1、英语小故事 Who Deserves Help?Many years ago, there lived a very rich man who wanted to do something for the people of his town. But first he wanted to find out whether they deserved 应得的, 当然的 his help. So he placed a very large stone in the center of the main road into town. Then he hid behind a tree and
2、waited. Soon an old man came along with his cow. “Who put this stone in the center of the road?“ said the old man, but he did not try to remove the stone. Instead, with some difficulty he passed around the stone and continued on his way. Another man came along and did the same thing; then another ca
3、me, and another. All of them complained about the stone in the center of the road, but not one of them tried to remove it. Late in the afternoon, a young man came along. He saw the stone and said, “The night will be very dark. Some neighbor will come along later in the dark and will fall against the
4、 stone. “ The young man then began to move the stone. He pushed and pulled with all his strength 力, 力量, 力气, 实力, 兵力, 浓度 to move it to one side. But imagine 想象, 设想 his surprise when under the stone he found a bag full of money and this message: “This money is for the thoughtful person who removes this
5、 stone from the road. That person deserves help.“ 翅 膀一天，我工作的炸鸡店在关门前出 现了一阵抢购狂潮， 结果除了鸡翅外所有的 东西都卖完了。当我正准备锁门时，一名喝醉了的旅客进来要进餐。我问他翅膀行不行，他从柜台上靠过身子来，回答道：“女士，我到 这儿来是吃东西的，不是要飞！” WingsThe fried-chicken restaurant where I was working had a big rush just before closing one day, leaving us with nothing to sell but
6、 wings. As I was about to lock the doors, a quietly intoxicated 使陶醉, 醉人 customer came in and ordered dinner. When I asked if wings would be all right, he leaned over 俯身于.之上 the counter and replied, “Lady, I came in here to eat, not fly.“A Brother Like ThatA friend of mine named Paul received an auto
7、mobile from his brother as a Christmas present. On Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office, a street urchin 小孩 was walking around the shiny new car, admiring it. “Is this your car, Mister?“ he said. Paul nodded. “My brother gave it to me for Christmas.“ The boy was astounded. “You mean your b
8、rother gave it to you and it didnt cost you nothing? Boy, I wish . . .“ He hesitated. Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for. He was going to wish he had a brother like that. But what the lad 少年, 青年男子, 伙计，家伙（呢称）said jarred 震惊 Paul all the way down to his heels. “I wish,“ the boy went on,
9、“That I could be a brother like that.“ Paul looked at the boy in astonishment, then impulsively 有推动力地 he added, “Would you like to take a ride in my car?“ “Oh yes, Id love that.“ After a short ride, the boy turned with his eyes aglow 发红的, said, “Mister, would you mind driving in front of my house?“
10、Paul smiled a little. He thought he knew what the lad wanted. He wanted to show his neighbors that he could ride home in a big automobile. But Paul was wrong again. “Will you stop where those two steps are?“ the boy asked. He ran up the steps. Then in a little while Paul heard him coming back, but h
11、e was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled 残废的 brother. He sat him down on the bottom step, then sort of 有几分地 squeezed up (使)挤紧, (使)挤拢 against him and pointed to the car. “There she is, Buddy, just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it didnt cost h
12、im a cent. And some day Im gonna(going to) give you one just like it . . . then you can see for yourself all the pretty things in the Christmas windows that Ive been trying to tell you about.“ Paul got out and lifted the lad to the front seat of his car. The shining-eyed older brother climbed in bes
13、ide him and the three of them began a memorable holiday ride. That Christmas Eve, Paul learned what Jesus meant when he said: “It is more blessed to give . . . “ 哥哥的心愿圣诞节时，保罗的哥哥送他一 辆新 车。圣 诞节当天，保罗离开办公室时，一个男孩绕着那辆闪闪发亮的新车，十分 赞叹地问：“先生，这是你的车？“ 保罗点点头：“这是我哥哥送 给我的圣 诞节礼物。“男孩满脸惊讶，支支吾吾地说：“你是说这是你哥送的礼物，没花你一分钱？天哪，
14、我真希望也能“ 保罗当然知道男孩他真想希望什么。他希望能有一个象那样的哥哥。但是小男孩接下来说的话却完全出乎了保罗的意料。“我希望自己能成为送车给弟弟的哥哥。“男孩继续说。保罗惊愕地看着那男孩，冲口而出地 说：“你要不要坐我的车去兜风？“哦，当然好了，我太想坐了！ “车开了一小段路后，那孩子转过头 来，眼睛 闪闪发亮，对我说：“先生，你能不能把车子开到我家门前？“ 保罗微笑，他知道孩子想干什么。那男孩必定是要向邻居炫耀， 让大家知道他坐了一部大轿车回家。但是 这次保罗又猜错了。 “你能不能把车子停在那两个台阶前？“男孩要求道。男孩跑上了阶梯，过了一会儿保罗 听到他回来了，但 动作似乎有些缓 慢
15、。原来把他跛脚的弟弟带出来了，将他安置在第一个台阶上，紧紧 地抱着他，指着那辆新车。只听那男孩告诉弟弟：“你看，这就是我刚才在楼上对你说的那辆新车。这是保罗他哥哥送给他的哦！将来我也会送给你一辆像这样的车，到那时候你就能自己去看那些在圣 诞节时，挂窗口上的漂亮饰品了，就象我告诉过你的那样。“保罗走下车子，把跛脚男孩抱到车 子的前座。 兴奋得满眼放光的哥哥也爬上 车子，坐在弟弟的身旁。就这样他们三人开始一次令人难忘的假日兜风。那个圣诞夜，保 罗 才真正体会主耶 稣所说的“施比受更有福“的道理。 A man came home form work late, tired and found his
16、 5 years old son waiting for him at the door. “Daddy, may I ask you a question?“ “Yeah, sure, what is it?“ replied the man. “Daddy, how much do you make an hour?“ “If you must know, I make $20 an hour.“ Oh,“ The little boy replied, with his head down, looking up, he said, “Daddy, may I please borrow
17、 $10“ the father was furious狂怒的, “If the only reason you asked that is so you can borrow some money to buy a silly 愚蠢的 toy, then you go to bed.“ The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door. After about an hour or so, the man had calmed down 平静下来. And started to think. Maybe there was s
18、omething he really needed to buy with that $10 and he really didnt ask for money very often. The man went to the door of the little boys room and opened the door.” Are you asleep, son?“ he asked. “no daddy,“ replied the boy. “Ive been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier.“ said the man, “He
19、res the $10 you asked for.“ the little boy sat straight 直的 up, smiling. “Oh, thank you daddy!“ he yelled 大叫着说. Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled 摺皱的, 弄皱的up bills. The man seeing that the boy already had money, started to get angry again. The little boy slowly counted out hi
20、s money, then looked up at his father. “Why do you want more money? Is you already have some?“ the father asked. “Because I didnt have enough, but now I do.”The little boy repiied, “Daddy , I have $20 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to have dinner w
21、ith you.“ Little Red Riding Hood 兜帽Once upon a time there was a dear little girl who was loved by everyone who looked at her, but most of all by her grandmother, and there was nothing that she would not have given to the child. Once she gave her a little riding hood of red velvet, which suited her s
22、o well that she would never wear anything else; so she was always called Little Red Riding Hood. One day her mother said to her: Come, Little Red Riding Hood, here is a piece of cake and a bottle of wine; take them to your grandmother, she is ill and weak, and they will do her good. Set out 出 发 befo
23、re it gets hot, and when you are going, walk nicely and quietly and do not run off 离开 the path, or you may fall and break the bottle, and then your grandmother will get nothing; and when you go into her room, dont forget to say, “Good morning“, and dont peep 偷看 into every corner before you do it.也不要
24、一进屋就东瞧西瞅I will take great care, said Little Red Riding Hood to her mother, and gave her hand on it. The grandmother lived out 活过, 住在外面 in the wood, half a league 里格：4.8 公里 from the village, and just as Little Red Riding Hood entered the wood, a wolf met her. Red Riding Hood did not know what a wicke
25、d 坏的, 邪恶的 creature he was, and was not at all afraid of him. Good day, Little Red Riding Hood, said he. Thank you kindly, wolf. Whither away so early, Little Red Riding Hood? To my grandmothers. What have you got in your apron 围 裙? Cake and wine; yesterday was baking-day, so poor sick grandmother is
26、 to have something good, to make her stronger. Where does your grandmother live, Little Red Riding Hood? A good quarter of a league farther on in the wood; her house stands under the three large oak-trees, the nut-trees are just below; you surely must know it, replied Little Red Riding Hood. The wol
27、f thought to himself: What a tender young creature! what a nice plump 鼓起的 mouthful - she will be better to eat than the old woman. I must act craftily 狡猾地, so as to catch both. So he walked for a short time by the side of Little Red Riding Hood, and then he said: See, Little Red Riding Hood, how pre
28、tty the flowers are about here - why do you not look round? I believe, too, that you do not hear how sweetly the little birds are singing; you walk gravely 严峻地 along as if you were going to school, while everything else out here in the wood is merry. Little Red Riding Hood raised her eyes, and when
29、she saw the sunbeams 阳光光束, 快乐的人 dancing here and there through the trees, and pretty flowers growing everywhere, she thought: Suppose I take grandmother a fresh nosegay(尤指有香味的)花束; that would please her too. It is so early in the day that I shall still get there in good time. So she ran from the path
30、 into the wood to look for flowers. And whenever she had picked one, she fancied 空想的, 虚构的 that she saw a still prettier one farther on, and ran after it, and so got deeper and deeper into the wood. Meanwhile 其间 the wolf ran straight to the grandmothers house and knocked at the door. Who is there? Li
31、ttle Red Riding Hood, replied the wolf. She is bringing cake and wine; open the door. Lift the latch 门插 销, called out the grandmother, I am too weak, and cannot get up. The wolf lifted the latch, the door sprang 释放 open, and without saying a word he went straight to the grandmothers bed, and devoure
32、d 吞吃 her. Then he put on her clothes, dressed himself in her cap, laid himself in bed and drew the curtains 窗帘. Little Red Riding Hood, however, had been running about picking flowers, and when she had gathered so many that she could carry no more, she remembered her grandmother, and set out on the
33、way to her. She was surprised to find the cottage 村舍, 小别墅-door standing open, and when she went into the room, she had such a strange feeling that she said to herself: Oh dear! how uneasy 心神不安的 I feel today, and at other times I like being with grandmother so much. She called out: Good morning, but
34、received no answer; so she went to the bed and drew back the curtains. There lay her grandmother with her cap pulled far over her face, and looking very strange. Oh! grandmother, she said, what big ears you have! All the better to hear you with, my child, was the reply. But, grandmother, what big ey
35、es you have! she said. All the better to see you with, my dear. But, grandmother, what large hands you have! All the better to hug 拥抱 you with. Oh! but, grandmother, what a terrible big mouth you have! All the better to eat you with! And scarcely had the wolf said this, than with one bound he was ou
36、t of bed and swallowed 吞下 up Red Riding Hood. When the wolf had appeased 平息, 安抚, 缓和, 使满足 his appetite 食欲, 胃口, 欲望, 爱好, he lay down again in the bed, fell asleep and began to snore 打鼾 very loud. The huntsman was just passing the house, and thought to himself: How the old woman is snoring! I must just
37、see if she wants anything. So he went into the room, and when he came to the bed, he saw that the wolf was lying in it. Do I find you here, you old sinner 罪人! said he. I have long sought 寻找 you! But just as he was going to fire at him, it occurred to him that the wolf might have devoured the grandmo
38、ther, and that she might still be saved, so he did not fire, but took a pair of scissors, and began to cut open the stomach of the sleeping wolf. When he had made two snips 剪断, he saw the little red riding hood shining, and then he made two snips more, and the little girl sprang out, crying: Ah, how
39、 frightened I have been! How dark it was inside the wolf. After that the aged grandmother came out alive also, but scarcely able to breathe. Red Riding Hood, however, quickly fetched great stones with which they filled the wolfs belly 腹部, 胃, and when he awoke, he wanted to run away, but the stones w
40、ere so heavy that he collapsed 倒塌 at once, and fell dead. Then all three were delighted 欣喜的, 快乐的. The huntsman drew off the wolfs skin and went home with it; the grandmother ate the cake and drank the wine which Red Riding Hood had brought, and revived(使)苏醒, (使)复活. But Red Riding Hood thought to her
41、self: As long as I live, I will never leave the path by myself to run into the wood, when my mother has forbidden me to do so. It is also related 叙述的, 讲述的 that once, when Red Riding Hood was again taking cakes to the old grandmother, another wolf spoke to her, and tried to entice 诱惑, 诱使 her from the
42、 path. Red Riding Hood, however, was on her guard, and went straight forward on her way, and told her grandmother that she had met the wolf, and that he had said good morning to her, but with such a wicked look in his eyes, that if they had not been on the public road she was certain he would have e
43、aten her up. Well, said the grandmother, we will shut the door, so that he can not come in. Soon afterwards the wolf knocked, and cried: Open the door, grandmother, I am Little Red Riding Hood, and am bringing you some cakes. But they did not speak, or open the door, so the grey-beard stole twice or
44、 thrice round the house, and at last jumped on the roof, intending to wait until Red Riding Hood went home in the evening, and then to steal after her and devour her in the darkness. But the grandmother saw what was in his thoughts. In front of the house was a great stone trough, so she said to the
45、child: Take the pail, Red Riding Hood; I made some sausages yesterday, so carry the water in which I boiled them to the trough.Red Riding Hood carried until the great trough was quite full. Then the smell of the sausages reached the wolf, and he sniffed 嗅, 闻到 and peeped down, and at last stretched 伸
46、展, 伸长 out his neck so far that he could no longer keep his footing and began to slip, and slipped 滑倒 down from the roof straight into the great trough, and was drowned. But Red Riding Hood went joyously快乐地, 快活地 home, and no one ever did anything to harm her again. One Friday morning, a teacher came
47、up with a novel way to motivate 激发 her class. She told them that she would read a quote引用, 引证 and the first student to correctly identify who said it would receive the rest of the day off. She started with “This was Englands finest 警察 hour.“ Little Suzy instantly jumped up and said, “Winston Churchi
48、ll.“ “Congratulations!“ Said the teacher, “You may go home.“ The teacher then said, “Ask not what your country can do for you.“ Before she could finish this quote, another young lady belts out, “John F.Kennedy“. “Very good,“ says the teacher, “you may go.“ Irritated that he has missed two golden opp
49、ortunities, Little Johnny said,“I wish those girls would just shut up.“ Upon overhearing 无意中听到 this comment 评论, 意见, the outraged 愤怒 teacher demanded to know who said it. Johnny instantly rose to his feet and said,“Bill Clinton. Ill see you Monday.“英语幽默短文-The Dead Dog There was a lady, who had a dog that she loved, and he followed her everywhere. One morning she woke up, went to the bathroom, came out, and realized that her dog wasnt at her feet. She found him in his bed sleeping. She called
