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.

　　［221 words］

　　行文点评

　　本文第一段先对学校中现存的这种不良风气进行阐述。第二段进而分析其危害所在，其实这样做最大的危害在于明知自己做错了，还可以为自己找到开脱的借口“因为大家都在这样做”。在第三段中陈述了自己对待这种情况的态度，那就是要Develop your own standards and your own judgment.。对于你认为是错误的事情，即使大家都在做，你也要勇于退出。最后一段提出作者的建议，呼吁学生们要学会自立，做自己，不盲从。

　　文章由表及里，论述层层递进，很有说服力。

　　好文妙译

　　做你自己

　　每所学校中都有一群领头学生做出榜样，其他人蜂拥效仿。比如，一旦这些领头学生决定以穿鲜红色羊毛衫为时尚，那么很快人人都会穿着鲜红色羊毛衫。这件事本身没什么问题，但事实上有些人极不适合穿鲜红色毛衫。如果这些领头学生觉得喝酒或以70英里的时速开车很时尚的话，情况甚至会变得危险起来。这些盲从的学生正危及自己的生命。他们就像被领到屠夫面前的绵羊。

　　在你生命中，这种情况你可能遇到不止一次；可能你时不时也会做自己知道是不对的事情。你可能会为自己开脱说：“大家都在这么做嘛。”那让大家这么做好了，但你自己不要这样做。要学会说“不”。

　　要有自己的标准和判断。如果你知道大家正在计划一件你不赞成的事情，鼓起勇气礼貌地退出。你会为自己学会自立感到满意的。请记住一点，世上只有一个你，做你自己吧。

　　词汇斟酌

　　?unbecoming a. 不适合的

　　?endanger vt. 危急

　　?butcher n. 屠夫，屠户

　　?judgment n. 评价，判断

　　佳句临摹

　　①【注释】set the pace 领先，起带头作用

　　【临摹】With Roddy setting the pace, the boys went uphill and arrived with bursting lungs.罗迪一马当先，男孩们便向山坡上狂奔，到终点时肺都要炸了。

　　②【注释】bow out 从容引退

　　【临摹】Their football team bowed out of the competition with unknown reasons. 不知道为什么，他们的足球队退出了比赛。

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

　　【临摹】My uncle offered to help me, but I told him I would rather stand on my own feet.我叔叔提出要帮助我，但我告诉他我宁愿自力更生。

　　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过的路。他寻找迄今未开拓的领域。

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