伊索寓言5

　　The Farmer and the Stork农夫和鹳

　　A FARMER placed nets on his newly-sown plowlands and caught

　　a number of Cranes, which came to pick up his seed. With them he

　　trapped a Stork that had fractured his leg in the net and was

　　earnestly beseeching the Farmer to spare his life. "Pray save

　　me, Master," he said, "and let me go free this once. My broken

　　limb should excite your pity. Besides, I am no Crane, I am a Stork,

　　a bird of excellent character; and see how I love and slave for my

　　father and mother. Look too, at my feathers-- they are not the least

　　like those of a Crane." The Farmer laughed aloud and said, "It may

　　be all as you say, I only know this: I have taken you with these

　　robbers, the Cranes, and you must die in their company."

　　Birds of a feather flock together.

　　农夫在刚刚播种的田里布下许多网，许多来吃种子的鹤都被捉住了，并捉到一只鹳，鹳 的腿被网折断了，它哀求农夫说："饶了我吧，可怜可怜我吧。我又不是鹤，而是一只鹳， 我是性情优美的鸟。你瞧，我多么孝顺父母，为他们辛勤劳作，再仔细看看我的羽毛，与鹤 也完全不同。"农夫大笑说："你说的话也许不错；但我只知道，你和这些偷吃种子的鹤一 起被捉到，那末你就得和他们一起死。"

　　这是说人们切莫与坏人交朋友。

　　The Farmer and the Snake农夫与蛇

　　ONE WINTER a Farmer found a Snake stiff and frozen with cold.

　　He had compassion on it, and taking it up, placed it in his bosom.

　　The Snake was quickly revived by the warmth, and resuming its

　　natural instincts, bit its benefactor, inflicting on him a mortal

　　wound. "Oh," cried the Farmer with his last breath, "I am rightly

　　served for pitying a scoundrel."

　　The greatest kindness will not bind the ungrateful.

　　冬天，农夫发现一条蛇冻僵了，他很可怜它，便把蛇放在自己怀里。蛇温暖后，苏醒了 过来，恢复了它的本性，咬了它的恩人一口，使他受到了致命的伤害。农夫临死前说："我 该死，我怜悯恶人，应该受恶报。"

　　这故事说明，即使对恶人仁至义尽，他们的邪恶本性也是不会改变的。

　　The Fawn and His Father小鹿与他的父亲

　　A YOUNG FAWN once said to his Father, "You are larger than a

　　dog, and swifter, and more used to running, and you have your

　　horns as a defense; why, then, O Father! do the hounds frighten

　　you so?"

　　He smiled, and said: "I know full well, my son, that all you say

　　is true. I have the advantages you mention, but when I hear even

　　the bark of a single dog I feel ready to faint, and fly away as

　　fast as I can."

　　No arguments will give courage to the coward.

　　有一天，小鹿对公鹿说道，"父亲，你怎么还怕狗呢？你比他高大，比他跑得更快，而 且还有很大的角用于自卫。"公鹿笑着说："孩儿，你说得都对，可我只知道一点，一听到 狗的叫声，我就会不由自主地立刻逃跑。"

　　这故事说明，激励那些天生胆小、软

　　弱的人毫无用处。