优美的高一英语美文欣赏
美是散文的灵魂。那么,什么样的散文才是美文呢?散文的美,应在于它的内质而不是外表。下面是小编带来的高一英语美文，欢迎阅读!
高一英语美文篇一
一封给我儿子的信
Dear Seth,
亲爱的塞斯，
You're only three years old, and at this point in your life you can't read, much less understand what I'm going to try to tell you in this letter.
你现在仅仅3岁，此刻你还不识字，更不用说让你去理解我接下来想在这封信里对你所说的话了。
But I've been thinking a lot about the life that you have ahead of you, about my life so far as I reflect on what I've learned, and about my role as a dad in trying to prepare you for the trials that you will face in the coming years。
但是我已经苦思冥想了好久，关于你即将面临的人生以及我的生活，我反思我所学会的;思考一个父亲的职责，力图让你为未来岁月中即将面临的困难做好充分准备。
You won't be able to understand this letter today, but someday, when you're ready, I hope you will find some wisdom and value in what I share with you。
你今天并不能理解这封信的含义，但是某一天，当时机成熟，我希望你能在我与你分享的内容当中找寻到些许的智慧和价值。
You are young, and life has yet to take its toll on you, to throw disappointments and heartaches and loneliness and struggles and pain into your path. You have not been worn down yet by long hours of thankless work, by the slings and arrows of everyday life。
你还很年轻，生命还尚未开始摧残你，没有在你的人生道路上布置失望，伤心，孤独，挣扎和苦痛。你还没有被漫长的乏味工作，被日常生活的打击搞得筋疲力尽。
For this, be thankful. You are at a wonderful stage of life. You have many wonderful stages of life still to come, but they are not without their costs and perils。
因此，谢天谢地吧。你正处在人生一个美妙的阶段。还有很多美妙的阶段会来到你面前，但是都不是唾手可得的，你都得付出代价，经历风险。
I hope to help you along your path by sharing some of the best of what I've learned. As with any advice, take it with a grain of salt. What works for me might not work for you。
我希望通过分享一些我所学到的最好的道理能帮助你走好人生路。至于任何建议，且把它当作佐料，因为适合我的并不一定适用于你。
Life Can Be Cruel
生活会很残酷
There will be people in your life who won't be very nice. They'll tease you because you're different, or for no good reason. They might try to bully you or hurt you。
你的生活中一定会有并不友好的人。他们耻笑你因为你不同，而在没有更好的理由。他们可能会欺负你或者伤害你。
There's not much you can do about these people except to learn to deal with them, and learn to choose friends who are kind to you, who actually care about you, who make you feel good about yourself.
对这种人你除了学会和其接触无计可施，同时你也要学会择友，选择那些对你友善的，那些真正关心你的，那些令你对自己感到很好的人做朋友。
When you find friends like this, hold on to them, treasure them, spend time with them, be kind to them, love them。
当你寻找到像这样的朋友，就一定要坚守这份友谊，珍惜他们，花些时间和他们在一起，友善的对待他们并爱他们。
There will be times when you are met with disappointment instead of success. Life won't always turn out the way you want. This is just another thing you'll have to learn to deal with. But instead of letting these things get you down, push on. Accept disappointment and learn to persevere, to pursue your dreams despite pitfalls. Learn to turn negatives into positives, and you'll do much better in life。
有时你会遭遇挫折而非成功。生活并不总会如你所愿。这是另一件你需要学会处理的事情。但你要挺住向前，而不是让这些事让你陷入低谷。接受挫败并学会坚持，不畏风险地追求你的梦想。学会把消极转化为积极，之后你就能做的好得多。
You will also face heartbreak and abandonment by those you love. I hope you don't have to face this too much, but it happens.
你同样会面临心碎时刻以及你深爱的人的抛弃。我希望你无须经历太多此类事件，但如果不幸发生了
Again, not much you can do but to heal, and to move on with your life. Let these pains become stepping stones to better things in life, and learn to use them to make you stronger。
再一次，除了慢慢愈合心中的创伤并继续下去你的生活，你别无选择。让这些痛苦成为你通向更美好生活的垫脚石，并学会利用它们让自己更坚强。
But Be Open to life Anyway
但无论如何，都要张开双臂拥抱生活
Yes, you'll find cruelty and suffering in your journey through life … but don't let that close you to new things. Don't retreat from life, don't hide or wall yourself off. Be open to new things, new experiences, new people。
是的，在你的生命历程中你会遇到残酷，煎熬……但不要让这些让你拒绝接受新鲜事物。不要逃避生活，不要躲藏，抑或封闭自己。拥抱新鲜事物，经历全新体验，接触新的人。
You might get your heart broken 10 times, but find the most wonderful woman the 11th time. If you shut yourself off from love, you'll miss out on that woman, and the happiest times of your life。
你或许心碎了10次，但是在第十一次找到至爱。如果你把自己关在爱的门外，你就会错过这个女子，和你生命中最快乐的时光。
You might get teased and bullied and hurt by people you meet … and then after meeting dozens of jerks, find a true friend. If you close yourself off to new people, and don't open your heart to them, you'll avoid pain … but also lose out on meeting some incredible people, who will be there during the toughest times of your life and create some of the best times of your life。
你可能会被你遇到的人耻笑欺负伤害…而在见了一打这种稀奇古怪的人后，你会找到一个真正的朋友。如果你拒绝接触新人群，并不向他们敞开心扉，你会避免受伤……但是同时也失去了认识这些不可思议的人的机会，他们会在你生命最困难的时刻陪伴着你，并带给你人生当中最美好的时光。
You will fail many times but if you allow that to stop you from trying, you will miss out on the amazing feeling of success once you reach new heights with your accomplishments. Failure is a stepping stone to success。
你会失败多次但是如果你让失败打到了你，不再努力，你就会错过那种当你达到成就新高度的难以言喻的成就感。失败是成功之母。
Love Should Be Your Rule
爱应该成为你的生活准则
If there's a single word you should live your life by, it should be this: Love. It might sound corny, I know … but trust me, there's no better rule in life。
如果让一个词成为你的生活支撑的话，那它应该是爱。也许这听来已是老生常谈，我也清楚… 但是请信任我，再没有更好的生活准则了。
Some would live by the rule of success. Their lives will be stressful, unhappy and shallow。
一些人以成功作为生活准则。他们的生活会很紧张，不开心并且很浅薄。
Others would live by the rule of selfishness — putting their needs above those of others. They will live lonely lives, and will also be unhappy。
另一些人的生活准则是个人利益---他们将个人需要置于他人需要之上。他们孤独一生，终究也不会快乐。
Still others will live by the rule of righteousness — trying to show the right path, and admonishing anyone who doesn't live by that path. They are concerned with others, but in a negative way, and in the end will only have their own righteousness to live with, and that's a horrible companion。
还有一些人他们为正义而生---努力展示其道路的正确性，并试图劝服任何一个不以正义为生活准则的人。他们关心他人，却以一种消极的方式，最终怀抱追寻一生的正义而终，而正却是一个糟糕的伴侣。
Live your life by the rule of love. Love your spouse, your children, your parents, your friends, with all of your heart. Give to them what they need, and show them not cruelty nor disapproval nor coldness nor disappointment, but only love. Open your soul to them。
用爱支撑你的生命。爱你的妻子，你的孩子，你的父母亲，你的朋友，全心全意地去爱。给与他们你所需要的，不要流露出任何残忍，不赞同，冷漠或者失望，只有爱。向他们敞开灵魂。
Love not only your loved ones, but your neighbors … your coworkers … strangers … your brothers and sisters in humanity. Offer anyone you meet a smile, a kind word, a kind gesture, a helping hand。
不仅仅爱你深爱的人，也要爱你的邻居.。。你的同事…甚至陌生人…他们是你广义上的兄弟姐妹。给你遇到的任何一个人一个微笑，一句善语。一个友好的姿势，一只援助之手。
Love not only neighbors and strangers … but your enemy. The person who is cruelest to you, who has been unkind to you … love him. He is a tortured soul, and most in need of your love。
不仅仅爱邻居和陌生人…也要爱你的敌人。对你最残酷的人，对曾经对你不善的人…爱他。他是一个备受折磨的灵魂，最需要你的爱。
And most of all, love yourself. While others may criticize you, learn not to be so hard on yourself, to think that you’re ugly or dumb or unworthy of love … but to think instead that you are a wonderful human being, worthy of Happiness and love … and learn to love yourself for who you are。
最重要的是爱你自己。当别人批评你时，学着不要强加自己，去认为自己丑，笨或者不值得去爱…而要想着自己是一个很完美的人，值得拥有幸福和真爱…并学会爱现在的自己。
Finally, know that I love you and always will. You are starting out on a weird, scary, daunting, but ultimately incredibly wonderful journey, and I will be there for you when I can. Godspeed.
最后，要知道我爱你并且永远都会，你即将开启一段有点奇怪，令人害怕，令人心悸但最终很不可思议的巧妙旅程，我永远会支持你。祝万事如意。
高一英语美文篇二
苹果树
A long time ago, there was a huge apple tree. A little boy loved to come and lay around it every day. He climbed to the tree top, ate the apples, took a nap under the shadow... He loved the tree and the tree loved to play with him.
很久很久以前，有一棵又高又大的苹果树。一位小男孩，天天到树下来，他爬上去摘苹果吃，在树荫下睡觉。他爱苹果树，苹果树也爱和他一起玩耍。
Time went by... the little boy had grown up and he no longer played around the tree every day. One day, the boy came back to the tree and he looked sad.
后来，小男孩长大了，不再天天来玩耍。一天他又来到树下，很伤心的样子。
“Come and play with me,” the tree asked the boy. “I am no longer a kid, I don’t play around trees anymore.” The boy replied, “I want toys. I need money to buy them.”
苹果树要和他一起玩，男孩说：“不行，我不小了，不能再和你玩，我要玩具，可是没钱买。”
“Sorry, but I don’t have money...but you can pick all my apples and sell them. So, you will have money.” The boy was so excited. He grabbed all the apples on the tree and left happily. The boy never came back after he picked the apples. The tree was sad.
苹果树说：“很遗憾，我也没钱，不过，把我所有的果子摘下来卖掉，你不就有钱了?”男孩十分激动，他摘下所有的苹果，高高兴兴地走了。然后，男孩好久都没有来。苹果树很伤心。
One day, the boy returned and the tree was so excited. “Come and play with me,” the tree said. “I don’t have time to play. I have to work for my family. We need a house for shelter. Can you help me?” “Sorry, but I don’t have a house. But you can chop off my branches to build your house.”
有一天，男孩终于来了，树兴奋地邀他一起玩。男孩说：“不行，我没有时间，我要替家里干活呢，我们需要一幢房子，你能帮忙吗?”“我没有房子，”苹果树说，“不过你可以把我的树枝统统砍下来，拿去搭房子。”
So the boy cut all the branches off the tree and left happily. The tree was glad to see him happy but the boy never came back since then. The tree was again lonely and sad.
于是男孩砍下所有的树枝，高高兴兴地运走去盖房子。看到男孩高兴树好快乐。从此，男孩又不来了。树再次陷入孤单和悲伤之中。
One hot summer day, the boy returned and the tree was delighted. “Come and play with me!” the tree said. “I am sad and getting old. I want to go sailing to relax myself. Can you give me a boat?” “Use my trunk to build your boat. You can sail far away and be happy.” So the boy cut the tree trunk to make a boat. He went sailing and never showed up for a long time. The tree was happy, but it was not true.
一年夏天，男孩回来了，树太快乐了：“来呀!孩子，来和我玩呀。”男孩却说：“我心情不好，一天天老了，我要扬帆出海，轻松一下，你能给我一艘船吗?”苹果树说：“把我的树干砍去，拿去做船吧!”于是男孩砍下了她的树干，造了条船，然后驾船走了，很久都没有回来。树好快乐……但不是真的。
Finally, the boy returned after he left for so many years. “Sorry, my boy. But I don’t have anything for you anymore. No more apples for you...” the tree said.
许多年过去，男孩终于回来，苹果树说：“对不起，孩子，我已经没有东西可以给你了，我的苹果没了。”
“I don’t have teeth to bite,” the boy replied.
男孩说：“我的牙都掉了，吃不了苹果了。”
“No more trunk for you to climb on.”
苹果树又说：“我再没有树干，让你爬上来了。”
“I am too old for that now,” the boy said.
男孩说：“我太老了，爬不动了。”
“I really can’t give you anything... the only thing left is my dying roots,” the tree said with tears.
“我再也没有什么给得出手了……，只剩下枯死下去的老根，”树流着泪说。
“I don’t need much now, just a place to rest. I am tired after all these years.” The boy replied.
男孩说：“这么多年过去了，现在我感到累了，什么也不想要，只要一个休息的地方。”
“Good! Old tree roots is the best place to lean on and rest. Come, Come sit down with me and rest.” The boy sat down and the tree was glad and smiled with tears...
“好啊!老根是最适合坐下来休息的，来啊，坐下来和我一起休息吧!”男孩坐下来，苹果树高兴得流下了眼泪……
This is a story of everyone. The tree is our parent. When we were young, we loved to play with Mom and Dad... When we grown up, we left them, and only came to them when we need something or when we are in trouble.
这就是我们每个人的故事。这颗树就是我们的父母。小时候，我们喜欢和爸爸妈妈玩……长大后，我们就离开他们，只在需要什么东西或者遇到麻烦的时候，才回到他们身边。
No matter what, parents will always be there and give everything they could to make you happy. You may think that the boy is cruel to the tree but that’s how all of us are treating our parents.
无论如何，父母永远都在那儿，倾其所有使你快乐。你可能认为这个男孩对树很残酷，但这就是我们每个人对待父母的方式。
Take time out during the day for quiet time to listen to your inner voice. You may want to use your quiet time to meditate or pray.
白天花些时间出去，独自倾听自己的心声。你可能想利用这段安静的时间沉思或祈祷。
However you use this time, the key is to shut out all of the noise around you by focusing deep within yourself.
无论如何利用这段时间，关键是要排除周围所有的噪音，关注自己的内心深处。
Breathing deeply during quiet time will also help you focus. I know it’s hard to find quiet time during a particularly busy day, but it’s so important — even if it’s just 10 minutes a day and you have to sneak away to get it.
安静的时间进行深呼吸也能帮你集中注意力。我知道在特别忙碌的日子找到安静的时间很难，然而这很重要——即使一天只有10分钟，你也要溜开抓住它。
Quiet time can really make a difference in your life. It enables you to hear God speaking to your heart reminding you of His perfect love for you.
安静的时间确实能使你的生命变得不同，它促使你倾听上帝与你的心灵对话，使你想起他赋予你的完美的爱。
Be honest with yourself by paying attention to your actions. Actions speak louder than words, and they always tell the truth.
坦诚对己，注重行动吧。事实胜于雄辩，行动才能证明事实。
What do your actions say about you? If you say you love your job, but your actions say otherwise, which do you think is more true — your words or your actions?
你的行动是如何说明你的呢?如果你说热爱自己的工作，而你的行动正好相反，你认为哪个更有说服力呢——言语还是行动?
On the other hand, if you say you’re not good at a certain job, but your actions say otherwise, that’s also important.
另一方面，如果你说不擅长某项工作，但你的行动正好相反，这也很重要。
What do you do with this insight? You can use it to make more beneficial choices in your life. By being honest with yourself based on your previous actions, your actions moving forward will be based on truth instead of just what you tell yourself.
你怎么处理你这种能力?你可以由此在生活中做出更多的选择，坦诚对己也建立在以前的行为上，你以后的行动将会以事实为基础，而不只是你的言词。
Despite what your subconscious may be telling you, you can have love with no limits. The key is to unconditionally love yourself first.
不管你的潜意识告诉你什么，你都能够拥有无尽的爱，关键是首先你要无条件地爱自己。
高一英语美文篇三
迟到的情书
I was always a little in awe of Great-aunt Stephina Roos. Indeed, as children we were all frankly terrified of her.
我对斯蒂菲娜老姑总是怀着敬畏之情。说实在话，我们几个孩子对她都怕得要死。
The fact that she did not live with the family, preferring her tiny cottage and solitude to the comfortable but rather noisy household where we were brought up-added to the respectful fear in which she was held.
她不和家人一块生活，宁愿住在她的小屋子里，而不愿住在舒舒服服、热热闹闹的家里--我们六个孩子都是在家里带大的--这更加重了我们对她的敬畏之情。
We used to take it in turn to carry small delicacies which my mother had made down from the big house to the little cottage where Aunt Stephia and an old colored maid spent their days.
我们经常轮替着从我们住的大房子里带些母亲为她做的可口的食品到她和一名黑人女仆一块过活的那间小屋里去。
Old Tnate Sanna would open the door to the rather frightened little messenger and would usher him-or her - into the dark voor-kamer, where the shutters were always closed to keep out the heat and the flies. There we would wait, in trembling but not altogether unpleasant.
桑娜老姨总是为每一个上门来的怯生生的小使者打开房门，将他或她领进昏暗的客厅。那里的百叶窗长年关闭着，以防热气和苍蝇进去。我们总是在那里哆哆嗦嗦、但又不是完全不高兴地等着斯蒂菲娜老姑出来。
She was a tiny little woman to inspire so much veneration. She was always dressed in black, and her dark clothes melted into the shadows of the voor-kamer and made her look smaller than ever.
一个像她那样身材纤细的女人居然能赢得我们如此尊敬。她总是身穿黑色衣服，与客厅里的阴暗背景融成一体，将她的身材衬托得更加娇小。
But you felt. The moment she entered. That something vital and strong and somehow indestructible had come in with her, although she moved slowly, and her voice was sweet and soft.
但她一进门，我们就感到有一种说不清道不明、充满活力和刚强的气氛，尽管她的步子慢悠、声调甜柔。
She never embraced us. She would greet us and take out hot little hands in her own beautiful cool one, with blue veins standing out on the back of it, as though the white skin were almost too delicate to contain them.
她从不拥抱我们，但总是和我们寒暄，将我们热乎乎的小手握在她那双秀美清爽的手里，她的手背上露出一些青筋，就像手上白嫩的皮肤细薄得遮不住它们似的。
Tante Sanna would bring in dishes of sweet, sweet, sticky candy, or a great bowl of grapes or peaches, and Great-aunt Stephina would converse gravely about happenings on the farm ,and, more rarely, of the outer world.
桑娜阿姨每次都要端出几碟粘乎乎的南非糖果和一钵葡萄或桃子给我们吃。斯蒂菲娜老姑总是一本正经他说些农场里的事，偶尔也谈些外边世界发生的事。
When we had finished our sweetmeats or fruit she would accompany us to the stoep, bidding us thank our mother for her gift and sending quaint, old-fashioned messages to her and the Father. Then she would turn and enter the house, closing the door behind, so that it became once more a place of mystery.
待我们吃完糖果或水果，她总要将我们送到屋前的门廊，叮嘱我们要多谢母亲给她送食品，要我们对父母亲转达一些稀奇古怪的老式祝愿，然后就转身回到屋里，随手关上门，使那里再次成为神秘世界。
As I grew older I found, rather to my surprise, that I had become genuinely fond of my aloof old great-aunt.
让我感到吃惊的是，随着我逐渐长大，我发现打心眼里喜欢起我那位孤伶伶的老姑姑来。
But to this day I do not know what strange impulse made me take George to see her and to tell her, before I had confided in another living soul, of our engagement. To my astonishment, she was delighted.
至今我仍不知道那是一种什么样的奇异动力，使我在还没有透露给别人之前就把乔治领去看望姑姑，告诉她我们已经订婚的消息。不成想，听到这个消息以后，她竟非常高兴。
"An Englishman,"she exclaimed."But that is splendid, splendid. And you,"she turned to George,"you are making your home in this country? You do not intend to return to England just yet?"
"是英国人!"她惊讶地大声说道，"好极了。你，"她转向乔治，"你要在南非安家吗?你现在不打算回国吧?"
She seemed relieved when she heard that George had bought a farm near our own farm and intended to settle in South Africa. She became quite animated, and chattered away to him.
当她听说乔治已经在我们农场附近购置了一片农场并打算定居下来时，好像松了一口气。她兴致勃勃地和乔治攀谈起来。
After that I would often slip away to the little cottage by the mealie lands. Once she was somewhat disappointed on hearing that we had decided to wait for two years before getting married, but when she learned that my father and mother were both pleased with the match she seemed reassured.
从那以后，我常常到那所位于玉米地边的小屋。有一次，当斯蒂菲娜老姑听说我们决定再过两年结婚时，露出了失望的神色，但一听说我的父母亲都对这门亲事满意时，她又放宽了心。
Still, she often appeared anxious about my love affair, and would ask questions that seemed to me strange, almost as though she feared that something would happen to destroy my romance.
但她对我的婚姻大事还是经常挂在嘴边。她常常问一些怪怪的问题，几乎像担心我的婚事会告吹一样。
But I was quite unprepared for her outburst when I mentioned that George thought of paying a lightning visit to England before we were married."He must not do it,"she cried."Ina, you must not let him go. Promise me you will prevent him."she was trembling all over.
当我提到乔治打算在婚前匆匆回一趟国时，她竟激动了起来。只见她浑身哆嗦着大声嚷道："他不能回去!爱娜!你不能放他走，你得答应我不放他走!"
I did what I could to console her, but she looked so tired and pale that I persuaded her to go to her room and rest, promising to return the next day.
我尽力安慰她，但她还是显得萎靡不振。我只得劝她回屋休息，并答应第二天再去看她。
When I arrived I found her sitting on the stoep. She looked lonely and pathetic, and for the first time I wondered why no man had ever taken her and looked after her and loved her.
我第二天去看她时，她正坐在屋前的门廊上，流露出抑郁孤寂的神情。我第一次感到纳闷：以前怎么没有人娶她、照料和爱抚她呢?记得母亲曾经说过，斯蒂菲娜老姑以前曾是一个楚楚可爱的小姑娘。
Mother had told me that Great-aunt Stephina had been lovely as a young girl, and although no trace of that beauty remained, except perhaps in her brown eyes, yet she looked so small and appealing that any man, one felt, would have wanted to protect her.
尽管除了她那褐色的眼睛尚能保留一点昔日的风韵之外，她的美貌早已荡然无存。但她看上去还是那样小巧玲珑、惹人爱怜，引起男人们的惜香怜玉之情。
Then she seemed to give herself, mentally, a little shake. "You must have wondered ", she said, "why I was so upset at the thought of young George's going to England without you.
我走到她的跟前。她拍着身边的椅子，淡淡一笑。"坐下吧，亲爱的，"她说，"我有话要告诉你。"她欲言又止，好像不知道话从何说起似的。接着，她仿佛振作了起来。她说："我听你说乔治要回国，又不带你走，心里非常不安。我这份心事你是不明白的。
I am an old woman, and perhaps I have the silly fancies of the old, but I should like to tell you my own love story, and then you can decide whether it is wise for your man to leave you before you are married."
我是一个老婆子了，大概还怀着老人们的那颗痴心吧。不过，我想把自己的爱情故事讲给你听。这样你就能明白在你们结婚之前让你的未婚夫离开你，是不是一个明智之举。"
"I was quite a young girl when I first met Richard Weston. He was an Englishman who boarded with the Van Rensburgs on the next farm, four or five miles from us.
"我第一次遇见理查德·威斯顿时还是一个年轻姑娘。他是一个英国人，寄宿在我家附近四、五英里一个农场上的范·伦斯堡家里。
Richard was not strong. He had a weak chest, and the doctors had sent him to South Africa so that the dry air could cure him. He taught the Van Rensburg children, who were younger than I was, though we often played together, but he did this for pleasure and not because he needed money.
他身体不好，胸闷气短。医生让他去南非让干燥的气候治好他的病。他教伦斯堡的孩子们念书，他们都比我小，尽管我们经常在一块玩。理查德是以教书为乐，并不是为了赚钱。
"We loved one another from the first moment we met, though we did not speak of our love until the evening of my eighteenth birthday.
"我和理查德是一见钟情，尽管直到我18岁生日那天我们才表示彼此的爱慕之情。
All our friends and relatives had come to my party, and in the evening we danced on the big old carpet which we had laid down in the barn. Richard had come with the Van Rensburgs, and we danced together as often as we dared, which was not very often, for my father hated the Uitlanders.
那天晚上的舞会上，我们的亲友都来了。我们在仓房里铺上一条宽大的旧毛毯，翩翩起舞。我和他壮起胆子频频起舞。但事实上，没有多少次，因为我的父亲很讨厌'洋人'。
Indeed, for a time he had quarreled with Mynheer Van Rensburg for allowing Richard to board with him, but afterwards he got used to the idea, and was always polite to the Englishman, though he never liked him.
有一次，他曾抱怨说伦斯堡先生不应该让理查德寄住在他的家里，为此还跟他吵过一场，他后来就习以为常了。虽谈不上喜欢，但对这个英国人以礼相待。"
"That was the happiest birthday of my life, for while we were resting between dances Richard took me outside into the cool, moonlit night, and there, under the stars ,he told me he loved me and asked me to marry him.
"那是我一生中最快乐的一个生日，因为理查德在跳舞间歇将我领到外面清凉的月光中，在点点繁星之下对我倾诉爱慕之情，并向我求婚。我二话没说答应了他的要求，因为我早已心醉神迷，想不到父母亲会说什么。
Of course I promised I would, for I was too happy to think of what my parents would say, or indeed of anything except Richard was not at our meeting place as he had arranged.
我的心中除了理查德和他的爱情，什么也顾不上了。 "从那以后，我们就尽可能多地见面，但往往是秘密进行。我们就这样度过了将近1年时间。
I was disappointed but not alarmed, for so many things could happen to either of us to prevent out keeping our tryst. I thought that next time we visited the Van Ransburgs, I should hear what had kept him and we could plan further meetings…
后来有一天，在他安排的约会处，理查德爽约没有来。失望之际，我没有大惊小怪，因为我们俩谁碰到形形色色的事都可能使我们无法幽会。我想我们以后去范·伦斯堡家看望之时，我就会明白理查德未能赴约的原因，再安排以后的约会……
"So when my father asked if I would drive with him to Driefontein I was delighted. But when we reached the homestead and were sitting on the stoep drinking our coffee, we heard that Richard had left quite suddenly and had gone back to England. His father had died, and now he was the heir and must go back to look after his estates.
"所以，当父亲问我是否愿意和他一块开车去德里方丹时，我就高兴地答应了。但待我们赶到范·伦斯堡家，坐在他们家屋前的门廊上喝咖啡时，却听说理查德已经不辞而别回英国去了。他的父亲死了，他是继承人，不得不回去料理遗产。
"I do not remember very much more about that day, except that the sun seemed to have stopped shining and the country no longer looked beautiful and full of promise, but bleak and desolate as it sometimes does in winter or in times of drought.
"那天的事我记不大清楚了，只记得当时阳光惨淡，田野也失去了美丽的丰采和欣欣向荣的景象，萧瑟凄凉得跟冬天或大旱时一样。
Late that afternoon, Jantje, the little Hottentot herd boy, came up to me and handed me a letter , which he said the English baas had left for me.
那天傍晚，在我和父亲动身回家之前，霍但托特族的小牧童詹杰交给我一封信，他说是那位英国老爷留给我的。
It was the only love letter I ever received, but it turned all my bitterness and grief into a peacefulness which was the nearest I could get, then, to happiness.
这可是我有生以来收到的唯一的情书!它将我的忧伤一扫而光，使我的心情变得平静--当时对我来说几乎类似幸福的平静。
I knew Richard still loved me, and somehow, as long as I had his letter, I felt that we could never be really parted, even if he were in England and I had to remain on the farm. I have it yet, and though I am an old, tired woman, it still gives me hope and courage."
我知道理查德仍在爱着我。不知怎么回事，有了这封信，我便觉得我们不可能真正分开，哪怕他到了英国、我还留在南非的农场。这封信我至今仍保留着，尽管我已经年迈体衰，但它仍能带给我希望和勇气。"
"I must have been a wonderful letter, Aunt Stephia,"I said.
"斯蒂菲娜老姑，那封信一定美极了吧，"我说。
The old lady came back from her dreams of that far-off romance."Perhaps," she said, hesitating a little, "perhaps, my dear, you would care to read it ?"
老太太从她那久远的爱之梦中醒过神来。"也许，"她带着犹豫的神情说，"也许，亲爱的，你想看看那封信吧?"
"I should love to , Aunt Stephia,"I said gently.
"我很想看，斯蒂菲娜老姑，"我轻声说。
She rose at once and tripped into the house as eagerly as a young girl. When she came back she handed me a letter, faded and yellow with age, the edges of the envelope worn and frayed as though it had been much handled. But when I came to open it I found that the seal was unbroken.
她猛地站起身，奔进屋里，急切得像个小姑娘。她从屋里出来后，递给我一封信。由于天长日久，那信已经褪色发黄，信封边已经磨损，好像曾被摩挲过好多次。但在取信时，我发现封口还没有拆开。
"Open it ,open it,"said Great-aunt Stephia, and her voice was shaking.
"拆开，拆开吧!"斯蒂菲娜老姑声音颤抖地说。
I broke the seal and read.
我撕开封口，开始念信。
It was not a love letter in the true sense of the word, but pages of the minutest directions of how"my sweetest Phina"was to elude her father's vigilance, creep down to the drift at night and there meet Jantje with a horse which would take her to Smitsdorp.
严格说来，它算不上是一封情书，实际是只是几页内容详尽的行动指南。信里称"我最亲爱的菲娜"该怎么摆脱她父亲的监视，夜里逃出家门，詹杰会在浅滩上牵马等着她，然后将她驮到史密斯多普
There she was to go to "my true friend, Henry Wilson",who would give her money and make arrangements for her to follow her lover to Cape Town and from there to England ," where, my love, we can he be married at once.
到了那里再去找理查德的"知心朋友亨利·威尔逊"，他会给她钱为她作好安排，使她能跟随她的情人到开普敦，随后转道英国。"亲爱的，这样我们就可以在英国结婚了。
But if, my dearest, you are not sure that you can face lift with me in a land strange to you, then do not take this important step, for I love you too much to wish you the smallest unhappiness.
但是我的至爱，如果你不能保证你能在一个陌生的地方和我一块生活，你就不必采取这个重大行动，因为我太爱你了，不能让你感到丝毫不快。
If you do not come, and if I do not hear from you, then I shall know that you could never be happy so far from the people and the country which you love.
如果你不来，如果我听不到你的回信，我就会知道，如果你离开你挚爱的亲人和乡土，你是不会幸福的。
If, however, you feel you can keep your promise to me, but are of too timid and modest a journey to England unaccompanied, then write to me, and I will, by some means, return to fetch my bride."
但如果你能实践你对我的许诺而由于你生性持重胆怯不愿单身前往英国，就来信告诉我，那我就会设法回南非来迎接我的新娘。"
I read no further.
我没有再念下去。
"But Aunt Phina!"I gasped. "Why…why…?"
"可是，菲娜老姑，"我气喘吁吁地说，"为什么……?为什么……"
The old lady was watching me with trembling eagerness, her face flushed and her eyes bright with expectation."Read it aloud, my dear,"she said."I want to hear every word of it. There was never anyone I could trust…Uitlanders were hated in my young days…I could not ask anyone."
老太太的身子由于渴望知道信的内容而颤抖，她的眼睛炯炯有神地凝视着我，脸庞因急切的期待一片绯红。"亲爱的，大声念吧!"她说，"信里的一字一句，我都要听!当时我找不到可靠的人给我念……我年轻时，'洋人'是被人深恶痛绝的……我找不到人给我念啊!"
"But, Auntie, don't you even know what he wrote?"
"可是老姑，难道你一直不知道信里的事吗?"
The old lady looked down, troubled and shy like a child who has unwittingly done wrong.
老太太低头俯视着，像一个无心做错事的孩子一样怯生生的，不知说什么才好。
"No, dear," she said, speaking very low."You see, I never learned to read.
"不知道，亲爱的，"她用低沉的声调说，“你知道，我从来没有念过书啊!”