1 Dogs
People often say that a dog is man's best friend. Over thousands of years, man has taught his dogs to do many kinds of work besides guarding the home. For example, sheepdogs are famous for their ability to control a flock of hundreds of sheep.
Dogs have been used to aid disabled people for centuries. A guide dog can lead its blind owner. Nowadays, dogs can be taught to turn on light switches, open refrigerator doors and dial the telephone for their disabled owners. For the majority of people, however, dogs are simply pets and friends for both young and old members of the family.
guard 看守,看护 sheepdog 牧羊犬 flock 群 aid 帮助
disabled 残疾人 century 世纪 guide dog 导盲犬 dial 拨 majority 大多数
狗
人们总是说狗是人类最好的朋友。几千年来,除了看家外,人类还教会了狗去做许多其他的事,例如,牧羊犬就因其可以控制数百只羊的羊群而出名。
狗用来帮助残疾人已有好几个世纪了。导盲犬可以为盲主人引路。现在,人们还教狗为残疾主人打开电灯、开冰箱和拨电话。然而,对于大多数人来说,狗只是家里老人和孩子们的宠物和朋友。
2 Detective Work
A bank robber stole a lot of money. He was caught and sent to prison, but the money was never found. When he came out of prison, they watched him to see what he would do. Here is the detective, reporting to the inspector. "Yes, sir, I found Johnny . I followed him all around the town, but frankly, I couldn't make anything out of what he bought. Here's the list."
shirt , heavy crowbar, box of chocolates , shovel, heavy hammer, bunch of flowers .The inspector said, "Good. That helps me a lot. Do you remember how we watched him helping his neighbour, old Mrs. Judson to cover her backyard with cement?
detective 侦探的侦探 robber 强盗,盗贼 prison 监狱
inspector 检察官 frankly 坦白地,真诚地 crowbar 铁撬,撬棒
shovel 铲,铁铲 hammer 铁锤,锤子 backyard 后院 cement 水泥
侦探工作
一个盗贼从银行偷了很多钱。他被抓住送到监狱,但是钱没找到。
当他从监狱出来时,他被监视,看他会做什么。这不,侦探正向检察官报告:“是的,先生,我发现了强尼•阿米塔基,我跟着他转遍了全镇,但坦白说,我不能从他买的东西中推断出什么。这里是清单。” 衬衫、大铁撬、一盒巧克力铁铲、大铁锤、一束花 。
检察官说:“好,这对我很有帮助。你还记得我们看到他是怎么帮他的邻居,贾德森老太太用水泥铺院子的吗?”
父亲和他的儿子 THE FATHER AND HIS SONS
Father had a family of sons who were perpetually quarrelling among themselves. When he failed to heal their disputes by his exhortations, he determined to give them a practical illustration of the evils of disunion; and for this purpose he one day told them to bring him a bundle of sticks. When they had done so, he placed the faggot into the hands of each of them in succession, and ordered them to break it in pieces. They each tried with all their strength, and were not able to do it.
He next unclosed the faggot, and took the sticks separately, one by one, and again put them into their hands, on which they broke them easily. He then addressed them in these words: “My sons, if you are of one mind, and unite to assist each other, you will be as this faggot, uninjured by all the attempts of your enemies; but if you are divided among yourselves, you will be broken as easily as these sticks.”
一位父亲有几个孩子,这些孩子时常发生口角。他丝毫没有办法来劝阻他们,只好让他们看看不合群所带来害处的例子。为了达到这个目的,有一天他叫他们替他拿一捆细柴来。当他们把柴带来时,他便先后地将那捆柴放在每一个孩子的手中,吩咐他们弄断这捆柴。他们一个个尽力去试,总是不能成功。
然后他解开那捆柴,一根根地放在他们手里,如此一来,他们便毫不费力地折断了。于是他就告诉他们说:“孩子们!如果你们大家团结一致,互相帮助,你们就像这捆柴一样,不能被你们的敌人折断;但如果你们自行分裂,你们就将和这些散柴一般,不堪一折了。”
A little bird fly to south for the winter. It was very cold, almost frozen bird. Hence, fly to a large space, after a cow there, in a pile of cow dung upon the bird, frozen bird lying on the dunghill, feel very warm, gradually recovered, it is warm and comfortable lying, and soon began to sing songs, a passing wildcat hear voices, see, follow the voice, wildcats quickly found lying on the dunghill, bird, pull it out.
The way of existence: not everyone to lead the dung upon your people are your enemy. Each of you is not from the dunghill lire people are your friends, and, when you lying on the dunghill, had better keep your mouth shut.
一天,父亲与小儿子一道回家。这个孩子正处于那种对什么事都很感兴趣的年龄,老是有提不完的问题。他向父亲发问道:“爸爸,‘醉’字是什么意思?” “唔,孩子,”父亲回答说,“你瞧那儿站着两个警察。如果我把他们看成了四个,那么我就算醉了。” “可是,爸爸, ”孩子说,“那儿只有一个警察呀!”
The Three Lazy Ones
A king had three sons whom he loved equally well, and he did not know which of them to appoint as king following his own death.
When the time came for him to die he called them to his bed and said, “Dear children, I have thought of something that I will reveal to you. The one of you is the laziest shall become king after me.”
The oldest one said, “Father, then the kingdom belongs to me, for I am so lazy that whenever I lie down to sleep, and a drop falls into my eyes, I will not even close them so that I can fall asleep.”
The second one said, “Father, the kingdom belongs to me, for I am so lazy that when I am sitting by the fire warming myself, I would rather let my heels burn up than to pull my legs back.”
The third one said, “Father, the kingdom is mine, for I am so lazy that if I were going to be hanged and already had the rope around my neck, and someone put into my hand a sharp knife with which to cut the rope, I would let myself be hanged rather than to lift my hand up to the rope.”
When the father heard this he said, “You have taken it the farthest and shall be king.”
在一个遥远的地方,有一个国王,他有三个儿子,对每一个儿子他都非常喜爱,他不知道自己死后应该把王位传给他们三个中的哪一个。所以,当他快要死的时候,就把他们叫到身边说:“亲爱的孩子们,在我死后,你们三个中谁最懒,谁就继承我的王位。”老大说:“既然这样,这王位就是我的,因为我是最懒的儿子,当我躺下睡觉时,有任何东西落到我的眼睛里,我也懒得去擦掉,即使不能把眼睛闭上,我仍然会继续睡觉。”二儿子说:“爸爸,王位应该传给我,因为我是最懒的儿子。当我坐在火边取暖的时候,就是火燃到我的脚趾,我也懒得把腿收回来。”第三个儿子说:“爸爸,这王位是我的,因为我是你最懒的儿子,如果我就要被吊起来,绳子已经套在了脖子上,有人把一把锋利的小刀塞在我手里,要我切断绳子,我宁愿被吊起来也懒得抬起手把绳子割断。”父亲听到这里说道:“你是最合适的人选,你应该继承王位。”