77  捕鳥人與眼鏡蛇 The Fowler and the Viper

 目錄：http://www.bookstrg.com/ReadStory.asp?Code=RKALYSC

本篇：http://www.bookstrg.com/ReadStory.asp?Code=RKASeP35970

伊索寓言

捕鳥人與眼鏡蛇

　　捕鳥人拿著粘鳥膠與粘竿外出捕鳥。他看到一隻鳥棲息在一棵大樹上，就想要去捕捉它。於是，他接長了粘竿，仰著頭全神貫注地盯著高空中的那隻鳥。正當他這樣聚精會神時，不知不覺地踩著了一條躺在他腳前的眼鏡蛇。蛇馬上回過頭來，狠咬了他一口。他中了蛇毒，臨死之前，自言自語地說：「我真倒霉，光想去捉別人，不料自己反遭其害，丟了性命。」

　　這個故事帶出的啟示就是：那些想陰謀陷害別人的人自己會先遇到災難。

The Fowler and the Viper

　　A FOWLER, taking his bird-lime and his twigs, went out to catch birds. Seeing a thrush sitting upon a tree, he wished to take it, and fitting his twigs to a proper length, watched intently, having his whole thoughts directed towards the sky. While thus looking upwards, he unknowingly trod upon a Viper asleep just before his feet. The Viper, turning about, stung him, and falling into a swoon, the man said to himself, "Woe is me! that while I purposed to hunt another, I am myself fallen unawares into the snares of death."

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76 狼與狗 The Wolves and the Sheepdogs 

 目錄：http://www.bookstrg.com/ReadStory.asp?Code=RKALYSC

本篇：http://www.bookstrg.com/ReadStory.asp?Code=RKASeP35969

伊索寓言

狼與狗

　　一隻白胖白胖的狗套著頸圈，狼見到後，便問他：「你被誰拴住了，養得你這麼肥胖？」狗說：「是獵人。但願你不要受我這樣的罪，套著沉重的頸圈比挨餓難受得多。」

　　這個故事帶出的啟示就是：對於失去自由的人來說，即使最好的美食也都索然無味。

The Wolves and the Sheepdogs

　　THE WOLVES thus addressed the Sheepdogs: "Why should you, who are like us in so many things, not be entirely of one mind with us, and live with us as brothers should? We differ from you in one point only. We live in freedom, but you bow down to and slave for men, who in return for your services flog you with whips and put collars on your necks. They make you also guard their sheep, and while they eat the mutton throw only the bones to you. If you will be persuaded by us, you will give us the sheep, and we will enjoy them in common, till we all are surfeited." The Dogs listened favorably to these proposals, and, entering the den of the Wolves, they were set upon and torn to pieces.

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75狼與母山羊 The Wolf and the Crane

 目錄：http://www.bookstrg.com/ReadStory.asp?Code=RKALYSC

本篇：http://www.bookstrg.com/ReadStory.asp?Code=RKASeP35966  

伊索寓言  烏鴉與狐狸

　　有只烏鴉偷到一塊肉，銜著站在大樹上。路過此地的狐狸看見後，口水直流，很想把肉弄到手。他便站在樹下，大肆誇獎烏鴉的身體魁梧、羽毛美麗，還說他應該成為鳥類之王，若能發出聲音，那就更當之無愧了。烏鴉為了要顯示他能發出聲音，便張嘴放聲大叫，而那塊肉掉到了樹下。狐狸跑上去，搶到了那塊肉，並嘲笑說：「喂，烏鴉，你若有頭腦，真的可以當鳥類之王。」

　　這故事適用於愚蠢的人。

The Fox and the Crow

　　A CROW having stolen a bit of meat, perched in a tree and held it in her beak. A Fox, seeing this, longed to possess the meat himself, and by a wily stratagem succeeded. "How handsome is the Crow," he exclaimed, in the beauty of her shape and in the fairness of her complexion! Oh, if her voice were only equal to her beauty, she would deservedly be considered the Queen of Birds!" This he said deceitfully; but the Crow, anxious to refute the reflection cast upon her voice, set up a loud caw and dropped the flesh. The Fox quickly picked it up, and thus addressed the Crow: "My good Crow, your voice is right enough, but your wit is wanting."

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74 狼與母山羊 The Wolf and the Crane

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伊索寓言  狼與母山羊

　　母山羊在陡峭的山崖上吃草，狼無法捉到他，便勸說她趕快下來，免得一不小心掉進山谷裡，還說在自己身邊的草地好得多，青草茂盛鮮嫩，還有許多花。母山羊回答說，「你不是真心喊我去吃草，而是讓我去填飽你的肚子。」

　　這個故事帶出的啟示就是：儘管壞人老奸巨滑，但在聰明人面前，他們的詭計仍是枉費心機。

The Wolf and the Crane

　　A WOLF who had a bone stuck in his throat hired a Crane, for a large sum, to put her head into his mouth 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 had a sufficient recompense, in having been permitted to draw out your head in safety from the mouth and jaws of a wolf."

　　In serving the wicked, expect no reward, and be thankful if you escape injury for your pains.

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73 麻雀和野兔 The Sparrow and the Hare

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依索寓言  麻雀和野兔

　　一隻野兔被老鷹抓住了，他十分悲傷和痛苦，他的哭叫聲如同孩子哭一般。這時，一隻麻雀指責他說：「你飛快的速度怎麼不見了？你的腳為甚麼跑得這麼慢？」麻雀正說著，一隻老鷹飛來，突然抓住他，將他吃掉了。野兔見後，心安地說：「唉！他剛才還幸災樂禍，現在自己也遭到同樣不幸的命運了。」

　　這個故事帶出的啟示就是：見人遭受危難時，切不可幸災樂禍。

The Sparrow and the Hare

　　A HARE pounced upon by an eagle sobbed very much and uttered cries like a child. A Sparrow upbraided her and said, "Where now is thy remarkable swiftness of foot? Why were your feet so slow?" While the Sparrow was thus speaking, a hawk suddenly seized him and killed him. The Hare was comforted in her death, and expiring said, "Ah! you who so lately, when you supposed yourself safe, exulted over my calamity, have now reason to deplore a similar misfortune."

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72 跳蚤與運動員 The Flea and the Wrestler

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跳蚤與運動員

　　有一次，有只跳蚤跳到正在奔跑的運動員腳上，不停地咬他。他十分氣憤，準備用手指捏住跳蚤。可跳蚤憑著天生的本領，一竄就逃跑了，保住了小命。運動員歎息地說：「赫拉克勒斯呀，如果你是這樣幫助我去對付那小小跳蚤的話，又怎樣幫助我去戰勝強勁的對手呢？」

　　這故事告訴我們，不要為那些無關緊要的事去求神，而要在遇到重大困難時再去求神。

The Flea and the Wrestler

　　A FLEA settled upon the bare foot of a Wrestler and bit him, causing the man to call loudly upon Hercules for help. When the Flea a second time hopped upon his foot, he groaned and said, "O Hercules! if you will not help me against a Flea, how can I hope for your assistance against greater antagonists?'

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71 捕到石頭的漁夫 The Fishermen

捕到石頭的漁夫

　　漁夫們拉網時，覺得很沉重，他們高興得手舞足蹈，以為這一下子捕到了許多的魚。哪知把網拉到岸邊，網裡卻滿是石頭和別的東西，沒有一條魚。他們十分懊喪，沒捕到魚倒也罷，難受的是事實與他們所預想的正好相反。他們中一個年老的漁夫說道：「朋友們，別難過，快樂總與痛苦在一起，她們如同一對姐妹。我們預先快樂過了，現在不得不忍受到一點點痛苦。」

　　這個故事帶出的啟示就是：人生變化萬千，正如有時晴朗的天空會突然發生風暴，不要因挫折而苦惱。

The Fishermen

　　SOME FISHERMEN were out trawling their nets. Perceiving them to be very heavy, they danced about for joy and supposed that they had taken a large catch. When they had dragged the nets to the shore they found but few fish: the nets were full of sand and stones, and the men were beyond measure cast downso much at the disappointment which had befallen them, but because they had formed such very different expectations. One of their company, an old man, said, "Let us cease lamenting, my mates, for, as it seems to me, sorrow is always the twin sister of joy; and it was only to be looked for that we, who just now were over-rejoiced, should next have something to make us sad."

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70 狼與小羊 The Wolf and the Lamb

狼與小羊

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69 人與狐狸 The Farmer and the Fox

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人與狐狸

　　有人與狐狸為敵，因為狐狸經常危害他。有一天，他抓到了一隻狐狸，想要狠狠地報復一下。他把油浸在麻皮上，綁在狐狸尾巴上，然後點上火。神靈卻將狐狸引進那人的田地裡。那時正當收穫的季節，這人一邊趕狐狸一邊痛哭，因為田裡將甚麼都收穫不到了。

　　這個故事帶出的啟示就是：人們在極度生氣時，往往會毫無理智地處理事情，從而招來更大的災禍。

The Farmer and the Fox

　　A FARMER, who bore a grudge against a Fox for robbing his poultry yard, caught him at last, and being determined to take an ample revenge, tied some rope well soaked in oil to his tail, and set it on fire. The Fox by a strange fatality rushed to the fields of the Farmer who had captured him. It was the time of the wheat harvest; but the Farmer reaped nothing that year and returned home grieving sorely.

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                                68 跳蚤和公牛 The Flea and the Ox

伊索寓言

Aesop's Fable  跳蚤和公牛

　　有一天，跳蚤問牛：「你這般高大強壯而且勇敢，為甚麼還終日去為人們耕作？而我這只區區的小蟲，卻能毫無顧忌地去叮咬人，大口地吸他們的鮮血！」公牛回答說：「我一定要報答人類的恩德，因為他們都喜歡我，經常替我擦洗身體，並撫摸我的額角，我從他們那裡得到了愛。」跳蚤說：「你喜歡的這些方式，我都受不了。人們一旦抓住我，用對付你的方法，將會要我的命。」

　　這個故事帶出的啟示就是：得到怎樣的待遇，就會採取怎樣的態度去回報。

The Flea and the Ox

　　A FLEA thus questioned an Ox: "What ails you, that being so huge and strong, you submit to the wrongs you receive from men and slave for them day by day, while I, being so small a creature, mercilessly feed on their flesh and drink their blood without stint?' The Ox replied: "I do not wish to be ungrateful, for I am loved and well cared for by men, and they often pat my head and shoulders." "Woe's me!" said the flea; "this very patting which you like, whenever it happens to me, brings with it my inevitable destruction."

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