为您找到与有趣的英国历史故事英文相关的共200个结果:
铁匠与小狗The Blacksmith And Dog
Those who will not work deserve to starve.
A Blacksmith had a little Dog, which used to sleep when his master was at work, but was very wide awake indeed when it was time for meals. One day his master pretended to be disgusted at this, xiaogushi8.com and then he had thrown him a bone as usual, he said, “What on earth is the good of a lazy cur like you?” When I am hammering away at my anvil, you just curl up and go to sleep: but no sooner do I stop for a mouthful of food than you wake up and wag your tail to be fed.
铁匠与小狗
不卖力工作的人理应挨饿。
铁匠家有一条小狗,小狗常常在主人打铁时睡觉,但是一到了吃饭时间,便异常清醒起来。有一天,铁匠假装对此很生气,一边像往常一样扔给小狗一块骨头,一边说:“地球上还有像你一样懒惰的坏蛋吗?”你这家伙,总是在我卖力工作时,蜷缩起来睡觉,可是,只要我一停下来吃点东西,你就清醒地摇着尾巴过来讨饭吃。“
四只老鼠
Once upon a time, there were four mice that lived in a wall in the field.
Summer was coming, and so the mice came out of the wall to collect berries, nuts, corn and straw. Everyone was working very hard, day and night.
Everyone was working very hard, except, Frederick.
“Why aren’t you working, Frederick?” his friends asked him. “oh,but I am.” Frederick told them. “I’m collecting the sunshine for the cold, dark winter.”
A few days later his friends asked him again “why aren’t you working,Frederick?” “Oh, but I am.” Frederick told them. “I’m collecting colors for the long, grey winter.”
A few days later his friends asked him again “why aren’t you working, Frederick?” “Oh, but I am.” Frederick told them. “I’m collecting words for the long, quiet winter.”
Soon, the first snow came, and the four mice went back into the wall.
They ate their berries and they ate their nuts and they ate their corn and they ate their straw. But time passed, and time passed, and soon there were no more berries, and soon there were no more nuts and soon there were no more corn and soon there were no more straw.
Now the winter was cold and dark, long and quiet. The mice were sad and hungry. Then they remembered Frederick.
“Hey, Frederick, can you show us what you collected for the winter.”
“Ok,” said Frederick, “close your eyes. Here is my sunshine for the cold, dark inter.” And Frederick b
began to tell his friends some stories, and the mice to feel warmer and warmer.
“Great, Frederick! How about the colors and the words?”
“Ok,” said Frederick, “close your eyes” and he told them about theblue skies, and he told them about the red poppies, and he told them about thegreen grass, and he told them about the purple berries, and he told them about theyellow corn of summer.
“That’s wonderful, Frederick, thank you.” Said the mice. “We’ve learnedsomething about you”, they told him.
What do you think they learned?
很久以前,在田野中的一筑围墙里住着四只老鼠。
夏天来了,老鼠们走出墙外去收集浆果、坚果、玉米粒和稻草。他们从早到晚玩
努力工作,除了弗雷德里克。
“弗雷德里克,你为什么不工作?”他的朋友们问他。“我在工作吖。”弗雷德里克说,"我在为寒冷的深冬收集阳光呢。”
几天过后,他的朋友们再一次问道,“弗雷德里克,你为什么不工作?”他的朋友们问他。“我在工作吖。”弗雷德里克说,"我在为漫长的灰白色冬天收集色彩呢。”
几天过后,他的朋友们再一次问道,“弗雷德里克,你为什么不工作?”他的朋友们问他。“我在工作吖。”弗雷德里克说,"我在为漫长寂静的冬天收集言语呢。”
很快,第一场雪就到了,四只老鼠回到了洞中。他们吃着浆果、坚果、玉米粒和稻草。但是随着时间的推移,他们没有浆果、坚果、玉米粒和稻草这些吃的东西了。
现在冬天又冷又黑暗,漫长又寂静。老鼠们饥肠辘辘。这时候他们想起了弗雷德里克。
“嘿,弗雷德里克,能给我们看看你为冬天收集的东西吗?”
"好的,"弗雷德里克说,“闭上你们的眼睛。这里有我为寒冷冬天收集的阳光。”
接着弗雷德里克为他的朋友们讲故事,小老鼠们感觉越来越温暖起来。
“ 很好,弗雷德里克!那么色彩和语言呢?”
"好的,"弗雷德里克说,“闭上你们的眼睛。他开始给他们夏天蓝色的天空、红色的罂粟花、绿色的小草、紫色的浆果和黄色的玉米粒。
“太棒了,弗雷德里克,谢谢你。”小老鼠们说道。“我们跟你学到了很多东西。”
#p#副标题#e#千镜之屋 The House of 1000 Mirrors
Long ago in a small, faraway village, there was a place known as the House of 1000 Mirrors. A small, happy little dog learned of this place and decided to visit. When he arrived, he hounced happily up the stairs to the doorway of the house. He looked through the doorway with his ears lifted high and his tail wagging as fast as it could. To his great surprise, he found himself staring at 1000 other happy little dogs with their tails wagging just as fast as his. He smiled a great smile, and was answered with 1000 great smiles just as warm and firendly. As he left the House, he thought to himself, "This is a wonderful place. I will come back and visit it often."
In this same village, another little dog, who was not quite as happy as the first one, decided to visit the house. He slowly climbed the stairs and hung his head low as he looked into the door. When he saw the 1000 unfriendly looking dogs staring back at him, he growled at them and was horrified to see 1000 little dogs growling back at him. As he left, he thought to himself, "That is a horrible place, and I will never go back there again."
All the faces in the world are mirrors. What kind of reflections do you see in the faces of the people you meet?
很久以前的一个很远的小村庄里,有一个以"千镜屋"而著名的地方。一个乐观的小狗听说了这个地方并决定去参观。当来到这个地方,他蹦蹦跳欢恰快的上了台阶,来到房门口,他高高竖起耳朵,欢快地摇着尾巴,从门口口往里张望,他惊奇地看到有1000只欢乐的小狗像他一样快的摇尾巴。他灿烂地微笑着,回报他的是1000张热情,友好的灿烂笑脸。离开时他心想:"这是一个精彩的地主,我一定要经常来参观。"
在这个村里还有另一只想参观"千镜屋"的小狗,他不及第一只小狗乐观,他慢吞吞地爬上台阶,然后耷拉着脑袋往屋子里看。一看到有1000只小狗不友好地盯着他,他便开始冲他们狂吠,镜中的1000只小狗也冲着他狂吠,把他给吓坏了,他在离开时心想:"这是一个恐怖的地方,我再也不会来了。"
世界上所有的脸都是镜子,在你所遇见的人的脸上你看到反射出来的是什么?
小猪搬西瓜The pig & Watermelon
In spring, the mother pig took the little pig LuLu to the foot of the mountain. They planted some watermelon.
When summer came, there were many big round watermelons in the field.
One day, the sun was burning like a fire, it was terribly hot on the ground. The mother pig said to the little pig:"Lulu, go to the field to pick a watermelon back,ok?" Lulu said happily:"Ok! No problem."
Then he ran to the watermelon field. When he got to the field, he was happy to find so many big green watermelons. He chose one of the biggest watermelon and picked it from the vine. Then he held it with his hands trying to lift is on his shoulder to carry it home.
"Wow!It's so heavy!" Lulu tried several times, but he failed. And he was socked with sweat. He wiped his sweat off and decided to have a rest.
Suddenly he saw the monkey Pipi. He was playing with a hoop. Lulu patted his head and said:"I've got it." He thought,the round hoop can roll, the watermelon round too,then it can roll too.He then put the big melon on the ground and rolled it forward quickly.
At last he got home with the watermelon.The mother pig knew the story, she exclaimed:"My child, you're really clever!"
小猪搬西瓜
春天的时候,猪妈妈带着小猪噜噜,在山坡下种了一大片西瓜。到了夏天,西瓜地里结满了又圆又大的西瓜。
有一天,太阳光火辣辣地照着大地,天啊,可热了。猪妈妈对小猪说:“噜噜,你到咱们的地里摘个大西瓜回来解解渴吧!”小猪噜噜高兴地说:“好吧!”说完就往西瓜地里跑。到了地里一看。呵,到处躺着大西瓜,水灵灵的,真惹人喜爱!噜噜挑了个最大的摘了下来。它双手搂着西瓜,想抱
抱起来放在肩上扛回家。“哟,好重呀!”噜噜试着抱了几次都没有抱起来,还累得满头大汗。 它直起身来,擦了擦脸上的汗水想休息一下,再去试试抱西瓜。突然,它看到小猴皮皮在山下边的马路上滚铁环玩呢。小猪噜噜一拍后脑勺高兴地说:“有了,我有办法了。”什么办法呢?小猪噜噜心想:铁环是圆的,可以滚动。西瓜也是圆的,不也可以滚动吗?想到这儿啊,小猪噜噜顾不上休息,把大西瓜放在地上。咕噜噜,咕噜噜地向前滚,一直把西瓜滚到家里。
猪妈妈看到小猪噜噜把又圆又大的西瓜搬回家,夸奖噜噜是个爱动脑筋的猪娃娃!
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汉语解释:【1】多指某事或物对你很有兴趣。 【2】术语。多用于评价具体局势及对局内容,有“有味”、“生动”、“富于变化”等含意。如称局面白方“有趣”,即指全局已形成白方富于变化或乐意下的生动局面。想知道有趣的英文怎么说吗?
有趣[yǒu qù]
今天早晨报上有什么有趣的新闻吗?
Are there any interesting news items in the paper this morning?
她是个很有趣的人,但是她的先生却一无是处。
She is an interesting person but her husband is a real nothing.
这本书很有趣。
This book is interesting.
有趣的英文怎么读
对于历史上的事件,当时的报道往往比现代历史学家的评述更为有趣。
Contemporary reports of the past events are often more interesting than modern historians' view of them.
我认为这些有趣的旧习俗应该保存下去。
I think these interesting old customs should be preserved.
英语有着饶有趣味的发展历史。
The English language has an interesting history.
读书的时候要用有趣或好玩的声音,让读书生动有趣。
Make sure to add fun and quirky voices to make the reading lively.
有趣的经历只发生在有趣的人身上。
Interesting experiences only happens to interesting people.
那个有趣的家伙对有趣的电影感兴趣。
The interesting man is interested in the interesting films.
1. It was a joy to see. It really made my day. 这太有趣了,真的把我高兴坏了。
2. Casey Stengel was probably the most colorful character in baseball. 凯西·施滕格尔可能是棒球界最有趣的人物。
3. Another interesting note was the predominance of London club players. 另一个有趣的现象是,伦敦俱乐部的球员在数量上占优势。
4. As I write, a very interesting case has come to my notice. 在我写作过程中,一个非常有趣的案例引起了我的注意。
5. Interesting distinctions can be drawn between the two populations. 比较两类人可以发现有趣的差异。
6. There is just not enough fun and frivolity in culture today. 当今的文化恰恰是不够轻松有趣。
7. These studies have already thrown up some interesting results. 这些研究已经得出一些有趣的结果了。
8. Of course there were lots of other interesting things at the exhibition. 当然,展览上还有很多其他有趣的展品。
9. The list of drinks, a dozen pages long, makes fascinating reading. 酒水单一共有十几页长,读起来很有趣。
10. I still find this story both fascinating and unbelievable. 我仍觉得这个故事既有趣又不太可信。
11. Psychological twists perk up an otherwise predictable story line. 心理转折使原本老套的故事情节变得生动有趣。
12. It's an interesting scientific phenomenon, but of no practical use whatever. 这是一种有趣的科学现象,但没什么实用价值。
13. "This ought to be fun," he told Alex, eyes gleaming. “这应该会很有趣!”他对亚历克斯说,两眼闪闪发光.
14. This interesting and charming creature is unique to Borneo. 这种有趣迷人的动物是婆罗洲独有的。
15. He'll be sadly missed. He was a real character. 人们会非常怀念他的,他可真是个有趣的人啊。
16. A good sharp dressing counterpointed the sweetness of the dried fruit. 味道浓烈的上好调味品和香甜的干果形成有趣的对比。
17. This is a fabulous album. It's fresh, varied, fun. 这张专辑真棒,新颖、有趣且富于变化。
18. I remember Mickey as a bundle of fun, great to have around. 我记得米基是个很有趣的人,和他在一起非常愉快。
19. Talking one-on-one with people is not his idea of fun. 他一点也不觉得一对一的交谈有趣。
20. "Holidays That Don't Cost the Earth" is a lively, informative read. 《绿色环保的假期》是本生动有趣、增长见闻的读物。
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汉语解释:英国,全称大不列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国(The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland),本土位于欧洲大陆西北面的不列颠群岛,被北海、英吉利海峡、凯尔特海、爱尔兰海和大西洋包围。其是由大不列颠岛上的英格兰、威尔士和苏格兰,爱尔兰岛东北部的北爱尔兰以及一系列附属岛屿共同组成的一个西欧岛国。想知道英国的英文怎么说吗?
英国[yīng guó]
Charles ruled England for 11 years.
因为有英国是一个岛国,英国有一个暖的冬天和冷的夏天。
England has a mild winter and a coll summer because it is an island country.
法国和英国争夺北美的竞赛,结果英国胜利。
The blackbirds contested with one another for nesting territory.
英国广播公司正在报道英国核工业概况。
The bbc is work on a profile of the british nuclear industry.
阿伯丁是英国油气工业的中心,还是英国唯一一个因油价过高而值得庆祝的地方。
But that does not mean that revving up output is a bad idea.
在许多方面,这种平静完全符合时宜。2006年,中国GDP排名一举超越一度占据统治地位的英国时,没有多少英国人因此而失眠。
In many ways this tranquillity is entirely appropriate.
1. He was confirmed as a member of the Church of England. 他领受了坚振礼,成为英国国教会的一员。
2. He was jailed for five years as an alleged British spy. 他被指控为英国间谍,入狱关押了5年。
3. She is a long way from being the richest person in Britain. 比起英国首富,她还差得远呢。
4. She was in rather a bad film about the Mau Mau. 她出演了一部关于茅茅运动(20世纪50年代肯尼亚基库尤人反抗英国殖民者的民族主义运动)的烂片。
5. He joined the second battalion of the Grenadier Guards. 他加入了英国近卫步兵第一团第二营。
6. Traditionally young Asians in Britain have gravitated towards medicine, law and engineering. 英国的亚裔年轻人通常被吸引到医学、法律及工程专业。
7. Mr Olaechea has British residency by virtue of his marriage. 奥拉伊奇先生通过结婚而取得在英国的永久居留权。
8. We definitely wanted to salvage some pride for British tennis. 我们当然想为英国网球挽回一些尊严。
9. Many of Britain's beaches fail to meet minimum standards of cleanliness. 英国许多海滩连最起码的卫生标准都达不倒。
10. After the pain of defeat passes, England have some thinking to do. 失败的痛苦过去以后,英国人应该认真反思一下。
11. The Foreign Office in London has expressed surprise at these allegations. 位于伦敦的英国外交部对这些说法表示惊讶.
12. Britain did not introduce compulsory primary education until 1880. 直到1880年,英国才开始实行初等义务教育。
13. This film is the first British animation sold to an American network. 这是第一部出售给美国电视网的英国动画片。
14. Britain has dropped from second to third place in the league. 英国在联赛中的排名从第二位降到了第三位。
15. Teddy clucked his tongue like a disapproving English matron. 特迪咂了咂舌头,活像个不以为然的英国女舍监。
16. She presents a monthly magazine programme on the BBC. 她在英国广播公司主持一个月刊节目。
17. In June 1942, the British 8th Army was in full retreat. 1942年6月,英国第八军全面撤退.
18. The RAF recognized him as an out-standingly able engineer. 英国皇家空军表彰他是一名非常能干的机械师。
19. At least three British golf courses are now owned by the Japanese. 现在英国至少有3家高尔夫球场为日本人所有。
20. In 1971, the 1p and 2p decimal coins were introduced in Britain. 英国于1971年开始使用十进制的1便士和2便士硬币。
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经典的英语故事总能够打动人心,你想阅读一些经典的英语故事吗?下面读文网小编为大家推荐几个经典的英语小故事,希望大家喜欢!
一天,父亲与小儿子一道回家。这个孩子正处于那种对什么事都很感兴趣的年龄,老是有提不完的问题。他向父亲发问道:“爸爸,‘醉’字是什么意思?” “唔,孩子,”父亲回答说,“你瞧那儿站着两个警察。如果我把他们看成了四个,那么我就算醉了。” “可是,爸爸, ”孩子说,“那儿只有一个警察呀!”
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多阅读一些有趣的英语故事,能激起我们阅读英语的兴趣,从而提高英语的阅读能力,今天读文网小编在这里为大家分享一些有趣的三分钟英语故事,欢迎大家阅读!
There once was a small kingdom around a lake. One very hot summer it did not rain and the lake dried up. People grew anxious and went to the king.
从前,在一个湖附近的一个小王国,一个非常炎热的夏天也没下雨,湖水干涸。人们越来越焦急,就去见国王。
"It has not rained for so long. Our fields are barren!" said the farmers.
农民说:“很久不下雨了,我们的土地都很贫瘠了。”
"There's no fish to catch. How shall we earn a living?" asked the fisherman.
预付问:“没有鱼可捕,我们拿什么为生呢?”
"Save us from disaster, good king," urged the women and the children cried with thirst.
妇女和孩子干渴着嗓子急急地请求:“救救我们脱离灾难吧,好国王。”
The king sent his four generals to search for water in all directions. The first general went east, towards the sunrise, the second to the south, to dust and heat, the third went west, where the sun sets, and the fourth, followed the North Star.
国王派了四位将军全方位的搜索水源,第一个将军去东边,往日出的方向,第二个将军去南边,灰尘大,空气热;第三个将军去西边,日落的方向;第四位将军去北方,跟着启明星的方向。
They searched day and night, night and day, high and low, they searched everywhere, but in vain.
他们日日夜夜,从高山到低谷全搜了一个遍,但是也没找到一滴水。
Three of the generals returned, empty-handed. But the general who had gone north determined, not to fail his king, finally reached a cold mountain village.
三个将军两手空空的回去了,但是那个去北边的将军决定,绝不让国王失望,最后来到一个寒冷的山村。
As he sat at the foot of the mountain, an old woman came by and sat next to him. The general pointed at the horizon and said, "I belong to a beautiful kingdom, where it has not rained for a whole year. Can you help me find water?"
当他坐在一个山脚下,一位老妇从旁边走过,并坐到他身边。将军指向地平线说道:“我来自一个美丽的王国,奶已经一整年没下过雨了,您能帮我找到水吗?”
The woman motioned the general to follow her up the mountain and inside a cave. "We have no water in our country either," she said. Then, pointing to the icicles in the cave, she continued, "We call this ice. Take some, and your kingdom will never go thirsty again." The general broke off a huge piece, loaded it onto his horse-cart and rushed back home.
女人示意将军跟着她上山进了一个山洞。她说:“我们这里也没有水”。然后她指向山洞里的冰柱说道:“我们把这个叫冰,你带一些回去,你们的国家就不会再发生旱灾了。”将军把一块大冰击碎,放到他的马车上,冲回了家。
By the time he reached the court, the enormous icicle had melted into a small lump of ice. Nobody in the court had ever seen ice, so everybody gazed at it with wonder!
当他回宫后,那块巨大的冰已经融化成了一个小冰块,公历没人见过冰,所以每个人都惊奇的看着它。
"This must be a water-seed," one of the ministers exclaimed suddenly.
一位大臣突然叫了起来:“这一定是一颗水种子。”
The king ordered the "water-seed" to be sowed immediately. While the farmers dug a hole, the lump dwindled in the sun. They swiftly placed the seed in the hole, but, before they could cover it, it had vanished. The farmers there got confused and worried. They dug the earth deeper and deeper, into the night, looking for the mysterious seed.
国王下令立即将“水种子”播种,农民们挖了一个洞,小冰块在太阳下逐渐消失,他们迅速把种子放进动力,但是,还没来得及盖上它,它就消失了。农民又是迷惑又是担心,他们挖得越来越深,一直到晚上,还在找那颗神奇的种子。
At the break of dawn, the king found the farmers fast asleep around a hole. Curiously, he peeped in and cried out in amazement, "Wake up my worthy men, the water-seed has sprouted! There's water in the hole!"
在黎明时,国王发现农民们都在洞边睡着了,他往洞里一叹,吃惊的大叫:“快醒醒啊,水种子发芽了,洞里有水。”
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许多人从幼儿园就开始接触英语,这个时候多阅读一些英语故事是很有好处的,今天读文网小编在这里为大家分享一些幼儿园英语故事,欢迎大家阅读!
A Clever Panda
聪明的熊猫
A little panda picks up a pumpkin and wants to take it home. But the pumpkin is too big. The panda can’t take it home.
一只小熊猫摘了一只大南瓜,想把它拿回家。但是这只南瓜太大了,她没有办法把这么大的南瓜带回家。
Suddenly she sees a bear riding a bike toward her. She watches the bike. “I know! I have a good idea.” she jumps and shouts happily, “I can roll a pumpkin. It’s like awheel.”
突然她看见一只狗熊骑着一辆自行车朝她这边来。她看着自行车,跳着说:“有了!我有办法了。我可以把南瓜滚回家去。南瓜好像车轮。
So she rolls the pumpkin to her home. When her mother sees the big pumpkin, she is surprised, “Oh, my God! How can you carry it home?” the little panda answers proudly, “I can’t lift it, but I can roll it.” Her mother smiled and says,“What a clever girl!”
于是她把那瓜滚回家。当她妈妈看到这只大南瓜的时候,很惊讶:“天啊!这么食的南瓜!你是怎么把它带回家来的?”小熊猫自豪地说;“我拎不动它,可是我能滚动它啊!”她妈妈微笑着说:“真聪明啊!”
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下面是读文网小编整理的英语小故事带翻译,欢迎大家阅读!
Present for Girlfriend
At a jewelry store, a young man bought an expensive locket as a present for his girlfriend. "Shall I engrave her name on it?" the jeweler asked.
The customer thought for a moment, and then said, "No-engrave it ‘To my one and only love‘. That way, if we ever break up, I can use it again."
送给女友的礼物
在一家珠宝店里,一位年轻人买了一个贵重的小金盒作为送给女友的礼物。“要我把她的名字刻在上面吗?”珠宝商问道。
那名顾客想了一会儿,然后说道:“不--在上面刻‘给我唯一的爱’。这样,如果我们闹崩了,我还可以再用到它。”
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中国历史上下五千年,在这悠长的历史长河中,中国有着不少经典的历史故事值得后人思考。下面读文网小编为大家带来经典中国历史故事,欢迎大家阅读!
During the late years of the Qi Dynasty(221-206BC), Xiang Yu led a rebellion. After crossing the Zhang River, Xiang Yu ordered his men to sink all their boats and break their cooking pots. He issued each soldier three days' rations(给养) and warned them that there was no way to retreat; the only thing they could do to survive was to advance and fight. After mine fierce battles, the Qin army was finally defeated.
This idiom is used to indicate one's firm determination to achieve one's goal at any cost.
秦朝末年,秦军大将章邯攻打赵国。赵军退守巨鹿(今河北平乡西南),并被秦军重重包围。楚怀王于是封宋义为上将军,项羽为副将率军救援赵国。
宋义引兵至安阳(今山东曹县东南)后,接连46天按兵不动,对此项羽十分不満,于是要求进军决战,解困赵国。但宋义却希望秦赵两军交战后待秦军力竭之后才进攻。
但此时军中粮草缺乏士卒困顿,而宋义仍旧饮酒自顾,项羽见此忍无可忍,进营帐杀了宋义,并声称他叛国反楚。于是将士们则拥项羽为上将军。项羽杀宋义的事,威震楚国,名闻诸侯。
随后,他率所有军队悉数渡黄河前去营救赵国以解巨鹿之围。项羽在全军渡黄河之后他下令把所有的船只凿沉,打破烧饭用的锅,烧掉自己的营房,只带三天干粮,以此表决一死战,没有一点后退的打算。
正是这样已无退路的大军到了巨鹿外围,并包围了秦军和截断秦军外联的通道。楚军战士以一当十,杀伐声惊天动地。经过九次的激战,楚军最终大破秦军。而前来增援的其他各路诸侯却都因胆怯,不敢近前。楚军的骁勇善战大大提高了项羽的声威。以至战胜后,项羽于辕门接见各路诸侯时,各诸侯皆不敢正眼眼看项羽。
后来,“皆沉船,破釜甑”演化为成语“破釜沉舟”,以比喻拚死一战,决心很大。
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中国历史悠久,从盘古、女娲、后羿等神话时代算起约有5000年。在这悠长的历史长河中,中国有着不少经典的历史故事值得后人思考。下面读文网小编为大家带来双语中国历史故事,欢迎大家阅读!
During the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 B.C.), Duke Xian of the State of Jin Killed the crown prince Sheng because he had heard slanders about Sheng and believed them. He also sent his men to arrest Chong Er, Shen Sheng and believed them. He also sent his men to arrest Chonh Er, Shen Sheng's brother. Hearing the news, Chong Er escaped from the state of Jin, remaining a fugitive for more than ten years.
春秋时候,晋献公听信谗言,杀了太子申生,又派人捉拿申生的弟弟重耳。重耳闻讯,逃出了晋国,在外流忘十几年。
After innumerable hardships, Chong Er arrived at the State of Chu at last. King Cheng of the State of Chu treated him with high respect as he would have treated the ruler of a state, believing that he would have a vright fuure.
经过千幸万苦,重耳来到楚国。楚成王认为重耳日后必有大作为,就以国群之礼相迎,待他如上宾。
One day, King Cheng of the State of Chu gave a banquet in honoudr of Chong Er. Suddenly, amid the harmonious atmosphere of drinking and talking, King Cheng of the State of Chu asked Chong Er. "How will you repay me when you return to the State of Jin and become its ruler one day?" After thinking for a moment, Chong Er said, "You have plenty of beauties and attendants as well as jewelry and silk cloth, and the state of Chu abounds in rare brides and animals. What treasure can the State of Jin boast having to present to your majesty?" King Cheng of the State of Chu said, "You are too modest. Nevertheless, you still have to show your gratitude to me in one way or another, I presume?" Smiling, Chong Er answered, "If I should be fortunate enouge to return to the State of Jin and become its ruler, the State of Jin would be friendly to the State of Chu. If, one day, there should be a war between the two states, I would definitely order my troops to retreat three SHE (one SHE is equivalent to thirty LI. The LI is a Chinese unit of length equivalent to 1/2 kilometre. And, therefore, three SHE is about thirty miles.) as a condition for peace. If, under that condition, you were still not reconciled, I would have to fight with you."
一天,楚王设宴招待重耳,两人饮洒叙话,气氛十分融洽。忽然楚王问重耳:“你若有一天回晋国当上国君,该怎么报答我呢?”重耳略一思索说:“美女待从、珍宝丝绸,大王您有的是,珍禽羽毛,象牙兽皮,更是楚地的盛产,晋国哪有什么珍奇物品献给大王呢?”楚王说:“公子过谦了。话虽然这么说,可总该对我有所表示吧?”重耳笑笑回答道:“要是托您的福。果真能回国当政的话,我愿与贵国友好。假如有一天,晋楚国之间发生战争,我一定命令军队先退避三舍(一舍等于三十里),如果还不能得到您的原谅,我再与您交战。”
Four years later, as might be expected, Chong Er returned to the State of Jin and became its ruler. He was none other than Duke Wen of the State of Jin famous in ancient Chinese history. Ruled by him, the State of Jin became increasingly powerful.
四年后,重耳真的回到晋国当了国君,就是历史上有名的晋文公。晋国在他的治理下日益强大。
In the year 533 B.C., the Chu troops and the Jin troops confronted each other in a battle. Faithful to his promise, Duke Wen of the State of Jin ordered his troops to retreat about thirty miles. After retreating, the Jin troops were stationed at Chengpu. Seeing that the Jin troops were retreating, the Chu troops thought that the enemy troops were afraid, and began chasing them. Taking advantage of the Chu troops' arrogance and their talking the Jin troops lightly, the Jin troops concentrated their forces and inflicted a crushing defeat on the Chu troops, thus winning the victory of the battle of Chengpu.
公元前633年,楚国和晋国的军队在作战时相遇。晋文公为了实现他许下的诺言,下令军队后退九十里,驻扎在城濮。楚军见晋军后退,以为对方害怕了,马上追击。晋军利用楚军骄傲轻敌的弱点,集中兵力,大破楚军,取得了城濮之战的胜利。
This set phrase, "retreating about thirty miles as a condition for peace," is derived from the Chapter "The Twenty-second Year of Duke Xi" in ZuoZhuan, the famous commentary by Zuo Qiuming on The spring and Autumn Annals. The idea of this set phrase is to give way to somebody in order to avoid a conflict.
故事出自《左传·僖公二十二年》。成语“退避三舍”比喻不与人相争或主动让步。
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故事文学体裁的一种,侧重于事件发展过程的描述。强调情节的生动性和连贯性,较适于口头讲述。已经发生事。或者想象故事。某些故事是人类对自身历史的一种记忆行为,人们通过多种故事形式,叙述一个带有寓意的事件。下面是读文网小编为大家带来英国历史故事,希望大家喜欢!
The great days of the Round Table were over when150 knights left to search throughout Britain for theGrail. But it was Sir Modred, a knight who waseither Arthur’s nephew or his illegitimate son,finally destroyed the fellowship of the Round Table.While Arthur was fighting Lancelot in France, Modredseized his kingdom and attempted to marryGuinevere. Arthur quickly returned to Britain and awar broke out between the forces of the two men. Arthur killed Modred in battle but he himselfwas badly wounded.
Facing death, Arthur ordered one of his knights Bedivere to throw Excalibur into a lake, so thatthe sword could not fall into the wrong hands. Then Bedivere carried Arthur on his shouldersand brought him to the edge of the lake. There they saw a boat with a number of fairies in it.The boat took him away to the island of Avalon, the land of heroes. People believe that Arthurwill return when Britain again needs him to defeat the nation’s enemies and to bring peace andsecurity to the land.
亚瑟王之死
自从亚瑟王的150名圆桌骑士离开亚瑟,到各地寻找圣杯,亚瑟王的朝廷就冷落了下来。但最后使骑士们散伙的,是亚瑟的外甥(一说私生子)莫德雷德。正当亚瑟在法国与朗斯洛作战时,莫德雷德篡夺了王位,甚至要娶圭内维尔为妻。亚瑟匆忙返回与莫德雷德对阵。亚瑟杀死莫德雷德,自己也身负重伤。
临终时,亚瑟命令拜德维尔爵士把神剑埃克斯卡利伯投入湖中,使之不致落入恶人之手。然后拜德维尔爵士将亚瑟背到湖边。这时他们看到一条小船驶来,里面有几个仙女。仙女们将亚瑟王载到阿瓦隆岛,那里是英雄们的修养地。人们相信,在不列颠需要的时候,亚瑟王会回来打败敌人,给人民带来和平与安全。
英国历史故事相关
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“哪里有人,哪里就有笑声。”从古到今,笑话是人们生活中不可缺少的“调剂品”。笑话使人们在刻板的生活中感到一丝快意和放松,在人们的日常生活中起着重要调剂作用。下面读文网小编为大家带来英文幽默故事带翻译,欢迎大家阅读!
"Daddy, can I learn to play the violin?" young Sarah asked her father. She was always asking for things and her father was not very pleased.
"You cost me a lot of money, Sarah," he said. "First you wanted to learn horse riding, then dancing, then swimming. Now it's the violin.
"I'll play every day, Daddy." Sarah said. "I'll try very hard.
"All right," her father said. "This is what I'll do. I'll pay for you to have lessons for six weeks. At the end of six weeks you must play something for me. If you play well, you can have more lessons. If you play badly, I will stop the lessons."
"0. K. Daddy," Sarah said. "That is fair.
He soon found a good violin teacher and Sarah began her lessons. The teacher was very expensive, but her father kept his promise.
The six weeks passed quickly. The time came for Sarah to play for her father.
She went to the living room and said, "I'm ready to play for you, Daddy.
"Fine, Sarah," her father said. "Begin.
She began to play. She played very badly. She made a terrible noise.
Her father had one of his friends with him, and the friend put his hands over his ears.
When Sarah finished, her father said, "Well done, Sarah. You can have more lessons."
Sarah ran happily out of the room. Her father's friend turned to him. "You've spent a lot of money, but she still plays very badly. he said.
"Well, that's true," her father said. "But since she started learning the violin I've been able to buy five apartments in this build very cheaply. In another six weeks I'll own the whole building!"
“爸爸,我能学拉小提琴吗?”小莎拉问她的父亲.她总是要东西,因此她爸爸很不高兴.
“你花了我很多钱,莎拉,”他说,“开始你想学骑马,然后想学跳舞,然后是游泳.现在又想学拉小提琴.”
“我会每天都拉的,爸爸,”莎拉说,“我会认真练的.”
“好吧,”她爸爸说.“下面是我要做的:我会为你付六个星期的小提琴课的钱,六个星期后你必须拉首曲子给我听.如果你拉得很好,你可以继续上小提琴课,要是你拉得很差,你就不要再学了.”
“行.爸爸,”莎拉说,“这很公平.”
他很快就找到了一个好的小提琴老师,莎拉就开始学拉提琴了.尽管学费很高,但她爸爸遵守了诺言.
六个星期很快就过去了.该莎拉拉提琴给爸爸听了.
她走进起居室说:“我准备好拉提琴给你听了.”
“好哇,莎拉,”她爸爸说.“开始吧.”
她开始拉了.她拉得很差,发出了可怕的嗓音.她爸爸身旁有位朋友,朋友用手捂着耳朵.
莎拉拉完一曲,她父亲说:“拉得好,莎拉.你可以继续学琴了.”
莎拉高兴地跑出门去.她父亲的朋友对他说:“你已经花了不少钱了,但她还是拉得很差.”
“噢,的确如此,”她爸爸说,“但自从她开始学小提琴,我就可以很便宜地买下这幢楼的五个公寓.再过六周,我就可以拥有整幢楼啦!”
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从古到今,笑话是人们生活中不可缺少的“调剂品”。笑话使人们在刻板的生活中感到一丝快意和放松,在人们的日常生活中起着重要调剂作用。下面读文网小编为大家带来有趣简单英语故事,欢迎大家阅读!
There was a blonde that was so sick of blonde jokes she died her hair red. The jokes stopped and she felt so good, she took a ride in the country one Saturday afternoon. While on this ride, she noticed a flock of sheep and stopped the car to take&n......。
一个金发女郎,是那么恶心的黄色笑话她把头发染成红色。笑话停了下来,她觉得很好,她在农村的一个搭车的星期六下午。而在这旅程,她注意到一群羊,停下车来把......。
以上就是读文网小编为大家带来的有趣简单英语故事,希望大家喜欢!
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从古到今,笑话是人们生活中不可缺少的“调剂品”。笑话使人们在刻板的生活中感到一丝快意和放松,在人们的日常生活中起着重要调剂作用。下面读文网小编为大家带来幽默英文小故事精选,欢迎大家阅读!
young man saw Edison, said : “I wanna develop a sort of all-purpose dissolvent, by which can dissolve(溶解) all materials.”
Edison asked a question in reply : “ In that case, what container shall you hold it with?”
一个后生找到爱迪生,说:“我准备研制一种万能溶剂,它能溶解一切物质。”
爱迪生反问:“那你用什么来盛它呢?”
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小红帽是德国童话作家格林的童话《小红帽》中的人物,故事版本多达一百多个,是如今家户喻晓的经典童话故事,成了不少小朋友最喜欢的睡前故事之一。下面读文网小编为大家带来小红帽童话故事双语版,欢迎大家阅读。
Once upon a time there was a sweet little girl. Everyone who saw her liked her, but most of all her grandmother, who did not know what to give the child next. Once she gave her a little cap made of red velvet. Because it suited her so well, and she wanted to wear it all the time, she came to be known as Little Red Cap.
One day her mother said to her, "Come Little Red Cap. Here is a piece of cake and a bottle of wine. Take them to your grandmother. She is sick and weak, and they will do her well. Mind your manners and give her my greetings. Behave yourself on the way, and do not leave the path, or you might fall down and break the glass, and then there will be nothing for your grandmother. And when you enter her parlor, don't forget to say 'Good morning,' and don't peer into all the corners first."
"I'll do everything just right," said Little Red Cap, shaking her mother's hand.
The grandmother lived out in the woods, a half hour from the village. When Little Red Cap entered the woods a wolf came up to her. She did not know what a wicked animal he was, and was not afraid of him.
"Good day to you, Little Red Cap."
"Thank you, wolf."
"Where are you going so early, Little Red Cap?"
"To grandmother's."
"And what are you carrying under your apron?"
"Grandmother is sick and weak, and I am taking her some cake and wine. We baked yesterday, and they should be good for her and give her strength."
"Little Red Cap, just where does your grandmother live?"
"Her house is good quarter hour from here in the woods, under the three large oak trees. There's a hedge of hazel bushes there. You must know the place," said Little Red Cap.
The wolf thought to himself, "Now that sweet young thing is a tasty bite for me. She will taste even better than the old woman. You must be sly, and you can catch them both."
He walked along a little while with Little Red Cap, then he said, "Little Red Cap, just look at the beautiful flowers that are all around us. Why don't you go and take a look? And I don't believe you can hear how beautifully the birds are singing. You are walking along as though you were on your way to school. It is very beautiful in the woods."
Little Red Cap opened her eyes and when she saw the sunbeams dancing to and fro through the trees and how the ground was covered with beautiful flowers, she thought, "If a take a fresh bouquet to grandmother, she will be very pleased. Anyway, it is still early, and I'll be home on time." And she ran off the path into the woods looking for flowers. Each time she picked one she thought that she could see an even more beautiful one a little way off, and she ran after it, going further and further into the woods. But the wolf ran straight to the grandmother's house and knocked on the door.
"Who's there?"
"Little Red Cap. I'm bringing you some cake and wine. Open the door."
"Just press the latch," called out the grandmother. "I'm too weak to get up."
The wolf pressed the latch, and the door opened. He stepped inside, went straight to the grandmother's bed, and ate her up. Then he put on her clothes, put her cap on his head, got into her bed, and pulled the curtains shut.
Little Red Cap had run after the flowers. After she had gathered so many that she could not carry any more, she remembered her grandmother, and then continued on her way to her house. She found, to her surprise, that the door was open. She walked into the parlor, and everything looked so strange that she thought, "Oh, my God, why am I so afraid? I usually like it at grandmother's."
She called out, "Good morning!" but received no answer.
Then she went to the bed and pulled back the curtains. Grandmother was lying there with her cap pulled down over her face and looking very strange.
"Oh, grandmother, what big ears you have!"
"All the better to hear you with."
"Oh, grandmother, what big eyes you have!"
"All the better to see you with."
"Oh, grandmother, what big hands you have!"
"All the better to grab you with!"
"Oh, grandmother, what a horribly big mouth you have!"
"All the better to eat you with!"
The wolf had scarcely finished speaking when he jumped from the bed with a single leap and ate up poor Little Red Cap. As soon as the wolf had satisfied his desires, he climbed back into bed, fell asleep, and began to snore very loudly.
A huntsman was just passing by. He thought, "The old woman is snoring so loudly. You had better see if something is wrong with her."
He stepped into the parlor, and when he approached the bed, he saw the wolf lying there. "So here I find you, you old sinner," he said. "I have been hunting for you a long time."
He was about to aim his rifle when it occurred to him that the wolf might have eaten the grandmother, and that she still might be rescued. So instead of shooting, he took a pair of scissors and began to cut open the wolf's belly. After a few cuts he saw the red cap shining through., and after a few more cuts the girl jumped out, crying, "Oh, I was so frightened! It was so dark inside the wolf's body!"
And then the grandmother came out as well, alive but hardly able to breathe. Then Little Red Cap fetched some large stones. She filled the wolf's body with them, and when he woke up and tried to run away, the stones were so heavy that he immediately fell down dead.
The three of them were happy. The huntsman skinned the wolf and went home with the pelt. The grandmother ate the cake and drank the wine that Little Red Cap had brought. And Little Red Cap thought, "As long as I live, I will never leave the path and run off into the woods by myself if mother tells me not to."
They also tell how Little Red Cap was taking some baked things to her grandmother another time, when another wolf spoke to her and wanted her to leave the path. But Little Red Cap took care and went straight to grandmother's. She told her that she had seen the wolf, and that he had wished her a good day, but had stared at her in a wicked manner. "If we hadn't been on a public road, he would have eaten me up," she said.
"Come," said the grandmother. "Let's lock the door, so he can't get in."
Soon afterward the wolf knocked on the door and called out, "Open up, grandmother. It's Little Red Cap, and I'm bringing you some baked things."
They remained silent, and did not open the door. Gray-Head crept around the house several times, and finally jumped onto the roof. He wanted to wait until Little Red Cap went home that evening, then follow her and eat her up in the darkness. But the grandmother saw what he was up to. There was a large stone trough in front of the house.
"Fetch a bucket, Little Red Cap," she said to the child. "Yesterday I cooked some sausage. Carry the water that I boiled them with to the trough." Little Red Cap carried water until the large, large trough was clear full. The smell of sausage arose into the wolf's nose. He sniffed and looked down, stretching his neck so long that he could no longer hold himself, and he began to slide. He slid off the roof, fell into the trough, and drowned. And Little Red Cap returned home happily, and no one harmed her.
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英国的教育体系经过几百年的沿革,相当的完善和复杂,这里就有它的英文版介绍。下面读文网小编为大家带来英国教育体系英文简介,希望对你有所帮助!
英国教育体系总体来说分为三个阶段: 义务教育(Compulsory Education),延续教育(Further Education)和高等教育(Higher Education)。
一、义务教育 (Compulsory Education)
英国的学生从四岁开始接受义务教育,享受全免费的国家福利,学校甚至还提供免费的午餐,所有的家长必须把自己的孩子送到学校读书。小学教育一般持续到11岁,然后进入中学。英国的中学不分初中高中,从中一(Form 1)到中五(Form 5)共五年的时间。
二、延续教育(Further Education)
延续教育是英国教育体系中最有特色也最精彩的部分,它是继小学(Primary)中学(Secondary)教育之后的“第三级教育”(Tertiary)。为进入高等教育或者就业打下基础。也是中国的高中学生留学英国的关键阶段。一般来说接受延续教育的学生介于16和18岁之间。它分为两种体系:学业路线(Academic Route)和职业路线(Vocational Route)。学业路线着重于培养学术研究方面的人才,职业路线则结合社会各层面的职业需要,培养在各种行业中具有专门技能和知识的人才。这两种体系在英国受到同等的重视。
三、高等教育(Higher Education)
顾名思义,高等教育是英国教育体系中的高级阶段,它包括:
本科(Bachelor Degree)
研究生(Master Degree)
博士生(Doctorial Degree)
高级国家文凭(HND-Higher National Diploma)。
高等教育通常都是由大学(University)提供,但许多学院(College)也提供Bachelor和HND课程。
看了英国教育体系英文版介绍这篇文章
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《丑小鸭》是安徒生的经典童话故事之一,写了一只天鹅蛋在鸭群中破壳后,因相貌怪异,让同类鄙弃,历经千辛万苦、重重磨难之后长成了白天鹅。下面读文网小编为大家带来丑小鸭童话故事英文版及翻译,欢迎大家阅读欣赏!
It was so beautiful out on the country, it was summer- the wheat fields were golden, the oats were green, and down among the green meadows the hay was stacked. There the stork minced about on his red legs, clacking away in Egyptian, which was the language his mother had taught him. Round about the field and meadow lands rose vast forests, in which deep lakes lay hidden. Yes, it was indeed lovely out there in the country.
In the midst of the sunshine there stood an old manor house that had a deep moat around it. From the walls of the manor right down to the water's edge great burdock leaves grew, and there were some so tall that little children could stand upright beneath the biggest of them. In this wilderness of leaves, which was as dense as the forests itself, a duck sat on her nest, hatching her ducklings. She was becoming somewhat weary, because sitting is such a dull business and scarcely anyone came to see her. The other ducks would much rather swim in the moat than waddle out and squat under the burdock leaf to gossip with her.
But at last the eggshells began to crack, one after another. "Peep, peep!" said the little things, as they came to life and poked out their heads.
"Quack, quack!" said the duck, and quick as quick can be they all waddled out to have a look at the green world under the leaves. Their mother let them look as much as they pleased, because green is good for the eyes.
"How wide the world is," said all the young ducks, for they certainly had much more room now than they had when they were in their eggshells.
"Do you think this is the whole world?" their mother asked. "Why it extends on and on, clear across to the other side of the garden and right on into the parson's field, though that is further than I have ever been. I do hope you are all hatched," she said as she got up. "No, not quite all. The biggest egg still lies here. How much longer is this going to take? I am really rather tired of it all," she said, but she settled back on her nest.
"Well, how goes it?" asked an old duck who came to pay her a call.
"It takes a long time with that one egg," said the duck on the nest. "It won't crack, but look at the others. They are the cutest little ducklings I've ever seen. They look exactly like their father, the wretch! He hasn't come to see me at all."
"Let's have a look at the egg that won't crack," the old duck said. "It's a turkey egg, and you can take my word for it. I was fooled like that once myself. What trouble and care I had with those turkey children, for I may as well tell you, they are afraid of the water. I simply could not get them into it. I quacked and snapped at them, but it wasn't a bit of use. Let me see the egg. Certainly, it's a turkey egg. Let it lie, and go teach your other children to swim."
"Oh, I'll sit a little longer. I've been at it so long already that I may as well sit here half the summer."
"Suit yourself," said the old duck, and away she waddled.
At last the big egg did crack. "Peep," said the young one, and out he tumbled, but he was so big and ugly.
The duck took a look at him. "That's a frightfully big duckling," she said. "He doesn't look the least like the others. Can he really be a turkey baby? Well, well! I'll soon find out. Into the water he shall go, even if I have to shove him in myself."
Next day the weather was perfectly splendid, and the sun shone down on all the green burdock leaves. The mother duck led her whole family down to the moat. Splash! she took to the water. "Quack, quack," said she, and one duckling after another plunged in. The water went over their heads, but they came up in a flash, and floated to perfection. Their legs worked automatically, and they were all there in the water. Even the big, ugly gray one was swimming along.
"Why, that's no turkey," she said. "See how nicely he uses his legs, and how straight he holds himself. He's my very own son after all, and quite good-looking if you look at him properly. Quack, quack come with me. I'll lead you out into the world and introduce you to the duck yard. But keep close to me so that you won't get stepped on, and watch out for the cat!"
Thus they sallied into the duck yard, where all was in an uproar because two families were fighting over the head of an eel. But the cat got it, after all.
"You see, that's the way of the world." The mother duck licked her bill because she wanted the eel's head for herself. "Stir your legs. Bustle about, and mind that you bend your necks to that old duck over there. She's the noblest of us all, and has Spanish blood in her. That's why she's so fat. See that red rag around her leg? That's a wonderful thing, and the highest distinction a duck can get. It shows that they don't want to lose her, and that she's to have special attention from man and beast. Shake yourselves! Don't turn your toes in. A well-bred duckling turns his toes way out, just as his father and mother do-this way. So then! Now duck your necks and say quack!"
They did as she told them, but the other ducks around them looked on and said right out loud, "See here! Must we have this brood too, just as if there weren't enough of us already? And-fie! what an ugly-looking fellow that duckling is! We won't stand for him." One duck charged up and bit his neck.
"Let him alone," his mother said. "He isn't doing any harm."
"Possibly not," said the duck who bit him, "but he's too big and strange, and therefore he needs a good whacking."
"What nice-looking children you have, Mother," said the old duck with the rag around her leg. "They are all pretty except that one. He didn't come out so well. It's a pity you can't hatch him again."
"That can't be managed, your ladyship," said the mother. "He isn't so handsome, but he's as good as can be, and he swims just as well as the rest, or, I should say, even a little better than they do. I hope his looks will improve with age, and after a while he won't seem so big. He took too long in the egg, and that's why his figure isn't all that it should be." She pinched his neck and preened his feathers. "Moreover, he's a drake, so it won't matter so much. I think he will be quite strong, and I'm sure he will amount to something."
"The other ducklings are pretty enough," said the old duck. "Now make yourselves right at home, and if you find an eel's head you may bring it to me."
So they felt quite at home. But the poor duckling who had been the last one out of his egg, and who looked so ugly, was pecked and pushed about and made fun of by the ducks, and the chickens as well. "He's too big," said they all. The turkey gobbler, who thought himself an emperor because he was born wearing spurs, puffed up like a ship under full sail and bore down upon him, gobbling and gobbling until he was red in the face. The poor duckling did not know where he dared stand or where he dared walk. He was so sad because he was so desperately ugly, and because he was the laughing stock of the whole barnyard.
So it went on the first day, and after that things went from bad to worse. The poor duckling was chased and buffeted about by everyone. Even his own brothers and sisters abused him. "Oh," they would always say, "how we wish the cat would catch you, you ugly thing." And his mother said, "How I do wish you were miles away." The ducks nipped him, and the hens pecked him, and the girl who fed them kicked him with her foot.
So he ran away; and he flew over the fence. The little birds in the bushes darted up in a fright. "That's because I'm so ugly," he thought, and closed his eyes, but he ran on just the same until he reached the great marsh where the wild ducks lived. There he lay all night long, weary and disheartened.
When morning came, the wild ducks flew up to have a look at their new companion. "What sort of creature are you?" they asked, as the duckling turned in all directions, bowing his best to them all. "You are terribly ugly," they told him, "but that's nothing to us so long as you don't marry into our family."
Poor duckling! Marriage certainly had never entered his mind. All he wanted was for them to let him lie among the reeds and drink a little water from the marsh.
There he stayed for two whole days. Then he met two wild geese, or rather wild ganders-for they were males. They had not been out of the shell very long, and that's what made them so sure of themselves.
"Say there, comrade," they said, "you're so ugly that we have taken a fancy to you. Come with us and be a bird of passage. In another marsh near-by, there are some fetching wild geese, all nice young ladies who know how to quack. You are so ugly that you'll completely turn their heads."
Bing! Bang! Shots rang in the air, and these two ganders fell dead among the reeds. The water was red with their blood. Bing! Bang! the shots rang, and as whole flocks of wild geese flew up from the reeds another volley crashed. A great hunt was in progress. The hunters lay under cover all around the marsh, and some even perched on branches of trees that overhung the reeds. Blue smoke rose like clouds from the shade of the trees, and drifted far out over the water.
The bird dogs came splash, splash! through the swamp, bending down the reeds and the rushes on every side. This gave the poor duckling such a fright that he twisted his head about to hide it under his wing. But at that very moment a fearfully big dog appeared right beside him. His tongue lolled out of his mouth and his wicked eyes glared horribly. He opened his wide jaws, flashed his sharp teeth, and - splash, splash - on he went without touching the duckling.
"Thank heavens," he sighed, "I'm so ugly that the dog won't even bother to bite me."
He lay perfectly still, while the bullets splattered through the reeds as shot after shot was fired. It was late in the day before things became quiet again, and even then the poor duckling didn't dare move. He waited several hours before he ventured to look about him, and then he scurried away from that marsh as fast as he could go. He ran across field and meadows. The wind was so strong that he had to struggle to keep his feet.
Late in the evening he came to a miserable little hovel, so ramshackle that it did not know which way to tumble, and that was the only reason it still stood. The wind struck the duckling so hard that the poor little fellow had to sit down on his tail to withstand it. The storm blew stronger and stronger, but the duckling noticed that one hinge had come loose and the door hung so crooked that he could squeeze through the crack into the room, and that's just what he did.
Here lived an old woman with her cat and her hen. The cat, whom she called "Sonny," could arch his back, purr, and even make sparks, though for that you had to stroke his fur the wrong way. The hen had short little legs, so she was called "Chickey Shortleg." She laid good eggs, and the old woman loved her as if she had been her own child.
In the morning they were quick to notice the strange duckling. The cat began to purr, and the hen began to cluck.
"What on earth!" The old woman looked around, but she was short-sighted, and she mistook the duckling for a fat duck that had lost its way. "That was a good catch," she said. "Now I shall have duck eggs-unless it's a drake. We must try it out." So the duckling was tried out for three weeks, but not one egg did he lay.
In this house the cat was master and the hen was mistress. They always said, "We and the world," for they thought themselves half of the world, and much the better half at that. The duckling thought that there might be more than one way of thinking, but the hen would not hear of it.
"Can you lay eggs?" she asked
"No."
"Then be so good as to hold your tongue."
The cat asked, "Can you arch your back, purr, or make sparks?"
"No."
"Then keep your opinion to yourself when sensible people are talking."
The duckling sat in a corner, feeling most despondent. Then he remembered the fresh air and the sunlight. Such a desire to go swimming on the water possessed him that he could not help telling the hen about it.
"What on earth has come over you?" the hen cried. "You haven't a thing to do, and that's why you get such silly notions. Lay us an egg, or learn to purr, and you'll get over it."
"But it's so refreshing to float on the water," said the duckling, "so refreshing to feel it rise over your head as you dive to the bottom."
"Yes, it must be a great pleasure!" said the hen. "I think you must have gone crazy. Ask the cat, who's the wisest fellow I know, whether he likes to swim or dive down in the water. Of myself I say nothing. But ask the old woman, our mistress. There's no one on earth wiser than she is. Do you imagine she wants to go swimming and feel the water rise over her head?"
"You don't understand me," said the duckling.
"Well, if we don't, who would? Surely you don't think you are cleverer than the cat and the old woman-to say nothing of myself. Don't be so conceited, child. Just thank your Maker for all the kindness we have shown you. Didn't you get into this snug room, and fall in with people who can tell you what's what? But you are such a numbskull that it's no pleasure to have you around. Believe me, I tell you this for your own good. I say unpleasant truths, but that's the only way you can know who are your friends. Be sure now that you lay some eggs. See to it that you learn to purr or to make sparks."
"I think I'd better go out into the wide world," said the duckling.
"Suit yourself," said the hen.
So off went the duckling. He swam on the water, and dived down in it, but still he was slighted by every living creature because of his ugliness.
Autumn came on. The leaves in the forest turned yellow and brown. The wind took them and whirled them about. The heavens looked cold as the low clouds hung heavy with snow and hail. Perched on the fence, the raven screamed, "Caw, caw!" and trembled with cold. It made one shiver to think of it. Pity the poor little duckling!
One evening, just as the sun was setting in splendor, a great flock of large, handsome birds appeared out of the reeds. The duckling had never seen birds so beautiful. They were dazzling white, with long graceful necks. They were swans. They uttered a very strange cry as they unfurled their magnificent wings to fly from this cold land, away to warmer countries and to open waters. They went up so high, so very high, that the ugly little duckling felt a strange uneasiness come over him as he watched them. He went around and round in the water, like a wheel. He craned his neck to follow their course, and gave a cry so shrill and strange that he frightened himself. Oh! He could not forget them-those splendid, happy birds. When he could no longer see them he dived to the very bottom. and when he came up again he was quite beside himself. He did not know what birds they were or whither they were bound, yet he loved them more than anything he had ever loved before. It was not that he envied them, for how could he ever dare dream of wanting their marvelous beauty for himself? He would have been grateful if only the ducks would have tolerated him-the poor ugly creature.
The winter grew cold - so bitterly cold that the duckling had to swim to and fro in the water to keep it from freezing over. But every night the hole in which he swam kept getting smaller and smaller. Then it froze so hard that the duckling had to paddle continuously to keep the crackling ice from closing in upon him. At last, too tired to move, he was frozen fast in the ice.
Early that morning a farmer came by, and when he saw how things were he went out on the pond, broke away the ice with his wooden shoe, and carried the duckling home to his wife. There the duckling revived, but when the children wished to play with him he thought they meant to hurt him. Terrified, he fluttered into the milk pail, splashing the whole room with milk. The woman shrieked and threw up her hands as he flew into the butter tub, and then in and out of the meal barrel. Imagine what he looked like now! The woman screamed and lashed out at him with the fire tongs. The children tumbled over each other as they tried to catch him, and they laughed and they shouted. Luckily the door was open, and the duckling escaped through it into the bushes, where he lay down, in the newly fallen snow, as if in a daze.
But it would be too sad to tell of all the hardships and wretchedness he had to endure during this cruel winter. When the warm sun shone once more, the duckling was still alive among the reeds of the marsh. The larks began to sing again. It was beautiful springtime.
Then, quite suddenly, he lifted his wings. They swept through the air much more strongly than before, and their powerful strokes carried him far. Before he quite knew what was happening, he found himself in a great garden where apple trees bloomed. The lilacs filled the air with sweet scent and hung in clusters from long, green branches that bent over a winding stream. Oh, but it was lovely here in the freshness of spring!
From the thicket before him came three lovely white swans. They ruffled their feathers and swam lightly in the stream. The duckling recognized these noble creatures, and a strange feeling of sadness came upon him.
"I shall fly near these royal birds, and they will peck me to bits because I, who am so very ugly, dare to go near them. But I don't care. Better be killed by them than to be nipped by the ducks, pecked by the hens, kicked about by the hen-yard girl, or suffer such misery in winter."
So he flew into the water and swam toward the splendid swans. They saw him, and swept down upon him with their rustling feathers raised. "Kill me!" said the poor creature, and he bowed his head down over the water to wait for death. But what did he see there, mirrored in the clear stream? He beheld his own image, and it was no longer the reflection of a clumsy, dirty, gray bird, ugly and offensive. He himself was a swan! Being born in a duck yard does not matter, if only you are hatched from a swan's egg.
He felt quite glad that he had come through so much trouble and misfortune, for now he had a fuller understanding of his own good fortune, and of beauty when he met with it. The great swans swam all around him and stroked him with their bills.
Several little children came into the garden to throw grain and bits of bread upon the water. The smallest child cried, "Here's a new one," and the others rejoiced, "yes, a new one has come." They clapped their hands, danced around, and ran to bring their father and mother.
And they threw bread and cake upon the water, while they all agreed, "The new one is the most handsome of all. He's so young and so good-looking." The old swans bowed in his honor.
Then he felt very bashful, and tucked his head under his wing. He did not know what this was all about. He felt so very happy, but he wasn't at all proud, for a good heart never grows proud. He thought about how he had been persecuted and scorned, and now he heard them all call him the most beautiful of all beautiful birds. The lilacs dipped their clusters into the stream before him, and the sun shone so warm and so heartening. He rustled his feathers and held his slender neck high, as he cried out with full heart: "I never dreamed there could be so much happiness, when I was the ugly duckling."#p#副标题#e#
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