多看一些短篇英文励志故事有利于提高我们的阅读能力，那么短篇英文励志故事都有哪些呢?一起来看看吧。

短篇英文励志故事：东施效颦

Xi Shi, a famous beauty, had a pain in her bosom, so she had a frown on her face when she went out. An ugly girl who lived nearby saw her and thought she looked very beautiful. therefore when she went home, she also put her hands on her bosom and had a frown on her face.

When a rich man in the neighbourhood saw her, he shut his doors tightly and did not go out. When a poor man saw her, he took his wife and children and gave her a wide berth.

She only knew Xi Shi's frown looked beautiful but she did not know the reason for its beauty.

越国苎罗(今浙江诸暨南)有位姓施的美女，因为家住若耶溪西岸，所以村里人叫她西施。若耶溪东岸也有位姓施的姑娘。她长得很丑，村里人管她叫东施。

有一天，西施心口疼，走路的时候双手捂住胸部，并且皱着眉头。村里人见她这个模样，都同情地说：“瞧这姑娘的模样，准是疼得难受，真是可怜!”

西施的病态正好被东施瞧见了。她一边看，一边默默记住她难受的姿态和动作。回到溪东后，也模仿西施的模样，双手捂住胸部，同时皱着眉头。

东施的这副模样，使村里人大吃一惊，富人紧闭大门不出来，穷人也带着妻儿躲开。 东施只知道人家皱着眉头很美，却不知道为什么皱着眉头会美。

短篇英文励志故事：老鼠开会Belling the cat

Long ago, there was a big cat in the house. He caught many mice while they were stealing food.

One day the mice had a meeting to talk about the way to deal with their common enemy. Some said this, and some said that.

At last a young mouse got up, and said that he had a good idea.

"We could tie a bell around the neck of the cat. Then when he comes near, we can hear the sound of the bell, and run away."

Everyone approved of this proposal, but an old wise mouse got up and said, "That is all very well, but who will tie the bell to the cat?" The mice looked at each other, but nobody spoke.

老鼠开会

从前，一所房子里面有一只大猫，他抓住了很多偷东西的老鼠。

一天，老鼠在一起开会商量如何对付他们共同的敌人。会上大家各有各的主张，最后，一只小老鼠站出来说他有一个好主意。

“我们可以在猫的脖子上绑一个铃铛，那么如果他来到附近，我们听到铃声就可以马上逃跑。”

大家都赞同这个建议，这时一只聪明的老耗子站出来说：“这的确是个绝妙的主意，但是谁来给猫的脖子上绑铃铛呢?”老鼠们面面相觑，谁也没有说话。

寓意: 有些事情说起来容易，做起来却很难。

短篇英文励志故事：画饼充饥

Relieving Hunger with Pictures of Cakes

Once in the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280), the duke of the Wei, Cao Rui, planed to select a very capable man to work for him. He said to his ministers: 'When choosing a talented person, always beware of one with a false reputation. A false reputation is just like a picture of a cake; it can' t ease hunger.'

Later, this idiom came to be used to mean comforting oneself with unrealistic thoughts, without solving practical problems.

三国时代魏国的皇帝曹睿，准备选拔一个有才能的人到朝廷来做关。曹睿兑他的大臣说：“选择人才，不能光找有虚名的人。虚名好像是画的一块饼，只能看，不能解决肚子饥饿的问题啊!”

后来人们就用“画饼充饥”这个成语比喻用空想安慰自己，不能解决实际问题。

短篇英文励志故事：枕戈待旦

Lying with one's Head Pillowed on a Spear,Waiting for Day to Break

In the Western Jin Dynasty there were two young men.One of them was Zu Ti and the other was Liu Kun.Both of them were men of ideals and integrity who were chivalrous and of a sanguine disposition.They not only wrote excellent articles but also were fond of practising martial arts to keep fit, in order to render meritorious service to the country.Both of them were chief clerks responsible for document administration in Luoyang.Although in appearance the Jin Dynasty had jurisdiction of the Central Plains comprising the middle and lower reaches of the Haunch and threatened by foreign invasion.Zu Ti and Liu Kun often talked about the country's situation till late into the night,and each time they talking very excitedly again.Liu Kun fell asleep without knowing it,but Zu Ti was too excited to fall asleep." Cock-a-doodle-doo,"came the crow of rooster in the wasteland.Zu Ti jumped up and kicked Liu Kun awake:"Listen.How inspiring the rooster's crow is.Let's get up and practised on a slope.From then on,they kept practising sword playing vigorously and energetically in the wasteland every day when they heard the first crow in the morning.Deeply moved by Zu Ti's patriotic passion,Liu Kun was determined to devote himself to his homeland.Once he wrote to his family:"At the time when the country is in dire peril,I am resolved to dedicate myselt to the service of my country.I often fear that I might lag behind Zu Ti in rendering service to the country,and,in fact,I am behind him..." The words" sleep with my head pillowed on a spear,waiting for the day to break"vividly described Liu Kun's determination to dedicate himself to the service of the country and to fight the enemy at any time.Later,this set phrase is used to mean maintaining sharp vigilance and being ready to fight at any time."

西晋人祖逖和刘琨，都是性格开朗、仗义好侠的志士。年轻时不但文章写得好，而且都喜欢练武健身，决心报效祖国。当时，晋朝表面上还管辖着中原大地，但实际上已是内忧外患，风雨飘摇了。祖逖和刘琨一谈起国家局势，总是慷慨万分，常常聊到深夜。

一天，祖逖又和刘琨谈得十分兴奋，刘琨不知什么时候睡着了，祖逖却久久沉浸在谈话的兴奋之中，不能入睡。“喔，喔，喔--”荒原上的雄鸡叫了起来，祖逖一跃而起，踢醒了刘琨：“听，这雄鸡啼鸣多么振奋人心呀，快起来练剑吧!”于是，两人操起剑来，在高坡上对舞。从此，他俩每天清早听到头一声鸣叫，一定来到荒原上抖擞神练起剑来。

刘琨被祖逖的爱国热情深深感动，决心献身于祖。一次他给家人的信中写道：“在国家危难时刻，我经常‘枕戈待旦’(枕着兵器睡觉一直到天明)，立志报国，常担心落在祖逖后边，不想他到底走到我的前头了!……”

故事出自《晋书·祖逖传》。“枕戈待旦”出自刘琨《与亲故书》，形象地写出了刘琨随时准备杀敌报国的决心。后来用作成语，形容时刻警惕敌人，准备作战。