伊索寓言故事之替猫戴上铃铛,这个寓言故事告诉我们,如果无法实施,一个好的计划一点用处也没有。还告诉我们事情都是说起来容易做起来难。
Belling the Cat 替猫戴上铃铛
Kitty the Cat is eating all the mice. The mice are afraid to come out of their mouseholes.
猫咪凯蒂几乎吃光了所有的老鼠。老鼠们都非常害怕,不敢踏出鼠洞半步。 Kitty: Meow… I got you, little mouse.
凯蒂:喵呜……我抓住你了,小老鼠。 Little Joe: Oh, please, Kitty! Let me go. I am too small to eat.
小乔伊:哦,求求你了,凯蒂!放我走吧。我太小了,不够你吃的。 Kitty: I don’t mind. I am very hungry right now. (gulp!)
凯蒂:没关系。我现在太饿了。(一口吞下小老鼠!) Kitty the Cat eats poor Little Joe and looks around for another mouse.
猫咪凯蒂吃掉了可怜的小乔伊。又继续四处寻找其他的老鼠。 Kitty: That was delicious. But I’m still not full. I need another one. Meow…
凯蒂:味道真不错。可是我还是没饱,我得再找一只。喵呜…… Lenny and Theodore are also mice. They see everything.
伦尼和西奥多也是老鼠,他们目睹了这一切。 Lenny: Did you see that, Theodore?
伦尼:你看到了吗,西奥多? Theodore: I sure did, Lenny. It was terrible.
西奥多:我看到了,伦尼。太可怕了。 Lenny: Kitty is getting fatter and fatter every day. She is eating more and more.
伦尼:凯蒂一天比一天胖。她越吃越多。 Theodore: Soon she will eat all of us. We need to do something.
西奥多:很快她就会把我们都吃光。我们必须采取行动。 Lenny: You’re right. But what can we do?
伦尼:你说得对。但是我们该怎么做呢? Theodore: Let’s have a meeting first. Tell all the mice to come to my house tonight.
西奥多:我们先开个会。告诉所有的老鼠今晚到我家来。 Lenny: Don’t worry. I’ll tell everyone to come. We’ll all be there.
伦尼:你放心吧。我去叫所有的人来。我们大家都会到。 Just then, Kitty smells the two mice and slowly walks towards them.
正在这时,凯蒂闻到了这两只老鼠的味道,慢慢地向他们走过来。 Theodore: Quickly, Lenny! Hide! Kitty is coming this way!
西奥多:快,伦尼!躲起来!凯蒂朝这边走过来了! Kitty: Meow… I smell mice. Where are they?
凯蒂:喵呜……我闻到了老鼠的味道。你们在哪儿? This time the two mice are lucky. They get away from Kitty. Late in the evening, all the mice are gathered at Theodore’s house for the meeting. 这回两只老鼠还算幸运,他们逃过了凯蒂的利爪。傍晚,所有的老鼠都聚集到西奥多家,准备开会。 Theodore: Good evening, everyone. Thank you all for coming.
西奥多:各位晚上好。感谢你们的光临。 Mr. Toby: What’s up, Theo? Why did you call us so late?
托比先生:怎么了,小西?为什么这么晚叫我们来? Lenny: Well, Mr. Toby, today Kitty got little Joe.
伦尼:哦,托比先生,今天凯蒂吃掉了小乔伊。 Mr. Toby: Not again! Are you sure?
托比先生:哦,不!你确定吗? Lenny: Yes, Theodore and I saw it together. It was really terrible.
伦尼:当然,西奥多和我亲眼看到的。真的是太可怕了。 Theodore: We must stop this now!!!
西奥多:现在我们必须阻止这种事情的发生!!! Lenny: If we don’t, we’ll all be eaten, too.
伦尼:如果不采取行动,总有一天我们都会被吃掉的。 Mr. Toby: I agree with you. But what can we do? We are so small and helpless.
托比先生:我同意你的说法。可是我们能做些什么呢?我们是这么弱小,无助。 Theodore: That’s why we are here. Together, let’s think of a way.
西奥多:这就是今天我们来到这里的原因。伙伴们,让我们一起来想个办法吧! Mr. Toby: Let’s trap Kitty.
托比先生:不如我们设个陷阱,抓住凯蒂。 Mrs. Toby: But dear, Kitty is much bigger than us. How can we trap her?
托比太太:可是亲爱的,凯蒂的个头比我们大多了。我们怎么设陷阱抓她呢? Mr. Toby: I don’t know, dear.
托比先生:我也不知道,亲爱的。 The mice keep thinking, but they don’t come up with any good ideas.
这些老鼠们想啊想,可是怎么也想不出好点子来。 Theodore: Come on everyone, think harder.
西奥多:大家加油啊,再努力想想。 Buster: Well, uh, how about just staying away from Kitty?
巴斯特:那么,嗯,咱们就离凯蒂远点怎么样? Theodore: What do you mean, Buster?
西奥多:你是什么意思,巴斯特? Buster: It’s simple. Just stay inside our mouseholes and don’t come out.
巴斯特:很简单啊。就是整天躲在我们的鼠洞里不要出来。 Lenny: Then what do we eat, Buster? We have to go out for food. Or else, we’ll starve to death.
伦尼:我们吃什么,巴斯特?我们必须出去寻找食物,不然,我们会饿死的。 Mrs. Toby: My, my, that’s just as terrible. I don’t want to starve.
托比太太:天啊,天啊,那不是一样可怕。我可不想饿死。 Mr. Toby: How about just running away? When we see Kitty coming, just run.
托比先生:我们逃跑怎么样?我们一看到凯蒂走过来,就逃跑。 Mrs. Toby: Not a bad idea, dear. But what happens when we don’t see Kitty coming?
托比太太:这主意不错,亲爱的。可是如果我们没有看见凯蒂过来呢? Mr. Toby: I didn’t think of that.
托比先生:这我可没想到。 Finally, Felix, the brightest mouse at the meeting raises his hand.
最后,会议中最机灵的老鼠—菲利克斯举起了手。 Theodore: What is it, Felix? Speak up!
西奥多:你怎么想的,菲利克斯?快说出来! Felix: Well, uh… How about hanging a bell around Kitty’s neck? When we hear the bell, we can run away.
费利克斯:是这样,嗯……咱们在凯蒂的脖子上挂一个铃铛怎么样?这样我们一听到铃声,就赶快逃跑。 Theodore: That’s it!!! Why didn’t I think of that?
西奥多:没错!我怎么就没想到呢? Lenny: You are a genius! Hurray for Felix!!!
伦尼:你真是个天才啊!菲利克斯万岁! Mrs. Toby: Good job!!
托比太太:好样的! Mr. Toby: Now we are all saved! Let’s celebrate!
托比先生:这样我们大家就都可以保住性命了!我们来庆祝一下吧! Grandpa Willy: Wait a minute!
威利爷爷:等一下! Theodore: What’s wrong, Grandpa Willy?
西奥多:怎么了,威利爷爷? Grandpa Willy: The idea is wonderful, I agree. But I have just one question.
威利爷爷:这点子的确很了不起,我同意。但是我还有一个问题。 Lenny: What’s that, Grandpa Willy?
伦尼:什么问题,威利爷爷? Grandpa Willy: WHO is going to hang the bell around Kitty?
威利爷爷:谁去给凯蒂挂铃铛呢? The whole room suddenly becomes silent. After a while, Mr. Toby opens his mouth.
房间里一下子变得非常安静。过了一会儿。托比先生开口了 Mr. Toby: Well, uh… I would like to, but I am too old. So how about you, Buster? You are young and strong.
托比先生:这样,嗯……我是很想去,可是我太老了。所以,你去怎么样,巴斯特?你又年轻又强壮。 Buster: No, thank you. I am not that strong. Lenny would be better. He is slim and fast.
巴斯特:不,谢谢。我可没那么强壮。还是伦尼比较合适。他这么苗条,身手又快。 Lenny: I am not that fast. How about you, Felix? You are smart. And it was YOUR idea.
伦尼:我的身手可没那么快!菲利克斯,你去怎么样?你很聪明,而且这是你出的主意。 Felix: What?! Me?! No, thanks. I don’t want to be eaten. We better think of another plan.
费利克斯:什么!?我!?不了,谢谢。我可不想被吃掉。那咱们最好还是想想别的办法吧。 MORAL:A good plan is of no use if it is not carried out.
寓意:如果无法实施,一个好的计划一点用处也没有。
太急燥了,要平心静气
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