jiaoyang0706
随着英语学习的全球化，英语阅读已经成为学习英语、获取信息的一个主要方式。我整理了优秀英文短文美文，欢迎阅读!
There was a farmer in Africa who was happy and content. He was happy because he was content. He was content because he was happy.
从前在非洲有一位快乐而满足的农夫。他因满足而快乐，同时也因快乐而感到满足。
One day a wise man came to him and told him about the glory of diamonds and the power that goes along them.
有一天，一位智者向他走来并告知他关于钻石的荣耀，以及随之而来权力。
The wise man says, “If you had a diamond the size of your thumb, you could have your own city. If you had a diamond the size of your fist you could probably own your own country.” And then he went away.
智者说，“如果你拥有一块拇指般大的钻石，你就能换到一座属于自己的城市;如果你拥有一块拳头般大的钻石，你就可能会拥有一个属于自己的国家。”说完他便离开了。
That night the farmer couldn't sleep. He was unhappy and he was discontent. He was unhappy because he was discontent, and he was discontent because he was unhappy.
那一晚，农夫难以入睡，他开始变得不快乐而且不满足起来。他因不满足而不快乐，同样也因为不快乐而变得不满足。
The next morning he made arrangements to sell off his farm, took care of his family and went in search of diamonds. He looked all over Africa and couldn't find any. He looked all through Europe and couldn’t find any. When he got to Spain, he was emotionally, physically and financially broke. He got so disheartened that he threw himself into the Barcelona River and committed suicide.
第二天早上，他卖掉了自己的农场，安顿好了他的家人便踏上了寻找钻石之路。他寻遍了整个非洲但却一无所获。他找遍整个欧洲还是一无所获。当他到达西班牙的时候，他已精神崩溃、周身疲惫、钱财耗尽。绝望之下，他跳进了巴塞罗那河，自杀了。
Back home, the person who had bought his farm was watering the camels at a stream that ran through the farm. Across the stream, the rays of the morning sun hit a stone and made it sparkle like a rainbow.
而在他的家乡，买下他农场的那个人此时正在小溪边给骆驼饮水。潺潺的溪水流经了整个农场。清晨的阳光穿过溪水照射在一块石头上，折射的光芒好像是一道彩虹。
He thought it would look good on the mantelpiece. He picked up the stone and put it in the living room. That afternoon the wise man came and saw the stone sparkling. He asked, "Is Hafiz back?"
这人心想：若是将这块石头摆在壁炉架上一定会十分漂亮。于是，他捡起石头并把它放到客厅里。当天下午，那个智者又出现了。他看到闪闪发光的石头，便问道：“哈夫兹(旧主人)回来了吗?”
The new owner said, "No, why do you ask?" The wise man said, "Because that is a diamond. I recognize one when I see one." The man said, "No, that's just a stone I picked up from the stream. Come, I'll show you. There are many more.' They went and picked some samples and sent them for analysis. Sure enough, the stones were diamonds. They found that the farm was indeed covered with acres and acres of diamonds.
新主人回答说：“没有啊!你为什么会这么问?”智者回答道：“因为这石头是一块钻石，我一眼就能识别。”新主人说：“不是!这只是我从溪水中捡起的一块石头。不信，你就跟我来，那里还有好多呢!” 于是两人走到小溪边，捡了一些石头送去验证。毫无疑问，这些石头确实是钻石!他们还发现这整个农场蕴藏着大量的钻石。
We read that Alexander, the great, was the follower of Aristotle, from whose instructions he got the greatest advantage. What was the most, he asked his master what would profit himself, and at the same time be serviceable to others.
通过阅读我们了解到，亚历山大大帝是亚里士多德的门徒，大帝从这位大师身上学到了不少的东西。其中最重要的一条是，他曾经询问过大师，怎样既得益于自己又助于他人。
Aristotle answered, “My son, hear with attention; and if you accept my advice, you duanwenw.com will arrive at the greatest honors. There are seven distinct points to be remembered. First , you do not overcharge the balance. Secondly, you do not feed a fire with the sword, Thirdly, stress not the crown; nor, fourthly, eat the heart of a little bird. Fifthly, when you have taken the right road, never turn from it. Sixthly, walk not in the high road; and, seventhly, do not allow a talkative duanwenw.com swallow to possess your eaves.”
亚里士多德回答说：“请注意听，我的孩子。你若接纳我的忠告，你一定能功盖星辰。有七点你要切记：一忌打破平衡;二忌用剑拔火;三忌太重皇权;四忌贪吃小鸟心脏;五忌走对路又回头观望;六忌走出通衢大道;七忌让多舌的燕子占你屋檐。”
The king carefully considered the meaning of these puzzling directions; and observing them, experienced their utility in his following years.
国王苦思冥想这令人迷惘的指导，并悉心观察，在他随后的日子里受益无穷。
Because of heat, a deer came to a spring to drink. Seeing his own shadow reflecting in the water, he greatly admired the size and variety of his horns, but felt angry with himself for having such slender and weak feet.
天气炎热，一只鹿来到泉边饮水。看着自己倒映在水中的影子，鹿很欣赏他头上那巨大的鹿角和它们的参差有致，也为自己细长而柔弱的脚饿懊恼。
While he was in deep thought, a lion appeared at the pool duanwenw.com and sprang upon him. The deer immediately began to run away as fast as possible. As long as the road was smooth and open, he kept himself at ease at a safe distance from the lion. But entering a wood he became entangled by his horns, and the lion quickly came up to him and caught him. When too late he thus regretted, “My god! How have I cheated myself! These feet saved me, but I had despised them, and I duanwenwcom was proud of these antlers which have brought me destruction.”
正当他沉思的时候，一头狮子出现在池边，向他猛扑过来。鹿立刻以最快的速度逃走了。跑在平坦宽阔的路上，他很容易保持离狮子安全的距离，但一进树林，他就被自己的角缠住了。狮子迅速赶上来抓住了他。鹿此时悔之晚矣:””天啊!我怎么会自己欺骗自己!这些脚本来可以救我的命，我却轻视，而这些置我于死地的角我却感到荣耀
We often look down upon what is most truly valuable in our life.
在生活中，我们常常轻视一些真正有价值的东西。
青木震雷
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 small, 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 smile 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
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