提升英语阅读能力是我们学习英语的关键，下面我为大家带来英语阅读小文章，希望大家喜欢!
The expensive shops in a famous arcade near Piccadilly were just opening. At this time of the morning, the arcade was almost empty. Mr Taylor, the owner of a jewellery shop was admiring a new window display. Two of his assistants had been working busily since 8 o'clock and had only just finished. Diamond necklaces and rings had been beautifully arranged on a background of black velvet. After gazing at the display for several minutes, Mr Taylor went back into his shop.
The silence was suddenly broken when a large car, with its headlights on and its horn blaring, roared down the arcade. It came to a stop outside the jeweler's. One man stayed at the wheel while two others with black stockings over their faces jumped out and smashed the window of the shop with iron bars. While this was going on, Mr Taylor was upstairs. He and his staff began throwing furniture out of the window. Chairs and tables went flying into the arcade. One of the thieves was struck by a heavy statue, but he was too busy helping himself to diamonds to notice any pain. The raid was all over in three minutes, for the men scrambled back into the car and it moved off at a fantastic speed. Just as it was leaving, Mr Taylor rushed out and ran after it throwing ashtrays and vases, but it was impossible to stop the thieves. They had got away with thousands of pounds worth of diamonds.
皮卡迪利大街附近的一条著名拱廊街道上，几家高档商店刚刚开始营业。在早晨的这个时候，拱廊街上几乎空无一人。珠宝店主泰勒先生正在欣赏新布置的橱窗。他手下两名店员从早上8点就开始忙碌，这时刚刚布置完毕。钻石项链、戒指漂亮地陈列在黑色丝绒上面。泰勒先生站在橱窗外凝神欣赏了几分钟就回到了店里。
宁静突然被打破，一辆大轿车亮着前灯，响着喇叭，呼啸着冲进了拱廊街，在珠宝店门口停了下来。一人留在驾驶座上，另外两个用黑色长筒丝袜蒙面的人跳下车来。他们用铁棒把商店橱窗的玻璃砸碎。这开始发生时，泰勒先生正在楼上。他与店员动手向窗外投掷家具，椅子，桌子飞落花流水在拱廊街上。一个窃贼被一尊很重的雕像击中，但由于他忙着抢钻石首饰，竟连疼痛都顾不上了。这场抢劫只持续了3分钟，因为窃贼争先恐后地爬上轿车，以惊人的速度开跑了。就在轿车离开的时候，泰勒先生从店里冲了出来，跟在车后追赶，一边还往车上扔烟灰缸、花瓶。但他已无法抓住那些窃贼了。他们已带着价值数千镑的首饰逃之夭夭了。
Yesterday afternoon Frank Hawkins was telling me about his experiences as a young man. Before he retired, Frank was the head of a very large business company, but as a boy he used to work in a small shop. It was his job to repair bicycles and at that time he used to work fourteen hours a day. He saved money for years and in 1958 he bought a small workshop of his own. In his twenties Frank used to make spare parts for aeroplanes. At that time he had two helpers. In a few years the small workshop had become a large factory which employed seven hundred and twenty-eight people. Frank smiled when he remembered his hard early years and the long road to success. He was still smiling when the door opened and his wife came in. She wanted him to repair their grandson's bicycle!
昨天下午弗兰克·霍金斯向我讲述了他年轻时的经历。在他退休之前，弗兰克是一家非常大的事务公司头，但作为一个男孩，他曾经工作在一个小商店。他的工作是修理自行车，那时他一天工作十四小时。他积蓄多年，并在1958他买了属于自己的小作坊。在他二十几岁的弗兰克曾生产飞机零配件。那时他有两个帮手。在几年的小作坊已经成为一个雇用七百二十八人的大工厂。弗兰克回想着他早年的艰难经历和走过的漫长的成功之路。他正笑着的时候，门开了，他的妻子走了进来。她叫他去修理他们孙子的自行车!
Nearly a week passed before the girl was able to explain what had happened to her. One afternoon she set out from the coast in a small boat and was caught in a storm. Towards evening, the boat struck a rock and the girl jumped into the sea. Then she swam to the shore after spending the whole night in the water. During that time she covered a distance of eight miles. Early next morning, she saw a light ahead. She knew she was near the shore because the light was high up on the cliffs. On arriving at the shore, the girl struggled up the cliff towards the light she had seen. That was all she remembered. When she woke up a day later, she found herself in hospital.
语言学习与 文化 学习是交织在一起的，语言习得者要掌握好一门语言，尤其是第二语言，具备充足的文化背景知识是必不可少的。下面是我带来的英文长篇美文阅读，欢迎阅读!
英文长篇美文阅读篇一
Americans have any morals
Do Americans have any morals? That's a good question. Many people insist that ideas about right and wrong are merely personal opinions. Some voices, though, are calling Americans back to traditional moral values. William J. Bennett, former U.S. Secretary of Education, edited The Book of Virtues in 1993 to do just that. Bennett suggests that great moral stories can build character. The success of Bennett's book shows that many Americans still believe in moral values. But what are they?
美国人还有道德吗?这是个好问题。许多人坚持对与错乃是个人的意见。但是，还是有些人在呼唤美国人回到传统的道德价值里去。威廉。班奈特，前任美国 教育 部长，正是为了此目的而在一九九三年编辑了「美德」这本书。班奈特认为伟大的道德 故事 可以建造性格。班奈持这本书的成功显示了许多美国人仍然相信道德的价值。但是它们到底为何?
To begin with, moral values in America are like those in any culture. In fact, many aspects of morality are universal. But the stories and traditions that teach them are unique to each culture. Not only that, but culture influences how people show these virtues.
最开始，道德价值在美国就像在任何 其它 的文化一样。事实上，许多道德的观点是全球一致的。但是，不同的文化则有不同的故事和传统来教导它们。不仅如此，文化也影响了人民如何表现这些美德。
One of the most basic moral values for Americans is honesty. The well-known legend about George Washington and the cherry tree teaches this value clearly. Little George cut down his father's favorite cherry tree while trying out his new hatchet. When his father asked him about it, George said, “I cannot tell a lie. I did it with my hatchet.” Instead of punishment, George received praise for telling the truth. Sometimes American honesty-being open and direct-can offend people. But Americans still believe that “honesty is the best policy.”
美国人最基本的道德价值之一是诚实。众所周知的乔治。华盛顿砍樱桃树的故事，即将此道德教导地极为清楚。小乔治在试他新斧头时砍倒了爸爸最心爱的樱桃树。当爸爸问他的时候，乔治说，「我不能说谎，我用我的斧头砍了它。」乔治非但未被惩罚，反而因为诚实而被赞赏。有时候美国人仍然相信「诚实是最上策」
Another virtue Americans respect is perseverance. Remember Aesop's fable about the turtle and the rabbit that had a race? The rabbit thought he could win easily, so he took a nap. But the turtle finally won because he did not give up. Another story tells of a little train that had to climb a steep hill. The hill was so steep that the little train had a hard time trying to get over it. But the train just kept pulling, all the while saying, “I think I can, I think I can.” At last, the train was over the top of the hill. “I thought I could, I thought I could,” chugged the happy little train.
另外一个为美国人所尊崇的美德为坚忍。记得再龟兔赛跑这则伊索寓言吗?兔子以为它可以赢的很轻松，便睡了个午觉，但是乌龟再最后终因不放弃而赢了这场比赛。另一个故事谈到一个必须爬过陡峭山头的小火车，山头是这么陡，以至于小火车很难爬上去，但是它仍不断地爬，并不停地说：「我想我能做到，我能做到。」最后，火车终于爬过了山头，「我就知道我可以。」这个快乐的小火车继续往前去。
Compassion may be the queen of American virtues. The story of “The Good Samaritan” from the Bible describes a man who showed compassion. On his way to a certain city, a Samaritan man found a poor traveler lying on the road. The traveler had been beaten and robbed. The kind Samaritan, instead of just passing by, stopped to help this person in need. Compassion can even turn into a positive cycle. In fall 1992, people in Iowa sent truckloads of water to help Floridians hit by a hurricane. The next summer, during the Midwest flooding, Florida returned the favor. In less dramatic ways, millions of Americans are quietly passing along the kindnesses shown to them.
同情心，可能是美国的道德之最了。圣经中的「好撒玛利亚人」的故事，描述一个流露同情心的人。在这个撒玛利亚人出发去某城市的途中，看到一个可怜的旅客躺在路旁。这旅客被鞭打、抢劫，这位仁慈的撒玛利亚人非但没有视而不见，反而停下来帮助这位有需要的人。同情心还可以变成一个正面循环，在一九九二年的秋天，爱荷华州的居民将好几辆卡车的水送到受飓风侵袭的佛罗里达州;而就在第二年夏天，当中西部闹水灾的时候，佛州人便投挑报李。数以百万计的美国人民正用较不醒目的方式回报人们向他们表达的善意。
In no way can this brief description cover all the moral values honored by Americans. Courage, responsibility, loyalty, gratitude and many others could be discussed. In fact, Bennett's bestseller-over 800 pages-highlights just 10 virtues. Even Bennett admits that he has only scratched the surface. But no matter how long or short the list, moral values are invaluable. They are the foundation of American culture-and any culture.
在这么一篇短短的 文章 里，无论如何也不能将美国人所尊崇的道德述尽。勇气、责任心、忠诚、感激之心还有许多其它可以讨论的。事实上，班奈特最畅销的书──超过八百页──只谈到了十种美德。即使班奈特也承认他只谈到了皮毛而已。但是不论这张道德表是多长或短，道德价值都是无价的。他们是美国文化──和任何其它国家的文化之基础
改革开放三十多年以来,英语教育在我国已经广为普及,整个社会对英语的要求也愈加精益求精。本文是有关经典英文小短文，希望对大家有帮助!
On warm evenings I often sat in the boat playing the flute, and saw the perch swimming around me. I saw the moon traveling over the bottom of the lake, which was strewn1 with the fallen leaves and branches.
天气晴和的夜晚,我也常独驾一舟,弄笛湖上,看水中的鲈鱼饶舟不去。俯视湖底,落木坠枝,横斜交错,皓月一轮,行径其上。
Once, I used to come to this pond in dark summer nights with a friend. We would make a fire there, which we thought attracted the fishes. Late in the night, we threw the burning firewood high into the air, which, when it came down into the pond, went out with a loud hissing. And we were suddenly in total darkness. duanwenw.com Then, whistling a tune, we made our way to the village again. But now I had made my home by the shore.
以前,在那些深黝的夏日夜晚,我曾不止一次与友人寻胜至此。我们总是先在岸边燃起一堆篝火,我们认为此法最能把鱼招来。待到夜色渐深,我们便把那尚未燃尽的木柴像烟火似地抛入暗空,一阵闪亮之后,缀湖澌灭,嗤然有声。然后长啸一曲,摸黑寻回村落。不过我最近索性就迁居到那里,傍湖而居了。
Sometimes, after the family had all gone to bed, I returned to the woods. Partly for the next day’s dinner, I spent the hours of midnight fishing from a boat by moonlight. At this time, I heard owls and foxes serenade, along with the singing of some unknown birds. These experiences were very memorable and valuable to me. In the center of the water, there were sometimes thousands of small perch and shiners, breaking the surface with their tails. I sometimes threw a line into the pond as I drifted in the gentle night breeze, now and then feeling a slight shaking along it. Pulling the line out of the pond, I saw a perch wriggling in the air.(excerpt)
有时,待家人睡去,我又重新返回林中。半为明日的食物筹措,我于夜半自操一舟,趁着月色,独钓湖上。这时鸱鸣狐啸,伴着一两声怪鸟的戛鸣。回想这些夜游,至今历历难忘。在水中央,鲈鱼银鱼成群,不啻千百,翻舞嬉戏,不时在湖面翻起层层涟漪。有时,于夜风习习之中,我将钓丝投入湖里,但不时忽觉手下一丝微颤。轻轻将线一扯,只见一只鲈鱼在半空中活蹦乱跳。(节选)
Life is full of decisions and most people take their lifetime to master the ability to make one.
生活中,许多事情需要我们做出决定,因此,许多人用一生的时间去学习掌握做决定的能力。
Each of us makes decisions daily, such as what clothes to wear, what to eat, and what to drink. We’re all excellent at judging other people’s decisions. But what about our own decisions? What about the decisions each of us makes, such as going to college, quitting college, duanwenw.com quitting a job for another one and so on? These are life-defining moments that create two different life paths. None of these decisions should be taken lightly.
每个人每天都要做决定,如决定穿什么、吃什么、喝什么。我们都擅长判断别人的决定,但你擅长判断自己的决定吗?我们自己做的决定怎么样?如上学、退学、辞职另谋新生等等。这些都是对人生有界定意义、会创造两种不同人生道路的时刻,每一个都不能怠慢。
Although we are all skillful at judging others, we should spend some time to get comfortable with ourselves to make decisions without the fear of judgment. Judgment comes from insecurity3. Each insecurity that we have moves us further and further to make a good decision. In order to control our insecurities we need to identify them and be comfortable with ourselves. To accomplish that we can all use some help. You may get it from a friend or a family member.
即使擅长判断别人的决定,我们也应该花些时间让自己应付自如地做决定,而且不必害怕做出判断。判断力来自于不安全感。我们的每一个不安全感都会推动我们去做出正确的决定。为了控制我们的不安全感,我们需要辨别它们,让自己能无所顾忌。为了达到这个目标,我们可以寻求别人的帮助。你可以从朋友或者家人那里得到你需要的帮助。
The best part about decision-making is that there is no right or wrong answer. Decisions are choices, and choices are individual. Try to put some more effort into your own decisions and leave the judgment at the door.
关于做决定,其最美好之处在于答案没有对错之分。做决定是种抉择,而且抉择是仁者见仁、智者见智。尽力做出自己的选择,不必介意你的选择是对或是错。
Perhaps your idea is a business venture, a travel adventure, or a career that you would like to pursue. duanwenw.com When you get an idea that excites you, don’t push the idea away. Remember to follow your dream, because you have the power to make it come true.
或许你想去投资经商、旅游历险或是致力于你喜爱的事业。当你有了让自己激动的想法,那就坚持这个想法。记得坚持自己的梦想,因为你有能力让梦想成真。
Would you say your life is fun? Would you say you have more fun days than not? You would be surprised at so many people tell me that they do not think their life is fun and that most of their days are anything but fun. I find that a shame! Life is more fun than you think!
你会说自己的生活很有趣吗?你会说你度过的有趣日子比无趣的日子多吗?你会惊讶于许多人曾告诉我他们从不觉得自己的生活有趣甚至根本就无趣。这些人的话真令人感到遗憾。实际上,生活比你想像的要有趣得多。
What’s fun about it? That depends on you! What is it that would make your life more fun? duanwenw.com I know the answer for me. I find all sorts of things fun, but if my mind is thinking negatively, then nothing seems fun.
生活怎么才有趣?决定权在你。什么会让你的生活更有趣?我知道什么能让我的生活更有趣。我发现各种各样有趣的事物,但如果我的思想很消极,那一切有趣的事物都会变得很无趣。
How’s your thinking? If your head is in the wrong place, you could have a million dollars cash but you wouldn’t be having fun. On the other side of the coin, you could be changing a flat tire and, if your mind is right, it might be the most fun thing you have ever done.
关于有趣的生活,你有何见解?如果心态不对,即使拥有一百万美金你也不可能尽情享乐。换个角度想想,如果心态是对的,即使是在换爆掉的轮胎,那都可能会是你干过的最有趣的事。
You decide what is fun. When I do something, I just tell myself that I am not going to complain about it and that I will enjoy it; and I do.
你可以决定什么事情有趣。当我做事时,我会告诉自己不去抱怨而是享受。我确实做到了。
If you believe, think and act like everything is a pain, then it will be. If you think, believe and act like life is happy, then that will become your reality as well.
如果你的信仰、思维和行为表现得好像任何事情都是痛苦的,那任何事情就都会是一种痛苦。反而言之,如果你的思维、信仰和行为表现得好像生活很幸福,那你的生活也就会很幸福。
Which do you choose?
你打算做何选择呢?
