經典英語優美文章
學習英語可以是一個枯燥的過程，也可以是一個有趣的過程。小編在此獻上經典英語美文，希望對大家喜歡。
美文欣賞：我決定從此過上幸福的生活
It was many years ago. I was a young dad sitting on the couch reading a fairy tale to my little girl. She sat next to me with her head on my arm as I told the tale. When it came to the end I finished with those famous words: "And they lived happily ever after." As I looked over to her with her wavy, brown hair and big, innocent eyes I could see the smile on her face and I never wanted it to end. It dawned on me then that the ending of the book was what I wanted for her. I wanted her to "live happily ever after."
很多年前我還是個年輕的爸爸，坐在沙發上給小女兒講童話故事。她坐在我身邊，頭枕在我胳膊上聽我講故事。故事的最後我用那句經典的話作結束語：“從此他們過上了幸福的生活。”我看着她，她有着捲曲的棕色頭髮和大大的、天真的眼睛，我能從她的臉上看到微笑，我希望能永遠這樣看着她。那時我明白了故事的結尾也是我對她的期望，我希望她“從此過上幸福的生活。”
Still, deep in my heart I knew that this couldn't always be so. I knew that there would be times when her heart was broken. I knew there would be times when she cried in grief and I couldn't comfort her. I knew there would be times when all she felt was fear, sadness, sorrow, and despair. As I stroked her hair and smiled at her I hoped that those times would be brief and that she would have joy in her life more often than not. Living happily ever after, though, seemed out of the question.
然而內心深處我知道現實並非總能如我所願。我知道有時她會傷心;我知道有時她會傷心地哭泣，而我卻不能給她安慰;我知道有時她只會感到恐懼、傷心、懊悔和絕望。我撫摸着她的頭髮，對她微笑，我希望那些時刻都能很快過去，希望她的生活中更多的是快樂，然而，從此過上幸福生活似乎是不可能的。
It took me a lot of years to realize that it IS possible to live happily ever after. You just have to do it "one day at a time." Happiness you see isn't some reward that you get at the end of your journey. Happiness isn't something dependent on what life hands you. Happiness is something you create in your life choice by choice and day by day.
很多年以後我才意識到從此過上幸福生活是可以實現的。你只需要“認真過好每一天”。你看到的幸福並非你人生旅程最終的獎勵，幸福不是取決於生活賜予你什麼，而是你日復一日通過一個個選擇在生活中創造出來的。
The truth is happiness comes when you love. Love is a gift from God. It is love that mends broken hearts. It is love that heals grief. It is love that gives us joy. Choose to "live happily ever after, one day at a time."
事實是幸福就是付出愛時的體驗，愛是上帝恩賜的禮物。只有愛才能修復受傷的心靈;只有愛才能撫平傷痛;只有愛才能給我們帶來快樂。選擇“從此過上幸福的生活，過好每一天。”
美文欣賞：想逃離現在的生活追尋自由
Have you ever gone on vacation and said to yourself, “I could live here?” On a trip to Jamaica, Kalisa Martin entertained that idea —and actually went through with it.
你是否曾經旅行過並告訴你自己：“我能住在這裏”?在去牙買加的一次旅途中，卡麗薩·馬汀思考了這個想法——也事實上將它完成了。
It was during a lingering and nasty New York City winter in March 2014. Martin and her boyfriend Jeff Belizaire decided to escape the snow by taking a last-minute getaway to Jamaica.
那是在2014年三月紐約市一個漫長而惡劣的冬季期間。馬汀和她的男朋友傑夫·貝利澤爾突發奇想決定馬上跑去牙買加躲避雪天。
At the time, Martin had a dream job in the New York culinary world: brand director at Tasting Table, a digital destination for culinary enthusiasts. She also appeared on national television shows like Good Morning America.
在那時，馬汀在紐約的烹飪界有着一份理想的工作：Tasting Table的品牌主理人，這是一家美食熱愛者的線上聚集地。她同時也在國家電視節目如《早安美國》中出現過。
But there was something about that trip that spoke to Martin — profoundly.
但是，有關那趟旅程的什麼東西深深地印在了馬汀的內心。
“That long weekend, the idea of the B&B concept came up and we thought, ‘Why not?’It could happen, and it could happen right here in Jamaica,”said 30-year-old Martin. “That was the first time we seriously considered the idea.”
“在那個漫長的週末裏，“牀加早餐”理念(一種旅店形式)的想法蹦了出來，我們想着‘爲什麼不呢?’那是有可能發生的，而且有可能就發生在這兒，在牙買加，”30歲的馬汀說道。“那是我們第一次認真考慮這個想法。”
Within four months Martin had quit her job and was on her way to Jamaica with Belizaire to create The Runaway, a bed-and-breakfast that has grown into a lifestyle travel brand.
在四個月裏，馬汀辭了職，並和貝利澤爾踏上了去牙買加創造The Runaway的道路，一個有着“牀加早餐”理念的想法開始成爲一個生活方式旅遊品牌。
“We ran away from the cold and the typical 9-5 to follow our dreams and create this new life,”says Martin.
“我們從寒冷與典型的朝九晚五中逃離出來追尋我們的夢，並創造了這個全新的生活，”馬汀說。
And this isn’t your average bed-and-breakfast. The Runaway Jamaica is the first successfully funded B&B on Kickstarter. Backers donated almost $47,000 to help bring the property to life.
這也並非只是典型的“牀加早餐”。The Runaway Jamaica是第一家成功在Kickstarter上得到資助的“牀加早餐”理念的品牌。支持者們捐獻了將近47000美元來幫助它成爲現實。
美文欣賞：這就是信仰的力量
As we slowly drove down the street on that cold December evening we spotted the porch light. "This must be the house." I told our "Positive Teens In Action" group. We pulled up in front of an older home with the porch light glowing. We gathered up our song books, walked up the steps, and knocked on the door. We heard a faint voice from inside say, “Come on in. The door is open." We opened the door.
在那個寒冷的12月份的夜晚我們開車在路上慢慢行駛時看到了門廊的燈光，我跟我們這個“積極行動的青年小隊”說：“一定就是這家了。”我們把車停在一棟舊房子前，門廊燈光很亮。我們拿出歌集，走上臺階敲了敲門，聽到裏面傳來一個虛弱的聲音：“進來吧，門開着呢”，我們推開了門。
There in a rocking chair sat an elderly woman with a big smile on her face. "I've been expecting you." she said weakly. Ruth was one of our Meals On Wheels stops I had arranged; along with the usual church members who enjoyed carolers. We handed Ruth the basket of goodies the teens had assembled earlier that evening. Then I asked Ruth what carols she would like to hear. Ruth's face was beaming as she joined in singing each song.
搖椅上坐着一位老太太，臉上帶着燦爛的笑容，她虛弱地說：“我一直盼着你們來。”Ruth的家是我安排的上門送餐服務的一站，和我們一起來的還有喜歡唱聖歌的常去教堂的人。我們遞給Ruth一籃子美味的食物，都是我們這些年輕人那天晚上提前裝好的。然後我問Ruth她想聽什麼聖誕頌歌，她跟着唱每首歌時臉上都洋溢着笑容。
As we hugged Ruth good-bye she said to me with tears glistening in her eyes, “The day you called I was still in bed. I had just finished praying. I asked God if it would be possible to have some Christmas Carolers come to my home and sing this year. Thank you for being the answer to my Christmas prayer."
我們跟Ruth擁抱說再見時，她眼睛裏閃着淚光對我說：“你打電話那天我還躺在牀上，剛剛做完禱告，我問上帝今年能否讓唱聖誕頌歌的人來我家唱頌歌。感謝你使我夢想成真。”
Wow, what an awesome experience to have the opportunity to be the answer to someone's Christmas prayer.
哇哦，能使別人的禱告得以實現是多棒的一次經歷呀。
Bible Text: When you pray, go to your room, close the door, and pray to your Father who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you. Matthew 6:6
《聖經》原文：祈禱時要去房間裏，關上門向無形的上帝祈禱，上帝看見你在祕密祈禱，就會回報給你。馬太福音6:6
