英语美文欣赏：美的力量

The Power of Beauty

美的力量

1. One of the most successful, influential and 1)beloved women in American history, Eleanor Roosevelt once said that she had one regret: she wished she had been prettier. Who hasn't felt the same way? We are all too 2)aware of our 3)physical 4)imperfections. To overcome them, we spend 5)billions upon billions of dollars every year-on 6)cosmetics, 7)diet products, fashion, and 8)plastic surgery.

身为美国史上最成功、最有影响力且最受人喜爱的女性之一的罗斯福夫人曾说她有一个遗憾：她希望自己长得更漂亮。谁没有过同样的想法呢?我们都强烈感觉到自己身体的缺陷。为了克服缺陷，我们每年都要花费几十亿美元--在化妆品、减肥食品、流行时尚与整容手术上。

1.1) beloved (a.) 受人喜爱的 2) aware (a.) 明白的 3) physical (a.) 身体的 4) imperfection (n.) 不完美，瑕疵 5) billion (n.) 十亿 6) cosmetics (n.) 化妆品 7) diet (n.) (特种)饮食 8) plastic surgery (n.) 整形外科) 兴奋的

2. Why do we care so much about how we look? Because it matters. Because beauty is powerful. Because even when we learn to value people mostly for being kind and wise and funny, we are still moved by beauty. No matter how much we argue against it or pretend to be 1)immune, beauty 2)exerts its power over us. There is simply no escape.

我们如此这么在意自己的外貌?因为它很重要。因为美的力量很大。因为即使我们学着基本上去看重仁慈、智能、风趣的人，但我们仍会受到美的感动。无论我们多么用力辩驳，或假装对它免疫，美仍然对我们产生影响。根本无法逃避。

2.1) immune (a.) 免疫的 2) exert (v.) 发挥出

3. Aristotle said, "Beauty is a greater 1)recommendation than any letter of introduction." It's not fair, but it's true. We simply treat beautiful people better than we do others. 2)Attach a photograph of a beautiful author to an essay, and people will think that it is more creative and more 3)intelligently written than exactly the same 4)essay 5)accompanied by the photo of a 6)homely author.

亚里斯多德说：「美是比任何介绍信都要有用的推荐函。」这并不公平，但却是事实。我们就是会对美丽的人比较好。把一位美丽作家的照片贴在作品上，读者就会认为这篇文章较有创意，写得更有智能。完全相同的文章配上相貌平凡的作家照片，评价就会较低。

3.1) recommendation (n.) 推荐 2) attach (v.) 贴上，附上 3) intelligently (adv.) 聪明地 4) essay (n.) 论文，小品文 5) accompany (v.) 伴随 6) homely (a.) 平凡的

4. As children, beautiful people are more likely to become favorites with parents and teachers. Later, they're more likely to get good jobs and 1)promotions. Beautiful lawyers get paid more than their less attractive 2)colleagues. Good-looking 3)criminals are more likely to win the 4)sympathy of judges and 5)juries. Attractive people 6)in need are more likely to receive help from strangers.

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