五本简单易读的入门级英文原著
入门篇
1 小王子
The Little Prince
难度 ★☆☆☆☆
推荐指数 ★★★★★
“1
内容简介
小说叙述者是个飞行员,他在故事一开始告诉读者,他在大人世界找不到一个说话投机的人,因为大人都太讲实际了。
接着,飞行员讲了六年前他因飞机故障迫降在撒哈拉沙漠遇见小王子故事。神秘的小王子来自另一个星球。飞行员讲了小王子和他的玫瑰的故事。小王子为什么离开自己的星球;在抵达地球之前,他又访问过哪些星球。他转述了小王子对六个星球的历险,他遇见了国王、爱虚荣的人、酒鬼、商人、点灯人、地理学家、蛇、三枚花瓣的沙漠花、玫瑰园、扳道工、商贩、狐狸以及我们的叙述者飞行员本人。
飞行员和小王子在沙漠中共同拥有过一段极为珍贵的友谊。当小王子离开地球时,飞行员非常悲伤。他一直非常怀念他们共度的时光。他为纪念小王子写了这部小说。
“2
内容摘录
If someone loves a flower, of which just one single blossom grows in all the millions and millions of stars, it is enough to make him happy just to look at the stars. He can say to himself, 'Somewhere, my flower is there…' But if the sheep eats the flower, in one moment all his stars will be darkened… And you think that is not important!
倘若一个人对一朵花情有独钟,而那花在浩瀚的星河中,是独一无二的,那么,他只要仰望繁星点点,就心满意足了。他会喃喃自语:“我的花就在星河的'某个角落……”可是,这花一旦被羊吃掉了,一瞬间,所有星星都将随之黯淡无光……那你也认为这不重要吗?
To me, you are still nothing more than a little boy who is just like a hundred thousand other little boys. And I have no need of you. And you, on your part, have no need of me. To you, I am nothing more than a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world.
对我而言,你只是一个小男孩,和其他成千上万的小男孩没有什么不同。我不需要你。你也不需要我。对你而言,我也和其它成千上万的狐狸并没有差别。但是,假如你驯服了我,我们就彼此需要了。对我而言,你就是举世无双的;对你而言,我也是独一无二的……
I thought that I was rich, with a flower that was unique in all the world; and all I had was a common rose. A common rose…
我总以为自己很富有,拥有一朵世上独一无二的花;实际上,我所拥有的不过是一朵普通的玫瑰而已。一朵普通的玫瑰花……
入门篇
2 动物农场
Animal Farm
难度 ★★☆☆☆
推荐指数 ★★★★★
“1
内容简介
一个农庄的动物不堪人类主人的压迫,在猪的带领下起来反抗,赶走了农庄主,牲畜们实现了“当家作主”的愿望,农场更名为“动物庄园”,奉行“所有动物一律平等”;之后,两只处于领导地位的猪为了权力而互相倾轧,胜利者一方宣布另一方是叛徒、内奸。此后,获取了领导权的猪拥有了越来越大的权力,成为新的特权阶级;动物们稍有不满,便会招致血腥的清洗:农庄的理想被修正为“有的动物较之其他动物更为平等”,动物们又恢复到从前的悲惨状况。
农场里的一头猪老少校(Old Major)在提出了“人类剥削牲畜,牲畜须革命”的理论之后死去,若干天后,农场里掀起了一场由猪领导的革命,原来的剥削者——农场主斯密斯被赶走,牲畜们实现了“当家作主”的愿望,尝到了革命果实的甘美,农场更名为“动物庄园”并且制定了庄园的宪法──七诫。
但不久领导革命的猪们发生了分裂,一头猪雪球被宣布为革命的敌人,此后,获取了领导权的猪拿破仑拥有了越来越大的权力和越来越多的特别待遇,逐渐脱离了其他动物,最终蜕变成为和人类完全一样的牲畜剥削者,动物庄园的名字也被放弃。
2 内容摘录
And remember also that in fighting against Man, we must not come to resemble him. Even when you have conquered him, do not adopt his vices. No animal must ever live in a house, or sleep in a bed, or wear clothes, or drink alcohol, or smoke tobacco, or touch money, or engage in trade. All the habits of Man are evil. And above all, no animal must ever tyrannise over his own kind. Weak or strong, clever or simple, we are all brothers. No animal must ever kill any other animal. All animals are equal.
我们须谨记一条,我们决不能效仿我们的仇敌,无论是反抗中还是成功后,他们的恶习我们坚决摒弃,因为那些习惯是邪恶的。他们的房间我们决不能住进去,我们不准睡床,不准穿衣喝酒和抽烟,并且从事交易和接触货币也是严令禁止的。哦,我们不能像人类一样残暴地对待我们自己,不论瘦弱还是强壮,不论聪明还是愚蠢,我们是同志,是兄弟,我们之间是平等的,我们要相亲相爱,不能相互屠杀。 And then, after a few preliminary tries, the whole farm burst out into 'Beasts of England’ in tremendous unison.
然后,经过几次初步尝试,整个农场迸发出了“英格兰野兽”般的无比和谐一致。
The cows lowed it, the dogs whined it, the sheep bleated it, the horses whinnied it, the ducks quacked it.
母牛哞哞叫,狗汪汪地吠,羊咩咩地配合,马的嘶鸣声和鸭子的嘎嘎声也恰到好处。
入门篇
3 怦然心动
Flipped
难度 ★★☆☆☆
推荐指数 ★★★★★
Flipped
“A
内容简介
英文原版书,在被改编成电影《怦然心动》,2010年上映,描述了青春期中男孩女孩之间的有趣战争。书中最出名的一句话被流传很广“Some of us get dipped in flat, some in satin, some in gloss.... But every once in a while you find someone who's iridescent, and when you do, nothing will ever compare. ”有人住高楼,有人在深沟,有人光万丈,有人一身锈,世人万千种,浮云莫去求,斯人若彩虹,遇上方知有。
书中讲述了男主Bryce与女主Juli之间由认识、熟悉、闹别扭到和好的故事。
“A
内容摘录
主宰自己命运的感觉真好,我感觉自己充满力量,正确而坚定。
It's good to be in charge of my own destiny. I feel powerful, right and determined.
为热爱的人或事物洒下热血和热泪,最坏的结果无非就是对方一句你想怎样。
Shed blood and tears for the person or thing you love, the worst result is nothing more than a sentence you want from the other party.
他完全懂得整体大于部分之和的道理,他说人也是一样的,只是有的人,从整体上看更加浅薄。
He fully understood the truth that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. He said that people are the same, but some people are more superficial on the whole.
当你爱一个人时,你的睫毛会上下跃动,小星星从里面蹦出来。
When you love someone, your eyelashes will jump up and down, and little stars will come out of it.
有一天你会遇到个如彩虹般绚烂的人,到那时,以前或以后的痛苦都不足以改变你的爱。
One day you will meet a person who is as gorgeous as a rainbow. At that time, the pain before or after will not be enough to change your love.
“A
4 老人与海
The Old Man and the Sea
难度 ★★☆☆☆
推荐指数 ★★★★★
“1
内容简介
《老人与海》故事的背景是在20世纪中叶的古巴。主人公是一位名叫圣地亚哥的老渔夫,配角是一个叫马诺林的小孩。风烛残年的老渔夫一连八十四天都没有钓到一条鱼,但他仍不肯认输,而是充满着奋斗的精神,终于在第八十五天钓到一条身长十八尺,体重一千五百磅的大马林鱼。大鱼拖着船往海里走,老人依然死拉着不放,即使没有水,没有食物,没有武器,没有助手,左手抽筋,他也丝毫不灰心。经过两天两夜之后,他终于杀死大鱼,把它拴在船边。但许多鲨鱼立刻前来抢夺他的战利品。他一一地杀死它们,到最后只剩下一支折断的舵柄作为武器。结果,大鱼仍难逃被吃光的命运,最终,老人筋疲力尽地拖回一副鱼骨头。他回到家躺在床上,只好从梦中去寻回那往日美好的岁月,以忘却残酷的现实。
“内容摘录
Every day is a new day. It is better to be lucky. But I would rather be exact. Then when luck comes you are ready.
每一天都是一个新的日子。走运当然是好的,不过我情愿做到分毫不差。这样,运气来的时候,你就有所准备了。
A man is not made for defeat,a man can be destroyed but not defeated.
一个人并不是生来就要被打败的,人尽可以被毁灭,但却不能被打败。
The clouds over the land now rose like mountains and the coast was only a long green line with the gray blue hills behind it. The water was a dark blue now,so dark that it was almost purple.
陆地上空的云块这时候像山冈般耸立着,海岸只剩下一长条绿色的线,背后是些灰青色的小山.海水此刻呈现蓝色,深的简直发紫了。
But none of these scars were fresh. They were as old as erosions in a fishless desert. Everything about him was old except his eyes and they were the same color as the sea and were cheerful and undefeated.
但是这些伤疤中没有一块是新的`。它们像无鱼可打的沙漠中被侵蚀的地方一般古老。他身上的一切都显得古老,除了那双眼睛,它们像海水一般蓝,喜气洋洋而不肯认输的。
“
5 傲慢与偏见
Pride and Prejudice
难度 ★★★☆☆
推荐指数 ★★★★★
“1
内容简介
《傲慢与偏见》本书成书于1813年,描写了四对青年男女的结合,生动地反映了当时英国农村的风俗习惯和社会心理,反对为金钱而婚嫁,也反对轻浮从事,强调感情对缔结理想婚姻的重要性。经过解除傲慢与偏见给正常沟通造成的障碍,最终演绎出有情人终成眷属,在世上传为佳话。
女主人公伊丽莎白的一生极其坎坷。她出生在一个穷牧师家庭,受尽了世人的歧视。每一天,她都要干农活、做家务,即使这样,她还时不时受到富家小姐的讽刺与嘲笑。朋友背叛了她,家人蒙骗了她,就连她朝夕相处的好朋友也利用她来获得万贯家产。但伊丽莎白没有被击垮,也没有被打败,她始终怀着一颗向往幸福的心,去抗争,去追求,最终得到了幸福。
“2
内容摘录
Arrogance makes others unable to love me, prejudice makes me unableto love others.
傲慢让别人无法来爱我,偏见让我无法去爱别人。
Once happiness is rejected, it is not worth our attention.
幸福一经拒绝,就不值得我们再加重视。
Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance. If thedispositions of the parties are ever so well known to each other or ever sosimilar beforehand, it does not advance their felicity in the least. Theyalways continue to grow sufficiently unlike afterwards to have their share ofvexation; and it is better to know as little as possible of the defects of theperson with whom you are to pass your life.
婚姻的幸福完全是偶然的。如果双方的性格彼此非常熟悉,或者事先非常相似,那么这丝毫不会增进他们的幸福感。他们总是继续成长到足以承受他们那份烦恼的程度;最好是尽可能少地了解与你共度一生的人的缺点。
The power of doing anything with quickness is always prized much bythe possessor, and often without any attention to the imperfection of theperformance.
拥有者总是非常珍视快速做任何事情的能力,而且往往不注意表演的缺陷。