優美的高一英語美文欣賞
美是散文的靈魂。那麼,什麼樣的散文才是美文呢?散文的美,應在於它的內質而不是外表。下面是本站小編帶來的高一英語美文，歡迎閱讀!
一封給我兒子的信
Dear Seth,
親愛的塞斯，
You're only three years old, and at this point in your life you can't read, much less understand what I'm going to try to tell you in this letter.
你現在僅僅3歲，此刻你還不識字，更不用說讓你去理解我接下來想在這封信裏對你所說的話了。
But I've been thinking a lot about the life that you have ahead of you, about my life so far as I reflect on what I've learned, and about my role as a dad in trying to prepare you for the trials that you will face in the coming years。
但是我已經苦思冥想了好久，關於你即將面臨的人生以及我的生活，我反思我所學會的;思考一個父親的職責，力圖讓你爲未來歲月中即將面臨的困難做好充分準備。
You won't be able to understand this letter today, but someday, when you're ready, I hope you will find some wisdom and value in what I share with you。
你今天並不能理解這封信的含義，但是某一天，當時機成熟，我希望你能在我與你分享的內容當中找尋到些許的智慧和價值。
You are young, and life has yet to take its toll on you, to throw disappointments and heartaches and loneliness and struggles and pain into your path. You have not been worn down yet by long hours of thankless work, by the slings and arrows of everyday life。
你還很年輕，生命還尚未開始摧殘你，沒有在你的人生道路上佈置失望，傷心，孤獨，掙扎和苦痛。你還沒有被漫長的乏味工作，被日常生活的打擊搞得筋疲力盡。
For this, be thankful. You are at a wonderful stage of life. You have many wonderful stages of life still to come, but they are not without their costs and perils。
因此，謝天謝地吧。你正處在人生一個美妙的階段。還有很多美妙的階段會來到你面前，但是都不是唾手可得的，你都得付出代價，經歷風險。
I hope to help you along your path by sharing some of the best of what I've learned. As with any advice, take it with a grain of salt. What works for me might not work for you。
我希望通過分享一些我所學到的最好的道理能幫助你走好人生路。至於任何建議，且把它當作佐料，因爲適合我的並不一定適用於你。
Life Can Be Cruel
生活會很殘酷
There will be people in your life who won't be very nice. They'll tease you because you're different, or for no good reason. They might try to bully you or hurt you。
你的生活中一定會有並不友好的人。他們恥笑你因爲你不同，而在沒有更好的理由。他們可能會欺負你或者傷害你。
There's not much you can do about these people except to learn to deal with them, and learn to choose friends who are kind to you, who actually care about you, who make you feel good about yourself.
對這種人你除了學會和其接觸無計可施，同時你也要學會擇友，選擇那些對你友善的，那些真正關心你的，那些令你對自己感到很好的人做朋友。
When you find friends like this, hold on to them, treasure them, spend time with them, be kind to them, love them。
當你尋找到像這樣的朋友，就一定要堅守這份友誼，珍惜他們，花些時間和他們在一起，友善的對待他們並愛他們。
There will be times when you are met with disappointment instead of success. Life won't always turn out the way you want. This is just another thing you'll have to learn to deal with. But instead of letting these things get you down, push on. Accept disappointment and learn to persevere, to pursue your dreams despite pitfalls. Learn to turn negatives into positives, and you'll do much better in life。
有時你會遭遇挫折而非成功。生活並不總會如你所願。這是另一件你需要學會處理的事情。但你要挺住向前，而不是讓這些事讓你陷入低谷。接受挫敗並學會堅持，不畏風險地追求你的夢想。學會把消極轉化爲積極，之後你就能做的好得多。
You will also face heartbreak and abandonment by those you love. I hope you don't have to face this too much, but it happens.
你同樣會面臨心碎時刻以及你深愛的人的拋棄。我希望你無須經歷太多此類事件，但如果不幸發生了
Again, not much you can do but to heal, and to move on with your life. Let these pains become stepping stones to better things in life, and learn to use them to make you stronger。
再一次，除了慢慢癒合心中的創傷並繼續下去你的生活，你別無選擇。讓這些痛苦成爲你通向更美好生活的墊腳石，並學會利用它們讓自己更堅強。
But Be Open to life Anyway
但無論如何，都要張開雙臂擁抱生活
Yes, you'll find cruelty and suffering in your journey through life … but don't let that close you to new things. Don't retreat from life, don't hide or wall yourself off. Be open to new things, new experiences, new people。
是的，在你的生命歷程中你會遇到殘酷，煎熬……但不要讓這些讓你拒絕接受新鮮事物。不要逃避生活，不要躲藏，抑或封閉自己。擁抱新鮮事物，經歷全新體驗，接觸新的人。
You might get your heart broken 10 times, but find the most wonderful woman the 11th time. If you shut yourself off from love, you'll miss out on that woman, and the happiest times of your life。
你或許心碎了10次，但是在第十一次找到至愛。如果你把自己關在愛的門外，你就會錯過這個女子，和你生命中最快樂的時光。
You might get teased and bullied and hurt by people you meet … and then after meeting dozens of jerks, find a true friend. If you close yourself off to new people, and don't open your heart to them, you'll avoid pain … but also lose out on meeting some incredible people, who will be there during the toughest times of your life and create some of the best times of your life。
你可能會被你遇到的人恥笑欺負傷害…而在見了一打這種稀奇古怪的人後，你會找到一個真正的朋友。如果你拒絕接觸新人羣，並不向他們敞開心扉，你會避免受傷……但是同時也失去了認識這些不可思議的人的機會，他們會在你生命最困難的時刻陪伴着你，並帶給你人生當中最美好的時光。
You will fail many times but if you allow that to stop you from trying, you will miss out on the amazing feeling of success once you reach new heights with your accomplishments. Failure is a stepping stone to success。
你會失敗多次但是如果你讓失敗打到了你，不再努力，你就會錯過那種當你達到成就新高度的難以言喻的成就感。失敗是成功之母。
Love Should Be Your Rule
愛應該成爲你的生活準則
If there's a single word you should live your life by, it should be this: Love. It might sound corny, I know … but trust me, there's no better rule in life。
如果讓一個詞成爲你的生活支撐的話，那它應該是愛。也許這聽來已是老生常談，我也清楚… 但是請信任我，再沒有更好的生活準則了。
Some would live by the rule of success. Their lives will be stressful, unhappy and shallow。
一些人以成功作爲生活準則。他們的生活會很緊張，不開心並且很淺薄。
Others would live by the rule of selfishness — putting their needs above those of others. They will live lonely lives, and will also be unhappy。
另一些人的生活準則是個人利益---他們將個人需要置於他人需要之上。他們孤獨一生，終究也不會快樂。
Still others will live by the rule of righteousness — trying to show the right path, and admonishing anyone who doesn't live by that path. They are concerned with others, but in a negative way, and in the end will only have their own righteousness to live with, and that's a horrible companion。
還有一些人他們爲正義而生---努力展示其道路的正確性，並試圖勸服任何一個不以正義爲生活準則的人。他們關心他人，卻以一種消極的方式，最終懷抱追尋一生的正義而終，而正卻是一個糟糕的伴侶。
Live your life by the rule of love. Love your spouse, your children, your parents, your friends, with all of your heart. Give to them what they need, and show them not cruelty nor disapproval nor coldness nor disappointment, but only love. Open your soul to them。
用愛支撐你的生命。愛你的妻子，你的孩子，你的父母親，你的朋友，全心全意地去愛。給與他們你所需要的，不要流露出任何殘忍，不贊同，冷漠或者失望，只有愛。向他們敞開靈魂。
Love not only your loved ones, but your neighbors … your coworkers … strangers … your brothers and sisters in humanity. Offer anyone you meet a smile, a kind word, a kind gesture, a helping hand。
不僅僅愛你深愛的人，也要愛你的鄰居.。。你的同事…甚至陌生人…他們是你廣義上的兄弟姐妹。給你遇到的任何一個人一個微笑，一句善語。一個友好的姿勢，一隻援助之手。
Love not only neighbors and strangers … but your enemy. The person who is cruelest to you, who has been unkind to you … love him. He is a tortured soul, and most in need of your love。
不僅僅愛鄰居和陌生人…也要愛你的敵人。對你最殘酷的人，對曾經對你不善的人…愛他。他是一個備受折磨的靈魂，最需要你的愛。
And most of all, love yourself. While others may criticize you, learn not to be so hard on yourself, to think that you’re ugly or dumb or unworthy of love … but to think instead that you are a wonderful human being, worthy of Happiness and love … and learn to love yourself for who you are。
最重要的是愛你自己。當別人批評你時，學着不要強加自己，去認爲自己丑，笨或者不值得去愛…而要想着自己是一個很完美的人，值得擁有幸福和真愛…並學會愛現在的自己。
Finally, know that I love you and always will. You are starting out on a weird, scary, daunting, but ultimately incredibly wonderful journey, and I will be there for you when I can. Godspeed.
最後，要知道我愛你並且永遠都會，你即將開啓一段有點奇怪，令人害怕，令人心悸但最終很不可思議的巧妙旅程，我永遠會支持你。祝萬事如意。
高一英語美文篇二蘋果樹
A long time ago, there was a huge apple tree. A little boy loved to come and lay around it every day. He climbed to the tree top, ate the apples, took a nap under the shadow... He loved the tree and the tree loved to play with him.
很久很久以前，有一棵又高又大的蘋果樹。一位小男孩，天天到樹下來，他爬上去摘蘋果吃，在樹蔭下睡覺。他愛蘋果樹，蘋果樹也愛和他一起玩耍。
Time went by... the little boy had grown up and he no longer played around the tree every day. One day, the boy came back to the tree and he looked sad.
後來，小男孩長大了，不再天天來玩耍。一天他又來到樹下，很傷心的樣子。
“Come and play with me,” the tree asked the boy. “I am no longer a kid, I don’t play around trees anymore.” The boy replied, “I want toys. I need money to buy them.”
蘋果樹要和他一起玩，男孩說：“不行，我不小了，不能再和你玩，我要玩具，可是沒錢買。”
“Sorry, but I don’t have you can pick all my apples and sell them. So, you will have money.” The boy was so excited. He grabbed all the apples on the tree and left happily. The boy never came back after he picked the apples. The tree was sad.
蘋果樹說：“很遺憾，我也沒錢，不過，把我所有的果子摘下來賣掉，你不就有錢了?”男孩十分激動，他摘下所有的蘋果，高高興興地走了。然後，男孩好久都沒有來。蘋果樹很傷心。
One day, the boy returned and the tree was so excited. “Come and play with me,” the tree said. “I don’t have time to play. I have to work for my family. We need a house for shelter. Can you help me?” “Sorry, but I don’t have a house. But you can chop off my branches to build your house.”
有一天，男孩終於來了，樹興奮地邀他一起玩。男孩說：“不行，我沒有時間，我要替家裏幹活呢，我們需要一幢房子，你能幫忙嗎?”“我沒有房子，”蘋果樹說，“不過你可以把我的樹枝統統砍下來，拿去搭房子。”
So the boy cut all the branches off the tree and left happily. The tree was glad to see him happy but the boy never came back since then. The tree was again lonely and sad.
於是男孩砍下所有的樹枝，高高興興地運走去蓋房子。看到男孩高興樹好快樂。從此，男孩又不來了。樹再次陷入孤單和悲傷之中。
One hot summer day, the boy returned and the tree was delighted. “Come and play with me!” the tree said. “I am sad and getting old. I want to go sailing to relax myself. Can you give me a boat?” “Use my trunk to build your boat. You can sail far away and be happy.” So the boy cut the tree trunk to make a boat. He went sailing and never showed up for a long time. The tree was happy, but it was not true.
一年夏天，男孩回來了，樹太快樂了：“來呀!孩子，來和我玩呀。”男孩卻說：“我心情不好，一天天老了，我要揚帆出海，輕鬆一下，你能給我一艘船嗎?”蘋果樹說：“把我的樹幹砍去，拿去做船吧!”於是男孩砍下了她的樹幹，造了條船，然後駕船走了，很久都沒有回來。樹好快樂……但不是真的。
Finally, the boy returned after he left for so many years. “Sorry, my boy. But I don’t have anything for you anymore. No more apples for you...” the tree said.
許多年過去，男孩終於回來，蘋果樹說：“對不起，孩子，我已經沒有東西可以給你了，我的蘋果沒了。”
“I don’t have teeth to bite,” the boy replied.
男孩說：“我的牙都掉了，吃不了蘋果了。”
“No more trunk for you to climb on.”
蘋果樹又說：“我再沒有樹幹，讓你爬上來了。”
“I am too old for that now,” the boy said.
男孩說：“我太老了，爬不動了。”
“I really can’t give you anything... the only thing left is my dying roots,” the tree said with tears.
“我再也沒有什麼給得出手了……，只剩下枯死下去的老根，”樹流着淚說。
“I don’t need much now, just a place to rest. I am tired after all these years.” The boy replied.
男孩說：“這麼多年過去了，現在我感到累了，什麼也不想要，只要一個休息的地方。”
“Good! Old tree roots is the best place to lean on and rest. Come, Come sit down with me and rest.” The boy sat down and the tree was glad and smiled with tears...
“好啊!老根是最適合坐下來休息的，來啊，坐下來和我一起休息吧!”男孩坐下來，蘋果樹高興得流下了眼淚……
This is a story of everyone. The tree is our parent. When we were young, we loved to play with Mom and Dad... When we grown up, we left them, and only came to them when we need something or when we are in trouble.
這就是我們每個人的故事。這顆樹就是我們的父母。小時候，我們喜歡和爸爸媽媽玩……長大後，我們就離開他們，只在需要什麼東西或者遇到麻煩的時候，纔回到他們身邊。
No matter what, parents will always be there and give everything they could to make you happy. You may think that the boy is cruel to the tree but that’s how all of us are treating our parents.
無論如何，父母永遠都在那兒，傾其所有使你快樂。你可能認爲這個男孩對樹很殘酷，但這就是我們每個人對待父母的方式。
Take time out during the day for quiet time to listen to your inner voice. You may want to use your quiet time to meditate or pray.
白天花些時間出去，獨自傾聽自己的心聲。你可能想利用這段安靜的時間沉思或祈禱。
However you use this time, the key is to shut out all of the noise around you by focusing deep within yourself.
無論如何利用這段時間，關鍵是要排除周圍所有的噪音，關注自己的內心深處。
Breathing deeply during quiet time will also help you focus. I know it’s hard to find quiet time during a particularly busy day, but it’s so important — even if it’s just 10 minutes a day and you have to sneak away to get it.
安靜的時間進行深呼吸也能幫你集中注意力。我知道在特別忙碌的日子找到安靜的時間很難，然而這很重要——即使一天只有10分鐘，你也要溜開抓住它。
Quiet time can really make a difference in your life. It enables you to hear God speaking to your heart reminding you of His perfect love for you.
安靜的時間確實能使你的生命變得不同，它促使你傾聽上帝與你的心靈對話，使你想起他賦予你的完美的愛。
Be honest with yourself by paying attention to your actions. Actions speak louder than words, and they always tell the truth.
坦誠對己，注重行動吧。事實勝於雄辯，行動才能證明事實。
What do your actions say about you? If you say you love your job, but your actions say otherwise, which do you think is more true — your words or your actions?
你的行動是如何說明你的呢?如果你說熱愛自己的工作，而你的行動正好相反，你認爲哪個更有說服力呢——言語還是行動?
On the other hand, if you say you’re not good at a certain job, but your actions say otherwise, that’s also important.
另一方面，如果你說不擅長某項工作，但你的行動正好相反，這也很重要。
What do you do with this insight? You can use it to make more beneficial choices in your life. By being honest with yourself based on your previous actions, your actions moving forward will be based on truth instead of just what you tell yourself.
你怎麼處理你這種能力?你可以由此在生活中做出更多的選擇，坦誠對己也建立在以前的行爲上，你以後的行動將會以事實爲基礎，而不只是你的言詞。
Despite what your subconscious may be telling you, you can have love with no limits. The key is to unconditionally love yourself first.
不管你的潛意識告訴你什麼，你都能夠擁有無盡的愛，關鍵是首先你要無條件地愛自己。
高一英語美文篇三遲到的情書
I was always a little in awe of Great-aunt Stephina Roos. Indeed, as children we were all frankly terrified of her.
我對斯蒂菲娜老姑總是懷着敬畏之情。說實在話，我們幾個孩子對她都怕得要死。
The fact that she did not live with the family, preferring her tiny cottage and solitude to the comfortable but rather noisy household where we were brought up-added to the respectful fear in which she was held.
她不和家人一塊生活，寧願住在她的小屋子裏，而不願住在舒舒服服、熱熱鬧鬧的家裏--我們六個孩子都是在家裏帶大的--這更加重了我們對她的敬畏之情。
We used to take it in turn to carry small delicacies which my mother had made down from the big house to the little cottage where Aunt Stephia and an old colored maid spent their days.
我們經常輪替着從我們住的大房子裏帶些母親爲她做的可口的食品到她和一名黑人女僕一塊過活的那間小屋裏去。
Old Tnate Sanna would open the door to the rather frightened little messenger and would usher him-or her - into the dark voor-kamer, where the shutters were always closed to keep out the heat and the flies. There we would wait, in trembling but not altogether unpleasant.
桑娜老姨總是爲每一個上門來的怯生生的小使者打開房門，將他或她領進昏暗的客廳。那裏的百葉窗長年關閉着，以防熱氣和蒼蠅進去。我們總是在那裏哆哆嗦嗦、但又不是完全不高興地等着斯蒂菲娜老姑出來。
She was a tiny little woman to inspire so much veneration. She was always dressed in black, and her dark clothes melted into the shadows of the voor-kamer and made her look smaller than ever.
一個像她那樣身材纖細的女人居然能贏得我們如此尊敬。她總是身穿黑色衣服，與客廳裏的陰暗背景融成一體，將她的身材襯托得更加嬌小。
But you felt. The moment she entered. That something vital and strong and somehow indestructible had come in with her, although she moved slowly, and her voice was sweet and soft.
但她一進門，我們就感到有一種說不清道不明、充滿活力和剛強的氣氛，儘管她的步子慢悠、聲調甜柔。
She never embraced us. She would greet us and take out hot little hands in her own beautiful cool one, with blue veins standing out on the back of it, as though the white skin were almost too delicate to contain them.
她從不擁抱我們，但總是和我們寒暄，將我們熱乎乎的小手握在她那雙秀美清爽的手裏，她的手背上露出一些青筋，就像手上白嫩的皮膚細薄得遮不住它們似的。
Tante Sanna would bring in dishes of sweet, sweet, sticky candy, or a great bowl of grapes or peaches, and Great-aunt Stephina would converse gravely about happenings on the farm ,and, more rarely, of the outer world.
桑娜阿姨每次都要端出幾碟粘乎乎的南非糖果和一鉢葡萄或桃子給我們吃。斯蒂菲娜老姑總是一本正經他說些農場裏的事，偶爾也談些外邊世界發生的事。
When we had finished our sweetmeats or fruit she would accompany us to the stoep, bidding us thank our mother for her gift and sending quaint, old-fashioned messages to her and the Father. Then she would turn and enter the house, closing the door behind, so that it became once more a place of mystery.
待我們吃完糖果或水果，她總要將我們送到屋前的門廊，叮囑我們要多謝母親給她送食品，要我們對父母親轉達一些稀奇古怪的老式祝願，然後就轉身回到屋裏，隨手關上門，使那裏再次成爲神祕世界。
As I grew older I found, rather to my surprise, that I had become genuinely fond of my aloof old great-aunt.
讓我感到吃驚的是，隨着我逐漸長大，我發現打心眼裏喜歡起我那位孤伶伶的老姑姑來。
But to this day I do not know what strange impulse made me take George to see her and to tell her, before I had confided in another living soul, of our engagement. To my astonishment, she was delighted.
至今我仍不知道那是一種什麼樣的奇異動力，使我在還沒有透露給別人之前就把喬治領去看望姑姑，告訴她我們已經訂婚的消息。不成想，聽到這個消息以後，她竟非常高興。
"An Englishman,"she exclaimed."But that is splendid, splendid. And you,"she turned to George,"you are making your home in this country? You do not intend to return to England just yet?"
"是英國人!"她驚訝地大聲說道，"好極了。你，"她轉向喬治，"你要在南非安家嗎?你現在不打算回國吧?"
She seemed relieved when she heard that George had bought a farm near our own farm and intended to settle in South Africa. She became quite animated, and chattered away to him.
當她聽說喬治已經在我們農場附近購置了一片農場並打算定居下來時，好像鬆了一口氣。她興致勃勃地和喬治攀談起來。
After that I would often slip away to the little cottage by the mealie lands. Once she was somewhat disappointed on hearing that we had decided to wait for two years before getting married, but when she learned that my father and mother were both pleased with the match she seemed reassured.
從那以後，我常常到那所位於玉米地邊的小屋。有一次，當斯蒂菲娜老姑聽說我們決定再過兩年結婚時，露出了失望的神色，但一聽說我的父母親都對這門親事滿意時，她又放寬了心。
Still, she often appeared anxious about my love affair, and would ask questions that seemed to me strange, almost as though she feared that something would happen to destroy my romance.
但她對我的婚姻大事還是經常掛在嘴邊。她常常問一些怪怪的問題，幾乎像擔心我的婚事會告吹一樣。
But I was quite unprepared for her outburst when I mentioned that George thought of paying a lightning visit to England before we were married."He must not do it,"she cried."Ina, you must not let him go. Promise me you will prevent him."she was trembling all over.
當我提到喬治打算在婚前匆匆回一趟國時，她竟激動了起來。只見她渾身哆嗦着大聲嚷道："他不能回去!愛娜!你不能放他走，你得答應我不放他走!"
I did what I could to console her, but she looked so tired and pale that I persuaded her to go to her room and rest, promising to return the next day.
我盡力安慰她，但她還是顯得萎靡不振。我只得勸她回屋休息，並答應第二天再去看她。
When I arrived I found her sitting on the stoep. She looked lonely and pathetic, and for the first time I wondered why no man had ever taken her and looked after her and loved her.
我第二天去看她時，她正坐在屋前的門廊上，流露出抑鬱孤寂的神情。我第一次感到納悶：以前怎麼沒有人娶她、照料和愛撫她呢?記得母親曾經說過，斯蒂菲娜老姑以前曾是一個楚楚可愛的小姑娘。
Mother had told me that Great-aunt Stephina had been lovely as a young girl, and although no trace of that beauty remained, except perhaps in her brown eyes, yet she looked so small and appealing that any man, one felt, would have wanted to protect her.
儘管除了她那褐色的眼睛尚能保留一點昔日的風韻之外，她的美貌早已蕩然無存。但她看上去還是那樣小巧玲瓏、惹人愛憐，引起男人們的惜香憐玉之情。
Then she seemed to give herself, mentally, a little shake. "You must have wondered ", she said, "why I was so upset at the thought of young George's going to England without you.
我走到她的跟前。她拍着身邊的椅子，淡淡一笑。"坐下吧，親愛的，"她說，"我有話要告訴你。"她欲言又止，好像不知道話從何說起似的。接着，她彷彿振作了起來。她說："我聽你說喬治要回國，又不帶你走，心裏非常不安。我這份心事你是不明白的。
I am an old woman, and perhaps I have the silly fancies of the old, but I should like to tell you my own love story, and then you can decide whether it is wise for your man to leave you before you are married."
我是一個老婆子了，大概還懷着老人們的那顆癡心吧。不過，我想把自己的愛情故事講給你聽。這樣你就能明白在你們結婚之前讓你的未婚夫離開你，是不是一個明智之舉。"
"I was quite a young girl when I first met Richard Weston. He was an Englishman who boarded with the Van Rensburgs on the next farm, four or five miles from us.
"我第一次遇見理查德·威斯頓時還是一個年輕姑娘。他是一個英國人，寄宿在我家附近四、五英里一個農場上的範·倫斯堡家裏。
Richard was not strong. He had a weak chest, and the doctors had sent him to South Africa so that the dry air could cure him. He taught the Van Rensburg children, who were younger than I was, though we often played together, but he did this for pleasure and not because he needed money.
他身體不好，胸悶氣短。醫生讓他去南非讓乾燥的氣候治好他的病。他教倫斯堡的孩子們唸書，他們都比我小，儘管我們經常在一塊玩。理查德是以教書爲樂，並不是爲了賺錢。
"We loved one another from the first moment we met, though we did not speak of our love until the evening of my eighteenth birthday.
"我和理查德是一見鍾情，儘管直到我18歲生日那天我們才表示彼此的愛慕之情。
All our friends and relatives had come to my party, and in the evening we danced on the big old carpet which we had laid down in the barn. Richard had come with the Van Rensburgs, and we danced together as often as we dared, which was not very often, for my father hated the Uitlanders.
那天晚上的舞會上，我們的親友都來了。我們在倉房裏鋪上一條寬大的舊毛毯，翩翩起舞。我和他壯起膽子頻頻起舞。但事實上，沒有多少次，因爲我的父親很討厭'洋人'。
Indeed, for a time he had quarreled with Mynheer Van Rensburg for allowing Richard to board with him, but afterwards he got used to the idea, and was always polite to the Englishman, though he never liked him.
有一次，他曾抱怨說倫斯堡先生不應該讓理查德寄住在他的家裏，爲此還跟他吵過一場，他後來就習以爲常了。雖談不上喜歡，但對這個英國人以禮相待。"
"That was the happiest birthday of my life, for while we were resting between dances Richard took me outside into the cool, moonlit night, and there, under the stars ,he told me he loved me and asked me to marry him.
"那是我一生中最快樂的一個生日，因爲理查德在跳舞間歇將我領到外面清涼的月光中，在點點繁星之下對我傾訴愛慕之情，並向我求婚。我二話沒說答應了他的要求，因爲我早已心醉神迷，想不到父母親會說什麼。
Of course I promised I would, for I was too happy to think of what my parents would say, or indeed of anything except Richard was not at our meeting place as he had arranged.
我的心中除了理查德和他的愛情，什麼也顧不上了。 "從那以後，我們就儘可能多地見面，但往往是祕密進行。我們就這樣度過了將近1年時間。
I was disappointed but not alarmed, for so many things could happen to either of us to prevent out keeping our tryst. I thought that next time we visited the Van Ransburgs, I should hear what had kept him and we could plan further meetings…
後來有一天，在他安排的約會處，理查德爽約沒有來。失望之際，我沒有大驚小怪，因爲我們倆誰碰到形形色色的事都可能使我們無法幽會。我想我們以後去範·倫斯堡家看望之時，我就會明白理查德未能赴約的原因，再安排以後的約會……
"So when my father asked if I would drive with him to Driefontein I was delighted. But when we reached the homestead and were sitting on the stoep drinking our coffee, we heard that Richard had left quite suddenly and had gone back to England. His father had died, and now he was the heir and must go back to look after his estates.
"所以，當父親問我是否願意和他一塊開車去德里方丹時，我就高興地答應了。但待我們趕到範·倫斯堡家，坐在他們家屋前的門廊上喝咖啡時，卻聽說理查德已經不辭而別回英國去了。他的父親死了，他是繼承人，不得不回去料理遺產。
"I do not remember very much more about that day, except that the sun seemed to have stopped shining and the country no longer looked beautiful and full of promise, but bleak and desolate as it sometimes does in winter or in times of drought.
"那天的事我記不大清楚了，只記得當時陽光慘淡，田野也失去了美麗的丰采和欣欣向榮的景象，蕭瑟淒涼得跟冬天或大旱時一樣。
Late that afternoon, Jantje, the little Hottentot herd boy, came up to me and handed me a letter , which he said the English baas had left for me.
那天傍晚，在我和父親動身回家之前，霍但托特族的小牧童詹傑交給我一封信，他說是那位英國老爺留給我的。
It was the only love letter I ever received, but it turned all my bitterness and grief into a peacefulness which was the nearest I could get, then, to happiness.
這可是我有生以來收到的唯一的情書!它將我的憂傷一掃而光，使我的心情變得平靜--當時對我來說幾乎類似幸福的平靜。
I knew Richard still loved me, and somehow, as long as I had his letter, I felt that we could never be really parted, even if he were in England and I had to remain on the farm. I have it yet, and though I am an old, tired woman, it still gives me hope and courage."
我知道理查德仍在愛着我。不知怎麼回事，有了這封信，我便覺得我們不可能真正分開，哪怕他到了英國、我還留在南非的農場。這封信我至今仍保留着，儘管我已經年邁體衰，但它仍能帶給我希望和勇氣。"
"I must have been a wonderful letter, Aunt Stephia,"I said.
"斯蒂菲娜老姑，那封信一定美極了吧，"我說。
The old lady came back from her dreams of that far-off romance."Perhaps," she said, hesitating a little, "perhaps, my dear, you would care to read it ?"
老太太從她那久遠的愛之夢中醒過神來。"也許，"她帶着猶豫的神情說，"也許，親愛的，你想看看那封信吧?"
"I should love to , Aunt Stephia,"I said gently.
"我很想看，斯蒂菲娜老姑，"我輕聲說。
She rose at once and tripped into the house as eagerly as a young girl. When she came back she handed me a letter, faded and yellow with age, the edges of the envelope worn and frayed as though it had been much handled. But when I came to open it I found that the seal was unbroken.
她猛地站起身，奔進屋裏，急切得像個小姑娘。她從屋裏出來後，遞給我一封信。由於天長日久，那信已經褪色發黃，信封邊已經磨損，好像曾被摩挲過好多次。但在取信時，我發現封口還沒有拆開。
"Open it ,open it,"said Great-aunt Stephia, and her voice was shaking.
"拆開，拆開吧!"斯蒂菲娜老姑聲音顫抖地說。
I broke the seal and read.
我撕開封口，開始念信。
It was not a love letter in the true sense of the word, but pages of the minutest directions of how"my sweetest Phina"was to elude her father's vigilance, creep down to the drift at night and there meet Jantje with a horse which would take her to Smitsdorp.
嚴格說來，它算不上是一封情書，實際是隻是幾頁內容詳盡的行動指南。信裏稱"我最親愛的菲娜"該怎麼擺脫她父親的監視，夜裏逃出家門，詹傑會在淺灘上牽馬等着她，然後將她馱到史密斯多普
There she was to go to "my true friend, Henry Wilson",who would give her money and make arrangements for her to follow her lover to Cape Town and from there to England ," where, my love, we can he be married at once.
到了那裏再去找理查德的"知心朋友亨利·威爾遜"，他會給她錢爲她作好安排，使她能跟隨她的情人到開普敦，隨後轉道英國。"親愛的，這樣我們就可以在英國結婚了。
But if, my dearest, you are not sure that you can face lift with me in a land strange to you, then do not take this important step, for I love you too much to wish you the smallest unhappiness.
但是我的至愛，如果你不能保證你能在一個陌生的地方和我一塊生活，你就不必採取這個重大行動，因爲我太愛你了，不能讓你感到絲毫不快。
If you do not come, and if I do not hear from you, then I shall know that you could never be happy so far from the people and the country which you love.
如果你不來，如果我聽不到你的回信，我就會知道，如果你離開你摯愛的親人和鄉土，你是不會幸福的。
If, however, you feel you can keep your promise to me, but are of too timid and modest a journey to England unaccompanied, then write to me, and I will, by some means, return to fetch my bride."
但如果你能實踐你對我的許諾而由於你生性持重膽怯不願單身前往英國，就來信告訴我，那我就會設法回南非來迎接我的新娘。"
I read no further.
我沒有再念下去。
"But Aunt Phina!"I gasped. "Why…why…?"
"可是，菲娜老姑，"我氣喘吁吁地說，"爲什麼……?爲什麼……"
The old lady was watching me with trembling eagerness, her face flushed and her eyes bright with expectation."Read it aloud, my dear,"she said."I want to hear every word of it. There was never anyone I could trust…Uitlanders were hated in my young days…I could not ask anyone."
老太太的身子由於渴望知道信的內容而顫抖，她的眼睛炯炯有神地凝視着我，臉龐因急切的期待一片緋紅。"親愛的，大聲唸吧!"她說，"信裏的一字一句，我都要聽!當時我找不到可靠的人給我念……我年輕時，'洋人'是被人深惡痛絕的……我找不到人給我念啊!"
"But, Auntie, don't you even know what he wrote?"
"可是老姑，難道你一直不知道信裏的事嗎?"
The old lady looked down, troubled and shy like a child who has unwittingly done wrong.
老太太低頭俯視着，像一個無心做錯事的孩子一樣怯生生的，不知說什麼纔好。
"No, dear," she said, speaking very low."You see, I never learned to read.
"不知道，親愛的，"她用低沉的聲調說，“你知道，我從來沒有念過書啊!”
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