英语寓言故事

英语寓⾔故事三⼗则

HisMark

AmanfromthestateofChuwastakingaboatacrossariverwhenhedroppedhisswordintothewater

atelyhemadeamarkonthesideoftheboatwherethesworddropped,e

boatstoppedmoving,hewentiow,

’tthisaveryfoolishwaytolookforasword?

uptheSeedlingstoHelpThemGrow

Onceuponatime,eplantedtheedlings,everydayhewenttothe

heyoungshootsbreakthroughthesoilandgrowtallereachday,butstill,

allyhegotimpatientwiththeyoungplantsandsuddenlyhehituponan

ideathatonebyone,tearlymorning,theyoungmancouldn’twaitto

checkhis“achievement”,buthewasheart-brokentoeallthepulled-upyoungplantsdying.

ngOne’sEarsWhileStealingaBell

Onceuponatime,therewasamanwhowantedtostealhisneighbor’r,heknewclearlythatthebellwould

ringandcatchtheotherpeople’oughthardandsuddenlyhitonaclever

“idea”.Hepluggedhiarswithsomething,unatelytohis

disappointment,thebellstillrangloudlyandhewascaughtonthespotasathief.

andtheCrow

Onedayacrotime,afoxsaw

thecrowwiththemeat,r,whateverthefoxsaidtothe

crow,hefoxthoughthighlyofthecrow’sbeautifulvoice,thecrowfeltflatteredandopened

asthemeatfelldowntotheground,thefoxtookthemeatandwentintohishole.

nakeandAddFeettoIt

Longlongago,veralpta

rulethateveryonewoulfinished

hissnakeverysoonandhewasabouttodrinkthewinewhenhesawtheotherswerestillbusydrawing,sohedecidedto

r,beforehecouldfinishthefeet,anothermanfinishedandgrabbedthejarfromhim,

saying,"Whohaverenasnakewithfeet?”Thestoryof"DrawasnakeandaddfeettoIt.”tellsusgoingtoofarisasbad

asnotgoingfarenough.

ationtrip,DukeHuanofthestateofQicametotheruinofthecapitalofGuoShi,

thedesolateandbleakprospectsofbrokentiles,collapdwalls,andclustersofweeds,hecouldnothelpaskingthelocal

plied,"GuoShiwasfondofdoinggooddeeds,andavertoevildoing,

whichledtotheperdition."WhentheDukecouldnotunderstandtheanswer,peopleexplained,"Thoughhelikeddoinggood,

hehadneverbeenabletodoso;thoughhehatedevildoing,udtheruinofhis

capital."

oncetookabiteoutofabull'ljumpedupin

arageand,withhisheadlowtotheground,wastooquickforhim,

however,lchargedthewallfuriouslyagainandagain,butalthoughhe

bruidhisheadandchippedhishorns,timethebullgaveupandsankdown

asthebullwasasleep,thelittlemoucrepttothemouthofthehole,patteredacrosstheyard,bitthe

ullroaredhelplesslythemousqueaked:"It'snot

mesthesmalloneswin,youknow."

ometotellhismotherwhathadhappened."Ionly

toucheditlightly,"hesaid,"andthenastythingstungme.""Itstungyoubecauyouonlytoucheditlightly,"hismothertold

him."won'tstingyouatall."Facedangerboldly.

doflockingitupinacageorchainingittoaperch,heallowedittofly

rotwasdelightedatthisandflappedfromroomtoroom,shriekingandscreaming

hettledontheedgeofarichcurtain."Whoonearthareyou?"saidacrossvoicefrombelow.

"Stopthatterriblenoiatonce."Theparrotsawacatstaringupathimfromthecarpet."I'maparrot.I'vejustarrivedandI'm

tomakeasmuchnoiasIcan,"hesaid."Well,I'velivedhereallmylife,"repliedthecat."IwasborninthisveryhouandI

learnedfrommymotherthatitisbesttokeepquiethere.""Keepquietthen,"saidtheparrotcheerfully."Idon'tknowwhatyou

doaroundhere,erboughtmeformyvoiceandI'mgoingtomakesurehehearsit."Differentpeople

arevaluedfordifferentthings.

lwaystellingthemhowmucheasier

lihedecidedtoshowthemwhathe

edallthesonstogetherandputatightlytiedbundleofsticksonthefloorinfrontofthem."Canyoubreakthat?"

puthiskneeonthebundlebutthoughhepresdandpulledwithhisarmshecouldnot

heraskedeachsoninturntotrytobreakthebundle,untiedthe

stringandscatteredthesticks."Nowtry,

"sbrokethestickasilyintheirhands."DoyouewhatImean?"askedthefather."ifonlyyoustand

lldisagreethewholetimeandinsistongoingyourparateways,thefirstenemyyou

meetwillbeabletodestroyyou."Unitedwestand;dividedwefall.

ncemetadonkeyontheroadoutsidethevillage."I'mgoingtoeatyouup,"saidthewolf."Certainly,"repliedthe

donkey,thinkingfast."Butpleadon'

',ill

leadyoutoaquietspotIknow."Thewolfthoughtthiswasagoodideasohefastenedtheroperoundhisneckandknottedit

firmlytothedonkey'sbridle."NowIwillgowhereveryousay,"saidthedonkey."Showmethewaytoyourquietspot,"

orderedthewolf."Verywell,"saidthedonkey,cametothefirsthous

thewolfbegantosuspectthathehadbeentricked."Thisisnotthewaytotheforest,"hesaid,tuggingathindoftherope.

"Thisroadgoestothevillage.""Don'tworry,"saidthedonkeycheerfully,"Thisisashortcut."Thedonkeybegantotrotfaster,

eroundthewolf'sneckdrewtight;inaveryshorttimehewasdraggedrightuptothedonkey'

master,resoangrythattheywouldhave

atelyforthewolf,however,femisd,butit

tmomentallthefamilycouldewasacloudofdustintheroadasthewolffledtosafety

eepyourheadyouwillbeallright.

oarwassharpeninghistusksagainstatreeonedaywhenafoxcameby."Whatareyoudoingthatfor?"askedthe

fox."hinglooksverypeacefultome.""Quitetrue,"saidtheboar,"butwhenthehunter

esharpenmytuskswhileIcan."Be

prepared.

llowsandspherbirdsare

feedingtheirbabieswithpleasure,yhaveneverthoughtofthe

followingscene:thechimneyatthetopofthekitchenmightbreak,thefiremightleapuptotheroofandtheburningpurling

onwiththeir

superficialhappinessbroughtbypeaceandcalm.

camefromfarandneartoewhatwouldhappen."A

greatriverwillbeborn."saidone."Surelynothinglessthanamightydragonwillcomeout."saidanother."Agodhimlfwill

springformtherocks."y,

causomeonemakesalotoffuss,itdoesn'tmeanheisimportant.

Tortoi

Atigerishungry,afroginfrontofhim.“Haha!Afrog!Mydinner!”soherushesatthe

thetiger,tletortoiesit;hebitesthetiger’stail.“Ouch!”criesthetigerandhelooks

ghearsthevoiceandjumpsintowater.“Thankyou,littletortoi.”tigerisveryangry.

“Botherit!I’llthrowyoutothesky!”“Thankyou,Ilikeflyinginthesky,”erstops,“Iwillthrowyouinto

theriver.”“Oh,no!Ican’tswim;Iwilldieifyouthrowmeintothewater.”Thetigerthrewthetortoiintothewater

quickly.“Thankyou,-bye.”Thetortoiandthefrogswimawaytogether.

16、FrogintheShallowWell

Haveyouheardofthefrogthatlivedinashallowwell?ItsaidtoaturtlethatlivedintheEastSea,"Iamsohappy!WhenIgo

out,omehome,Irestintheholesonthebrokenwallofthe

pintothewater,kinthemud,

aroundatthewrigglyworms,crabsandtadpoles,dofthistroughofwaterandI

standuptallinthisshallowwell.I’sir,whydon"tyoucomeoverandlookaroundmyplace?"Beforetheturtle

fromtheEastSeacouldgetitsleftfootinthewell,tletoldthefrog

abouttheEastSea."Evenadistanceofathousandlicannotgiveyouanideaofthea"swidth;evenaheightofathousand

imeofKingYuoftheXiadynasty,therewerefloodsnineyearsoutoften,but

imeofKingTangoftheShangdynastythereweredroughtsvenyearsoutof

eight,doesnotchangewiththepassageoftimeanditsleveldoesnotri

atesthappinessistoliveintheEastSea."Afterlisteningtothe

words,thefrogoftheshallowwellwasshockedintorealizationofhisowninsignificanceandbecameveryillatea.

17、SickLion

eysawthathe

wasgoingtodie,theythoughttothemlves,"Nowisthetimetopayhimback."Sotheboarcameupandrushedathimwith

edhis

tailtothelionandkickeduphisheelsintohisface."Thisisadoubledeath."growledthelion.

18.?kedalltheanimalstocomeandlistentohislast

tcametothelion'shecame

out,nthelionemedtorecover,andwenttothemouthof

foxwaitingoutside."Whydon'tyoucomein?"askedtheliontothefox."IbegYourMajesty'spardon,"said

thefox,"Ihaveenmanyanimalnteryourcave,ey

comeoutagain,Iprefertowaitoutside.?

19、Thewolfinsheep'sclothing

Awolfwantedtoeatthesheep,thewolffoundtheskinofa

houghtthatthewolfwasitsmotherbecauhisskinlookedlike

tertheyhadleftthedogs,etimehe

succeededindeceivingthesheep,andenjoyingheartymeals.

20、Thefoxandthegrapes

reripeand

juicy."I’mtfeelingthirsty,"ckedupafewpaces,gotarunningstart,jumpedup,butcouldnotreach

,two,three,hejumpedupagain,butstill,triedagainand

again,edawaywithhisnointheair,andsaid”Iamsurethey

aresour.”

21、Thefoxandthestork

couldeasily

lapupthesoup,eleftthemeal,shewasstillveryhungry."I

amsorry,"saidthefox,"thesoupisnottoyourtaste.""Pleadonotapologize,"saidthestork."Ihopeyouwillcometomy

hou,anddinewithmesoon."dthathisfoodwasputinalongbottle,and

dnotinrthisbigmouthintoit,soheatenothing."Iwillnotapologize,"said

thestork."Onebadturndervesanother."22、Thewolfandthelamb

lookedup,hesawalambdrinkingalittlelowerdown."There’smy

supper,"hethought."Iwillfindsomeexcutocatchit."Thenhecalledouttothelamb,"Howdareyoumuddlethewater?"

"No,master,"saidthelamb."Icannotmuddleyourwaterbecauitrunsdownfromyoutome.""Well,then,"saidthewolf.

"Whydidyoucallmebadnamesthistimelastyear?""Itwasimpossible,"saidthelamb."Iamonlysixmonthsold.""Idon’t

care,"shoutedthewolf."Ifitwasnotyou,itmustbeyourfather."Afterthatherushedatthepoorlittlelambandateitup.

23、Themirandhisgold

htarobberstoleall

emircameagain,urprid,

themhowheudtocomeandvisithisgold."Didyouevertakeanyofitout?"

askedoneofthem."No,"hesaid,"Ionlycame

tolookatit.""Thencomeagainandlookatthehole,"saidtheneighbor,"itwillbethesameaslookingatthegold."

24、Thefoxwithoutatail

Afox’wastryingtoreleahimlf,thewas

ashamedtoetheotherfoxesbecauhehadnotail,edallthefoxes

eyhadgottentogether,thattheirtails

ottalkaboutanyadvantagesofthetail."Youareright,"said

oneoftheolderfoxes,"butIdon’tthinkyouwouldadviustodoawaywithourtailsifyouhadn’tlostityourlffirst."

25、Thebat,thebirds,andthebeasts

rdssaidtothebat,"Come

withus."Buthereplied,"Iamabeast."Lateron,somebeastssaidtohim,"Comewithus."Buthereplied,"Iamabird."Atlast

firstwenttothebirds,andwantedtojoininthecelebration,buttheyallturnedagainst

wenttothebeasts,butwasalsodrivenaway.

26、Theassandhispurchar

tothemarket,oktheass

home,asslookedaround,andimmediatelywenttochooaplace

emansawthisheputahalterontheassatonce,andgavehimbacktohis

dtheman,"Whyareyoubacksosoon?Haveyoutestedhimalready?""Idon't

wanttotesthimanymore,"repliedtheman,"Fromthecompanionhechoforhimlf,Icouldewhatsortofanimalheis."

27、Bellingthecat

Longago,themicehada

idthis,ayoungmou

gotup,andsaidthathehadagoodidea."enhecomesnear,wecan

hearthesoundofthebell,andrunaway."Everyoneapprovedofthisproposal,butanoldwimougotupandsaid,"That

isallverywell,butwhowilltiethebelltothecat?"Themicelookedateachother,butnobodyspoke.

28、TheAssintheLion'sSkin

Anassoncefoundalion'ton,dwhenhecamenear,bothmenand

edhis

voiceandbrayed,yafterwards,afox

cameuptohimandsaid,"Ah,Iknewitwasyoubyyourvoice."

29、TheOldManandDeath

wdownallthesticksandcried

out,",IwishDeathwouldcomeandtakeme!"Ashespoke,Deathappeared,andsaidto

him,"Whatwouldyoudo,oldman?Iheardyoucallme.""Plea,sir,"repliedtheoldman,"wouldyouhelpmeliftthisbundle

ofsticksuptomyshoulder?"

30、TheVixenandtheLiones

Onemorningwhenavixenwastakingherbabiesoutofthelair,shesawalionessandhercub."Whydoyouhaveonlyone

child,deardame?"askedthevixen."Lookatmyhealthyandnumerouschildrenhere,andimagine,ifyouareable,howa

proudmothershouldfeel."Thelionesssaidcalmly,"Yes,ethey?Foxes!I'veonly

one,butremember,thatoneisalion."