伊索寓言

伊索寓言精选

伊索寓言——青蛙和牛

原文：

An ox, grazing in a swampy meadow, chanced to set his foot among a parcel of young frogs, and crushed nearly the whole brood to death .One that escaped ran off to his mother with the dreadful news."and ,oh ,mother !"said he ,"it was a beast -such a big four footed beast!-that did it .""Big?" quoth the old frog , "How big? Was it as big" -- and she puffed herself out to a great degree-"as big as this ?""oh!"said the little one ,"a great deal bigger than that .""well, was it so big ?"and she swelled herself out yet mere ."Indeed ,mother ,but it was ,and of you were to burst yourself you would never reach half its size."provoked at such a disparagement of her powers, the old frog made one more trial ,and burst herself indeed.

So men are ruined by attempting greatness to which they have no claim.

译文：

一头牛在一快泥泞的草地上吃草，偶然把脚踏在一堆小青蛙当中，几乎把所有的幼蛙踩死。脱险的一个带着这可怕的消息跑到他母亲那里去了。"啊，母亲！"他说"是一只野兽-那样一只有四只脚的大野兽-踩的。""大吗？"老青蛙说。"多大？"她股足了气把自己胀得大大的说："他像这样的吗？""啊！"小 青蛙说，"比那大多了。""哦，有这么大吗？"她鼓着气胀地更大了。"真的，母亲，但确实如此，即使你胀破了自己，也不够他一半大。"老青蛙看到自己的力气受到轻视很是激怒，于是又鼓了一下气，果然这次胀破了自己。

妄自尊大的人必将自取灭亡的。

词汇：

grazing 吃草

a parcel of 一群

brood 一窝

quoth 说（古代）

puffed herself out 鼓气把自己吹大

disparagement 轻视

伊索寓言——老鬣狗

原文：

A Hound, who had been excellent one in his time, and had done good service to his master in the field, at length become worn out with the weight of years and trouble. One day, when hunting the wild boar, he seized the creature by the ear, but his teeth giving way, he was forced to let go his hold, and the boar escaped. Upon this the huntsman, coming up, severely rate him. But the feeble Dog replied: "Spare your old servant! it was the power not not the will that failed me. Remember rather what I was, than abuse me for what I am.

词汇：

in his time 想当年

at length 后来，最后

worn out 累垮了

the weight of years and trouble 长年劳累

seized ... by the ear 咬住 ... 的耳朵

give way 让步

伊索寓言——狼与鹤

原文：

A Wolf had got a bone stuck in his throat and in the greatest agony ran up and down, beseeching every animal he met to relieve him, at the same time hinting at a very handsome reward to the successful operator. A Crane, moved by his entreaties and promises, ventured her long neck down the Wolf's throat, and drew out the bone. She then modestly for the promised reward. To which the Wolf, grinning and showing his teeth, replied with seeming indignation: "Ungreateful creature! to ask for any other reward than that you have put you head into a wolf's jaws and brought it safe again!"

Those who are charitable only in the hope of a return must not be surprised if in their dealings with evil men, they meet with more jeers than thanks.

词汇：

in the great agony 极其痛苦

with seeming indignation 充满怒气

hinting at 暗示

伊索寓言——龟兔赛跑

原文：

A hare jeered at a tortoise for the slowness of his pace .But he laughed ,and said that he would run against her and beat her any day she would name ."Come on ," said the hare ,"you will soon see what my feet are made of ."So it was agreed that they should start at once .The tortoise went off jogging along ,without a moment's stopping ,at his usual steady pace .The hare treating the whole matter very lightly ,said he would first take a little nap ,and that she should soon overtake the tortoise .Meanwhile ,the tortoise plodded on ,and the hare ,oversleeping herself ,arrived at the goal ,only to see that the tortoise had got in before her .

Slow and steady wins the race.

译文：

兔子嘲笑乌龟的.步子爬的慢，但是他笑了，说总有一天他会和她赛跑，并且赢他。"快点"，兔子说，"你很快会看到我是跑的多么的快。"他们打算马上就开始比赛。乌龟拼命的爬，一刻都不停止，兔子认为比赛太轻松了，他说他先打个盹，然后很快的可以追上乌龟。同时乌龟坚持爬行，当兔子醒来跑到的时候只能看着乌龟在他前面到达终点。

稳扎稳打终能胜利。

词汇：

jeer at 嘲笑

tortoise 乌龟

go off 离开

usual steady pace 平时的稳定的步伐

over-take 超过，赶上

plod on 沉重地向前

伊索寓言——熊与狐狸

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.

译文：

一只熊总喜欢夸耀自己很爱人，他说人死了之后，他从来不咬他或伤害他，狐狸笑着说："假如你从来不吃活人的话，我就会更重视你所说的话了。"

拯救一个人使他不死，胜过在他死后说些安慰的话。

伊索寓言——豹和狐狸

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.

译文：

一只豹和一只狐狸在争论谁好谁不好，豹提出他有数不尽的美丽斑点，而狐狸回答说："有多方面的智力比有多种颜色的身体强。

词汇：

Leopard 猎豹

versatile 多方面的

variegated 多彩的