不费吹灰之力英语

伊索寓言狐狸和山羊

原文： A fox had fallen into a well, and had been casting about for a long time how he should get out again, when at length a goat came to the place, and wanting to drink, asked Reynard whether the water was good, and of there was plenty of it .The fox, dissembling the real danger of his case, replied :"come down, my friend, the water is so good that I can not drink enough of it, and so aboundant that it can not be exhausted ."Upon this the goat without any more ado leaped in, when the fox, taking advantage of his friend's horns, as nimbly leaped out, and coolly remarked to the poor deluded goat :"if you had half as much brains as you have beard, you would have looked before you leaped."

译文： 一只狐狸掉在一口井里，转了很久怎样再跳上去，最后一只山羊来到这里，他正想喝水，便问狐狸这水好不好，还多不多，狐狸掩饰起他的真实危险处境，回答说："下来吧，我的朋友，这水好得使我喝不够，而且多的用不完。"于是山羊立刻跳了井里，狐狸踩着他朋友的角，敏捷地跳了上去，并且冷淡地对受了骗的可怜的山羊说："如果你的脑子有你胡子一半多，你就会先思而后行了。" 词汇： casting about 来回走，想方设法 at length 最后 Reynard 狐狸的通称 without any more ado 不费吹灰之力 taking advantage of 利用 look before you leap 三思而后行

伊索寓言守财奴

原文： A Miser, to make sure of his property, sold all that he had had converted it into a great lump of gold, which he hid in a hole in the ground, and went continually to visit and inspect it. This roused the curiosity of one of his workmen, who, suspecting that there was a treasure, when his master's back was turned went to the spot and stole it away. When the Miser returned and found the place empty, he wept and tore his hair. But a neighbor who saw him in this extravagant grief, and learned the cause of it, said: "Fret thyself no longer, but take a stone and put it in the same place, and think that it is your lump of gold; for, as you never meant to use it, the one will do you as much gold as the other." The worth of money is not in its possession, but in its use.

译文： 一个守财奴，为了确保他的财产，卖掉所有家当换成了一大块金子，埋在一个地洞里，并且不时地去查看，这引起了手下一个雇工的好奇。雇工猜测那里肯定有宝贝，趁主人离开之际，他来到埋藏地点，把金子偷走了。当守财奴回来发现金子不翼而飞，便痛哭流涕，乱撮头发。一个邻人见状问明原由后说“你也别太痛苦了，拿一块石头再埋在原地，就当是那块金子好了，因为既然你永远不想用它，那么两者不是一回事吗”。 金钱的价值不在于拥有，而在于使用。

词汇： extravagant 过分的 thyself = yourself

伊索寓言狐狸和葡萄

原文： A Fox, just at the time of the vintage, stole into a vine-yard where the ripe sunny Grapes were trellised up on high in most tempting show. He made many a spring and a jump after the luscious prize, but, failing in all his attempts, he muttered as he retreated："Well what does it matter! The Grapes are sour!"

译文： 正当葡萄熟了的时候，一只狐狸偷偷地溜进了葡萄园。葡萄架上高高地挂着亮晶晶的、熟透了的葡萄，显得十分诱人。他跳了好几跳，蹦了好几蹦，想吃到这甘美的葡萄，但是他的企图全落空了，走开的时候，他自言自语说："得了！这有什么！这葡萄是酸的。"