1  伊索寓言——狐貍和山羊

　　原文：

　　A fox had fallen into a well, and had been casting about for a long time how he should get out again, when at length a goat came to the place, and wanting to drink, asked Reynard whether the water was good, and of there was plenty of it .The fox, dissembling the real danger of his case, replied :"come down, my friend, the water is so good that I can not drink enough of it, and so aboundant that it can not be exhausted ."Upon this the goat without any more ado leaped in, when the fox, taking advantage of his friend's horns, as nimbly leaped out, and coolly remarked to the poor deluded goat :"if you had half as much brains as you have beard, you would have looked before you leaped."

　　譯文：

　　一只狐貍掉在一口井里，轉了很久怎樣再跳上去，最后一只山羊來到這里，他正想喝水，便問狐貍這水好不好，還多不多，狐貍掩飾起他的真實危險處境，回答說："下來吧，我的朋友，這水好得使我喝不夠，而且多的用不完。"于是山羊立刻跳了井里，狐貍踩著他朋友的角，敏捷地跳了上去，并且冷淡地對受了騙的可憐的山羊說："如果你的腦子有你胡子一半多，你就會先思而后行了。"

　　詞匯：

　　casting about 來回走，想方設法

　　at length 最后

　　Reynard 狐貍的通稱

　　without any more ado 不費吹灰之力

　　taking advantage of 利用

　　look before you leap 三思而后行

　 2　伊索寓言——熊與狐貍

　　原文：

　　A bear used to boast of his excessive love for man.saying that he never worried or mauled him when dead .The fox observed .with a smile :"I should have thought more of profession if you never eaat him alive ."

　　Better save a man from dying than slalve him when dead.

　　譯文：

　　一只熊總喜歡夸耀自己很愛人，他說人死了之后，他從來不咬他或傷害他，狐貍笑著說："假如你從來不吃活人的話，我就會更重視你所說的話了。"

　　拯救一個人使他不死，勝過在他死后說些安慰的話。

　 3　伊索寓言——豹和狐貍

　　原文：

　　A Leopard and a fox had a contest which was the finer creature of the two ,the leopard put forward the beauty of its numberless spots ,but the fox replied: "It is better to have a versatile mind than a variegated body.

　　譯文：

　　一只豹和一只狐貍在爭論誰好誰不好，豹提出他有數不盡的美麗斑點，而狐貍回答說："有多方面的智力比有多種顏色的身體強。

　　詞匯：

　　Leopard 獵豹

　　versatile 多方面的

　　variegated 多彩的

　 4　伊索寓言——獅子和牛

　　原文：

　　Three bulls fed in a field together in the greatest peace and amity .A lion had long watched them in the hope of making prize of them, but found that there was little chance for him so long as they kept all together .He therefore began secretly to spread evil and slanderous reports of one against the other ,till he had formented a jealousy and distrust amongst them . No sooner did the lion see that they avoided one another ,and fed each by himself apart ,than he fell upon them ,and so made an easy prey of them all.

　　The quarrels of friends are the opportunities of foes.

　　譯文：

　　有三頭牛，他們極其友好和睦地在一起在野外吃草，一頭獅子窺視了很久，想逮住他們，但是覺得只要他們聚在一起，就得不到機會。因此他開始暗地里散布流言蜚語，說這一個跟另一個作對，直到他們之間制造了妒忌和不信任。獅子一看到他們各奔東西、分頭吃草的時候，就馬上向他們一個一個的進攻了。這樣他就輕而易舉地把他們全吃光了。

　　朋友間的不知，就是敵人進攻的機會。

　　詞匯：

　　making prize of 逮住

　　fell upon them 向他們攻擊

　5　伊索寓言——狐貍和葡萄

　　原文：

　　A Fox, just at the time of the vintage, stole into a vine-yard where the ripe sunny Grapes were trellised up on high in most tempting show. He made many a spring and a jump after the luscious prize, but, failing in all his attempts, he muttered as he retreated："Well what does it matter! The Grapes are sour!"

　　譯文：

　　正當葡萄熟了的時候，一只狐貍偷偷地溜進了葡萄園。葡萄架上高高地掛著亮晶晶的、熟透了的葡萄，顯得十分誘人。他跳了好幾跳，蹦了好幾蹦，想吃到這甘美的葡萄，但是他的企圖全落空了，走開的時候，他自言自語說："得了！這有什么！這葡萄是酸的。"

　　詞匯：

　　trellised up 用棚架支撐著

　　in most tempting show 最誘人的樣子

　6　伊索寓言——虛榮的八哥

　　原文：

　　A jackdaw, as vain and conceited as jackdaw could be, picked up the feathers which some peacocks had shed, stuck them amongst his own, and despising his old companions, introduced himself with the greatest assurance into a flock of those beautiful birds .They, instantly detecting the intruder, stripped him of his borrowed plumes, and falling upon him with their beaks sent him about his business .The unlucky jackdaw, sorely punished and deeply sorrowing, betook himself to his former companions, and would have flocked with them again as if nothing had happened .But they, recollecting what airs he had given himself, drummed him out of their society, while one of those whom he had so lately despised, read him this lecture ："Had you been contented with what nature made you, you would have escaped the chastisement of you r betters and also the contempt of you r equals。”

　　譯文：

　　一只自負到極點的八哥鳥，撿起了一些孔雀脫落下來的羽毛，插在自己的羽毛中，于是就看不起自己的老伙伴了，滿懷信心地走到了那些美麗的鳥群中。他們立刻發覺了這個闖進來的家伙，拔掉了他身上撿來的羽毛，并且用嘴啄他，把他趕了出去，不幸的八哥受到了嚴重的懲罰，感到非常難過，于是又去投奔自己的老伙伴，滿想若無其事地又和他們混在一起，但是他們想起了過去他那副驕傲自大的神氣就把他從隊伍中轟了出來，不久以前曾受過他輕視的一個伙伴教訓他說："如果你過去滿足于你自己的天生模樣，你就不會受到比你美的人的懲罰，也不會受到跟你相同的人的鄙視了。"

　　詞匯：

　　vain 虛榮的，徒勞的

　　jackdaw 八哥，寒鴉

　　peacock 孔雀

　　with the greatest assurance 滿懷信心地

　　falling upon 攻擊

　　sent him about his business 把他趕出去

　　drummed...out 逐出

　　read him this lecture 教訓他

　　chastisement 懲罰

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