优秀的经典英语美文欣赏
我们可以多多看看一些英语的文章来提升我们的英语作文，今天小编就给大家分享一下英语美文欣赏，欢迎参考
一位母亲写给女儿的信
dear girls,
我亲爱的孩子们，
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.
你们现在如此稚嫩，但我希望将来某一天等你们长大了，这封信将会对你们有帮助。作为一个成年女人，我也有很多想问我妈妈的问题，有很多我和她从未谈及过的事情。在你们的成长中，我会在你们身边帮你们过好生活长大成人，但即使这样，我认为这封信也能通过其他方式使你们获益。谁也不知道将来会发生什么，但至少你们会有我这个34岁的母亲把想法写下来供你们参考。
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.
不管怎么样，我希望谈谈关于美以及我对美的看法。作为一个有两个女儿的母亲，在谈到美和自身形象的问题，我有重要的责任为你们引导相对健康的认识之路。虽然在许多女人眼里，我这方面做得并不值得称赞，因为现在在vera的房间里还乱糟糟地塞满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.
但对于芭比娃娃(以及系列相关的公主垃圾玩具)我想说的是，我小时候玩了整整十年的洋娃娃，现在我是一个拥有体重标准、保持健康外貌的女性，我获得了硕士学位，我事业成功还出版了一本书。如果芭比娃娃真的对我的女性特质和个人形象有破坏性的影响，那么我真是非常怀疑我列出的那些成就是怎么来的。
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，对女人来讲保持健康的形象很不容易。想要不被体重困扰，不奢求自己能有经济能力购买更时尚的衣服，这真的很难;不觊觎别的女生的发型、翘臀和睫毛，不在自己身上无节制的花时间试图让自己驾驭那些完全不适合的造型，这些也都太难了。
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.
我身边有一群女性朋友，虽然我很爱她们，但每次跟她们接触我都需要打起精神，只是和她们待在一起我都会觉得不自然。看着我妈妈的老照片，我总是纳闷为什么自己永远不能像她那么骨感，然后我发现身边有朋友比她妈妈年轻时还要瘦。我们女人总在转圈圈，有时还牵着彼此的手试着扮演对方的角色。
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.
男人以为我们穿衣服打扮自己是为了给他们看，但为什么当男人几乎不去注意这些时我们依然乐此不疲呢?在我知道自己马上将会见一个时髦的女性朋友之前，我就会非常非常努力地打扮自己，让自己看起来容光焕发。而她也肯定会注意到我苗条的腰线和手臂上纤细精巧的手镯。
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.
毫无疑问，我亲爱的女儿维多妮卡和朱丽叶，你们以后也会无止境地相互比较。你们会郁闷为什么对方的腿比自己长，头发比自己亮，胸部比自己丰满或者她有更浓密的睫毛。我懂这些，不是因为我了解姐妹关系，而是我了解女人。我要告诉你们而你们必须牢记的一件事是：即使最漂亮的女人也没有安全感，在你眼里最完美的女孩或许比任何人都想改变自己。
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.
不要太在乎这些，不要让这样的信息增加自己的负担。你有自己独特的价值。你的生命中充满爱和光芒，让它们每天每分每秒都照耀着你的生活吧!如果有人为了站得高一点而把你推倒，那么你得自己坚强地站起来，让自己站得更高!要知道他们推你下去只是因为他们恐惧。而我要告诉你们的是：当我站在人生最高处的时候，我觉得那是我觉得最美丽的时刻!
stand tall.
昂首挺立。
love,
爱你们的，
mom
妈妈
一生中要有的八种类型的朋友
Did you know that people without friends are more likely to die an early death?
你知道吗?没有朋友的人往往死的早。
It’s true. Just ask science.
这是真的。不信，可以向科学求证。
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.
要想生活得长久幸福，一群不能共患难的朋友是不能助你达成目的的。你需要的是一群性格各异、面面俱到，可以与你同甘苦共患难的朋友。接下来要说的八种类型的朋友正是这一类。
1. A Loyal Best Friend
1.一个忠实的最好的朋友
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.
有时一个忠实的最好的朋友可以是使你保持清醒的唯一原因。每个人都需要一个无论在任何情况下都无私支持自己的朋友。这样的朋友可以放任你的一团糟，也知道你所有的最深处和最黑暗的秘密，但仍然一直爱着你。
2. A Fearless Adventurer
2.一个无所畏惧的冒险者
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.
我们生活在一个宏大的世界里，可以看许多风景，遇到各色人，拥有丰富多彩的经历。然而，我们大部分人都深陷在自己的琐事里，忘记如何好好地生活。我们都需要一个冒险的朋友，将自己从壳里拖出来并向我们介绍新想法、文化、哲学和活动。
3. A Brutally Honest Confidant
3.一个极其诚实的知己
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，有些特定的场合，我们需要知道残酷的真相。这时我们正需要这样一个极其诚实的知己。在一段摇摆不定的恋爱关系中，每个人都对你说情人间难免有摩擦，你应该再次回到那个人身边，而这已是过去两年里第八次出现。此时那个极其诚实的知己则会摘掉你乐观的眼镜，对你说，“够了!不要再上演那种分分合合的戏码了。你值得更好的人”。朋友之间应该相互坦诚。如果你发现某个人对你极其诚实，那么就紧紧抓住这个人。在这个时代，像这样的人已不多了。
4. A Wise Mentor
4.一位睿智的导师
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.
杰西杰克逊曾说，“永远不要看轻别人,除非他需要你的帮助”。如果你的一生中有这样聪慧、令人激励和敬佩的人在实践这种哲学，那你就非常幸运。我们都需要一个激励自己变得更好而不是变得自卑的朋友。而且，在这样一个人身边将会促使我们不断提高，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，一位睿智的导师不一定要是某个职位与你相同的或是拥有共同爱好的人。仅仅是某个生活阅历比你多点，拥有足够智慧和能力，可以指引你走向正确方向的人。他可以是任何人—— 一位同事、一个阅历丰富的朋友或是一位年老的邻居，只要你敬仰并且想要成为甚至超越他们。
5. A Friend From a Different Culture
5.来自不同文化的朋友
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.
你最不想被别人描述成固执己见的人。如果每个人都有一位来自不同文化的朋友，世界将会变得更美好。一段跨文化的友谊可以使你体验与自己文化迥然不同的习俗、价值观和传统。有时，你甚至可能采用新的方式做事。
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，不要就因为某人来自不同文化就与其成为朋友。没人喜欢成为象征性的朋友。相反，你要敞开心胸。如果你在网上遇到某个人恰巧来自不同文化，要努力去了解他们的习俗、价值观念和传统，同时从个人的层面去了解这个人。
6. A Polar Opposite
6.一个完全对立的朋友
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.
我们人类天生的会聚集在一起组成组，对付外来者-----即人类团体性思维，如果你想知道的话。要是只跟与你有相同信仰、习俗和价值观念的人做朋友，你将可能与其余的世界相脱离，更加可能给与你持不同世界观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.
除了不断地使志同道合的人围绕在身边，你应该试着打破这种安逸，同观点与你对立的人做朋友。他们可以帮助你拓展不同世界观的视野，而你也将学会接受以一种完全迥异于你的方式看待世界的人。
7. A Friendly Neighbor
7.一位友好的邻居
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!
这些年，很多人不了解自己的邻居。这真是羞愧。因为一些邻居可以成为最友好和最热心的人。要是你正在度假，突然意识到自己忘记锁大门了，你可以打电话给信任的邻居，让他们前去你家，帮你锁好大门。拥有友好并相互照应的邻居是千金难买，但那并不意味着你不应该向街对面的新邻居介绍你自己。
8. A Work Pal
8.一位工作伙伴
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?
你知道吗?在拥有一份全职工作后，你至少花费了50%的醒着的时间在工作上。不仅仅是那样，你还要多花费些时间在通勤、思考工作、加班，并且在个人时间拓展事业。真令人沮丧，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.
数据表明，在工作上越孤立，你就变得越抑郁。这就是为什么需要一个可以在饮水机旁聊天并且助你度过一周的工作伙伴。你花50%醒着的时间在工作上，你的工作伙伴也一样。与每天独自吃午饭相比，你会发现与合得来的人闲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.
你的工作伙伴不一定要是你工作之外的最好的朋友。他们只需要是你在某种层面上喜欢的人即可。如果你俩一拍即合特别好，那么在办公室之外你总是可以和他们出去逛。
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，有一个忠实的最好的朋友、一个无所畏惧的冒险者、一位极其诚实的知己、一位睿智的导师、一个来自不同文化的朋友、一个完全对立的朋友、一个友好的邻居以及一个工作伙伴，你必将活得长久而快乐。
直面内在的敌人 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.
我们的勇气并不是与生俱来的，我们的恐惧也不是。也许有些恐惧来自你的亲身经历，别人告诉你的故事，或你在报纸上读到的东西。有些恐惧可以理解，例如在凌晨两点独自走在城里不安全的地段。但是一旦你学会避免那种情况，你就不必生活在恐惧之中。
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.
恐惧，哪怕是最基本的恐惧，也可能彻底粉碎我们的抱负。恐惧可能摧毁财富，也可能摧毁一段感情。如果不加以控制，恐惧还可能摧毁我们的生活。恐惧是潜伏于我们内心的众多敌人之一。
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.
让我来告诉你我们面临的其他五个内在敌人。第一个你要在它袭击你之前将其击败的敌人是冷漠。打着哈欠说：“随它去吧，我就随波逐流吧。”这是多么可悲的疾病啊!随波逐流的问题是：你不可能漂流到山顶去。
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.
我们面临的第二个敌人是优柔寡断。它是窃取机会和事业的贼，它还会偷去你实现更美好未来的机会。向这个敌人出剑吧!
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.
第三个内在的敌人是怀疑。当然，正常的怀疑还是有一席之地的，你不能相信一切。但是你也不能让怀疑掌管一切。许多人怀疑过去，怀疑未来，怀疑彼此，怀疑政府，怀疑可能性，并怀疑机会。最糟糕的是，他们怀疑自己。我告诉你，怀疑会毁掉你的生活和你成功的机会，它会耗尽你的存款，留给你干涸的心灵。怀疑是敌人，追赶它，消灭它。
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.
第四个内在的敌人是担忧。我们都会有些担忧，不过千万不要让担忧征服你。相反，让它来警醒你。担忧也许能派上用场。当你在纽约走上人行道时有一辆出租车向你驶来，你就得担忧。但你不能让担忧像疯狗一样失控，将你逼至死角。你应该这样对付自己的担忧：把担忧驱至死角。不管是什么来打击你，你都要打击它。不管什么攻击你，你都要反击。
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.
第五个内在的敌人是过分谨慎。那是胆小的生活方式。胆怯不是美德，而是一种疾病。如果你不理会它，它就会将你征服。胆怯的人不会得到提拔，他们在市场中不会前进，不会成长，不会变得强大。你要避免过分谨慎。
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.
一定要向这起敌人开战。一定要向恐惧开战。鼓起勇气抗击阻挡你的事物，与阻止你实现目标和梦想的事物作斗争。要勇敢地生活，勇敢地追求你想要的事物并勇敢地成为你想成为的人。
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