優秀的經典英語美文欣賞

我們可以多多看看一些英語的文章來提升我們的英語作文，今天小編就給大家分享一下英語美文欣賞，歡迎參考

　　一位母親寫給女兒的信

dear girls,

我親愛的孩子們，

you're so young right now, but i hope these letters will be helpful to you one day when you're older. there is so much i wish i could ask my mother now that i am a grown woman. there is so much we never got to talk about. i'm planning on being around for you well into your lives and adulthood, but even so, i think having these letters will be useful in some way. who knows how things might change down the road, and at least you'll have your 34-year-old mother's thoughts down on paper.

你們現在如此稚嫩，但我希望將來某一天等你們長大了，這封信將會對你們有幫助。作爲一個成年女人，我也有很多想問我媽媽的問題，有很多我和她從未談及過的事情。在你們的成長中，我會在你們身邊幫你們過好生活長大成人，但即使這樣，我認爲這封信也能通過其他方式使你們獲益。誰也不知道將來會發生什麼，但至少你們會有我這個34歲的母親把想法寫下來供你們參考。

anyway, i want this letter to be about beauty and my relationship to it. i feel this enormous responsibility, as a mother of two little girls, to lead you down a path that is relatively healthy when it comes to beauty and self image. in a lot of women's eyes i've probably already failed in that respect due to the amount of pink-princess-barbie mess cluttering up vera's room right now.

不管怎麼樣，我希望談談關於美以及我對美的看法。作爲一個有兩個女兒的母親，在談到美和自身形象的問題，我有重要的責任爲你們引導相對健康的認識之路。雖然在許多女人眼裏，我這方面做得並不值得稱讚，因爲現在在vera的房間裏還亂糟糟地塞滿了卡哇伊的芭比娃娃。

but i will say this about barbie (and all the rest of that princess garbage): i played with that stuff for a solid decade when i was growing up and here i am now at a healthy weight with a healthy outlook about my body and image. i have a masters degree and have a successful career and a published book. if barbie were really so damaging to my femininity and self-image i highly doubt i could list all of the latter as accomplishments.

但對於芭比娃娃(以及系列相關的公主垃圾玩具)我想說的是，我小時候玩了整整十年的洋娃娃，現在我是一個擁有體重標準、保持健康外貌的女性，我獲得了碩士學位，我事業成功還出版了一本書。如果芭比娃娃真的對我的女性特質和個人形象有破壞性的影響，那麼我真是非常懷疑我列出的那些成就是怎麼來的。

but i get it too. it's hard for women to maintain a healthy self-image. it's hard not to obsess over our weight and to wish we could afford more stylish clothes. it's hard not to covet someone else's hair or hips or eyelashes, and to spend inordinate amounts of time trying to achieve looks that we were never suited for in the first place.

但是我也懂，對女人來講保持健康的形象很不容易。想要不被體重困擾，不奢求自己能有經濟能力購買更時尚的衣服，這真的很難;不覬覦別的女生的髮型、翹臀和睫毛，不在自己身上無節制的花時間試圖讓自己駕馭那些完全不適合的造型，這些也都太難了。

i have girlfriends around whom i have to brace myself to see, because even though i love them, just being around them makes me self-conscious. i look at old pictures of my mother and wonder why i've never been able to be as skinny as she was. and then i have friends who are thinner than their mothers ever were. we women go round and round in circles, holding hands and trying to be one another sometimes.

我身邊有一羣女性朋友，雖然我很愛她們，但每次跟她們接觸我都需要打起精神，只是和她們待在一起我都會覺得不自然。看着我媽媽的老照片，我總是納悶爲什麼自己永遠不能像她那麼骨感，然後我發現身邊有朋友比她媽媽年輕時還要瘦。我們女人總在轉圈圈，有時還牽着彼此的手試着扮演對方的角色。

men like to think we dress and style ourselves for them, but why would we when they hardly notice? i've never tried so hard to look good as when i know i'm about to meet up with a stylish girlfriend. it's she who will notice my slimmed down waist or the thinnest, little bracelet on my arm.

男人以爲我們穿衣服打扮自己是爲了給他們看，但爲什麼當男人幾乎不去注意這些時我們依然樂此不疲呢?在我知道自己馬上將會見一個時髦的女性朋友之前，我就會非常非常努力地打扮自己，讓自己看起來容光煥發。而她也肯定會注意到我苗條的腰線和手臂上纖細精巧的手鐲。

and i have no doubt that the two of you, veronica and juliette, will endlessly compare yourselves to each other. you will wonder why one of you got longer legs or shinier hair or bigger breasts or thicker eyelashes. i know this, not because i know sisters, but because i know women. the thing i'll tell you, the thing to remember is this: not even the prettiest of us feel settled. the girl you think looks the most perfect in all the world is probably the girl who wants to change herself more than anyone else.

毫無疑問，我親愛的女兒維多妮卡和朱麗葉，你們以後也會無止境地相互比較。你們會鬱悶爲什麼對方的腿比自己長，頭髮比自己亮，胸部比自己豐滿或者她有更濃密的睫毛。我懂這些，不是因爲我瞭解姐妹關係，而是我瞭解女人。我要告訴你們而你們必須牢記的一件事是：即使最漂亮的女人也沒有安全感，在你眼裏最完美的女孩或許比任何人都想改變自己。

don't take these on. don't let that message carry any weight within yourselves. you are not worthless. you are so full of love and light and you should let it shine through you every second of every day. if someone pushes you down for standing tall then just push yourself back up and stand even taller. and know that the reason they pushed you down in the first place is just because they're scared. i will tell you that i have never in my life felt more beautiful than when i have stood my tallest.

不要太在乎這些，不要讓這樣的信息增加自己的負擔。你有自己獨特的價值。你的生命中充滿愛和光芒，讓它們每天每分每秒都照耀着你的生活吧!如果有人爲了站得高一點而把你推倒，那麼你得自己堅強地站起來，讓自己站得更高!要知道他們推你下去只是因爲他們恐懼。而我要告訴你們的是：當我站在人生最高處的時候，我覺得那是我覺得最美麗的時刻!

stand tall.

昂首挺立。

love,

愛你們的，

mom

媽媽

　　一生中要有的八種類型的朋友

Did you know that people without friends are more likely to die an early death?

你知道嗎?沒有朋友的人往往死的早。

It’s true. Just ask science.

這是真的。不信，可以向科學求證。

To up your chances of living a long, happy life, having a bunch of fair-weather buddies won’t do the trick. You need a diverse, well-rounded entourage that will stick with you through thick and thin. The following eight types of friends are just what you need to keep the doctor away.

要想生活得長久幸福，一羣不能共患難的朋友是不能助你達成目的的。你需要的是一羣性格各異、面面俱到，可以與你同甘苦共患難的朋友。接下來要說的八種類型的朋友正是這一類。

1. A Loyal Best Friend

1.一個忠實的最好的朋友

Sometimes a loyal best friend is the only thing you need to stay sane. Everyone needs a non-judgmental friend who will support them no matter what. This is the kind of friend who lets you be a hot mess and knows all of your deepest and darkest secrets, but still loves you all the same.

有時一個忠實的最好的朋友可以是使你保持清醒的唯一原因。每個人都需要一個無論在任何情況下都無私支持自己的朋友。這樣的朋友可以放任你的一團糟，也知道你所有的最深處和最黑暗的祕密，但仍然一直愛着你。

2. A Fearless Adventurer

2.一個無所畏懼的冒險者

We live in a big world where there are so many places to see, people to meet, and experiences to be had, yet so many of us are stuck in our own routines and forget to, well, live. We all need an adventurous friend who will pull us out of our shells and introduce us to new ideas, cultures, philosophies, and activities.

我們生活在一個宏大的世界裏，可以看許多風景，遇到各色人，擁有豐富多彩的經歷。然而，我們大部分人都深陷在自己的瑣事裏，忘記如何好好地生活。我們都需要一個冒險的朋友，將自己從殼裏拖出來並向我們介紹新想法、文化、哲學和活動。

3. A Brutally Honest Confidant

3.一個極其誠實的知己

There’s certain situations in life where we need to hear the harsh truth. That’s what the brutally honest confidant is for. If you’re in a rocky relationship and everyone’s telling you that it’s perfectly normal that you’re back with that special someone for the 8th time in the last 2 years, the brutally honest confidant is there to yank your rose-colored glasses off and tell you, “Enough. Stop with all that break-up-and-get-back-together drama. You deserve better.” Friends are supposed to be honest with each other. If you find someone who is brutally honest with you (in a constructive way), then hold on to this person! People like that are hard to come by these days.

在生活中，有些特定的場合，我們需要知道殘酷的真相。這時我們正需要這樣一個極其誠實的知己。在一段搖擺不定的戀愛關係中，每個人都對你說情人間難免有摩擦，你應該再次回到那個人身邊，而這已是過去兩年裏第八次出現。此時那個極其誠實的知己則會摘掉你樂觀的眼鏡，對你說，“夠了!不要再上演那種分分合合的戲碼了。你值得更好的人”。朋友之間應該相互坦誠。如果你發現某個人對你極其誠實，那麼就緊緊抓住這個人。在這個時代，像這樣的人已不多了。

4. A Wise Mentor

4.一位睿智的導師

Jesse Jackson once said, “Never look down on someone unless you’re helping them up.” If you have someone smart, inspiring, and admirable in your life who practices this philosophy, you’re extremely lucky. We all need a friend who inspires us to be better people without making us feel inadequate. Plus, being around such a person will challenge us to better ourselves every day.

傑西傑克遜曾說，“永遠不要看輕別人,除非他需要你的幫助”。如果你的一生中有這樣聰慧、令人激勵和敬佩的人在實踐這種哲學，那你就非常幸運。我們都需要一個激勵自己變得更好而不是變得自卑的朋友。而且，在這樣一個人身邊將會促使我們不斷提高，天天向上。

The wise mentor in your life doesn’t have to be someone who shares the same occupation or hobbies with you. It’s simply someone who’s a few steps ahead of you in life and has enough wisdom and patience to guide you in the right direction. It can be anyone — a colleague, a friend who’s beyond their years, or an older neighbor — as long as you look up to this person and want to be more like them.

在你的生命中，一位睿智的導師不一定要是某個職位與你相同的或是擁有共同愛好的人。僅僅是某個生活閱歷比你多點，擁有足夠智慧和能力，可以指引你走向正確方向的人。他可以是任何人—— 一位同事、一個閱歷豐富的朋友或是一位年老的鄰居，只要你敬仰並且想要成爲甚至超越他們。

5. A Friend From a Different Culture

5.來自不同文化的朋友

The last thing you want to be described as is someone who’s stuck in their own ways. If everyone had a friend from a different culture, the world would be a much better place. Being in a cross-cultural friendship allows you to explore customs, values, and traditions outside of your own culture. Sometimes you might even adopt new ways to do things.

你最不想被別人描述成固執己見的人。如果每個人都有一位來自不同文化的朋友，世界將會變得更美好。一段跨文化的友誼可以使你體驗與自己文化迥然不同的習俗、價值觀和傳統。有時，你甚至可能採用新的方式做事。

Be careful; don’t befriend someone just because they’re from a different culture. No one likes to be a token friend. Instead, keep your mind open, and if you come across someone you click with who just so happens to be from a different culture, make the effort to learn about their customs, values, and traditions while getting to know the person on a personal level.

注意，不要就因爲某人來自不同文化就與其成爲朋友。沒人喜歡成爲象徵性的朋友。相反，你要敞開心胸。如果你在網上遇到某個人恰巧來自不同文化，要努力去了解他們的習俗、價值觀念和傳統，同時從個人的層面去了解這個人。

6. A Polar Opposite

6.一個完全對立的朋友

We humans are hard-wired to get together in groups and attack outsiders — the human pack mentality, if you will. If you only develop friendships with others who follow the same beliefs, customs, and values as you do, chances are you’re somewhat detached from the rest of the world, and you’re more likely to perpetuate stereotypes on anyone who holds a different world view from you.

我們人類天生的會聚集在一起組成組，對付外來者-----即人類團體性思維，如果你想知道的話。要是隻跟與你有相同信仰、習俗和價值觀念的人做朋友，你將可能與其餘的世界相脫離，更加可能給與你持不同世界觀的人留下刻板的印象。

Instead of constantly surrounding yourself with like-minded people, try to break out of your comfort zone and befriend people who hold opposing views. They will help open your eyes to different world views and you’ll learn to accept people who don’t see the world exactly the way you see it.

除了不斷地使志同道合的人圍繞在身邊，你應該試着打破這種安逸，同觀點與你對立的人做朋友。他們可以幫助你拓展不同世界觀的視野，而你也將學會接受以一種完全迥異於你的方式看待世界的人。

7. A Friendly Neighbor

7.一位友好的鄰居

These days, a lot of people don’t know their own neighbors. It’s a shame, because some neighbors can be the nicest and most helpful people ever. If you’re on a vacation, and you suddenly realize that you forgot to lock the front door, you can call up your trusty ol’ neighbor and ask them to head over to your house and lock it for you. Nice dependable neighbors who have each other’s backs are a dying breed, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t introduce yourself to the new neighbors across the street!

這些年，很多人不瞭解自己的鄰居。這真是羞愧。因爲一些鄰居可以成爲最友好和最熱心的人。要是你正在度假，突然意識到自己忘記鎖大門了，你可以打電話給信任的鄰居，讓他們前去你家，幫你鎖好大門。擁有友好並相互照應的鄰居是千金難買，但那並不意味着你不應該向街對面的新鄰居介紹你自己。

8. A Work Pal

8.一位工作夥伴

Did you know that with a full-time job, you spend at least 50% of your waking hours at work? Not only that, but you spend some more time commuting to work, thinking about work, working overtime, and furthering your career on your personal time. Depressing, isn’t it?

你知道嗎?在擁有一份全職工作後，你至少花費了50%的醒着的時間在工作上。不僅僅是那樣，你還要多花費些時間在通勤、思考工作、加班，並且在個人時間拓展事業。真令人沮喪，是不是?

Statistics show that the more isolated you are at work, the more depressed you get. That’s why it makes sense to get a work pal to chat with at the water cooler and to help you get through the week. You spend 50% of your waking hours at work, and so does your work pal. You’ll find it much easier to shoot the breeze and complain about work with someone who can relate to you than eating lunch alone every day.

數據表明，在工作上越孤立，你就變得越抑鬱。這就是爲什麼需要一個可以在飲水機旁聊天並且助你度過一週的工作夥伴。你花50%醒着的時間在工作上，你的工作夥伴也一樣。與每天獨自吃午飯相比，你會發現與合得來的人閒聊或是抱怨工作是更容易的事。

Your work pal doesn’t have to be your best friend outside of work. They just need to be someone you click with on some level, and if you two hit it off exceptionally well, you can always start hanging out with them outside of the office.

你的工作夥伴不一定要是你工作之外的最好的朋友。他們只需要是你在某種層面上喜歡的人即可。如果你倆一拍即合特別好，那麼在辦公室之外你總是可以和他們出去逛。

With a loyal best friend, a fearless adventurer, a brutally honest confidant, a wise mentor, a friend from a different culture, a polar opposite, a friendly neighbor, and a work pal in your life, you’re bound to live a long and happy life!

一生中，有一個忠實的最好的朋友、一個無所畏懼的冒險者、一位極其誠實的知己、一位睿智的導師、一個來自不同文化的朋友、一個完全對立的朋友、一個友好的鄰居以及一個工作夥伴，你必將活得長久而快樂。

　　直面內在的敵人 Facing the Enemies Within

We are not born with courage, but neither are we born with fear. Maybe some of our fears are brought on by your own experiences, by what someone has told you, by what you’ve read in the papers. Some fears are valid, like walking alone in a bad part of town at two o’clock in the morning. But once you learn to avoid that situation, you won’t need to live in fear of it.

我們的勇氣並不是與生俱來的，我們的恐懼也不是。也許有些恐懼來自你的親身經歷，別人告訴你的故事，或你在報紙上讀到的東西。有些恐懼可以理解，例如在凌晨兩點獨自走在城裏不安全的地段。但是一旦你學會避免那種情況，你就不必生活在恐懼之中。

Fears, even the most basic ones, can totally destroy our ambitions. Fear can destroy fortunes. Fear can destroy relationships. Fear, if left unchecked, can destroy our lives. Fear is one of the many enemies lurking inside us.

恐懼，哪怕是最基本的恐懼，也可能徹底粉碎我們的抱負。恐懼可能摧毀財富，也可能摧毀一段感情。如果不加以控制，恐懼還可能摧毀我們的生活。恐懼是潛伏於我們內心的衆多敵人之一。

Let me tell you about five of the other enemies we face from within. The first enemy that you’ve got to destroy before it destroys you is indifference. What a tragic disease this is! “Ho-hum, let it slide. I’ll just drift along.” Here’s one problem with drifting: you can’t drift your way to the to of the mountain.

讓我來告訴你我們面臨的其他五個內在敵人。第一個你要在它襲擊你之前將其擊敗的敵人是冷漠。打着哈欠說：“隨它去吧，我就隨波逐流吧。”這是多麼可悲的疾病啊!隨波逐流的問題是：你不可能漂流到山頂去。

The second enemy we face is indecision. Indecision is the thief of opportunity and enterprise. It will steal your chances for a better future. Take a sword to this enemy.

我們面臨的第二個敵人是優柔寡斷。它是竊取機會和事業的賊，它還會偷去你實現更美好未來的機會。向這個敵人出劍吧!

The third enemy inside is doubt. Sure, there’s room for healthy skepticism. You can’t believe everything. But you also can’t let doubt take over. Many people doubt the past, doubt the future, doubt each other, doubt the government, doubt the possibilities nad doubt the opportunities. Worse of all, they doubt themselves. I’m telling you, doubt will destroy your life and your chances of success. It will empty both your bank account and your heart. Doubt is an enemy. Go after it. Get rid of it.

第三個內在的敵人是懷疑。當然，正常的懷疑還是有一席之地的，你不能相信一切。但是你也不能讓懷疑掌管一切。許多人懷疑過去，懷疑未來，懷疑彼此，懷疑政府，懷疑可能性，並懷疑機會。最糟糕的是，他們懷疑自己。我告訴你，懷疑會毀掉你的生活和你成功的機會，它會耗盡你的存款，留給你乾涸的心靈。懷疑是敵人，追趕它，消滅它。

The fourth enemy within is worry. We’ve all got to worry some. Just don’t let conquer you. Instead, let it alarm you. Worry can be useful. If you step off the curb in New York City and a taxi is coming, you’ve got to worry. But you can’t let worry loose like a mad dog that drives you into a small corner. Here’s what you’ve got to do with your worries: drive them into a small corner. Whatever is out to get you, you’ve got to get it. Whatever is pushing on you, you’ve got to push back.

第四個內在的敵人是擔憂。我們都會有些擔憂，不過千萬不要讓擔憂征服你。相反，讓它來警醒你。擔憂也許能派上用場。當你在紐約走上人行道時有一輛出租車向你駛來，你就得擔憂。但你不能讓擔憂像瘋狗一樣失控，將你逼至死角。你應該這樣對付自己的擔憂：把擔憂驅至死角。不管是什麼來打擊你，你都要打擊它。不管什麼攻擊你，你都要反擊。

The fifth interior enemy is overcaution. It is the timid approach to life. Timidity is not a virtue; it’s an illness. If you let it go, it’ll conquer you. Timid people don’t get promoted. They don’t advance and grow and become powerful in the marketplace. You’ve got to avoid over caution.

第五個內在的敵人是過分謹慎。那是膽小的生活方式。膽怯不是美德，而是一種疾病。如果你不理會它，它就會將你征服。膽怯的人不會得到提拔，他們在市場中不會前進，不會成長，不會變得強大。你要避免過分謹慎。

Do battle with the enemy. Do battle with your fears. Build your courage to fight what’s holding ou back, what’s keeping you from your goals and dreams. Be courageous in your life and in your pursuit of the things you want and the person you want to become.

一定要向這起敵人開戰。一定要向恐懼開戰。鼓起勇氣抗擊阻擋你的事物，與阻止你實現目標和夢想的事物作鬥爭。要勇敢地生活，勇敢地追求你想要的事物並勇敢地成爲你想成爲的人。