英语美文欣赏

英语美文欣赏

英语美文欣赏1

3．Who First Made Ice Cream

Most Americans think that ice cream is as American as baseball and apple pie．But ice cream was known long before America was discovered．

The Roman emperor Nero may have made a kind of ice cream．He hired hundreds of men to bring snow and ice from the mountains．He used it to make cold drinks．Traveler Marco Polobrought back recipes for chilled and frozen milk from China．

Hundreds of years later，ice cream reached England．It is said that King Charles Ienjoyed that treatvery much．There is a story that he bribed his cook to keep the recipe for ice cream a royal secret．

Today ice cream is known throughout the world．Americans alone eat more than two billion quartsa year．

3．谁是冰淇淋的首创者

大多数美国人认为，冰淇淋像棒球和苹果饼一样，是属于美国的.。但是，早在人们发现美洲大陆之前，冰淇淋就已经问世了。

古罗马国王尼禄可能配制过一种冰淇淋。他曾雇用几百人从山上搬来雪和冰，用以制作冷饮料。旅行家马可波罗也曾从中国带回了冷冻奶和冰奶的配方。

几百年后，冰淇淋传到了英国。据说国王查理一世十分欣赏这种食品，他曾贿赂御厨，要他把制作冰淇淋的配方作为皇家秘密，守口如瓶。

今天全世界都知道冰淇淋了，仅美国人一年的消耗量就超过20亿夸脱。

英语美文欣赏2

When love beckons to you, follow him, though his ways are hard and steep. And when his wings 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 the north 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 for your pruning. Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun, so shall he descend to our roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth.

But if, in your fear, you would seek only love’s peace and love’s pleasure, then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love’s threshing-floor, into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears. Love gives naught but it self and takes naught but from itself. Love possesses not, nor would it be possessed, for love is sufficient unto love.

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

译文：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，就如同北风吹落公园里所有的花瓣。

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，那就请期待：

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。

明了过多的温馨所带来的苦痛。

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。

英语美文欣赏3

There is one word that is on the lips of Americans, day and night: “Sorry.”

One time as I was walking on the street, a young man ran by hurriedly, brushing against my handbag. Even as he continued on his way, he turned back and said “sorry” to me. Even in a rush, he didn’t forget to apologize. One day, after I bought a mango, the salesman was giving me the change, but I wasn’t ready for it and a coin dropped to the ground. “I’m sorry,” he said while bending down to pick it up. I was puzzled—why would he apologize when it is my fault?

Another time, I stepped on a man’s foot in an escalator, at the same time, we both said “sorry”. I thought it interesting, was it really necessary for him to apologize? Later on, an American friend explained to me that according to the American mentality, the escalators a public place, and everyone should be able to stand in it. After someone occupies a position in the elevator, making it difficult for someone else to find a place to stand, isn’t it necessary to express an apology?

If you go to the movies and the tickets happen to be sold out, the ticket seller will say: “Sorry, the tickets are sold out.” Whenever one of your hopes goes unfulfilled, an American will say “sorry” as a sign of sympathy.

During my stay in America, I often came across situations in which I was supposed to say “sorry”. Gradually, I realized that when friction occurs in daily life, Americans don’t care much about who is responsible; If someone is troubled, a “sorry” is always necessary. When this happens, even if the other person is hurt, the “sorry” cools tempers and human generosity is displayed. Perhaps this is why I never saw anyone quarreling on the buses, subways or streets of America.

英语美文欣赏4

One of my fondest memories as a child is going by the river and sitting idly on the bank.

孩提时最美好的回忆就是河边的堤岸上闲坐。

There I would enjoy the peace and quiet,在那里我可以享受闲适和宁静，watch the water rush downstream,看河水奔流而下，and listen to the chirps of birds，听鸟儿啁啾，and the rustling of leaves in the trees.

而鸣树叶沙沙作响。

I would also watch the bamboo trees bend under pressure from the wind and watch them return gracefully to their upright or original position after the wind had died down.

我看到竹子在风的压力下弯曲风过后再优雅地或复原或笔挺。

When I think about the bamboo tree 8217;s ability to bounce back or return to its original position,每当我想到竹子这种弹回去或者说恢复原状的本领时，the word resilience comes to mind.

韧性一词便会在脑海中浮现。

When used in reference to a person this word means the ability to readily recover from shock, depression or any other situation that stretches the limits of a person 8217;s emotions.

当这个词用于描述人时，指的`是从惊吓，沮丧及其他任何触及某人情感极限的状态下从容的恢复过来的能力。

Have you ever felt like you are about to snap?

你是否曾觉得自己快要垮掉?

Have you ever felt like you are at your breaking point?

你是否曾感觉自己即将崩溃?

Thankfully, you have survived the experience to live to talk about it.

令人欣慰的是你已经挺过来了。是生活得以继续让你能够在此谈论过往的经历。

During the experience you probably felt a mix of emotions that threatened your health.

在那样的经历中你或许体会到了某些威胁健康的复杂情绪。

You felt emotionally drained, mentally exhausted and you most likely endured unpleasant physical symptoms.

你会感到情绪上萎靡不振，心力交瘁并且很可能还要受到各种讨厌的身体症状的折磨。

Life is a mixture of good times and bad times,人生是一个五味瓶，happy moments and unhappy moments.

既有顺境也有逆境既有快乐也有悲伤。

The next time you are experiencing one of those bad times or unhappy moments that take you close to your breaking point,下一次当你遭遇逆境感受悲伤几乎要被它们推到崩溃的边缘时，bend but don 8217;t break.

你应曲而不折。

Try your best not to let the situation get the best of you.

尽你所能不被现状击败。

A measure of hope will take you through the unpleasant ordeal.

心怀希望将会帮你渡过难关。

With hope for a better tomorrow or a better situation,心怀希望迎接一个更美好的明天或者更好的状况时，things may not be as bad as they seem to be.

事情或许就没有看上去的那么糟糕。

The unpleasant ordeal may be easier to deal with if the end result is worth having.

如果结局值得拥有你将会更容易战胜那些不愉快的考验。

If the going gets tough and you are at your breaking point,假如你正面对困难处在崩溃的边缘，show resilience.

请表现出你的韧性来

Like the bamboo tree, bend, but don 8217;t break.

就像竹子一样，弯曲但不折断。

英语美文欣赏5

Age has reached the end of the beginning of a word. May be guilty in his seems to passing a lot of different life became the appearance of the same day; May be back in the past, to oneself the paranoid weird belief disillusionment, these days, my mind has been very messy, in my mind constantly. Always feel oneself should go to do something, or write something. Twenty years of life trajectory deeply shallow, suddenly feel something, do it.

一字开头的年龄已经到了尾声。或许是愧疚于自己似乎把转瞬即逝的很多个不同的日子过成了同一天的样子；或许是追溯过去，对自己那些近乎偏执的怪异信念的醒悟，这些天以来，思绪一直很凌乱，在脑海中不断纠缠。总觉得自己自己似乎应该去做点什么，或者写点什么。二十年的人生轨迹深深浅浅，突然就感觉到有些事情，非做不可了。

The end of our life, and can meet many things really do?

而穷尽我们的一生，又能遇到多少事情是真正地非做不可？

During my childhood, think lucky money and new clothes are necessary for New Year, but as the advance of the age, will be more and more found that those things are optional; Junior high school, thought to have a crush on just means that the real growth, but over the past three years later, his writing of alumni in peace, suddenly found that isn't really grow up, it seems is not so important; Then in high school, think don't want to give vent to out your inner voice can be in the high school children of the feelings in a period, but was eventually infarction when graduation party in the throat, later again stood on the pitch he has sweat profusely, looked at his thrown a basketball hoops, suddenly found himself has already can't remember his appearance.

童年时，觉得压岁钱和新衣服是过年必备，但是随着年龄的推进，会越来越发现，那些东西根本就可有可无；初中时，以为要有一场暗恋才意味着真正的成长，但三年过去后，自己心平气和的写同学录的.时候，突然就发现是不是真正的成长了，好像并没有那么重要了；然后到了高中，觉得非要吐露出自己的心声才能为高中生涯里的懵懂情愫划上一个句点，但毕业晚会的时候最终还是被梗塞在了咽喉，后来再次站在他曾经挥汗如雨的球场，看着他投过篮球的球框时，突然间发现自己已经想不起他的容颜。

Originally, this world, can produce a chemical reaction to an event, in addition to resolutely, have to do, and time.

原来，这个世界上，对某个事件能产生化学反应的，除了非做不可的坚决，还有，时间。

A person's time, your ideas are always special to clear. Want, want, line is clear, as if nothing could shake his. Also once seemed to be determined to do something, but more often is he backed out at last. Dislike his cowardice, finally found that there are a lot of love, there are a lot of miss, like shadow really have been doomed. Those who do, just green years oneself give oneself an arm injection, or is a self-righteous spiritual.

一个人的时候，自己的想法总是特别地清晰。想要的，不想要的，界限明确，好像没有什么可以撼动自己。也曾经好像已经下定了决心去做某件事，但更多的时候是最后又打起了退堂鼓。嫌恶过自己的怯懦，最终却发现有很多缘分，有很多错过，好像冥冥之中真的已经注定。那些曾经所谓的非做不可，只是青葱年华里自己给自己注射的一支强心剂，或者说，是自以为是的精神寄托罢了。

At the moment, the sky is dark, the air is fresh factor after just rained. Suddenly thought of blue plaid shirt; Those were broken into various shapes of stationery; From the corner at the beginning of deep friendship; Have declared the end of the encounter that haven't start planning... Those years, those days of do, finally, like youth, will end in our life.

此刻，天空是阴暗的，空气里有着刚下过雨之后的清新因子。突然想到那件蓝格子衬衫；那些被折成各种各样形状的信纸；那段从街角深巷伊始的友谊；还有那场还没有开始就宣告了终结的邂逅计划……那些年那些天的非做不可，终于和青春一样，都将在我们的人生中谢幕。

英语美文欣赏6

一封给我儿子的信

Dear Seth,

亲爱的塞斯，

You're only three years old, and at this point in your life you can't read, much less understand what I'm going to try to tell you in this letter.

你现在仅仅3岁，此刻你还不识字，更不用说让你去理解我接下来想在这封信里对你所说的话了。

But I've been thinking a lot about the life that you have ahead of you, about my life so far as I reflect on what I've learned, and about my role as a dad in trying to prepare you for the trials that you will face in the coming years。

但是我已经苦思冥想了好久，关于你即将面临的人生以及我的生活，我反思我所学会的;思考一个父亲的职责，力图让你为未来岁月中即将面临的困难做好充分准备。

You won't be able to understand this letter today, but someday, when you're ready, I hope you will find some wisdom and value in what I share with you。

你今天并不能理解这封信的含义，但是某一天，当时机成熟，我希望你能在我与你分享的内容当中找寻到些许的智慧和价值。

You are young, and life has yet to take its toll on you, to throw disappointments and heartaches and loneliness and struggles and pain into your path. You have not been worn down yet by long hours of thankless work, by the slings and arrows of everyday life。

你还很年轻，生命还尚未开始摧残你，没有在你的人生道路上布置失望，伤心，孤独，挣扎和苦痛。你还没有被漫长的乏味工作，被日常生活的打击搞得筋疲力尽。

For this, be thankful. You are at a wonderful stage of life. You have many wonderful stages of life still to come, but they are not without their costs and perils。

因此，谢天谢地吧。你正处在人生一个美妙的阶段。还有很多美妙的阶段会来到你面前，但是都不是唾手可得的，你都得付出代价，经历风险。

I hope to help you along your path by sharing some of the best of what I've learned. As with any advice, take it with a grain of salt. What works for me might not work for you。

我希望通过分享一些我所学到的最好的道理能帮助你走好人生路。至于任何建议，且把它当作佐料，因为适合我的并不一定适用于你。

Life Can Be Cruel

生活会很残酷

There will be people in your life who won't be very nice. They'll tease you because you're different, or for no good reason. They might try to bully you or hurt you。

你的生活中一定会有并不友好的人。他们耻笑你因为你不同，而在没有更好的理由。他们可能会欺负你或者伤害你。

There's not much you can do about these people except to learn to deal with them, and learn to choose friends who are kind to you, who actually care about you, who make you feel good about yourself.

对这种人你除了学会和其接触无计可施，同时你也要学会择友，选择那些对你友善的，那些真正关心你的，那些令你对自己感到很好的人做朋友。

When you find friends like this, hold on to them, treasure them, spend time with them, be kind to them, love them。

当你寻找到像这样的朋友，就一定要坚守这份友谊，珍惜他们，花些时间和他们在一起，友善的对待他们并爱他们。

There will be times when you are met with disappointment instead of success. Life won't always turn out the way you want. This is just another thing you'll have to learn to deal with. But instead of letting these things get you down, push on. Accept disappointment and learn to persevere, to pursue your dreams despite pitfalls. Learn to turn negatives into positives, and you'll do much better in life。

有时你会遭遇挫折而非成功。生活并不总会如你所愿。这是另一件你需要学会处理的事情。但你要挺住向前，而不是让这些事让你陷入低谷。接受挫败并学会坚持，不畏风险地追求你的梦想。学会把消极转化为积极，之后你就能做的好得多。

You will also face heartbreak and abandonment by those you love. I hope you don't have to face this too much, but it happens.

你同样会面临心碎时刻以及你深爱的'人的抛弃。我希望你无须经历太多此类事件，但如果不幸发生了

Again, not much you can do but to heal, and to move on with your life. Let these pains become stepping stones to better things in life, and learn to use them to make you stronger。

再一次，除了慢慢愈合心中的创伤并继续下去你的生活，你别无选择。让这些痛苦成为你通向更美好生活的垫脚石，并学会利用它们让自己更坚强。

But Be Open to life Anyway

但无论如何，都要张开双臂拥抱生活

Yes, you'll find cruelty and suffering in your journey through life … but don't let that close you to new things. Don't retreat from life, don't hide or wall yourself off. Be open to new things, new experiences, new people。

是的，在你的生命历程中你会遇到残酷，煎熬……但不要让这些让你拒绝接受新鲜事物。不要逃避生活，不要躲藏，抑或封闭自己。拥抱新鲜事物，经历全新体验，接触新的人。

You might get your heart broken 10 times, but find the most wonderful woman the 11th time. If you shut yourself off from love, you'll miss out on that woman, and the happiest times of your life。

你或许心碎了10次，但是在第十一次找到至爱。如果你把自己关在爱的门外，你就会错过这个女子，和你生命中最快乐的时光。

You might get teased and bullied and hurt by people you meet … and then after meeting dozens of jerks, find a true friend. If you close yourself off to new people, and don't open your heart to them, you'll avoid pain … but also lose out on meeting some incredible people, who will be there during the toughest times of your life and create some of the best times of your life。

你可能会被你遇到的人耻笑欺负伤害…而在见了一打这种稀奇古怪的人后，你会找到一个真正的朋友。如果你拒绝接触新人群，并不向他们敞开心扉，你会避免受伤……但是同时也失去了认识这些不可思议的人的机会，他们会在你生命最困难的时刻陪伴着你，并带给你人生当中最美好的时光。

You will fail many times but if you allow that to stop you from trying, you will miss out on the amazing feeling of success once you reach new heights with your accomplishments. Failure is a stepping stone to success。

你会失败多次但是如果你让失败打到了你，不再努力，你就会错过那种当你达到成就新高度的难以言喻的成就感。失败是成功之母。

Love Should Be Your Rule

爱应该成为你的生活准则

If there's a single word you should live your life by, it should be this: Love. It might sound corny, I know … but trust me, there's no better rule in life。

如果让一个词成为你的生活支撑的话，那它应该是爱。也许这听来已是老生常谈，我也清楚… 但是请信任我，再没有更好的生活准则了。

Some would live by the rule of success. Their lives will be stressful, unhappy and shallow。

一些人以成功作为生活准则。他们的生活会很紧张，不开心并且很浅薄。

Others would live by the rule of selfishness — putting their needs above those of others. They will live lonely lives, and will also be unhappy。

另一些人的生活准则是个人利益---他们将个人需要置于他人需要之上。他们孤独一生，终究也不会快乐。

Still others will live by the rule of righteousness — trying to show the right path, and admonishing anyone who doesn't live by that path. They are concerned with others, but in a negative way, and in the end will only have their own righteousness to live with, and that's a horrible companion。

还有一些人他们为正义而生---努力展示其道路的正确性，并试图劝服任何一个不以正义为生活准则的人。他们关心他人，却以一种消极的方式，最终怀抱追寻一生的正义而终，而正却是一个糟糕的伴侣。

Live your life by the rule of love. Love your spouse, your children, your parents, your friends, with all of your heart. Give to them what they need, and show them not cruelty nor disapproval nor coldness nor disappointment, but only love. Open your soul to them。

用爱支撑你的生命。爱你的妻子，你的孩子，你的父母亲，你的朋友，全心全意地去爱。给与他们你所需要的，不要流露出任何残忍，不赞同，冷漠或者失望，只有爱。向他们敞开灵魂。

Love not only your loved ones, but your neighbors … your coworkers … strangers … your brothers and sisters in humanity. Offer anyone you meet a smile, a kind word, a kind gesture, a helping hand。

不仅仅爱你深爱的人，也要爱你的邻居.。。你的同事…甚至陌生人…他们是你广义上的兄弟姐妹。给你遇到的任何一个人一个微笑，一句善语。一个友好的姿势，一只援助之手。

Love not only neighbors and strangers … but your enemy. The person who is cruelest to you, who has been unkind to you … love him. He is a tortured soul, and most in need of your love。

不仅仅爱邻居和陌生人…也要爱你的敌人。对你最残酷的人，对曾经对你不善的人…爱他。他是一个备受折磨的灵魂，最需要你的爱。

And most of all, love yourself. While others may criticize you, learn not to be so hard on yourself, to think that you’re ugly or dumb or unworthy of love … but to think instead that you are a wonderful human being, worthy of Happiness and love … and learn to love yourself for who you are。

最重要的是爱你自己。当别人批评你时，学着不要强加自己，去认为自己丑，笨或者不值得去爱…而要想着自己是一个很完美的人，值得拥有幸福和真爱…并学会爱现在的自己。

Finally, know that I love you and always will. You are starting out on a weird, scary, daunting, but ultimately incredibly wonderful journey, and I will be there for you when I can. Godspeed.

最后，要知道我爱你并且永远都会，你即将开启一段有点奇怪，令人害怕，令人心悸但最终很不可思议的巧妙旅程，我永远会支持你。祝万事如意。

英语美文欣赏7

If I were a boy again, I would cultivate courage. “Nothing is so mild and gentle as courage, nothing so cruel and pitiless as cowardice,” syas a wise author. We too often borrow trouble, and anticipate that may never appear.” The fear of ill exceeds the ill we fear.” Dangers will arise in any career, but presence of mind will often conquer the worst of them. Be prepared for any fate, and there is no harm to be freared. If I were a boy again, I would look on the cheerful side. Life is very much like a mirror: if you smile upon it, I smiles back upon you; but if you frown and look doubtful on it, you will get a similar look in return. Inner sunshine warms not only the heart of the owner, but of all that come in contact with it. “ who shuts love out ,in turn shall be shut out from love.” If I were a boy again, I would school myself to say no more often. I might write pages on the importance of learning very early in life to gain that point where a young boy can stand erect, and decline doing an unworthy act because it is unworthy. If I were a boy again, I would demand of myself more courtesy towards my companions and friends, and indeed towards strangers as well. The smallest courtesies along the rough roads of life are like the little birds that sing to us all winter long, and make that season of ice and snow more endurable. Finally, instead of trying hard to be happy, as if that were the sole purpose of life, I would , if I were a boy again, I would still try harder to make others happy.

假如我又回到了童年，我就要培养勇气。一位明智的作家曾说过：“世上没有东西比勇气更温文尔雅，也没有东西比懦怯更残酷无情。”我们常常过多地自寻烦恼，杞人忧天。“怕祸害比祸害本身更可怕。”凡事都有危险，但镇定沉着往往能克服最严重的危险。对一切祸福做好准备，那么就没有什么灾难可以害怕的了。假如我又回到了童年，我就要事事乐观。生活犹如一面镜子：你朝它笑，它也朝你笑；如果你双眉紧锁，向它投以怀疑的目光，它也将还以你同样的.目光。内心的欢乐不仅温暖了欢乐者自己的心，也温暖了所有与之接触者的心。“谁拒爱于门外，也必将被爱拒诸门外。”假如我又回到了童年，我就要养成经常说“不”字的习惯。一个少年要能挺得起腰，拒绝做不应该做的事，就因为这事不值得做。我可以写上好几页谈谈早年培养这一点的重要性。假如我又回到了童年，我就要要求自己对伙伴和朋友更加礼貌，而且对陌生人也应如此。在坎坷的生活道路上，最细小的礼貌犹如在漫长的冬天为我们歌唱的小鸟，那歌声使冰天雪地的寒冬变得较易忍受。最后，假如我又回到了童年，我不会力图为自己谋幸福，好像这就是人生唯一的目的；与之相反，我要更努力为他人谋幸福。

英语美文欣赏8

Sweet, wild berries plucked from roadside patches are a delightful side benefit of camping. Each summer, my husband Bob and I would send the kids off with their little metal buckets and the next day we would all enjoy the fruits of their labor: raspberry pancakes turned on the grill or firm blackberries to dot a hot cooked-on-the-campfire peanut butter sandwich.

The children looked forward to picking. We could usually find just about anything, from blueberries in early summer to raspberries and blackberries in August. Every year - except one.

“There's nothing around here to pick!” five-year-old Julie complained, poking a stick into the dying fire one late summer evening.

The season had been too dry; what few blackberries were left on the bushes were hard as marbles.

“Yeah. I looked all over,” added four-year-old Brian. “Wish there was something.”

That night, after the kids were zipped into their sleeping sacks and I was sure they weren't awake, I handed Bob a bag of large marshmallows and I grabbed a bag of the miniatures.

“Get the lantern and follow me,” I said. “We're going to make a memory.”

“What?” He looked puzzled.

I told him about the kids'campfire conversation and Bob grinned, “Let's go!”

The next morning over pancakes, I said, “Kids, I think you're going to have something to pick today.”

“Really!” Julie's eyes shone. “What?”

“What?” echoed Brian.

“Marshmallows,” I said, as though I'd said it every summer. “Last night Daddy and I walked down toward the lake and it looks as though they're just about ready to pick. It's a good thing we're here now. They only come out one day a year.”

Julie looked skeptical, and Brian giggled. “You're silly, Mom! Marshmallows come in bags from the store.”

I shrugged. “So do blackberries, but you've picked those, haven't you? Somebody just puts them in bags.”

“Daddy, is that true?” He demanded.

Bob was very busy turning pancakes. “Guess you'll just have to go find out for yourself,” he answered. “Okay!”

They were off in a flurry, little metal buckets reflecting the morning sun.

“You nut,” Bob said to me, laughing. “It won't work.”

“Be a believer,” I answered.

Minutes later our two excited children rushed into the clearing.

“Look! I got some that were just babies!” Julie held up a miniature.

“I picked the big ones!” said Brian. “Boy, I want to cook one! Light the fire, Daddy, quick!”

“All right, all right, settle down.” Bob winked at me. “They won't spoil.” He lit some small sticks while the kids ran for their hot dog forks.

“Mine will be better because they're so little,” predicted Julie. Brian shrugged, mashing two large ones on his fork.

We waited for the culinary verdict.

“Wow! Brian's eyes rounded with surprise. ”These are sure better than those old ones in the bags!“ He reached for another. ”These are so good!“

”Of course,“ I said. ”These are really fresh!“

Julie looked puzzled. ”How come all those marshmallow bushes don't have the same kinds of leaves?“

”Just different kinds, that's all,“ I replied quickly. ”Like flowers.“

”Oh.“ She licked her fingers, seemingly satisfied with my answer. Then, studying the next marshmallow before she popped it into her mouth, she looked up with the sweetest smile and said softly, ”We're so lucky that they bloomed today!“

英语美文欣赏9

Lillian was a young French Canadian girl who grew up in the farming community of River Canard, Ontario. At the age of 16, her father thought ”Lill has had enough schooling,“and she was forced to drop out of school to contribute to the family income. In 1922, with English as her second language and limited education and skills, the future didn't look bright for Lill.

Her father, Eugene Bezaire, was a stern man who rarely took no for an answer and never accepted excuses. He demanded that Lill find a job. But her limitations left her with little confidence and low self-esteem, and she didn't know what work she could do.

With small hope of gaining employment, she would still ride the bus daily into the ”big cities“of Windsor or Detroit. But she couldn't muster the courage to respond to a Help Wanted ad; she couldn't even bring herself to knock on a door. Each day she would just ride to the city, walk aimlessly about and at dusk return home. Her father would ask, ”Any luck today, Lill?“ ”No ... no luck today, Dad,“she would respond meekly.

As the days passed, Lill continued to ride and her father continued to ask about her job-hunting. The questions became more demanding, and Lill knew she would soon have to knock on a door.

On one of her trips, Lill saw a sign at the Carhartt Overall Company in downtown Detroit. ”Help Wanted,“the sign said, ”Secretarial. Apply Within.“She walked up the long flight of stairs to the Carhartt Company offices. Cautiously, Lill knocked on her very first door. She was met by the office manager, Margaret Costello. In her broken English, Lill told her she was interested in the secretarial position, falsely stating that she was 19. Margaret knew something wasn't right, but decided to give the girl a chance. She guided Lill through the old business office of the Carhartt Company. With rows and rows of people seated at rows and rows of typewriters and adding machines, Lill felt as if a hundred pairs of eyes were staring at her. With her chin on her chest and her eyes staring down, the reluctant farm girl followed Margaret to the back of the somber room.

Margaret sat her down at a typewriter and said, ”Lill, let's see how good you really are.“She directed Lill to type a single letter, and then left. Lill looked at the clock and saw that it was 11:40 a.m. Everyone would be leaving for lunch at noon. She figured that she could slip away in the crowd then. But she knew she should at least attempt the letter.

On her first try, she got through one line.It had five words, and she made four mistakes. She pulled the paper out and threw it away. The clock now read 11:45. ”At noon,“she said to herself, ”I'll move out with the crowd, and they will never see me again.“

On her second attempt, Lill got through a full paragraph, but still made many mistakes. Again she pulled out the paper, threw it out and started over. This time she completed the letter, but her work was still strewn with errors. She looked at the clock: 11:55 — five minutes to freedom.

Just then, the door at one end of the office opened and Margaret walked in. She came directly over to Lill, putting one hand on the desk and the other on the girl's shoulder. She read the letter and paused. Then she said, ”Lill, you're doing good work!“

Lill was stunned. She looked at the letter, then up at Margaret. With those simple words of encouragement, her desire to escape vanished and her confidence began to grow. She thought, ”Well, if she thinks it's good, then it must be good. I think I'll stay!“

Lill did stay at Carhartt Overall Company...for 51 years, through two world wars and a Depression, through presidents and six prime ministers — all because someone had the insight to give a shy and uncertain young girl the gift of self-esteem when she knocked on the door.

英语美文欣赏10

A Thanksgiving Day editorial(社论)in the newspaper told of a school teacher who asked her class of first graders to draw a picture of something they were thankful for. She thought of how little these children from poor neighborhoods actually had to be thankful for. But she knew that most of them would draw pictures of turkeys or tables with food. The teacher was taken aback(吃惊;惊讶)with the picture Douglas handed in… a smile childishly drawn hand.

感恩节那天，报纸刊登了一篇社论，其中讲到这样一个故事：有位小学一年级的老师叫班上的小朋友画出他们感恩的东西。这些孩子均来自贫苦家庭，所以她料想他们多半会画桌丰富的感恩节佳肴，外加一只香喷喷的火鸡。但看到道格拉斯的作品后，她惊讶不已，上面画了一只手!

But whose hand? The class was captivated(迷惑;困惑)by the abstract(抽象的)image. “I think it must be the hand of God that brings us food,” said one child. “A farmer,” said another, “because he grows the turkeys.” Finally when the others were at work, the teacher bent(弯腰;屈身)over Douglas’s desk and asked whose hand it was. “It’s your hand, Teacher,” he mumbled(咕哝;含糊地说).

这是谁的手?班上的.小朋友都兴致勃勃地开始臆测，“这一定是赐给我们食物的上帝的手。”一个小孩说道。“是农夫，他用这手养出火鸡。”另一个小孩也有意见。在一阵猜测后，小朋友们又跑回座位继续画画。这时老师走到道格拉斯身旁，弯下腰问他那是谁的手。“那是您的手，老师。”他怯怯地回答。

She recalled that frequently at recess(课间休息)she had taken Douglas, a scrubby(身材矮小的)forlorn(孤独的)child by the hand. She often did that with the children. But it meant so much to Douglas. Perhaps this was everyone’s Thanksgiving, not for the material things given to us but for the chance, in whatever small way, to give to others.

道格拉斯个头矮小，平时落落寡欢，但老师在下课时总会过去牵牵他的手。她常这样握孩童的手，但对道格拉斯而言，意义格外重大。也许过感恩节的真正意义并不在于收受他人给予我们的有形物质，而是借此机会回馈他人，无论是如何的微小的付出。

英语美文欣赏11

Tucked away in our subconsciousness is an idyllic vision. We see ourselves on a long trip that spans the continent. We are travelling by train. Out the windows, we drink in the passing scene of cars on nearby highways, of children waving on a crossing, of cattle grazing on a distant hillside, of smoke pouring from a power plant, of row upon row of corn and wheat, of flatlands and valleys, of mountains and rolling hillsides, of city skylines and village halls.

But the uppermost in our minds is the final destination. On a certain day at a certain hour, we will pull into the station. Bands will be playing and flags waving. Once we reach there, so many wonderful dreams will come true and the pieces of our lives will be fit together like a completed jigsaw puzzle. How restlessly we pace the aisles, damning the minutes loitering, waiting, waiting, waiting for the station.

”When we reach the station, that will be it“, we cry. ”When I'm 18“, ”When I buy a new 450SL Mercedes Benz“, ”When I put my last kid through collage“, ”When I have paid off the mortgage“, ”When I get a promotion“, ”When I reach the age of the retirement, I shall live happily ever after.“

Sooner or later, we must realize that there is no station, no one place to arrive at once and for all. The true joy of life is the trip. The station is only a dream. It constantly outdistances us.

”Relish the moment“ is a good motto, especially when coupled withe the Psalm 118:24:”This is the day which the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.“ It isn't the burdens of today that drive men mad. It is the regrets over yesterday and the fear of tommorrow. Reget and fear are twin thieves who rob us of today.

So stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles. Instead, climb more mountains, eat more icecreams, go barefoot more often, swim more rivers, watch more sunsets, laugh more and cry less. Life must be lived as we go along. Then the station will come soon enough.

我们的潜意识里藏着一派田园诗般的风光!我们仿佛身处一次横贯大陆的漫漫旅程之中!乘着火车,我们领略着窗外流动的景色：附近高速公路上奔驰的汽车、十字路口处招手的孩童、远山上吃草的牛群、源源不断地从电厂排放出的烟尘、一片片的玉米和小麦、平原与山谷、群山与绵延的丘陵、天空映衬下城市的轮廓,以及乡间的庄园宅第!

然而我们心里想得最多的却是最终的目的'地!在某一天的某一时刻,我们将会抵达进站!迎接我们的将是乐队和飘舞的彩旗!一旦到了那儿,多少美梦将成为现实,我们的生活也将变得完整,如同一块理好了的拼图!可是我们现在在过道里不耐烦地踱来踱去,咒骂火车的拖拖拉拉!我们期待着,期待着,期待着火车进站的那一刻!

”当我们到站的时候,一切就都好了!“我们呼喊着!”当我18岁的时候!“”当我有了一辆新450SL奔驰的时候!“”当我供最小的孩子念完大学的时候!“”当我偿清贷款的时候!“”当我官升高任的时候!“”当我到了退休的时候,就可以从此过上幸福的生活啦!“

可是我们终究会认识到人生的旅途中并没有车站,也没有能够”一到永逸“的地方!生活的真正乐趣在于旅行的过程,而车站不过是个梦,它始终遥遥领先于我们!

真正令人发疯的不是今日的负担,而是对昨日的悔恨及对明日的恐惧!悔恨与恐惧是一对孪生窃贼,将今天从你我身边偷走!

那么就不要在过道里徘徊吧,别老惦记着你离车站还有多远!何不换一种活法,将更多的高山攀爬,多吃点儿冰淇淋甜甜嘴巴,经常光着脚板儿溜达,在更多的河流里畅游,多看看夕阳西下,多点欢笑哈哈,少让泪水滴答!生活得一边过一边瞧!车站就会很快到达!

英语美文欣赏12

Dear Anyone Having a Bad Week,

亲爱的度过糟糕一周的你：

I'm sorry. I have no idea why your week is bad, or how bad it actually is. I don't know if you've told anyone, if there's anything that could fix it or if it's made you rather unpleasant to be around. But I do know that I'm sorry that you're hurting, or stressed, or exhausted, or grieving, or frustrated, or depressed, or lonely, or scared or lost.

我很抱歉，我无从知晓你的这一周为何很糟糕，也不知道实际情况到底有多糟。不知道你是否有找人倾诉，是否有什么方式可以让你好受一些或者说现实是否让你更加难过。但是我清楚地知道我为你一切不好的情绪感到深深的同情，无论是你受到伤害或者感到压力，亦或是感到疲惫、悲伤、筋疲力尽、沮丧、孤独、害怕还是迷失。

I thought about writing this letter in a couple of different ways. I thought about writing it about the things you could do to feel better: show yourself compassion, go outside and look at the trees, look at a baby photo of yourself. Or I thought about focusing the letter on how the ”bad weeks“ can actually be pretty beautiful, if you look at them the right way. I almost wrote those letters, and maybe at some point I will, but I think I ended up deciding that I wasn't writing to make anyone feel better -- I just want you to feel heard.

我想象过用各种不同的方式来写这封信。我想象写一些可以让你感到好些的事情：比如对自己表示同情、出去看看树木或者看看自己儿时的照片;或者我也想象过将信的着重点放在，如果你用正确的方式来看待“糟糕的'一周”，你或许会发现这一周实际很美好。我差一点就那样写了，也许将来会这样写。但是现在我最终决定不写这些。——我只是想让你们感到，有人听到了你们的心声。

There's something about humans that makes us crave for our pain to be recognized. There is something inherently good and comforting in having someone say, ”Yeah, that sounds really hard,“ or, ”It really sucks that you have to deal with all that.“

作为人类本身，我们都渴望自己的悲伤被了解。如果有人能在这个时候对你说“是的，那听起来的确很糟”或者“你需要面对这些真的是太不幸了”，我们的内心都会感到些许好转或安慰。

But unfortunately, that's not always the direction that society pushes us in. We have been taught that bad days are to be silently borne beneath a bright smile; that expressions of pain are uncomfortable.

但不幸的是，现实并不总能按照我们期望的方向发展。我们总是被告知需要隐藏自己的悲伤，展露自己的微笑。而这种表达方式让人并不舒服。

I want you to know you can feel free to spill your bad day all over the place and wear it on the front of your shirt.

我想要让你知道，你可以在任何地方自由表露你的坏情绪，你甚至可以将它画在T恤上穿在你的身上。

I want you to know that the expressions of your pain are beautiful and that I will try my very hardest to feel the hurt with you. I want you to know that your grumpy, stressed out, short-tempered self is just as awesome as your cheerful self. Please do not shun your suffering.

我想要让你知道你表现出来的悲伤也很美丽，我会尽我最大的努力来尽量感受你的不幸。我想要让你知道，有坏情绪、压力感和小脾气的你与快乐时的你一样可爱。请不要再压抑自己的情感。

In writing this, know that I hear you, and let yourself be healed. I hope your day turns around, and that even if it doesn't, you can still find a few moments of beauty and/or happiness amidst the crappiness. For all of you not having bad days -- carry on, and enjoy.

在写这篇文章时，我听到了你们的心声，请让自己尽快好起来。我希望你们日子恢复正常，即使不能，你仍然可以发现一些美好的瞬间或者苦中作乐一下。为了不让你们自己持续这种糟糕的日子，向前看，去享受生活吧!

Sincerely,

此致

克拉拉·瓦格纳

英语美文欣赏13

人生总归是要经历经历失恋的，因为失恋是为了让你找到更好的。

The whole life is to experience the experience of lovelorn, because the love of love is to make you find better.

本以为校服到婚纱是时间和信任问题，可是时间久了，渐渐地我们没有任何的亲情作保障，彼此的距离就这样一天天打败给了现实，身边的每个人的经历其实都是一个很好的例子，兜兜转转，重复着历史。

This is the time to dress uniforms thought and trust, but a long time, gradually we don't have any affection for security, the distance of each other on such a day defeat to reality, everyone's experience is a good example of twists and turns, repeat the history.

母亲是个很乖巧的女儿，至少外婆说什么就是什么，自己也是很努力，小时候的母亲上学成绩是优秀的，但是出于家里有个外婆从她哥哥家抱过来的哥哥要上学，母亲15岁就辍学，到织布厂里面上班维持舅舅的上学，年纪轻轻的母亲，在那个懵懂的年代，因为外婆在旁边想让母亲和舅舅凑一对，什么都不懂得母亲就这样为舅舅付出了五年的青春，等舅舅上学出来之后，舅舅说出心中所想，用近亲不能在一起的理由，委婉的拒绝了养了他二十几年的母亲的念想，可是在上学需要母亲帮助的时候，却自私的接受了我母亲对他的付出。还好，母亲还是等到了，等到了更好的父亲，父亲是个老实人，因为个子不高，家里很穷，年长母亲五岁，父亲母亲都是务实的人，为了让子女有更好的生活，含辛茹苦的将我们姐妹养大，父亲常年漂泊在异国，只为了赚更多的钱，让我们的家变得更好。

My mother is a very clever girl, what is what my grandmother said at least, he is very hard, when the mother school grades are excellent, but for a grandma came from her brother's brother to go home, the mother left school at 15, to maintain the uncle weaving factory inside the work school. The young mother, at that time ignorant, because the grandmother beside mother and uncle want to get together, what all don't understand the mother so uncle gave five years of youth, after school uncle, uncle to say what you think, with close relatives can not reason together, refused he raised more than 20 years of mother's thought, but in need of help the mother to go to school, but the selfish accepted me to pay for his mother. Okay, wait until the mother was, the better father, father is an honest man, because not tall, the family was poor, the old five year old mother, father and mother are pragmatic, in order to let the children have a better life, we will raise the bear bitter hardships sisters, father perennial wandering in a foreign country. In order to make more money, let the home become better.

话说回来，我的那个舅舅，先是为了城镇户口，与一位长相一般的女生定亲之后，遇到了一位貌美如花且城镇户口的舅妈，毅然决然抛弃未婚妻，娶了舅妈，本以为可以带着年迈的奶奶过上了幸福的生活，却因为一身疾病，上帝剥夺了年轻的生命，那位貌美的舅妈带了我那小哥哥改嫁了，之后又离婚了，亦是凄凉的一生。

Anyway, that my uncle, the first is to urban hukou, and a general appearance of the girls engaged, met a beautiful and Hukou aunt, resolutely abandoned his fiancee, married aunt thought with old grandmother lived a happy life, but because of a body disease, God deprived young life, the beautiful aunt took my little brother remarried, after a divorce, is also a desolate life.

在这段脆弱的爱情史里面，母亲算是幸福的，至少不管生活遇到什么，父亲是他的支柱。还有俩个宝贝女人做她的贴心棉袄。还记得高一那会儿，语文老师说，父母辈是最辛苦的，上面有老的下面有小的，回去后躺在母亲怀里，就问母亲，母亲脸上漾着笑花，幸福地说道：“我很幸福的，有爱我的老公和俩宝贝女儿，爸妈身体也很好哇。”母亲这辈子是辛苦的，亦是幸福的。

In this fragile history of love, mother is happy, at least no matter what life meets, father is his pillar. There are two baby woman her intimate jacket. Remember that a high moment, Chinese teacher said, parents are the most difficult, there are old here are small, back lying in his mother's arms, the mother asked the mother, her smiling face flower, happily said: ”I am very happy, love my husband and two baby my daughter, the body is also very good.“ Mother's life is hard and happy.

其实，我是和母亲很像的一个人，在我懵懂的青春里，也遇到了让我付出整个青春的人，俩边家长在他上本科的时候都见过面了，都是蛮喜欢的，但是就在他告知考研成功的那个早上，他的母亲明确说不同意我们俩的婚事了，一下子，本来是很开心的事情，晴天霹雳，说辞是算命先生说我对他不好，在我们谈了三年的时光里都没有这个说法，但是考研之后就出来了，人都是自私，而他也摇摆不定，不知道怎么办。

In fact, I am a person just like mother, in my ignorant youth, have let me pay the youth, when both sides parents in his undergraduate are met, are quite love, but in the morning he told his mother of success, clear that do not agree with our marriage, all of a sudden, it is fun, a bolt from the blue, rhetoric is the fortune teller said I wasn't good for him, we talked in this statement are not three years, but after the examination came out, people are selfish, but he is also wavering don't know what to do.

虽然我很理解他的摇摆不定，但是却是不能够原谅的，我为你付出了整个青春，本以为校服到婚纱只是时间长短问题，但是现实是你的`摇摆不定让我对你失望至极，我想要的很简单，至少在我需要你的时候给我一个肩膀，整个事件中，我没有一点点的错，却被你母亲说成这样，你母亲在哭闹的时候，至少有你的父亲在拍拍肩膀，那我呢，你在哪里？

Although I understand his wavering, but is not able to forgive, I pay the youth for you, this is just the time length to that school dress, but the reality is you swing to let me disappointed, I want very simple, at least when I need you to I am a shoulder, the entire incident, I did a little bit wrong, but your mother said that, your mother crying when, at least your father patted the shoulder, then I do, where are you?

有缘无份或许就是说的我们，在整个青春的记忆里，朋友们对我们这对寄托着对校园爱情的祝福，却在这个毕业季，紫藤花开的时节里，说声再见了。

Who is perhaps that we, in the memory of youth, of our friends the sustenance of campus love blessing, but in this graduation season, wisteria flowers of the season, say goodbye.

那时的我不知道怎么面对未来的生活，亲爱的，你出现了，那个等了我整个青春的人，是你一直默默在我的身后，坚持着，记得你和我说过一句话，我最喜欢那首《终于等到你》，还好没放弃我。

I do not know how to face the future life, dear, you appear, so that my entire youth, are you always silently behind me, hold on, remember you and I said a word, I love the song ”until finally you" Okay, I didn't give up.

一切的失恋是为了更好地那位出现。

All the lovelorn is for the better.

致那些和我一样为了爱情，付出整个青春的人。

To those who are like me for love, to pay the whole youth.

英语美文欣赏14

“Sir?”

The Maestro continued to play, not looking up from the keys.

“Yes, Rollo?”

“Sir, I was wondering if you would explain this apparatus to me.”

The Maestro stopped playing, his thin body stiffly relaxed on the bench. His long supple fingers floated off the keyboard.

“Apparatus?” He turned and smiled at the robot. “Do you mean the piano, Rollo?”

“This machine that produces varying sounds. I would like some information about it, its operation and purpose. It is not included in my reference data.”

The Maestro lit a cigarette. He preferred to do it himself. One of his first orders to Rollo when the robot was delivered two days before had been to disregarded his built-in instructions on the subject.

“I’d hardly call a piano a machine, Rollo,” he smiled, “although technically you are correct. It is actually, I suppose, a machine designed to produce sounds of graduated pitch and tone, singly or in groups.”

“I assimilated that much by observation,” Rollo replied in a brassy baritone which no longer sent tiny tremors up the Maestro’s spine. “Wires of different thickness and tautness struck by felt-covered hammers activated by manually operated levers arranged in a horizontal panel.”

“A very cold-blooded description of one of man’s nobler works,” the Maestro remarked dryly. “You make Mozart and Chopin mere laboratory technicians.”

“Mozart? Chopin?” The duralloy sphere that was Rollo’s head shone stark and featureless, its immediate surface unbroken but for twin vision lenses. “The terms are not included in my memory banks.”

“No, not yours, Rollo,” the Maestro said softly. “Mozart and Chopin are not for vacuum tubes and fuses and copper wire. They are for flesh and blood and human tears.”

“I do not understand,” Rollo droned.

“Well,” the Maestro said, smoke curling lazily from his nostrils, “they are two of the humans who compose, or design successions of notes--varying sounds, that is, produced by the piano or by other instruments, machines that produce other types of sounds of fixed pitch and tone.

“Sometimes these instruments, as we call them, are played, or operated, individually: sometimes in groups--orchestras, as we refer to them--and the sounds blend together, they harmonize. That is, they have an orderly, mathematical relationship to each other which results in...”

The Maestro threw up his hands.

“I never imagined,” he chuckled, “that I would some day struggle so mightily, and so futilely, to explain music to a robot!”

“Music?”

“Yes, Rollo. The sounds produced by this machine and others of the same category are called music.”

“What is the purpose of music, sir?”

“Purpose?”

The Maestro crushed the cigarette in an ash tray. He turned to the keyboard of the concert grand and flexed his fingers briefly.

“Listen, Rollo.”

The wraithlike fingers glided and wove the opening bars of “Clair de Lune,” slender and delicate as spider silk. Rollo stood rigid, the fluorescent light over the music rack casting a bluish jeweled sheen over his towering bulk, shimmering in the amber vision lenses.

The Maestro drew his hands back from the keys and the subtle thread of melody melted reluctantly into silence.

“Claude Debussy”, the Maestro said. “One of our mechanics of an era long past. He designed that succession of tones many years ago. What do you think of it?”

Rollo did not answer at once.

“The sounds were well formed,” he replied finally. “They did not jar my auditory senses as some do.”

The Maestro laughed. “Rollo, you may not realize it, but you’re a wonderful critic.”

“This music, then,” Rollo droned. “Its purpose is to give pleasure to humans?”

“Exactly,” the Maestro said. “Sounds well formed, that do not jar the auditory senses as some do. Marvelous! It should be carved in marble over the entrance of New Carnegie Hall.”

“I do not understand. Why should my definition--?”

The Maestro waved a hand. “No matter, Rollo. No matter.”

“Sir?”

“Yes, Rollo?”

“Those sheets of paper you sometimes place before you on the piano. They are the plans of the composer indicating which sounds are to be produced by the piano and in what order?”

“Just so. We call each sound a note; combinations of notes we call chords.”

“Each dot, then, indicates a sound to be made?”

“Perfectly correct, my man of metal.”

Rollo stared straight ahead. The Maestro felt a peculiar sense of wheels turning within that impregnable sphere.

“Sir, I have scanned my memory banks and find no specific or implied instructions against it. I should like to be taught how to produce these notes on the piano. I request that you feed the correlation between those dots and the levers of the panel into my memory banks.”

The Maestro peered at him, amazed. A slow grin traveled across his face.

“Done!” he exclaimed. “It’s been many years since pupils helped gray these ancient locks, but I have the feeling that you, Rollo, will prove a most fascinating student. To instill the Muse into metal and machinery... I accept the challenge gladly!”

He rose, touched the cool latent power of Rollo’s arm.

“Sit down here, my Rolleindex Personal Robot, Model M-e. We shall start Beethoven spinning in his grave--or make musical history.”

More than an hour later the Maestro yawned and looked at his watch.

“It’s late,” he spoke into the end of the yawn. “These old eyes are not tireless like yours, my friend.” He touched Rollo’s shoulder. “You have the complete fundamentals of musical notation in your memory banks, Rollo. That’s a good night’s lesson, particularly when I recall how long it took me to acquire the same amount of information. Tomorrow we’ll attempt to put those awesome fingers of yours to work.”

He stretched. “I’m going to bed,” he said. “Will you lock up and put out the lights?”

“May I attempt to create some sounds with the keyboard tonight? I will do so very softly so as not to disturb you.”

“Tonight? Aren’t you--?” Then the Maestro smiled. “You must pardon me, Rollo. It’s still a bit difficult for me to realize that sleep has no meaning for you.”

英语美文欣赏15

if i were a boy again, i would practice perseverance more often, and never give up a thing because it was or inconvenient. if we want light, we must conquer darkness. perseverance can sometimes equal genius in its results. “there are only two creatures,” says a proverb, “who can surmount the pyramids—the eagle and the snail.”

if i were a boy again, i would school myself into a habit of attention; i would let nothing come between me and the subject in hand. i would remember that a good skater never tries to skate in two directions at once.the habit of attention becomes part of our life, if we begin early enough. i often hear grown up people say “ i could not fix my attention on the sermon or book, although i wished to do so” , and the reason is, the habit was not formed in youth.

if i were to live my life over again, i would pay more attention to the cultivation of the memory. i would strengthen that faculty by every possible means, and on every possible occasion. it takes a little hard work at first to remember things accurately; but memory soon helps itself, and gives very little trouble. it only needs early cultivation to become a power.

[美文欣赏]

“We are reading the first verse of the first chapter of a book whose pages are infinite...”

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.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.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.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.[参考译文]

“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„„”

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。

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。

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。

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。

[美文欣赏]

To a large degree, the measure of our peace of mind is determined by how much we are able to live on the present moment.Irrespective of what happened yesterday or last year, and what may or may not happen tomorrow, the present moment is where you are--always!

Without question, many of us have mastered the neurotic art of spending much of our lives worrying about variety of things--all at once.We allow past problems and future concerns to dominate your present moments, so much so that we end up anxious, frustrated, depressed, and hopeless.On the flip side, we also postpone our gratification, our stated priorities, and our happiness, often convincing ourselves that “someday” will be much better than today.Unfortunately, the same mental dynamics that tell us to look toward the future will only repeat themselves so that 'someday' never actually arrives.John Lennone once said, “Life is what is happening while we are busy making other plans.” When we are busy making 'other plans', our children are busy growing up, the people we love are moving away and dying, our bodies are getting out of shape, and our dreams are slipping away.In short, we miss out on life.Many people lives as if life is a dress rehearsal for some later date.It isn't.In fact, no one has a guarantee that he or she will be here tomorrow.Now is the only time we have, and the only time that we have any control over.When our attention is in the present moment, we push fear from our minds.Fear is the concern over events that might happen in the future--we won't have enoughh money, our children will get into trouble, we will get old and die, whatever.To combat fear, the best stradegy is to learn to bring your attention back to the present.Mark Twain said,“I have been through some terrible things in life, some of which actually happened.” I don't think I can say it any better.Practice keeping your attention on the here and now.Your effort will pay great dividends.[参考译文]

我们内心是否平和在很大程度上是由我们是否能生活在现实之中所决定的．不管昨天或去年发生了什么，不管明天可能发生或不发生什么，现实才是你时时刻刻所在之处。

毫无疑问，我们很多人掌握了一种神经兮兮的艺术，即把生活中的大部分时间花在为种种事情担心忧虑上－－而且常常是同时忧虑许多事情．

我们听凭过去的麻烦和未来的担心控制我们此时此刻的生活，以至我们整日焦虑不安，委靡不振，甚至沮丧绝望．而另一方面我们又推迟我们的满足感，推迟我们应优先考虑的事情，推迟我们的幸福感，常常说服自己“有朝一日”会比今天更好．不幸的是，如此告戒我们朝前看的大脑动力只能重复来重复去，以至“有朝一日”不会真的来临．约翰．列侬曾经说过：“生活就是当我们忙于制定别的计划时发生的事．”当我们忙于指定种种＂别的计划＂时，我们的孩子在忙于长大，我们挚爱的人离去了甚至快去世了，我们的体型变样了，而我们的梦想也在消然溜走了．一句话，我们错过了生活。

许多人的生活好象是某个未来日子的彩排，并非如此。事实上，没人能保证他或她肯定还活着。现在是我们所拥有的唯一时间，现在也是我们能控制的唯一的时间。当我们将注意力放在此时此刻时，我们就将恐惧置于脑后。恐惧就是我们担忧某些事情会在未来发生－－我们不讳有足够的钱，我们的孩子会惹上麻烦，我们会变老，会死去，诸如此类。

若要克服恐惧心理，最佳策略是学会将你的注意力拉回此时此刻。马克．吐温说过：“我经历过生活中一些可怕的事情，有些的确发生过。”我想我说不出比这更具内涵的话。经常将注意力集中于此情此景，此时此刻，你的努力终会有丰厚的报偿。

[美文欣赏]

Everybody has blue days.These are miserable days when you feel lousy, grumpy, lonely, and utterly exhausted.Days when you feel small and insignificant, when everything seems just out of reach.You can’t rise to the occasion.Just getting started seems impossible.On blue days you can become paranoid that everyone is out to get you.This is not always such a bad thing.You feel frustrated and anxious, which can induce a nail-biting frenzy that can escalate into a triple-chocolate-mud-cake-eating frenzy in a blink of an eye!On blue days you feel like you’re floating in an ocean of sadness.You’re about to burst into tears at any moment and you don’t even know why.Ultimately, you feel like you’re wandering through life without purpose.You’re not sure how much longer you can hang on, and you feel like shouting,“Will someone please shoot me!”It doesn’t take much to bring on a blue day.You might just wake up not feeling or looking your best,find some new wrinkles, put on a little weight, or get a huge pimple on your nose.You could forget your date’s name or have an embarrassing photograph published.You might get dumped,divorced, or fired, make a fool of yourself in public, be afflicted with a demeaning nickname,or just have a plain old bad-hair day.Maybe work is a pain in the butt.You’re under major pressure to fill someone else’s shoes,your boss is picking on you, and everyone in the office is driving you crazy.You might have a splitting headache,or a slipped dish, bad breath, a toothache,chronic gas, dry lips, or a nasty ingrown toenail.Whatever the reason, you’re convinced that someone up there doesn’t like you.Oh what to do, what to do?

[参考译文]

每个人都有忧郁的时候。

那些日子真是惨透了，你觉得心里乱糟糟的、怨气丛生、寂寞、整个人彻底的精疲力竭。那些日子总会让你感到自己的渺小和微不足道，每件事情似乎都够不着边。你根本无法振作起来。

根本没有力气重新开始。在忧郁的日子里，你可能变成偏执狂，觉得每个人都想要吃定你。其实情况并不总是那么糟。你感到灰心、焦虑，可能开始神经质地拼命咬指甲，然后不可救药地陷入一眨眼吃掉三大块巧克力蛋糕的疯狂！在忧郁的日子里，你会觉得自己在悲伤的海里沉沉浮浮。不论在什么时候，你总有种想哭的冲动，却不知道为了什么。最后，你觉得自己犹如行尸走肉，失去生活目标。

你不知道自己还可以撑多久，然后你想大喊一声：“谁来一枪把我打死吧！” 其实一点小事就让你一天都郁闷难当。也许只是一觉醒来，没有感觉到或者看到自己最棒的一面，发现自己又多了几条皱纹，又重了几斤，或是鼻子上冒出了一个大包。你可能忘记了约会对象的名字，或是有张可笑的照片被登出来。你或许被人抛弃、离了婚，或是被开除，当众出丑，被刻薄的绰号弄得心乱如麻，或许只因为你得整天顶着一个其丑无比的发型。也许工作让你痛苦得如坐针毡。你在强大的压力下顶替他人的位置，你的老板对你百般挑剔，办公室里的每一个人都让你发疯。你可能会头疼欲裂，或重心不稳跌个正着，口臭、牙痛、不停放屁、口干舌燥，或是指甲长到肉里头了。不管什么原因，你确定上面有人不喜欢你。唉，该怎么办，到底该怎么办呢？

[美文欣赏]

“We are reading the first verse of the first chapter of a book whose pages are infinite...”

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.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.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.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.[参考译文]

“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……”

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。

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。

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。

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。

[美文欣赏]

Today I begin a new life.And I make a solemn oath to myself that nothing will retard my new life's growth.I will lose not a day from these readings for that day cannot be retrieved nor can I substitute another for it.I must not , I will not, break this habit of daily reading from these scrolls and, in truth, the few moments spent each day on this new habit are but a small price to pay for the happiness and success that will be mine.As I read and re-read the words in the scrolls to follow, never will I allow the brevity of each scroll nor the simplicity of its words to cause me to treat the scroll's message lightly.Thousands of grapes are pressed to fill one jar with wine, and the grapeskin and pulp are tossed to the birds.So it is with these grapes of wisdom from the ages.Much has been filtered and tossed to the wind.Only the pure truth lies distilled in the words to come.I will drink as instructed and spill not a drop.And the seed of success I will swallow.Today my old skin has become as dust.I will walk tall among men and they will know me not , for today I am a new man, with a new life.[参考译文]

今天，我开始新的生活

我郑重地发誓，绝不让任何事情妨碍我新生命的成长。在阅读这些读物的时候，我绝不浪费一天的时间，因为时光一去不返，失去的日子是无法弥补的。我也绝不打破每天阅读的习惯。事实上，每天在这些新习惯上花费少许时间，相对于可能获得的愉乐与成功而言，只是微不足道的代价。

当我阅读书卷中的字句时，绝不能因为文字的精炼而忽视内容的深沉。一瓶葡萄美酒需要千百颗果子酿制而成，果皮和渣子抛给小鸟。葡萄的智慧代代相传，有些被过滤，有些被淘汰，随风飘逝。只有纯正的真理才是永恒的。它们就精炼在我要阅读的文字中。我要依照指示，绝不浪费，饮下成功的种子。

今天，我的老茧化为尘埃。我在人群中昂首阔步，不会有人认出我来，因为我不再是过去的自己、我已拥有新的生命。