初高中英语美文阅读

　 1.今生你已不可取代/惟独你不可取代 You Are Special

　?导读：每个人在这个世界上都占有一个独一无二的位置。无论别人说什么，你自己怎么想，你都是特别的。所以，不要担心自己会被取代，因为你永远是惟一的。

　As a teenager，I felt I was always letting people down. I was rebellious outside，but I wanted to be liked inside.

　Once I left home to hitchhike to California with my friend Penelope. The trip wasn’t easy，and there were many times I didn’t feel safe. One situation in particular kept me grateful to still be alive. When I returned home，I was different，not so outwardly sure of myself.

　I was happy to be home. But then I noticed that Penelope，who was staying with us，was wearing my clothes. And my family seemed to like her better than me. I wondered if I would be missed if I weren’t there. I told my mom，and she explained that though Penelope was a lovely girl，no one could replace me. I pointed out，“She is more patient and is neater than I have ever been.” My mom said these were wonderful qualities，but I was the only person who could fill my role. She made me realize that even with my faults—and there were many－I was a loved member of the family who couldn’t be replaced.

　I became a searcher，wanting to find out who I was and what made me unique. My view of myself was changing. I wanted a solid base to start from. I started to resist pressure to act in ways that I didn’t like any more，and I was delighted by who I really was. I came to feel much more sure that no one can ever take my place.

　Each of us holds a unique place in the world. You are special，no matter what others say or what you may think. So forget about being replaced. You can’t be.

　当我还是个10几岁的少年的时候，觉得自己总是让人失望。从外表上看，我似乎很叛逆，但是在内心深处，我是如此地渴望被人疼爱。

　有一次我离开了家和我的朋友佩内洛普搭便车去了加利福尼亚。这次旅行并不轻松，而且有很多次我感觉不安。有一次的突发状况让我一直庆幸自己还活着。回到家，我发觉自己变了，看上去不那么自信了。

　我很高兴能回到家，但不久我注意到和我们一起的佩内洛普穿着我的衣服，而且我父母看上去更喜欢她，我想知道如果我不在家的话他们是否会想念我。后来，我把我的想法告诉了母亲，她说尽管佩内洛普是个可爱的女孩，但她始终不能取代我，我说：“她比我有耐心而且无论何时看上去她都比我要整洁大方。”母亲说这些都是非常好的优点，但我却是惟一个能扮演好自己角色的人。母亲让我感到尽管我有缺点———似乎还很多———但是，我被家中每一个人爱着，谁也无法取代。

　我成了一个探寻者，想要知道自己到底是谁，又是什么让我变得独一无二。我的人生观开始改变。我需要一个坚固的基础来发展，我忍受住压力，不再做自己不喜欢做的事。而且我为真实的我感到高兴。渐渐地我越发肯定自己无可替代。

　每个人在这个世界上都占有一个独一无二的位置。无论别人说什么，你自己怎么想，你都是特别的。所以，不要担心自己会被取代，因为你永远是惟一的。

　2.一个那样的哥哥 A Brother Like That

　给予比获得更让人幸福......

　Paul received an automobile from his brother as a Christmas present. On Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office, a street boy was walking around the shiny new car, admiring it.

　　"Is this your car, Mister?" he asked.

　　Paul nodded. "My brother gave it to me for Christmas." The boy was astonished. "You mean your brother gave it to you and it didn't cost you anything? Boy, I wish...." He hesitated. Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for. He was going to wish he had a brother like that. But what the lad1 said made Paul quite surprised.

　　"I wish," the boy went on, "that I could be a brother like that."

　　Paul looked at the boy in astonishment, then impulsively2 he added, "Would you like to take a ride in my automobile?"

　　"Oh, yes, I'd love that."

　　After a short ride, the boy turned and with his eyes shining, said, "Mister, would you mind driving in front of my house?" Paul smiled a little. He thought he knew what the lad wanted. He wanted to show his neighbors that he could ride home in a big automobile. But Paul was wrong again.

　　"Will you stop where those two steps are?" the boy asked. He ran up the steps. Then in a little while Paul heard him coming back, but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled3 brother. He sat him down on the bottom step, then sort of4 squeezed up5 against him and pointed to the car. "There she is, Buddy, just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it didn't cost him a cent. And some day I'm gonna6 give you one just like it... then you can see for yourself all the pretty things in the Christmas windows that I've been trying to tell you about."

　　Paul got out and lifted the lad to the front seat of his car. The shining-eyed older brother climbed in beside him and the three of them began a memorable holiday ride.

　　That Christmas Eve, Paul learned that it was more blessed to give....

　　保罗收到一辆汽车，那是他哥哥送的圣诞礼物。圣诞节前夜，保罗从办公室出来时，一个街头少年绕着那辆闪闪发亮的新车，十分羡慕。

　　"先生，这是你的车？"少年问道。

　　保罗点点头："这是我哥哥送我的圣诞礼物。"男孩十分惊讶："你是说这是你哥送你的，你一分钱也没花？好家伙，我希望……"他停住了。保罗当然知道男孩他希望什么。他希望能有一个那样的哥哥。但那少年接下来说的话却让保罗大吃一惊。

　　"我希望，"男孩继续说："我能成为那样的哥哥。"

　　保罗惊愕地看着那男孩，他冲口而出："你要不要坐我的车去兜一兜风？"

　　 "哦，当然，我愿意！"

　　车开出一小段路后，男孩转过头来，眼睛闪闪发亮地说："先生，你是否介意把车子开到我家门前？"保罗微笑。他想他知道男孩想干什么。那男孩肯定是要向邻居炫耀他能坐一部大轿车回家。但是这次保罗又猜错了。

　　"你能不能把车子停在那两个台阶前？"男孩要求。男孩跑上台阶，过了一会儿保罗听到他回来了，但动作有些缓慢。他背来了他跛脚的弟弟。他让弟弟坐在最下面的台阶上，略有些挤靠着自己，然后指着那辆车。"这就是那车，巴迪，就是我刚才在楼上对你说的。他哥哥送他的圣诞礼物，他一分钱也没花。将来某一天我也会送给你一辆像这样的车，到那时候，你就能自己去看我一直努力给你描绘的那些圣诞节陈列窗里的漂亮东西了。"

　　保罗走下车子，把跛脚的男孩抱到车子前座。兴奋得满眼放光的哥哥也爬上车子，坐在弟弟身旁。三个人开始了一次令人难忘的假日兜风。

　　那个圣诞节前夜，保罗体会到"施与比获得更让人幸福……"

　3.另一扇门 Another Door

　When I come across a good essay in reading newspapers, I am often inclined to cut and keep it. But just as I am about to do so I find the article on the opposite side is as much interesting. It may be a discussion of the way to keep in good health, or advice about how to behave and conduct oneself in society. If I cut the front essay, the opposite one is bound to suffer damage, leaving out half of it or keeping the text without the subject. As a result, the scissors would stay before they start, or halfway done when I find out the regretful consequence that inevitably causes my repentance.

　Sometimes two things are to be done at the same time, both deserving your attention. You can only take up one of them, the other has to wait or be given up. But you know the future is unpredictable—the changed situation may not allow you to do what is left behind. Thus you are caught in a fix and feel sad？ How come that nice opportunities and brilliant ideas should gather around all at once？ It may happen that your life changes dramatically on your preference of one alternative to the other.

　In fact that is what life is like: we are often faced with the two opposite aspects of a thing which are both desirable like newspaper cutting. It often occurs that our attention is drawn to one thing only after we are engaged in another. The former may be more important than the latter and give rise to a divided mind. I still remember a philosopher’s remarks, “When one door shuts, another opens in life.” So a casual or passive choice may not be a bad one.

　Whatever we do in our lifetime, wherever life’s storm tosses us, there must be something we can achieve, some shore we can land, that opens up new vistas to us. Don’t forget God always keeps an alternative door open for every one. While the front door is closed, there must be another open for you.

　读报的时候，看到一篇好文章，总想把它剪下来收藏。就在我拿起剪刀准备剪的时候，才发现反面的文章也很有趣，它要么是讨论如何保持健康，要么是建议你怎样为人处世。假如你剪了这面的文章，那面的文章势必会被损坏，只留下一半或缺少文章题目。因此，举起的剪刀往往停留在半空舍不得再剪，继而不可避免地后悔、遗憾。

　 有时候，在同一时间有两件事要做，并且这两件事都值得你去关注。你只能选择其中一个，另一件事只能等到以后再做或者干脆放弃。可是你知道，未来不可预知，今后的变化可能不允许你完成剩下的这件事。所以你会觉得郁闷：为什么这么好的机遇和绝妙的想法会聚集到同一个时间？有可能就是因为你选择了这件事而放弃了那件事，你的一生就会发生戏剧性的改变。

　 这就是生活，像剪报一样，我们经常面临正反都完美的一件事，可是当我们忙碌于这件事的时候，注意力却又被另一件事所吸引。前者或许比后者更重要，我们举棋不定。我仍然记得一位哲学家的话：“当一扇门关闭时，生活会为你开启另一扇门。”所以不经意或被动选择，或许并不是坏事。

　 不管我们做什么，不管生活的暴风雨把我们吹向何处，我们一定可以实现梦想，哪里都有我们可以落脚的海岸，因为生活会为我们开启另一扇门。当有一扇门对你关闭时，一定会有另一扇门为你敞开。

　4助人助己Help Others,Help Yourself

　每个人都会有心情不好的时候，如果你只是沉湎于自己的沮丧，你就会无法自拔；而如果你想着去安慰其他同样心情不好的人，你会发现，开心其实是很容易的。

　Have you ever had a day when everything seemed to go wrong, and nothing seemed to go right? Not too long ago I was having one of those days. I was discouraged, weary1, and plain2 sad. My focus was on me, me, me.

　I expressed my depressed state to my mother, hoping for some pity. Instead, she said, “I heard Jamie was having a difficult day too. Why don’t you make her some cookies and we’ll take them to her this afternoon?” I didn’t really want to, but decided that I didn’t want to go back to my other problems just yet. I made the cookies and arranged them on a little plate. Then I made a card with a sunflower on it and wrote a small note of empathy4.

　That afternoon we dropped by my friend’s house. I went to the door and rang the bell. Soon, Jamie came to the door and looked at me in surprise for the unexpected visit. Before she could say anything I rushed, “I heard you were having a hard day and decided to bring you something. I hope your day goes better.” The look that came over Jamie’s face was one that I could never put into words. It was as if a darkened sky was suddenly lit with the golden rays of the sun; it was as if in that small act, her day was brightened.

　I got back into the car and for come amazing reason, I felt a lot better myself. That day I experienced the truth that James Barrie attempted to describe. “Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others, cannot keep it from themselves.”

　你有没有这样的一天，事事都不如人意，没有一件事让你开心？不久前，我就有过这么一天。我气馁、疲倦，悲伤挥之不去。我的注意力就是我自己、自己、自己。毕竟，没有任何人经历我所遭受的磨难。

　我向母亲说出了沮丧的心境，希望得到一点同情。而她开口说的是：“我听说莉莉今天也不大开心。你为什么不做些曲奇饼，下午我们给她送去？”我并不想做曲奇饼，但决定还是暂时别回到自己的问题中去。于是，我做了曲奇饼，并把它们摆放到一个小盘子里。然后我还做了一张卡片，上面画了一朵向日葵，还写了几句安慰的话语。

　那天下午我们去了我朋友莉莉的家。我走到门前按响了门钤。不一会，莉莉来开门，惊奇的看着我，没料到我们会到访。没等她开口，我先急急地对她说：“我听说你不开心，决定给你带点东西来。”莉莉脸上浮现的表情是我无法用语言描述的。好像原来乌云密布的天空顷刻间雨过天晴，金光四射；好像就因为这么个小小的举动，她的这一天就亮堂直来了。

　我回到我们的车子里，也不知是什么奇妙的原因，我自己也感觉好多了。那天，我的经历正如同詹姆斯.巴里曾试图描述的：“给他人带去阳光的人，自己也会沐浴在阳光之中。”

　英文美文阅读