The love of beauty is an essential part of all healthy human nature. It is a moral quality. The absence of it is not an assured ground of condemnation, but the presence of it is an invariable sign of goodness of heart. In proportion to the degree in which it is felt will probably be the degree in which nobleness and beauty of character will be attained.

愛美及是整個健全人性不可或缺之一部分。它是一種道德品質。缺乏這種品質並不能作為受到責難的充分理由，但是擁有這種品質則是心靈美好的永恆標誌。品德的高尚與美好所達到的程度可能與對美的感受程度成正比。

Natural beauty is an all-pervading presence. The universe is its temple. It unfolds into the numberless flowers of spring. It waves in the branches of trees and the green blades of grass. It haunts the depths of the earth and the sea. It gleams from the hues of the shell and the precious stone. And not only these minute objects but the oceans, the mountains, the clouds, the stars, the rising and the setting sun---all overflow with beauty. This beauty is so precious, and so congenial to our tenderest and noblest feelings, that it is painful to think of the multitude of people living in the midst of it and yet remaining almost blind to it.

大自然的美無處不在，整個宇宙就是美的殿堂。美，在春日百花中綻放；美，在綠葉嫩枝間搖曳；美，在深海幽谷裡遊弋；美，在奇石與貝殼的繽紛色彩中閃爍。不只是這些細微之物，還有海洋，山川，雲彩，繁星，日升日落 – 一切都是洋溢著美。這樣的美是如此珍貴，與我們最溫柔，最高尚的情愫是如此相宜。然而，想到很多人置身於美之中，卻幾乎對它熟視無睹，真是令人痛心不已。

All persons should seek to become acquainted with the beauty in nature. There is not a worm we tread upon, nor a leaf that dances merrily as it falls before the autumn winds, but calls for our study and admiration. The power to appreciated beauty not merely increases our sources of happiness---it enlarges our moral nature, too. Beauty calms our restlessness and dispels our cares. Go into the fields or the woods, spend a summer day by the sea or the mountains, and all your little perplexities and anxieties will vanish. Listen to sweet music, and your foolish fears and petty jealousies will pass away. The beauty of the world helps us to seek and find the beauty of goodness.

所有的人都應該去認識大自然之美。沒有一條我們踩過的小蟲，沒有一片在秋風拂掠之際飛舞的樹葉不值得我們研究與讚賞。欣賞美的能力不僅增加了我們快樂的來源，也加強了我們德性的修養。美使我們不安的心平靜下來，也驅散了我們的憂慮。到田野或森林去，在夏日的海邊或山上呆上一天，那麼你所有微不足道的困惑與焦慮都會煙消雲散。傾聽悅耳的音樂，你那愚蠢的恐懼與狹隘的嫉妒都會過去。世界之美將有助於我們找到為善之美。

詞彙釋義

1.ground n. 土地；戰場；理由

例句：

Boredom is not a ground for divorce.

日久生厭不能成為離婚的理由.

2.condemnation n. 非難,罪的宣告,非難的理由

例句：

He was found guilty and sentenced to condemnation.

他被發現有罪，並且被定了罪。

3.nobleness n. 高貴,高潔,高尚

例句：

Pureness of silver, Nobleness of gold.

銀的純潔，金的高貴！

4.haunt v. 常到,出沒,縈繞於心

例句：

The years of the war still haunt me.

戰爭年代的往事仍常浮現在我的腦海。

5.congenial adj. 同性質的,適意的,趣味相同的

例句：

They are of congenial temper.

他們的性情相投。

6.merrily adv. 歡樂地,愉快地

例句：

The kettle was boiling away merrily on the fire.

壺裡的水在火上燒得滾開著。

7.perplexity n. 困惑,混亂

例句：

He wrinkled up his forehead in perplexity.

他困惑地皺起了眉頭。

難句講解

1. In proportion to the degree in which it is felt will probably be the degree in which nobleness and beauty of character will be attained.

【參考譯文】品德的高尚與美好所達到的程度可能與對美的感受程度成正比。

【結構分析】句子的主語是“In proportion to the degree in which it is felt”，其中的“it”指“the Love of Beauty”.賓語是“ the degree”，後面which引導的從句修飾"degree".

2.This beauty is so precious, and so congenial to our tenderest and noblest feelings, that it is painful to think of the multitude of people living in the midst of it and yet remaining almost blind to it.

【參考譯文】這樣的美是如此珍貴，與我們最溫柔，最高尚的情愫是如此相宜。然而，想到很多人置身於美之中，卻幾乎對它熟視無睹，真是令人痛心不已。

【結構分析】這是個由“so...that”引導的句子結構，這一結構中，so後邊可加形容詞或副詞，that引導結果狀語從句。

如：He had so little education that he was unfit for this job. 他所受教育很少，不適合做這個工作。

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