英文美文摘抄片段

When Love Beckons You

When love beckons to you, follow him, though his ways are hard and steep. And when his wings enfold you, yield to him, though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you.

And when he speaks to you, believe in him, though his voice may shatter your dreams as the north wind lays waste the garden.

For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning.

Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun, so shall he descend to our roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth.

But if, in your fear, you would seek only love’s peace and love’s pleasure, then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love’s threshing-floor, into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears.

Love gives naught but it self and takes naught but from itself.

Love possesses not, nor would it be possessed, for love is sufficient unto love.

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

To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.

To know the pain of too much tenderness.

To be wounded by your own understanding of love;

And to bleed willingly and joyfully.

To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;

To rest at the noon hour and meditate love’s ecstasy;

To return home at eventide with gratitude;

And then to sleep with a payer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips.

爱的召唤

当爱召唤你时，请追随她，尽管爱的道路艰难险峻。当爱的羽翼拥抱你时，请顺从她，尽管隐藏在其羽翼之下的剑可能会伤到你。当爱向你诉说时，请相信她，尽管她的声音可能打破你的梦想，就如同北风吹落花园里所有的花瓣。

爱会给你戴上桂冠，也会折磨你。爱会助你成长，也会给你修枝。爱会上升到枝头，抚爱你在阳光下颤动力的嫩枝，也会下潜至根部，撼动力你紧抓泥土的根基。

但是，如果你在恐惧之中只想寻求爱的平和与快乐，那你就最好掩盖真实的自我，避开爱的考验，进入不分季节的世界，在那里你将欢笑，但并非开怀大笑，你将哭泣，但并非尽情地哭。爱只将自己付出，也只得到自己。爱一无所有，也不会为谁所有，因为爱本身就已自足。

爱除了实现自我别无他求。但是如果你爱而又不得不有所求，那就请期望：

将自己融化并像奔流的溪水一般向夜晚吟唱自己优美的曲调。

明了过多的温柔所带来的苦痛。

被自己对爱的理解所伤害；

并情愿快乐地悲伤。

在黎明带着轻快的心醒来并感谢又一个有家的日子；

在黄昏怀着感恩之心回家；

然后为内心所爱之人祈祷，吟唱赞美之歌，并带着祷告和歌声入眠。

Be Happy!

“The days that make us happy make us wise.”----John Masefield

when I first read this line by England’s Poet Laureate, it startled me. What did Masefield mean? Without thinking about it much, I had always assumed that the opposite was true.

But his sober assurance was arresting. I could not forget it.

Finally, I seemed to grasp his meaning and realized that here was a profound observation. The wisdom that happiness makes possible lies in clear perception, not fogged by anxiety nor dimmed by despair and boredom, and without the blind spots caused by fear.

Active happiness——not mere satisfaction or contentment ---often comes suddenly, like an April shower or the unfolding of a bud.

Then you discover what kind of wisdom has accompanied it. The grass is greener; bird songs are sweeter; the shortcomings of your friends are more understandable and more forgivable.

Happiness is like a pair of eyeglasses correcting your spiritual vision.

Nor are the insights of happiness limited to what is near around you. Unhappy, with your thoughts turned in upon your emotional woes, your vision is cut short as though by a wall.

Happy, the wall crumbles.

The long vista is there for the seeing. The ground at your feet, the world about you----people, thoughts, emotions, pressures---are now fitted into the larger scene.

Everything assumes a fairer proportion. And here is the beginning of wisdom.

“快乐的日子使人睿智。”

——约翰·梅斯菲尔德

第一次读到英国桂冠诗人梅斯菲尔德的这行诗时，我感到十分震惊。他想表达什么意思？我以前从未对此仔细考虑，总是认定这行诗反过来才正确。但他冷静而又胸有成竹的表达引起了我的注意，令我无法忘怀。

终于，我似乎领会了他的意思，并意识到这行诗意义深远。快乐带来的睿智存在于敏锐的洞察力之间，不会因忧虑而含混迷惑，也不会因绝望和厌倦而黯然模糊，更不会因恐惧而造成盲点。

积极的快乐，并非单纯的'满意或知足，通常不期而至，就像四月里突然下起的春雨，或是花蕾的突然绽放。然后，你就会发觉与快乐结伴而来的究竟是何种智慧。草地更为青翠，鸟吟更为甜美，朋友的缺点也变得更能让人理解，宽容。快乐就像是一副眼镜，可以矫正你的精神视力。

快乐的视野并不仅限于你周围的事物。当你不快乐时，你的思维陷入情感上的悲哀，你的眼界就像是被一道墙给阻隔了，而当你快乐时，这道墙就会砰然倒塌。

你的眼界变得更为宽广。你脚下的大地，你身边的世界，包括人，思想，情感和压力，现在都融入了更为广阔的景象之中，其间每件事物 的比例都更加合理。而这就是睿智的起始。

The Goodness of Life

Though there is much to be concerned about, there is far, far more for which to be thankful. Though life’s goodness can at times be overshadowed, it is never outweighed.

For every single act that is senselessly destructive, there are thousands more small, quiet acts of love, kindness and compassion.

For every person who seeks to hurt, there are many, many more who devote their lives to helping and to healing.

There is goodness to life that cannot be denied.

In the most magnificent vistas and in the smallest details, look closely, for that goodness always comes shining through.

There si no limit to the goodness of life. It grows more abundant with each new encounter. The more you experience and appreciate the goodness of life, the more there is to be lived.

Even when the cold winds blow and the world seems to be cov ered in foggy shadows, the goodness of life lives on. Open your eyes, open your heart, and you will see that goodness is everywhere.

Though the goodness of life seems at times to suffer setbacks, it always endures. For in the darkest moment it becomes vividly clear that life is a priceless treasure.

And so the goodness of life is made even stronger by the very things that would oppose it.

Time and time again when you feared it was gone forever you found that the goodness of life was really only a moment away.

Around the next corner, inside every moment, the goodness of life is there to surprise and delight you.

Take a moment to let the goodness of life touch your spirit and calm your thoughts. Then, share your good fortune with another.

For the goodness of life grows more and more magnificent each time it is given away.

Though the problems constantly scream for attention and the conflicts appear to rage ever stronger, the goodness of life grows stronger still, quietly, peacefully, with more purpose and meaning than ever before.

生命的美好

尽管有很多事让人忧虑，但相比而言，值得感激的事要多得多。尽管生命的美好有时被蒙上阴影，但它却永远不会被埋没。

相对于每一个无谓的破坏行为而言，都有更多数以千计更为微小的，包含着爱，友善和同情的举动静静地上演着。相对于每一个试图伤害他人的人而言，都有更多的人致力于帮助他人，治愈他人的创伤。

生命的美好不能否认。

在最为壮观的前景和最为琐碎的细节中，()请仔细观察，因为美好的事物总是散发着耀眼的光芒闪亮登场。

生命的美好没有界限。每一次相遇都会使这美好变得越发丰富。你经历得越多，越能欣赏生命的美好，生命中的美好就会变得越多。

即使当寒风袭来，整个世界似乎被雾气掩盖之时，生命的美好仍会存在。睁开双眼，打开心扉，你就会发现这美好无处不在。

尽管生命的美好有时似乎遭受挫折，但它总会挺过来。因为，在最黑暗的时刻，有一点变得格外清楚，那就是，生命是无价的财富。因此，下正是与生命的美好相对立的事物使其越发强大。

无数次地，当你担心这美好已经远离之时，你会发现生命的美好其实只与你相隔须臾。它就在下一角落，存在于每个时刻之间，等着给你惊喜。

花些时间让生命的美好感动自己的灵魂，放松自己的思绪。然后，把你的幸运与他人分享。因为生命的美好会在每次给予之间变得越来越壮观。

尽管总是有问题让你去关注，冲突也似乎愈演愈烈，但生命的美好却总是静静地，平和地，带着比以往更强的意志和更多的价值变得更加强大。

Researchers have found that migrating animals use a variety of inner compasses to help themnavigate. Some steer by the position of the Sun. Others navigate by the stars. Some use theSun as their guide during the day and then switch to star navigation by night. One studyshows that the homing pigeon uses the Earth's magnetic fields as a guide in finding its wayhome and there are indications that various other animals from insects to mollusks, can alsomake use of magnetic compasses. It is of course very useful for a migrating bird to be able toswitch to a magnetic compass when clouds cover the Sun; otherwise it would just have toland and wait for the Sun to come out again.

Even with the Sun or stars to steer by, the problems of navigation are more complicatedthan they might seem at first. For example, a worker honeybee that has found a rich source ofnectar and pollen flies rapidly home to the hive to report. A naturalist has discovered that thebee scout delivers her report through a complicated dance in the hive, in which she tells theother workers not only how far away the food is, but also what direction to fly in relation to theSun. But the Sun does not stay in one place all day. As the workers start out to gather thefood, the Sun may already have changed its position in the sky somewhat. In later trips duringthe day, the Sun will seem to move farther and farther toward the west. Yet the worker beesseem to have no trouble at all in finding the food source. Their inner clocks tell them just wherethe Sun will be and they change their course correspondingly.

动物的罗盘

研究人员已经发现迁徙性动物可以借助各种各样的体内罗盘来校正方向。有些动物借助太阳的位置辨别方向，有些则依靠星星。还有的白天利用太阳，晚上利用星星。有研究发现信鸽以地磁场为向导来找到回家的路。还有迹象表明许许多多其它生物，从昆虫到软体动物，也能利用这种磁场罗盘。具有这种磁场罗盘，对候鸟来说当然非常有用，因为如果乌云遮日，它可以以磁场为向导继续飞行，否则它就只好着陆，等待太阳重新出现。即使是借助太阳或星星导航，其中的学问也比它表面看起来的要复杂得多。例如，一只工蜂找到了花圃蜜园，急忙飞回蜂房报信。博物学家发现这只蜂探在蜂房里跳了一段极为复杂的舞，通过这段舞她不但告诉其它工蜂食物有多远，而且报告了以太阳为参照的飞行路线。但太阳不会呆在天上不动。当蜂群出发采食时，太阳可能已经多少改变了它在天空中的位置。出发得越迟，太阳就越偏西，可这似乎没给寻找食物源的工蜂们带来任何不便。它们体内的时钟告诉他们太阳应在的位置，据此它们相应地改变前进的方向。

沙子和石头 Sand and Stone

The story goes that two friends were walking through the desert. During some point of the journey they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other one in the face.The one who got slapped felt hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand: "Today my best friend slapped me in the face."

They kept on walking until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but the friend saved him.After he recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone: "Today my best friend saved my life."

The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, "After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now you write on a stone. Why?"

The other friend replied: "When someone hurts us we should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it."

两个朋友结伴穿越沙漠，旅途中二人突然吵了起来，其中一个掴了对方一记耳光。被打的人感到自己受了伤害，但什么也没有说，只是在沙地上写下了这样一句话：“今天我的朋友掴了我耳光。他们继续前行，看见到处绿洲，他们正打算在那里洗澡时，刚才被打的人不小心陷入了泥潭，开始深陷，他的朋友救了他。等他从几近淹死的边缘苏醒过来后，他在石头上刻下：“今天我的朋友救了我的命。”他的朋友问：“为什么我伤你之后，你在沙子上写字，现在却把字刻在石头上?”他回答道：“当有人伤害了我们，我们应该把它写进沙里，宽恕的风会把仇恨抹去。而当有人为我们做了好事，我们应当把它刻在石头上，没有风可以将它抹去。”

做你想做的梦 Dream What You Dream of

There are moments in life when you miss someone so much that you just want to pick them from your dreams and hug them for real!

在一生有多少这样的时刻：我们对一个人朝思暮想，只想一把把他们从梦中拉出来，真切的拥抱一回!

When the door of happiness closes, another opens, but often times we look so long at the closed door that we don't see the one which has been opened for us.

一扇通往幸福的门关闭了，另一扇幸福之门打开了，可有多少次啊，我们徘徊在那扇关闭的门前，却忽略了那扇早已为我们开启的新的幸福之门。

Don't go for looks; they can deceive. Don't go for wealth; even that fades away. Go for someone who makes you smile because it takes only a smile to make a dark day seem bright. Find the one that makes your heart smile.

不要以貌取人，外貌可能会欺骗你;不要追逐财富，财富会消失的。去寻找那个让你笑口常开的人吧，一个微笑就可以使暗淡的日子豁然开朗。去追寻那个令你心灵愉悦的人吧!

Dream what you want to dream; go where you want to go; be what you want to be, because you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you want to do.

做你想做的梦，去你想去的地方，成为你想成为的人，因为你只有一次生命和一次机会去做你想做的事情。

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human, enough hope to make you happy.

愿幸福与你永伴，使你亲切可爱;愿你历经磨难，使你坚韧不拔;愿你痛彻心肺，使你通情达理，愿你充满希望，使你幸福快乐。

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.

世界上最幸福的人并不一定拥有的东西，他们只是最充分利用、珍惜了他们生命中的一切。

Love begins with a smile, grows with a kiss and ends with a tear.

爱始于微笑，育于亲吻，终于流泪。

The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past, you can't go on well in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

五彩缤纷的明天常常建立在对过去的遗忘之上。只有对过去的失败和伤痛不再耿耿于怀，生活才会变得更加美好。

When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so that when you die, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.

当你呱呱落地、啼哭不已时，周围的人却笑逐颜开;要认真的生活，只有这样，当你走到生命的尽头时，你才会含笑而眠，而周围的人却痛哭不已。

摘抄包括日常意义上的摘抄与教学意义上的摘抄。根据是否满足基本要求,摘抄的价值有正面与负面之分。摘抄与习作的关系主要体现在摘抄提供的知识、素材、语言材料积累以及篇章写法熟识等方面对习作的价值。我精心收集了超经典英语美文，供大家欣赏学习!

Watch the world go by

I was sitting outside my new home yesterday (we just moved last week, and we love the new place), watching the world go by.

There were people in cars, in a hurry to get to their next appointment. There were birds flying by, insects just as busy as the people in cars, plants and weeds thriving in the humid(潮湿的) Guam climate.

Inside the house, my children were also busy, as ever, making a mess of the house (which my wife and I would soon clean up), getting into things, their natural curiosity overpowering our previous pleas for them not to play with lotion(洗液，洗涤剂) or take things apart.

The sky was slightly overcast and there was a cool breeze, quite strong and pleasant actually.

It's not often that most of us just sit quietly, and allow the world to pass us by.

Why not?

What is so important that it can't wait until later? What email must be answered right this moment? Do we really need to read all those articles online, all those messages from others, all those newspapers and magazines? Do we need to have the television and radio and Internet on all the time?

Is life passing us by as we keep our minds super-busy? Are we missing out on the beautiful world around us as we constantly think about the future - what we need to do, our anxieties about what might happen - and the past - what we did wrong, what someone else did to us, what we said, what should have happened?

When was the last time you just sat, and observed? Why not do it today?

生命中的片段

When he told me he was leaving I felt like a vase which has just smashed. There were pieces of me all over the tidy, tan(棕褐色) tiles. He kept talking, telling me why he was leaving, explaining it was for the best, I could do better, it was his fault and not mine. I had heard it before many times and yet somehow was still not immune; perhaps one did not become immune to such felony(重罪).

He left and I tried to get on with my life. I filled the kettle and put it on to boil, I took out my old red mug and filled it with coffee watching as each coffee granule(颗粒) slipped in to the bone china. That was what my life had been like, endless omissions of coffee granules, somehow never managing to make that cup of coffee.

Somehow when the kettle piped its finishing warning I pretended not to hear it. That's what Mike's leaving had been like, sudden and with an awful finality. I would rather just wallow in uncertainty than have things finished. I laughed at myself. Imagine getting all philosophical and sentimental about a mug of coffee. I must be getting old.

And yet it was a young woman who stared back at me from the mirror. A young woman full of promise and hope, a young woman with bright eyes and full lips just waiting to take on the world. I never loved Mike anyway. Besides there are more important things. More important than love, I insist to myself firmly. The lid goes back on the coffee just like closure on the whole Mike experience.

He doesn't haunt my dreams as I feared that night. Instead I am flying far across fields and woods, looking down on those below me. Suddenly I fall to the ground and it is only when I wake up that I realize I was shot by a hunter, brought down by the burden of not the bullet but the soul of the man who shot it. I realize later, with some degree of understanding, that Mike was the hunter holding me down and I am the bird that longs to fly. The next night my dream is similar to the previous nights, but without the hunter. I fly free until I meet another bird who flies with me in perfect harmony. I realize with some relief that there is a bird out there for me, there is another person, not necessarily a lover perhaps just a friend, but there is someone out there who is my soul mate. I think about being a broken vase again and realize that I have glued myself back together, what Mike has is merely a little part of my time in earth, a little understanding of my physical being. He has only, a little piece of me.

谁能拒绝12次微笑呢?

A passenger told an air hostess that he needed a cup of water to take his medicine when the plane just took off. She told him that she would bring him the water in ten minutes.

Thirty minutes later, when the passenger's ring for service sounded, the air hostess flew in a flurry. She was kept so busy that she forgot to deliver him the water. As a result, the passenger was held up to take his medicine. She hurried over to him with a cup of water, but he refused it.

In the following hours on the flight, each time the stewardess passed be the passenger she would ask him with a smile whether he needed help or not. But the passenger never paid heed to(注意) her.

When he was going to get off the plane, the passenger asked the stewardess to hand him the passengers' booklet. She was very sad. She knew that he would write down sharp words, but with a smile she handed it to him.

Off the plane, she opened the booklet, and cracked a smile(展颜微笑), for the passenger put it, "On the flight, you asked me whether I need help or not for twelve times in all. How can I refuse your twelve sincere smiles?"

That's right! Who can refuse your twelve sincere smiles from a person?