1. A man was going to the house of some rich person. As he went along the road, he saw a box of good apples at the side of the road. He said, "I do not want to eat those apples; for the rich man will give me much food; he will give me very nice food to eat." Then he took the apples and threw them away into the dust. He went on and came to a river. The river had become very big; so he could not go over it. He waited for some time; then he said, "I cannot go to the rich man's house today, for I cannot get over the river." He began to go home. He had eaten no food that day. He began to want food. He came to the apples, and he was glad to take them out of the dust and eat them. Do not throw good things away; you may be glad to have them at some other time.
【译文】 一个人正朝着一个富人的房子走去.当他沿着路走时,在路的一边他发现一箱好苹果,他说：“我不想吃那些苹果,因为富人会给我更多的食物,他会给我特别好吃的东西.”接着他拿起苹果一把扔到土里去. 他继续走.来到河边,河涨水了.因此,他到不了河对岸他.等了一会儿,接着他说：“今天我去不了富人家了,因为我不能过河.” 他开始回家,那天他没有吃东西.他就开始去找吃的.他找到了苹果,特别开心地把它们从尘土中翻出来吃了. 不要把好东西扔掉,换个时候你会觉得它们大有好处.
2. Fox and cock
One morning a fox sees a cock.He think,"This is my breakfast.'' He comes up to the cock and says,"I know you can sing very well.Can you sing for me?''The cock is glad.He closes his eyes and begins to sing.The fox sees that and catches him in his mouth and carries him away. The people in the field see the fox.They cry,"Look,look!The fox is carrying the cock away.''The cock says to the fox,"Mr Fox,do you understand?The people say you are carrying their cock away.Tell them it is yours.Not theirs.'' The fox opens his mouth ang says,"The cock is mine,not yours.''Just then the cock runs away from the fox and flies into the tree.
【译文】 狐狸和公鸡
一天早上,一只狐狸看到了一只公鸡.他想这是我的早餐. 他朝公鸡走来,对他说：“我知道,你能唱得很好听,你能唱给我听么?”公鸡特别开心.他闭上眼睛开始唱歌.狐狸看到公鸡这样,连忙抓住它放到自己的嘴里叼走了. 在田地里的人们看到了狐狸.大喊大叫：“看,看狐狸抓住公鸡逃走了.”公鸡对狐狸说：“狐狸先生,你能理解么,人们认为你叼走了公鸡.告诉他们这是你的,不是他们的.” 狐狸张开她的嘴说“公鸡是我的,不是你们的.”就在那时,公鸡从狐狸嘴里逃脱跑到了树底下.
3. The Old Cat
An old woman had a cat. The cat was very old; she could not run quickly, and she could not bite, because she was so old. One day the old cat saw a mouse; she jumped and caught the mouse. But she could not bite it; so the mouse got out of her mouth and ran away, because the cat could not bite it. Then the old woman became very angry because the cat had not killed the mouse. She began to hit the cat. The cat said, "Do not hit your old servant. I have worked for you for many years, and I would work for you still, but I am too old. Do not be unkind to the old, but remember what good work the old did when they were young."
【译文】 老猫
一位老妇有只猫,这只猫特别老,它跑不快了,也咬不了东西,因为它年纪太大了.一天,老猫发现一只老鼠,它跳过去抓这只老鼠.然而,它咬不住这只老鼠.因此,老鼠从它的嘴边溜掉了.因为老猫咬不了它. 于是,老妇特别生气,因为老猫没有把老鼠咬死.她开始打这只猫,猫说：“不要打你的老仆人,我已经为你服务了特别多年,还而且愿意为你效劳.但是,我实在太老了,对年纪大的不要这么无情,要记住老年人在年青时所做过的有益的事情.”
4. The City Mouse and the Country Mouse
Once there were two mice. They were friends. One mouse lived in the country; the other mouse lived in the city. After many years the Country mouse saw the City mouse; he said, "Do come and see me at my house in the country." So the City mouse went. The City mouse said, "This food is not good, and your house is not good. Why do you live in a hole in the field? You should come and live in the city. You would live in a nice house made of stone. You would have nice food to eat. You must come and see me at my house in the city." The Country mouse went to the house of the City mouse. It was a very good house. Nice food was set ready for them to eat. But just as they began to eat they heard a great noise. The City mouse cried, " Run! Run! The cat is coming!" They ran away quickly and hid. After some time they came out. When they came out, the Country mouse said, "I do not like living in the city. I like living in my hole in the field. For it is nicer to be poor and happy, than to be rich and afraid."
【译文】 城里老鼠和乡下老鼠
从前,有两只老鼠,它们是朋友.一只老鼠居住在乡村,另一只住在城里.多年以后,乡下老鼠碰到城里老鼠,它说：“你一定要来我乡下的家瞧瞧.”于是,城里老鼠就去了.城里老鼠说“这东西不好吃,你的家也不好,你为啥住在田野的地洞里呢?你应该搬到城里去住,你能住上用石头造的漂亮房子,而且会吃上美味佳肴,你应该到我城里的家瞧瞧.” 乡下老鼠就到城里老鼠的家去.房子十分漂亮,好吃的东西也为他们摆好了.可是正当他们要开始吃的时候,听见特别大的一阵响声.城里的老鼠叫喊起来,“快跑,快跑,猫来了.”他们飞快地跑开躲藏起来. 过了一会儿,他们出来了.当他们出来时,乡下老鼠说：“我不喜欢住在城里,我喜欢住在田野我的洞里.因为这样虽然贫穷但是快乐自在.比起虽然富有却要过着提心吊胆的生活来说,要好些.”