|
村子附近有一个巨大的干草堆，几只动物在里面安了家，其中有乌龟、眼镜蛇、猫鼬和豺狼。 一天，四只动物正聊得起劲，其他动物惊慌失措地跑了过来。 “干草堆着火了！”他们尖叫着。 "着火了，是吗？”乌龟说，"请不要慌。我知道十万种应付火的方法。” "我也知道一千种方法。"眼镜蛇谦虚地说。 “我呢，只知道一百种。”猫鼬说，"但这些方法都尝试过而且切实可行。” "你呢，先生?"居民们问豺狼，"你知道多少种？" "就一种。”豺狼闻了闻烟雾迷漫的空气。“火烧过来的时，只有一件事可做:跑！"说着，他跳下干草堆逃跑了。 “愚蠢的家伙，”乌龟轻蔑地说，"他逃跑是因为没有跟我和在场的朋友一样研究过火。请听逃离火灾的第一种方法……”但他再也没能说下去。干草堆中间窜出一条火舌把他和两个博学的朋友都吞噬了。其他动物跟他们看到的‘‘愚蠢的”狼一样跳下干草堆，逃命去了。 The Fire Specialist There was an enormous haystack near a village and several small animals had made their homes in it. Among these were a tortoise, a cobra, a mongoose and a jackal. One day as these four were enjoying an afternoon chat, the other residents came running to them in a state of panic. “Our haystack is on fire!” they screamed. “A fire, is it?” said the tortoise. “Please stay calm. I know a hundred thousand ways of dealing with a fire. ” “And I know a thousand ways. ” said the cobra, modestly. “As for me, I know only a hundred,” said the mongoose, “but they're all tried and rusted methods.” “And you, Sir,” said the residents to the jackal. “How many do you know?” “Only one,” said the jackal, sniffing the smoke-laden air. 11 When the fire is this close there's only one thing to do： run!” And with that he jumped from the haystack and bounded away. “Stupid creature,” sneered the tortoise. “He ran away because he has not studied ire as I or my friends here have. Listen to the first method of escaping a fire... ” But he never got beyond that. A tongue of flame leapt out from the centre of the hay- >tack and consumed him and his two knowledgeable friends. The other animals leapt from the haystack as they had seen the “stupid” jackal do and ran for their lives. |
