原文:
A fox had fallen into a well, and had been casting about for a long time how he should get out again, when at length a goat came to the place, and wanting to drink, asked Reynard whether the water was good, and of there was plenty of it .The fox, dissembling the real danger of his case, replied :"come down, my friend, the water is so good that I can not drink enough of it, and so aboundant that it can not be exhausted ."Upon this the goat without any more ado leaped in, when the fox, taking advantage of his friend's horns, as nimbly leaped out, and coolly remarked to the poor deluded goat :"if you had half as much brains as you have beard, you would have looked before you leaped."
译文:
一只狐狸掉在一口井里,转了很久怎样再跳上去,最后一只山羊来到这里,他正想喝水,便问狐狸这水好不好,还多不多,狐狸掩饰起他的真实危险处境,回答说:"下来吧,我的朋友,这水好得使我喝不够,而且多的用不完。"于是山羊立刻跳了井里,狐狸踩着他朋友的角,敏捷地跳了上去,并且冷淡地对受了骗的可怜的山羊说:"如果你的脑子有你胡子一半多,你就会先思而后行了。"
词汇:
casting about 来回走,想方设法
at length 最后
Reynard 狐狸的通称
without any more ado 不费吹灰之力
taking advantage of 利用
look before you leap 三思而后行
原文:
A bear used to boast of his excessive love for man.saying that he never worried or mauled him when dead .The fox observed .with a smile :"I should have thought more of profession if you never eaat him alive ."
Better save a man from dying than slalve him when dead.
译文:
一只熊总喜欢夸耀自己很爱人,他说人死了之后,他从来不咬他或伤害他,狐狸笑着说:"假如你从来不吃活人的话,我就会更重视你所说的话了。"
拯救一个人使他不死,胜过在他死后说些安慰的话。
原文:
A Leopard and a fox had a contest which was the finer creature of the two ,the leopard put forward the beauty of its numberless spots ,but the fox replied: "It is better to have a versatile mind than a variegated body.
译文:
一只豹和一只狐狸在争论谁好谁不好,豹提出他有数不尽的美丽斑点,而狐狸回答说:"有多方面的智力比有多种颜色的身体强。
词汇:
Leopard 猎豹
versatile 多方面的
variegated 多彩的
原文:
Three bulls fed in a field together in the greatest peace and amity .A lion had long watched them in the hope of making prize of them, but found that there was little chance for him so long as they kept all together .He therefore began secretly to spread evil and slanderous reports of one against the other ,till he had formented a jealousy and distrust amongst them . No sooner did the lion see that they avoided one another ,and fed each by himself apart ,than he fell upon them ,and so made an easy prey of them all.
The quarrels of friends are the opportunities of foes.
译文:
有三头牛,他们极其友好和睦地在一起在野外吃草,一头狮子窥视了很久,想逮住他们,但是觉得只要他们聚在一起,就得不到机会。因此他开始暗地里散布流言蜚语,说这一个跟另一个作对,直到他们之间制造了妒忌和不信任。狮子一看到他们各奔东西、分头吃草的时候,就马上向他们一个一个的进攻了。这样他就轻而易举地把他们全吃光了。
朋友间的不知,就是敌人进攻的机会。
词汇:
making prize of 逮住
fell upon them 向他们攻击
原文:
A Fox, just at the time of the vintage, stole into a vine-yard where the ripe sunny Grapes were trellised up on high in most tempting show. He made many a spring and a jump after the luscious prize, but, failing in all his attempts, he muttered as he retreated:"Well what does it matter! The Grapes are sour!"
译文:
正当葡萄熟了的时候,一只狐狸偷偷地溜进了葡萄园。葡萄架上高高地挂着亮晶晶的、熟透了的葡萄,显得十分诱人。他跳了好几跳,蹦了好几蹦,想吃到这甘美的葡萄,但是他的企图全落空了,走开的时候,他自言自语说:"得了!这有什么!这葡萄是酸的。"
词汇:
trellised up 用棚架支撑着
in most tempting show 最诱人的样子
原文:
A jackdaw, as vain and conceited as jackdaw could be, picked up the feathers which some peacocks had shed, stuck them amongst his own, and despising his old companions, introduced himself with the greatest assurance into a flock of those beautiful birds .They, instantly detecting the intruder, stripped him of his borrowed plumes, and falling upon him with their beaks sent him about his business .The unlucky jackdaw, sorely punished and deeply sorrowing, betook himself to his former companions, and would have flocked with them again as if nothing had happened .But they, recollecting what airs he had given himself, drummed him out of their society, while one of those whom he had so lately despised, read him this lecture :"Had you been contented with what nature made you, you would have escaped the chastisement of you r betters and also the contempt of you r equals。”
译文:
一只自负到极点的八哥鸟,捡起了一些孔雀脱落下来的羽毛,插在自己的羽毛中,于是就看不起自己的老伙伴了,满怀信心地走到了那些美丽的鸟群中。他们立刻发觉了这个闯进来的家伙,拔掉了他身上捡来的羽毛,并且用嘴啄他,把他赶了出去,不幸的八哥受到了严重的惩罚,感到非常难过,于是又去投奔自己的老伙伴,满想若无其事地又和他们混在一起,但是他们想起了过去他那副骄傲自大的神气就把他从队伍中轰了出来,不久以前曾受过他轻视的一个伙伴教训他说:"如果你过去满足于你自己的天生模样,你就不会受到比你美的人的惩罚,也不会受到跟你相同的人的鄙视了。"
词汇:
vain 虚荣的,徒劳的
jackdaw 八哥,寒鸦
peacock 孔雀
with the greatest assurance 满怀信心地
falling upon 攻击
sent him about his business 把他赶出去
drummed...out 逐出
read him this lecture 教训他
chastisement 惩罚
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