高中生英語美文摘抄「有翻譯」
The Choice of Companion選擇朋友
By William Makepeace Thayer
A good companion is better than a fortune, for a fortune cannot purchase those elements of character which make companionship a blessing. The best companion is one who is wiser and better than ourselves, for we are inspired by his wisdom and virtue to nobler deeds.
一個好友勝過一筆財富，因為錢財買不到人的某些品德因素，而正是這些因素，使友情成為一種恩惠。最好的朋友是那些比我們更睿智、更出色的人，我們會受到他們的智慧和美德的激勵，從而使我們的行為更加高尚。
“Keep good company and you shall be one of the number.” said George Herbert. “A man is known by the companion he keeps.” Character makes character in the associations of life faster than anything else. Purity begets purity, like begets like; and this fact makes the choice of companion in early life more important even than that of teachers and guardians.
“與優(yōu)秀者為伍，你也會成為優(yōu)秀者中的一員。”喬治.赫伯特曾說，“從一個人所交的朋友可知其為人。”在社會交往中，品性對品性的塑造勝過其他任何因素。純潔的品格會培養(yǎng)純潔的品格，愛好會引發(fā)相同的愛好。這一事實使得在年少時選擇朋友甚至比選擇老師和監(jiān)護人還要重要。
It is true that we cannot always choose all of our companions, some are thrust upon us by business or the social relations of life, we do not choose them, we do not enjoy them; and yet, we have to associate with them more or less. The experience is not altogether without compensation, if there be principle enough in us to bear the strain. Still, in the main, choice of companions can be made, and must be made. It is not best or necessary for a young person to associate with “Tom, Dick, and Harry” without forethought or purpose. Some fixed rules about the company he or she keeps must be observed. The subject should be uttermost in the thoughts, and canvassed often.
事實上，并非所有的朋友都是我們選擇的，有些是生意或社會關(guān)系強加于我們的。我們沒有選擇他們，也不喜歡他們，可是我們不得不或多或少地與他們交往。不過，在情勢的.壓力之下，只要我們自有主張，這樣的交往也并非全無益處。大多數(shù)情況下，我們還是可以而且必須要選擇朋友的。一個年輕人無所考慮、無所目的地隨意與張三李四交往是不好的，也是沒必要的，他/她必須遵循一些交友的定例，擇友時應(yīng)首先考慮這些定例，并經(jīng)常加以審視。
Companionship is education, good or not; it develops manhood or womanhood, high or low; it lifts soul upward or drags it downward; it ministers to virtue or vice. Sow virtue, and the harvest will be virtue, Sow vice, and the harvest will be vice. Good companionships help us to sow virtue; evil companionships help us to sow vice.
無論是有益還是有害，友誼就是一種教育。它可以培育高貴或卑微的品格;它可以升華靈魂，也可以使之沉淪;它可以滋生美德，也可以助長邪惡。播種美德，就會收獲美德;播種邪惡，就會收獲邪惡。有益的友誼幫助我們播種美德，而有害的友誼則使我們播種邪惡。
The Two Roads兩條道路
By John Ruskin
It was New Year's night. An aged man was standing at a window. He raised his mournful eyes towards the deep blue sky, where the stars were floating like white lilies on the surface of a clear calm lake. Then he cast them on the earth, where few more hopeless people than himself now moved towards their certain goal--the tomb. He had already passed sixty of the stages leading to it, and he had brought from his journey nothing but errors and remorse. Now his health was poor, his mind vacant, his heart sorrowful, and his old age short of comforts.
這是新年的夜晚。一位老人站在窗邊，憂傷的眼睛眺望著深藍的天空�？罩械姆毙仟q如漂浮在清澈如鏡的湖面上的朵朵百合。他慢慢將目光投向地面，此刻，沒有什 么人比他還絕望，邁向他最終的歸宿--墳?zāi)�。他已走過通向墳?zāi)沟牧壟_階，除了錯誤和悔恨，他一無所獲�，F(xiàn)在，他體弱多病，精神空虛，心哀神傷，人到晚 年無慰藉。
The days of his youth appeared like dreams before him, and he recalled the serious moment when his father placed him at the entrance of the two roads--one leading to a peaceful, sunny place, covered with flowers, fruits and resounding with soft, sweet songs; the other leading to a deep , dark cave, which was endless, where poison flowed instead of water and where devils and poisonous snakes hissed and crawled.
年輕歲月，如夢般展現(xiàn)在他面前，老人想起父親把他帶到岔路口的那個莊嚴時刻--一條路通向安寧，快樂的世界，鮮花遍布，果實豐碩，甜美輕柔的歌聲在空中回蕩;另一條路則通向幽深黑暗，沒有盡頭的洞穴，洞內(nèi)流淌著的不是水而是毒液，群魔亂舞，毒蛇嘶嘶爬動。
He looked towards the sky and cried painfully, "O, youth, return! O, my father, place me once more at the entrance to life, and I'll choose the better way!" But both his father and the days of his youth had passed away.
他仰望星空，痛苦的大喊：”啊，青春，回來吧!啊，父親，再一次帶我到人生的岔路口吧，我會選一條更好的道路。“但是，他的父親和青春歲月都已經(jīng)一去不復(fù)返了。
He saw the lights flowing away in the darkness. These were the days of his wasted life; he saw a star fall down from the sky and disappeared, and this was the symbol of himself. His remorse, which was like a sharp sorrow, struck deeply into his heart. Then he remembered his friends in his childhood, which entered a life together with him. But they had made their way to success and were now honored and happy on this New Year's night.
他看到亮色在黑暗中流逝，就像他揮霍掉的往昔;他看到一顆流星自天邊墜落，消失不見，就像是他的化身。無盡的悔恨，像一支利箭，深刺心間。他又記起和自己一同邁入人生之途的兒時玩伴。但他們已功成名就，在這個新年之夜，倍受尊崇，幸福快樂。
The clock in the high church tower struck and the sound made him remember his parents' early love for him. They had taught him and prayed to God for his good. But he chose the wrong way. With shame and grief he dared no longer look towards that heaven where his father lived. His darkened eyes were full of tears, and with a despairing effort, he burst out a cry:"Come back, my early days! Come back!"
高高的教堂鐘樓傳來敲鐘聲，這聲音使他記起父母早年對他的疼愛。他們教育他，為他祈禱。然而，他卻選擇了錯誤的道路。羞愧和悲哀使他再也沒有勇氣仰望父親所在的天堂。黯淡的雙眼噙滿了淚水，他絕望地嘶聲大呼：“回來吧，我的往昔!回來吧!”
And his youth did return, for all this was only a dream, which he had on New Year's night. He was still young though his faults were real; he had not yet entered the deep, dark cave, and he was still free to walk on the road which leads to the peaceful and sunny land.
他的青春真的回來了，所有這些只是一個夢，一個他在新年之夜所做的夢。他仍然年輕，雖然他犯的錯誤是真實的;他尚未走入那幽深黑暗的洞穴，還有自由選擇通向安寧，快樂的道路。
Those who still linger on the entrance of life, hesitating to choose the bright road, remember that when years are passed and your feet stumble on the dark mountains, you will cry bitterly, but in vain."O youth, return! Oh give me back my early days!"
仍在人生路口徘徊，仍在為是否應(yīng)當(dāng)選擇光明坦途而猶豫不決的人們啊，請記�。寒�(dāng)青春不再，當(dāng)你的雙腳在黑暗的山嶺間跌絆時，你會痛苦地呼喊“啊，青春，回來吧!啊，還給我往昔吧!”此時，一切已是徒勞。