英語短文閱讀經典美文
英語短文閱讀經典美文
導語：智者總是有成功的密碼，能譯出密碼的人，心是成功的智者。這裏本站的小編爲大家整理了三篇英語短文閱讀經典美文，希望你們喜歡。
一、《今天，開始新的生活》
Today I shed my old skin which hath, too long, suffered the bruises of failure and the wounds of mediority.
Today I am born anew and my birthplace is a vineyard where there is fruit for all.
Today I will pluck grapes of wisdom from the tallest and fullest vines in the vineyard,for these were planted by the wisest of my profession who have come before me,generation upon generation.
Today I will savor the taste of grapes from these vines and verily I will swallow the seed of success buried in each and new life will sprout within me.
The career I have chosen is laden with opportunity yet it is fraught with heartbreak and despair and the bodies of those who have failed, were they piled one atop another, would cast a shadow down upon all the pyramids of the earth.
Yet I will not fail, as the others, for in my hands I now hold the charts which will guide through perilous waters to shores which only yesterday seemed but a dream.
Failure no longer will be my payment for struggle. Just as nature made no provision for my body to tolerate pain neither has it made any provision for my life to suffer failure. Failure, like pain, is alien to my life. In the past I accepted it as I accepted pain. Now I reject it and I am prepared for wisdom and principles which will guide me out of the shadows into the sunlight of wealth, position, and happiness far beyond my most extravagant dreams until even the golden apples in the Garden of Hesperides will seem no more than my just reward.
Time teaches all things to him who lives forever but I have not the luxury of eternity. Yet within my allotted time I must practice the art of patience for nature acts never in haste. To create the olive, king of all trees, a hundred years is required. An onion plant is old in nine weeks. I have lived as an onion plant. It has not pleased me. Now I wouldst become the greatest of olive trees and, in truth, the greatest of salesman.
And how will this be accomplished? For I have neither the knowledge nor the experience to achieve the greatness and already I have stumbled in ignorance and fallen into pools of self-pity. The answer is simple. I will commence my journey unencumbered with either the weight of unnecessary knowledge or the handicap of meaningless experience. Nature already has supplied me with knowledge and instinct far greater than any beast in the forest and the value of experience is overrated, usually by old men who nod wisely and speak stupidly.
In truth, experience teaches thoroughly yet her course of instruction devours men's years so the value of her lessons diminishes with the time necessary to acquire her special wisdom. The end finds it wasted on dead men. Furthermore, experience is comparable to fashion; an action that proved successful today will be unworkable and impractical tomorrow.
Only principles endure and these I now possess, for the laws that will lead me to greatness are contained in the words of these scrolls. What they will teach me is more to prevent failure than to gain success, for what is success other than a state of mind? Which two, among a thouand wise men, will define success in the same words; yet failure is always described but one way. Failure is man's inability to reach his goals in life, whatever they may be.
In truth, the only difference between those who have failed and those who have successed lies in the difference of their habits. Good habits are the key to all success. Bad habits are the unlocked door to failure. Thus, the first law I will obey, which precedeth all others is --I will form good habits and become their slave.
As a child I was slave to my impulses; now I am slave to my habits, as are all grown men. I have surrendered my free will to the years of accumulated habits and the past deeds of my life have already marked out a path which threatens to imprison my future. My actions are ruled by appetite, passion, prejudice, greed, love, fear, environment, habit, and the worst of these tyrants is habit. Therefore, if I must be a slave to habit let me be a slave to good habits. My bad habits must be destroyed and new furrows prepared for good seed.
I will form good habits and become their slave.
And how will I accomplish this difficult feat? Through these scrolls, it will be done, for each scroll contains a principle which will drive a bad habit from my life and replace it with one which will bring me closer to success. For it is another of nature's laws that only a habit can subdue another habit. So, in order for these written words to perform their chosen task, I must discipline myself with the first of my new habits which is as follows:
I will read each scroll for thirty days in this prescribed manner, before I proceed to the next scroll.
First, I will read the words in silence when I arise. Then, I will read the words in silence after I have partaken of my midday meal. Last, I will read the words again just before I retire at day's end, and most important, on this occasion I will read the words aloud.
On the next day I will repeat this procedure, and I will continue in like manner for thirty days. Then, I will turn to the next scroll and repeat this procedure for another thirty days. I will continue in this manner until I have lived with each scroll for thirty days and my reading has become habit.
And what will be accomplished with this habit? Herein lies the hidden secret of all man's accomplishments. As I repeat the words daily they will soon become a part of my active mind, but more important, they will also seep into my other mind, that mysterious source which never sleeps, which creates my dreams, and often makes me act in ways I do not comprehend.
As the words of these scrolls are consumed by my mysterious mind I will begin to awake, each morning, with a vitality I have never known before. My vigor will increase, my enthusiasm will rise, my desire to meet the world will overcome every fear I once knew at sunrise, and I will be happier than I ever believed it possible to be in this world of strife and sorrow.
Eventually I will find myself reacting to all situations which confront me as I was commanded in the scrolls to react, and soon these actions and reactions will become easy to perform, for any act with practice becomes easy.
Thus a new and good habit is born, for when an act becomes easy through constant repetiton it becomes a pleasure to perform and if it is a pleasure to perform it is man's nature to perform it often. When I perform it often it becomes a habit and I become its slave and since it is a good habit this is my will.
Today I begin a new life.
And I make a solemn oath to myself that nothing will retard my new life's growth. I will lose not a day from these readings for that day cannot be retrieved nor can I substitute another for it. I must not , I will not, break this habit of daily reading from these scrolls and, in truth, the few moments spent each day on this new habit are but a small price to pay for the happiness and success that will be mine.
As I read and re-read the words in the scrolls to follow, never will I allow the brevity of each scroll nor the simplicity of its words to cause me to treat the scroll's message lightly. Thousands of grapes are pressed to fill one jar with wine, and the grapeskin and pulp are tossed to the birds. So it is with these grapes of wisdom from the ages. Much has been filtered and tossed to the the pure truth lies distilled in the words to come. I will drink as instructed and spill not a drop. And the seed of success I will swallow.
Today my old skin has become as dust. I will walk tall among men and they will know me not , for today I am a new man, with a new life.
《今天，我天始新的生活》
今天，我爬出滿是失敗創傷的老繭。
今天，我重新來到這個世上，我出生在葡萄園中，國內的葡萄任人享用。
今天，我要從最高最密的藤上摘下智慧的果實，這葡萄藤是好幾代前的智者種下的。
今天，我要品嚐葡萄的美味，還要吞下每一位成功的種子，讓新生命在我心裏萌牙。
我選擇的道路充滿機遇，也有辛酸與絕望．失敗的同伴數不勝數，疊在一起，比金字塔還高。
然而，我不會像他們一樣失敗，因爲我手中持有航海圖，可以領我越過洶涌的大海，抵達夢中的彼岸．
失敗不再是我奮鬥的代價．它和痛苦都將從我的生命中消失。失敗和我，就像水火一樣，互不相容。我不再像過去一樣接受它們。我要在智慧的指引下，走出失敗的陰影，步入富足、健康、快樂的樂園，這些都超出了我以往的夢想． 我要是能長生不老，就可以學到一切，但我不能永生，所以，在有限的人生裏，我必須學會忍耐的藝術，因爲大自然的行爲一向是從容不迫的．造物主創造樹中之王橄攤樹需要一百年的時間，而洋蔥經過短短的九個星期就會枯老．我不留戀從前那種洋蔥式的生活，我要成爲萬樹之王——橄欖樹，成爲現實生活中最偉大的推銷員．
怎麼可能？我既沒有淵博的知識，又沒有豐富的經驗，況且，我曾一度跌入愚昧與自憐的深淵．答案很簡單。我不會讓所謂的知識或者經驗妨礙我的行程．造物生已經賜予我足夠的知識和本能，這份天賦是其它生物望塵莫及的。經驗的價值往往被高估了，人老的時候開口講的多是糊塗話．說實在的，經驗確實能教給我們很多東西，只是這需要花費太長的時間．等到人們獲得智慧的時候，其價值已隨着時間的消逝而減少了．結果往往是這樣，經驗豐富了，人也餘生無多．經驗和時尚有關，適合某一時代的行爲,並不尋味着在今天仍然行得通。
只有原則是持久的，而我現在正擁有了這些原則．這些可以指引我走向成功的原則全寫在這幾張羊皮卷裏．它教我如何避免失敗，而不只是獲得成功，因爲成功更是一種精神狀態．人們對於成功的定義，見仁見智，而失敗卻往往只有一種解釋:失敗就是一個人沒能達到他的人生目標，不論這些目標是什麼。
事實上，成功與失敗的最大分野，來自不同的習慣。好習慣是開啓成員的鑰匙，壞習慣則是一扇向失敗敞開的門。因此，我首先要做的便是養成良好的習慣，全心全意去實行。
小時候．我常會感情用事，長大成人了，我要用良好的習慣代替一時的衝動。我的自由意志屈服於多年養成的惡習，它們威脅着我的前途。我的行爲受到品味、情感、偏見、慾望、愛、恐懼、環境和習慣的影響，其中最厲害的就是習慣。因此．如果我必須受習慣支配的話，那就讓我受好習慣的支配。那些壞習慣必須戒除，我要在新的田地裏播種好的種子。 我要養成良好的習慣，全心全意去實行。
這不是輕而易舉的事情，要怎樣才能做到呢，靠這些羊皮卷就能做到。因爲每～卷裏都寫着一個原則，可以摒除—項壞習慣，換取一個好習慣，使人進步，走向成功。這也是自然法則之一，只有一種習慣才能抑制另一種習慣。所以，爲了走好我選擇的道路，我必須養成的第一個習慣
每張羊皮卷用三十天的時間閱讀，然後再進人下一卷。 清晨即起，默默誦讀；午飯之後，再次默讀；夜晚睡前，高聲朗讀。
第二天的情形完全一樣。這樣重複三十天後，就可以打開下一卷了。每一卷都依照同樣的方法讀上三十天，久而久之，它們就成爲一種習慣了。
這些習慣有什麼好處呢？這裏隱含着人類成功的祕訣。當我每天重複這些話的時候，它何成了我精神活動的一部分，更重要的是，它們滲入我的心靈。擁是個神祕的世界，永不靜止，創造夢境，在不知不覺中影響我的行爲。
當這些羊皮捲上的文字，被我奇妙的心靈完全吸收之後，我每天都會充滿活力地醒來。我從來沒有這樣精力充沛過。我更有活力，更有熱情，要向世界挑戰的慾望克服了一切恐懼與不安。在這個充滿爭鬥和悲傷的世界裏，我竟然比以前更快活。 最後，我會發現自己有了應付一切情況的辦法。不久，這些辦法就能運用自如．因爲，任何方法，只要多練習，就會變得簡單易行。
經過多次重複，一種看似複雜的行爲就變得輕而易舉，實行起來，就會有無限的樂趣，有了樂趣，出於人之天性，我就更樂意常去實行。於是，一種好的習慣便誕生了．習慣成爲自然。既是一種好的習慣，也就是我的意原。
今天，我天始新的生活．
我鄭重地發誓，絕不讓任何事情妨礙我新生命的成長。在閱讀這些羊卷的時候，我絕不浪費一天的時間，因爲時光一去不返，失去的日子是無法彌補的。我也絕不打破每天閱讀的習慣。事實上，每天在這些新習慣上花費少許時間，相對於可能獲得的愉樂與成功而言，只是微不足道的代價。 當我閱讀羊皮卷中的字句時，絕不能出爲文字的精煉而忽視內容的深沉。一瓶葡萄美酒需要千百顆果子釀製而成，果皮和渣子拋給小鳥。葡萄的智慧代代相傳，有些被過濾，有些被淘汰，隨風飄逝。只有純正的真理纔是永恆的。它們就精煉在我要閱讀的文字中。我要依照指示，絕不浪費，飲下成功的種子。
今天，我的老繭化爲塵埃。我在人羣中昂首闊步，不會有人認出我來，因爲我不再是過去的自己、我已擁有新的生命。
二、《做一名進攻型的戰士》
A young friend of mine asked me in a letter, “What kind of man should I be?” My answer was, “Be a fighter.”
Another friend of mine inquired, “How should I live my life?” Again my answer was, “Be a fighter.”
The author of In Praise of the Fighter says:
Riding on the ceaseless rushing torrent of life, I should pursue and overtake it so as to create an even greater and deeper torrent of my own.
If I were a lamp, it would be my duty to light up thick darkness. If I were the sea tide, I would marshal rolling waves to cleanse the beach of all accumulated filth.
This quotation reflects aptly the state of mind of a lighter.
Fighters are badly needed in our time. But such fighters do not necessarily go to the battle- field gun in hand. Their weapons are not necessarily bullets. Their weapons may be knowledge, faith and strong will. They can bring the enemy sure death without drawing his blood.
A fighter is always in pursuit of light. Instead of basking in the sunshine under a clear sky, he holds a burning torch in the darkness of night to illuminate people's way so that they can continue their journey till they see the dawn of a new day. It is the task of a fighter to dispel darkness. Instead of shirking darkness, he braves it and fights the hidden demons and monsters therein. He is determined to wipe them out and win light. He knows no compromise. He will keep on fighting until he wins light.
A fighter is perennially young. He is never irresolute or inactive. He plunges deep into teeming crowds in search of such vermin as flies and venomous mosquitoes. He will fight them relentlessly and refuse to coexist with them under the same sky. To him, life means nothing but continuous fighting. He either survives by winning light, or perishes with his body covered all over with cuts and bruises. In the course of the struggle, it is the “future” that serves as the beacon light to him; the “future” gives people hope and inspiration. He will never lose his youthful vigour.
A fighter will never lose heart or despair. He will pile up broken pieces of brick and stone to rebuild a nine-story pagoda on the ruins of failure. No blows will ever break his will. He will never close his eyes until he has breathed his last.
A fighter is always fearless. His steps are firm. Once he has settled on an objective, he will press right ahead. He is never afraid of being tripped by a stumbling block. No obstacles will ever make him change his mind. His eyes will never be hoodwinked by false appearances. His actions are guided by faith. He can endure any hardships or sufferings while striving to attain his chosen objective. He will never abandon work as long as he is alive.
This is the kind of fighter we now need. He is not necessarily possessed of superhuman capability. He is just an ordinary person. Anyone can be a fighter so long as he has the determination. Hence a few words of mine about “being a fighter” to encourage those young people who wander about in a depressed state, not knowing which way to go.
參考譯文：
一個年輕的朋友寫信問我：“應該做一個什麼樣的人？”我回答他：“做一個戰士。”
另一個朋友問我：“怎樣對付生活了？”我仍舊答道：“做一個戰士。”
《戰士頌》的作者曾經寫過這樣的話：
“我激盪在這綿綿不息、滂沱四方的生命洪流中，我就應該追逐這洪流，而且追過它，自己去造更廣、更深的洪流。”
“我如果是一盞燈，這燈的用處便是照徹那多量的黑暗。我如果是海潮，便要鼓起波濤去洗滌海邊一切陳腐的積物[]。”
這一段話很恰當地寫出了戰士的心情。
在這個時代，戰士是最需要的。但是這樣的戰士並不一定要持槍上戰場。他的武器也下一定是槍彈。他的武器還可以是知識、信仰和堅強的意志。他並不一定要流仇敵的血，卻能更有把握地致敵人的死命，戰士是永遠追求光明的。他並不躺在晴空下享受陽光，在晴夜裏燃起火炬，給人們照亮道路，使他們走向黎明。驅散黑暗，這是戰士的任務。他不躲避黑暗，卻要面對黑暗，跟躲藏在陰影裏的魑魅、魍魎搏鬥。他要消滅它們而取得光明。戰士是不知道妥協的。他得不到光明便不會停止戰鬥。
戰士永遠是年輕的。他不猶豫，不休息。他深入人叢中，找尋蒼蠅、毒蚊等等危害人類的東西。他不斷地攻擊它們，不肯與它們共同生存在一個天空下面，對於戰士，生活就是不停的戰鬥，他不是取得光明而牛存，便是帶着滿身傷痕而死去。在戰鬥中力量只有增長，信仰只有加強，在戰鬥中給戰士指路的是“未來”，“未來”給人以希望和鼓舞。戰士永遠不會失去青春的活力。
戰士是不知道灰心與絕望的。他甚至在失敗的廢墟上，還要堆起破碎的磚石重建九級寶塔。任何打擊都不能擊破戰士的意志。只有在死的時候他才閉上眼睛。
戰士是不知道畏縮的，他的腳步很堅定。一旦他認準目標，便會向前走去。他不怕被絆腳石摔倒，沒有一種障礙能使他改變心思，假象絕不能迷住戰士的眼睛，支配戰士的行動的是信仰。他能夠忍受一切艱難、痛苦，而達到他所選定的目標。除非他死，否則他決不放棄工作。
這便是我們現在需要的戰士。這樣的戰士並不一定具有超人的能力。他是一個平凡的人。每個人都可以做戰士，只要他有決心。所以我用“做一個進攻型的戰士”來激勵那些還在苦悶中彷徨，不知何去何從的年輕朋友。
三、《和自己交談的力量》
Life is like a big swing, dangling between the depths of happiness and sadness. As soon as we descend down the slope of sadness, we accelerate over the ever-feel-good acclivity f happiness. At times of distress, when we are down we slip over an abyss of emotional trauma and frustrations. One who can rise above the occasion, is the architect of many wins over sorrows.
To come above tougher times you have to pep yourself up, when you are feeling low, lost and confused. This can be done effectively by self-talk. Self-talk is a way of talking to oneself. It can be effectively used for soul searching. When talking to ourselves, we hardly lie as our conscience controls our speech. Self talk is efficient because when we are vocal about our thoughts, it makes a larger impact on our mind. Our brain then receives the same message from the mind as well as the ears. This repetition pep talks and thoughts fine tunes the performance of brain.
Self-talk is a software, which when properly loaded onto our mind directs ourselves for better results and a healthy mind. Actually many times in our life, we find others advising us to do better in studies, sports, life etc. We usually get bugged by these people and blank our ears out of their constructive suggestions. It is because it doesn't come from within us. And when something comes from within you, you always try your best to do justice to it. Self-talk can thus ameliorate our status.
Each one of us has some good points and some bad ones. Though we hardly admit in pubic, we know in our mind that we could do better in some areas of our personal landscape. This get better attitude can be converted into a practical reality using self-talk.
If you are an introvert and you want to be the gregarious person like you friend next door, all you need to do is talk to yourself. Tell yourself with all the sincerity and emotions that “I can be like him. I am a natural born speaker. I do like people and speaking comes naturally to me. I just have to be ready to listen and speak”. Suppose you love a person and want to tell him or her, then just say to yourselves “I love her with all my heart. She is the only one and I know it. If I don't let her know, it would be grave injustice on my part. Every person loves to be loved. Even she will”. These are just some examples I have explained. It's up to you to program your own mantra.
If you are highly optimistic to do better, there is no better motivator than self-talk. So guys start talking.
參考譯文：
生活像一具大秋千，總在開心和憂愁間搖擺。每當我們陷入憂愁的低谷時，我們以開始衝向開心的谷頂。在深陷悲痛，跌入感情創傷和絕望的深淵的時候，能夠從中走出來的，就是戰勝悲傷的贏家。
當你感覺情緒低落，失落和迷惘時，要從艱難中走出，你要不斷激勵自己。這可以用自我交談的方式有效地實現。自我交談其實就是與自己對話，它能夠有效地運用於靈魂的探索。當我們和自己談話時，我們很難說謊，因爲我們的良心支配着交談。自我交談之所以有效，是因爲我們可以聽到自己的想法，這對我們思想有很強的影響力。我們的大腦像耳朵一樣從思想中接受信息。重複激勵的談話和想法會調節大腦的反應。
自我交談是一個軟件，當它被恰如其分地轉載我們的思想時，它就能指引我們得到好的結果和一個健康的心態。實際上我閃在生活中常發覺別人勸告自己要在學習、體育和生活等方面做得更好。我們經常對別人在我們耳邊的嘮叨感到厭煩，對富有建設性的建議也聽不進去。這是因爲這不是來自我們內心的聲音。當這個聲音來自你的內心時，你就會全力以赴去實現它。因此，與自己對話可以改善我們的現狀。每個人都有優點和弱點。雖然我們不會在公共場合承認，我們清楚自己在個人生活的某些方面可以做得更好。通過自我交談我們可以做得更好，這個觀點就能在生活中變爲現實。
如果你是內向型的，你想如你隔壁的朋友那樣出衆，你所要做的就是和自己交談。充滿誠摯和感情地告訴自己“我可以像他一樣，我是個天生的演說家。我確實喜歡人們，和人交談很自然。我只要準備好傾聽和談話就是了。” 假設你愛一個人，你想告訴他或她，那麼就對自己說“我全心全意地愛她，我知道她是我的唯一。如果我不告訴她，這對自己很不公平。每個人都喜歡他人所愛的。她也一樣。” 這些只是我用來解釋的例子，怎麼說取決於你自己。
如果你非常樂觀地想做得更好，自我交談就是最好的辦法。所以，開始交談吧！
