经典英语美文三篇

英语作为学习生涯中必不可少的课程，想学好真的不容易。我在此献上英语美文，希望大家喜欢。

英语经典美文欣赏

一切刚开始 We're Just Beginning

"We are reading the first verse of the first chapter of a book whose pages are infinite…”

“我们正在读一本书的第一章第一行，这本书的页数是无限的……”

I do not know who wrote those words, but I have always liked them as a reminder that the future can be anything we want to make it. We can take the mysterious, hazy future and carve out of it anything that we can imagine, just as a sculptor carves a statue from a shapeless stone.

我不知道是谁写的，可我很喜欢这句话，它提醒我们未来是由自己创造的。我们可以把神秘、不可知的未来塑造成我们想象中的任何模样，犹如雕刻家将未成形的石头刻成雕像。

We are all in the position of the farmer. If we plant a good seed, we reap a good harvest. If our seed is poor and full of weeds, we reap a useless crop. If we plant nothing at all, we harvest nothing at all.

我们每个人都像是农夫。洒下良种将有丰收，播下劣种或生满野草便将毁去收成。没有耕耘则会一无所获。

I want the future to be better than the past. I don't want it contaminated by the mistakes and errors with which history is filled. We should all be concerned about the future because that is where we will spend the remainder of our lives.

我希望未来比过去更加美好，希望未来不会沾染历史的错误与过失。我们都应举目向前，因我们的余生要用未来书写。

The past is gone and static. Nothing we can do will change it. The future is before us and dynamic. Everything we do will affect it. Each day brings with it new frontiers, in our homes and in our business, if we only recognize them. We are just at the beginning of the progress in every field of human endeavor.

往昔已逝，静如止水;我们无法再作改变。而前方的未来正生机勃勃;我们所做的每一件事都将会影响着它。只要我们认识到这些，无论是在家中还是在工作上，每天我们的面前都会展现出新的天地。在人类致力开拓的每一片领域上，我们正站在进步的起跑点。

英语美文欣赏

别让这个时代越来越冷漠 Don’t Make the era More and More Indifferent

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings, but shorter tempers; wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints; we spend more, but have less; we buy more but enjoy less.

我们这个时代在历史上的说法就是我们拥有更高的建筑，但是有更暴的脾气;我们拥有更宽阔的高速公路，却有更狭隘的观点;我们花费得更多，拥有得却更少;我们购买得更多却享受得更少。

We have bigger houses and **aller families; more conveniences, but less time; we have more degrees, but less sense; more knowledge, but less judgment; more experts, but more problems; more medicine, but less wellness.

我们的房子越来越大，家庭却越来越小;便利越来越多，时间却越来越少;学位越来越多，感觉却越来越少;知识越来越多，观点却越来越少;专家越来越多，问题也越来越多;药物越来越多，健康却越来越少。

We drink too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry too quickly, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

我们喝得太多，花钱大手大脚，笑得太少，开车太快，易怒，熬夜，赖床，书读得越来越少，电视看得越来越多，却很少向上帝祈祷。

We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life; we’ve added years to life, not life to years.

我们常常夸夸其谈，却很少付出爱心，且常常心中充满了仇恨。我们学会了如何谋生，而不知如何生活。我们延长了生命的期限，而不是生活的期限。

We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor. We’ve conquered outer space, but not inner space; we’ve done larger things, but not better things.

我们登上了月球，并成功返回，却不能穿过街道去拜访新邻居。我们已经征服了太空，却征服不了自己的内心;我们的事业越做越大，但质量却没有提高。

We’ve cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul; we’ve split the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less; we plan more, but accomplish less.

我们清洁了空气，却污染了灵魂;我们分离了原子，却无法驱除我们的偏见;我们写得更多，学到的却更少;我们的计划更多，完成的却更少。

We’ve learned to rush, but not to wait; we have higher incomes, but, lower morals.

我们学会了奔跑，却忘记了如何等待;我们的收入越来越高，道德水平却越来越低。

We build more computers to hold more information to produce more copies than ever, but have less communication; we’ve become long on quantity, but short on quality.

我们制造了更多的计算机来存储更多的信息，制造了最多的副本，却减少了交流;我们开始渴望数量，但忽视了质量。

These are the days of two incomes, but more divorce; of fancier houses, but more broken homes.

这个时代有双收入，但也有了更高的离婚率;有更华丽的房屋，却有更多破碎的家庭。

These are the days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throw away morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. Where are we heading...?

这个时代有了快速旅游，免洗尿布，却抛弃了道德、***、超重的身体，以及可以从快乐中走向静止和**的药物。我们将走向何方……?

If we die tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of days. But the family we left behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives.

如果我们明天就死掉，我们为之工作的公司可能会在一天内很轻易地找人代替我们的位置。但是当我们离开家人后，他们的余生将会在失落中度过。

And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more into work than to our family an unwise investment indeed.

考虑一下吧，我们将自己的时间更多地投入到工作中，而放弃与家人在一起的时光，实在并非明智之举。

So what is the morale of the story?

那么这则故事的主旨是什么呢?

Don’t work too hard... and you know what’s the full word of family?

不要工作得太辛苦，你知道家的全称吗?

FAMILY = (F)ATHER (A)ND (M)OTHER, (I) (L)OVE (Y)OU.

家=爸爸妈妈，我爱你们。

英语经典美文欣赏

50%的希望 Fifty-percent Expectation

I believe in the "50-percent theory". Half the time things are better than normal; the other half, they are worse. I believe life is a pendulum swing. It takes time and experience to understand what normal is, and that gives me the perspective to deal with the surprises of the future.

我信奉“对半理论”。生活时而无比顺畅，时而倒霉透顶，好坏参半。我觉得生活就像来回晃动的钟摆。读懂生活的常态需要时间和阅历，也正是这样才练就了我面对未来荣辱不惊的生活态度。

Let's benchmark the parameters: Yes, I will die. I've dealt with the deaths of both parents, a best friend, a beloved boss and cherished pets. Some of these deaths have been violent, before my eyes, or slow and agonizing. Bad stuff, and it belongs at the bottom of the scale.

让我们掂量这些点点滴滴：是的，我注定会死去。我已经经历了双亲的仙逝，一位友人的亡故，一位敬爱的老板的离逝，还有心爱宠物的死亡。当中一些变故突如其来，直击眼前;有些却长期折磨，痛苦不堪。糟糕的事儿，它们驻留谷底。

Then there are those high points: romance and marriage to the right person; having a child and doing those Dad things like coaching my son's baseball team, paddling around the creek in the boat while he's swimming with the dogs, discovering his compassion so deep it manifests even in his kindness to snails, his imagination so vivid he builds a spaceship from a scattered pile of Legos.

当然生活也不乏熠熠光彩：坠入爱河缔结良缘;养育幼子身为人父，训练儿子的棒球队，当他和狗在水中嬉戏时，摇桨划船前瞻后顾，感受他如此强烈的同情心——即使对蜗牛也善待有加，发现他如此活跃的想像力——即使零散的积木也能堆出太空飞船。

But there is a vast meadow of life in the middle, where the bad and the good flip-flop acrobatically. This is what convinces me to believe in the 50-percent theory.

但在它们发生期间有一片宽广的草坪，在那儿上演的各种好事坏事像耍杂技一样地翻新。这就是让我信服对半理论的原因。

One spring I planted corn too early in a bottomland so flood-prone that neighbors laughed. I felt chagrined at the wasted effort. Summer turned brutal-- the worst heat wave and drought in my lifetime. The air-conditioner died,the well went dry, the marriage ended, the job lost, the money gone. I was living lyrics from a country tune -- music I loathed. Only a surging Kansas CityRoyals team, bound for their first World Series, buoyed my spirits.

有一年春天，我在一片容易被淹的低洼地过早种下了玉米，邻居们都为此嘲笑我。一番心血付之东流让我懊恼不已。接着我生命中最难熬的酷暑来临了--热浪袭人，酿至旱灾。空调失灵，水井枯竭，婚姻破裂，惨遭失业，积蓄挥空。我正经历某个乡村调频描绘的情节，我讨厌这种音乐。只有一支人气攀升的堪萨斯皇家棒球队的小组因他们的第一次出征世界大赛团结起来使我精神振奋。

Looking back on that horrible summer, I soon understood that all succeeding good things merely offset the bad. Worse than normal wouldn't last long. I am owed and savor the halcyon times. They reinvigorate me for the next nasty surprise and offer assurance that I can thrive. The 50 percent theory even helps me see hope beyond my Royals' recent slump, a field of struggling rookies sown so that some year soon we can reap an October harvest.

回想那个可怕的夏天，我不久就明白了所有的好事坏事不过是正负抵消。不顺心的境遇不会延宕过久。太平时光是我应得的，我要尽情享受。它们给我新的活力以应对突如其来的险境，并确保我再度辉煌。对半理论甚至帮我在我喜爱的皇家棒球队最近的低潮中看到希望——这是一块艰难行进的新手们耕耘的土地，播种了，假以时日我们就可以收获十月的金秋。

Oh, yeah, the corn crop? For that one blistering summer, the ground moisture was just right, planting early allowed pollination before heat,withered the tops, and the lack of rain spared the standing corn from floods. That winter my crib overflowed with corn -- fat, healthy three-to-a-stalk ears filled with kernels from heel to tip -- while my neighbors' fields yielded only brown, empty husks.

哦，对了，玉米收成?就那年炎热的夏天，庄稼地的湿度恰到好处，过早的种植使授粉避开酷热在顶梢干枯前完成，雨水稀少使地里长着的玉米免遭水灾。那年冬天，我的粮仓里堆满了玉米--饱满结实的玉米每株秆上结三个，每个玉米从底到顶端长满了玉米粒--而我的邻居们地里长出来的只是暗沉干瘪的壳。

Although plantings past may have fallen below the 50-percent expectation, and they probably will again in the future, I am still sustained by the crop that flourishes during the drought.

尽管过去播种的收获没有达到50%的期望，而且将来也可能是这样，我仍然要为经历旱季依然丰收的玉米而坚守阵地。

经典英语优美文章

学习英语可以是一个枯燥的过程，也可以是一个有趣的过程。我在此献上经典英语美文，希望对大家喜欢。

美文欣赏：我决定从此过上幸福的生活

It was many years ago. I was a young dad sitting on the couch reading a fairy tale to my little girl. She sat next to me with her head on my arm as I told the tale. When it came to the end I finished with those famous words: "And they lived happily ever after." As I looked over to her with her wavy, brown hair and big, innocent eyes I could see the **ile on her face and I never wanted it to end. It dawned on me then that the ending of the book was what I wanted for her. I wanted her to "live happily ever after."

很多年前我还是个年轻的爸爸，坐在沙发上给小女儿讲童话故事。她坐在我身边，头枕在我胳膊上听我讲故事。故事的最后我用那句经典的话作结束语：“从此他们过上了幸福的生活。”我看着她，她有着卷曲的棕色头发和大大的、天真的眼睛，我能从她的脸上看到微笑，我希望能永远这样看着她。那时我明白了故事的结尾也是我对她的期望，我希望她“从此过上幸福的生活。”

Still, deep in my heart I knew that this couldn't always be so. I knew that there would be times when her heart was broken. I knew there would be times when she cried in grief and I couldn't comfort her. I knew there would be times when all she felt was fear, sadness, sorrow, and despair. As I stroked her hair and **iled at her I hoped that those times would be brief and that she would have joy in her life more often than not. Living happily ever after, though, seemed out of the question.

然而内心深处我知道现实并非总能如我所愿。我知道有时她会伤心;我知道有时她会伤心地哭泣，而我却不能给她安慰;我知道有时她只会感到恐惧、伤心、懊悔和绝望。我抚摸着她的头发，对她微笑，我希望那些时刻都能很快过去，希望她的生活中更多的是快乐，然而，从此过上幸福生活似乎是不可能的。

It took me a lot of years to realize that it IS possible to live happily ever after. You just have to do it "one day at a time." Happiness you see isn't some reward that you get at the end of your journey. Happiness isn't something dependent on what life hands you. Happiness is something you create in your life choice by choice and day by day.

很多年以后我才意识到从此过上幸福生活是可以实现的。你只需要“认真过好每一天”。你看到的幸福并非你人生旅程最终的奖励，幸福不是取决于生活赐予你什么，而是你日复一日通过一个个选择在生活中创造出来的。

The truth is happiness comes when you love. Love is a gift from God. It is love that mends broken hearts. It is love that heals grief. It is love that gives us joy. Choose to "live happily ever after, one day at a time."

事实是幸福就是付出爱时的体验，爱是上帝恩赐的礼物。只有爱才能修复受伤的心灵;只有爱才能抚平伤痛;只有爱才能给我们带来快乐。选择“从此过上幸福的生活，过好每一天。”

美文欣赏：想逃离现在的生活追寻自由

Have you ever gone on vacation and said to yourself, “I could live here?” On a trip to Jamaica, Kalisa Martin entertained that idea —and actually went through with it.

你是否曾经旅行过并告诉你自己：“我能住在这里”?在去牙买加的一次旅途中，卡丽萨·马汀思考了这个想法——也事实上将它完成了。

It was during a lingering and nasty New York City winter in March 2014. Martin and her boyfriend Jeff Belizaire decided to escape the snow by taking a last-minute getaway to Jamaica.

那是在2014年三月纽约市一个漫长而恶劣的冬季期间。马汀和她的男朋友杰夫·贝利泽尔突发奇想决定马上跑去牙买加躲避雪天。

At the time, Martin had a dream job in the New York culinary world: brand director at Tasting Table, a digital destination for culinary enthusiasts. She also appeared on national television shows like Good Morning America.

在那时，马汀在纽约的烹饪界有着一份理想的工作：Tasting Table的品牌主理人，这是一家美食热爱者的线上聚集地。她同时也在国家电视节目如《早安美国》中出现过。

But there was something about that trip that spoke to Martin — profoundly.

但是，有关那趟旅程的什么东西深深地印在了马汀的内心。

“That long weekend, the idea of the BB concept came up and we thought, ‘Why not?’It could happen, and it could happen right here in Jamaica,”said 30-year-old Martin. “That was the first time we seriously considered the idea.”

“在那个漫长的周末里，“床加早餐”理念(一种旅店形式)的想法蹦了出来，我们想着‘为什么不呢?’那是有可能发生的，而且有可能就发生在这儿，在牙买加，”30岁的马汀说道。“那是我们第一次认真考虑这个想法。”

Within four months Martin had quit her job and was on her way to Jamaica with Belizaire to create The Runaway, a bed-and-breakfast that has grown into a lifestyle travel brand.

在四个月里，马汀辞了职，并和贝利泽尔踏上了去牙买加创造The Runaway的道路，一个有着“床加早餐”理念的想法开始成为一个生活方式旅游品牌。

“We ran away from the cold and the typical 9-5 to follow our dreams and create this new life,”says Martin.

“我们从寒冷与典型的朝九晚五中逃离出来追寻我们的梦，并创造了这个全新的生活，”马汀说。

And this isn’t your average bed-and-breakfast. The Runaway Jamaica is the first successfully funded BB on Kickstarter. Backers donated almost $47,000 to help bring the property to life.

这也并非只是典型的“床加早餐”。The Runaway Jamaica是第一家成功在Kickstarter上得到资助的“床加早餐”理念的品牌。支持者们捐献了将近47000美元来帮助它成为现实。

美文欣赏：这就是信仰的力量

As we slowly drove down the street on that cold December evening we spotted the porch light. "This must be the house." I told our "Positive Teens In Action" group. We pulled up in front of an older home with the porch light glowing. We gathered up our song books, walked up the steps, and knocked on the door. We heard a faint voice from inside say, “Come on in. The door is open." We opened the door.

在那个寒冷的12月份的夜晚我们开车在路上慢慢行驶时看到了门廊的灯光，我跟我们这个“积极行动的青年小队”说：“一定就是这家了。”我们把车停在一栋旧房子前，门廊灯光很亮。我们拿出歌集，走上台阶敲了敲门，听到里面传来一个虚弱的声音：“进来吧，门开着呢”，我们推开了门。

There in a rocking chair sat an elderly woman with a big **ile on her face. "I've been expecting you." she said weakly. Ruth was one of our Meals On Wheels stops I had arranged; along with the usual church members who enjoyed carolers. We handed Ruth the basket of goodies the teens had assembled earlier that evening. Then I asked Ruth what carols she would like to hear. Ruth's face was beaming as she joined in singing each song.

摇椅上坐着一位老太太，脸上带着灿烂的笑容，她虚弱地说：“我一直盼着你们来。”Ruth的家是我安排的上门送餐服务的一站，和我们一起来的还有喜欢唱圣歌的常去教堂的人。我们递给Ruth一篮子美味的食物，都是我们这些年轻人那天晚上提前装好的。然后我问Ruth她想听什么圣诞颂歌，她跟着唱每首歌时脸上都洋溢着笑容。

As we hugged Ruth good-bye she said to me with tears glistening in her eyes, “The day you called I was still in bed. I had just finished praying. I asked God if it would be possible to have some Christmas Carolers come to my home and sing this year. Thank you for being the answer to my Christmas prayer."

我们跟Ruth拥抱说再见时，她眼睛里闪着泪光对我说：“你打**那天我还躺在床上，刚刚做完祷告，我问上帝今年能否让唱圣诞颂歌的人来我家唱颂歌。感谢你使我梦想成真。”

Wow, what an awesome experience to have the opportunity to be the answer to someone's Christmas prayer.

哇哦，能使别人的祷告得以实现是多棒的一次经历呀。

Bible Text: When you pray, go to your room, close the door, and pray to your Father who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you. Matthew 6:6

《圣经》原文：祈祷时要去房间里，关上门向无形的上帝祈祷，上帝看见你在秘密祈祷，就会回报给你。马太福音6:6

简单英语美文

阅读教学在高中英语教学中占有极其重要的地位。高效的阅读教学是提升英语教学质量的关键。下面是我带来的简单经典英语美文，欢迎阅读!

简单经典英语美文篇一

Funny or not?

Whether we find a joke funny or not largely depends on where we have been brought up. The sense of humour is mysteriously bound up with national characteristics. A Frenchman, for instance, might find it hard to laugh at a Russian joke. In the same way, a Russian might fail to see anything amusing in a joke which would make an Englishman laugh to tears.

Most funny stories are based on comic situations. In spite of national differences, certain funny situations have a universal appeal. No matter where you live, you would find it difficult not to laugh at, say, Charlie Chaplin's early films. However, a new type of humour, which stems largely from America, has recently come into fashion. It is cal1ed' sick humour '. Comedians base their jokes on tragic situations like violent death or serious accidents. Many people find this sort of joke distasteful. The following example of 'sick humour' will enable you to judge for yourself.

A man who had broken his right leg was taken to hospital a few weeks before Christmas. From the moment he arrived there, he kept on pestering his doctor to tell him when he would be able to go home. He dreaded having to spend Christmas in hospital. Though the doctor did his best, the patient's recovery was slow. On Christmas day, the man still had his right leg in plaster. He spent

a miserable day in bed thinking of all the fun he was missing. The following day, however, the doctor consoled him by telling him that his chances of being able to leave hospital in time for New Year celebrations were good. The man took heart and, sure enough, on New Year's Eve he was able to hobble along to a party. To compensate for his unpleasant experiences in hospital, the man drank a little more than was good for him. In the process, he enjoyed himself thoroughly and kept telling everybody how much he hated hospitals. He was still mumbling something about hospitals at the end of the party when he slipped on a piece of ice and broke his left leg.

我们觉得一则笑话是否好笑，很大程度取决于我们是在哪儿长大的。幽默感与民族有着神秘莫测的联系。譬如，法国人听完一则俄国笑话可能很难发笑。同样的道理，一则可以令英国人笑出泪来的笑话，俄国人听了可能觉得没有什么可笑之处。

大部分令人发笑的 故事 都是根据喜剧情节编写的。尽管民族不同，有些滑稽的情节却能产生普遍的效果。比如说，不管你生活在哪里，你看查理.卓别林的早期电影很难不发笑。然而，近来一种新式幽默流行了起来，这种幽默主要来自美国。它被叫作“病态幽默”。喜剧演员根据悲剧情节诸如暴死，重大事故等来编造笑话。许多人认为这种笑话是低级庸俗的。下面是个“病态幽默”的实例，你可据此自己作出判断。

圣诞节 前几周，某人摔断了右腿被送进医院。从他进医院那一刻时，他就缠住医生，让医生告诉他什么时候能回家。他十分害怕在医院过圣诞。尽管医生竭力医治，但病人恢复缓慢。圣诞节那天，他的右腿还上着石膏，他在床上郁郁不乐地躺了一天，想着他错过的种种欢乐。然而，第二天，医生安慰他说，出院欢度新年的可能性还是很大的，那人听后振作了精神。果然， 除夕 时他可以一瘸一拐地去参加晚会了。为了补偿住院这一段不愉快的经历，那人喝得稍许多了一点。在晚会上他尽情娱乐，一再告诉大家他是多么讨厌医院。晚会结束时，他嘴里还在嘟哝着医院的事，突然踩到一块冰上滑倒了，摔断了左腿。

简单经典英语美文篇二

The death of a ghost

For years villagers believed that Endley farm was haunted. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bert Cox. They employed a few farm hands, but no one was willing to work there long. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find the work had been done overnight. Hay had been cut and cow sheds had been cleaned. A farm worker, who stayed up all night, claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the

moonlight. In time, it became an accepted fact that the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them.

No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen. This was indeed the case. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died. Everyone went to the funeral, for the 'ghost' was none other than Eric Cox, a third brother who was supposed to have died as a young man. After the funeral, Joe and Bert revealed

a secret which they had kept for over forty years. Eric had been the eldest son of the family. He had been obliged to join the army during the first World War. As he hated army life he decided to desert his regiment. When he learnt that he would be sent abroad, he returned to the farm and his farther hid him until the end of the war. Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bert. They did not even tell their wives. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse(隐遁者, 寂寞者). He used to sleep during the day and work at night, quite unaware of the fact that he had become the ghost of Endley. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.

多年来，村民们一直认为恩得利农场在闹鬼。恩得利农场属于乔.考科斯和鲍勃.考科斯兄弟俩所有。他们雇了几个农工，但谁也不愿意在那儿长期工作下去。每次雇工辞职后都叙述着同样的故事。雇工们说，常常一早起来发现有人在夜里把活干了，干草已切好，牛棚也打扫干净了。有一个彻夜未眠的雇工还声称他看见一个人影在月光下收割庄稼。随着时间的流逝，考科斯兄弟雇了一个尽心尽责的鬼，他们家的活大部分都让鬼给干了，这件事成了公认的事实。

谁也没想到农场竟会有一个从未露面的人。但事实上确有此人。不久之前，村民们惊悉恩得利农场的鬼死了。大家都去参加了葬礼，因为那“鬼”不是别人，正是农场主的兄弟埃里克.考科斯。人们以为埃里克年轻时就死了。葬礼之后，乔和鲍勃透露了他们保守了长达50多年的秘密。

埃里克是这家长子。年龄比他两个弟弟大很多，第二次世界大战期间被迫参军。他讨厌军旅生活，决定逃离所在部队。当他了解自己将被派遣 出国 时，他逃回农场，父亲把他藏了起来，直到战争结束。由于害怕当局，埃里克战后继续深藏不露。他的父亲告诉大家，埃里克在战争中被打死了。除此之外，只有乔与鲍知道这个秘密。但他俩连自己的妻子都没告诉。父亲死后，他们兄弟俩认为有责任继续把埃里克藏起来。这些年来，埃里克过着隐士生活，白天睡觉，夜里出来干活，一点不知道自己已成了恩得利家场的活鬼。他死后，他的弟弟们才觉得无法再保守这个秘密了。

简单经典英语美文篇三

The double life of Alfred Bloggs

These days, people who do manual work often receive far more money than clerks who work in offices. People who work in offices are frequently referred to as' white collar workers' for the simple reason that they usually wear a collar and tie to go to work. Such is human nature, that a great many people are often willing to sacrifice higher pay for the privilege of becoming white collar workers. This can give rise to curious situations, as it did in the case of Alfred Bloggs who worked as a dustman for the Elle**ere Corporation.

When he got married, Alf was too embarrassed to say anything to his wife about his job. He simply told her that he worked for the Corporation. Every morning, he left home dressed in a **art black suit. He then changed into overalls (n.工作服) and spent the next eight hours as a dustman. Before returning home at night, he took a shower and changed back into his suit. Alf did this for over two years and his fellow dustmen kept his secret. Alf's wife has never discovered that she married a dustman and she never will, for Alf has just found another job. He will soon be working in an office as a junior clerk. He will be earning only half as much as he used to, but he feels that his rise in status is well worth the loss of money. From now on, he will wear a suit all day and others will call him 'Mr. Bloggs', not 'Alf'.

如今，从事体力劳动的人的收入一般要比坐办公室的人高出许多。坐办公室的之所以常常被称作“白领工人”，就是因为他们通常是穿着硬领白衬衫，系着领带去上班。许多人常常情愿放弃较高的薪水以换取做白领工人的殊荣，此乃人之常情。而这常常会引起种种奇怪的现象，在埃尔斯米尔公司当清洁工的艾尔弗雷德.布洛斯就是一个例子。

艾尔弗结婚时，感到非常难为情，而没有将自己的职业告诉妻子。他只说在埃尔斯米尔公司上班。每天早晨，他穿上一身漂亮的黑色西装离家上班，然后换上工作服，当8个小时清洁工。晚上回家前，他洗个淋浴，重新换上那身黑色西服。两年多以来，艾尔弗一直这样，他的同事也为他保守秘密。艾尔弗的妻子一直不知道她嫁给了一个清洁工，而且她永远也不会知道了，因为艾尔弗已找到薪职，不久就要坐办公室里工作了。他将来挣的钱只有他现在的一半。不过他觉得，地位升高了，损失点儿钱也值得。从此，艾尔弗可以一天到晚穿西服了。别人将称呼他为“布洛格斯先生”，而不再叫他“艾尔弗”了。

英语经典美文欣赏 带翻译

学习英语可以是一个枯燥的过程，也可以是一个有趣的过程。我在此献上经典英语美文，希望对大家喜欢。

美文欣赏：没有通往幸福的路，幸福本身就是一条路

Too many people think of happiness as the ultimate goal of life. But, if you’re waiting for happiness to arrive then it’s likely that it never will!

有太多人把幸福当作人生的终极目标，但如果你只是等待幸福来敲门，幸福可能永远都不会到来!

You’re always wanting something more, always looking forward to a time when you’ll be “happy”. And, if you fall into this trap, you’ll never reach that goal. Happiness should not be your life’s goal, it should be your life! The only time to be happy is right now! It’s state of mind, not a set of accomplishments or the accumulation of material things. You must accept that life will always have challenges and things will not always go your way.

你总是期待得到更多，总是期待着你变“幸福”的那一刻。然而，如果你陷入这种思维陷阱，那你永远也达不到这个目的。幸福不该是生活的目标，它应该是生活本身!幸福唯一该存在的时刻，就是每时每刻的现在!它是一种心态，而不是一连串的成就，或者物质财富的积累。你必须要接受的是：生活中总会有挑战，事情不会总朝着你期望的方向发展。

Instead of feeling disappointed when things don’t work out the way you’d hoped, feel grateful for the experience. Instead of dreaming of a brighter, happier, richer tomorrow, make today as wonderful as you can.

事情的发展不如你所愿时不要沮丧，你要对拥有这次体验心存感激。不要幻想着明天会更美好、更幸福、更富有，要尽可能精彩地过好今天。

Happiness is a conscious decision and that I can make it right now. Thinking of the future and having aspirations is essential to leading a happy and fulfilled life. The trick is not to let thoughts of the future overshadow your enjoyment of the present and the appreciation of the things and people you have in your life right now!

幸福是我此刻就能做出的有意识的决定。思考未来、胸怀大志是幸福美满生活的基础，关键在于不要让对未来的思考掩盖当下的快乐和对现在生活中人和事的感激!

There is no way to happiness: happiness is the way!

没有通往幸福的路：幸福本身就是一条路!

Stop waiting for happiness to arrive and simply decide to be happy! It’s not some great goal or destination, it’s a journey and a way of life.

不要再等着幸福登门了，你需要做的仅仅是决定幸福地活着!这不是什么伟大的目的目标，只是生命的旅程和道路。

　 　双语美文欣赏：善有善报，恶有恶报

A woman baked chapatti for members of her family and an extra one for a hungry passerby. She kept the extra chapatti on the window sill. Every day, a hunchback came and took away the chapatti. Instead of expressing gratitude, he muttered the following words as he went his way: “The evil you do remains with you: The good you do, comes back to you!”

一个女人给家人烤薄饼，还留出一个给饥肠辘辘的路人。她总是把留出的那个放在窗台上，每天都有一个驼背的人来拿走薄饼。他没说过一句“谢谢”，反而总是边走边咕哝着：“善有善报，恶有恶报!”

The woman felt irritated. “Not a word of gratitude,” she said to herself… “Everyday this hunchback utters this jingle! What does he mean?” One day, she decided to do away with him. She added poison to the chapatti she prepared for him!

女人很生气，她自言自语地说：“这个驼背人从没说过谢谢，却每天都重复这句话，是什么意思呀?”一天，她决定弄死他，就在为他准备的薄饼上下了毒。

As she was about to keep it on the window sill, her hands trembled. “What is this I am doing?” she said. Immediately, she threw the chapatti into the fire, prepared another one. As usual, the hunchback came, picked up the chapatti and muttered the words: “The evil you do, remains with you: The good you do, comes back to you!”

她正要把饼放在窗台上，手就开始颤抖了，她说：“我在做什么?”她马上把饼扔进了火里，重新做了一张。一切照旧，驼背人来了，拿起薄饼，咕哝着：“善有善报，恶有恶报!”

Every day, as the woman placed the chapatti on the window sill, she offered a prayer for her son who had gone to a distant place to seek his fortune.

每天女人把饼放窗台上时都为去远方赚钱的儿子祈祷。

That evening, there was a knock on the door. As she opened it, she was surprised to find her son standing in the doorway. He was hungry and weak. As he saw his mother, he said, “Mom, it’s a miracle I’m here. While I was but a mile away, I was so famished that I collapsed. I would have died, but just then an old hunchback passed by. He was kind enough to give me a whole chapatti. He said, “Your need is greater than mine!”

那天晚上，有人敲门，她打开门惊讶地发现儿子站在门口，他很饿很虚弱。一看见妈妈他就说：“妈妈，我能回来真是奇迹。离家还有一英里远的时候，我太饿了走不动了。我差点儿就死了，但就在那时一个老驼背人路过，他很善良给了我一整张饼。他说：‘你比我更需要它’。”

She remembered the poisoned chapatti that she had made that morning. Had she not burnt it in the fire, it would have been eaten by her own son!

她想起了那天早上做的有毒的饼，要不是她把饼烧了，就会被她儿子吃了!

It was then that she realized the significance of the words: “The evil you do remains with you: The good you do, comes back to you!” Do good and don’t ever stop doing good, even if it is not appreciated at that time.

那时她才意识到这句话的重要性：“善有善报，恶有恶报!”多行善举，即使当时不被人感激也要坚持下去。

　 　双语美文：妈，我可能不听话，但这并非坏事

Mom, I Got My Attitude From You, And That’s Not A Bad Thing!

妈妈，这倔劲儿随你，而这不是一件坏事!

Dear Mom,

亲爱的妈咪，

The big question appalled and surprised parents often ask their child after a confrontational or revelatory moment is, "Where did you get this attitude from?" I know you hate to admit it, but I get much of my determined and strong-willed nature from you.

经过一阵对抗和宣泄之后，震惊的父母通常会问：“你的这种态度是哪里来的?”我知道你不乐意承认这些，但我这坚持不懈的性格，大多都是从你那里学来的。

Mom, I know it’s hard dealing with the teenage angst and the ever-changing moods that come with raising a child. But you should also marvel at the fact that I’ve made it this far, that I’m healthy and happy.

妈妈，我知道对为青春期的孩子担忧的感受不好受，也知道你的心情因为养育孩子而跌宕起伏。但你也应该惊叹于我已经成长到了这一步，而我现在健康又快乐。

When I was **all, I would attend barbecues and family events and wander away from my parents. It wouldn’t be long before someone would stop me to ask whether I was my mother’s daughter.

小时候，我会在烧烤派对和家庭活动中离开父母自己到处跑。不久，总会有人拦住我问我是不是我母亲的女儿。

"Your mom is Melissa," they’d say, a warm **ile on their faces. "Is that right?" I would nod, I assume, parents feel when their child talks back or defies them, I was appalled at this statement. To me, I acted nothing like you, Mom.

“你妈妈是梅丽莎，”他们会带着温暖的微笑问，“对吧?”我会点头，我想，当孩子顶撞父母的时候，父母在感情上肯定很受伤吧，我当时被这个想法震惊到了。在我看来，我和你一点都不像啊，妈妈。

No one says, "I know you’re Melissa’s daughter because of your eyes and nose" it’s the character traits that seal the deal. Dry wit, intelligence, and yes, maybe a little bit of attitude—these are the things I am grateful I have received from you. There’s nothing wrong with having attitude.

没有人会说：“我知道你是梅利莎的女儿，是因为你的眼睛和鼻子和你妈妈很像”其实，性格特点的相似才是背后的原因。我很高兴我从你那遗传了我的机智、聪明，可能还有一点倔劲儿。这样的性格没有什么不对的。

。

Like for most black individuals, attitude is what defines you and me, and it’s what keeps us from being mentally oppressed and defeated. Attitude is a non-violent form of protection and confrontation -- where would we be in the world without this tool? Surely not where we are.

像对大多数黑人一样，这倔劲儿是我们的标志，它使我们免于在精神上受到压迫和击败。态度是一种非暴力的自保与对抗，如果没有这个工具，我们的生活将是怎样?肯定没有现在这么好。

Mom, when people ask me where I get my attitude from, I tell them: you. And when they ask me where I got my drive, my work ethic, my good hair, and my sense of humor, I say you as well. I will always say this.

妈妈，当人们问我这倔劲儿是从哪来的，我会告诉他们，是从你那来的。当他们问我在哪里获得动力、职业道德、我的好发质和幽默感，我也会说是你。我会永远这样说。

When I’m asked why I am the way I am -- why I refuse to allow others to hurt me with their words or actions, why I think and speak about things openly and without fear—I’ll tell them it's because of you.

当别人问起我为什么会这样处事——我为什么不许别人用言语或者言行伤害我，为什么我可以毫无恐惧的坦然的说出我所想的事——我会告诉他们，是因为你。

I’ll complain to you about the arguments between us that leave me wondering about how God made us so much alike that we hardly even noticed.

我要跟你谈谈我们的那些冲突，它们让我很好奇上帝是如何使我们如此相像，以至于我们几乎没有注意到。

But I’ll tell them about you.

但我会跟别人说，我的优点都来自你。

Love,

爱你的

Malahni

马拉尼

优秀英语经典美文欣赏

美文不是美景,表面无法壮丽秀美,五光十色;美文不是美食,解不了饥渴,做不得生计。下面我整理了英语经典美文，希望大家喜欢!

英语经典美文摘抄

The Brewer's Son

酿酒也疯狂

When I was a teenager, my dad did everything he could to dissuade me from being a brewer. He'd spent his life brewing beer for local breweries, barely making a living, as had his father and grandfather before him. He didn't want me anywhere near a vat of beer.

在青少年时期，父亲就极力告诫我，将来不要做一个酿酒人。因为，他一辈子就像他父亲及祖父一样，仅仅是为了谋生，专为当地的啤酒厂酿造啤酒。他甚至不许我靠近啤酒桶半步。

So I did as he asked. I got good grades, went to Harvard and in 1971 was accepted into a graduate program there that allowed me to study law and business simultaneously.

因此我也就按他的意愿做了。我以优异的成绩考取了哈佛大学，并于1971年获得了继续在那里攻读研究生课程的机会，得以同时学习法律和商业专业。

In my second year of grad school, I had something of an epiphany I've never done anything but go to school. I thought, and I'm getting pressured to make a career choice for the rest of my life. That's stupid. The future was closing in on me a lot earlier than I wanted.

在读研究生二年级时，我似乎有一种顿悟的感觉，我想除了上学以外，我什么也没有做过。我感到有一种压力迫使我为今后的人生道路作出事业的选择。我真傻。未来早已向我逼近，比我预期的要早得多。

So, at 24, I decided to drop out. Obviously, my parents didn't think this was a great idea. But I felt strongly that you can't wait till you're 65 to do what you want in life. You have to go for it.

所以在24岁时，我决定退学。显然，父母并不认为这是什么好主意。但我强烈地意识到，人不能等到65岁才去做想要做的事。你得自己去寻找。

I packed my stuff into a U-Haul and headed to Colorado to bee an instructor at Outward Bound, the wilderness-education program. The job was a good fit for me. Heavily into mountaineering and rock climbing, I lived and climbed everywhere, from crags outside Seattle to volcanoes in Mexico.

我打点起行囊，把它们装进一辆小面包车内，便上路向科罗拉多进发，去作一名野外训练专案教练。这工作的确很适合我。大量地登山、攀巖，从西雅图周围的峭壁到墨西哥的火山，到处都留下了我生活和登攀的身影。

I never regretted taking time to "find myself". I think we'd all be a lot better off if we could take off five years in our 20s to decide what we want to do for the rest of our lives. Otherwise we're going to be making other people's choices, not our own.

我从未因花费时间去“寻找自我”而后悔。我觉得如果人们能在20岁左右的时候，拿出五年时间去决定自己今后想要做什么，那可能会更快乐一些。否则，我们就将按别人的、而不是自己的意愿行事了。

After three and a half years with Outward Bound, I was ready to go hack to school. I finished Harvard and got a highly paid job at the Boston Consulting Group. a think tank and business-consulting firm. Still, after working there five years, I was haunted by doubt. Is this what I want to be doing when I'm 50?

野外训练工作干了三年半后，我准备重返学校。哈佛毕业后，在波士顿顾问咨询集团——一家智囊团兼商业咨询的公司，我找到了一份薪水丰厚的工作。然而，在那里工作了五年之后，我头脑中又萦绕起一丝疑虑：难道这就是我想一直做到50岁的工作吗?

I remembered that some time before, my dad had been cleaning out the attic and came across some old beer recipes on scraps of yellow paper. "Today's beer is basically water that can hold a head," he'd told me.

记得不久前，父亲在整理阁楼时，偶然找到了一些写在发了黄的小纸片上的古老的啤酒配方。他告诉我：“现在的啤酒基本上都是水，只是面上有一些泡沫。”

I agreed. If you didn't like the mass-produced American stuff, the other choices were imports that were often stale. Americans pay good money for inferior beer, I thought. Why not make good beer for Americans right here in America?

他说的对。如果人们不喜欢喝那种大批量生产出的美国啤酒，那他们就只能喝进口的啤酒，但那常常是不新鲜、走味儿的。我想，美国人是在花大价钱买劣等酒。为什么不就在美国本地为美国人自己酿造好啤酒呢?

I decided to quit my job to bee a brewer. When I told Dad, I was hoping he'd put his arm around me and get misty about reviving tradition. Instead he said, "Jim, that is the dumbest thing I've ever heard!"

我决定辞职，做一名酿酒人。当我把这个想法告诉父亲时，我希望他会拥抱我，并为传统的复苏而心情激动。结果恰恰相反，他说：“吉姆，这是我所听到过的最愚蠢的话!”

As much as Dad objected, in the end he supported me: he became my new pany's first investor, coughing up $40,000 when I opened the Boston Beer pany in 1984. I plunked down $ 100,000 of my savings and raised another $ 100,000 from friends and relatives. Going from my fancy office to being a brewer was like mountain climbing: exhilarating, liberating and frightening. All my safety nets were gone.

虽然父亲尽全力反对我，但最终还是支援我了。1984年当我开办波士顿啤酒公司时，他成了我新公司的第一个投资者，勉强投入了4万美元。我拿出了10万美元的积蓄，又从朋友和亲戚那里募集了10万美元。从条件舒适的办公室出来，去做一名酿酒人，就像爬山一样：令人振奋，感到自由，但又觉法有些害怕。因为我所有的安全保护网都撤掉了。

Once the beer was made, I faced my biggest hurdle yet: getting it into beer drinkers' hands. Distributors all said the same thing: "Your beer is too expensive; no one has ever heard of you." So I figured I had to create a new category: the craft-brewed American beer. I needed a name that was recognizable and elegant, so I called my beer Samuel Adams, after the brewer and patriot who helped to instigate the Boston Tea Party.

一旦啤酒酿造出来后，我面临的最大问题就是：如何将它送到消费者手中。销售商们几乎异口同声地说：“你的啤酒太贵了;没人听说过你的名字。”于是我想，我得创造一个新品种：手工酿造的美国啤酒。我需要为它取一个响亮而又高雅的名字，这样，我便以曾领导波士顿倾茶事件的酿酒人及爱国音的名字来命名我的啤酒----塞缪尔·亚当斯。

The only way to get the word out, I realized, was to sell direct. I filled my leather briefcase with beer and cold packs, put on my best power suit and hit the bars.

我意识到，唯一能创出这个牌子的办法就是直销。我将啤酒及冰袋装进大皮箱里，穿上我那套尽显男人风度与地位的笔挺西装，向一间间酒吧走去。

Most bartenders thought I was from the IRS. But once I opened the briefcase, they paid attention. After I told the first guy my story--how I wanted to start this little brewery in Boston with my dad's family recipe--he said, "Kid, I liked your story. But I didn't think the beer would be this good." What a great moment.

大多数调酒师起初还以为我是国家税务局的呢。但当我开启皮箱时，便引起了他们的注意。我向第一个家伙讲述了我的故事----我如何用父亲家传的啤酒配方开创了这家小小的波士顿啤酒厂——之后，他说：“孩子，我喜欢你的故事，但我没想到你这啤酒会这么好。”多么激动人心的时刻啊!

Six weeks later, at the Great American Beer Festival, Sam Adams Boston Lager won the top prize for American beer. The rest is history. It wasn't supposed to work out this way--what ever does? --but in the end I was destined to be a brewer.

六周后，在美国大啤酒节上，我的“塞缪尔·亚当斯波士顿啤酒”获得了美国啤酒的最高奖项。接下来的事情就成为历史了。其实开始时，无论如何都没有想到我会走这条路----但最终我注定还是要做个酿酒人。

My advice to all young entrepreneurs is simple: life is very long, so don't rush to make decisions. Life doesn't let you plan.

我对所有年轻的企业家有个简单的建议：生活的道路是漫长的，因此不要急于作出决定。生活不让你做计划。

英语经典美文鉴赏

Courage

勇气

A father was worried about his son, who was sixteen years old but had no courage at all. So the father decided to call on a Buddhist monk to train his boy.

一位父亲为儿子担心。儿子16岁了，却没有一点勇气。于是，父亲决定去拜访一位禅师，请他训练儿子。

The Buddhist monk said to the boy's father, "You should leave your son alone here. I'll make him into a real man within three months. However, you can’t e to see him during this period. "

禅师对男孩的父亲说：“你应该让他单独留在这里。不出3个月，我要让他成为一个真正的男子汉。不过，在这段时间，你不能来见他。”

Three months later, the boy's father returned. The Buddhist monk arranged a boxing match between the boy and an experienced boxer. Each time the fighter struck the boy, he fell down, but at once the boy stood up; and each time a punch knocked him down, the boy stood up again. Several times later, the Buddhist monk asked, "What do you think of your child?"

3个月后，男孩的父亲又来见禅师。禅师安排这个男孩和一位经验丰富的拳师进行拳击比赛。拳师每次一出手，男孩就倒在地上，但男孩又马上站起来;每次将他击倒，他就又站起来。几个回合后，禅师问道：“你认为自己的孩子怎么样?”

"What a shame!" the boy's father said. "I never thought he would be so easily knocked down. I needn't have him left here any longer."

“真丢人!”男孩的父亲说，“我绝没想到他这样不堪一击。我不需要他再留在这里了。”

"I'm sorry that that's all you see. Don't you see that each time he falls down; he stands up again instead of crying? That's the kind of courage you wanted him to have."

“很遗憾，你只看到了这一点。难道你没看到他每次倒下后并没有哭泣，而是重新站起来了吗?这才是你想要他拥有的那种勇气。”

英语经典美文赏析

Piano Music

难忘的钢琴曲

There are advantages and disadvantages to ing from a large family. Make that a large family with a single parent, and they double. The disadvantages are never so apparent as when someone wants to go off to college. Parents have cashed in life insurance policies to cover the cost of one year.

来自大家庭既有好处也有坏处。如果是个单亲大家庭，好坏都会变成双倍。当有人要离家去念大学时，坏处尤其明显。为了支付一年的开销，父母只好将寿险兑换成现金。

My mother knew that she could not send me to college and pay for it. She worked in a retail store and made just enough to pay the bills and take care of the other children at home. If I wanted to go to college, it was up to me to find out how to get there.

母亲一早知道她无力送我上学与支付学费。她在一家零售店工作，挣的钱刚够养活家里的其他孩子。如果我想上大学，就得自食其力。

I found that I qualified for some grants because of the size of our family, my mom"s ine and my SAT scores. There was enough to cover school and books, but not enough for room and board. I accepted a job as part of a work-study program. While not glamorous, it was one I could do. I washed dishes in the school cafeteria.

我发现我的家庭人口、妈妈的收入与我的学业能力测试分数符合拿助学金的标准。那只足够用来交学费和买书，但维持不了食宿。于是我半工半读，找了一份工作。虽然工作不讨人喜欢，可那是我力所能及的事情。我在学校饭堂里洗碗。

To help myself study, I made flash cards that fit perfectly on the large metal dishwasher. After I loaded the racks, I stood there and flipped cards, learning the makeup of atoms while water and steam broke them down all around me. I learned how to make y equal to z while placing dishes in stacks. My wrinkled fingers flipped many a card, and many times my tired brain drifted off, and a glass would crash to the floor. My grades went up and down. It was the hardest work I had ever done.

为了促进学习，我做了一副恰好能装在大金属洗碗机上的学习卡。把碗碟放在架子上之后，我就站在那儿翻卡片，四周弥漫着水汽，而我在学习原子的构成。我学会了如何在叠碟子的时候背下方程式。我起皱的手指翻过许多卡片，很多时候我疲倦的大脑恍恍惚惚，令玻璃杯也摔破到地上。我的成绩时起时落。那是我做过的最艰难的工作。

Just when I thought the bottom was going to drop out of my college career, an angel appeared. Well, one of those that are on earth, without wings.

正当我的大学学业快进行不下去时，天使出现了。是在地球上的天使，没翅膀的。

“I heard that you need some help,” he said.

“我听说你需要帮助，”他说。

“What do you mean?” I asked, trying to figure out which area of my life he meant.

“你说什么?”我问道，竭力想弄清楚他说的是我生活中的那些方面。

“Financially, to stay in school.”

“经济上的，留校念书。”

“Well, I make it okay. I just have trouble working all these hours and finding time to study.”

“这个，我还好。只是我工作得太久了，找不到读书的时间。”

“Well, I think I have a way to help you out.”

“啊，我想我可以有办法帮你一把。”

He went on to explain that his grandparents needed help on the weekends. All that was required of me was cooking meals and helping them get in and out of bed in the morning and evening. The job paid four hundred dollars a month, twice the money I was making washing dishes. Now I would have time to study. I went to meet his grandparents and accepted the job.

接着他解释道，他的祖父母周末需要人帮助。我只用做做饭、早晚帮他们上下床就好了。这份工作的报酬是一个月四百美元，两倍于我洗碗赚的钱。现在我可以有学习的时间了。我去与他的祖父母见面并接下了工作。

My first discovery was his grandmother"s great love of music. She spent hours playing her old, off-key piano. One day, she told me I didn"t have enough fun in my life and took it upon herself to teach me the art.

我的第一个发现是他的祖母无比热爱音乐。她许多时候都在弹她那架又旧变调的钢琴。有一天，她说我的生活缺乏乐趣，并执意亲自教我艺术。

Grandma was impressed with my ability and encouraged me to continue. Weekends in their house became more than just books and cooking,they were filled with the wonderful sounds of the out-of-tune piano and two very out-of-tune singers.

祖母非常赞赏我的能力，她鼓励我继续学下去。在他们家度过的周末并非只有书本与烹调;那些日子里洋溢着走调钢琴与两个走调歌手的动人音乐和歌声。

When Christmas break came, Grandma got a chest cold, and I was afraid to leave her. I hadn"t been home since Labor Day, and my family was anxious to see me. I agreed to e home, but for two weeks instead of four, so I could return to Grandma and Grandpa. I said my good-byes, arranged for their temporary care and return home.

圣诞假期来临了，祖母患上胸口冷的疾病，我非常不愿离开她。可自从劳动节后我就没回家，家人都急切希望见到我。所以我还是同意回家去，但只住上两周而不是四周，然后我就回来看祖母和祖父。我道了别，安排好他俩的暂时看护后就回家去了。

As I was loading my car to go back to school, the phone rang.

等我装车要返校的时候，**响了。

“Daneen, don"t rush back,” he said.

“丹宁，别赶回来了，”他说。

“Why? What"s wrong?” I asked, panic rising.

“怎么了?出什么事了?”我心急火燎地问。

“Grandma died last night, and we have decided to put Grandpa in a retirement home. I"m sorry.”

“祖母昨晚去世了，我们决定让祖父搬到老年人之家去。很抱歉。”

I hung up the phone feeling like my world had ended. I had lost my friend, and that was far worse than knowing I would have to return to dishwashing.

我挂上**，感觉世界末日到了一般。我失去了我的朋友，那比起知道我还得回去洗碗要糟糕得多。

I went back at the end of four weeks, asking to begin the work-study program again. The financial aid advisor looked at me as if I had lost my mind. I explained my position, then he *** iled and slid me an envelope. “This is for you,” he said.

四周后我回去要求再加入半工半读计划。奖助学金顾问看着我的模样好像我疯了似的。我解释了自己的情况，他于是微笑着传给我一个信封。”给你的，”他说。

It was from grandma. She had known how sick she was. In the envelope was enough money to pay for the rest of my school year and a request that I take piano lessons in her memory.

是祖母的信。她早已知道自己的病情有多严重了。信封里有足够的钱支付我剩下几年的学费，她还请求我去上她记忆中的钢琴课。

I don"t think “The Old Grey Mare” was even played with more feeling than it was my second year in college. Now, years later, when I walk by a piano, I *** ile and think of Grandma. She is tearing up the ivories in heaven, I am sure.

我觉得《那匹老灰马》不会再有大二时我弹的那样深情。如今，多年之后，当我走过钢琴旁，我总会微笑着想起祖母。她正在天堂里大弹特弹著钢琴呢，我敢肯定。

有关经典英语美文摘抄精选

在英语语言四项基本技能(听,说,读,写)中,语言交际能力的培养一直占据着不可或缺的重要地位,于是如何提高学生的英语交际水平一直是研究人员和英语教师长期以来共同关心的话题。我分享有关经典英语美文，希望可以帮助大家!

有关经典英语美文：The Road to Success

It is well that young men should begin at the beginning and occupy the most subordinatepositions. Many of the leading busines**en of Pitt**urgh had a serious responsibility thrustupon them at the very threshold of their career. They were introduced to the broom, and spentthe first hours of their business lives sweeping out the office. I notice we have janitors andjanitresses now in offices, and our young men unfortunately miss that salutary branch ofbusiness education. But if by chance the professional sweeper is absent any morning, the boywho has the genius of the future partner in him will not hesitate to try his hand at the broom.It does not hurt the newest comer to sweep out the office if necessary. I was one of thosesweepers myself.

Assuming that you have all obtained employment and are fairly started, my advice to you is “aimhigh”. I would not give a fig for the young man who does not already see himself the partneror the head of an important firm. Do not rest content for a moment in your thoughts as headclerk, or foreman, or general manager in any concern, no matter how extensive. Say toyourself, “My place is at the top.” Be king in your dreams.

And here is the prime condition of success, the great secret: concentrate your energy,thought, and capital exclusively upon the business in which you are engaged. Having begun inone line, resolve to fight it out on that line, to lead in it, adopt every improvement, have thebest machinery, and know the most about it.

The concerns which fail are those which have scattered their capital, which means that they havescattered their brains also. They have investments in this, or that, or the other, here there, andeverywhere. “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” is all wrong. I tell you to “put all your eggsin one basket, and then watch that basket.” Look round you and take notice, men who do thatnot often fail. It is easy to watch and carry the one basket. It is trying to carry too manybaskets that breaks most eggs in this country. He who carries three baskets must put one onhis head, which is apt to tumble and trip him up. One fault of the American busines**an is lackof concentration.

To summarize what I have said: aim for the highest; never enter a bar room; do not touchliquor, or if at all only at meals; never speculate; never indorse beyond your surplus cashfund; make the firm’s interest yours; break orders always to save owners; concentrate; put allyour eggs in one basket, and watch that basket; expenditure always within revenue; lastly, benot impatient, for as Emerson says, “no one can cheat you out of ultimate success butyourselves.”

成功之道

年轻人创业之初，应该从最底层干起，这是件好事。匹兹保有很多商业巨头，在他们创业之初，都肩负过“重任”：他们以扫帚相伴，以打扫办公室的方式度过了他们商业生涯中最初的时光。我注意到我们现在办公室里都有工友，于是年轻人就不幸错过了商业 教育 中这个有益的环节。如果碰巧哪天上午专职扫地的工友没有来，某个具有未来合伙人气质的年轻人会毫不犹豫地试着拿起扫帚。在必要时新来的员工扫扫地也无妨，不会因为而有什么损失。我自己就曾经扫过地。

假如你已经被录用，并且有了一个良好的开端，我对你的建议是：要志存高远。一个年轻人，如果不把自己想象成一家大公司未来的老板或者是合伙人，那我会对他不屑一顾。不论职位有多高，你的内心都不要满足于做一个总管，领班或者总经理。要对自己说：我要迈向顶尖!要做就做你梦想中的国王!

成功的首要条件和最大秘诀就是：把你的精力，思想和资本全都集中在你正从事的事业上。一旦开始从事某种职业，就要下定决心在那一领域闯出一片天地来;做这一行的领导人物，采纳每一点改进之心，采用最优良的设备，对专业知识熟稔于心。

一些公司的失败就在于他们分散了资金，因为这就意味着分散了他们的精力。他们向这方面投资，又向那方面投资;在这里投资，在那里投资，到处都投资。“不要把所有的鸡蛋放在一个篮子里”的说法大错特错。我要对你说：“把所有的鸡蛋都放在一个篮子里，然后小心地看好那个篮子。”看看你周围，你会注意到：这么做的人其实很少失败。看管和携带一个篮子并不太难。人们总是试图提很多篮子，所以才打破这个国家的大部分鸡蛋。提三个篮子的人，必须把一个顶在头上，而这个篮子很可能倒下来，把他自己绊倒。美国商人的一个缺点就是不够专注。

把我的话归纳一下：要志存高远;不要出入酒吧;要滴酒不沾，或要喝也只在用餐时喝少许;不要做投机买卖;不要寅吃卯粮;要把公司的利益当作自己的利益;取消订货的目的永远是为了挽救货主;要专注;要把所有的鸡蛋放在一个篮子里，然后小心地看好它;要量入为出;最后，要有耐心，正如爱默生所言，“谁都无法阻止你最终成功，除非你自己承认自己失败。”

有关经典英语美文：On Meeting the Celebrated

I have always wondered at the passion many people have to meet the celebrated. Theprestige you acquire by being able to tell your friends that you know famous men proves onlythat you are yourself of **all account. The celebrated develop a technique to deal with thepersons they come across. They show the world a mask, often an impressive on, but takecare to conceal their real selves. They play the part that is expected from them, and withpractice learn to play it very well, but you are stupid if you think that this public performanceof theirs corresponds with the man within.

I have been attached, deeply attached, to a few people; but I have been interested in men ingeneral not for their own sakes, but for the sake of my work. I have not, as Kant enjoined,regarded each man as an end in himself, but as material that might be useful to me as a writer.I have been more concerned with the obscure than with the famous. They are more oftenthemselves. They have had no need to create a figure to protect themselves from the world orto impress it. Their idiosyncrasies have had more chance to develop in the limited circle oftheir activity, and since they have never been in the public eye it has never occurred to themthat they have anything to conceal. They display their oddities because it has never struckthem that they are odd. And after all it is with the common run of men that we writers have todeal; kings, dictators, commercial magnates are from our point of view very unsatisfactory.To write about them is a venture that has often tempted writers, but the failure that hasattended their efforts shows that such beings are too exceptional to form a proper ground fora work of art. They cannot be made real. The ordinary is the writer’s richer field. Itsunexpectedness, its singularity, its infinite variety afford unending material. The great manis too often all of a piece; it is the little man that is a bundle of contradictory elements. He isinexhaustible. You never come to the end of the surprises he has in store for you. For my partI would much sooner spend a month on a desert island with a veterinary surgeon than with aprime minister.

论见名人

许多人热衷于见名人，我始终不得其解。在朋友面前吹嘘自己认识某某名人，同此而来的声望只能证明自己的微不足道。名人个个练就了一套处世高招，无论遇上谁，都能应付自如。他们给世人展现的是一副面具，常常是美好难忘的面具，但他们会小心翼翼地掩盖自己的真相。他们扮演的是大家期待的角色，演得多了，最后都能演得惟妙惟肖。如果你还以为他们在公众面前的表演就是他们的真实自我，那就你傻了。

我自己就喜欢一些人，非常喜欢他们。但我对人感兴趣一般不是因为他们自身的缘故，而是出于我工作需求。正如康德劝告的那样，我从来没有把认识某人作为目的，而是将其当作对一个作家有用的创作素材。比之名流显士，我更加关注无名小卒。他们常常显得较为自然真实，他们无须再创造另一个人物形象，用他来保护自己不受世人干扰，或者用他来感动世人。他们的社交圈子有限，自己的种种癖性也就越有可能得到滋长。因为他们从来没有引起公众的关注，也就从来没有想到过要隐瞒什么。他们会表露他们古怪的一面，因为他们从来就没有觉得有何古怪。总之，作家要写的是普通人。在我们看来，国王，独裁者和商界大亨等都是不符合条件的。去撰写这些人物经常是作家们难以抗拒的冒险之举，可为此付出的努力不免以失败告终，这说明这些人物都过于特殊，无法成为一件艺术作品的创作根基，作家也不可能把他们写得真真切切。老百姓才是作家的创作沃土，他们或变幻无常，或难觅其二，各式人物应有尽有，这些都给作家提供了无限的创作素材。大人物经常是千人一面，小人物身上才有一组组矛盾元素，是取之不尽的创作源泉，让你惊喜不断。就我而言，如果在孤岛上度过一个月，我宁愿和一名兽医相守，也不愿同一位首相做伴。

有关经典英语美文：When Love Beckons You

When love beckons to you, follow him, though his ways are hard and steep. And when hiswings enfold you, yield to him, though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you.And when he speaks to you, believe in him, though his voice may shatter your dreams as thenorth wind lays waste the garden.

For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth so is he foryour pruning. Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches thatquiver in the sun, so shall he descend to our roots and shake them in their clinging to theearth.

But if, in your fear, you would seek only love’s peace and love’s pleasure, then it is better foryou that you cover

your nakedness and pass out of love’s threshing-floor, into the seasonless world where youshall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears. Love gives naughtbut it self and takes naught but from itself. Love possesses not, nor would it be possessed, forlove is sufficient unto love.

Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself. But if you love and must have desires, let these beyour desires:

To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.

To know the pain of too much tenderness.

To be wounded by your own understanding of love;

And to bleed willingly and joyfully.

To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;

To rest at the noon hour and meditate love’s ecstasy;

To return home at eventide with gratitude;

And then to sleep with a payer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon yourlips.

爱的召唤

当爱召唤你时，请追随她，尽管爱的道路艰难险峻。当爱的羽翼拥抱你时，请顺从她，尽管隐藏在其羽翼之下的剑可能会伤到你。当爱向你诉说时，请相信她，尽管她的声音可能打破你的梦想，就如同北风吹落花园里所有的花瓣。

爱会给你戴上桂冠，也会折磨你。爱会助你成长，也会给你修枝。爱会上升到枝头，抚爱你在阳光下颤动力的嫩枝，也会下潜至根部，撼动力你紧抓泥土的根基。

但是，如果你在恐惧之中只想寻求爱的平和与快乐，那你就最好掩盖真实的自我，避开爱的考验，进入不分季节的世界，在那里你将欢笑，但并非开怀大笑，你将哭泣，但并非尽情地哭。爱只将自己付出，也只得到自己。爱一无所有，也不会为谁所有，因为爱本身就已自足。

爱除了实现自我别无他求。但是如果你爱而又不得不有所求，那就请期望：

将自己融化并像奔流的溪水一般向夜晚吟唱自己优美的曲调。

明了过多的温柔所带来的苦痛。

被自己对爱的理解所伤害;

并情愿快乐地悲伤。

在黎明带着轻快的心醒来并感谢又一个有家的日子;

在黄昏怀着感恩之心回家;

然后为内心所爱之人祈祷，吟唱赞美之歌，并带着祷告和歌声入眠。