经典美文英文版

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

摘抄要真正提高习作水平,必须做到多读精思,多思多写。我分享超经典英语美文，希望可以帮助大家!

The summer before fifth grade, my world was turned upside down when my family moved from the country town where I was born and raised to a town near the beach. When school began, I found it difficult to be accepted by the kids in my class who seemed a little more sophisticated, and who had been in the same class together since first grade.

I also found this Catholic school different from the public school I had attended. At my old school, it was acceptable to express yourself to the teacher. Here, it was considered outrageous to even suggest a change be made in the way things were done.

My mom taught me that if I wanted something in life, I had to speak up or figure out a way to make it happen. No one was going to do it for me. It was up to me to control my destiny.

I quickly learned that my classmates were totally intimidated by the strict Irish nuns who ran the school. My schoolmates were so afraid of the nuns' wrath that they rarely spoke up for themselves or suggested a change.

Not only were the nuns intimidating(吓人的), they also had some strange habits. The previous year, my classmates had been taught by a nun named Sister Rose. This year, she came to our class to teach music several times a week. During their year with her, she had earned the nickname Pick-Her-Nose-Rose. My classmates swore that during silent reading, she'd prop her book up so that she could have herself a booger-picking session without her students noticing. The worst of it, they told me, was that after reading was over, she'd stroll through the classroom and select a victim whose hair would be the recipient of one of her prize boogers. She'd pretend to be praising one of her students by rubbing her long, bony(骨的) fingers through their hair! Well, to say the least, I did not look forward to her sort of praise.

One day during music, I announced to Sister Rose that the key of the song we were learning was too high for our voices. Every kid in the class turned toward me with wide eyes and looks of total disbelief. I had spoken my opinion to a teacher - one of the Irish nuns!

That was the day I gained acceptance with the class. Whenever they wanted something changed, they'd beg me to stick up for them. I was willing to take the punishment for the possibility of making a situation better and of course to avoid any special attention from Pick-Her-Nose-Rose. But I also knew that I was being used by my classmates who just couldn't find their voices and stick up for themselves.

Things pretty much continued like this through sixth and seventh grades. Although we changed teachers, we stayed in the same class together and I remained the voice of the class.

At last, eighth grade rolled around and one early fall morning our new teacher, Mrs. Haggard - not a nun, but strict nevertheless - announced that we would be holding elections for class representatives. I was elected Vice President.

That same day, while responding to a fire drill, the new president and I were excitedly discussing our victory when, suddenly, Mrs. Haggard appeared before us with her hands on her hips. The words that came out of her mouth left me surprised and confused. "You're impeached!" she shouted at the two of us. My first reaction was to burst out laughing because I had no idea what the word "impeached" meant. When she explained that we were out of office for talking during a fire drill, I was devastated.

Our class held elections again at the beginning of the second semester. This time, I was elected president, which I took as a personal victory. I was more determined than ever to represent the rights of my oppressed classmates.

My big opportunity came in late spring. One day, the kids from the other eighth grade class were arriving at school in "free dress," wearing their coolest new outfits, while our class arrived in our usual uniforms: the girls in their pleated wool skirts and the boys in their salt and pepper pants. "How in the world did this happen?" we all wanted to know. One of the eighth graders from the other class explained that their teacher got permission from our principal, Sister Anna, as a special treat for her students.

We were so upset that we made a pact to go in and let our teacher know that we felt totally ripped off. We agreed that when she inevitably gave us what had become known to us as her famous line, "If you don't like it, you can leave," we'd finally do it. We'd walk out together.

Once in the classroom, I raised my hand and stood up to speak to our teacher. About eight others rose to show their support. I explained how betrayed we felt as the seniors of the school to find the other eighth graders in free dress while we had to spend the day in our dorky uniforms. We wanted to know why she hadn't spoken on our behalf and made sure that we weren't left out of this privilege.

For years I wanted a flower garden. I'd spend hours thinking of different things I could plant that would look nice together.

But then we had Matthew. And Marvin. And the twins, Alisa and Alan. And then Helen. Five children. I was too busy raising them to grow a garden.

Money was tight, as well as time. Often when my children were little, one of them would want something that cost too much, and I'd have to say, "Do you see a money tree outside? Money doesn't grow on trees, you know."

Finally, all five got through high school and college and were off on their own. I started thinking again about having a garden.

I wasn't sure, though. I mean, gardens do cost money, and after all these years I was used to living on a pretty lean(贫乏的) , no-frills budget.

Then, one spring morning, on Mother's Day, I was working in my kitchen. Suddenly, I realized that cars were tooting(吹奏，狂欢) their horns as they drove by. I looked out the window and there was a new tree, planted right in my yard. I thought it must be a weeping willow(垂柳) , because I saw things blowing around on all its branches. Then I put my glasses on - and I couldn't believe what I saw.

There was a money tree in my yard!

I went outside to look. It was true! There were dollar bills, one hundred of them, taped all over that tree. Think of all the garden flowers I could buy with one hundred dollars! There was also a note attached: "IOU eight hours of digging time. Love, Marvin."

Marvin kept his promise, too. He dug up a nice ten-by-fifteen foot bed for me. And my other children bought me tools, ornaments(装饰品) , a trellis(格子，框架) , a sunflower stepping stone and gardening books.

That was three years ago. My garden's now very pretty, just like I wanted. When I go out and weed(除草，铲除) or tend my flowers, I don't seem to miss my children as much as I once did. It feels like they're right there with me.

I live up in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, where winters are long and cold, and summers are way too short. But every year now, when winter sets in, I look out my window and think of the flowers I'll see next spring in my little garden. I think about what my children did for me, and I get tears in my eyes - every time.

I'm still not sure that money grows on trees. But I know love does!

"If I never saw this kid again, Lord, I wouldn't be sorry!" I thought. Tears clouded my eyes as I stood in our laundry room(洗衣间) . Clenched(紧握的) in both hands were new jeans and a shirt belonging to my 16-year-old stepson, Brett. The clothing was already destroyed from burn holes and vomit stains(污点) after a drunken binge(狂欢，放纵) .

Exhausted and defeated, I sank to the floor. The clothes were just one more thing Brett had ruined. He had already kicked a large hole in his bedroom wall; his bedcovers(床罩) were torn. Numerous windows in our house needed repair due to his breaking in to steal money when he chose to live on the street. Yet none of this could compare to the emotional damage Brett had inflicted(遭受，给予) on our once quiet home.

I knew that Brett's needs were deep, and I had often prayed for wisdom and love. The second greatest commandment, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," had taken on new meaning when Brett came to live with us when he was 12 years old. If I were to love my neighbor, was I not to love my own troubled stepson even more?

During those four years I had dealt with Brett as patiently as possible, but inside I was churning. "I don't want him in my house another day, Lord," I cried as I knelt on the laundry room floor. "I just can't stand him!"

Chest heaving, I poured out my despair. Then God tenderly spoke to me in my weakness. Matthew 25:35-40 rose in my thoughts---Jesus' declaration that when we invite a stranger, feed the hungry, clothe the naked or visit those in prison, we are doing it as unto Him. For the first time I saw this story in light of the action words. Jesus was saying, "Act. Meet these people's needs. Through your actions you are loving them and Me."

God's encouragement to me that day helped me to gather strength and continue parenting Brett. Still, Brett did not change his behavior.

When Brett was nearly 18, he landed again in Juvenile Hall, this time on suicide watch. Through prayer, my husband, Dave, and I sensed God's leading to send Brett to a boarding school(寄宿学校) with a high success rate for helping troubled teens.

The psychological training at Brett's school was rigorous(严格的，严酷的) . Out of more than 20 people in his class, Brett was one of only five graduates.

At the graduation ceremony the graduates stood one by one to thank those who had helped them. Each graduate held a long-stemmed, white rosebud to give to the person who had meant the most to him or her.

Brett spoke lovingly to his mother and father and for the first time took responsibility for the heartaches he had caused.

Finally Brett spoke to me. "You did so much," he said. "You were always there, no matter what. My mom and dad, I was their kid. But you just got stuck with me. All the same you always showed me such love. And I want you to know that I love you for it."

Stunned, I stood as Brett placed the white rosebud in my hand and hugged me hard.

At that moment I realized the truth in God's words to me. Although I had struggled with silent anger toward my stepson, Brett had seen only my actions.

Love is action. We may not always have positive feelings about certain people in our lives. But we can love them.