高中课外阅读--英语美文欣赏34(中英双语)

英语美文欣赏34

改变你生命的四个问题

If you're seeking to reshape your life, reflect on the answers to these four questions to increase your awareness, expand your mindset, and change your outlook:

想要重塑你的人生，想一想这四个问题，提升认知水平、冲破思维边界、改变世界观。

What thoughts do you keep thinking?

你一直在思考的是什么？

If fear is the first element that's sparked in your brain, you will act on that fear and hesitate, unable to make sound, firm decisions. Visualize a different circumstance or scenario, one that's more in your favor.

如果你脑海里闪现的是恐惧，你便会对害怕作出回应、会踯躅犹豫，无法坚定明智地做选择。

To whom are you listening?

你听谁的话？

Your best guidance will radiate from within. When in doubt, introspect: Are my choices satisfactory to me or to someone else? What do I honestly want to do?

最佳的向导便是内心的自然流露。疑心时分，要自省。我的选择于我有利还是于人有利？我内心想做的究竟是什么？

What is your first reaction?

你的第一反应是？

Have faith that regardless of what has happened, you will come out of it better than before. This allows you to reach a resolution to whatever problem may be at hand.

要相信，无论发生什么，你都可以安然挺过，结果会比以往都好。这让你可以下定决心解决眼前的一切困难。

How do you regard others?

你怎么看待他人？

The more that you continue being a good, genuine person, the more you will be able to forgive those who have wronged you and find the right sort of company.

你越是坚持真诚友善待人，就越容易原谅伤害你、误会你的人，还能找到志同道合的伙伴。

欲爱人先爱己

I want to fall in love in 2016.

在2016年我渴望坠入爱河

I want to fall head over heels this year. By the very end of it, I want to be bursting at the seams of all my scars with a love burning happily in my heart.

这一年我希望自己爱得死心塌地。待到年末之际，我希望冲破所有创伤，让爱的火焰在心中快乐地燃烧。

I want the authentic feeling that surpasses dreaming -- a love that is true and never fleeting. I want this for myself as well as for you. I'd like it for the world, if possible.

我渴望那种超越梦境的真实感觉——那种真正的、永不流逝的爱。我希望你我皆有这种感觉。如果可能的话，全世界都能享受这种感觉。

I want to be every fear I've ever held in the darkest parts of my heart transformed into the purest desire for truth. I want to feel the magic of love singing my soul to sleep.

我希望我内心最阴暗处曾拥有的每一份恐惧都转化为对真爱最热切的渴望。我期望感受到那种魔力，那种爱情唱着歌让灵魂入眠的魔力。

2016年我想这样去爱……

I want to fall in love before I fall for you.

在爱上你之前，我想先坠入爱河

So I would like to fall in love many times this year, so that I may know how extraordinary you are when you appear.

所以今年我想坠入爱河很多次，次数多到你一出现我就知道你是多么的与众不同。

I must fall in love this year so I can understand the magnitude of what you will be -- of what you will mean to me, and I to you.

我今年一定要坠入爱河，这样我才能知道你的出现是多么的重要——关于你对我、我对你意味着什么。

That's how I want to fall in love in 2016. I want to know love before I know you. I want to feel its essence and understand its woes. I want to fall in love this way so that I am full of so much love to hand to you, and I am waiting patiently for the day when I can give it all to you.

这些就是2016年我想去爱的方式。我想在认识你之前先懂得爱，我想感受到爱情的本质并懂得它的悲哀。我想如此去爱，这样我就会有足够的爱来传递给你，我会耐心地等待着那一天的到来，在那天我将把所有爱都传递给你。

致忧伤的你

Dear Anyone Having a Bad Week,

亲爱的度过糟糕一周的你：

I'm sorry. I have no idea why your week is bad, or how bad it actually is. I don't know if you've told anyone, if there's anything that could fix it or if it's made you rather unpleasant to be around. But I do know that I'm sorry that you're hurting, or stressed, or exhausted, or grieving, or frustrated, or depressed, or lonely, or scared or lost.

我很抱歉，我无从知晓你的这一周为何很糟糕，也不知道实际情况到底有多糟。不知道你是否有找人倾诉，是否有什么方式可以让你好受一些或者说现实是否让你更加难过。但是我清楚地知道我为你一切不好的情绪感到深深的同情，无论是你受到伤害或者感到压力，亦或是感到疲惫、悲伤、筋疲力尽、沮丧、孤独、害怕还是迷失。

I thought about writing this letter in a couple of different ways. I thought about writing it about the things you could do to feel better: show yourself compassion, go outside and look at the trees, look at a baby photo of yourself. Or I thought about focusing the letter on how the "bad weeks" can actually be pretty beautiful, if you look at them the right way. I almost wrote those letters, and maybe at some point I will, but I think I ended up deciding that I wasn't writing to make anyone feel better -- I just want you to feel heard.

我想象过用各种不同的方式来写这封信。我想象写一些可以让你感到好些的事情：比如对自己表示同情、出去看看树木或者看看自己儿时的照片；或者我也想象过将信的着重点放在，如果你用正确的方式来看待“糟糕的一周”，你或许会发现这一周实际很美好。我差一点就那样写了，也许将来会这样写。但是现在我最终决定不写这些。——我只是想让你们感到，有人听到了你们的心声。

There's something about humans that makes us crave for our pain to be recognized. There is something inherently good and comforting in having someone say, "Yeah, that sounds really hard," or, "It really sucks that you have to deal with all that."

作为人类本身，我们都渴望自己的悲伤被了解。如果有人能在这个时候对你说“是的，那听起来的确很糟”或者“你需要面对这些真的是太不幸了”，我们的内心都会感到些许好转或安慰。

But unfortunately, that's not always the direction that society pushes us in. We have been taught that bad days are to be silently borne beneath a bright smile; that expressions of pain are uncomfortable.

但不幸的是，现实并不总能按照我们期望的方向发展。我们总是被告知需要隐藏自己的悲伤，展露自己的微笑。而这种表达方式让人并不舒服。

I want you to know you can feel free to spill your bad day all over the place and wear it on the front of your shirt.

我想要让你知道，你可以在任何地方自由表露你的坏情绪，你甚至可以将它画在T恤上穿在你的身上。

I want you to know that the expressions of your pain are beautiful and that I will try my very hardest to feel the hurt with you. I want you to know that your grumpy, stressed out, short-tempered self is just as awesome as your cheerful self. Please do not shun your suffering.

我想要让你知道你表现出来的悲伤也很美丽，我会尽我最大的努力来尽量感受你的不幸。我想要让你知道，有坏情绪、压力感和小脾气的你与快乐时的你一样可爱。请不要再压抑自己的情感。

In writing this, know that I hear you, and let yourself be healed. I hope your day turns around, and that even if it doesn't, you can still find a few moments of beauty and/or happiness amidst the crappiness. For all of you not having bad days -- carry on, and enjoy.

在写这篇文章时，我听到了你们的心声，请让自己尽快好起来。我希望你们日子恢复正常，即使不能，你仍然可以发现一些美好的瞬间或者苦中作乐一下。为了不让你们自己持续这种糟糕的日子，向前看，去享受生活吧！

Sincerely,

此致

Clara Wagner

克拉拉·瓦格纳

态度决定生活

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer (contractor) of his plans to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family. He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by.

一位老木匠打算退休了。他向自己所在的建筑公司雇主请辞，表示想要和自己的老伴以及大家庭去过一种更加闲适的生活。他会想念领薪水的日子，但他还是该退休了，他想日子总是能过下去的。

The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and usedinferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career.

老板很舍不得自己的好员工离开，他对木匠说请你再建最后一座房子吧，就算是帮我个忙。木匠答应了，但很快就明显可以看出他的心已经不在工作上了。他用拙劣的技巧和劣质的材料建这座房子，用这种状态来结束他的职业生涯其实是一种遗憾。

When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to inspect the house, the contractor handed the front-door key to the carpenter. "This is your house," he said, "my gift to you."

木匠完成了他的工作，负责人来验收房屋，老板将这座房屋的前门钥匙递到了木匠手上，说：“这房子现在归你了，作为我给你的礼物。”

What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had built none too well.

木匠顿时感到很震惊。多可惜啊！如果他知道是在为自己修建这所房子的话，他会完全以另一种态度来对待。而现在他不得不住在这座自己胡乱修建的房子里了。

So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best. At important points we do not give the job our best effort. Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built. If we had realized, we would have done it differently.[/en

这个故事也映射了我们的生活状况。我们并没有用心经营自己的生活，总是抱怨而缺少实际行动，并没有全力以赴做到最好。最重要的一点是，我们没有为自己的工作付出百分之百的努力。然后，当我们回过头看为自己创造的生活条件时我们震惊了，和木匠一样我们后悔了，要是知道我们是在为自己的生活打拼，我们可能就会用一种完全不同的态度来对待了。

Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Build wisely. It is the only life you will ever build. Even if you live it for only one day more, that day deserves to be lived graciously and with dignity. The plaque on the wall says, "Life is a do-it-yourself project."

想象一下你就是这个木匠，想象你正在建造这座房子，你每天钉进一颗钉子、安装一块板子或者筑起一面墙。请用心对待吧，这是唯一一个你为自己打造的生活。即使你只在里面住上一天，这一天也要活得有光彩、有尊严。正如格言所说，“生活是一个只有靠自己才能完成的项目。”

Who could say it more clearly? Your life today is the result of your attitudes and choices in the past. Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today.

谁还能说的再清楚些呢？你今天的生活就是你自己过去的态度和选择的结果，你未来的生活就是你现在的态度和选择的结果。

让优秀成为一种习惯

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.

从根本上来讲，我们的个性是塑成习惯的成分之一。有一句箴言讲到：“播

下一个想法，收获一个行动；播下一个行动，收获一个习惯；播下一个习惯，收获一个性格；播下一个性格，收获一份命运。”

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.

习惯是我们生活中有力的因素。因为习惯的持续性，人们常常不能意识到它们。于是，每一天，我们的习惯总在彰显着我们的性格，我们是否有效率也源自习惯。

As Horace Mann, the great ed ucator, once said, “Habits are like a cable. We weave a strand of it everyday 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 I also know it isn't a quick fix. It involves a process and a tremendous commitment.

正如伟大的教育学家霍瑞斯·曼曾经说的那样：“习惯犹如一根缆绳。我们每日为其编织一股，不久它便不容易断裂。”我个人不认同他最后一段的表达。我知晓有些习惯是后天习得的，而有些则是不学就有的。可我也明白习惯无法速成，它是一段涉及郑重承诺的过程。

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, in the first few miles of travel, than was used over the next several days to travel half a million miles.

我们之中见证过阿波罗11号登月的人，当看到人类在月球上跨出第一步并返回地球时，瞠目结舌。但为了抵达月球，毫不夸张地说，这些宇航员得挣脱地球对其极大的地心引力。在升起的头几分钟、太空旅程的头几英里中，宇航员耗费的能量要远大于之后几天五十万英里旅程中的能量。

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 liv es. “Lift off” takes a tremendous effort, but once we break out of the gravity pull, our freedom takes on a whole new dimension.

习惯也具有极强的牵引力，比大多数人意识到或承认的还来得多。对于一些根深蒂固的习惯，像是拖延症、不耐烦、挑剔或自私，它们违反了人类效率的基本原则。而要戒掉这些陋习，仅靠那一丁点的意志力和生活中极小的改变，是无济于事的。“起飞时分”要付出巨大努力，而一旦我们挣脱地心引力，我们享有的自由便会展现出一个全新的维度。

Like any natural force, gravity pull can work with us or against us. The gravity pull of some of our habits may currently be keeping us from going where we want

to go. But it is also gravity pull that keeps our world together, that keeps the planets in their orbits and our universe in order. It is a powerful force, and if we use it effectively, we can use the gravity pull of habit to create the cohesiveness and order necessary to establish effectiveness in our lives.

与其他自然力一样，地心引力对我们而言，是助力，亦可是对抗力。我们一些习惯所具有的引力也许正在妨碍我们抵达目的地。然而同时也是地心引力将世界凝聚，使各大行星在轨道上运转，让我们的宇宙井然有序。引力是很强大的，我们倘若能有效运用它，便可用习惯的引力来创建凝聚力和秩序，使我们的生活有效率。

痛苦也是财富

There’s no rose without a thorn. This thought is absolutely necessary to prepare you to experience less pain and more joy in your journey of life.

人生固然有欢乐，但也一定不乏痛苦。有了这种认识和思想准备也是非常必要的，因为这样会使你的生活增加欢乐而减少痛苦。

With a bird’s-eye view, you may realize something meaningful. During your school years, while joyfully acquiring knowledge you are also under the pressure of homework, examinations, and ranking. You face crises and agony. Meanwhile, all sorts of intricate affairs may happen between you and your classmates. In your youth, puberty may fill you with unrealized desires and send you into deeper perplexity.

鸟瞰人生，可略有领悟。上学时，有获得知识的乐趣，便有做功课、考试、排名次的危机与痛苦。同样，也有同学间相处的融合与纠结。青年时，春心萌动，幻想联翩，难以实现，亦难免陷入困扰。

Entering marriage, you are actually in the center of all the contradictions—the matching of different personalities, enduring of family members, children’s schooling, financial management and so on, you may also fall into marriage crisis. As you age, your health may deteriorate and various troubles in your career and family may gradually emerge. Mid-life and old-age crisis will follow, leading you to your eternity.

结婚之后，实际进入了更多的矛盾之中；思想的落差、相处的困难、子女的教育、财务的争执等等，也会陷入婚姻危机。随后，年龄愈大，健康愈差，事业、家庭中的许多潜在矛盾会日益突出，因而又会有中年危机和老年危机，直至步入死亡。

We may therefore conclude that much of our life may not be spent in contentment. However, the things that discontent are, in fact, not useless since you may learn more from them than from the things that cheered you up.

所以说，人生在世，如意的事不足一二，不如意的则十有八九。但这“八

九”不是负担，而是有用的，因为人在痛苦中所学到的，要比在欢乐中所学到的多得多。

成功就在彼岸

Everybody wants success. Some people aim for it; others just talk about it. We all know what it looks like when someone else has it. Often times it just seems like something too far out of reach.

每个人都渴望成功。有的人努力去争取，有的人只是说说而已。我们都知道一个真正成功了的人是什么样的，但很多时候那个样子看起来是那么遥不可及。

The truth to success is closer than you think. It's just on the other side you have to want it enough, and be willing enough to get it.

实际上成功并没有你想象的那么遥远。成功就在彼岸，只要你足够期望、足够想要实现它。

Fear is your biggest obstacle fear of failure, fear of the judgment of others; fear of actually succeeding. It will trip you up every time. It will cause you to make decisions that may seem “right” at the time, but they're preventing you from actually getting over that wall.

恐惧是你最大的障碍：害怕失败，害怕他人的评判，害怕真正的成功。这些障碍会经常绊倒你，会让你在看似正确的时候做出决定，但实际上他们却阻碍了你真正翻越那道墙。

Success has no excuses. You either get it or you don't. The minute you find a reason not to take another step towards success is the moment you stop being successful. In the symphony of success, excuses are just noise.

成功没有借口。要么真的实现，要么就是未能实现。当你找到一个理由决定停止走向成功时，便是你停止成为成功之人的那一刻。在成功的交响乐中，借口只是噪音。

On the other side of obstacles

成功在障碍的另一边

Everyone faces changes; different ones at different times. We all handle the same challenges differently; we all have different results. It's how you handle each one and what you do with the results that count. An obstacle is something you either find a way around or allow to stop you. Remember, you've got to get passed obstacles in order to succeed.

每个人都会面临改变，只是不同的人会在不同的时间（面临改变）。我们都需要迎接同样的挑战，但结果却不尽相同。差别在于你是如何应对每一个挑战的，以及你如何应对每一个挑战的结果。你要么找到方法来解决它，要么停止不前，这是你通往成功的一大障碍。记住，你必须跨越障碍才能走向成功。

On the other side of failures

成功在失败的另一边

Not everything works; even if it works for other people, the same thing just doesn't work for us. So what? Failure can either become an obstacle and an excuse or it can become your teacher in what not to do.

你并不是每件事都能成功；即使是同一件事，在别人身上或许成功了，但是在你身上却不能。但那又怎么样？失败要么成为你的阻碍或者借口，要么成为你的良师益友，告诉你什么该做什么不该做。

It takes effort, commitment and follow-through

成功需要付出，需要承诺，需要坚持到底地不停尝试

They call it aladder of success for a reason… because you need to climb it in order to get somewhere. It's not an escalator. You just don't stand there and let it do the work for you. You have to do the work yourself. Sometimes it will be easy; other times you'll be carrying a heavy load on your shoulders. The ladder remains the same. Success still waits on the other side. It's going to take determination and persistence on your part to get up and over that wall.

人们把通往成功的路称作阶梯，因为你需要不停地往上攀爬才能达到某个地方。但它不是自动扶梯，你不能只是站在上面并期待它直接将你运上去，你必须自己亲自往上爬。有时候会很容易，有时候你会肩负重担往上走。但梯子并没有变，成功仍然在另一头等着你。你需要做出决定，坚持不懈往上爬，并翻越那道墙。

Which side do you want to be on?

成功或者失败，你想站在哪一边呢？

梦想成就伟大

The question was once asked of a highly successful businessman, “How have you done so much in your lifetime?”

曾经有人问一个非常成功的商人“你的人生为何如此成功？”

He replied, “I have dreamed. I have turned my mind loose to imagine what I wanted to do. Then I have gone to bed and thought about my dreams. In the night I dreamt about my dreams. And when I awoke in the morning, I saw the way to make my dreams real.

他回答道：“因为我有梦想。我放飞我的心灵驰骋想象，想象我要做的事情。之后，带着这些想象进入梦乡，在梦里我再次看见了我的梦想。当我第二天醒来时，我便找到了我实现梦想的途径”。

While other people were saying, 'Yo u can't do that, it is impossible,' “I was well on my way to achieving what I wanted.” As Woodrow Wilson, 28th President of the U.S., said: “We grow great by dreams.

而其他人则说“你做不到，那不可能”。“而我总是坚持实现自己梦想的路。”就像美国第28届总统伍德罗·威尔逊所说“梦想成就伟大”。

“All big men are dreamers.” They see things in the soft haze of a spring day, or in the red fire on a long winter's evening.

“所有伟大的人都是梦想家。”他们在春天的迷雾中看到生机，在冬日夜晚的火苗里看到希望。

Some of us let these dreams die, but others nourish and protect them; nourish them through bad days until they bring them to the sunshine and light which comes always to those who sincerely hope that their dreams will come true.

而我们中的一些人却让梦想死去。而另一些人则养育和呵护着他们的梦想，哪怕经历磨难，他们仍不放弃，直到有一天重见光明。所以只有那些真心希望并坚持梦想的人最终才能让梦想成真。

So please, don't let anyone steal your dreams, or try to tell you they are too impossible. "Sing your songs, and dream your dreams, hope your hope and pray your prayer."

因此，请不要让任何人偷走你的梦想，或者试图告诉你梦不可能实现。“唱自己的歌，做自己的梦，给你的希望以希望，给你的祈祷以祈祷。”