1、 79/79伊索寓言英文版 Page1 Translated by George Fyler TownsendThe Wolf and the LambWOLF, meeting with a Lamb astray from the fold, resolved not tolay violent hands on him, but to find some plea to justify to theLamb the Wolfs right to eat him. He thus addressed him:Sirrah,last year you grossly insulted me.

2、 Indeed, bleated the Lamb in amournful tone of voice, I was not then born. Then said the Wolf, You feed in my pasture. No, good sir, replied the Lamb, Ihave not yet tasted grass. Again said the Wolf, You drink of mywell. No, exclaimed the Lamb, I never yet drank water, for asyet my mothers milk is b

3、oth food and drink to me. Upon whichthe Wolf seized him and ate him up, saying, Well! I wont remainsupperless, even though you refute every one of my imputations.The tyrant will always find a pretext for his tyranny.The Bat and the WeaselsA BAT who fell upon the ground and was caught by a Weaselplea

4、ded to be spared his life. The Weasel refused, saying that hewas by nature the enemy of all birds. The Bat assured him that hewas not a bird, but a mouse, and thus was set free. Shortlyafterwards the Bat again fell to the ground and was caught byanother Weasel, whom he likewise entreated not to eat

5、him. TheWeasel said that he had a special hostility to mice. The Bat assuredhim that he was not a mouse, but a bat, and thus a second timeescaped.It is wise to turn circumstances to good account.The Ass and the GrasshopperAN ASS having heard some Grasshoppers chirping, was highlyenchanted; and, desi

6、ring to possess the same charms of melody,demanded what sort of food they lived on to give them suchbeautiful voices. They replied, The dew. The Ass resolved thathe would live only upon dew, and in a short time died of hunger.The Lion and the MouseA LION was awakened from sleep by a Mouse running ov

7、er his face.Rising up angrily, he caught him and was about to kill him, whenthe Mouse piteously entreated, saying: If you would only sparemy life, I would be sure to repay your kindness. The Lionlaughedand let him go. It happened shortly after this that theLion wascaught by some hunters, who bound h

8、im by st ropes to the round.The Mouse, recognizing his roar, came gnawed the rope with histeeth, and set him free, exclaim You ridiculed the idea ofmy everbeing able to help you,expecting to receive from me any repayment of your favor; I nowyou know that it is possible for even aMouse to con benefit

9、s on a Lion.Page2The Charcoal-Burner and the FullerA CHARCOAL-BURNER carried on his trade in his own house.One day he met a friend, a Fuller, and entreated him to come andlive with him, saying that they should be far better neighbors andthat their housekeeping expenses would be lessened. The Fullerr

10、eplied, The arrangement is impossible as far as I am concerned,for whatever I should whiten, you would immediately blacken againwith your charcoal.Lik e will draw like. The Father and His SonsA FATHER had a family of sons who were perpetually quarrelingamong themselves. When he failed to heal their

11、disputes by hisexhortations, he determined to give them a practical illustrationof the evils of disunion; and for this purpose he one day toldthem to bring him a bundle of sticks. When they had done so, heplaced the faggot into the hands of each of them in succession,and ordered them to break it in

12、pieces. They tried with all theirstrength, and were not able to do it. He next opened the faggot,took the sticks separately, one by one, and again put them into hissons hands, upon which they broke them easily. He then ddressedthem in these words: My sons, if you are of one mind, and uniteto assist

13、each other, you will be as this faggot, uninjured by all theattempts of your enemies; but if you are divided among yourselves, you will be broken as easily as these sticks.The Boy Hunting LocustsA BOY was hunting for locusts. He had caught a goodly number,when he saw a Scorpion, and mistaking him fo

14、r a locust, reachedout his hand to take him. The Scorpion, showing his sting, said:If you had but touched me, my friend, you would have lost me,and all your locusts too!The Cock and the JewelA COCK, scratching for food for himself and his hens, found aprecious stone and exclaimed: If your owner had

15、found thee, andnot I, he would have taken thee up, and have set thee in thy firstestate; but I have found thee for no purpose. I would rather haveone barleycorn than all the jewels in the world.Page3The Kingdom of the LionTHE BEASTS of the field and forest had a Lion as their king. Hewas neither wra

16、thful, cruel, nor tyrannical, but just and gentle as aking could be. During his reign he made a royal proclamation for ageneral assembly of all the birds and beasts, and drew up onditionsfor a universal league, in which the Wolf and the Lamb, the Pantherand the Kid, the Tiger and the Stag, the Dog a

17、nd the Hare, shouldlive together in perfect peace and amity. The Hare said, Oh, how Ihave longed to see this day, in which the weak shall take their placewith impunity by the side of the strong. And after the Hare saidthis, he ran for his life.The Wolf and the CraneA WOLF who had a bone stuck in his

18、 throat hired a Crane, for alarge sum, to put her head into his mouth and draw out the bone.When the Crane had extracted the bone and demanded the romisedpayment, the Wolf, grinning and grinding his teeth, exclaimed:Why, you have surely already had a sufficient recompense, inhaving been permitted to

19、 draw out your head in safety from themouth and jaws of a wolf.In serving the wicked, expect no reward, and be thankful if youescape injury for your pains.The Fisherman PipingA FISHERMAN skilled in music took his flute and his nets to theseashore. Standing on a projecting rock, he played several tun

20、esin the hop e that the fish, attracted by his melody, would of their own accord dance into his net, which he had placed below.At last, having long waited in vain, he laid aside his flute, andcasting his net into the sea, made an excellent haul of fish.When he saw them leaping about in the net upon

21、the rock he said:O you most perverse creatures, when I piped you would notdance,but now that I have ceased you do so merrily.Hercules and the WagonerA CARTER was driving a wagon along a country lane, when thewheels sank down deep into a rut. The rustic driver, stupefiedand aghast, stood looking at t

22、he wagon, and did nothing but utterloud cries to Hercules to come and help him. Hercules, it is said,appeared and thus addressed him: Put your shoulders to thewheels, my man. Goad on your bullocks, and never more pray tome for help, until you have done your best to help yourself, ordepend upon it yo

23、u will henceforth pray in vain.Self-help is the best help.The Ants and the GrasshopperTHE ANTS were spending a fine winters day drying grain ollectedin the summertime. A Grasshopper, perishing with famine, passedby and earnestly begged for a little food. The Ants inquired ofhim, Why did you not trea

24、sure up food during the summer? Hereplied, I had not leisure enough. I passed the days in singing.They then said in derision: If you were foolish enough to sing allthe summer, you must dance supperless to bed in the winter.Page4The Traveler and His DogA TRAVELER about to set out on a journey saw his

25、 Dog stand atthe door stretching himself. He asked him sharply: Why do youstand there gaping? Everything is ready but you, so come with meinstantly. The Dog, wagging his tail, replied: O, master! I amquite ready; it is you for whom I am waiting.The loiterer often blames delay on his more active frie

26、nd.The Dog and the ShadowA DOG, crossing a bridge over a stream with a piece of flesh inhis mouth, saw his own shadow in the water and took it for thatof another Dog, with a piece of meat double his own in size. Heimmediately let go of his own, and fiercely attacked the otherDog to get his larger pi

27、ece from him. He thus lost both: thatwhich he grasped at in the water, because it was a shadow; andhis own, because the stream swept it away.The Mole and His MotherA MOLE, a creature blind from birth, once said to his Mother: Iam sure than I can see, Mother! In the desire to prove to himhis mistake,

28、 his Mother placed before him a few grains offrankincense, and asked, What is it? The young Mole said, Itis a pebble. His Mother exclaimed: My son, I am afraid that youare not only blind, but that you have lost your sense of smell.The Herdsman and the Lost BullA HERDSMAN tending his flock in a fores

29、t lost a Bull-calf fromthe fold. After a long and fruitless search, he made a vow that,if he could only discover the thief who had stolen the Calf, hewould offer a l amb in sacrifice to Hermes, Pan, and the Guardian Deities of the forest. Not long afterwards, as he ascended a smallhillock, he saw at

30、 its foot a Lion feeding on the Calf.Terrified at the sight, he lifted his eyes and his hands to heaven,and said: Just now I vowed to offer a lamb to the GuardianDeities of the forest if I could only find out who had robbed me;but now that I have discovered the thief, I would willingly add afull-gro

31、wn Bull to the Calf I have lost, if I may only secure my ownescape from him in safety.The Hare and the TortoiseA HARE one day ridiculed the short feet and slow pace of theTortoise, who replied, laughing: Though you be swift as thewind, I will beat you in a race. The Hare, believing her assertion tob

32、e simply impossible, assented to the proposal; and they agreedthat the Fox should choose the course and fix the goal. On the dayappointed for the race the two started together. The Tortoise neverfor a moment stopped, but went on with a slow but steady pacestraight to the end of the course.The Hare,

33、lying down by the wayside, fell fast asleep. At lastwaking up, and moving as fast as he could, he saw the Tortoisehad reached the goal, and was comfortably dozing after herfatigue.Slow but steady wins the race.Page5The Pomegranate, Apple-Tree, and BrambleTHE POMEGRANATE and Apple-Tree disputed as to

34、 which wasthe most beautiful. When their strife was at its height, a Bramblefrom the neighboring hedge lifted up its voice, and said in aboastful tone: Pray, my dear friends, in my presence at least ceasefrom such vain disputings.The Farmer and the StorkA FARMER placed nets on his newly-sown plowlan

35、ds and caughta number of Cranes, which came to pick up his seed. With them hetrapped a Stork that had fractured his leg in the net and wasearnestly beseeching the Farmer to spare his life. Pray saveme, Master, he said, and let me go free this once. My brokenlimb should excite your pity. Besides, I a

36、m no Crane, I am a Stork,a bird of excellent character; and see how I love and slave for myfather and mother. Look too, at my feathers- they are not the leastlike those of a Crane. The Farmer laughed aloud and said, It maybe all as you say, I only know this: I have taken you with theserobbers, the C

37、ranes, and you must die in their company.Birds of a feather flock together.The Farmer and the SnakeONE 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 itsnatural insti

38、ncts, bit its benefactor, inflicting on him a mortalwound. Oh, cried the Farmer with his last breath, I am rightlyserved for pitying a scoundrel.The greatest kindness will not bind the ungrateful.The Fawn and His MotherA YOUNG FAWN once said to his Mother, You are larger than adog, and swifter, and

39、more used to r unning, and you have your horns as a defense; why, then, O Mother! do the hounds frightenyou so?She smiled, and said: I know full well, my son, that all you sayis true. I have the advantages you mention, but when I hear eventhe bark of a single dog I feel ready to faint, and fly away

40、asfast as I can.No arguments will give courage to the coward.Page6The Bear and the FoxA BEAR boasted very much of his philanthropy, saying that of allanimals he was the most tender in his regard for man, for he hadsuch respect for him that he would not even touch his dead body.A Fox hearing these wo

41、rds said with a smile to the Bear, Oh!that you would eat the dead and not the living.The Swallow and the CrowTHE SWALLOW and the Crow had a contention about theirplumage.The Crow put an end to the dispute by saying, Your feathers areall very well in the spring, but mine protect me against the winter

42、.Fair weather friends are not worth much.The Mountain in LaborA MOUNTAIN was once greatly agitated. Loud groans and noiseswere heard, and crowds of people came from all parts to see whatwas the matter. While they were assembled in anxious expectationof some terrible calamity, out came a Mouse.Dont m

43、ake much ado about nothing.The Ass, the Fox, and the LionTHE ASS and the Fox, having entered into partnership together fortheir mutual protection, went out into the forest to hunt. Theyhad not proceeded far when they met a Lion. The Fox, seeingimminent danger, approached the Lion and promised to con

44、trivefor him the capture of the Ass if the Lion would pledge his wordnot to harm the Fox. Then, upon assuring the Ass that he wouldnot be injured, the Fox led him to a deep pit and arranged that heshould fall into it. The Lion, seeing that the Ass was secured,immediately clutched the Fox, and attack

45、ed the Ass at his leisure.Page7The Tortoise and the EagleA TORTOISE, lazily basking in the sun, complained to thesea-birds of her hard fate, that no one would teach her to fly.An Eagle, hovering near, heard her lamentation and demanded whatreward she would give him if he would take her aloft and flo

46、ather in the air. I will give you, she said, all the riches of the RedSea. I will teach you to fly then, said the Eagle; and taking herup in his talons he carried her almost to the clouds suddenly he lether go, and she fell on a lofty mountain, dashing her shell to pieces. The Tortoise exclaimed in

47、the moment of death: I have deservedmy present fate; for what had I to do with wings and clouds, whocan with difficulty move about on the earth?If men had all they wished, they would be often ruined.The Flies and the Honey-PotA NUMBER of Flies were attracted to a jar of honey which hadbeen overturne

48、d in a housekeepers room, and placing their feet init, ate greedily. Their feet, however, became so smeared with thehoney that they could not use their wings, nor release themselves, and were suffocated. Just as they were expiring, they exclaimed,O foolish creatures that we are, for the sake of a li

49、ttle pleasure wehave destroyed ourselves.Pleasure bought with pains, hurts.The Man and the LionA MAN and a Lion traveled together through the forest. They soonbegan to boast of their respective superiority to each other instrength and prowess. As they were disputing, they passed astatue carved in st

50、one, which represented a Lion strangled by aMan. The traveler pointed to it and said: See there! How strongwe are, and how we prevail over even the king of beasts. TheLion replied: This statue was made by one of you men. If weLions knew how to erect statues, you would see the Man placedunder the paw

51、 of the Lion.One story is good, till another is told.The Farmer and the CranesSOME CRANES made their feeding grounds on some plowlandsnewly sown with wheat. For a long time the Farmer, brandishing anempty sling, chased them away by the terror he inspired; but whenthe birds found that the sling was o

52、nly swung in the air, theyceased to take any notice of it and would not move. The Farmer,on seeing this, charged his sling with stones, and killed a greatnumber. The remaining birds at once forsook his fields, cryingto each other, It is time for us to be off to Liliput: for this man isno longer cont

53、ent to scare us, but begins to show us in earnestwhat he can do.If words suffice not, blows must follow.Page8The Dog in the MangerA DOG lay in a manger, and by his growling and snappingprevented the oxen from eating the hay which had been placed forthem.What a selfish Dog! said one of them to his co

54、mpanions; hecannot eat the hay himself, and yet refuses to allow those to eatwho can.The Fox and the GoatA FOX one day fell into a deep well and could find no means ofescape. A Goat, overcome with thirst, came to the same well, andseeing the Fox, inquired if the water was good. Concealing hissad pli

55、ght under a merry guise, the Fox indulged in a lavish praiseof the water, saying it was excellent beyond measure, andencouraging him to descend. The Goat, mindful only of histhirst, thoughtlessly jumped down, but just as he drank, the Foxinformed him of the difficulty they were both in and suggested

56、 ascheme for their common escape. If, said he, you will placeyour forefeet upon the wall and bend your head, I will run upyour back and escape, and will help you out afterwards. The Goatreadily assented and the Fox leaped upon his back. Steadyinghimself with the Goats horns, he safely reached the mo

57、uth of thewell and made off as fast as he could. When the Goat upbraidedhim for breaking his promise, he turned around and cried out,You foolish old fellow! If you had as many brains in your headas you have hairs in your beard, you would never have gone downbefore you had inspected the way up, nor h

58、ave exposed yo urself to dangers from which you had no means of escape.Look before you leap.The Bear and the Two TravelersTWO MEN were traveling together, when a Bear suddenly metthem on their path. One of them climbed up quickly into a tree andconcealed himself in the branches. The other, seeing th

59、at he mustbe attacked, fell flat on the ground, and when the Bear came upand felt him with his snout, and smelt him all over, he held hisbreath, and feigned the appearance of death as much as he could.The Bear soon left him, for it is said he will not touch a dead body.When he was quite gone, the ot

60、her Traveler descended from thetree, and jocularly inquired of his friend what it was the Bear hadwhispered in his ear. He gave me this advice, his companionreplied. Never travel with a friend who deserts you at theapproach of danger.Misfortune tests the sincerity of friends.The Oxen and the Axle-Tr