推荐5篇超经典的英语短篇⼩说，⼏分钟就能读完，马上读起来！
1.《世界的最后⼀晚》
The Last Night of the World
by 雷·布莱伯利
Ray Bradbury
▌阅读时长：7分钟
▌内容简介
布莱伯利最有名的是他的《华⽒451度》（Fahrenheit 451），这本书是有关焚书的反乌托邦（dystopian）故事。但书迷们对他的短篇⼩说应该也很熟悉，⽐如《纹⾝⼈》（The Illustrated Man）和《⽕星纪事》（The Martian Chronicles）。
“The Last Night of the World” is a tender, simple story. The first line alone is universally intriguing: “What would you do if you knew this was the last night of the world?”
《世界的最后⼀晚》是个温柔、简单的故事。⽂章的第⼀句话就引⼈⼊胜：“如果这是世界的最后⼀晚，你会做些什么？”
▌精彩选段
"Do you know, I won't miss anything but you and the girls. I never liked cities or autos or factories or my work or anything except you three. I won't miss a thing except my family and perhaps the change in the weather and a glass of cool water when the weather's hot, or the luxury of sleeping. Just little things, really."
“知道吗？除了你和两个⼥⼉，我其实没什么好留恋的了。我从来不曾真正喜欢这座城市，或是汽车、⼯⼚，我也不喜欢我的⼯作，或者任何你们三个以外的事。如果真要说有什么舍不得的，恐怕只有四季的轮换、热天⾥⼀杯冰得透透凉凉的⽔、还有饱饱地睡⼀觉。都是些微不⾜道的⼩事，真的。”
They sat and read the papers and talked and listened to some radio music and then sat together by the fireplace looking at the charcoal embers as the clock struck ten-thirty and eleven and eleven-thirty. They thought of all the other people in the world who had spent their evening, each in their own special way.
他们坐着读报纸、聊天、听⼴播⾥的⾳乐，⼀起坐在炉⽕旁边，看着⽕炉⾥⽊炭发出的微光。时钟⾛过了10点半，11点，11点半。他们想象着，世界上其他的⼈将如何度过这最后⼀晚，以⾃⼰特殊的⽅式。
2.《幸福结局》
Happy Endings
by 玛格丽特·阿特伍德
Margaret Atwood
▌阅读时长：5分钟
▌内容简介
Atwood, the author of The Handmaid’s Tale, shows off her token snark in this very short story, which takes the reader through all of the different ways in which a fictional couple, John and Mary, could possibly end up. Hint: It’s not so happy.
阿特伍德，也就是最近⼤热的《使⼥的故事》的作者，在这篇短⼩精悍的⼩说中尽情炫耀了⼀把⾃⼰标志性的讽刺⼿法，带领读者体验了⼀对虚构夫妇约翰和玛丽可能经历的各种不同结局。温馨提⽰：这些结局并没有那么幸福。
▌精彩选段
You'll have to face it, the endings are the same however you slice it. Don't be deluded by any other endings, they're all fake, either deliberately fake, with malicious intent to deceive, or just motivated by excessive optimism if not by downright ntimentality.
你必须⾯对现实，⽆论你怎样切分他们的故事，结局都是⼀样的。不要被其他结局欺骗了，那些都是假的。要么是居⼼叵测有意欺瞒造假，要么就是乐观过头或太过多情⽽臆想出来的。
The only authentic ending is the one provided here:
以下才是唯⼀真实的结局：
aged
John and Mary die. John and Mary die. John and Mary die.
约翰和玛丽死了。约翰和玛丽死了。约翰和玛丽死了。
3.《学校》
The School方面大耳
by 唐纳德·巴塞尔姆
Donald Barthelme
skin是什么意思
▌阅读时长：5分钟
▌内容简介
The entire story is a dramatic monologue, and shows off Barthelme's token humor and excellent experiments with form.这个故事就是⼀段充满戏剧性的独⽩，展现了巴塞尔姆标志性的幽默和在⽂体形式上的出⾊尝试。
在这个看似荒诞的故事⾥，橘树、⼩动物、收养的孩⼦都接⼆连三死了，学校⾥的孩⼦们感到困惑，不停地追问⽼师，就此展开对死亡、对⽣活意义的讨论……
▌精彩选段
They asked me, where did they go? The trees, the salamander, the tropical fish, Edgar, the poppas and mommas, Matthew and Tony, where did they go? And I said, I don't know, I don't know. And they said, who knows? and I said, nobody knows. And they said, is death that which gives meaning to life? And I said no, life is that which gives meaning to life.
hunter hayes>pace
他们问我说，那些东西都去哪⼉了？树苗、⽕蜥蜴、热带鱼、⼩狗埃德加、爸爸妈妈们、马修和托尼，他们到底去哪⼉了？我说，我不知道，我也不知道。他们问，那谁知道呢？我说，没⼈知道。他们说，是死亡给⽣活带来了意义吗？我说，不是，是⽣命为⽣活赋予了意义。
4.《⼀个⼲净明亮的地⽅》
A Clean, Well-Lighted Place
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by 欧内斯特·海明威
Ernest Hemingway
▌阅读时长：8分钟
▌内容简介
Hemingway’s writing can be minimalistic, a quality that lends itlf well to short stories. In fact, Washington Post's books editor, Ron Charles, has said that Hemingway’s short stories are better than his novels.
海明威的写作⼿法⼀向颇为简洁，这⼀特点尤其适合于短篇⼩说。事实上，《华盛顿邮报》的图书编辑罗恩·查尔斯就曾评价说，海明威的短篇⼩说⽐他的长篇⼩说更优秀。
You’ve probably read, or at least heard about, “Hills Like White Elephants,” a cryptic conversation between a man and a woman. “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place” is another classic, in which two waiters prepare for the end of the evening.
ventrilo你可能读过或者⾄少听说过《⽩象似的群⼭》，那是发⽣在⼀男⼀⼥之间的⼀段晦涩对⽩。⽽《⼀个⼲净明亮的地⽅》则是另⼀个经典，讲述了两个男服务⽣准备结束⼀个夜晚的故事。
▌精彩选段
The two waiters inside the café knew that the old man was a little drunk, and while he was a good client they knew that if he became too drunk he would leave without paying, so they kept watch on him.
呆在餐馆⾥的两个侍者知道这⽼⼈有点⼉醉了，他虽然是个好主顾，可是，他们知道，如果他喝得太醉了，他会不付账就⾛，所以他们⼀直在留神他。
"Last week he tried to commit suicide," one waiter said.
"上个星期他想⾃杀，"⼀个侍者说。
"Why?"
"为什么？"
"He was in despair."
"他绝望啦。"
学土耳其语"What about?"
"为啥绝望？"
"Nothing."
"不为什么。"
"How do you know it was nothing?"
"How do you know it was nothing?"
"你怎么知道是不为什么？"
"He has plenty of money."
"他有很多钱。"
花的英语
5.《窥镜》
The Looking-Glass
日语翻译工具by 安东·契诃夫
Anton Chekhov
▌阅读时长：8分钟
▌内容简介
契诃夫被称为“现代短篇⼩说之⽗”（“father of the modern short story”），他的作品特点是以⼈物为核⼼。
In “The Looking-Glass,” a woman feverishly attempts to ek help for her husband, sick with typhus, but is met with a surpri. This particular story nods to the author’s day job as a physician.
在《窥镜》中，⼀个⼥⼈疯狂地为她患了斑疹伤寒的丈夫寻求帮助，最终收获了⼀个⼤“惊喜”。这部作品刚好与契诃夫医⽣的职业相呼应。
▌精彩选段
Then she saw against the grey background how her husband every spring was in straits for money to pay the interest for the mortgage to the bank. He could not sleep, she could not sleep, and both racked their brains till their heads ached, thinking how to avoid being visited by the clerk of the Court.
在灰⾊的背景下，她看到丈夫每年春天为贷款利息⽽捉襟见肘。他夜不能寐，她也⼀样，他们为此绞尽脑汁，想得脑袋⽣疼，⽣怕法庭找上门来。
She saw her children: the everlasting apprehension of colds, scarlet fever, diphtheria, bad marks at s
chool, paration. Out of a brood of five or six one was sure to die.
她看到了她的孩⼦们，总是⽣活在⽆尽的恐惧中：他们害怕感冒、猩红热、⽩喉，害怕成绩差，害怕被分开。⼀个⼈若离开了五六⼈的⼩群体，那将必死⽆疑。
