Be YourSelf

　　In every school a “top” crowd sets the pace, while the others follow their lead.①Let’s say the top crowd decides that it is smart to wear bright red sweaters. Pretty soon everybody is wearing a bright red sweater. There is nothing wrong with that, except the fact that on some people a bright red sweater is extremely unbecoming. The situation can even become dangerous, if the top crowd decides that it is smart to drink or to drive cars at seventy miles an hour. Then the people who follow the lead are endangering their lives. They are like the sheep being led to the butcher.

　　Now, chances are that you have come across situations like these more than once in your life; chances are that one time or another you probably did something you knew to be wrong. You may have excused yourself by saying, “Gee, the crowd does it.” Well, let the crowd do it, but don’t do it yourself. Learn to say, “No.”

　　Develop your own standards and your own judgment. If you know the crowd is planning something you disagree with, have the courage to bow out politely.② You’ll have the satisfaction of standing on your own two feet.③ Remember this in your heart, you are the unique one in the world, just be yourself.

　?。?21 words］

　　行文點評

　　本文第一段先對學校中現存的這種不良風氣進行闡述。第二段進而分析其危害所在，其實這樣做最大的危害在于明知自己做錯了，還可以為自己找到開脫的借口“因為大家都在這樣做”。在第三段中陳述了自己對待這種情況的態度，那就是要Develop your own standards and your own judgment.。對于你認為是錯誤的事情，即使大家都在做，你也要勇于退出。最后一段提出作者的建議，呼吁學生們要學會自立，做自己，不盲從。

　　文章由表及里，論述層層遞進，很有說服力。

　　好文妙譯

　　做你自己

　　每所學校中都有一群領頭學生做出榜樣，其他人蜂擁效仿。比如，一旦這些領頭學生決定以穿鮮紅色羊毛衫為時尚，那么很快人人都會穿著鮮紅色羊毛衫。這件事本身沒什么問題，但事實上有些人極不適合穿鮮紅色毛衫。如果這些領頭學生覺得喝酒或以70英里的時速開車很時尚的話，情況甚至會變得危險起來。這些盲從的學生正危及自己的生命。他們就像被領到屠夫面前的綿羊。

　　在你生命中，這種情況你可能遇到不止一次；可能你時不時也會做自己知道是不對的事情。你可能會為自己開脫說：“大家都在這么做嘛?！蹦亲尨蠹疫@么做好了，但你自己不要這樣做。要學會說“不”。

　　要有自己的標準和判斷。如果你知道大家正在計劃一件你不贊成的事情，鼓起勇氣禮貌地退出。你會為自己學會自立感到滿意的。請記住一點，世上只有一個你，做你自己吧。

　　詞匯斟酌

　　?unbecoming a. 不適合的

　　?endanger vt. 危急

　　?butcher n. 屠夫，屠戶

　　?judgment n. 評價，判斷

　　佳句臨摹

　　①【注釋】set the pace 領先，起帶頭作用

　　【臨摹】With Roddy setting the pace, the boys went uphill and arrived with bursting lungs.羅迪一馬當先，男孩們便向山坡上狂奔，到終點時肺都要炸了。

　?、凇咀⑨尅縝ow out 從容引退

　　【臨摹】Their football team bowed out of the competition with unknown reasons. 不知道為什么，他們的足球隊退出了比賽。

　　③【注釋】standing on one’s own two feet. 獨立自主，自立

　　【臨摹】My uncle offered to help me, but I told him I would rather stand on my own feet.我叔叔提出要幫助我，但我告訴他我寧愿自力更生。

　　思如泉涌

　　Towering genius disdains a beaten path. It seeks regions hitherto unexplored.卓越的天才不屑走旁人走過的路。他尋找迄今未開拓的領域。

　　For man is man and master of his fate.人就是人，是自己命運的主人。