四级英语经典美文

张东东老师

  四级英语经典美文1

  A box full of kisses

  装满吻的盒子

  The story goes that some time ago, a man punished his 3-year-old daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper. Money was tight and he became infuriated when the child tried to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree. Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift to her father the next morning and said, "This is for you, Daddy.”

  有这样一个故事,爸爸因为三岁的女儿浪费了一卷金色的包装纸而惩罚了她。家里很缺钱,当孩子想要用包装纸装饰一个挂在圣诞树上的盒子时,爸爸生气了。然而,第二天早上小女孩把盒子作为礼物送给了爸爸,“这是给你的,爸爸。”

  The man was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction, but his anger flared again when he found out the box was empty. He yelled at her, stating, "Don't you know, when you give someone a present, there is supposed to be something inside? The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and cried, "Oh, Daddy, it's not empty at all. I blew kisses into the box. They're all for you, Daddy."

  女儿的这个行为让爸爸感到尴尬。但是当他发现盒子是空的时候,他的怒火再一次燃烧了。他对女儿喊道,“难道你不知道给别人礼物的时候,里面应该放有东西吗?”多女孩抬头看着父亲,眼里含着泪水,“爸爸,盒子不是空的。我把吻放在了盒子里,都是给你的,爸爸。”

  The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little girl, and he begged for her forgiveness. Only a short time later, an accident took the life of the child. It is also told that her father kept that gold box by his bed for many years and, whenever he was discouraged, he would take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.

  爸爸感动极了,他搂住女儿,恳请她的原谅。之后不久,一场事故夺走了小女孩的生命。据说,父亲便将那个小金盒子放在床头,一直陪伴着他的余生。无论何时他感到气馁或者遇到难办的事情,他就会打开礼盒,取出一个假想的吻,记起漂亮女儿给予了自己特殊的爱。

  In a very real sense, each one of us, as humans beings, have been given a gold container filled with unconditional love and kisses... from our children, family members, friends, and God. There is simply no other possession, anyone could hold, more precious than this.

  从一个非常真实的意义上说,我们每个人都被赠与过一个无形的金色礼盒,那里面装满了来自子女,家人,朋友及上帝无条件的爱与吻。人们所能拥有的最珍贵的礼物莫过于此了。

  四级英语经典美文2

  母亲永远成不了父亲

  A Unique Job

  A father's job is unique.

  If parents had job descriptions mine would read: organize bills, playmates, laundry, meals, laundry, carpool1, laundry, snacks, outings and shopping, and laundry.

  The only thing on my husband's description would be the word “fun” written in big red letters along the top. Although he is a selfless caregiver and provider, our children think of him more as a combination of a jungle gym2 and bozo3 and clown.

  Our parenting styles compliment each other. His style is a nonstop adventure where no one has to worry about washing their hands, eating vegetables, or getting cavities4. My style is similar to Mussolini5. I'm too busy worrying to be fun. Besides, every time I try, I am constantly outdone by my husband.

  I bought my children bubble gum flavored toothpaste and I taught them how to brush their teeth in tiny circles so they wouldn't get cavities. They thought it was neat until my husband taught them how to rinse6 by spitting out water between their two front teeth like a fountain.

  I took the children on a walk in the woods and, after two hours, I managed to corral7 a slow ladybug8 into my son's insect cage. I was “cool” until their father came home, spent two minutes in the backyard, and captured a beetle the size of a Chihuahua9.

  I try to tell myself I am a good parent even if my husband does things I can't do. I can make sure my children are safe, warm, and dry. I'll stand in line for five hours so the children can see Santa at the mall ?? or be first in line to see the latest Disney movie. But I can't wire the VCR1 so my children can watch their favorite video.

  I can carry my children in my arms when they are tired, tuck them into bed, and kiss them goodnight. But I can't flip them upside down so they can walk on the ceiling or prop them on my shoulders so they can see the moths flying inside of the light fixture2.

  I can take them to doctor appointments, scout meetings, or field trips to the aquarium3, but I'll never go into the wilderness, skewer4 a worm on a hook, reel in5 a fish, and cook it over an open flame on a piece of tin foil6.

  I'll even sit in the first row of every Little League game and cheer until my throat is sore and my tonsils7 are raw8, but I'll never teach my son how to hit a home run9 or slide into first base10.

  As a mother I can do a lot of things for my children, but no matter how hard I try ?? I can never be their father.

  母亲永远成不了父亲 A Unique Job

  当爸是件无人能替代的活儿。

  如果为人父母有职务简述的话,我的“职务简述”将会包括如下内容:管理账单和孩子们的玩耍同伴、洗衣、做饭、洗衣、安排与人合伙用车、洗衣、准备小吃、安排短途旅游、购物、洗衣。

  我先生的“职务简述”是在上端用红色写出的两个大字——“乐子”。尽管他无私地给予孩子们百般关爱,尽其所能为他们提供所需,我们的孩子们更多的时候还是把他看作攀缘游戏架、大傻瓜和小丑的三合一。

  我们俩为人父母的风格是互补的。他的风格是持续不断的探险,在这过程中,没有人需要操心孩子是不是洗手了,是不是吃蔬菜了,或者会不会长蛀牙。我的风格则类似墨索里尼的执政风格。我太忙了,为这操心,为那操心,哪里顾得上找什么乐子。再者,每次我试图逗孩子们开心,我总是被我先生比下去。

  我给孩子们买来带泡泡糖香味的牙膏,教他们如何用牙刷转圈儿刷牙以免得蛀牙。他们认为那样刷挺好玩,直到有一天我先生教他们如何漱口——从两颗门牙间把水喷出来。他们发现这才叫好玩。

  我带孩子们到小树林里去散步,两个小时后,我好不容易才逮住一个迟钝的瓢虫放进我儿子的虫笼里。在他们眼里我是够“酷”的`,直到他们的父亲回家,在后院里只花了两分钟,便捕获了一只有奇瓦瓦小狗那么大的甲虫!

  我劝慰自己我是个好妈妈,尽管我先生能做的事情我做不了。我可以确保我的孩子们是安全的、暖和的、干干爽爽的。我可以排队等5个小时,让孩子们在大商场里看到圣诞老人——或者第一个排队让孩子们看最新的迪斯尼影片。但是我不会给录像机接上电线,好让孩子们看他们喜欢的录像。

  当孩子玩累时,我可以把他们抱到床上,亲吻他们,送他们进入梦乡。但是我无法让他们头冲下,那样他们可以脚踏天花板漫步;或者把他们扛在我的肩膀上,让他们看飞蛾如何在灯具里飞舞。

  我可以带他们去看医生,参加童子军集会,或者带他们去参观水族馆,但是我永远也不会进入荒郊野地,在鱼钩上挂上虫饵,钓上一条鱼,然后把鱼用锡纸包起来在明火上烤着吃。

  我甚至可以出席每一场少年棒球联合会的比赛,坐在第一排呐喊助威,直到我的嗓子喊疼了,我的扁桃体发炎了,但是我永远无法教我的儿子如何打一个本垒打或者如何巧妙进入一垒的位置。

  作为一个母亲,我可以为我的孩子们做许多事情,但是不管我怎样努力——我永远成为不了他们的父亲。