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很久很久以前，雷、闪电和人类一起住在地球上。雷是一只母羊，闪电是她的儿子。两只 动物都不被人们喜欢，因为如果有人冒犯了闪电，雷就会勃然大怒，所到之处的所有东西都会被烧光。这些东西通常包括小屋，储藏箱，甚至还有大树。有时他用火烧掉农场上的谷物，偶尔也会杀害挡住他去路的人。雷一知道闪电的所作所为就会提高嗓门，尽可能地朝他大喊。 那声音确实很大，邻居们当然就会很苦恼:先是闪电造成的损失，然后是他母亲那叫人难以忍受的吼叫。 村民向国王抱怨了很久，直到最后国王把他们俩送到村子边上住着，并且告诉他们不准再回来和人类住在一起。 但是，这并没有起到什么好的效果，因为闪电仍然能看到人们在村子的街道上走，因此很容易和人类吵架。最后国王又把他们送走了。“我给了你们很多机会去过好一点的生活，" 他说，"但是我看到那毫无用处。从今以后你们必须远离我们的村庄，住在野树林里，我们不想再在这儿看到你们r 雷和闪电不得不听从国王的命令，同意遵守规定， 于是他们怀着对村民的怨恨离开了村庄。但是对村民来说，仍然还有很多麻烦，因为闪电对于被放逐怀恨在心，在整个树林都放了火。由于现在是干季，所以后果很不幸。大火蔓延到人们的小农场，有时甚至到他们的房屋，因此他们又一次绝望了。 国王召集大臣聚在一起，寻求他们的意见。一番激烈的争论之后,他们想到了 一个计划——为什么不把雷和闪电完全驱逐出地球，把他们送到天上去呢？ 于是国王就宣告了天下，雷和闪电被送到了天上。人们希望他们别再造成什么损害，可是事情却并不如人们想像的那样，因为闪电仍然时不时地发脾气。他生气时不可避免地往地球上放火。然后你就能听到他妈妈那巨大的、隆隆的责备声。 Thunder and Lightning A long time ago, both thunder and lightning lived on this earth, among the people. Thunder was a mother sheep and Lightning was her son, a ram. Neither animal was very popular with the people, for when somebody offended Lightning, he would fly into a furious rage and begin burring whatever he came across. This often included huts and corn bins, and even large trees. Sometimes he damaged crops on the farms with his fire and occasionally he killed people who got in his way. As soon as Thunder knew he was behaving this way, she would raise her voice and shout at him as loudly as she could, and that was very loud indeed. Naturally the neighbors were very upset, first at the damage caused by Lightning and then by the unbearable noise from his mother that always followed his outbursts. The villagers complained to the king on many occasions，until at last he sent the two of them to live at the very edge of the village, and said that they must not come and mix with the people any more. However, this did no good, since Lightning could still see people as they walked about the village streets and so found it only too easy to continue picking quarrels with them. At last the king sent for them again. “I have given you many chances to live a better life，” he said, "but I can see that it is useless. From now on, you must go away from our village and live in the wild bush. We do not want to see your faces here again." Thunder and Lightning had to obey the king and agree to abide by his ruling ； so they left the village, angry at its inhabitants. But still there was plenty of trouble in store for the villagers, since Lightning was so angry at being banished that he now set fire to the whole bush, and since it was the dry season this was extremely unfortunate. The flames spread to the little farms of the people，and sometimes to their houses as well，so that they were in despair again. The king called all his counselors together and asked them to advise him, and after much debate they hit on a plan. Why not banish Thunder and Lightning completely away from the earth, and send them to live in the sky. And so the king proclaimed. Thunder and Lightning were sent away into the sky, where the people hoped they would not be able to do any more damage. Things did not work out quite as well as they had hoped, however, for Lightning still loses his temper from time to time and cannot resist sending fire down to the earth when he is angry. Then you can hear his mother rebuking him in her loud rumbling voice. |
