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.

病獅

獅子自知時日無多，在洞口病懨懨地躺著，氣喘吁吁地等待死神的到來，那些曾經臣服于他的動物紛紛趕來，隨著他病情的加重而越發(fā)靠近。當它們發(fā)覺獅子只剩最后一口氣時，都暗自想道：“是時候了結陳年舊恨了。”于是，野豬上前用自己的獠牙作勢驅趕他，公牛則用牛角刺傷他，獅子在它們面前毫無還手之力。驢子見狀，感覺此時已沒有一絲絲危險，也趕上前來，用屁股對準獅子，拿蹄子踢他的臉。獅子咆哮道：“這真是比死還難受！”

懦夫只敢侮辱垂死的強者。

Key points

ass 驢子

boar 野豬

bull 公牛

coward 懦夫

gasp 喘氣

gore 刺傷，頂

growl 低聲咆哮著說

grudge 怨恨

heel 腳后跟

horn 角

insult 侮辱

majesty 統(tǒng)治者

tusk 獠牙

unto 到……為止

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.

燕子和其他鳥正在蹦蹦跳跳地尋找食物，這時，一個鄉(xiāng)下人在它們周圍開始播撒大麻種子。燕子小聲說道：“小心那個人?！逼渌B問：“為什么？他在干什么？”“他撒的是大麻種子，一定要仔細地把這些種子撿起來，不然你們會后悔的?！逼渌B都沒把燕子的話放在心上。漸漸地，大麻種子生根發(fā)芽，成熟后被搓成繩子，這些繩子后來又被編織成網。這些從小種子演變而來的網，成功地網住了許多鳥，這些鳥當初都忽視了燕子的警告?！拔腋嬖V過你們什么了？”燕子斥問其他鳥。

邪惡的種子必須消滅，否則長大會成為禍患。

燕子和其他鳥

Key points

beware of 對……小心 cord （細）繩 despise 鄙視 destroy 消滅

evil 邪惡的 heed 留心 hemp 大麻 hop 跳行 quoth 說

repent 感到懊悔 ruin 禍根 sowing（sow 的現(xiàn)在分詞）播種