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伊索寓言故事《给猫系铃铛 Belling the Cat》

时间:2022-04-05 22:19:00

The mice who lived on a farm were very happy because the farmer’s cat which was supposed to hunt and kill mice was old and lazy and spent most of his time sleeping in the sunshine. 

住在农场里的老鼠们非常高兴,因为农夫的猫本该捕杀老鼠,但它又老又懒,大部分时间都在阳光下睡觉。

‘Can’t be bothered with catching mice any more,’ said the old cat. ‘All that lurking about and pouncing. Got better things to do...like sleeping.’
“我再也懒得抓老鼠了,”老猫说所有这些潜伏和突袭。有更好的事情要做...比如睡觉。”

So the mice ran about safely all over the farm and had plenty to eat..until one day an awful thing happened.

所以老鼠们安全地在农场里到处跑,吃得很饱...直到有一天,一件可怕的事情发生了。

The farmer came into the farmyard carrying a wooden box. He put it on the floor and...out of the box walked a cat; a new young cat with black sleek fur and long sharp claws. The cat looked around the farmyard and she sniffed the air.

农夫拿着一个木箱走进农家院子。他把它放在地板上然后。。。一只猫从盒子里走了出来;一种新的小猫,有黑色光滑的皮毛和长而锋利的爪子。猫环顾农场院子,嗅了嗅空气。

‘Huh, she’s nothing to be scared of,’ said a young mouse. ‘She’s only a cat. Only a lazy old cat.’

“嗯,她没什么好怕的,”一只小老鼠说她只是一只猫。只有一只懒惰的老猫。”

But an old mouse wasn’t so sure. The new cat didn’t look old...or lazy. This cat looked young and keen and...hungry.

但一只老老鼠却不那么确定。这只新猫看起来并不老...或者懒惰。这只猫看起来年轻而敏锐,而且...感到饿的。

‘Just be careful,’ said the old mouse. ‘Just keep your eyes open and be very careful.’

“小心点,”老老鼠说只要睁大眼睛,非常小心就行了。

That night the new cat prowled the farmyard. She walked silently in the darkness; invisible in her black coat. She watched and she waited; listening for the tiniest sound. In the morning when the mice met for breakfast in the barn there didn’t seem to be quite so many of them.

那天晚上,那只新来的猫在农家院子里徘徊。她在黑暗中默默地走着;穿着她的黑色外套。她看着,等待着;倾听最细微的声音。第二天早上,当老鼠们在谷仓里吃早餐时,他们似乎并不多。

‘Where is everyone this morning?’ said the young mouse.

“今天早上大家都去哪儿了?”小老鼠说。

‘I wonder,’ said the old mouse looking at the new cat who was sitting outside the farmhouse with a big smile on her face.

“我想知道,”老老鼠看着坐在农舍外脸上挂着灿烂笑容的新猫说。

Each night more mice disappeared… and the new cat seemed to be getting fatter.

每天晚上都有更多的老鼠消失……而这只新猫似乎越来越胖。

Soon the mice were really scared.

很快,老鼠们真的很害怕。

Finally the old mouse called a meeting.

最后,老老鼠召集了一次会议。

‘We have to do something,’ he said. ‘If we can’t get rid of this cat she’ll end up eating us all. We need a plan.’

“我们必须做点什么,”他说如果我们不能摆脱这只猫,她最终会吃掉我们所有人。我们需要一个计划。”

‘The problem,’ said the old mouse, ‘is that you can’t hear the cat coming. She moves silently in the darkness. You don’t know she’s there... until it’s too late.’

“问题是,”老老鼠说,“你听不见猫来了。”。她在黑暗中默默地移动。你不知道她在那里...直到为时已晚。”

‘That’s it!’ said the young mouse. ‘We get a bell and tie it round the cat’s neck. The bell will ring every time the cat moves and we’ll know where she is so she’ll never catch us.’

“就是这样!”小老鼠说我们买了个铃铛,系在猫脖子上。每次猫动的时候,铃都会响,我们就知道她在哪里,这样她就永远抓不到我们了。

The mice all looked at each other. ‘Not bad,’ said someone.

老鼠们都互相看了看“不错,”有人说。

‘Actually, that’s brilliant!’ said someone else.

“实际上,这太棒了!”另一个人说。

The mice leapt into action. One group found a little bell that had fallen off the back of the farmhouse door and another found some string which had been holding up a scarecrow’s trousers.

老鼠们一跃而起。一组人发现一个小铃铛从农舍的门后掉了下来,另一组人发现了一些绳子,这些绳子支撑着稻草人的裤子。

‘See,' said the young mouse. ‘We have everything we need for my brilliant plan. That cat has eaten her last mouse. All our troubles are over.’

“看,”小老鼠说我们有我精彩计划所需的一切。那只猫吃了她最后一只老鼠。我们所有的麻烦都过去了。”

The mice all cheered and patted the young mice on the back. The young mouse had saved everyone from being eaten and suddenly he was a hero...for about ten seconds.

老鼠们都欢呼着,拍拍着小老鼠的背。小老鼠救了所有人不被吃掉,突然间他成了英雄...大约10秒钟。

‘Just one question,’ said the old mouse. ‘Who’s going to tie the bell on the cat?’

“只有一个问题,”老老鼠说谁来给猫系铃铛?”

The mice all went silent, then looked at the young mouse. The young mouse looked at the floor.

老鼠们都沉默了,然后看着小老鼠。小老鼠看着地板。

He didn’t want that job. Nobody wanted that job.

他不想要那份工作。没人想要那份工作。

‘Oh dear,’ said the old mouse. ‘It’s easy to say something but often harder to actually do it.’

“哦,天哪,”老老鼠说说点什么很容易,但实际做起来往往更难。