美文合集.docx

1、美文合集3.A Pair of Precious Hands宝贵的双手There was once a shepherd who had a daughter whose great beauty attracted a lot of young men from all over the country.从前，有个牧羊人，他有一个非常美丽的女儿，她的美吸引了方圆几百里的许多年轻小伙子。One day, the shepherd asked his daughter, My dear daughter, tell me, what kind of man do you want to be y

2、our husband? His daughter said, My dear father, my future husband can be poor but also a wealthy man. How could that be? Poor and rich are two opposite things! said her father. Dear father, a poor person also has his wealth. said his daughter. The shepherd then announced that his daughter was ready

3、for marriage.一天，牧羊人问女儿：“亲爱的孩子，告诉我，你想要什么样的人做你的丈夫呢？”女儿回答说：“亲爱的父亲，我将来的丈夫是个既贫穷又富有的人。” “这怎么可能呢？贫穷和富有是相对的啊！”牧羊人说，女儿说：“亲爱的父亲，贫穷的人也有他自己的财富。”然后，牧羊人就发出了招婿的通告。One day, there were many eligible men gathered outside the shepherds home. He came out and said, All right, gentlemen, those who think they are eligible

4、, please come forward and tell me your qualifications! A few well-dressed gentlemen came forward followed by their servants and camel loads of gifts carried by camels. We are rich men; we have gold and silver mines, silk, fur and red carpets. Please choose one of us. The shepherds daughter just smil

5、ed. Then came five young men with some jewelry boxes. These golden boxes contain rare jewelry. You will be the most wealthy person if you choose one of us to be your husband. All of you are not my idea of an ideal husband, said the disappointed lady.一天，许多符合条件的求婚男子云集在牧马人的房子外面。牧羊人走出帐篷，对大家说：“好，各位认为自己有资

6、格来求婚的人士，请上前来说说自己的条件吧！”几个衣着华丽的小伙子走上前来，他们的仆人牵着满栽礼品的骆驼跟在后面。“我们都是有钱人。我们拥有金山、银山、丝绸、皮毛和红毡。请从我们当中选一个吧。”牧羊人的女儿只是报以微笑。接着，五位手捧珠宝盒子的小伙子走上前来。“这些金盒子里装满了稀世珍如果你选择我们其中之一作为的丈夫，你将成为最富有的人。”“你们都不是我心目中的理想丈夫。”牧羊人的女儿失望地说。One by one young men came forward but they were rejected by her. The shepherd began to worry. Suddenly

7、, a plainly dressed young man appeared. The shepherd asked, Young man, you look so poor. What can you offer my daughter? My wealth is always with me and it is my hands, the young man said, I am a good tailor. I am also a good carpenter. I can make tables and chairs within an hour. Moreover, I can al

8、so put up a tent for you all! The lady smiled. The young man continued, l can cook too. I can cook delicious meals. However, I do not have any property, servants or jewelry. But, with my pair of hands, I do have a whole life of wealth! Thats great! shouted the shepherds daughter excitedly. You are m

9、ore wealthy than any of them because you have a pair of precious hands. You are my idea of an ideal husband!小伙子们一个个走上前来求婚，但都被她拒绝了。牧羊人开始着急起来。突然，有个衣着朴素的青年走了过来。牧羊人问：“年轻人，你看上去很穷。那么，你有什么宝物要献给我女儿吗？”“我的财富一向随身携带，它就是我的双手，”青年说，“我是一个技艺精湛的裁缝师：我还是一个熟练的木匠，我能在一个小时内，给你们订制一套桌椅：而且，我还能给你们搭一个帐篷。”牧羊人的女儿笑了。青年继续说：“我还会烹饪，我

10、能做出最美味的饭菜。然而，我既没有什么财产，也没有仆人，更没有什么金银珠宝。但我有一双手，有了这双手，我就拥有了一生用之不尽的财富！”“大好了！”牧羊人的女儿激动地高声喊道，“你比他们中任何人都富有！因为你有一双宝贵的手，你正是我心目中的理想丈夫！”A pair of hardworking hands can create much wealth.一双勤劳的手，可以创造无限的财富。4.Solitude独处I find it wholesome to be alone the greater part of the time. To be in company, even with the b

11、est, is soon wearisome and dissipating.我发现人若大部分时间用于独处，将有益身心。与人为伴，即使是挚友，也很快会有厌烦或虚度光阴的感觉。I love to be alone. I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude.We are for the most part more lonely when we go abroad among men than when we stay in our chambers.出国，身在熙攘人群中，要比退守陋室更让人寂寞。A man

12、 thinking or working is always alone; let him be where he will. Solitude is not measured by the miles of space that intervene between a man and his fellows.The really diligent student in one of the crowded hives of Cambridge College is as solitary as a dervish in the desert.在剑桥苦读的学子虽身处蜂巢般拥挤的教室，实际上却和

13、沙漠中的苦行僧一样，是在独处。The farmer can work alone in the field or the woods all day, hoeing or chopping, and not feel lonesome, because he is employed;家人终日耕于田间，伐于山野，此时他虽孤单但并不寂寞，因他专心于工作；but when he comes home at night he cannot sit down in a room alone, at the mercy of his thoughts,but must be where he can :s

14、ee the folks,: and recreate, and, as he thinks, remunerate himself for his days solitude;他必到可以看见大伙儿的去处去找乐子，如他所认为的那样以补偿白日里的孤独；and hence he wonders how the student can sit alone in the house all night and most of the day without ennui and :the blues因此他无法理解学子如何能竟夜终日独坐而不心生厌倦或倍感凄凉；but he does not realize

15、 that the student, though in the house, is still at work in his field, and chopping in his woods, as the farmer in his,and in turn seeks the same recreation and society that the latter does, though it may be a more condensed form of it.学子在寻求的无非是和他一样的快乐与陪伴，只是形式更简洁罢了。Society is commonly too cheap. We

16、meet at very short intervals, not having had time to acquire any new value for each other.与人交往通常都因唾手可得而毫无价值，在频繁的相处中，我们无暇从彼此获取新价值。We meet at meals three times a day, and give each other a new taste of that old musty cheese that we are.我们每日三餐相聚，反复让彼此重新审视的也是依旧故我，并无新奇之处。We have had to agree on a certain

17、 set of rules, called etiquette and politeness, to make this frequent meeting tolerable and that we need not come to open war.为此我们要循规蹈矩，称其为懂礼仪，讲礼貌，以便在这些频繁的接触中相安无事，无须论战而有辱斯文。We meet at the post-office, and at the sociable, and about the fireside every night; we live thick and are in each others way,

18、and stumble over one another,我们相遇在邮局，邂逅在社交场所，围坐在夜晚的炉火旁，交情甚笃，彼此干扰着，纠缠着；and I think that we thus lose some respect for one another. Certainly less frequency would suffice for all important and hearty communications.实际上我认为这样我们都或多或少失去了对彼此的尊重。对于所有重要的倾心交流，相见不必过频。Consider the girls in a factory-never alone

19、, hardly in their dreams. It would be better if there were but one inhabitant to a square mile, as where I live.想想工厂里的女孩，她们虽从不落单，但也少有梦想。像这样方圆一英里仅一人居住，那情况会更好。The value of a man is not in his skin, that we should touch him.人的价值非在肌肤相亲，而在心有灵犀。I have a great deal of company in my house; especially in the

20、 morning, when nobody calls. Let me suggest a few comparisons, that some one may convey an idea of my situation.I am no more lonely than the loon in the pond that laughs so loud, or than Walden Pond itself. What company has that lonely lake, I pray?比起那湖中长笑的潜鸟，还有那湖，我并不比它们孤独多少。你看：这孤单的湖又何以为伴呢？And yet i

21、t has not the blue devils, but the blue angels in it, in the azure tint of its waters.然而它那一湾天蓝的湖水里有的却是天使的纯净，而非魔鬼的忧郁。The sun is alone, except in thick weather, when there sometimes appear to be two, but one is a mock sun. god is alone-but the devil, he is far from being alone;he sees a great deal of

22、company; he is legion. I am no more lonely than a single mullein or dandelion in a pasture, or a bean leaf, or sorrel, or a horse-fly, or a bumblebee.他永远不乏伙伴，因从他都甚众。比起牧场上的一朵毛蕊花，一支蒲公英，一片豆叶，一束酢浆草，一只牛虻或大黄蜂来，我并不孤单多少；I am no more lonely than the Millbrook, or a weathercock, or the north star, or the sout

23、h wind, or an April shower, or a January thaw, or the first spider in a new house.比想密尔溪，风标，北极星，南风，四月春雨，正月融雪，或者新房中的第一只蜘蛛，我也并不更加孤单。5.Facing the Enemies Within直面内在的敌人We are not born with courage, but neither are we born with fear.我们的勇气并不是与生俱来的，我们的恐惧也不是。Maybe some of our fears are brought on by your own

24、 experiences, by what someone has told you, by what youve read in the papers.也许有些恐惧来自你的亲身经历，别人告诉你的故事，或你在报纸上读到的东西。Some fears are valid, like walking alone in a bad part of town at two oclock in the morning. But once you learn to avoid that situation, you wont need to live in fear of it.有些恐惧可以理解，例如在凌晨

25、两点独自走在城里不安全的地段。但是一旦你学会避免那种情况，你就不必生活在恐惧之中。Fears, even the most basic ones, can totally destroy our ambitions. Fear can destroy fortunes. Fear can destroy relationships.Fear, if left unchecked, can destroy our lives. Fear is one of the many enemies lurking inside us.如果不加以控制，恐惧还可能摧毁我们的生活。恐惧是潜伏于我们内心的众多敌

26、人之一。Let me tell you about five of the other enemies we face from within.让我来告诉你我们面临的其他五个内在敌人。The first enemy that youve got to destroy before it destroys you is indifference. What a tragic disease this is! Ho-hum, let it slide. Ill just drift along. Heres one problem with drifting: you cant drift you

27、r way to the to of the mountain.第一个你要在它袭击你之前将其击败的敌人是冷漠。这是多么可悲的疾病啊！“随它去吧，我就随波逐流吧。” 随波逐流的问题是：你不可能漂流到山顶去。The second enemy we face is indecision. Indecision is the thief of opportunity and enterprise. It will steal your chances for a better future. Take a sword to this enemy.我们面临的第二个敌人是优柔寡断。优柔寡断是机会和进取的小

28、偷。它会偷走让你获得更美好未来的机会。The third enemy inside is doubt. Sure, theres room for healthy skepticism. You cant believe everything. But you also cant let doubt take over.第三个内在的敌人是怀疑。当然，正常的怀疑还是有一席之地的，你不能相信一切。但是你也不能让怀疑掌管一切。Many people doubt the past, doubt the future, doubt each other, doubt the government, do

29、ubt the possibilities and doubt the opportunities.许多人怀疑过去，怀疑未来，怀疑彼此，怀疑政府，怀疑可能性，并怀疑机会。Worse of all, they doubt themselves. Im telling you, doubt will destroy your life and your chances of success.最糟糕的是，他们怀疑自己。我告诉你，怀疑会毁掉你的生活和你成功的机会，It will empty both your bank account and your heart. Doubt is an enemy

30、. Go after it. Get rid of it.它会耗尽你的存款，留给你干涸的心灵。怀疑是敌人，追赶它，消灭它。The fourth enemy within is worry. Weve all got to worry some. Just dont let conquer you. Instead, let it alarm you. Worry can be useful.第四个内在的敌人是担忧。我们都会有些担忧，不过千万不要让担忧征服你。相反，让它来警醒你。担忧也许能派上用场。If you step off the curb in New York City and a t

31、axi is coming, youve got to worry. But you cant let worry loose like a mad dog that drives you into a small corner.当你在纽约走上人行道时有一辆出租车向你驶来，你就得担忧。但你不能让担忧像疯狗一样失控，将你逼至死角。Heres what youve got to do with your worries: drive them into a small corner. Whatever is out to get you, youve got to get it. Whatever

32、 is pushing on you, youve got to push back.你应该这样对付自己的担忧：把担忧驱至死角。不管是什么来打击你，你都要打击它。不管什么攻击你，你都要反击。The fifth interior enemy is overcaution. It is the timid approach to life. Timidity is not a virtue; its an illness. If you let it go, itll conquer you. Timid people dont get promoted.第五个内在的敌人是过分谨慎。那是胆小的生活方式。胆怯不是美德，而是一种疾病。如果你不理会它，它就会将你征服。胆怯的人不会得到提拔，They dont advance and grow and become powerful in the marketplace. Youve got to avoid o