勵志英語小故事演講材料

　　我們在準備英語演講稿的時候，適當的加一些勵志英語小故事作為演講材料是不錯的，那麼都有哪些呢?一起來看看吧。

　　：按圖索驥

　　During the Spring and Autumn Period, there was a man in the State of Qin whose name was Sun Yang. Sun Yang was very expert in looking at horses and judging their worth. Whatever the horse might be, he could tell whether it was good or bad at first sight. People called him Bo Le Bo Le was the name of one of the celestial bodies and was fabled to be in charge of heavenly steeds, and he was often asked to appraise and select horses.

　　One day, when Sun Yang was passing a place, an old horse pulling a cart loaded with salt suddenly neighed to him without stopping. He came near, and saw that it was a horse that really could cover a thousand Li a day, and that the only problem with it was that it was a little too old. The old horse was pulling the heavy cart with difficulties and hardships. Sun Yang felt acutely that the horse was really unjustly treated, for it might have been a fine steed galloping on the battlefield. It was a great pity that it was pulling the cart loaded with salt without attracting public attention, which had taken the edge off its spirit and consumed its energy. When he thought of this, he was so grieved that he shed tears.

　　In order to help more people learn how to appraise horses so that fine horses which could cover a thousand LI a day would no longer fall into oblivion, and also in order to ensure that his unique skill in judging horses would not be lost, Sun Yang worte a book entitled The Art of Looking at Horses and Judging Their Worth, based on his experiences and knowledge accumulated over the years. The book was also illustrated with the pictures of various horses.

　　Sun Yang had a son who, after reading his father's The Art of Looking at Horses and Judging Their Worth, thought it was very esay to appraise horses. So he took the book with him to look for fine horses everywhere. At first he searched according to the pictures in the book, and accomplished nothing. Then he searched according to the characteristics of a toad fit very well the characteristics described in the book. So he happily took the toad back home, and said to his father, "Father, I have found a horse that can cover a thousand Li a day, only its hoofs are not good enough." Looking at the toad, Sun Yang did not know whether he should laugh or cry. Knowing that his son was stupid, Sun Yang said humourously. "It's a pity that this horse is too fond of jumping to pull a cart." Then he sighed, "That is just what we call looking for a steed with the aid of its picture."

　　Later, people have used the set phrase "look for a steed with the aid of its picture" to refer to handling affairs mechanically in the outmoded ways without being flexible. Somethimes it is also used to refer to trying to locate something by following up a clue. This set phrase originates in Lumbering in the Forest of Art written by Yang Shen in the Ming Dynasty 1368-1644.

　　春秋時候，秦國有個叫孫陽的人，擅長相馬，無論什麼樣的馬，他一眼就能分出優劣。他常常被人請去識馬、選馬，人們都稱他為伯樂“伯樂”本是天上的星名，據說負責管理天馬。

　　有一次，孫陽路過一個地方，忽見一匹拖著鹽車的老馬衝他叫個不停，走近一看，原來是匹千里馬，只是年齡稍大了點。老馬拉著車艱難地走著，孫陽覺得太委屈了這匹千里馬，它本是可以奔跑於疆場，可以發揮更大作用的寶馬良駒，現在卻默默無聞地拖著鹽車，慢慢地消耗著它的銳氣和體力，實在可惜!孫陽想到這裡，難過得落下淚來。

　　為了讓更多的人學會相馬，使千里馬不再被埋沒，也為了自己一身絕技不至於失傳，孫陽把自己多年積累的相馬經驗和知識寫成了一本書，配上各種馬的形態圖，書名叫《相馬經》。

　　孫陽有個兒子，父親寫的《相馬經》，以為相馬很容易，就拿著這本書到處找好馬。他按照書上所繪的圖形去找，一無所獲。又按書中所寫的特徵去找，最後發現有一隻癩蛤蟆很像書中寫的千里馬的特徵，便高興地把癩蛤蟆帶回家，對父親說：“爸爸，我找到一匹千里馬，只是蹄子稍差些。”父親一看，哭笑不得，沒想到兒子竟如此愚笨，便幽默地說：“可惜這馬太喜歡跳了，不能用來拉車。”接著感嘆道：“所謂按圖索驥也。”

　　故事出自明朝楊慎的《藝林伐山》。成語“按圖索驥”，比喻機械地照老辦法辦事，不知變通;也比喻按照某種線索去尋找事物。

　　：高山流水

　　During the Spring and Autumn Period770-476B.C..there was a man whose name was Yu Boya.Yu boya famous music master at that time, having a good command of the temperament and superb skills in playing the musical instrument.He was bright and eager to learn when he was young.He had formally acknowledged several experts as his teachers,and his skills in playing the musical instrument had already reached a fairly high level.But he still felt that he could not superbly express the various things which had deeply impressed him.Knowing what was in his mind,his teacher took him to the penglai Island,a fabled abode of immortals,on the East China Sea by boat.On the island,his teacher let him enjoy the natural scenarios and listen to the roaring of the great waves.looking into the distance,Boya saw that the waves were turbulent and that the white breakers leapt skywards.Sea birds were circling in the air,and their crying was very pleasant to the ear.Trees were green and intriguing feeling welled up in his mind,as if he had heard the harmonious and charming music of nature.He couldn't help taking his musical instrument and playing it .He followed his inclinations while he was playing,and incorporated the beautiful nature with his music,thus reaching a realm of thought he had never experienced before.Seeing this,the teacher said to hime,''You have mastered the art of playing."

　　Once,on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month,he was boating for sight-seeing.The moon was bright and a cool breeze was blowing gently.With myriads of thoughts welling up in his mind,he began to play the musical instrument.The melodious music became more and more beautiful when a man on the bank shouted "bravo!"Hearing the shouting,Boya came out of the boat,and saw a woodcutter standing on the bank.He knew that this man was keenly appreciative of his talents,because he understood his music.He immediately invited the woodcutter to his boat and ,full of zest,he played the musical instrument for him.When Boya played a piece of music eulogizing the high mountains,the woodcutter said,"wonderful!The melody is as magnificent and dignified as Mount Tai which reaches to the sky!"When he played a piece of music depicting the turbulent waves,the woodcutter said,"Wonderful!The melody is as vast and mighty as the great rivers!"Boya was excited,and siad,"Bosom friend!You are really my bosom friend!"That woodcutter was Zhong Ziqi.Since then,they had been very good friends.

　　This story appears in The Works of Lie Zi.From this story,people havederived the set phrase"high mountain and running water" to refer to understanding and appreciative friends.This set phrase is also used to refer to melodious music.

　　春秋時代，有個叫俞伯牙的人，精通音律，琴藝高超，是當時著名的琴師。俞伯牙年輕的時候聰穎好學，曾拜高人為師，琴技達到水平，但他總覺得自己還不能出神入化地表現對各種事物的感受。伯牙的老師知道他的想法後，就帶他乘船到東海的蓬萊島上，讓他欣賞大自然的景色，傾聽大海的波濤聲。伯牙舉目眺望，只見波浪洶湧，浪花激濺;海鳥翻飛，鳴聲入耳;山林樹木，鬱鬱蔥蔥，如入仙境一般。一種奇妙的感覺油然而生，耳邊彷彿咯起了大自然那和諧動聽的音樂。他情不自禁地取琴彈奏，音隨意轉，把大自然的美妙融進了琴聲，伯牙體驗到一種前所未有的境界。老師告訴他：“你已經學了。”

　　一夜伯牙乘船遊覽。面對清風明月，他思緒萬千，於是又彈起琴來，琴聲悠揚，漸入佳境。忽聽岸上有人叫絕。伯牙聞聲走出船來，只見一個樵夫站在岸邊，他知道此人是知音當即請樵夫上船，興致勃勃地為他演奏。伯牙彈起讚美高山的曲調，樵夫說道：“真好!雄偉而莊重，好像高聳入雲的泰山一樣!”當他彈奏表現奔騰澎湃的波濤時，樵夫又說：“真好!寬廣浩蕩，好像看見滾滾的流水，無邊的大海一般!”伯牙興奮色了，激動地說：“知音!你真是我的知音。”這個樵夫就是鍾子期。從此二人成了非常要好的朋友。

　　故事出自《列子·湯問》。成語“高山流水”，比喻知己或知音，也比喻音樂優美。