经典英语短文阅读

　 双语精品：愈艰难愈坚强 十句经典给你坚持的勇气

　1.You never know how strong you really are until being strong is the only choice you have。

　　不到没有退路之时，你永远不会知道自己有多强大。

　　2.You cannot change what you refuse to confront。

　　你不去面对又怎么能去改变呢。

　　3.No matter how many mistakes you make or how slow you progress, you are still way ahead of everyone who isn’t trying。

　　无论你犯了多少错，或者你进步得有多慢，你都走在了那些不曾尝试的人的前面。

　　4.Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain。

　　生活不是等待暴风雨过去，而是要学会在雨中跳舞。

　　5.Letting go doesn't mean that you're a quitter. It doesn't mean that you lost. It just means that you realize in that moment that's it's time to let go and move on。

　　放手不代表放弃，不代表你输了。那只代表你知道在那一刻你该放手了，然后继续生活。

　　6.If you are passionate about something, pursue it, no matter what anyone else thinks. That’s how dreams are achieved。

　　如果你想要什么，那就勇敢地去追求，不要管别人是怎么想的，因为这就是实现梦想的方式。

　　7.Give up worrying about what others think of you. What they think isn’t important. What is important is how you feel about yourself。

　　不要为别人怎么看你而烦恼。别人的看法并不重要，重要的是你怎么看待你自己。

　　8.You can learn great things from your mistakes when you aren’t busy denying them。

　　当你不再急于否认错误时，你就学到了重要的一课。

　　9.Never let success get to your head, and never let failure get to your heart。

　　不要让成功冲昏了头脑，也不要把失败记在心里。

　　10.Life is short and you deserve to be happy。

　生命苦短，你应该过得开心些。

　怎样让你的空闲时间不再寂寞

　Watching TV is no way to kill that free time you may have being stuck in the house all day. These five fun little activities can help pass the time while also making you feel productive.

　　Rearrange Your Room

　　Roll up those sleeves and start moving! Arranging a room around can be a very cleansing experience. Everyone needs change every once in a while, and changing your room around is the perfect way to bring about that change. You get to be the designer for your very own space and the end result will give you a satisfying sense of accomplishment.

　　Experiment with Your Kitchen

　　Bake a cake. Cook a roast. Create a casserole. Let your imagination go as you whip up your own recipe. You can even take out your family cook books and make that special dish you've been wanting to try. This fun experiment triggers your creativity and leaves you and your family with a yummy treat!

　　Dance Like no one is Watching

　　Chances are, if you're home alone, no one will be watching! Put on your favorite song（s） and make up a fun dance routine. Make it silly, make it crazy; whatever you make it will be a fun stress reliever and a great cardio workout!

　　Clean Out Your Closet

　　Though it may not sound as fun, cleaning out your closet can actually be fun and productive at the same time. You can try on those clothes you forgot you had or walk down memory lane with those special keepsakes in that box in the back. When you're done, you have a nice, organized closet that somehow looks more spacious than it did before!

　　Do a Craft

　　Whether it's folding oragami, painting a picture, or making a bracelet, this creative activity lets your artistic mind run free no matter how much talent you have. Don't know what to do with the finished masterpiece? Use it as a decoration on your desk or bookcase. Give it to someone you love. After all, homemade projects make the best gifts!

　　要是你一整天宅在家里，那么光看看电视肯定不能打发所有时间。这些别具情趣的活动可以帮你消磨掉这些时光，并且还会让你颇感收获呢。

　　重新布置房间

　　卷起袖子开始挪动家具吧！布置家居的过程使房间变得干净。每个人都需要时不时地变化一下环境，而重新布置房间恰是带来这种改变的最佳方式。你成了设计师，设计最自我的空间，而最终的结果会令你体验到满足感。

　　把厨房做实验

　　烘焙一只蛋糕，烧烤一顿美食，创意一盘砂锅菜。让你的想象力自由延伸，就像你在自创新式烹饪法。你甚至可以取出家传食谱，做一道你一直以来都想尝试的特别菜肴。这个有意思的实验激发你的创造性，而回馈给你和你的家人的则是美味佳肴！

　　跳舞吧，就像没有人在观望

　　可能，你一个人在家，那么就没有人看到啦！打开音响，播放你最爱的歌曲，安排一场一应俱全的有趣舞会。可以让它傻傻的，可以让它疯狂的，无论你想让它怎样，它都是充满乐趣的压力缓解和超棒的有氧运动！

　　打扫衣橱

　　这听上去可能并不有趣，但打扫衣橱的确可以很有趣，并在同时让你感到有收获。你可以穿穿那些已经被你遗忘的衣服，试试那些在后面盒子里装着的特别纪念品。一旦你打扫完毕，便拥有了干净整洁的衣橱了。并且，不知怎得，这衣橱看上去就比以前宽敞很多呢！

　　做做手工

　　无论是折纸，画图，还是做手镯，这项创意性的活动使你的艺术畅想自由驰骋，不管你有多少艺术天赋。不知道如何处理成品杰作？那么就用它来装饰你的书桌和书架，或者把它送给某个你爱的人。毕竟，家里自制的东西总是最佳礼物。

　感人双语：孩子眼中的爱

　A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds: “What does love mean?” The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think.

　　一组专业人士向一群4到8岁的孩子提出了这个问题：“爱是什么？”他们给出的答案比其他人所能想像的更广泛更深刻。看看你能想到什么。

　　“When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love.” — Rebecca, age 8

　　“当我的奶奶得了关节炎，她不能弯下腰涂指甲油，所以我的爷爷一直帮她做这件事，即使他的手也得了关节炎。这就是爱。”——Rebecca，8岁

　　“When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know that your name is safe in their mouth.” — Billy, age 4

　　“当有人爱上你时，他们呼唤你名字的方式也会不同。你知道你的名字在他们嘴里很安全。”——Billy，4岁

　　“Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.” — Chris, age 6

　　“爱是当你出去吃饭时，把你大部分的薯条都给了某人，而没有让他们给你他们自己的。”——Chris，6岁

　　“Love is when someone hurts you. And you get so mad but you don't yell at them because you know it would hurt their feelings.” — Samantha, age 6

　　“爱是当某人伤害你时，而且你很生气，但你没有大声呵责，因为你知道这会伤害他的感情。”——Samantha，6岁

　　“Love is what makes you smile when you're tired.” — Terri, age 4

　　“爱是当你疲倦时能让你微笑的东西”。——Terri，4岁

　　“Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.” — Danny, age 7

　　“爱是当我妈妈为我爸爸煮咖啡时，在递给他之前都要尝一小口，以确定味道是否正常。”——Danny，7岁

　　“Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.” — Bobby, age 5

　　“爱是在圣诞节时和你同处一室，你会停止拆礼物而去倾听。”——Bobby，5岁

　　“Love is hugging. Love is kissing. Love is saying no.” — Patty, age 8

　　“爱是拥抱，爱是接吻，爱是说不。”——Patty，8岁

　　“When you tell someone something bad about yourself and you're scared they won't love you anymore. But then you get surprised because not only do they still love you, they love you even more.” — Matthew, age 7

　　“当你告诉某人你的一些坏事，并且害怕他们会不再爱你，但是你惊喜地发现他们不但还爱你，而且更爱你了。”——Matthew，7岁

　7种不伤人的委婉拒绝方法

　How many ways are there to say “No” without offending anyone's feeling? Well, there is “No, I can't”， “No, I don't have time” and “No, I don't want to”。

　But the problem is that many of us try to avoid situations that require us to say “No” to people. In almost every culture this little word is associated with rejection, failure, egoism and a lack of tact and empathy towards others.

　　有多少种方法在拒绝时而不得罪人呢？ “不行，我没法做。” “不行，我没空。” “不行，我不想做。” 但是问题在于，我们很多人都想避免对别人说“不”。

　几乎在每种文化中，“不”这个字都和拒绝、失败、利己主义、应变能力不足、缺少同情心联系起来。

　　I can not recall how many times I have eaten burnt, undercooked, blandand poorly tasting dishes simply because I did not want to hurt the feelings of the person who had cooked them. Or the times when I bought something, I did not need, because I felt guilty leaving a shop empty-handed after spending 20 minutes of the shop assistant's time.

　　我记不起来有多少次，我因为不想伤害做饭的人的感情而吃掉糊了的、夹生的、平淡无味的或味道很差的食物。

　我也记不起来有多少次我买了不需要的东西，只是因为我觉得花了导购员20分钟的 \o "时间_中国英语网" 时间两手空空离开会有一种负罪感。

　　How do you say “No” without offending anyone or feeling guilty afterwards? There is a great lesson to be learned from such approach to communication.

　　怎样说“不”而不冒犯他人或之后自己没有负罪感？我们可以好好学习一下这种沟通的方法。

　　If just like me, you sometimes find it difficult to be direct about saying “No”， you can still be assertiveand express you disagreement in a more subtle, yet equally powerful way. The great thing about this method is that it gets your point across without making you look bad, unprofessional, insensitive or uncaring.

　　如果你和我一样，有时你会发现很难直接说“不”，但是你依然可以自信地用更加微妙、同样有效的方式表达异议。

　这种方法的精妙之处在于，既能表达你的意思，又不会让人觉得你很差劲、不够职业、不够敏感或漠不关心。

　　Here are 7 Sneaky Ways to Say “No” without Offending Anyone

　　下面是7种拒绝而不伤害他人的委婉方法：

　　1. “This sounds interesting, but I have too much on my plate at the moment.”

　　“听起来很有趣，但是我现在有太多的事情要做。”

　　When you start your disagreement with a compliment: “this sounds interesting”， it makes the person less defensive and gives you a validreason to decline “I have too much on my plate at the moment”。

　　如果你在表达异议时用赞美开头：“听起来很有趣”，会让人的心理防御降低，这时你可以用正当理由来拒绝，如“我现在有太多的事情要做。”

　　2. “I'm sorry but last time I did ___, I had a negative experience.”

　　“不好意思，上次我这样做时，我很难受 。”

　　This is a life-saver for me every time I have to explain to people that I do not eat meat. Before I would say that I was a vegetarian, but for some reason this explanation has never worked on hospitable Italian grandmothers. They would try to feed me bacon, sausage and octopuses （yuck!） explaining it with “this is not meat” or “I just put a little in this dish”。

　　当我每次需要向他人解释我不吃肉时，这句话是我的救命稻草。在此之前，我通常说我是素食主义者，但是不知什么原因，这种解释对好客的意大利奶奶们一点儿用也没有。她们总是让我吃培根、香肠和章鱼（真难吃！），并向我解释“这不是肉”或“只放了一点点儿。”

　　Now I simply say, “I'm sorry, but I can not eat meat. Last time I did, I had a terrible headache.” And it works like a charm, because no one wants to hurt you on purpose.

　　现在我只是说，“不好意思，我不能吃肉。上次我吃肉时，我头疼得很厉害。” 这非常管用，因为没人想故意伤害你。

　　The focus here is not on what you want or do not want to do, but on your previous bad experience.

　　这里要注意的是，关键不在于你想要什么或不想做什么，关键在于上次你这样做很难受。

　　3. “I'd love to do this, but ____”

　　“我想这么做，但是____”。

　　This is a great way of saying that you like the idea, you are willing to help, but you just can not do it at the moment.

　　这是一种很好的方式，说你喜欢这样做，你想去帮忙，但是你现在没法做。

　　Note: Just do not go into a lengthy justification of why you can not do it.

　　注意：不要进一步说明你为什么不能做。

　　First, it is not necessary. Time is a limited resource and when you say “yes” to one task, you have to say “no” to other opportunities that might be more important, urgent and beneficial to you at the moment. Second, offering a lengthy explanation makes you sound guilty and unsure, so people might push further to see if you will agree.

　　首先，没有必要。每个人的时间都是有限的，当你对一项任务说“是”的时候，你就不得不对另外的一些机遇说“不”，尽管那些机遇现在对你来说可能是更加重要、紧急或有益的。另外，进一步解释会让你有种负罪感和不确定感，人们可以进一步劝说你看你是否会同意。

　　4. “I'm not the best person to help on this. Why don't you try X?”

　　“我不是这项任务的最佳人选。要不你们看看X行不行？”

　　If you feel that you can not contribute much to the task, have no time or lack the resources, do not beat around the bush! Let the person know it up front. This, however, does not mean that you can not be helpful. You can still refer the person to a lead they can follow up on.

　　如果你觉得你不能在任务中投入太多精力，没有那么多时间或缺少资源，那就不要拐弯抹角！让别人知道。这样，别人就不会觉得你没有帮忙。你可以推荐他人供他们参考。

　　5. “I can't do this, but I can do ____ （less commitment）。”

　　“我不能这样做，但是我可以 ___（做出较少的承诺）。”

　　This is another variation of the previous method. You are saying “No” to a request, but you are still offering your help on your own terms, choosing the easier, less time-consuming commitment.

　　这是前面那种方法的变种。你虽然是对别人的请求说“不”，但是你仍然提供帮助，选择相对简单、需要较少时间的方式。

　　6. “You look great, but ___ does not do you justice”

　　“你看上去很棒，但是___不是很适合你。”

　　This is a great way to diplomatically express your opinion when someone asks you a question about their appearance, without hurting the other person's feelings （especially if the person asking you is your friend, your superior or your spouse）。

　　当别人问你外貌方面的问题时，这是一个既能表达出你的想法却又不伤害别人情感的好方法。（尤其当那个人是你的朋友、上级或配偶时）。

　　7. “That sounds great, but I just can't put one more thing on my calendar for the next few weeks. Let me call you ___ （specific time range）。”

　　“听起来很不错，但是接下来的几周，我的行程已经排得满满的了。等我在__时（具体的时间范围内）打电话通知你。”

　　Sometimes you might get a proposal, an idea or a request that sounds interesting. But considering the amount of tasks on your to-do list, you do not feel like taking another commitment just yet.

　　有时你可能会得到一个有趣的提议、想法或请求。但考虑到你任务清单上的内容， 你可能不想做出其他承诺。

　　In this case, instead of saying a straight out “No”， you are giving yourself time to reflect before making a final decision: “Let me call you ___ （specific time range）。”

　　在这种情况下，与其直接说“不”， 不如争取时间想想再做决定：“等我在__时（具体的时间范围内）打电话通知你。”

　　However, if you are not interested, do not leave the person hanging on. Use other ways to say “No” that are more definitive （e.g. methods #1,#2 or #3）。

　It is more disappointing when the person is counting on you and you let them down.

　　然而，要是你不感兴趣的话，就不要让别人等待。使用另外几种明确说“不”的方式。（如方法#1、#2或#3）。如果别人指望你，而你让他们扫兴的话，那样会更令人失望的。

　初次约会要注意的那些细节

　It doesn't matter where or how you got one, first dates are awesome. And terrifying.

　　不论你在哪儿及怎样约会，初次约会感觉很棒。还有些吓人。

　　Whether you're meeting up with your hairdresser's cousin's single friend, or you've decided to choose an unusual date on HowAboutWe, there are more 'first world problems' in the world of dating now than ever. On your first date, they can be deal-breakers, so check out these 11 first date tips for modern love lives.

　　不管你是要去见你理发师的堂兄弟的单身朋友，还是你决定在约会交友网站HowAboutWe上选择一位不寻常的对象，如今约会是到的“重大” 问题比起以往要来得多。它们可能会成为初次约会的“不速之客”，因此看看这11条关于现代爱情生活的初次约会的建议吧。

　　1. Know when it's a date （and when it isn't）

　　分清什么时候是在约会（什么时候不是约会）

　　There are no hard rules any more when it comes to what counts as a date. You could go for nachos with several friends and still make that your first date if you both want to. Or you could meet one-on-one, have dinner, sleep together, and call it “friends with benefits”。

　That being so, your safest bet is to be clear by calling it a date when you agree where and when to meet up.

　　关于怎么界定什么是约会已经没有很严格的规则了。你可以约几个朋友一起去吃烤干酪辣味玉米片，如果你们俩都愿意的话，这同样可以当成你们的初次约会。你也可以一对一见面、吃饭、睡觉，称之为“炮友”。也就是说，最稳妥的做法是，你要清楚你们如何界定在哪里及在什么时候见面算约会。

　　2. Talk, don't text

　　交谈，不要发短信

　　Asking someone on a date by text or IM might seem like a great way to dodge confidence issues, but it loses a lot of your message. Instead, make the arrangements the old-fashioned way by phone or in person so that you can hear each other's voices. And if you're invited on a date via SMS, text back, “Sounds good. Give me a call when you're free to talk about it!”

　　通过短信或IM（即时通讯软件）约会似乎是一种规避信心不足的非常好的方法，但它会丢失了很多信息。用传统的方式安排约会，那就是打电话，或面对面说，这样你可以听到彼此的声音。如果别人发短信邀约你，你就回复：“听起来不错。如果你方便沟通的话，给我打个电话。”

　　3. Don't do dinner

　　不要选择吃饭 \o "时间_中国英语网" 时间

　　Dinner takes a while and if you're desperate to escape after the first drink, you'll wish you'd arranged a shorter date! Go for a lunch date instead, or choose a non-food situation like a walk in the park. That way you can leave early if you want, or make it last all afternoon if you're having fun.

　　吃晚餐很花时间，如果在喝完第一杯酒以后你非常想离开，你会希望你安排了一次简短的约会。可以选择吃顿午饭，或是不要选择吃饭的时段，比如在公园里散个步。这样的话，如果你想早点结束约会，就可以早点走啦；或是你觉得很有趣，可以让它持续一整个下午。

　　4. Agree a connectivity policy

　　协商一致

　　Do you hate it when people answer phone calls during a date? Or are you too busy tweeting to notice? Agree with your date from the start about what's OK and what's rude so that you won't get annoyed with each other's mobile interruptions.

　　约会时对方还在接电话，你是不是不喜欢？或是你自己忙着发微博？从一开始和约会对象商定哪些是允许的，哪些是不礼貌的举动，这样当对方手机响起打扰你们谈话时，你就用不着生气了。

　　5. Smell nice

　　清新的气味

　　Smell is one of the most complex human senses; it triggers emotions, memories, and physical feelings. If you smell nice to your date, they'll find you more attractive; if you smell nice to yourself, you'll feel more confident and attractive, too. Scents that most people （male or female） like include fruits, vanilla, and clean human skin.

　　嗅觉是人类最复杂的感官之一；它会激发情感、记忆、和身体的感受。如果气味不令人讨厌，你就更有吸引力；如果你自己觉得气味不错，你会更有自信和更有吸引力。大多数人（包括男性和女性）喜欢的气味包括水果味、香草味和清洁的体味。

　　6. Ask them to do you a favor

　　请他们帮你一个忙

　　It may sound backwards, but it's true. Research shows that asking somebody to do you a personal favor tends to make them like you more, so ask for something small like their help to choose a gift for a friend. Then thank them plenty and show your gratitude by inviting them on a second date!

　　听起来可能会不理解，但这是真的。研究表明，请别人帮你一个忙通常会让他们更加喜欢你，所以请他们帮个小忙，比如说在为朋友选礼物上给个建议。然后深情地谢谢他们，再次邀约他们以表达你的谢意。

　　7. Pick up your own tab

　　为自己那一份买单

　　It's so much less complicated than negotiating any other payment arrangement with someone you barely know. And because it's fair, neither of you will feel owed or owing.

　　比起和你几乎不了解的人商量如何结账，各付各的就没那么复杂了。因为这是公平的，所以你们双方不会觉得谁欠谁。

　　8. No humble bragging

　　不要过分谦虚

　　Yes, it's impressive that you compete in triathlons/run your own business/know that DJ. It's so impressive that pretending to be humble or embarrassed when you're actually pretty damn proud is just silly. Brag openly and briefly, as in, “Yeah, I do triathlons. I won the Example Triathlon last year,” then get back to whatever you were talking about before that.

　　是的，你参加三项全能运动/有自己的生意/认为那个DJ，这些会令人对你刮目相看。这些如此令人刮目相看，对那些你其实引以为傲的事情假装谦卑或难为情，这是很蠢的做法。大方而且简要地夸耀自己，比如说“是的，我参加了三项全能运动。我去年获得了铁人三项参与奖。”然后回到你之前谈论的话题上。

　　9. Eat mint

　　吃点薄荷糖

　　Do this not just to make sure your breath smells OK, but also because it perks you up. Mint helps you feel fresh, alert and ready for conversation. Plus, eating something minty prevents your mouth getting too dry if you're nervous.

　　这样做不只是保证口气清新，而且它还能让你振奋。薄荷让你感觉清新，为谈话做好准备。此外，吃些带薄荷味的东西，当你紧张时能避免嘴唇发干。

　　10. Be prepared

　　做好准备

　　No matter who you are, there's always a possibility that your first date could lead to sex, perhaps sooner than you thought. Be prepared with protection against pregnancy and STIs, of course, but it's also important to prepare for the hormonal rush you'll feel if there's strong sexual chemistry between you and your date. Those hormones affect your judgement, so don't take any unnecessary risks like driving too fast or drinking too much alcohol.

　　不管你是谁，在初次约会时和对方发生性关系都是有可能的，也许来得比你想的还要早。准备好避孕措施及预防性传播感染，当然，同样重要的是在你和你的约会对象之间产生强烈的性吸引力时，做好各种准备。这些激素会影响你的判断力，所以不要冒任何风险，比如开快车，或是酗酒。

　　11. Smile!

　　微笑

　　A genuine smile makes everyone look more attractive, without exception, so give your date a big smile when you see them. Because smiling triggers your nervous system to release serotonin, it improves your mood at the same time to help you enjoy the date.

　　无一例外，真诚的微笑让人看起来更有吸引力，所以去约会时，看到他们就给他们一个灿烂的微笑。因为微笑会触发神经系统释放血清素，它在改善情绪的同时帮助你享受约会的快乐。

　　Don't worry about minor mishaps on a first date. The less you fret about it, the more relaxed and confident you'll feel. Keep these first date tips in mind to boost your date from average to awesome, and remember: this isn't a job interview. It's supposed to be fun!

　　不要担心第一次约会时发生的小意外。担忧越少，你就越轻松、越自信。记住这些初次约会时的小建议，把你的约会从平庸提升到美妙，记住：这不是 \o "求职_中国英语网" 求职 \o "面试_中国英语网" 面试，初次约会就应该很好玩才对！