专题09 小故事大道理-备战2019年中考英语提分必背美文100篇

人人都渴望获得别人的关爱，可是爱不会不请自来；人人都期盼快乐，可是快乐不会无因而至。文中孤苦无依的女孩是如何脱离苦海、化身为世上最快乐的人的？她与蝴蝶仙女的缘分从何而来？她离世时告诉人们的快乐秘诀又是什么？本文将为你一一揭晓。

The Secret of Happiness

If you would be loved, love and be lovable.

                       —Benjamin Franklin

There is a wonderful story about a young orphan girl. She had no family and no one to love her. ①One day, sad and lonely, she was walking through some grassland when she noticed a small butterfly caught in a thorn bush. ②The more it tried to free itself, the deeper the thorns cut into its weak body. The girl carefully set the butterfly free. Instead of flying away, it changed into a beautiful lady. The girl rubbed her eyes in disbelief.

③＂For your wonderful kindness,＂ the lady said to the girl, ＂I’ll give you anything you would like to have.＂

The little girl thought for a moment and then answered, ＂I want to be happy!＂

The lady said, ＂very well.＂ And she stood towards her and spoke in a low voice. Then the good lady disappeared.

As the little girl grew up, no one around was as happy as she. Everyone asked her the secret of her happiness. She would only smile and answer, ＂I am so happy because I listened to a good lady when I was young.＂

When she was very old and dying, the neighbors all came together around her. They were afraid that her wonderful secret of happiness would die with her. ＂Tell us what the good lady said, please.＂ they said.

④The lovely old woman simply smiled and said, ＂She told me that everyone, no matter how old or young, how rich or poor, needed me.＂

快乐秘诀

如果你想得到爱，去爱别人并使自己变得可爱。

                             ——本杰明·富兰克林

这是关于一个孤儿小女孩的美丽的故事。她得不到家人和任何其他人的关爱。一天，又伤心又孤独，小女孩漫步在草地上；这时，她看见一只小蝴蝶正被困于荆棘丛中。它越想挣脱出来，荆棘就越深地刺入它的脆弱的身躯！女孩小心地帮蝴蝶从荆棘中解脱出来。小蝴蝶没有飞走，却变成了一个美丽的女士！小女孩不敢相信地擦着眼睛。

 ＂因为你的善良，＂女士对小女孩说：＂我会满足你的任何愿望。＂

小女孩想了一会，然后回答说：＂我想快乐！＂

女士说：＂很好。＂她靠近小女孩低声告诉了她什么，然后就消失了。

随着小女孩长大，她比周围所有人都快乐。人人都向她请教快乐的秘诀，而她只是笑着回答说：＂我如此快乐是因为我小时候听了一位美丽女士的话。＂

当她很老即将离世时，邻居们都过来围在她的身边。他们唯恐她的奇妙的快乐秘诀会随她而逝。＂请告诉我们那位漂亮女士说了什么吧。＂他们请求她。

可爱的老太太只是笑了笑说：＂她告诉我，每个人——无论老幼，无论贫富——都需要我。＂

1. orphan[ˈɔ:fən] n.孤儿

2. lonely[ˈləʊnli] adj.孤独的

3. butterfly[ˈbʌtəflaɪ] n.蝴蝶

4. thorn [θɔ:n] n.荆棘

5. free [fri:] adj.自由的 & v.释放

6. body[ˈbɔdi] n.身体，躯体

7. rub [rʌb] v.擦

8. disbelief [ˌdɪsbɪˈli:f] n.不相信，怀疑

9. dying [ˈdaɪɪŋ] adj. 奄奄一息的

1. One day, sad and lonely, she was walking through some grassland when she noticed a small butterfly caught in a thorn bush.

一天，又伤心又孤独，小女孩漫步在草地上；这时，她看见一只小蝴蝶正被困于荆棘丛中。

＂was/were doing sth. when +一般过去时＂意为＂某人正在做某事，就在这时……＂。例如：

He was eating his breakfast when he heard the doorbell ring.

他正在吃早饭，这时他听到门铃响了。

2. The more it tried to free itself, the deeper the thorns cut into its weak body.

它越想挣脱出来，荆棘就越深地刺入它的脆弱的身躯！

＂the+比较级，the+比较级＂引导比较状语从句，表示＂越……，越……＂。例如：

The more we can do for you, the happier we will be.

我们能为你做的越多，我们就越高兴。

3. ＂For your wonderful kindness,＂ the lady said to the girl, ＂I’ll give you anything you would like to have.＂

＂因为你的善良，＂女士对小女孩说：＂我会满足你的任何愿望。＂

在后面的直接引语中anything之后跟一个省略了关系代词that的定语从句。若先行词是不定代词all、few、little、much、something、anything、nothing等，而从句中缺主语或宾语时，常用that而不能用which作关系代词，例如：

All that we have to do is (to) practice every day.

我们必须做的一切就是每天练习。

4. The lovely old woman simply smiled and said, ＂She told me that everyone, no matter how old or young, how rich or poor, needed me.＂

可爱的老太太只是笑了笑说：＂她告诉我，每个人——无论老幼，无论贫富——都需要我。＂

直接引语中that引导一个宾语从句，其中no matter…poor为让步状语从句。例如：

No matter how（=However）cold it is，he insists on swimming.

无论多冷，他都坚持游泳。