高中英语课外阅读美文欣赏

英语美文欣赏49成功的最大秘诀Once there was a young man who came to ask Socrates how to learn philosophy. Socrates said nothing but took him along to a river. He suddenly pushed him into the river forcibly. At first the young man thought Socrates was kidding so he didn't take it to heart. But Socrates also jumped into the river and pulled his head into water desperately. At this time the young man was really scared, his instinct of living made him use all his strength lifting Socrates and climbed to the bank.有一次，一个年轻人来找苏格拉底，想要学习哲学。

苏格拉底一言不发，带着他走到一条河边，突然用力把他推进河里。

年轻人起先以为苏格拉底在跟他开玩笑，并不在意。

结果苏格拉底也跳到水里，并且拼命把他往水里按。

这下子，年轻人真的慌了，求生的本能令他拼尽全力将苏格拉底掀开，爬到岸上。

The young man asked Socrates with puzzle why he did that, Socrates replied: "I just want to tell you whatever you do, do it with a determination to be unexpectedly rescued from a desperate situation. Only like that can you make a genuine achievement."年轻人不解地问苏格拉底为什么要这样做，苏格拉底回答说：“我只想告诉你，做什么事都必须有绝处求生那么大的决心，才能获得真正的成就。

英语美文欣赏22我们渴望与人交流，不仅仅是说话Every day, upon picking up my 11-year-old son from school, I would ask, “How was your day?” For years, I got the same response—“Fine, fine”—with no eye contact.每天，当我从学校接我11岁的儿子时，我会问：“你今天过得怎么样？”多年来，我得到了同样的回应——“很好，很好”——没有眼神接触。

“你今天过得怎么样？”儿子回答说：“很好，很好。

”我们渴望与人交流，不仅仅是说话His autism, it seemed, was going to deprive me of the normal chitchat parents unconsciously relish. One early spring afternoon, I asked the question, expecting the same answer.他的自闭，几乎要剥夺我作为父母和孩子之间聊天的乐趣。

一个初春的下午，我又问了同样的问题，期待着同样的答案。

“How was your day?” My son replied, “Good, good.” Then he looked at me and said, “How was your day, Mom?” With tears streaming down my face, I said, “It’s really good—the best day ever.”然后他看着我说：“你今天过得怎么样，妈妈？”我瞬间泪流满面，说：“今天真是我过的最好的一天。

”生命的意义到底是什么？"What is the meaning of life?" This is a question that we all ask ourselves at one point or another of our existence here. It is a question that I have asked myself many times over the years.“生活的意义是什么？”这个问题我们都在某个生命节点问过自己，或者我们为什么存在。

英语美文欣赏40自由选择责任I love choices.我爱选择。

I love to walk around in bookstores-not because I can buy all the books,我喜欢在书店里徜徉，不是因为我能买下所有的书，but because I could buy one book, and I have so many to choose from.而是因为我可以买一本书，我有这么多的选择。

I like buffets.我还喜欢自助餐。

I rarely get to go to them, but when I do,虽然我很少去，但是当我去的时候，the first thing I do is walk around and see what the choice are.我做的第一件事就是四处逛逛，看看有什么选择。

I also like the internet.我还喜欢互联网。

It seems like cyberspace really doesn't have any limits.看来网络真的没有任何限制。

There are so many things to discover--- like space.有这么多的东西等待发——比如空间。

Sometimes, I think we don't appreciate the freedom that we have.有时候，我觉得我们不喜欢我们拥有的自由。

We are free to make many different choice.我们可以自由地做出许多不同的选择。

From the food we eat--- to the places we visit--- to the people we meet--- to the classes we take and on and on and on.从我们所吃的食物到我们去的地方，我们见的人，我们所上的课程等等。

英语美文欣赏8Genius at WorkHenry Ford didn't always pay attention in school. One day ,he and a friend took a watch apart. Angry and upset, the teacher told him both to stay after school. Their punishment was to stay until they had fixed the watch. But the teacher did not know young Ford's genius. In ten minutes, this mechanical wizard had repaired the watch and was on this way home..Ford was always interested in how things worked. He once plugged up the spout of a teapot and placed it on the fire. Then he waited to see what would happen. The water boiled and, of course, turned to steam. Since the steam had no way to escape, the teapot exploded. The explosion cracked a mirror and broke a window. The young inventor was badly scaldedFord's year of curiosity and tinkering paid off. He dreamed of a horseless carriage. When he built one, the world of transportation was changed forever.亨利.福特在学校里常常心不在焉。

英语美文赏读篇中英文对照seek； pursue； go/search/hanker after； crave； court； woo； go/run after高中英语课外美文赏读45篇1惟独你不可取代As a teenager,I felt I was always letting people down. I was rebellious1 out－side,but I wanted to be liked inside.Once I left home to hitch-hike2 to California with my friend Penelope. The trip wasn’t easy,and there were many times I didn’t feel safe. One situation in particular kept me grateful to still be alive. When I returned home,I was different,not so outwardly sure of myself.I was happy to be home. But then I noticed that Penelope,who was staying with us,was wearing my clothes. And my family seemed to like her better than me. I wondered if I would be missed if I weren’t there. I told my mom,and she expla ined that though Penelope was a lovely girl,no one could replace me. I pointed out,“Ｓhe is more patient and is neater than I have ever been.” My mom said these were wonderful qualities,but I was the only person who could fill my role. She made me realize that even with my faults—and there were many－I was a loved member of the family who couldn’t be replaced.I became a searcher,wanting to find out who I was and what made me unique. My view of myself was changing. I wanted a solid base to start from. I started to resist3 pressure to act in ways that I didn’t like any more,and I was delighted by who I really was. I came to feel much more sure that no one can ever take my place.Each of us holds a unique place in the world. You are special,no matter what others say or what you may think. So forget about being replaced. You can’t be.当我还是个10几岁的少年的时候,觉得自己总是让人失望.从外表上看,我似乎很叛逆,但是在内心深处,我是如此地渴望被人疼爱.有一次我离开了家和我的朋友佩内洛普搭便车去了加利福尼亚.这次旅行并不轻松,而且有很多次我感觉不安.有一次的突发状况让我一直庆幸自己还活着.回到家,我发觉自己变了,看上去不那么自信了.我很高兴能回到家,但不久我注意到和我们一起的佩内洛普穿着我的衣服,而且我父母看上去更喜欢她,我想知道如果我不在家的话他们是否会想念我.后来,我把我的想法告诉了母亲,她说尽管佩内洛普是个可爱的女孩,但她始终不能取代我,我说：“她比我有耐心而且无论何时看上去她都比我要整洁大方.”母亲说这些都是非常好的优点,但我却是惟一个能扮演好自己角色的人.母亲让我感到尽管我有缺点———似乎还很多———但是,我被家中每一个人爱着,谁也无法取代.我成了一个探寻者,想要知道自己到底是谁,又是什么让我变得独一无二.我的人生观开始改变.我需要一个坚固的基础来发展,我忍受住压力,不再做自己不喜欢做的事.而且我为真实的我感到高兴.渐渐地我越发肯定自己无可替代.每个人在这个世界上都占有一个独一无二的位置.无论别人说什么,你自己怎么想,你都是特别的.所以,不要担心自己会被取代,因为你永远是惟一的.2就在正上方太多的时候,我们总认为光明就在脚下,就在不远的前方,于是忘了去仰望头顶的那片天……If you put a buzzard1 in a pen2 six to eight feet square and entirely open at the top, the bird, in spite of its ability to fly, will be an absolute prisoner. The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a run of ten to twelve feet. Without space to run, as is its habit, it will not even attempt3 to fly, but remain a prisoner for life in a small jail with no top.The ordinary bat that flies around at night, who is a remarkable nimble4 creature in the air, cannot take off from a level place. If it is placed on the floor or flat ground, all it can do is to shuffle5 about helplessly and, no doubt, painfully, until it reaches some slight elevation6 from which it can throw itself intothe air. Then, at once, it takes off like a flash.A bumblebee7 if dropped into an open tumbler8 will be there until it dies, unless it is taken out. It never sees the means of escape at the top, but persists9 in trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom. It will seek a way where none exists, until it completely destroys itself.In many ways, there are lots of people like the buzzard, the bat and the bumblebee. They are struggling about with all their problems and frustrations10, not realizing that the answer is right there above them.如果把一只秃鹫放在一个6～8平方英尺的无顶围栏里,这只大鸟尽管会飞,也绝对会成为这栏中之囚.原因是秃鹫从地面起飞前总要先助跑10～12英尺的距离.这是它的习惯,如果没有了足够的助跑空间,它甚至不会尝试去飞,只会终身困囿于一个无顶的小囚笼中.晚上飞来飞去的普通的蝙蝠,本是一种在空中极其敏捷的动物,但却无法在平地上起飞.如果被放在地板或平坦的地面上,它就只会无助地挪动,毫无疑问这样很痛苦.除非它到了稍高的位置,有了落差,才可以立刻闪电般地起飞.一只大黄蜂如果掉进了一个敞口平底玻璃杯里,除非有人把它拿出来,否则它就会一直呆在里边直到死去.它永远不知道可以从杯口逃出,只坚持试图从杯底的四壁寻找出路.它会在根本不存在出口的地方寻找出路,直到彻底毁了自己.其实在很多方面,很多人也像秃鹫、蝙蝠和大黄蜂一样,使尽浑身解数试图解决问题、克服挫折,却没有意识到解决之道就在正上方.Vocabulary1.buzzard n. 动秃鹫2.pen pen n. 围栏,围圈3.attempt vt. 尝试,企图4.nimble adj. 敏捷的5.shuffle v. 拖着脚走,慢吞吞地走6.elevation n. 高地,海拔7.bumblebee n. 动大黄蜂8.tumbler n. 平底玻璃杯9.persist vi. 坚持,持续10.frustration n. 失败,挫折3我的第一份工作Both my parents came from towns in Mexico. I was born in El Paso, Texas, and when I was four, my family moved to a housing project in East Los Angeles.Even though we struggled to make ends meet, my parents stressed1 to me and my four brothers and sisters how fortunate wewere to live in a great country with limitless opportunities. They imbued2 in us the concepts of family, faith and patriotism.I got my first real job when I was ten. My dad, Benjamin, injured his back working in a cardboard-box factory and was retrained as a hairstylist. He rented space in a little mall and gave his shop the fancy name of Mr. Ben's Coiffure3.The owner of the shopping center gave Dad a discount on his rent for cleaning the parking lot three nights a week, which meant getting up at 3 a.m. To pick up trash, Dad used a little machine that looked like a lawn mower. Mom and I emptied garbage cans and picked up litter4 by hand. It took two to three hours to clean the lot. I'd sleep in the car on the way home.I did this for two years, but the lessons I learned have lasted a lifetime. I acquired5 discipline and a strong work ethic6, and learned at an early age the importance of balancing life's competing interests7 — in my case8, school, homework and a job. This really helped during my senior year of high school, when I worked 40 hours a week flipping9 burgers at a fast-food joint10 while taking a full load of percolate courses.The hard work paid off11. I attended12 the U.S. Military Academy and went on to receive graduate degrees in law and business from Harvard. Later, I joined a big Los Angeles law firm and was elected to the California state assembly. In these jobs and in everything else I've done, I have never forgotten those days in the parking lot. The experience taught me that there is dignity13 in all work and that if people are working to provide for themselves and their families that is something we should honor.我的父母都来自墨西哥的小镇.我出生于得克萨斯州的埃尔帕索城.我四岁时,全家搬到了东洛杉矶的一处低收入住宅区.尽管我们当时要做到收支平衡都很困难,但父母仍对我和四个兄弟姐妹强调说,能在这样一个充满无限机遇的国家里落户,我们是多么幸运啊他们给我们灌输了家庭、信仰以及爱国主义的观念.十岁的时候,我得到了人生第一份真正的工作.我的爸爸本杰明在纸箱厂工作时背部受了伤.经过再培训,他成了一名发型师.他在一个规模不大的商业区租下了一个摊位,并给他的店取了个奇妙的名字：“本先生的发型”.商业中心的老板在租金上给爸爸打了个折扣,但条件是每周打扫三次停车场,这意味着凌晨三点就要起床干活.爸爸用一个看起来像除草机的小机器来收捡垃圾,而我和妈妈则要清空垃圾桶并用手拾捡散落的垃圾.打扫这个停车场要用两到三个小时.我总是在回家时的车里就睡着了.这份工作我干了两年,但从中学到的东西却让我受用终生.我学会了自律,建立了很强的职业道德.从小我就懂得了平衡生活中各种利益冲突的重要性——对我而言,就是上学、作业和工作.这在我高二那年真是很有用处.那时,我在一家快餐连锁店制作汉堡包,每周工作四十个小时,同时还肩负着沉重的大学预科课程的学习任务.辛勤的工作终见回报.我考入了美国军事学院,接着又获得了哈佛大学的法律和商业硕士学位.后来,我进入洛杉矶一家着名的律师事务所并被选为加州议会参议员.在做这些工作和其他所有事情的过程中,我从未忘记过在停车场辛勤工作的那些日子.那段经历使我懂得工作无贵贱, 靠自食其力来供养自己和家人就值得人们敬佩.Vocabulary1.stress stres v. 强调,着重2.imbue v. 灌输,深深影响3.coiffure n. 发式4.litter n. 废弃物,被胡乱扔掉的东西尤指废纸等杂物5.acquire vt. 获得,学到6.work ethic: 职业道德7.interest n. 利益,利害关系8.in one's case: 就某人的情况而言9.flip vt. 使翻转10.joint n. 连接,结合,本文中指连锁店11.pay off: 得到好结果,取得成功12.attend E5tend vt. 上大学等13.dignity 5dI^nItI n. 尊贵,高贵4饼干里的秘密ＪｅｒｒｙＨａｒｐｔForty-three years seems like a long time to remember the name ofa mere1acquaintance. I have forgotten the name of an old lady, whowas a customer on the paper route in my home town when I was atwelve-year-old boy. Yet it dwells2in my memory that she taught me a lesson in forgiveness that I shall never forget.On a winter afternoon, a friend and I were throwing stonesonto the slanted3roof of the old lady's house from a spot near her backyard. The object of our play was to observe how the stoneschanged to missiles4as they rolled to the roof's edge and shot outinto the yard like comets5falling from the sky. I found myself a perfectly smooth rock and threw it out. The stone was too smooth, however, so it slipped from my hand as I let it go and headedstraight not for the roof but for a small window on the old lady'sback porch6. At the sound of fractured7glass, we knew we were in trouble. We turned tail8and ran faster than any of our missiles flewoff her roof.I was too scared about getting caught that first night to be concerned about9the old lady with the broken window in winter. However, a few days later, when I was sure that I hadn't been discovered, I started to feel guilty for her misfortune. She still greeted me with a smile each day when I gave her the paper, but I was no longer able to act comfortable in her presence10.I made up my mind that I would save my paper delivery money, and in three weeks I had the seven dollars that I calculated would cover the cost of her window. I put the money in an envelope with a note explaining that I was sorry for breaking her window and hopedthat the seven dollars would cover the cost for repairing it.I waited until it was dark, snuck up11to the old lady's house, and put the letter I didn't sign through the letter slot12in her door. My soul felt redeemed13and I could have the freedom of, once again, looking straight into the old lady's kind eyes.The next day, I handed the old lady her paper and was able to return the warm smile that I was receiving from her. She thanked mefor the paper and gave me a bag of cookies she had made herself. I thanked her and proceeded14to eat the cookies as I continued my route.After several cookies, I felt an envelope and pulled it outof the bag. When I opened the envelope, I was stunned15. Inside were the seven dollars and a short note that said, "I'm proud of you."记住一个仅是认识的人的名字,43年似乎是段很长的时间.我已经忘了那位老太太的名字,她是我12岁那年在家乡送报时的一位客户.不过,她曾给我上的那堂“宽恕”的课却始终让我难以忘怀.一个冬天的下午,我和一个朋友在离这个老太太家屋后不远的一个地方往她家斜斜的屋顶上扔石子玩.我们的目的是观察这些石子如何顺着屋顶的斜坡变成一颗发射物,在滚落到屋顶边缘的瞬间,像滑过天空的彗星那样射入院中.我给自己找了颗十分光滑的石子,然后扔了出去.但是,这颗石子太光滑了,出手的一刹那,它偏离了方向.它没有落在屋顶上,反而直接击中了老太太屋后门廊上的一扇小窗户.听到玻璃破碎的声音,我们知道闯祸了.我们掉头拔腿就跑,跑得比任何一颗从她屋顶发射的石子都要快.当天晚上,我太害怕被抓住,没有考虑到冬天里的破玻璃窗会给老太太带来什么样的麻烦.但是,过了几天,当我确信自己没被发现时,就开始对给她带来的倒霉事感到内疚了.每天我给她送报纸时,她依旧笑眯眯地迎接我.不过,在她面前,我已经不像过去那样自在了.我决定把送报挣的钱攒起来.三周后,我便有了7美元.我估计这大概够赔偿她的窗户了.我把钱装进一个信封,并附上一张纸条,解释说我对打破她家的窗户感到很抱歉,希望这7美元足够赔付修窗户的钱.我一直等到天黑,才悄悄走到她家门前,把这封没有署名的信从信箱口投进了她家.做完这件事情后,我感到自己的灵魂好像得到了解脱,获得了新的自由,能够重新正视老太太慈祥的目光了.第二天,当老太太微笑着从我手上接过报纸时,我也能向她回报一个热情的微笑.她对我的送报工作表示感谢,送了我一纸袋她亲手做的饼干.谢过她后,我一边吃着饼干,一边继续去给别的客户送报纸.吃了几块饼干后,我摸到了一个信封,就把它拽了出来.当我打开信封时,我不禁怔住了.信封里有7美元和一张纸条,上面写道：“我为你感到骄傲.”5善待机会The air we breathe is so freely available adj. 可以得到的 that we take it for granted. Yet without it we could not survive more than a few minutes. For the most part, the same air is available to everyone, and everyone needs it. Some people use the air to sustain v. 维持,持续 them while they sit around and feel sorry for themselves. Others breathe in the air and use the energy it provides to make a magnificent adj. 壮丽的 life for themselves.Opportunity is the same way. It is everywhere. Opportunity is so freely available that we take it for granted. Yet opportunityalone is not enough to create success. Opportunity must be seized andactedupon in order to have value. So many people are so anxious to "get in on the ground floorn. 有利的地位,投机的初期" of opportunity, as if the opportunity will do all the work. That's impossible.Just as you need air to breathe, you need opportunity to succeed. It takes more than just breathing in the fresh air of opportunity, however. You must make use of that opportunity. That's not up to the opportunity. That's up to you. It doesn't matter what "floor" the opportunity is on. What matters is what you do with it.我们呼吸的空气如此易得,以至于我们视它为理所当然,但没有了空气我们却坚持不了几分钟.从很大程度上来说,每个人呼吸到的空气都是一样的,并且每个人都离不开空气.有些人靠呼吸空气来维持生命,但他们只会坐在那里自怨自艾.另外一些人吸进空气,利用空气提供的能量为自己开创壮丽的人生.机遇也是如此.它无处不在.机遇如此易得,以至于我们视它为理所应当.然而仅凭机遇却不足以创造成功.必须抓住机遇并采取行动才能实现其价值.有许多人一得到有利的机会,就急着要成功,好像有了机遇就万事大吉.这是不可能的.正如你需要空气来呼吸,你也需要机遇来获得成功.但是只吸进机遇的新鲜空气远远不够.你必须好好利用机遇.这并不取决于机遇本身,而是由你自己决定.你在什么时候得到机遇并不重要.重要的是你怎样把握机遇.6我要谨记的事情Everybody doesn't have to love me. 无须人人都爱我Not everyone has to love me or even like me. I don't necessarily like everybody I know, so why should everybody else like me I enjoy being liked and being loved, but if somebody doesn't like me, I will still be okay and still feel like I am an okay person. I cannot make somebody like me anymore than someone can get me to like them. I don't need approval all the time. If someone does not approve of1 me, I will still be okay.It is okay to make mistakes. 犯错误没什么大不了的Making mistakes is something we all do, and I am still a fine and worthwhile person when I make them. There is no reason for me to get upset when I make a mistake. I am trying, and if I make a mistake, I am going to continue trying. I can handle making a mistake. It is okay for others to make a mistake, too. I will accept my mistakes and also the mistakes that others make.Other people are okay and I am okay. 互相尊重People who do things that I don't like are not necessarilybad people. They should not necessarily be punished just because Idon't like what they do or did. There is no reason why other people should bethe way I want them to be, and there is no reason why I should be the way somebody else wants me to be. People will be whatever they want to be, and I will be whatever I want to be. I cannot control other people or change them. They are who they are; we all deserve basic respect.I don't have to control things. 我无须控制一切I will survive if things are different than what I want themto be. I can accept things the way they are, accept people the way they are, and accept myself the way I am. There is no reason to get upset if I can't change things to fit my idea of how they ought to be. There is no reason why I should have to like everything. Even if Idon't like it, I can live with it.I am responsible for my day. 我对自己的一生负责I am responsible for how I feel and what I do. Nobody can make me feel anything. If I have a rotten2 day, I am the one who allowed it to be that way. If I have a great day, I am the one who deserves credit for being positive. It is not the responsibility of other people to change so that I can feel better. I am the one who is in charge of my life.I can handle it when things go wrong. 出问题时我能应付I don't need to watch out for things to go wrong. Theyusually go just fine, and when they don't, I can handle it. I don't have to waste energy worrying. The sky won't fall; things will be okay.It is important to try. 试一试很重要I can. Even though I may be faced with difficult tasks, it is better to try than to avoid them. Avoiding a task does not give meany opportunities for success or joy, but trying does. Things worth having are worth the effort. I might not be able to do everything.But I can do something.I am capable. 我能做到.I don't need someone else to take care of my problems. I am capable.I can take care of myself. I can make decisions for myself. I can think for myself. I don't have to depend on somebody else to take care of me.I can change. 我可以改变I don't have to be a certain way because of what has happenedin the past. Every day is a new day. It's silly to think I can't help being the way I am. Of course I can. I can change.I can be flexible. 我能随机应变There is more than one way to do something. More than one person has had good ideas that will work. There is no one and only "best" way. Everybody has ideas that are worthwhile. Some may make more sense to me than others, but everyone's ideas are worthwhile,and everyone has something worthwhile to contribute.7一个那样的哥哥给予比获得更让人幸福......Paul received an automobile from his brother as a Christmas present. On Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office, a street boy was walking around the shiny new car, admiring it."Is this your car, Mister" he asked.Paul nodded. "My brother gave it to me for Christmas." Theboy was astonished. "You mean your brother gave it to you and itdidn't cost you anything Boy, I wish...." He hesitated. Of coursePaul knew what he was going to wish for. He was going to wish he hada brother like that. But what the lad1 said made Paul quite surprised."I wish," the boy went on, "that I could be a brother like that."Paul looked at the boy in astonishment, then impulsively2 he added, "Would you like to take a ride in my automobile""Oh, yes, I'd love that."After a short ride, the boy turned and with his eyes shining, said, "Mister, would you mind driving in front of my house" Paul smiled a little. He thought he knew what the lad wanted. He wanted to show his neighbors that he could ride home in a big automobile. But Paul was wrong again."Will you stop where those two steps are" the boy asked. He ran up the steps. Then in a little while Paul heard him coming back, but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled3 brother. He sat him down on the bottom step, then sort of4 squeezed up5 against him and pointed to the car. "There she is, Buddy, just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it didn't cost him a cent. And some day I'm gonna6 give you one just like it... then you can see for yourself all the pretty thingsin the Christmas windows that I've been trying to tell you about."Paul got out and lifted the lad to the front seat of his car. The shining-eyed older brother climbed in beside him and the three of them began a memorable holiday ride.That Christmas Eve, Paul learned that it was more blessed to give....保罗收到一辆汽车,那是他哥哥送的圣诞礼物.圣诞节前夜,保罗从办公室出来时,一个街头少年绕着那辆闪闪发亮的新车,十分羡慕.“先生,这是你的车”少年问道.保罗点点头：“这是我哥哥送我的圣诞礼物.”男孩十分惊讶：“你是说这是你哥送你的,你一分钱也没花好家伙,我希望……”他停住了.保罗当然知道男孩他希望什么.他希望能有一个那样的哥哥.但那少年接下来说的话却让保罗大吃一惊.“我希望,”男孩继续说：“我能成为那样的哥哥.”保罗惊愕地看着那男孩,他冲口而出：“你要不要坐我的车去兜一兜风”“哦,当然,我愿意”车开出一小段路后,男孩转过头来,眼睛闪闪发亮地说：“先生,你是否介意把车子开到我家门前”保罗微笑.他想他知道男孩想干什么.那男孩肯定是要向邻居炫耀他能坐一部大轿车回家.但是这次保罗又猜错了.“你能不能把车子停在那两个台阶前”男孩要求.男孩跑上台阶,过了一会儿保罗听到他回来了,但动作有些缓慢.他背来了他跛脚的弟弟.他让弟弟坐在最下面的台阶上,略有些挤靠着自己,然后指着那辆车.“这就是那车,巴迪,就是我刚才在楼上对你说的.他哥哥送他的圣诞礼物,他一分钱也没花.将来某一天我也会送给你一辆像这样的车,到那时候,你就能自己去看我一直努力给你描绘的那些圣诞节陈列窗里的漂亮东西了.”保罗走下车子,把跛脚的男孩抱到车子前座.兴奋得满眼放光的哥哥也爬上车子,坐在弟弟身旁.三个人开始了一次令人难忘的假日兜风.那个圣诞节前夜,保罗体会到“施与比获得更让人幸福……”8 ＡＬａｔｅＢｌｏｏｍｅｒThe heart that seeks to do good will always bring something worthwhile to the world, something in which all can rejoice — even if for only a moment.A cactus1 stood all alone in the desert, wondering why it was stuck in the middle of nowhere."I do nothing but stand here all day," it sighed. "What use am I I'm the ugliest plant in the desert. My spines2 are thick and prickly3, and my skin is thick and bumpy. I can't offer shade orjuicy fruit to any passing traveler. I don't see that I'm any use at all."All it did was stand in the sun day after day, growing taller and fatter. Its spines grew longer and its skin tougher and it grew here and there until it was lumpy4 and unbalanced all over. It truly was strange-looking."I wish I could do something useful," it sighed.By day hawks5 circled high overhead."What can I do with my life" the cactus called. Whether they heard or not, the hawks sailed away.At night the moon floated into the sky and cast its pale glow on the desert floor."What good can I do with my life" the cactus called. The moon only stared coldly as it mounted its course.A lizard6 crawled by, leaving a little trail in the sand with its tail."What worthy deed can I do" the cactus called."You" the lizard laughed, pausing a moment. "Worthy deed Why, you can't do anything The hawks circle overhead, tracing delicate patterns for us all to admire. The moon hangs high like a lantern at night, so we can see our ways home to our loved ones. Even I, thelowly lizard, have something to do. I decorate the sands with these beautiful brushstrokes7 as I pull my tail along. But you You do nothing but get uglier every day."And so it went on, year after year. At last the cactus grew old, and it knew its time was short."Oh," it cried out, "I've wondered so long, and I've tried so hard. Forgive me if I've failed to find something worthy to do. Ifear that now it's too late."But just then the cactus felt a strange motion and unfolding, and it knew a flow of joy that erased all despair. At its very tip, like a sudden crown, a glorious flower suddenly opened in bloom.Never had the desert known such a blossom. Its fragrance8 perfumed the air far and wide and brought happiness to all passing by. The butterflies paused to admire its beauty, and that night even the moon smiled when it rose to find such a treasure.In the desert, a voice was sounding:"You have waited long, and the heart that seeks to do goodwill always bring something worthwhile to the world, something in which all can rejoice — even if for only a moment."一株仙人掌孤独地站在沙漠里,困惑为什么它被困在蛮荒之地.“我整天站在这里无所事事,”它叹息道.“我有什么用呢我是沙漠中最丑陋的植物.我的刺又粗又多,我的皮又厚又糙.我不能为任何过路的旅行者提供荫凉或者多汁的果实.我看不出自己到底有什么用.”仙人掌所做的只是日复一日地站在太阳底下,长得更高更胖.它的刺长得越来越长,而它的表皮则更加坚韧,它向四处疯长,直至变得粗笨结实、倒向一边.它确实长得很奇怪.“我希望我能够做点有用的事,”它叹息道.白天,有几只鹰在它头顶的高空盘旋.“我能做些什么呢”仙人掌大声说道.那几只鹰也不知道听见没有,但都飞走了.晚上,月亮浮现在天空中,将其苍白的月光投射在沙漠上.“我能为我的生活做点什么有益的事呢”仙人掌大声喊道.月亮只冷冷地看了仙人掌一眼,就踏上了行程.一只蜥蜴从旁边爬过,它的尾巴在沙地上留下一道淡淡的痕迹.“我能做些什么有价值的事呢”仙人掌大声喊道.“就你”蜥蜴驻足片刻,笑道.“有价值的事嗨,你什么也做不了鹰在上空盘旋,描绘出精巧的图案供我们大家仰慕.月亮高高地挂在天上,就像夜间的一盏灯,所以我们才能看清回家的路,与我们所爱的人团聚.即便是我——地位这么低下的蜥蜴, 也有事可做.我拖着尾巴走路时留下了这些美丽的线条,装点了沙地.而你呢你除了每天变得更丑之外什么也没做.”日子就这样年复一年地过下去.最后,仙人掌变老了,它知道自己的时间不多了.“哦,”它大声呼喊,“我已经困惑了很久,而且我一直如此努力.如果我没有找到值得去做的事,那就原谅我吧.恐怕现在已经太迟了.”但是就在此时,仙人掌感觉到一阵奇怪的激动和舒展,它意识到一股消除了所有沮丧的喜悦.在它的顶端,一朵灿烂的鲜花霎时绽放,就像一顶突然出现的王冠.沙漠里还从不知道有这样的一朵花.它芬芳的香气向四处飘散,并且给所有路过者带来了快乐.蝴蝶们停下来夸赞它的美丽,而就在那天晚上,月亮升起,发现了这一珍宝时,也绽放出了笑容.在沙漠里回响着一个声音：“你已经等了很久,试图做好事的心总会给世界带来一些有价值的东西、一些让所有人都欣喜的东西——哪怕只存在一瞬间.”Vocabulary1. cactus 5kAktEs n. 植仙人掌2. spine spaIn n. 植剌3. prickly 5prIklI adj. 多刺的4. lumpy 5lQmpI adj. 粗笨的5. hawk hC:k n. 鸟鹰6. lizard 5lIzEd n. 动蜥蜴7. brushstroke5brQFstrEuk n. 一笔8. fragrance 5freI^rEns n. 芬芳9成长不息Sir Edmund Hillary is famous for being the first person to climb Mt. Everest n. 珠穆朗玛峰.What many people do not know is that Sir Hillary did not make it to the top of Everest the first time he tried. The first attempt was a complete failure. His climbing party encountered one problem after another and more than half his climbing party died.Nonetheless adv. 虽然如此, the British Parliament n. 议会decided to honor him with some type of award. When he entered the chamber to receive his award, Sir Hillary saw that a large picture of Everest had been setup.During the standing ovation n. 热烈欢迎 that he was receiving, he walked over to the picture, shook his fist at it and said, “You won, this time. But you are as big as you are ever going to get. AndI'm still growing.”We frequently hear the stories of people who have succeeded. And we frequently assume that they succeeded the first time.But in fact it's the exact opposite.The road to success is paved with the bricks of failure.埃德蒙·希拉里爵士是登上珠穆朗玛峰的第一人,他因此而闻名天下.然而,很多人并不知道,希拉里爵士第一次试着攀登珠穆朗玛峰时并未成功登顶.第一次登山以彻底的失败而告终.他们接二连三遇到问题,登山队中超过半数的人都丧生了.。

英语美文欣赏29我的生活，充满魔法When I was younger I was entranced with stories of magic. I devoured books where wizards and warriors battled the powers of darkness in strange worlds. I rejoiced when they triumphed bringing peace and happiness to their lands. I guess like most of the readers of these stories I secretly wished for magical powers for myself. I wanted to be able to magically make my pain disappear, to make my problems go away, and to have power over this world that so often has power over us.在我年轻的时候，我就对魔法故事深深着迷。

我如饥似渴地阅读有关法师和战士在奇异的世界里与黑势力战斗的书。

每当他们取得胜利并为他们生活的这片土地带来了和平和幸福时，我就倍感雀跃。

我想，就像看这些故事的大多数读者一样，我也暗暗希望自己能拥有魔法：希望它能奇迹般地让我的痛苦消失，让困扰我的问题得到解决，并能让我掌握这个世界而不用屈从于它。

As I got older, however, I realized that there was no such thing as magic and the harsh reality of life set in. I struggled through a long period of poverty. I had daily pain from a back injury that never healed right. I felt sadness and sorrow when both of my sons were diagnosed with Autism. I still sometimes daydreamed of magic but in time even that faded away.然而，当我逐渐长大，我开始意识到，根本就不存在魔法，生活的残酷现实开始袭来。

英语美文欣赏24患难见人心，逆境见真情My community and state are still recovering from the catastrophe that struck recently. A wall of storms with hurricane force winds struck late on a Friday evening knocking down trees, blocking roads, damaging homes, and destroying power lines.最近的一次灾难给我们的州、我们的社区带来了很大的影响。

暴风雨夹杂着飓风在周五的晚上登陆，树木被刮倒，道路被封锁，家园被摧毁，电路被中断。

Hundreds of thousands of people suddenly found themselves in the dark without water, electricity, air conditioning, telephones, internet, and television. They found themselves cut off from the modern world enduring sweltering 90 degree plus heat with no help and no idea when it would be over.数以万计的人生活在黑暗缺水的环境中，因为电路的中断，无法使用空调、电话，也不能上网、看电视。

受灾群众发现自己彻底和外界断了联系，忍受着华氏90度（32摄氏度）以上的高温，束手无策，而且不知道生活何时能恢复正常。

The most amazing thing happened, however, as the reality of the crisis sank in: it brought out the best in us. While there were a few acts of selfishness and stealing they were overwhelmed by the wave of love and compassion that came from the hearts of so many.但是不可思议的事情发生了，尽管危机降临，但是它让我们激发了我们最好的本质。

英语美文欣赏13珍惜你邂逅的每一个人We don't meet people by accide nt.我们遇见的人不是偶然。

Every person you meet will have a role in your life, be it big or small. Some will help you grow, some will hurt you, some will in spire you to do better. At the same time, you are playing some role in their lives as well. Know that paths cross for a reas on and treat people with sig nifica nee.无论大小，你见到的每一个人将在你的人生中扮演一个角色。

一些人帮助你成长，一些人伤害你，一些人激励你做的更好。

与此同时，你也在他们的人生中扮演一定的角色。

知道道路不会无缘无故交错，有意义地对待别人。

The best teachers are those who don't tell you how to get there but show the way.最佳的老师，并非授人以鱼，而是授人以渔。

There is no better joy the n helpi ng people see a visio n for themselves, see ing them go to levels higher than they ever would have imagined on their own. But that does n't mea n you have to fix them or en able them; in stead, guide them to the source of their own power. Offer them support and motivation as they find their own way and show you what they're capable of. All you have to do is believe in them.再没有比帮助别人自己看到未来、看到他们到达了他们原来也没想到的高度让人更高兴的事了。

英语美文欣赏11一A country maid was walking along with a can of milk upon her head，when she fell into the following train of reflections. "The money for which I shall sell this milk will enable me to increase my stock of eggs to three hundred，these eggs，allowing for what may prove addle，and what may be destroyed by vermin，will produce at least two hundred and fifty chickens. The chickens will be fit to carry to market just at the time when poultry is always dear；so that by the new year I cannot fail of having money enough to purchase a new gown. Green-let me consider-yes，green becomes my complexion best .and green it shall be，in this dress I will go to the fair，where all young fellows will strive to have me for a parter；but no-I shall refuse every one of them，and with a disdainful toss turn from them."Transported with this idea，she could not forbear acting with her head the thought that passed in her mind，when down came the can of milk! And all her imaginary happiness vanished in a moment.一个村姑头上顶着一罐牛奶在路上行走。

英语美文欣赏25梦想还是要有的Many of you fail to seek your purpose in life and you should. You dream and then follow it up with a list of all the reasons why the dream is unachievable. You fill your life with excuses and "I can't." Many great companies were conceived from a dream, nurtured in a garage or basement and grew to be traded on the New York Stock Exchange. Why not you? Why not your dream? The only true limits you experience in life are those you create or those you allow others to impose upon you. If you can dream it, you can do it!你们许多人在一生中或许会有找不到人生目标的时候，这很正常。

你追求自己的梦，跟着出现一大堆告诉你这梦不可能实现的理由。

你开始为自己的人生找各种借口，告诉自己“我不行。

”很多大公司都是由一个梦演变而来，从车库或地下室里发展成为纽约交易所的上市公司。

为什么不是你？为什么不是你的梦？你在人生路上所遇到的那些障碍都是你自己设置的，要么就是你让他人施加在你身上的。

梦想还是要有的，万一实现了呢！Dreaming is the easy part. Acting on the dream is harder. Recognize that a dream is a journey. On the simplest level, it takes commitment, time, desire, and courage. But rarely is something great easily realized. Dreaming is recognizing and embracing the potential for greatness and seeking it in all areas of your life. Believe in your dreams and your ability to accomplish them. Keep your dreams in front of you. I'm here to challenge you to reach for your dream. Do not be afraid to dream. Never forget, if you can dream it, you can do it!做梦很容易，为梦而行才难。

As a teenager，I felt I was always letting people down. I was rebellious1 out－side，but I wanted to be liked inside.Once I left home to hitch-hike2 to California with my friend Penelope. The trip wasn’t easy，and there were many times I didn’t feel safe. One situation in particular kept me grateful to still be alive. When I returned home，I was different，not so outwardly sure of myself.I was happy to be home. But then I noticed that Penelope，who was staying with us，was wearing my clothes. And my family seemed to like her better than me. I wondered if I would be missed if I weren’t there. I told my mom，and she explained that though Penelope was a lovely girl，no one could replace me.I pointed out，“Ｓhe is more patient and is neater than I have ever been.” My mom said these were wonderful qualities，but I was the only person who could fill my role. She made me realize that even with my faults—and there were many－I was a loved member of the family who couldn’t be replaced.I became a searcher，wanting to find out who I was and what made me unique. My view of myself was changing. I wanted a solid base to start from. I started to resist3 pressure to act in ways that I didn’t like any more，and I was delighted by who I really was. I came to feel much more sure that no one can ever take my place.Each of us holds a unique place in the world. You are special，no matter what others say or what you may think. So forget about being replaced. You can’t be.当我还是个10几岁的少年的时候，觉得自己总是让人失望。

英语美文欣赏17只有在乎你的人，才会对你啰嗦Every one has that period in which they find those who are close to them start to seem annoying .每个人都会经历这样的时期：发现身边那些亲近的人开始变得有点烦了。

You sudde nly realized that they've always bee n talk ing and talk ing.你会突然意识到，长久以来他们就一直不停地在说啊说。

They n ever stopped.他们从来就没有停过。

Some of us get angry with them, thinking they are trying too hard to intervene in our lives.我们中的有些人，会开始变得愤怒，觉得他们对我们的生活介入太多。

But don't.但是，请不要愤怒。

Only those who really care about you will bother say ing so much to you.只有那些真正关心我们的人才会费劲对我们说这么多。

It's just that maybe they don't know the right way to put it.只是，他们可能并不知道正确的相处办法。

Some of them push too hard because they care too much.他们中有些人逼得太紧，那是因为他们太在乎。

Some of them speak too much because they worry about you too much.他们中的有些人说得太多，那是因为他们太担心你。

They do this because they love you.他们这么做，都是因为爱你。

英语美文欣赏43The Scars of Love 爱的伤疤Some years ago on a hot summer day in south Florida a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house.几年前的一个炎炎夏日，在美国佛罗里达州南部，有个小男孩为贪图凉快，决定去自家房子后面一个形成已久的深水潭中游泳。

In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went. He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore. His mother - in the house was looking out the window - saw the two as they got closer and closer together. In utter fear, she ran toward the water, yelling to her son as loudly as she could.因为迫不及待地想投入到清凉的水中，他飞快地从后门跑了出去，边跑边脱掉鞋子、袜子和衬衣，把它们随手抛在了身后。

他一头扎进了水里，丝毫没有意识到自己游往潭中心的同时，一只美洲鳄也正在朝岸边游来。

小男孩的母亲当时在屋子里透过窗子向外看着，发现那只美洲鳄正向她的孩子步步逼近。

她极度惊恐起来，一边迅速奔向水潭，一边声嘶力竭地朝自己的孩子呼喊着。

高中英语课外阅读---英语美文欣赏6 〔中英双语〕英语美文欣赏6Your Mind is the Master of the World你的思想,才是世界的主宰You're shut down and frightened, the world seems hostile; when you love what is, everything in the world becomes the beloved. Inside and outside always match --they're reflections of each other. The world is the mirror image of your mind.当你脑子停滞放空、被恐惧笼罩着,你就会觉得整个世界都不怀好意；当你爱上这个世界本身,你就会觉得世上的每样东西都值得你爱. 心中所想和外物所现总是息息相关,它们互相映衬,外界就是你内心的镜像.Not believing your own thoughts, you're free from the primal desire: the thought that reality should be different than it is. You realize the wordless, the unthinkable. You understand that any mystery is only what you yourself have created. In fact, there's no mystery. Everything is as clear as day. It's simple, because there really isn't anything. There's only the story appearing now. And not even that.如果你不相信自己的想法,那么你就可以免受原始欲望的驱使：由于你所想的现实往往不是其真实的样子.你意识到默默无言的和无法置信的,你会明白一切的神秘只是你自己在故弄玄虚. 事实上每件事都是一清二楚,很容易就可以明白,由于并没有发生什么事.现在只是发生了一件事,它甚至不算是事.When you realize that you can only see the world as you believe it to be, you look from a new perspective. The world is an optical illusion. In the end, it's just you, crazed and miserable, or you, delighted and at peace. Everything happens for you, not to you.当你意识到你只能看到你所相信的世界时,你便从新的角度看待这个世界了.世界是一种错觉,到最后,世界就是你,那个疯狂又痛苦的你或是愉快又平和的你,每件事都是为你发生,而不是发生于你.I have questioned my thoughts, and I've seen that it's crazy to argue with what is. I don't ever want anything to happen except what's happening. For example, a man sticks a pistol into my stomach, pulls the hammer back, and says, "I'm going to kill you." I am shocked that he is taking his thoughts so seriously. To someone identified as an I, the thought of killing causes guilt that leads to a life of suffering, so I ask him, as kindly as I can, not to do it.我曾经质疑过我的思想,然后我明白了与此纠缠是不切实际的.除了正在发生的事情以外,我从未想过有什么事要发生.举个例子,有人拿枪指着我的肚子,把扳机往下扣,说：“我要杀了你."我很吃惊,由于他这么认真地执行了他的思想.对于任何一个将自己定义为“我〞的人,杀人的想法会使之感到罪孽深重、一辈子饱受煎熬.于是我用尽可能善良的态度请求他不要杀人.I don't tell him that it's his suffering I'm thinking of. He says that he has to do it,1 / 13高中英语课外阅读---英语美文欣赏6 〔中英双语〕and I understand; I remember believing that I had to do things in my old life. I thank him for doing the best he can, and I notice that I'm fascinated. Is this how she dies? Is this how the story ends? And as joy continues to fill me, I find it miraculous that the story is still going on. You can never know the ending, even as it ends. I am very moved at the sight of sky, clouds, and moonlit trees. I love that I don't miss one moment, one breath, of this amazing life. I wait. And wait. And in the end, he doesn't pull the trigger. He doesn't do that to himself.我并没有告诉他,我所考虑的一切关乎他会受到的煎熬.他说他必须得这么做,我能理解,我想起我相信晚年要做的事.我要为他已经尽他所能而感谢他,我还注意到,我为此心驰神往.这就是她的死因吗？这就是故事的终结吗？当这种愉快的感觉不停地充满着全身时, 我发现神奇的是故事并未结束.你根本就猜不中结局,即使故事完结了,你也猜不中.我感动于视野所及的蓝天、白云、还有月色下的树林,我很快乐的是,我没有错过这美妙生命中的每时每刻、每次呼吸.我等啊、等啊,等到了最后,他没有按下扳机,他并没有对他自己做那件事.What we call "bad" and what we call "good" both come from the same place. The Tao Te Ching says that the source of everything is called "darkness." What a beautiful name (if we must have a name)! Darkness is our source. In the end, it embraces everything. Its nature is love, and in our confusion we name it terror and ugliness, the unacceptable, the unbearable. All our stress results from what we imagine is in that darkness. We imagine darkness as separate from ourselves, and we project something terrible onto it. But in reality, the darkness is always benevolent.我们称之为“好〞和我们称之为“坏〞的事物都来自同一个地方.?道德经? 上说,事物的根源称之为“虚无〞.这称呼多美(如果我们一定要给个称呼)！虚无是我们的根源,最后,虚无成为了所有事物,它的本质是爱,而我们出于困惑,称它为恐惧、丑恶,认为它无法接受、无法忍受.我们的压力都是源于我们对虚无的想象,我们想象着把虚无从我们身上剥离出来, 我们还把一些可怕的事物投影到虚无上面.但是实际上,虚无一直是亲切仁慈的.Darkness is the mind that doesn't know a thing. This don't-know mind is the center of the universe -- it is the universe -- there's nothing outside it. And it's the gateway to all understanding. Once the darknessis understood, you're clear that nothing is separatefrom you. No name, no thought, can possibly be true in an ultimate sense. It's all provisional; it's all changing. The dark, the nameless, the unthinkable -- that is what you can absolutely trust. It doesn't change, and it's benevolent. When you realize this, you just have to laugh. There's nothing serious about life or death.虚无只是一颗不谙世事的心.这颗“未知〞的心是宇宙的中央,它就是宇宙,除它以外别无他物,它还是通往全知的必经之路.一旦你懂得虚无,你就2 / 13高中英语课外阅读---英语美文欣赏 6 〔中英双语〕会明白,没有什么可以从你身上剥离出来.没有什么名字或思想可以成为终极意义上的真实.一切从未停止,一切一直在变.无知、无名、无思一一这是你能完全相信的.这一点从未改变,非常亲切仁慈.当你意识到这点时,你只需一笑置之,是生是死,都不那么重要了.The Passing of LifeWhen he told me he was leaving I felt like a vase which has just smashed. There were pieces of me all overthe tidy, tan 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.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 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' what Mike' seaving 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 nighstead 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 hasis merely a little part of my time in earth, a little understanding of my physical being. He has only, a little piece of me.生命的过客3 / 13高中英语课外阅读---英语美文欣赏6 〔中英双语〕当他告诉我他要离开的时候,我感觉自己就像花瓶裂成了碎片,跌落在茶色瓷砖地板上.他一直在说话,解释着为什么要离开,说什么这是最好的,我可以做得更好,都是他的错,与我无关.虽然这些话我已经听上好几千遍了, 可每次听完都让我很受伤,或许在这样巨大的打击面前没有人能做到无动于衷.他走了,我尝试着继续过自己的生活.我烧开水,拿出红色杯子,看着咖啡粉末一点点地落入骨灰瓷的杯子里. 这正是我自己的鲜活写照,不断地往下掉咖啡粉末,却从来没有真正地泡成一杯咖啡.水开了,水壶发出警报声,我假装没有听见.迈克的离去也是一样,突如其来,并且无可挽回.要知道,我宁愿忍受分与不分的煎熬,也不愿意以这样的方式被宣判“死刑〞.想着想着我就哑然失笑,自己竟然为一杯咖啡有如此多的人生感怀,我自己一定是老了.可是镜子里回瞪着我的那个女孩还是那么年轻啊！明目皓齿,充满了前途与希望,光明的未来在向她招手.没关系的, 反正我也从来没有爱过迈克.何况,生命中还有比爱更重要的东西在等待着我, 我对自己坚持说.我将咖啡罐的盖子盖好,也将所有关于迈克的记忆尘封起来.那天晚上,出乎意料的是,他并没有入到我的梦中.在梦里,我飞过田野和森林,俯瞰着大地.忽然间,我掉了下来……醒来后才发现原来自己被猎人打中了,但是令我坠落的不是他的子弹,而是他的灵魂.我后来才渐渐明白, 原来迈克就是那个使我坠落的猎人,而我是那只渴望飞翔的小鸟.到了第二天晚上,我仍然做了类似的梦,但是猎人不见了,我一直在自由地飞翔,直到遇上另外一只小鸟和我比翼双飞. 我开始意识到,总有那么一只鸟,那么一个人在前面等我,这个人可能是我的爱人,可能只是朋友,但一定是知我懂我的人, 这令我感觉如释重负.我想起曾经觉得自己像花瓶一样裂开了, 才意识到原来自己已经把自己修理好了.迈克只是我生命过程中的小小过客, 他仅仅了解我的外表,他仅仅是我生命中的小小一局部.The Smile微笑Smile at each other, smile at your wife, smile at your husband, smile at your children, smile at each otheL it doesn't matter who it is—and that will help you to grow up in greater love for each other.经常保持笑容,对你的另一半、你的孩子微笑,甚至对陌生人也不要吝惜你的微笑,由于小小的微笑就能大大增进人与人之间的感情. 一一泰瑞莎修Many Americans are familiar with The Little Prince, a wonderful book by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. Thisis a whimsical and fabulous book and works as a children's story as well as a thought-provoking adult fable. Far fewer are aware of Saint-Exupery's other writings, novels and short stories.4 / 13高中英语课外阅读---英语美文欣赏6 〔中英双语〕法国作家安东尼・圣艾修伯里所写的?小王子?是本很多美国人都很熟悉的极好的书.这本书外表上看来是童话故事,但世故的成人读来也觉寓意深远. 很少人知道,除了?小王子?,圣艾修伯里还创作过其他小说和短篇故事.Saint-Exupery was a fighter pilot who fought against the Nazis and was killed in action. Before World War II, he fought in the Spanish Civil War against the fascists. He wrote a fascinating story based on that experience entitled The Smile. It is this story which I'd like to share with you now. It isn't clear whether or not he meant this to be autobiographical or fiction. I choose to believe it to be the former.圣艾修伯里是名飞行员,二次大战对抗纳粹时被击落身亡,之前他也曾参加西班牙内战打击法西斯分子.他根据这次经验写了一篇精彩的故事一一?微笑?,现在要提的就是这篇作品.这是真实故事或是虚构事情,没人能下定论, 但我宁可相信这是作者的亲身体验.He said that he was captured by the enemy and thrown into a jail cell. He was sure that from the contemptuous looks and rough treatment he received from his jailers he would be executed the next day. From here, I'll tell the story as I remember it in my own words.故事的前段大意是作者被敌军俘虏,关进监牢.看守监狱的人一脸凶相, 态度极为恶劣.他心想,明天绝对会被拖出去枪毙.以下是我记忆中的故事原文."I was sure that I was to be killed. I became terribly nervous and distraught. I fumbled in my pockets to see if there were any cigarettes, which had escaped their search. I found one and because of my shaking hands, I could barely get it to my lips. But I had no matches, they had taken those.“一想到自己明天就没命了,不禁陷入极端的惶恐与不安.我翻遍了口袋, 终于找到一支没被他们搜走的香烟,但我的手紧张得不停发抖,连将烟送进嘴里都成问题,而我的火柴也在搜身时被拿走了."I looked through the bars at my jailer. He did not make eye contact with me. After all, one does not make eye contact with a thing, a corpse. I called out to him 'Have you got a light?' He looked at me, shrugged and came over to light my cigarette."我透过铁栏望着外面的警卫,他并没有注意到我在看他,也许对他而言, 我只是他看守的一样‘物品‘、一具‘尸体'.我叫了他一声：’能跟你借个火吗？他转头望着我,耸了耸肩,然后走了过来,点燃我的香烟"As he came close and lit the match, his eyes inadvertently locked with mine. At that moment, I smiled. I don't know why I did that. Perhaps it was nervousness, perhaps it was because, when you get very close, one to another, it is very hard not to smile. In any case, I smiled. In that instant, it was as though a spark jumped across the gap between our two hearts, our two human souls. I know he didn't want to, but my smile leaped through the bars and generated a smile on his lips, too. He5 / 13高中英语课外阅读---英语美文欣赏6 〔中英双语〕lit my cigarette but stayed near, looking at me directly in the eyes and continuing to smile.“当他帮我点火时,他的眼光无意中与我的相接触,这时我忽然冲着他微笑.我不知道自己为何有这般反响,也许是过于紧张,或者是当你如此靠近另一个人,你很难不对他微笑.不管是何理由,我对他笑了.就在这一刹那,这抹微笑如同火花般,打破了我们心灵间的隔膜.受到了我的感染,他的嘴角不自觉地也现出了笑容,虽然我知道他原无此意.他点完火后并没马上离开,两眼盯着我瞧,脸上仍带着微笑."I kept smiling at him, now aware of him as a person and not just a jailer. And his looking at me seemed to have a new dimension, too. ' Do you have kids?' he asked.“我也以笑容回应,仿佛他是个朋友,而不是个守着我的警卫.他看着我的眼神也少了当初的那股凶气,‘你有小孩吗？'他开口问道."Yes, here, here. I took out my wallet and nervously fumbled for the pictures of my family. He, too, took out the pictures of his family and began to talk about his plans and hopes for them. My eyes filled with tears. I said that I feared that I'd never see my family again, never have the chance to see them grow up. Tears came to his eyes, too.“'有,你看.‘我拿出了皮夹,手忙脚乱地翻出了我的全家福照片.他也掏出了照片,并且开始讲述他对家人的期望与方案.这时我眼中充满了泪水, 我说我害怕再也见不到家人.我害怕没时机看着孩子长大.他听了也流下两行ISuddenly, without another word, he unlocked my cell and silently led me out. Out of the jail, quietly and by back routes, out of the town. There, at the edge of town, he released me. And without another word, he turned back toward the town.“忽然问,他二话不说地翻开了牢门,悄悄地带我从后面的小路逃离了监狱,出了小镇,就在小镇的边上,他放了我,之后便转身往回走,不曾留下一句话.My life was saved by a smile.〞一个微笑居然能救自己一条命."11/ Yes, the smile— the unaffected, unplanned, natural connection between people. I tell this story in my work because I'd like people to consider that underneath all the layers we construct to protect ourselves, our dignity, our titles, our degrees, ourstatus and our need to be seen in certain ways —underneath all t remains the authentic, essential self. I'm not afraid to call it the soul. I really believe that if that part of you and that part of me could recognize each other, we wouldn't be enemies. We couldn't have hate or envy or fear. I sadly conclude that all those other layers, which we so carefully construct through our lives, distance and insulate us from truly contacting others. Saint-Exupery's story speaks of that magic6 / 13高中英语课外阅读---英语美文欣赏6 〔中英双语〕moment when two souls recognize each other.是的,微笑是人与人之间最自然真挚的沟通方式, 我在我的作品中讲这个故事,由于我希望人们能仔细想想以下的事情：人常常为自己建立层层的保护膜,为了维护尊严、头街、身分、形象等,而必须有所隐藏.我相信在这些掩饰下,每个人都有一个真实、不带虚伪的灵魂.如果我们能用心灵去熟悉彼此, 世间不会有结怨成仇的憾事；恨意、妒嫉、恐惧也会不复存在.可惜的是人小心翼翼为自己所建造的保护膜,却阻隔了自己与他人真诚相对的时机. 圣艾修伯里的这那么故事,让我们见到了两颗心灵相互交流的神奇时刻.I've had just a few moments like that. Falling in love is one example. And looking at a baby. Why do we smile when we see a baby? Perhaps it's because we see someone without all the defensive layers, someone whose smile for us we know to be fully genuine and without guile. And that baby-soul inside us smiles wistfully in recognition.我也曾有过如此神奇的时刻,坠入情网是其中一刻,而看着婴儿的脸是另外一例.为什么我们见到婴孩会微笑？也许是由于我们在他们身上见到不设防的灵魂,还有他们纯真无邪的笑容,更引起了我们内心深处的共鸣.Ode to a Nightingale夜莺颂By John KeatsMy heart aches, and a drowsy numbness pains我的心在痛,困顿和麻木My sense, as though of hemlock I had drunk,刺进了感官有如饮过毒鸩Or emptied some dull opiate to the drains又像是刚把鸦片吞服One minute past, and Lethe-wards had sunk:於是向列斯忘川下沉'Tis not through envy of thy happy lot,并不是我忌妒你的好运But being too happy in thine happiness而是你的快乐使我太欢欣That thou, light-winged Dryad of the trees,由于在林间喷亮的天地里In some melodious plot你呵,轻翅的仙灵Of beechen green, and shadows numberless,你躲进山毛棒的葱绿和荫影Singest of summer in full-throated ease.7 / 13高中英语课外阅读---英语美文欣赏6 〔中英双语〕放开了歌喉,歌唱著夏季for a draught of vintage! that hath been唉,要是有一口酒,那冷藏Cooled a long age in the deep-delved earth,在地下多年的清醇饮料Tasting of Flora and the country green,一尝就令人想起绿色之邦Dance, and Provencal song, and sunburnt mirth!想起花神,恋歌,阳光和舞蹈for a beaker full of the warm South,要是有一杯南国的温暖Full of the true, the blushful Hippocrene,充满了鲜红的灵感之泉With beaded bubbles winking at the brim,杯缘明灭著珍珠的泡沫And purple-stained mouth,给嘴唇染上紫斑That I may drink, and leave the world unseen,我要一饮而尽而悄然离开尘寰And with thee fade away into the forest dim.和你同去幽暗的林中隐没Fade far away, dissolve, and quite forget远远地,远远隐没,让我忘掉What thou amongst the leaves hast never known,你在树叶问从不知道的一切The weariness, the fever, and the fret忘记这疲劳,热病,和焦躁Here, where men sit and hear each other groan;这使人对坐而悲叹的世界Where palsy shakes a few, sad, last grey hairs.在这里,青春,苍白,削瘦,死亡Where youth grows pale, and spectre-thin, and dies;而瘫痪有几根白发在摇摆Where nut to think is to be full of sorrow在这里,稍一思索就充满了And leaden-eyed despairs;忧伤和灰暗的绝望Where Beauty cannot keep her lustrous eyes,而美保持不住明眸的光荣8 / 13高中英语课外阅读---英语美文欣赏6 〔中英双语〕Or new Love pine at them beyond to-morrow.新生的爱情活不到明天就枯凋Away! away! for I will fly to thee,去吧!去吧!我要朝你飞去Not charioted by Bacchus and his pards,不用和酒神坐文豹的车驾But on the viewless wings of Poesy,我要展开诗歌底无形的羽翼Though the dull brain perplexes and retards.尽管这头脑已经困顿,疲乏Already with thee! tender is the night,去了,我已经和你同往And haply the Queen-Moon is on her throne,夜这般温柔,月后正登上宝座Cluster'd around by all her starry Fays;周围是侍卫她的一群星星But here there is no light,但这儿不甚明亮Save what from heaven is with the breezes blown除了有一线天光,被微风带过Through verdurous glooms and winding mossy ways.葱绿的幽暗和薛苔的曲径I cannot see what flowers are at my feet,我看不出是哪种花在脚旁Nor what soft incense hangs upon the boughs,什麽清香的花挂在树枝上But, in embalmed darkness, guess each sweet在温馨的幽暗理,我只能猜测Wherewith the seasonable month endows这时令该把哪种芬芳The grass, the thicket, and the fruit-tree wild赋予这果树,林莽和草丛White hawthorn, and the pastoral eglantine;这白枳花,和田野的玫瑰Fast fading violets covered up in leaves;这绿叶堆中易凋谢的紫罗兰And mid-May's eldest child,还有五月中行的娇宠The coming musk-rose, full of dewy wine,9 / 13高中英语课外阅读---英语美文欣赏 6 〔中英双语〕这缀满了露酒的麝香蔷薇The murmurous haunt of flies on summer eves.它成了夏夜蚊蛇嗡营的港湾Darkling I listen; and for many a time我在黑暗中里倾听,多少次I have been half in love with easeful Death,我几乎爱上了静谧的死亡Called him soft names in many a mused rhyme,我在诗思里用尽了我言辞To take into the air my quiet breath;求他把我的一息散入空茫Now more than ever seems it rich to die,而现在,死更是多麽的华丽To cease upon the midnight with no pain,在午夜里凝然魂离人间While thou art pouring forth thy soul abroad当你正倾泻你的心怀In such an ecstasy!发出这般的狂喜Still wouldst thou sing, and I have ears in vain你仍将歌唱,但我却不再听To thy high requiem become a sod.你的莽歌只能唱给泥草一块Thou wast not born for death, immortal Bird!永生的鸟,你不会死去No hungry generations tread thee down;饿的世代无法将你蹂蹒The voice I hear this passing night was heard今夜,我偶然听到的歌曲In ancient days by emperor and clown:当使古代的帝王和村夫喜悦Perhaps the self-same song that found a path或许这同样的歌也曾激荡Through the sad heart of Ruth, when, sick for home,露丝忧郁的心,使她不禁落泪She stood in tears amid the alien corn;站在异邦的谷田里想著家The same that oft-times hath就是这声音常常10 /13高中英语课外阅读---英语美文欣赏6 〔中英双语〕Charmed magic casements, opening on the foam在失掉了的仙域里引动窗扉Of perilous seas, in faery lands forlorn.一个美女望著大海险恶的浪花Forlorn! the very word is like a bell失掉了,这句话好比一声钟To toll me back from thee to my sole self!使我猛省到我站脚的地方Do something for yourself做你自己As a little boy, there was nothing I liked better than Sunday afternoons at my grandfather's farm in western Pennsylvania. Surrounded by miles of winding stonewalls, the house and barn provided endless hours of fun for a city kid like me. I was used to parlors neat as a pin that seemed to whisper, "Not to be touched!" 我小时候最喜欢在爷爷的农场里度过每个星期天的下午.爷爷的农场在宾夕法尼亚州西部.农场四周都围上了绵延几英里的石墙.房子和谷仓给我这个城市男孩带来了无穷的快乐时光.我习惯了城里整洁的客厅,似乎在低声说：“不要摸！I can still remember one afternoon when I was eight years old. Since my first visit to the farm, I'd wanted more thananything to be allowed to climb the stonewalls surrounding the property. My parents would never approve. The walls were old; some stones were missing, others loose and crumbling. Still, my yearning to scramble across those walls grew so strong. One spring afternoon, I summoned all my courage and entered the living room, where the adults had gathered after dinner.我仍能记得我8岁那年一天下午的情景.由于我第一次去农场,所以我很想上那农场四周的那些石墙.可我的父母是绝不会同意的.这些墙年深日,有的石头不见了,有的石头松动倒塌了.然而,我渴望这些墙的欲望非常强烈. 一个春天的下午,我鼓足勇气,走进客厅,大人们午饭后都聚在这里."I, uh, I want to climb the stonewalls," I said hesitantly. Everyone looked up. "Can I climb the stonewalls?" Instantly a chorus went up from the women in the room. "Heavens, no!" they cried in dismay. "You'll hurt yourself!" I wasn't too disappointed; the responsewas just as I'd expected. But before I could leave the room, I was stopped by my grandfather' s booming voice. "Hold on just a minute," I heard him say, "Let the boy climb the stonewalls. He has to learn to do things for himself."“我,呃,我想爬那石墙,〞我犹豫地说道.大家都抬起头.“我能去爬那些石墙吗？〞屋里的女人们马上齐声叫了起来.“天哪,不能！〞她们惊慌地叫11 / 13高中英语课外阅读---英语美文欣赏6 〔中英双语〕首,“你会伤着自己的！"我并没有太失望,我早就预料会是这样的答复.但还没等我离开客厅,爷爷消沉的声音拦住了我.〞等一会儿,"我听到他说“让孩子爬那些石墙吧.他必须学会自己做一些事.〞"Scoot," he said to me with a wink, "and come and see me when you get back." For the next two and a half hours I climbed those old walls and had the time of my life. Later I met with my grandfather to tell him about my adventure. I'll never forget what he said. "Fred," he said, grinning, "you made this day a special day just by being yourself. Always remember, there's only one person in this whole world like you, and I like you exactly as you are."“快走吧,〞他对我眨眨眼说.“你回来后找我.〞接下来的两个半小时,我爬上了这些古老的石墙,别提有多肝硬变.后来,我把自己冒险经历告诉了爷爷.我永远也不会忘记他说过的话.“弗雷德,〞他咧着嘴笑道.“你做了一回自己,你让这个日子因此而变得不同凡响.永远记住,整个世界只有一个你, 而且我喜欢真实的你.〞Many years have passed since then, and today I host the television program Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, seen by millions of children throughout America. There have been changes over the years, but one thing remains the same: my message to children at the end of almost every visit, "There's only one person in this whole world like you, and people can like you exactly as you are."许多年过去了,现在我主持的电视节目?罗杰斯先生的街坊四邻?,全美国几百万儿童都会收看.几年过后,节目已经发生了一些变化,但有一点没变：几乎每期节日后我都会传递给孩子这样一个信息, “这个世界上只有一个你,人们都喜欢真实的你.〞What s a True Friend什么是真正的朋友"A friend walk in when the rest of the world walks out.""别人都走开的时候,朋友仍与你在一起.〞Sometimes in life,。

英语美文欣赏58做个聆听者Many people neglect this most important communication skill.许多人忽视了这一最为重要的沟通技巧。

Do you know that we spend an average of our waking day communicating?你是否积压物资我们醒着时有一半的时间是用来沟通的？Of this communication time, 9% is spent writing, 16% reading, 30% talking and 45% listening.在这段时间里，9%是通过写，16%是读，30%是说而45%是用来听。

Immediately after hearing something, most of us can recall only 50% of what we hear. Within two to eight weeks, we can recall only 25% or less of the original message. Our mental attitudes reduce our ability to retain what we hear.一听完某件事，大多数人只能记住其中之一的50%，两至八个星期内，我们只能记得原信息的25%，甚至更少。

我们的精神状态削弱了我们的记忆能力。

Some suggestions to being a good listener are mentioned below.以下是关于怎样做个好听众的建议：First of all, stop talking----you can't listen while you are talking.首先，停止讲话——你说话时是无法听。

Ask questions----when you don't understand, when you need further clarification, when you want them to like you and when you want to show that you are listening.问问题——如你不甚理解，你需要进一步澄清，当你希望他们喜欢你并且想证明你正在听时。

英语美文欣赏32愿得一人心，白首不分离One warm evening many years ago…犹记得多年前，那个让人暖心的夜晚After spending nearly every waking minute with Angel for eight straight days, I knew that I had to tell her just one thing. So late at night, just before she fell asleep, I whispered it in her ear. She smiled –the kind of smile that makes me smile back –and she said, “When I’m seventy-five and I think about my life and what it was like to be young, I hope that I can remember this very moment.整整8天除了睡着其余的时间我都陪着安吉尔，酝酿已久，我想我一定要告诉她一件事。

于是这天夜里，就在她刚刚睡下，我便在她耳边轻声说起来，说完她就笑了，是那种希望得到我回应的笑，接着说道：“真希望我老到75岁的时候，开始回忆，这一刻须臾会变成永恒。

A few seconds later she closed her eyes and fell asleep. The room was peaceful – almost silent. All I could hear was the soft purr of her breathing. I stayed awake thinkin g about the time we’d spent together and all the choices in our lives that made this moment possible. And at some point, I realized that it didn’t matter what we’d done or where we’d gone. Nor did the future hold any significance.很快她就闭上眼睛睡着了，整个房间祥和安静，甚至有些寂静。

英语美文欣赏4450%的希望I believe in the "50-percent theory". Half the time things are better than normal; the other half, they are worse. I believe life is a pendulum swing. It takes time and experience to understand what normal is, and that gives me the perspective to deal with the surprises of the future.我信奉“对半理论”。

生活时而无比顺畅，时而倒霉透顶，好坏参半。

我觉得生活就像来回晃动的钟摆。

读懂生活的常态需要时间和阅历，也正是这样才练就了我面对未来荣辱不惊的生活态度。

Let's benchmark the parameters: Yes, I will die. I've dealt with the deaths of both parents, a best friend, a beloved boss and cherished pets. Some of these deaths have been violent, before my eyes, or slow and agonizing. Bad stuff, and it belongs at the bottom of the scale.让我们掂量这些点点滴滴：是的，我注定会死去。

我已经经历了双亲的仙逝，一位友人的亡故，一位敬爱的老板的离逝，还有心爱宠物的死亡。

当中一些变故突如其来，直击眼前；有些却长期折磨，痛苦不堪。

糟糕的事儿，它们驻留谷底。

Then there are those high points: romance and marriage to the right person; having a child and doing those Dad things like coaching my son's baseball team, paddling around the creek in the boat while he's swimming with the dogs, discovering his compassion so deep it manifests even in his kindness to snails, his imagination so vivid he builds a spaceship from a scattered pile of Legos.当然生活也不乏熠熠光彩：坠入爱河缔结良缘；养育幼子身为人父，训练儿子的棒球队，当他和狗在水中嬉戏时，摇桨划船前瞻后顾，感受他如此强烈的同情心——即使对蜗牛也善待有加，发现他如此活跃的想像力——即使零散的积木也能堆出太空飞船。