1.Once there was a king. He likes to write stories, but his stories were not good. As people were afraid of him, they all said his stories were good.

One day the king showed his stories to a famous writer. He waited the writer to praise these stories. But the writer said his stories were so bad that he should throw them into fire. The king got very angry with him and sent him to prison.

After some time, the king set him free. Again he showed him some of his new stories and asked what he thought of them.

After reading them, the writer at once turned to the soldiers and said: Take me back to prison, please.

從前有一個國王,他喜歡寫故事,但是他寫的故事很不好。人們怕他,都說他的故事好。有一天國王把他的故事給一名作家看,他想要作家贊揚他的這些故事,而作家說他的故事是如此的差以至于該扔進火里。國王很生氣,把他送到監獄。

過了些日子,國王給了作家自由。國王重新將自己的一些新故事給作家看并問他感覺怎么樣。

作家看了之后立刻轉身對士兵說著;請把我送回監獄吧。

2.My uncle has two dogs. One is big and the other is small. He likes them very much.

One day, Mr. Smith came to visit him. When the friend saw two holes in the door, a large hole and a small hole, he was surprised and said, My dear friend, why are there two holes in your door? Let my dogs come in and come out, of course, Mr. Smith asked. But why are there two holes? One is enough! But how can the big dog go through the small hole? my uncle said.

Sometimes a clever man may make such mistakes.

我的叔叔有兩條狗。一只是大的,另一只是小狗的。他很喜歡它們。

有一天,史密斯先生來看他。當這個朋友看見門口上有連個洞,一個是大洞和一個小洞時,他感到吃驚并說,我親愛的朋友,為什么你的門上有連個洞?我的叔叔回答說:當然是讓我的兩條狗進出了。 史密斯先生問到: 為什么門上要兩個洞呢?一個就足夠了。 我叔叔說:大狗怎能走小洞呢?

有時聰明的人可能會犯這樣的錯誤。

3.A boy was playing in the fields when he was stung by a nettle . He ran home to tell his mother what had happened. I only touched it lightly, he said, and the nasty thing stung me. It stung you because you only touched it lightly, his mother told him. Next time you touch a nettle grasp it as tightly as you can. Then it wont sting you at all. Face danger boldly.

有個男孩子在地里玩耍，被蕁麻刺痛了。他跑回家去，告訴媽媽出了什么事。 我不過輕輕地碰了它一下，他說，那討厭的東西就把我刺痛了。 你只輕輕地碰了它一下，所以它才刺痛你，媽媽對他說，下一回你再碰到蕁麻，就盡量緊緊地抓住它。那它就根本不會刺痛你了。 要敢于面對危險。

4.Mike is a little boy. He is only five years old. He is too small to go to school. So he can not read and write.

One day he stood at my desk with a pencil in his hand. There was a big piece of paper on the desk. He wanted to draw a picture of himself. He drew lines and cleared them out, then drew more and cleared them out again. When I looked at the picture, he wasnt happy. Well, he said at last to me, ll put a tail on it and make it a monkey.

He began to add the tail. I began to laugh.

邁克是一個小男孩,他只有5歲。他太小還沒有上學,因此也不會讀和寫。

一天,他手里拿著一支鉛筆站在我的桌子前。桌子上放著一張大紙,他要畫自畫像。他畫了幾筆就擦掉了,再畫幾筆,有擦掉了。當我看一幅畫時,他很不高興。 好吧,他最后和我說,我就再加一條尾巴,把他畫成一只猴子吧!

他開始加上小尾巴,我大笑起來。

5.One day, Mikes mother needed a pot. She asked Mike to borrow one from her friend. So Mike went to the friends house. She gave him a big pot. On the way home Mike put it down on the road and looked at it. It was made of clay and had three legs.

Then he said to the pot, You have three legs and I have only two. You can carry me for a few minutes. Then Mike sat down inside the pot. But the pot didnt move.

Mike got angry and broke it then carried the broke pot home. His mother was angry. You are stupid. She said. But Mike thought, m not stupid. Only a stupid person carried something with three legs.

一天,邁克的媽媽需要一口鍋,她讓邁克向她朋友借一口鍋。于是,邁克去了她的朋友家,她的朋友借個他一口大鍋。在回家的路上,邁克把鍋放在路上看了看它,它是一口粘土制成的三條腿的鍋。

然后他對鍋說:你有三條腿而我只有兩條腿。 你應該背我一會兒。然后,邁克坐在鍋里,但是鍋一動也不動。

邁克很生氣地把鍋打破了,但后拿著破鍋向家里走去。到家后他的媽媽很生氣地說:你真笨。但邁克認為:我不笨,只有愚蠢的人才會帶回三條腿的鍋。

6.Once a simpletons wife told him to buy some ice.

Two hours later, he didnt come back. She wanted to know why he didnt come back and went out to have a look. She saw he was standing in the sun at the gate and watching the ice melting.

Whats the matter? She asked him. Why dont you bring it in?

I saw the ice was wet and I was afraid that you would scold me so Im running it dry. The simpleton answered.

從前有一個笨人的妻子讓她的丈夫買幾塊冰。

兩個小時后,他還沒回來。

她想知道他為什么沒回來,就出去看了看,發現她的丈夫在門口站著,在太陽下曬冰,看著冰融化。

她問他:怎么啦?你為什么不把它拿進來?

我看見冰是濕的,恐怕你會訓斥我,因此,我正在把它曬干。笨人回答道。

Unhappily the fox came running past that minute. A whiff of scent3 soon brings him to a pause, And the fox sights the cheese and licks his jaws4.

The rascal5 steals on tip-toe to the tree. He curls his tail, and, gazing earnestly. He speaks so soft, scarce whispering each word:

How beautiful you are, sweet bird! What a neck, and oh! what eyes, Like a dream of Paradise! Then, what feathers! What a beak6! And, sure, an angels voice if only you would speak! Sing, darling; dont be shy! Oh, sister, truth to tell, if you, with charms like these, can sing as well, Of birds youd be the queen adorable! the silly creatures head turns giddy with his praise. Her breath, for very rapture7, swells8 her throat; the foxs soft persuasion9 she obeys. And high as crow can pitch she caws one piercing note.

Down falls the cheese! Both cheese and fox have gone their ways.

How often have they told us, please, and always to no use-that flatterys mean and base. The flatterer in our hearts will always find a place.

上帝不知何故賞給了烏鴉一小塊奶酪。于是,烏鴉高高地躲在樅樹的樹梢,似乎要安頓下來開始享用美味。但是嘴里含著那一小塊奶酪,心里還要思量一番。

可是倒霉得很,一只狐貍從旁邊經過,奶酪的飄香讓狐貍止住了奔跑。狐貍看著奶酪,舔舔嘴。

這狡猾的東西踮起腳尖偷偷走近樅樹。它卷起尾巴,目不轉睛地瞅著,非常柔和的說話了,幾乎每個字都是竊竊私語:

心肝寶貝,你長得多么美妙啊!瞧那脖子,瞧那眼睛,美的像個天堂的夢!多好的羽毛,多好的嘴巴,你一開口,一定會有天使的聲音,唱吧!親愛的,別害羞!啊!小妹妹, 說實話,你這么美麗迷人,要是再唱得悅耳動聽,那你就是令人拜倒的鳥中皇后了!那蠢鳥被贊美地暈頭轉向,高興地都要透不過氣來。它聽從了狐貍的柔聲勸誘,盡其所能提高了嗓門,發出了呱呱的叫聲。

奶酪墜地,狐貍銜起它就沒影了。

對于阿諛奉承的卑鄙和惡劣,我們接受過多少次告誡,然而一切都是徒勞,馬屁精總會在我們心里占據一席之地。

8.There was once a blind man who had so fine a sense of touch that, when any animal was put into his hands, he could tell what it was merely by the feel of it. One day the cub of a wolf was put into his hands, he was asked what it was. He felt it for some time, and then said, Indeed, I am not sure whether it is a wolfs cub or a foxs: but this I know -- it would never do to trust it in a sheepfold.

Evil tendencies are early shown.

從前,有一個人眼睛雖然瞎了,可是他精于嗅覺,只要用手摸一摸,憑借著觸感就便能說出這是什么動物。有一天,一只小狼崽被送到他的手中,請他告知這是什么東西。他用手摸了一會兒,然后說:我不太確定,這到底是一只小狼崽,還是一只狐貍的幼崽,但是有一點我十分確定,千萬別讓它進羊圈。

惡劣的本性從小便知。

9.A fir-tree was boasting to a bramble, and said, somewhat contemptuously, You poor creature, you are of no use whatever. Now, look at me: I am useful for all sorts of things, particularly when men build houses; they cant do without me then. But the bramble replied, Ah, thats all very well: but you wait till they come with axes and saws to cut you down, and then youll wish you were a Bramble and not a fir.

Better poverty without a care than wealth with its many obligations.

一棵冷杉樹用輕蔑的口吻對著荊棘夸口道:你這個可憐的東西,一點用處也沒有,你看看我,我可是對萬物都有益處,尤其是當人類要蓋房子的時候,沒有我根本就不行。但是,荊棘回答:是啊!那確是很好,不過,等他們拿著斧頭把你砍到時候,你就會希望自己是荊棘,而不是冷杉樹了。

寧可貧窮而無人問津,也不要富貴而責任纏身。

10.There was once a charcoal1-burner who lived worked by himself. A fuller, however, happened to come settle in the same neighbourhood; the charcoal-burner, having made his acquaintance finding he was an agreeable sort of fellow, asked him if he would come and share his house: We shall get to know one another better that way, he said, and, beside, our household expenses will be diminished. The fuller thanked him, but replied, I couldnt think of it, sir: why, everything I take such pains to whiten would be blackened in no time by your charcoal.

從前,有一個自力更生的燒炭工人獨自在家做工作。碰巧,一個漂洗工搬至隔壁,與他成了鄰居。結實漂洗工后,燒炭工人經過了解發現,這個鄰居是一個很好的合作伙伴,就問漂洗工愿不愿意搬到他的鋪子里一起工作。那樣我們會更加親密。燒炭人說:不僅如此,我們還可以節省生活開銷呢?漂洗工謝絕了他,回答說:我可不這樣看,先生,因為不管我的衣服漂洗的多么白,都會立刻被你的木炭染黑了。