令人深省的短篇英語小故事5篇推薦

1.practice makes perfect 熟能生巧

Although Chen Yaozi was a civil official in Song Dynasty, he loved archery very much, and was pretty good at it.

宋朝大臣陳堯咨雖然是進(jìn)士出身，卻愛好射箭，而且技藝不俗。

One day he was practicing in his own field, and eight or nine times out of ten he hit the target. He became quite complacent.

一天，他在自家的場地上演習(xí)，中靶率高達(dá)百分之八九十，心中大為得意。

Looking around, he found an old man who sells oil standing nearby. And the old man only nodded slightly towards his skills, not amazed. Angered by this, he called the old man to come over and asked him, “Do you also know archery? Aren’t my skills brilliant?” The old man took out a gourd from the wicker-basket and placed it on the ground. He covered the opening of the gourd with a copper coin. And then he scooped a spoon of oil and began to pour the oil into the gourd through the hole in the coin drop by drop without wetting the coin.

四周一看，發(fā)現(xiàn)旁邊站了很久的一位賣油的老頭對(duì)此只是微微點(diǎn)點(diǎn)頭，并不特別驚訝，頓時(shí)無名火起，將老頭叫過來，問道：“你也懂射箭嗎?我的技術(shù)難道不高明嗎?”老頭從筐里取出一只葫蘆，放在地上，用一枚銅錢蓋住葫蘆口，舀出一勺油，通過錢眼，一滴一滴倒進(jìn)葫蘆里，銅錢上一星油跡也沒有。

The old man said to Chen Yaozi, “This is only practice makes perfect, nothing so brilliant.” Chen Yaozi laughed and sent him away.

老頭對(duì)陳堯說：“我這不過是熟能生巧，談不上什么高明?！标悎蜃尚πΓ瑢⒗项^打發(fā)走了。

2.望梅止渴

Among the outstanding figures of Chinese history, famous either for their intelligence or treachery, Cao Cao is one of the foremost.

在中國歷史上有許多人物以聰明狡詐而聞名，曹操就是其中之一。

One summer, Cao Cao was leading his troops in a punitive expedition against Zhang Xiu. It was extraordinarily hot. The burning sun was like a fire, and the sky was cloudless. The soldiers were walking on the winding mountain paths. The dense forest and the hot rocks exposed to the sun on both sides of the paths made the soldiers feel suffocated. By noontime the soldiers' clothes were wet through with sweat, and the marching speed slowed down. Some solders of weak physique even fainted on the roadside.

有一年夏天，曹操率領(lǐng)部隊(duì)去討伐張繡，天氣熱得出奇，驕陽似火，天上一絲云彩也沒有，部隊(duì)在彎彎曲曲的山道上行走，兩邊密密的樹木和被陽光曬得滾燙的山石，讓人透不過氣來。到了中午時(shí)分，士兵的衣服都濕透了，行軍的速度也慢下來，有幾個(gè)體弱的士兵竟暈倒在路邊。

Seeing that the marching speed was slower and slower, Cao Cao was very worried because he feared that he might bungle the chance of winning the battle. But how could they quicken their speed? Cao Cao at once callde the guide and asked him on the quiet whether there was a source of water nearby.

曹操看行軍的速度越來越慢，擔(dān)心貽誤戰(zhàn)機(jī)，心里很是著急?？墒牵巯聨兹f人馬連水都喝不上，又怎么能加快速度呢?他立刻叫來向?qū)В那膯査骸斑@附近可有水源?

The guide shook his head, saying that the spring water was on the other side of the mountain, which was very far to have to make a detour to reach. Cao Cao realized that time didn't permit them to make such a detour. After thinking for a moment, he said to the guide," Keep quiet. I'll find a way out." He knew that it would be to no avail to order his troops to quicken the steps. He had a brain wave and found a good solution. He spurred his horse and came to the head of the column. Pointing his horsewhip to the front, Cao Cao said," Soldiers, I know there is a big forest of plums ahead. The plums there are both big and delicious. let's hurry along, and we will reach the forest of plums after bypassing this hill."”

向?qū)u搖頭說：“泉水在山谷的那一邊，要繞道過去還有很遠(yuǎn)的路程?！辈懿傧肓艘幌抡f，“不行，時(shí)間來不及。”他看了看前邊的樹林，沉思了一會(huì)兒，對(duì)向?qū)дf：“你什么也別說，我來想辦法?！彼来丝碳词瓜旅钜蟛筷?duì)加快速度也無濟(jì)于事。腦筋一轉(zhuǎn)，辦法來了，他一夾馬肚子，快速趕到隊(duì)伍前面，用馬鞭指著前方說：“士兵們，我知道前面有一大片梅林，那里的梅子又大又好吃，我們快點(diǎn)趕路，繞過這個(gè)山丘就到梅林了!