100集中国传统故事，看完英语单词量暴涨！（中文文本+音频跟读）

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英语口语·吉米老师说 

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英语·传统故事

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31、Measure Me for New Shoes

郑人买履

从前，有一位郑国农民，他日夜劳作，十分辛苦。一天，他的鞋子坏了，于是，他决定去集市上买一双鞋。集市离得很远，且在新年假期前就会关门，为了节省时间，他在出发前提前用绳子量好了尺寸。长途跋涉之后到了集市，忽然发现量脚的绳子没带。这位郑国人居然选择回家找绳子，等到再赶回来市集早已关了门。 Long ago, in the state of Zheng, there lived a farmer who was always working. He walked all day long, every day. He trudged through the sticky mud fields. He hurried on the dirt roads. He walked into the chicken coop…out the barn door…and then to pick up eggs, fetch water, and more! If you close your eyes, you can almost picture him walking quickly around his farm, like a speedy robot.One day, the farmer’s shoes broke. It was sure to happen, all the walking they did! The strings that tied each shoe together had been frayed for months. Finally, they snapped off. There was no way to fix them.The farmer scowled, knowing he would have to make a trip to the village market for a new pair. The shops would soon close for the New Year holiday, so he would have to hurry.He searched for a rope to measure his shoes. He planned to give the rope to the shop owner instead of having his feet measured. It ought to save him time in the shoe shop. And the farmer was a busy man. The farmer cut the rope to the same length as his broken shoes.Then, he set off to the market six kilometers away. His bare feet became very dirty and muddy as he walked on the path. Ants and other bugs crawled around on his toes. They tickled so much! He ran the rest of the way, but he couldn’t run away from the bugs.He arrived at the shoe shop and went inside, huffing and puffing.“Shopkeeper, I need new shoes,” he said.“I see that,” said the shopkeeper, as he looked at the farmer’s blackened feet. “What size are you?”“Oh, yes, size. Here’s my size,” replied the farmer. He put his hand inside his left pocket to grab the measured rope.He searched around deep into the left pocket. He found nothing. He reached into the right pocket. Nothing. He searched both sides again. Nothing. Then he felt the back of his pants to check if there were any pockets hiding there.“Huh? Where’s the rope? Where could it be?” he wondered.“Oh no!” he gasped. “I must have left the rope at home!”The shopkeeper repeated, “What size are you, mister? Do you need your feet measured? I can do it easily.”“No, no,” the farmer replied. “I already measured them with a piece of rope.”Before the shopkeeper could say any more, the farmer ran out of the shop. He huffed and puffed as he ran back home.He found the rope. Then he huffed and puffed back to the market.It was dusk when the farmer finally arrived at the market. He raced to the shoe shop, out of breath, and eager to get his new shoes. Then he read the sign on the shoe shop door. “Shop Closed,” it said. “Happy New Year!”
The EndThe idiom, “Zheng Man Buys Shoes”  is used to tease those who stay true to their beliefs instead of using common sense. The farmer could not see the simplicity of using his own feet to measure his shoe size. He was stuck on the idea of using a pre-measured rope.

Question:  What could the farmer have done to get his new shoes before New Year’s Day?

核心词汇

trudge v. 步履艰难地走，疲惫地走

sticky adj. 黏性的，黏的

coop n. （关家禽的）笼子

fetch v. （去）拿来

fray v. 磨损

snap v. 啪地绷断

scowl v. 皱眉，沉下脸

measure v. 测量

set off 出发

bug n. 臭虫

crawl v. 爬

tickle v. 轻触使觉得痒

huff and puff （因劳累而）呼吸重浊

gasp v. 喘气，倒抽气

be eager to do 渴望做某事

It was sure to happen, all the walking they did!这肯定会发生的，看他每天走那么多路！本句可以看作省略了because of，句中all the walking they did表示原因。

He planned to give the rope to the shop owner instead of having his feet measured. 他打算把绳子给裁缝而不是让裁缝量他的脚。have sth done表示让某事被别人做了，比如have one's hair cut去理发。

Then he felt the back of his pants to check if there were any pockets hiding there. 然后他去摸了摸他的裤子后面，想看看是否哪里藏着口袋。本句中feel表示去摸，if意思为“是否”。

以下翻译来自百度翻译：

很久以前，在郑国，住着一位农民，他一直在工作。他每天走一整天。他艰难地穿过粘糊糊的泥地。他在土路上匆匆忙忙。他走进鸡舍……走出谷仓门……然后去捡鸡蛋、打水等等！如果你闭上眼睛，你几乎可以想象他在农场里快速走动，就像一个快速的机器人。一天，农夫的鞋子破了。这是肯定会发生的，所有的步行他们所做的！把每只鞋子绑在一起的绳子已经磨损了好几个月。最后，他们突然停了下来。没有办法修复它们。农夫皱起了眉头，知道他得去村里的市场买一双新的。新年假期商店很快就要关门了，所以他得赶快。他找了根绳子来量他的鞋子。他打算把绳子给店主，而不是让人量脚。这应该可以节省他在鞋店的时间。农夫是个大忙人。农夫把绳子剪成和他破鞋子一样长的长度。然后，他出发去六公里外的市场。当他走在小路上时，赤脚变得又脏又泥泞。蚂蚁和其他虫子爬在他的脚趾上。他们痒得太厉害了！剩下的路他都跑了，但他无法逃离虫子。他来到鞋店，气喘吁吁地走了进去。“店主，我需要新鞋，”他说。“我明白了，”店主看着农夫被熏黑的脚说。“你多大尺寸？”“哦，是的，尺码。这是我的尺码，”农夫回答。他把手伸进左口袋去抓测得的绳子。他在左口袋里到处搜寻。他什么也没找到。他把手伸进右边的口袋。没有什么。他又搜查了两边。没有什么。然后他摸了摸裤子的背面，看看是否有口袋藏在那里。“嗯？绳子在哪里？它可能在哪里？”他想。“哦，不！”他喘着气说。“我一定是把绳子忘在家里了！”店主重复道：“先生，您的尺寸是多少？您需要量脚吗？我可以很容易地量。”“不，不，”农夫回答。“我已经用一根绳子量过了。”店主还没来得及开口，农夫就跑出了商店。他气喘吁吁地跑回家。他找到了绳子。然后他气喘吁吁地回到市场。农场主终于来到市场时已是黄昏。他气喘吁吁地跑到鞋店，急切地想买一双新鞋。然后他看到鞋店门上的牌子。“商店关门了，”它说。“新年快乐！”

32、Master Archer

百发百中

在春秋战国时期，有一个叫养由基的人，他是一位神射手，他总能一箭射中别人两箭才能射中的东西。与他同时期的还有一位神射手，每次射箭，他都能一箭击中要害，并因此洋洋自得。在一个夏日，养由基与这位神射手相遇，养由基却说，射中要害无法考验射手真正的能力，神射手很是惊讶。因此，他们决定一决高下，谁会在较量中获胜呢？
Long, long ago, there was a famous archer named Yang Youji. He lived in China during the Spring and Autumn Period. People from all over China came to see his skills with the bow and arrow. What other people needed two arrows to do, Yang Youji only needed one. But there was another famous archer during this time. His name was Pan Dang. He was known for always hitting the bull’s-eye of the target.The two archers had heard a lot about one another over the years, but they had never met.One summer day, the two men finally met at an archery competition. “I’m a perfect archer,” Pan Dang bragged. “I always hit the bull’s-eye, no matter what! My arrow has never ever missed.”“I also always hit the bull’s-eye,” replied Yang Youji. “However, my friend, that is not the true test of a master archer.”“Oh, really?” asked Pan Dang, surprised. No one had ever said that his archery skills weren’t good enough. “Show me, then, what makes a perfect archer. Whatever it is, I’m sure I can do it too!”“A perfect archer can hit a leaf of a willow tree from one hundred steps away,” said Yang Youji.“Impossible! Willow leaves are so thin, no one could do it! Show me!”cried Pan Dang. He doubted that Yang Youji could do such a thing.“All right, I will,” replied Yang Youji. He pointed to a nearby willow tree.“Go mark three leaves on that tree for me to shoot.”Pan Dang carefully chose three leaves that would be extra hard to hit.He painted them with the numbers one, two, and three. This was to show the order in which Yang Youji had to shoot them.“All right, Yang Youji,” said Pan Dang. “I’m ready to see if you can really do this!”Yang Youji smiled and walked one hundred steps away from the tree. As he lifted his bow and took aim, Pan Dang held his breath. Would Yang Youji really be able to hit the three leaves? It seemed impossible!Whoosh! The first arrow flew past Pan Dang and… hit the first leaf! Pan Dang’s mouth hung open in shock. But Yang Youji was just really lucky, right? There was no way he could hit two more leaves.Whoosh! Wrong! The second arrow also found its target, hitting the second leaf exactly in the middle. Pan Dang stared in disbelief as Yang Youji took aim at the last leaf. He drew the arrow back slowly, and…Whoosh! All three arrows had hit their leaves!“I- I’m speechless!” Pan Dang confessed. “You were right, Yang Youji, I am no master archer. But you are!”The story of Yang Youji and Pan Dang’s meeting has been passed down through the ages. The idiom, “A Hundred Shots, A Hundred Bull’s-Eyes,” is used to describe someone who is very well prepared, and is very successful in whatever they do, just like Yang Youji was.
The End

Question: What is something that you are very, very good at?

核心词汇

archer n. 弓箭手

bow n. 弓

bull’s-eye n. 靶的中心，要害，关键性的事物

target n. 目标

archery n. 射箭（术）

willow n. 柳树

extra adv. 特别地，非常

take aim 瞄准

shock n. 震惊，惊愕

stare v. 凝视，目不转睛地看

draw v. 拉

no matter what 无论发生什么，此处为 no matter what happens 的简略

说法。

what makes a perfect archer 是什么造就了一位完美的弓箭手，make 此

处为形成、造就的意思。

the order in which Yang Youji had to shoot them 养由基必须按照此顺序

射箭，本句为 which 引导的定语从句，修饰 order，但是表示按顺序要用

in order，因此把介词 in 放在 which 前面。

以下翻译来自百度翻译：很久很久以前，有一位著名的弓箭手叫杨有吉。他在春秋时期住在中国。来自中国各地的人都来看他的弓箭技术。其他人需要两支箭，杨有吉只需要一支。但在这段时间里还有另一位著名的弓箭手。他的名字叫潘当。他以总是击中靶子的靶心而闻名。这两个弓箭手多年来彼此耳熟能详，但他们从未见过面。一个夏天，两人终于在一次射箭比赛中相遇。“我是个完美的弓箭手，”潘当自夸道。“不管怎样，我总是击中靶心！我的箭从来没有射中过。”“我也总是直截了当，”杨有吉回答。“然而，我的朋友，这不是对一个弓箭手的真正考验。”“哦，真的吗？”潘当惊讶地问。从来没有人说过他的射箭技术不够好。“那么，让我看看什么是完美的弓箭手。不管是什么，我相信我也能做到！”“一个完美的弓箭手可以在一百步之外击中柳树的一片叶子，”杨有吉说。“不可能！柳叶太薄了，没人能做到！让我看看！”潘当喊道。他怀疑杨有吉能做这样的事。“好吧，我会的，”杨有吉回答。他指着附近的一棵柳树。“去在那棵树上画三片叶子让我射。”潘当仔细挑选了三片叶子，这三片叶子会格外难以击中。他用数字一、二和三画它们。这是为了显示杨有吉开枪的顺序。“好吧，杨有吉，”潘当说。“我准备看看你是否真的能做到这一点！”杨有吉笑了笑，从树旁走了一百步。当他举起弓瞄准时，潘荡屏住了呼吸。杨有吉真的能打到三叶吗？这似乎不可能！嗖！第一支箭飞过盘当，击中了第一片叶子！潘荡震惊地张着嘴。但杨有吉真的很幸运，对吗？他再也打不到两片叶子了。嗖！错了！第二个箭头也找到了目标，正好击中中间的第二个叶子。当杨有吉瞄准最后一片叶子时，潘当难以置信地盯着。他慢慢地把箭往后拉，然后…嗖！三支箭都射中了叶子！“我——我说不出话来！”潘当承认。“杨有吉，你说得对，我不是弓箭手大师，但你是！”杨有吉和潘当相遇的故事已流传千古。“百发百中，百发百中”这个成语用来形容一个人，他准备得很好，无论做什么都很成功，就像杨有吉一样。

33、Mengzi's Good Advice

五十步笑百步

梁惠王对于自己国家多有善举，子民却不增多，邻国对民众不闻不问，子民却不减少的怪相深感疑惑，向孟子请教。孟子用作战进行比喻，将梁惠王说得哑口无言。孟子究竟是如何说服梁惠王的呢？

         Liang Hui Wang was the ruler of the Liang state during the Warring States Period in ancient China, from 371–335 BCE.

Liang Hui Wang sent his army into many wars with nearby states. It felt like there were endless battles. Many people died. The people of Liang became fearful. Many ran away because they did not want to go to war.The great thinker Mengzi visited Liang Hui Wang. They sat together by a pond to watch the swimming geese and grazing deer. The ruler was worried about his people running away, so he asked Mengzi for advice.“Mengzi, I think I am a good ruler. I care for my people. I look after them when there is a bad harvest. If the crops fail to grow in the south, I move the people to the north. If there is a bad harvest in the north, I move the people south,” Liang Hui Wang said.He continued, “The rulers of other states are not like me. They don’t care about their people like I care about mine. They don’t help them when they are hungry. Yet their people don’t run away. The number of people in their states is growing. The number of people in Liang has not grown at all. Why is this?”“My lord,” Mengzi began, “You like battle, yes? Let me use the battlefield to show you.”“Two states are at war. Foot soldiers with swords and spears race toward each other,” Mengzi began. “There is fighting. There is bloodshed. One side is winning. The other side falls back. Soldiers on the losing side begin to run away. They don’t want to get captured. Some soldiers run fast. Others run slower.”“Yes,” said Liang Hui Wang as he listened intently.“A fast soldier runs 100 steps. A slower soldier runs 50 steps,” Mengzi continued. “The soldier running 50 steps looks ahead. He sees the soldier running 100 steps. He laughs at the faster soldier and calls him a coward.”“Do you think the slower soldier is right to judge the other?” asked Mengzi.“No, not at all,” Liang Hui Wang replied. “The soldier that runs 50 steps is running away too.”“So you see?” Mengzi asked.“I do,” Liang Hui Wang replied. “The soldier running 50 steps is just slower. He has not reached 100 steps yet. He is not doing anything differently. They are both running away. “Exactly,” said Mengzi. “The soldier that runs 50 steps has no right to judge the soldier that runs 100 steps. He is no better.”“You are right, my lord,” said Mengzi. “And you are also right about the other rulers. They may not care for their people during hard times the way you do. But you send your people into battle all the time. When you do this, you are not caring for your people either,” Mengzi explained. “50 steps should not laugh at 100 steps.”The idiom, “50 Steps Laughing at 100 Steps” ridicules people who are unaware of their own flaws and feel superior to others.
The End

Question: Why do you think Mengzi used a battle story to explain things to the ruler?

核心词汇

ruler n. 统治者

graze v. （牛、羊等）啃食牧草

harvest n. 丰收

battlefield n. 战场

sword n. 剑

spear n. 矛

bloodshed n. 流血，杀戮

capture v. 俘虏，捕获

intently adv. 急切地，专注地

coward n. 胆小鬼

ridicule v. 嘲笑

unaware adj. 未认识到的，未觉察到的

flaw n. 缺点

superior adj. 有优越感的

以下翻译来自百度翻译：

王良辉是中国古代战国时期梁国的统治者，时间为公元前371-335年。王良辉派遣他的军队与附近各州进行了多次战争。感觉就像是没完没了的战斗。很多人死了。梁人开始害怕了。许多人逃跑了，因为他们不想打仗。伟大的思想家孟子拜访了王良辉。他们一起坐在池塘边观看游泳的鹅和吃草的鹿。统治者担心他的人民逃跑，所以他向孟子征求意见。王良辉说：“蒙自，我认为我是一个好统治者。我关心我的人民。当收成不好的时候，我会照顾他们。如果南方的庄稼不能生长，我会把人民转移到北方。如果北方收成不好，我会把人民转移到南方。”。他接着说：“其他国家的统治者不像我。他们不像我关心我的人民那样关心他们的人民。他们在饥饿时不帮助他们。但是他们的人民没有逃跑。他们国家的人口在增长。梁的人口根本没有增长。这是为什么？”“大人，”孟子开始说，“你喜欢战斗，是吗？让我用战场向你展示。”“两国处于战争状态。手持刀枪的步兵互相冲向对方，”蒙自开始说道。“有战斗。有流血。一方获胜。另一方退却。失败一方的士兵开始逃跑。他们不想被俘。一些士兵跑得快，另一些跑得慢。”“是的，”王良辉一边专心听着，一边说。“快的士兵跑100步，慢的士兵跑50步，”孟子继续说。“跑50步的士兵向前看。他看到跑100步的士兵。他嘲笑跑得更快的士兵，并称他为懦夫。”孟子问道：“你认为较慢的士兵判断另一个是对的吗？”。“不，一点也不，”王良辉回答。“跑50步的士兵也在逃跑。”“你明白了吗？”孟子问道。“我知道，”王良辉回答。“这个士兵跑50步只是慢了一点。他还没有达到100步。他没有做任何改变。他们都跑开了。”“没错，”孟子说，“跑50步的士兵没有权利评判跑100步的士兵。他也没有好到哪里去。”“你说得对，我的主人，”孟子说。“你对其他统治者的看法也是对的。他们可能不会像你那样在困难时期关心他们的人民。但是你总是让你的人民参战。当你这样做的时候，你也不关心你的人民。”孟子解释道。“50步不应该嘲笑100步。”“五十步笑一百步”这个成语嘲弄那些不知道自己的缺点却觉得比别人优越的人

34、Watch Your Back 

螳螂捕蝉黄雀在后

春秋战国时期，吴国国君准备攻打楚国，左右大臣虽觉不妥，却又不敢直言劝阻。这时，国王的儿子想了个好方法，他以花园中鸣叫的蝉，捕食的螳螂，与其身后的鸟儿做类比，成功劝说了他的父王，取消了攻打楚国的打算。这位儿子是如何做到的呢？ 
During the Spring and Autumn Period (770 – 476 BCE), the ruler of the Wu state wanted to attack the Chu state.His advisors warned him not to do it. They believed Wu was not strong enough. They worried that Wu would be beaten by Chu. The Wu king got angry when he heard the warnings. He told his advisors that if they kept talking this way, he would punish them.The king’s son, Prince You, did not agree with his father. He thought the advisors were right. But he did not dare to speak up against the king either. He came up with a plan to offer advice to the king.One day, Prince You walked into the royal court soaking wet. He held a slingshot in one hand.“Ha ha!” laughed the king. “What happened, Son?”“Forgive me, Father,” replied Prince You. “I fell into a pond.”“How did you do that?” asked the king, still chuckling.“I went to the garden this morning to practice using my slingshot,” the prince explained.Prince You stepped back with one leg and held the slingshot up toward the sky. He closed one eye and pulled the cord back as if he were going to shoot. He looked just like a sharp-shooter.“I look strong and fierce, right, Father?” the prince joked.“Yes, you do,” the king laughed. “Unbeatable.”“Yes, I was feeling very confident,” replied the prince. “I looked up in the trees, looking for a target. I saw a cicada chirping happily on a branch. But despite his happiness, there was something wrong with the cicada. Do you know what it was, Father?” asked the prince.“No, what?” asked the king, curious to find out.“The cicada had no idea,” the prince explained, “that a preying mantis was sneaking up behind him!’“Oh!” said the king. “Another hunter!”“Yes,” the prince replied. “The mantis raised his two arms, ready to strike. But there was something wrong with the praying mantis. Do you know what it was, Father?”“No, what?” asked the king, curious to find out.“The mantis was ready to strike the cicada. He was so focused on his prey that he did not know a bird was lurking nearby. The bird was ready to pounce on his meal—the mantis!”“Ha ha!” laughed the king. “Yet another hunter!”“And there I was, with my slingshot aimed at the bird!” the prince continued.The prince moved his slingshot as if he was focusing on a target. With one eye closed, he drew the cord back, preparing to shoot.“Oh my! You’re going to shoot the bird! He is your target!” the king cheered.“Yes, I was very confident. I thought the bird was unaware that I was hunting him,” the prince replied. “I knew I only had one shot to get it, so I moved back to get better aim. I stepped back, and back, and back...”“And that’s when I fell right into the pond!” the prince laughed.The king burst into laughter. “You were foolish! You thought only about the gains in front of you. You forgot about the dangers behind you!” cried the king.Suddenly, realization dawned on the king. He thought about his plans to strike the state of Chu. He understood what his son was trying to tell him.“I understand your point, my son,” said the king. Then he called off his plans to attack Chu.
The End

Question: Why do you think it was easier for Prince You to tell his father a story than to tell him how he really felt about the attack on the Chu state?

核心词汇

speak up 大胆地说，自由发表意见

royal court 宫廷

soak v. 湿透，浸湿

slingshot n. 弹弓

chuckle v. 咯咯地轻声笑

cord n. （细）绳，（琴弦等）绳索状物

sharp-shooter n. 神枪手

fierce adj. 凶猛的，猛烈的

unbeatable adj. 难以战胜的，无法打败的

target n. （攻击、轰炸等的）目标

cicada n. 蝉

chirp v. （昆虫等的）唧唧声

despite prep. 不管，尽管

sneak up 偷偷地走近

strike v. 打，击，击中

prey n. 猎物

lurk v. 暗藏，埋伏

pounce v. 猛扑，突然袭击

unaware adj 未认识到的，未觉察到的

dawn  v. 被理解，被领悟，被想到

call off 取消（活动），停止做

 soaking wet 全身湿透的状态，此处是现在分词做伴随状语，表示伴随的状态。 

despite his happiness 尽管他很高兴，despite介词，尽管，后接名词性质的宾语。 

so focused on his prey that he did not know 如此专注于他的猎物以至于他不知道…… 

with my slingshot aimed at the bird当我的弹弓瞄准在鸟身上时，with sth done表示伴随着某物被完成的状态。

 fell right into the pound 恰恰掉入池塘，right此处为副词，恰巧地。

 I understand your point. 我理解了你的观点，point名词，观点。

以下翻译来自百度翻译：

春秋时期（公元前770-476年），吴国统治者想攻打楚国。他的顾问警告他不要这样做。他们认为吴不够强壮。他们担心吴会被楚打败。吴王听到警告后很生气。他告诉他的顾问，如果他们继续这样说话，他会惩罚他们。国王的儿子游王子不同意他父亲的意见。他认为顾问们是对的。但他也不敢站出来反对国王。他想出了一个向国王提供建议的计划。有一天，王子，你浑身湿透走进皇宫。他一只手拿着弹弓。“哈哈！”国王笑了。“怎么了，孩子？”“原谅我，父亲，”王子回答说。“我掉进池塘里了。”“你是怎么做到的？”国王问，仍然咯咯地笑着。“今天早上我去花园练习弹弓，”王子解释道。王子你用一条腿往后退，把弹弓举向天空。他闭上一只眼睛，把绳子拉了回来，好像要开枪似的。他看起来就像一个狙击手。“我看起来又强壮又凶猛，对吧，父亲？”王子开玩笑说。“是的，你知道，”国王笑着说。“无与伦比。”“是的，我感到非常自信，”王子回答王子问：“我抬头在树上寻找目标。我看到一只蝉在树枝上快乐地唧唧喳喳。尽管他很快乐，但蝉还是有点不对劲。你知道是什么吗，父亲？”。“不，什么？”国王好奇地问。“蝉不知道，”王子解释道，“一只正在捕食的螳螂正悄悄地从他身后爬上来！”“哦！”国王说，“又一个猎人！”“是的，”王子回答。“螳螂举起双臂准备攻击。但是螳螂有点不对劲。你知道是什么吗，父亲？”“不，什么？”国王好奇地问。“螳螂准备攻击蝉。他如此专注于他的猎物，以至于他不知道附近潜伏着一只鸟。这只鸟准备扑向螳螂！”“哈哈！”国王笑着说，“又是一个猎人！”“我就在那儿，我的弹弓对准了那只鸟！”王子继续说。王子移动他的弹弓，好像他正专注于一个目标。闭上一只眼睛，他把绳子拉回来，准备射击。“哦，天哪！你要射杀那只鸟！它是你的目标！”国王欢呼道。“是的，我非常自信。我以为那只鸟不知道我在猎杀它，”王子回答。“我知道我只有一次机会，所以我后退以获得更好的瞄准。我后退，后退，后退……”王子笑着说：“就在那时，我掉进了池塘里。”。国王突然大笑起来。“你太愚蠢了！你只想着眼前的收获。你忘记了身后的危险！”国王喊道。突然，国王意识到了这一点。他想到了自己攻打楚国的计划。他明白儿子想告诉他什么。“我明白你的意思，我的儿子，”国王说。然后他取消了进攻楚国的计划。

35、Fun, Friends and a Future for Mengzi

孟母三迁

孟子小时候，居住的地方离墓地很近，孟子学了些祭拜之事。孟母认为，这样的地方不适合孩子居住。于是，孟母将家搬到集市旁，孟子玩起了买卖的游戏。母亲又想：这个地方还是不适合孩子居住。于是将家搬到学校旁边，孟子学会了鞠躬行礼的礼节。孟母感叹：这才是孩子居住的地方，就在这里定居下来了。
Mengzi was a great Chinese thinker. But his life was very different when he was a small boy. This is his story . . .“Goodbye! Goodbye!” Mengzi called, waving to his friends. “I’m leaving for my new home!” He got into the cart with his mother, holding on tightly to his small bundle of belongings.Mengzi felt a little sad, but he was also excited by the new adventure.Mengzi and his mother settled into a small house near a cemetery in the next town. He liked to play hide-and-seek with his new friends.He found Xiao Ming behind a tree, next to the fence by the cemetery.“Got you! I’m the best at this game!” boasted Mengzi. He rested against the fence and looked into the cemetery.“Hey! What’s that old man doing?” asked Mengzi.“He’s putting a bun in front of that marker,” said Xiao Ming. “And bowing.” All the friends laughed and pretended to do the same.After breakfast the next day, Mengzi asked, “May I have an extra bun, Mama?”“We don’t have many to spare,” replied his mother. But if you’re still hungry, all right,”“Bye, Mama!” Mengzi yelled. Excited that he had a real bun, Mengzi raced to the cemetery, laughing.Later, Mengzi’s mother was walking by the cemetery and spotted Mengzi.“Mengzi, what are you doing?” she asked.“I’m bowing Mama. I’m offering my bun,” replied Mengzi.“Mengzi, you should not do those things. It is not our place. We do not know those people,” his mother explained.“But Mama, everyone else does it,” he answered.Mengzi’s mother realized that this neighborhood was not right for her son. It was time to move again.“Goodbye! Goodbye!” Mengzi called, waving to the friends he was leaving behind. “I’m leaving for my new home!”Mengzi felt a little sad, but he was also excited by the new adventure.Mengzi and his mother moved near the town market. He liked to play catch with his new friends.“Got it, Xiao Liu! I’m the best at this game!” he boasted. He and his friends dashed around the market. They stopped and watched the merchants calling to the shoppers.“Shoes!” cried the shoemaker. “Hey, man, I’ve got shoes for your fat feet!”“Cheap fabric!” shouted a woman. “Stop walking around in rags!”Mengzi’s mother was surprised to hear Mengzi’s voice while she was shopping for vegetables.“Old Man, you haven’t shaved. You look like a horse!” yelled Mengzi. “Clean up. I have razors to sell,” he pretended.His friends laughed.Mengzi’s mother ran over to him. “Mengzi, you should not say those things! It is rude and wrong.”“But Mama,” Mengzi replied, “Everyone else does it.”Mengzi’s mother realized that this neighborhood was not the right place for her son. It was time to move again.“Goodbye! Goodbye!” Mengzi called, waving to the friends he was leaving behind. “I’m leaving for my new home!”Mengzi felt a little sad, but he was also excited by the new adventure.Mengzi and his mother moved to a tiny hut next to a school. Mengzi’s mother could not afford to send her son to school. Each day, Mengzi peeked through the school’s doorway or listened from an open window. He even climbed a tree to watch the students listen, learn, read, and write. Mengzi had no money for writing tools, so he used sticks to write on the ground.Mengzi made friends with the students. A girl named Xiao Mei taught him a simple poem. The students laughed when Mengzi mixed up the verses. But they helped correct him.When Mengzi’s mother went outside, she saw Mengzi and his friends playing school. Xiao Mei gave Mengzi a mock exam like the one she had taken in class.His mother smiled and said, “Mengzi, these are the things that you should do.”“Yes, Mama, you’re right. And I want to be the best at this game!” replied Mengzi.Even though Mengzi’s mother did not have a lot of money, she led him to a future of wisdom and knowledge, because a mother’s love has no limits.
The End

Question: Why wasn’t Mengzi’s mother happy with their second home?

核心词汇

tight adj. 紧的

bundle n. 包裹，包袱

cemetery n. 墓地

fence n. 篱笆

boast v. 自吹自擂

bun n. 小面包

marker n.标志物

bow v. 鞠躬

pretend to do sth 假装做某事

spare v. 用不着，省掉

spot v. 发觉，辨认

dash v. 猛冲，飞奔

rag n.破布，碎布

shave v. 剃……的胡须

razor n. 剃刀

hut n. 小茅屋

peek v. 偷看，窥视

verse n. 诗句

mock v. 嘲笑

“Goodbye! Goodbye!” Mengzi called, waving to the friends he was leaving behind. “再见了！再见了！”孟子呼喊着，对着他留在身后的小伙伴挥手。本句中he was leaving behind作为定语从句，修饰friends。

以下翻译来自百度翻译：

孟子是一位伟大的中国思想家。但当他还是个小男孩的时候，他的生活就大不一样了。这是他的故事。“再见！再见！”孟子喊道，向他的朋友们挥手致意。“我要去我的新家了！”他和母亲一起上车，紧紧地抓住他的一小包东西。孟子感到有点悲伤，但他也为这次新的冒险感到兴奋。孟子和他的母亲在下一个城镇的墓地附近的一所小房子里安顿下来。他喜欢和他的新朋友捉迷藏。他发现小明躲在一棵树后面，挨着墓地的栅栏。蒙自自夸道：“抓住你了！我是这个游戏的高手！”。他靠着篱笆休息，向墓地望去。“嘿！那个老人在干什么？”孟子问。小明说：“他在那个记号笔前放了个小面包。”。“鞠躬。”所有的朋友都笑了，假装也这么做。第二天早饭后，孟子问：“妈妈，我可以多吃一个馒头吗？”“我们没有多少多余的，”他的母亲回答。但如果你还饿，好吧，““再见，妈妈！”蒙子喊道。孟子很兴奋，因为他有一个真正的馒头，笑着跑向墓地。后来，孟子的母亲走过墓地，发现了孟子。“蒙子，你在干什么？”她问。“我在向妈妈鞠躬。我在献我的馒头。”蒙自回答。“蒙自，你不应该做那些事。那不是我们的地方。我们不认识那些人，”他的母亲解释道。“但是妈妈，其他人都这么做，”他回答。孟子的母亲意识到这个社区不适合她的儿子。是时候再次行动了。“再见！再见！”孟子喊道，向他要离开的朋友们挥手致意。“我要去我的新家了！”孟子感到有点悲伤，但他也为这次新的冒险感到兴奋。孟子和他的母亲搬到镇上的市场附近。他喜欢和他的新朋友玩接球游戏。“明白了，小刘！我在这场比赛中是最棒的！”他自夸道。他和他的朋友们在市场上飞奔。他们停下来，看着商人向购物者打电话。“鞋子！”鞋匠喊道。“嘿，老兄，我给你的肥脚买了鞋！”“便宜的布料！”一个女人喊道。“别穿破烂衣服到处走！”孟子的母亲在买蔬菜的时候听到孟子的声音很惊讶。“老头，你还没刮胡子。你看起来像一匹马！”蒙自喊道。“清理一下。我有剃须刀要卖，”他假装说。他的朋友们笑了。孟子的母亲跑到他跟前。“蒙自，你不应该说那些话！这是粗鲁和错误的。”“但是妈妈，”孟子回答，“其他人都这么做。”孟子的母亲意识到，这个社区不适合她的儿子。是时候再次行动了。“再见！再见！”孟子喊道，向他要离开的朋友们挥手致意。“我要去我的新家了！”孟子感到有点悲伤，但他也为这次新的冒险感到兴奋。孟子和母亲搬到学校旁边的一间小屋里。孟子的母亲负担不起送儿子上学的费用。每天，孟子都会从学校门口偷看，或者从敞开的窗户听。他甚至爬到树上看学生们听、学、读、写。孟子没有钱买书写工具，所以他用棍子在地上写字。孟子和学生们交上了朋友。一个叫小梅的女孩教他一首简单的诗。当孟子把诗弄混时，学生们笑了。但是他们帮助纠正了他。当孟子的母亲出去时，她看见孟子和他的朋友们在学校玩。小梅给了孟子一个模拟考试，就像她在课堂上参加的考试一样。妈妈笑着说：“蒙子，这些是你应该做的事情。”“是的，妈妈，你说得对。我想在这场比赛中做到最好！”蒙自回答。尽管孟子的母亲没有很多钱，但她带领他走向了智慧和知识的未来，因为母亲的爱是无限的。

36. Clear as a Bell

掩耳盗铃

范氏是当地名门望族，家宅极大。一天，他们决定在家宅的外墙边上加一口大钟，许多人前来观摩。其中不乏心思龌龊者，想偷了钟换钱。此人在夜里偷盗时却发现自己背不动这口钟，于是决定把钟砸碎。但用锤子砸钟会发出很大的响声，为了不让别人发现，此人将自己的耳朵塞住，这样就再也听不到砸钟的巨响了。小偷能得偿所愿吗？ The noble Fan family in ancient China lived in a grand house.  A tall, brick wall with doors protected the entrance of their house.One day, they decided to add a large bell to the outside of the entry wall. The bell was huge! It measured two meters high by one and a half meters wide. It took six men to lift the bell and hang it on four wooden posts.The villagers came to admire the beautiful brass bell.“Look how big and grand it is!” said the farmer.Wen Shao, a local thief, watched from under a shady tree nearby. “I can sell that bell for a lot of money! Heh, heh, I shall be rich!” Wen rubbed his palms together greedily.Late that night Wen crept to the Fan house. His eyes lit up like fireballs when he saw the bell up close. He got so excited that he kissed it!“Mmmmwah!” his lips smacked against the bell.He looked sneakily to the left, then to the right. There was no one around.“Heh, heh,” Wen snickered. “Everyone is sound asleep. This is my chance!”But when he tried to lift the bell, it didn’t budge. “Ugh! Ugh! Ooch!” cried Wen.He bent his legs low and tried to lift the bell from the bottom. It didn’t move. He grabbed it from the top and tried to lift it over his shoulders. It didn’t move. He pulled it from the right side. It didn’t move. He pulled it from the left side. It didn’t move.Wen crinkled his brows. He walked around the bell, checking all the sides. He paced back and forth in front of the bell, thinking.“What to do? What to do?” thought Wen as he paced.“Think! Think!” He told himself as he tapped his finger on his forehead.Suddenly, Wen had an idea!“I will smash the bell,” Wen said. “It will break into many small pieces. It will be easy for me to carry the pieces.”Wen felt proud of himself and his brilliant solution.“Heh, heh,” laughed Wen. “I’m a genius!”He found a big rock under a nearby tree. He slammed the rock against the bell.“BONG!” “BONG!”The loud sound hurt Wen’s ears. He covered them with both hands and stumbled backward.“Aiya!” cried Wen. “My ears! My ears!”Wen knew that if he banged the bell with the rock again, the bell would again hurt his ears.“What to do? What to do?” thought Wen as he paced.Suddenly, Wen had an idea!He ripped off a small piece of fabric from the end of his shirt. He rolled it into a ball. Then he stuck it into his right ear. He did the same with another piece of fabric and stuck that into his left ear.“Heh, heh,” laughed Wen. “I’m a genius! Now, I can’t hear anything.”Wen picked up the rock again and slammed it against the bell, over and over.“BONG! BONG! CLANG! CLANG!”The loud bell woke up the sleeping villagers. They ran out to the Fan’s house.They found Wen smashing the rock against the bell.“Stop!” cried the town mayor.“You’re making a racket!” cried a woman. “Stop right now!”“What are you doing to the bell?” cried the cobbler.The villagers were angry. One of them pulled off the scarf around Wen’s face.Wen looked around at the crowd, confused.“Huh? How did you hear?” he asked them. “I plugged my ears. There wasn’t any noise!”
The End

The moral of this idiom is: if you try to fool others, you are only fooling yourself. 

Question: What do you think was Wen’s biggest mistake?

核心词汇

brick n. 砖头

entrance n. 入口

entry n. 进入（权）

brass n. 黄铜

rub v. 摩擦

palm n. 手掌，手心

greedily adv. 贪婪地

creep crept. v. 匍匐，缓慢（或悄悄）地行进

smack v. 咂（嘴）

sneakily adv. 偷偷摸摸地，鬼鬼祟祟地

budge v. 微微移动，挪动

crinkle v. 起皱，成波状

brow n. 眉毛

tap v. （常指连续）轻叩，轻敲

smash v. 打破，打碎

stumble v. 绊倒，跌跌撞撞地走

bang v. 猛击，猛撞

rip off 撕掉

fabric n. 布料

roll v. 滚

mayor n. 市长，此处指代当地长官

make a racket n. 大声喧哗

cobbler n. 制鞋匠

plug v. 把……塞住

It measured two meters high by one and a half meters wide. 这口钟高两米，宽1.5米。本句中的measure为系动词，后面直接加数字，表示量度为……

以下翻译来自百度翻译：

中国古代的范氏家族住在一座宏伟的房子里，一堵高高的砖墙把门挡住了他们的大门。一天，他们决定在入口墙外面加一个大钟。铃很大！它高两米，宽一米半。六个人把钟举起来挂在四根木柱上。村民们来欣赏这座漂亮的铜钟。“看看它有多大多么壮观！”农夫说。当地的小偷文韶在附近一棵树荫下观看。“我可以用很多钱卖掉那个铃铛！嘿嘿，我会发财的！”温贪婪地搓着手。那天深夜，温悄悄地来到风扇房。当他近距离看到钟时，他的眼睛像火球一样亮了起来。他激动得吻了它！“嗯，哇！”他的嘴唇碰在门铃上。他偷偷地看了看左边，然后又看了看右边。周围没有人。“嘿嘿，”温窃笑道。“大家都睡着了。这是我的机会！”但是，当他试图提起铃时，铃没有动。“啊！啊！啊！”温叫道。他把腿弯得很低，试图把钟从底部抬起来。它一动不动。他从顶部抓住它，试图把它举过肩膀。它一动不动。他从右边把它拔了出来。它一动不动。他从左边拔了下来。它一动不动。温皱起眉头。他绕着门铃走了一圈，检查了四周。他在门铃前来回踱步，思考着。“该怎么办？该怎么办？”文边走边想。“想一想！想一想！”他一边用手指轻拍额头一边告诉自己。突然，温家宝有了一个想法！温家宝说：“我会砸碎钟。”。“它会碎裂成许多小块。我搬运这些小块会很容易。”温家宝为自己和他出色的解决方案感到自豪。“嘿嘿，”温笑着说。“我是个天才！”他在附近的一棵树下发现了一块大石头。他把石头砰地一声撞在钟上。“砰！”“砰！”那响亮的声音刺痛了温的耳朵。他用双手盖住他们，踉踉跄跄地后退。“哎呀！”温喊道。“我的耳朵！我的耳朵！”温家宝知道，如果他再次用石头敲钟，钟会再次刺痛他的耳朵。“该怎么办？该怎么办？”文边走边想。突然，温家宝有了一个想法！他从衬衫末端撕下一小块布。他把它滚成一个球。然后他把它塞进右耳。他用另一块布做了同样的事情，然后把它塞进左耳。“嘿嘿，”温笑着说。“我是个天才！现在，我什么都听不见了。”温家宝又捡起石头，一次又一次地把它砸在钟上。“砰！砰！砰！砰！砰！”响亮的铃声吵醒了熟睡的村民。他们跑向风扇的房子。他们发现文把石头砸在钟上。“住手！”镇长喊道。“你在胡闹！”一个女人喊道。“马上停下来！”“你把铃怎么了？”鞋匠喊道。村民们很生气。其中一人扯下了温先生脸上的围巾。温看着周围的人群，感到困惑。“哈？你怎么听到的？”他问他们。“我塞住耳朵，没有任何声音！”

37、The Fisherman's Quiet Victory

鹬蚌相争渔翁得利

赵王将要去攻打燕国，一人为燕国去劝说赵王。他讲了一个故事：一只鹬鸟伸嘴去啄河蚌的肉时，河蚌把壳合上，紧紧地钳住了鹬鸟的嘴。两者互不相让，最终渔夫捉走了。赵王听了这个故事，将作何感想呢？
Nearly 2,500 years ago, China was at war. The old empire had fallen. After hundreds of years under one rule, China was broken into seven kingdoms. They were named Qin, Chu, Zhao, Wei, Han, Yan, and Qi. Each wanted to gain control of China.Their large armies battled. Farmers left their fields to fight. They headed to battle with spears and swords. Soldiers on horseback aimed arrows at their enemies. Chariots raced through crops and crushed them. Tired soldiers battled in heavy leather armor. The armor was not enough protection against sharp spears. Many thousands died. This time was known as the Warring States Period.Zhao was one of the smaller kingdoms. They tried to control an area in the northeast. But they were not alone in the north. They were surrounded by enemies. The Yan kingdom was on Zhao’s northeast border. The Qin kingdom was Zhao’s powerful neighbor to the west.The ruler of Zhao was worried about his neighbors. They were always looking to battle. One day, the ruler of Zhao got into an argument with the Yan. However, he didn't want to fight the Yan. He didn’t want to turn more Zhao farmers into warriors. But what else could he do?The Zhao ruler had wise men who gave him advice. One of these men talked to the ruler about war and peace. He knew that war would not help the Zhao people. He tried to show that the ruler didn’t have to choose war. The wise man told this story.“One day, a clam washed onto the beach. It ended up far from the water. A snipe, a wading bird, was looking for food along the shore. Suddenly, it spotted a clam. It wanted to eat the clam. Of course, the clam did not want to be eaten! The two began to fight. They struggled for a bit. The bird was able to latch its beak onto the clam’s shell. Then the clam bit down hard on the bird’s beak. The two held onto each other tightly. Neither was willing to let go!The bird said to the clam, ‘Ha! You are far from the water, Clam. It will not rain for days. You will never survive!'The clam said to the bird, 'You can’t survive without water either! Let’s see who outlasts whom!'The clam and the bird held onto each other for a long time. Neither was willing to let go.A fisherman was watching them. He stayed calm and quiet. He crept closer as the bird and clam battled for some time. Then he walked up to them, silently. He quickly scooped up both the bird and the clam. The fisherman didn’t have to struggle at all. It was an easy catch. Then he walked home with his dinner.”The Zhao ruler listened closely to the story. He agreed with the wise man.“I understand,” he said, “if we battle with the Yan, the big Qin army might join the fight later. We and the Yan would be weak from our battles. They could defeat both of us. We would be like the clam and the bird.”The Zhao ruler called off his plan to attack the Yan.The Zhao kingdom began the Warring States Period as a small state. The ruler’s wise decisions changed that. Near the end of the wars, Zhao was the only kingdom left that was strong enough to fight against the powerful Qin. Finally, the Qin and Zhao met in battle. The Qin used a clever trick. They trapped the Zhao army at the Battle of Changping. The Zhao ran out of food. No one came to help them. They were trapped like the clam and the bird. After 46 days the Zhao gave up. In 221 BCE, the Qin brought China together as one country.
The End

Question: Have you ever settled a problem through peaceful means? Tell about what happened.

核心词汇

chariot n. （古代的）双轮战车

leather n.& adj. 皮的，皮

clam n. 蛤蜊

snipe n. （鸟）沙锥

wade v. （通过水、雪、泥沙等妨碍物）艰难地行进

latch v. 抓住，得到，缠住不放

shell n. 动物的壳

willing adj. 乐意的

survive v. 存活

outlast v. 比……持久，比……活得长

scoop v. 捡起，拾起

call off 取消，停止做

trap v. 使堕入圈套，使陷于困境

以下翻译来自百度翻译：

近2500年前，中国处于战争状态。旧帝国已经垮台了。在一个统治下数百年后，中国被分裂成七个王国。他们被命名为秦、楚、赵、魏、汉、燕、齐。每个人都想控制中国。他们的大军在战斗。农民们离开田地去战斗。他们带着长矛和剑去战斗。马背上的士兵将箭射向敌人。战车在庄稼间疾驰，将它们碾碎。疲惫的士兵穿着厚重的皮甲作战。盔甲不足以抵挡锋利的矛。数千人死亡。这一时期被称为战国时期。赵是一个较小的王国。他们试图控制东北部的一个地区。但他们在北方并不孤单。他们被敌人包围了。燕国位于赵的东北边境。秦国是赵氏在西方的强大邻居。赵国的统治者很担心他的邻居。他们总是想打仗。一天，赵国的统治者与燕国发生了争执。然而，他不想和殷族作战。他不想把更多的赵农民变成战士。但他还能做什么呢？赵朝统治者有智者给他提供建议。其中一人与统治者谈论战争与和平。他知道战争无助于赵人民。他试图表明统治者不必选择战争。智者讲述了这个故事。“有一天，一只蛤蜊被冲到了海滩上。它最终离水很远。一只鹬，一只涉水鸟，正在岸边寻找食物。突然，它发现了一只蛤蜊。它想吃掉蛤蜊。当然，蛤蜊不想被吃掉！两人开始打架。他们挣扎了一会儿。这只鸟能够用嘴咬住蛤蜊的嘴。”贝壳。然后蛤蜊使劲咬着鸟的嘴。两个人紧紧地抓住对方。两人都不愿意放手！小鸟对蛤蜊说：“哈！蛤蜊，你离水很远。好几天都不会下雨。你永远活不下去了！”蛤蜊对鸟说：“没有水你也活不下去！让我们看看谁比谁活得更久！”蛤蜊和鸟紧紧抓住对方很长一段时间，都不愿意放手。一个渔夫在看着他们。他保持冷静和安静。当鸟和蛤蜊搏斗了一段时间后，他蹑手蹑脚地走近他们。然后他默默地走向他们。他迅速地抓起鸟和蛤蜊。渔夫根本不需要挣扎。这很容易抓到。然后他带着晚餐回家。”赵统治者仔细听了这个故事。他同意智者的意见。“我明白，”他说，“如果我们与燕国作战，大秦军可能会在稍后加入战斗。我们和燕国在战斗中会变得软弱。他们可以打败我们两个。我们会像蛤蜊和鸟一样。”赵统治者取消了进攻燕国的计划。赵国作为一个小国开始了战国时期。统治者的明智决定改变了这一点。战争接近尾声时，赵是唯一一个强大到足以与强大的秦国作战的王国。最后，秦国和赵国在战斗中相遇。秦始皇用了一个巧妙的伎俩。他们在昌平战役中困住了赵军。赵先生的食物吃完了。没有人来帮助他们。他们像蛤蜊和鸟一样被困住了。46天后，赵放弃了。公元前221年，秦国将中国统一为一个国家。

38、Don't Look Here

此地无银三百两

古时候有个人攒了三百两银子，因怕被人偷去，便埋在后院的地里，在石墙上写道“此地无银三百两”，此人写完，觉得自己甚是聪明，愉快地离开了。隔壁王二看到字迹，立刻挖出了银子，欣喜地回到自己家中。为了使银子的原主人不怀疑自己，王二在石墙的自己下写道：“隔壁王二不曾偷。”
Where do you think is the best place to keep your money safe? Is it safe under your mattress? But what if a thief breaks in and finds it? Maybe you put it in a steel safe. But what if you forget the secret combination?Long ago, in ancient China, someone else thought about this question—a lot! His name was Zhang San.Zhang San worked hard for his money. At the end of each day, he would say proudly, “Another day, another tael of silver.”Zhang San saved all his money. After 300 hundred days, he had saved up 300 taels of silver!Zhang San kept his money in a bundle under his pillow. Every night he counted his money. “Look at all those pieces of silver!” Zhang San said to himself.One night, as he was counting his money, he thought he heard a suspicious noise.“Was that a thief I heard?” he asked himself.“I don’t think my money is safe under my pillow,” Zhang San whispered into his bundle. He put the bundle in the bottom drawer of his wooden dresser. Then he leaned his whole body against the dresser. He spread both arms across it, as if protecting it from an invader.And that’s when a cat meowed outside the window.“Oh!” he gasped, startled. “This drawer is too obvious. I must find a better place for my money.He removed the bundle from the drawer and hugged it against his chest.“What should I do?” he wondered. “I don’t think anywhere in the house is safe.”Suddenly, he had an idea. “I will hide my money in the backyard!”He dug a hole in his backyard. He buried the bag in the hole and covered it with dirt. “Very good,” he said, breathing a sigh of relief. “My bundle of silver is safe here.”“Heh, heh. I’m so clever. A real genius!” he complimented himself.On his way back to the house, though, a wave of fear washed over Zhang San.“What if someone finds it?” he worried. “What if they dig up my money?”Zhang San thought hard. Then he had another idea.“I really am a genius!” Zhang San told himself. “This is even more brilliant!”He found a piece of coal and wrote on the stone wall next to the hole: “No 300 taels of silver buried here.”“Oh, I am so clever!” he chuckled.He went inside and slept soundly the whole night.What the genius Zhang San did not consider was his neighbor, Wang Er. Wang Er had been woken up by a noise outside his window. He looked out and saw Zhang San bury the bundle. Wang Er waited until Zhang San went inside, then he sneaked out.He walked over to where Zhang San had buried the bag. He read the message on the stone: “No 300 taels of silver buried here.”“Ahh,” thought Wang Er.He immediately dug into Zhang San’s hole.He took the bundle of silver and tiptoed quietly back to his house. Wang Er felt very clever and proud of himself.“I’m a genius!” he cheered.But then a wave of fear washed over him. “What if Zhang San finds his money gone?” Wang Er cried. “What if he suspects me?” he began to panic.Wang Er thought long and hard. Then he had a clever idea!“I really am a genius!” Wang Er told himself. “This is so brilliant!”He ran back to the backyard with a piece of coal in his hand. He wrote under Zhang’s note: “Your neighbor Wang did not steal it.”
The EndThe idiom, No 300 Taels of Silver Buried Here is commonly used to refer to someone who considers himself clever, but his attempt at cover-up only makes the situation more obvious.

Question: Do you think Zhang San or Wang Er were really geniuses? Why or why not?

核心词汇

mattress n. 床垫，褥垫

steel adj&n. 钢铁，钢制的

safe n. 保险箱

combination n.〔密码锁的〕号码组合，字码组合

tael n. 两，银两

bundle n. 捆，包裹，包袱

suspicious adj. 怀疑的

whisper v. 低语，私语

lean v. 依，靠

invader n. 入侵者

gasp v. 喘气，倒抽气

obvious adj. 明显的

chest n. 箱子

bury v. 埋，埋葬

genius n. 天才

compliment v. 赞扬

brilliant adj. 卓越的，英明的

chuckle v. 咯咯地轻声笑

soundly adv. 酣畅地

sneak sneaked v. 偷偷地走，溜

tiptoe v. 蹑手蹑脚地走

suspect v. 怀疑

But what if a thief breaks in and finds it? 但是如果一个贼闯进来并且找到它会怎么样？本句中what if 代指what will happen if.

What the genius Zhang San did not consider was his neighbor, Wang Er. Wang Er had been woken up by a noise outside his window. 天才张三没有想到的是，他的邻居王二被他窗外的一阵噪声吵醒了。What the genius Zhang San did not consider是本句的主语从句，his neighbor, Wang Er had been woken up by a noise outside his window是本句的表语从句，两个从句由系动词was相连。

以下翻译来自百度翻译：

你认为哪里是最好的地方来保管你的钱？在你的床垫下面安全吗？但是如果一个小偷破门而入发现了呢？也许你把它放在一个钢制保险箱里。但是如果你忘了密码怎么办？很久以前，在中国古代，有人思考过这个问题——很多！他的名字叫张三。张三为了钱而努力工作。每天结束时，他都会骄傲地说：“又一天，又一两两银子。”张三把所有的钱都存了起来。三百天之后，他攒了三百两银子！张三把钱放在枕头下的一个包裹里。每天晚上他都数他的钱。“看那些银器！”张三自言自语道。一天晚上，当他数钱的时候，他觉得听到了可疑的声音。“我听到的是小偷吗？”他问自己。“我觉得我的钱放在枕头下不安全，”张三对着他的包小声说。他把包裹放在木制梳妆台最下面的抽屉里。然后他把全身靠在梳妆台上。他张开双臂，好像在保护它免受侵略者的袭击。这时一只猫在窗外喵喵叫。“哦！”他吃惊地喘息着。“这个抽屉太显眼了。我得找个更好的地方放我的钱。”他把包裹从抽屉里拿出来，紧紧地抱在胸前。“我该怎么办？”他想。“我认为房子里的任何地方都不安全。”突然，他有了一个主意。“我要把钱藏在后院！”他在后院挖了一个洞。他把袋子埋在洞里，并用泥土盖住。“很好，”他说，松了一口气。“我的那捆银子在这里很安全。”“嘿，嘿。我太聪明了。真是个天才！”他自夸道。然而，在他回家的路上，一股恐惧的浪潮席卷了张三。“如果有人找到它怎么办？”他担心。“如果他们把我的钱挖出来怎么办？”张三苦思冥想。然后他有了另一个想法。“我真是个天才！”张三告诉自己。“这更精彩！”他找到一块煤，在洞旁边的石壁上写着：“这里埋着300两银子。”“哦，我太聪明了！”他笑着说。他走进屋里，睡了一整夜。天才张三没有考虑的是他的邻居，Wang Er。王二被窗外的声音吵醒了。他向外看去，看见张三把包裹埋了。王二等到张三进去，才偷偷溜了出去。他走到张三埋袋子的地方。他读到石头上的信息：“这里没有300两银子。”“啊，”王二想。他立即挖了张三的洞。他拿起那捆银子，蹑手蹑脚地悄悄地回到家里。王二觉得自己很聪明，很自豪。“我是天才！”他欢呼道。但随后一阵恐惧席卷了他。“如果张三发现他的钱不见了怎么办？”王二哭着说。“如果他怀疑我怎么办？”他开始惊慌起来。王二想了很久。然后他有了一个聪明的主意！“我真的是个天才！”王二告诉自己。“这太棒了！”他手里拿着一块煤跑回后院。他在张的便条下写道：“你的邻居王没有偷它。”

39、Dragons Everywhere

叶公好龙

叶公喜欢龙，他几乎所有的东西上都刻画了龙：前门，柱子，地毯，墙壁等。外出时他穿的衣服上绣了龙，马车上绘了龙。无论他走到哪里，人们一看到龙就认出了叶公。他对龙的喜爱人人皆知。有一天，深山中的龙偶然听到两只鸟儿的对话，了解到叶公到喜好。龙立刻跑到叶公家中，叶公会作何反应呢？
There once was a man named Lord Ye. He was a respected person in his village. He was kind, smart, and wealthy. Everyone in the village knew him. They all knew that he loved dragons. No, Lord Ye didn’t just love dragons. He was obsessed with them.Almost everything that Lord Ye owned had a dragon on it. His front door had a big, golden dragon painted across it. Every single detail was painted with care. The pillars on either side of the door also had dragons carved into them.Inside his house, he had many rugs with dragon patterns. The rugs were in almost every room of his house. Paintings of dragons hung on every wall. Each one was painted by a different artist. Even the teacups and teapots he used were painted with little blue dragons.He showed his love for dragons even while he was out and about in the village. Many of his silk clothes had dragons sewn onto them. His horse-drawn carriage even had flying dragons painted on it. Everywhere he went, people saw the dragons and recognized Lord Ye.Any time someone talked about dragons in Lord Ye’s presence, he would go on and on about how much he admired them. “They’re just so cool! I will never stop loving them!” he would exclaim. In fact, everyone in the village knew not to mention dragons or Lord Ye would never stop talking! He just loved dragons that much.Of course, in Chinese culture dragons are lucky, so no one thought Lord Ye’s love of them was too weird. But his love of dragons became so famous that it began to spread past the village. People in the neighboring village began to talk of a man who was obsessed with dragons. Then the next village heard of this too. And the next. The legend of Lord Ye soon spread through the whole province.On the edge of the province, in the mountains, there lived an ancient dragon. He was lonely and wanted friends to play with. One day, he overheard a conversation between two birds in the woods.“Have you heard of the man in the village across the hills?” asked the first bird.“No, what about this man?” replied the second bird.“Well apparently he loves dragons a lot!” explained the first bird.Hearing this, the dragon was very happy. This man could be his friend!“Excuse me,” the dragon said to the birds, “Do you know the name of this man?”“His name is Lord Ye.”The dragon immediately flew to the village. [SFX: flying/dragon’s wings flapping] He wanted to meet Lord Ye, the man who loved dragons!When he got to Lord Ye’s house, the dragon stuck his head in the window and called out. “Lord Ye?” His voice was loud and deep.Lord Ye got a huge fright and jumped up. He raced to his bedroom and hid under the bed. He was so afraid of the dragon!And that’s how the entire village found out that Lord Ye only liked painted and carved dragons, not real ones.
The End

Question: What is something you’re afraid of?

核心词汇

be obsessed with 痴迷于…; 迷了心窍

pillar n. 柱，台柱，顶梁柱

carve v. 雕刻; 切，切开; 创制，开创;

rug n. 小块地毯; 〈英〉围毯，车毯

sewn v. 缝( sew的过去分词 )

carriage n. 运费; 运输，输送; 四轮马车

recognize v. 认识，识别，认出

presence n. 出席，在场，存在

exclaim v. 惊叫; 呼喊; 大声说

weird adj. 鬼怪似的，奇怪的，不可思议的

legend n. 传说，传奇故事

overheard v. 偶然听到(overhear的过去式和过去分词)

apparently adv. 显然，显而易见地，看来，似乎，据说

stick (stuck) v. 伸出，使突出

fright n. 惊吓; 恐怖; 可怕的东西

His front door had a big, golden dragon painted across it. 他的前门上画了一只巨大的金龙。

The pillars on either side of the door also had dragons carved into them. 门两边的柱子上也刻有龙。

Many of his silk clothes had dragons sewn onto them.许多他的丝绸衣服上也绣着龙。以上三句均以动词的过去分词表示被动态，如龙是被画在门上，被刻在柱子上，被绣在衣服上。

以下翻译来自百度翻译：

从前有一个人名叫叶公。他是村里受人尊敬的人。他善良、聪明、富有。村里的每个人都认识他。他们都知道他喜欢龙。不，叶公不只是喜欢龙。他被他们迷住了。叶公所有的东西几乎都有一条龙在上面。他的前门上画着一条金色的巨龙。每一个细节都画得很仔细。门两边的柱子上也刻着龙。在他的房子里，他有许多龙图案的地毯。地毯几乎遍布他家的每个房间。每面墙上都挂着龙的画。每一幅都是由不同的艺术家画的。甚至他使用的茶杯和茶壶都画有蓝色的小龙。即使他在村子里四处走动，他也表现出了对龙的热爱。他的许多丝绸衣服上都缝有龙。他的马拉马车上甚至画有飞龙。无论他走到哪里，人们都看到了龙，认出了叶公。每当有人在叶公面前谈论龙的时候，他总是滔滔不绝地说他是多么崇拜它们。“他们太酷了！我永远不会停止爱他们！”他会惊呼。事实上，村里的每个人都知道不要提龙，否则叶公公永远不会停止说话！他就是那么喜欢龙。当然，在中国文化中，龙是幸运的，所以没有人认为叶公对它们的爱太奇怪了。但是他对龙的热爱变得如此出名，以至于它开始在村子里传播开来。邻村的人开始谈论一个迷恋龙的人。然后下一个村子也听说了这件事。接下来呢。叶公的传说很快传遍了全省。在该省的边缘，在群山之中，住着一条古老的龙。他很孤独，想和朋友一起玩。一天，他无意中听到树林里两只鸟的对话。“你听说过山对面村子里的那个人吗？”第一只鸟问道。“不，这个人呢？”第二只鸟回答。第一只鸟解释说：“很显然，他非常喜欢龙。”。龙听了很高兴。这个人可能是他的朋友！“对不起，”龙对鸟说，“你知道这个人的名字吗？”“他的名字叫叶公。”龙立刻飞到了村子里。[SFX:flying/dragon's wings flapping]他想见见爱龙的叶公！当他到达叶公的家时，龙把头伸进窗户，大声喊道。“主啊？”他的声音洪亮而深沉。叶公吓了一跳，跳了起来。他跑回卧室，躲在床下。他太害怕龙了！这就是为什么整个村子都发现叶公公只喜欢画和雕刻的龙，而不喜欢真正的龙。

40、A Quick Glance Can Be Misleading

走马观花

从前，有一个瘸子希望找一位美丽的妻子，却屡遭拒绝。他通过媒婆找到了一位姑娘，让她在家门口拿着玫瑰等候，而他为了掩盖自己的瘸腿而选择骑马，飞快掠过女孩的家门口。女孩含羞细嗅玫瑰的一幕使他坠入了爱河。然而，当他将女孩迎娶回家时却发现女孩鼻子上有个肉瘤，当时正好用玫瑰来掩盖。这个令人哭笑不得的故事又告诉我们什么道理呢？
Long ago in ancient China, a man named Ji Liang was desperate to find a wife. Liang had many good qualities, but one handicap. His left leg was shorter than his right and so he walked with a limp.Ji Liang eagerly met potential wife after potential wife, only to find disappointment every time.“Aiya! Rejected again!” Ji Liang cried to his best friend, Zhou. “This will be my 85th bad meeting! My mother matched me up with her friend’s friend’s friend’s aunt’s cousin’s best friend’s daughter. Miss Chien and I had barely sat down at the tea house when she said she felt sick and left.”“Maybe she drank bad tea?” Zhou suggested.“She didn’t even sit down, never mind drink tea!” Liang snapped. “It must be my appearance. I’m not much to look at, especially with this limp.”“I have an idea,” said Zhou. “Let’s find a real matchmaker. My mother’s best friend’s aunt’s sister-in-law’s niece’s godmother knows one.”A few days later, Liang went to the matchmaker’s house. He noticed a parrot flying about Mr. Hua’s home.“So, you want to find a wife. One that is a suitable match?” asked Mr. Hua.“Oh, yes! A good match. A beautiful wife!” Liang replied anxiously.“Well, let’s see who we have,” said Mr. Hua. Then he nodded to his parrot.The parrot flew to a tall Chinese medicine cabinet lined with many drawers. He  chirped, “Good match. Good match. Good match.”He opened one drawer, but shook his head, then closed it. He flew three levels higher, opened another drawer, and pulled out a card.The parrot handed the card to Mr. Hua, repeating, “Good match. Good match. Good match.”Mr. Hua looked at the card and nodded, “Ah, a good match indeed.”“Oh, a match! A beautiful lady. Just my type!” exclaimed Liang. “When can I meet her?”“Let me see what I can do,” replied Mr. Hua.In those days in China, most ladies did not wander outside of their homes alone. So, Mr. Hua asked the lady to stand at her doorway with a rose. When Liang passed by her house, he would get a glimpse of her.“I’m going to meet the match of my life, Zhou!” Liang said to his friend. “I can’t mess up. I don’t want the lady to turn away from me because of my limp. What should I do?” He thought for a moment, then answered himself. “I know!” Liang shouted. “I shall meet her riding a horse. That will hide my limp. Nobles ride horses. I will look noble and majestic.”The next week, Mr. Hua and Ji Liang rode horses over to the lady’s village. They spotted a lady sniffing a rose as she stood in a doorway. Her pretty eyes were cast downward, shyly. As Liang rode by, she batted her eyelashes. He was lovestruck. She was the lady for him. He was not going to let this one get away!The pair were soon married in a traditional Chinese ceremony. The bride’s head was covered by a heavy red veil. At the end of the evening, the groom pulled the veil away from his bride’s face.“Aiya! You have a giant wart on your nose! You hid it with that rose!” a shocked Ji Liang shouted. He limped around the room anxiously.The bride retorted, “Well, I didn’t know you have a limp! You hid it by riding a horse!Ji Liang and his bride were indeed a perfect match. He was a “running horse looking at flowers” who found out that if you rush past something, you may miss important details.
The End

Question: Do you think the matchmaker did a good job finding a match for Ji Liang? Why or why not?

核心词汇

desperate adj.  绝望的，不顾一切的

handicap n.  障碍，不利条件

limp n.  跛行

potential adj.  潜在的，可能的

reject v.  拒绝，拒绝......的求婚

barely adv.  仅仅，几乎不

snap v.  厉声地说

matchmaker n,  媒人

chirp v.  （鸟的）啁啾声

cabinet n.  箱

glimpse n.  一瞥，一看

noble n. & adj.  贵族的，高贵的；贵族，尊贵的人

majestic adj.  雄伟的，威严的

spot v.  发现，辨认

sniff v.  （吸着气）嗅，闻

bat v  眨眼

eyelash n.  睫毛

lovestruck adj.  热恋着的

bride n.  新娘

veil n.  面纱

groom n.  新郎

wart n.  肉赘，瘤

retort v.  反驳

以下翻译来自百度翻译：

很久以前，在中国古代，一个名叫姬亮的男人非常渴望找到一个妻子。梁有许多好的品质，但有一个缺点。他的左腿比右腿短，所以走路一瘸一拐。季亮急切地接见了一个又一个潜在的妻子，但每次都感到失望。“哎呀！又被拒绝了！”纪良对他最好的朋友周说。“这将是我第85次糟糕的会面！我母亲把我和她朋友的朋友的朋友的朋友的姨妈的表妹最好的朋友的女儿撮合在一起。简小姐和我刚在茶馆坐下，她就说她病了，就走了。”“也许她喝了不好的茶？”周建议道。“她甚至都没坐下，更不用说喝茶了！”梁厉声说道。“一定是我的外表。我没什么好看的，尤其是这跛脚。”“我有个主意，”周说。“我们去找一个真正的媒人吧。我母亲最好的朋友的姑姑的嫂嫂的侄女的教母认识一个。”几天后，梁去了媒人家。他注意到一只鹦鹉在华先生家附近飞来飞去。华先生问：“那么，你想找一个合适的妻子吗？”。“哦，是的！很般配。一个漂亮的妻子！”梁焦急地回答。“好吧，让我们看看我们有谁，”华先生说。然后他向他的鹦鹉点点头。鹦鹉飞到一个排列着许多抽屉的高高的中药柜前。他唧唧喳喳地说：“配得好。配得好。配得好。”他打开一个抽屉，摇了摇头，然后合上了。他飞了三层楼，打开另一个抽屉，拿出一张卡片。鹦鹉把卡片递给华先生，重复着：“很好，很好，很好。”华先生看了看卡片，点了点头，“啊，真是一场精彩的比赛。”“哦，一根火柴！一位漂亮的女士。正是我喜欢的类型！”梁大声说。“我什么时候能见到她？”“让我看看我能做什么，”华先生回答。在那些日子里，在中国，大多数女士不会独自走出家门。于是，华先生让这位女士拿着一朵玫瑰花站在门口。当梁路过她家时，他会瞥见她。“我要去见我生命中的对手，周！”梁对他的朋友说。“我不能搞砸。我不想让那位女士因为我的跛脚而离开我。我该怎么办？”他想了一会儿，然后回答自己。“我知道！”梁喊道。“我将骑马迎接她。这将掩盖我的跛行。贵族们骑马。我将看起来高贵而威严。”第二周，华先生和纪良骑马来到了这位女士的村庄。他们发现一位女士站在门口嗅着玫瑰花。她那双美丽的眼睛羞涩地垂下。当梁骑着马经过时，她拍了拍睫毛。他被爱情迷住了。她是他心目中的淑女。他不会让这个逃走的！两人很快在传统的中国婚礼上结了婚。新娘的头上蒙着一层厚厚的红色面纱。晚会结束时，新郎拉开了新娘脸上的面纱。“哎呀！你鼻子上有一个巨大的疣子！你用那朵玫瑰把它藏起来了！”纪良震惊地喊道。他焦急地在房间里一瘸一拐地走着。新娘反驳道：“哦，我不知道你跛脚了！你骑马把它藏起来了！纪良和他的新娘真是天造地设的一对。他是一个“跑马看花”的人，他发现如果你匆匆经过某个地方，你可能会错过重要的细节。
因为篇幅的限制，剩下的60个中国传统故事会陆续分享给大家。
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