英文勵志小故事
英文勵志小故事1
During the Spring and Autumn Period (707 - 476 B.C.), Duke Xian of the State of Jin Wanted to expand his position of strength and sphere of influence. Therefore he would like to send his troops to destroy the State of Guo on the pretest that the State of Guo often encroached on theborders of the State of Jin. But there was a third state, the State of Yu,between the State of Jin and the State of Guo, and the Jin army had to cross the State of Yu before it could reach the State of Guo . "How can my army cross the State of Yu without a hitch?" Duke Xian of the State of Jin asked his ministers.Xun Xi , one of the ministers, said, "The monarch of the State of Yu is short - sighted and covets small advantages. If we give him priceless precious stones and fine horses, it is not unlikely that he will allow our army to pass through his country. " Seeing that Duke Xian of the State of Jin was a little bit grudging, Xun Xi continued to say, "The State of Yu and the State of Guo are neighbor stated as closely related as lips and teeth. The State of Yu cannot exist independently if the state of Guo is destroyed. Your precious stones and fime hores are just left in the care of the monarch of the State of Yu." So Duke Xian of the State of Jin accepted Xun Xi's plan. When the monarch of Yu saw the precious gifts, he was elated,and readily promised to let the Jin army pass through his state. Hearing the news, Gong Zhiqi, one of the ministers as the State of Yu, hastened to admonish the monarch, saying," That won't do.For the State of Yu and the State of Guo are neighbor states as closely related as lips and teeth. Our two small states are interdependent, and can help cach other when problems crop up .If the State of Guo were destroyed, it would be difficult for our State of Yu to continue to exist. As the common saying goes, if the lips are gone ,the teeth will be cold, The teeth can hardly be kept if the lips are gone. So it won't do at all to allow the Jin army pass our state." The monarch of the State of Yu said," The State of Jin is a big state. Now they here specially to present gifts to us with the intention of being on friendly terms with us. Under suchcircumstances, how can we refuse to allow them to pass through our state?" Hearing this, Gong Zhiqi sighed repeatedly. Knowing that the State of Yu would soon be destroyed, Gong Zhiqi left the State of Yu together with his whole family.
As expected, the troops of the State of Jin, allowed to pass through the State of Yu, destroyed the State of Guo and on their return trip captured the monarch of the State of Yu who went out personally to meet them, htus destroying the State of Yu as Well.
This story appears in the chapter " The Fifth Year of Duke Xi " in Zuo zhuan,the famous commentary by Zuo Qiuming on The Spring and Autumn Annals. The set phrase " if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold " is used to mean that two persons or things share a common lot and that is one fails ,the other is in danger.
春秋時候，晉獻公想要擴充自己的實力和地盤，就找借口說鄰近的虢(guó)國經常侵犯晉國的邊境，要派兵滅了虢國�？墒窃跁x國和虢國之間隔著一個虞國，討伐虢國必須經過虞地�！霸鯓硬拍茼樌ㄟ^虞國呢?”晉獻公問手下的大臣。大夫荀息說：“虞國國君是個目光短淺、貪圖小利的人，只要我們送他價值連城的美玉和寶馬，他不會不答應借道的�！睍x獻公一聽有點舍不得，荀息看出了晉獻公的心思，就說：“虞虢兩國是唇齒相依的近鄰，虢國滅了，虞國也不能獨存，您的美玉寶馬不過是暫時存放在虞公那里罷了�！睍x獻公采納了荀息的計策。
虞國國君見到這兩們珍貴的'禮物，頓時心花怒放，聽到荀息說要借道虞國之事時，當時就滿口答應下來。虞國大夫宮之奇聽說后，趕快阻止道：“不行，不行，虞國和虢國是唇齒相依的近鄰，我們兩個小國相互依存，有事可以自彼幫助，萬一虢國滅了，我們虞國也就難保了。俗話說：‘唇亡齒寒’，沒有嘴唇，牙齒也保不住啊!借道給晉國萬萬使不得�！庇莨f：“人家晉國是大國，現在特意送來美玉寶馬和咱們交朋友，難道咱們借條道路讓他們走走都不行嗎?”宮之奇連聲嘆氣，知道虞國離滅亡的日子不遠了，于是就帶著一家老小離開了虞國。
果然，晉國軍隊借道虞國，消滅了虢國，隨后又把親自迎接晉軍的虞公抓住，滅了虞國。 故事出自《左傳·僖公五年》。成語“唇亡齒寒”，比喻雙方關系密切，相互依存。
英文勵志小故事2
A young man asked Socrates the secret to success. Socrates told the young man to meet him near the river the next morning. They met. Socrates asked the young man to walk with him toward the river. When the water got up to their neck, Socrates took the young man by surprise and ducked him into the water. The boy struggled to get out but Socrates was strong and kept him there until the boy started turning blue. Socrates pulled his head out of the water and the first thing the young man did was to gasp and take a deep breath of air. Socrates asked, “What did you want the most when you were there?” The boy replied, “Air.” Socrates said, “That is the secret to success. When you want success as badly as you wanted the air, then you will get it. There is no other secret.”
一個年輕人向蘇格拉底詢問秘訣，蘇格拉底讓年輕人第二天早晨去到河邊見他。他們見面后，蘇格拉底叫年輕人和他一起走向河里，當河水淹至他們的 脖子時，蘇格拉底出其不意地抓住年輕人并把其壓入水中，那人想要掙出水面， 而強壯有力的蘇格拉底將他摁在水中直到他變得無力抗爭，臉色發青。蘇格拉 底將他的.頭拖出水面，這個年輕人所做的第一件事就是大口喘息后，深吸一口 氣。蘇格拉底問： “當你悶在水里的時候你最想要的是什么？”年輕人回答說： “空氣。 ”蘇格拉底說： “那就是秘訣。當你像渴望空氣一樣渴望成功， 你就能夠獲得它！沒有其他的秘密了。 ”
英文勵志小故事3
A: "the new neighbor is so hateful. Last night, at midnight last night, when the night was quiet, he rang the doorbell of my house."
B: "damn it! Did you call the police right away?"
A: "no. I think they're nuts and keep blowing my trumpet."
If you can see yourself first, the answer will be different. When you face conflict and conflict, think about whether you have a loss in your heart, or you may soon be able to let go.
英文勵志小故事4
A guest visited someone's house and saw that the chimney was straight and there was a lot of wood next to it. The guest told the master that the chimney must be changed, and the wood must be removed, or there might be a fire in the future, and the master heard nothing.
Near his master's house was on fire, the surrounding neighbors hurriedly ran to the fire, the fire was put out, then the master cook sheep slaughtered cattle, banquets, neighbourhood to reward they put out the fire, but did not please had suggested that he will be wood removed and chimney change curve.
Someone said to his master: "if you had listened to the gentleman, do not have to be ready to feast today, and there is no loss of fire, reward from now, the original give you advice is not grateful, and fire is house guest, is really very strange thing! The host immediately understood, hurriedly go to invite the guest that give advice originally to eat wine.
Prevention is better than cure, and it is better to prevent it before it is done.
英文勵志小故事5
網開一面
Give the wrong-doer a way out
Beginning with Yu the GREat, the Xia Dynasty had lasted about four hundred years before Jie became the supreme ruler.
And that was in the 18th century BC. Jie was extremely tyrannical and dissolute. This aroused GREat resentment among the people. Tang, the Chief of the tribe Shang took advantage of this situation to overthrow the Xia Dynasty and established the Shang Dynasty in the early 17th century BC. Among the preparations for the overthrow had been the winning over of popular support.
One day, Tang was having a walk in the open country. He saw a man catching birds with a big net spread in a box-like and mumbling: "Come on, birds! Come into my net. All of you, whether you are flying high or low, east or west. Come into my net!"
Tang walked over and said to the man, "This method is ruthless! You'll spare no birds this way!" With these words, he cut the net down on three sides. Then he murmured in a light voice as if praying: "Oh, birds! Fly to the left or right as you like. And if you're really tired of your life, come into this net!"
When chiefs of other tribes heard about this, they were all moved. They said, "Tang is a good king indeed. He is so kind even to birds and beasts. He must be more merciful to human beings." And very soon, about forty tribes pledged allegiance to Tang.
From that story came the idiom "Open the net on three sides". Later, people changed it into "Give the wrong-doer a way out."， indicating to be lenient to the wrong-doers.
網開一面
從大禹到桀，夏朝一共持續了四百多年的歷史。
那是在公元前十八世紀。桀是個極端殘暴，放蕩的人。他激起了人民的極度不滿。部落商的領袖湯利用這個形勢，推翻了夏朝，并在公元前十七世紀早期建立了商朝。在準備這場推翻夏朝的`行動中，湯贏得了廣泛的支持。
一天，湯在一片開闊的田野里散步。他看見一個人正在捕鳥。那人支開一張像籠子般的大網，喃喃的說："來吧，鳥兒們!飛到我的網里來。無論是飛得高的還是低的，向東還是向西的，所有的鳥兒都飛到我的網里來吧!"
湯走過去對那個人說："你這種方法太殘忍了!這樣作你連一只鳥也不放過!"
一邊說著，湯砍斷了三面網。然后，像做祈禱那樣，他輕輕的低聲說道，"哦，鳥兒們，喜歡向左飛的，就向左飛;喜歡向右飛的，就向右飛;如果你真的厭倦了你的生活，就飛入這張網吧!"
其它部落的首領得知這件事后都非常感動。他們說："湯真是一位賢王啊。他對鳥獸都如此仁慈，何況是對人呢?" 不久就有四十多個部落宣誓效忠湯。
"網開三面"這個成語就是由此而來的。后來，人們把它改為"網開一面"，表示寬容的對待做錯事的人。
英文勵志小故事6
烏鴉坐在樹枝上，嘴里叼著一塊奶酪。這時，狐貍在觀察烏鴉，轉動鬼腦筋想得到那塊奶酪。
于是，狐貍先生走過去，站在樹下，仰起頭說道：“我的頭上有一只多么高貴的鳥兒呀！”她的美貌天下無雙，她的羽毛精致纖美。
要是她的'聲音也像外貌和羽毛那樣美好，毫無疑問，她該成為鳥類的女王！“聽到這番恭維，烏鴉簡直受寵若驚，一心只想向狐貍炫耀一下自己的歌喉，就“呱”地大叫一聲。
理所當然，她嘴里的那奶酪就掉了下去，狐貍立刻抓起奶酪，說：“烏鴉夫人，我知道你的歌喉很不錯，可你需要的是智慧�！�
A Crow was sitting on a branch of a tree with a piece of cheese in her beak when a Fox observed her and set his wits to work to discover some way of getting the cheese. Coming and standing under the
tree he looked up and said, "What a noble bird I see above me! Her beauty is without equal, the hue of her plumage exquisite. If only her voice is as sweet as her looks are fair, she ought without doubt to
be Queen of the Birds." The Crow was hugely flattered by this, and just to show the Fox that she could sing she gave a loud caw. Down came the cheese, of course, and the Fox, snatching it up, said, "You
have a voice, madam, I see: what you want is wits."
英文勵志小故事7
A bird fall in about one metre away from the Wolf rock. By the villagers tied the Wolf looked up and looked at it, showed an instinctive guard. Birds may have already seen this Wolf was imprisoned, that he took it, in front of it is indiscriminate.
Wolf, it seems that anger does not bother, just withdraw it, let it sing alone. Birds found the Wolf's frustration, they fly down from thestone, near the Wolf cried. Birds may not know of such a move is dangerous, wolves if they suddenly stretched paw could grasp it, butWolf did not do.
I've been waiting for a long time, they still live. Suddenly, I felt my fear is unnecessary, how do I know the bird calls in the expression of what is it? I'm just human psychology, in fear for them, perhaps, the birds are telling a happy thing for wolves!
From the look of it, birds and wolves so close contact, how incredible it is. If you see this scene is a timid man, he would fear for the bird to; if you see this is a broad minded person, he may find that thebeauty of life against each other, you will see life in the pursuit of beauty of the brave heart will show.
The highest form of life, "take it, well-which is" as if a wolf is tied infront, just as it sing; if a bird flew up to himself and sang happily, patiently to be an audience, so it is friendly and beautiful life.
Throughout the day, so a Wolf and a bird. They make up a mirror,and all the people who saw them were reflected in it.
翻譯：
一只鳥兒落在距離狼約一米遠的一塊石頭上。被村民拴住的狼抬起頭望著它，顯示出一種本能的警惕。鳥兒也許已經看出來了這只狼身受禁錮，便不怕它了，在它面前恣意妄為。
狼似乎不怒也不煩，只是非常冷漠地看著它，任它獨自鳴叫。鳥兒發現了狼的無奈，便從石頭上飛下，靠近狼叫了起來。鳥兒可能不知道自己的這種舉動很危險，狼只要突然一伸爪子就能抓住它，但狼沒有那樣做。
我等了很長時間，它們之間仍然相安無事。我突然覺得我的擔心是多余的，我怎么知道鳥兒在叫聲中表達的是什么呢?我只是出于人的心理，在為它們擔心，說不定，鳥兒正對狼訴說著一件高興的事情呢!
從表面看，鳥兒和狼如此近距離地接觸，是多么不可思議啊。如果看到這一幕的是一個膽小謹慎的人，他就會為這只鳥兒害怕;如果看到這一幕的是一個胸襟寬闊的人，他也許會發現生命互相映襯的美麗，會看到生命在追求心中的`意愿時表現出的勇敢之美。
人生的最高境界，是“取乎其上，適乎其中”的，如果自己面前是一只被拴住的狼，就為它唱歌;如果一只鳥兒飛到自己跟前高興地唱歌，就耐心地做一名觀眾，讓它感到生命的友好和美麗。
整整一天，一只狼和一只鳥兒就這么相處著。它們組成了一面鏡子，凡是看到它們的人都被映照在里面。
英文勵志小故事8
He is a Harvard graduate playing in the National Basketball Association. He is an Asian-American in a league devoid of them, which makes him doubly anomalous. No team drafted Lin in 20xx. Two teams cut him in December, before the Knicks picked him up.
His contract, potentially worth nearly $800,000, was not even guaranteed until Tuesday afternoon. So for the past six weeks, Lin, 23, has been sleeping in his brother Josh’s living room, waiting for clarity and career security.
On Saturday night, Lin came off the bench and powered the Knicks to a 99-92 victory over the Nets at Madison Square Garden, scoring a career-best 25 points with 7 assists. Two nights later, he made his first N.B.A. start and produced 28 points and 8 assists in a 99-88 win over the Utah Jazz.
Knicks fans now serenade Lin with chants of “Je-re-my!” and “M.V.P.!”. With every game, every precision pass and every clever drive to the basket, Lin is raising expectations, altering the Knicks’ fate and redefining the word “unlikely.” On Twitter, fans and basketball pundits are using another term to describe the phenomenon: “Linsanity.”
Two weeks ago, the 6-foot-3 Lin was not even part of the Knicks’ point-guard rotation, despite their lack of talent at the position. He played sparingly in a few games, showing just enough promise to keep getting another look— a few more minutes, another quarter. But there was never any hint of what was to come.
With 25 points Saturday, Lin set the N.B.A. scoring record for a player from Harvard. For an encore, he became the first player in more than 30 years to record at least 28 points and 8 assists in his first N.B.A. start. The last to do so was Isiah Thomas, the Detroit Pistons’ Hall of Fame point guard, in October 1981.
“I don’t think anyone, including myself, saw this coming,” Lin said after the game Monday.
他是NBA賽場上少有的名校哈佛畢業生，他是聯盟里少見的亞裔美國人，這樣雙重特殊身份的林書豪，在20xx年NBA新秀大會上落選，20xx年12月先后被金州勇士隊和休斯敦火箭隊裁掉，之后紐約尼克斯隊宣布簽下他。
尼克斯與他簽下的合同價值約為80萬美元，也許在這之前他持有的是非保障合同，但到周二下午6點(球隊裁員的截至日子)林書豪的的合同自動轉為了保障合同，他將安全的留在尼克斯隊。事實上在過去的6周里，23歲的林書豪因為不確定自己是否能夠繼續留在紐約，一直寄居在哥哥家當沙發客，等待職業生涯中保障合同的出現。
上周六的晚上，紐約尼克斯在麥迪遜廣場花園主場迎戰新澤西網隊，板凳席上的林書豪臨危受命，拿下了職業生涯最高的`25分7助攻，幫助尼克斯99比92戰勝網隊。兩天后，林書豪獲得NBA的第一次首發機會，在對陣猶他爵士隊的比賽中砍下28分8助攻。
麥迪遜廣場花園的球迷們齊聲歡呼“Jeremy”和“MVP”。每一場比賽，每一個精準的過人，每一次聰明的突破，林書豪給球迷們帶來希望，改變了尼克斯隊的命運，也再次重新定義了“不可能”。在推特上，球迷和籃球權威人士用Linsanity “為林瘋狂” 這個標簽來描述這種林書豪熱現象(Linsanity：Lin+insanity)。
兩周前，這個身高1米91的華裔小個子甚至根本不在尼克斯隊的控球后衛輪轉名單中，盡管尼克斯目前在控衛的位置缺乏優秀的人才。在此之前他只打過幾場比賽，但他的表現足以讓教練注意到他。慢慢地，他的上場時間在增加：多了幾分鐘，再打一節。林書豪的傳奇成功不是無跡可尋的。
在周六砍下25分的一球成名戰后，林書豪也創下了NBA賽場上哈佛畢業生的得分記錄。第二場比賽中，他再次創下記錄，成為NBA賽場30多年里首發首秀拿到28分8助攻的第一人。上次拿到這個得分的是在1981年10月，底特律活塞隊伊塞亞·托馬斯(NBA名人堂球員)。
林書豪在周一比賽后表示，“我相信任何人包括我自己在內，都沒有預想到這樣的成績”。
英文勵志小故事9
A bus full of passengers was speeding along the downhill road, and a man was following the car closely. A passenger pushed his head out of the window and said, "man! You can't catch it!
"I have to catch it," gasped the man. "I'm the driver of this car."
(some people have to work very hard, because otherwise, the consequences will be miserable! But it is also because of the need to go all out, that the underlying instinct and the hidden qualities will eventually be revealed.
英文勵志小故事10
A king was embarked on board a ship, which also carried a slave.
國王帶著一個奴隸乘坐在一條船上
The boy had never been at sea, nor experienced the inconvenience of a ship.
奴隸從未出過海，也從未經歷過坐船之苦。
He set up a weeping and wailing, and all his limbs were in a state of trepidation, and, however much they soothed him, he was not to be pacified.
他開始哭泣、悲號，四肢不停地顫抖。人們想盡辦法安撫他，但他仍無法平靜。
The king’s pleasure party was disconcerted by him; but they offered no help.
國王原本愉快的心情被他攪得不安起來，但人們卻束手無策。
On board that ship there was a physician. He said to the king; “If you will order it, I can manage to silence him.”
一個醫師也在船上，他對國王說：“如果允許讓我一試的話，我有辦法讓他平靜。”
The king replied, “It will be an act of great favor.”
國王說道：“那就太好了�！�
The physician directed that they throw the boy into the sea, and after he had plunged repeatedly, they seized him by hair of the head and drew him close to be ship,
醫師吩咐他們把奴隸扔到海里，讓他反復沉浮幾次后，才抓住他的頭發把他拖到船邊
where he grabbed the rudder with both hands and, scrambling up on to the deck, slunk into a corner and sat down quiet.
他雙手緊緊抓住船舷，爬上甲板，縮到一個角落里坐下來，不再吭聲了。
The king, pleased with what he saw, said, “What art is there in this?”
國王很滿意，問道：“這是什么道理?”
The physician replied, “Originally he had not experienced the danger of being drowned, and undervalued the safety of being in a ship;
醫師回答說：“先前他沒有經歷溺水的危險，所有不珍惜在船上的安全
just as a person is aware of the preciousness of health only when he is overtaken with the calamity of sickness.”
就象一個人只有感受到病痛的`折磨時，方知健康的可貴一樣�！�
英文勵志小故事11
A man once had four sons who never stopped quarrelling with one another.
從前有一個人，他有四個兒子，但兒子們不斷地爭吵。
He was always telling them how much easier life would be if they worked together but they took absolutely no notice of him.
他一再告誡他們說，如果他們一起干活兒，生活會舒適得多，但他們絲毫不理會他的意見。
One day he decided to show them what he meant.
有一天，他決定通過示范把自己的意思告訴他們。
He called all the sons together and put a tightly tied bundle of sticks on the floor in front of them.
他把四個兒子都叫來，又把一捆扎得很緊的樹枝放在他們面前。
"Can you break that?" he asked the youngest son. The boy put his knee on the bundle but though he pressed and pulled with his arms he could not bend the wood.
“你能折斷這個嗎?H他問最小的`兒子。小兒子用膝蓋頂住，兩只手又壓又拉，都不能把那捆樹枝弄彎。
The father asked each son in turn to try to break the bundle, but none of them could do it .
父親讓另外三個兒子挨個兒試了試，但他們誰也做不到。
Then he untied the string and scattered the sticks.
然后，他解開繩子，把樹枝撒開。
"Now try,"he said. The boys broke the sticks easily in their hands.
¨現在試試吧�！f。四個小伙子用手輕輕一撅，樹枝就斷了。
"Do you see what I mean?" asked the father. "If only you stand together no one can hurt you .
¨你們明白我的意思了嗎?”父親問，¨只要你們聯合起來，誰也不能傷害你們。
If you all disagree the whole time and insist on going your separate ways, the first enemy you meet will be able to destroy you.'
如果你們老吵架，堅持各行其是，那么你們一遇到敵人，就會被打敗�！�
英文勵志小故事12
摘要：如果你認為你的女人從不會對你撒謊，請再仔細考慮一下。大部分女人，小到善意的謊言，大到更為嚴重的假話，都會在牽涉到某種關系的某一點時掩飾真相。
If you think your woman would never lie to you, guess again. From little white lies to the more serious variety, most women will curtail the truth at some point in a relationship. Her motivation for lying can stem from wanting to protect your feelings or, sure enough, to save her own butt.
One day, when a seamstress was sewing while sitting close to a river, her thimble fell into the river. When she cried out, the Lord appeared and asked, 'My dear child, why are you crying?' The seamstress replied that her thimble had fallen into the water and that she needed it to help her husband in making a living for their family. The Lord dipped His hand into the water and pulled up a golden thimble set with sapphires.
'Is this your thimble?' the Lord asked The seamstress replied, 'No.'
The Lord again dipped into the river. He held out a golden thimble studded with rubies.
'Is this your thimble?' the Lord asked. Again, the seamstress replied, 'No.'
The Lord reached down again and came up with a leather thimble.
'Is this your thimble ?' the Lord asked. The seamstress replied, 'Yes.' The Lord was pleased with the woman's honesty and gave her all three thimbles to keep, and the seamstress went home happy.
Some years later, the seamstress was walking with her husband along the riverbank, and her husband fell into the river and disappeared under the water. When she cried out, the Lord again appeared and asked her, 'Why are you crying?' 'Oh Lord, my husband has fallen into the river!'
The Lord went down into the water and came up with George Clooney. 'Is this your husband?' the Lord asked.
'Yes,' cried the seamstress. The Lord was furious. 'You lied! That is an untruth!' The seamstress replied, 'Oh, forgive me, my Lord. It is a misunderstanding. You see, if I had said 'no' to George Clooney, you would have come up with Brad Pitt.
Then if I said 'no' to him, you would have come up with my husband. Had I then said 'yes,' you would have given me all three. Lord, I'm not in the best of health and would not be able to take care of all three husbands, so THAT' S why I said 'yes' to George Clooney.
And so the Lord let her keep him.
The moral of this story is:
Whenever a woman lies, it's for a good and honorable reason, and in the best interest of others. That's our story, and we're sticking to it.
如果你認為你的女人從不會對你撒謊，請再仔細考慮一下。大部分女人，小到善意的謊言，大到更為嚴重的假話，都會在牽涉到某種關系的某一點時掩飾真相。她的撒謊動機也許是想要保護你的情感，或者是，可以相當肯定地說，維護她自身的利益。
有一天，一個女裁縫坐在河邊干活時，不小心把頂針掉進了河里。當她大聲哭喊時，上帝出現了，問她：“我親愛的孩子，你為什么哭啊?”女裁縫回答說，她的頂針掉進河里了，她很需要這個頂針，好用它來幫助丈夫為一家人謀生。上帝把手伸進河里，撈上來一個金燦燦的.鑲嵌著藍寶石的頂針。
“這是你的頂針嗎?”上帝問道。女裁縫回答：“不是。”
上帝又把手伸進河里。他這次手上拿著的是一個金燦燦的鑲嵌著紅寶石的頂針。
“這是你的頂針嗎?”上帝問道。女裁縫再次回答：“不是。”
上帝再次把手伸進河里，這次他手上拿的是一枚皮制頂針。
“這是你的頂針嗎?”上帝問道。女裁縫回答：“是的。”上帝很為女人的誠實高興，就把三個頂針都給了她，女裁縫高高興興地回了家。
幾年以后，女裁縫和丈夫沿著河岸走著，突然她的丈夫掉進了河里，消失在水下。女裁縫大哭的時候，上帝又出現了，問她：“你為什么哭啊?”“主啊，我的丈夫掉進河里了!”
上帝到了河里，把喬治·克魯尼救了上來�！斑@是你的丈夫嗎?”上帝問道。
“是的，”女裁縫喊道。上帝大怒。“你撒謊!那不是真話!”女裁縫回答道，“噢，我的主，請寬恕我。這是一個誤會。你瞧，如果我對喬治說：‘不’，你會再救上來一個布萊德·皮特。
那么如果我對他說‘不’，你又會把我丈夫救上來。如果我說‘是的’，你會把他們三個都給我。主啊，我身體不太好，不能把三個丈夫都照顧好啊，所以我就對喬治-克魯尼說‘是’了�！�
而上帝因此就讓女裁縫留著喬治做丈夫了。
這個故事的寓意是：
不管一個女人何時撒謊，那是為了一個善意的和高尚的理由，而且是對別人最有利的。這就是我們要講的故事，而且我們對此堅信不疑。
英文版勵志小故事：自戀的水仙花
摘要：從前有個男孩,他的名字叫做Narcissus水仙。身為一名天神的兒子他長得十分英俊，有許多愛慕著他的少女向他示愛卻都被他拒絕了。
Once upon a time, there was a boy called Narcissus. He was the son of a god and he was very, very handsome. Many women fell in love with him, but he turned them away. One of the women who loved Narcissus was a nymph called Echo. Echo could not speak properly - she could only repeat what was said to her, so she couldn't tell Narcissus that she loved him. One day, when Narcissus was walking in the woods with some friends, he became separated from them. He called out "Is anyone here?" Echo replied "Here, Here". Echo stepped forward with open arms, wanting to cuddle him. But Narcissus refused to accept Echo's love. Echo was so upset that she left and hid in a cave, until nothing was left of her, except her voice.
The Maiden, a goddess, found out about this, and she was very angry. She made Narcissus fall in love with himself. When Narcissus looked at his reflection in a pond one day, he fell in love. He stayed on that spot forever, until he died one day. Where he died a flower grew, and that flower is called a Narcissus.
從前有個男孩,他的名字叫做Narcissus水仙。身為一名天神的兒子他長得十分英俊，有許多愛慕著他的少女向他示愛卻都被他拒絕了。在愛慕著他的眾多少女中有位美麗的仙女做做"Echo"(回音)，由于Echo不能正常得說出想說的話而只能不斷得重復別人的言語所以她并不能清楚的告訴Narcissus她對他的愛意。有天當Narcissus和他的幾個朋友在森林中漫步時和其他的朋友走失了。
他喊到“有人在嗎?”
Echo也說“有人在嗎?”
Echo上前想抱住Narcissus卻被Narcissus拒絕了，Echo非常得傷心，她跑到一個無人的山洞，一直待到她的外形完全消失只剩下她的聲音能被人們所聽到。
一名女神聽說了這件事，她非常得憤怒，并用神力使Narcissus愛上了他自己。當Narcissus在湖泊的水邊看到自己的影子時，他頓時愛上了水中的人，他一直待在那湖邊，直到漸漸死去。在他死的地方長出許多的野花，這種花被人們取名叫做Narcissus(水仙花)。
英文版勵志小故事：男孩和露珠
One morning a small boy squatted motionless on the grass in the garden for a long time.
His mother felt so odd that she walked close to see what had happened. The boy, in earnest, squatted in front of a blade of grass, on which a round dew in the sun gave a colorful light, exceedingly beautiful. The small boy extended his hands under the grass silently as he appreciated the dew.
Seeing his mother walking over to him, the boy said with a slight sadness, “Mother, the dew’s dying.”
The mother said to her son with a smile, “Even if you put your hands under the grass, you cannot stop the dew disappear from this world.”
The boy said, “Mother, I’m only thinking not to throw it in pain when it falls.”
一天早上，一個小男孩蹲在花園的草地上，久久不動。
母親覺得蹊蹺，便湊上前看個究竟。只見男孩非常認真地蹲在一莖草葉面前。草葉上，一顆圓圓的露珠，在太陽的照射下，正幻出七彩的光芒，格外美麗。小男孩一邊欣賞著這滴露珠，一邊把雙手攤開，靜候在草葉下。
看到媽媽走過來，男孩略帶憂傷的說：“媽媽，露珠快要死了�！�
母親微笑著對兒子說：“你就是把雙手放在草葉下面，還是阻止不了露珠在這個世界上消失的命運啊�！�
男孩說：“媽媽，我只是想，它落下來時，別摔疼了它�！�
英文勵志小故事13
After the rain， a difficult spider to the wall has been fragmented network， due to damp walls， it must climb the height， it will fall， which one to climb， repeatedly falling and… No. a person to see， and he sighed to himself： "my life as this spider is not it? busy and no income." Thus， he increasingly depressed. See the second person， he said： this spider really stupid， why do not dry place from the next to climb up to look around? I'll be as stupid as it can not. Thus， he becomes wise up. See the third person， he immediately spiders keep the spirit of war touched. So he has become strong.
Tip： the mentality of those who are successful can be found everywhere the power of success.
雨后，一只蜘蛛艱難地向墻上支離破碎的網爬去，由于墻壁潮濕，它爬到一定的'高度，就會掉下來，它一次次地向上爬，一次次地又掉下來……第一個人看到了，他嘆了一口氣，自言自語：“我的一生不正如這只蜘蛛嗎?忙忙碌碌而無所得。”于是，他日漸消沉。第二個人看到了，他說：這只蜘蛛真愚蠢，為什么不從旁邊干燥的地方繞一下爬上去?我以后可不能像它那樣愚蠢。于是，他變得聰明起來。第三個人看到了，他立刻被蜘蛛屢敗屢戰的精神感動了。于是，他變得堅強起來。
英文勵志小故事14
引言：
我認為人一生就應該盡全力做最好的自己------我想這就是我的信仰。
---埃莉諾.羅斯福
Growth That Starts From Thinking
It seems to me a very difficult thing to put into words the beliefs we hold and what they make you do in your life. I think I was fortunate because I grew up in a family where there was a very deep religious feeling. I don’t think it was spoken of a great deal. It was more or less taken for granted that everybody held certain beliefs and needed certain reinforcements of their own strength and that that came through your belief in God and your knowledge of prayer.
But as I grew older I questioned a great many of the things that I knew very well my grandmother who had brought me up had taken for granted. And I think I might have been a quite difficult person to live with if it hadn’t been for the fact that my husband once said it didn’t do you any harm to learn those things, so why not let your children learn them? When they grow up they’ll think things out for themselves.
And that gave me a feeling that perhaps that’s what we all must do—think out for ourselves what we could believe and how we could live by it. And so I came to the conclusion that you had to use this life to develop the very best that you could develop.
I don’t know whether I believe in a future life. I believe that all that you go through here must have some value, therefore there must be some reason. And there must be some “going on.” How exactly that happens I’ve never been able to decide. There is a future—that I’m sure of. But how, that I don’t know. And I came to feel that it didn’t really matter very much because whatever the future held you’d have to face it when you came to it, just as whatever life holds you have to face it exactly the same way. And the important thing was that you never let down doing the best that you were able to do—it might be poor because you might not have very much within you to give, or to help other people with, or to live your life with. But as long as you did the very best that you were able to do, then that was what you were put here to do and that was what you were accomplishing by being here.
And so I have tried to follow that out—and not to worry about the future or what was going to happen. I think I am pretty much of a fatalist. You have to accept whatever comes and the only important thing is that you meet it with courage and with the best that you have to give.
在思考中成長
我的信念是什么，它在我的人生中起到了什么作用------這些問題我覺得很難用言語解釋清楚。我認為自己很幸運，因為我出生在一個篤信宗教的家庭。家里人對宗教談論得并不多。每個人心中或多或少都有某些信仰，都希望通過某種方式獲得力量，而這力量就來自信奉上帝并懂得如何祈禱。
我是在祖母身邊長大的。隨著年齡的增長，我對許多祖母視作理所當然的事產生了懷疑。我甚至拒絕讓孩子們接觸這些東西，似乎成了一個不近情理的人。直到有一次我丈夫勸我，這些東西你年少時也接觸過，對你也并無壞處。既然如此，何不讓孩子們也有了解它們的機會呢？他們長大以后會獨立思考這些問題的。
他的話使我感到或許我們每個人都應該這樣做------獨立思考自己應該信仰什么以及如何在生活中堅守自己的的`信仰。我認為人一生就應該盡全力做最好的自己------我想這就是我的信仰。
我不知道自己是否相信未來。我相信的是我們現在經歷的一切一定有價值，因此必有某些道理，也必然預示著有些事情“將要發生”。但這些事情如何發生，我卻不能決定。一定有未來------對此我深信不疑。但它會怎樣降臨。我不知道，然而著一點，我漸漸感到并不重要。因為無論未來如何，我們到時候總得面對，正如無論生活中發生了什么，我們都必須面對一樣。真正重要的是要傾盡自己的全力。也許你能力有限、貢獻不多，無法給予他人更多的幫助，或者無法活得那么精彩，但只要你能傾盡自己的全力，你就能完成來到人世間的使命，能體現人生的價值。
這就是我一直奉行的生活原則------不擔心未來的事，也不為下一刻發生的事操心。我想我算是一個相信宿命的人吧。無論發生什么，我們都得勇敢面對，關鍵是面對的時候我們要勇敢，要傾盡自己的全力。
單詞：
1.reinforcement n.增強, 加固; 強化物; 補給品
例句：
This roof needs reinforcement.
這個屋頂需要加固。
2.take for granted 認為當然；認為...理所當然
例句：
Most of us, however, take life for granted.
但是，我們大多數人把生活認為是理所當然的。
3.accomplish vt.完成, 貫徹, 實現(計劃等), 達到(目的); 實行
例句：
Hurry does not accomplish anything.
急急匆匆，一事無成。
4.fatalist n. 宿命論者
句子：
1.It seems to me a very difficult thing to put into words the beliefs we hold and what they make you do in your life.
【難句釋義】我的信念是什么，它在我的人生中起到了什么作用------這些問題我覺得很難用言語解釋清楚。
【難句解析】句中"it"指"to put into words the beliefs we hold and what they make you do in your life",其中"put into word"意思是“用語言表達”，"they"指"beliefs "。
2. But as I grew older I questioned a great many of the things that I knew very well my grandmother who had brought me up had taken for granted.
【難句釋義】我是在祖母身邊長大的。隨著年齡的增長，我對許多祖母視作理所當然的事產生了懷疑。
【難句解析】句子得主干是"I questioned many things",“ I knew very well my grandmother who had brought me up had taken for granted”是定語從句，修飾"things"。
3.But how, that I don’t know. And I came to feel that it didn’t really matter very much because whatever the future held you’d have to face it when you came to it, just as whatever life holds you have to face it exactly the same way.
【難句釋義】但它會怎樣降臨。我不知道，然而著一點，我漸漸感到并不重要。因為無論未來如何，我們到時候總得面對，正如無論生活中發生了什么，我們都必須面對一樣。
【難句解析】"how"是"how it happens"的省略形式，“whatever the future held”意思是“無論未來如何”。
英文勵志小故事15
A Straight Wall Is Hard to Build
人格的力量
by Lou R. Crandall
盧.R.克蘭德爾
As I try to outline my thoughts, the subject becomes more and more difficult. I have many basic beliefs but as I try to pick and choose it seems to me that they all can be summarized in the word "character." Obviously, what you believe is a fundamental thing. There can be no fanfare, no embellishments. It must be honest.
我在努力清理思路時，主題變得越來越難講述。我有很多的信仰，但試圖挑選時，似乎都可用“人格”一詞概括。顯然，一個人的信仰是根本，不需要炫耀，不用飾，本來是什么就是什么。
An architect once told me that the most difficult structure to design was a simple monumental shaft. The proportions must perfect to be pleasing. The hardest thing to build is a plain straight wall. The dimensions must be absolute.
一位建筑師告訴我，最難設計的建筑是一尊簡單的紀念柱，比例必須完美無缺，賞心悅目;最難砌的是一堵簡樸筆直的墻，尺寸必須一絲不差。
In either case there is no ornamentation to hide irregularities, no moldings to cover hidden defects and no supports to strengthen concealed weaknesses.
在這兩種情況下，都無法用修飾掩蓋不平整，以造型遮蓋暗藏的缺陷，以支撐物來加固不牢的根基。
I am using this example to illustrate human character, which to me is the most important single power in the world today. The young people of toady are in reality foundations of structures yet to be built.
我以此例來說明人格，在我看來它是當今世界上最重要的唯一的力量。今天的年輕人實際上是世界待建結構的根基。
It is obvious that the design of these human structures is the combined efforts of many human architects. Boys and girls are influenced first by their parents, then by their friends and finally by business associates. During this period of construction, the human character is revised and changed until at maturity a fairly well-fixed form of character is found.
很顯然，設計這些人格結構需要眾多人類建筑師的共同努力。孩子們的成長，先后要受到父母、朋友和事業伙伴的影響。在這一成長過程中，人格一直在改變，直到在成熟期定型。
There are few human straight walls and fewer human monumental shafts. Such men and women are personalities of great beauty and are so rare that history records their being and holds them up as examples for the future.
人類中堪稱墻一般筆直挺立的人少有，像紀念柱一樣矗立的人更少，這樣的人是美的化身，世所罕見，歷史記錄他們的存在，奉之為后世的楷模。
The Biblical characters are for me the closest examples of human perfection. They were unselfish, steadfast in their faith and unstinting in their help to others.
《圣經》中的'人物在我心中是最接近完人的范例，他們無私，信仰堅定，幫助他人，不遺余力。
Today in this world of turmoil and trouble we could use more of such people, but they do not just happen along. I believe that they are the result of concentrated effort on the part of parents and associates, and the more we build with character the better the world will become.
在今天這個混亂不安的世界，我們可以多用這樣的人，但他們并非從天而降。我相信他們是父母、同伴傾力鍛造的結果。我們越重視人格的建構，世界會越美好。
This may sound like a dreamer's hope and a theoretical goal which can never be reached. I do not think so.
這聽起來像癡人說夢，是永遠無法實現的理論目標，我卻不這么想。
The world as a whole has progressed tremendously material-wise, and we are a fortunate nation in that we are leading the procession. It is, I believe, natural that nations not so fortunate should look upon us with envy. We would do the same if the positions were reserved, so we should not judge too harshly the efforts of others to equal our standard of living. In either case, the fortunate or the unfortunate character in the individual and collectively in a nation stands out.
全世界在物質生產上已取得巨大進步，美利堅榮幸地成為引導這一進程的國家。我相信，沒有這樣好運氣的國家可能會嫉妒我們，如果換個位置，我們也會如此，因此對于別人奮力向我們的生活標準看齊，我們不應該草率地評判。無論是哪種情況，個人或民族的幸運或不幸的品格都會凸顯出來。
I agree that it is easier to build character under ideal conditions but cannot forget that character is also required to give as well as receive.
我贊同在理想條件下更容易塑造人格的說法，但我認為不能忘記人格的塑造不僅需要外界條件的熏陶，也需要自身的努力。
It should be to the benefit of humanity if all individuals - and this includes myself - did a renovation or remodeling job on our own character. It may merely be a case of removing rough edges or tossing away molding to expose irregularities, in some cases to remove a prop and stand on one's own feet.
如果所有人——也包括我自己——都更新或重鑄自己的人格，這應該是有益于人類的。這也許僅僅是抹去粗糙的邊緣或丟棄固有的模式，從而顯露出不平整，有時則需要拿走支撐物，完全靠自己站立。
In any event if some of us set example, others will follow and the result should be good. This I believe.
不論何種情況，只要我們有人樹立榜樣，其他人就會效仿，結果就應該是好的。對此我深信不疑。
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