书城童书伊索寓言(中英双语·百年纪念版)
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第18章

THE WILD BOAR AND THE FOX

野猪与狐狸

A Wild Boar was engaged in whetting his tusks upon the trunk of a tree in the forest when a Fox came by and,seeing what he was at,said to him,“Why are you doing that,pray?The huntsmen are not out to-day,and there are no other dangers at hand that I can see.”“True,my friend,”replied the Boar,“but the instant my life is in danger I shall need to use my tusks.There’ll be no time to sharpen them then.”

{中文阅读}

一头野猪在森林里的一棵树干上磨他的牙齿,这时,狐狸走过来,看到野猪在磨牙,便不解地问道:“你在做什么,祈祷吗?今天猎人没出来,我也没看到有什么危险来临呀。”“的确如此,我的朋友,”野猪回答说,“不过,一旦危险降临,我就可以利用磨好的利牙了。那时根本没有工夫再来磨牙了。”

MERCURY AND THE SCULPTOR

墨丘利与雕刻家

Mercury was very anxious to know in what estimation he was held by mankind;so he disguised himself as a man and walked into a Sculptor’s studio,where there were a number of statues ?nished and ready for sale.Seeing a statue of Jupiter among the rest,he inquired the price of it.“A crown,”said the Sculptor.“Is that all?”said he,laughing;“and”(pointing to one of Juno)“how much is that one?”“That,”was the reply,“is half a crown.”“And how much might you be wanting for that one over there,now?”he continued,pointing to a statue of himself.“That one?”said the Sculptor;“Oh,I’ll throw him in for nothing if you’ll buy the other two.”

{中文阅读}

墨丘利急于了解自己有多么受人尊重,便化做一个凡人,来到一个雕刻家的工作室,那里有很多已经完工的雕像正待出售。他看见了一尊朱庇特的雕像,便问要多少钱。“一块银元。”雕刻家回答说。“就这么多?”他笑着问,“那么,”(他指着朱诺的像——朱庇特的妻子)“这一尊要多少钱?”雕刻家回答说:“那个要半块银元。”“那边那个雕像,你想卖多少钱呢?”他指着自己的雕像继续问道。“那个?”雕刻家说,“假如你要买那两个的话,我便把这个白送给你。”

THE FAWN AND HIS MOTHER

小鹿和妈妈

A Hind said to her Fawn,who was now well grown and strong,“My son,Nature has given you a powerful body and a stout pair of horns,and I can’t think why you are such a coward as to run away from the hounds.”Just then they both heard the sound of a pack in full cry,but at a considerable distance.“You stay where you are,”said the Hind;“never mind me”:and with that she ran off as fast as her legs could carry her.

{中文阅读}

一只母鹿对已经长大了的小鹿说:“我的儿子,自然赋予了你健硕的体魄和一对结实的鹿角,我简直想不到,你为何这么胆小,竟然会从猎狗身边逃跑。”就在这时,母子俩都听到了远处一群猎狗的狂吠声。“你就待在原地吧,”母鹿说,“不要管我。”话音刚落,她就飞也似的跑了。

THE FOX AND THE LION

狐狸和狮子

A Fox who had never seen a Lion one day met one,and was so terri?ed at the sight of him that he was ready to die with fear.After a time he met him again,and was still rather frightened,but not nearly so much as he had been when he met him ?rst.But when he saw him for the third time he was so far from being afraid that he went up to him and began to talk to him as if he had known him all his life.

{中文阅读}

有一天,从来没有见过狮子的一只狐狸第一次碰见了狮子,刚看见狮子的一刹那,狐狸竟被吓得半死。没过多久,他又一次遇到了狮子,仍然很害怕,但是已经不像第一次见到时那样了。然而,当狐狸第三次遇到狮子时,他竟有胆量走上前去与狮子交谈,仿佛老朋友一样。

THE EAGLE AND HIS CAPTOR

鹰与捕鹰者

A Man once caught an Eagle,and after clipping his wings turned him loose among the fowls in his hen-house,where he moped in a corner,looking very dejected and forlorn.After a while his Captor was glad enough to sell him to a neighbour,who took him home and let his wings grow again.As soon as he had recovered the use of them,the Eagle ?ew out and caught a hare,which he brought home and presented to his benefactor.A fox observed this,and said to the Eagle,“Don’t waste your gifts on him!Go and give them to the man who ?rst caught you;make him your friend,and then perhaps he won’t catch you and clip your wings a second time.”

{中文阅读}

从前,有一个人捉住了一只鹰,随后便剪断了他的翅膀,放入鸡窝中与其它家禽一起饲养,鹰一直待在角落里暗自悲伤,看上去甚为沮丧和绝望。没过多久,捕获老鹰的那个人很高兴地将鹰卖给了一个邻居,邻居把鹰带回家后又帮他长出了新的翅膀。鹰飞出去抓住一只兔子,立刻带回家给恩人。一只狐狸看到后,便对老鹰说:“不要在他身上浪费你的猎物!把这份礼物送给以前捕获你的那个人,和他交个朋友,那么,或许他不会再次捕获你,并剪断你的翅膀。”

THE BLACKSMITH AND HIS DOG

铁匠与小狗

A Blacksmith had a little Dog,which used to sleep when his master was at work,but was very wide awake indeed when it was time for meals.One day his master pretended to be disgusted at this,and when he had thrown him a bone as usual,he said,“What on earth is the good of a lazy cur like you?When I am hammering away at my anvil,you just curl up and go to sleep:but no sooner do I stop for a mouthful of food than you wake up and wag your tail to be fed.”

Those who will not work deserve to starve.

{中文阅读}

铁匠家有一条小狗,小狗常常在主人打铁时睡觉,但是一到了吃饭时间,便异常清醒起来。有一天,铁匠假装对此很生气,一边像往常一样扔给小狗一块骨头,一边说:“地球上还有像你一样懒惰的坏蛋吗?你这家伙,总是在我卖力工作时,蜷缩起来睡觉,可是,只要我一停下来吃点东西,你就清醒地摇着尾巴过来讨饭吃。”

不卖力工作的人理应挨饿。

THE STAG AT THE POOL

池边的雄鹿

A thirsty Stag went down to a pool to drink.As he bent over the surface he saw his own reflection in the water,and was struck with admiration for his fine spreading antlers,but at the same time he felt nothing but disgust for the weakness and slenderness of his legs.While he stood there looking at himself,he was seen and attacked by a Lion;but in the chase which ensued,he soon drew away from his pursuer,and kept his lead as long as the ground over which he ran was open and free of trees.But coming presently to a wood,he was caught by his antlers in the branches,and fell a victim to the teeth and claws of his enemy.“Woe is me!”he cried with his last breath;“I despised my legs,which might have saved my life:but I gloried in my horns,and they have proved my ruin.”

What is worth most is often valued least.

{中文阅读}

一只非常口渴的鹿,跑到池塘边去喝水。当他在池边俯下身去喝水时,看到了水面上自己的倒影,一边得意洋洋地欣赏着自己那完美修长的鹿角,一边又为自己的小细腿而闷闷不乐。

正当他看得入神时,被一头看见他的狮子袭击了。他拼命地向着空旷、没有树木的平原跑去,很快就摆脱了身后的追逐者。可是,当他跑进一片树林中时,眼看着那美丽的鹿角就被挂在了树枝上,终于被跟踪而来的敌人擒获,成了狮子的美味佳肴。“真是不幸呀!”鹿在临死前哀叹道,“我小瞧了自己的腿,可是它们却救了我的命;我以自己的角为傲,可是它们却葬送了我的性命。”

最值得的东西往往被视为最没价值的。

THE DOG AND THE SHADOW

叼着肉的狗

A Dog was crossing a plank bridge over a stream with a piece of meat in his mouth,when he happened to see his own re?ection in the water.He thought it was another dog with a piece of meat twice as big;so he let go his own,and ?ew at the other dog to get the larger piece.But,of course,all that happened was that he got neither;for one was only a shadow,and the other was carried away by the current.

{中文阅读}