英汉对照经典寓言故事

A Clever Horse

聪明的马

Once a lion saw a fine young horse and wanted to eat it. But the horse was very careful and he could not catch her. Then the lion had an idea. He told the animals that he was a good doctor and could do something for them. The horse was clever. She understood what the lion wanted to do.

So one day when the lion was near the horse, she told him that there was something wrong with one of her feet and asked him to look it over.

Of course, the lion was very glad to do so. Then the horse raised one of her legs from the ground. When the lion looked at her foot, she kicked him on the head. The lion fell to the ground. The horse laughed and ran away.

译文

有一次一头狮子看见一匹不错的年轻的马就想吃它。但是这马非常小心，所以狮子抓不住她。于是狮子想出了个办法。狮子告诉动物们说他是一个好的医生，可以为它们做些事情。马非常聪明。她明白狮子想干什么。

因此有一天，当狮子靠近马的时候，马就告诉狮子说她的一只脚有点不舒服，并且请狮子帮忙查看一下。

当然，狮子非常乐意这么做。于是马把她的一条腿从地上抬起来。当狮子在看她的脚的时候，她踢了狮子的头。狮子摔倒在地上。马大笑着跑开了。

The Sick Lion

病狮

A lion, no longer able, from the weakness of old age, to 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 him 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? Why do you stand so far from me? Come, sweet friend, and pour a word of consolation in the poor lion's 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 printing towards your den, and none returning outwards."

译文

一头狮子，因年老体弱，无法自行觅食，只好躺在洞穴里，它呼吸极度困难，说话声音虚弱，一副病容。这消息很快在野兽中传开了，大家都为它哀叹不已。它们一个接一个地来探望它；谁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，靠这些食物变胖了。

狐狸对这件事的真实性很怀疑，最后也来看个究竟。它站得远远的，问万兽之王是否安好。狮子道：“啊，我最亲爱的朋友，是你吗？为什么站得离我那么远？来，好朋友，在我这可怜的狮子耳边说句安慰的话吧，我没多少时间啦。”

“我为你祈福！”狐狸说，“但请原谅，我不能久留。老实说，看到这里许多有进没出的脚印，我感到十分不安。”

The Farmer's Donkey

农夫的驴子

One day a farmer's donkey fell into an abandoned well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was too old and the well needed to be covered up anyway; so it just wasn't worth it for him to try to retrieve the donkey. He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They each grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. Realizing what was happening, the donkey at first cried and wailed horribly. Then, a few shovelfulls later, he quieted down completely. The farmer peered down into the well, and was astounded by what he saw. With every shovelfull of dirt that hit his back, the donkey would shake it off and take a step up on the new layer of dirt. As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off, to the shock and astonishment of everyone.

Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to stop wailing, and not let the dirt bury you, but to shake it off and take a step up. Each one of our troubles is a stepping stone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.

译文

一天，一位农夫的驴掉进了一口枯井里。这头驴凄惨地叫了几个小时，与此同时农夫努力地思考该如何处理。最后，他认为这头驴太老了，而且这口井无论如何也该填上，花力气把这头驴弄上来很不值得。他找来所有的邻居帮忙。他们每个人都拿了一把铁锹，开始往井里铲土。驴意识到将要发生什么，于是一开始发出了痛苦的嚎叫声。接着几锹土下去之后，驴完全平静了下来。农夫向井里望去，他被眼前的景象惊呆了。每当有一锹土落在驴背上的时候，它就会把土抖掉，踩在脚下。当农夫的邻居们不断地把土扬到驴身上的时候，它就会把土抖掉踩在脚下。很快，驴脚下的土就和井口一样高了，于是，它大摇大摆地从井里走出来，惊呆了周围的每一个人。