打开电视，一句简洁暖心的广告语便会扑面而来：“猴菇饼干——养胃。”我想套用一下，美其名曰：“中老年人学英语——养胃。”我们都知道，世界的本原是物质的也是精神的，是物质与精神、思维与存在的统一体。既然如此，则前者之“胃”就是属于身体机能的物质的胃，后者之“胃”应是反映在脑海里的精神的胃。要是这两个胃都能获得滋补，即物质与精神两方面都能富足，则这辈子算是没有白活了，不是吗？
十九世纪七十年代，马克思已经五十多岁了，他发现有必要研究当时的俄国形势，于是便学习起俄语来。六个月后，他就能用俄语自如地阅读报刊杂志了。（In the1870's,when Marx was already in his fifties ,he found it important to study the situation in Russia, so he began to learn Russian.At the end of six months he had learned enough to read articles and reports in Russian.）或许有人会说，马克思是伟人是导师，我们普通人没法比；再说，那也是迫于形势的需要而为之的。不错，但是从丰富精神世界的客观需求出发，为了充实我们的心灵之胃，提高自身的生活品味，打造不一样的自我，我认为有必要去学习英语。况且英语是全球通用语言，说不定学好了还能多交几个国际友人呢。
我之所以过了不惑之年还能对英语情有独钟，这要归因于前几年参加汉语言文学专业自考的需要，而报名自考的缘起来源于做一名全方位称职的小学晚辅导老师的刚性要求。在辅导班负责人“改朝换代”之后，新来的主任对我们要求非常严格，她说，“'物竞天择，适者生存'，要想在辅导班待下去，必须语数外全能。”于是，我重新捡起早已荒废的英语，利用三个月时间进行突破，最终大功告成，从此一发而不可收拾，对英语学习的热情居高不下。通过不懈地学习，我发现好处多多，受益匪浅。
01（丰富语言词汇）
我们写文章或与他人交流时，往往会感到力不从心、理屈词穷。究其原因，词语不足，词汇贫瘠为主要因素。试看那些吞云吐雾、滔滔不绝的演说家，哪一个不是妙语连珠、词汇丰富之人？再看那些文章大家，又哪一位不是对词语信手拈来恰似有呼风唤雨之能耐？那他们是如何炼成的呢？在我看来，一句话：学而得之。
我发现，很多英语单词的中文解释，实际上就是近义词或同义词的“集体亮相”，学会了一个英文单词，就能掌握好几个汉语意思相近或相同的词，则何乐而不为呢？就拿词语“例如”（example）来说，字典的解释为“n.例子；实例；榜样；范例；”几乎将该词语的中文意思相似、相近或相同的词和盘托出，一网打尽。再如“handsome”一词，该词在字典里是这样解释的，“adj.英俊的；漂亮的；有魅力的；健美的；”你看，要是将这个词把握了，我们在赞美他人的时候，是不是多了几个选项？像这样的词语，在英文单词里可谓比比皆是，数不胜数。学一个英文词却能换来数倍的汉语词，这不是赚了吗？长此以往，岂不是盆满钵满？
02（助力文章生辉）
看名家的文章，或者欣赏名人的演讲，其中旁征博引的名言警句如夜晚缀在天上的星星，散落草原的甘泉，耀眼而怡人：有的恰到好处，一针见血；有的锦上添花，文采斐然；有的排山倒海，气贯如虹；有的婀娜多姿，飘飘欲仙……
掌握丰富多彩的汉语名言、俗语、警句是必要的，如果再能学点英语格言、俚语、谚语，岂不是流光溢彩，更显博闻强识？且看:
1、If you are doing your best,you won't have to worry about failure.（如果你竭尽全力，你就不用担心失败。）
2、Energy and persistence conquer all things.（能量和坚持可以征服一切事情。）
3、Everything will chang .The only question is growing up or decaying.（每件事都会变，问题在于前进还是后退。）
4、Bravery never goes out of fashion.（勇敢永远不过时。）
5、The art of writing is the art of discovering what you believe. Gustave Flaubert（写作的艺术，就是发现你到底相信什么的艺术。——居斯塔夫·福楼拜）
6、Our fatigue is often caused not by work ,but by worry ，frustration and resentment. Dale Camegie（我们的疲劳往往不是由于工作引起，而是由于烦恼、挫折和不满。——戴尔·卡耐基）
7、Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's greed. Mahatma Gandhi（地球能满足人类的需求，但是满足不了人类的贪婪。——莫罕达斯·甘地）
8、Loyal customers,they don't just come back,they don't simply recommend you,they insist that their friends do business with you. Chip Bell（忠实的顾客不只是会回来，不只是会简单地推荐你，他们会坚持让朋友来跟你做生意。——奇善·贝尔）
9、Only I can chang my life.No one can do it for me. Carol Burnett（只有我能改变我的生命，没有人可以替我改变。——卡罗·贝奈特）
10、Every mountain is unclimbable until someone climbs it. So every ship is unsinkable until it sinks.（没有翻不了的山，也没有沉不了的船。）
11、We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master. Ernest Hemingway（在生活的道路上，我们都是学徒，没有人能够成为大师。——欧内斯特·海明威）
12、Education begins the gentleman,but reading ,good company and reflection must finish him. John Locke（人的教养始于教育，而成于阅读、好伴侣和反思。——约翰·洛克）
13、Silence is the sleep that nourishes wisdom. Francis Bacon（沉默是积蓄能量的睡眠。——弗朗西斯·培根）
14、Work banishes those three great evils:boredom,vice and poverty. Voltaire（工作撵跑了三个魔鬼：无聊、堕落和贫穷。——伏尔泰）
15、Life is easy to chronicle,but bewidering to practice. E·M·Forster（记录生活所发生的事情是容易的，但是该怎样生活却使人感到惶惑。——E·M福斯特）
16、Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go, T·S·Eliot（只有那些敢于大步向前的人，才知道自己能走多远。——艾略特）
17、Books are mirrors:you only see in them what you already have inside you. Carlos Ruiz Zafon（书是一面镜子，你只能看见你内心已经有的东西。——卡洛斯·路易斯·萨丰）
18、Either I will find a way,or I will make one, Philip Sidney（要么找到一条路，要么走出一条路。——菲利普·西德尼）
19、Life can only be understood backwards;but it must be lived forwards. Soren Kierkegaarl（生活只能是后知后觉，但却必须勇往直前。——索尼·克尔凯戈尔）
20、No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. Eleanor Roosevelt（未经你同意，没有人能令你感到低人一等。——埃莉诺·罗斯福）
21、Shallow men believe in luck.Strong men believe in cause and effect. Ralph Waldo Emerson（浅薄者相信运气；有能力的人相信因果。——拉尔夫·沃尔多·爱默生）
22、You never know what worse luck your bad luck has saved you from . Coemac McCarthy（你永远不知道，坏运气把你从怎样的更坏处境中解救出来。——科马尔·麦卡锡）
23、Hold fast to dreams,For if dreams die,life is a broken-winged bird,That cannot fly. Langston Haughes（要坚持梦想，因为梦想一旦消失，生命就像折翼的鸟，不能再飞了。——兰斯顿·休斯）
24、Some people who are not geniuses,but have an abliity to stimulate it in others.（有些人本身不是天才，却有激发别人天才的力量。）
25、Whatever the mind can conceive and belive,it can achieve. Napoleon Hill（只要你想得到，只要你相信，一切皆可实现。——拿破仑·希尔）
26、Adventury may hurt you but monotony will kill you.（也许冒险会让你受伤，但一成不变会使你灭亡。）
27、Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant. Robert Louis Stevenson（不要用收获来判断每一天，而是看你每天播种了多少。——罗伯特·路易斯·史蒂文森）
28、God gives the nuts,but he doesn't crack them. Franz Kafka（上帝给我们坚果，但不会为我们敲开外壳。——弗兰克·卡夫卡）
29、Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion.（世上任何卓越的成就都缺不了热情。——黑格尔）
30、If we do what is necessary ,all the odds are in our favor. Henry·A·Kissinger（如果我们做该做的事情，所有的胜算都会高一点。——亨利·基辛格）
……
这样的“警世通言”、“喻世明言”、“醒世通言”实在太多了，如同一串串缀满玛瑙的山楂果让人开胃，闪耀着哲理的光辉，读来意味无穷，要是在文章中引用一二，岂不是美不胜收？
03（领略国外智慧）
有这样一个故事，说所罗门国王为了判别婴儿的真正母亲，他将计就计，要把两个婴儿中活着的一个用刀"割开"，以便成全她们。结果死去婴儿的母亲欢呼雀跃，幸灾乐祸，而活着的婴儿母亲痛苦万状，声泪俱下，她称宁愿不要孩子，也不愿杀了他。于是所罗门一声令下，要求把孩子还给伤心欲绝的母亲。原文如下：
King Solomon And The Women
Thounds of years ago,there was a very wise king called Solomon.He was a king of the Jews.We find many stories about him in the Bible.Here is one of them showing how wise he was.
Once there were two women in the same house,and they each had a baby.One night,one of the babies died,and its mother took the other woman's child,and put it in her own bed instead.
The next morning they had a quarrel.
"No,this is my child.The dead one is yours,"said one.
"No,the dead one is yours.This child is mine,"said the other.
Each one wanted the living baby,but no one could tell to whom it belonged.So they went to see King Solomon.
Hearing their story,King Solomon said,"Bring me a knife.Cut the child in two,and give each woman one half."
"That's quite fair,oh wise King!"said the dead baby's mother.
"Give her my child.Let it be hers,but don't kill the child,oh King!"cried the other woman in tears.
Then, pointing to the woman in tears,King Solomon said,"Give the child to her,for she is the mother."
生活中考验我们智慧的例子很多，要是我们能够广闻博览，多加留意，认真梳理，悉心思考，那么即使出现突发情况，我们也不会束手无策，无计可施，而是蓄积待发，喷薄而出，快速应对。
04（感受异国斗志）
人生不可能一帆风顺，难免会遇到各种各样的挫折与挑战。在困难面前，我们是偃旗息鼓，一蹶不振，还是振奋精神，迎难而上？历史是一面镜子，大家还记得春秋时期越王勾践的故事吧，他为了东山再起，战胜强大的吴国，长年累月卧薪尝胆，矢志不渝一雪前耻。结果，历尽千辛万苦，终于反败为胜。
无独有偶。在苏格兰广为流传着这样的故事，说国王在抗击英格兰国王入侵时，前六次都以失败而告终，于是他感到很迷茫很无助甚至很绝望，便无奈地归隐山林。一天，他身心俱疲地躺在地上胡思乱想，忽然被房梁上的一只蜘蛛吸引了。这只蜘蛛正在织网，想把丝由房梁的这边绕道那边去，以便结成一张细致缜密的网。她尝试了六次都失败了。就在国王以为这只蜘蛛会像他一样选择放弃时，他被眼前的一幕惊呆了。这只蜘蛛并没有灰心丧气，而是继续勇敢地接受挑战，最终胜利了。在小小蜘蛛的精神感染下，苏格兰国王布鲁斯砥砺自己、鞭策自己，召集士兵，精心谋划，发动第七次进攻，终于打败了不可一世的英格兰国王，将其驱逐出境。故事原文如下：
Bruce And The Spider
There was once a king of Scotland whose name was Robert Bruce.
The king of England was at war with him and led a great army into Skotland to conquer the land and the people.
Bruce fought the enemy most bravely.Six times he led his brave little army against his enemy;and six times his men were beaten.At last he was forced to hide himself in the mountains.
One day,felling tired and sick at heart,he lay on the ground under a farmhouse.He was ready to give up all hope for it seemed to him that it was no use fighting any longer.
As he lay thinking,he saw a spider over his head,getting ready to weave her web.He watched her as she worked slowly and with great care.Six times she tried to throw her thread from one beam to another,and six times she failed.
"Poor thing!"said Bruce."You, too know what it is to fail."
But the spider did not lose hope.With still more care,she made ready to try for the seventh time.Bruce almost forgot his own troubles as he watched her struggling with the thin thread.Would she fail again? No! The thread was carried safely to the beam.
"I, too, will try a seventh time!"cried Bruce.
Inspired by the spirit of the spider,Bruce called his men together and made careful plans.Soon another battle was fought.This time the king of England was beaten and driven out of Scotland.
办法总比困难多，只要我们敢于并善于面对，就像勾践与布鲁斯那样，“胜不骄，败不馁”，那么一切貌似不可战胜的敌人或困境又能算得了什么呢？
05（体验数字魅力）
数字和文字一样，无处不在，要是能得到巧用并活用的话，会起到意想不到的效果。有一则故事，就讲了妙用数字“1”带来的拨开云雾，豁然开朗的奇效，从而化解了恩怨，增进了情意。请看下文：
Once upon a time there was an old man who had three sons.Calling them together,he said,"Sons,my end is near.To my oldest son I shall give half my camels,to my second one-third,and to my youngest one-ninth."The next day he died.
Now, the old man had seventeen camels,and the three brothers were puzzled to know how to share them as their father said.They thought a long time about the problem and it seemed that they must either kill some of the camels and cut them into pieces,or disobey their father.At last they went to an old friend of their father's and asked his advice. as soon as he heard their story he said,"I'll help you.I am old.I have only one camel,but take it.It's yours."
With many thanks the three sons took the old man's camel, finding that it was now easy to divide the camels as their father had wished.
The oldest took half, which was nine camels; the second took one-third,which was six;and the youngest took one-ninth,which was two.
Only when each received his share of camels did they discover that there was one camel to share.So,out of gratitude to their father's friend,they returned the camel.
该故事讲的是三兄弟如何按照老人生前的遗愿，将十七头骆驼分掉。原来父亲临终前叫来三个儿子，要求从大到小依次分得骆驼的1/2、1/3和1/9。他们绞尽了脑汁也没有找到适合的办法。无奈之下，兄弟三人去请父亲生前好友出面相助。在得知他们的来意后，父亲的老朋友毫不犹豫，他让兄弟三人将其唯一的一头骆驼牵过去，这样就可以如愿以偿了。果然，多了一头骆驼，问题便迎刃而解，老大：18×1/2=9（头），老二：18×1/3=6（头），老三：18×1/9=2（头）。三兄弟喜滋滋地分完后，竟然发现还有一头骆驼没有分，于是出于内心的感激之情，又把骆驼还给了父亲的朋友。
数字充满奇幻，活学活用有时能起到蜻蜓点水―意想不到的效果。而流传在中外民间的有关数字的故事或者传说不仅精彩纷呈，还有助于我们燃起智慧的火花，去解决生活中棘手的问题。
06（激起生活趣味）
大自然充满着无尽的乐趣。我们生活的星球就是人类与自然的浑然一体。自然界无奇不有，动物、植物、微生物应有尽有。这些人类的朋友不仅是我们的衣食父母，还是我们的良朋好友。仔细观察，细心体会，你会发现，它们带来的是数不尽的情趣，道不尽的故事。在下面这则观察笔记中，我们能感受到蚂蚁们的可爱与可贵之处。
Good "Neighbors"
There is a family of ants that lives below a tree in front of our house, but I don't know when they got there.
They work hard all day long repairing and cleaning their nest and looking for food.There's not a lazy one among them.They are very friendly toward one anothr and greet each other with their feels when they meet.I like them very much and go to see them every day.
One day I went to see the ants just before a big rain.They were busy carrying earth in their mouths to stop up the entrance of the nest.Just then the rain came pouring down.I ran back into the house.As I watched from the window I thought,"What a pity, the ants will surely be drowned."
As soon as the rain stopped I went out to see the ants.They were alive and as happy as ever.The mud at the entrance to the nest had kept the rain out and they were already busy moving it away.
It was late.The people who had been outside enjoying the cool air had already gone home.I thouht that the ants would be tired from their day-long work and would go to bed too.But when I shined my flashlight on their nest, they were still working silently. What good,hard-woking neighbors they are!
通过上述观察笔记的阅读，我们能感受到蚂蚁群体的团结、友爱与协作精神，以及勤勉、勇敢和坚毅的品格，更会被作者的人文关怀、好奇心以及强大的观察力所震撼。是啊，大自然赋予万千生命，这些小小的生命在面对灾难、困难或者苦难时所表现出来的勇气、果敢和顽强的生存意志不能不令我们人类心悦诚服。
当然，学习英语所带来的好处远远不止这些，如果我们能够持续深入下去，那么我们对国际政治、经济、文化等诸领域的了解是不是可以第一时间获取呢？先人一步，先睹为快的感觉保准让你兴奋异常，乐不思蜀。
但是，上了年纪如何学习英语呢？在我看来要做到这几点应该是不成问题的。
1、每天抽一两个小时来学习。“时间就像海绵里的水，只要愿挤总是有的。”我每天都会提前上班，对照手机里的《必应词典》兴致勃勃地学起来。
2、兴趣是最好的催化剂。有兴趣就有动力和活力，就能保持经久不衰的热情。
3、循环学习有助于我们加深印象，过目不忘。孔子云，“学而时习之，不亦乐乎？”鲁迅先生曾对人说过，“每天不要放弃对外语的学习。掌握一门语言，光靠单词和语法规则是不够的，必须进行大量的阅读。拿到一本书，要强迫自己读进去。与此同时，一边查字典，一边学语法。一本书看完后，不可能全部理解透彻，或许只懂得皮毛。不过，这不要紧，暂且将其置于一边，再接着另一本。几个月或者半年后，再把第一本书拿过来读一遍，你会发现比以前理解得更加深入了。”他还说，每天学一点，并养成良好的阅读习惯，那么，四五年内，用外语阅读作品将易如反掌。
好了，啰啰嗦嗦讲了一大堆，可能还是没有把学英语的好处以及怎么学讲清楚，正如有句古话说的好，“只可意会，不可言传。”倘若我们钻进去，则其中的奥妙只有自己去慢慢品尝与享受。
学英语，养胃。中老年朋友，你们是不是赶紧行动起来呢？