狐狸和鹳的故事

狐狸和鹳的故事

A Fox invited a long-beaked Stork to have dinner with him.
狐狸邀请长嘴鹤同他一起吃饭。

“I hope you don’t mind sharing the same dish with me,” said the Fox. “It is our custom in the woods to eat together to show that we are friendly.”
“希望你不要介意和我和吃一道菜，” 狐狸说，“一同吃饭说明交情好，这是我们森林里的习惯。”

“Not at all,” said the Stork politely.
“没关系。鹤客气地说。

The Fox brought a wide, shallow bowl of thin soup and set it between them.
狐狸用大浅碗端上了一碗稀汤，放在两人中间。

‘please help yourself,” he said, setting down to lap the soup with his long pink tongue.
“请吃吧。“狐狸说着坐下来，伸出粉红色的长舌头舔那碗汤。

The Stork stood with her long legs apart and put the tip of her long, thin beak into the soup; but although she tried to scoop up the thin liquid it was quite impossible for her to do so.
鹤叉开长腿站着，把细长的嘴伸进了汤里。虽然她竭力想喝汤，但是，这对于她来说太难了。她好不容易吸了几滴在嘴里，可还没流到喉咙就流掉了。

Even when she did manage to hold a few drops in her beak they were lost long before they could trickle down to her throat. Too polite to complain, the Stork went home hungry while the greedy Fox lapped up all the soup. As she left she heard him laughing to himself at his own cleverness.
鹤很有涵养，并没有抱怨，饿着肚子回家了，而贪吃的狐狸把汤舔得一干二净。鹤离开的时候，听到狐狸自鸣得意的笑声。

A few days later the Stork invited the Fox to have dinner with her in return and the Fox made his way to her home.
过了几天，鹤回请狐狸一同进餐，狐狸前往她家。

“it is our custom to share a dish, too,” said the Stork, “ I hope you will join me.”
和吃一道菜也是我们的风俗，鹤说道，希望你和我一起吃。

“Certainly, certainly,” said the Fox, licking his lips. He had not eaten all day.
当然，当然，狐狸说着舔了舔嘴唇。他已经一整天没吃东西了。

The Stork brought her food. This time, however, it was served in a tall, thin jug with a narrow opening at the top.
鹤端上了食物。然而这次食物盛在又细又高的罐子里，灌口很窄。

“Please begin,” said the Stork, thrusting her beak into the jug.
请吃吧。鹤说道，把嘴伸进了罐子里。

“Mmmm. It is good.”
“味道好极了。”

Of course the Fox could not get his nose into the jug at all. All he could do was sniff hungrily at the delicious smell and lick the occasional drop that spilled over the side.
狐狸当然无法把鼻子伸进罐子里去。他只能饿着肚子闻闻诱人的味道，舔舔偶尔溢出来的几滴。

“I suppose I can’t complain,” he said to himself sadly as he made his way back to the woods. “After all, I taught her the trick myself.”
我想，我不能抱怨，狐狸在回森林的路上难过地自言自语道，毕竟，是自己教她这个把戏的。