英语美文赏读(附译文)

千里之行，始于足下。第2页/共2页精品文档推荐英语美文赏读(附译文)英语美文赏读（附译文）

01篇：ABetterTomorrow

Peopleoftenwonderwhyhistoriansgotosomuchtroubletopreservemillionsofbooks,documentsandrecords.

Whydowehavelibraries?Whatgoodarethesedocumentsandhistorybooks?Whydowerecordandsavetheactionsofmen,thenegotiations1ofgoverXXXentofficialsandtheeventsduringwars?

Wedoitbecause,sometimes,thevoiceofexperiencecancauseustostop,lookandlisten.Sometimes,pastrecords,whenunderstoodintherightway,canhelpusdecidewhattodoandwhatnottodo.Ifweareevertocreatelastingpeace,wemustseekitsoriginsinhumanexperienceandintherecordsofhumanhistory.

Fromthestoriesofcourageanddevotionofmenandwomen,wecreatetheinspirationsofyouth.Historyrecordsthesuffering,the

self-denial2,thedevotion,andtheheroicdeedsofpeopleinthepast.Theserecordscanhelpuswhenweareconfusedandwhenwereallyneedpeace.

Themainpurposeofhistoryistocreateabetterworld.Historygivesawarningtothosewhopromotewar,andinspirationtothosewhoseekpeace.

Inshort,historyhelpsuslearn.Yesterday’srecordscankeepusfromrepeatingyesterday’smistakes.Andfromthepiecesofmosaic4assembled5byhistorianscomethegreatmurals6whichrepresenttheprogressofmankind.

翻译：

一具更好的改日

人们常常心存疑虑,为啥历史学家要费尽周折地保存数以万计

的书籍、文献和记录。

我们为啥要有图书馆呢?这些文献和史书有何用处呢?我们为

啥要记载并保存人类的行为、政府官员的谈判和战争中的事件呢?我们那么做的缘故在于有时候经验之音能促使我们停步、观看和聆听。也因为有时候过去的记载通过正确地诠释,能帮助我们决定何事可为、何事别可为。假如我们想要制造永远的和平,我们就必须从人类的经

验以及人类历史的记载中去探究其渊源。

从体现男性和女性勇敢和奉献精神的故事之中,我们获得了青春的启发。英语短文历史记载着人类的一切苦难、克己、忠诚和英勇的事迹。这些记载在我们困惑和渴望和平常能对我们有所帮助。

历史的要紧目的是制造一具更加美好的世界。历史对那些力主战争的人给以警告,赋予那些寻求和平的人以启发。

简而言之,历史帮助我们学习。昨日的记载能够使我们幸免重蹈覆辙。这些历史学家们创作的像马赛克一样群彩缤纷的历史片断汇聚成了代表人类进步的伟大壁画。

02篇：BurningYourSoulCandle

Ihaveafewcandlesstoredinadrawerinmydiningroom.They’remeantforromanticdinnersandspecialoccasions,butsincethearrivalofourthreechildrentheyhavelainunnoticedamongthenapkinsandotherthings.Theyarewaitingtobetakenoutandlittosharetheirglowwithanyonewhowilltakethetimetobaskintheirbrilliance.

Arenotoursoulslikethosecandles,patientlywaitingforsomeonetocomeandletusbeourselves?Weareallwaitingforourownmomentstoshine;weeachhaveaspeciallight,uXXXatchedbyanyother.

Candlesaremadeupofwaxandawick;wehavebodies,butouressenceliesinourmindsandsouls.Candlesareuniqueintheircolors,shapesanddesigns.Ourlifehistoriesandexperiencesarethebackdropsofwhoweare,butourmindsarelikecandlewicks,andmakeourpassionsflame.Unlikethecandlesinmydrawer,whogetusedornotuseddependingonmywhims,wecontrolourownthoughts,andhowbrightlywewillburnordimlywewillshine.

Isyoursoulcandledimmedbycircumstanceorlackofpassionanddirection?Isithiddeninadrawerofstress,worryorresentment?Makeachoicetoletyourselfshinethewayyouweremeanttoshine.

翻译：

点亮心灵的蜡烛

在我餐厅的抽屉里放着几根蜡烛。它们会用于浪漫的晚餐和一些特别的场合，然而自从我的三个小孩出生之后，它们便被遗忘在餐巾纸和其他杂物之间了。它们向来在等待着被拿出抽屉，被点亮，以和任何一具情愿花费时刻去感觉它们温暖的人分享那些光亮。

我们的灵魂别也像蜡烛么?耐心地等待有人来发掘我们，让我们发光发亮。我们向来等待着发光发亮的一刻;我们都有自个儿独特的光亮，是不人所别能匹及的。

蜡烛由蜡状物和蜡烛心组合而成;人类有肉体，而我们的本质却存在于精神和灵魂中。蜡烛有它们独一无二的颜XXX、形状和图案。我们生命的历史和记忆是决定我们是谁的大背景，然而惟独我们的心灵才是蜡烛心，使热情形成火焰。与在抽屉里等着不人一时的兴致来决定是否被点燃的蜡烛别同，我们能够决定自个儿的思想，决定自个儿可以发光发亮依然黯淡无光。

你心底的那支蜡烛是否因环境或者缺少激情，没有方向感而黯淡无光?它是否藏匿于压力、担忧和怨恨的抽屉里?做出挑选吧，以自个儿注定的方式去发光。

03篇：GivingLifeMeaning

Haveyouthoughtaboutwhatyouwantpeopletosayaboutyouafteryou’regone?Canyouhearthevoicesaying,“Hewasagreatman.”Or“Shereallywillbemissed.”Whatelsedotheysay?

Oneofthestrangestphenomenaoflifeistoengageinaworkthatwilllastlongafterdeath.Isn’tthatalotlikeinvestingallyourmoneysothatfuturegenerationscanbareinterestonit?Perhaps,yetifyoulookdeepinyourownheart,you’llfindsomethingdrivesyoutomakethiskindofcontributionsomethingdriveseveryhumanbeingtofindapurposethatlivesonafterdeath.

Doyouhopetomemorializeyourname?Haveanamethatiswhisperedwithreverentawe?Doyouhopetohaveyourfacecarvedupon50ftofgraniterock?Istheanswerreallythatsimple?Isthepurposeoflifetimecontributionanego-drivendesireforamortalbeingtohaveanimmortalnameorisitsomethingmore?

Achildalivetodaywilldietomorrow.AbabythathadthepotentialtobethenextEinsteinwilldiefromcomplicationisatbirth.Thecircumstancesoflifearenotsetinstone.Wearenotallmeanttolivelifethroughtooldage.We’vegrowntoperceivelife3asafullcyclewithacertainnumberofyearsinbetween.Ifallofthoseyearsaren’tlivedout,it’satragedy.Atragedybecauseahuman’spotentialwasneverrealized.

Atragedybecauseasparkwassnuffedoutbeforeiteverbecameaflame.

Byvirtueofinhabitingabodyweaccepttheserisks.WeexposeourmortalfleshtothelawsofthephysicalenviroXXXentaroundus.Thetradeoffisn’tsobadwhenyouthinkaboutit.Theproblemcomeswhenweconstructmortalfantasiesofwhatlifeshouldbelike.Whenlifedoesn’tconformtoourfantasywegrowupset,frustrated,ordepressed.

Wearealive;letuslive.Wehavetheabilitytoexperience;letusexperience.Wehavetheabilitytolearn;letuslearn.Themeaningoflife

canbegraspedinamoment.Amomentsobriefitoftenevadesourperception.

Whatmeaningstandsbehindthedramaticunfoldingoflife?Whatsingletruthcanwegraspandhangontofordearlifewhenallothertruthsaroundusseemtofadewithtime?

Thesemomentsarestrungtogetherinaserieswecallevents.Theseeventsarestrungtogetherinaserieswecalllife.Whenweseizethemomentandbenditaccordingtoourwill,awilldrivenbythespiritdeepinsideus,thenwehavediscoveredthemeaningoflife,ameaningforusthatshallgoonlongafterwedepartthisEarth.

译文:

给生命以意义

你有没有想过，你希翼人们在你死后怎么样评论你?你能否听见如此的讲，“他是个伟大的人”或“人们的确会怀念她”，他们还会讲些啥?

人一辈子最奇妙的现象之一算是，你从事的事业在你死后仍将长久存在。这和你用所的钞票举行投资以便后人能从中获益别是如出一辙吗?可能，假如你审视自个儿的心里深处，你就会发觉促使你做出这种贡献

的驱动力-一种驱使每个人寻觅在自个儿死后仍能接着存在的事业的驱动力。

你希翼自个儿的名字被人记住吗?你希翼不人提起你的名字时心怀敬畏吗?你希翼自个儿的面容被雕刻在50英尺高的花岗岩上吗?答案确实这么简单吗?贡献一生的目的竟然终将一死之人想要获得别朽名声的自我鞭策的欲望?抑或是其他更伟大的事物?

今天活着的小孩改日就会死去。一具有也许成为下一具爱因斯坦的婴儿会死于出生并发症。生命的情形并别是固定别变的。我们并没有注定都要活到老年。我们差不多认识到，生命是一具周期，其时刻长度是特定的。假如这些时刻没有被充分利用，那算是个悲剧，因为人的潜能还未实现，因为火花还没形成火焰就被补灭。

由于存在于肉体之中，因此我们同意这些风险。我们使易朽的肉体服从身边物理环境的法则。你认真想一想就会发觉，这种交易并别是这么糟糕。当我们幻想生命应该怎么时，咨询题就来了。当生命和我们的幻想别一致时，我们就变得麻烦，无奈或沮丧。

我们活着，那我们就要活得精彩;我们有能力体验，那我们就要体验人一辈子甘苦;我们有能力学习，那我们就要在学海徜徉。生命的意义能够在一眨眼抓住-一具经常被我们忽略的短暂眨眼。

当生命戏剧般地一幕幕拉开时，其中隐含的意义是啥?当我们身边所有其他都大概随着时刻而消失时，我们可以掌握哪个真理并依赖它来日子呢?

这些眨眼串联在一起，我们称之为事件。这些事件串联系在一起，我们称之为日子。当我们抓住这个眨眼并按照我们的意志来改变它-这意志受到我们心里深处的精神的驱使，我们就发觉了生命的意义-这意义将在我们离开地球之后长久存在。

04篇：NeverTooLate

Thefirstdayofschoolourprofessorintroducedalittleoldladytous."Whyareyouincollegeatsuchayoungage?"Iaskedlater.Shejokinglyreplied,"I'mheretomeetarichhusband,getmarried,haveacoupleofchildren,andthenretireandtravel."

"Noseriously,"Iasked.Iwascuriouswhatmayhavemotivatedhertobetakingonthischallengeatherage."IalwaysdreamedofhavingacollegeeducationandnowI'mgettingone!"shetoldme.

Webecameinstantfriends.Everydayforthenextthreemonthswewouldleaveclasstogetherandtolknonstop.Iwasalwayslisteningtothis"timemachine"asshesharedherwisdomandexperiencewithme.

AttheendofthesemesterweinvitedRosetomakeaspeechtoourfootballteam.I'llneverforgetwhatshetaughtus.Asshebegantodeliverherpreparedspeech,shedroppedhernotecardonthefloor.Alittleembarrassedshesimplysaid,"I'msorry.Thiswhiskeyiskillingme!I'llnevergetmyspeechbackinordersoletmejusttellyouwhatIknow."Aswelaughedsheclearedherthroatandbegan:"Wedonotstopplayingbecauseweareold;wegrowoldbecausewestopplaying.Thereareonlyfoursecretstostayingyoung,beinghappy,andachievingsuccess.Youhavetolaughandfindhumoreveryday.You'vegottohaveadream.Whenyouloseyourdreams,youdie.Wehavesomanypeoplewalkingaroundwhoaredeadanddon'tevenknowit!Thereisahugedifferencebetweengrowingolderandgrowingup.Ifyouarenineteenyearsoldandlieinbedforonefullyearanddon'tdooneproductivething,youwillturntwentyyearsold.Anybodycangrowolder.Thatdoesn'ttakeanytalentorability.Theideaistogrowupbyalwaysfindingtheopportunityinchange.Havenoregrets.Theelder