伊索寓言双语故事98：猴子和猫（The Monkey And The Cat）

The Monkey And The Cat

猴子和猫

by Aesop

出自《伊索寓言》

Once upon a time a Cat and a Monkey lived as pets in the same house. They were great friends and were constantly in all sorts of mischief together. What they seemed to think of more than anything else was to get something to eat, and it did not matter much to them how they got it.

很久以前，有一只猫和一只猴子被人当作宠物养在屋里。它俩非常要好，总是一起弄出各种各样的恶作剧。它们只在乎找点能吃的东西就行，可不会管如何找到这些吃的。

One day they were sitting by the fire, watching some chestnuts roasting on the hearth. How to get them was the question.

有一天，它们坐在火炉旁，看着炉子上正烤着的栗子。却被如何得到它们给难住了。

"I would gladly get them," said the cunning Monkey, "but you are much more skillful at such things than I am. Pull them out and I'll divide them between us."

“我倒是很想去火中取栗，”狡猾的猴子说，“不过这种事情，你比我更有经验。你把它们拿出来，我俩对半分。”

Pussy stretched out her paw very carefully, pushed aside some of the cinders, and drew back her paw very quickly. Then she tried it again, this time pulling a chestnut half out of the fire. A third time and she drew out the chestnut. This performance she went through several times, each time singeing her paw severely. As fast as she pulled the chestnuts out of the fire, the Monkey ate them up.

猫咪非常谨慎地把爪子伸过去，刚刨开了一点儿煤渣，就立马把缩了回来。然后它又试了一次，这次它从炉火中刨了半个栗子出来。第三次的时候，它终于把整个栗子从火中取了出来。这样重复了很多次的它，每次都很严重地烫伤了自己的爪子。然而，只要它把栗子一取出来，猴子就把它们吃了个精光。

Now the master came in, and away scampered the rascals, Mistress Cat with a burnt paw and no chestnuts. From that time on, they say, she contented herself with mice and rats and had little to do with Sir Monkey.

正在这时，主人进来了，这俩偷吃贼立马就溜了出去，而那只猫咪不仅烧伤了自己的爪子，而且连一个栗子也没吃着。人们就说，从那时候起，猫咪就已捕捉老鼠为乐，再也不想和猴子打交道了。

The flatterer seeks some benefit at your expense.

寓意：无端献媚，必有所图。