（一）
a country maid was walking along with a can of milk upon her head,when she fell into the following train of reflections."the money for which i shall sell this milk will enable me to increase my stock of eggs to three hundred,these eggs,allowing for what may prove addle,and what may be destroyed by vermin,will produce at least two hundred and fifty chickens.the chickens will be fit to carry to market just at the time when poultry is always dear;so that by the new year i cannot fail of having money enough to purchase a new gown.green-let me consider-yes,green becomes my complexion best .and green it shall be, in this dress i will go to the fair,where all young fellows will strive to have me for a parter;but no-i shall refuse every one of them,and with a disdainful toss turn from them."
transported with this idea,she could not forbear acting with her head the thought that passed in her mind,when down came the can of milk!and all her imaginary happiness vanished in a moment.
一个村姑头上顶着一罐牛奶在路上行走。走着走着，她的脑子里浮现出一连串的幻想：“我卖了这罐牛奶后，用这笔钱买鸡蛋，这样我有的鸡蛋可以增加到300个。用这300个鸡蛋孵小鸡，这就算有坏的、生虫的，至少也能孵出250只小鸡。等小鸡长大后，正好能赶上卖个好市价;那么到了新年，我就能有钱买一件新晚装。买一件绿色的??让我好好想想??对，绿色与我的肤色最相衬。我穿上这件衣服去赶集，所有的年轻小伙子都会抢着邀请我做舞伴;但是不行??我要轻蔑地把头一扬，转身过去不理他们，让他们人人都碰个钉子。
她想得得意忘形，情不自禁地把头一扬，刹那间，牛奶罐跌了下来!她幻想的一切幸福间破灭了。
（二）
The Raven and the Swan乌鸦和天鹅
A RAVEN saw a Swan and desired to secure for
himself the same beautiful plumage. Supposing that the Swan's splendid white
color arose from his washing in the water in which he swam, the Raven left the
altars in the neighborhood where he picked up his living, and took up residence
in the lakes and pools. But cleansing his feathers as often as he would, he
could not change their color, while through want of food he perished.
Change
of habit cannot alter Nature.
乌鸦非常羡慕天鹅洁白的羽毛。他猜想天鹅一定是经常洗澡，羽毛才变得如此洁白无
瑕。于是，他毅然离开了他赖以生存的祭坛，来到江湖边。他天天洗刷自己的羽毛，不但一
点都没洗白，反而因缺少食物饥饿而死。
这故事是说，人的本性不会随着生活方式的改变而改变。
（三）
The Miser守财奴
A MISER sold all that he had and bought a lump of gold, which
he buried in a hole in the ground by the side of an old wall and went to look at
daily. One of his workmen observed his frequent visits to the spot and decided
to watch his movements. He soon discovered the secret of the hidden treasure,
and digging down, came to the lump of gold, and stole it. The Miser, on his next
visit, found the hole empty and began to tear his hair and to make loud
lamentations. A neighbor, seeing him overcome with grief and learning the cause,
said, "Pray do not grieve so; but go and take a stone, and place it in the hole,
and fancy that the gold is still lying there. It will do you quite the same
service; for when the gold was there, you had it not, as you did not make the
slightest use of it."
有个守财奴变卖了他所有的家产，换回了金块，并秘密地埋在一个地方。他每天走去看
看他的宝藏。有个在附近放羊的牧人留心观察，知道了真情，趁他走后，挖出金块拿走了。
守财奴再来时，发现洞中的金块没有了，便捶胸痛哭。有个人见他如此悲痛，问明原因后，
说道：“喂，朋友，别再难过了，那块金子虽是你买来的，但并不是你真正拥有的。去拿一
块石头来，代替金块放在洞里，只要你心里想着那是块金子，你就会很高兴。这样与你拥有 真正的金块效果没什么不同。依我之见，你拥有那金块时，也从没用过。”
