英语美文100篇.docx
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英语美文100篇
Passage1.knowledgeandVirtue
Knowledgeisonething,virtueisanother;goodsenseisnotconscience,refinementisnothumility,norislargenessandjustnessofviewfaith.Philosophy,howeverenlightened,howeverprofound,givesnocommandoverthepassions,noinfluentialmotives,novivifyingprinciples.LiberalEducationmakesnottheChristian,nottheCatholic,butthegentleman.Itiswelltobeagentleman,itiswelltohaveacultivatedintellect,adelicatetaste,acandid,equitable,dispassionatemind,anobleandcourteousbearingintheconductoflife—thesearetheconnaturalqualitiesofalargeknowledge;theyaretheobjectsofaUniversity.Iamadvocating,Ishallillustrateandinsistuponthem;butstill,Irepeat,theyarenoguaranteeforsanctityorevenforconscientiousness,andtheymayattachtothemanoftheworld,totheprofligate,
totheheartless,pleasant,alas,andattractiveasheshowswhendeckedoutinthem.
Takenbythemselves,theydobutseemtobewhattheyarenot;
theylooklikevirtueatadistance,buttheyaredetectedbycloseobservers,andinthelongrun;andhenceitisthattheyarepopularlyaccusedofpretenseandhypocrisy,
not,Irepeat,fromtheirownfault,butbecausetheirprofessorsandtheiradmirerspersistintakingthemforwhattheyarenot,andareofficiousinarrogatingforthemapraisetowhichtheyhavenoclaim.Quarrythegraniterockwithrazors,ormoorthevesselwithathreadofsilk,thenmayyouhopewithsuchkeenanddelicateinstrumentsashumanknowledgeandhumanreasontocontendagainstthosegiants,
Passage2.“Packing”aPerson
Aperson,likeacommodity,needspackaging.Butgoingtoofarisabsolutelyundesirable.
Alittleexaggeration,however,doesnoharmwhenitshowstheperson'suniquequalitiestotheiradvantage.Todisplaypersonalcharminacasualandnaturalway,
itisimportantforonetohaveaclearknowledgeofoneself.
Amasterpackagerknowshowtointegrateartandnaturewithoutanytracesofembellishment,sothatthepersonsopackagedisnocommoditybutahumanbeing,livelyandlovely.Ayoungperson,especiallyafemale,radiantwithbeautyandfulloflife,hasallthefavorgrantedbyGod.
Anyattempttomakeupwouldbeself-defeating.Youth,however,comesandgoesinamomentofdoze.Packagingforthemiddle-agedisprimarilytoconcealthefurrowsploughedbytime.Ifyoustillenjoylife'sexuberanceenoughtoretainself-confidence
andpursuepioneeringwork,youareuniqueinyournaturalqualities,andyourcharmandgracewillremain.Elderlypeoplearebeautifuliftheirriveroflifehasbeen,
throughplains,mountainsandjungles,runningitscourseasitshould.Youhavereallylivedyourlifewhichnowarrivesatacomplacentstageofserenityindifferenttofameorwealth.Thereisnoneedtoresorttohair-dyeing;
thesnow-cappedmountainisitselfabeautifulsceneoffairyland.
Letyourlookschangefromyoungtooldsynchronizingwiththenaturalageingprocesssoastokeepinharmonywithnature,forharmonyitselfisbeauty,whiletheotherwayroundwillonlyendinunpleasantness.Tobeintheelder'scompanyislikereadingathickbookofdeluxeeditionthatfascinatesonesomuchastobereluctanttopartwith.Aslongasonefindswhereonestands,oneknowshowtopackageoneself,
justasacommodityestablishesitsbrandbytherightpackaging.
Passage3.ThreePassionsIHaveLivedfor
Threepassions,simplebutoverwhelminglystrong,havegovernedmylife:
thelongingforlove,thesearchforknowledge,andunbearablepityforthesufferingofmankind.
Thesepassions,likegreatwinds,haveblownmehitherandthither,inawaywardcourseoveradeepoceanofanguish,reachingtotheveryvergeofdespair.Ihavesoughtlove,first,becauseitbringsecstasy—ecstasysogreatthatIwouldoftenhavesacrificedalltherestofmylifeforafewhoursforthisjoy.Ihavesoughtit,next,becauseitrelievesloneliness—thatterriblelonelinessinwhichoneshiveringconsciousnesslooksovertherimoftheworldintothecoldunfathomablelifelessabyss.Ihavesoughtit,finally,becauseintheunionofloveIhaveseen,
inamysticminiature,theprefiguringvisionoftheheaventhatsaintsandpoetshaveimagined.ThisiswhatIsought,andthoughitmightseemtoogoodforhumanlife,
thisiswhat—atlast—Ihavefound.WithequalpassionIhavesoughtknowledge.
Ihavewishedtounderstandtheheartsofmen.Ihavewishedtoknowwhythestarsshine...Alittleofthis,butnotmuch,Ihaveachieved.
Loveandknowledge,sofarastheywerepossible,ledupwardtowardtheheavens.
Butalwayspitybroughtmebacktoearth.Echoesofcriesofpainreverberateinmyheart.Childreninfamine,victimstorturedbyoppressors,helplessoldpeople
—ahatedburdentotheirsons,andthewholeworldofloneliness,poverty,andpainmakeamockeryofwhathumanlifeshouldbe.Ilongtoalleviatetheevil,butIcannot,andItoosuffer.Thishasbeenmylife.Ihavefounditworthliving,andwouldgladlyliveitagainifthechancewereofferedme.
Passage4.ALittleGirl
Sittingonagrassygrave,beneathoneofthewindowsofthechurch,wasalittlegirl.
Withherheadbentbackshewasgazingupattheskyandsinging,whileoneofherlittlehandswaspointingtoatinycloudthathoveredlikeagoldenfeatheraboveherhead.Thesun,whichhadsuddenlybecomeverybright,shiningonherglossyhair,
gaveitametallicluster,anditwasdifficulttosaywhatwasthecolor,darkbronzeorblack.Socompletelyabsorbedwassheinwatchingthecloudtowhichherstrangesongorincantationseemedaddressed,thatshedidnotobservemewhenIroseandwenttowardsher.Overherhead,highupintheblue,alarkthatwassoaringtowardsthesamegauzycloudwassinging,asifinrivalry.
AsIslowlyapproachedthechild,Icouldseebyherforehead,whichinthesunshineseemedlikeaglobeofpearl,andespeciallybyhercomplexion,thatsheuncommonlylovely.Hereyes,whichatonemomentseemedblue-gray,atanotherviolet,
wereshadedbylongblacklashes,curvingbackwardinamostpeculiarway,
andthesematchedinhuehereyebrows,andthetressesthatweretossedabouthertenderthroatwerequiveringinthesunlight.AllthisIdidnottakeinatonce;
foratfirstIcouldseenothingbutthosequivering,glittering,changefuleyesturnedupintomyface.Graduallytheotherfeatures,especiallythesensitivefull-lippedmouth,
grewuponmeasIstoodsilentlygazing.Hereseemedtomeamoreperfectbeautythanhadevercometomeinmyloveliestdreamsofbeauty.
Yetitwasnotherbeautysomuchasthelookshegavemethatfascinatedme,meltedme.
Passage5DeclarationofIndependence
WhenintheCourseofhumanevents,itbecomesnecessaryforonepeopletodissolvethepoliticalbandswhichhaveconnectedthemwithanother,
andtoassumeamongthepowersoftheearth,theseparateandequalstationtowhichtheLawsofNatureandofNature'sGodentitlethem,adecentrespecttotheopinionsofmankindrequiresthattheyshoulddeclarethecauseswhichimpelthemtotheseparation.Weholdthesetruthstobeself-evident,thatallmenarecreatedequal,
thattheyareendowedbytheirCreatorwithcertainunalienableRights,thatamongtheseareLife,LibertyandthepursuitofHappiness.—Thattosecuretheserights,GovernmentsareinstitutedamongMen,derivingtheirjustpowersfromtheconsentofthegoverned,—ThatwheneveranyFormofGovernmentbecomesdestructiveoftheseends,itistheRightofthePeopletoalterortoabolishit,
andtoinstitutenewGovernment,layingitsfoundationonsuchprinciplesandorganizingitspowersinsuchform,astothemshallseemmostlikelytoeffecttheirSafetyandHappiness.Prudence,indeed,willdictatethatGovernmentslongestablishedshouldnotbechangedforlightandtransientcauses;andaccordinglyallexperiencehasshown,thatmankindaremoredisposedtosuffer,whileevilsaresufferable,thantorightthemselvesbyabolishingtheformstowhichtheyareaccustomed.Butwhenalongtrainofabusesandusurpations,
pursuinginvariablythesameObjectevincesadesigntoreducethemunderabsoluteDespotism,itistheirright,itistheirduty,tothrowoffsuchGovernment,andtoprovidenewGuardsfortheirfuturesecurity.—SuchhasbeenthepatientsufferanceoftheseColonies;andsuchisnowthenecessitywhichconstrainsthemtoaltertheirformerSystemsofGovernment.isahistoryofrepeatedinjuriesandusurpations,
allhavingindirectobjecttheestablishmentofanabsoluteTyrannyovertheseStates.
Toprovethis,letFactsbesubmittedtoacandidworld.
Passage6.ATributetotheDog
Thebestfriendamanhasintheworldmayturnagainsthimandbecomehisenemy.
Hissonordaughterthathehasrearedwithlovingcaremayproveungrateful.
Thosewhoarenearestanddearesttous,thosewhomwetrustwithourhappinessandourgoodname,maybecometraitorstotheirfaith.
Themoneythatamanhashemaylose.Itfliesawayfromhim,perhapswhenheneedsitmost.Aman’sreputationmaybesacrificedinamomentofill-consideredaction.
Thepeoplewhoarepronetofallontheirkneestodoushonorwhensuccessiswithusmaybethefirsttothrowthestoneofmalicewhenfailuresettlesitsclouduponourheads.Theoneabsolutelyunselfishfriendthatmancanhaveinthisselfishworld,
theonethatneverdesertshim,theonethatneverprovesungratefulortreacherous,ishisdog.Aman’sdogstandsbyhiminprosperityandinpoverty,inhealthandinsickness.Hewillsleeponthecoldground,wherethewintrywindsblowandthesnowdrivesfiercely,ifonlyhemaybenearhismaster’sside.Hewillkissthehandthathasnofoodtooffer;hewilllickthewoundsandsoresthatcomefromencoun