優秀英語經典美文欣賞

　　美文不是美景,表面無法壯麗秀美,五光十色;美文不是美食,解不了飢渴,做不得生計。下面小編整理了英語經典美文，希望大家喜歡!

　　英語經典美文摘抄

　　The Brewer's Son

　　釀酒也瘋狂

　　When I was a teenager, my dad did everything he could to dissuade me from becoming a brewer. He'd spent his life brewing beer for local breweries, barely making a living, as had his father and grandfather before him. He didn't want me anywhere near a vat of beer.

　　在青少年時期，父親就極力告誡我，將來不要做一個釀酒人。因為，他一輩子就像他父親及祖父一樣，僅僅是為了謀生，專為當地的啤酒廠釀造啤酒。他甚至不許我靠近啤酒桶半步。

　　So I did as he asked. I got good grades, went to Harvard and in 1971 was accepted into a graduate program there that allowed me to study law and business simultaneously.

　　因此我也就按他的意願做了。我以優異的成績考取了哈佛大學，並於1971年獲得了繼續在那裡攻讀研究生課程的機會，得以同時學習法律和商業專業。

　　In my second year of grad school, I had something of an epiphany I've never done anything but go to school. I thought, and I'm getting pressured to make a career choice for the rest of my life. That's stupid. The future was closing in on me a lot earlier than I wanted.

　　在讀研究生二年級時，我似乎有一種頓悟的感覺，我想除了上學以外，我什麼也沒有做過。我感到有一種壓力迫使我為今後的人生道路作出事業的選擇。我真傻。未來早已向我逼近，比我預期的要早得多。

　　So, at 24, I decided to drop out. Obviously, my parents didn't think this was a great idea. But I felt strongly that you can't wait till you're 65 to do what you want in life. You have to go for it.

　　所以在24歲時，我決定退學。顯然，父母並不認為這是什麼好主意。但我強烈地意識到，人不能等到65歲才去做想要做的事。你得自己去尋找。

　　I packed my stuff into a U-Haul and headed to Colorado to become an instructor at Outward Bound, the wilderness-education program. The job was a good fit for me. Heavily into mountaineering and rock climbing, I lived and climbed everywhere, from crags outside Seattle to volcanoes in Mexico.

　　我打點起行囊，把它們裝進一輛小麵包車內，便上路向科羅拉多進發，去作一名野外訓練專案教練。這工作的確很適合我。大量地登山、攀巖，從西雅圖周圍的峭壁到墨西哥的火山，到處都留下了我生活和登攀的身影。

　　I never regretted taking time to "find myself". I think we'd all be a lot better off if we could take off five years in our 20s to decide what we want to do for the rest of our lives. Otherwise we're going to be making other people's choices, not our own.

　　我從未因花費時間去“尋找自我”而後悔。我覺得如果人們能在20歲左右的時候，拿出五年時間去決定自己今後想要做什麼，那可能會更快樂一些。否則，我們就將按別人的、而不是自己的意願行事了。

　　After three and a half years with Outward Bound, I was ready to go hack to school. I finished Harvard and got a highly paid job at the Boston Consulting Group. a think tank and business-consulting firm. Still, after working there five years, I was haunted by doubt. Is this what I want to be doing when I'm 50?

　　野外訓練工作幹了三年半後，我準備重返學校。哈佛畢業後，在波士頓顧問諮詢集團——一家智囊團兼商業諮詢的公司，我找到了一份薪水豐厚的工作。然而，在那裡工作了五年之後，我頭腦中又縈繞起一絲疑慮：難道這就是我想一直做到50歲的工作嗎?

　　I remembered that some time before, my dad had been cleaning out the attic and came across some old beer recipes on scraps of yellow paper. "Today's beer is basically water that can hold a head," he'd told me.

　　記得不久前，父親在整理閣樓時，偶然找到了一些寫在發了黃的小紙片上的古老的啤酒配方。他告訴我：“現在的啤酒基本上都是水，只是面上有一些泡沫。”

　　I agreed. If you didn't like the mass-produced American stuff, the other choices were imports that were often stale. Americans pay good money for inferior beer, I thought. Why not make good beer for Americans right here in America?

　　他說的對。如果人們不喜歡喝那種大批量生產出的美國啤酒，那他們就只能喝進口的啤酒，但那常常是不新鮮、走味兒的。我想，美國人是在花大價錢買劣等酒。為什麼不就在美國本地為美國人自己釀造好啤酒呢?

　　I decided to quit my job to become a brewer. When I told Dad, I was hoping he'd put his arm around me and get misty about reviving tradition. Instead he said, "Jim, that is the dumbest thing I've ever heard!"

　　我決定辭職，做一名釀酒人。當我把這個想法告訴父親時，我希望他會擁抱我，併為傳統的復甦而心情激動。結果恰恰相反，他說：“吉姆，這是我所聽到過的最愚蠢的話!”

　　As much as Dad objected, in the end he supported me: he became my new company's first investor, coughing up $40,000 when I opened the Boston Beer Company in 1984. I plunked down $ 100,000 of my savings and raised another $ 100,000 from friends and relatives. Going from my fancy office to being a brewer was like mountain climbing: exhilarating, liberating and frightening. All my safety nets were gone.

　　雖然父親盡全力反對我，但最終還是支援我了。1984年當我開辦波士頓啤酒公司時，他成了我新公司的第一個投資者，勉強投入了4萬美元。我拿出了10萬美元的積蓄，又從朋友和親戚那裡募集了10萬美元。從條件舒適的辦公室出來，去做一名釀酒人，就像爬山一樣：令人振奮，感到自由，但又覺法有些害怕。因為我所有的安全保護網都撤掉了。

　　Once the beer was made, I faced my biggest hurdle yet: getting it into beer drinkers' hands. Distributors all said the same thing: "Your beer is too expensive; no one has ever heard of you." So I figured I had to create a new category: the craft-brewed American beer. I needed a name that was recognizable and elegant, so I called my beer Samuel Adams, after the brewer and patriot who helped to instigate the Boston Tea Party.

　　一旦啤酒釀造出來後，我面臨的最大問題就是：如何將它送到消費者手中。銷售商們幾乎異口同聲地說：“你的啤酒太貴了;沒人聽說過你的名字。”於是我想，我得創造一個新品種：手工釀造的美國啤酒。我需要為它取一個響亮而又高雅的名字，這樣，我便以曾領導波士頓傾茶事件的釀酒人及愛國音的名字來命名我的啤酒----塞繆爾·亞當斯。

　　The only way to get the word out, I realized, was to sell direct. I filled my leather briefcase with beer and cold packs, put on my best power suit and hit the bars.

　　我意識到，唯一能創出這個牌子的辦法就是直銷。我將啤酒及冰袋裝進大皮箱裡，穿上我那套盡顯男人風度與地位的筆挺西裝，向一間間酒吧走去。

　　Most bartenders thought I was from the IRS. But once I opened the briefcase, they paid attention. After I told the first guy my story--how I wanted to start this little brewery in Boston with my dad's family recipe--he said, "Kid, I liked your story. But I didn't think the beer would be this good." What a great moment.

　　大多數調酒師起初還以為我是國家稅務局的呢。但當我開啟皮箱時，便引起了他們的注意。我向第一個傢伙講述了我的故事----我如何用父親家傳的啤酒配方開創了這家小小的波士頓啤酒廠——之後，他說：“孩子，我喜歡你的故事，但我沒想到你這啤酒會這麼好。”多麼激動人心的時刻啊!

　　Six weeks later, at the Great American Beer Festival, Sam Adams Boston Lager won the top prize for American beer. The rest is history. It wasn't supposed to work out this way--what ever does? --but in the end I was destined to be a brewer.

　　六週後，在美國大啤酒節上，我的“塞繆爾·亞當斯波士頓啤酒”獲得了美國啤酒的最高獎項。接下來的事情就成為歷史了。其實開始時，無論如何都沒有想到我會走這條路----但最終我註定還是要做個釀酒人。

　　My advice to all young entrepreneurs is simple: life is very long, so don't rush to make decisions. Life doesn't let you plan.

　　我對所有年輕的企業家有個簡單的建議：生活的道路是漫長的，因此不要急於作出決定。生活不讓你做計劃。

　　英語經典美文鑑賞

　　Courage

　　勇氣

　　A father was worried about his son, who was sixteen years old but had no courage at all. So the father decided to call on a Buddhist monk to train his boy.

　　一位父親為兒子擔心。兒子16歲了，卻沒有一點勇氣。於是，父親決定去拜訪一位禪師，請他訓練兒子。

　　The Buddhist monk said to the boy's father, "You should leave your son alone here. I'll make him into a real man within three months. However, you can’t come to see him during this period. "

　　禪師對男孩的父親說：“你應該讓他單獨留在這裡。不出3個月，我要讓他成為一個真正的男子漢。不過，在這段時間，你不能來見他。”

　　Three months later, the boy's father returned. The Buddhist monk arranged a boxing match between the boy and an experienced boxer. Each time the fighter struck the boy, he fell down, but at once the boy stood up; and each time a punch knocked him down, the boy stood up again. Several times later, the Buddhist monk asked, "What do you think of your child?"

　　3個月後，男孩的父親又來見禪師。禪師安排這個男孩和一位經驗豐富的拳師進行拳擊比賽。拳師每次一出手，男孩就倒在地上，但男孩又馬上站起來;每次將他擊倒，他就又站起來。幾個回合後，禪師問道：“你認為自己的孩子怎麼樣?”

　　"What a shame!" the boy's father said. "I never thought he would be so easily knocked down. I needn't have him left here any longer."

　　“真丟人!”男孩的父親說，“我絕沒想到他這樣不堪一擊。我不需要他再留在這裡了。”

　　"I'm sorry that that's all you see. Don't you see that each time he falls down; he stands up again instead of crying? That's the kind of courage you wanted him to have."

　　“很遺憾，你只看到了這一點。難道你沒看到他每次倒下後並沒有哭泣，而是重新站起來了嗎?這才是你想要他擁有的那種勇氣。”

　　英語經典美文賞析

　　Piano Music

　　難忘的鋼琴曲

　　There are advantages and disadvantages to coming from a large family. Make that a large family with a single parent, and they double. The disadvantages are never so apparent as when someone wants to go off to college. Parents have cashed in life insurance policies to cover the cost of one year.

　　來自大家庭既有好處也有壞處。如果是個單親大家庭，好壞都會變成雙倍。當有人要離家去念大學時，壞處尤其明顯。為了支付一年的開銷，父母只好將壽險兌換成現金。

　　My mother knew that she could not send me to college and pay for it. She worked in a retail store and made just enough to pay the bills and take care of the other children at home. If I wanted to go to college, it was up to me to find out how to get there.

　　母親一早知道她無力送我上學與支付學費。她在一家零售店工作，掙的錢剛夠養活家裡的其他孩子。如果我想上大學，就得自食其力。

　　I found that I qualified for some grants because of the size of our family, my mom"s income and my SAT scores. There was enough to cover school and books, but not enough for room and board. I accepted a job as part of a work-study program. While not glamorous, it was one I could do. I washed dishes in the school cafeteria.

　　我發現我的家庭人口、媽媽的收入與我的學業能力測試分數符合拿助學金的標準。那隻足夠用來交學費和買書，但維持不了食宿。於是我半工半讀，找了一份工作。雖然工作不討人喜歡，可那是我力所能及的事情。我在學校飯堂裡洗碗。

　　To help myself study, I made flash cards that fit perfectly on the large metal dishwasher. After I loaded the racks, I stood there and flipped cards, learning the makeup of atoms while water and steam broke them down all around me. I learned how to make y equal to z while placing dishes in stacks. My wrinkled fingers flipped many a card, and many times my tired brain drifted off, and a glass would crash to the floor. My grades went up and down. It was the hardest work I had ever done.

　　為了促進學習，我做了一副恰好能裝在大金屬洗碗機上的學習卡。把碗碟放在架子上之後，我就站在那兒翻卡片，四周瀰漫著水汽，而我在學習原子的構成。我學會了如何在疊碟子的時候背下方程式。我起皺的手指翻過許多卡片，很多時候我疲倦的大腦恍恍惚惚，令玻璃杯也摔破到地上。我的成績時起時落。那是我做過的最艱難的工作。

　　Just when I thought the bottom was going to drop out of my college career, an angel appeared. Well, one of those that are on earth, without wings.

　　正當我的大學學業快進行不下去時，天使出現了。是在地球上的天使，沒翅膀的。

　　“I heard that you need some help,” he said.

　　“我聽說你需要幫助，”他說。

　　“What do you mean?” I asked, trying to figure out which area of my life he meant.

　　“你說什麼?”我問道，竭力想弄清楚他說的是我生活中的那些方面。

　　“Financially, to stay in school.”

　　“經濟上的，留校唸書。”

　　“Well, I make it okay. I just have trouble working all these hours and finding time to study.”

　　“這個，我還好。只是我工作得太久了，找不到讀書的時間。”

　　“Well, I think I have a way to help you out.”

　　“啊，我想我可以有辦法幫你一把。”

　　He went on to explain that his grandparents needed help on the weekends. All that was required of me was cooking meals and helping them get in and out of bed in the morning and evening. The job paid four hundred dollars a month, twice the money I was making washing dishes. Now I would have time to study. I went to meet his grandparents and accepted the job.

　　接著他解釋道，他的祖父母週末需要人幫助。我只用做做飯、早晚幫他們上下床就好了。這份工作的報酬是一個月四百美元，兩倍於我洗碗賺的錢。現在我可以有學習的時間了。我去與他的祖父母見面並接下了工作。

　　My first discovery was his grandmother"s great love of music. She spent hours playing her old, off-key piano. One day, she told me I didn"t have enough fun in my life and took it upon herself to teach me the art.

　　我的第一個發現是他的祖母無比熱愛音樂。她許多時候都在彈她那架又舊變調的鋼琴。有一天，她說我的生活缺乏樂趣，並執意親自教我藝術。

　　Grandma was impressed with my ability and encouraged me to continue. Weekends in their house became more than just books and cooking,they were filled with the wonderful sounds of the out-of-tune piano and two very out-of-tune singers.

　　祖母非常讚賞我的能力，她鼓勵我繼續學下去。在他們家度過的週末並非只有書本與烹調;那些日子裡洋溢著走調鋼琴與兩個走調歌手的動人音樂和歌聲。

　　When Christmas break came, Grandma got a chest cold, and I was afraid to leave her. I hadn"t been home since Labor Day, and my family was anxious to see me. I agreed to come home, but for two weeks instead of four, so I could return to Grandma and Grandpa. I said my good-byes, arranged for their temporary care and return home.

　　聖誕假期來臨了，祖母患上胸口冷的疾病，我非常不願離開她。可自從勞動節後我就沒回家，家人都急切希望見到我。所以我還是同意回家去，但只住上兩週而不是四周，然後我就回來看祖母和祖父。我道了別，安排好他倆的暫時看護後就回家去了。

　　As I was loading my car to go back to school, the phone rang.

　　等我裝車要返校的時候，電話響了。

　　“Daneen, don"t rush back,” he said.

　　“丹寧，別趕回來了，”他說。

　　“Why? What"s wrong?” I asked, panic rising.

　　“怎麼了?出什麼事了?”我心急火燎地問。

　　“Grandma died last night, and we have decided to put Grandpa in a retirement home. I"m sorry.”

　　“祖母昨晚去世了，我們決定讓祖父搬到老年人之家去。很抱歉。”

　　I hung up the phone feeling like my world had ended. I had lost my friend, and that was far worse than knowing I would have to return to dishwashing.

　　我掛上電話，感覺世界末日到了一般。我失去了我的朋友，那比起知道我還得回去洗碗要糟糕得多。

　　I went back at the end of four weeks, asking to begin the work-study program again. The financial aid advisor looked at me as if I had lost my mind. I explained my position, then he smiled and slid me an envelope. “This is for you,” he said.

　　四周後我回去要求再加入半工半讀計劃。獎助學金顧問看著我的模樣好像我瘋了似的。我解釋了自己的情況，他於是微笑著傳給我一個信封。”給你的，”他說。

　　It was from grandma. She had known how sick she was. In the envelope was enough money to pay for the rest of my school year and a request that I take piano lessons in her memory.

　　是祖母的信。她早已知道自己的病情有多嚴重了。信封裡有足夠的錢支付我剩下幾年的學費，她還請求我去上她記憶中的鋼琴課。

　　I don"t think “The Old Grey Mare” was even played with more feeling than it was my second year in college. Now, years later, when I walk by a piano, I smile and think of Grandma. She is tearing up the ivories in heaven, I am sure.

　　我覺得《那匹老灰馬》不會再有大二時我彈的那樣深情。如今，多年之後，當我走過鋼琴旁，我總會微笑著想起祖母。她正在天堂裡大彈特彈著鋼琴呢，我敢肯定。