伊索寓言

The Sick Lion

Lion had come to the end of his days and lay sick unto death at the mouth of his cave, gasping for breath. The animals, his subjects,came round him and drew nearer as he grew more and more helpless. When they saw him on the point of death they thought to themselves: “Now is the time to pay off old grudges.” So the Boar came up and drove at him with his tusks; then a Bull gored him with his horns; still the Lion lay helpless before them: so the Ass, feeling quite safe from danger, came up, and turning his tail to the Lion kicked up his heels into his face. “This is a double death.” growled the Lion.

Only cowards insult dying majesty.

病狮

狮子自知时日无多，在洞口病恹恹地躺着，气喘吁吁地等待死神的到来，那些曾经臣服于他的动物纷纷赶来，随着他病情的加重而越发靠近。当它们发觉狮子只剩最后一口气时，都暗自想道：“是时候了结陈年旧恨了。”于是，野猪上前用自己的獠牙作势驱赶他，公牛则用牛角刺伤他，狮子在它们面前毫无还手之力。驴子见状，感觉此时已没有一丝丝危险，也赶上前来，用屁股对准狮子，拿蹄子踢他的脸。狮子咆哮道：“这真是比死还难受！”

懦夫只敢侮辱垂死的强者。

Key points

ass 驴子

boar 野猪

bull 公牛

coward 懦夫

gasp 喘气

gore 刺伤，顶

growl 低声咆哮着说

grudge 怨恨

heel 脚后跟

horn 角

insult 侮辱

majesty 统治者

tusk 獠牙

unto 到……为止

The swalow and the other birds

It happened that a Countryman was sowing some hemp seeds in a field where a Swallow and some other birds were hopping about picking up their food. “Beware of that man,” quoth the Swallow. “Why? What is he doing?” said the others. “That is hemp seed he is sowing; be careful to pick up every one of the seeds, or else you will repent it.” The birds paid no heed to the Swallow’s words, and by and by the hemp grew up and was made into cord, and of the cords nets were made, and many a bird that had despised the Swallow’s advice was caught in nets made out of that very hemp. “What did I tell you?” said the Swallow.

Destroy the seed of evil, or it will grow up to your ruin.

燕子和其他鸟正在蹦蹦跳跳地寻找食物，这时，一个乡下人在它们周围开始播撒大麻种子。燕子小声说道：“小心那个人。”其他鸟问：“为什么？他在干什么？”“他撒的是大麻种子，一定要仔细地把这些种子捡起来，不然你们会后悔的。”其他鸟都没把燕子的话放在心上。渐渐地，大麻种子生根发芽，成熟后被搓成绳子，这些绳子后来又被编织成网。这些从小种子演变而来的网，成功地网住了许多鸟，这些鸟当初都忽视了燕子的警告。“我告诉过你们什么了？”燕子斥问其他鸟。

邪恶的种子必须消灭，否则长大会成为祸患。

燕子和其他鸟

Key points

beware of 对……小心 cord （细）绳 despise 鄙视 destroy 消灭

evil 邪恶的 heed 留心 hemp 大麻 hop 跳行 quoth 说

repent 感到懊悔 ruin 祸根 sowing（sow 的现在分词）播种