With my little hands curled around my number-two pencil, I proudly wrote my alphabet with both my left and right hands. My preschool teacher instructed me, "Lauren, you must choose one hand to write with like your other classmates." An only child and independent by nature, I could not fathom why my teacher insisted that I be uniform. To me, my hands presented a unique talent that should be put to use. Still, not being a rebellious child, I complied and began to debate between my two choices, right or left hand.

Following my strong desire for uniqueness, and disallowed from choosing to be ambidextrous, I chose to write with my left hand. I viewed my choice as a new start and an identity distinct from my peers. Already, my creative nature began to show, and I sought to use different tools to attempt something creative and distinct. Soon I discovered that while left-handedness was not original to me, my thought process and creative thinking were. The hands I so proudly saw as different became my tools to build true innovation.

From a young age, I could not deny my passion to create. My hands used a dull plastic needle to sew bizarre ensembles for my dolls. I cut and sculpted their hair to craft new identities that matched the unique personalities I envisioned for each doll. I also began to create an identity for myself, as I released the tight grasp on my mother’s hand the first day of kindergarten. My hands traveled with me through elementary school, locking with my friend’s hand as we ran through the playground, doodling on my spiral binder as my imagination wandered, and hesitantly lifting to answer a question in class.

In middle school, my hands rummaged through my closet daily to find an outfit to wear to school. I carefully selected a well thought-out outfit, knowing it represented a fashion statement, yet still walked self-consciously past my critical peers. Nightly, I scribbled down my thoughts and dreams in a journal covered by a decoupage of fashion magazine pictures. The content of the entries varied daily, from describing a new crush to my inconsistent feelings towards my classmates to the newest band I had discovered. Through it all, my dream of a future in fashion design remained constant.

Years later, I grabbed onto the doors of my new high school, which lacked any familiar faces and represented the beginning of yet another journey. During this excursion, I confidently began to define myself through different facets, most notably through the art I created with my busy hands. My hands developed the technique to transfuse my emotions into my art. My hands guided me through my academic classes, typing papers on the computer, writing out algebra formulas, and firmly raising themselves so that I could contribute to class discussions. Outside of the classroom, my hands embraced the sharp, silver needle and thread to create the usable art of clothing. The originality of each outfit I fabricate provides an immense pride whenever worn. Through my art I succeed in expressing what words cannot articulate.

Just as I wanted to be unique when I chose to write with my left hand, I will base future decisions on the same principle. Now, my hands approach the moment they will receive my hard-earned diploma as I walk confidently across the stage in front of my classmates. Picturing my graduation, I cannot help but gaze further into the future. With excitement, I envision myself not building a new life but adding on to what I have constructed thus far. These persistent and hard-working hands contain endless potential to become those of a sewing, sketching, tailoring, and ground-breaking fashion designer. Through fashion, I will have the power to create art to be worn. To prepare for my future, I intend to maintain active hands by drawing, painting, and writing in an institution that cultivates my academic and artistic pursuits. Next year, as I embark on the next stage of my life, I foresee my personal and intellectual development, as I now hold my number-two pencil in anticipation of my future at the university level.

點(diǎn)評(píng)：
    
這是一篇非常有趣的描寫個(gè)人成長(zhǎng)經(jīng)歷的文章，雖然文章沒有過多華麗的詞藻，但卻給人一種渾然天成的感覺，樸實(shí)、摯誠(chéng)、純真是這篇文章的主色調(diào)。作者按照個(gè)人的成長(zhǎng)經(jīng)歷把文章分成了五個(gè)部分，分別是“幼兒園的我”，“小學(xué)時(shí)的我”，“初中時(shí)的我”，“高中時(shí)的我”還有“大學(xué)時(shí)的我”，這條明線把整篇文章貫穿起來，結(jié)構(gòu)非常的清晰。文章中的一條暗線，也就是作者對(duì)雙手的描寫和刻畫，也從側(cè)面烘托出文章的脈絡(luò)。“幼兒園的我”已經(jīng)有一種追求與眾不同的想法了，所以當(dāng)同齡人都用右手寫字的時(shí)候，我選擇的是左手；“小學(xué)時(shí)的我”會(huì)用我那細(xì)小的雙手幫家里的洋娃娃縫衣服和打造發(fā)型；“初中時(shí)的我”開始注重自己的衣著打扮，然后自己試著去闡釋何為時(shí)尚，所以每晚我都會(huì)寫下自己對(duì)當(dāng)今時(shí)尚的理解；“高中時(shí)的我”當(dāng)別的同學(xué)都在穿名牌衣服的時(shí)候，自己就嘗試著設(shè)計(jì)具有自己風(fēng)格的服裝，并以此為榮。“大學(xué)時(shí)的我”是對(duì)我未來大學(xué)生活的憧憬，并表達(dá)了我想繼續(xù)我的設(shè)計(jì)之路的夢(mèng)想，這里也是文章感情升華的地方。

這是一篇申請(qǐng)本科設(shè)計(jì)類專業(yè)的文書，很明顯這篇文章并沒有描述作者的相關(guān)的學(xué)術(shù)背景，而是比較注重作者對(duì)于服裝設(shè)計(jì)的熱愛還有自己追求獨(dú)特和創(chuàng)新的個(gè)性特征。這恰好也是本科申請(qǐng)所要求的，對(duì)于高中畢業(yè)的學(xué)生，缺乏的是相關(guān)的工作背景或?qū)W術(shù)背景，這些背景對(duì)于申請(qǐng)并不是必要的，而學(xué)校更多的是注重學(xué)生學(xué)習(xí)的潛力，而潛力的塑造可以通過對(duì)你的一些軟性條件來傳遞，例如文中的是申請(qǐng)?jiān)O(shè)計(jì)類的，那么就應(yīng)以塑造一個(gè)創(chuàng)新的，獨(dú)特的申請(qǐng)人形象?？偟膩碚f，這篇是一篇不錯(cuò)的文書，結(jié)構(gòu)清晰、形象鮮明、目的明確。

譯文：

藝術(shù)家的手

我的兩只小手在一支2B鉛筆上纏繞著，我自豪地用我的左右手在字母表上寫著字。幼兒園的老師曾對(duì)我說過：“羅紋，你得像其他同學(xué)那樣用一只手寫字?！弊鳛榧依锏莫?dú)生子女而且天生的無拘無束，我真的搞不懂為什么老師總是堅(jiān)持著要我和別人一樣。對(duì)我來說，我的手是獨(dú)一無二的，并且這個(gè)獨(dú)特之處應(yīng)該加以利用。但是為了不成為一個(gè)叛逆的小孩，我妥協(xié)了并在思維斗爭(zhēng)中掙扎著，是用左手，還是右手呢？

為了追求獨(dú)特和別人對(duì)我同時(shí)使用兩只手寫字的不允許，我決定選擇用左手寫字。我將它視為是一個(gè)新的開始和可以讓我區(qū)別于同齡人的獨(dú)特之處。不久之后，我的創(chuàng)作天分就充分地展現(xiàn)出來了并且我也嘗試著使用不同的工具去創(chuàng)作一些與眾不同的東西。但不久我發(fā)現(xiàn)雖然左撇子這個(gè)觀念并不是源自于我，但我的思維過程還有創(chuàng)新的思想是。我自以為是與眾不同的雙手變成了我創(chuàng)新的工具。

小時(shí)候我就表現(xiàn)出濃厚的創(chuàng)作熱情。我會(huì)為我的洋娃娃縫一些比較奇特的服裝還有幫它們打造發(fā)型以匹配我幻想它們會(huì)成為的角色。同樣當(dāng)我第一次上幼兒園放開媽媽的手的時(shí)候，我也為我自己塑造了一個(gè)角色。我的雙手陪我一起度過了我的小學(xué)時(shí)代，當(dāng)時(shí)的我和朋友手拉手跑去操場(chǎng)，我在我的螺旋畫板上任意地涂畫著，然后舉起來嘗試像老師那樣解答課題。

初中的時(shí)候，我每天都要在衣櫥里找衣服穿，每次我都會(huì)很細(xì)心地挑選一套衣服因?yàn)槲抑酪轮虬绱砹宋业钠肺?，這樣即使我走在我那些挑剔的同齡人面前我也能表現(xiàn)得非常有自信。每天晚上我都會(huì)把我對(duì)一些服裝雜志的感覺還有我對(duì)未來服裝潮流的遐想都寫下來。每天我寫的內(nèi)容都不一樣，從描述一種新的穿著潮流到我對(duì)同學(xué)們對(duì)新的服裝牌子喜愛的看法。這一切都使我堅(jiān)信自己會(huì)在服裝設(shè)計(jì)的道路上一直走下去。

幾年之后，我去了一所全新的高中，那里沒有我熟悉的面孔，這就代表著這將是一個(gè)全新的旅程。在高中的幾年里，我曾自信地通過各方各面來表現(xiàn)自己，但通常我都會(huì)通過我那忙碌的雙手來表現(xiàn)。是我的雙手把我的思緒注入到我的作品里面。我的手幫我完成了我的學(xué)業(yè)，幫我在鍵盤上寫論文，在紙上寫數(shù)學(xué)公式，甚至是課堂上舉手來讓我回答問題。在課堂外，我的手拿著鋒利的銀針還有線在編織著我的服裝作品。當(dāng)我的作品被穿出來的時(shí)候，這些衣服的原創(chuàng)性都無一不讓我感到自豪。通過我的藝術(shù)作品，我成功地做到了讓服裝展現(xiàn)無法用言語來表達(dá)的內(nèi)容。

就像以前我用左手寫字來展現(xiàn)我獨(dú)特之處一樣，以后在我的服裝設(shè)計(jì)道路之上也會(huì)堅(jiān)持我這個(gè)原則－盡顯獨(dú)特之處?，F(xiàn)在，當(dāng)我自信地從同學(xué)們面前走過的時(shí)候，我的手一步步地從老師的手里接過我用汗水換來的畢業(yè)文憑。面臨著畢業(yè)，我唯有展望未來。未來我想要的并不是一個(gè)全新的生活而是過好我為自己設(shè)計(jì)的每一天。這雙堅(jiān)持不懈的勤勞的雙手內(nèi)含無限的潛力，這是成為一名能縫紉、畫圖、裁縫和帶領(lǐng)潮流的出色的設(shè)計(jì)師的潛力??！通過時(shí)尚我有能力使人們所穿的變成藝術(shù)。為我的未來做準(zhǔn)備，我打算進(jìn)入一間大學(xué)的藝術(shù)學(xué)院來繼續(xù)我對(duì)服裝設(shè)計(jì)的追求，在那里我可以通過畫畫、著色還有寫作來繼續(xù)我的設(shè)計(jì)之夢(mèng)。下一年，當(dāng)我開始人生另一階段的旅程時(shí)，我會(huì)展望將來我的個(gè)人水平和學(xué)術(shù)水平的提高，就像我現(xiàn)在拿起我的2B鉛筆描繪我大學(xué)的藍(lán)圖一樣。