英语名篇名段背诵精华(精)

的。

< br>他出生于

1872

年正值巅峰的大英帝国，

逝于

1970

年，

此时的英

国已经历两次世界大战的摧残，帝国已经土崩瓦解。

[

译文

]< /p>

有三种质朴而又十分强烈的激情一直支配着我的人

生，这就是对爱 的渴望、对知识的求索和对人类苦难的无

限怜悯。这三种激情，有如狂飙挟我四海漂泊， 游移不定，

直至苦海的深渊，濒临绝望的边缘。

我寻求 爱，首先在于爱能带来狂喜

-----

它是如此令人心

醉神迷，我愿舍弃余生来换取这片刻的欢乐；我寻求爱，

还因为爱能消除 孤独

-----

那种当一个颤抖的灵魂从世界的

边缘透视那冰冷、荒凉的无尽深渊时感到的那种孤独；此

外，我所以寻求爱，还 因为在爱的交融中，我看见了圣者

和诗人所预想的天堂景象的神秘缩影，这正是我心中之 所

求，虽然人生似乎难臻此境，我最终却不负所求。

我怀着 同样的激情来探索知识。

我希望能够理解众人之

心，我渴望了解 星星缘何闪光，我也曾努力领会毕达哥拉

斯赋与数的力量

--- ---

主宰万物流变之力。我虽未创斐然之

绩，却也还算小有所 成。

爱和知识竭力引导着我超凡入圣，

但怜悯又把我拉回了

26

凡尘。声声悲号在我心中回响不绝。饥 饿的孩子、惨遭压

迫者折磨的苦难者、因依附儿子而被视为可憎重负的老年

人以及整个孤独、贫困和痛苦的世界是对人们理想人生的

嘲讽。我渴望减轻罪 恶，却又无能为力，我也同样感到痛

苦。

这就是我的人生。我觉得自己并未 虚度此生，若有可能，

我将欣然再一次度过如此人生。

27

Frankness (Robert E. Lee)

诚实

文中的第一段，

常常为人们所引用。

本文是李将军写给儿子的话。

You must study to be frank with the world: frankness

is

the

child

of

honesty

and

courage.

Say

just

what

you

mean to do, on every occasion. If a friend asks a favor,

you

should

grant

it,

if

it

is

reasonable;

if

not,

tell

him

plainly why you cannot. You would wrong him and wrong

yourself by equivocation of any kind.

Never do a wrong thing to make a friend or keep one.

The man who requires you to do so is dearly purchased

at

a

sacrifice.

Deal

kindly

but

firmly

with

all

your

classmates. You will find it the policy which wears best.

Above all, do not appear to others what you are not.

If you have any fault to find with any one, tell him, not

others,

of

what

you

complain.

There

is

no

more

dangerous experiment than that of undertaking to do one

thing before

a man’s face and another behind his back.

We should say and do nothing to the injury of any one. It

is not only a matter of principle, but also the path of peace

and honor.

By Robert E. Lee

frankness : candidness; outspokenness.

坦白；率直

occasion [ E5keiVEn ]: timely opportunity.

时机

28

favor [ 5feivE ]: kindness; friendly regard.

恩惠；眷顾

grant : allow; give.

同意，允许；给

reasonable: proper; rational.

正当的；合理的

plainly: frankly

坦白地

wrong : do injustice to

得罪

equivocation [ i7kwivE5keiFEn ]: using expressions of uncertain

meaning.

支吾其辞

,

模棱两可的话

deal with: treat.

对待

wear: endure.

持久

above all: more than all; above everything else.

首先，最重要

have any fault to find with: criticize unfavorably; blame.

指摘；责备

experiment: practical test.

试验

undertaking [ 7QndE5teikiN ]: promising.

允许

injury [ 5indVEri ]: damage.

损害

principle [ 5prinsEpl ]: moral principles.

原则；道义

Robert

E.

Lee

(1807-1870)

American

soldier

,

general

in

the

Confederate

States

army,

was

the

youngest

son of

major-general Henry

Lee,

called

Light Horse Harry.

He trained at West Point, and

in

the

Mexican

War

became

chief

engineer

of

the

central army in Mexico (1846). He commanded the

US

Military

Academy

(1852--5),

was

a

cavalry

officer

on

the

Texan

border

(1855--9),

and

in

1861

was

made

commander-in-chief

of

the

Virginia

forces.

He

was

in

charge

of

the

defenses

at

Richmond,

and

defeated

Federal

forces

in

the

Seven

Days'

Battles

(1862).

His

strategy

in

opposing

General

Pope,

his

invasion

of

Maryland

and

Pennsylvania,

and

other

achievements

are

central

to

the

history of the war. In 1865, he surrendered his army to General Grant at

29

Appomattox

Courthouse.

After

the

war,

he

became

President

of

Washington

College

at

Lexington.

罗伯特

·

李将军是美国历史上最为

传奇的人物之一 ，

他曾经是美国内战时期南方联军的统帅。

有兴趣的

[

译文

]

30

Three

Periods

of

My

Youth

(John

Woolman)

年轻时代的三个阶段

清教徒认为人要 过圣洁的生活，

要反省自我，

就必须每天在神面

前记下自己的所作所为。

约翰·乌门深受

17

世纪清教徒运动的影响，

仔细地记录自己的内心世界和言行。本文选自其 《日记》第一章，是

作者在

36

岁时对 幼时生活的追忆。这本自传语言晓畅，被列入哈佛

大学必读经典。

About

the

twelfth

year

of

my

age,

my

father

being

abroad, my mother reproved me for some misconduct, to

which I made an undutiful reply; and the next first-day, as

I was with my father returning from meeting, he told me

he

understood

I

had

behaved

amiss

to

my mother,

and

advised me

to

be

more

careful

in

future.

I

knew

myself

blamable, and

in

shame and

confusion

remained

silent.

Being thus awakened to a sense of my wickedness, I felt

remorse

in

my

mind,

and

getting

home,

I

retired

and

prayed to the Lord to forgive me; and I do not remember

that I ever, after that, spoke unhandsomely to either of my

parents, however foolish in some other things.

Having

attained

the

age of sixteen,

I began

to

love

wanton

company:

and

though

I

was

preserved

from

profane language or scandalous conduct, still I perceived

a plant in me which produced much wild grapes. Yet my

merciful

Father

forsook

me

not

utterly,

but

at

times,

31

through His grace, I was brought seriously to consider my

ways;

and

the

sight

of

my

backsliding

affected

me

with

sorrow: but for want of rightly attending to the reproofs of

instruction, vanity was added to vanity, and repentance.

Upon the whole, my mind was more and more alienated

from the truth, and I hastened towards destruction. While

I meditate on the gulf towards which I traveled, and reflect

on

my

youthful

disobedience,

my

heart

is

affected

with

sorrow.

Thus time passed on, my heart was replenished with

mirth

and

wantonness,

while

pleasing

scenes

of

vanity

were presented to my imagination, till I attained the age of

eighteen

years,

near

which

time

I

felt

the

judgments

of

God in my soul like a consuming fire, and looking over my

past life, the prospect was moving. I was often sad, and

longed to be delivered from those vanities; then again my

heart was strongly inclined to them, and there was in me

a sore conflict. At times I turned to folly, and then again

sorrow

and

confusion

took

hold

of

me.

In

a

while,

I

resolved totally to leave off some of my vanities, but there

was a secret reserve in my heart, of the more refined part

of

them,

and

I

was

not

low

enough

to

find

true

peace.

Thus for some months, I had great troubles and disquiet,

there

remaining

in

me

an

unsubjected

will,

which

rendered

my

labors

fruitless,

till

at

length,

through

the

merciful continuance of heavenly visitations, I was made

to bow down in spirit before the most High. I remember

one

evening

I

had

spent

some

time

in

reading

a

pious

author,

and

walking

out

alone,

I

humbly

prayed

to

the

32

Lord

for

His

help,

that

I

might

be

delivered

from

those

vanities

which

so

ensnared

me

…

.

Thus,

being

brought

low, He helped me, and as I learned to bear the cross, I

felt

refreshment

to

come

from

His

presence:

but

not

keeping in that strength which gave victory, I lost ground

again,

the

sense

of

which

greatly

afflicted

me;

and

I

sought deserts and lonely places, and there with tears did

confess my sins to God, and humbly craved help of Him.

And I may say with reverence, He was near to me in my

troubles, and in those times of humiliation opened my ear

to discipline.

Excerpted from

Journal

by John Woodman

wanton [5wCntEn]: undisciplined; spoiled; frolicsome

荒唐的，嬉戏的

wanton company

朋友

profane language

污言秽语

merciful Father

仁慈的主

repentance [ri5pentEns]: remorse or contrition for past conduct or sin

悔

恨

a consuming fire

熊熊燃烧的大火

the Most High

上帝，主

bear the cross

承受痛苦、悲伤等

John Woodman

约翰·乌门，

17

世纪后期的清教徒，给后世留下了大

量日记。

每天修炼自己，

就 必须每天

在神面前记账。

他们认真地对待自己的内心世界，

每天仔细地记录自

己的心思和言行，这种观念，的确导致了人们写日 记的习惯。

33

34

Love

Your

Life

(Henry

David

Thoreau)

热爱生活

However mean your life is, meet it and live it, do not

shun it and call it hard names. It is not so bad as you are.

It looks poorest when you're richest. The fault-finder will

find faults even in paradise. Love your life, poor as it is.

You may perhaps have some pleasant, thrilling, glorious

hours, even in a poor-house. The setting sun is reflected

from the windows of the alms-house as brightly as from

the rich man

’

s abode; the snow melts before its door as

early in the spring. I do not see but a quiet mind may live

as contentedly there, and have as cheering thoughts, as

in a palace. The town's poor seem to me often to live the

most

independent

lives

of

any.

Maybe

they

are

simply

great enough to receive without misgiving. Most think that

they are above being supported by the town; but it often

happens that they are not above supporting themselves

by dishonest means, which should be more disreputable.

Cultivate

poverty

like

a

garden

herb,

like

sage. Do

not

trouble yourself much to get new things, whether clothes

or

friends.

Turn

the

old,

return

to

them.

Things

do

not

change;

we

change.

Sell

your

clothes

and

keep

your

thoughts.

By Henry David Thoreau

35

poor-house:

济贫院

alms-house:

济贫院

above being supported

不靠外援

Henry

David

Thoreau (1817-1862)

American essayist, poet,

and

practical

philosopher,

best-known

for

his

autobiographical

story of life in the woods, WALDEN (1854). Thoreau became one

of

the

leading

personalities

in

New

England

Transcendentalism.

He wrote tirelessly but earned from his books and journalism

little.

Thoreau's

CIVIL

DISOBEDIENCE

(1849)

influenced

Gandhi

in his passive resistance campaigns, Martin Luther King, Jr.,

and at one time the politics of the British Labour Party.

亨

,

博物学家、散文家、超验现实主 义作家。生于美国

康科德，

毕业于剑桥大学。

< br>他是一名虔诚的超验主义信徒，

并用毕生

的实践来体验这 一思想，

曾隐居家乡的瓦尔登湖长达两年之久，

过着

居生活 的真实记录。

他的作品朴实无华，

亲近自然，

< br>极大地感染了一

战后美国人的思想，从而也奠定了他在美国文学史上的崇高地位。

[

译文< /p>

]

不管你的生活如何卑微，

你都得面对与 度过；

不要逃

避，更不要诅咒。当你贫困不堪时，生活并不象你 想象的

那样糟糕；

而你富甲天下时， 生活却显得贫瘠乏味。就是

在天堂，挑剔的人也总能挑出缺点。虽然贫穷，你也应该

热爱生活，因为即使在救济院，你也有自己的快乐、幸福

与辉煌的时 刻。夕阳照在救济院的窗上的光同照在富人家

的一样耀目，门前的积雪也同在早春融化。 我只知道一个

心绪宁静的人，如同城镇中的贫民，大凡过着最为无拘无

< br>

36

束的生活。或许他们只是超乎寻常，毫不恐惧地 接受这一

切。大多数人都认为自己无需依赖城镇的供养，然而结果

常常是他们养活自己靠的是不诚实的手段，这比贫民的生

活更不体面。视贫穷如园中的 花草慢慢地耕耘吧。不要刻

意地追求新花样

——

新衣服或新朋友。寻求故往，回归故

往。万物未变，是我们在变。你的衣服可以 卖掉，但要保

留自己的思想。

37

Three

Days

to

See

(Helen

Keller)

给我三天光明

马克

`< /p>

吐温曾说：

19

世纪有两个奇人，一个是 拿破仑，一个是海

伦

·

凯勒。

下面几段摘选自海伦

·

凯勒的自传《假如给我三天光明》

，海伦从

小失明，

是一位生活在黑暗中却给人类带来光明的女性。

在经历了种

种的艰辛与磨难之后，

她开始跨越了自己，

挣脱出小 我的圈子，

她的

心情逐渐开朗，

“我要 把别人眼睛所看见的光明当作我的太阳，别人

的耳朵听见的音乐当作我的乐曲，别人嘴角 的微笑当作我的快乐。

”

她接受了生命的挑战，

她觉得自己获得了自由，

内心深处的自由，

她

不仅仅是为了自己而活，

她希望自己能奉献的不仅是几片绿叶，

她要

给世界整个春天。

优美的文字和真情让我们 感动，

让我们的眼睛渐渐

湿润了，因为我们感受到的是伟大的心 灵。

Most of us, however, take life for granted. We know

that one day we must die, but usually we picture that day

as far in the future. When we are in buoyant health, death

is all but unimaginable. We seldom think of it. The days

stretch out in an endless vista. So we go about our petty

tasks, hardly aware of our listless attitude toward life.

…………

I

have

often

thought

it

would

be

a

blessing

if

each

human being were stricken blind and deaf for a few days

at some time during his early adult life. Darkness would

make him more appreciative of sight; silence would teach

him the joys of sound.

38

Now

and

then

I

have

tested

my

seeing

friends

to

discover what they see. Recently I was visited by a very

good friend who had just returned from a long walk in the

woods, and I asked her what she had observed..

in particular,” she replied. I might have been incredulous

had I not been accustomed to such reposes, for long ago

I became convinced that the seeing see little.

How was it possible, I asked myself, to walk for an

hour through the woods and see nothing worthy of note? I

who

cannot

see

find

hundreds

of

things

to

interest

me

through mere touch. I feel the delicate symmetry of a leaf.

I pass my hands lovingly about the smooth skin of a silver

birch, or the rough, shaggy bark of a pine. In the spring I

touch the branches of trees hopefully in search of a bud

the first sign of awakening Nature after her winter's sleep.

I

feel

the

delightful,

velvety

texture

of

a

flower,

and

discover

its

remarkable

convolutions;

and

something

of

the miracle of Nature is revealed to me. Occasionally, if I

am very fortunate, I place my hand gently on a small tree

and

feel

the

happy

quiver

of

a

bird

in

full

song.

I

am

delighted to have the cool waters of a brook rush through

my open finger. To me a lush carpet of pine needles or

spongy grass is more

welcome than

the

most luxurious

Persian rug. To me the pageant of seasons is a thrilling

and unending drama, the action of which streams through

my finger tips.

Excepted from

The Story of My Life

by Helen Keller

39

take life for granted:

把生命想当然

buoyant [5bCiEnt]: having or marked by buoyancy; lighthearted; gay

有

浮力的

,

轻快的

unimaginable:

想不到的

,

不可思议的

vista [ 5vistE ]:

展望

,

回想

listless[ 5listlis ]: lacking energy or disinclined to exert effort; lethargic

倦

怠的

,

冷漠的，情绪低落的

incredulous [ in5kredjulEs ]: skeptical; disbelieving

怀疑的

,

不轻信的

accustom [ E5kQstEm ]:

使习惯于

symmetry [ 5simitri ]:

对称

,

匀称

silver birch:

白桦树

shaggy [ 5FA^i ]: having a rough nap or surface

表面粗糙的

delightful

：令人愉快的

,

可喜的

velvety [ 5velviti ]: