【英语文章-英语美文-英语短文-英语励志短文】:If he could give pleasure to others, he would, especially his family.如果他能将欢乐给予其他人，他便会去做，尤其对他的家人。
英语励志文章:Dad's Mandolin父亲的曼陀林(双语阅读)
My father was a self-taught mandolin player.He was one of the best string instrument players in our town. He could not read music, but if he heard a tune a few times, he could play it.
When he was younger, he was a member of a small country music band. They would play at local dances and on a few occasions would play for the local radio station.
He often told us how he had auditioned and earned a position in a band that featured Patsy Cline as their lead singer. He told the family that after he was hired he never went back.
Dad was a very religious man. He stated that there was a lot of drinking and cursing the day of his audition and he did not want to be around that type of environment.
Occasionally, Dad would get out his mandolin and play for the family. We three children: Trisha, Monte and I, would often sing along. Songs such as the Tennessee Waltz, Harbor Lights and around Christmas time, the well-known rendition of Silver Bells. “Silver Bells, Silver Bells, its Christmas time in the city” would ring throughout the house.
Dad loved to play the mandolin for his family. He knew we enjoyed singing, and hearing him play. He was like that. If he could give pleasure to others, he would, especially his family.
He was always there, sacrificing his time and efforts to see that his family had enough in their life. I had to mature into a man and have children of my own before I realized how much he had sacrificed.
In August of 1993 my father was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. He chose not to receive chemotherapy treatments so that he could live out the rest of his life in dignity.
About a week before his death, we asked Dad if he would play the mandolin for us. He made excuses but said “okay”. He knew it would probably be the last time he would play for us. He tuned up the old mandolin and played a few notes.
When I looked around, there was not a dry eye in the family. We saw before us a quiet humble man with an inner strength that comes from knowing God, and living with him in one's life.
Dad would never play the mandolin for us again. We felt at the time that he wouldn't have enough strength to play, and that makes the memory of that day even stronger.
Dad was doing something he had done all his life, giving. As sick as he was, he was still pleasing others.
Dad sure could play that mandolin!
我的父亲是一个自学成材的曼陀林演奏师。在我们所居住的小镇上，父亲曾是最棒的弦乐演奏师之一。虽不识谱，但任何一首曲子他只要听过几次，就能将其弹奏出来。
父亲年轻的时候，曾是一个乡村小乐队中的一员。那时，他在当地的舞会上演奏曼陀林，有些时候，他还会为当地电台演奏他的音乐。
以前，父亲总是对我们讲述他的试演是怎样进行的，以及他是如何争取到主唱由佩西.克莱恩(Patsy Cline)所担任的乐队中的一席。他告诉全家，被录用以后，他就没有办法回头。
父亲是一个很虔诚的人。他说，在他试演的时候，曾有过不少的举杯欢庆，也曾面对过很多的刻薄咒骂;而且，他自己不怎么愿意在那种环境中一直转悠下去。
有时候，父亲会放下他的乐队而为他的家庭演奏曼陀林。崔莎(Trisha)，蒙特(Monte)和我经常会一起歌唱，诸如田纳西华尔兹(Tennessee Waltz)，海港的灯火(Harbor Lights)等经典歌曲。而且每逢圣诞期间，家喻户晓的歌曲《银色铃铛》(Silver Bells)会在我们的屋子中回响不绝，“银色铃铛，银色铃铛，这是城市的圣诞时光...”
父亲爱为他的家人演奏曼陀林。他明白，我们享受着歌唱的喜悦，以及聆听他演奏时的沉醉，他喜欢那样。如果他能将欢乐给予其他人，他便会去做，尤其对他的家人。
那时，父亲往往会牺牲他自己的时间，并付出努力来确保他的家人们能够在各自的生活中得到满足。但只有当我自己成为一个成熟的男人并有了自己的孩子以后，我才明白父亲当年究竟做出了多大的牺牲。
在1993年的8月，父亲被诊断出患了手术无法治愈的肺癌。他没有选择进行化疗，因为这样的话，父亲便能有尊严地度过他所剩下的时日。
就在父亲去世前的一周，我们问父亲是否能再为我们演奏一次曼陀林。他想推辞，但却说了声:“好吧”。父亲知道这也许是他最后一次为我们演奏他的曼陀林。他为他的曼陀林调了音，然后弹奏了些许曲调。
此时，我环顾四周，家中的每双眼睛都湿润了。我看见，在我们身后，一个平和而又谦卑的老人所透出的一股内在的力量;这股力量源自于对上帝的认知，并且，这是一股在某人的生命中与其同在的力量。
父亲无法再次为我们演奏他的曼陀林了。我们知道，那时父亲已经没有力气演奏曼陀林了，而这种感受使我对那天的记忆变得愈加清晰。
在我父亲的一生中，他做了一些他已经做过的事---付出。在他受病痛折磨的时候，他仍然取悦他人。
父亲，您一定可以继续演奏您的那把曼陀林!
