第四名
姓  名 林鈺豈 學  校 私立竹林高級中學 年  級 一年智班

得獎感言

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. My name’s Tommy and I feel it a great honor to be invited to attend the awards ceremony of this book report contest and make this speech to you all today. First, I would like to thank Bookman for upholding this competition all these years. Reading novels has always been one of my favorite hobbies, and it is truly my pleasure to write a book report on the book I find the most inspiring to me, The Alchemist, and share it with you all. Hereby, I gladly take up this mantle of glory of the fourth place.

There are plenty who have helped me along my path, and I would give credit to them with deep gratitude now. First off would be my parents. They are the ones who enlightened me and led me to the world of English by reading stories to me every night before I went to bed. Also, there are times when I want to quit learning English, but they are always behind me, giving me the shove I need to see through the bottle-neck. The second person I would like to thank is my English and homeroom teacher, Jimmy Lee. He has taught me a great many things, not only the skills of writing essays, but also the way of life. No matter what hardships, Jimmy is always there like a lighthouse, guiding my way through the storm. Without these wonderful people, I can never become the being I come to be today.

This contest has shown me a lot, indicating that I am good but not great yet. Stay hungry, stay foolish as I say so to myself. I still have much room to improve and thus I will not be content until I achieve my goal of mastering the art of essay writing. Thank you for your time and, beware, I will be back next year!

 

 

The Alchemist: A Journey of Life and Dream

As I flipped over the cover of The Alchemist, I was looking forward to adventuring into a mystical world full of magic and action. However, what I first got was abstruse philosophy which seemed far beyond me. As I was about to stick it back onto the shelf, a bookmark slipped out from the pages. It read, “Do you dare to walk the path of success? Why not let this book guide your way?” These words caught my full attention. I then opened the book again and I was instantly whipped into another different dimension full of exotic flavors and boundless optimism. The main idea of the book The Alchemist is purely simple−anything is possible as long as you want it to happen. This may seem too simplistic and vague at first glance, yet when you chew the book over and digest it, you are sure to discover there isn’t much difference when compared with the book The Secret, which also emphasizes the significance and the power of believing, only The Alchemist craftily hides the idea in an enticing story. That must be why it appeals to both young and old around the world.

I often wonder if we all have a “destiny” arranged by the Almighty, for we are gifted the blessing of awareness, which we strive to follow and complete during this short period of time we are given. Since everyone has to start from a beginning, I believe God is fair. Some would go so far as to exhaust themselves, being torn apart both in soul and body, just to accomplish their goal, like the young shepherds boy, Santiago, in The Alchemist, who had a dream and had the courage to chase it. He gave up his only fortune−his herd of sheep just to embark on an Odyssey-like journey of self-recognition and gaining wisdom, while also searching for the treasure buried under the great pyramids of Egypt. In reality, we always have to make decisions somewhere in life, as Santiago did on his path to happiness, fulfillment, and the understanding of the reason for being in the world. In fact, life is filled with decisions to make. To taste the sweetness of success, one must sometimes sacrifice plenty.

The road to Heaven is never easy, and neither is the path to success. Rather, it is a battle one must face himself, which leads one towards a higher level of understanding himself. Of course, in the pain and the loneliness during the fight, there will be times when one will burn bright and shine, adding a glorious page to his life. This is where true hope lies and where true courage reveals. What about mortal barriers? They are the easiest to cross over. The real challenge comes from deep within us. The obstacle we set for ourselves is the one that is there only when we believe it is. Many people get overwhelmed by the barricade that doesn’t exist; hence, they abandon their dreams, giving up the most thrilling part of life.

Dreams, signs, symbols, and a series of adventure still echo in my head as I step on this fascinating expedition to seek out true acknowledgement of life with Santiago. In a gentle yet devastating way, Paul Coelho enlightens me on a whole new aspect of the pathway of life. Sometimes, the value of life is not judged by what you have achieved, but how you struggle to complete yourself. We may not be able to change where we start or even know what our destiny is, nevertheless, I believe we all have our own fate in our own hands. Also, just as Paul Coelho says, “Simple things are the most valuable and only the wise appreciate them.” We often view the philosophy of life so abstract that we do not realize that we are actually right living it. When we believe in ourselves, we are actually putting the most challenging yet simplest part of life into practice. That is why I come to believe there is a sign for me to follow−a little piece of paper that started me off on this quest for the meaning of life.