必读经典英语文章

2017-03-23

必读经典英语文章1

优秀的标准

My l4-year-old son, John, and I spotted the coat simultaneously. It was hanging on a rack at a secondhand clothing store in Northampton Mass, crammed in with shoddy trench coats and an assortment of sad, woolen overcoats -- a rose among thorns.

在马萨诸塞州北安普顿市的一家出售二手服装的店里，我和我14岁的儿子约翰同时盯上了那件大衣。它就挂在衣架上，夹在劣质的军用风雨衣和各式各样寒酸的羊毛大衣当中，然而它却像荆棘丛中的一朵玫瑰。

While the other coats drooped, this one looked as if it were holding itself up. The thick, black wool of the double-breasted chesterfield was soft and unworn, as though it had been preserved in mothballs for years in dead old Uncle Henry's steamer trunk. The coat had a black velvet collar, beautiful tailoring, a Fifth Avenue label and an unbelievable price of $28. We looked at each other, saying nothing, but John's eyes gleamed. Dark, woolen topcoats were popular just then with teenage boys, but could cost several hundred dollars new. This coat was even better, bearing that touch of classic elegance from a bygone era.

其他的大衣都显得没精打采，惟独这件衣服趾高气扬。厚厚的黑色羊绒柔软而蓬松，这件双排扣暗钮长大衣显然还没上过身，看样子，就像用樟脑球在老亨利叔叔的扁平旅行箱里保存了多年。其做工精细：领子是黑天鹅绒的，商标是第五大街的，价钱让人难以置信，只卖28美元。我们彼此看着对方，一言不发，可约翰的眼里却闪着欣喜的光。黑色的羊绒轻便大衣那时在小伙子们中很流行，买一件新的要花好几百美元，而这一件质地更好一些，还带有一种逝去年代的古典美。

John slid his arms down into the heavy satin lining of the sleeves and buttoned the coat. He turned from side to side, eyeing himself in the mirror with a serious, studied expression that soon changed into a smile. The fit was perfect.

约翰将胳膊伸进了袖管里——衬里是厚厚的缎子，系上了扣子。他在镜子面前转过来调过去地打量着自己，脸上的严肃表情不一会儿就变成了微笑。衣服合身极了。

John wore the coat to school the next day and came home wearing a big grin. "Ho. did the kids like your coat?" I asked. "They loved it," he said, carefully folding it over the back of a chair and smoothing it flat. I started calling him "Lord Chesterfield" and "The Great Gatsby."

第二天约翰就穿着它去上学了。放学回来他笑逐颜开。我问他：“那些孩子觉得你的大衣怎么样?”“他们非常喜欢。”他一边说，一边在椅子背儿上把衣服仔细地叠起来，并甩手把它展平。我于是就开始叫他“切斯特菲尔德大人”和“了不起的盖茨比”。

Over the next few weeks, a change came over John. Agreement replaced contrariness, quiet, reasoned discussion replaced argument. He became more judicious, more mannerly, more thoughtful, eager to please. “Good dinner, Mom," he would say every evening.

在接下来的几周内，约翰慢慢地变了：变得听话而不再故意作对，遇事能心平气和地商讨而不再强词夺理。他变得更明事理、更有礼貌，也更体贴人了。他也乐于讨人欢喜。每天晚上都要说：“妈妈，晚饭好极了。”

必读经典英语文章2

生活充满选择

Michael is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I’d be twins!” He was a natural motivator.

迈克尔是那种你真想恨一恨的家伙，他总是乐呵呵的，总是说些积极上进的话。如果有人问他近况如何，他会这样回答：“如果我还能再好，我就成双胞胎了!”他生来就会让人积极进取。

If an employee was having a bad day, Michael was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation. Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Michael and asked him, "I don' t get it. You can' t be positive all the time. How do you do it?"

如果哪位雇员有天过得很糟糕，迈克尔会告诉他如何看待问题的积极一面。他的这种方式着实让我好奇，所以有一天我找到迈克尔问：“我真弄不明白。你怎么能总是那样积极乐观?你是如何做到这一点的?”

Michael replied, each morning I wake up and say to myself 'Mike, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood.' I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life."

迈克尔回答说，“每天早晨醒来时我对自己说，‘迈克，今天你有两种选择。你可以选择心情愉快，你也可以选择心情恶劣。’我选择心情愉快。每次什么不愉快的事情发生时，我可以选择成为一个牺牲品，也可以选择从中吸取教训。我选择从中吸取教训。每次有什么人找我来抱怨，我可以选择接受他们的抱怨，也可以选择向他指出生活的积极面。我选择指出生活的积极面。”

"Yeah, right. It isn't that easy." I protested.

“是的，不错。可并不那么容易呀。”我表示异议。

必读经典英语文章3

成长的过程

The drugstore was beginning to close for the night. Young Alfred Higgins, who worked in the store was putting on his coat, getting ready to go home. On his way out, he passed Mr. Carr, the little gray-haired man who owned the store. Mr. Carr looked up at Alfred as he passed, and said in a very soft voice, "Just one moment, Alfred. One moment before you go." Mr. Carr spoke so quietly that he worried Alfred.

天晚了，杂货店即将打烊，在店里工作的年轻的艾尔弗雷德·希金斯穿上大衣准备回家。出门时，他碰上了店主卡尔先生。卡尔先生是个小个子，头发灰白。当艾尔弗雷德经过时卡尔先生抬头看着他，然后低声说：“等一下，艾尔弗雷德。等一下再走。”卡尔先生的声音那么低沉，使艾尔弗雷德不禁紧张起来。 "What is it, Mr. Carr?"

“什么事，卡尔先生?”

"Maybe, you' d be good enough to take a few things out of your pockets and leave them here before you go.” said Mr. Carr.

“你也许在走之前会把兜里的东西拿出来，放在这儿。”卡尔先生说。

"What -- What things? What are you talking about?"

“什么——什么东西?你在说些什么呀?”

"You've got a compact and a lipstick and at least two tubes of toothpaste in your pockets, Alfred,"

“你拿了一个粉盒，一支口红还有至少两管牙膏在你衣兜里，艾尔弗雷德。”

"What do you mean?" Alfred answered.

“你这是什么意思?”艾尔弗雷德回答：“你以为我疯了吗?”他的脸红了。

"Do you think I' m crazy?" his face got red. Mr. Carr kept looking at Alfred coldly. Alfred did not know what to say, and tried to keep his eyes from meeting the eyes of his boss. After a few moments, he put his hand into his pockets and took out the things he had stolen.

卡尔先生冷冷地直盯着艾尔弗雷德。艾尔弗雷德一时语塞，努力避开老板的目光、过了一会儿，他把手伸进口袋，把偷的东西拿了出来。

必读经典英语文章4