那些給我智慧和勇氣的寓言故事04：淘氣的袋鼠

　　There was a small Kangaroo who was bad in school. He put thumbtacks on the teacher's chair. He threw spitballs across the classroom. He set off firecrackers in the lavatory and spread glue on the doorknobs.

　　有這么一只小袋鼠，它在學校里非常淘氣。它在老師的椅子上放圖釘，在教室里扔紙團，在廁所里放鞭炮，還往門把手上抹膠水。

　　“Your behavior is impossible!”said the school principal.“I am going to see your parents. I will tell them what a problem you are!”

　　“你的行為真讓人無法忍受!”校長說,“我要去見見你的父母，告訴它們你的問題!”

　　The principal went to visit Mr. and Mrs. Kangaroo. He sat down in a living-room chair.

　　校長去拜訪袋鼠夫婦。它坐在客廳的椅子上。

　　“Ouch!”cried the principal.“There is a thumbtack in this chair!”

　　“哎喲!”校長叫道，“這把椅子上有個圖釘!”

　　“Yes, I know,”said Mr. Kangaroo.“I enjoy putting thumbtacks in chairs.”

　　“是的，我知道，”袋鼠先生說，“我喜歡把圖釘放在椅子上。”

　　At the same time, a spitball hit the principal on his nose.

　　就在這時，一個紙團飛過來打在了校長的鼻子上。

　　“Forgive me,”said Mrs. Kangaroo,“But I can never resist throwing those things.”

　　“請原諒，”袋鼠夫人說,“我總是控制不住想扔那些東西。”

　　Suddenly, there was a loud booming sound from the bathroom.

　　突然，浴室里傳來一聲巨響。

　　“Keep calm,”said Mr. Kangaroo to the principal.“The firecrackers that we keep in the medicine chest have just exploded. We love the noise.”

　　“別緊張，”袋鼠先生對校長說,“我們放在藥箱里的鞭炮爆炸了，我們喜歡這種聲音。”

　　The principal rushed for the front door. In an instant he was stuck to the doorknob.

　　校長沖向前門，剛要開門，手就被粘在了門把手上。

　　“Pull hard,”said Mrs. Kangaroo.“There are little globs of glue on all of our doorknobs.”

　　“使勁兒拽，”袋鼠夫人說，“我們所有的門把手上都有點兒膠水。”

　　The principal pulled himself free. He dashed out of the house and ran off down the street.

　　校長掙脫后，沖出屋子，沿著街道跑了。

　　“Such a nice person,”said Mr. Kangaroo.“I wonder why he left so quickly.”

　　“它真是個好人，”袋鼠先生說,“我不明白它為什么這么快就走了。”

　　“No doubt he had another appointment,”said Mrs. Kangaroo.“Never mind, supper is ready.”

　　“它準是還有個約會，”袋鼠夫人說，“沒關系，吃晚飯吧。”

　　Mr. and Mrs. Kangaroo and their son enjoyed their evening meal. After the dessert, they all threw spitballs at each other across the dining-room table.

　　袋鼠夫婦和兒子津津有味地共進了晚餐。吃完甜點后，它們在飯桌旁互相扔起紙團來。

　　單詞注解

　　execution [,eksi'kju:??n] n.依法處決;實施

　　bystander ['ba?stænd?] n.旁觀者;局外人

　　principal ['prins?p?l] n. 校長

　　spitball ['sp?tb??l] n.紙團

　　實用句型

　　A young man was caught stealing, and sentenced to death three days later.

　　一個小偷在盜竊時被逮了個正著，因此被判處死刑，三天后執(zhí)行。

　　He set off firecrackers in the lavatory and spread glue on the doorknobs.

　　它在廁所里放鞭炮，還往門把手上抹膠水。

　　智慧點津

　　Minor mistakes, if not be corrected, finally result in disastrous consequences.

　　小錯起初不懲治，必將釀成大錯。

　　Like mother, like daughter.

　　有什么樣的父母，就有什么樣的孩子。