1.成功者的故事

Yesterday afternoon Frank Hawkins was telling me about his experiences as a young man.Before he retired,Frank was the head of a very large business company,but as a boy he used to work in a small shop.It was his job to repair bicycles and at that time he used to work fourteen hours a day.He saved money for years and in 1958 he bought a small workshop of his own.In his twenties Frank used to make spare parts for aeroplanes.At that time he had two helpers.In a few years the small workshop had become a large factory which employed seven hundred and twenty-eight people.Frank smiled when he remembered his hard early years and the long road to success.He was still smiling when the door opened and his wife came in.She wanted him to repair their grandson\\\'s bicycle!

昨天下午弗蘭克·霍金斯向我講述了他年輕時(shí)的經(jīng)歷。在他退休之前，弗蘭克是一家非常大的事務(wù)公司頭，但作為一個(gè)男孩，他曾經(jīng)工作在一個(gè)小商店。他的工作是修理自行車(chē)，那時(shí)他一天工作十四小時(shí)。他積蓄多年，并在1958他買(mǎi)了屬于自己的小作坊。在他二十幾歲的弗蘭克曾生產(chǎn)飛機(jī)零配件。那時(shí)他有兩個(gè)幫手。在幾年的小作坊已經(jīng)成為一個(gè)雇用七百二十八人的大工廠(chǎng)。弗蘭克回想著他早年的艱難經(jīng)歷和走過(guò)的漫長(zhǎng)的成功之路。他正笑著的時(shí)候，門(mén)開(kāi)了，他的妻子走了進(jìn)來(lái)。她叫他去修理他們孫子的自行車(chē)!

2.購(gòu)物變得很方便

People are not so honest as they once were.The temptation to steal is greater than ever before--especially in large shops.A detective recently watched a well-dressed woman who always went into a large store on Monday mornings.One Monday,there were fewer people in the shop than usual when the woman came in,so it was easier for the detective to watch her.The woman first bought a few small articles.After a little time,she chose one of the most expensive dresses in the shop and handed it to an assistant who wrapped it up for her as quickly as possible.Then the woman simply took the parcel and walked out of the shop without paying.When she was arrested,the detective found out that the shop assistant was her daughter.The girl\\\'gave\\\'her mother a free dress once a week!

人們不再像以前那么誠(chéng)實(shí)了。偷竊的誘惑力比以往任何時(shí)候——尤其是在大的商店。偵探最近注意上了一位穿著體面的女人總是在星期一上午進(jìn)入一家大商場(chǎng)。一個(gè)星期一，有商店里的人比往常少時(shí)，女人走了進(jìn)來(lái)，所以偵探比較容易監(jiān)視她。這位婦女先是買(mǎi)了幾樣小物品。過(guò)了一會(huì)兒，她選擇了一個(gè)商店里最昂貴的衣服，把它遞給了售貨員包裹它為她盡快。婦人只是包裹，走出了商店沒(méi)有支付。她被逮捕后，偵探發(fā)現(xiàn)原來(lái)那售貨員是她的女兒。這個(gè)女孩給她母親每星期一次免費(fèi)的衣服!

3.飛越南極

In 1929,three years after his flight over the North Pole,the American explorer,R.E.Byrd,successfully flew over the South Pole for the first time.Though,at first,Byrd and his men were able to take a great many photographs of the mountains that lay below,they soon ran into serious trouble.At one point,it seemed certain that their plane would crash.It could only get over the mountains if it rose to 10,000 feet.Byrd at once ordered his men to throw out two heavy food sacks.The plane was then able to rise and it cleared the mountains by 400 feet.Byrd now knew that he would be able to reach the South Pole which was 300 miles away,for there were no more mountains in sight.The aircraft was able to fly over the endless white plains without difficulty.

在1929，三年后他飛越北極，美國(guó)探險(xiǎn)家R，伯德，首次成功地飛越了南極。雖然，在第一，伯德和他的人可以采取許多橫亙，他們很快就陷入了困境。在這一點(diǎn)上，飛機(jī)似乎肯定會(huì)崩潰的。它只會(huì)在山在上升到10000英尺。伯德馬上命令他的助手們把兩個(gè)沉重的食品袋。于是飛機(jī)可以上升了，它離山頭400英尺。伯德這時(shí)知道他將能夠達(dá)到300英里以外的南極了，因?yàn)闆](méi)有更多的山了。飛機(jī)可以毫無(wú)困難地飛越這一望無(wú)際的茫茫雪原。

4.對(duì)美德的獎(jiǎng)賞

My friend,Hugh,has always been fat,but things got so bad recently that he decided to go on a diet.He began his diet a week ago.First of all,he wrote out a long list of all the foods which were forbidden.The list included most of the things Hugh loves:butter,potatoes,rice,beer,milk,chocolate;and sweets.Yesterday I paid him a visit.I rang the bell and was not surprised to see that Hugh was still as fat as ever.He led me into his room and hurriedly hid a large parcel under his desk.It was obvious that he was very embarrassed.When I asked him what he was doing,he smiled guiltily and then put the parcel on the desk.He explained that his diet was so strict that he had to reward himself occasionally.Then he showed me the contents of t,he parcel.It contained five large bars of chocolate and three bags of sweets!

我的朋友，休米，一直很胖，但是近來(lái)情況變得如此糟糕，以致他決定節(jié)食。他是一星期前開(kāi)始節(jié)食。首先，他開(kāi)列了一張長(zhǎng)長(zhǎng)的單子，禁吃的食物。這張單子上的大多數(shù)東西休米愛(ài)：黃油，土豆，米飯，啤酒，牛奶，巧克力和糖果。昨天我去拜訪(fǎng)他。我按響了門(mén)鈴，毫不覺(jué)得奇怪地看到休米和以往一樣胖。他把我領(lǐng)進(jìn)屋，慌忙把一個(gè)包藏在書(shū)桌底下。顯然他感到很尷尬。當(dāng)我問(wèn)他正在干什么時(shí)，他內(nèi)疚地笑了，然后把那個(gè)大包拿到了桌上。他解釋說(shuō)，他的飲食非常嚴(yán)格，他不得不偶爾獎(jiǎng)賞自己一下。然后他給我的內(nèi)容，他包裹。它包含了五大塊巧克力和三袋糖果!

5.美夢(mèng)告終

Tired of sleeping on the floor,a young man in Teheran saved up for years to buy a real bed.For the first time in his life,he became the proud owner of a bed which had springs and a mattress.Because the weather was very hot,he carried the bed on to the roof of his house.He slept very well for the first two nights,but on the third night,a storm blew up.A gust of wind swept the bed off the roof and sent it crashing into the courtyard below.The young man did not wake up until the bed had struck the ground.Although the bed was smashed to pieces,the man was miraculously unhurt.When he woke up,he was still on the mattress.Glancing at the bits of wood and metal that lay around him,the man sadly picked up the mattress and carried it into his house.After he had put it on the floor,he promptly went to sleep again.

厭倦了睡地板，德黑蘭的一個(gè)年輕人積攢了多年買(mǎi)了一張真正的床。這是第一次在他的生命，他自豪地?fù)碛辛艘粡埣扔袕椈珊痛矇|。由于天氣很熱，他便把床上他家的屋頂。頭兩天晚上，他睡得很好，但第三天晚上起了風(fēng)暴。一陣大風(fēng)把床從屋頂，把它摔碎在下面的院子里。年輕人直到床撞到地上沒(méi)有醒來(lái)。雖然床摔碎了，人卻奇跡般地沒(méi)有受傷。當(dāng)他醒來(lái)時(shí)，仍然躺在床墊上?？粗绢^和金屬的碎片在他周?chē)?，傷心地?fù)炱鹆舜矇|，把它拿進(jìn)了屋。他把它放在地板上，他很快睡著了。

6.觸電的蛇

At last firemen have put out a big forest fire in California.Since then,they have been trying to find out how the fire began.Forest fires are often caused by broken glass or by cigarette ends which people carelessly throw away.Yesterday the firemen examined the ground carefully,but were not able to find any broken glass.They were also quite sure that a cigarette end did not start the fire.This morning,however,a firemen accidentally discovered the cause.He noticed the remains of a snake which was wound round the electric wires of a 16,000-volt power line.In this way,he was able to solve the mystery.The explanation was simple but very unusual.A bird had snatched up the snake from the ground and then dropped it on to the wires.The snake then,wound itself round the wires.When it did so,it sent sparks down to the ground and these immediately started a fire.

消防隊(duì)員們終于撲滅了加利福尼亞的一場(chǎng)森林大火。從那時(shí)起，他們一直試圖找出起火的原因。森林火災(zāi)時(shí)常由破碎的玻璃或人們隨手扔掉的香煙頭。昨天，消防隊(duì)員仔細(xì)查看了地面，但未能發(fā)現(xiàn)碎玻璃。他們還十分肯定火災(zāi)也不是由煙頭引起的。然而，今天早晨，一個(gè)消防隊(duì)員偶然發(fā)現(xiàn)了起火的原因。他發(fā)現(xiàn)了一條死蛇纏繞在電線(xiàn)上的一個(gè)16000-volt電源線(xiàn)。就這樣，他解開(kāi)了這個(gè)迷。解釋很簡(jiǎn)單，但卻很不尋常。一只鳥(niǎo)把蛇從地上抓起來(lái)，然后把它扔到了電線(xiàn)上。然后蛇，纏繞在電線(xiàn)上。當(dāng)它這樣做時(shí)，把火花送到了地面上，這些火花立刻引起了一場(chǎng)。

7.卜算未來(lái)

At a village fair,I decided to visit a fortune-teller called Madam Bellinsky.I went into her tent and she told me to sit down.After I had given her some money,she looked into a crystal ball and said:'A relation of yours is coming to see you.She will be arriving this evening and intends to stay for a few days.The moment you leave this tent,you will get a big surprise.A woman you know well will rush towards you.She will speak to you and then she will lead you away from this place.That is all.'

As soon as I went outside,I forgot all about Madam Bellinsky because my wife hurried towards me.'Where have you been hiding?'she asked impatiently.'Your sister will be here in less than an hour and we must be at the station to meet her.We are late already.'As she walked away,I followed her out of the fair.

在一個(gè)鄉(xiāng)村集市上，我決定去拜訪(fǎng)一位稱(chēng)作別林斯基夫人的算命人。我進(jìn)了她的帳篷，她叫我坐下。我給了她一些錢(qián)后，她就看著一個(gè)水晶球，說(shuō)：您的一個(gè)親戚要來(lái)看你。她今晚到達(dá)，并準(zhǔn)備住上幾天。您一走出這個(gè)帳篷，就會(huì)大吃一驚。一個(gè)你知道的女人會(huì)沖向你。她將和你交談，然后她將帶您離開(kāi)這個(gè)地方。是的。當(dāng)我走到外面，我忘卻了所有別林斯基夫人的因?yàn)槲移拮蛹奔泵γο蛭遗軄?lái)。”你躲到哪里去了。她不耐煩地問(wèn)道。”你姐姐會(huì)在不到一個(gè)小時(shí)，我們得去車(chē)站接她。我們已經(jīng)晚了。”當(dāng)她走開(kāi)時(shí)，我也跟著她出了公平。

8.捉賊!

Roy Trenton used to drive a taxi.A short while ago,however,he became a bus driver and he has not regretted it.He is finding his new work far more exciting.When he was driving along Catford Street recently,he saw two thieves rush out of a shop and run towards a waiting car.One of them was carrying a bag full of money.Roy acted quickly and drove the bus straight at the thieves.The one with the money got such a fright that he dropped the bag.As the thieves were trying to get away in their car,Roy drove his bus into the back of it.While the battered car was moving away,Roy stopped his bus and telephoned the police.The thieves'car was badly damaged and easy to recognize.Shortly afterwards,the police stopped the car and both men were arrested.

羅伊特倫頓曾經(jīng)開(kāi)出租車(chē)。不久前，然而，他成為一名巴士司機(jī)和他不后悔。他發(fā)覺(jué)自己的新工作令人興奮的多。當(dāng)他正開(kāi)車(chē)在凱特福德街最近，他看見(jiàn)2個(gè)賊從一家商店里跑。其中一個(gè)提著一只裝滿(mǎn)錢(qián)的袋子。羅伊行動(dòng)迅速，開(kāi)車(chē)直沖竊賊。一個(gè)與金錢(qián)嚇了一跳，他把包。當(dāng)那兩個(gè)小偷企圖乘車(chē)逃跑時(shí)，羅伊駕駛他的公共汽車(chē)撞在了那。當(dāng)那輛被撞壞的汽車(chē)，羅伊停下來(lái)，給警察打電話(huà)。小偷的車(chē)損壞嚴(yán)重，很容易辨認(rèn)。不久之后，警察截住了那輛汽車(chē)，兩人都被逮捕了。

9.破案“神速”

Dan Robinson has been worried all week.Last Tuesday he received a letter from the local police.In the letter he was asked to call at the station.Dan wondered why he was wanted by the police,but he went to the station yesterday and now he is not worried anymore.At the station,he was told by a smiling policeman that his bicycle had been found.Five days ago,the policeman told him,the bicycle was picked up in a small village four hundred miles away.It is now being sent to his home by train.Dan was most surprised when he heard the news.He was amused too,because he never expected the bicycle to be found.It was stolen twenty years ago when Dan was a boy of fifteen!

丹魯濱孫焦慮了整整一個(gè)星期。上周二他收到當(dāng)?shù)鼐炀值囊环庑?。他在信中說(shuō)要在車(chē)站。丹很奇怪為什么警察局要他去，但他昨天去了車(chē)站，現(xiàn)在他不再擔(dān)心了。在警察局里，一位面帶笑容的警察告訴他，他的自行車(chē)被找到了。五天前，警察告訴他說(shuō)，那輛自行車(chē)是在一個(gè)小村子里發(fā)現(xiàn)四百英里遠(yuǎn)。現(xiàn)在它被送到他乘火車(chē)回家。但最驚訝的是當(dāng)他聽(tīng)到這個(gè)消息。但又感到非常好笑，因?yàn)樗麖奈粗竿苷业竭@輛自行車(chē)。這是二十年前被偷走時(shí)，丹是一個(gè)十五歲的男孩!

10.橫渡海峽

Debbie Hart is going to swim across the English Channel tomorrow.She is going to set out from the French coast at five o'clock in the morning.Debbie is only eleven years old and she hopes to set up a new world record.She is a strong swimmer and many people feel that she is sure to succeed.Debbie's father will set out with her in a small boat.Mr.Hart has trained his daughter for years.Tomorrow he will be watching her anxiously as she swims the long distance to England.Debbie intends to take short rests every two hours.She will have something to drink but she will not eat any solid food.Most of Debbie's school friends will be waiting for her on the English coast.Among them will be Debbie's mother,who swam the Channel herself when she was a girl.

戴比·哈特準(zhǔn)備明天游泳橫渡英吉祥海峽。她準(zhǔn)備早上出發(fā)，五點(diǎn)從法國(guó)海岸。戴比只有十一歲，她希望創(chuàng)造一項(xiàng)新的世界紀(jì)錄。她是個(gè)健壯的游泳運(yùn)動(dòng)員，許多人認(rèn)為她一定能成功。戴比的父親將她在小船。哈特先生訓(xùn)練她的女兒已經(jīng)多年了。明天他將焦急地注視著女兒游過(guò)這段漫長(zhǎng)的距離到達(dá)英國(guó)。戴比計(jì)劃每?jī)尚r(shí)休息一下。她將喝些飲料，但不吃固體食物。戴比的大部分同學(xué)將在英國(guó)海岸等候她。他們當(dāng)中還會(huì)有戴比的母親，誰(shuí)自己游過(guò)英吉利海峽的時(shí)候，她是一個(gè)女孩。