經典的英語優秀美文(通用15篇)

在日常學習、工作和生活中，大家都接觸過美文吧？一篇美文是建立在真摯情感的基礎上的。文字表達的是內心的感受，是真情實感的自然流露，如何寫一篇“形散而神不散”的美文呢？下面是小編幫大家整理的經典的英語優秀美文，希望能夠幫助到大家。

經典的英語優秀美文1

Since the pre-historic times，man has had an urge to satisfy his needs. Be it hunger，shelter or search for a mate，he has always manipulated the circumstances to the best of his advantages. Probably this might be the reason why we human are the most developed of all living species on the earth，and probably also in the universe. As we climbed the steps of evolution with giant leaps，we somehow left behind common sense and logical thinking—we forgot that we have stopped thinking ahead of times.

If you are hungry，what do you do?Grab a piece of your favorite meal and stay quiet after that?Just like your stomach，even your mind is hungry. But it never lets you know，because you keep it busy thinking about your dream lover，favorite star and many such absurd things. So it silently began to heed to your needs and never let itself grow. When mind looses its freedom to grow，creativity gets a full stop. This might be the reason why we all sometimes think“What happens next?”，“Why can‘t I think?”，“Why am I always given the difficult problems?”Well this is the aftermath of our own karma of using our brain for thinking of not-so-worthy things.

Hunger of the mind can be actually satiated through extensive reading. Now why reading and not watching TV?Because reading has been the most educative tool used by us right from the childhood. Just like that to develop other aspects of our life，we have to take help of reading. You have innumerable number of books in this world which will answer all your“How to?”questions. Once you read a book，you just don‘t run your eyes through the lines，but even your mind decodes it and explains it to you. The interesting part of the book is stored in your mind as a seed. Now this seed is unknowingly used by you in your future to develop new ideas. The same seed if used many times，can help you link and relate a lot of things，of which you would have never thought of in your wildest dreams!This is nothing but creativity. More the number of books you read，your mind will open up like never before. Also this improves your oratory skills to a large extent and also makes a significant contribution to your vocabulary. Within no time you start speaking English or any language fluently with your friends or other people and you never seem to run out of the right words at the right time.

Actually，I had a problem in speaking English fluently，but as I read，I could improve significantly. I am still on the path of improvement to quench my thirst for satisfaction. So guys do join me and give food for your thoughts by reading，reading and more reading. Now what are you waiting for?Go，grab a book，and let me know!

Deepak Chandrasekaran

篇二：Weakness or Strength (將弱項變為強項)

Sometimes our biggest weakness can become your biggest strength. Take，for example，the story t of one 10-year-old boy who decided to study judo despite the fact that the had lost his left arm in a devastating car accident.

The boy began lesson with an old Japanese judo master. The boy was dong well，so he couldn‘t understand why，after three months of training，the master had taught him only one move.

“Mister，”the boy finally said，“shouldn‘t I be learning more moves?”

“This is the only move you know，but this is the only move you‘ll ever need to know，”the master replied.

Not quite understanding，but believing in his teacher，the boy kept training.

Several months later，the master took the boy to his first tournament.

To his surprise，，the boy easily won his first two matches. The third match proved to be more difficult，but after some time，his opponent became impatient and charged;the boy deftly used his one move to win the match. Still amazed by his success，the boy was now in the finals.

This time，his opponent was bigger，stronger，and more experienced. For a while，the boy appeared to be overmatched.

Concerned that the boy might get hurt，the referee called a time-out. He was about to stop the match when the master intervened.“No，”his master insisted，“let him continue.”

Soon after the match resumed，his opponent made a critical mistake：he dropped his guard. Instantly，the boy used his move to pin him. The boy had won the match and the tournament. He was the champion.

On the way home，the boy and his master reviewed every move in each and every match. Then the boy summoned the courage to ask what was really in his min.

“Mister，how did I win the tournament with only one move?”

“You won for two reasons，”the master answered.“First，you‘ve almost mastered one of the most difficult throws in all of judo. Second，the only known defense for that move is for your opponent to grab your left arm.”

The boy‘s biggest weakness had become his biggest strength.

Everyday English

經典的英語優秀美文2

追求人生的完整

Once a circle missed a wedge. The circle wanted to be whole, so it went around looking for its missing piece. But because it was incomplete and therefore could roll only very slowly, it admired the flowers along the way. It chatted with worms. It enjoyed the sunshine. It found lots of different pieces, but none of them fit. So it left them all by the side of the road and kept on searching. Then one day the circle found a piece that fit perfectly. It was so happy. Now it could be whole, with nothing missing. It incorporated the missing piece into itself and began to roll. Now that it was a perfect circle, it could roll very fast, too fast to notice flowers or talk to the worms. When it realized how different the world seemed when it rolled so quickly, it stopped, left its found piece by the side of the road and rolled slowly away.

從前有個圓圈，它丟失了一小段。它想變得完整，於是它到處尋找它所丟失的那部分。由於不完整，它只能滾的非常慢。在路上，它羨慕過花兒，它與蟲子聊過天，它享受了陽光的照耀。它遇到過很多不同的小段，可是沒有一個適合它。所以它把它們丟在路邊，繼續尋找。有一天，圓圈找到了可以與它完美結合的一小段，它非常高興。它現在終於完整了，不缺任何東西了。它把丟失的那段裝到自己身上，然後滾了起來。它現在是個完整的圓圈了，它可以滾的很快，，快到忽視了花兒，快到沒有時間和蟲子們説話。當它意識到由於它滾的太快，世界變得如此的不同時，它便停了下來，把找到的那段卸下丟在路邊，慢慢地滾走了。

The lesson of the story, I suggested, was that in some strange sense we are more whole when we are missing something. The man who has everything is in some ways a poor man. He will never know what it feels like to yearn, to hope, to nourish his soul with the dream of something better. He will never know the experience of having someone who loves him give him something he has always wanted or never had.

我想這個故事告訴我們，從某種奇怪的意義上説，當我們缺少什麼東西時，我們反而是更完整的。一個擁有一切的人在某些方面也是個窮人，他永遠不會知道什麼是渴望、什麼是期待;永遠不知道用渴求更美好的東西來充實他的靈魂。他永遠不會知道一個愛他人送給他一樣他所夢寐以求的東西時是怎樣的一種感覺。

There is a wholeness about the person who has come to terms with his limitations, who has been brave enough to let go of his unrealistic dreams and not feel like a failure for doing so. There is a wholeness about the man or woman who has learned that he or she is strong enough to go through a tragedy and survive, she can lose someone and still feel like a complete person.

人生的完整性，在於接受自己的缺陷，勇敢地丟棄不切實際的幻想，並且不覺得這樣做是失敗的;人生的完整性，在於知道自己足夠強大，可以承受人生的苦難，可以在失去一個人時仍然覺得自己是完整的。

Life is not a trap set for us by God so that he can condemn us for failing. Life is not a spelling bee, where no matter how many words you’ve gotten right, you’re disqualified if you make one mistake. Life is more like a baseball season, where even the best team loses one third of its games and even the worst team has its days of brilliance. Our goal is to win more games than we lose. When we accept that imperfection is part of being human, and when we can continue rolling through life and appreciate it, we will have achieved a wholeness that others can only aspire to. That, I believe, is what God asks of us --- not “Be perfect”, not “Don’t even make a mistake”, but “Be whole”.

生活並不是上帝為了譴責我們的缺陷而設下的陷阱。人生也不是一場拼字比賽，無論你拼出了多少單詞，只要拼錯了一個你就前功盡棄了。人生更像一個棒球賽季，最好的球隊也會丟掉三分之一的比賽，而最差的球隊也有輝煌的勝利。我們的目標是讓打贏的比賽比輸掉的比賽多。當我們接受了“不完整性”是人生的一部分時，當我們在人生之路上不斷前進並且欣賞生命之美時，我們就獲得了別人只能渴望的完整的人生。我相信這就是上帝對我們的期望：不求“完美”，也不求“從來不犯錯誤”，而是追求人生的“完整”。

If we are brave enough to love, strong enough to forgive, generous enough to rejoice in another’s happiness, and wise enough to know there is enough love to go around for us all, then we can achieve a fulfillment that no other living creature will ever know.

如果我們有足夠的勇氣去愛，足夠強大的力量去原諒別人，足夠的寬容因別人的快樂而快樂，並有足夠的智慧去認識到我們身邊充滿着愛，我們就會得到其它生命所得不到的一種滿足感。

經典的英語優秀美文3

Dear God,

Now that I am no longer young, I have friends whose mothers have passed away. I have heard these sons and daughters say they never fully appreciated their mothers until it was too late to tell them.

如今我不再年輕，一些朋友的母親已經去世。我曾聽這些子女們説過，他們從沒有向母親充分表達過他們的感激之情，而待到要告訴時為時已晚了。

I am blessed with the dear mother who is still alive. I appreciate her more each day. My mother does not change, but I do. As I grow older and wiser, I realize what an extraordinary person she is. How sad that I am unable to speak these words in her presence, but they flow easily from my pen.

幸運的是，我親愛的母親依然健在。我對她的感情與日俱增。母親沒有變，而我卻變了。隨着年歲的增長，我越來越懂事了，我認識道她是個非常了不起的人。這些話在她面前我難以啟齒，但在筆下卻可以輕易地寫出來，這令我感到多麼難過。

How does a daughter begin to thank her mother for life itself? For the love, patience and just plain hard work that go into raising a child? For running after a toddler, for understanding a moody teenager, for tolerating a college student who knows everything? For waiting for the day when a daughter realizes her mother really is?

一個女兒該怎樣開口感謝她的母親所給予的生命?感謝她在撫養孩子時所付出的愛、耐心以及無私的辛勤勞動?感謝她跟在蹣跚學步的孩子身後奔跑，對情緒不定的少女的理解，以及對一個自以為是的大學生的寬容?感謝她等待女兒認識到她真實一位好母親的這一天?

How does a grown woman thank for a mother for continuing to be a mother? For being ready with advice(when asked ) or remaining silent when it is most appreciated? For not saying:”I told you so”, when she could have uttered these words dozens of times? For being essentially herself—loving, thoughtful, patient, and forgiving?

一個成年女子該怎樣感謝母親依然如故的角色?感謝在被問到時她會及時提供良言，而在不需要時她會保持沉默?感謝她沒有説：“我告訴過你，”而她本來可以説上許多次?感謝她始終不變的愛心、體貼周到、耐心與寬容厚道?

I don’t know how, dear God, except to bless her as richly as she deserves and to help me live up to the example she has set. I pray that I will look as good in the eyes of my children as my mother looks in mine.

我不知道該怎樣來表達，親愛的上帝，除了請求你好好地保佑她——那時她該得到的——並幫助我朝她作出的榜樣看齊。我祈願在孩子的眼裏我會如同母親在我眼裏一般好。

　　A daughter

　　一個女兒

經典的英語優秀美文4

Outside the Bible, these six words are the most famousin all the literature of the world. They were spokenby Hamlet when he was thinking aloud, and they are themost famous words in Shakespeare because Hamlet wasspeaking not only for himself but also for everythinking man and woman. To be or not to be, to live ornot to live, to live richly and abundantly andeagerly, or to live dully and meanly and scarcely. Aphilosopher once wanted to know whether he was aliveor not, which is a good question for everyone to putto himself occasionally. He answered it by saying: "I think, therefore am." But the best definition of existence ever saw did another philosopher who said: "To be is to bein relations." If this true, then the more relations a living thing has, the more it is alive. Tolive abundantly means simply to increase the range and intensity of our relations.Unfortunately we are so constituted that we get to love our routine. But apart from our regularoccupation how much are we alive? If you are interest-ed only in your regular occupation, youare alive only to that extent. So far as other things are concerned--poetry and prose, music,pictures, sports, unselfish friendships, politics, international affairs--you are dead.

Contrariwise, it is true that every time you acquire a new interest--even more, a newaccomplishment--you increase your power of life. No one who is deeply interested in a largevariety of subjects can remain unhappy; the real pessimist is the person who has lostinterest.

Bacon said that a man dies as often as he loses a friend. But we gain new life by contacts, newfriends. What is supremely true of living objects is only less true of ideas, which are alsoalive. Where your thoughts are, there will your live be also. If your thoughts are confined onlyto your business, only to your physical welfare, only to the narrow circle of the town in whichyou live, then you live in a narrow cir-conscribed life. But if you are interested in what isgoing on in China, then you are living in China~ if you’re interested in the characters of agood novel, then you are living with those highly interesting people, if you listen intently tofine music, you are away from your immediate surroundings and living in a world of passion andimagination.

To be or not to be--to live intensely and richly, merely to exist, that depends on ourselves.Let widen and intensify our relations. While we live, let live!

經典的英語優秀美文5

自制

Self-control is essential to happiness and usefulness.

自制是快樂及有為不可或缺的部分。

It is the master of all the virtues, and has its root in self-respect.

它主宰所有的美德，並紮根於自尊。

Let a man yield to his impulses and passions, and from that moment he gives up his moralfreedom.

一個人若受到衝動、感情用事支配的話，從那一刻起他便放棄了他的道德自由。

It is the self-discipline of a man that enables him to pursue success with superior diligenceand sobriety.

自律使人能夠更加勤奮、更加冷靜地來追求成功。

Many of the great characters in history illustrate this trait.

歷史上許多偉人都展現了這樣的特質。

In ordinary life the application is the same.

自律亦可同樣運用在日常生活中。

He who would lead must first command himself.

欲領導他人的人必須先統御自己。

The time of test is when everybody is excited or angry, then the well一balanced mind comes tothe front.

每個人激動生氣時，便是考驗的時刻，這時心平氣和的人便會出頭了。

There is a very special demand for the cultivation of this trait at present.

目前最需要培養這種特質了。

The young men who rush into business with no good education or drill will do poor andfeverish work.

沒有受過良好的教育或磨練便匆匆投入商場的小夥子，做起事來一定是差勁而毛躁。

Endurance is a much better test of character than act of heroism.

忍耐要比逞英雄更能考驗品德。

A fair amount of self-examination is good，Self-knowledge is a preface to self-control.

適度的自我檢討很不錯。若有自知之明方能自制。

Too much self-inspection leads to morbidness; too little conducts to careless and hastyaction.

不過過度的自我檢討會成為病態，檢討不足則又導致行事粗心草率。

There are two things which will surely strengthen our self-control.

有兩件事肯定會增強我們的自制力。

One is attention to conscience; the other is a spirit of good will.

其一是注重良知，其二是心懷善意。

The man who would succeed in any great undertaking must hold all his faculties under perfectcontrol;

若要實現任何偉大的抱負獲得成功就必須妥善掌控自己的才能;

they must be disciplined and drilled until they quickly and cheerfully obey the will.

他必須要先加以約束、磨練這些才能，它們方能迅速而又愉快地服從他的心意。

是

經典的英語優秀美文6

Excellence is not an act, but a habit

Our character, basically, is a composite of our habits. “Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny,” the maxim goes.

人的品德基本上是由習慣組成的。 俗語説；思想決定行動，行動決定習慣，習慣決定品德，品德決定命運。

Habits are powerful factors in our lives. Because they are consistent, often unconscious patterns, they constantly, daily, express our character and produce our effectiveness or ineffectiveness.

習慣對我們的生活有絕大的影響，因為它們是一貫的。 在不知不覺中， 經年累月影響着我們的品德，暴露出我們的本性，左右着我們的成敗。

As Horace Mann, the great educator, once said, “habits are like a cable. We weave a strand of it every day and soon it cannot be broken.” I personally do not agree with the last part of his expression. I know habits can be learned and unlearned. But is also know it isn’t a quick fix. It involves a process and a tremendous commitment.

美國著名教育家曼恩曾説：“習慣就彷彿是一條纜繩，我們每天為他纏上一股新索，不要多久就會變得牢不可破。”這句話的後半段我不敢苟同，我相信習慣可以養成，也可以打破，但絕不是一蹴而就，而是需要長期的努力和無比的毅力。

Those of us who watched the lunar voyage of Apollo 11 were transfixed as we saw the first men walk on the moon and return to earth. But to get there, those astronauts literally had to break out of the tremendous gravity pull of the earth. More energy was spent in the first few minutes of lift-off, in the first few miles of travel, than was used over the next several days to travel half a million miles.

宇航員搭乘阿波羅11號太空船，首次登陸月球的剎那，的確令人歎為觀止。但宇航員得先擺脱地球強大的引力，才能飛往月球。由此在剛發射的幾分鐘，也就是整個任務一開始的幾英里之內，是最艱難的時刻，所耗的力量往往超越往後的幾十萬英里。

Habits, too, have tremendous gravity pull- more than most people realize or would admit. Breaking deeply imbedded habitual tendencies such as procrastination, impatience, criticalness, or selfishness that violate basic principles of human effectiveness involves more than a little willpower and a few minor changes in our lives. “Lift off” takes a tremendous effort, but once we break out of the gravity pull, our freedom takes on a whole new dimension.

習慣也是一樣，它具有極大的引力，只是許多人不加註意或不肯承認了。想要革除因循苟且，缺乏耐心，吹毛求疵或自私自利等不良習性，若是缺乏意志力，不能大刀闊斧的改革，便難以實現目標。“起飛”需要極大的努力，然而一旦脱離重力的牽絆，我們便可享受前所未有的自由。

1. maxim ['mksm] 座右銘

2. Our character, basically, is a composite of our habits.

人的品德基本上是由習慣組成的。

composite[kɑm'pɑzt] n. 組合，組成物，adj 組合而成的

composite material 複合材料

China is a great composite of various nationalities.

3. Because they are consistent, often unconscious patterns

因為它們是一貫的。

consistent[kn'sstnt] adj. 始終如一的， 堅持的， 一致的

Running is my only consistent habit.

Losing weight is her consistent slogan.

4. It involves a process and a tremendous commitment.

tremendous[tr'mnds]adj.極好的， 極大的， 驚人的

The city has taken place a tremendous change these years.

commitment [k'mtmnt]n. 承諾， 保證， 承擔承諾， 獻身

Don't offer any commitment if you can't fulfill it.

5. Those astronauts literally had to break out of the tremendous gravity pull of the earth.

gravity['ɡrvti]最喜歡的一首歌《Defying Gravity》 沒聽過的一定要去聽哦！

5.Breaking deeplyimbeddedhabitual tendencies such as procrastination, impatience, criticalness, or selfishness.

想要革除拖延，缺乏耐心，吹毛求疵或自私自利等頑固地不良習性。

imbedded[m'bdId] adj 嵌入的

My whole life is imbedded in teaching English.

經典的英語優秀美文7

美麗的秋天The Beauty of The Autumn

Call - call - call! Hear the voice of wind. Ah! Autumn is finally here!

呼-呼-呼!又聽到秋風的聲音。啊!秋天終於來了!

Garden, chrysanthemum competing opened! There are white the light yellow of ... .... Colorful chrysanthemums flourish in light wind, as if greeting them with people! Sweet-scented osmanthus trees out of the light yellow flowers. A wind blowing, a fresh wind into the nose, ah, really incense!

花園裏，菊花競相開放了!有雪白的、淺紫的、淡黃的。五顏六色的菊花爭奇鬥豔，在秋風中輕點着頭，好像在跟人們打招呼呢!桂花樹上開出了淡黃的小花。一陣輕風吹來，一股清香飄入鼻中，啊，真香!

Orchards, the apple red, like little brothers face. Aunts and uncles are tiptoe with apple picking. Thunk! A ripe apple from the tree fell down. Persimmon tree, hanging on a persimmon tree, far from looking like a red lantern! Grapes on a channeling channeling a , as one finally purple beads, purple was black, people really want a bite it.

果園裏，蘋果紅彤彤的，就像小弟弟的臉。叔叔阿姨們正踮着腳跟摘蘋果。咚!一個熟透的蘋果從樹上掉了下來。柿子樹上，一個個柿子掛在樹上，遠遠望去像一個個紅燈籠!葡萄架上的葡萄一竄竄、一簇簇，像一顆顆紫色的珠子，紫得發黑，讓人真想咬它一口。

Fields, the endless golden rice, just like the earth covered with a layer of gold to the carpet. Farmers are busy on the busy man under, while cutting rice, while rice into basket. Face expression of joy and happiness.

田野裏，金黃色的稻子一望無際，就像給大地鋪上一層金黃的地毯。農民伯伯正忙上忙下的，一會兒割稻穀，一會兒將稻穀裝進籃子裏。臉上露出歡樂和喜悦的表情。

Autumn is a season of charming scenery, it is a harvest season. Ah! The fall, you really beautiful you!

秋天是一個景色迷人的季節，更是一個豐收的季節。啊!秋天，你真美呀!

陪在你身邊Ill always be there for you!

No matter what happens, I ll always be there for you!

不管發生什麼，我永遠都會在你的身邊!

In xxxxan 8.2 earthquake almost flattened America, killing over 30,000 people in less than four minutes. In the midst of utter devastation and chaos, a father left his wife safely at home and rushed to the school where his son was supposed to be, only to discover that the building was as flat as a pancake.

xxxx年，一次8.2級的地震幾乎剷平美國，在短短不到4分鐘的時間裏，奪去了3萬多人的生命!在徹底的破壞與混亂之中，有位父親將他的妻子在家裏安頓好後，跑到他兒子就讀的學校，而觸目所見，卻是被夷為平地的校園。

After the unforgettably initial shock, he remembered the promise he had made to his son: No matter what, Ill always be there for you! And tears began to fill his eyes. As he looked at the pile of ruins that once was the school, it looked hopeless, but he kept remembering his commitment to his son.

看到這令人傷心的一幕，他想起了曾經對兒子所作的承諾：不論發生什麼事，我都會在你身邊。至此，父親熱淚滿眶。目睹曾經的學校成為了一堆瓦礫，真叫人絕望。但父親的腦中仍然牢記着他對兒子的諾言。

He began to direct his attention towards where he walked his son to class at school each morning. Remembering his sons classroom would be in the back right corner of the building, he rushed there and started digging through the ruins.

他開始努力回憶每天早上送兒子上學的必經之路，終於記起兒子的教室應該就在那幢建築物後面，位於右邊的角落裏，他跑到那兒，開始在碎石礫中挖掘，搜尋兒子的下落。

As he was digging, other helpless parents arrived, clutching their hearts, saying: My son! My daughter! Other well-meaning parents tried to pull him off what was left of the school, saying: Its too late! Theyre all dead! You cant help! Go home! Come on, face reality, theres nothing you can do!

當這位父親正在挖掘時，其他束手無策的學生家長趕到現場，揪心地叫着：我的兒子呀!我的女兒呀!一些好意的家長試圖把這位父親勸離現場，告訴他一切都太遲了!他們全死了!這樣做沒用的，回去吧，這樣做只會使事情更糟。

To each parent he responded with one line: Are you going to help me now And then he con tinued to dig for his son, stone by stone. The fire chief showed up and tried to pull him off the schools ruins saying, Fires are breaking out, explosions are happening everywhere. Youre in danger. Well take care of it. Go home. To which this loving, caring American father asked, Are you going to help me now

面對種種勸告，這位父親的回答只有一句話：你們願意幫我嗎然後繼續進行挖掘工作，在廢墟中尋找他的兒子。消防隊長出現了，他也試圖把這位父親勸走，對他説：火災頻現，四處都在發生爆炸，你在這裏太危險了，這邊的事我們會處理，你回家吧!對此，這位慈愛、關切的父親仍然回答：你們要幫我嗎

The police came and said, Youre angry, anxious and its over. Youre endangering others. Go home. Well handle it! To which he replied, Are you go ing to help me now No one helped.

警察趕到現場，對他説：你現在又氣又急，該結束了，你在危及他人，回家吧!我們會處理一切的。這位父親依舊回答：你們願意幫我嗎然而，人們無動於衷。

Courageously he went on alone because he needed to know for himself: Is my boy alive or is he dead He dug for eight hours...12 hours...24 hours...36 hours...then, in the 38th hour, he pulled back a large stone and heard his sons voice. He screamed his sons name, ARMAND! He heard back, Dad!! Its me, Dad! I told the other kids not to worry. I told them that if you were alive, youd save me and when you saved me, theyd be saved. You promised, No matter what happens, Ill always be there for you! You did it, Dad! Whats going on in there How is it the father asked.

他挖掘了8小時，--12小時，24小時，36小時--38小時後，父親推開了一塊巨大的石頭，聽到了兒子的聲音。父親尖叫着：阿曼德!兒子的迴音聽到了：爸爸嗎是我，爸爸，我告訴其他的小朋友不要着急。我告訴他們如果你活着，你會來救我的。如果我獲救了，他們也就獲救了。你答應過我，不論發生什麼，我永遠都會在你的身邊，你做到了，爸爸!你那裏的情況怎樣父親問。

There are 14 of us left out of 33, Dad. Were scared, hungry, thirsty and thankful youre here. When the building collapsed, it made a triangle, and it saved us.

我們有33個，只有14個活着。爸爸，我們好害怕，又渴又餓，謝天謝地，你在這兒。教室倒塌時，剛好形成一個三角形的洞，救了我們。

Come out, boy!

快出來吧!兒子!

No, Dad! Let the other kids out first, cause I know youll get me! No matter what happens, I know youll always be there for me!

不，爸，讓其他小朋友先出來吧!因為我知道你會接我的!不管發生什麼事，我知道你永遠都會來到我的身邊!

熱愛生命

That day he decreased the distance between him and the ship by three miles;the next day by two-for he was crawling now as Bill had crawled;and the end of the day found the ship still seven mailes away and him unable to make even a mile a day. Still the indian summer held on, and he continued to crawl and faint ,turn and turn about; and ever the sick wolf coughed and wheezed at his heels. His knees had become raw meat like his feet, and though he paddled them with the shirt from his back it was a red track he left behind him on the moss and stones. Once , glancing back, he saw the wolf licking hungrily his bleeding trail, and he saw sharply what his own end might be-unless-unless he could get the wolf. Then began as grim a tragedy of existence as was ever played-a sick man that crawled, a sick wolf that limped, two creatures dragging their dying carcasses across the desolation and hunting each others lives.

這一天，他和那條船之間的距離又縮短了三英里，到了第二天，他又繼續縮短了兩英里-因為他現在就和比爾先生先前一樣在地上匍匐前進，到了第五天晚上的時候，他發現那條船依然離他還有七英里的距離，而他每天的進程還不到一英里。幸好深秋的天氣依然晴朗，他繼續爬，一次又一次地暈死過去，可是醒來他又繼續地往前爬，不停地回頭張望着;而那頭病狼也在不停地咳嗽着，發出艱難的喘息聲，可依然緊緊尾隨其後。他的膝蓋-就和他的雙腳一樣-早給磨得血肉模糊，其實他一早就脱下了身上的襯衣裹住了膝蓋，可都沒有用，他一路爬下來，他身後的苔蘚和巖石上也就留下了一道觸目驚心的血漬。有一次他回頭的時候，他看見那頭餓狼正貪婪地舔着他的血漬，一時間他清楚地意識到自己的結局-除非-除非他把那頭狼解決掉。就這樣，一幕從來沒有上演的求生悲劇開始了-病人在前面爬，瘸腿的病狼尾隨其後，兩個生靈就這樣在荒漠裏拖着垂死的軀殼，隨時準備獵取對方的生命。

Had it been a well wolf, it would not have mattered so much to the man;but the thought of going to feed the maw of that loathsome and all but dead thing was repugnant to him. He was finicky. His mind had begun to wander again, and to be perplexed by hallucinations, while his lucid intervals grew rarer and shorter.

如果這是頭健康的狼，他也覺得沒什麼;可是一想到自己要葬身狼腹，尤其是眼前這頭令人作惡、病怏怏的餓狼，他就覺得非常厭惡。要知道他可是一個非常講究的人。他又開始胡思亂想起來，人也因幻覺影響而變得迷糊。他神智清醒的時間越來越少，越來越短。

He was awaken once from a faint by a wheeze close in his ear.The wolf leaped lamely back, losing its footing and falling in its weakness. It was ludicrous, but he was not amused. Nor was he even afraid. He was too far gone for that. But his mind was for the moment clear, and he lay and considered.

有一次他從昏迷中被耳邊傳來的喘息聲驚醒;那隻狼很快一跛一跛地跳開，由於身體虛弱，那頭狼還失足摔了一跤，那樣子可笑極了，可是他卻笑不出來。倒不是因為他害怕，事情到了這田地他早就不害怕了。不過，在這瞬間他的腦子很清醒，他躺在地上仔細地思考起來。

The ship was more than four miles away. He could see it quite distinctly when he rubbed the mists out of his eyes. But he could never crawl those four miles. He knew that, and was very calm in the knowledge. He knew that he could not crawl half a mile. And yet he wanted to live. It was unreasonable that he should die after all he had undergone. Fate asked too much of him. And , dying, he declined to die. It was stark madness, perhaps, but in the very grip of Death he defied Death and refused to die.

那艘船就在離他還不到四英里的地方。他使勁揉了揉眼睛，那艘船清晰的出現在他眼前。可是，他再也爬不完這四英里的路程了，這點他很清楚，因為就算是半英里的路程他也爬不了。可同時他也非常鎮靜，因為他想活下去。他已經經歷了千辛萬苦，他不想就這樣死掉。命運對他實在太苛刻了，可他就是不願俯身受死。這是一種近乎瘋狂的想法，可就算他無法逃脱死神的魔掌，他仍然要抗爭下去，要讓自己活下去。

He closed his eyes and composed himself with infinite precaution. He steeled himself to keep above the suffocating languor that lapped like a rising tide through all the wells of his being. It was very like a sea, this deadly languor, that rose and rose and drowned his consciousness bit by bit. Sometimes he was all but submerged, swimming through oblivion with a faltering stroke;and again, by some strange alchemy of soul, he would find another shred of will and strike out more strongly.

他閉上眼睛，設法使自己平靜下來，不敢有絲毫的鬆懈。令人窒息的疲倦像漲潮一樣，從他的身體各處湧來，他還是頑強地打醒精神，不讓自己被疲倦淹沒。這種要命的疲倦，就像大海一樣，一浪又一浪地漲過來，一點一點地吞噬着他的意識。有時候，他被完全淹沒其中，就這樣默默地漂游;而有時候，憑藉一種奇異的心靈作用，他又找回了些許精神力量，更加堅毅地前進。

Teach him to sell his brawn and brains to the highest bidder, but never to put a price on his heart and soul.

教他可以最高價付出自己的精力和智慧，但絕不可出賣良心和靈魂。

Teach him to close his ears to a howling mob...and to stand and fight if he thinks hes right.

教他置xx的喧囂於度外並在自覺正確之時挺身而戰。

Teach him gently, World, but dont coddle him, because only the test of fire makes fine steel.

温柔地教導他吧，世界，但是不要放縱他，因為只有烈火的考驗才能煉出真鋼。

This is a big order, World, but see what you can do.

這一要求甚高，世界，但是請盡你所能。

Hes such a nice little fellow.

他是一個如此可愛的小傢伙。

經典的英語優秀美文8

why Measure Life in Heartbeats?

Hemingway once wrote that courage is grace under pressure. But I wouldrather think with the 18th-century Italian dramatist, Vittorio Alfieri, that"often the test of courage is not to die but t0 1ive." For living with cancerengenders more than pressure; it begets terror. To live with it, to face up toit-that's courage.

Hope is our most effective "drug" in treating cancer. There is almost nocancer (at any stage) that cannot be treated. By instilling hope in a patient,we can help develop a positive; combative attitude to his disease. Illogical,unproven? Perhaps. But many doaors believe that this must become a partof cancer therapy if the therapy is to be effective.

I have had the joy of two beautiful and wonderful wives, the happiness ofparenthood and the love of eight children. My work was constantly chal-lenging and fulfilling. I have always loved music and books, ballet and thetheater. I was addicted to fitness, tennis, golf, curling, hunting and fishing.

Good food and wine graced my table. My home was a warm and happyplace.

But when I became aware of my imminent mortality, my attitudes changed.

There was real meaning to the words, "This is the first day of the rest ofyour life." There was a heightened awareness of each sunny day, the beautyof flowers, the song of a bird. How often do we reflect on the joy of breath.

ing easily, of swallowing without effort and discomfort, of walking withoutpain, of a complete and peaceful night's sleep?

After I became ill, I embarked upon many things I had been putting offbefore. I read the books Ihad set aside for retirement and wrote one myself,entitled TheArt of Surgery. My wife Madeleine and I took more holidays.

We played tennis regularly and curled avidly; we took the boys fishing. WhenI review these past few years, it seems in many ways that I have lived alifetime since I acquired cancer. On my last holiday in the Bahamas, as Iwalked along the beach feeling the gentle waves wash over my feet, I felt apart of tlie universe, even if only a minuscule one,like a grain of sand on thebeach.

Although I had to restrict the size of my practice, I felt closer empathy withmy patients. When I walked into the Intensive Care Unit there was an awe-some feeling knowing I, too, had been a patient there. It was a special satis-faction to comfort my patients with cancer, knowing that it is possible toenjoy life after the anguish of that diagnosis. It gave me a warm feeling tosee the sparkle in one patient's eyes-a man with a totallaryngectomy-when I asked if he would enjoy a cold beer and went to get him one.

If one realizes that our time on this earth is but a tiny fraction of that withinthe cosmos, then life calculated in years may not be as important as wethink. Why measure life in heartbeats? When life is so dependent on such anunreliable function as the beating of the heart, then it is fragile indeed. Theonly thing that one can depend upon with absolute certainty is death.

I believe that death may be the most important part of life. I believe that lifeis infinitesinially brief in relation to the immensity of eternity. I believe,because of my religious faith, that I shall "return to the Father"in an afterlifethat is beyond description. I believe that though my life was short in years, itwas fullin experience, joy, love and accomplishment; that my owriimmor-tality will reside in the memories of my loved ones left behind, mother,brother, wife, children, dear friends. I believe that I will die with loved onesclose by and, one hopes, achieve that great gift of God-ileath in peace, andwith dignity.

何必以心跳定生死?

海明威曾經寫過，勇氣就是臨危不懼。不過，我更贊同18世紀意大利戲劇家維多利奧·阿爾菲利的觀點：“對勇氣的考驗往往不是去死，而是要活。”身患癌症，不僅帶來痛苦，而且引起恐懼。抱病生活，並敢於正視這一現實，這就是勇氣。

希望是我們治療癌症最有效的“藥物”。幾乎沒有任何癌症(無論發展到哪一期)是不能醫治的。把希望灌輸到病人心裏，我們就可以幫助他樹立起積極與疾病作鬥爭的觀念。也許此話不合邏輯，言之無據，是嗎?然而，許多醫生認為，要想使療法有效，這必須成為癌症治療的一部分。

我有幸先後擁有兩位美麗賢惠的妻子所帶來的歡欣，體驗過為人之父的樂趣，並得到八個子女的愛。過去，我的工作一直富有挑戰性，令人有成就感。我一向喜歡聽音樂和讀書，酷愛芭蕾舞和戲劇。我曾經醉心於健身運動、網球、高爾夫球、冰上溜石、打獵和垂釣。我的餐桌擺滿美酒佳餚。我的家温馨而又幸福。

可是，當我知道自己大限將至時，生活態度就變了。“這是您餘生的開始。”這句話對我有了實實在在的含義。對每一個晴天麗日，對鳥語花香，我的感觸倍加強烈。平日呼吸輕鬆，吞食自如，走路毫不費勁，一夜安寢到天明，我們幾曾回味過其中的樂趣?

患病後，我着手做以前擱置下來的許多事情。我閲讀了本來留到退休後才讀的書，而且還寫了一本題為《外科術》的書。我與夫人馬德琳度假更加頻繁。我們經常去打網球，勁頭十足地在冰上溜石，還帶兒子們去釣魚。回顧過去幾年，從許多方面來看，自從得了癌症以後，我似乎已經活了一輩子。上次到巴哈馬度假期間，我沿着海灘漫步，海浪輕輕撫揉着我的雙腳，此時此刻我驀然覺得自己與整個宇宙融為一體，儘管我微不足道，就像海灘上的一粒沙子。

雖然我不得不限制自己的醫務工作量，我感到與病人更加心靈相通。當我走進特別護理室時，一種敬畏之感油然而生，因為我知道自己也曾是這裏的病人。我明白，在經歷了被確診為癌症的極度痛苦之後，仍有可能享受生活，因此，安慰癌症患者成了一種特別的樂事。一位病人做了喉部切除手術，我問他是否想喝凍啤酒，而且為他拿來了一杯，這時我看到他眼裏閃現出了火花，一股暖流頓時湧上我的心頭。

倘若人們意識到人生在世只不過是宇宙的時間長河中轉瞬即逝的一剎那，那麼以歲月計算的生命就不會像我們所想的那樣重要了。何必以心跳來定生死呢?當生命依賴於心跳這樣一種不可靠的功能時，它的確脆弱不堪。而只有死亡才是人們唯一可以絕對依賴的。

我認為死亡可能是人生中最重要的一環。我認為與那漫長的永生相比，生命是極其短暫的。基於我的宗教信仰，我相信在我身後那難以描繪的時光裏，我將回歸聖父。我相信，我的生命以年月計算，雖然是短暫的，但經歷豐富，充滿了歡樂、愛情和成就;我將永遠活在我所愛的人，即我的母親、兄弟、兒女和密友的記憶中。我相信，在彌留之際，我的親朋好友將陪伴在我身旁：我希望得到上帝的恩賜——帶着尊嚴，安詳地告別人間。

經典的英語優秀美文9

Walking by Faith

I"ll never forget the day I met her and her glowing personality. It was the beginning of my senior year of high school. I had that typical senior attitude - I was anxious, excited, a little on the proud side. I wanted to enjoy my senior year, and I wasn"t too concerned with meeting or befriending any lowerclassmen, especially not the new kids. Fortunately, my arrogance was overcome the moment I met Sarah in my computer class on the first day of school. There was just something about her. She was so friendly and sweet, and seemed genuinely excited about being at our tiny eighty-student Christian high school.

It was only ten minutes of initial small talk that endeared Sarah to my heart. She liked basketball. Basketball was one of the highlights of my childhood, and our slightly weak team was always thrilled to welcome new players.

She was taller than me by a couple of inches, and my five-foot-seven frame was unfortunately the tallest on our team. Each practice, as we worked together toward our common goal, we became closer. She was always so encouraging and positive; it seemed like nothing could get her down.

I remember vividly an early tournament we attended that December. We were playing a team that was tough. They had been our rivals throughout my basketball years. The game went back and forth, and victory was up for grabs. However, it looked like our team would not pull through. Three of our starters had fouled out, and we were falling behind until Sarah entered the game with great enthusiasm. She played well, but it was her attitude that helped us the most. "We"re going to win this!" I remember her saying. And we did! After that game, I remember admiring Sarah"s determination to succeed and her powerful encouragement. She seemed to be fearless of any obstacle she might have to face.

Unfortunately, in only a matter of weeks, she would have to face a life-changing one. Sarah was involved in a terrible car accident on her way to school. During a bad snowstorm, her family"s van skidded off the road, and Sarah was thrown several feet onto the pavement. Her major injuries included a crushed vertebrae in her neck and a bruised spine. For a day or two, no one knew if she would survive. Then the doctors told her that she would never walk again.

As soon as I heard the tragic news, my heart sank. Why did this happen to someone like Sarah? My spirits were instantly lifted, however, as I watched classmates, friends and teachers earnestly praying for Sarah"s recovery. It wasn"t until a few weeks later when a couple of my friends and I visited Sarah in the hospital that I realized the extent of her positive attitude. She had impacted her family, friends, our basketball team and even the nurses with her faith in God and her strong will to recover completely. Despite the doctor"s negative prognosis, Sarah remained calm and determined. Her faith never wavered, even though those of us who loved her most doubted that walking would ever be in her future. Sarah put herself 100 percent into getting better and walking on her own. When she wasn"t doing painful rehabilitation exercises, she was either spreading her kindness to others or praying.

It wasn"t long before Sarah was indeed walking again. She showed the same strength and devotion toward getting better as she did each time she walked onto the basketball court. She isn"t playing basketball yet, but I don"t doubt that she will be amazing us once again. Sometimes just believing can make anything possible.

[AUTHOR"S NOTE: Sarah now attends a Christian college in southern Florida. The last time I saw her was at a varsity basketball game at our former high school. Of all the people who I wanted to see during my Christmas break, she was at the top of my list. We greeted each other with a big hug, and she had that same big smile on her face - that smile that even after all she had been through, still shone courageously. She had completed her first semester of her freshman year and would be returning after break to continue her education in writing.]

經典的英語優秀美文10

泥土的微笑

All over my garden Ive planted nothing but roses, fragrant and if looked at from afar-ablaze with colour like sunset clouds. I would be very happy if any one of my visiting friends should desire to pick and take some for their homes.I trust that any friend of nune carrying the roses would vanish into the distance feeling that his emotion had been rekindled.

我在花園裏種滿了芬芳的玫瑰花，遠遠望去，他們像一片燃燒的晚霞。如果來訪的朋友想摘些花帶回家，我會很高興。我相信朋友捧着火紅的玫瑰漸漸走遠的背影，一定能點燃易感的情懷。

A close friend came for a visit the other day, I know her to be a lover of flowers and plants, and for that reason I told her at her departure that she should pick a bunch of roses to decorate her boudoir. I promised that the scent ofthe roses would be wafted far, far away.

有一天，一位非常要好的女友來探望我，我知道她平素最喜歡花花草草了，臨別時我説，採一束玫瑰點綴你的閨房，保證十里飄香。

That girl friend of mine, tiptoeing into the garden in high spirits, sniffed here and smelt there, but in the end she didnt pick a single rose. I said there were so many of them tbat she could pick as many as shed like to, I told her that I was not a florist and didnt make a living out of them. While saying so I raised the scissors for the sacrifice of the flowers, but she vehemently stopped me, crying no, no, no!

女友輕輕地跨進花園，東聞聞，西嗅嗅，神采飛揚，就是不肯採摘。我説沒關係，多的是，並讓她儘管採摘。我告訴她我又不是花店的老闆，不會靠玫瑰賺錢的，説完我就舉起剪刀準備獻美。女友急忙攔住，高聲叫着不可不可。

To cut such beautiful roses would hurt one, she said.With her hands clutching at my sleeves, she told me that by no means should they be cut. Roses are the smiling face of the earth, and who could be so iron hearted as to destroy a smile so exhilarating

這麼美麗的玫瑰剪下來，讓人心疼，她説道。她緊抓住我的袖子叮嚀道：千萬不能剪啊，玫瑰是泥土的微笑，誰忍心殺戮美得醉人的微笑

My mind was thoroughly boggled: the ugly earth, the humble earth,the plain earth-it is only because of the roses that it reveals an amazing and bright smile, and it is for the sake of that smile that it wins the care and pity of men.

我的靈魂悚然一驚，醜陋的泥土、卑微的泥土、樸素的泥土，因為玫瑰，它露出了驚豔一笑。因為這一笑，它讓人愛惜非常。

Of late a friend of mine i_nvited me to appreciate a Tang Dynasty vase that he was fortunate enough to have bought at an auction. The vase, with its slim neck, plump body, and fine little flowers on a blue and white background, has a noble shape and a rich colouring, elegant, refined, proud, poised, and supercilious, an extreme embodiment of the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty. I was filled with wonder to think that while everyone present was talang great care not to cause the slightest damage to the Tang treasure, it was to me nothing but an object made of clay. It had only become a piece of classic art after being baked in a china kiln.

近日，一個朋友在拍賣會上有幸購得一個花瓶，花瓶細頸大肚，碎花藍白圖案，看上去流光溢彩。從造型到色彩，整個如唐朝盛世的化身，雍容、華貴、高傲、悠閒，目空一切。朋友邀請我們大家觀賞。奇怪的是每一個參觀者都小心謹慎，生怕碰壞這盛唐的寶貝。其實它不過是一撮泥土而已，在經過窯燒之後才幹修百鍊成瓷中經典的口.

Both the exqusiteness of the boccaro teapots made in south China, and the shockingly beautiful sculptures by Clay Sculptor Zhang of Tianjin arent they all smiles of the earth They are such exquisite treasures that-even if they look ugly, humble, plain, or whatever-they no doubt deserve respect and veneration.

江南的紫砂壺玲瓏剔透，天津泥人張的彩塑令人拍案叫絕，它們不都是泥土的微笑嗎它們彌足珍貴，即使曾醜陋，即使曾卑微，即使曾樸素，同樣讓人肅然起敬。

Now I understand that no one, however ordinary, should be condemned to anonymity, and that anyone who adds a dash of colour to life deserves our respect.

我懂得了，即使再平凡的人，也沒有理由被埋沒，只要努力活出色彩，一定會叫人刮目相看。

天才養成攻略

Lesson one: New challenges require new ways of thinking

面對新挑戰，要有新思路

Part car, part jet fighter, part spaceship, Bloodhound SSC aims to be the first land vehicle to break the 1,000mph barrier. One of the key challenges has been to design the wheels. How do you create the fastest wheels in history, make them stable and reliable at supersonic speeds, and with limited resources

部分汽車、部分噴氣式飛機、部分宇宙飛船，獵犬號超級汽車的目標是做世界上第一輛時速突破1000英里的汽車。而這面臨的一項關鍵挑戰是車輪的設計。如果換做是你，你會如何在有限的資源下發明出超音速汽車上用的輪子呢

After much deliberation, and devising ideas that pushed the boundaries of material technology, Mark Chapman, chief engineer of the Bloodhound project said the team decided to take a step back and change the way they were trying to solve problems. Theres very little weve actually developed thats new, he says, whats unique is how we apply technologies.

獵犬號項目的總工程師馬克查普曼思來想去，覺得材料還是不夠好。最後他和他的團隊決定退回一步、換個角度看有沒有別的辦法。我們實際創新的東西並不多，馬克説：我們的獨特之處在於應用技術的方式別具一格。

They adopted an approach called the design of experiments a mathematical technique of problem solving through doing lots of little experiments and then looking at the statistics all glued together. All of a sudden, where wed been knocking our head against the wall for maybe two, three, four months, we came up with a wheel design that would hold together and was strong enough, he says.

他們採用實驗設計的方法做了很多的小實驗，綜合所得的數據再得出精確設計。花了三四個月絞盡腦汁做盡各種實驗之後，很突然地我們做出了一個大膽的設計：把各種可用的(飛機、飛船所用的)技術都融合在一輛車上，從而使它足夠強大。馬克説。

Lesson two: Let evidence shape your opinion

觀點要用證據來證明

Like his peers, geophysicist Steven Jacobsen from Northwestern University believed that water on Earth originated from comets. But by studying rocks, which allow scientists to peer back in time, he discovered water hidden inside ringwoodite, which lies in the Earths mantle, and which suggests that the oceans gradually made its way out of the planets interior many centuries ago.

美國西北大學地球物理學家史蒂文雅各布森曾認為，地球上的水源於彗星。但通過對巖石的研究，他發現地幔的林伍德石裏面也藏有水，這一發現表明或許在N個世紀之前，海洋是從地球內部自己慢慢溢出來的。

I had a pretty hard time convincing others, he admits. Yet two key pieces of evidence uncovered this year seem to support his point of view. Time will tell whether the new theories are true, and there may be further twists to the tale. But thinking about the fact that you may be the first person to see something for the first time doesnt happen very often, he says. When it does its thrilling.

那時候我難説服別的學者相信這個。史蒂文説。但是今年新發現的兩個關鍵證據似乎支持了他的理論。所以，一個新理論的正確與否可能需要時間來慢慢印證，在被世人接受前可能會經歷很多曲折。但是如果你發現你是第一個發現這個規律的人，且時間又證明你是對的之後，你會倍受鼓舞的。史蒂文説。

Lesson three: It really is 99% perspiration

天才的99%確實是汗水

Sheila Nirenberg at Cornell University is trying to develop a new prosthetic device for treating blindness. Key to this was cracking the code that transmits information from the eye to the brain. Once I realised this, I couldnt eat, I couldnt sleep all I wanted to do was work, says Nirenberg.

康奈爾大學希拉尼倫伯格正在研究治療失明的新型假體，其中破解眼睛與大腦的信息交流密碼是最關鍵的。我意識到這一點之後，就吃不下飯、睡不着覺，只想全身心投入工作。尼倫伯格説。

Sometimes Im exhausted and I get burnt out, she adds. But then I get an email from somebody in crisis or somebody whos getting macular degeneration, and they cant see their own childrens faces, and it is like, How can I possibly complain It gives me the energy to just go back and keep doing it.

每次覺得筋疲力盡、江郎才盡的時候，我都會收到一些到正處於危險狀態馬上要失明的、或是患有黃斑部退化症的病人的郵件，這些人將沒辦法看清自己孩子的長相、無法看這五顏六色的世界。每當這個時候，我就跟自己説我怎麼能夠抱怨呢，然後就又動力十足的繼續工作。

Lesson four: The answer isnt always what you expect

結果並不總是和預想的一樣

Sylvia Earle has spent decades trying to see the ocean with new eyes. Her dream machine is a submarine that could take scientists all the way to the bottom of the deepest ocean floor. What sort of material could best withstand the types of pressure you would encounter thousands of miles below the ocean surface It could be steel, it could be titanium, it could be some sort of ceramic, or some kind of aluminium system, says Earle. But glass is the ultimate material. By her estimates, a glass sphere about four-to-six inches (10-15cm) thick should be able safely explore the ocean depths she dreams of exploring.

西爾維亞厄爾花了幾十年的時間試圖讓人們用新的方式親近海底，她的夢想號潛艇可以讓科學家潛入到最深的海底。那種材料才能夠承受住深海的巨大壓力呢厄爾説：我想過用鋼、鈦、陶瓷等，但最終發現其實玻璃才是終極王者。根據她的預計，一塊10-15釐米厚的玻璃板就能讓她進入夢寐以求的那片深海世界。

Glass is the oldest material known to man and one of the least understood, says Tony Lawson, Earles engineering director at Deep Ocean and Exploration Research Marine. It has a higgledy-piggledy molecular structure a bit like a liquid, rather than the ordered lattices often found in other solids. As a result, when glass is evenly squeezed from all sides as it would be under the ocean the molecules cram closer together and form a tighter structure.

厄爾的項目技術總監稱，雖然玻璃是人類已知的最古老材料，但是我們對它的瞭解卻甚少。玻璃的分子結構有點像是液體，排列方式沒有一般固體的有規律。因此，當玻璃被海洋裏的壓力從四面八方壓迫時，它的分子會被壓在一起，形成更緊密的結構。

Lesson five: A little luck goes a long way

偶爾的一點好運也可以維持很久

It was hailed as one of the biggest success stories in the history of space exploration 20 years of planning ended earlier this year with the Philae lander rendezvousing with Comet 67P over 300 million miles (480 million kilometres) away from Earth.

菲萊探測器被譽為太空探索史上最大跨越之一，歷經20年的`策劃期終於在年初發射併成功在離地球四億八千萬公里的67P彗星上着陸。

The biggest challenge, says Stephan Ulamec, manager of the Philae lander programme, was how to design a probe to land on a body whose makeup they had little knowledge about. We had no idea of the size, we had no idea of the day-night cycle, which influences the thermal design, we had no idea of the gravity, so how fast would the lander impact, we had no idea how the surface looked, he says.

據菲萊項目的負責人斯蒂芬介紹，在這20年裏遇到的最大挑戰是對彗星構造瞭解較少，不知道該如何設計這個探測器。我們不知道彗星的晝夜循環情況會影響保熱設計，不知道彗星的重力也無法預測探測器着陸後對轉速的影響，甚至不清楚彗星表面的樣子。

They needed to create design parameters that could cope with an extremely wide range of possible comet structures but banked on the comet being a relatively even potato shape with enough flat surfaces for the probe to land on. Even then, not everything went to plan, and two decades of meticulous planning could have failed within minutes at touchdown. Philaes anchoring harpoons didnt fire as planned, and it bounced off the comet before settling onto its icy surface and successfully beaming data back to its relieved creators.

科學家們需要建立儘可能符合多種彗星結構的設計參數，但是還是得寄希望於彗星的表面要夠平坦。可即便是花了20年設計、縝密計劃過的菲萊還是在着陸的幾分鐘裏有點小失敗：魚叉系統未如計劃打開，無法準確釘入彗星表面。不過幸運的是，菲萊還是成功地把數據發回了地球。

Lesson six: Genius is indefinable

天才定義不明

Its a funny word: the word genius, says Nirenberg. I just sort of ignore it and just go on with life. You just do what you do independent of whatever labels attached to you. I dont know really how else to explain it.

天才這個詞很有趣，尼倫伯格説，我常常忽略這個標籤繼續走自己的路。只需要拋掉別人在你身上貼的各種標籤做自己想做到的事就好了。因為所謂天才真是判斷標準不一、無法解釋的事情。

旅行的N種正能量

I am currently on a massive adventure with my family: we are seven months into a year-long trip around Australia.

我和家人正在一同展開一場聲勢浩大的冒險活動：全年暢遊澳大利亞，這是其中的第七個月。

Coaching and traveling can bring up the same opportunities to shift long-held beliefs and ways of being.

無論是乘坐馬車觀光還是一般的旅行，都能為你提供許多機會，讓你改變積習的頑信，改換陳舊的生活方式。

When we sit down with a coach of any kind, it is because we want to achieve a particular goal in our lives, be it work, relationships, wellbeing or something else.

當我們坐上一列馬車無論是哪種馬車，我們想要的是實現一種心願，無論這心願是工作順遂，廣結善緣，生活安康還是其他的心願。

When we travel, we want to achieve a particular goal, be it experiences, connections, expansion or relaxation.

當我們外出旅行的時候，我們想要的是達到某一目標，無論這目標是積累經驗，構建人脈，博聞強識還是休閒放鬆。

When we are travelling, we find ourselves in new places and new spaces, physically and internally; it is the same with coaching.

在我們的旅行途中，我們會發現自己置身於新的地理位置，也獲得了新的心靈空間;乘馬車觀光亦是如此。

As travelers, we have to look at things in a different way; we need to draw on inner resources -- resources we may not have ever tapped into before. This builds inner confidence in other areas of our lives.

作為旅行者，我們會以不同的方式看待事物;我們要開放自己的內在感官這些內在感官或可能是我們從未開發過的礦藏。由此，我們能夠充實內在的信心，以便應對生活的方方面面。

When we travel, we have to be willing to look at things in a new way, a different way. We need to see things from another perspective and work with what is right in front of us, not with what we hope it to be.

在旅程中，我們應學會用新的，不一樣的眼光看待事物。我們應從不同的視角看待事情，接受當下所面對的人和事，而不是沉湎於自己所希冀的幻想之中。

One of the foundations of life coaching is knowing where you are starting from -- what is working in your life and what is not working -- and using that starting point to chart a course to where you need to go.

坐馬車旅程也是從人生旅途的某個驛站開始的行程。你要知道自己從哪裏出發你的生活中那些方面順心如意，那些方面不盡人意你從這個點出發，向着你必須到達的目的地，開始一段旅程。

As a roaming traveler, you do not have room for extra baggage: extra baggage wears you down emotionally and physically, a weight you do not need. Coaching allows us to uncover baggage we may not even know we have.

作為一個隨遇而安的旅人，你無需過多的行裝：過重的行李會讓你身體勞乏，心靈疲憊，你本可以避開這幅重擔。乘着馬車旅行，你會發現，原來你揹負着許多包袱，自己從未意識到。

When traveling with others (as we are in life), we have to forgive quicker, let go longer and generate compassion to ourselves and others, as a group/family dynamic can be as changeable as the wind.

當我們與旁人結伴旅行的時候(正如我們在生命中共同走過一段人生一樣)，我們應該原諒那些來去匆匆的人，放下獨來獨往的人，既要愛自己，也要愛他人，因為團隊/家庭成員之間的關係和風一樣善變。

When we move from one place to another we experience movement: I was in a different place yesterday to where I am today; tomorrow I can be somewhere completely different again.

當我們從一個地方來到另一個地方的時候，我們所體驗到的就是無所不在的變動：昨天我曾在一個不同的地方;今天我正在這個地方;明天我會去另一個完全陌生的地方。

經典的英語優秀美文11

讓個性大放異彩

In the eternal universe, every human being has a one-off chance to live --his existence is unique and irretrievable, for the mold with which he was made, as Rousseau said, was broken by God immediately afterwards.

在茫茫宇宙間，每個人都只有一次生存的機會，都是一個獨一無二、不可重複的存 在。正像盧梭所説的，上帝把你造出來後，就把那個屬於你的特定的模子打碎了。

Fame, wealth and knowledge are merely worldly possessions that are within the reach of anybody striving for them. But your experience of and feelings about life are your own and not to be shared. No one can live your life over again after your death. A full awareness of this will point out to you that the most important thing in your existence is your distinctive individuality or something special of yours. What really counts is not your worldly success but your peculiar insight into the meaning of life and your commitment to it, which add luster to your personality.

名聲、財產、知識等等是身外之物，人人都可求而得之，但沒有人能夠代替你感受 人生。你死之後，沒有人能夠代替你再活一次。如果你真正意識到了這一點，你就會明 白，活在世上，最重要的事就是活出你自己的特色和滋味來。你的人生是否有意義，衡 量的標準不是外在的成功，而是你對人生意義的獨特領悟和堅守，從而使你的自我閃放 出個性的光華。

It is not easy to be what one really is. There is many a person in the world who can be identified as anything either his job, his status or his social role that shows no trace about his individuality. It does do him justice to say that he has no identity of his own, if he doesn't know his own mind and all his things are either arranged by others or done on others' sugg estions; if his life, always occupied by external things, is completely void of an inner world. You won't be able to find anything whatever, from head to heart, that truly belongs to him. He is, indeed, no more than a shadow cast by somebody else or a machine capable of doing business.

真正成為自己不是一件容易的事。世上有許多人，你説他是什麼都行，例如是一種 職業，一個身份，一個角色，惟獨不是他自己。如果一個人總是按別人的意見生活，沒 有自己的獨立思索，總是為外在事務忙碌，沒有自己的內心生活，那麼，説他不是他自 己就一點兒也沒有冤枉他。因為確確實實，從他的頭腦到他的心靈，你在其中已經找不 到絲毫真正屬於他自己的東西了，他只是別人的一個影子或一架辦事的機器罷了。

經典的英語優秀美文12

A painter hangs his or her finished pictures on a wall, and everyone can see it. A composer writes a work, but no one can hear it until it is performed. Professional singers and players have great responsibilities, for the composer is utterly dependent on them. A student of music needs as long and as arduous a training to become a performer as a medical student needs to become a doctor. Most training is concerned with technique, for musicians have to have the muscular proficiency of an athlete or a ballet dancer。

畫家將已完成的作品掛在牆上，每個人都可以觀賞到。 作曲家寫完了一部作品，得由演奏者將其演奏出來，其他人才能得以欣賞。因為作曲家是如此完全地依賴於職業歌手和職業演奏者，所以職業歌手和職業演奏者肩上的擔子可謂不輕。 一名學音樂的學生要想成為一名演奏者，需要經受長期的、嚴格的訓練，就象一名醫科的學生要成為一名醫生一樣。 絕大多數的訓練是技巧性的。

Singers practice breathing every day, as their vocal chords would be inadequate without controlled muscular support. String players practice moving the fingers of the left hand up and down, while drawing the bow to and fro with the right arm—two entirely different movements。

音樂家們控制肌肉的熟練程度，必須達到與運動員或巴蕾舞演員相當的水平。 歌手們每天都練習吊嗓子，因為如果不能有效地控制肌肉的話，他們的聲帶將不能滿足演唱的要求。 絃樂器的演奏者練習的則是在左手的手指上下滑動的同時，用右手前後拉動琴弓--兩個截然不同的動作。

Singers and instruments have to be able to get every note perfectly in tune. Pianists are spared this particular anxiety, for the notes are already there, waiting for them, and it is the piano tuner’s responsibility to tune the instrument for them. But they have their own difficulties; the hammers that hit the string have to be coaxed not to sound like percussion, and each overlapping tone has to sound clear。

歌手和樂器演奏者必須使所有的音符完全相同協調。 鋼琴家們則不用操這份心，因為每個音符都已在那裏等待着他們了。 給鋼琴調音是調音師的職責。 但調音師們也有他們的難處： 他們必須耐心地調理敲擊琴絃的音錘，不能讓音錘發出的聲音象是打擊樂器，而且每個交疊的音都必須要清晰。

This problem of getting clear texture is one that confronts student conductors: they have to learn to know every note of the music and how it should sound, and they have to aim at controlling these sound with fanatical but selfless authority. Technique is of no use unless it is combined with musical knowledge and understanding. Great artists are those who are so thoroughly at home in the language of music that they can enjoy performing works written in any century。

如何得到樂章清晰的紋理是學生指揮們所面臨的難題：他們必須學會了解音樂中的每一個音及其發音之道。 他們還必須致力於以熱忱而又客觀的權威去控制這些音符。除非是和音樂方面的知識和悟性結合起來，單純的技巧沒有任何用處。 藝術家之所以偉大在於他們對音樂語言駕輕就熟，以致於可以滿懷喜悦地演出寫於任何時代的作品。

經典的英語優秀美文13

The silence of men in general is overtalked about and overcriticized. To be sure, men never open up as much as women want them to, but there is a wordless understanding in which we function fairly well especially in friendships.

I believe, in fact, that most women would prefer a man to be gloomily uncommunicative than to spill his guts at the drop of a hat.

The push for men to express their feelings presumes that we have feelings, and we do have a few, but they remain submerged, and the airing of them often violates their authenticity.

I am no biologist, but my guess is that the male human animal was programmed for silence. I would go so far as to argue that men were programmed to be isolated from one another and that aloneness is our natural state. Silence in male friendships is our way of being alone with each other.

Once men have established a friendship that itself is the word. The affection is obvious, at least to us. A main component of our silence is an appreciation of the affection.

男人的沉默往往被過多地談論且過分指責了。可以肯定的是，男人從未像女人所希望的那樣開誠佈公地説出自己的心裏話，但無言的理解，在男人當中卻很管用，尤其在維持友誼的時候。

我相信事實上大多數女人都寧願男人鬱鬱寡歡不言不語，而不喜歡男人就像竹筒倒豆子，什麼都説。

都説男人應該把情感表達出來，這説明我們並非沒有感情的動物。不錯，我們確實有一些，但隱而不露，若要表達出來就變味兒了。

我不是生物學家，但我猜想男人這種動物天生就是沉默寡言的。我甚至認為男人天生就是彼此孤立的，孤獨是我們的自然狀態。即使成了朋友，也是無聲的友誼，這使得我們能彼此獨立地活着。

一旦男人間建立起友誼，友誼本身就已説明了一切。至少對我們來説，情感是明顯的。我們的沉默，主要就是來自於對這份情感的欣賞。

經典的英語優秀美文14

種梨

Planting a Pear Tree

有鄉人貨梨於市，頗甘芳，價騰貴。有道士破巾絮衣，丐於車前。鄉人咄之，亦不去;鄉人怒，加以叱罵。道士曰：“一車數百顆，老袖止丐其一，於居士亦無大損，何怒為?”觀者勸置劣者一枚令去，鄉人執不肯。肆中傭保者，見喋聒聯不堪，遂出錢市一枚，付道士。道士拜謝，謂眾日：“出家人不解吝惜。我有佳梨、請出供客。”或曰：“既有之，何不自食?”曰：“我特需此核作種。”於是掬梨大啖。且盡，把核於手，解肩上鐫，坎地深數寸，納之而覆以土。向市人索湯沃灌。好事者於臨路店索得沸沈，道士接浸坎處。萬目攢視，見有勾萌出，漸大;俄成樹，枝葉扶蘇;倏而花，倏而實，碩大芳馥，累累滿樹。道七乃即樹頭摘賜觀者，頃刻向盡。已，乃以鐫伐樹，丁丁良久，方斷;帶葉荷肩頭，從容徐步而去。

A villager took his pears to the market to sell. His pears were juicy and sweet, but the price washigh. A Taoist priest, in an old cap and worn cotton robe, came up to his cart and begged for apear. The villager told him to go away but he would not. The villager got angry and began touse strong words at him. The Taoist priest said, "You've got a cartful of pears which must be inthe hundred, but I am asking for only one of them and one pear is not much of a loss to you.Why are you getting so angry shout it?" The onlookers said, "Give him a bad one and let himgo." A waiter in the tavern, hearing the noisy bickering in the street, came anti bought a pearfor the priest. The priest thanked him and said to the crowd, "As a Taoist priest I am not thatsparing. I've got first-class pears and I'd like to share them with you." Someone in the crowdsaid, "Why not eat your own pears then, since you've got some?"

"But I need the core of it as seed," the priest said and, holding up the pear with his hands,began to eat. When he ate up the pear, he held its core in one hand and, with the other, hetook off' a small shovel from his back. He began to dig in the ground a hole two or three inchesdeep, put the core in it and then covered it with earth. Lie asked if anyone in the crowd couldfind some hot water for him. One of them, an obliging person, fetched some boiling water froma strop by the street. The priest took it over and poured it where the core of the pear wasburied.

While tine people around watched, the core sprouted and grew and, in a moment, became atree with exuberant foliage and, in another couple of seconds, it began to blossom and bearpears. The pears were big, emitting sweet fragrance and the tree was heavy with them. Thepriest picked them and gave them to the people around and soon there were no more. Thenthe priest began to cut the tree and he worked at it for a long while before he felled it. He putthe tree, leaves and all, on his shoulder and walked off at a leisurely pace.

初，道士作法時，鄉人亦雜立眾中，引領注目，竟忘其業。道士既去，始顧車中，則梨已空矣。方悟適所儂散，皆己物也。又細視車上一靶亡，是新鑿斷者。心大憤恨。急跡之，轉過牆隅，則斷靶棄垣下，始知所伐梨本，即是物也。道士不知所在。一市粲然。

While the priest was playing the magic the pear seller, standing among the crowd, craned hisneck to watch, forgetting his own business. When the priest was gone he found that all hispears in the cart were gone. It was not until then that he realized the pears the priest haddished out were all his pears. And then he noticed that one shaft of his cart disappeared andthe cut was fresh. The pear seller was bursting with anger. He dashed off to run after thepriest. Turning the corner he found the lost shaft was lying at the foot of the wall. And by thenhe realized that it was the shaft of his cart, not the tree, that the priest was cutting. The priestwas nowhere to be found and the whole marketplace was immensely amazed.

經典的英語優秀美文15

The Olympics represents the noble ideal of sports overcoming the barriers of politics withchampion athletes of all nations gathering in the spirit of sportsmanship. However, the stakesgo beyond who wins the gold medal. Shortly after each competition, nations begin to vieafresh for the bid to host the next game. Winning the vote to host is not merely an honor, itis a political conquest in global recognition. It also spins revenue from the influx of tourists,participants and Olympic related paraphernalia.

However, all that glitters is not gold. For some residents of Beijing, the site of Olympic 2008,the impact of winning the bid cuts deep and far into their personal lives. The capital isexpecting to pour billions of dollars into sports facilities and related upgrades such as roads,public transport, landscaping and sanitation. For the bustling city of bicycles and traffic jamstucked among imperial relics, the Olympics is an opportunity for urban renewal.

Yet for those within the areas, something must give way to make room for the model OlympicVillage.

Decades of family homes will be uprooted and dispersed among apartments on the outskirtsof the city. Although modern plumbing and sanitation will replace chamber pots, the move isan upheaval of a community and its way of life and social dynamics. It will be interesting tofollow up on those and study the effects ofthe transplant.

The Olympics upgrades are not disposable stage props that can be easily discarded after theshow. Experts are afraid that without the heartbeat of ordinary people dwelling in the ancientcity, the high tech Olympic City would become culturally dry. Careful urban planning andstringent regulations such as building restrictions can preserve the impression of an intactneighborhood. Nevertheless, without the residents, aesthetic is lost and only the facaderemains, waiting to be filled by tourists and businesses.

Nonetheless who can begrudge anyone a more comfortable living environment? Even withoutthe Olympics, can the drumbeat of modernization be stopped? And whether the changes arefor better or worse, who should presume to judge such things other than those whose livesbear the brunt of the impact?

奧運會所代表的崇高理想，就是各國的運動選手用運動員精神超越政治障礙聚集在一起。可是，其利害關係不僅在於誰獲得金牌。每一屆奧運會後不久，各國又重新開始爭奪下一屆奧運會的主辦權。獲得主辦權不僅僅是一種榮譽，也代表着在政治上被全球認同的勝利。此外，還可以通過接踵而來的遊客、參賽者和和奧運會有關的設備迅速增加税收。

然而，我們不能只看其表面(該句亦可直譯為"閃閃發光的未必都是金子”)。對於北京2008年奧運會場地的那些居民來説，獲得主辦權對他們生活的影響是深遠的。首都預計要在運動設施及其相關的改進，如道路、公共交通、環境景觀和公共衞生等方面投入數十億美元。對於其皇家遺址中到處存放自行車、交通擁堵的繁忙城市，奧運會是一次都市翻新的機會。可是對於那些住在規劃用地的人而言，他們必須放棄一些東西來為—個現代化的奧運村騰地兒。

幾十年的家園被連根拔起，而被分散到城市郊區的公寓。雖然現代化的管道和衞生設備將取代便盆，但是遷移對一個社區及其生活方式和社會變遷過程仍然是一個大變動。追蹤這些人並研究遷移給他們帶來的影響將是很有意義的。

為奧運會所做的改進工程，並非是戲劇演出結束後輕易就可以丟棄的舞台小道具。專家們擔心在這座古城中缺乏了普通 居民的聲跡，高科技的奧運城會在文化上幾近枯竭。即使細心的城市規劃和嚴厲的法規,例如建築管制可以保留原封不動的社區外觀，然而沒有了居民，美感仍會失落,而只留下空殼，等待遊客和商業的填充。

不過，誰能妒忌一些人有較舒適的居住環境呢?即使沒有奧運會，現代化的鼓點聲是否能被阻擋?而且社會變遷的好與壞，除了那些深受其影響的人以外，還有誰能擅自判斷呢?