英文励志小故事15篇(集合)
英文励志小故事1
摘要：如果你认为你的女人从不会对你撒谎，请再仔细考虑一下。大部分女人，小到善意的谎言，大到更为严重的假话，都会在牵涉到某种关系的某一点时掩饰真相。
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.
如果你认为你的女人从不会对你撒谎，请再仔细考虑一下。大部分女人，小到善意的谎言，大到更为严重的假话，都会在牵涉到某种关系的某一点时掩饰真相。她的撒谎动机也许是想要保护你的情感，或者是，可以相当肯定地说，维护她自身的利益。
有一天，一个女裁缝坐在河边干活时，不小心把顶针掉进了河里。当她大声哭喊时，上帝出现了，问她：“我亲爱的孩子，你为什么哭啊?”女裁缝回答说，她的顶针掉进河里了，她很需要这个顶针，好用它来帮助丈夫为一家人谋生。上帝把手伸进河里，捞上来一个金灿灿的镶嵌着蓝宝石的顶针。
“这是你的顶针吗?”上帝问道。女裁缝回答：“不是。”
上帝又把手伸进河里。他这次手上拿着的是一个金灿灿的镶嵌着红宝石的顶针。
“这是你的顶针吗?”上帝问道。女裁缝再次回答：“不是。”
上帝再次把手伸进河里，这次他手上拿的是一枚皮制顶针。
“这是你的顶针吗?”上帝问道。女裁缝回答：“是的。”上帝很为女人的诚实高兴，就把三个顶针都给了她，女裁缝高高兴兴地回了家。
几年以后，女裁缝和丈夫沿着河岸走着，突然她的丈夫掉进了河里，消失在水下。女裁缝大哭的时候，上帝又出现了，问她：“你为什么哭啊?”“主啊，我的丈夫掉进河里了!”
上帝到了河里，把乔治·克鲁尼救了上来。“这是你的丈夫吗?”上帝问道。
“是的，”女裁缝喊道。上帝大怒。“你撒谎!那不是真话!”女裁缝回答道，“噢，我的主，请宽恕我。这是一个误会。你瞧，如果我对乔治说：‘不’，你会再救上来一个布莱德·皮特。
那么如果我对他说‘不’，你又会把我丈夫救上来。如果我说‘是的’，你会把他们三个都给我。主啊，我身体不太好，不能把三个丈夫都照顾好啊，所以我就对乔治-克鲁尼说‘是’了。”
而上帝因此就让女裁缝留着乔治做丈夫了。
这个故事的寓意是：
不管一个女人何时撒谎，那是为了一个善意的和高尚的理由，而且是对别人最有利的。这就是我们要讲的故事，而且我们对此坚信不疑。
英文版励志小故事：自恋的水仙花
摘要：从前有个男孩,他的名字叫做Narcissus水仙。身为一名天神的儿子他长得十分英俊，有许多爱慕着他的少女向他示爱却都被他拒绝了。
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.
从前有个男孩,他的名字叫做Narcissus水仙。身为一名天神的儿子他长得十分英俊，有许多爱慕着他的少女向他示爱却都被他拒绝了。在爱慕着他的众多少女中有位美丽的'仙女做做"Echo"(回音)，由于Echo不能正常得说出想说的话而只能不断得重复别人的言语所以她并不能清楚的告诉Narcissus她对他的爱意。有天当Narcissus和他的几个朋友在森林中漫步时和其他的朋友走失了。
他喊到“有人在吗?”
Echo也说“有人在吗?”
Echo上前想抱住Narcissus却被Narcissus拒绝了，Echo非常得伤心，她跑到一个无人的山洞，一直待到她的外形完全消失只剩下她的声音能被人们所听到。
一名女神听说了这件事，她非常得愤怒，并用神力使Narcissus爱上了他自己。当Narcissus在湖泊的水边看到自己的影子时，他顿时爱上了水中的人，他一直待在那湖边，直到渐渐死去。在他死的地方长出许多的野花，这种花被人们取名叫做Narcissus(水仙花)。
英文版励志小故事：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，一个小男孩蹲在花园的草地上，久久不动。
母亲觉得蹊跷，便凑上前看个究竟。只见男孩非常认真地蹲在一茎草叶面前。草叶上，一颗圆圆的露珠，在太阳的照射下，正幻出七彩的光芒，格外美丽。小男孩一边欣赏着这滴露珠，一边把双手摊开，静候在草叶下。
看到妈妈走过来，男孩略带忧伤的说：“妈妈，露珠快要死了。”
母亲微笑着对儿子说：“你就是把双手放在草叶下面，还是阻止不了露珠在这个世界上消失的命运啊。”
男孩说：“妈妈，我只是想，它落下来时，别摔疼了它。”
英文励志小故事2
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，一只蜘蛛艰难地向墙上支离破碎的网爬去，由于墙壁潮湿，它爬到一定的高度，就会掉下来，它一次次地向上爬，一次次地又掉下来……第一个人看到了，他叹了一口气，自言自语：“我的'一生不正如这只蜘蛛吗?忙忙碌碌而无所得。”于是，他日渐消沉。第二个人看到了，他说：这只蜘蛛真愚蠢，为什么不从旁边干燥的地方绕一下爬上去?我以后可不能像它那样愚蠢。于是，他变得聪明起来。第三个人看到了，他立刻被蜘蛛屡败屡战的精神感动了。于是，他变得坚强起来。
英文励志小故事3
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.
英文励志小故事4
A Straight Wall Is Hard to Build
人格的力量
by Lou R. Crandall
卢.R.克兰德尔
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.
我在努力清理思路时，主题变得越来越难讲述。我有很多的信仰，但试图挑选时，似乎都可用“人格”一词概括。显然，一个人的信仰是根本，不需要炫耀，不用饰，本来是什么就是什么。
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.
一位建筑师告诉我，最难设计的建筑是一尊简单的纪念柱，比例必须完美无缺，赏心悦目;最难砌的是一堵简朴笔直的墙，尺寸必须一丝不差。
In either case there is no ornamentation to hide irregularities, no moldings to cover hidden defects and no supports to strengthen concealed weaknesses.
在这两种情况下，都无法用修饰掩盖不平整，以造型遮盖暗藏的缺陷，以支撑物来加固不牢的根基。
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.
我以此例来说明人格，在我看来它是当今世界上最重要的唯一的力量。今天的年轻人实际上是世界待建结构的根基。
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.
很显然，设计这些人格结构需要众多人类建筑师的`共同努力。孩子们的成长，先后要受到父母、朋友和事业伙伴的影响。在这一成长过程中，人格一直在改变，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.
人类中堪称墙一般笔直挺立的人少有，像纪念柱一样矗立的人更少，这样的人是美的化身，世所罕见，历史记录他们的存在，奉之为后世的楷模。
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.
《圣经》中的人物在我心中是最接近完人的范例，他们无私，信仰坚定，帮助他人，不遗余力。
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.
在今天这个混乱不安的世界，我们可以多用这样的人，但他们并非从天而降。我相信他们是父母、同伴倾力锻造的结果。我们越重视人格的建构，世界会越美好。
This may sound like a dreamer's hope and a theoretical goal which can never be reached. I do not think so.
这听起来像痴人说梦，是永远无法实现的理论目标，我却不这么想。
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.
全世界在物质生产上已取得巨大进步，美利坚荣幸地成为引导这一进程的国家。我相信，没有这样好运气的国家可能会嫉妒我们，如果换个位置，我们也会如此，因此对于别人奋力向我们的生活标准看齐，我们不应该草率地评判。无论是哪种情况，个人或民族的幸运或不幸的品格都会凸显出来。
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.
我赞同在理想条件下更容易塑造人格的说法，但我认为不能忘记人格的塑造不仅需要外界条件的熏陶，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——都更新或重铸自己的人格，这应该是有益于人类的。这也许仅仅是抹去粗糙的边缘或丢弃固有的模式，从而显露出不平整，有时则需要拿走支撑物，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.
不论何种情况，只要我们有人树立榜样，其他人就会效仿，结果就应该是好的。对此我深信不疑。
英文励志小故事5
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赛场上少有的名校哈佛毕业生，他是联盟里少见的亚裔美国人，这样双重特殊身份的林书豪，在20xx年NBA新秀大会上落选，20xx年12月先后被金州勇士队和休斯敦火箭队裁掉，之后纽约尼克斯队宣布签下他。
尼克斯与他签下的合同价值约为80万美元，也许在这之前他持有的是非保障合同，但到周二下午6点(球队裁员的截至日子)林书豪的的合同自动转为了保障合同，他将安全的留在尼克斯队。事实上在过去的6周里，23岁的林书豪因为不确定自己是否能够继续留在纽约，一直寄居在哥哥家当沙发客，等待职业生涯中保障合同的出现。
上周六的晚上，纽约尼克斯在麦迪逊广场花园主场迎战新泽西网队，板凳席上的林书豪临危受命，拿下了职业生涯最高的25分7助攻，帮助尼克斯99比92战胜网队。两天后，林书豪获得NBA的第一次首发机会，在对阵犹他爵士队的比赛中砍下28分8助攻。
麦迪逊广场花园的.球迷们齐声欢呼“Jeremy”和“MVP”。每一场比赛，每一个精准的过人，每一次聪明的突破，林书豪给球迷们带来希望，改变了尼克斯队的命运，也再次重新定义了“不可能”。在推特上，球迷和篮球权威人士用Linsanity “为林疯狂” 这个标签来描述这种林书豪热现象(Linsanity：Lin+insanity)。
两周前，这个身高1米91的华裔小个子甚至根本不在尼克斯队的控球后卫轮转名单中，尽管尼克斯目前在控卫的位置缺乏优秀的人才。在此之前他只打过几场比赛，但他的表现足以让教练注意到他。慢慢地，他的上场时间在增加：多了几分钟，再打一节。林书豪的传奇成功不是无迹可寻的。
在周六砍下25分的一球成名战后，林书豪也创下了NBA赛场上哈佛毕业生的得分记录。第二场比赛中，他再次创下记录，成为NBA赛场30多年里首发首秀拿到28分8助攻的第一人。上次拿到这个得分的是在1981年10月，底特律活塞队伊塞亚·托马斯(NBA名人堂球员)。
林书豪在周一比赛后表示，“我相信任何人包括我自己在内，都没有预想到这样的成绩”。
英文励志小故事6
惊弓之鸟
A bird startled by the mere twang of a bow-string
During the time of the Warring States (475-221 BC)， there lived a well-known archer named Geng Ying whose art in shooting was excelled by none at his time.
One day, as he was standing by the side of the King of Wei, a flock of swan geese were flying over. With confidence, Geng Ying said to the king, "The twang of my bow-string might bring down a bird." The King doubted much. Just then a solitary swan goose appeared, low and slow in its flight, sad and dolorous in its cry. Instantly Geng Ying bended his bow and forcibly pulled the bowstring. Twang! High up went he shrilling sound into the air and down fell the bird to the ground. The king admired with bewilderment. Gang Ying then explained: "The bird was flying low and slow, because it was already hurt; it was crying in a bitter tone, because it had lost its companions. Due to the fact that it was already hurt and sad at heart, the twang of my strong bow, that birds dreaded most, startled it. The shrilling sound made its heart beat fast, its wings weak, its balance uneven. Thus it fell down just as commonly as a man drops his chop-sticks, at the thunder-stroke, at a dinner table." Henceforth comes the idiom "A bird startled by the mere twang of a bow-string", illustrating a case where a man who had been previously and repeatedly frightened became numb and stupefied by a new thing of the same nature not knowing how to face the new situation.
惊弓之鸟
战国时期，有个杰出的弓箭手，叫做更赢。他的射箭本领在当时可称是举世无双。有一天，他和魏王并肩站着，天空中忽然飞过一群鸿雁。更赢很自信的对魏王说："我可以用弓声就把飞鸟给打下来。"魏王很怀疑。正在那是，一只孤雁很低很慢的`飞过。鸣声凄惨。更赢见了，就张着弓，扣着弦，砰的一声，直入云宵。那孤雁果然应声落地。魏王惊叹之余，不明白这是怎么回事。更赢解释说："那孤雁飞得低且慢，因为它已经受过伤;它鸣叫的声音悲而哀，因为它离了群。身伤心碎，使它心跳加速，两翼无力，体重失去平衡，正如人们吃饭时，突然听见雷声，筷子落地的情况一样自然而平常。
后人根据上面的故事，做成了"惊弓之鸟"这个成语，形容先前多次受过惊吓的人，忽然遇到同样可怕的事物，就吓得魂飞魄散，惊惶失措，不知如何去应付新的环境。
英文励志小故事7
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.”
一个年轻人向苏格拉底询问秘诀，苏格拉底让年轻人第二天早晨去到河边见他。他们见面后，苏格拉底叫年轻人和他一起走向河里，当河水淹至他们的 脖子时，苏格拉底出其不意地抓住年轻人并把其压入水中，那人想要挣出水面， 而强壮有力的苏格拉底将他摁在水中直到他变得无力抗争，脸色发青。苏格拉 底将他的.头拖出水面，这个年轻人所做的第一件事就是大口喘息后，深吸一口 气。苏格拉底问： “当你闷在水里的时候你最想要的是什么？”年轻人回答说： “空气。 ”苏格拉底说： “那就是秘诀。当你像渴望空气一样渴望成功， 你就能够获得它！没有其他的秘密了。 ”
英文励志小故事8
网开一面
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.
网开一面
从大禹到桀，夏朝一共持续了四百多年的历史。
那是在公元前十八世纪。桀是个极端残暴，放荡的人。他激起了人民的极度不满。部落商的领袖汤利用这个形势，推翻了夏朝，并在公元前十七世纪早期建立了商朝。在准备这场推翻夏朝的行动中，汤赢得了广泛的支持。
一天，汤在一片开阔的田野里散步。他看见一个人正在捕鸟。那人支开一张像笼子般的大网，喃喃的`说："来吧，鸟儿们!飞到我的网里来。无论是飞得高的还是低的，向东还是向西的，所有的鸟儿都飞到我的网里来吧!"
汤走过去对那个人说："你这种方法太残忍了!这样作你连一只鸟也不放过!"
一边说着，汤砍断了三面网。然后，像做祈祷那样，他轻轻的低声说道，"哦，鸟儿们，喜欢向左飞的，就向左飞;喜欢向右飞的，就向右飞;如果你真的厌倦了你的生活，就飞入这张网吧!"
其它部落的首领得知这件事后都非常感动。他们说："汤真是一位贤王啊。他对鸟兽都如此仁慈，何况是对人呢?" 不久就有四十多个部落宣誓效忠汤。
"网开三面"这个成语就是由此而来的。后来，人们把它改为"网开一面"，表示宽容的对待做错事的人。
英文励志小故事9
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.
春秋时候，晋献公想要扩充自己的实力和地盘，就找借口说邻近的虢(guó)国经常侵犯晋国的边境，要派兵灭了虢国。可是在晋国和虢国之间隔着一个虞国，讨伐虢国必须经过虞地。“怎样才能顺利通过虞国呢?”晋献公问手下的大臣。大夫荀息说：“虞国国君是个目光短浅、贪图小利的人，只要我们送他价值连城的美玉和宝马，他不会不答应借道的。”晋献公一听有点舍不得，荀息看出了晋献公的心思，就说：“虞虢两国是唇齿相依的近邻，虢国灭了，虞国也不能独存，您的美玉宝马不过是暂时存放在虞公那里罢了。”晋献公采纳了荀息的计策。
虞国国君见到这两们珍贵的`礼物，顿时心花怒放，听到荀息说要借道虞国之事时，当时就满口答应下来。虞国大夫宫之奇听说后，赶快阻止道：“不行，不行，虞国和虢国是唇齿相依的近邻，我们两个小国相互依存，有事可以自彼帮助，万一虢国灭了，我们虞国也就难保了。俗话说：‘唇亡齿寒’，没有嘴唇，牙齿也保不住啊!借道给晋国万万使不得。”虞公说：“人家晋国是大国，现在特意送来美玉宝马和咱们交朋友，难道咱们借条道路让他们走走都不行吗?”宫之奇连声叹气，知道虞国离灭亡的日子不远了，于是就带着一家老小离开了虞国。
果然，晋国军队借道虞国，消灭了虢国，随后又把亲自迎接晋军的虞公抓住，灭了虞国。 故事出自《左传·僖公五年》。成语“唇亡齿寒”，比喻双方关系密切，相互依存。
英文励志小故事10
乌鸦坐在树枝上，嘴里叼着一块奶酪。这时，狐狸在观察乌鸦，转动鬼脑筋想得到那块奶酪。
于是，狐狸先生走过去，站在树下，仰起头说道：“我的头上有一只多么高贵的鸟儿呀！”她的美貌天下无双，她的羽毛精致纤美。
要是她的.声音也像外貌和羽毛那样美好，毫无疑问，她该成为鸟类的女王！“听到这番恭维，乌鸦简直受宠若惊，一心只想向狐狸炫耀一下自己的歌喉，就“呱”地大叫一声。
理所当然，她嘴里的那奶酪就掉了下去，狐狸立刻抓起奶酪，说：“乌鸦夫人，我知道你的歌喉很不错，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."
英文励志小故事11
A man once had four sons who never stopped quarrelling with one another.
从前有一个人，他有四个儿子，但儿子们不断地争吵。
He was always telling them how much easier life would be if they worked together but they took absolutely no notice of him.
他一再告诫他们说，如果他们一起干活儿，生活会舒适得多，但他们丝毫不理会他的意见。
One day he decided to show them what he meant.
有一天，他决定通过示范把自己的.意思告诉他们。
He called all the sons together and put a tightly tied bundle of sticks on the floor in front of them.
他把四个儿子都叫来，又把一捆扎得很紧的树枝放在他们面前。
"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.
“你能折断这个吗?H他问最小的儿子。小儿子用膝盖顶住，两只手又压又拉，都不能把那捆树枝弄弯。
The father asked each son in turn to try to break the bundle, but none of them could do it .
父亲让另外三个儿子挨个儿试了试，但他们谁也做不到。
Then he untied the string and scattered the sticks.
然后，他解开绳子，把树枝撒开。
"Now try,"he said. The boys broke the sticks easily in their hands.
¨现在试试吧。¨他说。四个小伙子用手轻轻一撅，树枝就断了。
"Do you see what I mean?" asked the father. "If only you stand together no one can hurt you .
¨你们明白我的意思了吗?”父亲问，¨只要你们联合起来，谁也不能伤害你们。
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.'
如果你们老吵架，坚持各行其是，那么你们一遇到敌人，就会被打败。¨
英文励志小故事12
引言：
我认为人一生就应该尽全力做最好的自己------我想这就是我的信仰。
---埃莉诺.罗斯福
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.
在思考中成长
我的信念是什么，它在我的人生中起到了什么作用------这些问题我觉得很难用言语解释清楚。我认为自己很幸运，因为我出生在一个笃信宗教的家庭。家里人对宗教谈论得并不多。每个人心中或多或少都有某些信仰，都希望通过某种方式获得力量，而这力量就来自信奉上帝并懂得如何祈祷。
我是在祖母身边长大的。随着年龄的增长，我对许多祖母视作理所当然的事产生了怀疑。我甚至拒绝让孩子们接触这些东西，似乎成了一个不近情理的人。直到有一次我丈夫劝我，这些东西你年少时也接触过，对你也并无坏处。既然如此，何不让孩子们也有了解它们的机会呢？他们长大以后会独立思考这些问题的'。
他的话使我感到或许我们每个人都应该这样做------独立思考自己应该信仰什么以及如何在生活中坚守自己的的信仰。我认为人一生就应该尽全力做最好的自己------我想这就是我的信仰。
我不知道自己是否相信未来。我相信的是我们现在经历的一切一定有价值，因此必有某些道理，也必然预示着有些事情“将要发生”。但这些事情如何发生，我却不能决定。一定有未来------对此我深信不疑。但它会怎样降临。我不知道，然而着一点，我渐渐感到并不重要。因为无论未来如何，我们到时候总得面对，正如无论生活中发生了什么，我们都必须面对一样。真正重要的是要倾尽自己的全力。也许你能力有限、贡献不多，无法给予他人更多的帮助，或者无法活得那么精彩，但只要你能倾尽自己的全力，你就能完成来到人世间的使命，能体现人生的价值。
这就是我一直奉行的生活原则------不担心未来的事，也不为下一刻发生的事操心。我想我算是一个相信宿命的人吧。无论发生什么，我们都得勇敢面对，关键是面对的时候我们要勇敢，要倾尽自己的全力。
单词：
1.reinforcement n.增强, 加固; 强化物; 补给品
例句：
This roof needs reinforcement.
这个屋顶需要加固。
2.take for granted 认为当然；认为...理所当然
例句：
Most of us, however, take life for granted.
但是，我们大多数人把生活认为是理所当然的。
3.accomplish vt.完成, 贯彻, 实现(计划等), 达到(目的); 实行
例句：
Hurry does not accomplish anything.
急急匆匆，一事无成。
4.fatalist n. 宿命论者
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.
【难句释义】我的信念是什么，它在我的人生中起到了什么作用------这些问题我觉得很难用言语解释清楚。
【难句解析】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“用语言表达”，"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.
【难句释义】我是在祖母身边长大的。随着年龄的增长，我对许多祖母视作理所当然的事产生了怀疑。
【难句解析】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”是定语从句，修饰"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.
【难句释义】但它会怎样降临。我不知道，然而着一点，我渐渐感到并不重要。因为无论未来如何，我们到时候总得面对，正如无论生活中发生了什么，我们都必须面对一样。
【难句解析】"how"是"how it happens"的省略形式，“whatever the future held”意思是“无论未来如何”。
英文励志小故事13
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.
英文励志小故事14
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.
英文励志小故事15
A king was embarked on board a ship, which also carried a slave.
国王带着一个奴隶乘坐在一条船上
The boy had never been at sea, nor experienced the inconvenience of a ship.
奴隶从未出过海，也从未经历过坐船之苦。
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.
他开始哭泣、悲号，四肢不停地颤抖。人们想尽办法安抚他，但他仍无法平静。
The king’s pleasure party was disconcerted by him; but they offered no help.
国王原本愉快的心情被他搅得不安起来，但人们却束手无策。
On board that ship there was a physician. He said to the king; “If you will order it, I can manage to silence him.”
一个医师也在船上，他对国王说：“如果允许让我一试的'话，我有办法让他平静。”
The king replied, “It will be an act of great favor.”
国王说道：“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,
医师吩咐他们把奴隶扔到海里，让他反复沉浮几次后，才抓住他的头发把他拖到船边
where he grabbed the rudder with both hands and, scrambling up on to the deck, slunk into a corner and sat down quiet.
他双手紧紧抓住船舷，爬上甲板，缩到一个角落里坐下来，不再吭声了。
The king, pleased with what he saw, said, “What art is there in this?”
国王很满意，问道：“这是什么道理?”
The physician replied, “Originally he had not experienced the danger of being drowned, and undervalued the safety of being in a ship;
医师回答说：“先前他没有经历溺水的危险，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.”
就象一个人只有感受到病痛的折磨时，方知健康的可贵一样。”
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