新世纪大学英语第二册课文TextA电子书.doc

第一单元：I Forgive You True forgiveness is hard to achieve, especially when we believe weve been hurt too deeply. But many of us may not know that our life needs forgiveness. Just as the author puts it, forgiveness helps establish harmonious relationships between human beings. So let us follow the authors advice and take the first step toward living in harmony. Marriage isnt the only relationship that needs forgiveness. Its required with our children, friends, workmates, neighbours and even strangers. In fact, no human relationship can survive without the oxygen of forgiveness. Its not the kind of quality that only good-tempered people choose to have; its a universal necessity for relationships and for your own physical and mental health. Some of us may think that weve been hurt too deeply, or too often, to forgive. But ironically, its those of us whove been most hurt that really need to forgive, for one simple reason: like cancer, bitterness can destroy its host. Unless its swiftly rooted out, it takes hold and grows, crippling and eventually even killing those who insist on clinging determinedly to it. For the truth is that unless we can forgive, we can never recover. Our wounds will continue to grow worse and never heal. As the ancient Chinese proverb puts it, Whoever seeks revenge should dig two graves. For some people forgiveness seems impossible because they have no idea how to go about it. The first and most important thing you need to accept is that the act of forgiveness is not going to be easy. In fact, it will probably be the hardest thing most of us ever have to do. It seems totally unfair that we should forgive when were the ones who have been hurt. And thats the core of forgiveness. The saying Forgive and forget may roll off the tongue, but its as shallow as it is short. For one thing, its totally impossible. For another, it misses the whole point of forgiveness. The things we most need to forgive in life are the things we cant forget. Rather than sweepi