青少年看的英語勵志故事

　　作為當代的青少，一定要經常抽出空來看一些適合，那麼都有哪些呢?一起來看看吧。

　　：農夫與蛇

　　This story is called "The Farmer and the Snake." Every day, a farmer went to the city to sell his flowers and farm produce and then went home after selling all his things. One day, he left home very early, so early that when he arrived at the city, the gate was still closed. So he lay down to take a nap, when he awoke he found that the storage bin containing his farm produce had become empty except that there was a gold coin inside. Although all the things in the bin had vanished, the gold was much more valuable so he was still very happy. He thought most probably someone had taken his things and left the payment there, and went home happily with the money.

　　這個故事叫做農夫和蛇。有一個農夫，每天到城裡去賣他自己種的花和農產品，賣完以後就回家。有一天，他很早出門，來到城門時，因為還太早，城門還沒開，所以他就先躺在那邊睡覺。當他醒過來時，看到他裝農產品的瓶子都空空了，裡面多了一塊黃金的錢。雖然瓶子裡的東西不見了，不過那塊黃金的錢已經很多了，所以他還是非常高興。他想大概有人拿走他的東西，然後放錢在那邊，於是就快樂地帶著錢回家了。

　　The next day, the farmer again went out to sell his things but again arrived too early so he slept outside the city gate just like he had done the day before. And the incident repeated itself. All the produce that the farmer had brought disappeared, and there was a gold coin in the bin! At that time, gold was very valuable. One gold coin had a value many times higher than the farmer's produce.

　　隔天，農夫又出門去做買賣，同樣也是來得太早，所以他又在城門那邊睡覺。結果又發生一樣的事情，農夫帶來的東西都不見了，瓶子裡面又多了一塊黃金的錢!那時候黃金是很有價值，所以一塊黃金的錢比農夫的農產品還高出好幾倍的價值。

　　Then one day some time later, the farmer's father asked him, "Where have you gotten so many gold coins lately? Where did the money come from?" So the farmer revealed to his father what had happened. After listening to his story, the father thought, "One day I'll follow my son as he goes out, and see who's been consuming his things and leaving the money in the bin."

　　後來有一天，農夫的父親問他：最近你怎麼忽然間得到那麼多黃金的錢?那些錢是從哪裡來的?農夫就把他遇到的事情告訴他的父親。他的父親聽了以後，心想：我要找一天跟著我的兒子出門，看看到底是誰吃他的東西，然後把錢放在他的瓶子裡面。

　　So one day, when the farmer went out to do business, his father quietly followed him. While the farmer was sleeping near the city gate, his father saw a snake crawl up to his bin and eat his produce. Having finished eating, the snake once again spat a gold coin into the bin as payment to the farmer before leaving. Seeing this, the farmer's father thought, "If I kill the snake, I'll be able to seize all its gold coins!" He then picked up a stone and cut the snake into two parts.

　　有一天農夫出去做買賣時，他的父親就默默跟著他。當農夫在城門附近睡覺的時候，他的父親看到一條蛇爬到他的瓶子那邊吃他的東西，吃完以後，就吐出一塊黃金的錢到瓶裡面，算是付錢給他這樣子，然後蛇就爬走了。農夫的父親想：「如果我把這條蛇殺掉，就可以得到它全部黃金的錢了!」於是他找了一塊石頭，把那條蛇割成兩段。

　　At that time, the head and trunk of the snake were already in its den, and only the tail was outside. The father thought that there must be a big treasure in the den so he told his son to reach inside for it. But unexpectedly, when the farmer reached his hand into the den, the snake bit and killed him! Even though it had been cut into two, the snake could still bite! I understand how this could have happened because that was how I got bitten when I was small. At that time, I saw a centipede that had been beaten and squashed by someone, leaving only the head intact. I thought it was dead, and to make sure, I poked it with my foot. It bit me hard and I cried for three days. Laughter I was really dumb! Remember! Don't play with a centipede even if it looks dead. Sometimes it just fakes death; it's not really dead.

　　那時候，那條蛇的頭部和身體已經爬進它的窩裡面，只剩下尾巴露在外面。農夫的父親認為蛇窩裡面有很多寶藏，就叫農夫伸手去拿。沒想到當農夫把手伸進去時，卻被蛇咬死了!被割成兩段的蛇竟然還可以咬人啊!這種情形我知道，我小的時候也曾經被這樣咬過。那時候我看到一隻蜈蚣被人家打扁了，只剩下頭還沒扁，我認為它已經死了。為了要確定看看它是不是真的死了，我就用腳去撥看看，結果被咬了一口，哭了三天大家笑，太笨了!你們要記得，看到蜈蚣不應該玩，即使它已經死了，也不要跟它玩，因為有時候它只是裝死而已，還沒有真的死。

　　Perhaps that was what happened to the snake in the story. Its head wasn't dead yet. Thus, it bit the farmer, who subsequently died. Seeing his son killed, the farmer's father cried brokenheartedly next to the son's dead body and asked the snake, "You snake! Why did you kill my son? Why did you bite my son and kill him?" Instead of answering him, the snake asked, "Why did you break my back with the stone? There was no animosity between us. I had never done anything bad to you, nor had I done you any harm. If you had been more patient and waited, I would have given the entire treasure here to you. However, because you struck me, I bit and killed your son. Had I killed you instead, you would not be in such deep sorrow. I killed your son so that you'd live the rest of your life in agony." This snake was venomously wise! Instead of biting the man who tried to kill it, it bit his son so that the father would be in agony for the rest of his life. It was truly amazing!

　　故事中的這條蛇大概也是一樣的情形，它的頭還沒死，所以咬了農夫一口，結果他就死掉了。農夫的父親看到自己小孩的屍體躺在那邊，哭得很傷心。然後他問蛇說：蛇啊，你為什麼要殺我的兒子?為什麼要把我的兒子咬死呢?那條蛇就反問他：那你為什麼用石頭打斷我的背呢?我們之間又沒有什麼仇恨，我從來沒有對你做過什麼壞事，也不曾傷害過你，如果你有耐心一點，慢慢來，我裡面的寶藏都會給你。不過，因為你打我，所以我才把你的小孩咬死。如果我把你咬死的話，你就不會那麼傷心，所以我把你的小孩咬死，讓你整個輩子很痛苦。蛇的智慧真的很毒啊!它不咬那個殺牠它的人，而咬他的兒子，讓他痛苦整個輩子。好厲害!

　　：望洋興嘆

　　Tradition has it that many,many years ago,there lived on the Yellow River a river god known as He Bo.One day ,He Bo stood on the riverbank and watched the turbulent waves from the west surging forward to the east.He said both excitedly and conceitedly:"How big the Yellow River is !No other river on earth can compare with it.And therefore I am the greatest river god."

　　One man said to him,"You are wrong.There is a place to the east of the Yellow Rivers called the North Sea.The North Sea is really big."He Bo said,"I don't believe it .Big as the North Sea is, can it be bigger than Yellow River?"The man said,"Should the water of several Yellow River flow into the North sea,it could not fill the North Sea,let alone one Yellow River. "

　　He Bo said obstinately,"I don't believe it,for I have never been to the North Sea."

　　Having no alternative,the man said,"You will not be able to" understand what I mean until you have a chance to see the North Sea for yourself."

　　Winter came,and torrential rain had been falling for days on end.Rivers big and small emptied themselves into the Yellow River,making the Yellow River even broader.Standing on one side of the river,people could hardly tell what animals the oxen and horses on the other side of the river were.Thus He Bo was even more proud,thinking that all the magnificent sights were accumulated here.Then ,remembering the North Sea which had been mentioned to him before,he decided to go there and have a look.

　　He went downstream,and arrived at the river mouth to the sea.Suddenly,the god of the North Sea,whose name was Biennia Ruo,appeared before his eyes.With a smile,Beihai Ruo was welcoming He Bo to the North sea.He looked ahead,and saw that the North Sea,with its vast expanse of water,was boundless.With a dull look in his eyes,He Bo stood there for a while.Finally he said to Beihai Ruo with deep feeling,"As the common saying goes,some people go so far as to think that they are more knowledgeable than anybody else when they have got some knowledge.Actually I am one of such people.If I had not seen with that the Yellow River is matchless in the world.If I remained like that, I would be laughed at for ever by sensible people."

　　相傳很久很久以前，黃河裡有一位河神，人們叫他河伯。何伯站在黃河岸上。望著滾滾的浪濤由西而來，又奔騰跳躍向東流去，興奮地說;“黃河真大呀，世上沒有哪條河能和它相比。我就是最大的水神啊!”

　　有人告訴他：“你的話不對，在黃河的東面有個地方叫北海，那才真叫大呢。”

　　河伯說：“我不信，北海再大，能大得過黃河嗎?”

　　那人說：“別說一條黃河，就是幾條黃河的水流進北海，也裝不滿它。”

　　河伯固執地說：“我沒見過北海，我不信。”

　　那人無可奈何，告訴他：“有機會你去看看北海，就明白我的話了。”

　　秋天到了，連日的暴雨使大大小小的河流都注入黃河，黃河的河面更加寬闊了，隔河望去，對岸的牛馬都分不清。這一下，河伯更得意了，以為天下最壯觀的景色都在自己這裡，他在自得之餘，想起了有人跟他提起的北海，於是決定去那裡看看。

　　河伯順流來到黃河的入海口，，突然眼前一亮，海神北海若正笑容滿面地歡迎他的到來，河伯放眼望去，只見北海汪洋一片，無邊無涯，他呆呆地一會兒，深有感觸地對北海若說：“俗話說，只懂得一些道理就以為誰都比不上自己，這話說的就是我呀。今天要不是我親眼見到這浩瀚無邊的北海，我還會以為黃河是天下無比的呢!那樣，豈不被有見識的人永遠笑主。”

　　故事見於《莊子·秋水》。成語“望洋興嘆”，比喻要做某事而力量不夠，感到無可奈何。

　　：脣亡齒寒

　　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.

　　春秋時候，晉獻公想要擴充自己的實力和地盤，就找藉口說鄰近的虢guó國經常侵犯晉國的邊境，要派兵滅了虢國。可是在晉國和虢國之間隔著一個虞國，討伐虢國必須經過虞地。“怎樣才能順利通過虞國呢?”晉獻公問手下的大臣。大夫荀息說：“虞國國君是個目光短淺、貪圖小利的人，只要我們送他價值連城的美玉和寶馬，他不會不答應借道的。”晉獻公一聽有點捨不得，荀息看出了晉獻公的心思，就說：“虞虢兩國是脣齒相依的近鄰，虢國滅了，虞國也不能獨存，您的美玉寶馬不過是暫時存放在虞公那裡罷了。”晉獻公採納了荀息的計策。

　　虞國國君見到這兩們珍貴的禮物，頓時心花怒放，聽到荀息說要借道虞國之事時，當時就滿口答應下來。虞國大夫宮之奇聽說後，趕快阻止道：“不行，不行，虞國和虢國是脣齒相依的近鄰，我們兩個小國相互依存，有事可以自彼幫助，萬一虢國滅了，我們虞國也就難保了。俗話說：‘脣亡齒寒’，沒有嘴脣，牙齒也保不住啊!借道給晉國萬萬使不得。”虞公說：“人家晉國是大國，現在特意送來美玉寶馬和咱們交朋友，難道咱們借條道路讓他們走走都不行嗎?”宮之奇連聲嘆氣，知道虞國離滅亡的日子不遠了，於是就帶著一家老小離開了虞國。

　　果然，晉國軍隊借道虞國，消滅了虢國，隨後又把親自迎接晉軍的虞公抓住，滅了虞國。 故事出自《左傳·僖公五年》。成語“脣亡齒寒”，比喻雙方關係密切，相互依存。