美文（belles-lettres），《法漢詞典》譯爲“純文學”，法文《拉魯斯普通名詞大詞典》中的定義是：“文學、修辭、詩歌藝術的總體，”修辭和詩歌也可以由“文學”來概括。下面小編爲大家收集了最新英語短篇美文（通用10篇）。歡迎閱讀！
最新英語短篇美文1
Three Days to See
All of us have read thrilling stories in which the hero had only a limited and specified time to live. Sometimes it was as long as a year, sometimes as short as 24 hours. But always we were interested in discovering just how the doomed hero chose to spend his last days or his last hours. I speak, of course, of free men who have a choice, not condemned criminals whose sphere of activities is strictly delimited.
Such stories set us thinking, wondering what we should do under similar circumstances. What events, what experiences, what associations should we crowd into those last hours as mortal beings, what regrets?
Sometimes I have thought it would be an excellent rule to live each day as if we should die tomorrow. Such an attitude would emphasize sharply the values of life. We should live each day with gentleness, vigor and a keenness of appreciation which are often lost when time stretches before us in the constant panorama of more days and months and years to come. There are those, of course, who would adopt the Epicurean motto of “Eat, drink, and be merry”. But most people would be chastened by the certainty of impending death.
In stories the doomed hero is usually saved at the last minute by some stroke of fortune, but almost always his sense of values is changed. He becomes more appreciative of the meaning of life and its permanent spiritual values. It has often been noted that those who live, or have lived, in the shadow of death bring a mellow sweetness to everything they do.
Most of us, however, take life for granted. We know that one day we must die, but usually we picture that day as far in the future. When we are in buoyant health, death is all but unimaginable. We seldom think of it. The days stretch out in an endless vista. So we go about our petty tasks, hardly aware of our listless attitude toward life.
The same lethargy, I am afraid, characterizes the use of all our faculties and senses. Only the deaf appreciate hearing, only the blind realize the manifold blessings that lie in sight. Particularly does this observation apply to those who have lost sight and hearing in adult life. But those who have never suffered impairment of sight or hearing seldom make the fullest use of these blessed faculties. Their eyes and ears take in all sights and sounds hazily, without concentration and with little appreciation. It is the same old story of not being grateful for what we have until we lose it, of not being conscious of health until we are ill.
I have often thought it would be a blessing if each human being were stricken blind and deaf for a few days at some time during his early adult life. Darkness would make him more appreciative of sight； silence would teach him the joys of sound.
譯文：
假如給我三天光明（節選）
我們都讀過震撼人心的故事，故事中的主人公只能再活一段很有限的時光，有時長達一年，有時卻短至一日。但我們總是想要知道，註定要離世人的會選擇如何度過自己最後的時光。當然，我說的是那些有選擇權利的自由人，而不是那些活動範圍受到嚴格限定的死囚。
這樣的故事讓我們思考，在類似的處境下，我們該做些什麼？作爲終有一死的人，在臨終前的幾個小時內我們應該做什麼事，經歷些什麼或做哪些聯想？回憶往昔，什麼使我們開心快樂？什麼又使我們悔恨不已？
有時我想，把每天都當作生命中的最後一天來邊，也不失爲一個極好的生活法則。這種態度會使人格外重視生命的價值。我們每天都應該以優雅的姿態，充沛的精力，抱着感恩之心來生活。但當時間以無休止的日，月和年在我們面前流逝時，我們卻常常沒有了這種子感覺。當然，也有人奉行“吃，喝，享受”的享樂主義信條，但絕大多數人還是會受到即將到來的死亡的懲罰。
在故事中，將死的主人公通常都在最後一刻因突降的幸運而獲救，但他的價值觀通常都會改變，他變得更加理解生命的意義及其永恆的精神價值。我們常常注意到，那些生活在或曾經生活在死亡陰影下的人無論做什麼都會感到幸福。
然而，我們中的大多數人都把生命看成是理所當然的。我們知道有一天我們必將面對死亡，但總認爲那一天還在遙遠的將來。當我們身強體健之時，死亡簡直不可想象，我們很少考慮到它。日子多得好像沒有盡頭。因此我們一味忙於瑣事，幾乎意識不到我們對待生活的冷漠態度。
我擔心同樣的冷漠也存在於我們對自己官能和意識的運用上。只有聾子才理解聽力的重要，只有盲人才明白視覺的可貴，這尤其適用於那些成年後才失去視力或聽力之苦的人很少充分利用這些寶貴的能力。他們的眼睛和耳朵模糊地感受着周圍的景物與聲音，心不在焉，也無所感激。這正好我們只有在失去後才懂得珍惜一樣，我們只有在生病後才意識到健康的可貴。
我經常想，如果每個人在年輕的`時候都有幾天失時失聰，也不失爲一件幸事。黑暗將使他更加感激光明，寂靜將告訴他聲音的美妙。
最新英語短篇美文2
Youth
Youth is not a time of life； it is a state of mind； it is not a matter of rosy cheeks, red lips and supple knees； it is a matter of the will, a quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions； it is the freshness of the deep springs of life.
Youth means a temperamental predominance of courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over the love of ease. This often exists in a man of 60 more than a boy of 20. Nobody grows old merely by a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals.
Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul. Worry, fear, self-distrust bows the heart and turns the spirit back to dust.
Whether 60 or 16, there is in every human being’s heart the lure of wonders, the unfailing appetite for what’s next and the joy of the game of living. In the center of your heart and my heart, there is a wireless station； so long as it receives messages of beauty, hope, courage and power from man and from the infinite, so long as you are young.
When your aerials are down, and your spirit is covered with snows of cynicism and the ice of pessimism, then you’ve grown old, even at 20； but as long as your aerials are up, to catch waves of optimism, there’s hope you may die young at 80.
譯文：
青春
青春不是年華，而是心境；青春不是桃面、丹脣、柔膝，而是深沉的意志，恢宏的想象，炙熱的戀情；青春是生命的深泉在涌流。
青春氣貫長虹，勇銳蓋過怯弱，進取壓倒苟安。如此銳氣，二十後生而有之，六旬男子則更多見。年歲有加，並非垂老，理想丟棄，方墮暮年。
歲月悠悠，衰微只及肌膚；熱忱拋卻，頹廢必致靈魂。憂煩，惶恐，喪失自信，定使心靈扭曲，意氣如灰。
無論年屆花甲，擬或二八芳齡，心中皆有生命之歡樂，奇蹟之誘惑，孩童般天真久盛不衰。人人心中皆有一臺天線，只要你從天上人間接受美好、希望、歡樂、勇氣和力量的信號，你就青春永駐，風華常存。 ；
一旦天線下降，銳氣便被冰雪覆蓋，玩世不恭、自暴自棄油然而生，即使年方二十，實已垂垂老矣；然則只要樹起天線，捕捉樂觀信號，你就有望在八十高齡告別塵寰時仍覺年輕。
最新英語短篇美文3
However mean your life is, meet it and live it； do not shun it and call it hard names. It is not so bad as you are. It looks poorest when you are richest. The faultfinder will find faults in paradise. Love your life, poor as it is. You may perhaps have some pleasant, thrilling, glorious hours, even in a poorhouse.
The setting sun is reflected from the windows of the alms-house as brightly as from the rich man‘s abode； the snow melts before its door as early in the spring. I do not see but a quiet mind may live as contentedly there, and have as cheering thoughts, as in a palace. The town‘s poor seem to me often to live the most independent lives of any. May be they are simply great enough to receive without misgiving. Most think that they are above being supported by the town； but it often happens that they are not above supporting themselves by dishonest means. Which should be more disreputable. Cultivate poverty like a garden herb, like sage.
Do not trouble yourself much to get new things, whether clothes or friends, Turn the old, return to them. Things do not change； we change. Sell your clothes and keep your thoughts.
譯文：
不論你的生活如何卑賤，你要面對它生活，不要躲避它，更別用惡言咒罵它。它不像你那樣壞。你最富有的時候，倒是看似最窮。愛找缺點的人就是到天堂裏也能找到缺點。你要愛你的生活，儘管它貧窮。甚至在一個濟貧院裏，你也還有愉快、高興、光榮的時候。
夕陽反射在濟貧院的窗上，像身在富戶人家窗上一樣光亮；在那門前，積雪同在早春融化。我只看到，一個從容的人，在哪裏也像在皇宮中一樣，生活得心滿意足而富有愉快的思想。城鎮中的窮人，我看，倒往往是過着最獨立不羈的生活。也許因爲他們很大，所以受之無愧。大多數人以爲他們是超然的，不靠城鎮來支援他們；可是事實上他們是往往利用了不正當的手段來對付生活，他們是毫不超脫的，毋寧是不體面的。
視貧窮如園中之花而像聖人一樣耕植它吧！不要找新的花樣，無論是新的朋友或新的衣服，來麻煩你自己。找舊的，回到那裏去。萬物不變，是我們在變。你的衣服可以賣掉，但要保留你的思想。
最新英語短篇美文4
it has never been explained why university students seem to enjoy practical jokes more than anyone else. students specialize in a particular type of practical joke: the hoax. inviting the fire-brigade to put out a non-existent fire is a crude form of deception which no self-respecting student would ever indulge in, students often create amusing situations which are funny to everyone except the victims. when a student recently saw two workmen using a pneumatic drill outside his university, he immediately telephoned the police and informed them that two students dressed up as workmen were tearing up the road with a pneumatic drill. as soon as he had hung up, he went over to the workmen and told them that if a policeman ordered them to go away, they were not to take him seriously. he added that a student had dressed up as a policeman and was playing all sorts of silly jokes on people. both the police and the workmen were grateful to the student for this piece of advance information.
the student hid in an archway nearby where he could watch and hear everything that went on. sure enough, a policeman arrived on the scene and politely asked the workmen to go away. when he received a very rude reply from one of the workmen, he threatened to remove them by force. the workmen told him to do as he pleased and the policeman telephoned for help. shortly afterwards, four more policemen arrived and remonstrated with the workmen. as the men refused to stop working, the police attempted to seize the pneumatic drill. the workmen struggled fiercely and one of them lost his temper. he threatened to call the police. at this, the police pointed out ironically that this would hardly be necessary as the men were already under arrest. pretending to speak seriously, one of the workmen asked if he might make a telephone call before being taken.
to the station. permission was granted and a policeman accompanied him to a call-box. only when he saw that the man was actually telephoning the police did he realize that they had all been the victims of a hoax.
誰也弄不清爲什麼大學生好像比任何人都更喜歡惡作劇。大學生擅長一種特殊的惡作劇——戲弄人。請消防隊來撲滅一場根本沒有的大火是一種低級騙局，有自尊心的大學生決不會去做。大學生們常常做的是製造一種可笑的局面，使大家笑上一場，當然受害者是笑不出來的。
最近有個學生看見兩個工人在學校門外用風鑽幹活，馬上打電話報告警察，說有兩個學生裝扮成工人，正在用風鑽破壞路面。掛上電話後，他又馬上來到工人那兒，告訴他們若有個警察來讓他們走開，不要把他當回事，還對工人說，有個學生常裝扮成警察無聊地同別人開玩笑。警察與工人都對那個學生事先通報情況表示感謝。
那個學生躲在附近一拱形的門廊裏，在那兒可以看見、聽到現場發生的一切。果然，警察來了，不禮貌地請工人離開此地；但其中一個工人粗魯地回了幾句。於是警察威脅要強行使他們離開。工人說，悉聽尊便。警察去打電話叫人。一會兒工夫，又來了4個警察，規勸工人離開。由於工人拒絕停下手中的活，警察想奪風鑽。兩個工人奮力抗爭，其中一個發了火，威脅說要去叫警察。警察聽後譏諷地說，這大可不必，因爲他倆已被逮捕了。其中一個工人裝模作樣地問道，在被帶往警察局之前，是否可以打一個電話。警察同意了，陪他來到一個投幣地電話前，當他看到那個工人真的是給警察掛電話，才恍然大悟，原來他們都成一場騙局的受害者。
最新英語短篇美文5
Most people need to hear those three little words I love you. Once in a while, they hear them just in time.
大多數人需要聽到那“三個小字”——我愛你。有時他們就會在最需要的時候聽到。
I met Connie the day she was admitted to the hospice ward, where I worked as a volunteer. Her husband, Bill, stood nervously nearby as she was transferred from the gurney to the hospital bed. Although Connie was in the final stages of her fight against cancer, she was alert and cheerful. We got her settled in. I finished marking her name on all the hospital supplies she would be using, then asked if she needed anything.
我在康尼住進收容所病房的那天見到了她。我在那兒當義工。把她從輪牀擡上病牀時，她的丈夫比爾焦慮不安地站在旁邊。雖然康尼處於和癌症搏鬥的晚期，但她仍然神智清醒，精神愉快。我們把她安頓好。我在醫院提供給她使用的所有用品上標上她的名字，然後問她是否需要什麼。
Oh, yes, she said, would you please show me how to use the TV? I enjoy the soaps so much and I don‘t want to get behind on what‘happening. Connie was a romantic. She loved soap operas, romance novels and movies with a good love story. As we became acquainted, she confided how frustrating it was to be married 32 years to a man who often called her a silly woman.
“啊，是的，”她說，“請告訴我怎麼用電視好嗎？我非常喜歡肥皂劇，想隨時跟上進展情況。”康尼是個浪漫的人。她酷愛肥皂劇、浪漫小說和講述美好愛情故事的電影。隨着我們越來越熟，她向我吐露說，跟一個經常叫她“傻女人”的男人生活了32年有多麼沮喪。
Oh, I know Bill loves me, she said, but he has never been one to say he loves me, or send cards to me. She sighed and looked out the window at the trees in the courtyard. I‘d give anything if he‘d say ‘I love you,‘ but it‘s just not in his nature.
“唉，我知道比爾愛我，”她說道，“可是他從來不說他愛我，也不給我寄賀卡。”她嘆了口氣，朝窗外庭院裏的樹望去。“如果他說聲‘我愛你’，我願意付出一切，可這根本不是他的性格。”
Bill visited Connie every day. In the beginning, he sat next to the bed while she watched the soaps. Later, when she began sleeping more, he paced up and down the hallway outside her room. Soon, when she no longer watched television and had fewer waking moments, I began spending more of my volunteer time with Bill.
比爾每天都來探望康尼。一開始，康尼看肥皂劇，他就坐在牀旁。後來，她睡的時候多了，比爾就在屋外走廊裏踱來踱去。不久，康尼不再看電視了，醒的時候也少了，我開始花更多的義工時間和比爾在一起。
He talked about having worked as a carpenter and how he liked to go fishing. He and Connie had no children, but they‘d been enjoying retirement by traveling, until Connie got sick. Bill could not express his feelings about the fact that his wife was dying.
他談到他一直是個木工，他多麼喜歡釣魚。他和康尼沒有孩子，但他們四處旅遊，享受着退休生活，直到康尼得病。對他妻子病危這一事實，比爾無法表達他的感受。
One day, over coffee in the cafeteria, I got him on the subject of women and how we need romance in our lives； how we love to get sentimental1 cards and love letters.
一天，在自助餐廳喝咖啡時，我設法和比爾談起女人這個話題，談到生活中我們多麼需要浪漫，多想收到充滿柔情蜜意的卡片和情書。
Do you tell Connie you love her? I asked (knowing his answer), and he looked at me as if I was crazy.
“你跟康尼說你愛她嗎？”我明知故問。他瞧着我，就好像我有神經病。
I don‘t have to, he said. She knows I do!
“我沒有必要說，”他說道。“她知道我愛她！”
I‘m sure she knows, I said, reaching over and touching his hands rough, carpenter‘s hands that were gripping the cup as if it were the only thing he had to hang onto but she needs to hear it, Bill. She needs to hear what she has meant to you all these years. Please think about it.
“我肯定她知道，”我說。我伸出手，觸摸着他那雙木工粗糙的手。這雙手緊握着杯子，似乎它是他需要依附的惟一東西——“可是她需要聽到它，比爾。她需要聽到所有這些年來她對你意味什麼。請你考慮考慮。”
We walked back to Connie‘s room. Bill disappeared inside, and I left to visit another patient. Later, I saw Bill sitting by the bed. He was holding Connie‘s hand as she slept. The date was February 12.
我們走回康尼的房間。比爾進了屋，我走開去看望另一個病人。後來，我看見比爾坐在牀邊。康尼入睡了，他握着她的一隻手。那天是2月12日。
Two days later I walked down the hospice ward at noon. There stood Bill, leaning up against the wall in the hallway, staring at the floor. I already knew from the head nurse that Connie had died at 11 A.M..
兩天後的中午時分，我順着收容所病房過道向前走着。比爾站在那裏，靠着牆，凝視着地面。護士長已經告訴我，康尼在上午11點故去了。
When Bill saw me, he allowed himself to come into my arms for a long time. His face was wet with tears and he was trembling. Finally, he leaned back against the wall and took a deep breath.
比爾看見我後，讓我擁抱了他許久。他滿臉淚水，渾身顫抖。最後，他向後靠在牆上，深深地吸了一口氣。
I have to say something, he said. I have to say how good I feel about telling her. He stopped to blow his nose. I thought a lot about what you said, and this morning I told her how much I loved her... and loved being married to her. You shoulda2 seen her smile!
“我有話非說不可，”他說道。“我得說，對她說出來，感覺真是好極了。”他停下來擤鼻子。“你說的話我想了很多；今天早上我對她說我多麼愛她……我多麼珍惜和她結爲夫妻。你真該看看她的笑容！”
I went into the room to say my own goodbye to Connie. There, on the bedside table, was a large Valentine card from Bill. You know, the sentimental kind that says, To my wonderful wife... I love you.
我走進康尼的房間，親自去和她告別 。我看見，牀頭桌上放着一張比爾給她的大大的情人節賀卡——就是那種充滿柔情蜜意的賀卡，上面寫着：“給我出色的妻子……我愛你。”
最新英語短篇美文6
Every morning, you are defining how your life would be like.
每一天早上，你都在定義你未來人生的模樣。
No, I‘m not saying the cliche that every morning you have the chance to make a different decision.
不，我並不是在說“你每天早上都可以做出不同的抉擇”這種陳詞濫調。
What I‘m suggesting is that how you choose to live your morning speaks a lot about how you choose to live your life.
我的意思是，你過每一個早上的態度，在很大程度上都說明了你過這一生的態度。
There are people who choose to get out of the bed in the last minute and grab whatever they can get to eat or even give up breakfast all together.
有的人選擇早上在最後一刻才起牀，隨便抓點什麼當早餐，或者乾脆不吃早餐了。
These people are choosing to make their lives failures, because apparently they have no idea how to make solid plans and make life organized.
這些人是在選擇讓自己的生活變得失敗，因爲他們顯然不知道如何制定有效的計劃並讓生活僅僅有條。
There are another kind of people who choose to make every morning in order.
還有一種人，他們選擇讓每個早晨都過得有規律。
They get up relatively early and can finish a lot of things before they go to work.
他們會在一個比較早的時間起牀，並且能在上班前搞定很多事情。
That makes the whole day way easier for them and make them more productive in the office.
這會讓他們的一天都輕鬆得多，也會讓他們在上班的時候更有創造力。
Yes, how you live your morning does speak a lot about how you live your life.
是的，你如何過你的早上，你就如何過你的一生。
Don‘t underestimate it.
千萬別小看了這一點。
最新英語短篇美文7
If life treats you unfairly.
如果生活對你不公。
Don‘t cry. Don‘t shout. Don‘t complain to anyone.
不要哭泣。不要叫嚷。也不要向任何人抱怨。
Because that‘s just how life is.
因爲這就是生活。
It‘s never fair.
它從來就不是公平的。
Let me tell you a story. Once upon a time there were two boys.
讓我來給你講一個故事吧。從前，有兩個男孩。
One of them was short and the other was tall.
他們其中一個很矮，而另一個很高。
They stood in front of a low wall and both wanted to see what was beyond that wall.
他們同時站在了一堵矮牆面前，都想看看牆那邊是什麼。
The taller one could easily do that but the shorter one needed to stand on a chair to reach the height.
個子高的那個很輕易就能做到，但個子矮的那個卻需要站在椅子上才能達到同樣的高度。
To the taller one the chair was only a chair.
對於個子高的那個，這個椅子只不過是個椅子。
But the shorter one called the chair Justice, because it made the situation fair.
可矮的那個卻把它稱爲“正義”，因爲它帶來了“公平”。
Well, real life is just like this. It‘s not fair.
其實真實的生活不就像是這樣嗎？它並不公平。
Most people complain about it and stop at just complaining about it, while a few others choose to bear this unfairness and try to discover their own strength.
大部分人會爲此而抱怨，而且僅僅止步於抱怨；而還有一小部分人，他們選擇承受這種不公，並試着發掘自己的力量。
And this second kind are the ones who have a chance to truly run the world.
只有這第二種人才有可能成爲世界真正的主人。
Only by bearing unfairness can you bear responsibility.
你得承受得起委屈，才能承受得了責任。
That‘s how life works.
生活就是這麼運作的。
最新英語短篇美文8
Learning English Now English is becoming more and more can help you to get a better ish can allow you to communicate freely with will make new friends with people all over the the 21st century,English will be a powerful weapon in our will also find a nice surprise—— speaking English is so fun!
Let’s master English to make our future brighter!
英語變得越來越有用.它能幫你找到一份更好的工作.英語讓你與外國人自由交流,可以與世界各國的人交朋友.在二十一世紀英語會成爲我們生活的強大武器,他還能給你帶來驚喜.說英語真的很有趣.讓我們的未來更好.
I like music very much.I always listen to music on my way to c is like my best I feel down and blue,I will listen to my favorite is a world of my own and no one can disturb c is so wonderful that it makes my life colorful.
我非常喜歡音樂.我總是在去學校的路上聽音樂.音樂像我最好的朋友.當我心情鬱悶的時候,我會聽最喜歡的音樂.這是一個屬於我的世界,沒有人可以打擾我.音樂如此美妙,它使我的生活變得豐富多彩.
If I Were a Millionaire ，What would you do if you were a millionaire?Many people would buy a house or travel the for me,I would start a I had a school,I would be able to educate many children and teach them right from ne will tell you that children are a country’s my dream comes true,I will be very happy because I will be doing my country a good service.
如果你是個百萬富翁,你將會做些什麼呢?許多人會買房子或環遊世界.至於我,我會開辦一所學校.如果我有一個學校,我就能夠教育很多孩子,教育他們明辨是非.大家都說孩子是祖國的未來.如果我夢想成真,我就會高興因爲我爲祖國作出巨大貢獻.
I think smiling is as important as sunshine. Smiling is like sunshine because it can make people happy and have a good day. If you aren’t happy, you can smile, and then you will feel happy. Someone may say, “But I don’t feel happy.” Then I would say, “Please smile as you do when you are happy or play with your friends happily. You will really be happy again.”
Smiling can let you have more I say, smiling is like a flower. It will give you happiness.
我認爲微笑是一樣重要的象陽光。 微笑是象陽光，因爲它可能使人愉快和有一個早晨好。 如果您不是愉快的，您能微笑，您然後將感覺愉快。 某人也許說， “但是我不感到愉快”。 然後我會說， “請微笑，您，當您愉快地是愉快或戲劇與您的朋友。 您真正地再將是愉快的”。
微笑可能讓您有更多朋友。如此我說，微笑是象花。 它將給您幸福。
It was Sunday and I have to go to school. I finished my homework the day before. So I decided to help mother do housework. I washed some clothes after I got up. Then I went shopping with a basket. I bought some meat, eggs and some vegetables in the market. After I came back, I started to cook dinner for the whole family. In the evening, I sat at the table and began to write down on my notebook what I had done during the day.
它是星期天，並且我沒有必須去學校。 我前一天完成了我的家庭作業。 如此我決定幫助做家事。 在我起來了之後，我洗了一些衣裳。 然後我帶着籃子去購物。 我在市場上買了一些肉、蛋和有些菜。 在我回來了之後，我開始爲全家烹調晚餐。 在晚上，我在我的筆記本寫下什麼我白天做了什麼。
最新英語短篇美文9
年輕的心
Whether sixty or sixteen, there is in every human being‘s heart the lure of wonders, the unfailing childlike appetite of what‘s next and the joy of the game of living.
In the center of your heart and my heart there is a wireless station: so long as it receives messages of beauty, hope, cheer, courage and power from men and from the infinite, so long are you young.
無論是60歲還是16歲，你需要保持永不衰竭的好奇心、永不熄滅的孩提般求知的渴望和追求事業成功的歡樂與熱情。
在你我的心底，有一座無線電臺，它能在多長時間裏接收到人間萬物傳遞來的美好、希望、歡樂、鼓舞和力量的信息，你就會年輕多長時間。
最新英語短篇美文10
Most people complain of fortune, few of nature； and the kinder they think the latter has been to them, the more they murmur at what they call the injustice of the former.
很多人抱怨命運，卻很少有人抱怨自然；人們越是認爲自然對他們仁愛有加，便越是嘀咕命運對他們的所謂不公。
Why have not I the riches, the rank, the power, of such and such, is the common expostulation with fortune； but why have not I the merit, the talents, the wit, or the beauty, of such and such others, is a reproach rarely or never made to nature.
人們常常對命運發出詰難：我爲何沒有財富、地位、權力以及諸如此類的東西；但人們卻很少或從不這樣責怪過自然：我爲何沒有長處、天賦、機智或美麗以及諸如此類的東西。
The truth is, that nature, seldom profuse, and seldom niggardly, has distributed her gifts more equally than she is generally supposed to have done. Education and situation make the great difference. Culture improves, and occasions elicit, natural talents I make no doubt but that there are potentially, if I may use that pedantic word, many Bacons,
事實是，自然總是將天賦公平地分配給人們，比人們通常認爲的還要不偏不倚，很少過分地慷慨!也很少吝嗇。 人與人之間的巨大差異是由於教育和環境使然。文化修養改良了天賦，機遇環境誘發了天賦。我們並不懷疑在農田耕作，在櫃檯後營業，甚至在豪門貴族中間有很多 潛在的培根們、洛克們、牛頓們、凱撒們、克倫威爾們和馬爾伯勒們，如果允許我
Lockes, Newtons, Caesars, Cromwells, and Marlboroughs at the ploughtail behind counters, and, perhaps, even among the nobility； but the soil must be cultivated, and the season favourable, for the fruit to have all its spirit and flavour.
用“潛在的”這個學究味濃重的詞的話；但是要使果實具有它全部的品質和風味， 還必須有耕耘過的泥土，必須有適宜的季節。
If sometimes our common parent has been a little partial, and not kept the scales quite even； if one preponderates too much, we throw into the lighter a due counterpoise of vanity, which never fails to set all right. Hence it happens, that hardly any one man would, without reverse, and in every particular, change with any other.
倘若大自然有時候有那麼一點偏心，沒有將天平擺正；倘若有一頭過重，我們就會在輕的一頭投上一枚大小適當的虛榮的砝碼，它每次都會將天平重新調平，從不出差錯。因此就出現了這種情況：幾乎沒有人會毫無保留地和另一個人裏裏外外全部對換一下。
Though all are thus satisfied with the dispensations of nature, how few listen to her voice! How to follow her as a guide! In vain she points out to us the plain and direct way to truth, vanity, fancy, affection, and fashion assume her shape and wind us through fairy-ground to folly and error.
雖然對於自然的分配，人人都感到滿意；然而肯聽聽她的忠告的人卻是如此之少!能將她當作嚮導而跟隨其後的人又是如此之少!她徒然地爲我們指出一條通向真理的筆直的坦途；而虛榮、幻想、矯情、時髦卻儼然以她的面貌出現，暗中將我們引向虛幻的歧途，走向愚笨和謬誤。
