英語優秀經典簡單的美文文章

英語美文的文章是可以讓我們提升我們個人的英語水平和寫作，今天小編就給大家分享一下英語美文欣賞，來一起閱讀吧

　　幸福是一段旅程

We always convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, thenanother. Then we are frustrated that the kids aren't old enough and we'll be more content whenthey are. After that we' re frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We will certainly behappy when they are out of that stage.

我們總是相信，等我們結了婚，生了孩子生活會更美好。等有了孩子，我們又因爲他們不夠大而煩惱，想等他們大些時，我們就會開心了。可等他們進人青少年時期，我們還是同樣地苦惱，於是又相信等他們過了這一階段，幸福就會到來。

We always tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her acttogether, when we get a nicer car, and are able to go on a nice vacation, when we retire. Thetruth is, there's no better time than right now. If not now, when? Our life will always be filledwith challenges. It's best to admit this to ourselves and decide to be happy anyway.

我們總是告訴自己，等夫妻間任一方肯於合作，等我們擁有更好的車，等我們能去度一次美妙的假期，等我們退休後，我們的生活一定會完美的。而事實的真相是，沒有任何時刻比現在更寶貴。倘若不是現在，又會是何時?我們的生活每時每刻都會有挑戰。最好是讓自己接受這一事實，無論如何使自己保持快樂的心境。

One of my favorite quotes comes from Alfred Souza. He said, "For a long time it had seemed tome that life was about to begin-real there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, someunfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last itdawned onto me that these obstacles were my life. This perspective has helped me to see thatthere is no way to happiness.

我很欣賞艾爾弗雷德?蘇澤的一段名言。他說："長期以來，我都覺得生活--真正的生活似乎即將開始。可是總會遇到某種障礙，如得先完成一些事情。沒做完的工作，要奉獻的時間，該付的債，等等。之後生活纔會開始。最後我醒悟過來了，這些障礙本身就是我的生活。"這一觀點讓我意識到沒有什麼通往幸福的道路。

Happiness is the way. So treasure every moment that you remember that time waits for no one. So stop waiting until you finish school, until you goback to school; until you get married, until you get divorced; until you have kids, until your kidsleave home; until you stArt work, until you retire; until you get a new car or home; untilspring; until you are born again to decide that there is no better time than right now to behappy....

幸福本身就是路，所以，珍惜你擁有的每一刻，且記住時不我待，不要再作所謂的等待;你上完學，等你再回到學校;等你結婚或離婚;等你有了孩子或孩子長大離開家;等你開始工作或等你退休;等你有了新車或新房;等春天來臨;等你有幸再來世上走一遭才明白此時此刻最應快樂……

Happiness is a journey, not a destination. So,Work like you don't need money,

幸福是一個旅程，不是終點站;所以工作吧，如同不需要金錢一樣;

Love like you've never been hurt,And dance like no one's watching.

去愛吧，如同從未受過傷害一樣;跳舞吧，如同沒有人注視一樣。

to love, like never been hurt,to dance,like no one appreciate;

去愛吧，就像不曾受過傷一樣;跳舞吧，像沒有人會欣賞一樣。

to sing, like no one listen to,to work, like no need of money;

唱歌吧，像沒有人會聆聽一樣。幹活吧，像是不需要金錢一樣。

to life, like today is the end.

生活吧，就像今天是末日一樣。

　　咖啡與人生

"Everything happens for the best，" my mother said whenever I faced disappointment. "If you carry on， one day something good will happen. And you'll realize that it wouldn't have happened if not for that previous disappointment."

每當我遇到挫折時，母親就會說：“一切都會好的。如果你堅持下去，總有一天會有好事發生。你會認識到，如果沒有以前的挫折就不會有現在的一切。”

Mother was right， as I discovered after graduating from college in 1932. I had decided to try for a job in radio， then work my way up to sports announcer. I hitchhiked to Chicago and knocked on the door of every station - and got turned down every time.

母親是對的，發現這個時是在1932年，我剛從大學畢業。我已決定試着在電臺找個事兒做，然後爭取做體育節目的播音員。我搭便車到了芝加哥，挨家電臺地敲門推銷自己--但每次都被拒絕了。

In one studio， a kind lady told me that big stations couldn't risk hiring an inexperienced person. "Go out in the sticks and find a small station that'll give you a chance，" she said.

在一個播音室裏，一位好心的女士告訴我，大的廣播電臺是不會冒險僱傭沒經驗的新手的。“去鄉下找一家給你機會的小電臺吧，”她說。

I thumbed home to Dixon， Illinois. While there was no radio-announcing jobs in Dixon， my father said Montgomery Ward had opened a store and wanted a local athlete to manage its sports department. Since Dixon was where I had played high school football， I applied. The job sounded just right for me. But I wasn't hired.

我搭車來到我的家鄉，那是伊利諾斯州的迪克森。在迪克森當時還沒有電臺播音員這樣的工作，父親說，蒙哥馬利·沃德開了一家新商店，想僱請一個本地的運動員管理店裏的體育部。我中學時曾在迪克森打過橄欖球，出於這個原因我去申請了這份工作。工作聽起來挺適合我的，但是我沒被聘用。

My disappointment must have shown. "Everything happens for the best，" Mom reminded me. Dad offered me the car to job hunt. I tried WOC Radio in Davenport， Iowa. The program director， a wonderful Scotsman named Peter MacArthur， told me they had already hired an announcer.

我的沮喪心情一定表現出來了。“一切總會好的，”母親提醒我說。爸爸給我買了一輛汽車找工作用。我試到愛荷華州達文波特的WOC電臺去求職。那裏的電臺節目負責人是一個很棒的蘇格蘭人，名叫彼得?麥克阿瑟，他告訴我他們已經僱到播音員了。

As I left his office， my frustration boiled over. I asked aloud， "How can a fellow get to be a sports announcer if he can't get a job in a radio station?"

離開他辦公室時，我憤怒極了。我大聲地說：“一個連在電臺都找不到工作的傢伙又怎麼能成爲體育節目的播音員呢?”

I was waiting for the elevator when I heard MacArthur calling， "What was that you said about sports? Do you know anything about football?" Then he stood me before a microphone and asked me to broadcast an imaginary game.

等電梯時，我聽見麥克阿瑟喊道：“你說什麼體育?你瞭解橄欖球嗎?”接着他讓我站到麥克風前，請我解說一場想象中的比賽。

On my way home， as I have many times since， I thought of my mother's words： "If you carry on， one day something good will happen. Something wouldn't have happened if not for that previous disappointment."

在回家的路上--以後也有很多次地，我思考着母親的那句話：“如果你堅持下去，總有一天會有好事發生。如果沒有以前的挫折，就不會有現在的一切。”

I often wonder what direction my life might have taken if I'd gotten the job at Montgomery Ward.

我常想，如果我當年得到了蒙哥馬利·沃德的那份工作，我的Grandmother didn't just like her coffee， and it wouldn't really do her justice to say she loved her coffee. Grandmother was to coffee what a sommelier is to wine. She knew the intricacies of coffee， the different tastes and even the textures. And only the best would do for her. No instant coffee， or coffee bought at the grocery store. She had to have fresh coffee， from a respectable coffee shop. “The morning cup of coffee sets the tone for the whole day，” she used to say.

奶奶不止是喜歡咖啡這麼簡單，說句公道話，咖啡是她的摯愛。咖啡對於奶奶而言，就如同美酒對於斟酒侍者一般重要。她對於咖啡的紛繁學問，其不同的口味，甚至其結構特徵都瞭如指掌。而她只喝最好的咖啡，既不要速溶的，也不喜歡從雜貨店買的。她一定要喝有名望的咖啡店出售的新鮮咖啡。“清晨的一杯咖啡決定了一整天的基調。”她常這麼說。

I used to go to Grandmother's every Sunday morning. Her routine was always the same. She would kiss me once on each cheek， hang up my coat and lead me into the kitchen， slice a piece of banana bread right out of the oven (sometimes cranberry)， and pour a cup of freshly brewed coffee.

以前每個星期天的早上，我都會去奶奶家，而她也總會用同樣的程序來迎接我。她會在我的兩邊臉頰上各親一下，掛起我的外套，然後把我帶進廚房，切一片剛出爐的香蕉麪包(有時候是蔓越橘口味的)，並倒一杯新煮的咖啡給我。

“Alexa，” she said to me one day. “Did you know that every person's personality is like a flavor of coffee?”

“阿麗夏，”一天，她對我說，“你知道嗎，每個人的性格就像是一種口味的咖啡。”

“Really?” I said， amused at how Grandmotherrelished her coffee so much that she related everything to it.

“是嗎?”我說。見到奶奶如此鍾愛她的咖啡，以致於將每一件事物都與之扯上關係，覺得挺逗的。

“Ye” she said. “You， my dear， are French vanilla. You are sweet， almost sickeningly so at times to the discerning coffee drinker.” I slightly recoiled at Grandmother's assessment of me. You expect your grandmother to call you sweet， but never sickeningly sweet.

“是的，”她說。“你，我親愛的，是法國香草味的。你很甜美，對於那些有品味的咖啡客來說，有時甜得都有些發膩了。”聽了奶奶對我的評價後，我覺得有點不爽。你當然會希望奶奶說你很甜美，但絕對不希望是甜得發膩。

“Your father is espresso，” she continued. “He comes on strong. There are many people who don't like him， but others can't live without that high feeling that he gives them. He has an addictive personality that many people can't let go of.”

“你爸爸是杯濃縮咖啡，”她接着說，“他能給人以強烈的印象。有很多人不喜歡他，但也有人離開了他帶來的那種興奮感就活不下去。他有一種讓許多人無法放手的致命的吸引力。”

“Let me gues Grandmother. You're hazelnut.”

“讓我猜猜，奶奶，那您就是榛子口味的。”

“Hazelnut? Why on earth would you say that?”

“榛子口味?你到底爲什麼會這麼說?”

“Because I find your coffee talk a bit nutty.”

“因爲我發現您的咖啡論挺狂熱的。”(雙關語，nutty既指帶堅果口味，也指對某事狂熱。)

I smiled at Grandmother， but I could tell she was not amused. “Alexa dear， I am trying to teach you a lesson about life here. I do not need you poking fun at me.”

我衝着奶奶笑了起來，不過我能看得出她並不覺得這很好笑。“親愛的阿麗夏，我是想在這裏教你一個人生的道理，而不是讓你拿我開玩笑的。”

A lesson about life? Is she kidding? “Grandmother， you can't dissect a person's personality by comparing them to a cup of coffee. People are more complex than that. Everyone has nuance personality quirk things that make them different. You just can't go around saying， 'She's a dark roast， he's an instant， he's a mocha almond.”

一個人生的道理?她在開玩笑吧?“奶奶，你不可以用一杯咖啡去分析一個人的性格。人要比咖啡複雜得多。每個人都有差別，性格癖好相異，方方面面各不相同。你不可能四處晃晃，然後說：'她是杯深焙咖啡，他是杯速溶咖啡，他是杯摩卡杏仁咖啡……'”

Grandmother looked at me， almost a blank， dull stare. “Then you just don't understand coffee，” she snapped， clearing my plate and coffee cup from the table. “I guess not，” I sighed， exasperated at my hazelnut grandmother.

奶奶用一種幾乎是茫然而沮喪的眼神看着我。“這麼說，你根本就不懂咖啡，”她厲聲說，從桌上清走了我的盤子和咖啡杯。“我想是的，”我嘆了口氣，對我這個“榛子口味”的奶奶感到有些惱火。

I went to Grandmother's house many more times after that， and she always kept her same routine. It was a welcome routine， one that I enjoyed every week. Grandmother didn't talk to me after that about the “coffee catastrophe” as I called it， but eventually， she did start to make more ridiculous claims concerning her favorite drink.

在那之後，我又多次去過奶奶家，而她依然以同樣的程序來迎接我。我很喜歡這套程序，每個星期都要去享受一次。在那之後，奶奶再也沒有跟我談論過我所稱的“咖啡大災難”，不過最後，就她最喜愛的飲品，她還是開始發表了更加荒謬的言論。

“I knew your grandfather was the right man for me because we loved our coffee the same way，” she said. “Cream with just a touch of sugar.”

“我知道你爺爺就是那個最適合我的人，因爲我們都喜歡相同味道的咖啡，”她說，“奶油里加上一丁點糖。”

I rolled my eyes. “Grandmother， many people like it that way.”

我轉了轉眼珠，說：“奶奶，很多人都喜歡那種口味。”

“I disagree，” she said. “For most people， if they prefer cream， they like a lot of sugar， or at least a moderate amount. Those who drink it with just a touch of sugar usually put milk in it， or drink it black.”

“我不同意，”她說，“對於大多數人來說，如果他們喜歡奶油，他們就喜歡加很多糖，或至少是中等量的糖。而那些喝咖啡時只加一丁點糖的人，通常會加入牛奶，或者乾脆就喝黑咖啡。”

“So what if Papa preferred his coffee black? Or with milk and sweetener? Does that mean that you would have never married? That I wouldn't be here today?”

“那麼，如果爺爺更喜歡喝黑咖啡呢?或者是牛奶加甜味料呢?那是不是說你就不嫁給他了?那麼今天就沒有我在這裏了?”

“Oh don't be silly，” Grandmother said. “I won't think about your grandfather preferring his coffee any differently. I don't know what would have become of us. But you， my dear Alexa， belong to me. You would be here no matter what.”

“噢，別傻了，”奶奶說，“我從來沒想過你爺爺會喜歡什麼不一樣的咖啡。我不知道我們之間會有什麼不同的結果，但是你，我親愛的阿麗夏，是屬於我的。無論怎麼樣你都會在這裏的。”

The last time I saw Grandmother was a Sunday just like all the others. I sat down at the table with Grandmother and she looked at me with a very intense look in her eyes.

我最後一次見到奶奶也是在一個星期天，和其他星期天沒什麼區別。我和奶奶一起坐在桌邊，她看着我，眼中閃爍着一種熱情的光芒。

“Do you ever think about heaven?” she asked me.

“你有沒有想過天堂是個什麼樣子的?”她問我。

I stared at Grandmother and stopped chewing for a moment.

我凝視着奶奶，暫時停止了咀嚼。

“Well， do you?” she asked again.

“嗯，你想過了麼?”她又問了一遍。

“Umm， not really，” I said， growing increasingly uncomfortable with this line of conversation.

“唔……沒怎麼想過，”我說，對於這種類型的對話感到越來越不舒服。

“Well， I've been thinking about it lately，” Grandmother said. “I mean， I am getting to that age where I realize that I don't have much more time here on earth. And I've just been thinking lately about heaven—and what's there and what's not. And I just hope that when it's my time to leave this world， the next one has everything that I love here.”

“嗯，我最近一直在想這個問題，”奶奶說，“我的意思是，我也快到那個年紀了，所以我意識到我在這個世上的時間已經不多了。最近我一直在思考天堂是個什麼樣子的——那裏有什麼，沒有什麼。而我只希望當我離開這個世界的時候，另一個世界裏也有我在這邊所深愛的一切。”

“And what's that， Grandmother?”

“那是些什麼，奶奶?”

“Good food， good people， and good coffee.”

“好吃的食物，好相處的人，還有上好的咖啡。”

I smiled at Grandmother's simplicity and love for the good things in life. And I hoped that she would find exactly what she would be looking for in the next world.

我對奶奶的純樸，以及對生命中美好事物的熱愛報以微笑，也希望她真能在另一個世界找到她所想要的一切。

Grandmother passed away later that week. They found her sitting in her favorite rocker in the living room， half a cup of freshly brewed coffee by her side. And somehow， I knew that it was a sign that everything would be all right for Grandmother.

奶奶在那週末去世了。他們發現她坐在客廳裏她最喜歡的搖椅上，身旁還有半杯新煮的咖啡。不知道爲什麼，我明白這是一個徵兆，表明了奶奶會一切都好。

Now， years later， I'm frequently reminded of my Grandmother. The scent of freshly baked banana bread， or the way someone will kiss me on my cheek will bring a quick flashback of her. But my memories are always most vivid when I step foot into a coffee shop， the aroma of freshly roasted beans and brewed coffee livening my senses.

現在，多年過去了，我不時還會想起奶奶。新出爐的香蕉麪包的香氣，或某人親吻我臉頰的方式，都會讓我腦海中突然閃現出她的身影。不過每當我邁進一間咖啡館時，我的記憶總是特別鮮明，那新烤的咖啡豆和新煮咖啡的香氣總能讓我的感覺活躍起來。

“What would you like?” the person at the counter asks me.

“您想要點什麼?”櫃檯上的人問我。

“A medium hazelnut，” I say. “Cream with just a touch of sugar.”

“一杯中杯的榛子咖啡，”我說，“加奶油和一丁點糖。”人生之路又會怎樣走呢?

　　擁抱明天 Embrace today

Tucked away in our subconscious is an idyllic vision. We see ourselves on a long trip that spans the continent. We are traveling by train. Out the windows, we drink in the passing scene of cars on nearby highways, of children waving at a crossing, of cattle grazing on a distant hillside, of smoke pouring from a power plant, of row upon row of corn and wheat, of flatlands and valleys, of mountains and rolling hillsides, of city skylines and village halls.

我們的潛意識裏藏着一派田園詩般的風光! 我們彷彿身處一次橫貫大陸的漫漫旅程之中! 乘着火車, 我們領略着窗外流動的景色：附近高速公路上奔馳的汽車、十字路口處招手的孩童、遠山上吃草的牛羣、源源不斷地從電廠排放出的煙塵、一片片的玉米和小麥、平原與山谷、羣山與綿延的丘陵、天空映襯下城市的輪廓, 以及鄉間的莊園宅第!

But uppermost in our minds is the final destination. On a certain day at a certain hour, we will pull into the station. Bands will be playing and flags waving. Once we get there, so many wonderful dreams will come true and the pieces of our lives will fit together like a completed jigsaw puzzle. How restlessly we pace the aisles, damning the minutes for loitering --waiting, waiting, waiting for the station.

然而我們心裏想得最多的卻是最終的目的地! 在某一天的某一時刻, 我們將會抵達進站! 迎接我們的將是樂隊和飄舞的彩旗! 一旦到了那兒, 多少美夢將成爲現實, 我們的生活也將變得完整, 如同一塊理好了的拼圖! 可是我們現在在過道里不耐煩地踱來踱去, 咒罵火車的拖拖拉拉! 我們期待着, 期待着, 期待着火車進站的那一刻!

"When we reach the station, that will be it! "we cry. "When I'm 18. ""When I buy a new 450SL Mercedes Benz! ""When I put the last kid through college. ""When I have paid off the mortgage!""When I get a promotion.""When I reach the age of retirement, I shall live happily ever after! "

"當我們到站的時候, 一切就都好了! "我們呼喊着! "當我18歲的時候! ""當我有了一輛新450SL奔馳的時候! ""當我供最小的孩子唸完大學的時候! ""當我償清貸款的時候! ""當我官升高任的時候! ""當我到了退休的時候, 就可以從此過上幸福的生活啦! "

Sooner or later, we must realize there is no station, no one place to arrive at once and for all. The true joy of life is the trip. The station is only a dream. It constantly outdistances us.

可是我們終究會認識到人生的旅途中並沒有車站, 也沒有能夠"一到永逸"的地方!生活的真正樂趣在於旅行的過程, 而車站不過是個夢, 它始終遙遙領先於我們!

"Relish the moment "is a good motto, especially when coupled with Psalm 118：24："This is the day which the Lord hath made;we will rejoice and be glad in it. "It isn't the burdens of today that drive men mad. It is the regrets over yesterday and the fear of tomorrow. Regret and fear are twin thieves who rob us of today.

"享受現在"是句很好的箴言, 尤其是當它與《聖經·詩篇》中第118頁24行的一段話相映襯的時候, 更是如此："今日乃主所創造;生活在今日我們將歡欣、高興! "真正令人發瘋的不是今日的負擔, 而是對昨日的悔恨及對明日的恐懼! 悔恨與恐懼是一對孿生竊賊, 將今天從你我身邊偷走!

So stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles. In stead, climb more mountains, eat more ice cream, go barefoot more often, swim more rivers, watch more sunsets, laugh more, cry less. Life must be lived as we go along. The station will come soon enough.

那麼就不要在過道里徘徊吧, 別老惦記着你離車站還有多遠! 何不換一種活法, 將更多的高山攀爬, 多吃點兒冰淇淋甜甜嘴巴, 經常光着腳板兒溜達溜達, 在更多的河流裏暢遊, 多看看夕陽西下, 多點歡笑哈哈, 少讓淚水滴答! 生活得一邊過一邊瞧! 車站就會很快到達!