1.成功者的故事

Yesterday afternoon Frank Hawkins was telling me about his experiences as a young man.Before he retired,Frank was the head of a very large business company,but as a boy he used to work in a small shop.It was his job to repair bicycles and at that time he used to work fourteen hours a day.He saved money for years and in 1958 he bought a small workshop of his own.In his twenties Frank used to make spare parts for aeroplanes.At that time he had two helpers.In a few years the small workshop had become a large factory which employed seven hundred and twenty-eight people.Frank smiled when he remembered his hard early years and the long road to success.He was still smiling when the door opened and his wife came in.She wanted him to repair their grandson\\\'s bicycle!

昨天下午弗兰克·霍金斯向我讲述了他年轻时的经历。在他退休之前，弗兰克是一家非常大的事务公司头，但作为一个男孩，他曾经工作在一个小商店。他的工作是修理自行车，那时他一天工作十四小时。他积蓄多年，并在1958他买了属于自己的小作坊。在他二十几岁的弗兰克曾生产飞机零配件。那时他有两个帮手。在几年的小作坊已经成为一个雇用七百二十八人的大工厂。弗兰克回想着他早年的艰难经历和走过的漫长的成功之路。他正笑着的时候，门开了，他的妻子走了进来。她叫他去修理他们孙子的自行车!

2.购物变得很方便

People are not so honest as they once were.The temptation to steal is greater than ever before--especially in large shops.A detective recently watched a well-dressed woman who always went into a large store on Monday mornings.One Monday,there were fewer people in the shop than usual when the woman came in,so it was easier for the detective to watch her.The woman first bought a few small articles.After a little time,she chose one of the most expensive dresses in the shop and handed it to an assistant who wrapped it up for her as quickly as possible.Then the woman simply took the parcel and walked out of the shop without paying.When she was arrested,the detective found out that the shop assistant was her daughter.The girl\\\'gave\\\'her mother a free dress once a week!

人们不再像以前那么诚实了。偷窃的诱惑力比以往任何时候——尤其是在大的商店。侦探最近注意上了一位穿着体面的女人总是在星期一上午进入一家大商场。一个星期一，有商店里的人比往常少时，女人走了进来，所以侦探比较容易监视她。这位妇女先是买了几样小物品。过了一会儿，她选择了一个商店里最昂贵的衣服，把它递给了售货员包裹它为她尽快。妇人只是包裹，走出了商店没有支付。她被逮捕后，侦探发现原来那售货员是她的女儿。这个女孩给她母亲每星期一次免费的衣服!

3.飞越南极

In 1929,three years after his flight over the North Pole,the American explorer,R.E.Byrd,successfully flew over the South Pole for the first time.Though,at first,Byrd and his men were able to take a great many photographs of the mountains that lay below,they soon ran into serious trouble.At one point,it seemed certain that their plane would crash.It could only get over the mountains if it rose to 10,000 feet.Byrd at once ordered his men to throw out two heavy food sacks.The plane was then able to rise and it cleared the mountains by 400 feet.Byrd now knew that he would be able to reach the South Pole which was 300 miles away,for there were no more mountains in sight.The aircraft was able to fly over the endless white plains without difficulty.

在1929，三年后他飞越北极，美国探险家R，伯德，首次成功地飞越了南极。虽然，在第一，伯德和他的人可以采取许多横亘，他们很快就陷入了困境。在这一点上，飞机似乎肯定会崩溃的。它只会在山在上升到10000英尺。伯德马上命令他的助手们把两个沉重的食品袋。于是飞机可以上升了，它离山头400英尺。伯德这时知道他将能够达到300英里以外的南极了，因为没有更多的山了。飞机可以毫无困难地飞越这一望无际的茫茫雪原。

4.对美德的奖赏

My friend,Hugh,has always been fat,but things got so bad recently that he decided to go on a diet.He began his diet a week ago.First of all,he wrote out a long list of all the foods which were forbidden.The list included most of the things Hugh loves:butter,potatoes,rice,beer,milk,chocolate;and sweets.Yesterday I paid him a visit.I rang the bell and was not surprised to see that Hugh was still as fat as ever.He led me into his room and hurriedly hid a large parcel under his desk.It was obvious that he was very embarrassed.When I asked him what he was doing,he smiled guiltily and then put the parcel on the desk.He explained that his diet was so strict that he had to reward himself occasionally.Then he showed me the contents of t,he parcel.It contained five large bars of chocolate and three bags of sweets!

我的朋友，休米，一直很胖，但是近来情况变得如此糟糕，以致他决定节食。他是一星期前开始节食。首先，他开列了一张长长的单子，禁吃的食物。这张单子上的大多数东西休米爱：黄油，土豆，米饭，啤酒，牛奶，巧克力和糖果。昨天我去拜访他。我按响了门铃，毫不觉得奇怪地看到休米和以往一样胖。他把我领进屋，慌忙把一个包藏在书桌底下。显然他感到很尴尬。当我问他正在干什么时，他内疚地笑了，然后把那个大包拿到了桌上。他解释说，他的饮食非常严格，他不得不偶尔奖赏自己一下。然后他给我的内容，他包裹。它包含了五大块巧克力和三袋糖果!

5.美梦告终

Tired of sleeping on the floor,a young man in Teheran saved up for years to buy a real bed.For the first time in his life,he became the proud owner of a bed which had springs and a mattress.Because the weather was very hot,he carried the bed on to the roof of his house.He slept very well for the first two nights,but on the third night,a storm blew up.A gust of wind swept the bed off the roof and sent it crashing into the courtyard below.The young man did not wake up until the bed had struck the ground.Although the bed was smashed to pieces,the man was miraculously unhurt.When he woke up,he was still on the mattress.Glancing at the bits of wood and metal that lay around him,the man sadly picked up the mattress and carried it into his house.After he had put it on the floor,he promptly went to sleep again.

厌倦了睡地板，德黑兰的一个年轻人积攒了多年买了一张真正的床。这是第一次在他的生命，他自豪地拥有了一张既有弹簧和床垫。由于天气很热，他便把床上他家的屋顶。头两天晚上，他睡得很好，但第三天晚上起了风暴。一阵大风把床从屋顶，把它摔碎在下面的院子里。年轻人直到床撞到地上没有醒来。虽然床摔碎了，人却奇迹般地没有受伤。当他醒来时，仍然躺在床垫上。看着木头和金属的碎片在他周围，伤心地捡起了床垫，把它拿进了屋。他把它放在地板上，他很快睡着了。

6.触电的蛇

At last firemen have put out a big forest fire in California.Since then,they have been trying to find out how the fire began.Forest fires are often caused by broken glass or by cigarette ends which people carelessly throw away.Yesterday the firemen examined the ground carefully,but were not able to find any broken glass.They were also quite sure that a cigarette end did not start the fire.This morning,however,a firemen accidentally discovered the cause.He noticed the remains of a snake which was wound round the electric wires of a 16,000-volt power line.In this way,he was able to solve the mystery.The explanation was simple but very unusual.A bird had snatched up the snake from the ground and then dropped it on to the wires.The snake then,wound itself round the wires.When it did so,it sent sparks down to the ground and these immediately started a fire.

消防队员们终于扑灭了加利福尼亚的一场森林大火。从那时起，他们一直试图找出起火的原因。森林火灾时常由破碎的玻璃或人们随手扔掉的香烟头。昨天，消防队员仔细查看了地面，但未能发现碎玻璃。他们还十分肯定火灾也不是由烟头引起的。然而，今天早晨，一个消防队员偶然发现了起火的原因。他发现了一条死蛇缠绕在电线上的一个16000-volt电源线。就这样，他解开了这个迷。解释很简单，但却很不寻常。一只鸟把蛇从地上抓起来，然后把它扔到了电线上。然后蛇，缠绕在电线上。当它这样做时，把火花送到了地面上，这些火花立刻引起了一场。

7.卜算未来

At a village fair,I decided to visit a fortune-teller called Madam Bellinsky.I went into her tent and she told me to sit down.After I had given her some money,she looked into a crystal ball and said:'A relation of yours is coming to see you.She will be arriving this evening and intends to stay for a few days.The moment you leave this tent,you will get a big surprise.A woman you know well will rush towards you.She will speak to you and then she will lead you away from this place.That is all.'

As soon as I went outside,I forgot all about Madam Bellinsky because my wife hurried towards me.'Where have you been hiding?'she asked impatiently.'Your sister will be here in less than an hour and we must be at the station to meet her.We are late already.'As she walked away,I followed her out of the fair.

在一个乡村集市上，我决定去拜访一位称作别林斯基夫人的算命人。我进了她的帐篷，她叫我坐下。我给了她一些钱后，她就看着一个水晶球，说：您的一个亲戚要来看你。她今晚到达，并准备住上几天。您一走出这个帐篷，就会大吃一惊。一个你知道的女人会冲向你。她将和你交谈，然后她将带您离开这个地方。是的。当我走到外面，我忘却了所有别林斯基夫人的因为我妻子急急忙忙向我跑来。”你躲到哪里去了。她不耐烦地问道。”你姐姐会在不到一个小时，我们得去车站接她。我们已经晚了。”当她走开时，我也跟着她出了公平。

8.捉贼!

Roy Trenton used to drive a taxi.A short while ago,however,he became a bus driver and he has not regretted it.He is finding his new work far more exciting.When he was driving along Catford Street recently,he saw two thieves rush out of a shop and run towards a waiting car.One of them was carrying a bag full of money.Roy acted quickly and drove the bus straight at the thieves.The one with the money got such a fright that he dropped the bag.As the thieves were trying to get away in their car,Roy drove his bus into the back of it.While the battered car was moving away,Roy stopped his bus and telephoned the police.The thieves'car was badly damaged and easy to recognize.Shortly afterwards,the police stopped the car and both men were arrested.

罗伊特伦顿曾经开出租车。不久前，然而，他成为一名巴士司机和他不后悔。他发觉自己的新工作令人兴奋的多。当他正开车在凯特福德街最近，他看见2个贼从一家商店里跑。其中一个提着一只装满钱的袋子。罗伊行动迅速，开车直冲窃贼。一个与金钱吓了一跳，他把包。当那两个小偷企图乘车逃跑时，罗伊驾驶他的公共汽车撞在了那。当那辆被撞坏的汽车，罗伊停下来，给警察打电话。小偷的车损坏严重，很容易辨认。不久之后，警察截住了那辆汽车，两人都被逮捕了。

9.破案“神速”

Dan Robinson has been worried all week.Last Tuesday he received a letter from the local police.In the letter he was asked to call at the station.Dan wondered why he was wanted by the police,but he went to the station yesterday and now he is not worried anymore.At the station,he was told by a smiling policeman that his bicycle had been found.Five days ago,the policeman told him,the bicycle was picked up in a small village four hundred miles away.It is now being sent to his home by train.Dan was most surprised when he heard the news.He was amused too,because he never expected the bicycle to be found.It was stolen twenty years ago when Dan was a boy of fifteen!

丹鲁滨孙焦虑了整整一个星期。上周二他收到当地警察局的一封信。他在信中说要在车站。丹很奇怪为什么警察局要他去，但他昨天去了车站，现在他不再担心了。在警察局里，一位面带笑容的警察告诉他，他的自行车被找到了。五天前，警察告诉他说，那辆自行车是在一个小村子里发现四百英里远。现在它被送到他乘火车回家。但最惊讶的是当他听到这个消息。但又感到非常好笑，因为他从未指望能找到这辆自行车。这是二十年前被偷走时，丹是一个十五岁的男孩!

10.横渡海峡

Debbie Hart is going to swim across the English Channel tomorrow.She is going to set out from the French coast at five o'clock in the morning.Debbie is only eleven years old and she hopes to set up a new world record.She is a strong swimmer and many people feel that she is sure to succeed.Debbie's father will set out with her in a small boat.Mr.Hart has trained his daughter for years.Tomorrow he will be watching her anxiously as she swims the long distance to England.Debbie intends to take short rests every two hours.She will have something to drink but she will not eat any solid food.Most of Debbie's school friends will be waiting for her on the English coast.Among them will be Debbie's mother,who swam the Channel herself when she was a girl.

戴比·哈特准备明天游泳横渡英吉祥海峡。她准备早上出发，五点从法国海岸。戴比只有十一岁，她希望创造一项新的世界纪录。她是个健壮的游泳运动员，许多人认为她一定能成功。戴比的父亲将她在小船。哈特先生训练她的女儿已经多年了。明天他将焦急地注视着女儿游过这段漫长的距离到达英国。戴比计划每两小时休息一下。她将喝些饮料，但不吃固体食物。戴比的大部分同学将在英国海岸等候她。他们当中还会有戴比的母亲，谁自己游过英吉利海峡的时候，她是一个女孩。