短篇英語(yǔ)故事

　　There are many mice in the house. The man of the house has a cat. The cat kills(殺死)many of them .

　　Then the oldest mouse says, "All mice come to my room tonight. Let us put our heads together and think what to do. We can do about(除掉)the cat. All the mice come. Many mice speak , but no one knows what to do. At last a young mouse stands up and says, "We must put a bell(鈴)on the cat. When the cat comes near, we can hear the bell and run away and hide. (躲藏) So the cat will not catch any of us. “But,” the old mouse asks, " who will put the bell on the cat?" No mouse answers .The old mouse waits, but no one answers. At last the old mouse says, "It is easy to say things; but it is hard to do them."

　　短篇英語(yǔ)故事 The Fox and the Horse

　　Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

　　A peasant had a faithful horse which had grown old and could do no more work, so his master no longer wanted to give him anything to eat and said, "I can certainly make no more use of you, but still I mean well by you, and if you prove yourself still strong enough to bring me a lion here, I will maintain you. But for now get out of my stable." And with that he chased him into the open field.

　　The horse was sad, and went to the forest to seek a little protection there from the weather. There the fox met him and said, "Why do you hang your head so, and go about all alone?"

　　"Alas," replied the horse, "greed and loyalty do not dwell together in one house. My master has forgotten what services I have performed for him for so many years, and because I can no longer plow well, he will give me no more food, and has driven me out."

　　"Without giving you a chance?" asked the fox.

　　"The chance was a bad one. He said, if I were still strong enough to bring him a lion, he would keep me, but he well knows that I cannot do that."

　　The fox said, "I will help you. Just lie down, stretch out as if you were dead, and do not stir."

　　The horse did what the fox asked, and then the fox went to the lion, who had his den not far off, and said, "A dead horse is lying out there. Just come with me, and you can have a rich meal."

　　The lion went with him, and when they were both standing by the horse the fox said, "After all, it is not very comfortable for you here —— I tell you what —— I will fasten it to you by the tail, and then you can drag it into your cave and eat it in peace."

　　This advice pleased the lion. He positioned himself, and in order that the fox might tie the horse fast to him, he kept completely quiet. But the fox tied the lion's legs together with the horse's tail, and twisted and fastened everything so well and so strongly that no amount of strength could pull it loose. When he had finished his work, he tapped the horse on the shoulder and said, "Pull, white horse, pull!"

　　Then up sprang the horse at once, and pulled the lion away with him. The lion began to roar so that all the birds in the forest flew up in terror, but the horse let him roar, and drew him and dragged him across the field to his master's door. When the master saw the lion, he was of a better mind, and said to the horse, "You shall stay with me and fare well." And he gave him plenty to eat until he died.

　　一個(gè)農(nóng)夫有一匹勤勤懇懇、任勞任怨為他干活的馬,但這匹馬現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)老了,干活也不行了,所以,農(nóng)夫不想再給馬吃東西。他對(duì)馬說(shuō):“我再也用不著你了,你自己離開(kāi)馬廄走吧,到你比一頭獅子更強(qiáng)壯時(shí),我自然會(huì)把你牽回來(lái)的。”

　　說(shuō)完,他打開(kāi)門(mén),讓馬自己去謀生去了。

　　這匹可憐的馬非常悲哀,它在森林里茫無(wú)目標(biāo)地到處徘徊,寒風(fēng)夾著細(xì)雨,更增加了它的痛楚,它想尋找一個(gè)小小的避雨處。不久,它遇到了一只狐貍,狐貍問(wèn)它:“我的好朋友,你怎么了?為甚么垂頭喪氣,一副孤苦伶仃、愁眉苦臉的樣子呢?”馬嘆了一口氣回答說(shuō):“哎——!公正和吝嗇不能住在一間房子里。我的主人完全忘了我這許多年為他辛辛苦苦所干的一切,因?yàn)槲也荒茉俑苫盍?他就把我趕了出來(lái),說(shuō)除非我變得比一頭獅子更強(qiáng)壯,他才會(huì)重新收留我。我有這樣的能力嗎?其實(shí),主人是知道我沒(méi)有這樣的能力的,要不然,他也不會(huì)這樣說(shuō)了?！?/p>

　　狐貍聽(tīng)了之后,要它別愁了,只管放心,說(shuō)道:“我來(lái)幫助你,你躺在那兒,把身子伸直,裝做死了的樣子,我自有辦法?！瘪R按狐貍的吩咐做了。狐貍跑到獅子住的洞口邊,對(duì)獅子說(shuō):“獅子大王,有條小路上躺著一匹死馬,我們一同去,你可以作一頓很不錯(cuò)的午餐來(lái)享受哩。”獅子聽(tīng)了非常高興,立即就動(dòng)身了。

　　它們來(lái)到馬躺的地方,狐貍說(shuō):“在這兒你吃不完它,我告訴你怎么辦:先讓我把它的尾巴牢牢地綁在你的身上,然后你就能夠?qū)⑺匣啬愕亩囱ㄈヂ叵碛昧恕！豹{子對(duì)這個(gè)建議很欣賞。於是它一動(dòng)不動(dòng)地躺下來(lái),讓狐貍把它綁在馬背上。但狐貍卻設(shè)法將它的腿捆在一起,用最大的力氣把獅子牢牢地捆作一團(tuán),獅子沒(méi)法掙脫束縛了。

　　一切料理完畢,狐貍拍了拍馬的肩背說(shuō)道:“起來(lái)吧!老馬頭,你可以走了!”那匹馬跳起來(lái),把獅子拖在尾巴后面離開(kāi)了。獅子知道上了狐貍的當(dāng),開(kāi)始咆哮吼叫起來(lái),巨大的吼聲把樹(shù)上所有的鳥(niǎo)兒都嚇得飛走了。但老馬隨便它怎么叫,只管自己慢慢悠悠地走過(guò)田野,終於把獅子拖到了主人的屋里。

　　它對(duì)主人說(shuō):“主人,獅子在這兒,我把它料理妥當(dāng)了。”當(dāng)主人看見(jiàn)它的這匹老馬后,對(duì)它產(chǎn)生了憐憫之心,說(shuō)道:“你就住在馬廄里吧,我會(huì)好好待你的。”於是,這匹可憐的老馬又有了吃的東西,主人一直供養(yǎng)它到死去。

　　短篇英語(yǔ)故事 Do you know? Origin of Chdstmas___圣誕由來(lái)

　　The name Christmas is short for“Christ’s Mass”.A Mass is a kind of Church service.Christmas is a religious festivaI.It is the day we celebrate as the birthday of Jesus.

　　There are special Christmas services in Christian churches all over the world.But many of the festivities of Christmas do not have anything to do with religion.Exchanging gifts and sending Christmas cards are the modern ways of celebrating the Christmas In the world.

　　The birth of Jesus had a story：In Nazareth，a city of Galilee.The vIrgin’s name was Mary was betrothed to Joseph.Before they came together，she was found with

　　child of the Holy Spirit.Joseph，her husband was minded to put her away secretly.While he thought about these things，Gabriel，an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a

　　dream and told hIm did not be afraid to take Mary as wife.And Mary，will bring forth a Son，and he shall call his name，Jesus,for he will save his people from their sins.

　　Before Jesus births.Joseph and Mary came to Quintus was governing Syria.So all went to be registered，everyone to his own city.Joseph also went up out of

　　Galilee.out of the city of Nazareth.into Judea，to the city of David.which iS called Bethlehem，because he was of the house and of the lineage of David，to be registered with Mary。his betrothed wife，who was with child.So it was that while they were there.the days were completed for her to be delivered.And she brought forth her firstborn Son.and wrapped him in swaddling cloths.and laid him in a

　　manger.because there was no room for them jn the jnn.And that.Christmas IS the feast of the nativity of Jesus.is on 25th，December every year.But nobody know the acluaI birthday of Jesus.And the Christmas has become popular when Christmas cards appeared in 1 846 and the concept of a joily Santa Claus was first made popular in nineteenth Century.

　　“圣誕節(jié)”這個(gè)名稱(chēng)是“基督彌撒”的縮寫(xiě)。彌撒是教會(huì)的一種禮拜儀式。耶誕節(jié)是一個(gè)宗節(jié)我們把它當(dāng)作耶穌的誕辰來(lái)慶祝，因而又名耶誕節(jié)。這一天，世界所有的基督教會(huì)都舉行特別的禮拜儀式。但是有很多圣誕節(jié)的歡慶活動(dòng)和宗教并無(wú)半點(diǎn)關(guān)聯(lián)。交換禮物，寄圣個(gè)誕卡，這都使圣誕節(jié)成為一個(gè)普天同慶的日子。

　　圣誕節(jié)是基督教世界最大的節(jié)日。4世紀(jì)初，1月6日是羅馬帝國(guó)東部各教會(huì)紀(jì)念耶穌降生和受洗的雙重節(jié)日、稱(chēng)為“主顯節(jié)”Epiphany，亦稱(chēng)“顯現(xiàn)節(jié)”即上帝通過(guò)耶穌向世人顯示自己。當(dāng)時(shí)只有耶路撒冷的教會(huì)例外，那里只紀(jì)念耶穌的誕生而不紀(jì)念耶穌的受洗。后來(lái)歷史學(xué)家們?cè)诹_馬_習(xí)用的日歷中發(fā)現(xiàn)公元354年12月25日頁(yè)內(nèi)記錄著：“基督降生在猶大的伯利恒。”經(jīng)過(guò)研究，一般認(rèn)為12月25日伴為圣誕節(jié)可能開(kāi)始于公元336年的羅馬教會(huì))約在公元375年傳到小亞細(xì)亞的安提阿，公元430年傳到埃及的亞歷山大里亞，耶路撒冷的教會(huì)接受得最晚，而亞美尼亞的教會(huì)則仍然堅(jiān)持1月6日主顯節(jié)是耶穌的誕

　　辰。

　　12月25日原來(lái)是波斯太陽(yáng)神(即光明之神)密特拉(Mithra)的誕辰，是一個(gè)異教徒節(jié)日，同時(shí)太陽(yáng)神也是羅馬國(guó)教眾神之一。這一天又是羅馬歷書(shū)的冬至節(jié)，崇拜太陽(yáng)神的異教徒

　　都把這一天當(dāng)作春天的希望，萬(wàn)物復(fù)蘇的開(kāi)始。可能由于這個(gè)原因，羅馬教會(huì)才選擇這一天作為圣誕節(jié)。這是教會(huì)初期力圖把異教徒的風(fēng)俗習(xí)慣基督教化的措施之一。

　　后來(lái)，雖然大多數(shù)教會(huì)都接受12月25日為圣誕節(jié)，但又固各地教會(huì)使用的歷書(shū)不同，具體日期不能統(tǒng)一，于是就把12月24日到第二年的1月6日定為圣誕節(jié)節(jié)期(Christmas Tide)，各地教會(huì)可以根據(jù)當(dāng)?shù)鼐唧w情況在這段節(jié)期之內(nèi)慶祝圣誕節(jié)。自從12月25日被大多數(shù)教會(huì)公認(rèn)為圣誕節(jié)后，原來(lái)1月6日的主顯節(jié)就只紀(jì)念耶穌受洗了，但天主教會(huì)又把1月6日定為“三王來(lái)朝節(jié)”，以紀(jì)念耶穌生時(shí)東方三王(即三位博士)來(lái)朝拜的故事。隨著基督教的廣泛傳播，圣誕節(jié)已成為各教派_，甚至廣大非基督_的一個(gè)重要節(jié)日。在歐美許多國(guó)家里，人們非常重視這個(gè)節(jié)日，把它和新年連在一起，而慶?；顒?dòng)之熱鬧與隆

　　重大大超過(guò)了新年，成為一個(gè)全民的節(jié)日。12月25日的主要紀(jì)念活動(dòng)都與耶穌降生的傳說(shuō)有關(guān)。