烧掉额回忆
适合初学者的英语阅读短文
【2】Companionship of Books以书为伴
A man may usually be known by the books he reads as well as by the company he keeps; for there is a companionship of books as well as of men; and one should always live in the best company, whether it be of books or of men.
A good book may be among the best of friends. It is the same today that it always was, and it will never chance. It is the most patient and cheerful of companions. It does not turn its back upon us in times of adversity or distress. It always receives us with the same kindness, amusing and instructing us in youth, and comforting and consoling us in age.
Men often discover their affinity to each other by the mutual love they have for a book just as two persons sometimes discover a friend by the admiration which both entertain for a third.There is an old proverb, "Love me, love my dog." But there is more wisdom in this: "Love me, love my book." The book is a truer and higher bond of union. Men can think, feel, and sympathize with each other through their favorite author. They live in him together, and he in them.
"Books," said Hazlitt, "wind into the heart; the poet's verse slides in the current of our blood. We read them when young, we remember them when old. We feel that it has happened to ourselves. They are to be very cheap and good. We breathe but the air of books."
A good book is often the best urn of a life enshrining the best that life could think out; for the world of a man's life is, for the most part, but the world of his thoughts. Thus the best books are treasuries of good words, the golden thoughts, which, remembered and cherished, become our constant companions and comforters. "They are never alone," said Sir Philip Sidney, "that are accompanied by noble thoughts." The good and true thought may in times of temptation be as an angel of mercy purifying and guarding the soul. It also enshrines the germs of action, for good words almost always inspire to good works.
Books possess an essence of immortality. They are by far the most lasting products of human effort. Temples and statues decay, but books survive. Time is of no account with great thoughts, which are as fresh today as when they first passed through their author's minds, ages ago. What was then said and thought still speaks to us as vividly as ever from the printed page. The only effect of time has been to sift out the bad products; for nothing in literature can long survive but what is really good.
Books introduce us into the best society; they bring us into the presence of the greatest minds that have ever lived. We hear what they said and did; we see them as if they were really alive; we sympathize with them, enjoy with them, grieve with them; their experience becomes ours, and we feel as if we were in a measure actors with them in the scenes which they describe.
The great and good do not die, even in this world. Embalmed in books, their spirits walk abroad. The book is a living voice. It is an intellect to which one still listens. Hence we ever remain under the influence of the great men of old. The imperial intellects of the world are as much alive now as they were ages ago.
了解一个人，通常可以看他读什么书，结交什么人.因为有人以人为伴，有人以书为伴。无论是书友还是朋友，生活中我们都应该和最佳最善者常相伴。
好书可以是你最好的朋友。它始终不渝，过去如此，现在如此，将来也永不改变。它是最有耐心、最令人愉悦的伴侣。在我们遭受不幸，忧伤悲痛的时候，它不会抛弃我们。它总是一如既往地亲切相待。我们年少时，好书给我们带来欢笑和知识;我们年老时，好书又给我们以亲抚和慰藉。
喜欢同一本书的人，常常发现彼此间习性也相近，就像有一时两个人因为敬慕同一个人而成为朋友一样。古时有句谚语：“爱屋及鸟。”其实，“爱我及书”这句活蕴涵更多的哲理。书是更为真诚而高尚的情谊纽带。人们可以通过共同喜爱的作家沟通思想，交流感情，产生共鸣。他们和作家情感相通，作家和他们思想相融。
哈兹利特曾经说过：“书潜移转化人们的内心，诗歌熏陶人们的气质品性。少小所习，老大不忘，恍如身历其事。书籍价廉物美，不啻我们呼吸的空气。”
好书常如最精美的宝器，珍藏着人生思想的精华，因为人生命的境界主要在于其思想的境界。因此，最好的书是金玉良言，是崇高思想的宝库，这些良言和思想若铭记于心并多加珍视，就会成为我们忠实的伴侣和永恒的慰藉。菲利普·锡德尼爵士说得好:“有高尚思想做伴的人永不孤独。”当我们面临诱惑的时候，优美纯真的思想会像仁慈的天使一样，纯洁并保卫我们的灵魂。优美纯真的思想也孕育着行动的胚芽，因为金玉良言几乎总会启发善行。
书籍具有不朽的本质，是人类努力创造的最为持久的成果。寺庙会倒塌，神像会朽烂，而书却经久长存。对于伟大思想来说，时间是无关紧要的。多年前初次闪现于作者脑海的伟大思想今天依然清新如故。他们昨日的言论和思想刊载于纸张之上，如今依然生动如初，向我们娓娓道来。时间唯一的作用是淘汰不好的作品，因为只有真正的佳作才能经世长存。
书籍介绍我们与最优秀的人为伍，使我们置身于历代伟人巨匠之间，如闻其声，如观其行，如见其人，同他们情感交融，悲喜与共.感同身受。一定程度上，我们觉得自己仿佛在作者所描绘的舞台上和他们一起粉墨登场。
即使在人世间，伟大杰出的人物也永生不朽。他们的精神被载人书册，传于四海。书是有生命力的声音，是人类至今仍在聆听的智慧之声。所以，我们永远都受历代伟人的影响。多少世纪以前的盖世英才，如今仍同当年一样，显示着强大的生命力。
课堂笔记：
1.此处的“as well as”相当于连词"and"、连接两个介词短语。
2.虚拟语气在由“whether”引导的让步状语从句中，从句谓语用动词原形，表示“不论是……还是……”同时，"whether"一词可以省去，而将“be”动词放在主语前.此从句可以变为“be it of books or of men”.
3."the same as"和"the same that"都指“和…相同”的含义，但前者强调的是类型的相同，而后者强调的是事物本身的相同。此处指的是好书本身，故而用的是"the same that".
4.句中的两个介词“by"均表示方式，表“通过”之意。省略"that”的定语从句从句"they have for a book”用于修饰“love"。连词“as”表示“正如……一样”，后接从句，用于比较。关系代词“which”引导的定语从句“which both entertain for a third”用于修饰“admiration"。
5."Love me, love my dog.”常被译为“爱屋及乌”英语中有关“dog”的谚语很多，比如:a lucky dog(幸运儿);Every dog has his day.(人人皆有得意日。);It rains cats and dogs.(下倾盆大雨。);a cat-and-dog life(争争吵吵的日子)等等。
6.威廉·哈兹利特(William Hazlitt,1778-1830)，英国散文家、评论家、画家.
7.这是由关系代词which引导的非限制性定语从句，修饰先行词treasuries，从句中的过去分词结构“remembered and cherished(铭记于心并多加珍视)”用作状语，表示条件.
8.菲利普·锡德尼爵士(Sir Philip Sidney, 1554- 1586 )，英国文艺复兴时期的著名的散文家、政治家，有很高的艺术修养.科学知识丰富.
9.此处的but为介词，表示“除……以外”的含义，what引导的从句作but的宾语。
我豆是我
英语作为国际沟通交流的语言工具,其在全球化进程中扮演着重要的角色。下面是我带来的简单好读的英语 文章 ，欢迎阅读!
简单好读的英语文章1
A farmer purchases an old, run-down, abandoned farm with plans to turn it into a thriving enterprise. The fields are grown over with weeds, the farmhouse is falling apart, and the fences are collapsing all around.(短文学网 www.duanwenxue.com)
During his first day of work, the town preacher stops by to bless the man's work, saying, “May you and God work together to make this the farm of your dreams!”
A few months later, the preacher stops by again to call on the farmer. Look and xiaogushi8.com behold. it's like a completely different place—the farmhouse is completely rebuilt and in excellent condition, there are plenty of cattle and other livestock happily munching on feed in well-fenced pens, and the fields are filled with crops planted in neat rows. “Amazing!” the preacher says. “Look what God and you have accomplished together!”
“Yes, reverend,” says the farmer, “but remember what the farm was xiaogushi8.com like when God was working it alone!”
一个农民买了一块破旧、荒废的农场，他计划着把农场改造成一座欣欣向荣的园林。农场目前的状况是杂草遍布，房屋破旧不堪，四周的篱笆也东倒西歪。
在他着手改造的第一天，一个城里的传教士停下来祝福他：“愿上帝与你一起实现你的梦想!”
过了几个月，那个传教士又一次来 拜访 农民。驻足观看，这里发生了天翻地覆的变化：房屋重新被整修过，条件也优于从前，成群的牛羊正在欢快地吃着青草，地里的庄稼也成排地生长着。“太不可思议了，”传教士惊呼道，“看啊，上帝和你一起实现了你的梦想!”
“是的，教士，”那个农民说道：“可你别忘了，当初这个农场只由上帝一人管理时是个什么样子!”
简单好读的英语文章2
A couple had two little boys, ages 8 and 10, who were excessively mischievous. They were always getting into trouble and their parents knew that, if any mischief occurred in their town, their sons were probably involved.
The boys' mother heard that a clergyman in town had been successful in disciplining children, so she asked if he would speak with her boys. The clergyman agreed, but asked to see them individually. So the mother sent her 8-year-old first, in the morning, with the older boy to see the clergyman in the afternoon.
The clergyman, a huge man with a booming voice, sat the younger boy down and asked him sternly, “Where is God?”
The boy's mouth dropped open, but he made no response, sitting there xiaogushi8.com with his mouth hanging open, wide-eyed. So the clergyman repeated the question in an even sterner tone,“Where is God!!?” Again the boy made no attempt to answer. So the clergyman raised his voice even more and shook his finger in the boy's face and bellowed, “Where is god?”
The boy screamed and bolted from the room, ran directly home and dove into his closet, slamming the door behind him. When his older brother found him in the closet, he asked, “What happened?”
The younger brother, gasping for breath, replied, “We are in Big trouble this time. God is missing—and they think we did it!”
一对夫妇有两个儿子，一个8岁，一个10岁。他们都很淘气，总是惹麻烦。他们的父母知道，只要镇上发生了恶作剧，他们的儿子就很可能也参与了。
男孩的母亲听说镇上有一位牧师， 在 教育 孩子方面很在行，于是便问他是否可以跟他的儿子们谈一谈。牧师同意了，但是两个孩子要分开问。因此母亲早上先把8岁的孩子送了过去，大一点的孩子下午再过去。
牧师身材高大，声音洪亮。他让小孩子坐下来，严厉地问道：“上帝在哪里?”
男孩张大了嘴，可是没有作声，他目瞪口呆地坐在那里。于是牧师又严厉地问道：“上帝在哪里?”男孩再一次沉默。于是牧师又提高了嗓门，在男孩的面前摇着手指，怒吼道：“上帝在哪里?”
男孩尖叫着从屋里冲了出来，直接往家跑去，钻进了衣柜，并把门关上了。当他的哥哥在衣柜中找到他时，问道：“发生了什么事?”
小弟弟喘着气说：“我们闯了大祸了。上帝不见了——他们认为是我们俩干的!”
简单好读的英语文章3
A professor stood before his class of 20 senior organic biology students, about to hand out the final exam.
“I want to say that it's been a pleasure teaching you this semester. I know you've xiaogushi8.com all worked extremely hard and many of you are off to medical school after summer. So that no one gets their GPA messed up because they might have been celebrating a bit too much this week, anyone who would like to opt out of the final exam today will receive a 'B' for the course.”
There was much rejoicing amongst the class as students got up, passed by the professor xiaogushi8.com to thank him and sign out on his offer. As the last taker left the room, the professor looked out over the handful of remaining students and asked, “Any one else? This is your last chance.” One final student rose up and took the offer.
The professor closed the door and took attendance of those students remaining. “I'm glad to see you believe in yourself.” he said. “You all have 'A' s.”
一位有机生物学教授站在20名高年级的学生面前，正准备发期末考试的试卷。
“我要说的是，这个学期能够教你们我感到非常荣幸。我明白你们都很努力，你们中的许多人在暑假之后就要去医学院深造了。为了避免同学们因为参与本周末过多的庆祝活动而影响了学习成绩，所以有谁愿意放弃这次考试，就可以得‘B’。”
许多学生异常惊喜，一个接一个地站了起来，从教授身边走过，对他表示感谢，并在纸上签了名。等到最后一个选择放弃的学生走出教室后，教授看着剩下的同学问：“还有吗?这是你们的最后机会了。”终于，还是有一名同学站了起来，接受了建议。
教授关上门，清点了一下剩余的同学，说道：“我非常高兴看到你们能够相信自己，你们都得‘A’。”
