经典英语美文
在平凡的学习、工作、生活中，大家一定看过美文吧？在各种竞争日益激烈的今天，在网络中，很多人都会喜欢一些比较伤感的美文，人们通过阅览这种文章来对自己的心情进行调解，以此为一种精神上的寄托。什么样的美文才是真正的好美文呢？以下是小编精心整理的经典英语美文，仅供参考，大家一起来看看吧。
经典英语美文1
有一种旅行叫做人生
Life comes in a package. This package includes happiness andsorrow, failure and success, hope and despair. Life is a learningprocess. Experiences in life teach us new lessons and make us abetter person. With each passing day we learn to handle varioussituations. 人生好似一个包裹，这个包裹里藏着快乐与悲伤、成功与失败，希望与绝望。人生也是一个学习的过程。那些经历给我们上了全新的课，让我们变得更好。随着每一天的过去，我们学会了处理各种各样的问题。
FailureandSuccess
Failure is the path to success. It helps us to touch the sky, teaches us to survive and shows us aspecific way. Success brings in money, fame, pride and self-respect. Here it becomes veryimportant to keep our head on out shoulder. The only way to show our gratitude to God forbestowing success on us is by being humble, modest, courteous and respectful to the lessfortunate ones.
失败是成功之母。它让我们触及蓝天，它教会我们如何生存，它给予我们一条特殊的路。成功给予我们金钱、名誉、骄傲和自尊。这里，保持头脑清醒便显得尤为重要。唯一能让我们感激上帝给予的成功便是始终卑微、谦虚、礼貌并且尊重没有我们幸运的人们。
美文:我们心中的"如果""到那时"
IF and WHEN were friends. Every week they met and had lunch.Their conversation usually centered on all the things they weregoing to achieve. They both had many dreams and they lovedto talk about them.
"如果"和"到那时"是一对好朋友。他们每星期相约吃一顿午餐。会面时，他们谈论的话题通常围绕在他们即将要做的事情上面。两个人都有着许多梦想，并且他们热衷于这种交谈。
This particular Saturday when they met, WHEN sensed that IF was not in a great mood. As usualthey sat at the table reserved for them and ordered their lunch. Once they placed their order,WHEN questioned IF.
"IF what is wrong with you? You don't seem your usual cheery self?"
这个星期六他们见面时"到那时"觉察到"如果"的心情不是很好。像往常一样，他们坐在特意预留给他们的餐桌上点餐。刚一点完"到那时"就问道:如果，你怎么了?你看起来好像不太高兴。"
IF looked at WHEN and replied,"I'm not sure, I just don't feel like I am making any progress. Thislast week I saw a course I wanted to take if only I had the time to take it."
"如果"看了看"到那时"答道"我也不知道怎么了，只是觉得自己没什么进步。上个星期我发现一个很好的课程，如果有时间的话，我就去学。"
WHEN knew exactly how IF felt. "Yeah," replied WHEN,"I too saw a course and I am going toregister when I get enough money together." WHEN then said,"well what about that new job youwere going to apply for. You were so excited about it last week, did you apply?"
"到那时"非常理解"如果"的感受。他答道是啊，我也看到一项课程，等到钱充足的时候，我就去报名。对了，你打算申请的新工作怎么样了?上星期见你说得那么情绪激昂，申请了吗? "
IF responded,"If my computer didn't break down last week, I would have applied. But, mycomputer is not working, so I could not type my resume."
"如果"回答道"如果不是上周我的电脑坏了，我会申请的。但是它坏了，我无法打印简历，所以只能放弃了。"
"Don 't worry about it IF, when you are ready another job will come through. I have been thinkingabout looking for another job also, but I will wait and when the weather gets nicer I will look then."WHEN then went on to tell IF about his week, hoping that it would cheer him up a bit.
"别着急，等到你准备好时，另一个工作就出现了。我也一直考虑着换个工作，但是我想等到天气看起来好一些时再行动。"然后，"到那时"继续跟"如果"谈论着他的.星期计划，希望这样能使他的朋友高兴起来。
The man at the next table couldn't help overhear WHEN and IF. They both were talking aboutwhen this and if that, finally he couldn't take it anymore.
"Excuse me gentlemen," the man said. IFand WHEN both looked at the man and wondered what he wanted. The man continued,"I'msorry, but I couldn't help hearing your conversation. I think I know how you could solve yourproblems."
邻桌的一个男人无意中听到他们的谈话。他昕见两个人一直在说着"等什么什么时候如果这样那样"的话，他再也无法忍受了。于是，男人说道"打扰一下，先生们。""如果"和"到那时"吃惊地看着他，不知道他要做什么。男人继续道很抱歉，我无意中听到你们的交谈。我想我知道如何解决你们的问题。"有关经典的英语美文摘抄_关于经典英文美文欣赏
IF smiled and thought, how could a complete stranger know how to solve all of their problems. Ifonly he knew. When he realized the challenges they faced there was no way he could solve theirproblems! Curious, IF asked the gentleman,"How do you think you can solve our problems?"
"如果"笑了笑，心想，一个完全陌生的人怎么会知道如何解决他们两个人生活中的问题呢。如果让他认识到他们所面对的困难，恐怕他再也不会那样说了。出于好奇"如果"还是问道你认为应该如何解决我们的问题呢? "有关经典的英语美文摘抄_关于经典英文美文欣赏
The gentleman smiled and said ,"You only need listen to yourselves. It reminds me of an oldproverb:
"If and When were planted , and Nothing grew."
男人笑着答道"你们说的话让我想起一句古老的谚语:'只想不做，就会没有收获。"
IF and WHEN looked puzzled. The gentleman smiled and said,"Start counting how many timesyou use the words 'if' and 'when'. Rather than thinking 'if and when', start doing, take action, stoptalking about 'if and when'."
"如果"和"到那时"疑惑地看着他。男人继续说从现在开始，数一下你们用了多少次?如果'和?到那时'这两个词语。你们不要总是思考?如果怎样怎样到那时怎样怎样而是应该着手去做，采取行动，请不要再谈论?如果和到那时'。"
IF and WHEN both looked surprised, and suddenly realized that what the gentleman had said wasso true. Both of them were guilty of thinking,acting and living their life for the "ifs and whens', Thegentleman left and IF and WHEN's conversation changed. They made a pact that when they metfor lunch next week, there would be no "ifs and whens"; they would only talk about what theyaccomplished!
"如果"和"到那时"感到十分惊讶，他们突然意识到这个男人说得很正确。两个人都为自己把思想、行为、生活的希望放在"如果和到那时"上感到惭愧。男人离开后，他们谈话的内容有
了改变。他们约定下个星期一起吃午餐时，再也没有"如果"和"到那时他们只会谈论已经完成的事情。
经典英语美文2
The theory of plate tectonics describes the motions of the lithosphere, the comparatively rigid outer layer of the Earth that includes all the crust and part of the underlying mantle. The lithosphere(n.[地]岩石圈)is divided into a few dozen plates of various sizes and shapes, in general the plates are in motion with respect to one another. A mid-ocean ridge is a boundary between plates where new lithospheric material is injected from below. As the plates diverge from a mid-ocean ridge they slide on a more yielding layer at the base of the lithosphere.
Since the size of the Earth is essentially constant, new lithosphere can be created at the mid-ocean ridges only if an equal amount of lithospheric material is consumed elsewhere. The site of this destruction is another kind of plate boundary: a subduction zone. There one plate dives under the edge of another and is reincorporated into the mantle. Both kinds of plate boundary are associated with fault systems, earthquakes and volcanism, but the kinds of geologic activity observed at the two boundaries are quite different.
The idea of sea-floor spreading actually preceded the theory of plate tectonics. In its original version, in the early 1960’s, it described the creation and destruction of the ocean floor, but it did not specify rigid lithospheric plates. The hypothesis was substantiated soon afterward by the discovery that periodic reversals of the Earth’s magnetic field are recorded in the oceanic crust. As magma rises under the mid-ocean ridge, ferromagnetic minerals in the magma become magnetized in the direction of the magma become magnetized in the direction of the geomagnetic field. When the magma cools and solidifies, the direction and the polarity of the field are preserved in the magnetized volcanic rock. Reversals of the field give rise to a series of magnetic stripes running parallel to the axis of the rift. The oceanic crust thus serves as a magnetic tape recording of the history of the geomagnetic field that can be dated independently; the width of the stripes indicates the rate of the sea-floor spreading.
经典英语美文3
七年之痒
Those in a serious relationship have long been warned about the dangers of the seven-year itch. But research has found couples risk running into trouble far earlier-thanks to the seven-month slouch。 已婚男女要警惕“七年之痒”说法由来已久。但一项调查发现，情侣之间出现问题的时间要远远早于七年，这就是“七月之痒”。
This is the point at which we stop trying quite so hard to impress our new love and start revealing all the bad habits that have so far remained hidden。 当两人在一起相处了七个月之后，双方不再像刚开始那样努力想给对方留下好印象，而开始“原形毕露”。
These can include unsavoury bodily functions such as breaking wind in front of an other half, nose picking or letting armpits go unshaven. Before the milestone, most couples enjoy an extended honeymoon period where both go out of their way to keep well-groomed and observe good manners。 比如，当着对方的面放屁、挖鼻子，或不刮腋毛。而在此之前，很多情侣都处于热恋期，两人都用心地装扮自己，努力在对方面前保持好的形象。
However, it seems once a couple has been together for around seven months they decide they really do love each other and start to let go。 然而，似乎两人在一起到了七个月左右时，他们就会觉得彼此的感情已经稳定，便开始放任自流。
According to a survey of 1,000 adults, the seven-month point is when couples are most likely to think it acceptable to stop paying attention to details such as shaving regularly and keeping nails trimmed while also putting their bad habits on display。 一项对1000名成年人开展的调查显示，情侣们在一起到了七个月时，便开始觉得可以不再注意定期刮毛和修指甲这样的细节问题，而且还会渐渐暴露出自己的坏习惯。
More than nine in ten women and almost as many men admit that they let themselves go once they are in the full throes of a romance。 90%以上的女性承认，一旦感情稳定下来，她们便开始放松自己。相同比例的男性也是如此。
However it seems men are far happier to relax their standards while more women told researchers from Remington that they never allow themselves to be seen looking hairy or too unkempt。 然而据雷明顿调查人员的调查，男性似乎更容易放松自己的标准，较多的女性称她们从不会让自己看起来头发凌乱或邋里邋遢。
More than half of all adults said they make a special effort at the start of a relationship。 超过一半的`人说他们在刚开始谈恋爱时都特别注意这些问题。
Once life with their other half becomes more routine, 48 per cent said they start breaking winnd in front of their partner, 68 per cent will skip sexy clothes for unflattering outfits round the house and 58 per cent walk around naked。 而一旦与另一半的感情稳定下来，48%的人会开始当着对方的面放屁，68%的人不再追求性感的衣着，而是穿得非常随便，58%的人会光着身子在屋里走来走去。
Only 6 per cent said they would never let their partner see them be so uncouth。 只有6%的人说他们永远不会在伴侣面前表现得如此放肆。
There are also still some traditionalists out there, with 13 per cent saying they believe revealing bad habits is only acceptable after marriage。 调查对象中不乏一些传统人士，13%的人认为只有在结婚之后才可以放松一点。
经典英语美文4
From the window of my room, I could see a tall cotton-rose hibiscus. In spring, when green foliage was half hidden by mist, the tree looked very enchanting dotted with red blossom. This inspiring neighbor of mine often set my mind working. I gradually regarded it as my best friend.
从我的房间的窗子向外望去,可以看到一株高大的芙蓉树.春日里,芙蓉树在薄雾中若隐若现,红花点点,样子实在迷人.它总是赋予我灵感,让我思如泉涌.时间久了,我竟把这菱蓉视为知已了.
Nevertheless, when I opened the window one morning, to my amazement, the tree was almost bare beyond recognition as a result of the storm ravages the night before. Struck by the plight, I was seized with a sadness at the thought “all the blossom is doomed to fall”. I could not help sighing with emotion: the course of life never runs smooth, for there are so many ups and downs, twists and turns. The vicissitudes of my life saw my beloved friends parting one after another. Isn’t it similar to the tree shedding its flowers in the wind?
然而,一天清晨,当我推开窗子时,愕然发现前夜的一场风雨已将它摧残得落红满地.刹那间,我有一种"花开终有落"的悲凉感觉.这使我不由得发出一声慨叹:人生的旅途中,总是少不了种种羁绊,那些曲折的.经历总会伴随着我们.曾经失去过的挚爱的朋友,生命的脆弱不正是像这随风而逝的花吗?
This event faded from my memory as time went by. One day after I came home from the countryside, I found the room stuffy and casually opened the window. Something outside caught my eye and dazzled me. It was a plum tree all scarlet with blossom set off beautifully by the sunset. The surprise discovery overwhelmed me with pleasure. I wondered why I had no idea of some unyielding life sprouting over the fallen petals when I was grieving for the hibiscus.
随着时间的流逝,我渐渐地把那天的感触淡忘了,一次出差回来,感到屋内的空气有些沉闷,于是我不经意的打开了窗,可就在那一瞬,我被眼前的景象惊呆了.窗外,一株李子树开花了,火红火红的花朵,满树都是.在夕阳的映衬下,分外美丽.这意外让我惊喜不已.没想到当初自己只顾悲伤,却没发现那凄凉的背后,竟存在着如此坚强的灵魂.
When the last withered petal dropped, all the joyful admiration for the hibiscus sank into oblivion as if nothing was left, until the landscape was again ablaze with the red plum blossom to remind people of life’s alternation and continuance. Can’t it be said that life is actually a symphony, a harmonious composition of loss and gain.
是啊,当芙蓉的最后一片花瓣凋落之时,人们以往对它的赞许都已成为过眼去烟.可如今,李子树却成长起来了,那火红的花儿正向人们昭示着生命的更迭与繁衍.谁能否认生命原本就是一场得失共存的交响音呢?
Standing by the window lost in thought for a long time, I realized that no scenery in the world remains unchanged. As long as you keep your heart basking in the sun, every dawn will present a fine prospect for you to unfold and the world will always be about new hopes.
我久久地伫立在窗前,深深感悟到,生命之中本没有一成不变的风景,只要你的心永远向着阳光,那么每一个清晨就会向你展现出一个等待着由你来开启的美景.不管你正经历着怎样的风雨,请相信,这个世界总会带给你新的希望.
经典英语美文5
It was New Year's night .An aged man was standing at awindow. He raised his mournful eyes towards the deep blue sky,where the stars were floating like white lilies on the surface of aclear calm lake. When he cast them on the earth where fewmore hopeless people than himself now moved towards theircertain goal-the tomb. He had already passed sixty of the stagesleading to it, and he had brought from his journey nothing but errors and remorse. Now his healthwas poor, his mind vacant, his heart sorrowful, and his old age short of comforts.
这是新年的夜晚一位老人站在窗边，忧伤的眼睛眺望着深蓝的天空空中的繁星，犹如漂浮在清澈如镜的湖面上的朵朵百合。他慢慢将目光投向地面。此刻，没有什么人比他还绝望。他即将迈向他最终的归宿——坟墓。他已走过通向坟墓的六十级台阶，除了错误和悔恨，他一无所获。现在他体弱多病，精神空虚，心哀神伤，人到晚年却无所慰藉。
The days of his youth appeared like dream before him, and he recalled the serious moment whenhis father placed him at the entrances of the two roads One leading to a peaceful, sunny placecovered with flowers, fruits and resounding with soft, sweet songs; the other leading to a deepdark cave which was endless, where poison flowed instead of water and where devils and poisonsnakes hissed and crawled.
年轻岁月，如梦般展现在他面前，老人想起父亲把他带到岔路口的那个庄严时刻。一条路通向安宁、快乐的世界，鲜花遇布，果实丰硕，甜美轻柔的歌声在空中回荡；另一条路则通向幽深黑暗，没有尽头的洞，洞内流淌着的不是水而是毒液，群魔乱舞，毒蛇嘶嘶爬动。
He looked towards the sky and cried painfully,"0h youth, return! Oh, my father, place me oncemore at the entrance to life and I'II chose the better way!
"But both his father and the days of hisyouth had passed away.
他仰望星空，痛苦地大喊：“啊，青春，回来吧！啊，父亲，再一次带我到人生的.岔路口吧，我会选一条更好的道路。”但是，他的父亲和他的青春岁月都已一去不复返了。
He saw the lights flowing away in the darkness, and these were the days of his wasted life; he saw astar fall from the sky and disappeared, and this was the symbol of himself .His remorse which waslike a sharp arrow struck deeply into his heart. Then he remembered his friends in his childhood,which entered life together with him. But they had made their way to success and were nowhonored and happy on this New Year's night.
他看到灯光在黑暗中流逝，就像他挥霍掉的往昔；他看到一颗流星自天边坠落，消失不见，就像是他的化身。无尽的悔恨，像一支利箭，深刺心间。他又记起和自己一同迈入人生之途的儿时玩伴，j但他们已功成名就，在这个新年之夜，倍受尊崇，幸福快乐。
The clock in the high church tower struck and the sound made him remember his parents' earlylove for him. They had taught him and prayed to God for his good. But he chose the wrong waywith shame and grief he dared no longer to look towards the heaven where his father lived. Hisdarkened eyes were full of tears, and with a despairing effort. He burst out a cry:"Come back, myearly days! Come back! "
高高的教堂钟楼传来钟声，这声音使他记起父母早年对他的疼爱：他们教育他，为他祈祷。然而，他却选择了错误的道路：羞愧和悲哀使他再也没有勇气仰望父亲所在的天堂：黯淡的双眼溢满了泪水，他绝望地嘶声大呼：“回来吧，我的往昔！回来吧！”
经典英语美文6
Yiyang distance to go now for a month, even if it still can not find their own satisfaction that four days to record your feelings accompanied me time, perhaps rough speech, because of you, in my mind it is the most beautiful story. I said give all of you the next chapter.
Understanding your first 41 days, I swore off all sensible idea, put on a single word to make my sincere letter, the selection of a gift wrapped my deep tenderness, embarked on a train destined for Yiyang , duty-bound in love for the first time chose to be wearing armor of the brave. You probably never know, paranoid view of love in my modesty and pride, but I met you, we are all collapse if there is another new self. You bring me the beam of light, so clever, just shines into my heart the most cold corner. Since then, a red-hot.
April 2, after a long shaking all night and drink a few saliva, ear snoring after another sleepless night endured torture, finally arrived, a small platform to usher in the warmth of your eyes, my heart full of grievances, than this city I imagine the more desolate. "Tired?" You ask me, did not answer, silently holding your hand, rely on the power of your body, walking in this strange city, although tired but the end result of you are so relieved.
That morning, I resist the full is sleepy, listening to tell you miss lightly in my ear, along with "I love you" in the name, and you wear a necklace for me personally, a love one and not the same, has long been clear, I feel I should be long past the age sweet captured, but that moment still feel happy mess. Always wanted to be a special woman, always want to have an extraordinary experience and love the plot, but be careful when produce throbbing, suddenly found the most simple moving enough soul-stirring.
April, always rainy season. Newcomers unfamiliar to us can only wander aimlessly hanging around in the streets, most of the time to be bored to walk, no fame, no snacks, and even the so-called downtowwn street far "beyond" my expectations, really tired then find a place to eat some random point to sit down and rest, we even went to Internet cafes, you play the game, I go to bed. Unusually dull, there is fatigue, they will complain, but our mutual interlocking fingers, I am also deeply satisfied. Accompany and help you pick the color of clothes, shoes and styles for your reference, to discuss the location of accommodation, hazy rain you as I hold the umbrella, when I put a chill swept coat, placid warm my heart to heal the remnants of the city disappointed.
Holidays fleeting, eventually usher respectively, without the slightest sadness, we have each quiet smile and said goodbye sentence, I went straight to the abnormal strong, suddenly walked into the wicket, to be suddenly turned your face already It is blocked out of my sight. Miss an instant flood burst!
I have many times in the past I would look forward to the future to meet the kind of person, what kind of story happens, you deviate from my original all fantasy, but no regrets. True love can not extricate themselves in love probably is a great contrast with their mate choice criteria person! After a number means the situation around long before the achievements of this contented encounter, how lucky, finally, are you!
经典英语美文7
When we come in the human world will never be destined to face human interaction, with the years of gradual but more and more mature.
Sophisticated or not a person's age are not just, perhaps too many are referring to awareness of emotions and grasp the extent of emotion.
The three conditions in life: affection, friendship, love. Perhaps these three emotions, the only love in life, the interpretation of a more exciting and rich. Affection and friendship it is a relationship between groups, but also can be a relationship between monomer. Only the doomed love between two people are emotional, but are only different from the affection and friendship, which only exist in the heterosexual feelings.
Love, there is no wrong, love is what everybody has a right to a free, a kind of instinct, a private affair, no one can hinder. Because love is a kind of emotional depth, is also a kind of emotional touch with the initiation. Love is diverse, and are multiple choice, we can have a love, love can also choose a. We can love any one person, whether some people love themselves, but also may refuse to love any one person, no matter how other people love their own.
Love is a kind of consciousness and emotion, perhaps the first love, did not go too much about whether you win some and lose. It is undeniable that, regardless of the outcome of Department爱之深what, who can deny this love that feeling of it really?
Love is a spiritual and emotional depths of the edge of real experience, and this feeling of human Forever is a very sweet, very touching. Walking in the human world, in the face from the side with the vision of the vast flow of people walked in, people can really love, but for the love and infatuated and also how much? So falling in love with a person is a happy thing, and get other people's love is also a lucky thing.
Love, there was no mistake! Although the face of reality, too many secular, ethical, moral, false imprisonment and regullations of the interpretation of love. But if we want to cool one, this is a responsible love and protection. Love because love and cherish are required, as there is no rules, how can draw a perfect circle it?
Love never is an indulgence, indulgent love with the true depth of less degree, this might love Forever is not the true meaning of love and nature.
Two unfamiliar people originally came together because of love, it is not easy, because it is required of each other's true feelings and trust to pay in order to form the true love. Which is due to the existence of love in between, but also the most vulnerable to injuries, but also very fragile, so it should be better cherish and protect the love of primary colors, rather than its loss.
Love, has never been wrong! Love is a very real emotion and soul of that pulsating!
Love is a kind of icing on the cake of life, true love is a distillation of the precipitate after. Forever love because henme are emotional, it is doomed to love is not a harm, nor is it an incomplete. Whether because of their love and love, that is another matter.
As we often say: edge in man-made, were in an act of God, we should not contend with God's arrangements. Sometimes more in need of love is a natural formation, rather than contributing to allocate Miller. Because love has its growth and a sophisticated process slowly.
Love does not have a gain or loss because of the nature and positioning of love. To have this love, it is happiness, even if the loss, but also learn to calm. Regardless of gain and loss, are we to deny their love, the beauty that the feeling of it? Are we on the negation of their love is true or it?
经典英语美文8
In the oysters were raised in much the same way as dirt farmers raised tomatoes- by transplanting them. First, farmers selected the oyster bed, cleared the bottom of old shells and other debris, then scattered clean shells about. Next, they ”planted” fertilized oyster eggs, which within two or three weeks hatched into larvae. The larvae drifted until they attached themselves to the clean shells on the bottom. There they remained and in time grew into baby oysters called seed or spat. The spat grew larger by drawing in seawater from which they derived microscopic particles of food. Before long, farmers gathered the baby oysters, transplanted them once more into another body of water to fatten them up.
Until recently the supply of wild oysters and those crudely farmed were more than enough to satisfy people’s needs. But today the delectable seafood is no longer available in abundance. The problem has become so serious that some oyster beds have vanished entirely.
Fortunately, as far back as the early 1900’s marine biologists realized that if new measures were not taken, oysters would become extinct or at best a luxury food. So they set up well-equipped hatcheries and went to work. But they did not have the proper equipment or the skill to handle the eggs. They did not know when, what, and how to feed the larvae. And they knew little about the predators that attack and eat baby oysters by the millions. They failed, but they doggedly kept at it. Finally, in the 1940’s a significant breakthrough was made.
The marine biologists discovered that by raising the temperature of the water, they could induce oysters to spawn not only in the summer but also in the fall, winter, and spring. Later they developed a technique for feeding the larvae and rearing them to spat. Going still further, they succeeded in breeding new strains that were resistant to diseases, grew faster and larger, and flourished in water of different salinities and temperatures. In addition, the cultivated oysters tasted better!
经典英语美文9
Your forever friend follows,
If you lose you way,
Your forever friend guides you and cheers you on.
Your forever friend holds your hand and tells you that everything is going to be okay.
And if you find such a friend,
You feel happy and complete,
Because you need not worry.
你转身走开时，
真正的朋友会紧紧相随，
你迷失方向时，
真正的朋友会引导你，鼓励你。
真正的朋友会握着你的.手，告诉你一切都会好起来的。
如果你找到了这样的朋友，
你会快乐，觉得人生完整
经典英语美文10
An important new industry, oil refining, grew after the Civil war. Crude oil, or petroleum – a dark, thick ooze from the earth – had been known for hundreds of years, but little use had ever been made of it. In the 1850’s Samuel M. Kier, a manufacturer in western Pennsylvania, began collecting the oil from local seepages and refining it into kerosene. Refining, like smelting, is a process of removing impurities from a raw material.
Kerosene was used to light lamps. It was a cheap substitute for whale oil, which was becoming harder to get. Soon there was a large demand for kerosene. People began to search for new supplies of petroleum.
The first oil well was drilled by E.L. Drake, a retired railroad conductor. In 1859 he began drilling in Titusville, Pennsylvania. The whole venture seemed so impractical and foolish that onlookers called it “ Drake’s Folly”. But when he had drilled down about 70 feet(21 meters), Drake struck oil. His well began to yield 20 barrels of crude oil a day.
News of Drake’s success brought oil prospectors to the scene. By the early 1860’s these wildcatters were drilling for “ black gold” all over western Pennsylvania. The boom rivaled the California gold rush of 1848 in its excitement and Wild West atmosphere. And it brought far more wealth to the prospectors than any gold rush.
Crude oil could be refined into many products. For some years kerosene continued to be the principal one. It was sold in grocery stores and door-to-door. In the 1880’s refiners learned how to make other petroleum products such as waxes and lubricating oils. Petroleum was not then used to make gasoline or heating oil.
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