四则英语寓言故事
The ass and the grasshopper 驴子与蚱蜢
An ass1 having heard some grasshoppers2 chirping3, was highly enchanted4; and, desiring to possess the same charms of melody, demanded what sort of food they lived on to give them such beautiful voices. They replied, "The dew."
The ass resolved that he would 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。
The Cock and the Pearl 公鸡和珍珠
A cock was once strutting1 up and down the farmyard among the hens when suddenly he espied2 something shinning amid the straw. "Ho! ho!" quoth he, "that's for me," and soon rooted it out from beneath the straw. What did it turn out to be but a pearl that by some chance had been lost in the yard? "You may be a treasure," quoth master pock, "to men that prize you, but for me I would rather have a single barley-corn than a peck of pearls."
Precious things are for those that can prize them.
在农场的庭院里有一只公鸡正昂首阔步地在一群母鸡中间来来回回。突然他瞥到稻草中有什么东西在闪闪发光。“哈哈”他说“那是我的”。然后迅速把它从稻草中刨了出来。他刨出出来的是一颗不知什么时候遗落在庭院里的珍珠“你也许这是个宝贝”，公鸡大人说，“对于人类来说，他们会珍惜你，但在我看来，我宁可要一粒大麦也不想琢一粒珍珠。”
只有懂得价值的人才会珍惜宝物。
The labourer and the snake 工人和蛇
A labourer's little son was bitten by a snake and died of the wound. The father was beside himself with grief, and in his anger against the snake the caught up an axe1 and went and stood close to the snake's hole, and watched for a chance of killing2 it. Presently the snake come out, and the man aimed a blow at it, but only succeeded in cutting of the tip of its tail before it wriggled3 in again. He then tried to get it to come out a second time, pretending that he wished to make up the quarrel. But the snake said, "I can never be your friend because of my lost tail, nor you mine because of your lost child."
Injuries are never forgotten in the presence of those who caused them.
工人的小儿子被一条毒蛇咬了一口，并且死于蛇伤。悲痛气愤之余，工人抓起一把斧头，气冲冲地跑到蛇洞外，等待机会砍死蛇。不久，蛇从洞里出来了，工人立即一斧头砍过去，可是只砍断了它的尾巴尖。随后，工人还想再如法炮制，便假装想与蛇和解。可是，蛇却说：“我永远也无法成为你的朋友，因为我丢了自己的尾巴，而你却丢失了儿子。”
在造成创伤的双方心里，永远无法忘却伤痛。
The fox and the monkey 狐狸和猴子
A fox and a monkey were on the road together, and fell into a dispute as to which of the two was the better born. They kept it up for some time, till they came to a place where the road passed through a cemetery1 full of monuments, when the monkey stopped and looked about him and gave a great sigh. "Why do you sigh?" said the fox. The monkey pointed2 to the tombs and replied, "All the monuments that you see here were put up in honour of my forefathers3, who in their day were eminent4 men." The fox was speechless for a moment, but quickly recovering he said, "Oh! don't stop at any lie, sir; you're quite safe: I'm sure none of your ancestors will rise up and expose you."
Boasters brag5 most when they cannot be detected.
狐狸与猴子同行，一路上都在争吵谁的家世更高贵。他们各自坚持着夸耀自己，边说边来到一个路边满是墓地的地方。这时，猴子停下来，四处观望，然后放声大哭。“你为什么这样吗?”狐狸忙问道。猴子指着那些墓碑，说：“你在这里看到的所有墓碑都是我祖先的荣誉，他们当时可都是杰出的人士!”狐狸沉默了一会儿，但是很快就反驳道：“哦!接着吹吧，先生，不会有人揭穿你的——我相信，他们之中没有人能站起来反驳你。
谎言无法被揭穿时，吹牛者便会夸夸其谈。
