经典英语散文阅读精选汇总.doc

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1、经典英语散文阅读精选汇总 阅读英语美文会给大家带来与众不同的感受，多读英语也有利于提升我们的英语能力，整理了一些英文散文，下面就和大家分享，来欣赏一下吧。英语散文：The Blanket(一条毛毯)The BlanketBy Floyd DellPetey hadnt really believed that Dad would be doing It sending Granddad away. “Away” was what they were calling it.Not until now could he believe it of his father.But here was t

2、he blanket that Dad had bought for Granddad, and in the morning hed be going away. This was the last evening theyd be having together. Dad was off seeing that girl he was to marry. He would not be back till late, so Petey and Granddad could sit up and talk.It was a fine September night, with a silve

3、r moon riding high. They washed up the supper dishes and then took their chairs out onto the porch. “Ill get my fiddle,” said the old man, “and play you some of the old tunes.”But instead of the fiddle he brought out the blanket. It was a big double blanket, red with black stripes.“Now, isnt that a

4、fine blanket!” said the old man, smoothing it over his knees. “And isnt your father a kind man to be giving the old fellow a blanket like that to go away with? It cost something, it didlook at the wool of it! Therell be few blankets there the equal of this one!”It was like Granddad to be saying that

5、. He was trying to make it easier. He had pretended all along that he wanted to go away to the great brick buildingthe government place. There hed be with so many other old fellows, having the best of everything. . . . But Petey hadnt believed Dad would really do it, not until this night when he bro

6、ught home the blanket.“Oh, yes, its a fine blanket,” said Petey. He got up and went into the house. He wasnt the kind to cry and, besides, he was too old for that. Hed just gone in to fetch Granddads fiddle.The blanket slid to the floor as the old man took the fiddle and stood up. He tuned up for a

7、minute, and then said, “This is one youll like to remember.”Petey sat and looked out over the gully. Dad would marry that girl. Yes, that girl who had kissed Petey and fussed over him, saying shed try to be a good mother to him, and all. . . .The tune stopped suddenly. Granddad said, “Its a fine gir

8、l your fathers going to marry. Hell be feeling young again with a pretty wife like that. And what would an old fellow like me be doing around their house, getting in the way? An old nuisance, what with my talks of aches and pains. Its best that I go away, like Im doing. One more tune or two, and the

9、n well be going to sleep. Ill pack up my blanket in the morning.”They didnt hear the two people coming down the path. Dad had one arm around the girl, whose bright face was like a dolls. But they heard her when she laughed, right close by the porch. Dad didnt say anything, but the girl came forward

10、and spoke to Granddad prettily: “I wont be here when you leave in the morning, so I came over to say good-bye.”“Its kind of you,” said Granddad, with his eyes cast down. Then, seeing the blanket at his feet, he stooped to pick it up. “And will you look at this,” he said. “The fine blanket my son has

11、 given me to go away with.”“Yes,” she said. “Its a fine blanket.” She felt the wool and repeated in surprise, “A fine blanketIll say it is!” She turned to Dad and said to him coldly, “That blanket really cost something.”Dad cleared his throat and said, “I wanted him to have the best. . . .”“Its doub

12、le, too,” she said, as if accusing Dad.“Yes,” said Granddad, “its doublea fine blanket for an old fellow to be going away with.”17 The boy went suddenly into the house. He was looking for something. He could hear that girl scolding Dad. She realized how much of Dads moneyher money, reallyhad gone fo

13、r the blanket. Dad became angry in his slow way. And now she was suddenly going away in a huff. . . .As Petey came out, she turned and called back, “All the same, he doesnt need a double blanket!” And she ran off up the path.Dad was looking after her as if he wasnt sure what he ought to do.“Oh, shes

14、 right,” Petey said. “Here, Dad”and he held out a pair of scissors. “Cut the blanket in two.”Both of them stared at the boy, startled. “Cut it in two, I tell you, Dad!” he cried out. “And keep the other half.”“Thats not a bad idea,” said Granddad gently. “I dont need so much of a blanket.”“Yes,” the

15、 boy said harshly, “a single blankets enough for an old man when hes sent away. Well save the other half, Dad. Itll come in handy later.”“Now what do you mean by that?” asked Dad.“I mean,” said the boy slowly, “that Ill give it to you, Dad when youre old and Im sending youaway.”There was a silence.

16、Then Dad went over to Granddad and stood before him, not speaking. But Granddad understood. He put out a hand and laid it on Dads shoulder. And he heard Granddad whisper, “Its all right, son. I knew you didnt mean it. . . .” And then Petey cried.But it didnt matterbecause they were all crying togeth

17、er.【中文译文】：一床双人毛毯(美) 弗罗伊德?戴尔晴朗的九月的夜晚，银色的月光洒落在溪谷上。此时，十一岁的彼得没有观赏月亮，也没感觉到微微的凉风吹进厨房。他的思绪全在厨房桌上那条红黑相间的毛毯上。那是爸爸送给爷爷的离别礼物。他们说爷爷要走。他们是这么说的。彼得不相信爸爸真会把爷爷送走。可是现在离别礼物都买好了。爸爸今天晚上买的。今晚是他和爷爷在一起的最后一个晚上了。吃完晚饭，爷孙俩一块洗碗碟，爸爸走了，和那个就要与他成亲的女人一起走的，不会马上回来。洗完碗碟，爷孙走出屋子，坐在月光下。“我去拿口琴来给你吹几支老曲子。”爷爷说。一会儿，爷爷从屋里出来了，拿来的不是口琴，而是那床毛毯。那是条大

18、大的双人毛毯。“这毛毯多好!”老人轻抚着膝头的毛毯说，“你爸真孝，给我这老家伙带这么床高级毛毯走。你看这毛，一定很贵的。以后冬天晚上不会冷了。那里不会有这么好的毛毯的。”爷爷总这么说，为了避免难堪，他一直装着很想去政府办的养老院的样子，想象着，离开温暖的家和朋友，去哪个地方与许多其他老人一起共度晚年。可彼得从没想到爸爸真会把爷爷送走，直到今晚看到爸爸带回这床毛毯。“是床好毛毯，”彼得搭讪着走进小屋。他不是个好哭的孩子，况且，他已早过了好哭鼻子的年龄了。他是进屋给爷爷拿口琴的。爷爷接琴时毛毯滑落到地上。最后一个晚上了，爷孙俩谁也没说话。爷爷吹了一会儿，然后说，“你会记住这支曲子。”月儿高高挂在天

19、边，微风轻轻地吹过溪谷。最后一次了，彼得想，以后再也听不到爷爷吹口琴了，爸爸也要从这搬走，住进新居了。若把爷爷一个人撇下，美好的夜晚自己独坐廊下，还有什么意思!音乐停了，有那么一会儿工夫，爷孙俩谁也没说话。过了一会儿，爷爷说，“这只曲子欢快点。彼得坐在那怔怔地望着远方。爸爸要娶那个姑娘了。是的，那个姑娘亲过他了，还发誓要对他好，做个好妈妈。爷爷突然停下来，“这曲子不好，跳舞还凑合。“怔了一会儿，又说，”你爸要娶的姑娘不错。有个这么漂亮的妻子他会变年轻的。我又何必在这碍事，我一会儿这 病一会儿那疼，招人嫌呢。况且他们还会有孩子。我可不想整夜听孩子哭闹。不，不!还是走为上策呀!好，再吹两支曲子我们

20、就.觉，睡到明天早晨，带上毛 毯走人。你看这支怎么样?调子有些悲，倒很合适这样的夜晚呢。“他们没有听到爸爸和那个瓷美人正沿溪谷的小道走来，直到走近门廊，爷孙俩才听到她的笑声，琴声嘎然而止。爸爸一声没吭，姑娘走到爷爷跟前恭敬地说：“明天早晨不能来送您，我现在来跟您告别的。“谢谢了，“爷爷说。低头看着脚边的毛毯，爷爷弯腰拾起来，“你看，”爷爷局促地说，“这是儿子送我的离别礼物。多好的毛毯!”“是不错。”她摸了一下毛毯，“好高级呀!”她转向爸爸，冷冷地说，“一定花了不少钱吧。”爸爸支吾着说，“我想给他一床的毛毯。”“哼，还是双人的呢。”姑娘没完地纠缠毛毯的事。“是的，”老人说，“是床双人毛毯。一床一

21、个老家伙即将带走的毛毯。”彼得转身跑进屋。他听到那姑娘还在唠叨毛毯的昂贵，爸爸开始慢慢动怒。姑娘走了，彼得出屋时她正回头冲爸爸喊“甭解释，他根本用不着双人毛毯。”爸爸看着她，脸上有种奇怪的表情。“她说得对，爸爸，”彼得说，“爷爷用不着双人毛毯。爸爸，给!”彼得递给爸爸一把剪刀，“把毛毯剪成两块。”“好主意，”爷爷温和地说，“我用不着这么大的毛毯。”“是的，”彼得说，“老人家送走时给床单人毛毯就不错了。我们还能留下一半，以后迟早总有用处。”“你这是什么意思?”爸爸问。“我是说，”彼得慢腾腾地说，“等你老了，我送你走时给你这一半。”大家都沉默了。好半天，爸爸走到爷爷面前呆呆地，没有一句话。爷爷望着

22、儿子喃喃地说：“没关系，孩子，我知道你不是这么想的我知道”这时，彼得哭了。但没什么，因为爷爷，爸爸都哭了，哭成了一团英语散文：Promise of Bluebirds(蓝知更鸟的希望)Promise of BluebirdsThe Pennsylvania-landscape was in severe wintry garb as our car sped westover the interstate Ul The season was wrong, butI couldnt get bluebirds outof my head.Only three weeks before, at C

23、hristmas, Dad had given me a nesting box hedmade: He had a special feeling for the brilliant creatures, and each spring heeagerly awaited their return. Now I wondered, will he ever see one again?It was a heart attack. Dads third.When I got to the hospital at 2 a.m., he was losing the fight. As the f

24、amilyhovered at his bedside, he drifted in and out of consciousness.Once he looked up at.Mom sitting beside the bed holding his hand. Theywant me to let go, he said, :but I cant. I dont want to.Mom patted his arm. Just hold on to me, she murmured.The next morning the cardiologist met us in the waiti

25、ng room. Hes stillfighting,the doaor said. Ive never seen such strengthMy youngest brother was only five when Ileft home 30 years ago. Relation-ships between my brothers- and sisters had become -frayed because of dis-tance and commitments to our own families. But Dad needed his childrennow, so we st

26、ayed at the hospital. During the long vigil, we reminisced aboutour years at home.A miner, Dad had not had an easy life. He and Mom raised six kids at a timewhen coal miners eamed as little as 25 cents a ton, and he loaded nine tonsa day. Even now, Im sure we dont know most of the sacrifices they ma

27、defor us.I remembered Dads hard hat, its carbide lamp showing a fine pall of coaldust. Dads graygreen eyes seemed large and wise as an owls in his black-ened face. They often sparkled with devilment when they met yours inconversation. .Each evening he came home, eager to take up his crosscut saw or

28、clawhammer. Dad could chock a piece of walnut on his lathe and deffly tum outa beautiful salad bowl for Mom. He could build a cherry fold-top desk withfine, dovetailed drawers as easily as he could fashion a fishing-line threaderout of an old ballpoint pen.Dad bought our plain, two-story house from

29、the coal company and immediately began to remodel it. Our house was the first on the hill to have anindoor bathroom and hot water. He spent one summer digging out the clay-filled foundation to install a coal furnace. We children no longer shivered inour bed-rooms on cold winter mornings.We loved to

30、watch him work. When Dad needed something, we ran to getit. If we called it a thingamabob he would say, Thats a nail set (thetool for sinking the head of a nail below the surface of the wood). It has aname. Use it.Dad carried a spirit of craftsmanship into every job and expeaed the samefrom all six

31、children. Each job had its claim on your best efforts. And evertool had its name. Those were his principles, and we lived by them just aSDad did.His playful spirit would set us to giggling-like the time he was buildingfireplace in the back yard. He sent us to look for the stone-bender he needeto mak

32、e the comer stones fit more evenly. Guess Ill have to bend theiamyself, he said when we retumed empty-handed. We saw the sparkle in.bijeyes, and knew wed been had.Sitting in the hospitalwaitting room, I thought back to an afteon in Dadsworkshop several years ago.He was retired by then, but he kept b

33、usy building beautiful furniture, now for his childrens homes. A volunteer naturalist,I was eager to tell him about the help bluebirds needed.When the early settlers had cleared forests for farmland, I explained, blueLbirds flourished, nesting in fence-posts and orchard trees. But their habitatwas d

34、isappearing, and now the birds needed nesting boxesDad listened as-I spoke, his hands gently moving a finegrained sand-paperover a piece of oak. I asked him if he would like to build a box. He said hewould think about it.Several weeks later he invited me into his workshop. There, on his workbench,sa

35、t three well-crafted bluebird nesting boxes. Think the birds willlike themThe asked.As much as I do,I replied, hugging him. Dad put up the boxes, and thenext spring bluebirds nested in his yard. He was hooked.Dad became quite an expert on the species. Bluebirds, he would say, areharbingers of hope a

36、nd triumph, renowned for family loyalty. A pair willhave two or three broods a year, the earlier young sometimes helping to feedthe later nestlings.The presence of his children must have boosted Dads spirits after his attackbecause he grew stronger and left the hospital on Valentines Day WhenI visit

37、ed my parents at the end of March, Dad was confined to the downstairs.But I noticed that he paused longer and longer at the windows facing theback yard. I knew what he was hoping to see. And one day a bright flash ofcolor circled the nesting box closest to our house.Well, its about time the rascals

38、showed, dont you think? Dad said.Sporting a resplendent blue head, back, wings and tail, a male bluebird sanghis courtship song so passionately that we dubbed him Caruso, after theItalian tenor. A female appeared, but rejected the nesting box. Caruso foundanother in the field below the yard. He circ

39、led the new box, singing feverishly.She remained aloof on a distant perch.Dad was walking more and more each day as the love story unfolded. Icould see strength coming back into his wiry frame.One day Caruso battled a rival for the females attentions. Then she foughtan even more vehement battle with

40、 another female. Afterward she resumedher haughty. stance while he fervently continued with his rapturous repertoire.Suddenly one exquisite morning, when the sky mirrored Carusos courtingraiment, she flew back to the box nearest the house and inspected itthoroughly. Caruso hovered nearby and sang bl

41、issfully as she finally acceptedhim.Shortly thereafter she proceeded to lay one egg a day until there were six.Caruso fluttered outside, defending the nest while she incubated.Dad was now well enough to go outside, but he still couldnt reach the back-yard. He asked us to check inside the nesting box

42、 once a day. When wedreturn, the questions came. Is she on the nest? he asked. Have the eggshatched? Did you see that showboat whats-his-name?Caruso, Dad, I replied. He has a name, you know. Dads sly grin re:flected the devilment that had returned to his eyes.When the eggs hatched, we marveled at th

43、e herculean efforts Caruso andhis mate expended to capture insects for their brood. Nestlings must be fedevery 20 minutes.Near the end of May, the fledglings left the nest. By then Dad was able towalk to the fields beyond and see what other bluebird news there might be.Mom and I would watch him from

44、 the kitchen window. He gave some-thing to those bluebirds, she said quietly one day. Now theyve given itback.蓝知更鸟的希望我们的汽车奔驰西行越过州界，宾夕法尼亚州一派严冬景象，时令不正常，可是我对蓝知更鸟一直不能忘怀。就在三周前圣诞节那天，爸爸把他自己制作的一个鸟巢箱给了我。他对这些色彩鲜艳的小生灵怀有特殊的感情，每年春天他都热切地期待它们归来。现在，我不知道他是否还能再见到一只。心脏病发作，这是爸爸第三次犯病了。凌晨两点我到了医院，他浑身瘫软无力，家人守候在床边，他时而失去知觉，时

45、而神志清醒。有一次，他抬头望着坐在床边握着他手的妈妈说：“他们想要我松手，可是我不能松，我不想松。”妈妈拍着他胳膊低声说：“攥住我吧。”第二天早晨，心病学专家?候诊室遇见我们，这位大夫说：“他仍在搏斗，我从来没有见过意志这样坚强的。”30年前我离开家的时候，最小的弟弟才五岁。后来因为我们居住相距甚远，而且都忙于自己的小家庭，所以兄弟姊妹之间的关系不够亲近。但是如今爸爸需要他的孩子们，因此我们来到医院，在长时间守夜期间，我们回忆起在家时的岁月。爸爸，一名矿工，以前没有过安逸的生活。他和妈妈养育六个小孩，而当时煤矿工人收入非常低，生产一吨煤炭只挣25美分，他一天要挖九吨。就是现在，我肯定我们也不知

46、道他们为我们做出了多少牺牲。我记得爸爸质地很硬的帽子，帽子上燃烧碳化物的照明灯上覆盖着一层细细的煤炭粉末。在爸爸黝黑的面庞上，一双灰绿的眼睛像猫头鹰的眼睛一样，显得很大而充满智慧。在交谈时与你的目光相遇，他眼睛里经常闪耀着恶作剧的神情。每天傍晚他回到家，就饶有兴致地拿起横切锯或爪形拔钉锤。他能在车床上卡上一块胡桃木，熟练地给妈妈制作一个漂亮的盛色拉的碗。他能利用旧圆珠笔制作钓鱼穿线用具，同样能毫不费力地制作带有精巧楔形榫抽屉的樱桃木的、桌面可折叠书桌。爸爸从煤炭公司买了一所简易两层楼住宅，然后立即进行改造。我们这所住宅是小山上第一家设有室内浴室和使用热水的，他用了一个夏季的时间挖掘全都是粘土的

47、地基，装起了煤炉，冬天寒冷的早晨，我们孩子们在卧室里再也不冻得发抖了。我们喜欢看着他干活，爸爸需要什么东西，我们跑着去取，如果我们把那件东西叫作“某东西”，他总说：“那是敲钉子的工具(把钉子楔进木头里的工具)”，“它有个名字，叫它的名字。”爸爸干什么活儿都讲究技艺，而且希望所有六个孩子也同样做。每一件活儿都要求你尽努力，并且每件工具都有名称。这些是他的原则，正如爸爸按照这些原则办事一样，我们也按照这些原则办事。他爱开玩笑的态度常使我们咯咯发笑。像那一次，他在后院修建壁炉，派我们去寻找他所需要的所谓石头折弯机，以便把边角石块砌得更平稳。我们空手而回，他说：“看来我只得自己把石头弄弯喽。”我们看到

48、他眼睛里闪耀的神色，于是知道我们受骗了。我坐在医院候诊室里，回想起几年前在爸爸车间里的一个下午，那时他已经退休，但是还不断地忙着制造漂亮家具，是给他几个孩子家里制作的,作为一个自愿研究动物的人，我迫切地要把蓝知更鸟需要的帮助告诉他.我解释道，早来的移民砍伐森林开垦农田的时候，1蓝知更鸟就成群结认地在篱笆桩和果园树上筑巢，但是它们酣栖息衄越来越少，如今，蓝知更鸟急切需我沈话时爸爸着，向手接住二张细粒沙纸在二块栎来上轻轻地摩擦，我问他是否愿意制作巢箱，他说他愿意考虑。几个星期后，他邀请我到车间去，在工作台上放着三个制作精巧的蓝知更鸟巢箱。“你认为鸟儿喜欢它们吗?”他问道。 “像我一样，非常喜欢。”我紧紧拥抱着他回答说。爸爸支架起巢箱，于是第二年春天蓝知更鸟便在他院里落了户，而