2016年12月英语四级作文经典参考范文(5)

英语自学网

　　5.Wisdom Of The Owl
　　For as long as humankind has recognized animals as teachers, wise men and
women have recognized traits worthy of respect in both wild and domestic
creatures. The cultural and spiritual significance of certain animals transcends
geographical boundaries, unifying disparate peoples. Not so the majestic and
mysterious owl, which has over many millennia served as the focal point of
numerous contradictory beliefs. Though owls have been regarded with awe and
fascination, they have also inadvertently served as agents of fear. Since owls
are nocturnal, human-owl encounters tended to occur at night and likely when the
bird was swooping silently down to earth to grapple with prey. Yet even as some
shied away from the owl, calling it an agent of darkness, others recognized the
depths of awareness in beautiful owleyes.
　　In the classical Greek tradition, an owl could often be found perched on
the shoulder of Athena, goddess of wisdom, while owls could ward off bad luck in
Roman lore. It is in Native American mythos, however, that the owl attains its
own unique identity. Owls are patient messengers, bringers of information and
the holders of wisdom, and they are capable of seeing the unseen. With their
keen eyesight, they can glance into the soul to discern meaning and motive, and
they are totems of truth. Unlike our distant forebears, we may never encounter
an owl in the wild, but we can nonetheless internalize the wisdom of the owl by
attuning ourselves to its most venerable qualities. Fully integrating the
medicine of the owl into spiritual existence is a matter of considering how we
might open ourselves more fully to the wisdom that can be found in the larger
universe.
　　Should you find your efforts blocked as you commune with the owl, remember
that it was not always revered as an icon of wisdom. This denizen of the
nighttime has overcome many prejudices in its long association with humankind.
To reveal those hidden elements of the self that impact your life for better or
for worse, you must often make your way through the darkest parts of your soul
as if you yourself are the nocturnal hunter. There is indeed darkness both
inside the self and outside the self, but like the owl you can transcend it by
drawing nourishment from the insights you receive when you penetrate it.
　　2016年12月英语四级作文经典参考范文10篇