阅读是人们获取信息的重要手段,更是 学习英语 的主要途径之一。在我国,由于英语是非母语的学习,在学习过程中没有语言环境的熏陶,那么,阅读便成为人们获取信息、提高英语水平的有效途径。下面是我整理的关于初中英语小短文，欢迎阅读!
关于初中英语小短文篇一
DUTIES OF A STUDENT 学生的责任
Education is the very thing that we want to receive. Our parents send us to school so as to enable us to get/obtain knowledge and achieve great things in the future. The following are the duties of a student (which/that) we should keep in mind.
In the first place, we should be filial to our parents and respectful to our teacher.
In the second place, we must study as hard as we can.
In the third place, we must not tell lies.
Last of all, we must not criticize others.
To sum up, the above-mentioned rules are the very duties of a student.
教育 就是我们要接受的东西。我们父母送我们上学以便能使人们获得知识与将来成大事。下面是我们应该记住的学生的责任。
我们应对父母要孝顺，对老师要尊敬。
我们要尽可能的用功读书。
我们切不可说谎。
最后，我们不要批评别人。
总而言之，上面所说的规则就是我们应尽的责任。
关于初中英语小短文篇二
A MODEL STUDENT 模范学生
Do you mind being called a bad student? Of course. So/As far as I know, everybody intends to be/become a model student.
However, to be a model student is by no means an easy thing. First, he must do his best to obtain knowledge. A man without sufficient knowledge will not succeed. Secondly, he must remember to improve his health. Only a strong man can do great tasks. Thirdly, he should receive moral education. If his conduct is not good, no one will consider making friends with him.
你介意被称为坏学生吗?当然。就我所知，每个人都打算做模范学生。
然而，做模范学生却不容易。第一，他必须尽力获得知识(求知)。一个没有足够知识的人是不会成功的。第二，他必须记住促进健康。只有强壮的人才能做大事。第三，他应该接受道德教育。如果他品行不好，没有人会考虑和他交朋友的。
关于初中英语小短文篇三
HOW TO GET HAPPINESS 如何获得快乐
There is no doubt that happiness is the most precious thing in the world. Without it, life will be empty and meaningless. If you wish to know how to get happiness, you must pay attention to the following two points.
First, health is the secret of happiness/the key to happiness. Only a strong man can enjoy the pleasure of life.
Secondly, happiness consists in contentment. A man who is dissatisfied with his present condition is always in distress.
无疑，快乐是世界上最宝贵的东西。没有它，人生将是空虚的而且毫无意义的。如果你希望知道如何获得快乐，你须注意下面两点。
健康是快乐的要诀。唯有身体强壮的人才能享受人生的乐趣。
快乐在于知足。一个不满于现状的人始终是处在痛苦之中。
关于初中英语小短文篇四
BOOKS 书籍
As is well known, books teach us to learn life, truth, science and many other useful things. They increase our knowledge, broaden our minds and strengthen our character. In other words, they are our good teachers and wise friends. This is the reason why our parents always encourage us to read more books.
Reading is a good thing, but we must pay great attention to the choice of books. It is true that we can derive benefits from good books. However, bad books will do us more harm than good.
众所周知，书籍教我们学习人生，真理，科学以及 其它 许多有用的东西。它们增加我们的知识，扩大我们的心胸并加强我们的品格。换句话说，它们是我们的良师益友。这是为什么我们的父母总是鼓励我们要多读书的理由。
读书是一好事，但我们必须多注意书的选择。不错，我们能从好书中获得益处。然而，坏书却对我们有害无益。
关于初中英语小短文篇五
THE VALUE OF TIME 爱惜时光
An English proverb says that time is money. I consider it/this wrong. Why? Because we all know that we can earn money by work but can not in any way get back time. For this reason, we may/can say that time is more valuable than money.
Many people do not know the value of time. It/this is indeed a great pity. We must bear/keep in mind that wasting time is equal to wasting your life.
英国有句 谚语 说，时间就是金钱。我认为这是不对的。为什么?因为我们大家都知道我们能够用工作赚钱，但无论如何却无法把时间争取回来。基于此种理由，我们可以说时间比金钱更宝贵。
许多人不知爱惜时光。这确实是可惜的。我们必须记住浪费时间等于浪费生命。
在英语教学过程中，英语阅读更是不容忽视的环节和内容。通过阅读，有助于学生保持学习英语的兴趣，增长知识和提升能力。我整理了有关初中英语短文，欢迎阅读!
Yesterday, my mother told me that we were going to visit my grandparents, I was so happy to hear that. I was raised by my grandparents most of the time until I was at the age of 7, since my parents are busy with their work. I haven’t seen grandparents for half a year, I have to attend the class. When I met grandpa, he was so happy to hug me, grandma had already waited at the table, she cooked a lot of dishes, I like to eat the food she cooks, it is so delicious. I told a lot of things about my school to them, they loved to hear it. Time flies, I had to go home, I promised them I would come to visit them soon, today is a wonderful day for me.
昨天，我妈妈告诉我我们要去看外公和外婆，我很高兴听到这个消息。在七岁以前，因为我的父母忙于工作，我大部分的时间都是由爷爷奶奶抚养。我已经有半年没见到外公和外婆了，我要去学校上课。当我见到外公时，他很高兴地拥抱我，外婆已经在饭桌上等着了，她煮了很多菜，我喜欢吃她煮的菜，很美味。我跟他们说了很多我在学校的事，他们喜欢听我讲这些事情。时间过得很快，我要回家了，我答应他们很快就会来看他们，今天对我来说真是美好的一天。
For most girls, I believe they must have read the story about Cinderella. The story tells about a beautiful and kind girl named Cinderella, her mother dies when she is very small, so her father marries another lady who has two daughters. When the father dies, Cinderella is bulled by her step-mother and step-sisters, but she keeps nice to them. One day, Cinderella meets a prince and when she joins the party, she has to run away before midnight. The prince finally finds her by her missing glass shoe. Finally, Cinderella lives a happy life and her step-mother and step-sisters are punished. The story tells people that if we are kind to others, we will have the good return.
对于大部分女孩子来说，我相信他们肯定有看过关于《灰姑娘》的故事。故事讲述了一个美丽又善良，名叫灰姑娘的女孩。她的妈妈在她很小的时候就去世了，因此她的父亲和另一个有着两个女儿的女人结婚了。当父亲过世后，灰姑娘被她的继母和两个姐姐欺负，但是她一直对她们很好。有一天，灰姑娘在参加舞会的时候遇到了一位王子，但是她在午夜前不得已逃走了。王子最终通过她遗落的水晶鞋找到了她。最终，灰姑娘过上了幸福的生活，她的继母和姐姐们也受到了惩罚。这个故事告诉人们如果我们善待别人，就会有好的回报。
David Beckham, his family is believed to be the coolest family in the world. He has three handsome boys and a lovely girl. To me, I am very interested in the big brother, he is not only looking very handsome, but also very considerate to his sister. Every time when the family goes out for the activities, the media will take the photos of them all the way. Then the big brother is always holding his little sister, he will protect her out of the media’s annoyance. I am so envious of the little girl, she has a sweet brother, who will protect her all the time. I also want a big brother to protect me.
大卫贝克汉姆，他的家庭被认为是世界上最酷的家庭。他有三个英俊的儿子和一个可爱的女儿。对于我来说，我对大哥比较感兴趣，他不仅长得好看，而且对他的妹妹也很体贴。每次当这个家庭外出活动，媒体就会不停地拍照。然而大哥总是会抱着他的妹妹，保护她免受媒体的骚扰。我很羡慕这个小女孩，她有一个贴心的大哥，一直保护着她。我也想要一个大哥哥来保护我。
Since I was small, I was so curious about the beach, because in my hometown, I never have the chance to see the real beach. It happens to me that my friends planned to go to Beihai this weekend, so I was so excited to join them. It took us four hours to arrive in Beihai, I saw the beach when I was in the bus, the water was so clean and there were so many people walked on the beach. When we found the hotel and dropped everything down, we went to the beach and had the barbecue, I played with my friends so happily. I realized my dream and have a happy weekend.
打从我小时候起，我就对海滩很好奇，因为在我家乡，我从来没有机会看到真正的海滩。碰巧我的朋友计划在这个周末去北海，因此我很兴奋能加入他们。我们花了四个小时到达北海，当我在汽车上的时候，我看到了海滩，水是那么的清澈，很多人在海滩上散步。当我们找到旅馆，放下一切东西以后，我们走到海边并进行烧烤，我和朋友们都玩得很开心。我实现了自己的梦想，并且度过了一个愉快的周末。
英语阅读，是英语学习和英语教学中的一个重要环节，它是我们获取知识、外界信息，与外界交流的主要途径之一。我精心收集了关于初中英语短文，供大家欣赏学习!
I am one year older than my cousin. Both of us are the only child in the family, so my cousin and I are very closed, we are just like the sisters. I like to share my secret with my cousin, because I don’t want to tell my parents. My cousin is a good listener, when I feel not happy, I will tell her about my annoyance, then she will comfort me and make me feel better. When Friday comes, I will ask my cousin to sleep with me, we will talk about a lot of things. I am so lucky that I have a cousin as my good friends.
我比我的表妹大一岁。我们都是家里的独生子女，所以我和我的表妹很亲近，我们就像亲姐妹一样。我喜欢和我的表妹分享我的秘密，因为我不想告诉父母。我的表妹是一个好的倾听者，当我感到不开心时，我会告诉她我的烦恼，然后她会安慰我让我感受好一些。每到周五，我会叫我的表妹和我睡觉，我们会谈论很多事情。我很幸运，有一个表妹作为我的好朋友。
Dear mother ,
The mother's day is coming and I would like to say “Happy mother's day” in this letter. I love you and thank you so much for everything you did for me. This day，I will stay away and can't give you my appreciation at home. I know I will watch myself，so don't worry about me. I am doing very well on my study. My schoolmates and teachers are all very nice. Though I can't be at home， I hope you will have a wonderful mother's day.
Your son,
Li ming
亲爱的母亲：
母亲节快到了，我想在这封信里对您说“母亲节快乐”。我爱你，感谢你为我做的一切。这一天，我离开了，不能在家给您表达我的谢意。我知道我会看着自己，所以不要担心我。我在学习上做得很好。我的同学和老师都很好。尽管我不在家里，我仍希望您有一个美好的母亲节。
你的儿子，
李明
I get up at seven o’clock in the morning every day. After I brush my teeth and wash face, I eat my breakfast. My mother makes the breakfast for me. I go to school at 7:30 am, and come back from school at 6:00pm. Before I go to bed I will do some homework. I usually go to sleep at 10:00pm. On the weekend, I will go to play football with my friends, in the summer we like to go swimming. These are my daily life.
我每天早上7点起床。刷牙洗脸之后我就吃早餐，早餐是我妈妈给我做的。我早上7：30去学校，下午6点放学。在我上床睡觉之前我会做一些作业。我通常晚上10点睡觉。周末的时候，我会跟朋友去踢足球，夏天我们喜欢去游泳。这些就是我的日常生活。
关于初中英语短文篇4
My deskmate is a girl, her name is Xiao Xue. She has long hair, her pony tail often whips my face when she turns around, but I don’t mind. She likes to wear the white dresses, they make her clean and innocent, which she is. She is very interested in painting, she also won an award in the Painting competition in the city. She is nice to everyone, all the classmates like her very much.
我的同桌是个女孩，她的名字叫小雪。她有一头长发，当她转身的时候，她的马尾辫经常会甩到我脸上，但是我并不介意。她喜欢穿白色的裙子，这让她看起来很干净清纯，而她正是这样。她对画画非常感兴趣，她还在市里的画画比赛上赢了奖。她对每个人都很友好，全班同学都很喜欢她。
通过经典美文导读可以使中学生们陶冶情操,提高素养。下面我整理了初中简短英语美文，希望大家喜欢!
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
I f you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don’t give away to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;
If you can dream and not make dreams your master;
If you can think and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and toss
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will, which says to them: “hold on!”
If you can talk with crows and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’worth of distance run
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And which is more you’ll be a Man, my son!
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
I f you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don’t give away to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;
If you can dream and not make dreams your master;
If you can think and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and toss
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will, which says to them: “hold on!”
If you can talk with crows and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’worth of distance run
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And which is more you’ll be a Man, my son!
如果所有人都失去理智，咒骂你，
你仍能保持头脑清醒;
如果所有人都怀疑你，
你仍能坚信自己，让所有的怀疑动摇;
如果你要等待，不要因此厌烦，
为人所骗，不要因此骗人，
为人所恨，不要因此抱恨，
不要太乐观，不要自以为是;
如果你是个追梦人，不要被梦主宰;
如果你是个爱思考的人，不要以思想者自居;
如果你遇到骄傲和挫折
把两者当骗子看待;
如果你能忍受你曾讲过的事实
被恶棍扭曲，用于蒙骗傻子，
或者，看着你用毕生去看护的东西被破坏，
俯下身去，用破旧的工具把它修补;
如果你在赢得无数桂冠之后，
然后孤注一掷再博一次，
失败过后，东山再起，
不要抱怨你的失败;
如果你能迫使自己，
在别人走后，长久的坚守阵地，
在你心中已空荡荡无一物，
只有意志告诉你“坚持!”;
如果你与人交谈，能保持风度，
办王同行，能保持距离;
如果仇敌和好友都不害你;
如果所有人都指望你。却无人全心全意;
如果你花六十秒进行段程跑，
填满那不可饶恕的一分钟
你就可以拥有一个世界，
这个世界的一切都是你的，
更重要的是，孩子，你是个顶天立地的人。
个性的表露
A most curious and useful thing to realize is that one never knows the impression one is creating on otherpeople. One may often guess pretty accurately whether it is good, bad, or indifferent — some people render it unnecessary for one to guess, they practically inform one — but that is not what I mean. I mean muchmore than that. I mean that one has one's self no mental picture corresponding to the mental picture whichone's personality leaves in the minds of one's friends. Has it ever struck you that there is a mysterious individual going around, walking the streets, calling at houses for tea, chatting, laughing, grumbling, arguing, and that all your friends know him and have long since added him up and come to a definite conclusion about him — without saying more than a chance, cautious word to you; and that that person is you? Supposing that you came into a drawing room where you were having tea, do you think you would recognize yourself as an individuality? I think not. You would be apt to say to yourself as guests do when disturbed in drawing rooms by other guests: “Who's this chap? See ms rather queer. I hope he won't be a bore.” And yourfirst telling would be slightly hostile. Why, even when you meet yourself in an unsuspected mirror in the very clothes that you have put on that very day and that you know by heart, you are almost always shocked by the realization that you are you. And now and then, when you have gone to the glass to arrange your hair in the full sobriety of early morning, have you not looked on an absolute stranger, and has not that stranger piqued your curiosity? And if it is thus with precise external details of form, colour, and movement, what may it not be with the vague complex effect of the mental and moral individuality?
A man honestly tries to make a good impression. What is the result? The result merely is that his friends,in the privacy of their minds, set him down as a man who tries to make a good impression. If much depends on the result of a sing le interview, or a couple of interviews, a man may conceivably force another to accept an impression of himself which he would like to convey. But if the receiver of the impression is to have time at his disposal, then the giver of the impression may just as well sit down and put his hands in his pockets, for nothing that he can do will modify or influence in any way the impression that he will ultimately give. The real impress is, in the end, given unconsciously, not consciously; and further, it is received unconsciously, not consciously. It depends partly on both persons. And it is immutably fixed beforehand. There can be no final deception…
一件认识起来很奇异也很受益的事是，一个人常常不清楚别人对他的印象是什么。是好呢，是坏呢，还是不好不坏，这些倒是能够十分准确地猜测出来——有些人甚至没有必要让你去猜测，他们差不多就讲给你听了——但是我想要说的不是这个。我想要说的远不止这个。我想要说的是，一个人头脑中对自己的印象和他本人在他朋友们头脑中的印象，往往很不一致。你曾经想到这样的事吗?——世上有那么一个诡异的人，到处跑来跑去，上街访友，又说又笑，口出怨言，大发议论，他的朋友都对他很熟悉，对他早已知根知底，对他的看法早有定论——但除了偶尔且谨慎的只言片语外，平时却很少对你透露。而那个人就是你自己。比如，你走进一家客厅去喝茶，你敢说你便能认得这个人就是你自己吗?我看不一定。很可能，你也会像客厅里的客人那样，当你难以忍受其他客人的骚扰时心里就盘算说：“这是哪个家伙，真是怪异。但愿他少讨人嫌。”你的第一个反应就是略带敌意。甚至就连你突然在一面镜子前面遇到了你自己，穿的衣服也正是你心里记得很清楚的那天的服装，怎么样，你还是会因为认出了你是你这件事而感到吃惊。还有当你有时到镜子前去整理头发时，尽管是在最清醒的大清早时刻，你不是也好像瞥见一个完全陌生的人吗?而且这陌生人还让你颇为好奇呢。如果说连形式颜色动作这类外观准确的细节都是这样，那么对于像心智和道德这种不易把握的复杂效果又将怎样呢?
有人真心实意地去努力留下一个好印象。但结果怎样呢，不过是被他的朋友们在内心深处认为他是一个刻意给人留下好印象的人。如果一切只凭着单独会一次面或见几次面，——这个人倒很能迫使另一个人接受他本人希望造成的某种印象。但是如果接受印象的人有足够的时间来自由支配，那么印象的给予者就干脆束手静坐了，因为他的所有招数都丝毫改变不了或影响不了他最终所造成的印象。真正的印象是在结尾，是无意而不是刻意造成的。同时，它也是无意而不是刻意接受的。它的形成要靠双方，而且是事先就已经确定的，最终的欺骗是不可能的……
She Walks in Beautyby Lord Byron
《她在美中徜徉》，拜伦
She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
她在美中徜徉，仿佛夜晚皎洁无云，繁星漫天;
And all that's best of dark and bright meet in her aspect and her eyes, thus mellowed to that tender light which heaven to gaudy day denies.
正如绝佳的暗与亮融汇于外貌与眼眸;醇化为如此柔和的光 -俗丽的白昼得不到的恩泽。
One shade the more, one ray the less, had half impaired the nameless grace which waves in every raven tress, or softly lightens o'er her face; where thoughts serenely sweet express how pure, how dear their dwelling place.
多一道阴影，少一缕光芒，都有损这难以言表的优雅。美飘扬在她丝丝乌发中，或微微闪亮于她的面庞。愉悦的思想在那里颂扬其来处何等纯净可人。
And on that cheek, and o'er that brow, so soft, so calm, yet eloquent;
那脸颊和眉宇那么温柔，那么平静，而且意味深长。
The smiles that win, the tints that glow, but tell of days in goodness spent;
折服人心的微笑，红润的色彩，诉说着度过的美好时光。
A mind at peace with all below, a heart whose love is innocent!
心态平和，与世无争，爱心永远纯真。
初中英语阅读短文
适合初中学生阅读的短文有哪些呢?下面我为大家准备了初中的英语阅读短文，希望大家喜欢!
初中英语阅读短文一：The Road To Happiness幸福之道
It is a commonplace among moralists that you cannot get happiness by pursuing it. This is only true if you pursue it unwisely. Gamblers at Monte Carlo are pursuing money, and most of them lose it instead, but there are other ways of pursuing money, which often succeed.
So it is with happiness. If you pursue it by means of drink, you are forgetting the hang-over. Epicurus pursued it by living only in congenial society and eating only dry bread, supplemented by a little cheese on feast days.
His method proved successful in his case, but he was a valetudinarian, and most people would need something more vigorous. For most people, the pursuit of happiness, unless supplemented in various ways, is too abstract and theoretical to be adequate as a personal rule of life. But I think that whatever personal rule of life you may choose it should not, except in rare and heroic cases, be incompatible with happiness.
There are a great many people who have all the material conditions of happiness, i.e. health and a sufficient income, and who, nevertheless, are profoundly unhappy. In such cases it would seem as if the fault must lie with a wrong theory as to how to live. In one sense, we may say that any theory as to how to live is wrong.
We imagine ourselves more different from the animals than we are. Animals live on impulse, and are happy as long as external conditions are favorable. If you have a cat it will enjoy life if it has food and warmth and opportunities for an occasional night on the tiles. Your needs are more complex than those of your cat, but they still have their basis in instinct. In civilized societies, especially in English-speaking societies, this is too apt to be forgotten.
People propose to themselves some one paramount objective, and restrain all impulses that do not minister to it. A businessman may be so anxious to grow rich that to this end he sacrifices health and private affections. When at last he has become rich, no pleasure remains to him except harrying other people by exhortations to imitate his noble example.
Many rich ladies, although nature has not endowed them with any spontaneous pleasure in literature or art, decide to be thought cultured, and spend boring hours learning the right thing to say about fashionable new books that are written to give delight, not to afford opportunities for dusty snobbism.
If you look around at the men and women whom you can call happy, you will see that they all have certain things in common. The most important of these things is an activity which at most gradually builds up something that you are glad to see coming into existence.
Women who take an instinctive pleasure in their children can get this kind of satisfaction out of bringing up a family. Artists and authors and men of science get happiness in this way if their own work seems good to them.
But there are many humbler forms of the same kind of pleasure. Many men who spend their working life in the city devote their weekends to voluntary and unremunerated toil in their gardens, and when the spring comes, they experience all the joys of having created beauty.
The whole subject of happiness has, in my opinion, been treated too solemnly. It had been thought that man cannot be happy without a theory of life or a religion. Perhaps those who have been rendered unhappy by a bad theory may need a better theory to help them to recovery, just as you may need a tonic when you have been ill. But when things are normal a man should be healthy without a tonic and happy without a theory.
It is the simple things that really matter. If a man delights in his wife and children, has success in work, and finds pleasure in the alternation of day and night, spring and autumn, he will be happy whatever his philosophy may be. If, on the other hand, he finds his wife fateful, his children's noise unendurable, and the office a nightmare; if in the daytime he longs for night, and at night sighs for the light of day, then what he needs is not a new philosophy but a new regimen----a different diet, or more exercise, or what not.
Man is an animal, and his happiness depends on his physiology more than he likes to think. This is a humble conclusion, but I cannot make myself disbelieve it. Unhappy businessmen, I am convinced, would increase their happiness more by walking six miles every day than by any conceivable change of philosophy.
道德家们常说：幸福靠追求是得不到的。只有用不明智的方式去追求才是这样。蒙特卡洛城的赌徒们追求金钱，但多数人却把钱输掉了，而另外一些追求金钱的办法却常常成功。追求幸福也是一样。如果你通过畅饮来追求幸福，那你就忘记了酒醉后的不适。埃毕丘鲁斯追求幸福的办法是只和志趣相投的人一起生活，只吃不涂黄油的面包，节日才加一点奶酪。他的办法对他来说是成功的，但他是个体弱多病的人，而多数人需要的是精力充沛。就多数人来说，除非你有别的补充办法，这样追求快乐就过于抽象和脱离实际，不宜作为个人的生活准则。不过，我觉得无论你选择什么样的生活准则，除了那些罕见的和英雄人物的例子外，都应该是和幸福相容的。
很多人拥有获得幸福的全部物质条件，即健康的身体和丰足的收入，可是他们非常不快乐。就这种情况来说，似乎问题处在生活理论的错误上。从某种意义上讲，我们可以说任何关于生活的理论都是不正确的。我们和动物的区别并没有我们想象的那么大。动物是凭冲动生活的，只要客观条件有利，它们就会快乐。如果你有一只猫，它只要有东西吃，感到暖和，偶尔晚上得到机会去寻欢，它就会很快活。你的需要比你的猫要复杂一些，但还是以本能为基础的。在文明社会中，特别是在讲英语的社会中，这一点很容易被忘却。人们给自己定下一个最高的目标，对一切不利于实现这一目标的冲动都加以克制。生意人可能因为切望发财以致不惜牺牲健康和爱情。等他终于发了财，他除了苦苦劝人效法他的好榜样而搅得别人心烦外，并没有得到快乐。很多有钱的贵妇人，尽管自然并未赋予她们任何欣赏文学或艺术的兴趣，却决意要使别人认为她们是有教养的，于是他们花费很多烦人的时间学习怎样谈论那些流行的新书。这些书写出来是要给人以乐趣的，而不是要给人以附庸风雅的机会的。
只要你观察一下周围那些你可称之为幸福的男男女女，就会看出他们都有某些共同之处。在这些共同之处中有一点是最重要的：那就是活动本身，它在大多数情况下本身就很有趣，而且可逐渐的使你的愿望得以实现。生性喜爱孩子的妇女，能够从抚养子女中得到这种满足。艺术家、作家和科学家如果对自己的工作感到满意，也能以同样的方式得到快乐。不过，还有很多是较低层次的快乐。许多在城里工作的人到了周末自愿地在自家的庭院里做无偿的劳动，春天来时，他们就可尽情享受自己创造的美景带来的快乐。
在我看来，整个关于快乐的话题一向都被太严肃的对待过了。过去一直有这样的看法：如果没有一种生活的理论或者宗教信仰，人是不可能幸福的。也许那些由于理论不好才导致不快乐的人需要一种较好的理论帮助他们重新快活起来，就像你生过病需要吃补药一样。但是，正常情况下，一个人不吃补药也应当是健康的;没有理论也应当是幸福的。真正有关系的是一些简单的事情。如果一个男人喜爱他的妻子儿女，事业有成，而且无论白天黑夜，春去秋来，总是感到高兴，那么不管他的理论如何，都会是快乐的。反之，如果他讨厌自己的妻子，受不了孩子们的吵闹，而且害怕上班;如果他白天盼望夜晚，而到了晚上又巴望着天明，那么，他所需要的就不是一种新的理论，而是一种新的生活——改变饮食习惯，多锻炼身体等等。
人是动物，他的幸福更多的时候取决于其生理状况而非思想状况。这是一个很庸俗的结论，然而我无法使自己怀疑它。我确信，不幸福的商人与其找到新的理论来使自己幸福，还不如每天步行六英里更见效。
初中英语阅读短文二：If the Dream is Big Enough如果梦想足够大
I used to watch her from mykitchenwindow, she seemed so small as she muscled her way throughthecrowd of boys on the playground. The school was across thestreetfrom our home and I would often watch the kids as theyplayedduring recess. A sea of children, and yet to me, she stoodout fromthem all.I remr the first day I saw her playing basketball.
I watched in wonder as she ran circles around the other kids.Shemanaged to shoot jump shots just over their heads and into thenet.The boys always tried to stop her but no one could.I begantonotice her at other times, basketball in hand, playing alone.Shewould practice dribbling and shooting over and overagain,sometimes until dark.
One day I asked her why she practicedsomuch. She looked directly in my eyes and without a momentofhesitation she said, “I want to go to college. The only way Icango is if I get a scholarship. I like basketball. I decided thatifI were good enough, I would get a scholarship.
I am going toplaycollege basketball.
I want to be the best. My Daddy told me ifthedream is big enough, the facts don’t count.” Then she smiledandran towards the court to recap the routine I had seen overandover again.
Well, I had to give it to her—she was determined.Iwatched her through those junior high years and into highschool.Every week, she led her varsity team to victory.One day inhersenior year, I saw her sitting in the grass, head cradled inherarms.
I walked across the street and sat down in the coolgrassbeside her. Quietly I asked what was wrong. “Oh, nothing,”came asoft reply. “I am just too short.” The coach told her that at5’5”she would probably never get to play for a top ranked team—muchless offered a scholarship—so she should stop dreamingaboutcollege.She was heartbroken and I felt my own throat tightenas Isensed her disappointment.
I asked her if she had talked to herdadabout it yet.She lifted her head from her hands and told methather father said those coaches were wrong. They just didnotunderstand the power of a dream. He told her that if shereallywanted to play for a good college, if she truly wantedascholarship, that nothing could stop her except one thing — herownattitude. He told her again, “If the dream is big enough, thefactsdon’t count.”The next year, as she and her team went totheNorthern California Championship game, she was seen by acollege recruiter.
She was indeed offered a scholarship, a fullride, toa Division I, NCAA women’s basketball team. She was goingto getthe college education that she had dreamed of and workedtoward forall those years.It’s true: If the dream is big enough,the factsdon’t count.
我以前常常从厨房的窗户看到她穿梭于操场上的一群男孩子中间，她显得那么矮小。
学校在我家的街对面，我可以经常看到孩子们在下课时间打球。尽管有一大群的孩子，但我觉得她跟其他的孩子截然不同。
我记得第一天看到她打篮球的情景。看着她在其他孩子旁边兜来转去，我感到十分惊奇。她总是尽力地跳起投篮，球恰好越过那些孩子的头顶飞入篮筐。那些男孩总是拼命地阻止她，但没有人可以做得到。
我开始注意到她有时候一个人打球。她一遍遍地练习运球和投篮，有时直到天黑。有一天我问她为什么这么刻苦地练习。她直视着我的'眼睛，不加思索地说:“我想上大学。只有获得奖学金我才能上大学。我喜欢打篮球，我想只要我打得好，我就能获得奖学金。我要到大学去打篮球。我想成为最棒的球员。我爸爸告诉我说，心中有目标，风雨不折腰。”说完她笑了笑，跑向篮球场，又开始我之前见过的一遍又一遍的练习。
嘿，我服了她了——她是下定了决心了。我看着她这些年从初中升到高中。每个星期，她带领的学校篮球代表队都能够获胜。
高中那会儿的某一天，我看见她坐在草地上，头埋在臂弯里。我穿过街道，坐到她旁边的清凉的草地上。我轻轻地问出什么事了。“哦，没什么，”她轻声回答，“只是我太矮了。”原来篮球教练告诉她，以五英尺五英寸的身材，她几乎是没有机会到一流的球队去打球的——更不用说会获得奖学金了——所以她应该放弃想上大学的梦想。
她很伤心，我也觉得自己的喉咙发紧，因为我感觉到了她的失望。我问她是否与她的爸爸谈过这件事。
她从臂弯里抬起头，告诉我，她爸爸说那些教练错了。他们根本不懂得梦想的力量。他告诉她，如果真的想到一个好的大学去打篮球，如果她真的想获得奖学金，任何东西也不能阻止她，除非她自己不愿意。他又一次跟她说：“心中有目标，风雨不折腰。”
第二年，当她和她的球队去参加北加利福尼亚州冠军赛时，她被一位大学的招生人员看中了。她真的获得了奖学金，一个全面资助的奖学金，并且进入美国全国大学体育协会其中一队女子甲组篮球队。她将接受她曾梦想并为之奋斗多年的大学教育。
是的，心中有目标，风雨不折腰。
