1、The Cock and the Jewel（公鸡和宝石） A cock, scratching in the farmyard for food for the hens, turned up a precious stone that shone and sparked in the sun. “Well,“ said the Cock, “I dont know what you are doing here. You are a very beautiful thing, and no doubt if your owner found you he would be delighte
2、d, but you are no good to me. I would rather have one grain of delicious barley than all the precious stones under the sun!“MORAL: Judge thins by their true value.公鸡在农家的庭院里用爪子搔呀刨呀，为母鸡觅食。他从地里翻出了一粒宝石，那粒宝石在阳光下闪闪发光。“喂！”公鸡说， “我不知道你在这儿干吗。你是一个挺美丽的玩意儿。如果你被主人发现，毫无疑问，他一定会喜出望外，可是，你对我却没有丝毫用处。我情愿要一棵美味的大麦，而不要天下所有
3、的宝石。”寓意:事物的价值是用它们的实用程度来衡定的 .The Man Bitten by an Ant, and Hermes One day, a sailing ship sank to the bottom of the sea with all its passengers. A man who was a witness of the shipwreck claimed that the decrees of the gods were unjust, for to lose a single impious person they had also made the innoce
4、nt perish. There were a great many ants on the spot where he was standing. As he was saying this, it happened that one of them bit him. In order to kill it, he crushed them all. Then Hermes appeared to him, and struck him with his wandrhabdos, saying: And now do you not admit that the gods judge men
5、 in the same way you judge the ants? 被蚂蚁咬了的人和赫尔墨斯 某日，一只航船连同所有的乘客一起沉入了海底。有个沉船事件的目击者声称神明处罚不公，为了把一个对神不敬的人置于死地，无端连累了众多的无辜者。 那人的脚边聚集了一大群蚂蚁。就在他说话时，有只蚂蚁咬了他一口。为了除掉这只蚂蚁，他把所有的蚂蚁全都踩死了。 此时赫尔墨斯在他眼前出现了，一边用魔杖敲他，一边说道：“这下你总该承认，神处置人类和你处置蚂蚁，用的方式没什么两样吧？” 道理：神明不容亵渎。祸患降及己身，理当反躬自省。The Goat and the Goatherd One day, a goat
6、herd was calling his goats back to their fold, but one of them loitered behind on some juicy pasture. The goatherd threw a stone at her, but he aimed so well that he broke a horn. Then he began to plead with the goat not to tell his master. But the goat replied: Whats the use of keeping quiet about
7、it? How can I hide it? Its there for all eyes to see, that my horn is broken. 山羊和牧人 某日，牧人吆喝着把羊群赶回羊栏，其中一只羊贪吃牧草，磨磨蹭蹭，远远地落在了后面牧人朝她掷了一块石头，不偏不倚，正好打断了山羊的一只角他便恳求山羊病不要把这件事告诉主人山羊回答说：即使我不说又有什么用呢？我怎能隐瞒得了呢？明摆着的事实有目共睹，我的角确实被打断了 道理：所犯过错昭然若揭，掩人耳目无补于事 The Cat and the Hens A cat, learning that there were some sick c
8、hickens in a a small farm, disguised himself as a doctor and, taking with him the tools of the trade, called on them. Arriving at the farm, he asked the chickens how they were. Fine, they replied, as long as you get out of here. 猫 和 鸡 有一只猫，听说饲养场有几只鸡病了，就乔扮成医生模样，带上看病家什，去探望病鸡。一到饲养场，猫就迫不及待地询问鸡的病情。 “我们生活
9、得很舒坦， ”鸡回答说， “只要你离开这儿。 ” 道理：与之相仿，纵然歹徒巧言令色，智者自能洞察其奸。The Eagle Hit by an Arrow An eagle had perched on the crest of a craggy rock to scan the ground below for hares. A man shot him with an arrow, which lodged in his flesh. The end of the arrow, feathered with eagles feathers, stuck out of him and star
10、ed him in the face. Seeing it, he cried out : This is the crowning insult, to die because of the danger I myself presented! 中 箭 的 鹰 鹰高踞岩石顶上俯察地面，正打算去捕获一只兔子。有人一箭命中了他，箭头射入体内，饰有鹰的羽毛的箭杆露出体外，不偏不倚正对着他，看上去十分刺眼。鹰望着箭杆叹道：“死于自己的羽翎，真是奇耻大辱呀！” 道理：本欲设计害人，岂料卒致害己，惟因事与愿违，尤感创巨深痛。The Shipwrecked Man A rich Athenian was
11、sailing with some other travellers. A violent tempest suddenly arose, and the boat capsized. Then, while the other passengers were trying to save themselves bymming, the Athenian continually invoked the aid of the goddess Athena patroness of his city, and promised after offering after offering if on
12、ly she would save him. One of his shipwrecked companions, who swam beside him, said to him: Appeal to Athena by all means, but aslo move your arms! 遭受海难的人 有个雅典富人，与别的旅伴一块儿航海海上风暴骤起，船被打翻了别人都在拼命泅水逃命，惟见这个富人一味乞求雅典娜（他所在的城市的庇护神）保佑，答应只要他能获救，一定献上许多祭品 有一个难友游到他身边，对他说道：你当然可以向雅典娜求助，但自己也得挥动手臂呀！ 道理：既乞灵于神祗，亦当奋力自救自佑复
13、得神佑，堪称福与天齐一味屈从命运，不啻托庇妖魔 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 ass
14、ured 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。狮和鼠 一只老鼠从一只狮子面前跑过去，将它从梦中吵醒。狮子生气地跳起来，捉住老鼠，要弄死它。老鼠哀求说：只要你肯饶恕我这条小生命，我将来一定会报答你的大恩。 狮子便笑着放了
15、它。 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 up, and gnawed the rope with his teeth, and setting him free, exclaimed: “You ridiculed the idea of my ever being able to help you, not expec
16、ting to receive from me any repayment of your favour; but now you know that it is possible for even a Mouse to confer benefits on a Lion.“ 后来狮子被几个猎人捉住，用粗绳捆绑倒在地上。老鼠听出是狮子的吼声，走来用牙齿咬断绳索，释放了牠，并大声说：你当时嘲笑我想帮你的忙，而且也不指望我有什么机会报答。但是你现在知道了，就算是小老鼠，也能向狮子效劳的。 A lion, no longer able, from the weakness of old age, t
17、o hunt for his prey, laid himself up in his den, and, breathing with great difficulty, and speaking with a low voice, gave out that he was very ill indeed. The report soon spread among the beasts, and there was great lamentation for the sick lion. One after the other came to see him; but, catching h
18、im thus alone, and in his own den, the lion made an easy prey of them, and grew fat upon his diet. The fox, suspecting the truth of the matter, came at length to make his visit of inquiry, and standing at some distance, asked his Majesty how he did? “Ah, my dearest friend,“ said the lion, “Is it you
19、? Why do you stand so far from me? Come, sweet friend, and pour a word of consolation in the poor lions ear, who has but a short time to live.“Bless you!“ said the fox, “but excuse me if I cannot stay; for, to tell the truth, I feel quite uneasy at the mark of the foot-steps that I see here, all pri
20、nting towards your den, and none returning outwards.“Moral: Affairs are easier of entrance than of exit; and it is but common prudence to see our way out before we venture in.一头年老体弱的狮子，无力自行觅食，只好躺在洞穴里；他呼吸困难，说话有气无力，一脸病入膏肓的样子。这消息很快在兽群之间传开了，大家都为病狮哀伤不已。他们一个接一个地来探望他；哪知道这头狮子就这样待在自己的洞穴里，轻而易举地把探望者一个个捉住吃掉，把自己
21、养得胖胖的。狐狸对这件事有点怀疑，最后也来看个究竟。他站得远远的恭问万兽之王安好。狮子道“啊，我最亲爱的朋友，是你呀！为什么站得那么远？来，好朋友，在我这可怜的狮子耳边说句安慰的话吧，我快不行啦。 ”“愿上帝保佑你！”狐狸说：“但请原谅，我不能久留。老实说，我感到十分不安。我看到这里许多脚印都是只向府上走进来，没有一个是走出来的哩！”寓意：事情开始容易结束难，所以我们要在冒险之前周全的考虑出退路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
22、 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。 ”
23、这故事告诫人们，要分辨清好人和坏人，区别对待他们。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 le
24、ssened. 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。
