TheOldCat
Anoldwomanhadacat.Thecatwasveryold;shecouldnotrunquickly,andshecouldnotbite,becauseshewassoold.Onedaytheoldcatsawamouse;shejumpedandcaughtthemouse.Butshecouldnotbiteit;sothemousegotoutofhermouthandranaway,becausethecatcouldnotbiteit.
Thentheoldwomanbecameveryangrybecausethecathadnotkilledthemouse.Shebegantohitthecat.Thecatsaid,"Donothityouroldservant.Ihaveworkedforyouformanyyears,andIwouldworkforyoustill,butIamtooold.Donotbeunkindtotheold,butrememberwhatgoodworktheolddidwhentheywereyoung."
【译文】
老猫
一位老妇有只猫,这只猫很老,它跑不快了,也咬不了东西,因为它年纪太大了。一天,老猫发现一只老鼠,它跳过去抓这只老鼠,然而,它咬不住这只老鼠。因此,老鼠从它的嘴边溜掉了,因为老猫咬不了它。
于是,老妇很生气,因为老猫没有把老鼠咬死。她开始打这只猫,猫说:“不要打你的老仆人,我已经为你服务了很多年,而且还愿意为你效劳,但是,我实在太老了,对年纪大的不要这么无情,要记住老年人在年青时所做过的有益的事情。”
Amanwasgoingtothehouseofsomerichperson.Ashewentalongtheroad,hesawaboxofgoodapplesatthesideoftheroad.Hesaid,"Idonotwanttoeatthoseapples;fortherichmanwillgivememuchfood;hewillgivemeverynicefoodtoeat."Thenhetooktheapplesandthrewthemawayintothedust.
Hewentonandcametoariver.Theriverhadbecomeverybig;sohecouldnotgooverit.Hewaitedforsometime;thenhesaid,"Icannotgototherichman'shousetoday,forIcannotgetovertheriver."
Hebegantogohome.Hehadeatennofoodthatday.Hebegantowantfood.Hecametotheapples,andhewasgladtotakethemoutofthedustandeatthem.
Donotthrowgoodthingsaway;youmaybegladtohavethematsomeothertime.
【译文】
一个人正朝着一个富人的房子走去,当他沿着路走时,在路的一边他发现一箱好苹果,他说:“我不打算吃那些苹果,因为富人会给我更多的食物,他会给我很好吃的东西。”然后他拿起苹果,一把扔到土里去。
他继续走,来到河边,河涨水了,因此,他到不了河对岸,他等了一会儿,然后他说:“今天我去不了富人家了,因为我不能渡过河。”
他开始回家,那天他没有吃东西。他就开始去找吃的,他找到苹果,很高兴地把它们从尘土中翻出来吃了。
不要把好东西扔掉,换个时候你会觉得它们大有用处。
TheCityMouseandtheCountryMouse
Oncethereweretwomice.Theywerefriends.Onemouselivedinthecountry;theothermouselivedinthecity.AftermanyyearstheCountrymousesawtheCitymouse;hesaid,"Docomeandseemeatmyhouseinthecountry."SotheCitymousewent.TheCitymousesaid,"Thisfoodisnotgood,andyourhouseisnotgood.Whydoyouliveinaholeinthefield?Youshouldcomeandliveinthecity.Youwouldliveinanicehousemadeofstone.Youwouldhavenicefoodtoeat.Youmustcomeandseemeatmyhouseinthecity."
TheCountrymousewenttothehouseoftheCitymouse.Itwasaverygoodhouse.Nicefoodwassetreadyforthemtoeat.Butjustastheybegantoeattheyheardagreatnoise.TheCitymousecried,"Run!Run!Thecatiscoming!"Theyranawayquicklyandhid.
Aftersometimetheycameout.Whentheycameout,theCountrymousesaid,"Idonotlikelivinginthecity.Ilikelivinginmyholeinthefield.Foritisnicertobepoorandhappy,thantoberichandafraid."
【译文】
城里老鼠和乡下老鼠
从前,有两只老鼠,它们是好朋友。一只老鼠居住在乡村,另一只住在城里。很多年以后,乡下老鼠碰到城里老鼠,它说:“你一定要来我乡下的家看看。”于是,城里老鼠就去了。乡下老鼠领着它到了一块田地上它自己的家里。它把所有最精美食物都找出来给城里老鼠。城里老鼠说:“这东西不好吃,你的家也不好,你为什么住在田野的地洞里呢?你应该搬到城里去住,你能住上用石头造的漂亮房子,还会吃上美味佳肴,你应该到我城里的家看看。”
乡下老鼠就到城里老鼠的家去。房子十分漂亮,好吃的东西也为他们摆好了。可是正当他们要开始吃的时候,听见很大的一阵响声,城里的老鼠叫喊起来:“快跑!快跑!猫来了!”他们飞快地跑开躲藏起来。
过了一会儿,他们出来了。当他们出来时,乡下老鼠说:“我不喜欢住在城里,我喜欢住在田野我的洞里。因为这样虽然贫穷但是快乐自在,比起虽然富有却要过着提心吊胆的生活来说,要好些。”
Teacher:Whyareyoulateforschooleverymorning?
Tom:EverytimeIcometothecorner,asignsays,"School-Goslow".
老师:为什么你每天早晨都迟到?
汤姆:每当我经过学校的拐角处,就看见一个牌子上写着"学校----慢行".
AGoodBoy
LittleRobertaskedhismotherfortwocents."WhatdidyoudowiththemoneyIgaveyouyesterday?"
"Igaveittoapooroldwoman,"heanswered.
"You'reagoodboy,"saidthemotherproudly."Herearetwocentsmore.Butwhyareyousointerestedintheoldwoman?"
"Sheistheonewhosellsthecandy."
好孩子
小罗伯特向妈妈要两分钱。
“昨天给你的钱干什么了?”
“我给了一个可怜的老太婆,”他回答说。“你真是个好孩子,”妈妈骄傲地说。“再给你两分钱。可你为什么对那位老太太那么感兴趣呢?”
“她是个卖糖果的。”
Drunk
Oneday,afatherandhislittlesonweregoinghome.Atthisage,theboywasinterestedinallkindsofthingsandwasalwaysaskingquestions.Now,heasked,"What'sthemeaningoftheword'Drunk',dad?""Well,myson,"hisfatherreplied,"look,therearestandingtwopolicemen.IfIregardthetwopolicemenasfourthenIamdrunk."
"But,dad,"theboysaid,"there'sonlyONEpoliceman!"
醉酒
一天,父亲与小儿子一道回家。这个孩子正处于那种对什么事都很感兴趣的年龄,老是有提不完的问题。他向父亲发问道:“爸爸,‘醉’字是什么意思?”“唔,孩子,”父亲回答说,“你瞧那儿站着两个警察。如果我把他们看成了四个,那么我就算醉了。”“可是,爸爸,”孩子说,“那儿只有一个警察呀!”