6个伊索寓言

1. THE LION AND THE MOUSE

Lion was awakened from sleep by a Mouse running over his face. Rising up in anger, he caught him and was about to kill him, when the Mouse piteously entreated, saying: "If you would only spare my life, I would be sure to repay your kindness." The Lion laughed and let him go.

1．狮和鼠

一只老鼠从一只狮子面前跑过去，将它从梦中吵醒。狮子生气地跳起来，捉住老鼠，要弄死它。老鼠哀求说：「只要你肯饶恕我这条小生命，我将来一定会报答你的大恩。」狮子便笑着放了它。


It happened shortly after this that the Lion was caught by some hunters, who bound him by strong ropes to the ground. The Mouse, recognizing his roar, came up, and gnawed the rope with his teeth, and setting him free, exclaimed: "You ridiculed the idea of my ever being able to help you, not expecting to receive from me any repayment of your favour; but now you know that it is possible for even a Mouse to confer benefits on a Lion."

后来狮子被几个猎人捉住，用粗绳捆绑倒在地上。老鼠听出是狮子的吼声，走来用牙齿咬断绳索，释放了牠，并大声说：「你当时嘲笑我想帮你的忙，而且也不指望我有什么机会报答。但是你现在知道了，就算是小老鼠，也能向狮子效劳的。

2．狼和小羊

2. THE WOLF AND THE LAMBA Wolf meeting with a Lamb astray from the fold, resolved not to lay violent hands on him, but to find some plea, which should justify to the Lamb himself his right to eat him. He thus addressed him:"Sirrah, last year you grossly insulted me." "Indeed," bleated the Lamb in a mournful tone of voice, "I was not then born." Then said the Wolf, "You feed in my pasture."

一只狼瞧见一只迷路失群的小羊，决定暂缓下毒手，想先找一些理由，对小羊证明自己有吃它的权利。它就说：「小鬼！你去年曾经骂过我。」小羊可怜地说：「老实说，我去年还没有出生呢。」狼再说：「你在我的草地上吃过草。」


"No, good sir," replied the Lamb, "I have not yet tasted grass." Again said the Wolf, "You drink of my well." "No," exclaimed the Lamb, "I never yet drank water, for as yet my mother′s milk is both food and drink to me." On which the Wolf seized him, and ate him up, saying, "Well! I won′t remain supperless, even though you refute every one of my imputations."The tyrant will always find a pretext for his tyranny.

小羊回答说：「不，好先生，我还未曾尝过草的味道呢。」狼又说：「你喝过我井里的水。」小羊叫道：「不，我从没有喝过水，因为直到今天为止，我都是吃着母亲的奶汁。」狼一听这话，便抓住它，把它吃下去，便说：「好！即使你驳倒我每一句话，我终究要吃晚餐的！」暴君总有他暴行的借口。

3. THE ASS AND THE GRASSHOPPERAn

Ass having heard some Grasshoppers chirping, was highly enchanted; 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 only live upon dew, and in a short time died of hunger.

3．驴和蚱蜢
一只驴听到几只蚱蜢在叫，便觉得很有趣；于是也想得到同样有趣的音调，便问蚱蜢吃什么东西过活，以致于能有这样优美的声音。蚱蜢说：「露水。」驴子听了，从此以后也单吃露水过活，不久便饿死了。


4. THE WOLF AND THE CRANEA

Wolf, having a bone stuck in his throat, hired a Crane, for a large sum, to put her head into his throat, and draw out the bone. When the Crane had extracted the bone, and demanded the promised payment, the Wolf, grinning and grinding his teeth, exclaimed: "Why, you have surely already a sufficient recompense, in having been permitted to draw out your head in safety from the mouth and jaws of a wolf."

4．狼和鹳雀

一只狼喉咙鲠了一根骨头，便用很多钱去雇请一只鹳雀，将头伸进他的喉咙中，把那块骨头取出来。当鹳雀拔出那块骨头，向他索取约定的报酬，狼却呲牙咧齿地说：「怎么？允许你的头从一只狼的嘴巴和牙床中安全地伸出来，已经是莫大的报酬了。」为恶人效劳，不要希望得到报酬；要是能避免伤害，已经是万幸了。


5. THE FATHER AND HIS SONSA

Father had a family of sons who were perpetually quarrelling among themselves. When he failed to heal their disputes by his exhortations, he determined to give them a practical illustration of the evils of disunion; and for this purpose he one day told them to bring him a bundle of sticks. When they had done so, he placed the faggot into the hands of each of them in succession, and ordered them to break it in pieces. They each tried with all their strength, and were not able to do it.

5．父亲和孩子们

一位父亲有几个孩子，这些孩子时常发生口角。他丝毫没有办法来劝阻他们，只好让他们看看不合群所带来害处的例子。为了达到这个目的，有一天他叫他们替他拿一捆细柴来。当他们把柴带来时，他便先后地将那捆柴放在每一个孩子的手中，吩咐他们弄断这捆柴。他们一个个尽力去试，总是不能成功。

He next unclosed the faggot, and took the sticks separately, one by one, and again put them into their hands, on which they broke them easily. He then addressed them in these words: "My sons, if you are of one mind, and unite to assist each other, you will be as this faggot, uninjured by all the attempts of your enemies; but if you are divided among yourselves, you will be broken as easily as these sticks."

然后他解开那捆柴，一根根地放在他们手里，如此一来，他们便毫不费力地折断了。于是他就告诉他们说：「孩子们！如果你们大家团结一致，互相帮助，你们就像这捆柴一样，不能被你们的敌人折断；但如果你们自行分裂，你们就将和这些散柴一般，不堪一折了。」

6. THE BAT AND THE WEASELSA

Bat falling upon the ground was caught by a Weasel, ofwhom he earnestly besought his life. The Weasel refused,saying, that he was by nature the enemy of all birds. TheBat assured him that he was not a bird, but a mouse, andthus saved his life.

6．蝙蝠和鼠狼

一只蝙蝠坠落到地面上来，被一只鼠狼捉住了，蝙蝠哀求讨饶。鼠狼不答应，说它自己最爱和鸟类为敌。蝙蝠便证明它自己不是鸟，只是一只老鼠，因此鼠狼就放了它。

Shortly afterwards the Bat again fellon the ground, and was carght by another Weasel, whom helikewise entreated not to eat him. The Weasel said that hehad a special hostility to mice. The Bat assured him thathe was not a mouse, but a bat; and thus a second timeescaped.It is wise to turn circumstances to good account.

不久这只蝙蝠又坠落到地上来，被另一只鼠狼捉住，它同样地哀求讨饶。那鼠狼说它自己最恨老鼠，蝙蝠证明自己并不是老鼠，而是一只蝙蝠；因此，它第二次又安然地逃离危险了。随机应变乃聪明之举。