The Wolf and the Lamb 狼与小羊
WOLF, meeting with a Lamb astray from the fold, resolved not to lay violent hands on him, but to find some plea to justify to the Lamb the Wolf's right to eat him. He thus addressed him:"Sirrah, last year you grossly insulted me." "Indeed," bleated the Lamb in a mournful tone of voice, "I was not then born." Then said the Wolf , "You feed in my pasture." "No, good sir," replied the Lamb, "I have not yet tasted grass." Again said the Wolf, "You drink of my well." "No," exclaimed the Lamb, "I never yet drank water, for as yet my mother's milk is both food and drink to me." Upon which the Wolf seized him and ate him up, saying, "Well! I won't remain supperless, even though you refute every one of my imputations."
The tyrant will always find a pretext for his tyranny.
一只小羊在河边喝水，狼见到后，便想找一个名正言顺的借口吃掉他。于是他跑到上 游，恶狠狠地说小羊把河水搅浑浊了，使他喝不到清水。小羊回答说，他仅仅站在河边喝 水，并且又在下游，根本不可能把上游的水搅浑。狼见此计不成，又说道：“我父亲去年被 你骂过。”小羊说，那时他还没有出生。狼对他说：“不管你怎样辩解，反正我不会放过 你。”
这说明，对恶人做任何正当的辩解也是无效的。
The Bat and the Weasels蝙蝠与黄鼠狼
A BAT who fell upon the ground and was caught by a Weasel pleaded to be spared his life. The Weasel refused, saying that he was by nature the enemy of all birds. The Bat assured him that he was not a bird, but a mouse, and thus was set free. Shortly afterwards the Bat again fell to the ground and was caught by another Weasel, whom he likewise entreated not to eat him. The Weasel said that he had a special hostility to mice. The Bat assured him that he was not a mouse, but a bat, and thus a second time escaped.
It is wise to turn circumstances to good account.
蝙蝠掉落在地上，被黄鼠狼叼去，他请求饶命。黄鼠狼说绝不会放过他，自己生来痛恨 鸟类。蝙蝠说他是老鼠，不是鸟，便被放了。后来蝙蝠又掉落了下来，被另一只黄鼠狼叼 住，他再三请求不要吃他。这只黄鼠狼说他恨一切鼠类。蝙蝠改口说自己是鸟类，并非老 鼠，又被放了。这样，蝙蝠两次改变了自己的名字，终于死里逃生。
这故事说明，我们遇事要随机应变方能避免危险。
The Ass and the Grasshopper 驴子与蚱蜢
AN ASS having heard some Grasshoppers chirping, was highly enchanted; and, desiring to possess the same charms of melody, demanded what sort of food they lived on to give them such beautiful voices. They replied, "The dew." The Ass resolved that he would live only upon dew, and in a short time died of hunger.
驴子听见蚱蜢唱歌，被美妙动听的歌声所打动，自己也想能发出同样悦耳动听的声音，便 羡慕地问他们吃些什么，才能发出如此美妙的声音来。蚱蜢答道：“吃露水。”驴子便也只吃露水，没多久就饿死了。
这个故事告诉人们不要企望非份之物。
The Lion and the Mouse 狮子与报恩的老鼠
A LION was awakened from sleep by a Mouse running over his face. Rising up angrily, he caught him and was about to kill him, when the Mouse piteously entreated, saying: "If you would only spare my life, I would be sure to repay your kindness." The Lion laughed and let him go. It happened shortly after this that the Lion was caught by some hunters, who bound him by strong ropes to the ground. The Mouse, recognizing his roar, came and gnawed the rope with his teeth and set him free, exclaiming:
"You ridiculed the idea of my ever being able to help you, expecting to receive from me any repayment of your favor; now you know that it is possible for even a Mouse to con benefits on a Lion."
狮子睡着了，有只老鼠跳到了他身上。狮子猛然站起来，把他抓住，准备吃掉。老鼠请 求饶命，并说如果保住性命，必将报恩，狮子轻蔑地笑了笑，便把他放走了。不久，狮子真 的被老鼠救了性命。原来狮子被一个猎人抓获，并用绳索把他捆在一棵树上。老鼠听到了他 的哀嚎，走过去咬断绳索，放走了狮子，并说：
“你当时嘲笑我，不相信能得到我的报答， 现在可清楚了，老鼠也能报恩。”
这故事说明，时运交替变更，强者也会有需要弱者的时候。
The Charcoal-Burner and the Fuller
烧炭人与漂布人
A CHARCOAL-BURNER carried on his trade in his own house. One day he met a friend, a Fuller, and entreated him to come and live with him, saying that they should be far better neighbors and that their housekeeping expenses would be lessened. The Fuller replied, "The arrangement is impossible as far as I am concerned, for whatever I should whiten, you would immediately blacken again with your charcoal."
Like will draw like.
烧炭人在一所房子里干活，看见有一个漂布人搬迁到他的旁边来住时，满怀高兴地走上 去劝他与自己同住，并解释说这样彼此更亲密，更方便，还更省钱。漂布人却回答说：“也 许你说的是真话，但完全不可能办到，因为凡我所漂白的，都将被你弄黑。”
这故事说明，不同类的人难相处。
The Father and His Sons 父亲与争吵的儿子们
A FATHER had a family of sons who were perpetually quarreling 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 tried with all their strength, and were not able to do it. He next opened the faggot, took the sticks separately, one by one, and again put them into his sons' hands, upon 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."
有个父亲的儿子们常常互相争斗不休。他多次语重心长地劝说他们，尽管他苦口婆心， 仍无济于事。他认为应该用事实来教育他们，便叫儿子们去拿一捆木棒来。木棒拿来后，他 先把整捆木棒交给他们，叫他们折断。儿子们一个个竭尽了全力都无法将它折断。随后他解 开了那捆木棒，给他们每人一根。他们都毫不费力地将木棒折为两段。这时，父亲说：“孩 子们，你们要像木棒一样，团结一致，齐心协力，就不会被敌人征服；可你们互相争斗不 休，便很容易被敌人打垮。”
这故事说明，团结就是不可征服的力量，而内讧却只能耗损自己。
The Boy Hunting Locusts捉蚱蜢的小男孩
A BOY was hunting for locusts. He had caught a goodly number, when he saw a Scorpion, and mistaking him for a locust, reached out his hand to take him. The Scorpion, showing his sting, said: If you had but touched me, my friend, you would have lost me, and all your locusts too!"
有个小孩在城墙前捉蚱蜢，一会儿就捉了许多。忽然看见一只蝎子，他以为也是蚱蜢，便着两手去捕捉他。蝎子举起他的毒刺，说道：来吧，如果你真敢这样做，就连你捉的蚱蜢也会统统失掉。”
这故事告诫人们，要分辨清好人和坏人，区别对待他们。
The Cock and the Jewel公鸡和宝玉
A COCK, scratching for food for himself and his hens, found a precious stone and exclaimed: "If your owner had found thee, and not I, he would have taken thee up, and have set thee in thy first estate; but I have found thee for no purpose. I would rather have one barleycorn than all the jewels in the world."
一只公鸡在田野里为自己和母鸡们寻找食物。他发现了一块宝玉，便对宝玉说：“若不 是我，而是你的主人找到了你，他会非常珍惜地把你捡起来；但我发现了你却毫无用处。我 与其得到世界上一切宝玉，倒不如得到一颗麦子好。”
这是说自己需要的东西才是真正珍贵的。
楼上的简直超豪华！向楼主推荐一个！哈哈……
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