英文短篇励志故事：驴和买驴的人

摘要：一个买主到市场上去买驴，他看中一头外表不错的驴，但是他想要牵走试一试。

A man wanted to buy an ass. He went to the market, and saw a likely one. But he wanted to test him first.

So he took the ass home, and put him into the stable with the other asses. The new ass looked around, and immediately went to choose a place next to the laziest ass in the stable.

When the man saw this he put a halter on the ass at once, and gave him back to his owner.

The owner felt quite surprised. He asked the man, "Why are you back so soon? Have you tested him already?" "I don't want to test him any more," replied the man, "From the companion he chose for himself, I could see what sort of animal he is."

一个买主到市场上去买驴，他看中一头外表不错的驴，但是他想要牵走试一试。

他把驴牵回家，放在自己其他的驴之间，这驴四处看看，立即走向一头好吃懒做的驴旁边。

于是，买驴的人立刻给那头驴套上辔头，牵去还给驴的卖主。

卖主感到很奇怪，他问买主：“你怎么这么快就回来了?”买主说：“不必再试了，从他所选择什么样的朋友来看，我已经知道他是什么样了。”

寓意：物以类聚，人以群分。人们往往喜欢跟与自己相同的人交往，所以，我们可以根据一个人的朋友来推断他的为人。

英文短篇励志故事：海盗的宝藏

摘要：“距离走廊十步，玫瑰花丛20步的地方，”一天夜里蓝胡子在吉米的梦里咆哮道，“那里有珍宝!”

"Ten steps from the porch and twenty steps from the rose bushes," growled Bluebeard in Jimmy's dream one night. "There be treasure there! Aawrgh."

So the next day Jimmy began to dig. He dug until the hole was deep and the dirt pile was high. He kept digging. The hole got deeper and the dirt pile got higher.

He dug until the hole was deepest and the dirt pile was at its highest. He sighed. "I'm too tired. I can't dig anymore." Then he spied something.

but it was only one of Woofy's bones. Instead of treasure, all Jimmy had was a dog bone, a hole, and a big pile of dirt to fill it in with. He thought "That pirate lied to me!"

But when Jimmy's mother saw what he had done, she clasped her hands and smiled a smile from here to Sunday. "Oh, thank you, Jimmy. I always wanted a rhododendron bush planted just there. Here's $5.00 for digging that hole."

“距离走廊十步，玫瑰花丛20步的地方，”一天夜里蓝胡子在吉米的梦里咆哮道，“那里有珍宝!”

所以第二天，吉米开始挖。他一直挖，直到坑很深了，挖出的土堆得很高了。

他不停地挖。坑越来越深，土越堆越高。

他一直挖，直到坑已经非常深，土堆得非常高。他叹了口气：“我太累了。我不能再挖了。”然后他开始搜索。

但是除了一块伍菲的骨头，他什么也没找到。吉米所得到的仅仅是一块狗啃的骨头，一个坑还有一大堆土，而不是财宝。他想：“那个海盗欺骗了我!”

但当吉米的妈妈看到他所做的一切，她高兴得拍手。从那时一直拍到星期天。“哦，谢谢你，吉米。我一直以来都想在那里栽一丛杜鹃花。这5美元奖励你挖那个坑。”

英文短篇励志故事：太太,你富有吗

摘要：他们蜷缩着相互偎依在我家的挡风门栋里――两个衣衫褴褛的孩子，他们的衣服小得不能再小了。

They huddled inside the storm door -- two children in ragged outgrown coats.

"Any old papers, lady?"

I was busy. I wanted to say no -- until I looked down at their feet.

Thin little sandals, sopped with sleet.

"Come in and I'll make you a cup of hot cocoa."

There was no conversation. Their soggy sandals left marks upon the hearthstone.

I served them cocoa and toast with jam to fortify against the chill outside.

Then I went back to the kitchen and started again on my household budget.

The silence in the front room struck through to me. I looked in. The girl held the empty cup in her hands, looking at it. The boy asked in a flat voice," Lady ... are you rich?"

"Am I rich? Mercy, no!" I looked at my shabby slipcovers. The girl put her cup back in its saucer -- carefully.

"Your cups match your saucers."

Her voice was old, with a hunger that was not of the stomach. They left then, holding their bundles of papers against the wind. They hadn't said thank you.

They didn't need to. They had done more than that. Plain blue pottery cups and saucers. But they matched.

I tested the potatoes and stirred the gravy. Potatoes and brown gravy, a roof over our heads, my man with a good steady job -- these things matched, too.

I moved the chairs back from the fire and tidied the living room. The muddy prints of small sandals were still wet upon my hearth. I let them be.

I want them there in case I ever forget again how very rich I am.

他们蜷缩着相互偎依在我家的挡风门栋里――两个衣衫褴褛的孩子，他们的衣服小得不能再小了。

“太太，请问您有旧报纸吗?”

当时，我正忙着，本来想对他们说没有，但当我看到他们脚上只穿着一双被冰雪浸湿得再单薄不过的便鞋时，我再也说不出口了。

“进屋来吧，我来给你们煮一杯热可可茶。”

默默地他们跟我进了屋，炉边他们浸湿的便鞋留下了一串脚印。我给他们端上可可茶和果酱面包，我想这能帮助他们抵御外面的风寒。然后我回到了厨房，像往常一样，为了明天的生活而精打细算。

前屋里没有一点声音，这让我感到很奇怪。我向屋里望去，小女孩手里正端着那个已经喝完了的茶杯，认真地凝视着，“太太，您富有吗?”男孩子语气平缓地问道。

“我富有吗?”