[每日阅读]英汉伊索寓言2

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4. THE WOLF AND THE CRANEA
  Wolf, having a bone stuck in his throat, hired a Crane, for a large sum, to put her head into his throat, and draw out the bone. When the Crane had extracted the bone, and demanded the promised payment, the Wolf, grinning and grinding his teeth, exclaimed: "Why, you have surely already a sufficient recompense, in having been permitted to draw out your head in safety from the mouth and jaws of a wolf."

  4.狼和鹳雀

  一只狼喉咙鲠了一根骨头,便用很多钱去雇请一只鹳雀,将头伸进他的喉咙中,把那块骨头取出来。 当鹳雀拔出那块骨头,向他索取约定的报酬,狼却呲牙咧齿地说:「怎么?允许你的头从一只狼的嘴巴和牙床中安全地伸出来,已经是莫大的报酬了。」为恶人效劳,不要希望得到报酬;要是能避免伤害,已经是万幸了。

  5. THE FATHER AND HIS SONSA

  Father had a family of sons who were perpetually quarrelling among themselves. When he failed to heal their disputes by his exhortations, he determined to give them a practical illustration of the evils of disunion; and for this purpose he one day told them to bring him a bundle of sticks. When they had done so, he placed the faggot into the hands of each of them in succession, and ordered them to break it in pieces. They each tried with all their strength, and were not able to do it.

  5.父亲和孩子们

  一位父亲有几个孩子,这些孩子时常发生口角。他丝毫没有办法来劝阻他们,只好让他们看看不合群所带来害处的例子。为了达到这个目的,有一天他叫他们替他拿一捆细柴来。当他们把柴带来时,他便先后地将那捆柴放在每一个孩子的手中,吩咐他们弄断这捆柴。他们一个个尽力去试,总是不能成功。

  He next unclosed the faggot, and took the sticks separately, one by one, and again put them into their hands, on which they broke them easily. He then addressed them in these words: "My sons, if you are of one mind, and unite to assist each other, you will be as this faggot, uninjured by all the attempts of your enemies; but if you are divided among yourselves, you will be broken as

  easily as these sticks."

  然后他解开那捆柴,一根根地放在他们手里,如此一来,他们便毫不费力地折断了。于是他就告诉他们说:「孩子们!如果你们大家团结一致,互相帮助,你们就像这捆柴一样,不能被你们的敌人折断;但如果你们自行分裂,你们就将和这些散柴一般,不堪一折了。」

  6. THE BAT AND THE WEASELSA

  Bat falling upon the ground was caught by a Weasel, ofwhom he earnestly besought his life. The Weasel refused,saying, that he was by nature the enemy of all birds. TheBat assured him that he was not a bird, but a mouse, andthus saved his life.

  6.蝙蝠和鼠狼

  一只蝙蝠坠落到地面上来,被一只鼠狼捉住了,蝙蝠哀求讨饶。鼠狼不答应,说它自己最爱和鸟类为敌。蝙蝠便证明它自己不是鸟,只是一只老鼠,因此鼠狼就放了它。

  Shortly afterwards the Bat again fellon the ground, and was carght by another Weasel, whom helikewise entreated not to eat him. The Weasel said that hehad a special hostility to mice. The Bat assured him thathe was not a mouse, but a bat; and thus a second timeescaped.It is wise to turn circumstances to good account.

  不久这只蝙蝠又坠落到地上来,被另一只鼠狼捉住,它同样地哀求讨饶。那鼠狼说它自己最恨老鼠,蝙蝠证明自己并不是老鼠,而是一只蝙蝠;因此,它第二次又安然地逃离危险了。随机应变乃聪明之举


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