大學英語四級必讀文章
在英語文章閱讀中,如何提高閱讀效率,也就是如何確切地理解文章的內容是我們英語學習者追求的主要目標。下面是小編帶來的,歡迎閱讀!
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Lady, Are You Rich?
摘要:他們蜷縮著相互偎依在我家的擋風門棟裡——兩個衣衫襤褸的孩子,他們的衣服小得不能再小了。
They huddled inside the storm door -- two children in ragged outgrown coats.
"Any old papers, lady?"
I was busy. I wanted to say no -- until I looked down at their feet.
Thin little sandals, sopped with sleet.
"Come in and I'll make you a cup of hot cocoa."
There was no conversation. Their soggy sandals left marks upon the hearthstone.
I served them cocoa and toast with jam to fortify against the chill outside.
Then I went back to the kitchen and started again on my household budget.
The silence in the front room struck through to me. I looked in. The girl held the empty cup in her hands, looking at it. The boy asked in a flat voice," Lady ... are you rich?"
"Am I rich? Mercy, no!" I looked at my shabby slipcovers. The girl put her cup back in its saucer -- carefully.
"Your cups match your saucers."
Her voice was old, with a hunger that was not of the stomach. They left then, holding their bundles of papers against the wind. They hadn't said thank you.
They didn't need to. They had done more than that. Plain blue pottery cups and saucers. But they matched.
I tested the potatoes and stirred the gravy. Potatoes and brown gravy, a roof over our heads, my man with a good steady job -- these things matched, too.
I moved the chairs back from the fire and tidied the living room. The muddy prints of small sandals were still wet upon my hearth. I let them be.
I want them there in case I ever forget again how very rich I am.
他們蜷縮著相互偎依在我家的擋風門棟裡——兩個衣衫襤褸的孩子,他們的衣服小得不能再小了。
“太太,請問您有舊報紙嗎?”
當時,我正忙著,本來想對他們說沒有,但當我看到他們腳上只穿著一雙被冰雪浸溼得再單薄不過的便鞋時,我再也說不出口了。
“進屋來吧,我來給你們煮一杯熱可可茶。”
默默地他們跟我進了屋,爐邊他們浸溼的便鞋留下了一串腳印。我給他們端上可可茶和果醬麵包,我想這能幫助他們抵禦外面的風寒。然後我回到了廚房,像往常一樣,為了明天的生活而精打細算。
前屋裡沒有一點聲音,這讓我感到很奇怪。我向屋裡望去,小女孩手裡正端著那個已經喝完了的茶杯,認真地凝視著,“太太,您富有嗎?”男孩子語氣平緩地問道。
“我富有嗎?”我看沙發上那寒酸的裝飾布,回答說,“天哪,我可算不上。”這時,那個小女孩非常小心地把杯子放回到茶碟裡。
“您的杯子和茶碟非常相配。”
她說話的聲音聽起來不像是個孩子,帶著一種對食物以外的東西的渴望。然後,他們抱著舊報紙,頂著風雪離開了。他們甚至沒有說一聲“謝謝”,是的,他們根本沒有必要說,實際上他們所做的比道謝更重要。非常平常的一對蘭色陶瓷杯碟,但它們確實很相配。
我查一下鍋裡煮著的土豆然後又攪拌了幾下肉汁。有土豆和棕色肉湯可以吃,有房子可以住,我的丈夫有一份很好很穩定的工作--這一切的一切同樣也很匹配。
我把椅子從爐邊向後拉開些,然後把起居室整理乾淨。地面上留下的泥腳印還沒幹。是的,我想讓它們留在那裡,提醒我不要忘了我是多麼的富有
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The Story Of Narcissus自戀的水仙花
Once upon a time, there was a boy called Narcissus. He was the son of a god and he was very,very handsome. Many women fell in love with him, but he turned them away. One of the womenwho loved Narcissus was a nymph called Echo. Echo could not speak properly - she could onlyrepeat what was said to her, so she couldn't tell Narcissus that she loved him. One day, whenNarcissus was walking in the woods with some friends, he became separated from them. Hecalled out "Is anyone here?" Echo replied "Here, Here". Echo stepped forward with open arms,wanting to cuddle him. But Narcissus refused to accept Echo's love. Echo was so upset thatshe left and hid in a cave, until nothing was left of her, except her voice.
The Maiden, a goddess, found out about this, and she was very angry. She made Narcissus fallin love with himself. When Narcissus looked at his reflection in a pond one day, he fell in love.He stayed on that spot forever, until he died one day. Where he died a flower grew, and thatflower is called a Narcissus.
從前有個男孩,他的名字叫做Narcissus水仙。身為一名天神的兒子他長得十分英俊,有許多愛慕著他的少女向他示愛卻都被他拒絕了。在愛慕著他的眾多少女中有位美麗的仙女做做"Echo"***迴音***,由於Echo不能正常得說出想說的話而只能不斷得重複別人的言語所以她並不能清楚的告訴Narcissus她對他的愛意。有天當Narcissus和他的幾個朋友在森林中漫步時和其他的朋友走失了。
他喊到“有人在嗎?”
Echo也說“有人在嗎?”
Echo上前想抱住Narcissus卻被Narcissus拒絕了,Echo非常得傷心,她跑到一個無人的山洞,一直待到她的外形完全消失只剩下她的聲音能被人們所聽到。
一名女神聽說了這件事,她非常得憤怒,並用神力使Narcissus愛上了他自己。當Narcissus在湖泊的水邊看到自己的影子時,他頓時愛上了水中的人,他一直待在那湖邊,直到漸漸死去。在他死的地方長出許多的野花,這種花被人們取名叫做Narcissus***水仙花***。
學習
大樹和小樹
A young father asked an elderly neighbor how strict parents should be with their children.
The old man pointed to a rope between a big tree and a young one, saying:"Untie the rope."
The young father did so and at once the young tree bent. Then the old man asked the youngman to tie it again, and immediately the young tree stod upright as it used to.
Now the old man said,"There, it is the same with children. You must be strict with them fortheir healthy growth. But sometimes you must let them stand alone to see if they are strongenough. Being strict with them is for the sake of their independence development."
一位年輕父親問一位上年紀的鄰居,父母親應該如何嚴格對待自己的孩子。
老人指著一根綁在一棵大樹和一棵小樹之間的繩子說:“解開繩子。”
年輕父親解開繩子,小樹馬上彎下了腰。隨後,老人讓年輕父親又綁好繩子,小樹馬上像先前那樣站得筆直。
這時,老人說道:“瞧,這和養孩子一樣,為了他們健康成長,你必須嚴格要求他們。但有時,你必須讓他們自立,看他們是否足夠強壯。嚴格要求他們,是為了他們獨立發展。”