伊索寓言: 下金蛋的鹅 ， — The Goose that ， Laid the Golden Eggs

E国玉缘

A farmer and his wife once hade a goose

that laid a solid gold egg every day. Each evening they settled it securely in its pen

in the corner of their kitchen with a bowl of the best corn and a saucer of fresh

water. Each morning they found a new,

bright yellow egg in its nest of sweet hey.

农夫和他妻子曾经养过一只下金蛋的鹅，这只鹅每天都下一个纯金的蛋。每天晚上它们都将鹅稳稳地安顿在厨房一角的鹅窝里，旁边放上一碗最好的玉米和一碟淡水。每天早上他们都能在鹅的干草窝里找到一个新下的亮晶晶的金蛋。

One day the farmer's wife said to her

husband:"These eggs are all very well,

my dear, but though I suppose we will be rich in the end, it is a very slow way of

making a fortune. By the time we get it, it will not be worth half what it is today.

Now, I have a idea. It is obvious to me

that there must be a great store of golden eggs inside our goose. Why should we

should wait all our lives for her to lay

them? Go and get the knife and we'll have all the gold now while we can still enjoy

it."

一天，农夫的妻子对丈夫说：“这些蛋非常好，亲爱的，尽管我想我们最后会富起来，可是这是一个非常缓慢的发财办法。当我们获得这些财富的时候，它们也许也就只值现在一半的价值。现在我倒是有个主意。很显然，在我们的鹅肚子里一定储藏着很大一批金蛋。我们何必要等待一生去让它下这些金蛋呢？快去把它杀了，趁着我们还能享用时，把所有这些金蛋都搞到手。

"Well,"said the farmer doubtfully,"it

seems a sad way to treat a good bird.

But on the other hand..."

”嗯，“农夫犹豫地说，”这样对待一只好家禽似乎是个很可悲的办法。但是，从另一方面看..."

Without another word he killed the goose

and cut her open-only to find that inside

she was just like any other goose, with no sign of a golden egg at all.

农夫闷声不响地杀死了这只鹅，并将鹅肚子破开，发现就像其他鹅一样，鹅肚子里根本没有一个金蛋的影子。

“We'll not get rich quickly or slowly now, my dear." said the farmer sadly.

农夫悲伤地说，“亲爱的，再快也罢，再慢也罢，我们都不会再富了。”

Don't be greedy.

不要贪得无厌！



驴 和 盐

狮子和报恩的老鼠

伊索寓言:狐狸和鹳

伊索寓言:狐狸和葡萄(中英对照)