讀點好英文:A Story of the Angel 天使的故事

A Story of the Angel 天使的故事

Two traveling angels stopped to spend the night in the home of a weaIthy family. The family was rude and refused to let the angles stay in the mansion's guestroom.Instead the angels were given a small space in the cold basement.As they made their bed in the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it.When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied，“Things aren't always what they seem.”

The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor, but very hospitable farmer and his wife. After sharing the little food they had the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night's rest.When the sun came up the next morning the angels found the farmer and his wife were in tears.Their only cow, whose milk had been their sole income, lay dead in the field.The younger angel was infuriated and asked the older angel how he could have let this happen.“The first man had everything, yet you helped him，”he accused.“The second family had little but was willing to share everything, and you let the cow die.”

“Things aren't always what they seem，”the older angel replied.“When we stayed in the basement of the mansion, I noticed there was gold stored in the hole in the wall. Since the owner was so obsessed with greed and unwilling to share his good fortune, I sealed the wall so he wouldn't find it.”

“Then last night as we slept in the farmer's bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I gave him the cow instead.Things aren't always what they seem.”

兩個旅行中的天使來到一個富有的人家借宿。這家人對他們很不友好，并且拒絕讓他們在舒適的客房過夜，而是在冰冷的地下室給他們找了一個角落。當(dāng)他們在硬地板上鋪床時，年長的天使發(fā)現(xiàn)墻上有一個洞，并順手把它修補好了。年輕的天使問他為什么要這樣做，老天使答道：“有些事并不像它看上去那樣?！?/p>

第二天晚上，兩人到了一個非常貧窮的農(nóng)家借宿。農(nóng)夫和妻子對他們非常熱情，把僅有的一點點食物拿出來款待他們，然后又讓出自己的床鋪給兩個天使，為的是使他們能好好休息一晚。第二天一早，兩個天使發(fā)現(xiàn)農(nóng)夫和他的妻子在哭泣——他們唯一的生活來源，一頭奶牛死了。年輕的天使非常憤怒，他質(zhì)問老天使為什么會這樣?！暗谝粋€家庭什么都有，您還幫助他們修補墻洞，”他指責(zé)道，“第二個家庭盡管如此貧窮卻熱情款待我們，而您卻沒能阻止他們的奶牛的死亡?！?/p>

“有些事并不像它看上去那樣。”老天使答道，“當(dāng)我們在地下室過夜時，我從墻洞看到墻里面堆滿了金條。因為主人被貪欲所迷惑，不愿意分享他的財富，所以我把墻洞填上了，他永遠(yuǎn)也找不到這些金條了。

“昨天晚上，當(dāng)我們躺在農(nóng)夫的床上時，死亡之神來召喚農(nóng)夫的妻子，我讓奶牛代替了她。有些事并不像它看上去的那樣。”

Practising&Exercise 實戰(zhàn)提升篇

單詞注解

weaIthy['welθi]a.富有的；財產(chǎn)多的

basement['beism?nt]v.地下室；地下層

infuriate[in'fju?rieit]v.使大怒；激怒

accuse[?'kju：z]n.指責(zé)，譴責(zé)；控告

實用句型

The fox sees that and catches him in his mouth and carries him away.

狐貍看到就一下子逮住公雞，叼著走了。

Since the owner was so obsessed with greed and unwilling to share his good fortune……

因為主人被貪欲所迷惑，不愿意分享他的財富……

智慧點津

Monotonously listening to other people's praise will eventually put an end to their own future.

一味地聽信別人的贊美終將葬送自己的前程。

Don't let the surface disguise our eyes and remember that things aren't always what they seem.

不要讓表面的現(xiàn)象蒙蔽了我們的雙眼，請記住：有些事并不像它看上去那樣。