初高中课外英语短篇阅读

The

Rabbit

and

the

Tortoise

龟兔赛跑It

is

a

bright

spring

morning.

A

Tortoise

walks

by

and

meets

a

Rabbit.

一个春光明媚的早晨。一只乌龟正在往前走,这时他遇到了一只兔子。Hi

there,

Mr.

Rabbit.

Beautiful

day,

isn't

it?

Aren't

you

"the

Slow

Tortoise"?嘿，你好，兔子先生。今天天气真好，不是吗？你是那个"慢吞吞的乌龟"吗？The

Tortoise

is

a

little

mad,

but

he

doesn't

show

it.

The

Tortoise

still

tries

to

be

nice

to

the

Rabbit.

Yes,

I'm

Mr.

Tortoise.I'm

happy

to

meet

you.

Let's

be

friends.乌龟有点生气了，但是他并没有表现出来。乌龟仍然试着对兔子友好些。是啊，我是乌龟先生。很高兴遇到你。我们交个朋友吧！No,

thank

you.

I

don't

want

to

be

your

friend.

How

come?不了，谢谢！我不想做你的朋友。为什么？Your

legs

are

too

short.

You

can't

jump.

And

you

are

too

slow.

My

legs

may

be

short.

And

I

may

be

slow.

But

I

can

stillbeat

you

in

a

race.你的腿太短了，你不会跳，而且你动作太慢!我的腿是短，我可能是很慢，但我还是可以在赛跑中赢你。Ha!

Ha!

Ha!

That's

funny!

How

can

you

beat

me?

I

am

much

faster.

I

can

beat

you

for

sure.哈哈哈！太好笑了！你怎么能赢我呢？我比你快多了。我一定能赢你。No,

you

can't!

Yes,

I

can!不，你不能!能！我能！No,

you

can't!

Yes,

I

can!

Let's

have

a

race

now.

Then

you'll

see.不，你不能！能！我能！我们现在就来赛跑。跑完之后你就知道了。Now?

Okay!

Why

not?

I

will

win

for

sure.

Let's

make

a

bet.

If

I

win,

you

must

carry

me

on

your

back.现在吗？好啊！有何不可？我一定会赢的。我们来打个赌。如果我赢了，你要背着我。I

promise.

But

if

I

win,

you

must

carry

me.

Fine.没问题。但是如果我贏了，你也要背着我。好！The

other

animals

in

the

forest

hear

about

the

race

and

gather

to

see

the

Tortoise

and

the

Rabbit

run.

The

race

is

about

tostart.森林里其他的动物听到这个消息都围过来观看乌龟和兔子的比赛。比赛就要开始了。See

the

mountain

top?

Yes.你看到那座山的山顶了吗？看到了。The

first

one

to

reach

there,

wins.

Okay?

Okay.谁最先到那里谁就算赢了，好吗？好！The

Fox

is

the

starter.

Stand

behind

this

line.

Are

you

both

ready?狐狸当发令员。站到这条线后面。你们两个都准备好了吗？Yes

Me

too.好了。

我也好了。Okay.

I'll

start

the

race.

One!

Two!

Three!

Go!

The

Fox

drops

the

white

handkerchief

and

the

race

starts.

The

Rabbit

isvery

fast

and

is

already

way

ahead.好，我要发令了！一！二！三！跑!狐狸扔出白色的手帕，比赛开始了。兔子跑得非常快，很快就遥遥领先了。The

tortoise

walks

very

slowly.

The

other

animals

are

all

cheering

for

the

Tortoise.

The

Fox

is

worried

about

the

Tortoise.而乌龟走得很慢，其他的动物都在为乌龟加油。狐狸很替乌龟担心。Poor

Mr.

Tortoise.

He

will

lose

for

sure.

How

do

you

know?

Maybe

he

will

win.可怜的乌龟先生，他输定了。你怎么知道？没准儿他会赢呢！The

Rabbit

is

already

half

way

up

the

mountain.

He

is

out

of

breath.

He

stops

to

look

behind.

Where

is

the

Tortoise?

Ican't

even

see

him.

He

is

too

slow

for

me.

This

is

too

easy.兔子已经跑到了半山腰,他跑得上气不接下气。于是他停下来往后看了看。乌龟在哪里？我都看不见他。对我来说他太慢了，这比赛太简单了。The

Rabbit

decides

to

take

a

nap

before

the

Tortoise

comes.

I

am

a

little

tired.

And

I

have

a

lot

of

time.

So,

I

will

take

anap

here.兔子决定在乌龟赶上之前睡一会儿。我有点儿累了，而且我还有很多时间，那么，那我就在这儿睡一会儿吧！The

Rabbit

takes

a

nap.

Even

though

the

Tortoise

is

still

far

behind,

he

doesn't

stop

or

give

up.

He

just

walks

and

walksand

walks.兔子眯着眼睛睡着了，虽然乌龟仍然远远地落在后边，但他没有停止或放弃。他只是不停地走啊走。I

am

tired,

but

I

must

go

on.

I

must

win

the

race.

One,

two.

One,

two.

The

Rabbit

falls

asleep

and

continues

to

sleep

forhours.

The

Tortoise

is

now

at

the

middle

of

the

mountain.我累了，但是我必须要继续走。我一定要赢得比赛。一、二、一、二！兔子进入了梦乡，一睡就是好几个小时。现在乌龟已经到半山腰了，He

sees

the

Rabbit

sleeping.

It's

Mr.

Rabbit!

Why

is

he

sleeping

here?

He

must

be

very

tired.

I

am

tired,

too.

But

I

must

goon.

One,

two.

One,

two.他看到了熟睡的兔子。是兔子先生！他为什么在这里睡觉呢？他一定累坏了。我也好累啊，但是我必须继续往前走。一、二、一、二！The

mountain

top

is

not

too

far

away.

The

Tortoise

is

almost

at

the

finish

line.

All

the

other

animals

are

surprised.

Look!It's

the

Tortoise!山顶就在不远处,乌龟己经快要到达终点线了。其他所有的动物都很吃惊。看啊！是乌龟！Where's

the

Rabbit?

Who

knows?

Come

on,

Mr.

Tortoise!

Go!

Go!

Go!兔子在哪儿啊？谁知道呢？快，乌龟先生！加油！加油！加油！The

tortoise

takes

one

step,

and

another

step,

and

another.

One,

two.

One,

two.

I'm

almost

there.乌龟一步一步地走着。一、二、一、二！我快要到了。Just

then,

the

Rabbit

wakes

up

from

his

nap

and

is

surprised.

He

realizes

that

he

has

slept

too

long.

He

sees

the

Tortoisenear

the

mountain

top.

He

runs,

and

runs,

and

runs,

but

it's

no

use.正在此时，兔子醒了过来,他吓了一跳。他发现自己睡得太久了。他看到乌龟就快要到山顶了。他跑啊跑啊跑，但是已经没用了。Faster!

Faster!

I

must

run

faster!

Finally,

the

Tortoise

reaches

the

mountain

top

first

and

wins

the

race.快点！快点！我必须跑快点！终于乌龟最先到达了终点，他嬴得了比赛。Hooray!

Hooray

for

Mr.

Tortoise!

Congratulations,

Mr.

Tortoise!

You

won

the

race!万岁！乌龟先生万岁！恭喜你，乌龟先生！你赢得了比赛！Thank

you,

thank

you,

everyone!

The

Rabbit

is

too

late.

He

feels

ashamed.谢谢你，谢谢大家。兔子来得太晚了，他感到很不好意思。Oh,

no!

I

lost.

Now

I

have

to

carry

the

Tortoise

on

my

back.

The

Rabbit

goes

to

shake

hands

with

the

Tortoise.哦，不！我输了。现在我必须要背着乌龟。兔子走过去和乌龟握手。Good

race.

Congratulations,

Mr.

Tortoise.

You

won

the

race.

I

told

you,

I

would

win.你很棒。恭喜你，乌龟先生，你赢得了比赛。我说过，我会赢的。But

how

did

you

do

it?

It

wasn't

too

hard.

Just

take

one

step

after

another.

It

may

be

slow,

but

you

will

get

there

for

sure.但是你怎么会贏呢？这并不难，只要一步步来。也许是慢了些，但你一定能到达目的地。Oh...

Now,

I

will

keep

my

promise.

Climb

up

on

my

back.

That's

okay.

Let's

just

be

friends.哦……现在，我要实现我的诺言。爬到我的背上吧！算了吧，我们做朋友吧。MORAL:Talent

is

of

no

use

without

effort.寓言：与生俱来的才能若没有加上努力，也是枉然。Belling

the

Cat替猫戴上铃铛

Kitty

the

Cat

is

eating

all

the

mice.猫咪凯蒂几乎吃光了所有的老鼠。The

mice

are

afraid

to

come

out

of

their

mouseholes.

Meow…

I

got

you,

little

mouse.老鼠们都非常害怕，不敢踏出鼠洞半步。喵呜……我抓住你了，小老鼠。Oh,

please,

Kitty!

Let

me

go.

I

am

too

small

to

eat.哦，求求你了，凯蒂！放我走吧。我太小了，不够你吃的。I

don't

mind.

I

am

very

hungry

right

now.(gulp!)没关系。我现在太饿了。（一口吞下小老鼠！）Kitty

the

Cat

eats

poor

Little

Joe

and

looks

around

for

another

mouse.

That

was

delicious.猫咪凯蒂吃掉了可怜的小乔伊。又继续四处寻找其他的老鼠。味道真不错。But

I'm

still

not

full.

I

need

another

one.

Meow…

Lenny

and

Theodore

are

also

mice.

They

see

everything.可是我还是没饱，我得再找一只。喵呜……伦尼和西奥多也是老鼠，他们目睹了这一切。Did

you

see

that,

Theodore?

I

sure

did,

Lenny.你看到了吗，西奥多？我看到了，伦尼。It

was

terrible.

Kitty

is

getting

fatter

and

fatter

every

day.太可怕了。凯蒂一天比一天胖。She

is

eating

more

and

more.

Soon

she

will

eat

all

of

us.她越吃越多。很快她就会把我们都吃光。We

need

to

do

something.

You're

right.

But

what

can

we

do?我们必须采取行动。你说得对。但是我们该怎么做呢？Let's

have

a

meeting

first.

Tell

all

the

mice

to

come

to

my

house

tonight.我们先开个会。告诉所有的老鼠今晚到我家来。Don't

worry.

I'll

tell

everyone

to

come.你放心吧。我去叫所有的人来。We'll

all

be

there.

Just

then,

Kitty

smells

the

two

mice

and

slowly

walks

towards

them.我们大家都会到。正在这时，凯蒂闻到了这两只老鼠的味道，慢慢地向他们走过来。Quickly,

Lenny!

Hide!

Kitty

is

coming

this

way!快，伦尼！躲起来！凯蒂朝这边走过来了！Meow…

I

smell

mice.

Where

are

they?

This

time

the

two

mice

are

lucky.

They

get

away

from

Kitty.喵呜……我闻到了老鼠的味道。你们在哪儿？这回两只老鼠还算幸运，他们逃过了凯蒂的利爪。Late

in

the

evening,

all

the

mice

are

gathered

at

Theodore's

house

for

the

meeting.

Good

evening,

everyone.

Thank

youall

for

coming.傍晚，所有的老鼠都聚集到西奥多家，准备开会。各位晚上好。感谢你们的光临。What's

up,

Theo?

Why

did

you

call

us

so

late?怎么了，小西？为什么这么晚叫我们来？Well,

Mr.

Toby,

today

Kitty

got

little

Joe.

Not

again!

Are

you

sure?哦，托比先生，今天凯蒂吃掉了小乔伊。哦，不！你确定吗？Yes,

Theodore

and

I

saw

it

together.

It

was

really

terrible.当然，西奥多和我亲眼看到的。真的是太可怕了。We

must

stop

this

now!

If

we

don't,

we'll

all

be

eaten,

too.现在我们必须阻止这种事情的发生！！！如果不采取行动，总有一天我们都会被吃掉的。I

agree

with

you.

But

what

can

we

do？我同意你的说法。可是我们能做些什么呢？We

are

so

small

and

helpless.

That's

why

we

are

here.我们是这么弱小，无助。这就是今天我们来到这里的原因。Together,

let's

think

of

a

way.

Let's

trap

Kitty.伙伴们，让我们一起来想个办法吧！不如我们设个陷阱，抓住凯蒂。But

dear,

Kitty

is

much

bigger

than

us.

How

can

we

trap

her?可是亲爱的，凯蒂的个头比我们大多了。我们怎么设陷阱抓她呢？I

don't

know,

dear.我也不知道，亲爱的。The

mice

keep

thinking,

but

they

don't

come

up

with

any

good

ideas.

Come

on

everyone,

think

harder.这些老鼠们想啊想，可是怎么也想不出好点子来。大家加油啊，再努力想想。Well,

uh,

how

about

just

staying

away

from

Kitty?

What

do

you

mean,

Buster?那么，嗯，咱们就离凯蒂远点怎么样？你是什么意思，巴斯特？It's

simple.

Just

stay

inside

our

mouseholes

and

don't

come

out.

Then

what

do

we

eat,

Buster?很简单啊。就是整天躲在我们的鼠洞里不要出来。我们吃什么，巴斯特？We

have

to

go

out

for

food.

Or

else,

we'll

starve

to

death.

My,

my,

that's

just

as

terrible.我们必须出去寻找食物，不然，我们会饿死的。天啊，天啊，那不是一样可怕。I

don't

want

to

starve.

How

about

just

running

away?我可不想饿死。我们逃跑怎么样？When

we

see

Kitty

coming,

just

run.

Not

a

bad

idea,

dear.我们一看到凯蒂走过来，就逃跑。这主意不错，亲爱的。But

what

happens

when

we

don't

see

Kitty

coming?

I

didn't

think

of

that.可是如果我们没有看见凯蒂过来呢？这我可没想到。Finally,

Felix,

the

brightest

mouse

at

the

meeting

raises

his

hand.

What

is

it,

Felix?

Speak

up!最后，会议中最机灵的老鼠—菲利克斯举起了手。你怎么想的，菲利克斯？快说出来！Well,

uh…

How

about

hanging

a

bell

around

Kitty's

neck?

When

we

hear

the

bell,

we

can

run

away.是这样，嗯……咱们在凯蒂的脖子上挂一个铃铛怎么样？这样我们一听到铃声，就赶快逃跑。That's

it!!!

Why

didn't

I

think

of

that?没错！我怎么就没想到呢？You

are

a

genius!

Hurray

for

Felix!!!

Good

job!!你真是个天才啊！菲利克斯万岁！好样的！Now

we

are

all

saved!

Let's

celebrate!这样我们大家就都可以保住性命了！我们来庆祝一下吧！Wait

a

minute!

What's

wrong,

Grandpa

Willy?等一下！怎么了，威利爷爷？The

idea

is

wonderful,

I

agree.

But

I

have

just

one

question.这点子的确很了不起，我同意。但是我还有一个问题。What's

that,

Grandpa

Willy?

WHO

is

going

to

hang

the

bell

around

Kitty?什么问题，威利爷爷？谁去给凯蒂挂铃铛呢？The

whole

room

suddenly

becomes

silent.

After

a

while,

Mr.

Toby

opens

his

mouth.房间里一下子变得非常安静。过了一会儿。托比先生开口了。Well,

uh…

I

would

like

to,

but

I

am

too

old.

So

how

about

you,

Buster?

You

are

young

and

strong.这样，嗯……我是很想去，可是我太老了。所以，你去怎么样，巴斯特？你又年轻又强壮。No,

thank

you.

I

am

not

that

strong.不，谢谢。我可没那么强壮。Lenny

would

be

better.

He

is

slim

and

fast.还是伦尼比较合适。他这么苗条，身手又快。I

am

not

that

fast.

How

about

you,

Felix?我的身手可没那么快!菲利克斯，你去怎么样？You

are

smart.

And

it

was

YOUR

idea.

What?!

Me?!你很聪明，而且这是你出的主意。什么！？我！？No,

thanks.

I

don't

want

to

be

eaten.不了，谢谢。我可不想被吃掉。We

better

think

of

another

plan.

MORAL:

A

good

plan

is

of

no

use

if

it

is

not

carried

out.那咱们最好还是想想别的办法吧。道理：如果无法实施，一个好的计划一点用处也没有。The

Fashionable

Crow

时髦的乌鸦

Today,

God

is

going

to

pick

the

prettiest

bird

among

all

the

birds.今天，天神要从所有的鸟中挑选出最美的鸟。All

of

the

birds

gathered

around

to

talk

about

the

party.

They

are

all

very

excited.

There

will

be

a

big

party

at

the

palacetonight.

All

birds

are

invited.所有的鸟都聚集在一起谈论着将要举办的晚会，大家都很兴奋。今晚，宫殿里将举行一个盛大的舞会。所有的鸟都受到了邀请。God

will

pick

the

prettiest

bird.

This

will

be

so

exciting.天神将选出最美丽的鸟。这一定让人很兴奋。I

wonder

who

will

be

picked.

Who

knows?

It

can

be

any

bird.真不知道谁会被选中。谁知道呢？哪只鸟都有可能。I

know

it

will

be

me.

I

will

be

picked

for

sure.

My

tail

is

the

prettiest.

Your

tail

may

be

pretty,

but

I

am

more

graceful.我想是我吧。我一定会被选中的。我的尾巴是最漂亮的。你的尾巴或许漂亮，但是我更优雅。But

wait.

My

beak

is

the

longest.

Let's

not

fight.

We

have

to

get

ready

for

the

party.等等，我的嘴是最长的。我们不要吵了！我们得为晚会做好准备。You're

right.

We

don't

have

much

time.

Let's

take

a

bath

in

the

pond.你说得对。我们没有多少时间了。我们到池塘里洗个澡吧！That's

a

great

idea.

The

sparrow,

the

Duck,

the

Peacock,

the

Swan,

and

the

Crane

are

going

to

the

pond.好主意。麻雀，鸭子，孔雀，天鹅和鹤走向池塘。On

the

way,

they

meet

the

Crow.

Where

are

you

going?在路上，他们遇到了乌鸦。你们要去哪里！We

are

going

to

the

pond

to

take

a

bath.

There

is

a

big

party

at

the

palace

tonight.我们要到池塘里洗澡。今晚，宫殿里将举行一个盛大的晚会。God

is

going

to

pick

the

prettiest

bird.

I

will

be

picked

for

sure.

Really?!天神要选出最美丽的鸟。我一定会被选中的。真的吗？All

of

the

birds

are

invited.

Didn't

you

know?

No

one

told

me.所有的鸟都受到了邀请。你不知道吗？没人告诉我。God

is

picking

the

prettiest

bird.

You

have

no

chance.

So

why

don't

you

just

stay

home?

I

don't

want

to

stay

home.

I

wantto

go

to

the

party.天神要选出最美丽的鸟。你没有机会，你为什么不在家乖乖地呆着呢？我不想待在家里。我要参加晚会。Look

at

yourself.

You

are

too

ugly.你看看你自己。你太丑了。You

are

too

black.

You

are

too

dirty.你太黑了。你太脏了。But

I

still

want

to

go.

I'm

going

to

jump

into

the

pond

first.

I'm

going

to

take

a

bath.

No!

No!

Wait!!

You

can't

bathe

beforeus.可我还想去。我要第一个跳到池塘里，我要洗澡。不！不！等一下！你不能在我们之前洗澡。Why

not?

I

should

also

bathe

for

the

party.

You

are

too

dirty.

You

will

make

the

water

dirty.为什么?我也应该为参加晚会洗个澡啊。你太脏了，会把水弄脏的。Please,

bathe

after

us.

I

don't

want

to

get

dirty

because

of

you.

That's

right.

You

are

too

black

and

dirty.

Bathe

after

us.拜托，我们洗完后你再洗吧，我可不想因为你而弄脏自己。没错。你又黑又脏，我们洗完你再洗吧。Yes.

If

you

bathe

first,

the

water

will

get

dirty.

That's

right.

Bathe

after

us.对。如果你第一个洗，水会被弄脏的。没错。你在我们之后洗。All

of

the

birds

go

into

the

pond.

They

start

washing

their

feathers.

The

Crow

watches

them

and

talks

to

himself.所有的鸟都进了池塘。他们开始清洗自己的羽毛。乌鸦看看他们，自言自语。Why

am

I

so

ugly?

Why

am

I

so

black?

Why

am

I

so

dirty?

The

birds

finish

bathing

and

all

go

home

go

get

ready

for

theparty.

The

Crow

watches

them

leave.为什么我这么丑？为什么我这么黑？为什么我这么脏？鸟儿们洗完澡之后，都回家去为参加晚会作准备。乌鸦看着他们离开了。Miss

Peacock's

tail

is

so

beautiful.

Mrs.

Swan

is

so

graceful.

Mr.

Crane

is

so

tall.

They

are

all

pretty.

I

wish

I

weren't

a

crow.孔雀小姐的尾巴真漂亮，天鹅太太真优雅，鹤先生真高挑。他们都这么漂亮，我真希望自己不是乌鸦。The

Crow

goes

into

the

pond

to

bathe

after

them.

The

water

is

so

dirty.

But

perhaps

if

I

wash

long

enough,

I

will

becomewhite.所有的鸟都洗完澡之后，乌鸦走进池塘开始洗澡。这水真脏啊！不过，可能我多洗一会儿就能变白。The

Crow

bathes

for

two

hours,

but

he

is

still

black.

I

am

still

black

and

ugly.乌鸦洗了两个小时，但他还是黑色的。我还是又黑又丑。Just

then

he

sees

the

fallen

feathers.

The

Crow

comes

up

with

an

idea.

Look

at

all

these

fallen

feathers.

There

are

yellow,red,

green,

and

blue

feathers

everywhere.这是他看到了掉到水里的羽毛，他想出了一个主意。看看这些掉下的羽毛。有黄的，红的，绿的和蓝的。到处都是，They

are

beautiful.

Ah

ha!

I

have

an

idea.

I'll

cover

myself

with

all

these

feathers.

Then,

I

will

be

the

most

beautiful

bird.真漂亮。啊哈！我有主意了！我可以把这些羽毛都插到我身上。这样，我就会变成最美丽的鸟。The

Crow

puts

on

the

fallen

feathers.

He

turns

into

a

colorful

bird

and

looks

into

the

pond.

I

am

so

beautiful.

Everyonewill

be

surprised.

No

one

will

know

it's

me.乌鸦把掉落的羽毛都插在自己的身上。他变成了一只彩色鸟。他向池塘中看了看。我真漂亮，每个人都会很惊讶的。没有人会知道这就是我。I

can't

wait

to

go

to

the

party.

It's

night

time

and

all

of

the

birds

are

gathered

at

the

palace.

The

Crow

has

not

arrived

yet.我等不及要参加晚会了。到了晚上，所有的鸟都聚集在宫殿中。乌鸦还没有到场。Everyone

be

quiet.

God

is

coming

down.

God

comes

down

the

stairs.大家安静。天神下来了。天神走下了台阶。Are

all

the

birds

here?

Yes.

All

the

pretty

birds

are

here.所有的鸟都到齐了吗？是的，所有漂亮的鸟都在这里了。Just

then,

the

Crow

with

the

colorful

feathers

arrives

at

the

party.

What

is

the

name

of

that

bird?

It

is

so

fashionable.这时，戴着彩色羽毛的乌鸦到达了晚会现场。那只鸟叫什么名字？他可真时髦。I

don't

know,

God.

I

have

never

seen

such

a

bird

before.

It

is

very

beautiful.我不知道。天神，我以前从来没见过这样的鸟。真漂亮。Now,

I

have

picked

the

prettiest

bird.

It's

me.

Ha,

ha,

ha.现在，我已经选出最美丽的鸟了。是我。哈哈哈！The

prettiest

bird

is

…

The

one

with

the

colorful

feathers!

Congratulations!

Thank

you,

God.

I

am

so

happy.最美丽的鸟是......那只有彩色羽毛的鸟！恭喜你！谢谢你，天神。我很高兴。God

shakes

the

Crow's

hand

and

puts

a

big

crown

on

his

head.

All

of

the

other

birds

are

jealous.

They

whisper

amongthemselves.天神握了握乌鸦的手，之后把一个大王冠戴在乌鸦的头上。其他的鸟都很忌妒，交头接耳地谈论起来。Who

is

that

bird?

Does

anyone

know?

I

have

no

idea.那是只什么鸟？谁知道？我不知道。He

must

be

new

here.

God

asks

the

Crow

a

few

questions.他肯定是新来的。天神问了乌鸦几个问题。Your

feathers

are

very

pretty.

Oh,

thank

you.你的羽毛非常漂亮。哦，谢谢你。What

is

your

name?

Uh?

My

name

is...你叫什么名字？哦？我叫......The

Crow

hesitates

to

say

his

name.

then

a

feather

falls

out.

Hey!

That

is

my

feather!乌鸦迟疑着，不敢说出自己的名字。这时一根羽毛掉了下来。嘿！那是我的羽毛！Look!

He

has

my

feather,

too!

That's

my

feather

over

there!看！他身上也有我的羽毛！那是我的羽毛！He

is

wearing

my

feather,

too!

That's

mine.他也戴着我的羽毛！那是我的。All

of

the

birds

gather

around

the

Crow

and

start

picking

their

feathers

off

the

Crow.

Give

us

back

our

feathers

at

once!Give

them

back

right

now!所有的鸟都围在乌鸦身边，开始从他身上把自己的羽毛拔下来。马上把我们的羽毛还给我们！现在就还给我们！No!

no!

No!

Please

STOP!

They

are

mine!

Don't

take

away

my

feathers!

All

of

the

birds

pick

their

feathers

off

the

Crow.The

colorful

Crow

now

turns

into

a

black

Crow.不！不！不！请住手！这都是我的！不要拿走我的羽毛！所有的鸟都从乌鸦的身上拔出了自己的羽毛。彩色的乌鸦现在又变回了黑色的乌鸦。Look!

It's

the

Crow!

My

goodness!看！是乌鸦！天啊！He

tricked

everyone!

The

Crow

is

so

ashamed

and

sad.他骗了所有的人！乌鸦感到非常羞愧，他很难过。I'm

sorry.

I

didn't

mean

to

trick

anyone.

I

just

wanted

to

be

pretty

like

all

of

you.

MORAL

Don't

try

to

be

someone

else.Just

be

yourself.我很抱歉，我并不想骗任何人。我只是想和你们一样漂亮。寓意：不要想着如何成为别人，做自己就好。The

Farmer

and

his

Sons农夫和他的儿子们

Mr.

Thompson

has

three

sons,

David,

James,

and

Peter.

He

is

a

very

diligent

man.

汤普森先生有三个儿子，戴维、詹姆斯和彼得。汤普森先生是个非常勤劳的人。He

works

in

his

grape

fields

all

day.

But,

his

three

sons

are

all

very

lazy.

Mr.

Thompson

is

always

worried

about

them.David,

can

you

help

me

in

the

field

today?

I

need

your

help.

I

can't

work

alone.他整天都在他的葡萄园里工作。但是，他那三个儿子却十分懒惰。汤普森先生总是为他们担心。戴维，今天你可以到园子里来帮我吗？我需要你的帮助。那些活儿我一个人干不了。But

Father,

it

is

too

hot

outside.

I

am

too

tired

today.

Besides,

I

am

the

eldest.

Ask

James

to

help

you.

You

are

always

tired,David.可是爸爸，外边太热了。我今天太累了。再说，我是老大。叫詹姆斯帮你吧。你总是很累，戴维。David

lies

down

on

his

bed

to

rest.

Mr.

Thompson

calls

his

second

son,

James.

James!

What

are

you

doing

now?

I

needyour

help

in

the

field

today.

I

can't

work

alone.戴维躺在他的床上休息。于是汤普森先生去叫他的第二个儿子，詹姆斯。詹姆斯！你现在在做什么？今天我需要你到园子里来帮我。那些活儿我一个人干不了。I'm

sorry,

Father.

I'm

busy

today.

I'll

help

you

tomorrow.

Ask

Peter.

You

are

always

busy,

James.对不起，爸爸，我今天很忙。我明天再帮你。你叫彼得帮你吧。你总是很忙，詹姆斯。James

pretends

to

be

busy.

Mr.

Thompson

calls

Peter,

his

youngest

son.

Hey,

Peter!

Are

you

busy

now?詹姆斯装出很忙的样子。汤普森先生只好去叫他最小的儿子，彼得。喂，彼得！你现在忙吗？Not

really,

Father.

Are

you

going

out

somewhere

today?不太忙啊，爸爸。你今天要外出吗？No,

Father.

Why

do

you

ask?

Well

then,

help

me

in

the

field.

I

need

your

help.

I

can't

work

alone.不，爸爸。为什么要这么问呢？那么，你来园子里帮我干活吧！我需要你的帮助。我一个人忙不过来。Peter

makes

up

an

excuse.

I

would

like

to

help

you,

Father.

But

I

am

not

feeling

well

today.

I

have

a

headache.彼得也找了一个借口。我很想帮你，爸爸。可是我今天不太舒服，我头疼。Not

again!

The

last

time,

you

had

a

stomachache.

Mr.

Thompson

goes

out

to

the

field

alone

in

the

hot

sun.

He

works

allday

while

his

three

sons

do

nothing.不会吧!上次你说你肚子疼。汤普森先生顶着炎炎烈日独自到园子里去干活。他的三个儿子无所事事，而他却不得不整日工作。His

neighbors

see

him.

Look,

dear!

It's

Mr.

Thompson

He

is

working

alone

again.

Where

are

all

his

three

sons?邻居们看到了汤普森先生。瞧，亲爱的！那不是汤普森先生吗。他又在一个人干活。他那三个儿子都去哪里了？Didn't

you

know,

dear?

They

are

the

laziest

boys

in

the

world.

They

never

work.

Really?

That's

too

bad.

Poor

Mr.Thompson.你难道不知道吗？亲爱的？他们是世界上最懒惰的人。他们从来不干活。真的？那可太惨了。可怜的汤普森先生。Mr.

Thompson

worked

hard

all

his

life.

Finally,

he

gets

very

sick

and

cannot

work

anymore.

He

is

about

to

die.

What

willhappen

to

my

three

sons

after

I

die?

They

will

starve

to

death

for

sure.

How

can

I

change

them?汤普森先生一生辛勤工作。终于有一天，他病倒了，再也没法工作了。他快要死了。（呻吟）我那三个儿子怎么办在我死后？他们会饿死的。我怎么才能改变他们呢？Mr.

Thompson

cannot

stop

worrying

about

his

three

sons

even

in

bed.

He

thinks

and

thinks.

An

idea

comes

to

his

mind.

Hecalls

his

three

sons.就算是躺在病床上，汤普森先生仍在不停地为他的三个儿子担心。他想了又想。突然，他想到了一个主意。于是他叫来了三个儿子。My

dear

sons,

David,

James,

and

Peter,

I

love

you

all.

But

I

cannot

live

for

long.

So

when

I

die,

take

care

of

my

grapefields

for

me.

That's

my

last

wish.我亲爱的儿子们，戴维、詹姆斯、彼得，我爱你们。但是我已经活不了多久了。如果我死了，请为我照顾葡萄园。这是我最后的愿望。But

Father,

I

am

not

interested

in

grapes.

I

don't

want

to

work

under

the

sun

all

day,

Father.但是爸爸，我对葡萄不敢兴趣。我可不愿整天在太阳底下工作，爸爸。I

want

to

live

in

the

city.

I

don't

even

like

grapes,

Father.

The

three

sons

keep

complaining,

until

Mr.

Thompson

tells

themhis

secret我想住在城里。我甚至不喜欢葡萄，爸爸。三个儿子不住地抱怨，直到汤普森先生说出他的秘密。But

the

three

of

you

must

keep

the

field.

I

buried

some

treasure

there.

Find

it,

dig

it

out,

and

share

it

together.

What

didyou

say?但是你们三个必须留在园子里。我在那里埋下了一些财宝。只要你们找到并挖出财宝，你们就可以拿去分了。你说什么？The

three

sons

cannot

believe

their

ears.

Did

you

say

treasure?

When

did

you

bury

is,

Father?三个儿子几乎不敢相信他们的耳朵。你是说有财宝？你什么时候埋的，爸爸？Are

there

lots

of

gold

and

silver

pieces

inside?

Those

things

are

not

important.里面有很多金子、银子吗？这些都不重要。Then

what

is

it?

Where

is

it?那什么才是重要的呢？重要的是财宝埋在哪儿？Peter

is

right.

Where

is

the

treasure

buried,

Father?

I'm

sorry,

my

sons.

It

was

so

long

ago.

I

do

not

remember.

Just

keepdigging

and

you

shall

find

it.彼得说的对。你把财宝埋在哪儿了，爸爸？对不起，我的儿子们。那是很久以前的事情。我记不得了。不过只要你们不断地挖，你们一定会找到的。Mr.

Thompson

dies

a

few

days

later.

David,

James,

and

Peter

start

digging

for

treasure

the

very

next

day.

Look,

dear!Aren't

they

Mr.

Thompson's

boys?几天以后，汤普森先生去世了。从第二天开始，戴维、詹姆斯和彼得就开始挖财宝。你看，亲爱的！那不是汤普森先生的儿子们吗？I

think

so,

dear.

But

they

have

changed.

They

are

working

so

hard

today.

I

know.

I

can't

believe

my

eyes.

Mr.

Thompsonwould

be

really

happy.我想是的，亲爱的。不过，他们变了。今天他们干得非常卖力。我看出来了，我真不敢相信自己的眼睛。汤普森先生一定会很开心的。The

three

brothers

dig

and

dig,

but

they

cannot

find

any

treasure.

Where's

the

treasure?三个兄弟挖呀挖，但是他们找不到任何财宝。财宝在哪里？Perhaps,

there

isn't

any

treasure.

That

can't

be.

Father

must

have

buried

it

very

deep.

Let's

dig

deeper.也许这儿根本就没有财宝。不可能，一定是爸爸把它埋的很深。我们再挖深点看看。Peter

may

be

right.

The

three

sons

keep

digging

and

working

in

the

field

for

months.

It

is

now

fall.也许彼得说得对。三个儿子不断地在田里翻土，挖掘，忙活了好几个月。转眼之间到了秋天。There

is

no

treasure

here.

We

dug

up

the

whole

field

for

nothing.根本没有什么财宝。我们挖遍了整个园子却一无所获。But

look,

David

and

James!

Our

field

is

filled

with

ripe

grapes.

You

are

right!但是，瞧啊，戴维，詹姆斯！我们的园子里长满了成熟的葡萄啊！对啊！Let's

sell

the

grapes.

The

three

brothers

take

the

grapes

to

the

market.

Their

grapes

are

the

largest

and

sweetest

among

allthe

others.我们把葡萄卖了吧。三兄弟把葡萄运到市场上。在所有的葡萄里，他们的葡萄是最大、最甜的。They

become

rich

by

selling

the

grapes.

Now

I

know.

Treasure

is

everywhere.因为卖了葡萄，他们变得很富有。现在我知道了，财宝到处都可以找到。Yes.

If

we

work

hard,

we

can

always

get

it.

So

that's

what

Father

was

trying

to

tell

us.是呀，如果我们努力工作，我们总是能够收获财富的。所以，这就是爸爸想让我们明白的道理。MORAL：

Work

hard

and

good

fortune

will

always

follow.寓意：好运总是跟随者辛勤工作而来的。The

Son

and

his

Mother

小偷儿子和他的母亲There

once

lived

a

Son

and

his

Mother.

The

Son

did

many

bad

things,

曾经一对母子相依为命。儿子虽然做了很多坏事，but

the

Mother

never

punished

him.

Today

is

the

Son's

first

day

at

school.

I'm

home,

Mom.但母亲从来没有惩罚过他。今天是儿子第一天上学。我回来了，妈妈。How

was

school,

my

son?

It

was

okay.儿子，学校感觉怎么样？还不错。Did

you

make

any

friends?

No.你交朋友了吗？没有。Then

what

did

you

do

at

school?

Nothing

much.

Can

I

go

to

my

room

now?那你在学校都做了些什么呢？没什么可说的。现在我可以回我的房间了吗？Wait

a

minute.

What

are

you

hiding

behind

your

back?

It's

nothing.等一下。你背后藏的是什么？没什么。What

is

it?

Just

show

it

to

me.

I

won't

punish

you.

You

promise?到底是什么？我就看一下。我不会惩罚你的。说话算话？Yes,

I

promise.

Then

here.

It's

a

toy

car.是的，我保证。就是这个。一辆玩具车。Where

did

you

get

it?

Well,

um...你从哪里弄来的？嗯，嗯……It's

all

right.

Just

tell

me.

I

won't

punish

you.

A

friend

gave

it

to

me.没关系。你只管告诉我。我不会惩罚你的。一个朋友送给我的。A

friend?

You

said

you

don't

have

any

friends.

Well,

um...一个朋友？可是你刚说没有交任何朋友。嗯，嗯……It's

all

right.

Just

tell

me

the

truth.

I

won't

punish

you.

You

really

won't

punish

me?不要害怕。只要把真相告诉我。我一定不会惩罚你的。你真的不惩罚我？Of

course

not.

Well,

to

tell

the

truth,

I

stole

it.当然不会惩罚你。嗯，其实，这是我偷来的。Oh

really?

That's

all

right.

Go

ahead

and

play

with

it.

Thanks,

Mom.

You're

the

best.真的吗？别担心，没事。你去玩吧。谢谢，妈妈。你是天底下最好的妈妈。A

few

days

later,

the

Son

brought

home

a

story

book.

I'm

home,

Mom.几天之后，儿子带回来一本故事书。我回来了，妈妈。Did

you

have

a

good

day,

my

son?

Yes.

Look

what

I

have.儿子，今天在学校过得好吗？是的。看看我带回来了什么。What

is

it?

It's

a

story

book.是什么呀？一本故事书。Where

did

you

get

it?

Promise

not

to

punish

me.你从哪里弄的？你得先答应不惩罚我。Just

tell

me.

I

won't

punish

you.

Well,

I

stole

it.

It's

new,

too.告诉我吧。我不会惩罚你的。嗯，这是我偷的。这本书也是新的。Let

me

see.

It

really

is

new.

It's

all

right.

Go

ahead

and

read

it.

Thanks,

Mom.

You're

the

best.让我看看。真的是新的啊。没关系。你拿去看吧。谢谢，妈妈。你是天底下最好的妈妈。The

Son

kept

stealing

things,

but

the

Mother

never

punished

him.

He

is

now

in

high

school,

but

his

bad

habit

was

still

thesame.儿子不停地偷东西，但母亲从来没有惩罚过他。他现在已经上高中了，但偷东西坏习惯仍然没有改。I'm

home,

Mom.

Look

what

I

stole

today.

What

did

you

steal

this

time,

my

son?我回来了，妈妈。看看我今天偷来了什么。你这次偷的是什么，儿子？I

stole

this

jacket.

Isn't

it

nice?

Yes,

it

is.

Go

ahead

and

wear

it.我偷了件夹克。是不是很好看？是的，真好看。去吧，快穿上试试。Thanks,

Mom.

You're

the

best.

What

should

I

steal

next

time?

I

don't

care.

Whatever

you

wish,

my

son.谢谢，妈妈。你是天底下最好的妈妈。下次我该偷点什么呢？我不在乎。你想偷什么就偷什么，儿子。Time

passed

and

the

Son

is

now

a

grown

man.

He

continued

to

steal

things

from

other

people

and

became

a

real

thief.What

should

I

go

to

steal

today?

I

know!

I'll

go

to

the

bank.

There

must

be

lots

of

money

there.时光流逝，儿子现在已经变成了一个成年人。但他还是在偷东西，成为一个真正的小偷。我今天该去偷点什么？我知道了！去银行。那里一定有很多钱。The

Son

breaks

into

the

bank

during

the

night.

Wow!

Look

at

all

of

this

money!

I'm

rich

now.于是，夜里儿子闯进了银行。哇！这么多钱！我现在是个有钱人了。Just

then

a

siren

rings

and

all

of

the

lights

in

the

bank

turn

on.

It

is

bright

as

day.

The

Son

tries

to

run

away.

Stop

there,you

thief!

You

can't

get

away.

The

police

are

everywhere.

You

are

trapped.

Ha,

ha,

ha.

I

got

you.就在这时，警报器响了，银行里所有的灯都亮了。亮如白昼。儿子想逃跑。不许动，小偷！你逃不掉了。警察已经将你包围了。你快束手就擒吧。哈，哈，哈。终于抓到你了。Let

me

go!

Just

this

once,

please!

I

won't

do

it

again.

Not

a

chance!

I

can't

let

you

go.

You

must

be

punished.

Let's

go

to

thepolice

station.放我走吧！就饶了我这一次吧！我不会再偷东西了。你已经没有机会了！我不会让你离开的。你必须接受惩罚。咱们现在就去警察局。The

guard

takes

him

to

the

police

station.

The

Son

is

locked

up.

His

mother

comes

to

visit

him.

Are

you

okay,

my

son?警卫把他押送到警察局。儿子被关押起来。他的母亲来看他。你还好吗，儿子？No!

I

am

not

okay！

I

am

in

jail!

Why

did

you

do

this?不！我不好，我现在可是在监狱里！你为什么这么做？Come

here

closer,

Mom.

I'll

tell

you.

The

Mother

goes

closer

to

her

Son.

Just

then

the

Son

bites

her

right

ear.过来，妈妈。我悄悄告诉你。于是母亲靠近儿子。就在这时，儿子突然咬住了她的耳朵。Ouch!

That

hurt.

Why

did

you

do

that?

You

are

a

bad

boy.

You

should

be

punished.

Why

didn't

you

punish

me

before?Because

of

you,

I

became

a

thief.哎哟！疼死了。你为什么要咬我？你是个坏孩子。你应该受到惩罚。当初你为什么不惩罚我？因为你，我才成了一名小偷。What

do

you

mean,

my

son?

I

didn't

do

anything.

That's

just

it.

You

didn't

do

anything.

You

never

punished

me.

And

nowI'm

in

jail.你这是什么意思，儿子？我什么也没做啊。这就对了。就是因为你什么也没做。你从来不惩罚我。所以现在我才进了监狱。Why

didn't

you

punish

me

when

I

first

stole

the

toy

car?

Because

I

loved

you.

I'm

sorry,

my

son.我第一次偷玩具车的时候，你为什么不惩罚我？因为我爱你。对不起，儿子。It's

no

use

now.

Moral:Spare

the

rod

and

spoil

the

child.现在说什么也没有用了。寓言：小错起初不惩治，必将酿成大错。The

Dog

and

His

Reflection狗和他的倒影

Ralph

is

a

dog.

He

is

always

hungry.罗夫是一只狗。他总是挨饿。His

master

is

a

very

lazy

man.

He

only

feeds

Ralph

once

a

day.

When

will

my

master

wake

up?

When

will

he

feed

metoday?因为他的主人是个懒惰的人。他每天只喂罗夫一次。我的主人什么时候才会睡醒？他今天什么时候才能喂我？I'm

really

hungry

right

now.

I

can't

wait

any

longer.

I'll

get

some

food

by

myself.

Ralph

goes

out

of

the

house.

He

walksand

walks.我现在真的很饿。我再也等不及了，我要自己去找食物。罗夫走到了屋外。他走啊走啊。He

looks

for

food.

He

can't

find

any

anywhere.

Ralph

also

gets

lost.他四处寻找食物，可是什么也没找到。不仅如此，他还迷路了。I

can't

find

any

food.

And

now

I

am

lost.

I

should

have

stayed

at

home.

My

master

might

be

awake

by

now.我找不到任何吃的，现在我还迷路了。我本应该待在家里的。也许现在主人已经起床了。I

am

so

hungry.

Boo-hoo-hoo.

Ralph

is

very

tired

and

sits

down

to

rest

for

a

while.我好饿啊！呜……呜……罗夫非常疲惫，便坐下来休息一会儿。He

hears

music

coming

from

a

house.

Hey,

what's

that

sound?这时，他听见从一所房子里传出音乐声。嘿，那是什么声音？It's

music.

It's

coming

from

that

house.

I'll

get

closer

and

take

a

look.

Ralph

looks

inside

the

house

through

an

openwindow.是音乐声，从那间房子传出来的。让我走近瞧一瞧。罗夫从一扇开启的窗子往屋里瞧。There

are

lots

of

people

inside.

Any

it

is

very

noisy.

They

must

be

having

a

party.里面有很多人，而且很吵。他们一定在举办晚会。Oh,

I

see

lots

and

lots

of

food

inside,

too.

How

can

I

get

some

food?哦，我看见里面有好多好多食物。可是我怎样才能弄到一些食物呢？Ralph

tries

to

think

of

a

way

to

get

inside.

Finally,

he

waits

until

no

one

is

looking

and

quickly

runs

in.罗夫试着想个办法进屋去。终于，他趁人不注意的时候跑了进去。Everyone

is

singing

and

dancing

and

having

fun.

Look

at

all

the

happy

people.

Look

at

all

the

food.每个人都在唱歌跳舞，非常开心。瞧瞧这群快乐的人们。看看这些食物。They

are

not

even

eating

it.

I

hope

I

can

just

get

a

piece

of

meat.

Someone

please

throw

me

some

meat.

Oh,

please,

please,please.他们竟然都没吃。我只希望我能弄到一块肉。拜托谁扔给我一块肉。哦，拜托！拜托！拜托！Ralph

closes

his

eyes

and

prays.

He

is

so

hungry.

He

is

about

to

faint.

Hey,

look

at

that

poor

Dog

over

there.罗夫闭上眼睛祈祷着。他太饿了，几乎快晕倒了。嘿，瞧那只可怜的狗。He

looks

tired

and

hungry.

Throw

him

something.他看起来又累又饿的。咱们丢些东西给他吃吧！You're

right.

What

a

poor

Dog!

I'll

throw

him

this

piece

of

meat.你说的对，可怜的小狗！让我来把这块肉丢给他。Here

Doggie,

have

this.

It's

very

good.

Ralph

smells

the

meat

and

opens

his

eyes.到这儿来，小狗，给你。很好吃哦！罗夫闻到了肉的香味，他睁开了眼睛。Arf!

Arf!

Oh

my

goodness!

It's

a

piece

of

meat.

My

prayers

came

true.

I

wonder

who

threw

it

to

me.汪！汪！我的天啊！一块肉！我的祈祷应验了。也不知道是谁丢给我的，That's

not

important

right

now.

I

better

just

take

this

and

run.不过现在这个已经不重要了。我最好拿了肉赶快跑。Hey,

look

at

that

poor

Dog

over

there.

He

looks

tired

and

hungry.

Throw

him

something.

You're

right.

What

a

poor

Dog!I'll

throw

him

this

piece

of

meat.

Here

Doggie,

have

this.

It's

very

good.嘿，瞧那只可怜的狗。他看起来又累又饿的。咱们丢些东西给他吃吧！你说的对，可怜的小狗！让我来把这块肉丢给他。到这儿来，小狗，给你。很好吃哦！Ralph

smells

the

meat

and

opens

his

eyes.

Arf!

Arf!

Oh

my

goodness!

It's

a

piece

of

meat.

My

prayers

came

true.

I

wonderwho

threw

it

to

me.罗夫闻到了肉的香味，他睁开了眼睛。汪！汪！我的天啊！一块肉！我的祈祷应验了。也不知道是谁丢给我的，That's

not

important

right

now.

I

better

just

take

this

and

run.

Ralph

quickly

takes

the

meat

and

runs

out

of

the

house.不过现在这个已经不重要了。我最好拿了肉赶快跑。罗夫叼着肉飞快