英語寓言故事

寓言故事是含有諷喻或明顯教訓意義的故事，是文學體裁的一種。它的結構簡短，多用借喻手法，使富有教訓意義的主題或深刻的道理在簡單的故事中體現。寓言的故事情節設置的好壞關係到寓言的未來。下面是小編整理的英語寓言故事，歡迎大家閲讀！

英語寓言：披着羊皮的狼

伊索寓言：風和太陽（The wind and the sun）

The wind and the sun were disputing who was the stronger.

Suddenly they saw a traveler coming down the road. The sun said, "Whoever can make the traveler take off his coat will be the stronger."

So the sun hid behind a cloud, and the wind began to blow as hard as it could. As the wind blew harder, the traveler wrapped his coat more closely around himself.

Then the sun came out. He shone on the traveler. The traveler soon felt quite hot, and took off his coat.

英語寓言：風和太陽

●風和太陽兩方為誰的能量大相互爭論不休。

●突然，他們看到一個行人走在路上，太陽説：“誰能使行人脱下衣服，誰就更強大。”

●太陽藏在烏雲後面，風開始拼命地吹，風颳得越猛烈，行人越是裹緊自己的衣服。

●太陽出來了，暖暖地曬着行人，行人感到很熱，很快就把外套脱了下來。

寓意: 勸説往往比強迫更為有效。

英語寓言：：The Little Prince （小王子）

Oh, little prince! Bit by bit I came to understand the secrets of your only entertainment in the quiet pleasure of looking at the sunset. I learned that new detail on the morning of the fourth day, when you said to me:

"I am very fond of sunsets. Come, let us go look at a sunset now."

"But we must wait," I said.

"Wait? For what?"

"For the sunset. We must wait until it is time."

At first you seemed to be very much surprised. And then you laughed to yourself. You said to me:

"I am always thinking that I am at home!"

Just so. Everybody knows that when it is noon in the United States the sun is setting over France.

If you could fly to France in one minute, you could go straight into the sunset, right from noon. Unfortunately, France is too far away for that. But on your tiny planet, my little price, all you need do is move your chair a few steps. You can see the day end and the twilight falling whenever you like…

"One day," you said to me, "I saw the sunset forty-four times!"

And a little later you added:

"You knowone loves the sunset, when one is so sad…"

"Were you so sad, then?" I asked, "on the day of the forty-four sunset?"

But the little prince made no reply.

On the fifth dayagain, as always, it was thanks to the sheepthe secret of the little princes life was revealed to me. Abruptly, without anything to lead up to it, and as if the question had been born of long and silent meditation on his problem, he demanded:

"A sheepif it eats little bushes, does it eat flowers, too?"

"A sheep," I answered, "eats anything it finds in its reach."

"Even flowers that have thorns?"

"Yes, even flowers that have thorns."

"Then the thornswhat use are they?"

I did not know. At that moment I was very busy trying to unscrew a bolt that had got stuck in my engine. I was very much worried, for it was becoming clear to me that the breakdown of my plane was extremely serious. And I had so little drinking-water left that I had to fear for the worst.

"The thornswhat use are they?"

The little prince never let go of a question, once he had asked it. As for me, I was upset over that bolt. And I answered with the first thing that came into my head:

"The thorns are of no use at all. Flowers have thorns just for spite."

"Oh!"

There was a moment of complete silence. Then the little prince flashed back at me, with a kind of resentfulness:

"I dont believe you! Flowers are weak creature. They are native. They reassure themselves at best they can. They believe that their thorns are terrible weapons…"

I did not answer. At that instant I was saying to myself: "If this bolt still wont turn, I am going to knock it out with the hammer." Again the little price disturbed my thoughts.

"And you actually believe that the flowers"

"Oh, no!" I cried. "No, no, no! I dont believe anything. I answered you the first thing that came into my head. Dont you seeI am very busy with matters of consequence!"

He stared at me, thunderstruck.

"Matters of consequence!"

He looked at me there, with my hammer in my hand, my fingers black with engine-grease, bending over an object which seemed to him extremely ugly…

"You talk just like the grown-ups!"

That made me a little ashamed. But he went on, relentlessly:

"You mix everything up together…You confuse everything…"

He was really very angry. He tossed his golden curls in the breeze.

The little prince was now white with rage.

"The flowers have been growing thorns for millions of years. For millions of years the sheep have been eating them just the same. And is it not a matter of consequence to try to understand why the flowers go to so much trouble to grow thorns which are never of any use to them? Is the warfare between the sheep and the flowers not important? And if I knowI, myselfone flower which is unique in the world, which grows nowhere but on my planet, but which one little sheep can destroy in a single bite some morning, without even noticing what he is doingOh! You think that is not important!"

His face turned from white to red as he continued:

"If some one loves a flower, of which just one single blossom grows in all the millions and millions of stars. He can say to himself, Somewhere, my flower is there… But if the sheep eats the flower, in one moment all his stars will be darkened…And you think that is not important!"

He could not say anything more. His words were choked by sobbing.

The night had fallen. I had let my tools drop from my hands. Of what moment now was my hammer, my bolt, or thirst, or death? On one star, one planet, my planet, the Earth, there was a little prince to be comforted, I took him in my arms and rocked him. I said to him:

"The flower that you love is not in danger. I will draw you a muzzle for your sheep. I will draw you a railing to put around your flower. I will"

I did not know what to say to him. I felt awkward and blundering. I did not know how I could reach him, where I could overtake him and go on hand in hand with him once more.

It is such a secret place, the land of tears.

經典：The Little Prince 小王子

啊！我的小王子……就這樣，一點一滴地，我逐漸懂得了你那憂鬱的小生命。長久以來，你惟一的樂趣只是欣賞落日。這是我在第四天早晨知道的，當你説出：

“我喜歡看夕陽。我們一起去看太陽下山吧……”

“可以，我們必須要等……”

“等什麼？”

“等太陽落山哪！”

起初，你看起來好象很驚訝，然後，又自我解嘲地説：

“我總以為自己還在家裏。”

確實，大家都知道，美國的正午時分，正是法國夕陽落下的時候。如果能在一分鐘內趕到法國，你就可以看到落日了，可惜法國太遠了。但是，在你的小行星上，只要把椅子向後挪幾步，就可以隨時隨地地看到落日的餘輝了。

“有一天，我看了43次落日！”

過了一會兒，你又説：

“你知道當你感到悲傷的時候，就會喜歡看落日……”

“你那時很悲傷嗎？就是你看了43次落日的那天？”

小王子沒有回答。

第五天，我發現小王子身世的另一個祕密再次感謝那隻羊。好象默默地思索了很長時間以後，得出了什麼結果一樣，他突然沒頭沒腦地問我：

“羊會吃花嗎？就像吃灌木叢一樣？”

“它碰到什麼吃什麼。”

“連有刺的花都吃嗎？”

“有刺的花也吃。”

“那刺還有什麼用呢？”

我不知道該怎麼回答。那時候，我正忙着將一個卡在引擎上的螺絲拆下來。我發現，飛機損壞的情形很嚴重，而且，更讓我擔心的是飲用水已經所剩不多了。

“那刺還有什麼作用呢？”

小王子一旦提出了問題，就絕不放棄，而我正為了螺絲生氣，於是不假思索地回答他

“那些刺兒毫無用處，花兒長刺只能害人！”

“噢！”

沉默了一會兒，他悻悻地説：“我不信你説的話！花兒弱不禁風，花兒天真無邪，她們自顧不暇呢。她們身上長了刺，是為了給自己壯膽，為了保護自己……”

我沒有答話，當時我在想：“如果螺絲還不鬆動的話，我就一錘子敲碎它。”

小王子的話再次打斷了我的思路：

“你真的認為花兒……”

“算了吧，算了吧！我什麼也不認為！我是隨便説説。你沒看到我正在忙着要緊的事嗎？”

他瞪着我，愣住了。

“要緊的事！？”

他看着我，蹲在那個在他眼中看來醜得要命的東西前面，手握着錘子，手指上沾滿了油圬……

“你跟那些大人沒什麼兩樣！”

聽了這話，我覺得有點慚愧。然而，他又毫不留情地説：

“你什麼都分不清，你把什麼都混在一起！”

他生氣地搖晃着腦袋，金黃色的頭髮隨風飄動着。

小王子氣得臉色發白。

“幾百萬年來，花兒生來就有刺，就像幾百萬年來羊都在吃花一樣。難道瞭解花的身上為什麼會有這些沒用的刺不重要的嗎？難道羊和花之間的戰爭不重要？如果我知道一朵花人世間惟一的花，只長在我的小行星上，別的地方都不存在，在一天早晨，被一隻小羊糊里糊塗地毀掉了，難道這樣的事也不重要嗎？”

他臉色漸漸轉紅，然後又接着説：

“如果有人鍾愛着一朵獨一無二，盛開在浩瀚星海里的花，那麼，當他抬頭仰望繁星時，便會心滿意足。他會告訴自己：‘我心愛的花在那裏，在那遙遠的星星上。’可以，如果羊把花吃掉了，那麼，對他來説，所有的星光便會在剎那間暗淡無光！而你卻認為這不重要！”

他突然泣不成聲，無法再説下去了。

夜幕降臨，黑暗翩然而至。我把手中的工具，錘子、螺絲以及飢餓和死亡全拋在腦後，一切對我都已不再重要。在地球上，在我的行星上，有一位需要安慰的小王子。我將他抱在懷裏，輕輕地搖着他，對他説：“你心愛的那朵花不會有危險的，我給你的小羊畫一個口罩；我給你的花畫個護欄……我……”

我不知道該對他説些什麼，只覺得自己很笨拙，不懂得怎樣撫慰打動他，不知道該如何才能再次回到與他心靈相通的地方。眼淚就是這麼奇妙的東西。

英語故事：The Love letter（遲到的情書）

I was always a little in awe of Great-aunt Stephina Roos. Indeed, as children we were all frankly terrified of her. The fact that she did not live with the family, preferring her tiny cottage and solitude to the comfortable but rather noisy household where we were brought up-added to the respectful fear in which she was held.

我對斯蒂菲娜老姑總是懷着敬畏之情。説實在話，我們幾個孩子對她都怕得要死。她不和家人一塊生活，寧願住在她的小屋子裏，而不願住在舒舒服服、熱熱鬧鬧的家裏--我們六個孩子都是在家裏帶大的--這更加重了我們對她的敬畏之情。

We used to take it in turn to carry small delicacies which my mother had made down from the big house to the little cottage where Aunt Stephia and an old colored maid spent their days. Old Tnate Sanna would open the door to the rather frightened little messenger and would usher him-or her - into the dark voor-kamer, where the shutters were always closed to keep out the heat and the flies. There we would wait, in trembling but not altogether unpleasant.

我們經常輪替着從我們住的大房子裏帶些母親為她做的可口的食品到她和一名黑人女僕一塊過活的那間小屋裏去。桑娜老姨總是為每一個上門來的怯生生的小使者打開房門，將他或她領進昏暗的客廳。那裏的百葉窗長年關閉着，以防熱氣和蒼蠅進去。我們總是在那裏哆哆嗦嗦、但又不是完全不高興地等着斯蒂菲娜老姑出來。

She was a tiny little woman to inspire so much veneration. She was always dressed in black, and her dark clothes melted into the shadows of the voor-kamer and made her look smaller than ever. But you felt. The moment she entered. That something vital and strong and somehow indestructible had come in with her, although she moved slowly, and her voice was sweet and soft.

一個像她那樣身材纖細的女人居然能贏得我們如此尊敬。她總是身穿黑色衣服，與客廳裏的陰暗背景融成一體，將她的身材襯托得更加嬌小。但她一進門，我們就感到有一種説不清道不明、充滿活力和剛強的氣氛，儘管她的步子慢悠、聲調甜柔。

She never embraced us. She would greet us and take out hot little hands in her own beautiful cool one, with blue veins standing out on the back of it, as though the white skin were almost too delicate to contain them.

她從不擁抱我們，但總是和我們寒暄，將我們熱乎乎的小手握在她那雙秀美清爽的手裏，她的手背上露出一些青筋，就像手上白嫩的皮膚細薄得遮不住它們似的。

Tante Sanna would bring in dishes of sweet, sweet, sticky candy, or a great bowl of grapes or peaches, and Great-aunt Stephina would converse gravely about happenings on the farm ,and, more rarely, of the outer world.

桑娜阿姨每次都要端出幾碟粘乎乎的南非糖果和一缽葡萄或桃子給我們吃。斯蒂菲娜老姑總是一本正經他説些農場裏的事，偶爾也談些外邊世界發生的事。

When we had finished our sweetmeats or fruit she would accompany us to the stoep, bidding us thank our mother for her gift and sending quaint, old-fashioned messages to her and the Father. Then she would turn and enter the house, closing the door behind, so that it became once more a place of mystery.

待我們吃完糖果或水果，她總要將我們送到屋前的門廊，叮囑我們要多謝母親給她送食品，要我們對父母親轉達一些稀奇古怪的老式祝願，然後就轉身回到屋裏，隨手關上門，使那裏再次成為神祕世界。

As I grew older I found, rather to my surprise, that I had become genuinely fond of my aloof old great-aunt. But to this day I do not know what strange impulse made me take George to see her and to tell her, before I had confided in another living soul, of our engagement. To my astonishment, she was delighted.

讓我感到吃驚的是，隨着我逐漸長大，我發現打心眼裏喜歡起我那位孤伶伶的老姑姑來。至今我仍不知道那是一種什麼樣的奇異動力，使我在還沒有透露給別人之前就把喬治領去看望姑姑，告訴她我們已經訂婚的消息。不成想，聽到這個消息以後，她竟非常高興。 "An Englishman,"she exclaimed."But that is splendid, splendid. And you,"she turned to George,"you are making your home in this country? You do not intend to return to England just yet?"

"是英國人！"她驚訝地大聲説道，"好極了。你，"她轉向喬治，"你要在南非安家嗎？你現在不打算回國吧？"

She seemed relieved when she heard that George had bought a farm near our own farm and intended to settle in South Africa. She became quite animated, and chattered away to him.

當她聽説喬治已經在我們農場附近購置了一片農場並打算定居下來時，好像鬆了一口氣。她興致勃勃地和喬治攀談起來。

After that I would often slip away to the little cottage by the mealie lands. Once she was somewhat disappointed on hearing that we had decided to wait for two years before getting married, but when she learned that my father and mother were both pleased with the match she seemed reassured.

從那以後，我常常到那所位於玉米地邊的小屋。有一次，當斯蒂菲娜老姑聽説我們決定再過兩年結婚時，露出了失望的神色，但一聽説我的父母親都對這門親事滿意時，她又放寬了心。

Still, she often appeared anxious about my love affair, and would ask questions that seemed to me strange, almost as though she feared that something would happen to destroy my romance. But I was quite unprepared for her outburst when I mentioned that George thought of paying a lightning visit to England before we were married."He must not do it,"she cried."Ina, you must not let him go. Promise me you will prevent him."she was trembling all over. I did what I could to console her, but she looked so tired and pale that I persuaded her to go to her room and rest, promising to return the next day.

但她對我的婚姻大事還是經常掛在嘴邊。她常常問一些怪怪的問題，幾乎像擔心我的婚事會告吹一樣。當我提到喬治打算在婚前匆匆回一趟國時，她竟激動了起來。只見她渾身哆嗦着大聲嚷道："他不能回去！愛娜！你不能放他走，你得答應我不放他走！"我盡力安慰她，但她還是顯得萎靡不振。我只得勸她回屋休息，並答應第二天再去看她。

When I arrived I found her sitting on the stoep. She looked lonely and pathetic, and for the first time I wondered why no man had ever taken her and looked after her and loved her. Mother had told me that Great-aunt Stephina had been lovely as a young girl, and although no trace of that beauty remained, except perhaps in her brown eyes, yet she looked so small and appealing that any man, one felt, would have wanted to protect her.

我第二天去看她時，她正坐在屋前的門廊上，流露出抑鬱孤寂的神情。我第一次感到納悶：以前怎麼沒有人娶她、照料和愛撫她呢？記得母親曾經説過，斯蒂菲娜老姑以前曾是一個楚楚可愛的小姑娘。儘管除了她那褐色的眼睛尚能保留一點昔日的風韻之外，她的美貌早已蕩然無存。但她看上去還是那樣小巧玲瓏、惹人愛憐，引起男人們的惜香憐玉之情。

She paused, as though she did not quite know how to begin.

Then she seemed to give herself, mentally, a little shake. "You must have wondered ", she said, "why I was so upset at the thought of young Georges going to England without you. I am an old woman, and perhaps I have the silly fancies of the old, but I should like to tell you my own love story, and then you can decide whether it is wise for your man to leave you before you are married."

我走到她的跟前。她拍着身邊的椅子，淡淡一笑。"坐下吧，親愛的，"她説，"我有話要告訴你。"她欲言又止，好像不知道話從何説起似的。接着，她彷彿振作了起來。她説："我聽你説喬治要回國，又不帶你走，心裏非常不安。我這份心事你是不明白的。我是一個老婆子了，大概還懷着老人們的那顆痴心吧。不過，我想把自己的愛情故事講給你聽。這樣你就能明白在你們結婚之前讓你的未婚夫離開你，是不是一個明智之舉。"

"I was quite a young girl when I first met Richard Weston. He was an Englishman who boarded with the Van Rensburgs on the next farm, four or five miles from us. Richard was not strong. He had a weak chest, and the doctors had sent him to South Africa so that the dry air could cure him. He taught the Van Rensburg children, who were younger than I was, though we often played together, but he did this for pleasure and not because he needed money.

"我第一次遇見理查德威斯頓時還是一個年輕姑娘。他是一個英國人，寄宿在我家附近四、五英里一個農場上的範倫斯堡家裏。他身體不好，胸悶氣短。醫生讓他去南非讓乾燥的氣候治好他的病。他教倫斯堡的孩子們唸書，他們都比我小，儘管我們經常在一塊玩。理查德是以教書為樂，並不是為了賺錢。

"We loved one another from the first moment we met, though we did not speak of our love until the evening of my eighteenth birthday. All our friends and relatives had come to my party, and in the evening we danced on the big old carpet which we had laid down in the barn. Richard had come with the Van Rensburgs, and we danced together as often as we dared, which was not very often, for my father hated the Uitlanders. Indeed, for a time he had quarreled with Mynheer Van Rensburg for allowing Richard to board with him, but afterwards he got used to the idea, and was always polite to the Englishman, though he never liked him.

"我和理查德是一見鍾情，儘管直到我18歲生日那天我們才表示彼此的愛慕之情。那天晚上的舞會上，我們的親友都來了。我們在倉房裏鋪上一條寬大的舊毛毯，翩翩起舞。我和他壯起膽子頻頻起舞。但事實上，沒有多少次，因為我的父親很討厭洋人。有一次，他曾抱怨説倫斯堡先生不應該讓理查德寄住在他的家裏，為此還跟他吵過一場，他後來就習以為常了。雖談不上喜歡，但對這個英國人以禮相待。"那是我一生中最快樂的一個生日，因為理查德在跳舞間歇將我領到外面清涼的月光中，在點點繁星之下對我傾訴愛慕之情，並向我求婚。我二話沒説答應了他的要求，因為我早已心醉神迷，想不到父母親會説什麼。我的心中除了理查德和他的愛情，什麼也顧不上了。 "That was the happiest birthday of my life, for while we were resting between dances Richard took me outside into the cool, moonlit night, and there, under the stars ,he told me he loved me and asked me to marry him. Of course I promised I would, for I was too happy to think of what my parents would say, or indeed of anything except Richard was not at our meeting place as he had arranged. I was disappointed but not alarmed, for so many things could happen to either of us to prevent out keeping our tryst. I thought that next time we visited the Van Ransburgs, I should hear what had kept him and we could plan further meetings…

"從那以後，我們就儘可能多地見面，但往往是祕密進行。我們就這樣度過了將近1年時間。後來有一天，在他安排的約會處，理查德爽約沒有來。失望之際，我沒有大驚小怪，因為我們倆誰碰到形形色色的事都可能使我們無法幽會。我想我們以後去範倫斯堡家看望之時，我就會明白理查德未能赴約的原因，再安排以後的約會……

"So when my father asked if I would drive with him to Driefontein I was delighted. But when we reached the homestead and were sitting on the stoep drinking our coffee, we heard that Richard had left quite suddenly and had gone back to England. His father had died, and now he was the heir and must go back to look after his estates.

"所以，當父親問我是否願意和他一塊開車去德里方丹時，我就高興地答應了。但待我們趕到範倫斯堡家，坐在他們家屋前的門廊上喝咖啡時，卻聽説理查德已經不辭而別回英國去了。他的父親死了，他是繼承人，不得不回去料理遺產。

"I do not remember very much more about that day, except that the sun seemed to have stopped shining and the country no longer looked beautiful and full of promise, but bleak and desolate as it sometimes does in winter or in times of drought. Late that afternoon, Jantje, the little Hottentot herd boy, came up to me and handed me a letter , which he said the English baas had left for me. It was the only love letter I ever received, but it turned all my bitterness and grief into a peacefulness which was the nearest I could get, then, to happiness. I knew Richard still loved me, and somehow, as long as I had his letter, I felt that we could never be really parted, even if he were in England and I had to remain on the farm. I have it yet, and though I am an old, tired woman, it still gives me hope and courage."

"那天的.事我記不大清楚了，只記得當時陽光慘淡，田野也失去了美麗的丰采和欣欣向榮的景象，蕭瑟淒涼得跟冬天或大旱時一樣。那天傍晚，在我和父親動身回家之前，霍但托特族的小牧童詹傑交給我一封信，他説是那位英國老爺留給我的。這可是我有生以來收到的唯一的情書！它將我的憂傷一掃而光，使我的心情變得平靜--當時對我來説幾乎類似幸福的平靜。我知道理查德仍在愛着我。不知怎麼回事，有了這封信，我便覺得我們不可能真正分開，哪怕他到了英國、我還留在南非的農場。這封信我至今仍保留着，儘管我已經年邁體衰，但它仍能帶給我希望和勇氣。"

"I must have been a wonderful letter, Aunt Stephia,"I said.

"斯蒂菲娜老姑，那封信一定美極了吧，"我説。

英語故事9：堅強的海倫凱勒（Helen Keller）

In 1882 a baby girl caught a fever that was so fierce she nearly died. She survived but the fever left its mark she could no longer see or hear. Because she could not hear she also found it very difficult to speak.

1882年，一名女嬰因高發燒差點喪命。她雖倖免於難，但發燒給她留下了後遺症 她再也看不見、聽不見。因為聽不見，她想講話也變得很困難。

So how did this child, blinded and deafened at 19 months old, grow up to become a world-famous author and public speaker?

那麼這樣一個在19個月時就既盲又聾的孩子，是如何成長為享譽世界的作家和演説家的呢？

The fever cut her off from the outside world, depriving her of sight and sound. It was as if she had been thrown into a dark prison cell from which there could be no release.

高燒將她與外界隔開，使她失去了視力和聲音。她彷彿置身在黑暗的牢籠中無法擺脱。

Luckily Helen was not someone who gave up easily. Soon she began to explore the world by using her other senses. She followed her mother wherever she went, hanging onto her skirts, She touched and smelled everything she came across. She copied their actions and was soon able to do certain jobs herself, like milking the cows or kneading dough, She even learnt to recognize people by feeling their faces or their clothes. She could also tell where she was in the garden by the smell of the different plants and the feel of the ground under her feet.

萬幸的是海倫並不是個輕易認輸的人。不久她就開始利用其它的感官來探查這個世界了。她跟着母親，拉着母親的衣角，形影不離。她去觸摸，去嗅各種她碰到的物品。她模仿別人的動作且很快就能自己做一些事情，例如擠牛奶或揉麪。她甚至學會*摸別人的臉或衣服來識別對方。她還能*聞不同的植物和觸摸地面來辨別自己在花園的位置。

By the age of seven she had invented over 60 different signs by which she could talk to her family, If she wanted bread for example, she would pretend to cut a loaf and butter the slices. If she wanted ice cream she wrapped her arms around herself and pretended to shiver.

七歲的時候她發明了60多種不同的手勢，*此得以和家裏人交流。比如她若想要麪包，就會做出切面包和塗黃油的動作。想要冰淇淋時她會用手裹住自己裝出發抖的樣子。

Helen was unusual in that she was extremely intelligent and also remarkably sensitive. By her own efforts she had managed to make some sense of an alien and confusing world. But even so she had limitations.

海倫在這方面非比一般，她絕頂的聰明又相當敏感。通過努力她對這個陌生且迷惑的世界有了一些知識。但她仍有一些有足。

At the age of five Helen began to realize she was different from other people. She noticed that her family did not use signs like she did but talked with their mouths. Sometimes she stood between two people and touched their lips. She could not understand what they said and she could not make any meaningful sounds herself. She wanted to talk but no matter how she tried she could not make herself understood. This make her so angry that she used to hurl herself around the room, kicking and screaming in frustration. 海倫五歲時開始意識到她與別人不同。她發現家裏的其他人不用象她那樣做手勢而是用嘴交談。有時她站在兩人中間觸摸他們的嘴脣。她不知道他們在説什麼，而她自己不能發出帶有含義的聲音。她想講話，可無論費多大的勁兒也無法使別人明白自己。這使她異常懊惱以至於常常在屋子裏亂跑亂撞，灰心地又踢又喊。

As she got older her frustration grew and her rages became worse and worse. She became wild and unruly . If she didnt get what she wanted she would throw tantrums until her family gave in. Her favourite tricks included grabbing other peoples food from their plates and hurling fragile objects to the floor. Once she even managed to lock her mother into the pantry. Eventually it became clear that something had to be done. So, just before her seventh birthday, the family hired a private tutor Anne Sullivan.

隨着年齡的增長她的怒氣越為越大。她變得狂野不馴。倘若她得不到想要的東西就會大發脾氣直到家人順從。她慣用的手段包括抓別人盤裏的食物以及將易碎的東西猛扔在地。有一次她甚至將母親鎖在廚房裏。這樣一來就得想個辦法了。於是，在她快到七歲生日時，家裏便僱了一名家庭教師 安尼沙利文。

Anne was careful to teach Helen especially those subjects in which she was interested. As a result Helen became gentler and she soon learnt to read and write in Braille. She also learnt to read peoples lips by pressing her finger-tips against them and feeling the movement and vibrations. This method is called Tadoma and it is a skill that very, very few people manage to acquire. She also learnt to speak, a major achievement for someone who could not hear at all. 安尼悉心地教授海倫，特別是她感興趣的東西。這樣海倫變得温和了而且很快學會了用布萊葉盲文朗讀和寫作。*用手指接觸説話人的嘴脣去感受運動和震動，她又學會了觸脣意識。這種方法被稱作泰德馬，是一種很少有人掌握的技能。她也學會了講話，這對失聰的人來説是個巨大的成就。

Helen proved to be a remarkable scholar, graduating with honours from Radcliffe College in 1904. She had phenomenal powers of concentration and memory, as well as a dogged determination to succeed. While she was still at college she wrote ‘The Story of My Life. This was an immediate success and earned her enough money to buy her own house.

海倫證明了自己是個出色的學者，1904年她以優異的成績從拉德克利夫學院畢業。她有驚人的注意力和記憶力，同時她還具有不達目的誓不罷休的毅力。上大學時她就寫了《我的生命》。這使她取得了巨大的成功從而有能力為自己購買一套住房。

She toured the country, giving lecture after lecture. Many books were written about her and several plays and films were made about her life. Eventually she became so famous that she was invited abroad and received many honours from foreign universities and monarchs. In 1932 she became a vice-president of the Royal National Institute for the Blind in the United Kingdom. 她周遊全國，不斷地舉行講座。她的事蹟為許多人著書立説而且還上演了關於她的生平的戲劇和電影。最終她聲名顯赫，應邀出國並受到外國大學和國王授予的榮譽。1932年，她成為英國皇家國立盲人學院的副校長。

After her death in 1968 an organization was set up in her name to combat blindness in the developing world. Today that agency, Helen Keller International, is one of the biggest organizations working with blind people overseas. 1968年她去世後，一個以她的名字命名的組織建立起來，該組織旨在與發展中國家存在的失明缺陷做鬥爭。如今這所機構，“國際海倫凱勒”，是海外向盲人提供幫助的最大組織之一。

英語故事：貓和老鼠合夥

Mouse and Cat in Partnership

英漢對照

A certain cat had made the acquaintance of a mouse, and had said so much to her about the great love and friendship she felt for her, that at length the mouse agreed that they should live and keep house together. But we must make a provision for winter, or else we shall suffer from hunger, said the cat, and you, little mouse, cannot venture everywhere, or you will be caught in a trap some day. The good advice was followed, and a pot of fat was bought, but they did not know where to put it. At length, after much consideration, the cat said, I know no place where it will be better stored up than in the church, for no one dares take anything away from there. We will set it beneath the altar, and not touch it until we are really in need of it. So the pot was placed in safety, but it was not long before the cat had a great yearning for it, and said to the mouse, I want to tell you something, little mouse, my cousin has brought a little son into the world, and has asked me to be godmother, he is white with brown spots, and I am to hold him over the font at the christening. Let me go out to-day, and you look after the house by yourself. Yes, yes, answered the mouse, by all means go, and if you get anything very good to eat, think of me, I should like a drop of sweet red christening wine myself. All this, however, was untrue, the cat had no cousin, and had not been asked to be godmother. She went straight to the church, stole to the pot of fat, began to lick at it, and licked the top of the fat off. Then she took a walk upon the roofs of the town, looked out for opportunities, and then stretched herself in the sun, and licked her lips whenever she thought of the pot of fat, and not until it was evening did she return home. Well, here you are again, said the mouse, no doubt you have had a merry day. All went off well, answered the cat. What name did they give the child. Top off, said the cat quite coolly. Top off, cried the mouse, that is a very odd and uncommon name, is it a usual one in your family. What does that matter, said the cat, it is no worse than crumb-stealer, as your God-children are called.

Before long the cat was seized by another fit of yearning. She said to the mouse, you must do me a favor, and once more manage the house for a day alone. I am again asked to be godmother, and, as the child has a white ring round its neck, I cannot refuse. The good mouse consented, but the cat crept behind the town walls to the church, and devoured half the pot of fat. Nothing ever seems so good as what one keeps to oneself, said she, and was quite satisfied with her days work. When she went home the mouse inquired, and what was this child christened. Half-done, answered the cat. Half-done. What are you saying. I never heard the name in my life, Ill wager anything it is not in the calendar.

The cats mouth soon began to water for some more licking. All good things go in threes, said she, I am asked to stand godmother again. The child is quite black, only it has white paws, but with that exception, it has not a single white hair on its whole body, this only happens once every few years, you will let me go, wont you. Top-off. Half-done, answered the mouse, they are such odd names, they make me very thoughtful. You sit at home, said the cat, in your dark-gray fur coat and long tail, and are filled with fancies, thats because you do not go out in the daytime. During the cats absence the mouse cleaned the house, and put it in order but the greedy cat entirely emptied the pot of fat. When everything is eaten up one has some peace, said she to herself, and well filled and fat she did not return home till night. The mouse at once asked what name had been given to the third child. It will not please you more than the others, said the cat. He is called all-gone. All-gone, cried the mouse, that is the most suspicious name of all. I have never seen it in print. All-gone, what can that mean, and she shook her head, curled herself up, and lay down to sleep.

From this time forth no one invited the cat to be godmother, but when the winter had come and there was no longer anything to be found outside, the mouse thought of their provision, and said, come cat, we will go to our pot of fat which we have stored up for ourselves - we shall enjoy that. Yes, answered the cat, you will enjoy it as much as you would enjoy sticking that dainty tongue of yours out of the window. They set out on their way, but when they arrived, the pot of fat certainly was still in its place, but it was empty. Alas, said the mouse, now I see what has happened, now it comes to light. You are a true friend. You have devoured all when you were standing godmother. First top off then half done, then -. Will you hold your tongue, cried the cat, one word more and I will eat you too. All gone was already on the poor mouses lips, scarcely had she spoken it before the cat sprang on her, seized her, and swallowed her down. Verily, that is the way of the world.

有一隻貓認識了一隻老鼠，便對它大談特談自己是多麼喜歡老鼠，原意和它交朋友，弄得老鼠終於同意和貓住在一起，共同生活。“我們得準備過冬的東西了，不然我們到冬天會捱餓的，”貓説，“至於你嘛，我的小老鼠，哪裏也不要去，我真怕你會被什麼老鼠夾子夾住。”老鼠接受了貓的好建議，於是它們買來了一罐豬油，然而兩個人都不知道該把豬油放在什麼地方。它們左思考右思考，最後貓説：“我覺得這豬油放在教堂裏是再合適不過的了，因為誰也不敢偷教堂裏的東西。我們把豬油藏在祭壇下，不到萬不得已的時候決不動它。”豬油罐就這樣被放到了安全的地方。可是沒過多久，貓開始想吃豬油了，便對老鼠説：“小老鼠，我想跟你説點事。我的表姐剛剛生了一個小寶寶，還請我當小寶貝的教母。那小寶貝全身雪白，帶着一些褐色的斑點。我要抱着它去接受洗禮，所以今天要出去一下，你一個人在家看家，好嗎？”“好的，好的，”老鼠説，“你儘管去吧。要是有什麼好吃的東西，千萬要記着我。我很想嘗一點洗禮時用的紅葡萄酒。”這一切當然都不是真的，因為貓並沒有表姐，也沒有被請去當教母。它直接去了教堂，偷偷爬到豬油罐那裏，開始舔呀舔，把頂上一層豬油舔得精光。然後，它在城裏的屋頂上散了散步，想碰碰別的運氣；接着便躺下來曬太陽。每當想起那罐豬油，它都情不自禁地舔舔自己的嘴脣。它一直等到天黑才回家。“啊，你終於回來了，”老鼠説，“這一天肯定過得很開心吧？”“一切順利。”貓答道。“你們給那孩子起了什麼名字？”“沒了頂層！”貓冷淡地説。“沒了頂層！”老鼠叫了起來，“這個古怪的名字可不多見。你們家常取這樣的名字嗎？”“那有什麼？”貓説,“不比你的那些教子叫什麼偷麪包屑的更糟吧？”

沒過多久，貓又想吃豬油了。它對老鼠説：“你得幫我一個忙，再一個人看一次家。又有人請我當教母了，而且這個孩子的脖子上有一道白圈，我實在無法推辭。”好心的老鼠同意了。貓從城牆後面溜進教堂，一口氣吃掉了半罐豬油。“什麼東西也沒有比吃到自己的嘴裏更好，”它説，心裏對這一天的收穫感到很滿意。等它到家時，老鼠問道：“這個孩子起的什麼名字呀？”“吃了一半，”貓回答。“吃了一半！你在説什麼呀？我長這麼大了還從來沒有聽説過這樣的名字。我敢打賭，就是年曆上也不會有這樣的名字！”

不久，貓的嘴巴又開始流口水了，想再去舔一舔豬油。“好事成三嘛，”它説，“又有人請我去當教母了。這個孩子除了爪子是白色的，渾身黑黝黝的，連一根白毛都沒有。這是好幾年才會碰上的事情，你當然會同意我去的，是嗎？”“沒了頂層！吃了一半！”老鼠回答，“這些名字真怪！我實在弄不明白。”“你白天又不出門，”貓説，“整天穿着深灰色的皮襖，拖着長長的尾巴，坐在家裏胡思亂想，當然弄不明白啦！”趁着貓不在家，老鼠把屋子打掃了一下，把東西放得整整齊齊。可是那隻饞貓把剩下的豬油吃得乾乾淨淨。“人只有把東西吃得乾乾淨淨才能放心，”它自言自語地説。它吃得飽飽的，直到天黑了才挺着圓圓的肚子回家。老鼠看到它回來，立刻問它這第三個孩子起的什麼名字。“你也不會喜歡這個名字，”貓説，“它叫吃得精光。”“吃得精光！”老鼠叫了起來，“這個名字太令人費解了！我從來沒有在書上見過。吃得精光！這是什麼意思呢？”它搖搖頭，蜷縮起身子，躺下睡着了。

從此，貓再也沒有被邀請去當教母。可是冬天來到了，外面再也找不到任何吃的東西。老鼠想到了它們準備的過冬的東西，便説：“走吧，貓！我們去取儲存的豬油吧。我們可以美美吃上一頓。”“是的，”貓回答，“那準會把你美得就像把你那尖尖的舌頭伸到窗外去喝西北風一樣。”它們動身去教堂，可它們到達那裏後，看到豬油罐倒是還在那裏，裏面卻是空的。“天哪！”老鼠説，“我現在終於明白是怎麼回事了！你可真是個好朋友！你在去當什麼教母的時候，把這豬油全吃光了！先是吃了頂上一層，然後吃了一半，最後……”“你給我住嘴！”貓嚷道，“你要是再羅嗦，我連你也吃了！”“……吃得精光，”可憐的老鼠脱口而出。它剛把話説完，貓就撲到了它的身上，抓住它，把它吞進了肚子。這世界就是這樣！

New Words and Expressions 生詞和詞組

1. acquaintance n. 認識

2. provision n. 準備，供應品

3. yearning n. 渴望，懷念

4. consent v. 同意，許可

5. calendar n. 日曆，日程表

6. suspicious a. 可疑的，令人費解的

7. curl up 捲起

8. dainty a. 優美的，講究的

9. verily ad. 真正的，真實的