優秀的簡單英語唯美美文
學習英語最重要的不就是要堅持不能半途而廢，今天小編就給大家整理了英語美文欣賞，一起來學習
聖誕之夜 0n Christmas Eve
A friend of mine named Paul received an automobile from his brother as Christmas present. On Christmas eve, when Paul came out of his office, a street urchin was looking around the shining new car, admiring it.
我有個朋友，保羅，在聖誕節那天收到了一份來自他哥哥的禮物，一輛轎車。在聖誕前夜，當保羅從他的辦公室走出來時，一個街頭頑童正圍着他的新車打轉地看，非常羨慕。
"Is this your car, Mister?" he said.
“這是您的汽車嗎，先生?”他說。
Paul nodded, "My brother gave it to me for Christmas."
保羅點了點頭，“我哥哥給我的聖誕禮物。
The boy was astounded, "You mean your brother gave it to you, and didn't cost you anything?"
小男孩詫異了，“你是說你哥哥給你的，不用花你一分錢?”
"Boy, I wish..." he hesitated.
“兄弟，我希望...”他遲疑了。
Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for. He was going to wish he has a brother like that. But what the lad said jarred Paull all the way down his heels.
保羅當然清楚他希望什麼，他希望他也有個那樣的哥哥。但這個小傢伙說的話，使保羅大吃了一驚。
"I wish," the boy went on, "that I could be a brother like that."
“我希望，”小男孩繼續說道，“我可以做一個那樣的哥哥。”
Paul looked at the boy in astonishment, then inpulsivly he added, "Would you like to take a ride in my car?"
保羅驚奇地看着小男孩，然後激動地說了句，“你想不想做我的車去兜兜風?”
"Oh, yes. I'd love that."
“哦，想!我喜歡!”
After a short ride, the boy turned his eyes aglow, said, "Mister, would you mind driving in front of my house?"
跑了一小段路後，小男孩眼光水靈閃閃地說道，“先生，您可以把車開到我家門前嗎?”
Paul smiled a little. He thought he knew what the lad wanted. He wanted to show his neighbours that he could ride home in a big automobile. But Paul was wrong again.
保羅微微一笑。他覺得他知道這個小傢伙想要幹什麼，他想要向他的鄰居炫耀他可以坐一輛大汽車回家。但是，保羅又一次想錯了。
"Would you stop at those with two steps?" the boy asked.
“您可以在那有兩個臺階的房子前停下嗎?” 小男孩問道。
He ran up stairs. Then in a little while, Paul heard him coming back, but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled brother. He set him down on the bottom step. Then a sort of squeezed up against him and pointed to the car.
他跑着上樓去了。然後一小會兒，保羅聽到他回來的腳步聲，但他沒再用跑的了。保羅看見他正攙扶着他的跛腳的弟弟，他扶着他坐在最底層的臺階上，然後擁抱着他，指着這部車。
"There she is, buddy, just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave it to him for Christmas and didn't cost hime a cent. And some day, I'm gonna give you one just like it. Then you can see for yourself all the prettiest things in the windows that I was trying to tell you about."
“小弟，那就是我在樓上跟你說的那部車。他哥哥給他的聖誕禮物，不用花他一分錢。將來某天我也要給你一部像那樣的車，那樣你就可以自己去看我以前盡力想讓你知道的那些窗邊的聖誕飾品了。”
Paul got off and lifted the lad into the front of his car. The shinning eyed old brother crimbed in beside him. And three of them began a memorable holiday ride.
保羅下車把跛腳的小孩抱上了車的前座，他的眼睛水靈靈的哥哥爬上了車，坐到了他旁邊。然後他們三個開始一段令人難忘的旅程。
That Christmas eve, Paul learned what Jesus meant, when he said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive..."
那個聖誕前夜，保羅收穫了很多，他真正體會了耶穌所說的那句話，“施捨比接受更有福...”
笑與淚
As the Sun withdrew his rays from the garden, and the moon threw cushioned beams upon the flower I sat under the trees pondering upon the phenomena of the atmosphere, looking through the branches at the strewn stars which glittered like chips of silver upon a blue carpet; and I could hear from a distance the agitated murmur of the rivulet singing its way briskly into the valley.
太陽漸漸從花園收起餘輝，月亮在花朵上灑下柔美的銀光，此時我正坐在樹叢下，思索着這瞬息萬變的景象，仰望枝葉間的滿天繁星，這點點繁星就像撒落在藍色地毯上的閃爍銀幣;我側耳細聽，遠處傳來山澗小溪淙淙的流水聲。
When the birds took shelter among the bough and the flowers folded their petal and tremendous silence descended, I heard a rustle of feet through the grass. I took heed and saw a young couple approaching my arbour. They sat under a tree where I could see them without being seen.
夜鳥投林，花兒合攏起花瓣，四周一片寂靜，這時，我聽到草地上傳來一陣沙沙的腳步聲。我留神地聽着，然後看到一對青年男女向我坐着的涼棚走來。他們坐在一棵枝繁葉茂的樹下，他們看不見我，我卻能看清他倆。
After he looked about in every direction, I heard the young man saying, "Sit by me, my beloved, and listen to my heart; smile, for your happiness is a symbol of our future; be merry, for the sparkling days rejoice with us."
小夥子先向四周望了望，然後才聽見他開腔：“坐在我身旁吧，親愛的，細聽我的心跳;笑一笑吧，因爲你的歡樂象徵着我們的未來;高興起來吧，因爲我們精彩的日子充滿歡樂。”
“Soon you will be the owner of this vast land, lighted by this beautiful moon; soon you will be the mistress of my palace, and all the servants and maids will obey your commands.
“不久以後，月光照耀下的這片廣闊土地將屬於你;不久以後，你就會成爲我宮殿的女主人，所有的隨從和女僕都任你使喚。
“Smile, my beloved, like the gold smiles from my father's coffers.
“微笑吧，親愛的，就像我父親寶庫中的黃金那樣微笑吧。
“My heart refuses to deny you its secret. Twelve months of comfort and travel await us; for a year we will spend my father's gold at the blue lakes of Switzerland; you will meet the princesses who will envy you for your jewels and clothes.
“我的心執意要在你面前傾吐祕密。在未來的一年裏，我們將共享舒適，挽手旅遊;在這一年裏，我們將帶上父親的金錢，到瑞士的蔚藍湖泊邊度假;你將會見諸位公主，你一身的珠光寶氣和奢華穿着，連她們都會對你妒忌。
"All these things I will do for you; will you be satisfied?"
“這一切都是我要獻給你的;你可滿意?”
In a little while I saw them walking and stepping on flowers as the rich step upon the hearts of the poor. As they disappeared from my sight, I commenced to make comparison between love and money, and to analyze their position in the heart.
過了一會兒，我看到他倆慢慢地走開，腳下踩踏着鮮花，就好像富人踐踏着窮人的心。他們消失在我視線之外之後，我開始比較愛情與金錢，分析愛情和金錢在心靈中所佔的地位。
Money! The source of insincere love; the spring of false light and fortune; the well of poisoned water; the desperation of old age!
金錢!這虛情假意之源;這虛假光明和命運之源;這毒鴆之源;這暮年時的絕望之源!
I was still wandering in the vast desert of contemplation when a forlorn couple passed by me and sat on the grass; a young man and a young woman who had left their farming shacks in the nearby fields for this cool and solitary place.
在我浮想聯翩之際，一對潦倒的情侶經過我面前，然後坐在草地上;這又是一對青年男女，他們離開附近的田間農舍，來到這個清靜的地方。
After a few moments of complete silence, I heard the following words uttered with sighs from weather-bitten lip "Shed not tear my beloved; love that opens our eyes and enslaves our hearts can give us the blessing of patience. Be consoled in our delay, for we have taken an oath and entered Love's shrine; for our love will ever grow in adversity; for it is in Love's name that we are suffering the obstacles of poverty and the sharpness of misery and the emptiness of separation. Good-bye, my beloved; I must leave before the heartening moon vanishes."
先是一陣沉默，然後我聽到那粗糙的脣間吐出的話語和嘆息：“別哭了，親愛的;愛情使我們眼亮心明，讓我們成爲它的僕從，也賦予我們耐心。雖然我們要推遲婚期，但不要悲痛，因爲我們已經發過誓，踏入了愛的神殿;因爲我們的愛會在逆境中茁壯成長;因爲是在愛的名義之下，我們承受着貧困的折磨與分離的慘痛和空虛。親愛的，再見了;在鼓舞人心的月亮落去之前，我該走了!”
They separated, and the elegy to their union was smothered by the wails of my crying heart.
隨後，他倆分了手，爲他們奏起的重逢輓歌被我內心的哭喊重重壓下。
I looked upon slumbering Nature, and with deep reflection discovered the reality of a vast and infinite thing—something no power could demand, influence acquire, nor riches purchase. Nor could it be effaced by the tears of time or deadened by sorrow; a thing which cannot be discovered by the blue lakes of Switzerland or the beautiful edifices of Italy.
我注視着沉睡的大自然，深思之後參透了一樣無邊無際的東西——一種用權力無法強求，用勢力無法獲得，用金錢也無法買到的東西;一種用時間的淚水所不能抹掉，悲傷不能沖淡的東西;一種不能爲嚴冬的悲愁所扼殺的東西;一種在瑞士的蔚藍湖畔、意大利的優美建築所找不到的東西。
It is something that gathers strength with patience, grows despite obstacle warms in winter, flourishes in spring, casts a breeze in summer, and bears fruit in autumn—I found Love.
它以耐心積聚力量，在重重困難中成長，在嚴冬獲得溫暖，在春天開花生長，在夏天送去柔柔清風，在秋天繁茂結果——那就是愛情。
人生的轉角
You probably don't know Mark, but you might be lucky enough to know someone just like him. He's been the heart and soul of the office for a couple of year combining exemplary professional skills with a sweet nature and gentle disposition. He's never been all that interested in getting credit for the terrific work he does. He just wants to do his job, and to do it superbly well.
你或許不認識馬克,但如果你認識像他那樣的人,那你可能走運了。好幾年來,他都是辦公室裏的核心和靈魂人物,專業技能堪稱典範,態度和藹,性情溫柔。工作表現出色的他從不熱衷於爭風邀功。他只想做他的工作,並出色地完成。
And now he's moving on to an exciting new professional opportunity. It sounds like it could be the chance of a lifetime, and we're genuinely, sincerely pleased for him. But that doesn't make it any easier to say goodbye to a dear friend and trusted colleague.
而現在,他要向一份令人興奮的新職邁進。聽起來是個一生難得的機會,我們也真心誠摯地替他高興。但那並沒使我們跟這麼一位親愛的朋友、信任的同事告別來得容易一些。
Life has a way of throwing these curve balls at us. Just when we start to get comfortable with a person, a place or a situation, something comes along to alter the recipe. A terrific neighbor moves away. Someone in the family graduates. A child finds new love and loyalties through marriage. The family's principle bread-winner is laid off.
生活用它自己的方式不斷向我們拋出曲線球。當我們剛開始和某人融洽相處,或是適應一個地方或一種境況時,某事就發生了,改變了一切。很好的鄰居要搬家了;家裏的某個成員畢業了;孩子找到新歡,在婚姻殿堂裏尋獲忠誠;家裏養家餬口的主力軍被解僱了。
Our ability to cope with change and disruption determine to a great degree, our peace, happiness and contentment in life.
我們應付變化以及混亂情況的能力很大程度上決定了我們生活的安寧、幸福和滿意度。
But how do we do that? Philosophers have considered the question for centurie and their responses have been varied. According to the author of the Biblical book of Ecclesiaste comfort can be found in remembering that "to every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven." Kahlil Gibran urged his listeners to "let today embrace the past with remembrance, and the future with longing."
但我們該怎麼做?哲人們已經思考這個問題好幾個世紀了,他們的回答各不相同。根據《聖經·舊約全書·傳道書》的作者,人們可以通過記住“大千世界,萬事萬物皆有時”來獲得安慰。而卡里·紀伯倫也曾敦促他的聽衆去“讓今日用記憶擁抱昨日,用渴望擁抱未來”。
A friend of mine who works for the government is fond of reminding his fellow bureaucrats that "survivabi-lity depends upon adaptability." And then there's Chri the California surf-rat, who once told me that the answer to life's problems can be summed up in four words: "Go with the flow."
我一個在政府工作的朋友喜歡提醒他的那幫官僚同事們“生存取決於適應性。”還有克里斯,加利福尼亞州的一位衝浪愛好者,他曾告訴我,生活中所有問題的答案都能歸爲四個字——“隨遇而安”。
"It's like surfing," Chris explained. "You can't organize the ocean. Waves just happen. You ride 'em where they take you, then you paddle back out there and catch the next one. Sure, you're always hoping for the perfect wave where you can get, like, you know, totally tubular. But mostly you just take 'em the way they come. It's not like you're trying to nail Jell-O to a tree, you know?"
“就像衝浪,”克里斯解釋道,“你無法掌控大海。波浪隨意蕩起。你乘着浪任其領着你向前衝,然後,你伏身於衝浪板往回划水至某處,接而踏乘下一個浪。當然,你總會希望等到那個完美的浪頭,就像你知道的那種滾筒浪。但大多數情況,也就是隨波逐流,這不是什麼登天難事,你知道的。”
I'm not exactly sure, but I think Chris was saying that life is a series of events—both good and bad. No matter how deft your organizational skill there will always be life-influencing factors over which you have no control. The truly successful person expects the unexpected, and is prepared to make adjustments should the need arise—as it almost always does.
我不太確定,但我想克里斯在說,生活是由一連串事件組成的——其中有好有壞。不論你的統籌技巧有多純熟,總會有些你無法控制的因素影響着我們的生活。真正的成功者料想到意料之外的事總會發生,並做好準備在必要時做出調整——而這樣的情況常常發生。
That doesn't mean you don't keep trying to make all your dreams come true. It just means that when things come up that aren't exactly in your plan, you work around them—and then you move on. Of course, some bumps along the road of life are easier to take than others. A rained-out picnic, for example, is easier to cope with than the sudden death of a loved one. But the principle is the same.
那並不意味着你不需要不斷努力去實現你的夢想。意思只是說,當計劃以外的事發生時,你得去處理,然後繼續前進。當然,人生沿途出現的一些“撞擊”要比另一些容易處理。比如,因爲下雨要取消野餐,總比自己所愛的人突然去世更容易處理。但原理是相同的。
"Change, indeed, is painful, yet ever needful," said philosopher Thomas Carlyle. "And if memory have its force and worth, so also has hope."
“改變確實給人帶來痛苦,但改變卻是永遠必須的。”哲人托馬斯·卡萊爾說道,“並且,如果記憶擁有其力量和價值,那麼希望也同樣擁有。”
We're going to miss Mark, just like you'll miss that graduate, that neighbor or that newlywed. But rather than dwell on the sadness of our parting, we'll focus on our hopes for a brighter future—for him, and for us. And then we'll go out and do everything we can to make that future happen.
我們會想念馬克,就像你會想念那畢業離家的孩子、那位搬走的鄰居或那新婚的兒女一樣。但我們與其沉湎於分離所帶來的哀傷中,倒不如把期盼聚焦於一個更光明的未 來——爲他,也爲我們自己。然後,我們將走出去,盡我們的一切力量去實現夢想中的未來。
Until our plans change—again.
直到我們的計劃——再次改變。
