爱华网伊索寓言故事(英文版四则)
The Lion and the Mouse 狮子与报恩的老鼠
A LION was awakened from sleep by a Mouse running over his face.Rising up angrily, he caught him and was about to kill him, whenthe Mouse piteously entreated, saying: "If you would only spare mylife, I would be sure to repay your kindness." The Lion laughed andlet him go. It happened shortly after this that the Lion was caughtby some hunters, who bound him by strong ropes to the ground. TheMouse, recognizing his roar, came and gnawed the rope with histeeth and set him free, exclaiming:
"You ridiculed the idea of my ever being able to help you,expecting to receive from me any repayment of your favor; now youknow that it is possible for even a Mouse to con benefits on aLion."
狮子睡着了，有只老鼠跳到了他身上。狮子猛然站起来，把他抓住，准备吃掉。老鼠请求饶命，并说如果保住性命，必将报恩，狮子轻蔑地笑了笑，便把他放走了。不久，狮子真的被老鼠救了性命。原来狮子被一个猎人抓获，并用绳索把他捆在一棵树上。老鼠听到了他 的哀嚎，走过去咬断绳索，放走了狮子，并说：
“你当时嘲笑我，不相信能得到我的报答， 现在可清楚了，老鼠也能报恩。”这故事说明，时运交替变更，强者也会有需要弱者的时候。
The Wolf and the Lamb 狼与小羊
WOLF, meeting with a Lamb astray from the fold, resolved not tolay violent hands on him, but to find some plea to justify to theLamb the Wolf's right to eat him. He thus addressed him:"Sirrah,last year you grossly insulted me." "Indeed," bleated the Lamb in amournful tone of voice, "I was not then born." Then said the Wolf ,"You feed in my pasture." "No, good sir," replied the Lamb, "I havenot yet tasted grass." Again said the Wolf, "You drink of my well.""No," exclaimed the Lamb, "I never yet drank water, for as yet mymother's milk is both food and drink to me." Upon which the Wolfseized him and ate him up, saying, "Well! I won't remainsupperless, even though you refute every one of myimputations."
The tyrant will always find a pretext for his tyranny.
一只小羊在河边喝水，狼见到后，便想找一个名正言顺的借口吃掉他。于是他跑到上游，恶狠狠地说小羊把河水搅浑浊了，使他喝不到清水。小羊回答说，他仅仅站在河边喝水，并且又在下游，根本不可能把上游的水搅浑。狼见此计不成，又说道：“我父亲去年被你骂过。”小羊说，那时他还没有出生。狼对他说：“不管你怎样辩解，反正我不会放过 你。”
这说明，对恶人做任何正当的辩解也是无效的。
The Bat and the Weasels蝙蝠与黄鼠狼
A BAT who fell upon the ground and was caught by a Weaselpleaded to be spared his life. The Weasel refused, saying that hewas by nature the enemy of all birds. The Bat assured him that hewas not a bird, but a mouse, and thus was set free. Shortlyafterwards the Bat again fell to the ground and was caught byanother Weasel, whom he likewise entreated not to eat him. TheWeasel said that he had a special hostility to mice. The Batassured him that he was not a mouse, but a bat, and thus a secondtime escaped.
It is wise to turn circumstances to good account.
蝙蝠掉落在地上，被黄鼠狼叼去，他请求饶命。黄鼠狼说绝不会放过他，自己生来痛恨鸟类。蝙蝠说他是老鼠，不是鸟，便被放了。后来蝙蝠又掉落了下来，被另一只黄鼠狼叼住，他再三请求不要吃他。这只黄鼠狼说他恨一切鼠类。蝙蝠改口说自己是鸟类，并非老鼠，又被放了。这样，蝙蝠两次改变了自己的名字，终于死里逃生。
这故事说明，我们遇事要随机应变方能避免危险。
The Ass and the Grasshopper驴子与蚱蜢
AN ASS having heard some Grasshoppers chirping, was highlyenchanted; and, desiring to possess the same charms of melody,demanded what sort of food they lived on to give them suchbeautiful voices. They replied, "The dew." The Ass resolved that hewould live only upon dew, and in a short time died of hunger.
驴子听见蚱蜢唱歌，被美妙动听的歌声所打动，自己也想能发出同样悦耳动听的声音，便羡慕地问他们吃些什么，才能发出如此美妙的声音来。蚱蜢答道：“吃露水。”驴子便也只吃露水，没多久就饿死了。
这个故事告诉人们不要企望非份之物。
