只有通过大量赏识美文佳作,才能发现其闪光点,才能抒作者胸中之臆,享作者心中之情。我分享经典短篇英语美文，希望可以帮助大家!
经典短篇英语美文：My Opinion on Cellphone
我对手机的看法
Today, cellphone has been part of people’s live, they use cellphone to keep in touch with friends and family, cellphone is also very helpful in people’s work. As cellphone is so important, so people count on it so much, I think we need to take the right attitude towards cellphone.
今天，手机已经成为人们生活的一部分，他们使用手机来和朋友以及家人保持联系，手机对每个人的工作也很有帮助。由于手机是如此的重要，因此人们很依赖手机，我认为我们需要正确对待手机。
Teenagers especially like to use cellphone, they can’t live without cellphone. Take my brother for example. He carries cellphone all the time, no matter what he does. When we are talking to him, he just lows down his head and says yes, I don’t think he is listening to us. When he is walking on the street, he still keeps his eyes on the screen. My brother is a typical cellphone user, I feel pity for him because he misses so many beautiful moment.
青少年特别喜欢使用手机，他们无法离开手机。就拿我弟弟来说。他随时都带着手机，无论在做什么。当我们和他谈话时，他底下头，嘴里应和着，我不认为他在听我们讲话。当他走在街上时，眼睛仍然在屏幕上。我的弟弟就是一个典型的手机使用者，我为他感到遗憾，因为他错过了很多美好的时刻。
It is very a common situation for the young people to low down their heads to check on the cellphone. They don’t have the real communicate with others, it is not a good behavior. It is better to drop down the cellphone and see the scenery around us.
年轻人低头看手机是很常见的情绪。他们没有和别人进行真正的交流，这是不好的行为。我们最好放下手机，看看周围美丽的风景。
经典短篇英语美文：Wit can gain a breakfast 机智得早餐
Pat O'Burke was a poor Irishman with a large family and one morning, waking up early from cold and hunger, he decided to go shooting in a wood near his cottage.
The wood belonged to Lord Northwood, a rich gentle man, and Pat had no right to go there, but there were swarms of rabbits and flocks of birds that were good to eat, and Pat decided to take the risk.
Suddenly he saw the owner, with a group of friends, coming towards him in the wood. There was a look of anger on lord Northwood's face as he saw the gun in Pat's hands. Pat's heart sank with fear, but he saw there was no hope of escape, so he walked boldly up to the company and said to Lord Northwood.
"Good morning, sir, and what has brought you out so early this morning?" Lord Northwood, rather surprised, said he and his friends were taking a little exercise to get an appetite for their breakfast. Then looking at Pat with suspicion, he said, "But why are you out so early in the morning?"
"Well, sir" said Pat, "I just came out to see if I could get a breakfast for my appetite." The whole crowd burst into laughter at Pat's ready wit, and with a smile Lord Northwood walked on leaving Pat to try his luck with the rabbits.
帕特·奥伯克是个有一大家子人的贫苦的爱尔兰人。一天清晨，由于连冻带饿，他早早就醒了。他决定到茅屋附近的林子中去打猎。
林子属于富有的诺思伍德爵爷，帕特没有权力到里面去。可是林子中有一群野兔，还有鸟群，那将是一道美餐。于是，帕特决定去冒冒险。
突然间，他看到主人和他的朋友们从树林中向他走来。当主人看到帕特手中的枪时，脸上露出愤怒的神情。帕特吓得心里“咯噔”一下，可又一想，逃跑是不行了，于是便大着胆子向这些人走去，并对诺斯伍德爵爷说：“早晨好，先生。什么事使您这么早就出来了呢?”
诺思伍德爵爷十分惊讶，说他和他的朋友出来活动活动，以便为他们的早餐加点食欲。接着，他疑疑惑惑得看着帕特说：“可是，你今天早晨怎么也出来这么早啊?”
“哦，先生，我出来正是看一看能不能为我的食欲弄顿早餐。”帕特说，看到帕特这样的随机应变，这些人都哄堂大笑。诺思伍德也笑了，继续向前走去，留下帕特碰碰运气。
经典短篇英语美文：不龟手之药
A person in the state of Song was good at making a medicine that can prevent skin chaps. It was his family tradition to bleach cotton to make a living.
A merchant heard of this medicine and offered him a hundred pieces of gold. The Song person thought a hundred pieces of gold was a lot of money, so he gave him the recipe. The merchant brought this recipe to the King of the state of Wu and persuaded the king to produce this medicine.
Once the state of Wu went into war with the state of Yue. The king appointed the merchant to be the general to fight the Yue soldiers in the river in winter times. Because the Wu soldiers had used that medicine and wasn't bothered by water, they defeated the Yue army.
The king of the state of Wu awarded the merchant a fief(封地) for his exploits. Having the same feat, someone used it to get an award while someone continued to bleach cotton. It was all because how the feat was used.
宋国有个人善于制造让手免于破裂的药物，他祖祖辈辈都以漂洗棉絮为生。
一个商人听到这件事，便拿出一百两金子要买他的秘方。宋人以为一百两金子不少，便把秘方卖给了他。商人拿着秘方去游说吴王，让吴王制造这种药。
一次吴越发生战争，吴王任命商人做统帅，冬天和越人进行水战。由于吴军涂了药，不怕水，所以打败了越军。
吴王论功行赏封了一块地给商人。虽然是同一种技艺，但有的人用来博得了封赏，有的人却仍然以漂洗棉絮为业，这是因为技艺的使用 方法 不同啊!
每一个寓言故事本身就是一个生动、鲜活的教育哲理。在寓言故事中我们总能找寻出无穷无尽的班级管理的智慧。我精心收集了英汉对照的经典英语小短文，供大家欣赏学习!
One day a man walking on the road met a celestial, who happened to be an old friend of his.
一天，有个人走在路上遇到一个神仙。原来，这个神仙还是他的老朋友呢。
Seeing that his life was hard, the celestial pointed with his finger at a brick on the roadside,which turned into a gold brick at once.
神仙看到他生活很困难，就用手指朝路边的一块砖头一指，砖头立即变成了金砖。
And he gave it to the man.
神仙把金砖送给了他。
But the man was not satisfied. The celestial pointed again with his finger at a large stone lion atthe gate, which at once turned into a gold lion.
他并不满足。神仙又把手指一指，门前的一尊大石狮马上变成了一尊金狮，
And he gave it to him too. But the man still complained it was not enough.
也送给了他。可是他仍旧嫌少。
The celestial asked him:
神仙问他:
“My friend, how much will be enough for you? What should I do to satisfy you?”
“朋友，你要多少才能满足?我怎么做你才满意?”
The man hummed and hawed and said:“I want your finger.”
他支支吾吾地说:“我想要你的这个手指头!”
In a village in the mountain in front, there was a man named Wang Laowu notorious for hislaziness.
前山村里有个王老五，懒得出奇，
Everyone called him “Lazy Laowu”， but he never admitted he was lazy. Wheneversomeonecalled him “Lazy Laowu”, he would glare and say:
大家都叫他“懒老五”。可是王老五从来不承认自己懒，一听有人叫他“懒老五”，他就瞪眼，说:
“Who is lazy? It is just that I don't want to make my efforts in vain.”
“谁懒了?我只是不愿意干那种白费劲的活儿罢了。”
One day he went out. Before he had taken several steps, he stumbled and fell down.
有一天，他出门刚走了两步就跌了一跤。
He got up and walked for a few more steps, then fell down again.
他爬起来走了儿步，又跌了一跤。
This time he lay on the ground and would not get up. He said to himself:
这一回，他索性趴在地上不起来了。他自言自语地说:
“If I knew this earlier, why did I get up in the first place?”
“早知如此，刚才何必爬起来呢!”
The gorillas in the valleys in the south often lived together in groups of several tens.
南方山谷里的猩猩，常常数十成群地生活在一起。
They were fond of drinking wine, and even fonder of imitating man’s behavior.
它们喜欢喝酒，更喜欢模仿人的行为。
People knew very well their habits and often put wine or distiller’s grains on the roadsidetogether with many straw sandals connected together with ropes.
人们掌握了它们的习性，经常把酒或酒糟放在路边，旁边又放着许多草鞋，草鞋用绳索连接起来。
The gorillas knew this was a trick to lure them into traps and cursed:
猩猩知道这是人们引诱它们上当，便破口大骂:
“Humph! Do you think we don't know your tricks?We’ll never be taken in!”
“哼!你们以为我们不知道吗?我们决不上你们的当!”
So they called one another, turned round and left.
于是，互相招呼，回头就走。
But they had already smelled the aroma of the wine,and couldn’t bear to part with it.
但是，它们已经闻到了酒香，总有点恋恋不舍，
Even after they left, they would turn their heads to look back.When they saw no one there,theywould turn back;and after they turned back,
就是走了，也要回过头来望望。回头望不见人，便又转过来;
they were afraid of being deceived, and left again. After much hesitation, they finally said tothemselves:
转过来了又怕上当，再返身回去。犹豫了好久，它们最后自言自语地说:
“Just for a taste of the wine. It won’t matter as long as we don’t get drunk.”
“去尝尝味道，不喝醉就不碍事。”
Shortly afterwards, they agreed to come back to drink the wine.When they got drunk,theyforgot everything.
不一会儿，大家同意了，都回来喝酒。等到喝醉的时候，它们一切都忘记了，
Every gorilla put on the straw sandals and imitated the way man walks.
一个个穿上草鞋，学着人走路。
As a result, they fell down one after another and were all caught alive by people.
结果，一个个都跌倒了，统统被人活捉。
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?
1.One is always on a strange road, watching strange scenery and listening to strange music. Then one day, you will find that the things you try hard to forget are already gone.
一个人总要走陌生的路，看陌生的风景，听陌生的歌，然后在某个不经意的瞬间，你会发现，原本是费尽心机想要忘记的事情真的就那么忘记了。
2.Happiness is not about being immortal nor having food or rights in one's hand. It’s about having each tiny wish come true, or having something to eat when you are hungry or having someone's love when you need love.
幸福，不是长生不老，不是大鱼大肉，不是权倾朝野。幸福是每一个微小的生活愿望达成。当你想吃的时候有得吃，想被爱的时候有人来爱你。
3.Love is a lamp, while friendship is the shadow. When the lamp is off,you will find the shadow everywhere. Friend is who can give you strength at last.
爱情是灯，友情是影子，当灯灭了，你会发现你的周围都是影子。朋友，是在最后可以给你力量的人。
4.I love you not for who you are, but for who I am before you.
我爱你不是因为你是谁，而是我在你面前可以是谁。
5.Love makes man grow up or sink down.
爱情，要么让人成熟，要么让人堕落。
6.If you can hold something up and put it down, it is called weight-lifting; if you can hold something up but can never put it down,it's called burden-bearing. Pitifully, most of people are bearing heavy burdens when they are in love.
举得起放得下的叫举重，举得起放不下的叫负重。可惜，大多数人的爱情，都是负重的。
7.We all live in the past. We take a minute to know someone, one hour to like someone, and one day to love someone, but the whole life to forget someone.
我们每个人都生活在各自的过去中，人们会用一分钟的时间去认识一个人，用一小时的时间去喜欢一个人，再用一天的时间去爱上一个人，到最后呢，却要用一辈子的时间去忘记一个人。
8.One may fall in love with many people during the lifetime. When you finally get your own happiness, you will understand the previous sadness is kind of treasure, which makes you better to hold and cherishthe people you love.
一个人一生可以爱上很多的人，等你获得真正属于你的幸福之后，你就会明白一起的伤痛其实是一种财富，它让你学会更好地去把握和珍惜你爱的人。
9.When you are young, you may want several love experiences. But as time goes on, you will realize that if you really love someone, the whole life will not be enough. You need time to know, to forgive and to love. All this needs a very big mind.
年轻的时候会想要谈很多次恋爱，但是随着年龄的增长，终于领悟到爱一个人，就算用一辈子的时间，还是会嫌不够。慢慢地去了解这个人，体谅这个人，直到爱上为止，是需要有非常宽大的胸襟才行。
10.When tomorrow turns in today, yesterday, and someday that no more important in your memory, we suddenly realize that we are pushed forward by time. This is not a train in still in which you may feel forward when another train goes by. It is the truth that we've all grown up. And we become different.
当明天变成了今天成为了昨天，最后成为记忆里不再重要的某一天，我们突然发现自己在不知不觉中已被时间推着向前走，这不是静止火车里，与相邻列车交错时，仿佛自己在前进的错觉，而是我们真实的在成长，在这件事里成了另一个自己。
11.If you leave me, please don't comfort me because each sewing has to meet stinging pain.
离开我就别安慰我，要知道每一次缝补也会遭遇穿刺的痛。
12.Don’t forget the things you once you owned. Treasure the things you can’t get. Don't give up the things that belong to you and keep those lost things in memory.
曾经拥有的，不要忘记。不能得到的，更要珍惜。属于自己的，不要放弃。已经失去的'，留作回忆。
13.I love and am used to keeping a distance with those changed things.Only in this way can I know what will not be abandoned by time. Forexample, when you love someone, changes are all around. Then I stepbackward and watching it silently, then I see the true feelings.
我喜欢并习惯了对变化的东西保持着距离，这样才会知道什么是最不会被时间抛弃的准则。比如爱一个人，充满变数，我于是后退一步，静静的看着，直到看见真诚的感情。
14.Men love from overlooking while women love from looking up. If love isa mountain, then if men go up, more women they will see while womenwill see fewer men.
男人的爱是俯视而生，而女人的爱是仰视而生。如果爱情像座山，那么男人越往上走可以俯视的女人就越多，而女人越往上走可以仰视的男人就越少。
阅读经典美文可以丰富学生的知识,巩固学习成果;可以提高学生的阅读能力和写作能力。我精心收集了关于经典英文短文，供大家欣赏学习!
Youth is not a time of life; it is a state of mind; it is not a matter of rosy cheeks, red lips and suppleknees; it is a matter of the will, a quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions; it is the freshness of the deep springs of life.
Youth means a tempera-mental predominance of courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over thelove of ease. This often exists in a man of 60 more than a boy of 20. Nobody grows old merely by a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals.
Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul. Worry, fear, self-distrust bows the heart and turns the spring back to dust.
Whether 60 or 16, there is in every human being's heart the lure of wonder, the unfailing childlike appetite of what's next and the joy of the game of living. In the center of your heart and my heart there is a wireless station: so long as it receives messages of beauty, hope, cheer, courage and power from men and from the Infinite, so long are you young.
When the aerials are down, and your spirit is covered with snows of cynicism and the ice of pessimism, then you are grown old, even at 20, but as long as your aerials are up, to catch waves of optimism, there is hope you may die young at 80.
青春
青春不是年华，而是心境;青春不是桃面、丹唇、柔膝，而是深沉的意志，恢宏的想象，炙热的恋情;青春是生命的深泉在涌流。
青春气贯长虹，勇锐盖过怯弱，进取压倒苟安。如此锐气，二十后生而有之，六旬男子则更多见。年岁有加，并非垂老，理想丢弃，方堕暮年。
岁月悠悠，衰微只及肌肤;热忱抛却，颓废必致灵魂。忧烦，惶恐，丧失自信，定使心灵扭曲，意气如灰。
无论年届花甲，拟或二八芳龄，心中皆有生命之欢乐，奇迹之诱惑，孩童般天真久盛不衰。人人心中皆有一台天线，只要你从天上人间接受美好、希望、欢乐、勇气和力量的信号，你就青春永驻，风华常存。
一旦天线下降，锐气便被冰雪覆盖，玩世不恭、自暴自弃油然而生，即使年方二十，实已垂垂老矣;然则只要树起天线，捕捉乐观信号，你就有望在八十高龄告别尘寰时仍觉年轻。
A punctual person is in the habit of doing a thing at the proper time and is never late in keepingan appointment. The unpunctual man，on one hand，never does what he has to do at theproper time. He is always ina hurry and in the end loses both time and his good name. There isa proverb that says, "Time flies never to be recalled". This is very true. A lost thing may befound again，but lost time can never be regained. Time is more valuable than material things.
In fact，time is life itself. The unpunctual man is for ever wasting and mismanaging his mostvaluable assets as well as the assets of others'. The unpunctual person is always complainingthat he finds no time toanswer letters or return calls or keep appointments promptly. But theman who really has a great deal to do is very careful with his time and seldom complainsbecause he lacks it. He knows that he can not get through his huge amount of work unless hefaithfully attends to every piece of work when it has to be attended to ...
Failure to be punctual in keeping one's appointments is a sign of disrespect towards others. Ifa person is invited to dinner and arrives later than the appointed time，he keeps all the otherguests waiting for him.Usually this will be regarded as a great disrespect to the host and allother guests present. Unpunctuality，moreover，is very harmful when it comes to doing one'sduty，whether public or private. Imagine how it would be if those who are put in charge ofimportant tasks failed to be at their proper place at the appointed time.A man who is known tobe habitually unpunctual is never trusted by his friends or fellow men.And the unpunctual manis a source of annoyance both to others and to himself.
论守时
一个守时的人养成了按时做事的习惯，这样的人言必信，行必果。 另一方面，不守时的人却从不按时完成他应该做的事情。他总是匆匆忙忙的，到头来却既浪费了时间、又败坏了自己的名誉。 有句谚语说道："光阴一去不复返。" 此话千真万确。 一件东西丢了可能找回来，而弄丢了时间可就永远找不回来了。 时间较之财富更加珍贵。
实际上，时间本身就是生命! 因此，那些不守时的人是在不停地浪费自己的宝贵财富，同时也是在浪费他人的珍贵财产。那些不守时的人总是在抱怨，说自己没有时间去写回信、没有时间回电话、或者没有时间按时赴约。 然而那些真正有大量事情要处理的人则会非常仔细地安排时间，很少抱怨说时间不够用。 他们知道，除非自己按时处理好应处理的每一件事情，否则他们是不可能做完这一大堆事情的…… 赴约不守时是对他人极大的不尊重。
如果一个人应邀去参加晚宴，却没有按时出席，就会让其他的客人等他一个人。 这是对主人和其他客人极大的不尊重。 履行义务的时候--无论是公事还是私事--不守时是非常有害的。设想一下，如果把一件重大使命委托给一个不守时的人，结果他没有在恰当的时间和地点完成这项任务，那么结果会怎么样呢? 如果一个人以不守时而"闻名"，他怎么可能得到朋友和同事的信任! 不守时的人既惹别人生气，又弄得自己不快活。
To be really happy and really safe, one ought to have at least two or three hobbies, and theymust all be real. It is no use starting late in life to say: “I will take an interest in this or that.”Such an attempt only aggravates the strain of mental effort. A man may acquire greatknowledge of topics unconnected with his daily work, and yet hardly get any benefit or relief.It is no use doing what you like; you have got to like what you do. Broadly speaking, humanbeing may be divided into three classes: those who are toiled to death, those who are worriedto death, and those who are bored to death. It is no use offering the manual laborer, tiredout with a hard week’s sweat and effort, the chance of playing a game of football or baseballon Saturday afternoon. It is no use inviting the politician or the professional or businessman, who has been working or worrying about serious things for six days, to work or worryabout trifling things at the weekend.
It may also be said that rational, industrious, useful human beings are divided into twoclasses: first, those whose work is work and whose pleasure is pleasure; and secondly, thosewhose work and pleasure are one. Of these the former are the majority. They have theircompensations. The long hours in the office or the factory bring with them as their reward, notonly the means of sustenance, but a keen appetite for pleasure even in its simplest and mostmodest forms. But Fortune’s favored children belong to the second class.Their life is a naturalharmony. For them the working hours are never long enough. Each day is a holiday,andordinary holidays when they come are grudged as enforced interruptions in an absorbingvacation. Yet to both classes the need of an alternative outlook, of a change of atmosphere, ofa diversion of effort, isessential. Indeed, it may well be that those whose work is their pleasureare those who most need the means of banishing it at intervals from their minds.
工作和娱乐
要想真正生活得幸福和平安，一个人至少应该有两三种业余爱好，而且必须是真正的爱好。到了晚年才开始说“我要培养这个或那个兴趣”是毫无用处的，种这种尝试只会增加精神上的负担。在与自己日常工作无关的领域中，一个人可以获得渊博的知识，但却很难有所收益或得到放松。做自己喜欢的事是无益的，你得喜欢自己所做的事。广而言之，人可以分为三个类别：劳累而死的人，忧虑而死的人和无聊而死的人。对于那些体力劳动者来说，一周辛苦的工作使他们精疾力竭，因此在周六下午给他们提供踢足球或者打棒球的机会是没有意义的。对于政界人士，专业人士或者商人来说，他们已经为棘手的事务操劳或者烦恼了六天，因此在周末请他们为琐事劳神同样毫无意义。
或者可以这么说，理智的，勤奋的，有用的人可以分为两类：对第一类人而言，工作就是工作，娱乐就是娱乐;对于第二类人而言，工作和娱乐是合二为一的。很大一部分人属于前者。他们可以得到相应的补偿。在办公室或工厂里长时间的工作，不仅带给他们维持生计的金钱，还带给他们一种渴求娱乐的强烈欲望，哪怕这种娱乐消遣是以最简单，最淳朴的方式进行的。而第二类人则是命运的宠儿。他们的生活自然而和谐。在他们看来，工作时间永远不够多，每天都是假期;而当正常的假日到来时，他们总会抱怨自己有趣的休假被强行中断。然而，有一些东西对于这两类人来说都十分必要，那就是变换一下视角，改变一下氛围，尝试做点不同的事情。事实上，那些把工作看作娱乐的人可能是需要以某种方式将工作不时地驱赶出自己的大脑。
