少兒英語故事:青蛙和牛

An ox, grazing in a swampy meadow, chanced to set his foot among a parcel of young frogs, and crushed nearly the whole brood to death .

少兒英語故事:青蛙和牛

One that escaped ran off to his mother with the dreadful news." and ,oh ,mother !"said he ,"it was a beast -such a big four footed beast!-that did it .""Big?" quoth the old frog , "How big?”

“Was it as big" -- and she puffed herself out to a great degree-"as big as this ?""oh!"said the little one ,"a great deal bigger than that .""well, was it so big ?"and she swelled herself out yet mere ."Indeed ,mother ,but it was ,and of you were to burst yourself you would never reach half its size."Provoked at such a disparagement of her powers, the old frog made one more trial ,and burst herself indeed.

【譯文】

  青蛙和牛

一頭牛在一快泥濘的草地上吃草,偶然把腳踏在一堆小青蛙當中,幾乎把所有的幼蛙踩死。  脫險的.一個帶着這可怕的消息跑到他母親那裏去了。"啊,母親!"他說"是一隻野獸-那樣一隻有四隻腳的大野獸-踩的。""大嗎?"老青蛙說。"多大?"她股足了氣把自己脹得大大的說:"他像這樣的嗎?""啊!"小青蛙說,"比那大多了。""哦,有這麼大嗎?"她鼓着氣脹地更大了。"真的,母親,但確實如此,即使你脹破了自己,也不夠他一半大。"老青蛙看到自己的力氣受到輕視很是激怒,於是又鼓了一下氣,果然這次脹破了自己。

寓意: 

  So men are ruined by attempting greatness to which they have no claim.妄自尊大的人必將自取滅亡的。