在日常的学习生活中，英语课外阅读是一种非常有效的学习方式。它不仅能帮助我们巩固课堂上学到的知识，还能让我们接触到更多鲜活的语言表达和文化背景。下面是一篇简短的英语小故事，并附有中文翻译，希望对大家有所帮助。

The Little Match Girl（卖火柴的小女孩）

One cold winter evening, a poor little girl walked barefoot on the icy streets of a city. Her matches were all gone, and she had no money to buy more. She sat down in a corner, hugging her knees tightly.

A man passed by and threw a coin into her basket. The girl looked up, but the man didn’t even notice her. She felt a little warmth from the coin, but it was nothing compared to the coldness around her.

Suddenly, she noticed a faint light coming from one of her matches. As she lit it, the flame warmed her hand. In its glow, she saw a beautiful stove made of gold. It was so real that she could almost feel its heat.

But the match went out, and the stove disappeared. The girl lit another match, and this time, she saw a table full of delicious food. Roast goose, bread, and fruit filled the table. She reached out to touch the food, but the match went out, and the vision faded.

She lit another match, and this time, she saw her grandmother, who had died long ago. “Grandma!” she cried. “Take me with you!” Her grandmother smiled and took her hand.

As the last match burned, the girl fell onto the cold pavement, dead. But in her dreams, she was safe in her grandmother’s arms, far away from the cold and hunger of the world.

中文翻译：

在一个寒冷的冬夜，一个贫穷的小女孩赤着脚走在城市冰冷的街道上。她的火柴已经用完了，也没有钱去买新的。她坐在角落里，紧紧地抱着自己的膝盖。

一个男人经过，往她的篮子里扔了一枚硬币。小女孩抬起头，但那个男人甚至没有注意到她。她从硬币中感受到一丝温暖，但这与周围的寒冷相比微不足道。

突然，她注意到一根火柴发出微弱的光芒。当她点燃它时，火焰温暖了她的手。在它的光亮下，她看到一个金制的漂亮炉子。它是如此真实，以至于她几乎能感觉到它的热量。

但火柴熄灭了，炉子消失了。小女孩点燃了另一根火柴，这次，她看到了一张摆满美食的桌子。烤鹅、面包和水果填满了桌子。她伸手去触摸食物，但火柴熄灭了，幻象也消失了。

她又点燃了一根火柴，这次，她看到了她已故的祖母。“奶奶！”她哭喊道，“带我走吧！”她的祖母微笑着牵起她的手。

当最后一根火柴燃尽时，小女孩倒在冰冷的人行道上，死了。但在她的梦中，她安全地躺在祖母的怀抱里，远离了世界的寒冷和饥饿。

通过这样的小故事，我们可以感受到语言的魅力以及背后蕴含的情感。希望大家在学习英语的同时，也能体会到其中的乐趣。