優(yōu)秀的英語經(jīng)典散文短篇
Catch of a lifetime一生的收獲
He was 11 and went fishing every chance he got from the dock at his family's cabin on an island in the middle of a New Hampshire lake..
他11歲那年，只要一有機會，就會到他家在新漢普郡湖心島上的小屋的碼頭上釣魚。
On the day before the bass season opened, he and his father were fishing early in the evening, catching sunfish and perch with worms. Then he tied on a small silver lure and practiced casting. The lure struck the water and caused colored ripples in the sunset,then silver ripples as the moon rose over the lake. When his peapole doubled over, he knew something huge was on the other end. His father watched with admiration as the boy skillfully worked the fish alongside the dock.
鱸魚季節(jié)開放的前一天晚上，他和父親晚上很早就開始準備了。他們用小蟲做誘餌來釣太陽魚和鱸魚。他系上魚餌，練習(xí)如何拋線。魚鉤擊在水面，在夕陽中漾起一片金色的漣漪，夜晚月亮升出湖面時，漣漪變成銀色。當(dāng)魚桿向下彎的時候，他知道線的另一端一定釣到了一條大魚。父親看著他技巧純熟地在碼頭邊沿和魚周旋，眼神充滿贊賞。
Finally, he very ingerly lifted the exhausted fish from the water. It was the largest one he had ever seen, but is was a bass.The boy and his father looked at the handsome fish, gills playing back and forth in the moonlight.
最后他小心翼翼地將筋疲力盡的魚提出水面。這是他所見過的最大的一條，還是一條鱸魚。男孩和他父親看著這條漂亮的魚，它的魚鰓在月光下一張一翕。
The father lit a match and looked at his watch. It was 10 P.M.----two hours before the season opened. He looked at the fish, then at the boy.
父親檫著一根火柴，看了看表。十點了---離開禁還有兩個小時。他看了看魚，又看了看男孩。
You'll have to put it back, son. he said.
“你得把它放回去，孩子。”父親說道。
Dad! cried the boy.
“爸爸!”男孩叫道。
There will be other fish, said his father.
“還有其他的魚嘛。”父親說道。
Not as big as this one, cried the boy.
“但沒這么大。”男孩叫道。
He looked around the lake. No other fishermen or boats were anywhere around in the moonlight.. He looked again at his father. Even though no one had seen them, nor could anyone ever know what time he caught the fish, the boy could tell by the clarity of his father's voice that the decision was not negotiable. He slowly worked the hook out of the lip of the huge bass and lowered it into the black water.The creature swished its powerful body and disappeared.The boy suspected that he would never again see such a great fish.
男孩環(huán)視了一遍湖。月光下，附近沒有其他人或漁船。他又看了看他父親。從父親不可動搖的語氣中，他知道這個決定沒有商量余地，即使沒有人看到他們，更無從得知他們何時釣到了魚。他慢慢地將魚鉤從大鱸魚的唇上取下，然后蹲下將魚放回水中。魚兒擺動著它強健的身軀，消失在水中。 男孩想，他可能再也看不到這么大的魚了。
That was 34 years ago. Today, the boy is a successful architect in New York City. His father's cabin is still there on the island in the middle of the lake.He takes his own son and daughters fishing from the same dock.
那是34年前的事了?，F(xiàn)在，男孩是紐約的一個成功的建筑師，他父親的小屋依然在湖心島上，他帶著自己的兒女仍然在同一個碼頭上釣魚。
And he was right. He has never again caught such a magnificent fish as the one he landed that night long ago. But he does see that same fish---again and again---every time he comes up against a question of ethics.
他猜得沒錯。自那次以后，他再也沒有釣上過那么大的魚了。但每次他面臨道德難題而舉棋不定的時候，他的眼前再三浮現(xiàn)出那條魚。
For, as his father taught him, ethics are simple matters of right and wrong. It is only the practice of ethics that is difficult. Do we do right when no one is looking? Do we refuse to cut corners to get the design in on time? Or refuse to trade stocks based on information that we know we aren't supposed to have?
他父親曾告訴他，道德即是簡單的對和錯的問題，但要付諸行動卻很難。在沒人瞧見的時候，我們是否仍遵循道德準則?為了將圖紙按時完成，我們是不是也會走捷徑?或者在明知道不可以的情況下，仍將公司股份賣掉?
We would if we were taught to put the fish back when we were young. For we would have learned the truth. The decision to do right lives fresh and fragrant in our memory.
在我們還小的時候，如果有人教導(dǎo)我們把魚放回去，我們會這樣做，因為我們還在學(xué)習(xí)真理。正確的決定在我們的記憶里變得深刻而清晰。
It is a story we will proudly tell our friends and grandchildren. Not about how we had a chance to beat the system and took it， but about how we did the right thing and were forever strengthened.
這個故事我們可以驕傲地講給朋友和子孫們聽，不是關(guān)于如何攻擊和戰(zhàn)勝某種體制，而是如何做正確的決定，從而變得無比堅強。
If were a boy again如果再回到童年
If I were a boy again,I would practise perseverance more often,and never give up a thing because it was hard or inconvenient.If we want light,we must conquer darkness.Perseverance can sometimes equal genius in its results.“There are only two creatures,”says a proverb;“who can surmount the pyramids-the eagle and the snail.”
諺語說：“能登上金字塔的生物只有兩種——雄鷹與蝸牛。”如果我們需要光明,我們就得征服黑暗.在產(chǎn)生的結(jié)果方面,毅力往往可以與天才相媲美。假如我再回到童年,我會更多地培養(yǎng)自己的毅力,決不因為事情艱難或麻煩而放棄不干
If I were a boy again,I would school myself into a habit of attention .I would let nothing come between me and the subject in hand.I would remember that a good skater never tries to skate in two directions at once.The habit of attention becomes part of our life,if we begin early enough.
假如我再回到童年，我會培養(yǎng)自己專心致志的習(xí)慣;一旦手頭有事，決不讓任何東西使我分心。我會牢記：一位優(yōu)秀的溜冰手從不試圖同時滑向兩個不同的方向。如果及早養(yǎng)成專心致志的習(xí)慣，它就會成為我們生命的一個部分。
I often hear grown-up people say,“I could not fix my attention on the lecture or book,although I wished to do so,”and the reason is,the habit was not formed in youth.
我常常聽到成年認說：“盡管我希望集中注意力聽講課或讀書，但往往做不到。”其愿意就在于年輕時沒有養(yǎng)成這種習(xí)慣。
If I were to live my life over again,I would pay more attention to the cultivation of the memory.I would strengthen that faculty by every possible means, and,on every possible occasion.It takes a little hard work at first to remember things accurately;but memory soon helps itself,and gives very little trouble. It only needs early cultivation to become a power.
假如我能重新活過，我會更加注意培養(yǎng)自己的記憶力。我要采取一切可能的辦法，在一切可能的場合,增強記憶力。要精確地記住一切事物，起初的確要作出一番小小的努力;但用不了多久，記憶力本身就會起作用，使記憶成為輕而易舉的事。只需及早培養(yǎng)，記憶自會成為一種才能。
If I were a boy again, I would cultivate courage. "Nothing is so mild and gentle as courage, nothing so cruel and pitiless as cowardice," says a wise author.We too often borrow trouble, and anticipate that may never appear.The fear of ill exceeds the ill we fear.Dangers will arise in any career, but presence of mind will often conquer the worst of them.Be prepared for any fate, and there is no harm to be feared.
假如我又回到了童年，我就要培養(yǎng)勇氣。"世上沒有東西比勇氣更溫文爾雅，也沒有東西比懦怯更殘酷無情。"一位明智的作家曾說過我們常常過多地自尋煩惱，"杞人憂天。" 怕禍害比禍害本身更可怕,凡事都有危險，但鎮(zhèn)定沉著往往能克服最嚴重的危險。對一切禍福做好準備，那么就沒有什么災(zāi)難可以害怕的了。
If I were a boy again,I would look on the cheerful side.Life is very much like a mirror:if you smile upon it,it smiles back upon you;but if you frown and look doubtful on it,you will get a similar look in return.Inner sunshine warms not only the heart of the owner,but of all that come in contact with it.
假如我能再回到童年，我會凡事都看光明的一面。生活就像一面鏡子：你朝它微笑，它也會朝你微笑：但如果你朝它皺眉頭，它也會朝你皺眉頭;內(nèi)心的陽光不僅溫暖了自己的心，同時也溫暖了所有跟他接觸的人的心。
Who shuts love out,in turn shall be shut from love.
“誰將愛拒之門外，誰就會被愛拒之門外。”
If I were a boy again,I would school myself to say “No”oftener.I might write pages on the importance of learning very early in life to gain that point where a young boy can stand erect,and decline doing an unworthy act because it is unworthy.
假如我再回到童年，我就要養(yǎng)成經(jīng)常說“不”的習(xí)慣。 我可以寫上好幾頁，談?wù)勗缙谂囵B(yǎng)這一點的重要性,一個少年要能挺得起腰桿,拒絕做不值得做得事——就因為它不值得做。
If I were a boy again,I would demand of myself more courtesy towards my companions and friends,and indeed towards strangers as well.The smallest courtesies along the rough roads of life are like the little birds that sing to us all winter long,and make that season of ice and snow more endurable.Finally,instead of trying hard to be happy,as if that were the sole purpose of life,I would,if I were a boy again,try still harder to make others happy.
假如我再回到童年，我會要求自己對待同伴和朋友更禮貌，而且對陌生人也同樣如此。再坎坷得人生道路上，最細小的禮貌猶如在漫長的冬季為我們唱歌的小鳥，使得冰天雪地的嚴冬變得較易忍受。最后，假如我再回到童年，我不會竭力為自己謀幸福——仿佛那是人生的唯一目標(biāo);與之相反，我會更加努力——讓他人幸福。
Cherish every moment珍惜每一刻
My brother-in-law opened the bottom drawer of my sister's bureau and lifted out a tissue-wrapped package. "This," he said, "is not a slip(紙片). This is lingerie(女士內(nèi)衣)." He discarded the tissue and handed me the slip. It was exquisite(精致的); silk, handmade and trimmed with a cobweb (蜘蛛網(wǎng)，蛛絲)of lace(花邊). The price tag with an astronomical figure on it was still attached. "Jan bought this the first time we went to New York, at least 8 or 9 years ago. She never wore it. She was saving it for a special occasion. Well, I guess this is the occasion." He took the slip from me and put it on the bed with the other clothes we were taking to the mortician(殯葬員). His hands lingered on the soft material for a moment, then he slammed the drawer shut and turned to me. "Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Every day you're alive is a special occasion."
我的妹夫打開我妹妹書桌最底下的抽屜，拿出一個裹著紙片的小包。“這個，”他說，“不是一張紙片，而是一件女士內(nèi)衣，”“他弄掉紙片，把它遞給我。這是件精致的女士內(nèi)衣，它是用手工縫制的絲制品，齊整的鑲著蛛網(wǎng)似的花邊。衣服上甚至還釘著數(shù)額驚人的價格標(biāo)簽。”“這是我和簡第一次去紐約的時候買的，至少是八九年以前了，她從來沒有穿過，她一直在等一個特殊的場合。我想，現(xiàn)在該是時候了。”“他從我手上拿過內(nèi)衣，把它和其他一些衣服一起擺到床上，我們要把它們帶到殯儀館。他的手在那柔軟的面料上摩擦了一會兒，然后砰的關(guān)上抽屜，轉(zhuǎn)過來對我說。“千萬別珍藏什么東西去等一個合適的機會，你活著的每一天都是一個機會。”
I remembered those words through the funeral and the days that followed when I helped him and my niece attend to all the sad chores (瑣事)that follow an unexpected death. I thought about them on the plane returning to California from the Midwestern town where my sister's family lives. I thought about all the things that she hadn't seen or heard or done. I thought about the things that she had done without realizing that they were special.
我牢記著這些話，幫著他和我的侄女處理這起因以外事故喪生后的葬禮和各種悲傷瑣事。在我從妹妹居住的這個中西部地區(qū)小鎮(zhèn)飛往加利福尼亞的飛機上,，還在回想著這些話語。我想著那些她從來沒有見過、聽過、或者做過的事情，我想著那些她經(jīng)理過卻沒有意識到其獨特性的事情。
I'm still thinking about his words, and they've changed my life. I'm reading more and dusting less. I'm sitting on the deck and admiring the view without fussing about the weeds in the garden. I'm spending more time with my family and friends and less time in committee meetings. Whenever possible, life should be a pattern of experience to savor(使有風(fēng)味，盡情享受), not endure. I'm trying to recognize these moments now and cherish them.
現(xiàn)在我仍然還在思索他的話，他們甚至改變了我的一生。我閱讀更多的東西，少了很多迷惑。我坐在草地上欣賞風(fēng)景，不再去擔(dān)心花園的雜草。我花更多的時間陪伴家人和朋友，不再一味的去參加無聊的會議。不論何時，生活應(yīng)該是一種享受的過程，而不是忍受。我開始認識并珍視現(xiàn)在的每一時刻。
I'm not "saving" anything. we use our good china and crystal for every special event-such as losing a pound, getting the sink unstopped, the first camellia (茶花)blossom. I wear my good blazer (顏色鮮明的運動夾克)to the market if I feel like it. My theory is if I look prosperous, I can shell out(交付，支付)$28.49 for one small bag of groceries without wincing(畏縮). I'm not saving my good perfume for special parties; clerks in hardware stores and tellers in banks have noses that function as well as my party-going friends'.
我不再珍藏任何東西，我用上好的瓷器和水晶器，慶賀每一件事--比如減掉了一磅體重，打通了堵塞的下水道，開放了第一朵茶花。只要我喜歡，我會穿上我漂亮的夾克衫去逛超市。我的邏輯是：如果我看上去夠有錢，我會毫不猶豫地花28.49美元去買一小帶雜貨。我不會珍藏我的名貴香水去等待一個特殊的晚會，商店職員和銀行出納員的鼻子跟我舞友的鼻子有著同樣的功能。
Someday and "one of these days" are losing their grip on my vocabulary. If it's worth seeing , hearing or doing, I want to see and hear and do it now. I'm not sure what my sister would have done, had she known that she wouldn't be here for the tomorrow we all take for granted. I think she would have called family members and a few close friends. She might have called a few former friends to apologize and mend fences for past squabbles. I like to think she would have gone out for a Chinese dinner, her favorite food. I'm guessing--I'll never know.
“總有一天”和“某一天”對我已失去了意義。如果某件事值得去看，去聽、去做、我會立刻去實行。我不知道，如果我妹妹知道她不再擁有我們都認為理所當(dāng)然會到來的明天時，她會怎么做。我想她會給家人和一些親密的朋友打電話。她會打電話給以前的一些朋友，為曾經(jīng)發(fā)生過的爭論道歉或彌補關(guān)系。我想她會出去，到一見中餐廳，吃她最喜愛的食物。我只是采寫--永遠都不會知道了。
It's those little things left undone that would make me angry ,if I knew that my hours were limited. Angry because I put off seeing good friends whom I was going to get in touch with”someday.” Angry because I hadn't written certain letters that I intended to write--one of these days. Angry and sorry that I didn't tell my husband and daughter often enough how much I truly love them.
如果時間緊迫，而我還有一些事情沒有做完，我會憤怒不已。我會為不得不把準備去拜訪的朋友推延到“某一天”而惱火，為曾設(shè)想著“總會有一天”會寫下來的詞句，而沒有寫下來而生氣，為沒有盡可能多的告訴我的丈夫和女兒我是多么愛他們而后悔和遺憾。
I'm trying very hard not to put off, hold back, or save anything that would add laughter and luster to our lives.
我盡最大的努力避免推遲,延誤,或保留那些能給我們的生活增添歡樂和色彩的東西。
And every morning when I open my eyes, I tell myself that it is special. Every day, every minute, every breath truly is ... a gift from God.
每天早上，我睜開眼睛，告訴自己這是特殊的一天。每一天，每一分鐘，每一次呼吸.....都是上帝對我們的恩賜。
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