爱华网每一位家长都应该时常找一些英文励志短篇小故事来教育孩子，那么英文励志短篇小故事都有哪些呢?一起来看看吧。
英文励志短篇小故事：破镜重圆
A broken mirror joined together
During the Southern and Northern Dynasties (420-589), there lived a beautiful, intelligent princess name Lechang in the State Chen. She and her husband Xu Deyan loved each other dearly. But before long their country was in danger of being invaded by the troops of the Sui Dynasty. Princess Lechang and Xu Deyan had a premonition that their county would be occupied by the invaders and they would have to leave the palace and go into exile. During the chaos they might lose touch with each other. They broke a bronze mirror, a symbol of the unity of husband and wife into two parts and each of them kept a half. They aGREed that each would take their half of the mirror to the fair during the Lantern Festival, which is on the 15th day of the first Lunar month, in the hope that would meet again. When they were united the two halves would join together. Soon their premonition came true. During the chaos of war, the princess lost touch with her husband was taken to a powerful minister Yang Su's house and was made his mistress.
At the Lantern Festival the next year, Xu Deyan took his half of the mirror to the fair. He hoped that he could meet his wife. It so happened that a servant was selling the other half of the bronze mirror. Xu Deyan recognized it immediately. He asked the servant about his wife. As he heard about her bitter experience, tears rolled down his cheeks. Xu Deyan wrote a poem on the half of the mirror kept by his wife: "You left me with your broken mirror Now the mirror is back but not you I can no longer see your reflection in the mirror Only the bright moon but not you" .
the servant brought back the inscribed half of the mirror to princess Lechang. For days, she could not help sobbing because she knew her husband was still alive and that he missed her but they could not meet forever.
the minister, Yang Su, found this out. He was also moved by their true love and realized it was impossible to get Lechang's love. So he sent for Xu Deyan and allowed the husband and wife to reunite.
From that story comes the idiom "A broken mirror joined together".
It is used to suggest the happy reunion of a separated couple.
破镜重圆
南北朝时期，陈国公主乐昌美丽且有才华。她与丈夫徐德言感情深厚。但当时，隋朝正入侵陈国，陈国即将被灭亡。乐昌公主和徐德言都预感到他们的国家将被入侵者占领，他们也会被迫离开王宫，背井离乡。战乱中，他们可能失去联系。于是，他们将一枚象征夫妻的铜镜一劈两半，夫妻二人各藏半边。相约在第二年正月十五元宵节那天，将各自的半片铜镜拿到集市去卖。期盼能重逢，并将两面镜子合而为一。不久他们的预感就成为了现实。战乱中，公主与丈夫失散了，并被送到隋朝一位很有权势的大臣杨素家中，成了他的小妾。在第二年的元宵节上，徐德言带着他的半边铜镜来到集市上，渴望能遇见他的妻子。碰巧，有一名仆人正在卖半面的铜镜。徐德言马上认出了这面镜子。他向那名仆人打听妻子的下落。当他得知妻子的痛苦遭遇后，他不禁泪流满面。他在妻子的那半面铜镜上题了首诗："镜与人俱去，镜归人不归。无复嫦娥影，空留明月辉"。
那个仆人把题了诗的铜镜带回来，交给了乐昌公主。一连几天，她都终日以泪洗面，因为她知道丈夫还活着而且想念她，但他们却无法再相见了。
杨素终于发现了这件事。他也被两人的真情所打动，觉得自己也不可能赢得乐昌的爱。于是，他派人找来了徐德言，让他们夫妻团圆了。
"破镜重圆"这个成语就是从这个故事来的。形容夫妻分开后，又高兴的团圆。
英文励志短篇小故事：惊弓之鸟
A bird startled by the mere twang of a bow-string
During the time of the Warring States (475-221 BC)， there lived a well-known archer named Geng Ying whose art in shooting was excelled by none at his time.
One day, as he was standing by the side of the King of Wei, a flock of swan geese were flying over. With confidence, Geng Ying said to the king, "The twang of my bow-string might bring down a bird." The King doubted much. Just then a solitary swan goose appeared, low and slow in its flight, sad and dolorous in its cry. Instantly Geng Ying bended his bow and forcibly pulled the bowstring. Twang! High up went he shrilling sound into the air and down fell the bird to the ground. The king admired with bewilderment. Gang Ying then explained: "The bird was flying low and slow, because it was already hurt; it was crying in a bitter tone, because it had lost its companions. Due to the fact that it was already hurt and sad at heart, the twang of my strong bow, that birds dreaded most, startled it. The shrilling sound made its heart beat fast, its wings weak, its balance uneven. Thus it fell down just as commonly as a man drops his chop-sticks, at the thunder-stroke, at a dinner table." Henceforth comes the idiom "A bird startled by the mere twang of a bow-string", illustrating a case where a man who had been previously and repeatedly frightened became numb and stupefied by a new thing of the same nature not knowing how to face the new situation.
惊弓之鸟
战国时期，有个杰出的弓箭手，叫做更赢。他的射箭本领在当时可称是举世无双。有一天，他和魏王并肩站着，天空中忽然飞过一群鸿雁。更赢很自信的对魏王说："我可以用弓声就把飞鸟给打下来。"魏王很怀疑。正在那是，一只孤雁很低很慢的飞过。鸣声凄惨。更赢见了，就张着弓，扣着弦，砰的一声，直入云宵。那孤雁果然应声落地。魏王惊叹之余，不明白这是怎么回事。更赢解释说："那孤雁飞得低且慢，因为它已经受过伤;它鸣叫的声音悲而哀，因为它离了群。身伤心碎，使它心跳加速，两翼无力，体重失去平衡，正如人们吃饭时，突然听见雷声，筷子落地的情况一样自然而平常。
后人根据上面的故事，做成了"惊弓之鸟"这个成语，形容先前多次受过惊吓的人，忽然遇到同样可怕的事物，就吓得魂飞魄散，惊惶失措，不知如何去应付新的环境。
英文励志短篇小故事：网开一面
Give the wrong-doer a way out
Beginning with Yu the GREat, the Xia Dynasty had lasted about four hundred years before Jie became the supreme ruler.
And that was in the 18th century BC. Jie was extremely tyrannical and dissolute. This aroused GREat resentment among the people. Tang, the Chief of the tribe Shang took advantage of this situation to overthrow the Xia Dynasty and established the Shang Dynasty in the early 17th century BC. Among the preparations for the overthrow had been the winning over of popular support.
One day, Tang was having a walk in the open country. He saw a man catching birds with a big net spread in a box-like and mumbling: "Come on, birds! Come into my net. All of you, whether you are flying high or low, east or west. Come into my net!"
Tang walked over and said to the man, "This method is ruthless! You'll spare no birds this way!" With these words, he cut the net down on three sides. Then he murmured in a light voice as if praying: "Oh, birds! Fly to the left or right as you like. And if you're really tired of your life, come into this net!"
When chiefs of other tribes heard about this, they were all moved. They said, "Tang is a good king indeed. He is so kind even to birds and beasts. He must be more merciful to human beings." And very soon, about forty tribes pledged allegiance to Tang.
From that story came the idiom "Open the net on three sides". Later, people changed it into "Give the wrong-doer a way out."， indicating to be lenient to the wrong-doers.
网开一面
从大禹到桀，夏朝一共持续了四百多年的历史。
那是在公元前十八世纪。桀是个极端残暴，放荡的人。他激起了人民的极度不满。部落商的领袖汤利用这个形势，推翻了夏朝，并在公元前十七世纪早期建立了商朝。在准备这场推翻夏朝的行动中，汤赢得了广泛的支持。
一天，汤在一片开阔的田野里散步。他看见一个人正在捕鸟。那人支开一张像笼子般的大网，喃喃的说："来吧，鸟儿们!飞到我的网里来。无论是飞得高的还是低的，向东还是向西的，所有的鸟儿都飞到我的网里来吧!"
汤走过去对那个人说："你这种方法太残忍了!这样作你连一只鸟也不放过!"
一边说着，汤砍断了三面网。然后，像做祈祷那样，他轻轻的低声说道，"哦，鸟儿们，喜欢向左飞的，就向左飞;喜欢向右飞的，就向右飞;如果你真的厌倦了你的生活，就飞入这张网吧!"
其它部落的首领得知这件事后都非常感动。他们说："汤真是一位贤王啊。他对鸟兽都如此仁慈，何况是对人呢?" 不久就有四十多个部落宣誓效忠汤。
"网开三面"这个成语就是由此而来的。后来，人们把它改为"网开一面"，表示宽容的对待做错事的人。
