Aesop (fable/ Aesop itself)

  1. I.              Aesop (Quiz)

1.    The moral: 'One man's meat is another man's poison.' The fable is?

 The Ass Eating Thistles.

An Ass was loaded with good provisions of several sorts, which, in time of harvest, he was carrying into the field for his master and the reapers to dine upon. By the way he met with a fine large Thistle, and, being very hungry, began to mumble it; and while he was doing so he entered into this reflection: "How many greedy epicures would think themselves happy, amidst such a variety of delicate viands as I now carry! But to me this bitter, prickly Thistle is more savory and relishing than the most exquisite and sumptuous banquet. Let others choose what they may for food, but give me, above everything, a fine juicy thistle like this and I will be content."
Every one to his taste: one man's meat is another man's poison, and one man's poison is another man's meat; what is rejected by one person may be valued very highly by another.

The Ass Carrying Salt

A certain Huckster who kept an Ass, hearing that Salt was to be had cheap at the sea-side, drove down his Ass thither to buy some. Having loaded the beast as much as he could bear, he was driving him home, when, as they were passing a slippery ledge of rock, the Ass fell into the stream below, and the Salt being melted, the Ass was relieved of his burden, and having gained the bank with ease, pursued his journey onward, light in body and in spirit. The Huckster soon afterwards set off for the sea-shore for some more Salt, and loaded the Ass, if possible, yet more heavily than before. On their return, as they crossed the stream into which he had formerly fallen, the Ass fell down on purpose, and by the dissolving of the Salt, was again released from his load. The Master, provoked at the loss, and thinking how he might cure him of this trick, on his next journey to the coast freighted the beast with a load of sponges. When they arrived at the same stream as before, the Ass was at his old tricks again, and rolled himself into the water; but he found to his cost, as he proceeded homewards, that instead of lightening his burden, he had more than doubled its weight.

*the Ass was at his old tricks again:故計重

* The same measure will not suit all circumstances.

 

2.    The moral: 'When a neighbor's house is on fire, you better look at yours.' The fable is? (見不賢而內自省)

THE FARMER AND HIS DOGS

There was a farmer who was trapped on his country estate by a winter storm. He didn't have any food, so first he ate his sheep, then his goats. When the storm got worse, he even slaughtered the oxen who pulled his plow. When the dogs saw what was happening, they said to one another, 'Let's get out of here now! Since we can see that the master didn't even spare the oxen who labour on his behalf, how can we expect to be spared?'

The story shows that you should especially avoid someone who does not even spare his own people.


3.    The moral: 'Misery loves company.' The fable?

 The Fox Without a Tail

It happened that a Fox caught its tail in a trap, and in struggling to release himself lost all of it but the stump. At first he was ashamed to show himself among his fellow foxes. But at last he determined to put a bolder face upon his misfortune, and summoned all the foxes to a general meeting to consider a proposal which he had to place before them. When they had assembled together the Fox proposed that they should all do away with their tails. He pointed out how inconvenient a tail was when they were pursued by their enemies, the dogs; how much it was in the way when they desired to sit down and hold a friendly conversation with one another. He failed to see any advantage in carrying about such a useless encumbrance. "That is all very well," said one of the older foxes; "but I do not think you would have recommended us to dispense with our chief ornament if you had not happened to lose it yourself."

 

4.    The moral: 'There is always someone who is worse off than you are.' The fable is?

 THE HARES AND THE FROGS

5.    The moral: 'The best laid-out scheme often has a kickback.' The fable is?

 THE LION AND THE HORSE

6.    The moral: 'When you choose allies, look to their power as well as their will to help you.' The fable it came from?

 The Lion and the Dolphin.

7.    The moral: 'Quality is more important than quantity.' The fable?

  The Lioness.

8.    The moral: 'Men are apt to condemn in others the very things they do themselves.' The fable?

The Wolf and the Shepherd

A wolf followed along after a flock of sheep without doing them any harm. At first the shepherd kept his eye on the wolf as a potential enemy to the flock and never let him out of his sight. But as the wolf continued to accompany the shepherd and did not make any kind of attempt to raid the flock, the shepherd eventually began to regard the wolf more as a guardian of the flock than as a threat. Then, when the shepherd happened to have to go to town, he commended the sheep to the wolf in his absence. The wolf seized his chance and attacked the sheep, slaughtering most of the flock. When the shepherd came back and saw that his flock had been utterly destroyed, he said, 'It serves me right! How could I have ever trusted my sheep to a wolf?'

The same is true of people: if you entrust your bank deposits to greedy men, you are certain to get robbed.

*ever trusted my sheep to a wolf:所託非

*the shepherd kept his eye on :

 

The Wolf and the Crane

A Wolf, having a bone stuck in his throat, hired a Crane, for a large sum, to put her head into his throat and draw out the bone. When the Crane had extracted the bone, and demanded the promised payment, the Wolf, grinning and grinding his teeth, exclaimed: "Why, you have surely already a sufficient recompense, in having been permitted to draw out your head in safety from the mouth and jaws of a Wolf."

In serving the wicked, expect no reward, and be thankful if you escape injury for your pains.

* the boy crying wolf:放羊的孩

 

9.    The moral: 'He who tries to outsmart his neighbor winds up outsmarting himself.' The fable?

THE BOY AND THE THIEF

10.   The moral: 'Don't stretch your arm any farther than your sleeve will reach.' The fable?

 The Monkey and the Camel.

 

*our grapes →酸葡萄心à THE FOX AND THE GRAPES

Driven by hunger, a fox tried to reach some grapes hanging high on the vine. Although she leaped with all her strength, she couldn't manage to reach the grapes. As she went away, the fox remarked, 'Oh, you aren't even ripe yet! I don't need any sour grapes.'

People who speak disparagingly of things that they cannot attain would do well to apply this instructive little story to their own lives.

 

* The Hare and The Tortoise à Perseverance is better thanswiftness.

 

II.            Mother goose

*Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater

 Peter, Peter pumpkin eater,

Had a wife but couldn't keep her;

He put her in a pumpkin shell

And there he kept her very well.

Peter, Peter pumpkin eater,

Had another and didn't love her;

Peter learned to read and spell,

And then he loved her very well.

 

*What did Mary have?

Mary had a little lamb,
whose fleece was white as snow.
And everywhere that Mary went,
the lamb was sure to go. (to be continue..)

*peter pipe pick(Tongue twister:繞口令)

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers;
A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked;
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
Where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

 

*Jack and Jill

Jack and Jill went up the hill

To fetch a pail of water.

Jack fell down and broke his crown,

And Jill came tumbling after

 

*Little Bo-Peep Has Lost Her Sheep

Little Bo-Peep has lost her sheep,

And doesn't know where to find them;

Leave them alone, And they'll come home,

Wagging their tails behind them.

 

*Georgie Porgie

Georgie Porgie, Puddin' and Pie,

Kissed the girls and made them cry,

When the boys came out to play

Georgie Porgie ran away.


*Wee Willie Winkie 

Wee Willie Winkie runs through the town,

Upstairs and downstairs in his nightgown,

Rapping at the window, crying through the lock,

"Are the children all in bed, for now it's eight o'clock?

III.           More info

* Fable
Fable is a literary genre. A fable is a succinct fictional story, in prose or verse, that features animals, mythical creatures, plants, inanimate objects or forces of nature which are anthropomorphized (given human qualities such as verbal communication), and that illustrates or leads to an interpretation of a moral lesson (a "moral"), which may at the end be added explicitly in a pithy maxim.

*sitcom(situation comedy): A humorous radio or television series featuring the reactions of a regular cast of characters to unusual situations, such as misunderstandings or embarrassing coincidences; a sitcom.

*bolder face :厚臉

*summoned ...to a meeting : 召開大

*when they desired to sit downteapot beauty and the beast

 

 

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