英语经典诵读短文.docx

英语经典诵读短文The Old FarmerAn old farmer had spend all his life on his farm in the countryside, far from the city. One day, he dicided to visit the big city. Everything was new and strange to him, because this was the first time he had traveled to the city. He went into a large hotel and saw an elevator. As he watched, an old lady got into the elevator and closed the door. After a while, the door opened again and a very pretty young girl came out. The old farmer was amazed. “What an incredible little room! ” he said to himself. “Its magic! It can change an old woman into a young girl. The next time I come here, Im going to bring my wife along. ”【注释】incredible adj. 难以置信的；不可思议的【译文】 老农民一个老农民一辈子住在远离城市的乡下农场里。有一天他决定到大城市里去观光。他觉得城市里的一切又新鲜，又奇特，因为这是他第一次到城市去旅行。他走进一家大旅馆，看见那里的电梯。当他瞧着的时候，一位老太太走进电梯关上了门。过了一会儿，门开了，一位年轻美貌的姑娘从电梯里走了出来。老农民惊呆了。“这真是一个不可思议的小房间啊！”他自言自语地说：“这简直是魔术！它能把一个老太太变成年轻姑娘。下次我再来的时候，我要带我的老婆一起来。”Reading Makes a Full ManWe see that the real factor by which a “full man” is made is neither education nor experience; it is reading. By reading scientific treatises, we are informed of many facts; by reading geography, we know the earths surface, forms, physical features etc.; by reading history, we are told of the growth of nations. With eyes we can see; with ears we can hear. But at a distance, small objects can hardly be distinguished by naked eyes, and ordinary sounds are not audible to our ears without a transmiter. It is by reading that we can know many things without actually seeing or hearing them. Besides, a fair knowledge of what the world is thinking and doing can only be acquired by reading newspapers and magazines. Therefore, no matter how advanced our education may be, or how much experience we may have, we cannot become “full man” unless we keep on reading.【注释】 factor n. 因素；要素 treatise 'tri:tis  n.（专题）论文 distinguish di'stigwi  v. 分辨；区别 naked adj.裸露的；光体的 naked eyes肉眼 audible ':dbl  adj.听得见的 transmiter n. 传送者；发报机 acquire 'kwai  v. 获得【译文】 读书使人完美我们知道造就一个“完人”的真正因素既不是教育也不是经验，而是读书。通过阅读科学论文，我们能知道许多事实；通过阅读地理，我们知道地球的表面、形状和物理特征等。通过阅读历史，我们了解到了国家的发展历程。我们能用眼睛看，用耳朵听。但在一定距离，靠肉眼就难于辨认小的事物，没有传话筒我们就听不见一般的声音。只有通过读书，我们才能知道许多不是我们耳闻目睹的事。而且，关于世界上正在思考和正在做的事情的很多知识，我们只能通过阅读报纸和杂志来获得。所以，不管我们所受的教育程度多高，也不管我们有多少经验，我们都不可能因此而成为“完人”。除非我们不断地读书。Happiness Is Your Own ChoiceMost of us compare ourselves with anyone we think is happier a relative, someone we know a lot, or someone we hardly know. As a result, what we do remember is anything that makes the others happy, anything that makes ourselves unhappy, totally forgetting that there is something happy in our own life.So the best way to destroy happiness is to look at something and focus on even the smallest flaw. It is the smallest flaw that would make us complain. And it is the complain that leads to us becoming unhappy.If one chooses to be happy, he will be blessed; if he chooses to be unhappy, he will be cursed. Happiness is just what you think will make you happy. 【注释】flaw fl:  n.缺点；裂纹；瑕疵【译文】 选择快乐你就快乐我们大多数人都喜欢跟我们的亲戚、熟识的朋友或不怎么了解的人进行比较，总认为他们比我们快乐。结果呢，我们确确实实记住了令他人快乐的事，扎扎实实记住了使自己不快乐的事，完完全全忘记了我们自己生活中也有快乐的一面。所以，毁灭快乐的最好方法是眼睛盯着某物并把注意力集中到最微不足道的缺点上。引起我们抱怨的，就是这些微不足道的缺点；而导致我们不快乐的，正是这些抱怨。如果你选择快乐，你将得到祝福；如果你选择痛苦，你就会受到诅咒。那么，如果你选择快乐，你就快乐。The Duties of a StudentEvery youth has to make the best use of his school days. As future masters of society, students must get prepared for a strenuous life. In other words, it is their lot to face lifes hardships. One who is bodily weak cannot hope to have great success. It is very important, therefore, for students to fully develop their physical prowess by taking regular exercise.To render themselves really useful, students are expected to specialize in some areas of study. Their ambition should be to know everything about something than to know something about everything. The twenty-first century has no place for those who have no special knowledge or training.【注释】 strenuous 'strenjus  adj. 奋发的；紧张的；费劲的；艰苦的 lot n. 命运；份额；（口）很多a lot oflots of；（商品等的）一批，某一类的人 prowess 'prauis  n. 英勇；勇猛；杰出的才能 render vt. 使成为；以回报（+for）；归还（+back）；给予（+to）；表示 specialize vi. 专攻，专门研究（+in） vt. 使专门化，使特殊化【译文】学生的责任每个青年人都必须充分利用他学生时代的大好时光。作为未来社会的主人，学生们必须对紧张的生活有所准备。换句话说，正视生活的艰苦是他们的责任。虚弱的身体是没有希望取得巨大成就的。因此，对学生们来说，通过有规律的锻炼来提高他们的身体素质是至关重要的。我们期望学生们向着某一研究领域专攻，以使得他们成为真正有用的人才，他们的志向应该是知道某一事物的每一方面，而不是去了解每一事物的某一方面。21世纪不会容纳那些没有专业知识和技能的人。励志故事 Courage勇气A father was really worried about his son, who was sixteen years old but had no courage at all. So the father decided to call on a Buddhist monk to train his child.The Buddhist monk said to the boys father, “You should leave your son alone here. Ill make him into a real man within three months. However, you cant come to see him during this period.”Three months later, the boys father returned. The Buddhist monk arranged a boxing match between the child and an experienced boxer. Each time the fighter struck the boy, he fell down, but at once the boy stood up; and each time a punch knocked him down again, then the boy stood up again. Several times later, the Buddhist monk asked, “What do you think of your child? ”“What a shame!” The boys father said. “I never thought he could be so easily knocked down. I neednt have left him here any longer.”“Im sorry that thats all you see. Dont you see that each time he falls down, he stands up again instead of crying? Thats the kind of courage you wanted him to have.”If each time you are knocked down you have the courage to stand up again, then you can be proud of yourself.【注释】 Buddhist monk 和尚，禅师； Buddhist n. 佛教徒adj. 佛教的；monk n. 僧侣；修道士 punch pnt n. 拳打C(+in/on) v. 用力击，用拳猛击Is Money the Roud to Happiness?In modern society, quite a few people make money the target for their lives pursuits as they believe money is the road to happiness. Is that the case? Does money really make the mare go?I dont agree with this opinion. Of course we cant live without money because it is the currency in circulation with which we buy what we need in daily life. But money doeant mean everything in the world, especially happiness. The factors that contribute to happiness are unpredictable. Those who have money to burn are not necessarily living a happy life while those who lack physical necessities may be happier than the rich.People say that money is the source of evil. It is true to some extent. To steal, to rob, to commit murder and even to aggress another country can all be caused by greed. Sometimes money can drive people crazy and even kill them. In that case how can we say money is the road to happiness?【注释】 词汇：pursuit n. 追求；mare n. 母马，母驴；currency n. 货币；circulation n. 流通；unpredictable adj. 不可预测的；aggress v. 攻击，侵略 短语：to some extent 从某种程度上说 （to asome degree）【译文】 金钱是通向幸福之路吗？在当今社会，相当多的人把金钱作为终身追求的目标，因为他们相信金钱是通向幸福之路。真的是这样吗？有钱真的能使鬼推磨吗？我并不认同这种观点。当然我们的生活离不开钱，因为它是流通中的货币，用它我们可以购买日常所需的东西。但是，金钱并不意味着世上的一切东西，特别是幸福。让人幸福的因素是不可预测的，那些花钱如流水的人并不一定过着幸福的生活，而那些物质匮乏的人可能比富人过得更快乐。人们曾说，金钱是罪恶之源，从某种程度上说，这是正确的。由于贪婪，人们情愿不惜一切代价去偷、去抢、去谋杀，甚至侵略其他国家，有时金钱可以让人疯狂，甚至毁掉他们。在那种情况下，我们怎能说金钱是通向幸福之路呢？FriendshipFriendship is one of the greatest pleasures that people can enjoy. Everyone needs friends. Real friends are those who can share all our sorrows and double all our joys. When in trouble, we need friends to offer us encouragement and help. With success achieved, we also need friends to share our joys. Its hard to imagine what life would be like without friendship.Knowing how valuable friendship is, we should be very careful in making friends. A good friend is helpful to us while a bad friend would be harmful. Time tries all. A long-term contract with someone will tell you who is a loyal friend and who is not. A friend in need is a friend indeed.【注释】contract 'kntrækt n. 合同；协议；契约（这里a long-term contract指长期的交往）【译文】 友谊友谊是人们可以享受到的最大乐趣之一。每个人都需要朋友。真正的朋友可以分担你所有的忧愁，增加你的快乐。当我们身陷困境的时候，我们需要朋友的鼓励和帮助；成功的时候，我们也需要朋友分享我们的快乐。很难想象，如果生活缺少友谊会是什么样的。知道友谊的珍贵，我们就应该谨慎交友。益友对我们帮助很多，而损友则有害无益。日久见人心。长期的交往会告诉你谁是忠诚的朋友而谁不是。患难之交才是真正的朋友。Key Factors to SuccessNo doubt, everyone wishes to be successful in life. But most success depends on three factors: diligence, devotion, and perseverance.The first key factor is diligence. Diligence can help us remove ignorance and overcome difficulties. It can make a fool wise, and a poor man rich. If we idle away our time now, our future life will be a failure. If we are diligent now, we will surely be successful in the future.Devotion, which means the concentration of our mind and effort in doing things, is another key factor to success. Whatever job we are doing, we must love it and do it heart and soul. Only when we set our minds on the job, can we do it well.Furthermore, perseverance is also necessary for any success. If we study or work day after day, there is nothing cannot be achieved. Without a strong will, on the other hand, we are likely to give up when we meet some difficulties.To conclude, all great man achieve success through diligence, devotion and perseverance. Just as the famous English saying goes, “No pain, no gain.”【注释】diligence n. 努力，勤奋；devotion n. 热爱，投入；perseverance n. 毅力；坚持不懈；idle away 浪费光阴，虚度时间【译文】 成功的关键要素毫无疑问，每个人都想在生活中有所成就。但大多数的成功都取决于三个关键要素：勤奋、投入和持之以恒。第一个关键要素是勤奋。勤奋可以帮助我们摆脱无知，克服困难。勤奋可以使愚昧的人变得聪明，使贫穷的人变得富裕。如果我们现在虚度光阴，未来的人生就会失败；如果我们现在勤奋，将来一定会非常成功。投入是成功的另一个关键要素，它意味着集中精力努力做事。我们应该热爱我们所做的任何工作，并全心全意做到最好。只有全身心地投入，才能把工作做好。此外，持之以恒对任何成功而言都是必不可少的。如果我们每天都坚持学习或工作，没有什么是不可能的。另一方面，没有坚强的意志，我们遇到困难时极易放弃。一句话，所有的伟人都是通过勤奋、投入和持之以恒而获得成功的。正如那句有名的谚语所说：“不劳不获”。Ways of CommunicationWhen you speak, write a letter, or make a telephone call, your words carry a message. People communicate with words. But do you how people also communicate without words? A smile on your face shows you are happy or friendly. Tears in your eyes tell others that you are sad. When you raise your hand in class, the teacher knows you want to say something or ask questions. You shake your head and people know you are saying “no”. You nod and people know you are saying “yes”.People can communicate in many other ways. An artist can use his drawings to tell about beautiful mountains, the blue seas, and many other things. Books are written to tell you about all the wonderful things in the world and what other people are thinking about.【译文】 交流方式当你说话、写信或打电话的时候，你的言语就传递了信息。人们用语言交流。不过，你知道吗？人们不用语言也能交流。脸上的微笑显示你高兴或友好；眼中的泪水告诉别人你很伤心。课堂上你一举手，老师就知道你有话要说或有问题要问。你摇摇头，人们就知道你在说“不”；你点点头，人们就知道你在说“是”。人们还可以用其他许多方式来相互交流。画家可以用他的绘画来表现壮丽的山脉、湛蓝的大海和其他许多事物。作家撰写书籍给你讲述世界上一切奇妙的事物，告诉你别人的思想。American Dining EtiquetteIf youre invited to an American friends home for dinner, keep in mind these general rules for polite behavior. First of all, arrive approximately on time (but not early). Americans expect promptness. Its OK to be ten or fifteen minutes late but not forty-five minutes late. Dinner might be overcooked and ruined by then. When youre invited to someones home for a meal, its polite to bring a small gift. Flowers or candy are always appropriate. If you have an attractive item made in your native country, your host or hostess would certainly enjoy receiving that as a gift.Dont leave immediately after dinner, but dont overstay your welcome, either. When your friends seem to be getting tired and running out of conversation, take their behavior as a cue to leave. The next day, call or write a thank-you note to say how much you enjoyed the evening.【注释】 etiquette 'eti'ket n. 礼节；规矩 （manners n. 礼貌；规矩；风俗习惯） approximately 'prksimitli adv. 近似地；大约 promptness prmptnis n. 准时；正好 （punctuality 守时，准时；punctual adj.守时的） appropriate 'pruprit adj. 适当的 （proper adj. 适当的，恰当的 be proper to） cue kju: n. 暗示；提示 overstay ones welcome （某人）呆的太久让人生厌【译文】 美国人进餐的礼节如果你应邀去一位美国朋友家共进晚餐，你应该记住以下这些礼貌行事的规矩。首先，争取按时到达（但不要早到）。美国人希望守时。晚10分钟或15分钟到不成问题，但不应迟到45分钟，因为那时候菜肴或许会因烹饪时间过长而失去应有的美味。你应邀去别人家吃饭时，不妨带件小礼物以示礼貌。鲜花和糖果总是很合适的。如果你带点自己国家的特产，主人肯定会高兴地收下这份礼物。不要吃完马上就走，但也不应逗留过长时间。如果你的朋友看上去已经有些疲倦，你们似乎也没有什么可聊的了，不妨把这看作是告辞的暗示。第二天，给朋友打个电话或写个感谢卡以表明自己昨晚过得很愉快。About WebsitesEmail, games, music, news, chat rooms, and shopping! The Internet is part of the way we live today. The Web has large numbers of websites on it. They are the places you go to get information and do things.Where do these websites come from? They are made by web designers. If you click on a word or a picture, you will be sent to another page. Its all because of the web designer. They do a lot of work by using a computer programming language. They must imagine a lot when they are making a website. It must look good and be fun to use. A big part of web design is art. They choose the best pictures and colors to make the website look good. They also write the things that you see on the website. An important part of their job is to share ideas with the website manager about how to design the website well.【译文】电子邮件、游戏、音乐、新闻、聊天室以及购物！因特网已经成为我们当今生活方式的一部分。网络有很多的网站，那些网站就是你获取信息和做事的地方。这些网站是哪里来的呢？它们都是由网络设计师设计出来的。如果你点击一个词或一张图片，你就会被带到另一个网页。这些都归功于网络设计员。他们与用一种电脑编程语言，完成了大量的工作。他们在设计一个网站时，需要想象很多东西。这个网站必须看起来美观，用起来有趣。网站设计很大一部分是美术设计。他们挑选最好的图片及颜色使得网站美观。他们写一些你在网上看到的东西。他们的另一种重要工作就是与网站管理员商量如何将网站设计得更好。MusicMusic is very relaxing. After a hard day of studying, it is fun to listen to all kinds of music at home. You can even play a musical instrument, or sing. Music relaxes you after working all day. Music can cheer you up when you are in a bad mood.If you can play a musical instrument, you are lucky. If you can play the piano, you can spend hours alone and never be bored. If you play the guitar, you can invite your friends over to sing along. And if you play the violin, you can be in an orchestra.You enjoy music throughout your life. There will be music in everything you hear: the roaring ocean, the whispering wind, and the warbling bird. You hear music wherever you may go.【注释】 orchestra ':kistr  n. 管弦乐队 warble 'w:bl vi. 鸟鸣【译文】 音乐音乐让人非常轻松。经过一天劳累的学习，在激励听听各种各样的音乐是挺有趣的。你甚至还可以弹奏乐器或唱歌。忙碌一天后，音乐让你轻松。当你心情不好的时候，音乐可以使你精神振奋。如果你会演奏一种乐器，那么你是幸运的。要是你弹钢琴的话，你就可以几个小时独处而从不会觉得无聊；如果你弹吉他，你可以邀请朋友过来一起唱歌；如果你拉小提琴，你可以加入管弦乐队。你一生都能享受到音乐。你听到的所有一切都包含音乐大海的咆哮、风的低吟或是清脆的鸟鸣。无论你去哪里，你都能听到音乐。