On an island off the coast of a rocky shore stood a stately1） lighthouse. During the day， the white walls of the lighthouse shimmered2） and sparkled under the sunlight， while at night it burned a light for those at sea that outshone3） even the stars. Many people visited the lighthouse， and when they did， they commented on its size and strength and admired the artistic beauty that it added to the surrounding landscape. Some told its keeper of how its light had saved them during a storm.

All loved the lighthouse， with one exception： a little oil lamp that lived in the lighthouse. By day it hung forgotten at the bottom of the stairs. At dusk it helped the keeper of the lighthouse make his way from the bottom of the stairs to the lantern room. It seemed to the oil lamp that he fell far short4）. To his way of thinking， his shortcomings were magnified5） by his nearness to one so much greater than he. Always， the oil lamp labored under this heaviness of heart.

Then one day， after a particularly brilliant afternoon when many visitors had come to play on the sandy turf6） of the island， there was a knock at the door. It was a boy， searching for a friend who was lost. The sun had set， and what had seemed such friendly shores hours before were now dark and foreboding7）. Could the kindly keeper of the lighthouse help him find his friend？

The keeper quickly took the youth inside and， after bundling8） him into a blanket， turned to get his own coat to protect himself from the night chill. Then he reached to the hook between the door and the stairs and took down the little oil lamp. After carefully making sure that the wick9） was wet with oil and the tank10） full， the keeper lit the lamp and whispered， \"Burn bright tonight， faithful friend. I cannot take the lighthouse with me. He serves his purpose here， but you were made for times like this. It is now that I need you most！\"

In that instant， all of the oil lamp's misgivings were replaced by joy—joy in knowing that here was something only he could do. All through the night， through brambles11） and brush， the oil lamp burned brighter and more steadily than ever before. He had to； the keeper was depending on him. At last the lost boy was found and brought safely back to the lighthouse and his friend.

Never again did the oil lamp doubt his place or purpose. He had learned a great lesson that night： he was happiest and most useful being himself.

在一片巖石嶙峋的海岸附近有一座小島，島上矗立著一座宏偉的燈塔。白天，燈塔白色的墻壁在陽光下閃耀著微光，而在夜晚，它則為那些在海上航行的船只點亮一盞燈，那盞燈甚至比漫天的繁星都要亮。很多人都來參觀這座燈塔，他們參觀的時候，評論這座燈塔的巨大和堅固，稱贊這座燈塔給周圍的風(fēng)景增添了一種藝術(shù)美。有些人給守塔人講述燈塔的光亮如何在暴風(fēng)雨中救了他們一命。

所有人都喜歡這座燈塔，只有住在燈塔里的小油燈是個例外。白天，它被掛在樓梯底層，被人遺忘。黃昏時分，它為守塔人照亮從樓梯底層通往燈室的路。在油燈看來，自己似乎差得太遠了。它認為，緊挨著燈塔這么個比它重要得多的家伙，它的不足之處都被放大了。油燈一直帶著這種沉重的心情工作著。

后來有一天，午后的陽光格外燦爛，許多游客都來小島上的那片覆草沙地上玩耍。那天晚些時候，有人來敲燈塔的門。是一個男孩，他在尋找一個走丟的朋友。那時太陽已經(jīng)落山了，幾個小時前看上去舒適宜人的海岸現(xiàn)在一片漆黑、陰森恐怖。善良的守塔人能幫男孩找到他的朋友嗎？

守塔人立刻把這個男孩領(lǐng)進燈塔，用一塊毯子裹住他，接著他轉(zhuǎn)身穿上自己的外套，好保護自己不受夜晚寒氣的侵襲。然后他伸手從樓梯與塔門之間的鉤子上取下了那盞小油燈。在仔細確認燈芯被油浸濕、油燈盛滿了燈油之后，守塔人點亮了油燈，并低聲說道：“今晚要點得亮亮的，忠實的老伙計。我不能帶著燈塔去。它要在這里發(fā)揮它的作用，而你生來就適合這樣的時刻?，F(xiàn)在正是我最需要你的時候！”

在那一瞬間，油燈所有的疑慮都被喜悅?cè)〈?，因為它知道有件事只有它才能做。整整一夜，穿過荊棘與灌木叢，油燈比以往任何時候都燃得更亮、更穩(wěn)。它必須這樣，因為守塔人指望著它。最后，那個走丟的男孩被找到了，并被安全地帶回?zé)羲?，帶到了他的朋友身邊?/p>

油燈再也沒有懷疑過自己的地位和作用。那天晚上它學(xué)到了十分重要的一課：做自己它才最快樂、最有用。

1.stately [?ste?tli] adj. 壯觀的，宏偉的

2.shimmer [???m?（r）] vi. 發(fā)微光；閃爍

3.outshine [?a?t??a?n] vt. 比……更亮

4.fall short： 不符合，未達要求

5.magnify [?m?ɡn?fa?] vt. 放大；擴大

6.sandy turf： 覆沙草地

7.foreboding [f???b??d??] adj. 預(yù)示有災(zāi)禍的

8.bundle [?b?ndl] vt. 匆忙地把……推至（某處）

9.wick [w?k] n. 燈芯

10.tank [t??k] n. （盛放氣體或液體的）罐；槽

11.bramble [?br?mbl] n. 有刺灌木