寓言故事青蛙与牛-The Frog and the Ox

寓言故事青蛙与牛-The Frog and the Ox

青蛙与牛
【内容提示】

以“The Frog and the Ox”为题写一个小故事。

故事梗概：一只小青蛙对坐在池塘旁的父亲说他看见一只庞然大物，像山一样大，长着角和长长的尾巴，蹄分为两趾。老青蛙说：“那只不过是农夫的牛而已。它并没有多大，可能只比我高一点点。我可以轻而易举地把我自己吹得很宽大，你瞧。”说着他便吹呀，吹呀，一个劲地往大吹自己。他问小青蛙：“牛有我这么大吗？”小青蛙说：“比你大多了。”老青蛙又往大吹自己。然后又问小青蛙牛有这么大么。“比你大，父亲，比你大，”小青蛙答道。老青蛙深深地吸了口气，又吹呀，吹呀，吹呀，胀呀，胀呀，胀呀。然后用紧张的嗓音说道：“我敢肯定牛没有我这么……”就在这时他给胀破了。

寓意：自高自大会导致自我毁灭。
【作文示范】
The Frog and the Ox
by Aesop

“Oh, Father,”said a little frog to the big one sitting by the side of a pond,“I have seen such a terrible monster! It was as big as a mountain, with horns① on his head, and a long tail, and it had hoofs ided in two②.

“Tush③, child, tush,”said the old frog, “that was only the famrer＇s ox. It isn＇t so big either, he may be a little bit taller than I, but I could easily make myself quite as broad; just you watch.”So he blew himself out, and blew himself out, and blew himself out.“Was he as big as that?”he asked.

“Oh, much bigger than that,”said the young frog.

Again the old one blew himself out, and asked the young one if the ox was as big as that.

“Bigger, Father, bigger,”the young frog replied.

So the old frog took a deep, deep breath, and blew and blew and blew, and swelled and swelled and swelled. And then he said in a strained ④ voice:“I＇m sure the ox is not as big as….”But at that moment he burst.

MORAL: Self-conceit⑤ may lead to self-destruction⑥.


（选自《英语学习》1990年第4期）


【词语解释】

① horn [h&:n]n. （牛、羊等动物头上的）角

② hoofs ided in two 蹄分为两趾

③tush[t)M] int. （表示轻蔑、指责或不耐烦等）呸！啐！

④strained [streind] a. 拉紧的；紧张的

⑤self-conceit[＇selfk+n＇si:t] n. 自负；自高自大

⑥self-destruction [＇selfdis＇tr)kM+n] n. 自我毁灭


【写法指要】

本篇为拟人寓言（fable）。它主要通过对鸟兽或非生物的叙写，将人类的生活方式和情景描绘出来。人类的品质常常依照一定的传统（如狐狸代表狡诈等），并用拟人化的手法体现在动物身上。它是具有道德寓意的短篇故事，既有影射现实生活的作用，又含有反讽的意味，它还常常是对世态人情的辛辣讽刺。它的主题往往是表现日常生活中的哲理和道德教育。例如本文就是对那些自高自大、目空一切的人的讽刺，教育人们要谦虚谨慎、戒骄戒躁。本文选的是伊索（Aesop）寓言中的一篇。他的写作方法一般是先用记叙方式写故事，最后得出一条道德寓意（moral）。