《老人与死神》
An old man was gathering sticks in a forest.
At last he grew very tired and hopeless. He threw down all the sticks and cried out, "I cannot bear this life any longer. Ah, I wish Death would come and take me!"
As he spoke, Death appeared, and said to him, "What would you do, old man? I heard you call me."
"Please, sir," replied the old man, "would you help me lift this bundle of sticks up to my shoulder?"
译文
老人与死神
有个老人在森林中砍了不少柴，十分吃力地挑着走了很远的路。
一路上他累极了，实在挑不动了，便扔下柴担，叫喊起来：“这种日子我受不了了，死神啊，带我走吧。”
这时，死神来了，对他说：“老头，你想做什么，我听见你叫我?”
“先生”，老人说，“您能帮忙将那担子放在我的肩上吗?”
寓意
即使生活不幸，人们仍需爱惜生命。
《乌鸦喝水》
A crow, ready to die with thirst, flew with joy to a pitcher which he saw at a distance. But when he came up to it, he found the water so low that with all his stooping and straining he was unable to reach it. Thereupon he tried to bread the pitcher, then to overturn it, seeing some small pebbles at hand, he dropped a great many of them, one by one, into the pitcher, and so raised the water to the brim, and quenched his thirst.
译 文
一只快渴死的乌鸦，远远地看见一只水壶，就高兴地飞了过去，但是当他飞到的时候发现壶里的水浅得怎么用力弯腰伸颈也够不着，于是他试着把水壶打破，又试着把他推倒。但是力量不足，都做不到，最后看见近边有许多小石子，他一个个地把很多石子丢进了水壶，这样使水上升到壶口，就解了渴。
寓 意
遇到困难的时候动脑筋。
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