英語美文閲讀六篇
A Pair of Socks一雙襪子
One fine afternoon I was walking along Fifth Avenue, when I remembered that it was necessary to buy a pair of socks. I turned into the first sock shop that caught my eye, and a boy clerk who could not have been more than seventeen years old came forward. “What can I do for you, sir?” “I wish to buy a pair of socks.” His eyes glowed. There was a note of passion in his voice. “Did you know that you had come into the finest place in the world to buy socks?” I had not been aware of that, as my entrance had been accidental. “Come with me,” said the boy, ecstatically. I followed him to the rear of the shop, and he began to haul down from the shelves box after box, displaying their contents for my delectation.
“Hold on, lad, I am going to buy only one pair!” “I know that,” said he, “but I want you to see how marvelously beautiful these are. Aren’t they wonderful?” There was on his face an expression of solemn and holy rapture, as if he were revealing to me the mysteries of his religion. I became far more interested in him than in the socks. I looked at him in amazement. “My friend,” said I, “if you can keep this up, if this is not merely the enthusiasm that comes from novelty, from having a new job, if you can keep up this zeal and excitement day after day, in ten years you will own every sock in the United States.”
My amazement at his pride and joy in salesmanship will be easily understood by all who read this article. In many shops the customer has to wait for someone to wait upon him. And when finally some clerk does deign to notice you, you are made to feel as if you were interrupting him. Either he is absorbed in profound thought in which he hates to be disturbed or he is skylarking with a girl clerk and you feel like apologizing for thrusting yourself into such intimacy.
He displays no interest either in you or in the goods he is paid to sell. Yet possibly that very clerk who is now so apathetic began his career with hope and enthusiasm. The daily grind was too much for him; the novelty wore off; his only pleasures were found outside of working hours. He became a mechanical, not inspired, salesman. After being mechanical, he became incompetent; then he saw younger clerks who had more zest in their work, promoted over him. He became sour. That was the last stage. His usefulness was over.
I have observed this melancholy decline in the lives of so many men in so many occupations that I have come to the conclusion that the surest road to failure is to do things mechanically. There are many teachers in schools and colleges who seem duller than the dullest of their pupils; they go through the motions of teaching, but they are as impersonal as a telephone.
Five Balls of Life
生命不是一場賽跑, 而是一步一個腳印的旅程。別為生活找藉口，過去已成歷史，未來充滿未知，活在當下，努力當下。
Five Balls of Life
生命中的五個球
In a university commencement address several years ago, Brian Dyson, CEO of Coca Cola Enterprises, spoke of the relation of work to one’s other commitments:
幾年前，在一所大學的開幕典禮中,可口可樂的首席執行官布賴恩?戴森講到工作與其他義務的關係：
Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them work, family, health, friends and spirit and you’re keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back.
想象生命是一場不停丟擲五個球於空中的遊戲。這五個球分別為工作、家庭、健康、朋友和心靈，而且你很努力地擲着這五個球，不讓它們落地。很快地你會了解工作是一個橡皮球。如果你不幸失手落下它，它還是會彈回來。
But the other four balls family, health, friends and spirit are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life. How?
但是家庭、健康、朋友和心靈這四個球是用玻璃做成的。一旦你失手落下，它們可能會少了一角，留下無法挽回的記號、刻痕、損壞甚至碎落一地。它們將永遠不會跟以前一樣。你必須瞭解這個道理，並且為平衡你的生命而努力。但要怎麼才做得到呢？
Don’t undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special.
別拿自己和他人比較，這隻會降低了你原有的價值。因為我們都是獨一無二的，因為我們每一個人都很特別。
Don’t set your goals by what other people deem important. Only you know what is best for you.
別人認為重要的事不一定是你的目標。只有你才知道什麼最適合你。
Don’t take for granted the things closest to your heart. Cling to them as they would be your life, for without them, life is meaningless.
不要將貼近你的心的人、事物視為理所當然的存在。你必須將他們視為你的生命一般好好地抓牢他們。沒有他們，生命將失去意義。
Don’t let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past or for the future. By living your life one day at a time, you live ALL the days of your life.
別讓你的生命總在依戀過去種種或是寄望未來中逝去。如果你活在每個當下，你就活出了生命中的每一天。
Don’t give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying.
當你還能給予的時候別輕言放棄。只要你不放棄，就有無限延伸的可能。
Don’t be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect. It is this fragile thread that binds us to each together.
別害怕承認你並非完美。正因如此，我們才得以藉由這脆弱的細絲緊密地串綁在一起。
Don’t be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.
別害怕遇到危險。正因如此，我們才得以藉由這些機會學習勇敢。
Don’t shut love out of your life by saying it’s impossible to find. The quickest way to receive love is to give it; the fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly; and the best way to keep love is to give it wings.
別以愛太難找到作為藉口而緊閉你的心扉。最迅速找到愛的方法就是給予你的愛；最快速失去愛的方法就是緊緊地守着你的愛不放；維持愛的最好方式就是給愛一雙翅膀。
Don’t run through life so fast that you forget not only where you’ve been, but also where you are going.
莫要匆忙地度過你的一生，那匆忙讓你忘了曾經到過哪裏，也讓你忘了你要去哪裏。
Don’t forget, a person’s greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated.
莫忘記，人類情感上最大的需要是感恩。
Don’t be afraid to learn. Knowledge is weightless, a treasure you can always carry easily.
莫害怕學習。知識沒有重量，它是可以隨意攜帶的珍寶。
Don’t use time or words carelessly. Neither can be retrieved.
莫漫不經心地蹉跎光陰或口無遮攔。時間與言詞兩者都是一放便收不回來。
Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way.
生命不是一場賽跑, 而是一步一個腳印的旅程。
Yesterday is history, Tomorrow is a mystery and Today is a gift: that’s why we call it ‘The Present’.
過去已成歷史，未來充滿未知。今天是份禮物：那就是我們稱之為“現在”的原因。
The Scars of Love 愛的傷疤
傷疤，聽起來總有點令人心寒，但你可曾想過有些傷口是一些不想放棄你的人造成的。在你掙扎的過程中，那些愛你的人為了拉住你，才在你身上留下了的傷疤。
The Scars of Love 愛的傷疤
Some years ago on a hot summer day in south Florida a little boy decided togo for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house.
幾年前的一個炎炎夏日，在美國佛羅里達州南部，有個小男孩為貪圖涼快，決定去自家房子後面一個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,leavingbehind shoes,socks,and shirt as he went. He flew into the water,notrealizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake,an alligator wasswimming toward the shore. His mother - in the house was looking out thewindow - saw the two as they got closer and closer together. In utterfear,she ran toward the water,yelling to her son as loudly as she could.
因為迫不及待地想投入到清涼的水中，他飛快地從後門跑了出去，邊跑邊脱掉鞋子、襪子和襯衣，把它們隨手拋在了身後。他一頭扎進了水裏，絲毫沒有意識到自己遊往潭中心的同時，一隻美洲鱷也正在朝岸邊游來。小男孩的母親當時在屋子裏透過窗子向外看着，發現那隻美洲鱷正向她的孩子步步逼近。她極度驚恐起來，一邊迅速奔向水潭，一邊聲嘶力竭地朝自己的孩子呼喊着。
Hearing her voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a return to swimto his mother. It was too late. Just as he reached her,the alligatorreached him.
聽到她的呼喊，小男孩才猛然意識到了危險，立即掉頭向岸邊的母親游去。可這時已經無濟於事。他的手勉強剛夠到他的母親，鱷魚也已經接觸到了他。
From the dock, the mother grabbed her little boy by the arms just as thealligator snatched his legs. That began an incredible tug-of-war betweenthe two. The alligator was much stronger than the mother, but the motherwas much too passionate to let go. A farmer happened to drive by, heard herscreams, raced from his truck, took aim and shot the alligator.
母親在岸上拼命地拽緊兒子的手臂，而此時美洲鱷也死死地咬住孩子的腿不放。為了爭奪小男孩，母親和鱷魚之間儼然展開了一場讓人難以置信的拔河較量。美洲鱷的力氣顯然要比母親強大得多，但是母親挽救兒子的堅定信念讓她無論如何也絕不放手。就在這萬分危急的關頭，一位農夫恰巧駕車經過，一聽到孩子母親的尖叫便飛速從卡車上跳下，瞄準鱷魚並開槍將其射殺。
Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy survived. His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal and, on his arms, were deep scratches where his mother's fingernails dug into his flesh in her effort to hang on to the son she loved.
值得慶幸的是，經過在醫院數週的搶救治療，小男孩居然存活了下來。鱷魚兇殘的襲擊在他的腿上刻下了觸目驚心的傷痕。不僅如此，他的雙臂上也留下了深深的抓痕，那是在生死關頭母親為了牢牢抓住摯愛的兒子，以至於手指甲都掐入了兒子的肉中所留下的。
The newspaper reporter who interviewed the boy after the trauma, asked if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his pant legs. And then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter. But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my mom wouldn't let go.
事後，這位死裏逃生的小男孩接受了一位報社記者的採訪。當記者問他是否願意讓大家看看他身上的傷疤時，小男孩挽起了自己的褲腿，腿上深深的疤痕暴露無遺。緊接着，他滿臉自豪地告訴記者，“大家還是看看我的手臂吧，我的手臂上也有好多傷疤呢。這是媽媽不放開我，在救我的時候留下的。”
You and I can identify with that little boy. We have scars, too. No, not from an alligator, or anything quite so dramatic. But, the scars of a painful past. Some of those scars are unsightly and have caused us deep regret.
看了這個小男孩的故事後，人們都能感同身受。其實我們每個人身上都有傷疤。只不過並不是被鱷魚咬的，或任何如此戲劇性事件所造成，而是過往的痛苦經歷所留下的。那些傷疤是如此難看，讓人深感懊悔。
But, some wounds, my friend, are because God has refused to let go. In the midst of your struggle, He's been there holding on to you.
但是，我的朋友，你可曾想過有些傷口是一些不想放棄你的人造成的。在你掙扎的過程中，那些愛你的人為了拉住你，才在你身上留下了這些傷疤。
Holding the hands of time 牽着時光的手
有人説，一旦開始喜歡回憶，那人便老去了。你覺得呢?! 時光如流水，別把太多的時間用在回憶過去，牽着時光的手，一起勇敢前進吧，因為路在前方！
Holding the hands of time
牽着時光的手
Blow-off vision of the rain, so that you are left with a brilliant tle time in my fingers, without any regrets, open stemmed bloom ripples. Blunt rolling thick liquid eternal, but you and I, were dispersed in which period of Acacia leaves.
吹斷目光的雨，讓虹的光輝帶你離去。時光穿梭在我指間，無悔地綻放開朵朵漣漪。鈍厚的流質綿延永恆，而你我，被衝散在其中，相思無絕期。
Inexplicable always feel like the time within the next few precious memories will be stripped from me, more than once dreamed that his standing in a dark empty space, only one track at the foot stretch into thedistance, such as the long past your time and ultimately disappear In myfield of vision at the end.
總是會莫名地感到時間在抽絲剝繭般的將寶貴的回憶從我身上剝離，不止一次夢見自己站在一片空曠黑暗的空間裏，腳下只有一條鐵軌伸向遠方，宂長如過往的光陰，最終消失在我的視野盡頭。
I am afraid to lose, I fear this time, and I love it but memories. I could not forget the sweat on the pitch with the sway of the brothers, forget accompany me cry close friend, and forget the bright Star of that everynight, and those words have touched me deeply.
我害怕失去，我對時間如此的恐懼，而我卻又那麼的熱愛回憶。我忘不了球場上一起揮灑汗水的兄弟，忘不了陪我一起哭泣的知己，忘不了那一夜夜璀璨的星空，和那些令我感動至今的話語。
Those people, those things, such as bursts of light rain in the lake left ring Watermark four dispersed to each other to melt each other's impact; if the horizon is still experiencing Qianwanyinian quiet shining star, notvery bright, but clearly made . - They do not know how much to spend withme during the day bright and silent night.
那些人，那些事，如細雨在湖面留下的陣陣環型水紋四散開來彼此消融，彼此撞擊;如經歷千萬億年仍在天邊寂靜閃光的星，不甚明亮，卻又清晰無比。——它們陪我度過不知多少明媚的白天與沉默的夜。
In my memory, the third year is not gray, because I remember thoseblessings are not what love is bearing fruit, I still remember holding alot of my friends and I hope to see sunrise and sunset, finally it isyellow everywhere.
在我的記憶中，高三不是灰色的，因為我記得那些不被祝福的愛情是怎樣的開花結果，還記得我與朋友抱着一大堆的希望看日出日落，最後卻是黃花遍地。
Youth is the eye lotus spring, third year is that this eye expansion of bubbling spring season. I, however, a strong smell in the bubble years of the Problem taste. I do not exclude these, but too much pressure to do away much fun. Unfortunately, after the college entrance examination, even the pressure would become the memories, be my third year living memory of the dead evidence. In the time before we are so powerless, the only left on just the eye springs, and we have no regrets of the oath, I hope day after day, year after year, when I re-turn to this page , people still.
青春是眼忘憂泉，高三是這眼泉水膨脹冒泡的季節。而我卻在泡泡裏嗅到了濃厚的習題的.味道。我並不是排斥這些，但過大的壓力確實帶走了不多的樂趣。只可惜，大學聯考過後，連壓力也會成為回憶，成為我緬懷逝去的高三生活的證據。在時間面前我們是如此的無力，唯一能留下的，就只是那眼泉水和我們曾經無悔的誓言，但願日復一日，年復一年，當我重新翻到這一頁時，人心依舊。
I have seen one another chilling words: Some people say that once you start like the memories of those people will get old. I only admit mature, do not believe they have been growing old. My friends are growing up day by day, and was young and the mature, how can I not had time to grow on the outline of the first to hoary?
曾經看過一句另我毛骨悚然的話：有人説，一旦開始喜歡回憶，那人便老去了。我只承認自己的成熟，不相信自己已經老去。我的朋友們正在一天天地長大，成熟並且風華正茂着，我怎麼可以沒來得及成長就率先蒼老了輪廓?
"Heaven Rain in green and so on, and I am waiting for you, the moonlight was recovered, the faint opened the outcome." Jay melancholy voice has been completely different from the business for the time Sentimental, Bard will be the years the pace of a camel inscribed into the blue and white porcelain in that respect.
“天青色等煙雨，而我在等你，月色被打撈起，暈開了結局。”杰倫憂鬱的嗓音已經完全不同與剛出道時的青澀，吟遊詩人般地將歲月的腳步鐫刻進那一尊青花瓷器。
Our future? Friends ah, I will time the other end, waiting for you.
我們的未來呢?朋友啊，我會在時間的另一頭，等你。
The Importance of Being Silly 難得糊塗
糊塗被人認為沒主見，不糊塗被人覺得難以相處——‘難得糊塗’在於糊塗的時機，什麼時候糊塗取決於你不糊塗的程度。世界是多彩的，每個人都有屬於自己的顏色。為什麼一直都要標榜着最聰明的自己呢？人生難得糊塗哦~給心靈一個歇腳的理由吧!
The Importance of Being Silly 難得糊塗
We all, at one time or another, have pretended to be a rock star, singing and dancing along to our favorite song. Most of us have done this in the privacy of our own room when we were kids and as adults, in the privacy of our homes. Me? I love to do that when I drive! I turn on the radio, find a song that I can sing along too and pretty soon my arms are in the air and I am moving along to the rhythm. Most of the time, I do this on my way to work.
我們每個人，在不同時期，都曾經像一個搖滾歌星那樣，伴着我們最愛的那首歌又唱又跳.很多人在小時候，甚至是已長大成人，都曾在我們自己房間和家裏類似的隱祕空間裏這樣過。我呢？我喜歡在開車的時候這樣！打開收音機，找一首會唱的歌，很快我就會張開雙臂，隨着節奏起舞。大部分時候，我在上班的路上這麼做。
Yes, that is true. I will be in my nice work clothes, jamming while driving or stopped at a traffic light. I get weird looks from some people and others laugh. Personally, I love to get lost in the rhythm of a song which leads me to share with you the importance of being silly!
是的，那是真的。我會穿上我漂亮的工作服，在堵車和遇到交通燈時，有人就會用奇怪的眼神看着我，或者笑我。對我個人而言，我喜歡沉浸在一首歌的節奏中，由此我願和你們分享：為人糊塗貴在何處。
The definition for the word silly, according to the dictionary is: stupid, foolish and nonsensical. I know many people do not want to look foolish. So they walk around all serious, which in all honesty, is foolish!
糊塗一詞在字典中的定義是：愚蠢的，傻，荒謬的。我知道很多人都不想被人看作愚笨。所以他們在生活中始終一臉嚴肅，而這在本質上才是真正的愚笨。
No one is perfect, I repeat: no one is perfect. I don’t care how educated, how thin, how beautiful, how simple, how frugal, how rich, and so on… No one is perfect! So why pretend to be something you are not?
人無完人，我重申一次：沒有人是完美的。我不在乎一個人學識多深，身材多好，外表多美，思想多淺薄，生活多儉樸，多富有，等等……人無完人！那麼，為什麼要偽裝成我們實際上本不是的呢？
Life is so short… You never know when this beautiful journey will be over, so why waste a single second on being so full of rigidity? Here is a quote by Souza, that I think says it all and is a great recipe for life:
人生何其短暫……你不會知道這美好的征程何時會結束，那麼，為什麼要浪費一分一秒，讓自己變得稜角分明？這裏引用索薩的話，我覺得她一語中的，是人生的一大祕方：
“Dance as though no one is watching you, Love as though you have never been hurt before, Sing as though no one can hear you, Live as though heaven is on earth.”
跳舞吧，就像沒有人欣賞一樣，
去愛吧，就像沒有受到傷害一樣，
唱歌吧，就像沒有人傾聽一樣，
生活吧，就像今天是最後一天一樣。
When we were kids, we had no idea of what limitations were and we had no care in the world so we could do things without worrying about how we appeared to others. However, as we grew up, we lost that childlike innocence.
當我們還是孩子，我們天不怕，地不怕，無憂無慮，所以我們可以不在乎自己再別人眼中的形象去做事情。然而，當我們長大，我們失去了那種天真爛漫。
So don’t lose the child that still lives within you. The next time you feel down, go turn on your favorite song, and sing and dance along like there is no tomorrow. Or watch something that makes you laugh. Laughter is the best medicine to whatever ails you and nothing is better than laughing so hard that your tummy hurts. Trust me, you will feel a whole lot better, and who doesn’t want to feel good?
所以，不要丟失你心中那個小孩。下次你感到沮喪時，去打開你最愛的那首歌吧，隨之歌唱起舞，就像沒有明天一樣。或者看點能讓你笑的東西。笑聲是除去任何煩惱良方，沒有什麼比笑到肚子疼更好的事了。相信我，你會好受很多，誰又不想讓自己好受呢？
Salty Coffee 鹹咖啡
He met her at a party. She was outstanding; many guys were after her, but nobody paid any attention to him. After the party, he invited her for coffee. She was surprised. So as not to appear rude, she went along.
他在一次晚會上遇見了她。她很迷人，有很多男孩子追求，但是卻沒有任何人注意到他。晚會結束後，他請她出去喝咖啡，這讓她很吃驚。出於禮貌，她去了。
As they sat in a nice coffee shop, he was too nervous to say anything and she felt uncomfortable. Suddenly, he asked the waiter, "Could you please give me some salt? I'd like to put it in my coffee."
他們坐在一家幽雅的咖啡店裏。他緊張得説不出話來，而她也感到很拘束。突然，他叫來服務生，説道：“給我在咖啡里加點鹽，好嗎?”
They stared at him. He turned red, but when the salt came, he put it in his coffee and drank. Curious, she asked, "Why salt with coffee?" He explained, "When I was a little boy, I lived near the sea. I liked playing on the sea ... I could feel its taste salty, like salty coffee. Now every time I drink it, I think of my childhood and my hometown. I miss it and my parents, who are still there."
她和服務生都看着他。他臉紅了，鹽端上來了，他往咖啡裏放了一些，喝了起來。她好奇地問：“為什麼在咖啡裏放鹽呢?”他解釋説：“小時候，我住在海邊，喜歡在那裏玩耍……海水是鹹的，就像這杯鹹咖啡。每次喝咖啡時，我就想起了童年和家鄉。我懷念這種味道，想念那裏的父母親。”
She was deeply touched. A man who can admit that he's homesick must love his home and care about his family. He must be responsible.
她被深深地感動了。一個有思鄉情結的男人一定很愛家，很關心家人。他一定是值得信賴的。
She talked too, about her faraway hometown, her childhood, her family. That was the start to their love story.
於是，她也談起了遙遠的家鄉，她的童年和家人。他們的愛情故事就這樣拉開了帷幕。
They continued to date. She found that he met all her requirements. He was tolerant, kind, warm and careful. And to think she would have missed the catch if not for the salty coffee!
之後，他們常常約會。她發現他寬容、善良、熱情而細心，這些正符合她的標準。她想，若不是那杯鹹咖啡，她或許就錯過了他。
So they married and lived happily together. And every time she made coffee for him, she put in some salt, the way he liked it.
最後，他們結婚了，幸福地生活在一起。每每給他衝咖啡時，她總會放些鹽，因為他喜歡喝鹹咖啡。
After 40 years, he passed away and left her a letter which said:
40年後，他去世了，留了一封信給她，信中的內容是這樣的：
My dearest, please forgive my life-long lie. Remember the first time we dated? I was so nervous I asked for salt instead of sugar.
親愛的，請原諒我——有一個謊言，我隱瞞了你整整一生。還記得我們的第一次約會嗎?我很緊張，原想要糖，卻説成了鹽。
It was hard for me to ask for a change, so I just went ahead. I never thought that we would hit it off. Many times, I tried to tell you the truth, but I was afraid that it would ruin everything.
再改過來很難，我只好將錯就錯。我從未想過要喝鹹咖啡。許多次，我都想告訴你真相，但又擔心説出來一切會化為泡影。
Sweetheart, I don't exactly like salty coffee. But as it mattered so much to you, I've learnt to enjoy it. Having you with me was my greatest happiness. If I could live a second time, I hope we can be together again, even if it means that I have to drink salty coffee for the rest of my life.
親愛的，我並不喜歡喝鹹咖啡，但你很在乎這個，我已經學着接受它了。與你在一起是我一生最大的幸福。倘若我能重生，我希望還能和你在一起，即使這意味着餘生都要喝鹹咖啡，我也心甘情願。
