高中英语美文

1、(1 The Hottest DayIt was one of the hottest days of the dry season. We had not seen rain in almost a month. The crops were dying. Cows had stopped giving milk. The creeks and streams were long gone back into the earth. It was a dry season that would bankrupt several farmers before it was through.Eve

2、ry day, my husband and his brothers would go about the arduous process of trying to get water to the fields. Lately this process had involved taking a truck to the local water rendering plant and filling it up with water. But severe rationing had cut everyone off. If we didnt see some rain soon.we w

3、ould lose everything. It was on this day that I learned the true lesson of sharing and witnessed the only miracle I have seen with my own eyes.I was in the kitchen making lunch for my husband and his brothers when I saw my six-year-old son, Billy, walking toward the woods. He wasnt walking with the

4、usual carefree abandon of a youth but with a serious purpose. I could only see his back. He was obviously walking with a great effort . trying to be as still as possible.Minutes after he disappeared into the woods, he came running out again, toward the house. I went back to making sandwiches; thinki

5、ng that whatever task he had been doing was completed. Moments later, however, he was once again walking in that slow purposeful stride toward the woods. This activity went on for an hour: walking carefully to the woods, running back to the house.Finally I couldnt take it any longer and I crept out

6、of the house and followed him on his journey (being very careful not to be seen.as he was obviously doing important work and didnt need his Mommy checking up on him.He was cupping both hands in front of him as he walked, being very careful not to spill the water he held in them . maybe two or three

7、tablespoons were held in his tiny hands. I sneaked close as he went into the woods. Branches and thorns slapped his little face, but he did not try to avoid them. He had a much higher purpose.As I leaned in to spy on him, I saw the most amazing site. Several large deer loomed in front of him. Billy

8、walked right up to them. I almost screamed for him to get away. A huge buck with elaborate antlers was dangerously close. But the buck did not threaten him.he didnt even move as Billy knelt down.And I saw a tiny fawn lying on the ground; obviously suffering from dehydration and heat exhaustion, lift

9、 its head with great effort to lap up the water cupped in my beautiful boys hand. When the water was gone, Billy jumped up to run back to the house and I hid behind a tree.I followed him back to the house to a spigot to which we had shut off the water. Billy opened it all the way up and a small tric

10、kle began to creep out. He knelt there, letting the drip, drip slowly fill up his makeshift “cup,” as the sun beat down on his little back.And it came clear to me: The trouble he had gotten into for playing with the hose the week before. The lecture he had received about the importance of not wastin

11、g water. The reason he didnt ask me to help him. It took almost twenty minutes for the drops to fill his hands. When he stood up and began the trek back, I was there in front of him.His little eyes just filled with tears. “Im not wasting,” was all he said.As he began his walk, I joined him.with a sm

12、all pot of water from the kitchen. I let him tend to the fawn. I stayed away. It was his job. I stood on the edge of the woods watching the most beautiful heart I have ever known working so hard to save another life. As the tears that rolled down my face began to hit the ground, other drops.and more

13、 drops.and more suddenly joinedthem. I looked up at the sky.It was as if God, himself, was weeping with pride.Some will probably say that this was all just a huge coincidence. Those miracles dont really exist. That it was bound to rain sometime. And I cant argue with that. Im not going to try.All I

14、can say is that the rain that came that day saved our farm just like the actions of one little boy saved a life.(2 Family Christmas Tradition of Picking the Perfect TreeI was in my early 20s when I discovered the truth about the perfect Christmas trees my sister and I found each year in the forest b

15、ehind my grandparents farmhouse.When we were growing up, Colleen and I rode the train 300 miles from Seattle to Spokane every summer and Christmas vacation. Then we took a taxi 5 miles to the Greyhound(美国灰狗长途巴士 terminal, where wed wait 2 hours for the bus to Loon Lake. Forty miles and another hour l

16、ater, we would hop out at the Loon Lake post office, where Granddad and Gammie(=Grannie met us with smiling faces and Granddads green 1954 Chevy pickup(皮卡.Our warmest childhood memories are of their farm on Grouse River Road. We bumped along on the broad back of their horse, Jenny, who was 15 hands

17、high and blind in one eye. We milked cows and goats, slopped the pigs, ate berries off the vine and ran through newly plowed fields with dirt squishing between our toes, gathering worms for the chickens.How bout that One?Christmases were always white at Loon Lake, with snow piled deep for building f

18、orts and playing with Blondie, our grandparents cocker spaniel(可卡猎犬. Before we finally ran inside to warm up, little balls of snow dangled from her long fur like Christmas ornaments.But the fondest memory of all was when Granddad would hitch up Jenny and wed trudge up the hill into the forest behind

19、 their house. It was slow going, partly because Colleen and I couldnt resist flopping down regularly to make angels in the untouched snow. Then wed search the grove of pine trees looking for that special one to honor as our Christmas tree. The search always involved excited chatter, for all three of

20、 us had to agree that wed found the perfect tree before Granddad would swing his trusty ax.After we girls gently guided the cut tree to the ground, Granddad would hitch it to Jenny and drag it back to the house. As we returned, we followed the snow angels back to our little bit of heaven on earth.Th

21、e Twinkle in Gammies EyeGranddad passed away when my sister and I were grown. Only then did Gammie reveal his secret: Hed pick out a tree early each spring, then trim and shape it through the summer and fall so it would be ready for our big day in December.As Colleen and I raced through the trees se

22、arching for the perfect tree, he would cleverly guide us toward its location, without actually pointing it out. We always thought wed discovered it ourselves.As Gammie told us this story, we realized that was why she always had that extra twinkle in her eye when we came rushing in the door, bursting

23、 with excitement about how this year wed found the best Christmas tree ever.Of all the Christmas presents we ever received, none is more special than the memory of Granddads secret gift. It remains as bright and beautiful as the snow on a clear December day orthe twinkle in Gammies eyes.(3 A fib and

24、 the Matinee 小小的谎言与音乐会I was six years old, my sister, Sally Kay, was a submissive(顺从的 three-year-old girl. For some reasons, I thought we needed to earn some money. I decided we should “hire out” as maids. We visited the neighbors, offering to clean houses for them for a quarter(2角5分硬币.Reasonable as

25、 our offer was, there were no takers. But one neighbor telephoned my mother to let her know what Mary Alice and Sally Kay were doing. Mother had just hung up the phone when we came bursting through the back door into the kitchen of our apartment. “Girls,” mother asked, “why were you two going around

26、 the neighborhood telling people you would clean their houses?”Mother wasnt angry with us. In fact, we learned afterwards she was amused that we had come up with such an idea. But, for some reason, we both denied having done any such thing. Shocked and terribly hurt that her dear little girls could

27、be such “boldfaced (厚颜的 liars” . Mother then told us that Mrs. Jones had just called and told her we had been to her house and said we would clean it for a quarter.Faced with the truth, we admitted what we had done. Mother said we have fibbed, we have not told the truth. She was sure that we knew be

28、tter. She tried to explain why a fib (小谎 hurt, but she didnt feel that we really understood.Years later, she told us that the “lesson” that she came up with for trying to teach us to be truthful would probably have been frowned upon by child psychologists. The idea came to her in a flash, and our te

29、nder-hearted mother told us it was the most difficult lesson she ever taught us. It was a lesson we never forgot.After admonishing(警告,劝告 us, mother cheerfully began preparing for lunch. As we munching on sandwiches, she asked:” Would you two like to go to see the movies this afternoon?”“Wow, would w

30、e ever?”We wondered what movie would be playing. Mother said “The Matinee”. Oh, fantastic! We would be going to “the Matinee”. Werent we lucky?” We got bathed and all dressed up. It was like getting ready for a birthday party. We hurried outside the apartment, not wanting to miss the bus that would

31、take us downtown. On the landing, Mom stunned (使震惊 us by saying, “Girls, we are not going to the movies today.”We didnt hear her right. “What?” we objected. “What do you mean? Arent we going to the Matinee? Mommy, you said that we were going to the Matinee.”Mother stooped and gathered us in her arms

32、. I couldnt understand why there were tears in her eyes. We still had the time to get the bus. But hugging us, she gently explained this was what a fib felt like.“It is important that what we say is true,”Mom said. “I fibbed to you just now and it felt awful to me. I dont ever want to fib again and

33、Im sure you dont want to fib again either. People must be able to believe each other. Do you understand?”We assured her that we understood. We would never forget.And since we had learned a lesson, why not go to the movie to the matinee. There was still time.“Not today,” Mother told us. We would go a

34、nother time.That is how over fifty years ago, my sister and I learned to be truthful. We have never forgotten how much a fib can hurt.(4 Its All in a Persons Attitude 一切都取决于一个人的态度During the Second World War, a young bride from the east followed her husband to an Army camp at the edge of the desert i

35、n California. Living conditions were primitive at best; her husband had advised against it, but she wanted to be with him.The only housing they could find was a rundown shack near an Indian Village. The heat was unbearable in the daytime115 degrees in the shade. The wind blew constantlyspreading dus

36、t and sand all over everything. The days were long and boring. Her only neighbors were the Indians none of whom spoke English. When her husband was ordered farther into the desert for two weeks of maneuvers, loneliness and the wretched living conditions got the best of (击垮her. She wrote to her mothe

37、r that she was coming home; she just couldnt take it anymore. In a short time she received a reply, which included these lines:Two men looked out from prison bars,One saw mud; the other saw stars.She read the lines over and over and began to feel ashamed of herself. She didnt really want to leave he

38、r husband. All right, shed look for the stars. In the following days, she set out to make friends with the Indians. She asked them to teach her weaving and pottery. At first they were distant, but as soon as they sensed her interest was genuine, they returned her friendship. She became fascinated wi

39、th their culture, historyeverything about them.She began to study the desert as well, and soon it too changed from a desolate, forbidding place to a marvelous thing of beauty. She had her mother send her books. She studied the forms of the cacti, the yuccas, and the Joshua trees. She collected seash

40、ells that had been left there millions of years ago when the sands had been an ocean floor. Later, she became such an expert on the area that she wrote a book about it.What had changed? Not the desert; not the Indians. Simply by changing her own attitude, she had transformed a miserable experience i

41、nto a highly rewarding one.(5 I wish you enough 祝你幸福永远At an airport I overheard a father and daughter during their last moments together.Her flight was ready for boarding and they were standing near the departure gate. They hugged and he said, “I love you, I wish you enough.” She in turn said, “Dadd

42、y, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, Daddy.”They kissed goodbye and she left. The man walked over towards the window near where I was seated. I could see that he wanted and needed to cry.在机场我无意中听到父女俩在最后分别时刻的谈话。女儿正准备上飞机,他们站在飞机门附近。他们拥抱

43、着,父亲说:”我爱你,我希望你能知足常乐,尽享人生。”女儿回答说:”爸爸,我们在一起生活了这么长时间我已经很知足了,您给我的爱也够了,我也希望你幸福永远,爸爸!”吻别后,女儿走了。父亲朝着我座位附近的窗子走过来,我可以看出他忍不住要哭。I tried not to intrude upon his privacy, but he welcomed me by asking, “Have you ever said goodbye to someone knowing that it would be forever?”我尽力不触及他的隐私,但他却向我打招呼,问:”你曾经有过明知是永别却还对某人

44、说再见的经历吗?”Yes, I have.”Saying that brought back memories I had of expressing my love andappreciation for all that my Dad had done for me. Recognizing that his days were numbered, I took the time to tell him, face to face, how much he meant to me. So I knew what this man was going through.”我有过这种经历。”这句

45、话让我想起我曾为父亲为我所做的一切向他表示过我的爱和感激。知道他在世的日子不多后,我特意当面对他说他对我有多么重要。所以我理解这个人此时的感受。“Forgive me for asking, but why is this goodbye forever?” I asked.”请原谅我问一句,为什么是永别呢?”我问。”I am old and she lives much too far away. I have challenges ahead and the reality is, her next trip back will be for my funeral,” he said.”我

46、老了,她又住的那么远。我的未来难料。实际上,她再回来的时候便是参加我的葬礼了。”他说。”I heard you say I wish you enough May I ask what that means?”我听到你说我希望你幸福永远,那是什么意思?”He began to smile. “That is a wish that has been handed down through the generations. My parents used to say it to everyone.”他露出微笑。”那个愿望是我们家代代相传的。我的父母过去常对每个人说。”The man pause

47、d a moment, then looked up, as if trying to remember the details.那人顿了一下,抬了抬头,像是在尽力回想其中的细节。”When we say I wish you enough, we want the other persons to have a life filled with enough good things to sustain them.”我们对人们说知足常乐,尽享人生,就是希望对方的生活里充满幸事,支撑他们走下去。”He then turned to me and shared the following, as

48、 if he were reciting it from memory:他转向我,对我说了下面这些话,像是在背诵:I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.我希望你有足够的阳光让你乐观。I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.我希望你有足够的雨水让你更加感激阳光。I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirits up.我希望你有足够的幸福使你情绪激昂。I wish you enough pain so that the smal

49、lest joys in life appear much bigger.我希望你有足够的痛苦感受生命中微小的欢乐带来的幸福。I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.我希望你得到更多,满足你的需要。I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.我希望你失去更多,珍惜所有。I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final Goodbye.我希望你在永别后能广交朋友。Then the man began to sob

50、and walked away.那个人开始抽泣,然后走开了。My friends and loved ones, I wish you enough.我的朋友及亲人们,祝你们幸福永远。They say, “It takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to lovethem, but an entire lifetime to forget them”有人说,”找到一个特别的人需要一分钟,喜欢上他需要一小时,爱上他需要一天,而忘掉他却需要一生的时间。”I wish you enough

51、.祝你们幸福永远。(6 The brick in life 生活中的”砖头”A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar(捷豹汽车. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something.As his car passed, one child ap

52、peared, and a brick smashed into the Jags side door. He slammed on the brakes and spun the Jag back to the spot from where the brick had been thrown.He jumped out of the car, grabbed some kid and pushed him up against a parked car, shouting, “What was that all about and who are you? Just what the he

53、ck are you doing?” Building up a head of steam, he went on “Thats a new car and that brick you threw is gonna cost a lot of money. Why did you do it?”Please, mister, please, Im sorry. I didnt know what else to do!” pleaded the youngster.”Its my brother,” he said. “He rolled off the curb and fell out

54、 of his wheelchair and I cant lift him up.Sobbing, the boy asked the executive, “Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? Hes hurt and hes too heavy for me.”Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He lifted the young man back into th

55、e wheelchair and took out his handkerchief and wiped the scrapes and cuts, checking to see that everything was going to be okay.”Thank you, sir. And God bless you,” the grateful child said to him. The man then watched the little boy push his brother to the sidewalk toward their home.It was a long wa

56、lk back to his Jaguar, a long, slow walk. He never did repair the side door. He kept the dent to remind him not to go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention.Life whispers in your soul and speaks to your heart. Sometimes, when you dont have the time to lis

57、ten. Life throws a brick at your head. Its your choice: Listen to the whispers of your soul or wait for the brick!Do you sometimes ignore loved ones because your life is too fast and busy leaving them to wonder whether you really love them?汉译:一位年轻有为的总裁,驾驶他崭新的捷豹车快速经过住宅区。在路边玩耍的孩子随时都可能跑到路中央,他必须十分小心,感觉孩

58、子要跑出来时,就放慢车速。就在这时,一个孩子突然出现在路旁,将一块砖头扔过来砸在他的车门上,他愤怒地急踩刹车,并将车后退到丢出砖头的地方。他从车上跳下来,抓起那个小孩,将他按在车门上嚷道:”刚才是怎么回事?你是谁?你知道自己刚刚做了什么吗?”他怒气冲天地继续吼着:”你知道你得赔多少钱才能修好这辆新车吗?你为什么要这样做呢?”很对不起,先生,我不知道我还能怎么做。”小孩乞求道。他继续说:”我哥哥从轮椅上摔了下来,我抱不动他。”男孩哭着问总裁:”您愿意帮我把哥哥抬到轮椅上去吗?他受伤了。他太重我抱不动。”这些话深深地打动了年轻的总裁,顿时喉咙哽塞,但他强忍着。他把那个受伤的哥哥抱回轮椅上。并拿出手帕为他擦拭伤口,看一下伤口是否有什么大问题。”谢谢您,先生,上帝保佑您。”小男孩感激地说。总裁望着男孩推着哥哥回家了。对于他的捷豹来说,返回的路似乎变得极为漫长。他没有修车门,让保留在车上的凹痕时刻提醒自己:不要在生活的道路上走得过于匆忙,那样别人只好向你扔砖头,引起你的注意。当生命想与你的心灵窃窃私语,有时,你会没有时间去聆听那么砖头就会落到你的头上,提醒你注意!有两种选择摆在你面前:聆听心灵的声音或者等待砖头降临!有时你会忽略深爱的人,那是因为你在生命的道路上行进太快,而无暇考虑是否真的爱他们。(7 Good deeds beget good results善