英语背诵短文1. The Old FarmerAn old farmer had spent all his life on his farm in the countryside, far from the city. One day, he decided to visit the big city. Everything was new and strange to him, because this was the first time he had traveled to the city. He went into a large hotel and saw an elevator. As he watched, an old lady got into the elevator and closed the door. After a while, the door opened again and a very pretty young girl came out. The old farmer was amazed. “What an incredible little room! ” he said to himself. “It‟s magic! It can change an old woman into a young girl. The next time I come here, I‟m going to bring my wife along. ”【注释】incredible adj. 难以置信的；不可思议的【译文】老农民一个老农民一辈子住在远离城市的乡下农场里。
有一天他决定到大城市里去观光。
他觉得城市里的一切又新鲜，又奇特，因为这是他第一次到城市去旅行。
他走进一家大旅馆，看见那里的电梯。
当他瞧着的时候，一位老太太走进电梯关上了门。
过了一会儿，门开了，一位年轻美貌的姑娘从电梯里走了出来。
老农民惊呆了。
“这真是一个不可思议的小房间啊！”他自言自语地说：“这简直是魔术！它能把一个老太太变成年轻姑娘。
下次我再来的时候，我要带我的老婆一起来。
”2. Reading Makes a Full ManWe see that the real factor by which a “full man” is made is neither education nor experience; it is reading. By reading scientific treatises, we are informed of many facts; by reading geography, we know the earth‟s surface, forms, physical features etc.; by reading history, we are told of the growth of nations.With eyes we can see; with ears we can hear. But at a distance, small objects can hardly be distinguished by naked eyes, and ordinary sounds are not audible to our ears without a transmitter. It is by reading that we can know many things without actually seeing or hearing them. Besides, a fair knowledge of what the world is thinking and doing can only be acquired by reading newspapers and magazines.Therefore, no matter how advanced our education may be, or how much experience we may have, we cannot become “full man” unless we keep on reading.【注释】①factor n. 因素；要素②treatise ['tri:tis]n.（专题）论文③distinguish [di'stiŋgwiʃ] v. 分辨；区别④naked adj.裸露的；光体的naked eyes肉眼⑤audible['ɔ:dəbl] adj.听得见的⑥transmitter n. 传送者；发报机⑦acquire [ə'kwaiə] v. 获得【译文】读书使人完美我们知道造就一个“完人”的真正因素既不是教育也不是经验，而是读书。
通过阅读科学论文，我们能知道许多事实；通过阅读地理，我们知道地球的表面、形状和物理特征等。
通过阅读历史，我们了解到了国家的发展历程。
我们能用眼睛看，用耳朵听。
但在一定距离，靠肉眼就难于辨认小的事物，没有传话筒我们就听不见一般的声音。
只有通过读书，我们才能知道许多不是我们耳闻目睹的事。
而且，关于世界上正在思考和正在做的事情的很多知识，我们只能通过阅读报纸和杂志来获得。
所以，不管我们所受的教育程度多高，也不管我们有多少经验，我们都不可能因此而成为“完人”。
除非我们不断地读书。
3. Happiness Is Your Own ChoiceMost of us compare ourselves with anyone we think is happier —a relative, someone we know a lot, or someone we hardly know. As a result, what we do remember is anything that makes the others happy, anything that makes ourselves unhappy, totally forgetting that there is something happy in our own life.So the best way to destroy happiness is to look at something and focus on even the smallest flaw. It is the smallest flaw that would make us complain. And it is the complain that leads to us becoming unhappy.If one chooses to be happy, he will be blessed; if he chooses to be unhappy, he will be cursed. Happiness is just what you think will make you happy.【注释】flaw[flɔ:]n.缺点；裂纹；瑕疵【译文】选择快乐你就快乐我们大多数人都喜欢跟我们的亲戚、熟识的朋友或不怎么了解的人进行比较，总认为他们比我们快乐。
结果呢，我们确确实实记住了令他人快乐的事，扎扎实实记住了使自己不快乐的事，完完全全忘记了我们自己生活中也有快乐的一面。
所以，毁灭快乐的最好方法是眼睛盯着某物并把注意力集中到最微不足道的缺点上。
引起我们抱怨的，就是这些微不足道的缺点；而导致我们不快乐的，正是这些抱怨。
如果你选择快乐，你将得到祝福；如果你选择痛苦，你就会受到诅咒。
那么，如果你选择快乐，你就快乐。
4. CourageA father was really worried about his son, who was sixteen years old but had no courage at all. So the father decided to call on a Buddhist monk to train his child.The Buddhist monk said to the boy‟s father, “You should leave your son alone here. I‟ll make him into a real man within three months. However, you can‟t come to see him during this period.”Three months later, the boy‟s father returned. The Buddhist monk arranged a boxing match between the child and an experienced boxer. Each time the fighter struck the boy, he fell down, but at once the boy stood up; and each time a punch knocked him down again, then the boy stood up again. Several times later, the Buddhist monk asked, “What do you think of your child? ”“What a shame!” The boy‟s father said. “I never thought he could be so easily knocked down. I needn‟t have left him here any longer.”“I‟m sorry that that‟s all you see. Don‟t you see that each time he falls down, he stands up again instead of crying? That‟s the kind of courage you wanted him to have.”If each time you are knocked down you have the courage to stand up again, then you can be proud of yourself.【注释】①Buddhist monk 和尚，禅师；Buddhist n. 佛教徒adj. 佛教的；monk n. 僧侣；修道士②punch[pʌntʃ] n. 拳打[C][(+in/on)] v. 用力击，用拳猛击5. Is Money the Road to Happiness?In modern society, quite a few people make money the target for their lives‟pursuits as they believe money is the road to happiness. Is that the case? Does money really make the mare go?I don‟t agree with this opinion. Of course we can‟t live without money because it is the currency in circulation with which we buy what we need in daily life. But money doesn‟t mean everything in the world, especially happiness. The factors that contribute to happiness are unpredictable. Those who havemoney to burn are not necessarily living a happy life while those who lack physical necessities may be happier than the rich.People say that money is the source of evil. It is true to some extent. To steal, to rob, to commit murder and even to aggress another country can all be caused by greed. Sometimes money can drive people crazy and even kill them. In that case how can we say money is the road to happiness?【注释】①词汇：pursuit n. 追求；mare n. 母马，母驴；currency n. 货币；circulation n. 流通；unpredictable adj. 不可预测的；aggress v. 攻击，侵略②短语：to some extent 从某种程度上说（to a︳some degree）【译文】金钱是通向幸福之路吗？在当今社会，相当多的人把金钱作为终身追求的目标，因为他们相信金钱是通向幸福之路。