读点好英文:The Harebrained Monkey 浮躁的猴子

The Harebrained Monkey 浮躁的猴子

The King received news one day that a group outlaws were committing outrages on a distant border of the kingdom. The news angered of the King.He quickly gathered his army and started off for the distant border, leaving his kingdom unguarded and without a ruler.

On their long march, the King and his army made camp for the night wherever they could. One rainy day they stopped in a forest, seeking shelter under the trees.They unsaddled their horses and steamed some peas, which they fed to their steeds in long narrow troughs.

A monkey in a tree nearby saw the horses being fed, and he came racing down, filled both paws with peas, then scampered nimbly up to a branch and settled down to eat. But as he opened one paw, a single pea fell to the ground.Without hesitation, the monkey jumped down from his perch to hunt for the lost pea, and in doing so he dropped all the other peas in his paws.

The King observed this foolish monkey and was greatly amused. He turned to his counseIor and asked，“Friend, what do you think of this monkey who would give up so much to retrieve so little?”

“That is the way of the foolish，”replied the counselor，“they will give up much that is certain for a little that is uncertain.”

Then he added，“And we, great monarch, are we not like the monkey in the tree?To gain so little we neglect so much-exactly like the monkey with its pea.”

The King understood the rebuke and realized how very foolish he had been himself to leave his kingdom unguarded. He issued orders to his men, and he and his army returned at once to their country.

一天，国王得到消息，边境地区有一群不法之徒正在造反。这个消息激怒了国王，他迅速召集军队，前往边疆。国家防卫兵力顿时全无，也没有了统治者。

长途行军中，国王和他的军队晚上就地宿营。一个雨天，他们停在一片森林里，在树下避雨宿营。他们卸下马鞍，蒸了些豌豆，放在狭长的饲料槽里喂战马。

在附近树上坐着的一只猴子看到马在进食，就从树上跳下来，用爪子抓起两大把豌豆，然后敏捷地爬上树，坐下吃了起来。可就在它张开一只爪子时，一粒豌豆掉在了地上。它毫不犹豫地跳下来，去找那颗掉落的豆子，而同时，它爪子中所有的豌豆都掉在了地上。

国王看着这只愚蠢的猴子，觉得十分有趣，便转头问军师：“朋友，你怎么看这只因小失大的猴子呢？”

“这种做事方式很愚蠢，”军师回答道，“它们会为没有把握的小利而放弃有把握的大利。”

接着，他又说道：“伟大的君主殿下，我们与树上的这只猴子又有什么区别呢？为小利而舍大利——这与捡豌豆的猴子一样啊。”

国王这才恍然大悟，他意识到让国家后防空虚是多么愚蠢啊。于是，他向军队下达命令，即刻班师回朝。

Practising&Exercise 实战提升篇

单词注解

sparse[spa：s]a.稀疏的；稀少的

sIeek[sli：k]a.健壮的；养得好的

meadow['medəu]n.草地；牧场

snatch[snætʃ]v.抓取，夺得

border['bɔ：də]n.边疆，边界

counseIor['kaunsələ]n.顾问；参事

实用句型

A monkey in a tree nearby saw the horses being fed, and he came racing down, filled both paws with peas, then scampered nimbly up to a branch and settled down to eat.

在附近树上坐着的一只猴子看到马在进食，就从树上跳下来，用爪子抓起两大把豌豆，然后敏捷地爬上树，坐下吃了起来。

Without hesitation, the monkey jumped down from his perch to hunt for the lost pea, and in doing so he dropped all the other peas in his paws.

它毫不犹豫地跳下来，去找那颗掉落的豆子，而同时，它爪子中所有的豌豆都掉在了地上。

智慧点津

It is better to be free and poor than to have everything you want.

宁可清贫自乐，不可浊富多忧。

Look before you leap.

三思而后行。