我们从去年第六期开始陆续刊登首届“北外杯”中学生写作大赛的部分获奖作文。本期选登的是杭州外国语学校高三(2)班超星同学的文章。

　　By Chao Xing

　　As I stretch my arms in the morning, to hug the coming daybreak, as I open my eyes to the dawn, to catch the first glow of sunshine, some golden threads have, naughtily and cunningly, sneaked in from the window, bringing along the lovely freshness of a new day. These little shiny spirits, the envoy of the sun, have stolen the dream of the night! Gently they jump on my forehead, calling with a joyful sound, "Get up, my kid. A brand new day has just started!"

　　I warmly welcome a day like this. Opening the curtain and letting the sunshine pour in, I immerse myselfsintosthe warmth and joy brought along with the splendid sunrise. The whole city has been woken up from its sleep. Every creature is granted the privilege ofshavingsa brilliant start of a new day, as well as ridding themselves of all the nightmares they had in the stifling darkness of night. Life is carried on in its usual way. But even this daily greeting causes great amusement in my heart, for I am always amazed at the miracles of nature hidden beneath its simplicity. I respect all of them—even the simplest daybreak, for the life stories of their own.

　　However, modern people seem too busy to pay much attention to the flow of life. Look at the long queues of traffic in the streets running restlessly towards different directions. Look at the anxious people crowded in the buses heading for different destinations. They have the same definition of life, that is, it is something that everyone should experience and be ready to tolerate; it is merely a reality, which quietly repeats itself every day, and is resonant with the ticking of time.

　　It is true that life justifiably carries the trend of each period of time, which, in today's society, means efficiency and profit. It is a time that people enjoy the sophisticated products provided by modern science, and seek endlessly for wealth and comfort. Nevertheless, when they are sitting in front of the computer, getting all sorts of information from the internet, their hearts refuse to receive messages of beauty, hope, cheer and courage that are also part of the modern information. When they are intoxicated with the intense rhythm of rock music, trying to escape from the realistic world in which they are burdened with all kinds of pressures, they are becoming cold and narcissistic. Modern people look indifferently at the wonders of the nature and people. They fail to live up to the kindness of life, and carelessly throw the true happiness away.

　　I find life has its own beauty. It is a beauty that is worth cherishing, but too ordinary to be noticed; it is a beauty that everyone possesses, but nobody is able to tell. "Not the sun or the summer alone," said Emerson, "but every hour and season yields its tribute of delight." Not only the nature, but also the love and strength of people around us create a beauty, which is formed by tiny bits and pieces, by every moment's delicacy and dignity. I still recollect those quiet nights in my early childhood, for which mom's gentle kisses would always gave me the sweetest dreams. When I woke up in the middle of the dreamy nights, the soft light given out by the small lamp drew the outline of a figure in front of my bed, projecting a picture that looked so familiar and tender in my eyes. Sitting at the desk, with only the clicking sound of the clock, mom was sewing the clothes that I carelessly tore during the day, or just sharpening the pencils that I had used to draw my childish pictures. Now I could still clearly remember my heart being filled with great happiness and warmth when I opened my pencil box on a new morning, to find all the pencils quietly lying there, neatly sharpened. Though they are just some of the commonest sights in life, they have been carved in my mind for so many years and will never be changed with time. They are the beautiful winks in life. When I click them down and put themsintosthe album of my memory, they record the lifetime I had gone through, and become my own treasure and wealth.

　　Life is usually expressed with such ordinary sights, like the white clouds in the sky, gliding away noiselessly before it is fully glimpsed. Because of our carelessness, the beauty of life is covered with the thick ice of cynicism and pessimism, and we are always left with an indefinable longing and regret when we look back upon the past experience. But if we are careful enough to observe its liveliness, we will find with pleasant astonishment that every minute is filled with delight, every sight is accompanied by variety and sanctity. The enchantment of life is unutterable. All the flowery language invented by human beings would be pale and tarnish in front of its radiance; it conveys a hint of beauty, which arouses sacred emotions within the depth of our hearts.