One day,a little monkey is playing by the well. 一天，有隻小猴子在井邊玩兒。 He looks in the well and shouts : 它往井裡一瞧，高喊道： “Oh!My god!The moon has fallen into the well!” “噢！我的天！月亮掉到井裡頭啦！” An older monkeys runs over, takes a look,and says, 一隻大猴子跑來一看，說， “Goodness me!The moon is really in the water!” “糟啦！月亮掉在井裡頭啦！” And olderly monkey comes over. 老猴子也跑過來。 He is very surprised as well and cries out: 他也非常驚奇，喊道： “The moon is in the well.” “糟了，月亮掉在井裡頭了！” A group of monkeys run over to the well . 一群猴子跑到井邊來， They look at the moon in the well and shout: 他們看到井裡的月亮，喊道： “The moon did fall into the well!Come on!Let’get it out!” “月亮掉在井裡頭啦！快來！讓我們把它撈起來！” Then,the oldest monkey hangs on the tree up side down ,with his feet on the branch . 然後，老猴子倒掛在大樹上， And he pulls the next monkey’s feet with his hands. 拉住大猴子的腳， All the other monkeys follow his suit, 其他的猴子一個個跟著， And they join each other one by one down to the moon in the well. 它們一隻連著一隻直到井裡。 Just before they reach the moon,the oldest monkey raises his head and happens to see the moon in the sky, 正好他們摸到月亮的時候，老猴子抬頭髮現月亮掛在天上呢 He yells excitedly “Don’t be so foolish!The moon is still in the sky!” 它興奮地大叫：“別蠢了！月亮還好好地掛在天上呢！”

【1.】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." 【1.譯文】 老貓 一位老婦有隻貓，這隻貓很老，它跑不快了，也咬不了東西，因為它年紀太大了。一天，老貓發現一隻老鼠，它跳過去抓這隻老鼠，然而，它咬不住這隻老鼠。因此，老鼠從它的嘴邊溜掉了，因為老貓咬不了它。 於是，老婦很生氣，因為老貓沒有把老鼠咬死。她開始打這隻貓，貓說：“不要打你的老僕人，我已經為你服務了很多年，而且還願意為你效勞，但是，我實在太老了，對年紀大的不要這麼無情，要記住老年人在年青時所做過的有益的事情。” 【2.】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. 【2.譯文】 一個人正朝著一個富人的房子走去，當他沿著路走時，在路的一邊他發現一箱好蘋果，他說：“我不打算吃那些蘋果，因為富人會給我更多的食物，他會給我很好吃的東西。”然後他拿起蘋果，一把扔到土裡去。 他繼續走，來到河邊，河漲水了，因此，他到不了河對岸，他等了一會兒，然後他說：“今天我去不了富人家了，因為我不能渡過河。” 他開始回家，那天他沒有吃東西。他就開始去找吃的，他找到蘋果，很高興地把它們從塵土中翻出來吃了。 【3.】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." 【3.譯文】 城裡老鼠和鄉下老鼠 從前，有兩隻老鼠，它們是好朋友。一隻老鼠居住在鄉村，另一隻住在城裡。很多年以後，鄉下老鼠碰到城裡老鼠，它說：“你一定要來我鄉下的家看看。”於是，城裡老鼠就去了。鄉下老鼠領著它到了一塊田地上它自己的家裡。它把所有最精美食物都找出來給城裡老鼠。城裡老鼠說：“這東西不好吃，你的家也不好，你為什麼住在田野的地洞裡呢？你應該搬到城裡去住，你能住上用石頭造的漂亮房子，還會吃上美味佳餚，你應該到我城裡的家看看。” 鄉下老鼠就到城裡老鼠的家去。房子十分漂亮，好吃的東西也為他們擺好了。可是正當他們要開始吃的時候，聽見很大的一陣響聲，城裡的老鼠叫喊起來：“快跑！快跑！貓來了！”他們飛快地跑開躲藏起來。 過了一會兒，他們出來了。當他們出來時，鄉下老鼠說：“我不喜歡住在城裡，我喜歡住在田野我的洞裡。因為這樣雖然貧窮但是快樂自在，比起雖然富有卻要過著提心吊膽的生活來說，要好些。” 【4.】Drunk One day, a father and his little son were going home. At this age, the boy was interested in all kinds of things and was always asking questions. Now, he asked, "What"s the meaning of the word "Drunk", dad?" "Well, my son," his father replied, "look, there are standing two policemen. If I regard the two policemen as four then I am drunk." "But, dad," the boy said, " there"s only ONE policeman!" 【4.醉酒 】 一天，父親與小兒子一道回家。這個孩子正處於那種對什麼事都很感興趣的年齡，老是有提不完的問題。他向父親發問道：“爸爸，‘醉’字是什麼意思？” “唔，孩子，”父親回答說，“你瞧那兒站著兩個警察。如果我把他們看成了四個，那麼我就算醉了。” “可是，爸爸， ”孩子說，“那兒只有一個警察呀！” 【5.】The Raven and the Swan A RAVEN saw a Swan and desired to secure for himself the same beautiful plumage. Supposing that the Swan"s splendid white color arose from his washing in the water in which he swam, the Raven left the altars in the neighborhood where he picked up his living, and took up residence in the lakes and pools. But cleansing his feathers as often as he would, he could not change their color, while through want of food he perished. Change of habit cannot alter Nature. 【5.烏鴉和天鵝 】 烏鴉非常羨慕天鵝潔白的羽毛。他猜想天鵝一定是經常洗澡，羽毛才變得如此潔白無 瑕。於是，他毅然離開了他賴以生存的祭壇，來到江湖邊。他天天洗刷自己的羽毛，不但一 點都沒洗白，反而因缺少食物飢餓而死。 這故事是說，人的本性不會隨著生活方式的改變而改變。