短篇英文勵志故事

　　多看一些有利於提高我們的閱讀能力，那麼都有哪些呢?一起來看看吧。

　　：東施效顰

　　Xi Shi, a famous beauty, had a pain in her bosom, so she had a frown on her face when she went out. An ugly girl who lived nearby saw her and thought she looked very beautiful. therefore when she went home, she also put her hands on her bosom and had a frown on her face.

　　When a rich man in the neighbourhood saw her, he shut his doors tightly and did not go out. When a poor man saw her, he took his wife and children and gave her a wide berth.

　　She only knew Xi Shi's frown looked beautiful but she did not know the reason for its beauty.

　　越國苧羅***今浙江諸暨南***有位姓施的美女，因為家住若耶溪西岸，所以村裡人叫她西施。若耶溪東岸也有位姓施的姑娘。她長得很醜，村裡人管她叫東施。

　　有一天，西施心口疼，走路的時候雙手捂住胸部，並且皺著眉頭。村裡人見她這個模樣，都同情地說：“瞧這姑娘的模樣，準是疼得難受，真是可憐!”

　　西施的病態正好被東施瞧見了。她一邊看，一邊默默記住她難受的姿態和動作。回到溪東後，也模仿西施的模樣，雙手捂住胸部，同時皺著眉頭。

　　東施的這副模樣，使村裡人大吃一驚，富人緊閉大門不出來，窮人也帶著妻兒躲開。 東施只知道人家皺著眉頭很美，卻不知道為什麼皺著眉頭會美。

　　：老鼠開會Belling the cat

　　Long ago, there was a big cat in the house. He caught many mice while they were stealing food.

　　One day the mice had a meeting to talk about the way to deal with their common enemy. Some said this, and some said that.

　　At last a young mouse got up, and said that he had a good idea.

　　"We could tie a bell around the neck of the cat. Then when he comes near, we can hear the sound of the bell, and run away."

　　Everyone approved of this proposal, but an old wise mouse got up and said, "That is all very well, but who will tie the bell to the cat?" The mice looked at each other, but nobody spoke.

　　老鼠開會

　　從前，一所房子裡面有一隻大貓，他抓住了很多偷東西的老鼠。

　　一天，老鼠在一起開會商量如何對付他們共同的敵人。會上大家各有各的主張，最後，一隻小老鼠站出來說他有一個好主意。

　　“我們可以在貓的脖子上綁一個鈴鐺，那麼如果他來到附近，我們聽到鈴聲就可以馬上逃跑。”

　　大家都贊同這個建議，這時一隻聰明的老耗子站出來說：“這的確是個絕妙的主意，但是誰來給貓的脖子上綁鈴鐺呢?”老鼠們面面相覷，誰也沒有說話。

　　寓意: 有些事情說起來容易，做起來卻很難。

　　：畫餅充飢

　　Relieving Hunger with Pictures of Cakes

　　Once in the Three Kingdoms Period ***220-280***, the duke of the Wei, Cao Rui, planed to select a very capable man to work for him. He said to his ministers: 'When choosing a talented person, always beware of one with a false reputation. A false reputation is just like a picture of a cake; it can' t ease hunger.'

　　Later, this idiom came to be used to mean comforting oneself with unrealistic thoughts, without solving practical problems.

　　三國時代魏國的皇帝曹睿，準備選拔一個有才能的人到朝廷來做關。曹睿兌他的大臣說：“選擇人才，不能光找有虛名的人。虛名好像是畫的一塊餅，只能看，不能解決肚子飢餓的問題啊!”

　　後來人們就用“畫餅充飢”這個成語比喻用空想安慰自己，不能解決實際問題。

　　：枕戈待旦

　　Lying with one's Head Pillowed on a Spear,Waiting for Day to Break

　　In the Western Jin Dynasty there were two young men.One of them was Zu Ti and the other was Liu Kun.Both of them were men of ideals and integrity who were chivalrous and of a sanguine disposition.They not only wrote excellent articles but also were fond of practising martial arts to keep fit, in order to render meritorious service to the country.Both of them were chief clerks responsible for document administration in Luoyang.Although in appearance the Jin Dynasty had jurisdiction of the Central Plains comprising the middle and lower reaches of the Haunch and threatened by foreign invasion.Zu Ti and Liu Kun often talked about the country's situation till late into the night,and each time they talking very excitedly again.Liu Kun fell asleep without knowing it,but Zu Ti was too excited to fall asleep." Cock-a-doodle-doo,"came the crow of rooster in the wasteland.Zu Ti jumped up and kicked Liu Kun awake:"Listen.How inspiring the rooster's crow is.Let's get up and practised on a slope.From then on,they kept practising sword playing vigorously and energetically in the wasteland every day when they heard the first crow in the morning.Deeply moved by Zu Ti's patriotic passion,Liu Kun was determined to devote himself to his homeland.Once he wrote to his family:"At the time when the country is in dire peril,I am resolved to dedicate myselt to the service of my country.I often fear that I might lag behind Zu Ti in rendering service to the country,and,in fact,I am behind him..." The words" sleep with my head pillowed on a spear,waiting for the day to break"vividly described Liu Kun's determination to dedicate himself to the service of the country and to fight the enemy at any time.Later,this set phrase is used to mean maintaining sharp vigilance and being ready to fight at any time."

　　西晉人祖逖和劉琨，都是性格開朗、仗義好俠的志士。年輕時不但文章寫得好，而且都喜歡練武健身，決心報效祖國。當時，晉朝表面上還管轄著中原大地，但實際上已是內憂外患，風雨飄搖了。祖逖和劉琨一談起國家局勢，總是慷慨萬分，常常聊到深夜。

　　一天，祖逖又和劉琨談得十分興奮，劉琨不知什麼時候睡著了，祖逖卻久久沉浸在談話的興奮之中，不能入睡。“喔，喔，喔--”荒原上的雄雞叫了起來，祖逖一躍而起，踢醒了劉琨：“聽，這雄雞啼鳴多麼振奮人心呀，快起來練劍吧!”於是，兩人操起劍來，在高坡上對舞。從此，他倆每天清早聽到頭一聲鳴叫，一定來到荒原上抖擻神練起劍來。

　　劉琨被祖逖的愛國熱情深深感動，決心獻身於祖。一次他給家人的信中寫道：“在國家危難時刻，我經常‘枕戈待旦’***枕著兵器睡覺一直到天明***，立志報國，常擔心落在祖逖後邊，不想他到底走到我的前頭了!……”

　　故事出自《晉書·祖逖傳》。“枕戈待旦”出自劉琨《與親故書》，形象地寫出了劉琨隨時準備殺敵報國的決心。後來用作成語，形容時刻警惕敵人，準備作戰。