英语美文题材丰富,涉及面广,大多蕴涵人生哲理。引导学生欣赏美文,不仅能提高他们的阅读理解能力,而且能使他们得到美的熏陶,从而提高学生对周围事物的认识。小编精心收集了关于英语长篇美文，供大家欣赏学习!

关于英语长篇美文篇1

你可以选定一种解释

Two trains are traveling side by side and at the same speed along parallel tracks. We are seated in one of the trains, and with us we have a special speedometer that measures their relative speed. Since the trains are traveling at the same speed, their relative speed is zero; the speedometer therefore reads "0."

两列火车以相同的车速并排地沿着两条平行的轨道往前行驰。我们坐在其中的一列火车上带着特制的速度测量仪，可以测出两列火车之间的相对速度。因为这两列火车是以相同的车速前进的，所以二者的相对速度是零;因此，测速仪上的读数为“0”。

Suddenly the other train seems to start pulling ahead of ours. The speedometer shows a reading of 10 miles per hour. The other train has apparently increased its speed. But can we be absolutely certain of this increase?

突然间另一列火车使我们觉得好像是开始赶到我们所乘坐的火车前头去了。这时测速仪上显示出来的读数是每小时10英里。很显然，另一列火车已经加快了速度。但是，我们能不能肯定是另外那辆火车加快了速度呢?

If your answer is yes, you are wrong. You are wrong because all that we know is that the relative speed between the two trains changed from 0 mph to 10 mph. Nothing more. This change could have been brought about in one of two ways:

如果你回答说是的，那你就错了。你之所以是错了，我们所知道的仅仅是这两辆火车之间的相对速度由每小时0英里增加到了每小时10英里。仅此而已，这车速的变化很可能是由于下列两种原因中的任何一个原因所造成的：

The other train increased its speed.

另一列火车增加了车速。

Our train decreased its speed.

我们的火车降低了车速。

There are thus two possible explanations to account for the change in speed, but we don't know which one is right. Furthermore, regardless of which explanation we choose, the end result will be the same: the other train will arrive at the station first. So it makes no difference whether we say that the other train increased its speed or that our train decreased its speed.

因而对于车速的改变就可能有两种不同的解释，但是我们不知道哪一种解释是对的。进一步来说，不管我们选定了上述两种解释中的哪一种，反正最终的结果是同样的：另一列火车将首先抵达终点站。所以，不论我们说另一列火车加快了车速，还是说我们所乘的火车减慢了车速，实际上这两种说法没有什么区别。

Since both explanations lead to the same result, you can choose either one. Whenever two things are relative, you can choose either one of them. The converse is also true: whenever you have a choice between two things that are equally possible, then the things are relative.

既然上述两种解释会导致同样的结果，那么你选定任何一种解释都可以。不论任何时候，只要两件事物两种情况是相对的，那你就可以选定其中一种解释。逆真理亦真，每当你从有同样可能的两件事物中选定其中之一时，那么这两种事物之间就是相对的。

There is no reason, except convenience, for choosing one explanation over the other. The relative speed between the trains remains the same, 10 mph; and the end result will be the same.

除为了方便这个理由而外，我们选定了一种解释而不选另一种解释根本就没有其他别的原因。如果两列火车之间的相对速度依然相同，都是每小时10英里，那么最终的结果也会是相同的。

Now let's suppose that both trains are at the railroad station loading and unloading passengers and baggage. A half-hour passes. As we look at the other train through our window, we see that our train seems to start moving, smoothly and slowly. For a minute or so, our train seems to travel at a uniform speed. Our special speedometer shows that the relative speed between the two trains is 20 mph. But as we look out our window, we suddenly see the last coach of the other train disappear from sight and notice the motionless station behind it. So we are not moving after all. The other train has been moving!

现在我们假设两列火车都在火车站上在上下乘客或装卸行李。过了半小时以后，当我们透过车窗看另一列火车时，我们看到我们所乘的火车好像是在缓慢地平稳地开始开动了。约有一分钟左右，我们所乘的火车似乎是在以均匀的速度向前运行。我们特制的测速仪显示这两列火车的相对速度是每小时20英里。但当我们往窗外一看，这才突然看见另一列火车的最后一节车厢从我们的视野中正在消失，于是我们看到那一列火车后面留下的是不动的火车站。所以，我们所乘的火车根本就没有开动。原来是另外一辆火车在开动!

This peculiar and often frustrating experience is an effect of relative motion. At the train station we cannot tell whether it was our train that changed its speed from 0 mph to 20 mph or whether it was the other train that changed its speed from 0 mph to 20 mph. Only after the other train pulled out of the station could we see that it, and not our train, was moving.

这种奇特的而又经常使人沮丧的经历就是相对运动所产生的效应。在火车站上我们辨别不出是不是我们所乘坐的那一列火车把车速从每小时0英里改变成每小时20英里。只有当另一列火车驶出火车站之后，这我们才能明白原来是它在开动，而不是我们所乘坐的这列火车在开动。

Now let us again raise the question that was raised at the beginning of this article: can we be absolutely certain that the other train did indeed increase its speed, and in this case pull out of the station?

现在让我们再次提出本文开头所提出过的那个问题：我们能否绝对肯定确实是另一列火车加快了车速，在此情此景驶出了火车站呢?

If your answer is yes, then you are wrong again. All we can be certain of is that the relative speed between the two trains changed.

如果你回答说是的，那么你就又错了。我们所能够完全肯定的一点只是这两列火车之间的相对速度变了。

These examples illustrate an important principle in the special theory of relativity. If A appears to be moving at a steady speed relative to B, we cannot know for sure if it is A that is really moving. Perhaps A is standing still, and B is moving. Or perhaps both are moving. According to relativity, there is no experiment that can be devised to solve the problem. As there is no way of deciding which of the two objects is moving, we can choose either one as the moving object. The reason is that their motion is relative, and relativity, as we have seen, means that we have a choice.

这些例子阐明了特殊的相对论中的一个重要的原理。假如我们觉得A似乎是在用相对于B的一种很均匀的速度在移动，我们就不能肯定地确切知道是否就是A在真的移动。也许A仍在原地不动而是B在移动。或者，AB两者都在移动。根据相对论的说法，根本就不能构想出任何一个实验去解答这个问题。因为根本没有办法来确定这两个物体中哪一个物体在移动，所以我们可以把两个物体中的任何一个物体认定是在移动着的物体。理由就是他们的运动是相对的。正如我们所理解的那样，相对论就意味着我们可以选用一种解释了。

This principle - that if two objects are in uniform motion relative to each other, it is impossible to decide which one is moving and which one is at rest - applies to all objects moving uniformly in a straight line through the universe.

如果两个物体在以相互间相对的同等的运动速度在运动，若想判定哪一个物体在动，哪一个物体原地不动，这是不可能的。这一原理适用于整个宇宙中凡是作直线等速运动的一切物体。

In relativity you'll find that whenever you have a choice among things that are equally possible, you are dealing with relative things. For example, time, which is measured with clocks and watches, is relative because it can be shown that there is more than one system of time. All systems of time are equally possible and you can choose any system you with.

按着相对论的说法你就会发现，每当你在众多同样可能的事物中需要选定一种解释时，你就是在跟相对的事物打交道。例如，时间，虽然能用钟表加以测量，也是相对的，因为有不止一种时间体系可以来表示时间。所有的时间体系都同样有可能表示时间，所以你可以选用你所喜欢的时间体系来表示时间。

关于英语长篇美文篇2

对祖父的甜蜜回忆

Ever since I was little I have had the security and love of a whole family. I’m sure all of you havelost a loved one, ranging from a dear pet to a beloved family member. I myself have lost manycherished hamsters , but never in my childhood did I think I would lose a family member.

从很小的时候开始，我就享受着一大家子人给予我的爱与安全感。我敢肯定，你们所有人都曾失去过自己的所爱，从心爱的宠物到深爱的家人。我自己就失去过许多只珍爱的仓鼠，但童年时，我从未想到自己会失去一位家人。

I have many family members; I even have two living great-grandparents and I also had fourgrandparents. All that changed in the beginning of 2002. At that time our family wasastonished to find out that my grandfather on my Dad’s side of the family was found to havecancer. He suffered through two years of it. We did everything we could to help him enjoy acomfortable stay at the hospital, like we taped videos of my soccer games and visited him inChicago on Halloween.

我家的成员很多;两位曾祖父母还在世，还有四位祖父母。但在2002年初，所有这一切都改变了。那时，祖父被查出患了癌症，全家人都震惊了。祖父痛苦地煎熬了两年。我们竭尽所能地帮助他舒适地呆在医院里治疗，比如，大家录下了我参加足球赛的视频，在万圣节的那天去芝加哥看望他。

He fought all he could, but on the day of November 5, 2003, he passed away. At that time myparents were visiting him in Chicago, and my other grandparents from Virginia were watchingus. Our parents came home early that visit. I still remember that day when they sat all of usdown and told us the news. I felt a mix of emotions such as depression, loss, and emptiness.I ran outside into the crisp November air and cried silent tears, kneeling at my hamster’s graveunder the bare cherry blossom tree.

祖父也竭力与病魔斗争，但在2003年11月5号那天，他离开了。当天，我的父母在芝加哥探望他，其他来自弗吉尼亚州的祖父母们则照看我们这些孩子，父母很早就探病回来了。我依然记得那天他们让我们这些孩子都坐下，说出了这个坏消息。我百感交集，心中充满沮丧、失落和空虚感。我跑了出去，在11月寒冷的空气中默默地伤心流泪;在光秃秃的樱花树下，我跪在了我的仓鼠的墓前。

Almost a year had passed and we were eating dinner at the dinner table when a discussionstarted about how we could help find a cure for cancer or make the lives of the many peoplewho have it more enjoyable. My older sister Molly and I came up with the idea of selling ourhoney from our grandparents in Virginia’s hives. I came up with the name Hives for Lives andwe started our business with the bees.

将近一年的时间过去了，那天我们正在餐桌旁吃饭，大家开始了一场讨论，话题有关我们如何帮助癌症患者找到治疗方法，如何让众多患者的生活变得更加愉快。我和姐姐莫莉一起想出一个主意：售卖我们祖父母在弗吉尼亚州的蜂箱所产出的蜂蜜。我提出了“生命蜂箱”这个名字。于是大家便忙活起这个与蜜蜂相关的项目了。

The business started by taking the honey from our bees and some beeswax . We left enoughfor the bees to survive through the winter. I only got stung once! After this we would gothrough the long process of spinning the honey, filtering the honey with three filters, and thenputting the honey in a large tin heater and warming it until it was drippy and easily bottled inone of our glass jars. Then we would cap the newly filled jars and label them. We did this all byourselves!

项目起步了，我们从饲养的蜜蜂和一些蜂蜡中提取蜂蜜，也给蜜蜂留下足够多的蜂蜜，以便它们能熬过冬天。我只被叮了一次!之后，我们就开始漫长的酿蜜过程，要用三个滤器来过滤蜂蜜，然后再把它们装入一个巨大的锡炉里，进行加热，直到蜂蜜变成可滴落的液体，这样就能轻而易举地将其装进我们的玻璃罐里。接着，我们给新装满的罐子加上盖子，并贴上标签。所有这一切都是我们自己独立完成的!

This year we added beeswax candles and lip balm of many flavors to the product line. We wereselling it at the events or stores. Last year, we raised $2,000 for the American Cancer Societyand all of it went to a camp for children who have cancer. This year, with a few of our friends,Molly and I spent a lot of our time making beeswax candles and beeswax lip balm. With a lot ofhelp, we raised $9,300!

今年，我们还在生产线上加入了蜂蜡蜡烛和口味多样的唇膏。我们在活动现场和商店里出售这些产品。去年，我们为“美国癌症协会”募集了2,000美元，这些钱用于为患有癌症的孩子们举办一次露营活动。今年，我、莫莉和几个朋友一起花了很多时间来制作蜂蜡蜡烛和蜂蜡唇膏。我们得到了许多帮助，募集了9,300美元!

I learned many things from our grandfather such as to live life to its fullest, proper grammar,the love of literature, and to take risks in life. We are put on this Earth to do well and to helpthose around us. We are all capable of that if we try.

我从祖父那里学到很多东西，比如，把生命活到极致的态度、正确使用语法、对文学的喜爱和生活中的冒险精神。我们来到这个世界上要多做好事，帮助那些我们身边的人。如果我们努力去尝试，就能够成功。

关于英语长篇美文篇3

快乐之钥

Sleep

睡眠

Sleep is part of a person's daily activity cycle. There are several different stages of sleep, and they too occur in cycles.

睡眠是人每天日常活动循环的一部分。人的睡眠分几个阶段，而这些阶段也是循环发生的。

If you are an average sleeper, your sleep cycle is as follows. When you first drift off into slumber, your eyes will roll about a bit, your temperature will drop slightly, your muscles will relax, and your breathing well slow and become quite regular. Your brain waves slow down a bit too, with the alpha rhythm of rather fast waves predominating for the first few minutes. This is called stage 1 sleep. For the next half hour or so, as you relax more and more, you will drift down through stage 2 and stage 3 sleep. The lower your stage of sleep, the slower your brain waves will be. Then about 40 to 60 minutes after you lose consciousness you will have reached the deepest sleep of all. Your brain waves will show the large slow waves that are known as the delta rhythm. This is stage 4 sleep.

如果你是一个正常的睡眠者，你的睡眠循环会这样进行。在你开始昏昏入睡时，你的眼睛会滚动几下，体温略有下降，肌肉放松，呼吸变得缓慢而有节奏。除了开始几分钟比较快的α节奏外，脑电波也稍有减缓。这被称为第一阶段睡眠。在随后约半小时内，你进一步放松，进入第二和第三阶段睡眠。睡眠越深入，脑电波就越缓慢。大约在开始睡眠后的40到60分钟，你将进入沉睡状态。这时的脑电波表现为巨大的缓波，被称为δ节奏。这就是第四阶段睡眠。

You do not remain at this deep fourth stage all night long, but instead about 80 minutes after you fall into slumber, your brain activity level will increase again slightly. The delta rhythm will disappear, to be replaced by the activity pattern of brain waves. Your eyes will begin to dart around under your closed eyelids as if you were looking at something occurring in front of you. This period of rapid eye movement lasts for some 8 to 15 minutes and is called REM sleep. It is during REM sleep period, your body will soon relax again, your breathing will grow slow and regular once more, and you will slip gently back from stage 1 to stage 4 sleep - only to rise once again to the surface of near consciousness some 80 minutes later.

但你并不是整夜都保持这种沉睡状态。入睡后约80分钟左右，你的大脑运动水平会再度略有提高。δ节奏消失，并被脑电波的运动图形取代。你的眼睛会在闭着的眼睑下迅速转动，就好象你在看着眼前发生的什么事情。这种迅速的眼球运动持续约8-15分钟，这一阶段睡眠被称之为快速眼动(REM)睡眠。在REM睡眠阶段，你的肢体会很快再度放松，呼吸也再次放慢并变得有节奏，你会轻松地从第一阶段滑入第四阶段睡眠——直到大约80分钟后重新接近清醒状态。