英语经典美文
在日常学习、工作抑或是生活中，大家或多或少都接触过美文吧？在网络时代人们接触到的信息越来越多，微小说等很多网络文章也被笼统的列入美文行列。你知道写美文的精髓是什么吗？以下是小编精心整理的英语经典美文，希望能够帮助到大家。
英语经典美文1
Womens Tears
“ Why are you crying?” he asked his Mom. “ Because I’m a woman.” she told him. “ I don’t understand,” he said. His Mom just hugged him and said, “ And you never will”
Later the little boy asked his father, “ Why does mother seem to cry for no reason?”“ All women cry for no reason” was all his Dad could say
The little boy grew up and became a man, still wondering why women cry
Finally he put in a call to God; when God got on the phone, the man said, “ God, why do women cry so easily?” God said “ When I made woman she had to be special. I made her shoulders strong enough to carry the weight of the world; yet gentle enough to give comfort
I gave her an inner strength to endure childbirth and the rejection that many times comes from her children
I gave her a hardness that allows her to keep going when everyone else gives up and take care of her family through fatigue and sickness without complaining
I gave her the sensitivity to love her children under any and all circumstances, even when her child has hurt them very badly.
I gave her strength to carry her husband through his faults and fashioned her from his rib to protect his heart.
I gave her wisdom to know that a good husband never hurts his wife, but sometimes tests her strengths and her resolve to stand beside him unfalteringly.
I gave her a tear to shed, It’s hers exclusively to use whenever it is needed. It’s her only weakness It’s a tear for mankind”
“你为什么哭呀?”他问他的妈妈。 “因为我是个女人”她告诉他。 “我不明白，”他说。 他的妈妈只是搂紧了他说，“你永远也不会”……
后来这个小孩问他的父亲，“为什么母亲无缘无故地哭?”“所有女人都会无缘无故地哭”他的父亲只能这样说……
小男孩长成了大男人，依然没有弄明白女人为什么哭……
最后他给上帝拨了个电话。
当上帝接到电话时，这位长大成人的男子问，“上帝，为什么女人那么容易哭?”上帝说……“当我创造女人时她必须是特殊的。我让她的肩膀坚强得足以承担这个世界的重量;但又足够温柔地给人慰藉……
我给她内在的力量以承受分娩的剧痛，去忍受孩子们一次又一次的厌弃……
我给她坚韧使她在人人都放弃时能独自坚持下去不顾自身的疲惫和病痛毫无怨言地照料家人……
我给她敏感的心，去毫无条件毫无保留地爱她的儿女，即使他们深深伤害过她……
我给她力量让她帮助丈夫克服他的过失，我用他的一根肋骨造出了她来保护他的.心。
我给她智慧让她明白，好丈夫永不伤害妻子，但有时会考验她的力量考验她坚决站在他身旁的决心。
我给她眼泪，这眼泪只属于她，需要时便会流下，这是她惟一的弱点……
这是为人类而流下的泪水……”
英语经典美文2
When a man is ten, he has a boy's faith in almost everthing: even Santa Claus is a belief he is not quite ready to give up so long as there is a chance the old gentleman may really live and deliver. When a man is twenty, he is closer to compete disillusion and stronger conviction than he will probably ever be in his life.
This is the age of atheists and agnostics; it is also the age of martyrs. Jesus Christ must have been a very young man when he died on the cross; Joan of Arc, they say, was only nineteen as the flames consumed her. It is in the later years---oh, anywhere from thirty to fifty---that a man at some time stands with the tatters of his hopes and dreams fallen from him and asks himself:"What, indeed, do i believe?"
He is very apt, then, to cling to the words of other men who have written for him the shadow signposts that come as anything to poiting pathways he found best in the past and roads he will trust on the way ahead. These words may be mere copybook maxims: that honesty is the best policy, or haste makes waste. They may be alone from Shakespeare---
"To thine own self be true"---or from the bible---"All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them"---or from the poets" i myself am Heaven and Hell". They may seem a sort of hodgepodge in a man's mind, yet they can make a pattern not inconsistent and not weak.
So if i believe that i myself am Heaven and Hell, that anything less than honesty to myself and others is a boomerang on them and me; if my translation of the Golden Rule is simple acts of kindness and understanding and compassion, practiced in the hope that they will be shown to me, then i have a way of life that is a sort of unselfish selfishness. The bald statement may sound cynical, but if i can follow that way, i shall not be too unhappy here and i may face death with regret but an untroubled face and a stout heart.
But there are blocks and pitfalls in a way of life, even assuming that a man can adhere to it steadfastly despite his own inclinations to deviate. These obstacles are the work other men who adhere to other ways. Hence kindness and compassion are not enough.
A man, i believe, must have courage and fortitude and a burning sense of justice, too. There are times we should turn the other cheek, but there are likewise times when we must fight the good fight. When? Well, if a fellow can't find the answer on the signposts or in his heart, i guess he has just got to pray.
英语经典美文3
I heated up a cup of coffee today in the microwave. I wasn"t sure if I should laugh or cry as I stood there holding the steaming cup for the second time this morning. My son woke up crying, and it took nearly an hour of singing, consoling and rocking to get him back to sleep. In the meantime, my coffee got cold. So, I heated it up in the microwave.
I grew up vowing never to be like my mother. She is a wonderful, strong woman, and anyone would be proud to be like her. But I wasn"t going to be. No one in town seemed to know her name. To the teachers and students at the various schools her children attended, she was simply known as ____"s mom (fill in the blank with any one of her five children"s names). At the grocery stores and around the auto parts stores and hardware places, they affectionately called her "Mrs. Dale" after my father"s first name; and the folks at the bank, utility companies and other such important places addressed her with Dad"s last name, as Mrs. Keffer. Mom answered to all of these with a smile and kind words.
I, on the other hand, was never as gracious about it. Often, I would tell the bagger at the grocery store, "Her name is Joyce, by the way," as he handed her the bag and told her to have a nice day using one of the aforementioned names. Mom would always smile and say, "You have a good day, too," as she shot me the mind-your-manners-I-taught-you-better-than-that look. When we would then get to the car, I would bicker at her for not standing up for herself. "You are your own person," I would retort. "You"re not just an extension of Dad."
"I could be called a lot worse," she would always reply. "Besides, everyone knows your dad."
Everyone in this small town did know my dad. He was a friendly, hard-working man who liked to flirt with the checkout girls and give car advice to anyone who needed it. He could charm his way out of a speeding ticket and talk his way into a better deal with ease. He would not think twice about fixing a broken part on one of the neighbor kid"s bikes. Or leaving in the middle of a cold winter night to change a frightened teen"s flat tire.
But everyone knew my mom, too. While Dad was a great man in the community, Mom was equally special. She had her own way of talking herself into a good deal, and she loved to give friendly advice to people she met. When she would wake up on cold, snowy mornings to a house full of college kids who had been stranded in town, she would weave her way through the sleeping bodies and fix enough pancakes for all. If anyone was in need, my mom was right in the thick of the fight to help. She would collect items for a family who lost all in a house fire, canned goods for the church pantry, and clothes for a teen mother"s baby when no one else would help.
As a teen, I never understood my mom. How could someone with so much to offer the world be content to stay home and be known as an adjunct to her husband or as someone"s mother? Why wasn"t she proud of who she was? Once upon a time, she wanted to be a nurse and join the Peace Corps. How could anyone give up her dreams for washing out dirty diapers and packing my father"s bologna sandwiches?
All I knew was that this was not going to happen to me. I had big dreams of making a difference in the world - but with a bang, not a whimper. People would know me. I planned on working my way up through the ranks of the YMCA with a busy writing career on the side. My husband, if there was one, would be right behind me and, as for children, they would be cute and at their nanny"s side. I would not be like my mother - I would be me. And people would know me as someone important.
Now here I was heating up my cup of coffee in the microwave for the second time. Just as I had watched her do a million times after setting it down to pack a lunch, feed the cats, tie a shoe, retrieve a towel from the dryer, find a paper that needed returning to school, answer the phone and a million other possible interruptions. I dreamed of downing a good cafe latte for breakfast before another busy day at the office, and here I was drinking instant mocha from a "Happy Birthday" mug with colored balloons all over it.
I understand now. I understood eight months ago as I held my son for the first time. I understood when his tiny little hand wrapped around my finger and his big blue eyes looked into mine as he drifted off to sleep. I understood when the love I have for my husband tripled as I first saw the little body cuddled in his big, strong arms and saw the tears streak down his face. I understood it all instantly.
I look forward to the day that I will be known as Andrew"s mom to the people in town and the children at school. Every day, as my husband returns home from work and his face lights up as his son holds out his hands, I am proud to be Mrs. Frank Huff. Just like my mom is proud to be called Mrs. Dale Keffer. Just like my mom. Those are four words that I thought I would never say proudly.
By the way, if you see her, her name is Joyce.
And now I need to heat up my coffee again.
英语经典美文4
美文欣赏:金钱能买来幸福吗？
Don't be too concerned about money, because all it will do is distract you from achieving happiness. And the irony of ironies is that people think they will be happy when they have money. Money has nothing to do with happiness. If you are happy and you have money, you can use it for happiness.
不要太在意金钱，因为金钱只会对你追寻幸福的过程造成干扰。最具讽刺意味的是，人们以为自己拥有金钱就会幸福。事实上金钱与幸福毫不相干。如果你感到幸福，同时又拥有金钱，你可以用金钱来换取幸福。
If you are unhappy and you have money, you will use that money for more unhappiness. Because money is simply a neutral force.
然而如果你没有感到幸福，却拥有金钱，那么你的金钱只能换来更多的不幸。因为金钱只是一种中性的作用力。
Don't misinterpret me: I am not against money. I am not against anything. Money is a means. Your money will enhance your pattern, whatsoever it is.
请别误会：我并非反对金钱。我不想反对任何对象。但是金钱仅仅是一种手段。金钱会让你按照已有的生活模式向前迈进，无论你此时的生活模式是好是坏。
But people keep looking for money as if money is going to bring happiness. People are ready, at any moment, to change their pattern, to change their ways, if more money is available somewhere else.
可是人们还是不停地寻求金钱，似乎金钱能带给他们幸福似的。任何时候，如果他们发现在生活之路的另一个岔路口上可以找到金钱，他们就会立刻扭转自己的生活模式，改变自己的生活道路。
Once the money is there, then suddenly you are no longer yourself; you are ready to change.
可是这些人一旦找到了金钱，却会立刻迷失自我，因为已经准备好了为金钱而改变自己。
This is the way of the worldly man. Remember, I don't call a person worldly because he or she has money. I call them worldly if they change their motives for money. This applies to people with no money as well - they may simply be poor. Just being poor is not equivalent to being spiritual; and just being rich is not equivalent to being a materialist. The materialistic pattern of life is one in which money predominates over everything.
这就是世俗中芸芸众生的生活方式。记住，我称其世俗并非因为他们拥有金钱，而是因为他们为了金钱而改变了自己的生活目标。对一文不名的人来说同样如此——或许他们仅仅是贫穷，而不是清贫。贫穷并不等于精神高尚，而富贵也并不等于拜金主义。真正的拜金主义生活方式是让金钱凌驾于一切之上。
The non-materialistic life is one in which money is just a means: happiness predominates, joy predominates, your own individuality predominates. You know who you are and where you are going, and you are not distracted.
而非拜金主义的生活方式，是将金钱仅仅视作一种手段：幸福、快乐和你的个体尊严都是高于金钱的。你知道自己是谁，知道自己的目标在何处，你不会受到旁骛的干扰。
Then suddenly you will see your life has a meditative quality to it.
能够如此，你就会发现，你的生活忽然有了一种禅意。
美文欣赏:善行无小事
I was in the Santa Cruz Mountains not long ago, speaking and singing at a women's conference. We were focusing on the theme of loving others in practical ways through our gifts, and something in particular happened during one of the sessions that will remain imprinted in my memory as a beautiful illustration of this practice.
不久前我在圣克鲁斯山脉，在一次妇女大会上有说有唱。我们关注的主题是通过送礼物等实用的方法来关爱他人。其中一个会议期间发生的一件特殊的事将成为最美的印迹永远铭刻在我的记忆中。
A young Syrian woman ("Lilith") had been invited to the conference at the last minute, and everyone seemed surprised and delighted that she'd actually come. Just a few days earlier, Lilith had fled her country and found refuge with one of the women attending the conference. As an Orthodox Christian in Syria, she and her loved ones had become targets of violent atrocities from radical terrorist groups in the country's ongoing civil war.
一位年轻的叙利亚女士（莉莉丝）在最后一分钟被邀请到会议上，大家看起来都很惊讶，也很高兴她真的来了。就在几天前，莉莉丝逃离她的国家，和另外一个参加会议的女士一起寻找避难所。作为叙利亚的一名东正教教徒，她和亲人们成为了这个国家正在进行的内战中激进的恐怖组织暴行的目标。
Lilith had witnessed horrors no one her young age should ever see. Despite the further danger it presented, she'd decided to leave her home and her family to find safety here in America. Knowing some of her story, and seeing her sitting through the sessions at the retreat -- head covered in a scarf, face bowed toward the floor -- broke my heart.
莉莉丝目击了她这个年纪的年轻人不该见到的恐怖。尽管要面临更大的危险，但她决定离开家和家人来美国寻求安全。知道了她的一些故事，看见她会议期间有些退却——头上包着围巾，脸朝着地面压得很低——我感觉心要碎了。
Lilith's story touched all of us, including Pam, an attendee who was a quilt maker. Pam had just finished a gorgeous, intricately-patterned quilt, and had brought it with her. She, along with a few of the leaders, decided to give it to Lilith as a symbol of their comfort and love. Lilith had left her own mother behind in her homeland, and I can't imagine how frightened and alone she felt. But in her absence I could see there were lots of "mamas" in this community of women who were more than ready to love on her.
莉莉丝的故事触动了我们所有人，包括与会的被子生产商帕姆。帕姆刚做出了一床华丽的、图案精致的被子，也带过来了。她和几位领导决定把它赠给莉莉丝，被子象征了他们的安慰和爱。莉莉丝把母亲留在了家乡，我无法想象她感到多么害怕孤单。但她的离开使我看到在这个女性团体中有很多“妈妈”，她们都准备好要把爱献给她。
During our last session together Lilith was called forward and prayed over, hugged, and wrapped up in that beautiful quilt. I thought of the many hours Pam undoubtedly spent working on it, unaware of the horrendous events that would lead Lilith to this moment--literally surrounded by the beauty and love the quilt embodied. I wept. When they told her it was for her, she wept. We all wept, honking our noses and wiping our eyes.
我们最后一次在一起开会时，莉莉丝被叫去站到前面，大家为她祈祷，拥抱她，把那条漂亮的被子围在她身上。我想到帕姆毫无疑问花了好长时间做这个被子，当时她根本不知道那些可怕的事会把莉莉丝带到这里——此时却被被子蕴含的美丽和爱所围绕。我哭了，她们告诉她这个被子是给她的时候，她哭了。我们都哭了，抽泣着擦着眼泪。
I thought about the words from 1 Peter 4:10: Serve one another with the particular gifts God has given each of you, as faithful dispensers of the magnificently varied grace of God. The words particular and varied suggest to me that there may be as many gifts as there are people and personalities. A quilt wrapped around a ravaged young woman is just one practical, loving act of service that demonstrates God's grace.
我想到了彼得前书的4章10节里的话：各人要照所得的恩赐彼此服侍，作神百般恩赐的好管家。这番话特别换了一种方式提醒我有多少人和个性就有多少礼物。一位受到伤害的年轻女子身上围的被子就是体现了上帝慈悲的一个充满爱意的行为。
It's the particular things we do that we sometimes think are too small or inconsequential compared to the overwhelming suffering we witness. But to do nothing when we see an opportunity--to serve, to comfort, to ease another's pain--is to withhold whatever facet of God's magnificently varied grace our gift offers.
这就是我们所做的特别的事，有时我们认为这和我们见到的势不可挡的苦难相比太过渺小或不重要。但有机会时-服务、安慰、缓解别人的痛苦-你什么都不做，就没有体现出上帝给予的恩赐所展现的各种慈悲的任何一面。
英语美文:加油，为了心中的梦想！
God puts dreams in our hearts. So, we must dream. We lose our sorrows and heartaches in dreams. And we live our fantasies in dreams. Some dreams are aborted while some come true.
上帝在我们的心中播种梦想。所以我们必须有梦。我们在梦想中丢弃悲伤与心痛，活在梦想的奇异世界里。一些梦想可能会夭折然而一些则会实现。
Most mornings, I'd sit by the Lake in my neighborhood just to witness the awesomeness of God; to be marveled at what Mother Nature is about to unfold... to shower us with her magnificence. The squirrels too gather by the edge of the Lake. The birds float effortlessly, circling the Lake in a beautiful ballet. The gators stand in awe. Yes, the gators! The leaves on the trees would suddenly stop their slow dance. Just like me, they are patiently awaiting for the grand entrance of the sun. The moon must go. Yes, the moon must go... to make room for the sun to rise. The sound of the gentle breeze is soothing, almost musical. I am filled with joy. I cannot describe the feeling of this awesomeness. You'd have to experience it to understand the feeling and joy of it. I know I am about to witness an amazing grace. So... I am silent. My spirit is at peace. The stage has been set. Behind those clouds, the sun awaits... waiting for the heavenly command. The ritual is in full bloom. Then I see a slice of sunlight, wafting through the clouds. Suddenly, the entire horizon is brightened, and the sun finally takes the center stage. Right there, I am still... humbled... to listen to God speak into my soul. When He's done, then, I share with Him all that my heart desires.
早晨我经常会静坐在家附近的湖畔，只为见证上帝的神奇之力；惊叹大自然母亲将展现的事物。。。震撼我们以其雄伟壮丽之景。松鼠也在湖边聚集起来。鸟儿轻快的浮在湖面上，绕着湖转着圈，好似在跳优美的芭蕾。鳄鱼肃立着。没错，是鳄鱼！树上的.叶子会突然地停下她们的曼舞，耐心地等待着太阳宏大的入场礼，就像我一样。月亮必须要离开啊。是啊，月亮必须要离开啊，得给太阳腾地方啊。徐徐微风，温婉静谧，如同和乐一般。喜悦之情，溢于言表。然此景之震撼实则无法用言语表达。人们须亲身经历才能明白这种感觉和其中的喜悦。知道即将亲眼见证这一奇妙的恩典，我没有出声。我心静如水，没有一丝涟漪。舞台已准备就绪。重重云雾背后，太阳静待，等着上天的召唤。礼教已经进入它的全盛时代。然后我看到了穿过云层透出来的一缕阳光。突然，整个地平线变得透亮，太阳最终站到了中心舞台上。然，就在那，我一动不动，谦卑地聆听着上帝对我灵魂的教导。待其结束，与上帝诉说着我的心愿。
Now, here's my personal dream story:
现在，为您呈上我关于梦的故事：
Eight years ago, a young couple very dear to my heart had a miscarriage after being attacked by armed robbers in their home. They were newly weds. They share the kind of love that makes one want to give love a second chance. Why? They truly love each other and, they take God on board with them in all that they do.
八年前，持械抢劫犯入室抢劫了一对跟我很亲近的年轻夫妻，他们因此而失掉了一个还未出生的孩子。他们刚结婚不久，之间有着使人想给爱第二次机会的那种爱。为什么呢？他们真心相爱，而且他们一切都与上帝同行。
I am your typical all-year-round-positive-kinda-girl. But, it doesn't mean I do not have my down moments. I stay positive and thankful because I know there's a reason for every season. Since the couple had that miscarriage, they felt empty. For awhile, they wondered if God had abandoned them. They fasted and prayed. They cried. They isolated themselves from family and friends. Basically, they were existing, and not living. They travelled far and wide, spending all their resources, seeing different OBGYNs. Nothing worked.
我是那种典型的一年到头都很乐天派女生，但这并不意味着我没有低落的时候。我乐观开朗，常怀感恩，是因为我知道每个季节都有存在的理由。自从那对夫妻遭遇那场不幸之后，就觉得很空虚。有那么一段时间，他们在想上帝是不是把他们抛弃了。他们禁食，祈祷，哭泣。离开家庭和朋友把自己孤立起来。基本上，他们只是单纯地存在着而不是生活着。他们倾尽所能，跋山涉水四处寻医问药，找各种妇产科医生。但毫无效果。
One day, I called them to say hello. The wife sounded like someone had died. When I asked, she said, "I am fine. Nobody died. Just tired." When I spoke with her husband, he shared with me that she had just seen her period, menstrual period, that is. I asked him if I could speak with her again. I believe till this day that it was the grace of God that led me to make that phone call. It was time to share my one dream with her.
有一天，我打电话过去问候他们。这位妻子的声音听起来就像谁去世了一样很是悲伤。当我问道她就说“我很好，没有谁去世。我只是累了.”当我跟她丈夫谈起时，他告诉我说她刚刚进入经期，仅此而已。我问道是否可以再跟他妻子聊会。我相信直到这一天是上帝恩惠让我拨打这个电话。是时候和她分享我的一个梦了。
"For eight years, I always had same dream, You were in it. You were always nursing a child while rocking him/her in a rocking chair. In the dream, there was always a celebration happening...like a Christening, and you were in it, with your husband by your side." She was silent. I had to share some life lessons with her. I also had to remind her that she must never allow her faith to be shaken, instead, it should be renewed with each sunrise because God is Hope.
“八年以来，我一直在做着同样的梦，你就在梦里面。而你总是在摇着摇椅照看一个孩子。在梦里，总是有那么一场庆祝活动在举办着，像是一场洗礼，而你在那里，你的丈夫站在你旁边。”她没出声。我必须说一些生活的经验给她听。同时我也必须要提醒她一定不能动摇信念，反之，信念应当在每次太阳升起的时候得到新生，因为上帝就是希望。
I read somewhere that when Life breaks us, "We are only broken to be made whole." Therefore, we must strive not to fall apart.
当生命将我们分开的时候我就会念到，“我们只有在要组成整体的时候才会被分离开来。”因此，我们必须努力不破裂。
I shared this dream with my mother. And each time, we got excited together and submitted this dream of mine to God in prayers and in songs of praise, after all, God is just a prayer away. And God sure loves to be praised.
我跟我母亲讲了这个梦境。每次我们都会变得很兴奋，并在祷文中和赞歌中与上帝分享我这个梦，毕竟，上帝是远方的一个祷告者。再者，上帝肯定也喜欢被称赞。
Many moons ago, I remember waking up in the middle of the night, covered in sweat. I was woken up by a sharp pain in my stomach. I had a dream. This time, I was the one pregnant. I went down on my knees in total submission to the Will of God...asking Him for my one dream to come true. And no, I did not wish to be pregnant (Laughs).
数月以前，我记得自己披着一件毛衣，在午夜醒来。我被腹部的一阵刺痛而惊醒，我做了一个梦。这回，怀孕的那个人是我。完全服从上帝的旨意，我跪了下来，请求上帝能实现我的一个梦--不，我不想怀孕。（此处有笑声）
I do know one thing for sure: Dreams really do come true when you believe in your dreams, when you give God something to work with (doing your part), and when you believe in and trust God.
有一件事我可以肯定：当你相信梦想，当你做出一些努力从而能让上帝能对你有所帮助，当你相信自己并信任上帝，梦想就一定会成真。
God finally granted me the dream of my heart. This winter, this man and wife are expecting their first child.
上帝终于恩赐了我心中的梦想。今年冬天，那个男人和他的妻子正期盼着他们第一个孩子的到来。
When I received this great news, I was not surprised. The awesomeness of God is immeasurable. I am always in total submission to His Will. I believed this dream was going to come true at God's own time. And, this is God's time. For this, I am most thankful and humbled by this amazing grace.
听到这个好消息的时候我并没有感到很惊讶。上帝的奇妙是无法估量的。我一直都服从着上帝的旨意。相信等时机到了，这个梦想就会成真。而现在就是那个时机。因为这个，我非常感谢并膜拜这奇妙的恩典。
美文赏析:伟大存在于平凡之中
Greatness is not this wonderful, esoteric, elusive god-like feature that only the special among us will ever taste. It is something that truly exists in all of us. The way it manifests itself in all of us differs from person to person.
“伟大”并不是什么特殊的人才能体会到的特质，也没有那么精妙奇异、难以捉摸，甚至被神化。他真实地存在于我们所有人当中。每个人所表现出来的方式又因人而异。
For those of us who are compassionate we sway others to our causes with our empathy.
那些富有同情心的，凭着自己的执着，号召他人加入自己的事业。
For those of us who are resourceful we complete our tasks without the resources we need.
那些足智多谋的，无需借助太多外力就能达成目标。
For those of us who are creative we find the solutions that no one else can think of.
那些勇于创新的，能找到独一无二的方法解决问题。
Creativity, communication, cooperation, decisiveness, leadership, love, passion, we are all born with different attributes that make us great, and it is our duty to discover that greatness. Discovering it is half the battle.
创造力、沟通能力、合作能力、决断力、领导力、爱与激情，我们与生俱来这些不同的特质，从而造就我们的伟大，发掘伟大的潜质是我们的责任。一旦发现了自己的潜质，我们就已经成功了一半。
When you do find out what it is that makes you great you will see the world before you and understand what opportunity lies in wait. It was waiting there for you all along, waiting for you to come to the realization that everything you needed to succeed in life was within you all along, and you will want to tell the whole world what you found, you will want to tell people about the greatness inside each of them, but they won’t understand because each person must discover it and declare it on their own.
当你发现了造就你的伟大的特质，你就能看清眼前的世界，就能明白是什么样的机遇在等着你。它一直在这里等了你，等着你醒悟过来，认识到成功所需的一切品质都一直都蕴藏在自己的灵魂里。你会想要告诉整个世界自己的发现，你会想要告诉大家每个人蕴藏着的伟大，可是他们不会明白，因为伟大需要每个人自己去发现，去把自己的发现宣告给这个世界。
美文阅读:老人的木碗
A frail old man lived with his son, his daughter-in-law, and his four-year-old grandson. His eyes were blurry, his hands trembled, and his step faltered.
一位虚弱的老人和他的儿子、儿媳还有四岁的孙子住在一起。他双眼模糊，两手颤抖，步履蹒跚。
The family would eat together nightly at the dinner table. But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating rather difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon, drooping to the floor. When he grasped his glass of milk, it often spilled clumsily at the tablecloth.
这家人每晚会在餐桌前共用晚餐。但是年迈的爷爷双手颤抖，视力退化，连吃饭都困难。豌豆从他的勺子里滚出来，掉在了地上。去拿牛奶的时候，他行动笨拙，也常常会把牛奶洒在桌布上。
With this happening almost every night, the son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess.
这样的事每晚都在发生。他的儿子儿媳开始对这些繁杂的事情感到恼怒不已。
"We must do something about grandfather," said the son.
“我们应该对爷爷的问题想想办法了。”儿子说。
"I've had enough of his milk spilling, noisy eating and food on the floor," the daughter-in-law agreed.
“我受够了他了。他到处乱洒牛奶，吃东西很大声，还弄到地上。”儿媳也很同意。
So the couple set a small table at the corner.
所以这对夫妇在角落里又放了个小桌子。
There, grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed their dinner at the dinner table. Since grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in wooden bowls. Sometimes when the family glanced in grandfather's direction, he had a tear in his eye as he ate alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food. The four-year-old watched it all in silence.
从此，在其他人在餐桌上享用晚餐的时候，爷爷就一个人在边上吃。又由于爷爷打碎了一两个碟子，他的食物就被放在了木头碗里端给他。有时，当这家人不经意瞥向爷爷的时候，能看见他眼中的泪水。不变的是，爷爷掉了一支叉或者打翻食物的时候，这对夫妇只会严厉地警告他。四岁的孙子目睹着这一切，一言不发。
One evening, before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly: "What are you making?" Just as sweetly, the boy replied, "Oh, I'm making a little bowl for you and mama to eat your food from when I grow up." The four-year-old smiled and went back to work.
有一天晚饭前，父亲注意到了他的儿子在玩木头屑。他亲切地问孩子：“你在做什么呢？”儿子同样亲切地答：“噢，我在做木碗呢。等我长大了，它们就是用来给爸爸妈妈吃饭的。”说完，四岁的儿子带着微笑，继续做他的木碗。
These words so struck the parents that they were speechless. Then tears streamed down their cheeks. Though no words were spoken, both knew what must be done. That evening, the husband took grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table.
儿子的语出惊人让这对父母顿时语塞，泪水从脸颊流下。虽然没有说一句话，他们都下定决心要做什么了。那天晚上，那位丈夫挽起爷爷的手，缓缓地带他回到从前那个餐桌前。
For the remainder of his days, grandfather ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk was spilled or the table cloth was soiled.
接下来几天，每顿晚饭爷爷都和一家人一起吃。因为某些原因，这对夫妻再也不在乎掉下的叉子、洒出的牛奶或是弄脏的桌布了。
美文赏析:你终将找到自己的节奏
We all find the rhythm.
我们终将会找到属于自己的节奏。
We all remember our first days of high-school, college, our first job.
这些场景都历历在目吧：高中第一天，大学第一天，上班第一天。
We all remember the feelings of butterflies in our stomachs when we took our first steps into those positions, the feeling that we were unqualified for what we were doing, that we didn’t belong.
我们都记得迈出第一步时，心中的手足无措，担心自己不够格、担心自己不属于这个地方。
What if my coworkers don’t like me?
要是同事们不喜欢我怎么办？
What if I’m terrible at my work?
要是我做出的工作成果很糟糕怎么办？
What if I mess everything up?
要是我把一切搞砸了怎么办？
These are the thoughts that run through your mind during those first few days as you tiptoe your way around the workplace, being careful that you don’t do anything that will get you noticed, with the fear that when they notice you, you will mess up. But eventually you do get noticed, and you don’t mess up, and soon you develop a rhythm.
这些都是工作的头几天里，脑海中会浮现出的想法。你小心翼翼地在公司里走着，恨不得踮起脚尖，生怕自己的一举一动会引起周围人的注意，生怕自己搞砸一切。然而，你终究还是受到了关注，但你并没有搞砸，并且你很快就找到了自己的节奏。
It has only been a week and you have already fallen into a rhythm. You walk into your workplace and say hello to the receptionist who now knows you by name, you get you morning coffee and strike up a conversation with a coworker who you’ve quickly developed a friendship with. Whereas before you looked around chaotically for the sugar and cream, now the location is familiar and your reach for it instinctual. You walk to your desk, take a rejuvenating sip of coffee, and look over your daily schedule that has become all too familiar to you.
仅仅过去了一周，你的节奏愈发自如。走进公司，你会很自然地和前台打招呼，而他们也叫得出你的名字。取咖啡的时候，你会和同事攀谈起来，不知不觉中你们已经建立了友谊。以前你焦头烂额地到处找糖和奶油，如今你可以轻松自如地找到它们。你走到办公桌前，小啜一口咖啡，一天的活力注满了全身。接着，你从容地翻阅着日程表，里面的内容都已太熟悉了。
You notice a new task that you haven’t encountered before, but you no longer feel uncertainty and fear of messing it up. You have survived a week in this place without messing up, people have congratulated you on how good of a job you’ve done, and you belong here. A smirk creases over your face as you look forward to undertaking this new unproven challenge. The day begins and you fall into your rhythm.
即使接到以前从没接触过的任务，你也会胸有成竹，不再担心自己会搞砸了。你已在这个地方度过了一周，没有搞砸任何事，人们甚至为你出色的绩效而喝彩。你属于这里。所以在准备迎接这个未知挑战的时候，你的脸上露出了一丝得意的笑容。新的一天又开始了，你找到了属于自己的节奏。
英语经典美文5
Storms Always Give Way to the Sun
阳光总在风雨后
What is the secret ingredient of tough people that enanble them to succeed? Why do they survive the tough times when others are overcome by them? why do they win when others lose, why do they soar when others sink?
The answer is very simple. It is all in how they perceive their problems. Yes,every living person has problems. A problem-free life is an illsion - a mirage in the desert. Accept that fact.
Every mountain has a peak. Every valley has its low point. Life has its ups and downs, its peaks and its valleys. No one is up all the time, nor are they down all the time. Problems do end, they are all resolved in time.
You may not be able to control the times, but you can compose your response. You can turn your pain into provanity or into poetry. The choice is up to you. You may not have chosen your tough time, but you can choose how you will react to it. For instance, what is the positive reaction to a terrible financial setback? Would it be a positive reaction to cop out or run away? Escape through alcohol? No! Such negative reactions only produce greater problems by promising a temporary "solution" to the pressing problem. The positve solution to a problem may require courage to initiate it. When you control your reaction to the seemingly uncontrolable problem of life, then in fact you do control the problem's effect on you. Your reaction to the problem is the last word! That is bottom line. What will you let this problem do to you? It can make you tender or tough. It can make you better or bitter. It all depends on you.
In the final analysis, tough people who survive the tough times do so because they have chosen to react positvely to their predicament. Tough times never last, but tough people do. Tough people stick it out. History teach us that each problem has a lifespan .No problem is permanent.Storms always give way to the sun. Winters always thaws into springtime. Your storm will pass. Your winter will thaw. Your problem would be solved.
译文：
坚韧不拔的人成功的秘诀是什么？他们为什么能挺过艰难的时刻，而其他人却被困难所压倒？为什么成功的是他们而失败的人是其他人？为什么他们一飞冲天，而其他人却深陷泥沼？
答案很简单，全看他们是如何看待自己面临的难题的。不错，人人有本难念的经。没有难题困扰的人生是一个幻想，是沙漠中的海市蜃楼。还是接受这个事实吧。
每一座山都有巅峰，每一人峡谷都有深底。人生也有兴衰起伏，不会有人一生都时乖命蹇，难题总有了结的一天。随着时间的推移，一切难题都会迎刃而解。
你也许不能控制时势，可是你能够冷静应对。你既可以把痛苦转换为怨天尤人的诅咒，也可以赋之以诗意，这全在于你自己的选择。时运不济的`你或许无从选择，但是你可以选择应对的方略。譬如，遭遇一次严重的经济挫折，究竟怎么作才称得上积极应对呢？放弃后潜逃？借酒浇愁？这样的逃避是积极应对吗？当然不是！这样一些消极的反应似乎暂时解决了迫在眉睫的难题，但事实上只会招致更棘手的难题。积极的应对只能是鼓起勇气着手解决对于人生中看似无法控制的难题。当你能够控制自己的应对，那么你就事实上控制了难题对你的影响。你对难题的应对是至关重要的、最根本的。难题能对你产生什么样的影响呢？它可以使你脆弱，也可以使你坚强，它可以使你升华，也可以使你痛苦。这全在于你自己。
归根结底，坚韧的人之所以能够挺过艰难的岁月，是因为他们选择积极地去应对困境。艰难的岁月不会没完没了，坚韧的人会始终不懈，坚持到底。历史告诉我们，每一人难题都有始有终，任何难题都不会永远存在。阳光总在风雨后。严冬必然会化为春光。你的暴风雨也会过去，你的冬天也会回暖。 你的难题终将解决。
英语经典美文6
I got an engagement ring for Christmas. My boyfriend and I had been dating for almost a year and both felt the time was right to join our lives together in holy matrimony.
The month of January was spent planning our perfect Alabama June wedding. My mother, two sisters and I went to Huntsville, the closest town with a selection of bridal shops, to buy the gown that would play the leading role on my special occasion.
We had a wonderful time just being together and sharing silly jokes, but the day soon turned serious by afternoon: still no sign of the dress of my dreams. Both sisters were ready to give up and try another day in another town, but I coerced them into one more boutique.
I had a good feeling as we entered the quaint little shop filled with the scent of fresh flowers. The elderly clerk showed us several beautiful gowns in my size and price range, but none were right. As I opened the door to leave, the desperate shop owner announced she had one more dress in the back that was expensive and not even my size, but perhaps I might want to look at it anyway. When she brought it out, I squealed in delight.
This was it!
I rushed to the dressing room and slipped it on. Even though it was at least two sizes too large and more costly than I had anticipated, I talked Mom into buying it. The shop was so small it didn't offer alterations, but my excitement assured me I would be able to get it resized in my hometown.
Excitement wasn't enough. On Monday morning, my world crumbled when the local sewing shop informed me the dress simply could not be altered because of numerous hand-sewn pearls and sequins on the bodice. I called the boutique for suggestions but only got their answering machine.
A friend gave me the number of a lady across town who worked at home doing alterations. I was desperate and willing to try anything, so I decided to give her a call.
When I arrived at her modest white house on the outskirts of town, she carefully inspected my dress and asked me to try it on. She put a handful of pins into the shoulders and sides of my gown and told me to pick it up in two days. She was the answer to my prayers.
When the time came to pick it up, however, I grew skeptical. How could I have been so foolish as to just leave a $1,200 wedding dress in the hands of someone I barely knew? What if she made a mess out of it? I had no idea if she could even sew on a button.
Thank goodness my fears were all for naught. The dress still looked exactly the same, but it now fit as if it had been made especially for me. I thanked the cheerful lady and paid her modest fee.
One small problem solved just in time for a bigger one to emerge. On Valentine's Day, my fiance called.
"Sandy, I've come to the decision that I'm not ready to get married," he announced, none too gently. "I want to travel and experience life for a few years before settling down."
He apologized for the inconvenience of leaving all the wedding cancellations to me and then quickly left town.
My world turned upside down. I was angry and heartbroken and had no idea how to recover. But days flew into weeks and weeks blended into months. I survived.
One day in the fall of the same year, while standing in line at the supermarket, I heard someone calling my name. I turned around to see the alterations lady. She politely inquired about my wedding, and was shocked to discover it had been called off, but agreed it was probably for the best.
I thanked her again for adjusting my wedding gown, and assured her it was safely bagged and awaiting the day I would wear it down the aisle on the arm of my real "Mister Right". With a sparkle in her eye, she began telling me about her single son, Tim. Even though I wasn't interested in dating again, I let her talk me into meeting him.
I did have my summer wedding after all, only a year later. And I did get to wear the dress of my dreams － standing beside Tim, the man I have shared the last eighteen years of my life with, whom I would never have met without that special wedding gown.
圣诞节的时候我戴上了订婚戒指。我和男友交往已快一年，我们都感到是携手步入神圣的婚姻殿堂的时候了。
整个一月份我都忙于计划我们将于六月份在阿拉巴马州举行的美丽婚礼。我和母亲，连同两个姐姐前往最近的城市汉斯维尔的一些新娘服装店去挑选结婚礼服－这可是婚礼中至关重要的一个环节。
我们母女四个高高兴兴，互相开着玩笑。但是等到了下午气氛就变得严肃起来：仍然没有我梦想中的结婚礼服的丝毫影子。我的两个姐姐都已经准备就此打道回府，改天再到其它的城镇去买，但是我迫使她们陪我再多看一家小店。
当我们进入这家满是新鲜花香的精致小店时，我有一种很好的预感。上年纪的店员让我们看了几件适合我穿的美丽的礼服，价格也都在我的预算之内，但是都不是我想要的。正当我打开店门准备离开之即，孤注一掷的老板娘喊道，在后面库里还有一件礼服，这件礼服很贵，甚至没有我穿的号码，但是也许我还是想看一眼。当她拿出来时，我欣喜的叫出声来。
就是这一件了！
我冲进试衣间把身体滑进去。尽管它至少要大上两码，价格也比我预想的要高很多，我仍说服了母亲买下了它。这家店很小，连改衣服的服务都不提供，但是在激动之余，我确信能在家乡把它改好。
然而盲目的激动是无济于事的。礼拜一早上，当我们那儿的裁缝店告诉我礼服上手缝的珠子和饰片太多因而没法改动时我傻眼了。我打电话给那家服装店寻求建议，听到的却只是机器的自动应答。
一个朋友给我镇上一个裁缝的电话，这个裁缝在家里做活。在绝望之余，我愿意进行任何尝试。于是我决定给她打个电话。
当我赶到她在城镇郊区的简陋的白色房子里时，她仔细的察看了我的礼服，并让我穿上。她用别针将礼服的肩膀处和两侧别上，让我两天后来取衣服。她正是我祈祷的福音。
该去取衣服了，我却忐忑不安起来。我怎么这么愚蠢，将一件价值1,200美元的`礼服交到一个一点儿也不了解的人手里？如果她改坏了怎么办？我甚至不知道她会不会缝扣子。
谢天谢地，我的担心都是多余的。礼服仍跟以前一样，不过现在我穿上正合适，仿佛它是为我度身定造的一样。我谢过那个高兴的女裁缝，并付了钱。
然而这只是解决了一个小问题，更大的问题在后面。情人节那天，未婚夫打来电话。
“桑迪，我决定了，我还没有对婚姻做好准备，”他宣布，语气一点也不温柔。“在成家之前，我要到各处走走，享受几年生活。”
他对把取消婚礼的所有麻烦留给我表示歉意，然后很快离开了这个城镇。
我的世界被颠覆了。我愤怒，心碎，不知道如何撑过去。然而随着日子一天天，一月月流走，我熬过去了。
这个秋季的一天，在超市排队结帐的时候，我听见有人叫我的名字。一扭头，看到那个女裁缝。她很有礼貌的问起我的婚礼，得知被取消她十分吃惊，但随后同意未知的也许是最好的。
我再一次感谢她成功修改了我的结婚礼服，并向她保证，礼服被我安全的放起来了，等待我穿上它挽着我真正的“白马王子”走上红地毯的一天。她眼睛里闪过亮光，开始跟我谈起她的单身的儿子Tim。尽管我对重新约会没有兴趣，我还是听任她给我安排跟她儿子的约会。
我的夏季婚礼最终成为现实，只不过是一年以后。站在Tim身旁，我终于穿上了我梦中的结婚礼服。在随后的十八年里，我们相亲相爱，相濡以沫。如果不是因为这件特殊的礼服，我们永远不会相遇。
英语经典美文7
Travels on Holidaysin China.
Nowadays, more and more people like to travel in their holidays. The other day I read a report about the ways people spend their holidays. It is reported that in recent yiars several new holiday habits have been developed. Among them, the most interesting one is the growth of the so-called holiday camps.
From the report we can see that in 1990,40 percent of people stayed at home for holidays. But now the proportion has reduced to 9 percent. More people go out for fun. The proportion of camping and traveling abroad was increasing steadily, from 10 percent in 1990 to 38 percent in 20xx, and 12 percent in 1990 to 26 percent in 20xx respectively.
People enjoy the fresh air, clean Water and green hills when they go camping in the suburbs. In 1990,38 percent people enjoyed going to the seaside while in 20xx only 27 percent prefer to go there. What great changes! Why did those changes appear I think there are several reasons. First, it s because people can afford traveling. Second, people prefer to pursue a high-quality and colorful life. Third, their attitudes to relaxation have changed.
Less people want to save much money by leading a simple life. In short, peoples living standard today has been rising greatly.
英语经典美文8
27. Spring The Resurrection Time
Springs are not always the same, In some years, April bursts upon our Virginia hills in one prodigious leap—and all the stage is filled at once, whole choruses of tulips, arabesques of forsythia, cadenzas of flowering plum. The trees grow leaves overnight. In other years, spring tiptoes in. It pauses, overcome by shyness, like my grandchild at the door, peeping in, ducking out of sight, giggling in the hallway. "I know you're out there," I cry. "Come in!" And April slips into arms.
The dogwood bud, pale green, is inlaid with russet markings. With in the perfect cup a score of clustered seeds are nestled. Once examined the bud in awe: Where were those seeds a month ago The apples display their milliner's scraps of ivory silk, rose-tinged. All the sleeping things wake up-primrose, baby iris, blue phlox. The earth warms-you can smell it, feel it, crumble April in your hands.
The dark Blue Mountains in which I dwell, great-hipped, big-breasted, slumber on the western sky. And then they stretch and gradually awaken. A warm wind, soft as a girl's hair, moves sailboat clouds in gentle skies. The rain come-good rains to sleep by-and fields that were dun as oatmeal turn to pale green, then to Kelly green.
All this reminds me of a theme that runs through my head like a line of music. Its message is profoundly simple, and profoundly mysterious also: Life goes on. That is all there is to it. Everything that is, was; and everything that is, will be. (259 words) by James J. Kilpatrick
英语经典美文9
If you think you are beaten, you are.
如果你认为自己会被打败，那么你一定会被打败．
If you think you dare not, you don’t.
如果你认为自己不敢，那你就确实不敢．
If you'd like to win, but you think you can’t, it's almost a cinch you won’t.
如果你想赢，但又认为自己赢不了，那么可以肯定你必输无疑．
If you think you'll lose, you've lost, for out in the world we find success begins with a fellow's will.
如果你觉得回输，那么你已经输了，因为在这个世界上，成功源自于信念．
It's all in the state of the mind.
一切取决于内心．
If you think you're outclassed, you are.
相信自己是一流的'，你就是一流的．
You've got to think high to rise.
你必须胸怀大志．
You've got to be sure of yourself before you can ever win a prize.
首先必须相信自己，然后才能最终胜利．
Life's battles won't always go to the stronger or the faster man.
身体最强壮，奔跑最迅速的人并不永远都是生命之战的胜者．
But, sooner or later, the person who wins is the person who thinks he can
但，迟早，胜者正是相信自己能胜的人．
英语经典美文10
An hour before sunrise in the city there is an air of cold. Solitary desolation about the noiseless streets, which we are accustomed to see thronged at other times by a busy, eager crowd, and over the quiet, closely shut buildings which throughout the day are warming with life. The drunken, the dissipated, and the criminal have disappeared; the more sober and orderly part of the population have not yet awakened to the labors of the day, and the stillness of death is over streets; its very hue seems to be imparted to them, cold and lifeless as they look in the gray, somber light of daybreak. A partially opened bedroom window here and there bespeaks the heat of the weather and the . .
uneasy slumbers of its occupant; and the dim scanty flicker of a light through the blinds of yonder windows denotes the chamber of watching and sickness. Save for that sad light, the streets present no signs of life, nor the houses of habitation. (166 words) From Boz
By Charles Dickens
英语经典美文11
9. A Little Girl (1)
Sitting on a grassy grave, beneath one of the windows of the church, was a little girl. With her head bent back she was gazing up at the sky and singing, while one of her little hands was pointing to a tiny cloud that hovered like a golden feather above her head. The sun, which had suddenly become very bright, shining on her glossy hair, gave it a metallic luster, and it was difficult to say what was the color, dark bronze or black. So completely absorbed was shi in watching the cloud to which her strange song or incantation and went towards her. Over her head, high up in the blue, a lark that was soaring towards the same gauzy could was singing, as if in rivalry. As I slowly approached the child, I could see by her forehead, which in the sunshine seemed like a globe of pearl, and especially by her complexion, that she uncommonly lovely. (159 words)
英语经典美文12
Many years ago, Norman Cousins was diagnosed as "terminally ill." He was given six months to live. His chance for recovery was one in 500.
He could see that the worry, depression and anger in his life contributed to, and perhaps helped cause, his disease. He wondered, "If illness can be caused by negativity, can wellness be created by positivity?"
He decided to make an experiment of himself. Laughter was one of the most positive activities he knew. He rented all the funny movies he could find - Keaton, Chaplin, Fields, the Marx Brothers. (This was before VCRs, so he had to rent the actual films.) He read funny stories. He asked his friends to call him whenever they said, heard or did something funny.
His pain was so great he could not sleep. Laughing for 10 solid minutes, he found, relieved the pain for several hours so he could sleep.
He fully recovered from his illness and lived another 20 happy, healthy and productive years. (His journey is detailed in his book, Anatomy of an Illness.) He credits visualization, the love of his family and friends, and laughter for his recovery.
Some people think laughter is a waste of time. It is a luxury, they say, a frivolity, something to indulge in only every so often.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Laughter is essential to our equilibrium, to our well-being, to our aliveness. If we"re not well, laughter helps us get well; if we are well, laughter helps us stay that way.
Since Cousins" ground-breaking subjective work, scientific studies have shown that laughter has a curative effect on the body, the mind and the emotions.
So, if you like laughter, consider it sound medical advice to indulge in it as often as you can. If you don"t like laughter, then take your medicine - laugh anyway.
Use whatever makes you laugh - movies, sitcoms, Monty Python, records, books, New Yorker cartoons, jokes, friends.
Give yourself permission to laugh - long and loud and out loud - whenever anything strikes you as funny. The people around you may think you"re strange, but sooner or later they"ll join in even if they don"t know what you"re laughing about.
Some diseases may be contagious, but none is as contagious as the cure...laughter.
英语经典美文13
It is perfectly possible to organize the life of our colleges in such a way that students and teachers alike will take part in it; in such a way that a perfectly natural daily intercourse will be established between them; and it is only by such an organization that they can be given real vitality as places of serious training, be made communities in which youngsters will come fully to realize how interesting intellectual work is, how vital, how important, how closely associated with all modern achievement-only by such an organization that study can be made to seem part of life itself. Lectures often seem very formal and empty things; recitations generally proved very dull and unrewarding. It is in conversation and natural intercourse with scholars chiefly that you find how lively knowledge is, how it ties into everything that is interesting . .
and important, how intimate a part it is of every thing that is interesting and important, how intimate a part it is of everything that is "practical" and connected with the world. Men are not always made thoughtful by books; but they are generally made thoughtful by association with men who think. (195 words) By Woodrow Wilson
英语经典美文14
A painter hangs his or her finished pictures on a wall, and everyone can see it. A composer writes a work, but no one can hear it until it is performed. Professional singers and players have great responsibilities, for the composer is utterly dependent on them. A student of music needs as long and as arduous a training to become a performer as a medical student needs to become a doctor. Most training is concerned with technique, for musicians have to have the muscular proficiency of an athlete or a ballet dancer。
画家将已完成的作品挂在墙上，每个人都可以观赏到。 作曲家写完了一部作品，得由演奏者将其演奏出来，其他人才能得以欣赏。因为作曲家是如此完全地依赖于职业歌手和职业演奏者，所以职业歌手和职业演奏者肩上的担子可谓不轻。 一名学音乐的学生要想成为一名演奏者，需要经受长期的、严格的训练，就象一名医科的学生要成为一名医生一样。 绝大多数的训练是技巧性的。
Singers practice breathing every day, as their vocal chords would be inadequate without controlled muscular support. String players practice moving the fingers of the left hand up and down, while drawing the bow to and fro with the right arm—two entirely different movements。
音乐家们控制肌肉的熟练程度，必须达到与运动员或巴蕾舞演员相当的水平。 歌手们每天都练习吊嗓子，因为如果不能有效地控制肌肉的话，他们的声带将不能满足演唱的要求。 弦乐器的演奏者练习的则是在左手的手指上下滑动的同时，用右手前后拉动琴弓--两个截然不同的动作。
Singers and instruments have to be able to get every note perfectly in tune. Pianists are spared this particular anxiety, for the notes are already there, waiting for them, and it is the piano tuner’s responsibility to tune the instrument for them. But they have their own difficulties; the hammers that hit the string have to be coaxed not to sound like percussion, and each overlapping tone has to sound clear。
歌手和乐器演奏者必须使所有的音符完全相同协调。 钢琴家们则不用操这份心，因为每个音符都已在那里等待着他们了。 给钢琴调音是调音师的职责。 但调音师们也有他们的难处： 他们必须耐心地调理敲击琴弦的.音锤，不能让音锤发出的声音象是打击乐器，而且每个交叠的音都必须要清晰。
This problem of getting clear texture is one that confronts student conductors: they have to learn to know every note of the music and how it should sound, and they have to aim at controlling these sound with fanatical but selfless authority. Technique is of no use unless it is combined with musical knowledge and understanding. Great artists are those who are so thoroughly at home in the language of music that they can enjoy performing works written in any century。
如何得到乐章清晰的纹理是学生指挥们所面临的难题：他们必须学会了解音乐中的每一个音及其发音之道。 他们还必须致力于以热忱而又客观的权威去控制这些音符。除非是和音乐方面的知识和悟性结合起来，单纯的技巧没有任何用处。 艺术家之所以伟大在于他们对音乐语言驾轻就熟，以致于可以满怀喜悦地演出写于任何时代的作品。
英语经典美文15
If the past has taught us anything, it is that every cause brings effect -- every action has a consequence. This thought, in my opinion, is the moral foundation of the universe; it applies equally in this world and the next. We Chinese have a saying: "If a man plants melons, he will reap melons; if he sows beans, he will reap beans." And this is true of every mans life: good begets good, and evil leads to evil.
True enough, the sun shines on the saint and sinner alike, and too often it seems that the wicked wax and prosper. But we can say with certitude that, with the individual as with the nation, the flourishing of the wicked is an illusion, for, unceasingly, life keeps books on us all.
In the end, we are all the sum total of our actions. Character cannot be counterfeited, nor can it be put on and cast off as if it were a garment to meet the whim of the moment. Like the markings on wood which are ingrained in the very heart of the tree, character requires time and nurture for growth and development. Thus also, day by day, we write our own destiny, for inexorably we become what we do. This, I believe, is the supreme logic and the law of life.
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