A man may usually be known by the books he reads as well as by the company he keeps; for there is a companionship of books as well as of men; and one should always live in the best company, whether it be of books or of men.
A good book may be among the best of friends. It is the same today that it always was, and it will never change. It is the most patient and cheerful of companions. It does not turn its back upon us in times of adversity or distress. It always receives us with the same kindness; amusing and instructing us in youth, and comforting and consoling us in age.
Men often discover their affinity to each other by the mutual love they have for a book just as two persons sometimes discover a friend by the admiration which both entertain for a third. There is an old proverb, ‘Love me, love my dog.” But there is more wisdom in this:” Love me, love my book.” The book is a truer and higher bond of union. Men can think, feel, and sympathize with each other through their favorite author. They live in him together, and he in them.
A good book is often the best urn of a life enshrining the best that life could think out; for the world of a man’s life is, for the most part, but the world of his thoughts. Thus the best books are treasuries of good words, the golden thoughts, which, remembered and cherished, become our constant companions and comforters.
Books possess an essence of immortality. They are by far the most lasting products of human effort. Temples and statues decay, but books survive. Time is of no account with great thoughts, which are as fresh today as when they first passed through their author’s minds, ages ago. What was then said and thought still speaks to us as vividly as ever from the printed page. The only effect of time have been to sift out the bad products; for nothing in literature can long survive but what is really good.
Books introduce us into the best society; they bring us into the presence of the greatest minds that have ever lived. We hear what they said and did; we see the as if they were really alive; we sympathize with them, enjoy with them, grieve with them; their experience becomes ours, and we feel as if we were in a measure actors with them in the scenes which they describe.
【精選英文背誦：Companionship of Books 以書為伴】The great and good do not die, even in this world. Embalmed in books, their spirits walk abroad. The book is a living voice. It is an intellect to which on still listens.
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重點詞匯：
Companionship [k?m?p?nj?n???p] 友誼; 伴侶關系;
Adversity [?d?v??rs?ti] 困境，逆境;
Distress [d??stres] 悲傷 ， 痛苦; 危險; 窘迫;
Amusing [??mju?z??] 有趣的;
Comforting [?k?mf?rt??] 令人欣慰的; 安慰的;
Consoling [k?n'so?l??] 可安慰的;
Affinity [??f?n?ti] 密切關系，姻親關系; （男女之間的）吸引力，吸引人的異性; 類同; 類似，近似;
Admiration [??dm??re??n] 欽佩，贊賞;
Proverb [?pr?v??b] 諺語，格言; 話柄，笑柄; 人人知道的事情，有名的事情; 俚諺劇，俚諺游戲;
Bond [b?nd] 紐帶; 聯系; 書面的法律協定; 束縛; 羈絆; 枷鎖; 連接; 公債; 債券; 保釋金; 按揭貸款; 化學鍵;
Sympathize [?s?mp?θa?z] 同情，憐憫; 共鳴，同感; 支持，贊成; 安慰;
Urn [??n] 大茶壺; 甕，缸; 墳墓; 骨灰甕;
Author [???θ?(r)] 作者; 作家; 發起人; 創作，撰寫;
Enshrining [in??ra?n??] 放置或保存某物于…( enshrine的現在分詞 ); 作為神龕以保存某物
Treasury [?tre??ri] 國庫 ， 金庫; （政府的）財政部; 寶庫 ， 寶藏; 貯藏所，庫房;
Cherished [?t?eri?t] 珍愛( cherish的過去式和過去分詞 ); 懷有; 愛護; 撫育;
Comforters [?k?mf?t?z] 安慰者( comforter的名詞復數 ); 羊毛圍巾; 增加對方痛苦的安慰者; 橡皮奶頭;
Possess [p??zes] 擁有; 具備; 控制; 使言行失常;
Essence [?esns] 本質，精髓; 精油; 香精;
Immortality [??m???t?l?ti] 不朽 ， 不朽的聲名;
Statues [s't?t?u:z] 雕像，塑像
Decay [d??ke?] 腐爛，腐朽; 衰敗;
Sift [s?ft] 篩分; 精選; 撒; 審查;
Literature [?l?tr?t??(r)] 文學; 著作;
Presence [?prezns] 出席; 存在; 風度; 靈魂，鬼魂;
Grieve [ɡri?v] 使傷心; 使悲傷;
Scenes ['si:nz] 景色( scene的名詞復數 ); （戲劇的）一場; 背景; 地點;
Embalm [?m?bɑ?m] 保存（尸體）不腐; 使不被遺忘; 使充滿香氣;
Intellect [??nt?lekt] 智力 ， 理解力; 有才智的人; 知識分子;
