哲理英语美文摘抄阅读？

　　美文唯美、精致、隽永、智慧,发人深省,感人至深,既充满生活情趣,又不乏理性光芒,尤其受到青少年朋友的喜爱。我整理了哲理英语美文，欢迎阅读!

哲理英语美文：时间与爱情

Once upon a time there was an island where all the feelings lived: Happiness, Sadness, Knowledge, and all the others, including Love

One day it was announced to all of the feelings that the island was going to sink to the bottom of the ocean So all the feelings prepared their boats to leave

Love was the only one that stayed She wanted to preserve the island paradise until the last possible moment

　　When the island was almost totally under, love decided it was time to leave

She began looking for someone to ask for help Just then Richness was passing by in a grand boat Love asked, "Richness, can I e with you on your boat"

Richness answered, "I'm sorry, but there is a lot of silver and gold on my boat and there would be no room for you anywhere"

Then Love decided to ask Vanity for help who was passing by in a beautiful vessel Love cried out, "Vanity, help me please!" "I can't help you," Vanity said, "You are all wet and will damage my beautiful boat"

Next, Love saw Sadness passing by Love said, "Sadness, please let me go with you"

Sadness answered, "Love, I'm sorry, but, I just need to be alone now"

Then, Love saw Happiness Love cried out, "Happiness, please take me with you" But Happiness was so overjoyed8 that he didn't hear Love calling to him

Love began to cry Then, she heard a voice say, "e Love, I will take you with me" It was an elder Love felt so blessed1 and overjoyed that she forgot to ask the elder his name When they arrived on land the elder went on his way Love realized how much she owed the elder

Love then found Knowledge and asked, "Who was it that helped me""It was Time,' Knowledge answered "But why did Time help me when no one else would"Love asked

Knowledge iled and with deep wisdom and sincerity, answered, "Because only Time is capable of understanding how great Love is

爱和时间

从前有一个岛，所有的情感都住在那里：幸福、悲伤、知识和所有其它的，爱也不例外。一天，所有的情感听说小岛即将沉没，因此建造小船，纷纷离开，除了爱。

爱是唯一留下来的，因为它希望能坚持到最后一刻。

小岛即将沉没了，爱决定请求帮助。

富有驾着一艘大船从爱身边经过，爱说，

“富有，你能带上我么”

富有回答说：“不行，我的船上载满金银财宝，没有你的地方。”

虚荣坐在漂亮的小船中从爱身边驶过，爱问：“虚荣，你能帮助我么”

虚荣说：“不行，你全身溼透，会弄脏我的船。”

悲伤的船靠近了，爱问：“悲伤，请带我走吧。”

“哦。。。爱，我太难过了，想一个人呆著。”

幸福经过爱的身边，它太开心了，根本没听见爱在呼唤。

突然，一个声音喊道：“来，爱，我带你走。” 声音来自“年老”。爱太高兴了，甚至忘了问他们即将去何方。当他们来到岸上，年老自己离开了。爱突然意识到“年老”给了它多大的帮助。

于是，爱问另一位老者--知识：“谁帮助了我”

知识说：“是时间。”

“时间”爱问：“但是时间为什么帮助我”

知识睿智地微笑道：“因为只有时间了解爱的价值。”

哲理英语美文：羞愧的木匠

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire He told his employer contractor of his plans to leavethe house building business and live a more leisurely life He would miss the paycheck, but heneeded to retire They could get by

一位年迈的木匠准备退休了。他告诉他的老板准备离开建筑业的打算，他说他想和他的妻子过一种更休闲的生活，享受天伦之乐。他还说他会怀念这里的薪水的，但必须退休了，他的离职他们慢慢就会适应。

The contrctor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one morehouse as a personal favor The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his haertwas not in his work He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials

老板对他的这位优秀员工的离去感到非常遗憾，于是问他是否可以盖最后一栋房子作为私下里的帮忙。这位木匠答应了，但显而易见他做事的时候是心不在焉的。他的手工做得毛毛糙糙，用的材料也是次品。

It was an unfortunate way to end his career When the carpenter finished his work and thebuilder came to inspect the house, the contractor handed the front door key to the carpenter "This is your house," he said, "my gift to you"

这样结束他的事业是不不幸的，当木匠最后完工，老板来看房子时，他把前门的钥匙交给木匠说：“这是你的房子，是我送给你的礼物。”

What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he wouldhave done it all so differently, Now he had to live in the home hs had built none too well

震惊!羞愧!如果他早知道他是在盖自己的房子，他肯定会做得截然不同的，现在他不得不住在自己建的糟糕透顶的房子里面。

So it is with us We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing toput up less than best At important points we do not give the job our best effort Then with ashock we look at we are now living in the house we have built If we had realized that we woulddone it differently

这个道理同样适合我们。在营造生活时，我们的精力被分散到太多的地方，我们只是被动地适应而不会主动行动，而我们自己也不愿意去尽心尽力地营造我们的生活。在重要的时刻我们也没能尽自己最大的努力做好工作。仁厚我们吃惊地看到自己做的一切：发现自己处在自己建造的房子里。如果我们早意识到这一点的话，我们的做法就会完全不同。

Think of yourself as the carpenter Think about your house Each day you hammer a nail,place a board, or erect a wall Build wisely

把你自己当成那个木匠。想想你的房子。每天你都会钉个钉子，放块模板或砌一面墙。明智地建造你的房子。

It is the only life you will ever build Even if you live it for only one day more, that day deservesto be lived graciously and with dinity

这是你唯一可以营造的生活。即使你只可以再活一天，你也要活得优雅、有尊严。

The plaque on the wall says, "Life ia a do-it-yourself project" Who could say it more clearlyYour life today is the result of your attitudes and choices in the past Your life tomorrow will bethe result of your attitudes and the choices you make today

墙上的匾写着：“生活就是一个自己动手工程。”谁能比这个说得更明白你今天的生活就是你过去的生活态度和所作选择的结果。你明天的生活就是你今天的生活和所作选择的结果。

哲理英语美文：一场累人的斗争

Balzac once said artistic creation was “an exhausting strug-gle”

巴尔扎克说过，艺术创造是“一场累人的斗争”。

He believed that only by tenacious work and fearing notafraid of difficulties could you show yourtalent

他认为，只有顽强地工作，不怕困难，才能把自己的才华表现出来。

It was just likethe soldiers charging the fortress，not relaxing your effort foreven a moment

这就好象向堡垒冲击的战士，一刻也不能松劲。

Once Balzac wrote for hours on end， he was so tired that hecould not hold out any longer

有一次，巴尔扎克一连写了好几个小时，累得实在支援不住了，

He ran to a friend's home andplunged headlong on the sofaHe wanted to sleep，but he toldhisfriend he must be woken up within an hour

跑到一个朋友家里，一头倒在沙发上。他想睡一觉，但他告诉朋友，一定要在一小时之内叫醒他。

His friend，seeinghim so tired，did not wake him up on timeAfter he woke up，Balzac got veryangry at his friendFortunately his friend had anintimate understanding of him and did notquarrel with him

他的朋友见他非常疲劳，就没有按时叫醒他。他醒来后，对朋友大发脾气。幸好他的朋友很了解他，没有和他争吵。

Balzac did not oke cigarettes，nor did he drink any alco-hol

巴尔扎克既不抽菸，也不喝酒。

But he got one habit：while he was writing he always drankvery strong coffee that could almostanaesthetize his stomach

但他有个习惯：当他写作的时候，总是呷著几乎可以使胃麻痹的浓咖啡。

Hedidn't add milk，nor did he add sugar in his coffeeIt would notsatisfy him until it was madebitter

他的咖啡里既不加牛奶，也不加糖，要熬得发苦才满意。

People generally did not liketo drink such bitter coffeeThat had strange stimulus effecttohim，and could help him drive the sleepiness away，according to himself

象这样苦的咖啡，一般人都不愿意喝。据他自己说，这样对他有奇异的 作用，可以驱走睡魔。

　　阅读是人生的一种美好享受。阅读经典美文可以让学生的心灵得到滋润和净化,穿越时空与作者展开灵魂的交流,在不断提升的精神境界中让生命之树得以枝繁叶茂。下面是我带来的优美经典英语 文章 ，欢迎阅读!

　　优美经典英语文章篇一

　Life in a violin Case

　琴匣子中的生趣

　Alexander Bloch

　亚历山大·布洛克

　In order to tell what I believe, I must briefly sketch something of my per-sonal history

　为了阐明我生活的信条，我必须简单介绍一下我的经历。

　The turning point of my life was my decision to give up a promising business career and study music My parents, although sympathetic, and sharing my love of music, disapproved of it as a profession This was understandable in view of the family background My grandfather had taughtmusic for nearly forty years at Springhill College in Mobile and, though much beloved and respected in the community, earned barely enough to provide for his large family My father often said it was only the hardheaded thriftiness of my grandmother that kept the wolf at bay As a consequence of this example in the family, the very mention of music as a profession carried with it a picture of a precarious existence with uncertain financial rewards My parents insisted upon college instead of a conservatory of music, and to college I went-quite happily, as I remember, for although Iloved my violin and spent most of my spare time practicing, I had many other interests

　我生活的转折点是我决定不做发迹有望的商人而专攻音乐。我父母虽然同情我，也像我一样热爱音乐，却反对我以音乐为职业。考虑到我的家庭情况，他们的这种态度是完全可以理解的。我祖父在莫比尔的斯普林希尔学院教授音乐达40年之久，深受学院师生的热爱和敬重，他的工资却几乎不够维持一大家人的生活。父亲常说若不是祖母精明能干，克勤克俭，一家人非挨饿不可。所以在我们家，只要一提起音乐这个行当，大家就会想起那收入微薄、朝不保夕的苦日子。父母坚持要我上大学，不准我进音乐学院，我也就上了大学。我记得自己当时还挺高兴，因为虽然我热爱小提琴，大部分课余时间都花在练琴上，但我还有许多其他的 爱好 。

　Before my graduation from Columbia, the family met with severe financial reverses and I felt it my duty to leave college and take a job Thus was I launched upon a business career-which I always think of as the wasted years

　不等尊从哥伦比亚大学 毕业 ，家庭经济严重恶化，我感到自己有责任退学找工作，就这样我投身子商界——事后我每次想起这段经历都觉得是虚度了年华。

　Now I do not for a moment mean to disparage business My whole point is that it was not for me I went into it for money, and aside from the satisfaction of being able to help the family, money is alll got out of it It was not enough I felt that life was passing me by From being merely discontented I became acutely miserable My one ambition was to save enough to quit and go to Europe to study musicI used to get up at dawn to practice before I left for "downtown," distracting my poor mother by bolting a hasty breakfast at the last minute Instead of lunching with my business associates, I would seek out some cheap cafe, order a meager meal and scribble my harmony exercises I continued to make money, and finally, bit by bit, accumulated enough to enable me to go abroad The family being once more solvent, and my help no longer necessary, I resigned from my position and, feeling like a man released from jail, sailed for Europe I stayed four years, worked harder than I had ever dreamed of working before and enjoyed every minute of it

　我从来无意贬低经商，我的意思是它不适合我。我经商只是为了挣钱。除了能补贴家用给我带来一点满足以外，我从这项职业得到的唯一东西就是钱。这是不够的。我感到年华似水从我身边流走。对职业的不满使我痛苦不堪。我唯一的抱负就是积攒足够的钱，然后改行，到欧洲去学音乐。于是，我天天黎明即起，练习小提琴，再去“商业区”上班，几乎来不及囫囵吞下仓促准备的早餐，搞得我可怜的妈妈惶恐不安。我不与商界同事共进午餐，总爱找个便宜的餐馆，随便混上一顿，信手写些和声练习曲。我不停地挣钱，终于，一分一分地攒够了 出国 的钱。这时，家庭经济情况也好转了，不再需要我的帮助。我辞去商务，感到自己像出狱的犯人一样自由，乘船去了欧洲，一去就是四年。我学习要比从前想象的刻苦得多，然而生活得很快乐。

　"Enjoyed" is too mild a word I walked on air I really lived I was a freeman and I was doing what I loved to do and what I was meant to do

　“快乐”一词还不足以表达我的心情。我是乐不可支，飘飘欲仙了。我过着真正的生活。我是个自由人，做我爱做的、命中注定要做的事情。

　If I had stayed in business I might be a comparatively wealthy man today, but I do not believe I would have made a success of living I would have given up all those intangibles, those inner satisfactions that money can never buy, and that are too often sacrificed when a man's primary goal is finanaal success

　假如我一直经商，今天可能已经成了一个相当富有的人，但我认为我那时的生活并没有带来成功;为了金钱我可能放弃了一切无形的东西，放弃了精神上的种种乐趣，那是金钱永远买不来的，一个人要是把获取金钱当做主要的奋斗目标，他的精神乐趣就常常被牺牲了。

　When I broke away from business it was against the advice of practically all my friends and family So conditioned are most of us to the association of success with money that the thought of giving up a good salary for an idea seemed little short of insane If so, all I can say is 'Gee , it's great to be crazy"

　我毅然脱离商业，几乎违背了所有的亲友的劝告。我们大多数人习惯把成功与金钱连在一起。那种为理想而放弃高薪的念头简直会被人认为是疯子的念头。如果真是如此，我倒要说一声：“咦!疯子真了不起!”

　Money is a wonderful thing, but it is possible to pay too high a price for it

　钱固然是好东西，但是为了钱而付出的代价往往太高昂了。

优美经典英语文章篇二

　Love Is Not Like Merchandise

　爱情不是商品

　A reader in Florida, apparently bruised by some personal experience, writes in to complain, "If I steal a nickel's worth of merchandise, I am a thief and punished; but if I steal the love of another's wife, I am free"

　佛罗里达州的一位读者显然是在个人经历上受过创伤, 他写信来抱怨道: “如果我偷走了五分钱的商品, 我就是个贼, 要受到惩罚, 但是如果我偷走了他人妻子的爱情, 我没事儿。”

　This is a prevalent misconception in many people's minds---that love, like merchandise, can be "stolen" Numerous states, in fact, have enacted laws allowing damages for "alienation of affections"

　这是许多人心目中普遍存在的一种错误观念——爱情, 像商品一样, 可以 “偷走”。实际上，许多州都颁布法令，允许索取“情感转让”赔偿金。

　But love is not a commodity; the real thing cannot be bought, sold, traded or stolen It is an act of the will, a turning of the emotions, a change in the climate of the personality

　但是爱情并不是商品;真情实意不可能买到，卖掉，交换，或者偷走。爱情是志愿的行动，是感情的转向，是个性发挥上的变化。

　When a husband or wife is "stolen" by another person, that husband or wife was already ripe for the stealing, was already predisposed toward a new partner The "love bandit" was only taking what was waiting to be taken, what wanted to be taken

　当丈夫或妻子被另一个人“偷走”时，那个丈夫或妻子就已经具备了被偷走的条件，事先已经准备接受新的伴侣了。这位“爱匪”不过是取走等人取走、盼人取走的东西。

　We tend to treat persons like goods We even speak of the children "belonging" to their parents But nobody "belongs" to anyone else Each person belongs to himself, and to God Children are entrusted to their parents, and if their parents do not treat them properly, the state has a right to remove them from their parents' trusteeship

　我们往往待人如物。我们甚至说孩子“属于”父母。但是谁也不“属于”谁。人都属于自己和上帝。孩子是托付给父母的，如果父母不善待他们，州政府就有权取消父母对他们的托管身份。

　Most of us, when young, had the experience of a sweetheart being taken from us by somebody more attractive and more appealing At the time, we may have resented this intruder---but as we grew older, we recognized that the sweetheart had never been ours to begin with It was not the intruder that "caused" the break, but the lack of a real relationship

　我们多数人年轻时都有过恋人被某个更有诱惑力、更有吸引力的人夺去的经历。在当时，我们兴许怨恨这位不速之客---但是后来长大了，也就认识到了心上人本来就不属于我们。并不是不速之客“导致了”决裂，而是缺乏真实的关系。

　On the surface, many marriages seem to break up because of a "third party" This is, however, a psychological illusion The other woman or the other man merely serves as a pretext for dissolving a marriage that had already lost its essential integrity

　从表面上看，许多婚姻似乎是因为有了“第三者”才破裂的。然而这是一种心理上的幻觉。另外那个女人，或者另外那个男人，无非是作为借口，用来解除早就不是完好无损的婚姻罢了。

　Nothing is more futile and more self-defeating than the bitterness of spurned love, the vengeful feeling that someone else has "come between" oneself and a beloved This is always a distortion of reality, for people are not the captives or victims of others---they are free agents, working out their own destinies for good or for ill

　因失恋而痛苦，因别人“插足”于自己与心上人之间而图报复，是最没有出息、最自作自受的乐。这种事总是歪曲了事实真相，因为谁都不是给别人当俘虏或牺牲品——人都是自由行事的，不论命运是好是坏，都由自己来作主。

　But the rejected lover or mate cannot afford to believe that his beloved has freely turned away from him--- and so he ascribes sinister or magical properties to the interloper He calls him a hypnotist or a thief or a home-breaker In the vast majority of cases, however, when a home is broken, the breaking has begun long before any "third party" has appeared on the scene

　但是，遭离弃的情人或配偶无法相信她的心上人是自由地背离他的——因而他归咎于插足者心术不正或迷人有招。他把他叫做催眠师、窃贼或破坏家庭的人。然而，从大多数事例看，一个家的破裂，是早在什么“第三者”出现之前就开始了的。

　阅读 英语 散文 ，不仅能够感受语言之美，领悟语言之用，还能产生学习语言的兴趣。下面我为大家带来英语散文名篇欣赏，欢迎大家阅读!

　英语散文名篇欣赏：青春

　Youth is not a time of life; it is a state of mind; it is not a matter of rosy cheeks, red lips and supple knees It is a matter of the will, quality of the imagination, vigor of the emotions; it is the freshness of the deep springs of life

　青春不是人生的一段时间，而是一种心态;青春不在于满面红光，嘴唇红润，腿脚麻利，而在于意志刚强，想象丰富，情感饱满;青春是生命之泉的明澈清新。

　Youth means a temperamental predominance of courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over the love of ease This often exists in a man of 60 more than a boy of 20 Nobody grows old merely by a number of yearsWe grow old by deserting our ideals

　青春意味着在气质上勇敢战胜怯懦，进取精神战胜安逸享受。这种气质在60岁的老人中比在20岁的青年中更常见。仅仅一把年纪决不会导致衰老。我们之所以老态龙钟，是因为我们放弃了对理想的追求。

　Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul Worry, fear, self distrust blows the heart and turns the spirit back to dust

　岁月的流逝会在皮肤上留下皱纹，而热情的丧失却会给灵魂刻下皱纹。焦虑、恐惧和缺乏自信会使心情沮丧，意志泯灭。

　Whether 60 0r 16, there is in every human being's heart the unfailing child like appetite of what's next and the joy of the game of living In the center of your heart and my heart there is a wireless station, so long as it receives message of beauty, hope, cheer, courage and power from men and from the Infinite, so long are you young

　无论是60岁，还是16岁，每一个人的心田都有着寻根问底、追求人生乐趣的不泯童心。在你我的心田中有座无线电台，只要它能接受来自人类和上帝的美感、希望、欢乐、勇气和力量，你就会永葆青春。

　When the aerials are down, and your spirit is covered with snows of cynicism and the ice of pessimism, then you are grown old, even at 20, but as long as your aerials are up, to catch waves of optimism, there is hope you may die young at 80

　如果你收起天线，给自己的心灵蒙上一层玩世不恭的霜雪和悲观厌世的冰凌，即使你年方二十，你已垂垂老矣;但只要你竖起天线去收集乐观进取的电波，那就有希望在你八十高龄辞世之时仍然青春焕发。

　英语散文名篇欣赏：热爱生活

　However mean your life is, meet it and live it; do not shun it and call it hard names It is not so bad as you are It looks poorest when you are richest The fault-finder will find faults in paradise Love your life, poor as it is You may perhaps have some pleasant, thrilling, glorious hours, even in a poor-house

　不论你的生活如何卑微，你都要面对它，生活下去，不要躲避它，更别用恶言咒骂它。它不像你那样坏。你最富有的时候，看似最穷困。爱找缺点的人就是到天堂里也能找到缺点。你要热爱你的生活，尽管它贫穷。甚至在一个救济所里，你也还有愉快、高兴、光荣的时候。

　The setting sun is reflected from the windows of the alms-house as brightly as from the rich man's abode ; the snow melts before its door as early in the spring I do not see but a quiet mind may live as contentedly there, and have as cheering thoughts, as in a palace The town's poor seem to me often to live the most independent lives of any May be they are simply great enough to receive without misgiving

　夕阳反射在济贫院的窗上，像射在富户人家窗上一样光亮;在那门前，积雪同在早春融化。我只看到，一个从容的人，在哪里也像在皇宫中一样，生活得心满意足而富有愉快的思想。城镇中的穷人，我看，倒往往是过着最独立不羁的生活。也许因为他们很伟大，所以受之无愧。

　Most think that they are above being supported by the town; but it often happens that they are not above supporting themselves by dishonest means Which should be more disreputable Cultivate poverty like a garden herb, like sage Do not trouble yourself much to get new things, whether clothes or friends, turn the old, return to them Things do not change; we change Sell your clothes and keep your thoughts

　大多数人以为他们是超然的，不靠城镇来支援他们;可是事实上他们是往往利用了不正当的手段来应对生活，他们是毫不超脱的，毋宁是不体面的。视贫穷如园中之花而像圣人一样耕植它吧!不要寻找新的花样，无论是新的朋友或新的衣服，来麻烦你自己。找旧的，回到那里去。万物不变，是我们在变。你的衣服可以卖掉，但要保留你的思想。

 

　英语散文名篇欣赏：An Illusion 一种错觉

　It is an illusion that youth is happy, an illusion of those who have lost it; but the young know they are wretched, for they are full of the truthless ideals which have been instilled into them, and each time they come in contact with the real they are bruised and wounded It looks as if they were victims of a conspiracy; for the books they read, ideal by the necessity of selection, and the conversation of their elders, who look back upon the past through a rosy haze of forgetfulness, prepare them for an unreal life

　They must discover for themselves that all they have read and all they have been told are lies, lies, lies; and each discovery is another nail drivens into the body on the cross of life The strange thing is that each one who has gone through that bitter disillusionment add to it in his turn,, unconsciously, by the power within him which is stronger than himself

　认为青春是快乐的，这是一种错觉，是那些失去了青春的人的一种错觉。年轻人知道，自己是不幸的，他们脑子里充斥了被灌输的不切实际的想法，每次与现实接触时，都会碰的头破血流。似乎，他们是某种阴谋的牺牲者：那些他们所读过的精挑细选的书，那些长辈们谈起的因遗忘而蒙上玫瑰色薄雾的往事，都为年轻人提供了一种不真实的生活。

　他们必须自己发现，所有他们读到的、听到的东西，都是谎言、谎言、谎言。每一次的这样的发现，都像是另一根钉子钉入他们的身体，那被束缚在生活的十字架上的身体。可是奇怪的是，每个曾经被这种错觉折磨过的人，轮到他们时，有一种不可控制的力量，让他们不自觉地为别人增添这种错觉。

1 关于最美的英文短文阅读

2 励志英语散文名篇欣赏

3 优美英语散文10篇附译文

4 英语散文名篇欣赏

5 经典的名家英语美文欣赏

　　美文,大概就是美的化身,它是一种情感,一种体验和一种表达。下面是我带来的经典英语美文摘抄，欢迎阅读!

　　经典英语美文摘抄篇一

　什么东西比金钱更重要

　It is physically impossible for a well-educated intellectual, or brave man to make money the chief object① of his thoughts; as physically impossible as it is for him to make his dinner the principal object of them

　一个受过良好 教育 、有头脑的、有胆识的人完全不可能将金钱当作他考虑的主要对象，正如他完全不可能将美餐当做他主要考虑对象一样。

　All healthy people like their dinner, but their dinner is not the mainobject of their lives So all healthy-minded people like making money--ought to like it and to enjoy the sensation② of winning; but the main object of their lives is not money; it is something better than money

　所有健康的人都喜欢享用美餐，但美餐并不是他们生活的主要目标。同样道理，所有思想健全的人都喜欢挣钱--喜欢并体验挣到钞票的兴奋感是正当的;然而，他们生活的主要目标并不是金钱，而是比金钱更珍贵的东西。

　A good soldier, for instance③, mainly wishes to do his fighting well He is glad of his pay--very properly so --and justly grumbles④ when you keep him ten months without it; still, his main notion⑤ of life is to win battles, not to be paid for winning them

　例如，一位优秀的士兵主要想打好仗。他为自己的薪饷感到高兴--完全合乎情理;假如，你扣发他十个月军饷，他发牢骚理所应当。不过，他的人生主要目标仍然是打胜仗，并非为了薪饷而打胜仗。

　So too of doctors They like fees no doubt--ought to like them; yet the entire object of their lives is not fees They, on the whole desire to cure the sick, would rather cure their patients and lose their fee than kill them and get it And so with all other brave and rightly trained men: their work is first, their fee is second, very important always, but still second

　医生也是如此。毫无疑问，他们都喜欢收诊费--本应如此;然而他们人生的全部目标并不是诊费。总的说来，他们都想把病人治好，而且宁愿把病人治好而得不到诊金，也不愿为了诊金而把病人治死。所有其他有胆识的、受过正当培训的人也是如此：他们总是工作第一、报酬第二。报酬尽管总是非常重要，但还是第二。

　But in every nation, there is a vast class of people who are cowardly⑥, and more or less stupid And with these people, just as certainly the fee is first and the work second, as with brave people the work is first and the fee second

　可是，在每个国家，都有一大批怯懦的、多少有点愚蠢的人。对于这些人而言，无疑是报酬第一、工作第二，正如有胆识的人工作第一、报酬第二一样。

　And this is no small distinction⑦ It is the whole distinction in a man You cannot serve two masters; you must serve one or the other If your work is first with you, and your fee is second, work is your master

　这决非细微差异，这是根本性差异，区分一个人的根本性差异。你不能侍奉两个主人，你必须侍奉其中一个，非此即彼。假如就你而言是工作第一、报酬第二，那么工作就是你的主人。

　Observe, then, all wise work is mainly threefold⑧ in character It is honest, useful, and cheerful I hardly know anything more strange than that you recognize honesty in play, and do not in work

　请注意，一切明确的工作本质上都具有三重性：诚实、有用和愉悦。人们在娱乐中讲究诚实而在工作中却不讲诚实--据我所知，没有比这更奇怪的事情了。

　In your lightest games you have always someone to see what you call "fair play" In boxing you must hit fair; in racing, start fair Your watchword is fair play; your hatred, foul play Did it ever strike you that you wanted another watchword⑨ also, fair work, and another hatred also, foul⑩ work

　在最不重要的比赛中，你总是请人做裁判，确保人们常说的公平竞赛。 拳击 中，你出拳必须公正;赛跑时，你起跑必须公正。你的 口号 就是公正比赛，你所深恶痛绝的就是违反规则。那么，你可曾想过，你还需要另一个口号，那就是老老实实地工作;你深恶痛绝的应是投机取巧。

经典英语美文摘抄篇二

　Mother & Child 妈妈与孩子

　It was Christmas 1961 I was teaching in a small town in Ohio where my twenty-seven third graders eagerly anticipated the great day of gifts giving

　那是1961年的 圣诞节 。我在俄亥俄州的一个小镇上教小学三年级。班上27个孩子都在积极参加"礼物赠送日"的活动。

　A tree covered with tinsel and gaudy paper chains graced one corner In another rested a manger scene produced from cardboard and poster paints by chubby, and sometimes grubby, hands Someone had brought a doll and placed it on the straw in the cardboard box that served as the manger It didn't matter that you could pull a string and hear the blue-eyed, golden-haired dolly say, "My name is Susie" "But Jesus was a boy baby!" one of the boys proclaimed Nonetheless, Susie stayed

　教室的一角被一棵树装点得熠熠生辉，树上缀满了金银丝帛和华丽的彩纸。教室的另一角是一个涂着海报油彩由纸板制成的马槽，这出自孩子们那胖乎乎、脏兮兮的小手。有人带来了一个娃娃，把它放在纸板槽里的稻草上(假装小耶稣)。只要拉拉它身上的一条细绳，这个蓝眼睛、金发的娃娃就会说道，"我叫苏西"，不过这都没有关系。一个男孩提出："耶稣可是个小男孩呀!"不过苏西还是留了下来。

　Each day the children produced some new wonder -- strings of popcorn, hand-made trinkets, and German bells made from wallpaper samples, which we hung from the ceiling Through it all she remained aloof, watching from afar, seemingly miles away I wondered what would happen to this quiet child, once so happy, now so suddenly withdrawn I hoped the festivities would appeal to her But nothing did We made cards and gifts for mothers and dads, for sisters and brothers, for grandparents, and for each other At home the students made the popular fried marbles and vied with one another to bring in the prettiest ones " You put them in a hot frying pan, Teacher And you let them get real hot, and then you watch what happens inside But you don't fry them too long or they break"So, as my gift to them, I made each of my students a little pouch for carrying their fried marbles And I knew they had each made something for me: bookmarks carefully cut, colored, and sometimes pasted together; cards and special drawings; liquid embroidery doilies, hand-fringed, of course

　每天孩子们都会做点儿新玩意--爆米花串成的细链子、手工做的小装饰品和墙纸样做的德国式风铃，我们把这些风铃挂在了天花板上。但自始至终，她都是孤零零地远远观望，仿佛是隔了一道几里长的障碍。我猜想着这个沉默的孩子发生了什么事，原来那个快乐的孩子怎么突然变得沉默寡言起来。我希望节日的活动能吸引她，可还是无济于事。我们制作了许多卡片和礼物，准备把它们送给爸爸妈妈、兄弟姐妹、祖父母和身边的同学。学生们在家里做了当时很流行“油炸"玻璃弹子，并且相互比着，要把最好看的拿来。"老师，把玻璃弹子放在热油锅里，让它们烧热，然后看看里面的变化。但不要炸得时间过长否则会破裂。"所以，我给每个学生做了一个装"油炸弹子"的小袋作为礼物送给他们。我知道他们每个人也都为我做了礼物：仔细剪裁、着色，或已粘集成串的书签; 贺卡 和特别绘制的;透明的镶边碗碟垫布，当然是手工编制的流苏。

　The day of gift-giving finally came We oohed and aahed over our handiwork as the presents were exchanged Through it all, she sat quietly watching I had made a special pouch for her, red and green with white lace I wanted very much to see her smile She opened the package so slowly and carefully I waited but she turned away I had not penetrated the wall of isolation she had built around herself

　赠送礼物的那天终于到了。在交换礼物时我们为对方亲手做的小礼品不停地欢呼叫好。而整个过程，她只是安静地坐在那儿看着。我为她做的小袋很特别，红绿相间还镶着白边。我非常想看到她笑一笑。她打开包装，动作又慢又小心。我等待着，但是她却转过了身。我还是没能穿过她在自己周围树起的高墙，这堵墙将她与大家隔离了开来。

　After school the children left in little groups, chattering about the great day yet to come when long-hoped-for two-wheelers and bright sleds would appear beside their trees at home She lingered, watching them bundle up and go out the door I sat down in a child-sized chair to catch my breath, hardly aware of what was happening, when she came to me with outstretched hands, bearing a small white box, unwrapped and slightly soiled, as though it had been held many times by unwashed, childish hands She said nothing "For me" I asked with a weak smile She said not a word, but nodded her head I took the box and gingerly opened it There inside, glistening green, a fried marble hung from a golden chain Then I looked into that elderly eight-year-old face and saw the question in her dark brown eyes In a flash I knew -- she had made it for her mother, a mother she would never see again, a mother who would never hold her or brush her hair or share a funny story, a mother who would never again hear her childish joys or sorrows A mother who had taken her own life just three weeks before

　放学后，学生们三三俩俩地离开了，边走边说着即将到来的圣诞节：家中的圣诞树旁将发现自己心系已久的自行车和崭新发亮的雪橇。她慢慢地走在后面，看着大家拥挤着走出门外。我坐在孩子们的小椅子上稍稍松了口气，对要发生的事没有一点准备。这时她向我走来，双手拿着一个白色的盒子向我伸过来。盒子没有打包装，稍有些脏。好像是被孩子未洗过的小手摸过了好多遍。她没有说话。"给我的吗"我微微一笑。她没出声，只是点点头。我接过盒子，非常小心地打开它。盒子里面有一条金色的链子，上面坠着一块闪闪发光的“油炸"玻璃弹子。然后我看着她的脸，虽只有8岁，可却是成人的表情。在她深棕色的眼睛里我找到了问题的答案。我在一瞬间明白过来--这是她为妈妈做的项链，她再也见不到的妈妈，再也不能抱她、给她梳头或一起讲 故事 的妈妈。她的妈妈已再也不能分享她充满童稚的快乐，分担她孩子气的忧伤。就在3个星期前她的妈妈离开了人世。

　I held out the chain She took it in both her hands, reached forward, and secured the simple clasp at the back of my neck She stepped back then as if to see that all was well I looked down at the shiny piece of glass and the tarnished golden chain, then back at the giver I meant it when I whispered," Oh, Maria, it is so beautiful She would have loved it"Neither of us could stop the tears She stumbled into my arms and we wept together And for that brief moment I became her mother, for she had given me the greatest gift of all: herself

　我拿起那条链子。她用双手接过它，向前探了探身，在我的脖子后把简易的项链钩系好。然后她向后退了几步，好像在看看是否合适。我低下头看着闪闪发亮的玻璃珠和已失去光泽的金色链子，然后抬起头望着她。我很认真地轻声说道：“哦，玛丽亚，这链子真漂亮。你妈妈一定会喜欢的。"我们已无法抑制住泪水。她踉踉跄跄地扑进我的怀里，我们都哭了。在那短暂的一刻我成了她的妈妈，而她送给了我一份最珍贵的礼物：她的信任和爱。By Patricia A Habada

经典英语美文摘抄篇三

　FAMILY

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

　A man came home from work late, tired and irritated, to find his 5-year old son waiting for him at the door

　Daddy, may I ask you a question

　Yeah sure, what is it replied the man

　Daddy, how much do you make an hour

　That's none of your business Why do you ask such a thing the man said angrily I just want to know Please tell me, how much do you make an hour

　pleaded the little boy

　If you must know, I make $20 an hour

　Oh, the little boy replied, with his head down Looking up, he said, Daddy, may I please borrow $10

　The father was furious, If the only reason you asked that is so you can borrow some money to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed Think about why you are being so selfish I work hard everyday for such this childish behavior

　The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door The man sat down and started to get even angrier about the little boy's questions How dare he ask such questions only to get some money After about an hour or so, the man had calmed down, and started to think: Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $10 and he really didn't ask for money very often

　The man went to the door of the little boy's room and opened the door

　Are you asleep, son He asked

　No daddy, I'm awake, replied the boy

　I've been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier, said the man, It's been a long day and I took out my aggravation on you Here's the $10you asked for

　The little boy sat straight up, smiling Oh, thank you daddy! He yelled Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled up bills The man, seeing that the boy already had money, started to get angry again The little boy slowly counted out his money, then looked up at his father

　Why do you want more money if you already have some the father grumbled

　Because I didn't have enough, but now I do, the little boy replied Daddy, I have $20 now Can I buy an hour of your time Please come home early tomorrow I would like to have dinner with you