英语短美文摘抄（通用16篇）
在日复一日的学习、工作或生活中，许多人都写过美文吧？随着网络文化的发展，美文的概念已经不限定于某种文体，或某类内容。那么你真的知道要怎么写美文吗？以下是小编整理的英语短美文摘抄，欢迎大家分享。
英语短美文摘抄 1
“Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves.” ~Henry David Thoreau
Everything about my future was ambiguously assumed. I would get into debt by going to college, then I would be forced to get a job to pay off that debt, while still getting into more and more debt by buying a house and a car. It seemed like a never-ending cycle that had no place for the possibility of a dream.
I want more―but not necessarily in the material sense of personal wealth and success. I want more out of life. I want a passion, a conceptual dream that wouldn’t let me sleep out of pure excitement. I want to spring out of bed in the morning, rain or shine, and have that zest for life that seemed so intrinsic in early childhood.
We all have a dream. It might be explicitly defined or just a vague idea, but most of us are so stuck in the muck of insecurity and self-doubt that we just dismiss it as unrealistic or too difficult to pursue.
We become so comfortable with the life that has been planned out for us by our parents, teachers, traditions, and societal norms that we feel that it’s stupid and unsafe to risk losing it for the small hope of achieving something that is more fulfilling.
“The policy of being too cautious is the greatest risk of all.” ~Jawaharlal Nehru
Taking a risk is still a risk. We can, and will, fail. Possibly many, many, many times. But that is what makes it exciting for me. That uncertainty can be viewed negatively, or it can empower us.
Failing is what makes us grow, it makes us stronger and more resilient to the aspects of life we have no control over. The fear of failure, although, is what makes us stagnant and sad. So even though I couldn’t see the future as clearly as before, I took the plunge in hopes that in the depths of fear and failure, I would come out feeling more alive than ever before.
If you feel lost, just take a deep breath and realize that being lost can be turning point of finding out who you truly are, and what you truly want to do.
英语短美文摘抄 2
有一种旅行叫做人生
Life comes in a package. This package includes happiness andsorrow, failure and success, hope and despair. Life is a learningprocess. Experiences in life teach us new lessons and make us abetter person. With each passing day we learn to handle varioussituations. 人生好似一个包裹，这个包裹里藏着快乐与悲伤、成功与失败，希望与绝望。人生也是一个学习的过程。那些经历给我们上了全新的课，让我们变得更好。随着每一天的过去，我们学会了处理各种各样的问题。
FailureandSuccess
Failure is the path to success. It helps us to touch the sky, teaches us to survive and shows us aspecific way. Success brings in money, fame, pride and self-respect. Here it becomes veryimportant to keep our head on out shoulder. The only way to show our gratitude to God forbestowing success on us is by being humble, modest, courteous and respectful to the lessfortunate ones.
失败是成功之母。它让我们触及蓝天，它教会我们如何生存，它给予我们一条特殊的路。成功给予我们金钱、名誉、骄傲和自尊。这里，保持头脑清醒便显得尤为重要。唯一能让我们感激上帝给予的成功便是始终卑微、谦虚、礼貌并且尊重没有我们幸运的人们。
美文:我们心中的"如果""到那时"
IF and WHEN were friends. Every week they met and had lunch.Their conversation usually centered on all the things they weregoing to achieve. They both had many dreams and they lovedto talk about them.
"如果"和"到那时"是一对好朋友。他们每星期相约吃一顿午餐。会面时，他们谈论的话题通常围绕在他们即将要做的事情上面。两个人都有着许多梦想，并且他们热衷于这种交谈。
This particular Saturday when they met, WHEN sensed that IF was not in a great mood. As usualthey sat at the table reserved for them and ordered their lunch. Once they placed their order,WHEN questioned IF.
"IF what is wrong with you? You dont seem your usual cheery self?"
这个星期六他们见面时"到那时"觉察到"如果"的心情不是很好。像往常一样，他们坐在特意预留给他们的餐桌上点餐。刚一点完"到那时"就问道:如果，你怎么了?你看起来好像不太高兴。"
IF looked at WHEN and replied,"Im not sure, I just dont feel like I am making any progress. Thislast week I saw a course I wanted to take if only I had the time to take it."
"如果"看了看"到那时"答道"我也不知道怎么了，只是觉得自己没什么进步。上个星期我发现一个很好的课程，如果有时间的`话，我就去学。"
WHEN knew exactly how IF felt. "Yeah," replied WHEN,"I too saw a course and I am going toregister when I get enough money together." WHEN then said,"well what about that new job youwere going to apply for. You were so excited about it last week, did you apply?"
"到那时"非常理解"如果"的感受。他答道是啊，我也看到一项课程，等到钱充足的时候，我就去报名。对了，你打算申请的新工作怎么样了?上星期见你说得那么情绪激昂，申请了吗? "
IF responded,"If my computer didnt break down last week, I would have applied. But, mycomputer is not working, so I could not type my resume."
"如果"回答道"如果不是上周我的电脑坏了，我会申请的。但是它坏了，我无法打印简历，所以只能放弃了。"
"Don t worry about it IF, when you are ready another job will come through. I have been thinkingabout looking for another job also, but I will wait and when the weather gets nicer I will look then."WHEN then went on to tell IF about his week, hoping that it would cheer him up a bit.
"别着急，等到你准备好时，另一个工作就出现了。我也一直考虑着换个工作，但是我想等到天气看起来好一些时再行动。"然后，"到那时"继续跟"如果"谈论着他的星期计划，希望这样能使他的朋友高兴起来。
The man at the next table couldnt help overhear WHEN and IF. They both were talking aboutwhen this and if that, finally he couldnt take it anymore.
"Excuse me gentlemen," the man said. IFand WHEN both looked at the man and wondered what he wanted. The man continued,"Imsorry, but I couldnt help hearing your conversation. I think I know how you could solve yourproblems."
邻桌的一个男人无意中听到他们的谈话。他昕见两个人一直在说着"等什么什么时候如果这样那样"的话，他再也无法忍受了。于是，男人说道"打扰一下，先生们。""如果"和"到那时"吃惊地看着他，不知道他要做什么。男人继续道很抱歉，我无意中听到你们的交谈。我想我知道如何解决你们的问题。"有关经典的英语美文摘抄_关于经典英文美文欣赏
IF smiled and thought, how could a complete stranger know how to solve all of their problems. Ifonly he knew. When he realized the challenges they faced there was no way he could solve theirproblems! Curious, IF asked the gentleman,"How do you think you can solve our problems?"
"如果"笑了笑，心想，一个完全陌生的人怎么会知道如何解决他们两个人生活中的问题呢。如果让他认识到他们所面对的困难，恐怕他再也不会那样说了。出于好奇"如果"还是问道你认为应该如何解决我们的问题呢? "有关经典的英语美文摘抄_关于经典英文美文欣赏
The gentleman smiled and said ,"You only need listen to yourselves. It reminds me of an oldproverb:
"If and When were planted , and Nothing grew."
男人笑着答道"你们说的话让我想起一句古老的谚语:只想不做，就会没有收获。"
IF and WHEN looked puzzled. The gentleman smiled and said,"Start counting how many timesyou use the words if and when. Rather than thinking if and when, start doing, take action, stoptalking about if and when."
"如果"和"到那时"疑惑地看着他。男人继续说从现在开始，数一下你们用了多少次?如果和?到那时这两个词语。你们不要总是思考?如果怎样怎样到那时怎样怎样而是应该着手去做，采取行动，请不要再谈论?如果和到那时。"
IF and WHEN both looked surprised, and suddenly realized that what the gentleman had said wasso true. Both of them were guilty of thinking,acting and living their life for the "ifs and whens, Thegentleman left and IF and WHENs conversation changed. They made a pact that when they metfor lunch next week, there would be no "ifs and whens"; they would only talk about what theyaccomplished!
"如果"和"到那时"感到十分惊讶，他们突然意识到这个男人说得很正确。两个人都为自己把思想、行为、生活的希望放在"如果和到那时"上感到惭愧。男人离开后，他们谈话的内容有
了改变。他们约定下个星期一起吃午餐时，再也没有"如果"和"到那时他们只会谈论已经完成的事情。
英语短美文摘抄 3
Night has fallen over the country. Through the trees rises the red moon, and the stars are scarcely seen. In the vast shadow of night the coolness and the dews descend. I sit at the open window to enjoy them; and hear only the voice of the summer wind. Like black hulks, the shadows of the great trees ride at anchor on the billowy sea of grass. I cannot see the red and blue flowers, but I know that they are there. Far away in the meadow gleams the silver Charles. The tramp of horses hoofs sounds from the wooden bridge. Then all is still save the continuous wind or the sound of the neighboring sea. The village clock strikes; and I feel that I am not alone. (128 words) 14. Night (2)
How different it is in the city! It is late, and the crowd is gone. You step out upon the balcony, and lie in the very bosom of the cool, dewy night as if you folded her garments about you. Beneath lies the public walk with trees, like a fathomless, black gulf, into whose silent beloved spirit clasped in its embrace. The lamps are still burning up and down the long street. People go by with grotesque shadows, now foreshortened, and now lengthening away into the darkness and vanishing, while a new one springs up behind the walker, and seems to pass him revolving like the sail of a windmill. The iron gates of the park shut with a jangling clang. There are footsteps and loud voices; --a tumult; --a drunken brawl; --an alarm of fire; --then silence . .
again. And now at length the city is asleep, and we can see the night. The belated moon looks over the roofs, and finds no one to welcome her. The moonlight is broken. It lies here and there in the squares, and the opening of the streets-angular like blocks of white marble. (195 words) (323 words) By Nathanial Hawthorne
陈冠商《英语背诵文选》
英语短美文摘抄 4
A Thanksgiving Day editorial(社论)in the newspaper told of a school teacher who asked her class of first graders to draw a picture of something they were thankful for. She thought of how little these children from poor neighborhoods actually had to be thankful for. But she knew that most of them would draw pictures of turkeys or tables with food. The teacher was taken aback(吃惊;惊讶)with the picture Douglas handed in… a smile childishly drawn hand.
感恩节那天，报纸刊登了一篇社论，其中讲到这样一个故事：有位小学一年级的老师叫班上的小朋友画出他们感恩的东西。这些孩子均来自贫苦家庭，所以她料想他们多半会画桌丰富的感恩节佳肴，外加一只香喷喷的火鸡。但看到道格拉斯的作品后，她惊讶不已，上面画了一只手!
But whose hand? The class was captivated(迷惑;困惑)by the abstract(抽象的)image. “I think it must be the hand of God that brings us food,” said one child. “A farmer,” said another, “because he grows the turkeys.” Finally when the others were at work, the teacher bent(弯腰;屈身)over Douglas’s desk and asked whose hand it was. “It’s your hand, Teacher,” he mumbled(咕哝;含糊地说).
这是谁的手?班上的小朋友都兴致勃勃地开始臆测，“这一定是赐给我们食物的上帝的手。”一个小孩说道。“是农夫，他用这手养出火鸡。”另一个小孩也有意见。在一阵猜测后，小朋友们又跑回座位继续画画。这时老师走到道格拉斯身旁，弯下腰问他那是谁的手。“那是您的手，老师。”他怯怯地回答。
She recalled that frequently at recess(课间休息)she had taken Douglas, a scrubby(身材矮小的`)forlorn(孤独的)child by the hand. She often did that with the children. But it meant so much to Douglas. Perhaps this was everyone’s Thanksgiving, not for the material things given to us but for the chance, in whatever small way, to give to others.
道格拉斯个头矮小，平时落落寡欢，但老师在下课时总会过去牵牵他的手。她常这样握孩童的手，但对道格拉斯而言，意义格外重大。也许过感恩节的真正意义并不在于收受他人给予我们的有形物质，而是借此机会回馈他人，无论是如何的微小的付出。
英语短美文摘抄 5
Passing through the Atlanta airport one morning, I caught one of those trains that take travelers from the main terminal to their boarding gates. Free, sterile and impersonal, the trains run back and forth all day long. Not many people consider them fun, but on this Saturday I heard laughter.
一天早晨去亚特兰大机场，我看见一辆列车载载着旅客从航空集散站抵达登记处。这类免费列车每天单调、无味地往返其间，没人觉得有趣。但这个周六我却听到了笑声。
At the front of the first car looking out the window at the track that lay ahead were a man and his son.
在头节车厢的最前面，坐着一个男人和他的儿子。他们正透过窗户观赏着一直往前延伸的铁道。
We had just stopped to let off passengers, and the doors wee closing again. “Here we go! Hold on to me tight!” the father said. The boy, about five years old, made sounds of sheer delight.
我们停下来等候旅客下车，之后，车门关上了。“走吧。拉紧我!”父亲说。儿子大约5岁吧，一路喜不自禁。
I know we’re supposed to avoid making racial distinctions these days, so I hope no one will mind if I mention that most people on the train were white, dressed for business trips or vacations and that the father and son were black, dressed in clothes that were just about as inexpensive as you can buy.
车上坐的多半是衣冠楚楚，或公差或度假的.白人，只有这对黑人父子穿着朴素简单。我知道如今我们不该种族歧视，我希望我这样描述没人介意。
“Look out there!” the father said to his son. “See that pilot? I bet he’s walking to his plane.” The son craned his neck to look.
“快看!”父亲对儿子说：“看见那位飞行员了吗?我敢肯定是去开飞机的。”儿子伸长脖子看。
As I got off, I remembered some thing I’d wanted to buy in the terminal. I was early for my flight, so I decided to go back.
下了车后我突然想起还得在航空集散站买点东西。离起飞时间还早，于是我决定再乘车回去。
I did and just as I was about to reboard the train for my gate, I saw that the man and his son had returned too. I realized then that they hadn’t been heading for a flight, but had just been riding the shuttle.
正准备上车的时候，我看到那对父子也来了。我意识到他们不是来乘飞机的，而是特意来坐区间列车的。
“I want to ride some more!”
“我还想再坐一会儿!”
“More?” the father said, mock-exasperated but clearly pleased. “You’re not tired?”
“再坐一会儿!”父亲嗔怪模仿着儿子的语调，“你还不累?”
“This is fun!” his son said.
“真好玩!”儿子说。
“All right,” the father replied, and when a door opened we all got on.
“好吧，”父亲说。车门开了，我们都上了车。
There are parents who can afford to send their children to Europe or Disneyland, and the children turn out rotten. There are parents who live in million-dollar houses and give their children cars and swimming pools, yet something goes wrong. Rich and poor, black and white, so much goes wrong so often.
我们很多父母有能力送孩子去欧洲，去狄斯尼乐园，可孩子还是堕落了。很多父母住豪华别墅，孩子有车有游泳池，可孩子还是学坏了。富人、穷人，黑人、白人，那么多人都轻易学坏了。
“Where are all these people going, Daddy?” the son asked.
“爸爸，这些人去哪?”儿子问。
“All over the world,” came the reply. The other people in the air port wee leaving for distant destinations or arriving at the ends of their journeys. The father and son, though, were just riding this shuttle together, making it exciting, sharing each other’s company.
“世界各地。”父亲回答。机场来来往往的人流或准备远行，或刚刚归来。这对父子却在乘坐区间列车，享受着父子间的亲情与陪伴。
So many troubles in this country crime, the murderous soullessness that seems to be taking over the lives of many young people, the lowering of educational standards, the increase in vile obscenities in public, the disappearance of simple civility. So many questions about what to do. Here was a father who cared about spending the day with his son and who had come up with this plan on a Saturday morning.
我们正面临许多问题：犯罪、越来越多的年轻人变得冷漠无情、文化水平下降、公共场合卑劣猥亵上升、起码的礼貌丧失，等等。我们有那么多的问题要处理。而这里。这位父亲却很在意花上一天陪伴儿子，并在这样一个星期六的早上，提出这个计划。
The answer is so simple: parents who care enough to spend time, and to pay attention and to try their best. It doesn’t cost a cent, yet it is the most valuable thing in the world.
其实答案很简单：父母愿意花时间，愿意关注，愿意尽心尽职。这不要花一分钱，可这却是世间无价之宝。
The train picked up speed, and the father pointed something out, and the boy laughed again.
火车加速了。父亲指着窗外说着什么，儿子直乐。
英语短美文摘抄 6
Nearly everybody has a creek in his past, a confiding waterway that rose in the spring of youth.…….
My creek wound between Grandfathers apricot orchard and a neighbors hillside pasture. It banks were shaded by cottonwoods and redwood trees and a thick tangle of blackberries and wild grapevines. On hot summer days the quiet water flowed clear and cold over gravel bars where I fished for trout. Nothing historic ever happens in these recollected creeks. But their persistence in memory suggests that creeks are bigger than they seem, more a part of our hearts and minds than mighty rivers.
Creek time is measured in the lives of strange creatures, in sandflecked caddis worms under the rocks, sudden gossamer clouds of mayflies in the afternoon, or minnows of darting like silvers of inspiration into the dimness of creek fate. Mysteries float in creeks riffles, crawl over their pebbled bottoms and slink under the roots of trees.
While rivers are heavy with sophistication and sediment, creeks are clear, innocent, boisterous, full of dream and promise. A child can wade across them without a parents cautions. You can go it along, jig for crayfish, swing from ropes along the bank. Creeks belong to childhood, drawing you into the wider world, teaching you the curve of the earth. (214 words) 陈擎红《英语背诵散文》
英语短美文摘抄 7
Companionship of Books （Samuel Smiles-- The political reformer and moralist was born）
A man may usually be known by the books he reads as well as by the company（playmates） he keeps;（Birds of a feather flock together）for there is a companionship （friendship） of books as well as of men; and one should always live in the best company, whether it be of books or of men. --- the author has contrast of books and friends.
A good book may be among the best of friends.（a good book is like our best friend） It is the same today that it always was, and it will never change. It is the most patient and cheerful of companions. It does not turn its back upon us （abandon） in times of adversity or distress.（in times of misfortunes or poverty） It always receives us with the same kindness，amusing and instructing us in youth, and comforting and consoling us in age.（in old age）
一本好书就像是一个最好的朋友。它始终不渝，过去如此，现在仍然如此，将来也永远不变。它是最有耐心、最令人愉快的伴侣。在我们穷愁潦倒、临危遭难的时候，它也不会抛弃我们，对我们总是一往情深。在我们年轻时，好书陶冶我们的性情，增长我们的知识；到我们年老时，它又给我们以安慰和勉励。
Men often discover their affinity （close relationship） to each other by the love they have each for a book --- just as two persons sometimes discover a friend by the admiration which both have for a third. There is an old proverb, “Love me, and love my dog.” But there is more wisdom in this:” Love me, love my book.” The book is a truer and higher bond of union. （uniting force） Men can think, feel, and sympathize （share the feelings or ideas of another） with each other through their favorite author. They live in him together, and he （lives） in them. ---they can find their opinions from books, in reverse, the ideas of the author influence them too.
人们常常因为同爱一本书而结为知己，就像有时两个人因为敬慕同一个人而交为朋友一样。古谚说：“爱屋及乌”。但是，“爱我及书”这句话却有更深的哲理。书是更为坚实而高尚的情谊纽带。人们可以通过共同爱好的作家沟通思想感情，彼此息息相通。他们的思想共同在作者的著述里得到体现，而作者的思想反过来又化为他们的思想。
“Books,” said Hazlitt,“Wind into the heart; the poets verse slides in the current of our blood. We read them when young, we remember them when old. We feel that it has happened to ourselves. They are to be very cheap and good. We breathe but the air of books.”
哈兹利特曾经说过：“书潜移默化人们的内心，诗歌熏陶人们的气质品性。少小所习，老大不忘，恍如身历其事。书籍价廉物美，不啻我们呼吸的空气。”
A good book is often the best urn （a vase with foot and round body, especially as anciently for storing ashes of the dead. 有 之 形缸，古 以此缸盛人 之骨殖。） of a life enshrining （inclosing or preserving as in shrine. 保而藏之（如帝王 崩，高僧 寂之後，藏其 骸於神 中）。） the best that life could think out; for the world of a mans life is, for the most part, but the world of his thoughts. Thus the best books are treasuries （a place where valuable things are kept. ） of good words, the golden （precious, excellent） thoughts, which, remembered and cherished, become our constant companions and comforters （a thing that gives comfort）。 “They are never alone,” said Sir Philip Sidney, “that are accompanied by noble thoughts.”
好书常如最精美的宝器，珍藏着人的一生思想的精华。人生的境界，主要就在于他思想的境界。所以，最好的书是金玉良言的宝库，若将其中的崇高思想铭记于心，就成为我们忠实的伴侣和永恒的慰籍。菲利普・悉尼爵士说得好：“有高尚思想作伴的人永不孤独。”
The good and true thought may in times of temptation （lure） be as an angel of mercy purifying and guarding the soul. It also enshrines the germs of action, for good words almost always inspire to good works.
当我们面临诱惑的时候，优美纯真的思想会像仁慈的天使一样，纯洁并保卫我们的灵魂。优美纯真的思想也蕴育着行动的胚芽，因为金玉良言几乎总会启发善行。
Books possess an essence of immortality （the nature of endless life）。 They are by far the most lasting products of human effort. Temples and statues decay （rot）， but books survive. Time is of no account （of no importance ） with great thoughts, which are as fresh today as when they first passed through their authors minds, ages ago. What was then said and thought still speaks to us as vividly as ever from the printed page. The only effect of time has been to sift out （make sth bad away） the bad products; for nothing in literature can long survive but what is really good.
书籍具有不朽的本质，是人类勤奋努力的最为持久的产物。寺庙会倒坍，神像会朽烂，而书却经久长存。对于伟大的思想来说，时间是无关重要的.。多少年代前初次闪现在作者脑海里的伟大思想今天依然清新如故。他们当时的言论和思想刊于书页，如今依然那么生动感人。时间唯一的作用是淘汰不好的作品，因为只有真正的佳作才能经世长存。
Books introduce us into the best society they bring us into the presence of the greatest minds that have ever lived. We hear what they said and did; we see them as if they were really alive; we sympathize with them, enjoy with them, grieve with them; their experience becomes ours, and we feel as if we were in a measure （in some degree ） actors with them in the scenes which they describe.
书籍引导我们与最优秀的人物为伍，使我们置身历代伟人巨匠之间，如闻其声，如观其行，如见其人。同他们情感交融，悲喜与共。他们的感受成为我们自己的感受，我们觉得有点象是在作者所描绘的人生舞台上跟他们一起粉墨登场了。
The great and good do not die even in this world. Embalmed （Spring embalms the woods and fields.春天使森林和田野吐露芬芳。） in books, their spirits walk abroad. The book is a living voice. It is an intellect to which one still listens. Hence we ever remain under the influence of the great men of old. The imperial intellects of the world are as much alive now as they were ages ago.
即使在人世间，伟大杰出的人物，也是永生不灭的，他们的精神载入书册，传之四海。书是人们至今仍在聆听的智慧之声，永远充满着活力。所以，我们永远都是在受着历代伟人的影响。多少世纪以前的盖世英才，如今仍同当年一样，显示着强大的生命力。
英语短美文摘抄 8
Passage 5 Declaration of Independence
When in the Course of human events,it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands
which have connected them with another,and to assume among the powers of the earth,the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Natures God entitle them,a decent respect to the opinions of mankindrequires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.―That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men,deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,―That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends,it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it,and to institute new Government,laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form,as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and , indeed, will dictate that Governments long establishedshould not be changed for light and transient causes;and accordingly all experience has shown,that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable,than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are when a long train of abuses and usurpations,pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce themunder absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty,to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.―Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies;and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of history of the present King of Great Britainis a history of repeated injuries and usurpations,all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
英语短美文摘抄 9
Histories make men wise; poets witty; the mathematics subtile; natural philosophy deep; moral grave; logic and rhetoric able to contend. Abeunt studia in mores. Nay there is no stond or impediment in the wit, but may be wrought out by fit studies: like as diseases of the body may have appropriate exercises. Bowling is good for the stone and reins; shooting for the lungs and breast; gentle walking for the stomach; riding for the head; and the like. So if a mans wit be wandering, let him study the mathematics; for demonstrations, if his wit be called away never so little, he must begin again. If his wit be not apt to distinguish or find differences, let him study the schoolmen; for they are cymini sectores. If he be not apt to beat over matters, and to call up one thing to prove and illustrate another, let him study the lawyers cases. So every defect of the mind may have a special receipt. (163 words)
(490 words) By Francis Bacon
英语短美文摘抄 10
If we look at the sky on a perfectly fine summer‘s day we shall find that the blue colour is the most pure and intense overhead, and when looking high up in a direction opposite to the sun. Near the horizon it is always less bright, while in the region immediately around the sun it is more or less yellow.
The reason of this is that near the horizon we look through a very great thickness of the lower atmosphere, which is full of the larger dust particles reflecting white light, and this diluter the pure blue of the higher atmosphere seen beyond,And in the vicinity of the sun a good deal of the blue light is reflected back into space by the finer dust, thus giving a yellowish tinge to that which reaches us reflected chiefly from the coarse dust of the lower atmosphere.
At sunset and sunrise, however, this last effect is greatly intensified, owing to the great thickness of the strata of air through which the light reaches us. The enormous amount of this dust is well shown by the fact that then only we can look full at the sun, even when the whole sky is free from clouds and there is no apparent mist. But the sun’s rays then reach us after having passed, first, through an enormous thickness of the higher strata of the air, the minute dust of which reflects most of the higher strata of the air, the minute dust of which reflects most of the blue rays away from us, leaving the complementary yellow light to pass on,Then, the somewhat coarser dust reflects the green rays, leaving a more orange-coloured light to pass on; and finally some of the yellow is reflected, leaving almost pure red. But owing to the constant presence of air currents, arranging both the dust and vapour in strata of varying extent and density ,and of high or low clouds which both absorb and reflect the light in varying degrees, we see produced all those wondrous combinations of tints and those gorgeous ever-changing colours which are a constant source of admiration and delight to all who have the advantage of an uninterrupted view to the west and who are accustomed to watch for those not infrequent exhibitions of nature’s kaleidoscopic colour painting.
With every change in the altitude of the sun the display changes its character; and most of all when it has sunk below the horizon, and owing to the more favourable angles a larger quantity of the coloured light is reflected toward us, Especially when there is a certain amount of cloud is this the case. These, so long as the sun was above the horizon, intercepted much of the light and colour, but when the great luminary has passed away from our direct vision, his light shines more directly on the under sides of all the clouds and air strata of different densities; a new and more brilliant light flushes the western sky, and a display of gorgeous ever-changing tints occurs which are at once the delight of the beholder and the despair of the artist.
And all this unsurpassable glory we owe to--dust!
英语短美文摘抄 11
Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life: the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind. These passions, like great winds, have blown me hither and thither, in a wayward course, over a deep ocean of anguish, reaching to the very verge of despair.
I have sought love, first, because it brings ecstasy---ecstasy so great that I would often have sacrificed all the rest of my life for a few hours for this joy. I have sought it, next, because it relieves loneliness---that terrible loneliness in which one shivering consciousness looks over the rim of the world into the cold unfathomable lifeless abyss. I have sought it, finally, because in the union of love I have seen, in a mystic miniature, the prefiguring vision of the heaven that saints and poets have imagined. This is what I sought, and though it might seem too good for human life, this is what---at last---I have found.
With equal passion I have sought knowledge. I have wished to understand the hearts of men. I have wished to know why the stars shine. And I have tried to apprehend the Pythagorean power by which number holds sway above the flux. A little of this, but not much, I have achieved.
Love and knowledge, so far as they were possible, led upward toward the heavens. But always it brought me back to earth. Echoes of cries of pain reverberate in my heart. Children in famine, victims tortured by oppressors, helpless old people a hated burden to their sons, and the whole world of loneliness, poverty, and pain make a mockery of what human life should be. I long to alleviate the evil, but I cannot, and I too suffer.
This has been my life. I have found it worth living, and would gladly live it again if the chance were offered me.
译文：
我的一生被三种简单却又无比强烈的激情所控制：对爱的渴望，对知识的探索和对人类苦难难以抑制的屿。这些激情像狂风，把我恣情吹向四方，掠过苦痛的大海，迫使我濒临绝望的边缘。
我寻求爱，首先因为它使我心为之着迷，这种难以名状的美妙迷醉使我愿意用所有的余生去换取哪怕几个小时这样的幸福。我寻求爱，还因为它能缓解我心理上的孤独中，我感觉心灵的战栗，仿如站在世界的边缘而面前是冰冷，无底的死亡深渊。我寻求爱，因为在我所目睹的结合中，我仿佛看到了圣贤与诗人们所向往的天堂之景。这就是我所寻找的，虽然对人的一生而言似乎有些遥不可及，但至少是我用尽一生所领悟到的。
我用同样的激情去寻求知识。我希望能理解人类的心灵，希望能够知道群星闪烁的缘由。我试图领悟毕达哥拉斯所景仰的“数即万物”的'思想。我已经悟出了其中的一点点道理，尽管并不是很多。
爱和知识，用它们的力量把人引向天堂。但是同情却总把人又拽回到尘世中来。痛苦的呼喊声回荡在我的内心。饥饿的孩子，受压迫的难民，贫穷和痛苦的世界，都是对人类所憧憬的美好生活的无情嘲弄。我渴望能够减少邪恶，但是我无能为力，我也难逃其折磨。
这就是我的一生。我已经找到它的价值。而且如果有机会，我很愿意能再活它一次。
延伸阅读：英语美文作用
1.背诵文章让发音标准起来
一篇文章基本上包含了英语发音的所有精华，只要大家跟着录音带一丝不苟地模仿、反反复复地背诵，发音就可以获得极大的改善！你可以像美国人一样讲一口标准的英语！2.背诵文章把单词串起来
孤立地记忆单词注定要失败，很多英语学习者都在重复着记了忘、忘了记的无聊游戏。其实只有把单词放入句子和文章中记忆，单词才有生命力！一篇文章包含了上百个单词，文章背诵出来，单词也就自然而然掌握！
3.背诵文章让语法活起来
大多数中国英语学习者刚学英语的时就要面对众多枯燥乏味的语法规则，被语法搞得头昏脑胀。背诵文章就是让你接触活生生的语法，在大量实用的句子中反复学习语法，从而真正地学会使用它！
4.背诵文章让阅读快起来
背诵文章的过程就是反复阅读的过程，大量背诵文章的过程就是大规模歼灭难单词、短语和语法的过程。长期大量地背诵，你的阅读能力一定会飞速地提升！
5.背诵文章让口语流利起来
俗话说“熟读唐诗三百首，不会做诗也会吟”。只要背诵足够多的英语文章，你就会养成良好的语感，脱口成章，说出地道、流畅的英语！
6.背诵文章让听力好起来
听力归根到底是口语的问题，听不懂别人说话主要是因为你的发音太难听，积累的句子、文章不够多；或者说的机会太少。其实，只要发音正确，并且多进行朗读和背诵，听力自然很好！
7.背诵文章让写作流畅起来
能脱口而出大量的文章，就能随手写出漂亮的文章，口头能力和笔头能力是相互促进、相得益彰的。大量地背诵短小实用的文章是提高英语写作水平的捷径！
8.背诵文章让翻译地道起来
李阳老师“万能翻译机”的称号就是得益于他大量地背诵文章。正是因为背诵了无数的文章，李阳老师做翻译的时才游刃有余，潇洒自如！李阳老师能做到，你也能做到！
9.背诵文章让演讲有力起来
演讲是高水平语言艺术的展示，对于广大英语学习者来说，用中文演讲都很难，用英语演讲无疑更是难上加难。没有大量的语言积累和实践，用英语发表演讲简直是天方夜谭。只要大量地背诵，大量的实践，做一个叱咤风云的国家演讲家就不是梦！
10.背诵文章让考试容易起来
大量背诵文章能提高你的语感，一段时间积累下来，你不再需要专门去记忆单词、语法规则，考试时自然势如破竹，又快又好 .
英语短美文摘抄 12
if you want to understand adversity, take two identical acorns from the same oak tree and plant them in two different locations. plant the first in the middle of a dense forest, and the other on a hill by itself.
如果你想理解什么是逆境，就去摘两颗从同一棵树上年龄相同的橡树果，并且把它们种到不同的地方。
第一颗种在浓密的树林当中，另外一颗则单独种在一座山上。
heres what will happen. the oak standing on a hillside is exposed to every storm and gale. as a result its roots plunge deep into the earth and spread in every direction, even wrapping themselves around giant boulders. at times it may seem the tree isnt growing fast enough―but the growth is happening underground. its as if the roots know they must ported the tree from the threatening elements.
事情的.结果便是这样。那颗长在山上的橡树经历了大风大雨，结果它的根深深地扎进了泥土中间，并不断向四周扩张，甚至把自己置身于巨大的石块当中。有时它可能看起来长的不是很快，但此时它却在地下悄悄生长着，好像它的根知道自己必须快速生长来保护树木免受自然危害的影响。
英语短美文摘抄 13
Wherever you are, and whoever you may be, there is one thing in which you and I are just alike at this moment, and in all the moments of our existence. We are not at rest; we are on a journey.
Our life is a movement, a tendency, a steady ceaseless progress toward an unseen goal. We are gaining something, or losing something, everyday. Even when our position and our character seem to remain precisely the same, they are changing. For the mere advance of time is a change. It is not the same thing to have a bare field in January and in July. The season makes the difference. The limitations that are childlike in the children are childish in the man.
Everything that we do is a step in one direction or another. Even the failure to do something is in itself a deed. It sets us forward or backward. The action of the negative pole of a magnetic needle is just as real as the action of the positive pole. To decline is to accept -- the other alternative.
Are you nearer to your port today than you were yesterday? Yes, -- you must be a little nearer to some port or other; for since your ship was first launched upon the sea of life, you have never been still for a single moment; the sea is too deep, and you could not find an anchorage if you would; there can be no pause until you come into port.
英语短美文摘抄 14
An hour before sunrise in the city there is an air of cold. Solitary desolation about the noiseless streets, which we are accustomed to see thronged at other times by a busy, eager crowd, and over the quiet, closely shut buildings which throughout the day are warming with life. The drunken, the dissipated, and the criminal have disappeared; the more sober and orderly part of the population have not yet awakened to the labors of the day, and the stillness of death is over streets; its very hue seems to be imparted to them, cold and lifeless as they look in the gray, somber light of daybreak. A partially opened bedroom window here and there bespeaks the heat of the weather and the . .
uneasy slumbers of its occupant; and the dim scanty flicker of a light through the blinds of yonder windows denotes the chamber of watching and sickness. Save for that sad light, the streets present no signs of life, nor the houses of habitation. (166 words) From Boz
By Charles Dickens
英语短美文摘抄 15
Dark light,just light each other. The responsibility that you and my shoulders take together,the such as one dust covers up.
Afraid only afraid the light is suddenly put out in theendless dark night and Countless loneliness
暗黄的灯光，仅仅也只能照射过彼此。 你、我肩上共同担当的责任，犹如一片灰尘遮掩。 怕只怕灯丝的突然熄灭在这无尽的黑夜.数不尽的孤单 美文摘抄
Rush 匆匆--朱自清
Swallows may have gone, but there is a time of return; willow trees may have died back, but there is a time of regreening; peach blossoms may have fallen, but they will bloom again. Now, you the wise, tell me, why should our days leave us, never to return? - If they had been stolen by someone, who could it be? Where could he hide them? If they had made the escape themselves, then where could they stay at the moment?
燕子去了，有再来的时候；杨柳枯了，有再青的时候；桃花谢了，有再开的.时候。但是，聪明的，你告诉我，我们的日子为什么一去不复返呢？――是有人偷了他们罢：那是谁？又藏在何处呢？是他们自己逃走了：现在又到了哪里呢？
I dont know how many days I have been given to spend, but I do feel my hands are getting empty. Taking stock silently, I find that more than eight thousand days have already slid away from me. Like a drop of water from the point of a needle disappearing into the ocean, my days are dripping into the stream of time, soundless, traceless. Already sweat is starting on my forehead, and tears welling up in my eyes.
我不知道他们给了我多少日子；但我的手确乎是渐渐空虚了。在默默里算着，八千多日子已经从我手中溜去；象针尖上一滴水滴在大海里，我的日子滴在时间的流里，没有声音也没有影子。我不禁头涔涔而泪潸潸了。
Those that have gone have gone for good, those to come keep coming; yet in between, how swift is the shift, in such a rush? When I get up in the morning, the slanting sun marks its presence in my small room in two or three oblongs. The sun has feet, look, he is treading on, lightly and furtively; and I am caught, blankly, in his revolution. Thus--the day flows away through the sink when I wash my hands, wears off in the bowl when I eat my meal, and passes away before my day-dreaming gaze as reflect in silence. I can feel his haste now, so I reach out my hands to hold him back, but he keeps flowing past my withholding hands. In the evening, as I lie in bed, he strides over my body, glides past my feet, in his agile way. The moment I open my eyes and meet the sun again, one whole day has gone. I bury my face in my hands and heave a sigh. But the new day begins to flash past in the sigh.
去的尽管去了，来的尽管来着，去来的中间，又怎样的匆匆呢？早上我起来的时候，小屋里射进两三方斜斜的太阳。太阳他有脚啊，轻轻悄悄地挪移了；我也茫茫然跟着旋转。于是――洗手的时候，日子从水盆里过去；吃饭的时候，日子从饭碗里过去；默默时，便从凝然的双眼前过去。我觉察他去的匆匆了，伸出手遮挽时，他又从遮挽着的手边过去，天黑时，我躺在床上，他便伶伶俐俐地从我身边垮过，从我脚边飞去了。等我睁开眼和太阳再见，这算又溜走了一日。我掩着面叹息。但是新来的日子的影儿又开始在叹息里闪过了。
What can I do, in this bustling world, with my days flying in their escape? Nothing but to hesitate, to rush. What have I been doing in that eight-thousand-day rush, apart from hesitating? Those bygone days have been dispersed as smoke by a light wind, or evaporated as mist by the morning sun. What traces have I left behind me? Have I ever left behind any gossamer traces at all? I have come to the world, stark naked; am I to go back, in a blink, in the same stark nakedness? It is not fair though: why should I have made such a trip for nothing!
在逃去如飞的日子里，在千门万户的世界里的我能做些什么呢？只有徘徊罢了，只有匆匆罢了；在八千多日的匆匆里，除徘徊外，又剩些什么呢？过去的日子如轻烟却被微风吹散了，如薄雾，被初阳蒸融了；我留着些什么痕迹呢？我何曾留着象游丝样的痕迹呢？我赤裸裸来到这世界，转眼间也将赤裸裸地回去罢？但不能平的，为什么偏要白白走这一遭啊？
You the wise, tell me, why should our days leave us, never to return?
你聪明的，告诉我，我们的日子为什么一去不复返呢？
英语短美文摘抄 16
Tucked away in our subconscious is an idyllic vision. We see ourselves on a long trip that spans the continent. We are traveling by train. Out the windows, we drink in the passing scene of cars on nearby highways, of children waving at a crossing, of cattle grazing on a distant hillside, of smoke pouring from a power plant, of row upon row of corn and wheat, of flatlands and valleys, of mountains and rolling hillsides, of city skylines and village halls.
But uppermost in our minds is the final destination. On a certain day at a certain hour, we will pull in the station. Bands will be playing and flags waving. Once we get there, so many wonderful dreams will come true and the pieces of our lives will fit together like a completed jigsaw puzzle. How restlessly we pace the aisles, damning the minutes for loitering―waiting, waiting, waiting for the station.
“When we reach the station, that will be it!” We cry. “When Im 18.” “When I buy a new 450SL Mercedes Benz!” “When I put the last kid through college.” “When I have paid off the mortgage!” “When I get a promotion.” “When I reach the age of retirement, I shall live happily ever after!”
Sooner or later, we must realize there is no station, no one place to arrive at once and for all. The true joy of life is the trip. The station is only a dream. It constantly outdistances us.
“Relish the moment” is a good motto, especially when coupled with Psalm 118：24：“This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” It isnt the burdens of today that drive men mad. It is the regrets over yesterday and the fear of tomorrow. Regret and fear are twin thieves who rob us of today.
So stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles. Instead, climb more mountains, eat more ice cream, go barefoot more often, swim more rivers, watch more sunsets, laugh more, cry less. Life must be lived as we go along. The station will come soon enough.
我们的潜意识里藏着一派田园诗般的风光!我们仿佛身处一次横贯大陆的漫漫旅程之中!乘着火车，我们领略着窗外流动的景色：附近公路上奔驰的汽车、十字路口处招手的孩童、远山上吃草的牛群、源源不断地从电厂排放出的烟尘、一片片的玉米和小麦、平原与山谷、群山与绵延的丘陵、天空映衬下城市的轮廓，以及乡间的庄园宅第!
然而我们心里想得最多的却是最终的目的地!在某一天的某一时刻，我们将会抵达进站!迎接我们的将是乐队和飘舞的彩旗!一旦到了那儿，多少美梦将成为现实，我们的生活也将变得完整，如同一块理好的拼图!可是我们现在却在过道里不耐烦地踱来踱去，咒骂火车的拖拖拉拉!我们期待着，期待着，期待着火车进站的那一刻!
“当我们到站的时候，一切就都好了!”我们呼喊着。“当我18岁的时候!”“当我有了一辆新450SL奔驰的时候!”“当我供最小的孩子念完大学的时候!”“当我偿清贷款的时候!”“当我官升高任的时候!”“当我退休的时候，就可以从此过上幸福的生活啦!”
可是我们终究会认识到人生的旅途中并没有车站，也没有“一到永逸”的地方!生活的真正乐趣在于旅行的'过程，而车站不过是个梦，它始终遥遥领先于我们!
“享受现在”是句很好的箴言，尤其是当它与《圣经・诗篇》中第118章24节的一段话相映衬的时候, 更是如此：“今日乃主所创造；生活在今日我们将欢欣、高兴!”真正令人发疯的不是今日的负担，而是对昨日的悔恨及对明日的恐惧!悔恨与恐惧是一对孪生窃贼，将今天从你我身边偷走!
那么就不要在过道里徘徊吧，别老惦记着你离车站还有多远!何不换一种活法，将更多的高山攀爬，多吃点儿冰激凌甜甜嘴巴，经常光着脚板儿溜达溜达，在更多的河流里畅游，多看看夕阳西下，多点欢笑，少点泪水吧!生命只是一段旅程!车站会很快到达。
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