阅读,作为一种习惯, 要读书 固然重要;悦读,作为一种嗜好, 会读书 更加重要。读什么好,或者说读什么更有益?当然是美文,而且是经典美文 。下面是小编带来的青春英语美文,欢迎阅读!
青春英语美文篇一
向爸爸买一个小时
A man came home from work late, tired and irritated, to find his 5-year old son waiting for him at the door.
一个人工作到很晚,带着疲惫与愤怒回到家里,却发现5岁大的儿子正在门口等他。
“Daddy, may I ask you a question?”
“爸爸,我可以问你一个问题吗?”
“Yeah sure, what is it?” replied the man.
“当然,什么问题?”
“Daddy, how much do you make an hour?”
“爸爸,你一个小时赚多少钱?”
“That’s none of your business. Why do you ask such a thing?” the man said angrily.
“这不关你的事。怎么问这样一个问题?”父亲生气地说道。
“I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?” pleaded the little boy.
“我只是想知道。请告诉我吧,你一个小时赚多少钱?”小男孩乞求地说。
“If you must know, I make $20 an hour.”
“真想知道就告诉你吧,我一小时赚20美元。”
“Oh,” the little boy replied, with his head down. Looking up, he said, “Daddy, may I please borrow $10?”
“噢,”男孩说着,低下了头。接着,他抬起头来问:“爸爸,我可以借你10美元钱吗?”
The father was furious, “If the only reason you asked that is so you can borrow some money to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you are being so selfish. I work hard every day for such childish behavior.”
父亲生气了:“如果你问这个问题,只是为了借钱买无聊的玩具或其他没用的东西,那就赶紧回你的房间睡觉去。想想你怎么会这么自私。我每天工作这么辛苦,得到的竟是这样幼稚愚蠢的举动。”
The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door. The man sat down and started to get even angrier about the little boy’s questions. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money? After about an hour or so, the man had calmed down, and started to think: Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $10 and he really didn’t ask for money very often.
小男孩静静地走进自己的房间,关上了门。这个人坐下后,更加为这个男孩的问题生气了。这孩子怎么敢问这样的问题,就为了借些钱呢?大约过了一个小时,他才平静下来了,开始想:也许他真的需要这10美元买什么东西呢,他并不是经常要钱花。
The man went to the door of the little boy’s room and opened the door.
于是这个人走到小男孩的门口,打开了门。
“Are you asleep, son?” He asked.
“你睡了吗,孩子?”他问。
“No daddy, I’m awake,” replied the boy.
“没有呢,爸爸。我醒着,”男孩回答。
“I’ve been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier,” said the man, “It’s been a long day and I took out my aggravation on you. Here’s the $10you asked for.”
“我在想,可能刚才我对你太严厉了,”父亲说,“经过漫长的一天,我把怒气都发到你身上了。这是你要的10美元。”
The little boy sat straight up, smiling. “Oh, thank you daddy!” He yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled up bills. The man, seeing that the boy already had money, started to get angry again. The little boy slowly counted out his money, then looked up at his father.
小男孩坐直了身子,笑了:“噢,谢谢爸爸!”他忍不住呼喊起来。接着,他伸手到枕头底下,拿出一把皱巴巴的钞票。看到男孩已经有钱了,父亲又忍不住要发火。小男孩慢慢地数着钱,然后抬头看着父亲。
“Why do you want more money if you already have some?” the father grumbled.
“既然你已经有钱了,为什么还要更多钱?”父亲粗鲁地抱怨说。
“Because I didn’t have enough, but now I do,” the little boy replied. “Daddy, I have $20 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to have dinner with you.”
“因为我的钱不够,不过现在够了,”小男孩回答,“爸爸,我现在有20美元了,我可以买你一小时的时间吗?请你明天早点下班,我想和你一起吃晚饭。”
青春英语美文篇二
写给女儿的信
Dear Malia and Sasha,
亲爱的马莉亚和莎夏:
I know that you've both had a lot of fun these last two years on the campaign trail, going to picnics and parades and state fairs, eating all sorts of junk food your mother and I probably shouldn't have let you have.
我知道这两年你们俩随我一路竞选都有过不少乐子,野餐、游行、逛州博览会,吃了各种或许我和你妈不该让你们吃的垃圾食物。然而我也知道,你们俩和你妈的日子,有时候并不惬意。
But I also know that it hasn't always been easy for you and Mom, and that as excited as you both are about that new puppy, it doesn't make up for all the time we've been apart.
新来的小狗虽然令你们兴奋,却无法弥补我们不在一起的所有时光。
I know how much I've missed these past two years, and today I want to tell you a little more about why I decided to take our family on this journey.
我明白这两年我错过的太多了,今天我要再向你们说说为何我决定带领我们一家走上这趟旅程。
When I was a young man, I thought life was all about me--about how I'd make my way in the world, become successful, and get the things I want.
当我还年轻的时候,我认为生活就该绕着我转:我如何在这世上得心应手,成功立业,得到我想要的。
But then the two of you came into my world with all your curiosity and mischief and those smiles that never fail to fill my heart and light up my day. And suddenly, all my big plans for myself didn't seem so important anymore.
后来,你们俩进入了我的世界,带来的种种好奇、淘气和微笑,总能填满我的心,照亮我的日子。突然之间,我为自己谱写的伟大计划显得不再那么重要了。
I soon found that the greatest joy in my life was the joy I saw in yours. And I realized that my own life wouldn't count for much unless I was able to ensure that you had every opportunity for happiness and fulfillment in yours.
我很快便发现,我在你们生命中看到的快乐,就是我自己生命中最大的快乐。而我也同时体认到,如果我不能确保你们此生能够拥有追求幸福和自我实现的一切机会,我自己的生命也没多大价值。
In the end, girls, that's why I ran for President: because of what I want for you and for every child in this nation.
总而言之,我的女儿,这就是我竞选总统的原因:我要让你们俩和这个国家的每一个孩子,都能拥有我想要给他们的东西。
I want all our children to go to schools worthy of their potential--schools that challenge them, inspire them, and instill in them a sense of wonder about the world around them.
我要让所有儿童都在能够发掘他们潜能的学校就读;这些学校要能挑战他们,激励他们,并灌输他们对身处的这个世界的好奇心。
I want them to have the chance to go to college--even if their parents aren't rich. And I want them to get good jobs: jobs that pay well and give them benefits like health care, jobs that let them spend time with their own kids and retire with dignity.
我要他们有机会上大学,那怕他们的父母并不富有。而且我要他们能找到好的工作:薪酬高还附带健康保险的工作,让他们有时间陪孩子、并且能带着尊严退休的工作。
I want us to push the boundaries of discovery so that you'll live to see new technologies and inventions that improve our lives and make our planet cleaner and safer.
我要大家向发现的极限挑战,让你在有生之年能够看见改善我们生活、使这个行星更干净、更安全的新科技和发明。
And I want us to push our own human boundaries to reach beyond the divides of race and region, gender and religion that keep us from seeing the best in each other.
我也要大家向自己的人际界限挑战,跨越使我们看不到对方长处的种族、地域、性别和宗教樊篱。
Sometimes we have to send our young men and women into war and other dangerous situations to protect our country--but when we do, I want to make sure that it is only for a very good reason, that we try our best to settle our differences with others peacefully, and that we do everything possible to keep our servicemen and women safe.
有时候为了保护我们的国家,我们不得不把青年男女派到战场或其它危险的地方,然而当我们这么做的时候,我要确保师出有名,我们尽了全力以和平方式化解与他人的争执,也想尽了一切办法保障男女官兵的安全。
And I want every child to understand that the blessings these brave Americans fight for are not free--that with the great privilege of being a citizen of this nation comes great responsibility.
我要每个孩子都明白,这些勇敢的美国人在战场上捍卫的福祉是无法平白得到的:在享有作为这个国家公民的伟大特权之际,重责大任也随之而来。
That was the lesson your grandmother tried to teach me when I was your age, reading me the opening lines of the Declaration of Independence and telling me about the men and women who marched for equality because they believed those words put to paper two centuries ago should mean something.
这正是我在你们这年纪时,外婆想要教我的功课,她把独立宣言开头几行念给我听,告诉我有一些男女为了争取平等挺身而出游行抗议,因为他们认为两个世纪前白纸黑字写下来的这些句子,不应只是空话。
She helped me understand that America is great not because it is perfect but because it can always be made better--and that the unfinished work of perfecting our union falls to each of us. It's a charge we pass on to our children, coming closer with each new generation to what we know America should be.
她让我了解到,美国所以伟大,不是因为它完美,而是因为我们可以不断让它变得更好,而让它更好的未竟工作,就落在我们每个人的身上。这是我们交给孩子们的责任,每过一代,美国就更接近我们的理想。
I hope both of you will take up that work, righting the wrongs that you see and working to give others the chances you've had.
我希望你们俩都愿接下这个工作,看到不对的事要想办法改正,努力帮助别人获得你们有过的机会。
Not just because you have an obligation to give something back to this country that has given our family so much--although you do have that obligation.
这并非只因国家给了我们一家这么多,你们也当有所回馈,虽然你们的确有这个义务,而是因为你们对自己负有义务。
But because you have an obligation to yourself. Because it is only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you will realize your true potential.
因为,唯有在把你的马车套在更大的东西上时,你才会明白自己真正的潜能有多大。
These are the things I want for you--to grow up in a world with no limits on your dreams and no achievements beyond your reach, and to grow into compassionate, committed women who will help build that world.
这些是我想要让你们得到的东西:在一个梦想不受限制、无事不能成就的世界中长大,长成具慈悲心、坚持理想,能帮忙打造这样一个世界的女性。
And I want every child to have the same chances to learn and dream and grow and thrive that you girls have. That's why I've taken our family on this great adventure.
我要每个孩子都有和你们一样的机会,去学习、梦想、成长、发展。这就是我带领我们一家展开这趟大冒险的原因。
I am so proud of both of you. I love you more than you can ever know. And I am grateful every day for your patience, poise, grace, and humor as we prepare to start our new life together in the White House.
我深以你俩为荣,你们永远不会明白我有多爱你们,在我们准备一同在白宫开始新生活之际,我没有一天不为你们的忍耐、沉稳、明理和幽默而心存感激。
Love, Dad
爱你们的老爹
青春英语美文篇三
孩子给爸爸妈妈的备忘录
1. Don't spoil me. I know quite well that I ought not to have all I ask for. I'm only testing you.
别溺爱我。我很清楚地知道,我不应该得到每一样我所要求的东西,我哭闹不休其实只是在试探你。
2. Don't be afraid to be firm with me. I prefer it, it makes me feel secure.
别害怕对我保持公正的态度,这样反倒让我有安全感。
3. Don't let me form bad habits. I have to rely on you to detect them in the early stages.
别让我养成坏习惯,在年幼的此刻,我得依靠你来判断和培养。
4. Don't make me feel smaller than I am. It only makes me behave stupidly "big".
别让我觉得自己比实际的我还渺小,这只会让我假装出一副和我实际年龄不符的傻样。
5. Don't correct me in front of people if you can help it. I'll take much more notice if you talk quietly with me in private.
可能的话,尽量不要在人前纠正我的错误,我会感到很没面子,进而和你作对。你私下提醒,效果会更好。
6. Don't make me feel that my mistakes are sins. It upsets my sense of values.
别让我觉得犯了错就是犯了罪,它会削弱我对人生的希望。
7. Don't protect me from consequences. I need to learn the painful way sometimes.
别过度保护我,怕我无法接受某些“后果”。很多时候,我需要经由痛苦的经历来学习。
8. Don't be too upset when I say "I hate you". Sometimes it isn't you I hate but your power to thwart me.
当我说“我恨你”的时候别往心里去。我恨的绝对不是你,我恨的是你加在我身上的那些压力。
9. Don't take too much notice of my small ailments. Sometimes they get me the attention I need.
别太在意我的小病痛。有时,我只是想得到你的注意而已。
10. Don't nag. If you do, I shall have to protect myself by appearing deaf.
别对我唠叨不休,否则我会装聋作哑。
11. Don't forget that I cannot explain myself as well as I should like. That is why I am not always accurate.
我有时不能把事情解释得很清楚,会词不达意。这也是为什么我有时不能准确地表达自己。
12. Don't put me off when I ask questions. If you do, you will find that I stop asking and seek my information elsewhere.
当我问你问题的时候,请别敷衍我或者拒绝我。否则我将停止发问,转向它处寻求答案。
13. Don't be inconsistent. That completely confuses me and makes me lose faith in you.
请别在管教原则上前后不一出尔反尔。这样会让我疑惑,进而失去对你的信任。
14. Don't tell me my fears are silly. They are terribly real and you can do much to reassure me if you try to understand.
我害怕的时候,不要觉得我很傻很可笑。如果你试着去了解,便会发现我当时有多恐惧。
15. Don't ever suggest that you are perfect or infallible. It gives me too great a shock when I discover that you are neither.
别对我暗示你永远正确、无懈可击。当我发现你并非如此的时候,对我将是一个多么大的打击。
16. Don't ever think that it is beneath your dignity to apologize to me. An honest apology makes me feel surprisingly warm towards you.
别认为向我道歉是没有尊严的事。一个诚恳的道歉,会让我和你更接近,更尊重你,感觉更温暖。
17. Don't forget I love experimenting. I couldn't get along without it, so please put up with it.
别忘记我喜欢亲自尝试,如果我不尝试就寸步难行,所以请你包容。
18. Don't forget how quickly I am growing up. It must be very difficult for you to keep pace with me, but please do try.
别忘了我很快就会长大,对你来说,和我一起成长是很不容易的事,但请你尝试一下吧。
19. Don't forget that I don't thrive without lots of love and understanding, but I don't need to tell you, do I?
不要忘了离开了厚爱和理解我不会茁壮成长,但是,这一点我不需要提醒你吧?
20. Please keep yourself fit and healthy. I need you.
请保持身体健康,因为我需要你。