英文成语故事：抱薪救火

2022-01-28 成语故事

　　精选英文成语故事：抱薪救火

　　Carrying Faggots to Put Out a Fire

　　In the last years of the Warring States period, the State of Qin attacked the State of Wei on a large scale repeatedly and occupied large areas of land, for the State of Wei was too weak to defend itself. In 273 B.B., the qin army launched another attack upon the State of Wei with a momentum more vigorous than ever. The king of the State of Wei summoned his officials,and asked with a worried look if anyone could propose a way to defeat the Qin army. After years of chaos caused by the wars,the officials trembled when fighting was mentioned, and no one dared to speak ofresistance. At the critical moment when a large enemy force was bearing down upon the border, most of the offinials persuaded the king to sue for peace, at the cost of giving away to the State of Qin the large area of land north of the Huanghe River and south of the Taihang Mountain. However Su Dai, a counsellor, did not agree. He hurried up to the king and said:"Your Majesty, they don't think about the interests of the country at all.It is just because they are cowardly and afraid of death that they ask you to sue for peace by betraying the country. Of course you can temperarily satisfy the ambition of the king of the State of Qin is insatiably greedy. It will never stop assaulting us until our land is totally given away."Once there was a man whose house was on fire. People told him to put out the fire with water, but he would not listen. Instead, he carried a faggot to put out the fire, only to make the fire fiercer. That was because he didn't know that,instead of putting out the fire, faggots could only make it burning more vigorously. Isn't it equivalent to carrying faggots to put out a fire if you agree to sue for peace at the cost of the land of the State of Wei?"Though Su Dai's argument was very convincing, the king accepted the suggestion of those officials and gave away to the State of Qin a large area of the land of the State of Wei. For the king of the State of Wei was cowardly and only cared for peace at the moment.As might be expected,the Qin army assaulted the State of Wei on a large scale in 225 B.C.,surrounding the capital city Daliang and flooding it by digging open the dykes of the Huanghe River.The State of Wei was finally destroyed by the State of Qin.This story appears in the Historical Records Written by Sima Qian.The set phrase"carrying faggots to put out a fire"is used to mean adopting a wrong method to save a situation and ending up by making it worse.

　　战国末期，秦国向魏国接连发动大规模的进攻，魏国无力抵抗，大片土地都被秦军占领了。到公元前273年，秦国又一次向魏国出兵，势头空前猛烈。

　　魏王把大臣们召来，愁眉苦脸地问大家有没有使秦国退兵的办法。大臣们由于经过多年的战乱，提起打仗就吓得哆嗦，谁也不敢谈“抵抗”二字。在这大兵压境的危急时刻，多数大臣都劝魏王，用黄河以北和太行山以南的大片土地为代价，向秦王求和。

　　谋士苏代听了这些话，很不以为然，忙上前对魏王说：“大王，他们是因为自己胆小怕死，才让您去卖国求和，根本不为国家着想。您想，把大片土地割让给秦国虽然暂时满足了秦王的野心，但秦国的欲望是无止境的，只要魏国的土地没割完，秦军就不会停止进攻我们。”

　　说到这里，苏代讲了一个故事：从前有一个人，他的房子起火了，别人劝他快用水去浇灭大火，但他不听，偏抱起一捆柴草去救火，是因为他不懂得柴草不但不能灭火反而能助长火势的道理。大王若同意拿着魏国土地去求和，不就等于抱着柴草救火吗？”

　　尽管苏代讲得头头是道，但是胆小的魏王只顾眼前的太平，还是依大臣们的意见把魏国大片土地割让给秦国。到公元225年，果然秦军又向魏国大举进攻，包围了国都大梁，掘开黄河大堤让洪水淹没了大梁城，魏国终于被秦国灭掉了。

　　故事出自《史记魏世家》。成语“抱薪救火”比喻用错误的方法去消灭祸害，结果反而使祸害扩大。

　　延伸阅读：

　　伊索寓言：老鼠开会（Belling the cat）

　　Long ago, there was a big cat in the house. He caught many mice while they were stealing food.

　　One day the mice had a meeting to talk about the way to deal with their common enemy. Some said this, and some said that.

　　At last a young mouse got up, and said that he had

　　a good idea.

　　"We could tie a bell around the neck of the cat. Then when he comes near, we can hear the sound of the bell, and run away."

　　Everyone approved of this proposal, but an old wise mouse got up and said, "That is all very well, but who will tie the bell to the cat?" The mice looked at each other, but nobody spoke.

　　老鼠开会

　　●从前，一所房子里面有一只大猫，他抓住了很多偷东西的老鼠。

　　●一天，老鼠在一起开会商量如何对付他们共同的敌人。会上大家各有各的主张，最后，一只小老鼠站出来说他有一个好主意。

　　●“我们可以在猫的脖子上绑一个铃铛，那么如果他来到附近，我们听到铃声就可以马上逃跑。”

　　●大家都赞同这个建议，这时一只聪明的老耗子站出来说：“这的确是个绝妙的主意，但是谁来给猫的脖子上绑铃铛呢？”老鼠们面面相觑，谁也没有说话。

　　寓意: 有些事情说起来容易，做起来却很难。

　　苏格兰玛丽女王Mary Queen of Scots Tim Vicary达维里奇奥之死

　　It was a Saturday evening in March 1566.I was in Edinburgh with some friends.david Riccio was there,with six or seven other people.We were in a small room,but there was a good dinner on the table,and we were happy.It was dark outside,it was warm and friendly.

　　1566年3月的一个星期六晚上。我和一些朋友呆在爱丁堡。达维里奇奥也在那里，另外还有六、七个人。我们在一间小屋子里，桌上摆着丰盛的菜肴，我们都很高兴。虽然外面夜幕笼罩，但屋子里充满了温暖和友好的气氛。

　　Suddenly,a door opened behind me.In the door was Henry darnley,my husband.I stood up and smiled.

　　突然，我身后的门被打开了，门口站着我的丈夫亨利达恩利。我站起来朝他笑。

　　‘Good evening,my lord,’I said.‘Please come in.Would you like something to eat?’

　　“晚上好，我的丈夫，”我说道，“请进来吧，你想吃点什么吗？”

　　‘No thank you,’he said.‘I'm not hungry.But I want to sit next to you,wife.Please tell that man to move.’

　　“不，谢谢，”他说。“我不饿。但我想坐在你身边，我的妻子。请叫那个人走开。”

　　A man got out of the chair next to me and Darnley sat beside me.Then he put his arms round me.I did not like it.His face was hot,and his eyes looked unhappy.But I smiled and said,‘I'm happy to see you,my lord.’

　　一人从我身旁的座位上站起来，达恩利坐到了我身边。然后他伸出手环抱着我。我不喜欢这样。他的脸很热，他的眼神看起来很不高兴。但我还是笑着对他说。“很高兴见到你，我的丈夫。”

　　‘Are you,Mary?’He laughed.‘Are you really?’

　　“是吗，玛丽？”他笑道。“是真的吗？”

　　‘Yes,of course,my lord.But’

　　“是的，当然是的，我的丈夫。不过”

　　Then the second door opened and his friend,Lord Ruthven,stood there.He had a knife in his hand.His face was red,and he looked very angry.

　　接着，第二扇门打开了，他的朋友鲁斯温勋爵站在那儿。他手里拿着一把刀。他的脸红红的，满脸怒容。

　　Af first no one moved.Then Ruthven said,‘Your Majesty,send David Riccio out of this room,now!I want him!’

　　起初，谁也没动。然后鲁斯温说道，“陛下，把达维里奇奥从这房间里赶出去，马上！我要他！”

　　I looked at Riccio.He was afraid.‘Why?’I said.‘Why do you want him?’

　　我看着里奇奥，他显得很害怕。“为什么？”我问，“你为什么要他？”

　　‘He is a bad,wicked man!’Ruthven said.‘Send him out!’

　　“他是个不道德的坏人！”鲁斯温说。“把他赶出去！”

　　‘No!’I said.‘You want to kill him.David Riccio is my friend!He stays here,with me!’

　　“不！”我说。“你想杀他。达维里奇奥是我的朋友！他呆在这里，和我在一起！”

　　‘He goes out,woman!’Lord Ruthven said.‘King Henry,hold your wife,please!’

　　“他得出来，女人！”鲁斯温勋爵说。“亨利亲王，抓住你的妻子，快点！”

　　I stood up,but Darnley held my arms and I could not move.David Riccio ran behind me and held my dress.My friends in the room stood up too,and moved towards Ruthven angrily.But he had a knife in his hand.

　　我站了起来，可是达恩利抓住我的胳膊，我不能动弹。达维里奇奥跑到我身后抓住我的衣服。我房间里的朋友们也站了起来，愤怒地向鲁斯温逼近，但是鲁斯温手里拿着刀。

　　‘Get back!’he said angrily.‘Don't touch me!’

　　“回去！”他怒吼。“不要过来！”

　　Then five men with knives ran into the little room,and there was a fight.One man held a knife in my face,and another man hit David Riccio,behind me.Then they pulled him out of the room.

　　接着，五个拿刀的男人冲进了这是小屋。一场冲突开始了。一个男人把刀架在我面前，另一个人去攻击躲在我身后的达维里奇奥。然后他们把他拖出了房间。

　　‘Help me!’he screamed.‘Help me,my Queenplease!They're going to kill me!Don'taaaaaargh!’

　　“救命！”他尖叫道。“救救我，我的女王请救救我！他们要杀我！不要！啊！”

　　I couldn't help him,because Darnley had me in his arms.But I could hear David Riccio's screams.I think he fell down the stairs,and he screamed for two or three minutes.Then it was quiet.

　　我帮不了他，因为达恩利紧紧抓着我。可是我能听到达维里奇奥的尖叫声。我想他是从楼梯上摔了下去，尖叫持续了二三分钟后。一切归于平静。

　　‘What are you doing?’I asked Darnley angrily.‘Riccio is a good manwhy are you doing this?’

　　“你在干么什？”我愤怒地责问达恩利。“里奇奥是个好人你为什么要这样做？”

　　Darnley laughed.‘You are my wife,Marynot David Riccio's!’he said.‘So why are you with him every evening?You never talk to me!’

　　达恩利笑道。“你是我的妻子，玛丽不是达维里奇奥的！”他说。“所以你为什么要每晚和他呆在一起？你从没对我说过！”

　　‘I don't talk to you because you are never here!’I said.‘You are always drinking with your friends!You aren't a king,you're a stupid boy!’

　　“我没有对你说是因为你从来不在这里！”我说。“你总是和你的朋友们不停地喝酒！你不是个亲王，你是个愚蠢的小男孩！”

　　He laughed again.It was not a nice laugh.‘Well,’he said.‘Perhaps I am a boy,but that is better than David Riccio,now.Do you want to go and see him?’

　　他又一次笑了，那是个不带好意的笑。“好吧，”他说。“也许我只是个男孩，但也比达维里奇奥强。你想去看看他吗？

　　I did see him,five minutes after that.He was very dead,and there was blood all over the floor.Poor David Riccio.He sings to God now,not me.

　　五分钟后，我看到了他。他已经死了，地上到处是血。可怜的达维里奇奥，他现在给上帝唱歌了，而不再为我。

　　I looked at Henry Darnley,my husband.He had a stupid smile on his face.But I think he was fraid of me.I looked at him a long time,and the smile went away.

　　我看着亨利达恩利我的丈夫。他脸上带着愚蠢的微笑。但我认为他还是怕我的。我盯着他看了很久，他脸上的笑容渐渐消失了。

　　‘Remember this night,husband,’I said to him.‘Remember it well.Think about it when you look into my eyes,and before you go to sleep.David Riccio was my friend,and you killed him in front of my.I'm never going to forget that,Henry Darnley.Never!’

　　“记住今天晚上，丈夫，”我对他说。“好好记住。在你看着我的眼睛的时候，在你上床睡觉之前，好好想一想这件事。达维里奇奥是我的朋友，而你却当着我的面杀死了他。对此我永远都不会原谅，亨利达恩利，永远不！”

　　英语寓言故事：杯弓蛇影

　　"An illusory snake in a goblet" is used to describe the psychological state of being frightened caused by taking illusions as reality.

　　“杯弓蛇影”比喻把虚幻当作真实的恐惧心理。

　　In Jin Dynasty there was a man named Yue Guang who was fond of drinking alcohol.

　　晋朝有个叫乐(yuè)广的人，爱喝酒。

　　One day, he invited a friend to his house to drink together.

　　一天，他邀请朋友到家里来对斟（zhēn)对饮。

　　Suddenly, his friend saw the reflection of a snack swimming in the goblet.

　　忽然，朋友看见酒杯里有条蛇影在游动。

　　He got so much frightened that he took ill on bed after getting home.

　　他受了惊吓，回去便一病不起。

　　And neither any doctor or any medicine could cure his illness.

　　请医服药，都无起色。

　　Yue Guang came to see him and asked about the cause of his disease.

　　乐广跑来看他，问明起病的缘由。

　　When he got to know the cause, he pulled his friend from the bed immdiately and took him to his house.

　　乐广听后一把拉起朋友往家走。

　　Yue Guang made his friend sit where he used to, pouring a goblet of alcohol for him, and asked him," Is there any snake reflection in the goblet?"

　　他让朋友坐在原处，斟满酒问：“有蛇影吗？”

　　There was still a "snake reflection" in the goblet! Yue casually took away the bow hanging on the wall.

　　杯子里还有“蛇影”！乐广随手取下墙上的弓。

　　This time, the "snake reflection" disappeared.

　　这次，“蛇影”不见了！

　　"So it was the bow reflection that was in the goblet!" His friend at once got well from his illness.

　　“杯子里原来是弓影呀！”朋友的病情顿时好了！

　　英语故事：丑小鸭

　　乡村真美。此时正值夏季，田里的小麦都呈现金黄色而燕麦依然青绿。干草被堆放在低洼的草地上，广阔的树林围绕着

　　田野和草地，树林的中央有多处深邃的湖泊，在阳光最充足的地方矗立着一栋老旧的大宅邸。这栋宅邸被一条深长的壕沟所包围，茂盛的

　　叶子从这栋房子干部上的藤蔓往下长，延伸到河水的边缘。其中有一些叶子很大，小孩子可以拿它们来当雨伞。

　　在森林的深处有一只母鸭子坐在她的巢中，她的小鸭子们即将孵出来。

　　终于蛋一个接一个地开始裂了。 “吱，吱！”小鸭们叫着。“呱，呱！”母鸭回道。“这个世界好大啊！”小鸭子异口同声道。

　　The countryside was lovely. It was summer. The wheat was golden and the oats were still

　　green. The hay was stacked in the low-lying meadows. There lay great woods around the fields and meadows.

　　There were deep lakes in the midst of the woods. In the sunniest spot stood an old mansion surrounded by a deep moat.

　　Great leaves grew from the vines on the walls of the house right down to the water's edge.

　　Some of the leaves were so big that a child could use them as an umbrella.

　　In the depths of a forest a duck was sitting in her nest. Her little ducklings were about to be hatched.

　　At last one egg after another began to crack." Cheep, cheep!" the ducklings said." Quack, quack!" said the duck.

　　" How big the world is!" said all the young ones.

　　但最大的蛋依旧在那儿，于是她又再坐回她的巢中。

　　一只年长的鸭子过来拜访她说：“喂！你近来可好吗？”坐着的母鸭回答说：“这枚蛋花了很长的时间，

　　壳偏偏还不裂开，不过其他的小鸭都是最完美的鸭子，他们很像他们的爸爸。”

　　年长的鸭子说：“让我看看那枚不会裂开的蛋，你或许是坐在一枚火鸡的蛋上！我曾经像那样被骗过一次。不错，那是火鸡的蛋！

　　你最好不要管它，去教其它的小鸭游泳吧。”

　　“我要再多坐一会儿。”

　　But the biggest egg was still there. And then she settled herself on the nest again.

　　"Well, how are you getting on?" said an old duck who came to pay her a visit." This egg is taking such a long time," answered the sitting duck."

　　The shell will not crack, but the others are the finest ducklings. They are like their father."

　　"let me look at the egg which won't crack," said the old duck." You may be sitting on a turkey's egg!

　　I have been cheated like that once. Yes. it's a turkey's egg!

　　You had better leave it alone and teach the other children to swim."

　　"I will sit on it a little longer."

　　终于这枚巨蛋裂开了。这小子可真是又大又丑！她说：“那是一只非常巨大的鸭子，其他的小鸭没有一只看起来像他一样。

　　他会是火鸡的孩子吗？我会尽快查清楚，我将叫他下水去。”

　　隔天这只母鸭带着她的一家人走到壕沟。

　　她跳入水中，“呱，呱，”她说，小鸭们一只接一只地跳进河里。

　　这只又大又丑的鸭子跟着他们一起游来游去，她说：“不是的，那不是火鸡。呱，呱！现在跟我来，我将带你们去参观这个世界，

　　要一直靠近我并小心猫！”第一天过去了，一切都还顺利。

　　At last the big egg cracked. How big and ugly the baby was! " That is a very big duckling." she said,

　　" None of the others look like that. Can he be a turkey's chick?

　　I will soon find out. I will make him go into water."

　　The next day the mother duck with her family went down to the moat. She said, and one duckling jumped in after another.

　　The big ugly one swam about with them." No, that is no turkey," she said," Quack, quack! Now come with me

　　and I will take you into the world. Keep close to me all the time. Be careful of the cat!"

　　The first day passed, and everything was fine.

　　之后，事情愈来愈糟。这只可怜的小鸭被所有的小鸭追逐和骚扰，因为他长得很丑。大鸭们咬他，母鸡们啄他，

　　而喂食他们的女孩把他踢到旁边去。于是他离家出走，不久就来到一片野鸭住的广阔沼泽。

　　他双疲倦又痛苦，因此他整晚都在那里。

　　早上这群野鸭们飞来看他们的新朋友。这些野鸭说：“你长得非常丑，但那对我们来说无所谓。”他在那里整整待了两天，

　　然后有两只野雁飞过来。就在那个时候，他听到“砰！砰！”的声音，那两只野雁摔落在芦苇丛中死了。

　　对这只可怜的小鸭子来说，那是一项很可怕的冲击。

　　Afterwards, matters grew worse and worse. The poor duckling was chased and harassed by all the ducklings because he was very ugly.

　　The ducks bit him, the hens pecked him. and the girl who fed them kicked him aside. Then he ran off and soon came to a great marsh where the wild ducks lived.

　　He was so tired and miserable that he stayed there the whole night.

　　In the morning the wild ducks flew up to see their new friend." You are very ugly," said the wild ducks," but that does not matter to us."

　　He stayed there two whole days . And then two wild geese came.

　　Just at that moment the sound of "Bang! Bang!" was heard, and both the wild geese fell dead among the reeds.

　　It was a terrible shock to the poor duckling.

　　一只巨大的狗出现在他的身边，离他很近。这只狗露出锐利的牙齿，继续往前走，没有碰他。

　　这只小鸭叹息说：“哦，谢谢老天爷！我是这么丑，因此连狗都不会咬我！”

　　晚上他来到一间小屋。这间小屋住着一位老婆婆和她的猫及母鸡。她的视力不好，以为这只小鸭是一只肥鸭。

　　她说：“要是我有了鸭蛋，我就发财了，”因此她留这只小鸭住了3个星期，但他并没有下蛋。

　　这只猫是这间房子的主人，而这只母鸡是女主人。

　　A big dog appeared close beside him. He showed his sharp teeth and went on without touching him.

　　"Oh, thank Heaven! I am so ugly that even the dog won't bite me!"

　　sighed the duckling.

　　In the evening he reached a little cottage where an old woman lived with her cat and her hen.

　　Her eyesight was not good, and she thought the duckling was a fat duck.

　　"I will be rich if I have duck eggs," she said.

　　So she took in the duckling for three weeks, but he laid no eggs.The cat was the master of the house

　　and the hen was the mistress.

　　母鸡说：“你能不能下蛋呢？”

　　小鸭回答说：“不能。”

　　这只猫说：“那么你最好离开到外面广阔的世界去。”就这样这只小鸭离开了。

　　有一天晚上，太阳刚刚下山，此时有一群漂亮的大鸟从矮树丛飞出来。

　　小鸭心想：“我从来没有看过这么漂亮的东西。”

　　"Can you lay eggs?" asked the hen.

　　"No," answered the duckling.

　　"Then you had better go out into the wide world," said the cat. So away went the duckling.

　　One evening the sun was just setting when a flock of beautiful large birds appeared out of the bushes.

　　The duckling thought," I've never seen anything so beautiful."

　　他们有长长的脖子，全身是令人眩目的白色。他们是天鹅，他并不知道这些鸟是什么鸟。

　　冬天非常地寒冷刺骨，因此这只小鸭在水中游来游去以免冻僵了。

　　太阳又开始温暖地照耀着，云雀在歌唱，美丽的春天已经来临了。突然这只小鸭举起他的翅膀，而翅膀拍动的力气要比以前大，

　　不知不觉中，他发觉自己已置身在一座巨大的花园里，花园里的苹果树开满了花，紫丁香长长的枝桠垂挂在湖岸边。

　　就在他的面前，他看到三只美丽的白天鹅向他游过来。

　　They were dazzlingly white with long necks. They were swans.

　　He did not know what the birds were.

　　The winter was so bitterly cold that the duckling swam about in the water to keep himself from freezing.

　　The sun began to shine warmly again. The larks were singing and beautiful spring had come.

　　Then, all at once, the duckling raised his wings and they flapped with much greater strength than before.

　　Before he knew it, he found himself in a large garden where the apple trees were in

　　full blossom and long branches of lilacs overhung the shores of the lake.

　　Just in front of him he saw three beautiful white swans swimming towards him.

　　“我将朝他们飞去而他们将会把我劈成粉碎，因为我长得非常丑。

　　不过没有关系，我宁愿被他们杀死也不愿被那些鸭子咬或是被那些母鸡啄。”

　　因此他飞入水中朝这些天鹅游过去，他们看到他就向他冲过来。

　　“杀死我吧，噢，杀死我吧！”可怜的小鸭说着朝水中低头，等待死亡的来临。

　　但他在清澈的水中看到什么样了呢？

　　"I will fly to them and they will hack me to pieces because I am so ugly.

　　But it doesn't matter. I would rather be killed by them than be bitten by the ducks or pecked by the hens."

　　So he flew into the water and swam towards the swans. They saw him and darted towards him.

　　"Kill me! Oh, kill me!" said the poor duckling,

　　and he waited for his death bowing his head towards the water.

　　But what did he see in the clear water? He was no longer a dark gray ugly bird.

　　他不再是只黑灰丑陋的鸟，他竟然是一只天鹅！

　　有些小孩手拿玉米和面包来到这个花园，将这些东西投入水中。

　　个子最小的那个孩子兴高采烈地大叫：“有一只新来的天鹅。”其他的孩子大叫：

　　“对啊！来了一只新的。”

　　他对着自己说：“当我是那只丑小鸭的时候，我从来也没梦想过我能够这么快乐！”

　　He was himself a swan!

　　Some children came into the garden with corn and pieces of bread, which they threw into the water.

　　The smallest child shouted with joy," There is a new one."

　　The other children shouted, "Yes, a new one has come."

　　He said to himself,

　　" I never dreamed that I could be so happy when I was the ugly duckling!"

　　英语故事：白雪公主 Snow White

　　Snow-white

　　Once there was a Queen. She was sitting at the window. There was snow outside in the garden-snow on the hill and in the lane, snow on the hunts and on the trees: all things were white with snow.

　　The Queen was making a coat for a little child. She said, "I want my child to be white as this cloth, white as the snow. And I shall call her Snow-white."

　　Some days after that the Queen had a child. The child was white as snow. The Queen called her Snow-white.

　　But the Queen was very ill, and after some days she died. Snow-white lived, and was a very happy and beautiful child.

　　One year after that, the King married another Queen. The new Queen was very beautiful; but she was not a good woman.

　　A wizard had given this Queen a glass. The glass could speak. It was on the wall in the Queen's room. Every day the queen looked in the glass to see how beautiful she was. As she looked in the glass, she asked: "Tell me, glass upon the wall, who is most beautiful of all?" And the glass spoke and said: "The Queen is most beautiful of all."

　　Year went by. Snow-white grew up and became a little girl. every day the Queen looked in the glass and said, "Tell me, glass upon the wall, who is most beautiful of all?" And the glass said, "Snow-white is most beautiful of all."

　　When the Queen heard this, she was very angry. She said, "Snow-white is not more beautiful than I am. There is no one who is more beautiful than I am."

　　Then the Queen sat on her bed and cried.

　　After one hour the Queen went out of her room. She called one of the servants, and said, "Take Snow-white into the forest and kill her."

　　The servant took Snow-white to the forest, but he did not kill her, because she was so beautiful and so good. He said, "I shall not kill you; but do not go to the King's house, because the Queen is angry and she will see you. If the Queen sees you, she will make some other man kill you. Wait here in the forest; some friends will help you." Then he went away.

　　Poor Snow-white sat at the foot of a tree and cried. Then she saw that night was coming. She said, "I will not cry. I will find some house where I can sleep tonight. I cannot wait here: the bears will eat me."

　　She went far into the forest. Then she saw a little hut. She opened the door of the hut, and went in. In the hut she saw seven little beds. There was a table, and on the table there were seven little loaves and seven little glasses. She ate one of the loaves. Then she said, "I want some water to drink." So she drank some water out of one of the glasses. Then she fell asleep on one of the seven little beds.

　　The hut was the home of seven Little Men. When it was night, the seven Little Men came to the hut. Each Little Man had a big beard, and a little blue coat. Each Little Man came into the hut, and took his little lamp. Then each Little Man sat down, and ate his little loaf, and drank his little glass of water.

　　But one Little Man said, "Someone has eaten my little loaf." And another Little Man said, "Someone has drunk my little glass of water." Then the seven Little Men went to bed, but one Little Man said, "Someone is sleeping on my little bed." All the seven Little Men came to look at Snow-white as she slept on the Little Men's bed. They said, "She is very beautiful."

　　Snow-white awoke, and saw the seven Little Men with their big beards standing near her bed. She was afraid. The Little men said, "Do not be afraid. We are your friends. Tell us how you came here." Snow-white said, "I will tell you." Then she told them her story.

　　They said, "Do not be afraid. Live here with us. But see that the door shut when we are not in the house with you. Do not go out. If you go out, the bad Queen will find you. Then she will know that you are not dead, and will tell someone to kill you." So Snow-white lived in the hut with the seven Little Men.

　　After some days Snow-white went into the garden. One of the Queen's servants was going through the forest, and he saw her. He went and told the Queen, "Snow-white is in a hut in the forest." The Queen was very angry when she heard that Snow-white was not dead.

　　The Queen took an apple. She made a hole in the red side of the apple, and put some powder into the hole. Then she put on old clothes and went to the hut. She called, "Is any one there?" Snow-white opened the door, and came out to her. The Queen said, "I have some pretty apples. Eat one of my pretty apples." Snow-white took the apple and said, "Is it good?" The Queen said, "See, I will eat this white side of the apple; you eat the red side. Then you will know that it is good."

　　Snow-white ate the red side of the apple. When the powder was in her mouth, she fell down dead. The Queen went back to her house. She went into her room. she looked into the glass and said, "Tell me, glass upon the wall, who is most beautiful of all?" The glass said, "The Queen is most beautiful of all." Then the Queen know that Snow-white was dead.

　　The Little Men came back to the hut. When they saw that Snow-white was dead, the poor Little Men cried. Then they put Snow-white in a box made of glass. They took the glass box to a hill and put it there, and said, "Everyone who goes by will see how beautiful she was." Then each Little Man put one white flower on the box, and they went away.

　　Just as they were going away, a Prince came by. He saw the glass box and said, "What is that?" Then he saw Snow-white in the box. He said, "She was very beautiful: but do not put her there. There is a hall in the garden of my father's house. It is all made of white stone. We will take the glass box and put it in the hall of beautiful white stone."

　　The Little Men said, "Take her." Then the Prince told his servants to take up the box. They took up the box. Just then one of the servants fell down. The box fell, and Snow-white fell with the box. The bit of apple fell out of her mouth: she awoke, and sat up, and said, "Where am I?"

　　The Prince said, "You are with me. I never saw anyone as beautiful as you. Come with me and be my Queen."

　　The Prince married Snow-white, and she became his Queen.

　　A man went and told this to the bad Queen. When she heard it she was so angry that she fell down dead.

　　Snow-white lived and was very happy ever after. And the Little Men came to see her every year.

　　白雪公主

　　从前，有一个王后，她坐在窗户旁。窗外的花园里积满了雪，山上是雪，小路上是雪，树上和屋顶上也积着雪，万物一片白茫茫。她手中拿着些布和一枚针，她手中的不就像雪一样洁白。王后正在为小孩做一件上衣，她说：“我想我的孩子能够像这布一样白，想雪一样白，我要叫她'白雪公主'。”

　　几天之后，王后生了个小孩，这个孩子白得像雪一样，王后给她取名为“白雪公主”。但是，王后得了重病，几天以后就去世了。白雪公主活了下来，她是一个十分幸福和美丽的孩子。

　　王后去世一年以后，国王又娶了一位王后。新王后十分漂亮，但是，她不是一个善良的女人。一个巫师给了新王后一面镜子，这面镜子会说话，它挂在王后房间的墙上，每天王后照着镜子，欣赏自己多么漂亮。当她照镜子的时候，她问：“告诉我，墙上的魔镜，谁是世界上最漂亮的人？”于是魔镜开口说道：“王后是世界上最漂亮的。”

　　过了数年，白雪公主长成大人了。当白雪公主是一个年轻姑娘时，有一天，王后照着镜子说：“告诉我，墙上的魔镜，谁是世界上最漂亮的？”魔镜说：“白雪公主是世界上最漂亮的。”

　　当王后听到这些话时，非常恼怒，她说：“白雪公主没有我漂亮，没有一个人比我更漂亮。”然后，王后坐在床上哭了。一小时后，王后从她的房间走出来，她叫来一个仆人说：“把白雪公主带到森林中杀掉。”

　　仆人带着白雪公主到了森林，但他没有杀死她，因为她太美丽太善良了。他说：“我不会杀死你的，但是，你不能回王宫，因为，王后很生气，她会看到你的。如果王后发现你，她会让别人杀死你的。你就呆在森林里，会有朋友来帮助你的。”然后，他走了。

　　可怜的白雪公主坐在一棵树底下哭了，这时，她看到天快黑了，她说：“我不哭了，我要找所房子今晚好睡觉，我不能呆在这儿了，熊会吃了我的。”她往森林深处走去，这时，她发现了一座小屋，她打开小屋的门，走了进去。在小屋里，她看到七张小床，还有一张桌子，桌子上有七块小面包和七个小杯子。她吃了其中一块面包，然后说：“我想喝点水。”于是，她又喝了一个杯子中的一些水。之后，她躺在一张小床上睡着了。

　　这座小屋是七个小矮人的家。当天黑下来的时候，七个小矮人回到小屋。每个小矮人都留着一副大胡子，穿一件小蓝上衣。小矮人进了小屋，每个人都点上他们的小灯，然后，小矮人都坐下，开始吃面包，喝小杯里的水。

　　但是，一个小矮人说：“有人把我小面包吃了。”另一个小矮人说：“有人把我的小杯子里的水喝了。”然后，七个小矮人去睡觉。可是一个小矮人说：“有人正睡在我的小床上。”七个小矮人都过来看睡在小矮人床上的白雪公主。他们说：“她真漂亮。”

　　白雪公主醒了，发现七个留着大胡子的小矮人正站在她床旁，她很害怕。小矮人们说：“别害怕，我们是你的好朋友，告诉我们你是怎么来这儿的。”白雪公主说：“我告诉你们。”接着她就给他们讲述了自己的经历。他们说：“不要害怕。就在这儿和我们住在一起，但是，我们不在家的时候，你一定要关上门，千万别出去。如果你出去了，坏王后会发现你，这样，她知道你没有死，会让人来杀死你。”于是，白雪公主和七个小矮人在这座小屋里生活着。

　　几天以后，白雪公主去了一趟花园。王后的一个仆人正经过这片森林，他发现了阿。他回去告诉了王后：“白雪公主在森林的一座小屋里。”王后听说白雪公主没有死，十分恼火。

　　王后拿来一个苹果，她在苹果红的一边挖了一个洞，把一些毒的粉末放在这个洞里。然后，她穿上一身旧衣服，去了小屋。她喊：“屋里有人吗？”白雪公主打开门，出来见她。王后说：“我有一些漂亮的苹果，吃一个尝尝吧？”白雪公主拿着苹果说：“这好吃吗？”王后说：“瞧，我吃苹果白的一半，你吃红的一半，你会知道它味道不错。”白雪公主吃了苹果红的一半，当粉末进入她嘴里时，她倒下去死了。

　　王后回到家，进了自己的房间，对着镜子说：“告诉我，墙上的魔镜，谁是世界上最漂亮的。”魔镜说：“王后是世界上最漂亮的。”于是，王后知道白雪公主已经死了。

　　小矮人们回到小屋，发现白雪公主死了。可怜的小矮人们全都哭了。然后，他们把白雪公主放进玻璃棺材里，并把它抬到山坡上，安放在那里，说：“每位经过这里的人都会看见她是多么美丽。”接着每个小矮人在棺材上放了一朵白花，然后离开了。

　　他们刚刚要离开，一位王子从此经过，他看着玻璃棺材说：“那是什么？”这时，他发现白雪公主躺在里面，他说：“她太美丽了，把能把她放在这里，在父亲的王宫里有一座大厅，整个大厅都是用白石头砌成，我们把玻璃棺材搬到那所漂亮的白石大厅里。”小矮人们说：“抬走她吧。”

　　然后，王子告诉他的仆人抬起棺材。他们抬起它时，不巧一个仆人跌倒了。把棺材也摔到地上，白雪公主随同棺材跌了下来，那块苹果从她嘴里掉了出来，她醒了过来，坐起来说：“我这是在哪儿？”王子说：“你跟我在一起，我从来没有见过一位像你这么美丽的人，跟我来，做我的王后吧。”王子和白雪公主结婚了，她成了王后。

　　一个人去把这些消息告诉了坏王后，当她听到这些，气得倒下死去了。从那以后，白雪公主一直生活得很幸福。每年小矮人们都来看她。

　　New Words and Expressions 生词和词组：

　　wizard n. 男巫

　　hut n. 茅舍，小屋

相关推荐

【英文成语故事：抱薪救火】相关文章：