一 The labourer and the snake 工人和蛇

A labourer's little son was bitten by a snake and died of the wound. The father was beside himself with grief, and in his anger against the snake the caught up an axe and went and stood close to the snake's hole, and watched for a chance of killing it. Presently the snake come out, and the man aimed a blow at it, but only succeeded in cutting of the tip of its tail before it wriggled in again. He then tried to get it to come out a second time, pretending that he wished to make up the quarrel. But the snake said, "I can never be your friend because of my lost tail, nor you mine because of your lost child."

Injuries are never forgotten in the presence of those who caused them.

工人的小儿子被一条毒蛇咬了一口，并且死于蛇伤。悲痛气愤之余，工人抓起一把斧头，气冲冲地跑到蛇洞外，等待机会砍死蛇。不久，蛇从洞里出来了，工人立即一斧头砍过去，可是只砍断了它的尾巴尖。随后，工人还想再如法炮制，便假装想与蛇和解。可是，蛇却说：“我永远也无法成为你的朋友，因为我丢了自己的尾巴，而你却丢失了儿子。”

在造成创伤的双方心里，永远无法忘却伤痛。

二 Crow And Fowl 乌鸦和母鸡

When prince Smolensky's art had found a way to curb the foe's presumptuous heart. The modern Vandals snared to ruin and left them Moscow town to their undoing.

Then all, the great and small, each blessed soul alive, Packed up without an hour's delay and from the walls of Moscow streamed away like swarm of bees that leaves the hive.

A crow upon a roof that slowly cleaned her beak surveyed the tumult, perched apart.

'Why, friend, it's surely time to start?' called out a hen upon a cart, 'Stands at the gate, even while I speak, our ruthless foe.'

'And where's the harm in that for me?' The augur bird replies: 'I'll hold my own, you'll see; You chicken-hearts, that want to, go! But folk will neither roast nor stew0 a crow. We'll get on well enough, our guests and I, who knows but I may find some dainty snacks of food, a bit of cheese, a bone or something good? Good luck, dear Henny, on the road! Good-bye!'

So Crow, she stayed behind. What else? Why, stead of snacks her board to embellish, When, in Smolensky's clutch, the French took in their belts, they cooked the crow as well, to give their soup a relish.

As blind, as foolish often do human reckonings show. You're close on Fortune's heels; you think you'll catch the jade, And when the last accounts are made, you're in the soup, just like our crow.

当年，斯摩凌斯奇公爵为打击敌人狂妄的气焰设下奇谋，给新的汪达尔布下天罗地网，撤出墨西哥来消灭他们。

于是所有居民，不分贵贱，人人刻不容缓地收拾行李，涌出莫斯科好像涌出蜂房。

一只乌鸦独自待在屋里，慢慢的擦洗着嘴巴，俯瞰着下面的一片慌乱。

“怎么啦，朋友，是该走的时候了?”一只母鸡从大车上对它说：“咱们残酷的敌人，说话间就要到门口了!”

“这对我有什么妨碍?”，这预言家答道：“我决定留在这里，你们这些胆小鬼才想走，走你们的吧!可不会把乌鸦烤了煮了，我跟客人们会相处的很好，说不定我还会分点好吃的呢，一小片奶酪呀，一块骨头呀，或者其他什么好东西。再见，亲爱的凤冠鸡，祝你一路平安。”

乌鸦真的留下来了。后来怎么样呢?当法兰西人在斯摩棱斯基的围困中束紧裤带时，乌鸦没有尝到好东西，而法兰西客人照样煮了它，为他们的羹汤添点滋味。

一个人在算盘时常常愚蠢而盲目，你紧紧追求幸福，自以为一定能获得至宝，可归根结底一算，却和这个乌鸦一样，成了别人的羹汤。

三 A little box 小箱子

How oft the commonest of tasks looks long and tiresome till begun. To use your wits, is all it asks, start doing, and it's done.

They brought John Brown a box, fresh from the workman's hands. Twas work that took the eye, so neatly, cleanly done. This charming little box delighted everyone.

Then in comes a mechanic. Oh yes, these things he understands. He glances at the box. 'This box has got some trick. You see it has no lock. And yet I warrant you, I'll have it open quick. You boobies over there, don't mock! Just wait! I'll find the catch, then show the trick to you. In matters of this kind I know a thing or two.'

He sets to work, leaves nothing untried. He turns it round on every side; he guesses and he guesses. One knob and then the next, and then the handle presses. John looks at him and all the while Just shakes his head and James and Ned whisper among themselves and smile. From time to time some onlooker will say: 'Not that way! No, not there!'

But harder still and harder he puzzles, he perspires, till damped is all his ardour. He gives it up and puts it on the shelf. And why not raise the lid? He never tried that way! This was a box that opened of itself.

最普通的工作,没动手之前，总觉得费心费力。其实只要开动脑筋，考虑好了，一做就成。

有人拿了一只刚做好的箱子。箱子做得细致又大方，让人眼前一亮。这箱子如此漂亮，人人都喜欢。

这时，一个机械师来了。不错，他还懂得这玩意儿，他看了一眼小箱子说道：“这箱子有点名堂，你瞧，连锁都看不到;然而我担保，我能立刻打开它。站在一边的蠢才别耻笑，等着瞧吧!我一定会找到窍门，把秘密告诉大家的。说到机械，我多少也懂点门道。”

于是，他动手在小箱子上到处摸索，翻来转去，琢磨了又琢磨，试试这个钉，又摸摸那个纽，然后按按把手。这时候啊，有人紧瞅着他，有人摇头，相顾而笑。旁观者不时地说着话：“不是那样,不，不，不在那里!”

他拼命地琢磨，浑身大汗，出得气都泄了。终于，他放弃了，把小箱子放到架子上。为什么不掀起盖子呢?他从来没有这样试过。其实，这是一个没有锁可以自己打开的箱子。

四 Crow and Fox 乌鸦与狐狸

God somehow sent the crow a little bit of cheese. The crow had perched upon a fir. She seemed to have steeled down to enjoy her provender, But mused with mouth half-closed, the dainty bit still in it.

Unhappily the fox came running past that minute. A whiff of scent soon brings him to a pause, And the fox sights the cheese and licks his jaws.

The rascal steals on tip-toe to the tree. He curls his tail, and, gazing earnestly. He speaks so soft, scarce whispering each word:

"How beautiful you are, sweet bird! What a neck, and oh! what eyes, Like a dream of Paradise! Then, what feathers! What a beak! And, sure, an angel's voice if only you would speak! Sing, darling; don't be shy! Oh, sister, truth to tell, if you, with charms like these, can sing as well, Of birds you'd be the queen adorable! the silly creature's head turns giddy with his praise. Her breath, for very rapture, swells her throat; the fox's soft persuasion she obeys. And high as crow can pitch she caws one piercing note."

Down falls the cheese! Both cheese and fox have gone their ways.

How often have they told us, please, and always to no use-that flattery's mean and base. The flatterer in our hearts will always find a place.

上帝不知何故赏给了乌鸦一小块奶酪。于是，乌鸦高高地躲在枞树的树梢，似乎要安顿下来开始享用美味。但是嘴里含着那一小块奶酪，心里还要思量一番。

可是倒霉得很，一只狐狸从旁边经过，奶酪的飘香让狐狸止住了奔跑。狐狸看着奶酪，舔舔嘴。

这狡猾的东西踮起脚尖偷偷走近枞树。它卷起尾巴，目不转睛地瞅着，非常柔和的说话了，几乎每个字都是窃窃私语：

“心肝宝贝，你长得多么美妙啊!瞧那脖子，瞧那眼睛，美的像个天堂的梦!多好的羽毛，多好的嘴巴，你一开口，一定会有天使的声音，唱吧!亲爱的，别害羞!啊!小妹妹，说实话，你这么美丽迷人，要是再唱得悦耳动听，那你就是令人拜倒的鸟中皇后了!”那蠢鸟被赞美地晕头转向，高兴地都要透不过气来。它听从了狐狸的柔声劝诱，尽其所能提高了嗓门，发出了呱呱的叫声。

奶酪坠地，狐狸衔起它就没影了。

对于阿谀奉承的卑鄙和恶劣，我们接受过多少次告诫，然而一切都是徒劳，马屁精总会在我们心里占据一席之地。

五 The blind man and the cub 盲人与小野兽

There was once a blind man who had so fine a sense of touch that, when any animal was put into his hands, he could tell what it was merely by the feel of it. One day the cub of a wolf was put into his hands, and he was asked what it was. He felt it for some time, and then said, "Indeed, I am not sure whether it is a wolf's cub or a fox's: but this I know -- it would never do to trust it in a sheepfold."

Evil tendencies are early shown.

从前，有一个人眼睛虽然瞎了，可是他精于嗅觉，只要用手摸一摸，凭借着触感就便能说出这是什么动物。有一天，一只小狼崽被送到他的手中，请他告知这是什么东西。他用手摸了一会儿，然后说：“我不太确定，这到底是一只小狼崽，还是一只狐狸的幼崽，但是有一点我十分确定，千万别让它进羊圈。”

恶劣的本性从小便知。