we often overexert ourselves at the gym trying to burn off extra calories. We maintain good habits to keep up good appearance and thereby maintain a good relationship. However, when anyone experiences something as stressful and emotionally draining as a broken heart, he or she tends to disregard healthy habits and takes some pleasure in consuming those formerly forbidden foods. Of course, it is all a vicious circle. We lose our boyfriends, we become depressed, we eat, we gain weight (which, in turn, depresses us), we struggle to regain our self-respect, we enter into another relationship, and the cycle goes on.
Food is not the only recourse for a sad lover. One friend of mine soothes her broken heart by going shopping—buying new clothes and new shoes, maybe a piece of jewelry—to make herself feel better. Whether it’s food or shopping, self-indulgence is often good medicine for the blues, if it is not carried to excess. The worst response is turning to alcohol or drugs.
我的朋友中，若有人失恋，被抛弃的人当然会沮丧难过。失恋后的悲伤有两种反应——要么食欲全无，要么通过暴饮暴食的方式来减轻对爱情的怀念。
宿舍里，若有同伴和男友分手后想放纵一下食欲，我们都会参与进来，无节制地享用那些毫无营养价值的食品，比如冰淇淋、蛋糕、饼干、炸薯片之类的，这些都是我们大量消耗的安慰性食品。这种悲伤反应的原因有很多种。首先，在我们这个年纪——19岁——都很关注自身外在形象。我们希望自己魅力十足，希望自身的形象符合社会的审美标准。为了达到这个目的，我们限制食物的种类，减少食量和进餐次数；还常到健身房进行过量的运动，来消耗过多的热量。美丽，让我们保持着良好的习惯，维护好恋情。但是，一旦身心受创，他或她就会将那些健康习惯抛之脑后，食用那些以前禁食的东西来获得些许快乐。无疑，这完全是一种恶性循环。失恋、沮丧、暴饮暴食、发胖反过来又会打击我们，努力找回自尊，开始新的恋情，这个循环往复地进行下去。
食物并不是慰藉失恋者的唯一方法。我的一个朋友通过逛商场来抚慰自己受伤的心——添置新衣服、鞋子，或是买一件珠宝——这会让她好受些。不管是食物还是购物，只要不是太过分，自我放纵往往就是治疗抑郁的良药。然而，失恋后最糟糕的反应就是通过酗酒和吸毒来寻求解脱。
心灵小语
冲动是魔鬼，人在不理智的情况下总是会做一些让自己后悔不已的事情。没有一种“报复”人的方法是用伤害自己为手段的。悲伤的时候，对自己好一点儿，不要在已经流血的伤口上再捅一刀了。
记忆填空
1. However, when anyone____something as stressful and emotionally draining as a broken__ , he or she tends to disregard healthy habits and takes some____in consuming those formerly forbidden foods. Of course, it is all a vicious____ .
2.____is not the only recourse for a sad lover. One friend of mine soothes her broken heart by going____ —buying new clothes and new shoes, maybe a piece of jewelry—to make herself feel____ . 佳句翻译
1. 无疑，这完全是一种恶性循环。
译__________________________
2. 食物并不是慰藉失恋者的唯一方法。
译__________________________
3. 失恋后最糟糕的反应就是通过酗酒和吸毒来寻求解脱。
译__________________________
短语应用
1. To that end, we moderate what kinds of foods we eat, how much, and how often; and we often overexert ourselves at the gym trying to burn off extra calories.
burn off：烧掉，烧毁
造________________________
2. To begin with, at my age—nineteen—we are all very concerned with our physical appearance.
to begin with：首先；第一；原先，本来；起初
造________________________