故 事 集 锦

* Let me take it down

An elephant said to a mouse ,”no doubt that you are the smallest and most useless thing that I have ever seen .” ”Pless ,say it again .Let me take it down .”the mouse said .”I will tell a flea what I know.”

为我所用
一头大象对一只小老鼠说：“你无疑是我见过的最小、最没用的东西。” “请再说一遍，让我把它记下来。”老鼠说。“我要讲给我认识的一只跳蚤听。

*Do You Know My Work？

One night a hotel caught fire， and the people who were staying in it ran out in their night clothes． Two men stood outside and looked at the fire．
“Before I came out，” said one “I ran into some of the rooms and found a lot of money． People don’t think of money when they’re afraid． When anyone leaves paper money in a fire， the fire burns it． So I took all the bills that I could find No one will be poorer because I took them．”
“You don’t know my work，” said the other．

“What is your work？”
“I’m a policeman． “Oh！”
cried the first man． He thought quickly and said “And do you know my work？” “No” said the policeman．
“I’m a writer． I’m always telling stories about things that never happened．”

译文： 你知道我是干什么的吗？

一天晚上，一家旅馆失火，住在这家旅馆里的人穿着睡 衣就跑了出来。
两个人站在外面，看着大火。
“在我出来之前，”其中一个说：“我跑进一些房间，找到了一大笔钱。人在恐惧中是不会想到钱的。如果有人把纸币留在火里，火就会把它烧成灰烬。所以我把我所能找到的钞票都拿走了。没有人会因为我拿走它们而变得更穷。”
“你不知道我是干什么的。”另一个说。
“你是干什么的？”
“我是警察。” “噢！”第一个人喊了一声。他灵机一动，说：“那你知道我是干什么的？”“不知道。”警察说。
“我是个作家。我总是爱编一些从未发生过的故事。”