As food is to the body, so is learning to the mind. Our bodies grow and muscles develop with the intake of adequate nutritious food. Likewise, we should keep learning day by day to maintain our keen mental power and expand our intellectual capacity. Constant learning supplies us with inexhaustible fuel for driving us to sharpen our power of reasoning, analysis, and judgment. Learning incessantly is the surest way to keep pace with the times in the information age, and an infallible warrant of success in times of uncertainty.
Once learning stops, vegetation sets in. It is a common fallacy to regard school as the only workshop for the acquisition of knowledge. On the contrary, learning should be a never-ending process, from the cradle to the grave. With the world ever changing so fast, the cease from learning for just a few days will make a person lag behind. What's worse, the animalistic instinct dormant deep in our subconsciousness will come to life, weakening our will to pursue our noble ideal, sapping our determination to sweep away obstacles to our success and strangling our desire for the refinement of our character. Lack of learning will inevitably lead to the stagnation of the mind, or even worse, its fossilization, Therefore, to stay mentally young, we have to take learning as a lifelong career.
學習之於心靈，就像食物之於身體壹樣。攝取了適量的營養食物，我們的身體得以生長而肌肉得以發達。同樣地，我們應該日復壹日不斷地學習以保持我們敏銳的心智能力，並擴充我們的智力容量。不斷的學習提供我們用不盡的燃料，來驅使我們磨利我們的推理、分析和判斷的能力。持續的學習是在信息時代中跟時代並駕齊驅的最穩當的方法，也是在變動的世代中成功的可靠保證。
壹旦學習停止，單調貧乏的生活就開始了。視學校為汲取知識的唯壹場所是種常見的謬誤。相反地，學習應該是壹種無終止的歷程，從生到死。由於世界壹直快速地在變動，只要學習停頓數日就將使人落後。更糟的是，蟄伏在我們潛意識深處的本能就會復活，削弱我們追求高貴理想的意誌，弱化我們掃除成功障礙的決心，而且扼殺我們凈化我們人格的欲望。缺少學習將不可避免地導致心靈的停滯，甚至更糟地，使其僵化。因此，為了保持心理年輕，我們必須將學習當作壹生的事業。
短篇英語美文 篇2In my opinion, the schoolwork now being assigned to high school students is too heavy. While it is true that students need to study, they need other things as well if they are to grow into healthy and well-rounded adults. High should be allowed more time for play. Plying is not wasting time, as some think. It gives them physical exercise, and also exercise their imagination. Which tends to be stifled by too much study. Finally, the pressure put on high school students by excessive schoolwork can cause serious stress, which is unhealthy physically and mentally. I do not advocate the elimination of schoolwork. I do think, however, that a reduction of the current heavy load would be beneficial to students and to the society as a whole.
我認為目前高中生的課業實在太重了，雖然說學生的確應當念書，但是要想長大成為健全的人，他門還需要壹些其它的東西，所以應該給高中生較多從事娛樂的時間。娛樂並不如某些人所想的，是在浪費時間，它可以讓學生鍛煉身體，發揮被繁重課業扼殺的想象力。此外，繁重的課業加諸在高中生身上的壓力可能引起嚴重的情緒緊張，這對身心都有害。我並非主張廢除學校課業，但是我認為減輕目前繁重的課業對於學生和整個社會都是有益的。
短篇英語美文 篇3Lost time is never found again. This is something which I learned very clearly last semester. I spent so much time fooling around that my grades began to suffer. I finally realized that something had to be done. It was time for a change.
Now I have a new plan for using my time wisely. I have set my alarm clock ahead half an hour. This will give me a head start on the day. I have also decided to keep a log of what I do and when I do it. Looking back on what I’ve done will give me some ideas on how to reorganize my time.
時光壹去不復返，這是我上學期清楚學到的教訓。我浪費很多時間四處遊蕩，以致於我的成績開始退步。最後我終於了解到我必須有所作為；該是痛改前非的時候了。
現在我有壹個明智運用時間的新方法。我已將鬧鐘早撥半小時，這將使我這壹天的作息提前開始。我也決定將我所做的壹切及做這些事的時間記錄下來。回顧我所做的事情會啟發我如何重新安排我的時間。
短篇英語美文 篇4However 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 are richest. The faultfinder will find faults in paradise. Love your life, poor as it is. You may perhaps have some pleasant, thrilling, glorious hours, even in a poorhouse.
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. May be 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.
譯文：
不論妳的生活如何卑賤，妳要面對它生活，不要躲避它，更別用惡言咒罵它。它不像妳那樣壞。妳最富有的時候，倒是看似最窮。愛找缺點的人就是到天堂裏也能找到缺點。妳要愛妳的生活，盡管它貧窮。甚至在壹個濟貧院裏，妳也還有愉快、高興、光榮的時候。
夕陽反射在濟貧院的.窗上，像身在富戶人家窗上壹樣光亮；在那門前，積雪同在早春融化。我只看到，壹個從容的人，在哪裏也像在皇宮中壹樣，生活得心滿意足而富有愉快的思想。城鎮中的窮人，我看，倒往往是過著最獨立不羈的生活。也許因為他們很大，所以受之無愧。大多數人以為他們是超然的，不靠城鎮來支援他們；可是事實上他們是往往利用了不正當的手段來對付生活，他們是毫不超脫的，毋寧是不體面的。
視貧窮如園中之花而像聖人壹樣耕植它吧！不要找新的花樣，無論是新的朋友或新的衣服，來麻煩妳自己。找舊的，回到那裏去。萬物不變，是我們在變。妳的衣服可以賣掉，但要保留妳的思想。
短篇英語美文 篇5Greta always said, "dear, keep walking in sunshine!" no matter how terrible my day started, i always felt sunny walking home from greta’s house-even beneath the winter starlight.葛麗塔總是這樣說：“親愛的，請走在陽光裏！”無論我過的每壹天是如何糟糕地開始，從葛麗塔的小屋出來走回家的時候，即使是披著冬夜的星光，我都會感覺心情愉悅。
I arrived at greta’s house today just after sunset. an ambulance had stopped a few feet from her door, it’s red lights flashing. when i ran into the old house, greta recognized me right away.這天，我在傍晚後來到了葛麗塔的家。壹輛救護停在她家門口附近，紅色的燈在閃爍不停。當我沖進她家的老房子，葛麗塔立刻認出了我。
She smiled at me with her unforgettable twinkling blue eyes. she was almost out of breath when she reached out and softly touched my arm. her last words to me were "dear, keep walking in sunshine!"她對我微笑，壹雙令人難忘的藍眼睛閃爍著光芒。當她艱難地走出來，溫柔地撫摸著我的胳膊的時候，她幾乎已經奄奄壹息。她對我說的最後壹句話是：“親愛的，記得壹直要走在陽光下。”
短篇英語美文 篇6Whether sixty or sixteen, there is in every human being's heart the lure of wonders, the unfailing childlike appetite of what's next and the joy of the game of living. In the center of your heart and my heart there is a wireless station: so long as it receives messages of beauty, hope, cheer, courage and power from men and from the infinite, so long are you young.
無論是60歲還是16歲，妳需要保持永不衰竭的好奇心、永不熄滅的孩提般求知的渴望和追求事業成功的歡樂與熱情。在妳我的心底，有壹座無線電臺，它能在多長時間裏接收到人間萬物傳遞來的美好、希望、歡樂、鼓舞和力量的信息，妳就會年輕多長時間。
An individual human existence should be like a river—small at first, narrowly contained within its banks, and rushing passionately past boulders and over waterfalls. Gradually the river grows wider, the banks recede, the waters flow more quietly, and in the end, without any visible break, they become merged in the sea, and painlessly lose their individual being.
人的生命應當像河流，開始是涓涓細流，受兩岸的限制而十分狹窄，爾後奔騰咆哮，翻過危巖，飛越瀑布，河面漸漸開闊，河岸也隨之向兩邊隱去，最後水流平緩，森森無際，匯入大海之中，個人就這樣毫無痛苦地消失了。
Youth means a temperamental predominance of courage over timidity,of the appetite for adventure over the love of ease.This often exists in a man of sixty more than a boy of twenty.Nobody grows old merely by a number of years.We grow old by deserting our ideals.青春意味著戰勝懦弱的那股大丈夫氣概和擯棄安逸的那種冒險精神。往往壹個60歲的老者比壹個20歲的青年更多壹點這種勁頭。人老不僅僅是歲月流逝所致，更主要的是不思進取的結果。
Years may wrinkle the skin,but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul. Worry, fear, self-distrust bows the heart and turns the spirit back to dust.
光陰可以在顏面上留下印記，而熱情之火的熄滅則在心靈上刻下皺紋。煩惱、恐懼、缺乏自信會扭曲人的靈魂，並將青春化為灰燼。
短篇英語美文 篇7Youth
By Samuel Ullman
Youth is not a time of life; itis a state of mind; it is not a matter of rosy cheeks, red lips and suppleknees; it is a matter of the will, a quality of the imagination, a vigor of theemotions; it is the freshness of the deep springs of life.
Youth means a temperamentalpredominance of courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over thelove of ease. This often exists in a man of 60 more than a boy of 20. Nobodygrows old merely by a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals.
Yearsmay wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul. Worry, fear,self-distrust bows the heart and turns the spirit back to dust.
Whether 60 or 16, there is inevery human being’s heart the lure of wonders, the unfailing appetite for what’snext and the joy of the game of living. In the center of your heart and myheart, there is a wireless station; so long as it receives messages of beauty,hope, courage and power from man and from the infinite, so long as you areyoung.
When your aerials are down, andyour spirit is covered with snows of cynicism and the ice of pessimism, thenyou’ve grown old, even at 20; but as long as your aerials are up, to catchwaves of optimism, there’s hope you may die young at 80.
譯文：
青春
青春不是年華，而是心境；青春不是桃面、丹唇、柔膝，而是深沈的意誌，恢宏的想象，炙熱的戀情；青春是生命的深泉在湧流。
青春氣貫長虹，勇銳蓋過怯弱，進取壓倒茍安。如此銳氣，二十後生而有之，六旬男子則更多見。年歲有加，並非垂老，理想丟棄，方墮暮年。
歲月悠悠，衰微只及肌膚；熱忱拋卻，頹廢必致靈魂。憂煩，惶恐，喪失自信，定使心靈扭曲，意氣如灰。
無論年屆花甲，擬或二八芳齡，心中皆有生命之歡樂，奇跡之誘惑，孩童般天真久盛不衰。人人心中皆有壹臺天線，只要妳從天上人間接受美好、希望、歡樂、勇氣和力量的信號，妳就青春永駐，風華常存。
壹旦天線下降，銳氣便被冰雪覆蓋，玩世不恭、自暴自棄油然而生，即使年方二十，實已垂垂老矣；然則只要樹起天線，捕捉樂觀信號，妳就有望在八十高齡告別塵寰時仍覺年輕。
短篇英語美文 篇8Ah, beautiful Paris. For centuries this city has attracted the admiration of the world. The allure and charm of Paris captivate all who visit there.
Where can you discover the charm of Paris for yourseIf. Is it in the legacy of all the French rulers who worked to beautify their beloved city? Is it in the famous castles, palaces, statues and monuments? Can you it in the world-class museums, such as the Louvre? Perhaps Paris' allure lies in the zest and style of the Parisians.
When you visit Paris, you don't have to spend all of your time visiting museums and monuments. They are certainly worthy of your time, but ignore them for a day. First take some time to look around and experience life in Paris. You'll find it charming.
Take a stroll along the Seine River. Browse through the art vendors colorful paintings. Peek through delicate iron gates at the well kept gardens. Watch closely for the French attention to detail that has made France synonymous with good taste. You will see it in the design of a doorway or arch and in the little fountains and quaint balconies. No matter where you look,you will find everyday objects transformed into works by art.
Spend some time in a quiet park relaxing on an oid bench. Lie on your back on the green grass. When you need refreshment, try coffee and pastries at a sidewalk cafe. Strike up a conversation with a Parisian. This isn't always easy, though. With such a large international population living in Paris, true natives are hard to find these days.
As evening comes to Paris, enchantment rises with the mist over the riverfront. You may hear music from an outdoor concert nearby classical, jazz, opera or chansons, those French folk songs. Parisians love their music. The starry sky is their auditorium. You can also hear concerts in the chateaux and cathedrals. In Paris the Music never ends.
Don't miss the highlight of Paris evening: eating out. Parisians are proud of their cuisine. And rightly so; it's world famous. Gourmet dining is one of the indispensable joys ofliving. You need a special guidebook to help you choose one of the hundreds of excellent restaurants. The capital of France boasts every regional specialty, cheese and wine the country has to offer. If you don't know what to order, ask for the suggested menu. The chef likes to showcase his best dishes there. Remember, you haven't tasted the true flavor ofF