英文必背文章

　　英語,作為世界的主流語言之一,在我們生活中 扮演 著越來越重要的角色。下面是小編帶來的，歡迎閱讀!

　　1

　　The Choice of Companion

　　選擇朋友

　　A good companion is better than a fortune, for a fortune cannot purchase those elements of character which make companionship a blessing. The best companion is one who is wiser and better than ourselves, for we are inspired by his wisdom and virtue to nobler deeds.

　　一個好友勝過一筆財富，因為錢財買不到人的某些品德因素，而正是這些因素，使友情成為一種恩惠。最好的朋友是那些比我們更睿智、更出色的人，我們會受到他們的智慧和美德的激勵，從而使我們的行為更加高尚。

　　"Keep good company,and you shall be one of the number," said George Herbert. "A man is known by the companion he keeps. " Character makes character in the associations of life faster than anything else. Purity begets purity, like begets like; and this fact makes the choice of companion in early life more important even than that of teachers and guardians.

　　“與優秀者為伍，你也會成為優秀者中的一員。”喬治•赫伯特曾說，“從一個人所交的朋友可知其為人。”在社會交往中，品性對品性的塑造勝過其他任何因素。純潔的品格會培養純潔的品格，愛好會引發相同的愛好。這一事實使得在年少時選擇朋友甚至比選擇老師和監護人還要重要。

　　It is true that we cannot always choose all of our companions, some are thrust upon us by business or the social relations of life, we do not choose them, we do not enjoy them; and yet, we have to associate with them more or less. The experience is not altogether without compensation, if there be principle enough in us to bear the strain. Still, in the main, choice of companions can be made, and must be made. It is not best or necessary for a young person to associate with "Tom, Dick, and Harry" without forethought or purpose. Some fixed rules about the company he or she keeps must be observed. The subject should be uttermost in the thoughts, and canvassed often.

　　事實上，並非所有的朋友都是我們選擇的，有些是生意或社會關係強加於我們的。我們沒有選擇他們，也不喜歡他們，可是我們不得不或多或少地與他們交往。不過，在情勢的壓力之下,只要我們自有主張，這樣的交往也並非全無益處。大多數情況下，我們還是可以而且必須要選擇朋友的。一個年輕人無所考慮、無所目的地隨意與張三李四交往是不好的，也是沒必要的，他/她必須遵循一些交友的定例，擇友時應首先考慮這些定例，並經常加以審視。

　　Companionship is education, good or not; it develops manhood or womanhood, high or low; it lifts the soul upward or drags it downward; it ministers to virtue or vice. Sow virtue, and the harvest will be virtue, Sow vice, and the harvest will be vice. Good companionships help us to sow virtue;evil companionships help us to sow vice.

　　無論是有益還是有害，友誼就是一種教育。它可以培育高貴或卑微的品格;它可以昇華靈魂，也可以使之沉淪;它可以滋生美德，也可以助長邪惡。播種美德，就會收穫美德;播種邪惡,就會收穫邪惡。有益的友誼幫助我們播種美德，而有害的友誼則使我們播種邪惡。

　　2

　　A Loving Gentleness 愛的溫柔

　　A Loving Gentleness

　　愛的溫柔

　　Do you know what a loving gentleness is like? Have you had a taste of it or shown it to others?

　　知道什麼是愛的溫柔嗎?你曾經感受過它或者讓他人感受過嗎?

　　Surely you can get some idea of it from swallows under the eaves. They show it when they are busy flying to and fro to feed their nestlings. You can see it from the moon shedding cool light over the scorched land so that it becomes comfortable. You can also feel it when you listen to the clock ticking steadily, so considerate as not to disturb a sweet dream. Again you can find it in the heart of a young girl. She is charming because of her loving tenderness.

　　當然，你可以從屋簷下的燕子身上對愛的溫柔有一些感悟，當它們匆匆忙忙地飛來飛去哺育巢中的雛鳥時，它們就顯示出了這種溫柔。你可以從月光上看到這種溫柔，它清泠的光輝映照在枯黃的大地上，讓人感覺到舒適。在聆聽鐘錶有條不紊的嘀答聲時，你也可以感覺到它，那聲音如此體貼，不忍驚醒任何一個甜美的夢。你也可以在年輕女孩的心中發現它，由於愛的溫柔，她變得魅力四射。

　　It's also a picture of loving tenderness for a youngster playing a pampered child in his or her mother' lap. But later, the person is so much changed by fate that tenderness is gone together with values of life. Some people are born uncouth. But tossed by life's storms they become gentle and good-humored unexpectedly, like mushrooms sprouting from the root of the tree of life.

　　在媽媽膝下撒嬌的孩子也是一幅溫柔的圖畫，之後，這個孩子在命運的支配下漸漸被改變，他的溫柔也隨著生命的價值一同消逝。有些人生來就是粗魯不文的，但經過生命的暴風雨的洗禮，他會出人意料地變得溫柔而親切起來，就像在生命之樹下面萌發出來的蘑菇。

　　True, gentleness or a tender care is often associated with love and kindness. It can also be found in a good- natured or broad-minded person. It is not fair to think that it has anything to do with weakness.

　　的確，溫柔與關切通常與愛和善良結伴同行，在脾氣溫和或心胸寬廣的人身上，也可以發現到這種品質。認為溫柔與軟弱有關，是一種不公平的看法。

　　Gentle as spring breeze, it cracks the frozen river with its light touch. Soft as cotton, it renders a steel ball bouncing high from the ground paralyzed in its embrace. Similarly, tenderhearted as friendship, it melts the toughness of an ironwilled man and reduces him to grateful tears.

　　溫柔就像春天的風，它輕柔的觸控讓冰凍的河流開裂，它像棉絮一樣柔軟，從地上高高彈起的鋼球也會在它的懷抱中麻痺。同樣，溫柔又像友誼，它能柔化一個有著鋼鐵般意志的男人，並讓他流下感動的眼淚。

　　A loving gentleness is too subtle to describe. Though it seems invisible, inaudible and evasive to the touch, it is still perceptible. It is the quintessence of kindness, enthusiasm, love and moral support. It gives strength and power. It is the source of beauty.

　　愛的溫柔過於微妙，難以言傳，儘管它是看不見、聽不著、摸不到的，但它卻可以被人們感受到。它是善良、熱情、愛與美德的結晶，它帶來堅強與力量，它是美的源泉。

　　3

　　The Definition of a Gentleman 何謂君子

　　The Definition of a Gentleman

　　何謂君子

　　Hence it is, that it is almost a definition of a gentleman, to say he is one who never inflicts pain. This description is both refined and, as far as it goes, accurate. He is mainly occupied in merely removing the obstacles which hinder the free and unembarrassed action of those about him; and he concurs with their movements rather than takes the initiative himself. His benefits may be considered as parallel to what are called comforts or conveniences in arrangements of a personal nature: like an easy chair or a good fire, which do their part in dispelling cold and fatigue, though nature provides both means of rest and animal heat without them.

　　一個人行事而不給他人招致痛苦，則於君子之義相去無幾。上面這話既不失為雅正，而所指範圍也極為確切。他致力於為他周圍的人解除行動障礙，使其行事自由自在;他總是與周圍的人行動一致，而不是搶佔風頭。而他所能給予的幫助也多少帶有主人待客的性質，即在照顧他人時，儘量使其舒適方便：彷彿安樂椅之能為人解乏或一團爐火之能為人祛寒;雖說沒有這些，自然仍能予人以其他休息與取暖之法。

　　He is never mean or little in his disputes, never takes unfair advantage, never mistakes personalities or sharp sayings for arguments or insinuates evil which he dare not say out. From a long sighted prudence, he observes the maxim of the ancient sage, that we should ever conduct ourselves towards our enemy as if he were one day to be our friend. He has too much good sense to be affronted at insults, he is too well employed to remember injuries, and too engaged to bear malice. He is patient, tolerant, and resigned, on philosophical principles; he submits to pain, because it is inevitable, to the death of family members, because it is irreparable, and to death, because it is his destiny. If he engages in controversy of any kind, his disciplined intellect preserves him from the blundering discourtesy of better, though less educated minds; who, like blunt weapons, tear and hack instead of cutting clean, who mistake the point in argument, waste their strength on trifles, misconceive their adversary, and leave the question more involved than they find it.

　　在與人辯論時他絲毫也不鄙吝偏狹，既不無道理地強佔上風，也不把個人意氣與尖刻詞語當成論據，或在不敢明言時惡毒暗示。他目光遠大，慎思熟慮，每每以古代哲人的格言為自己的行動準則，即我們之對待仇人，須以異日爭取其做友人為目標。他深明大義，故不因受辱而生氣，他事務繁忙，故不暇對毀鎊置念，他盡有他事可做，故再無精力對人懷抱敵意。他耐心隱忍逆來順受，而這樣做都以一定的哲理為根據;他甘願吃苦，因為痛苦不可避免;他甘願忍受失去家人的孤獨，因為這事無法挽回;他甘願直面死亡，因為這是他的必然命運。如果他涉入任何問題之爭，他那訓練有素的頭腦總不致使他出現一些也許比他更聰明但卻缺乏教養的人所常犯的那種失檢無禮的缺點;這類人彷彿一把鈍刀那樣，只知亂砍一通，但卻不中要害，他們往往把辯論的要點弄錯，把氣力虛拋在一些瑣碎細節上面，並且對自己的對手並不理解，反而把問題弄得愈加複雜。

　　He may be right or wrong in his opinion, but he is too clear headed to be unjust; he is as simple as he is forcible, and as brief as he is decisive. Nowhere shall we find greater candor, consideration, indulgence: he throws himself into the minds of his opponents, he accounts for their mistakes. He knows the weakness of human reason as well as its strength, its province and its limits.

　　他的看法有時正確有時錯誤，但由於頭腦極為清醒，故頗能避免不公;在他身上，我們充分見到了氣勢、淳樸、果斷、簡練。在他身上，坦率、周到、寬容得到了最充分的體現：他對自己對手的心情最能體貼入微，對他們的錯誤也能找到原因。他對人類的理性不僅能識其長，亦能識其短，既知其領域範圍，又頗知其不足。