英語典故

A. 著名英文小故事

The
Crow
and
The
Pitcher
A
crow
felt
very
thirsty.
He
looked
for
water
everywhere.
Finally,
he
found
a
pitcher.
But
there
was
not
a
lot
of
water
in
the
pitcher.
His
beak
could
not
reach
it.
He
tried
again
and
again,
but
still
could
not
touch
the
water.
When
he
was
about
to
give
up,
an
idea
came
to
him.
He
took
a
pebble
and
dropped
it
into
the
pitcher.
Then
he
took
another
and
dropped
it
in.
Graally,
the
water
rose,
and
the
crow
was
able
to
drink
the
water.
口渴的烏鴉
一隻烏鴉口渴了，到處找水喝。終於，他找到了一個大水罐。
然而，水罐裡面的水並不多，他的尖嘴夠不到水面，他試了一次又一次，都沒有成功。
就在他想放棄的時候，他突然想到一個主意。烏鴉叼來了一塊小石子投到水罐里，接著又叼了一塊又一塊石頭放進去。
漸漸地，水面升高了。烏鴉高興地喝到了水。
寓意：有些東西雖然看起來微不足道，但如果積少成多，便會帶來很大變化。

B. 英語中常用的典故

1. Practice makes perfect.熟能生巧。

2. God helps those who help themselves.天助自助者

3. Easier said than done.說起來容易做起來難。

4. Slow and steady wins the race.穩扎穩打無往而不勝。

5. A fall into the pit,a gain in your wit.吃一塹，長一智。

6. Where there is a will,there is a way.有志者事竟成。

7. One false step will make a great difference.失之毫釐，謬之千里。

8. It's never too old to learn.活到老，學到老。

9. All that glitters is not gold.閃光的未必都是金子。

10. Experience is the mother of wisdom.實踐出真知。

11. All work and no play makes jack a ll boy.只工作不休息，聰明孩子也變傻。

12. Beauty without virtue is a rose without fragrance.無德之美猶如沒有香味的玫瑰，徒有其表。

13. More hasty,less speed.欲速則不達。

14. Rome was not built in a day.偉業非一日之功。

15. Great minds think alike.英雄所見略同。

16. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.千里之行始於足下。

17. Look before you leap.三思而後行。

18. Facts speak plainer than words.事實勝於雄辯。

19. Call back white and white back.顛倒黑白。

20. well begun,half done.好的開始等於成功的一半。

21. It is hard to please all.眾口難調。

22. Ill news travels fast.壞事傳千里。

23. Out of sight,out of mind.眼不見，心不念。

24. Beauty will buy no beef.漂亮不能當飯吃。

25. Like and like make good friends.趣味相投。

26. First things first.凡事有輕重緩急。

27. A friend in need is a friend indeed.患難見真情。

28. To live is to learn,to learn is to better live.活著為了學習，學習為了更好的活著。

29. live not to eat,but eat to live.活著不是為了吃飯，吃飯為了活著。

30. Action speaks louder than words.行動勝過語言。

31. East or west,home is the best.金窩銀窩不如自家草窩。

32. It's not the gay coat that makes the gentleman.君子在德不在衣。

33. An idle youth,a needy age.少壯不努力，老大徒傷悲。

34. As the tree,so the fruit.種瓜得瓜，種豆得豆。

35. The older, the wiser.薑是老的辣。

C. 英語典故文章

The Heel of Achilles直譯是「阿基里斯的腳踵」，是個在歐洲廣泛流行的國際性成語。阿基里斯是希臘聯軍里最英勇善戰的驍將，傳說他是希臘密耳彌多涅斯人的國王珀琉斯和海神的女兒西蒂斯所生的兒子。阿基里斯呱呱墜地以後，母親想使兒子健壯永生，把他放在火里鍛煉，又捏著他的腳踵倒浸在冥河(Styx)聖水裡浸泡。因此阿基里斯渾身象鋼筋鐵骨，刀槍不入，只有腳踵部位被母親的手捏住，沒有沾到冥河聖水，成為他的唯一要害。在特洛伊戰爭中，太陽神阿波羅(Apollo)把阿基里斯的弱點告訴了特洛伊王子帕里斯，阿基里斯終於被帕里斯誘到城門口，用暗箭射中他的腳踵，負傷而死。

因此， the Achilles' heel，常用以表示a weak point in something that is otherwise without fault; the weakest spot等意思。

The Achilles Heel of Achilles is "of first-teamers", is widely popular in Europe, The international idiom. The coalition is Greek Achilles courageous troops, legend he was renewed Greek peleus micah of more solid and daughter born the son of west di. When Achilles leash, mother wants to make her son robust life, put him in the fire, and the exercise of his fall in hades first-teamers river Styx (holy) soak. Therefore, as TieGu steel body Achilles first-teamers bulletproof, only by the mother's hand, not to hold water, can become his river, the key. In the Trojan war, Apollo (Achilles) the weakness of Apollo told the Trojan prince of Troy, Achilles was finally Paris to the gate, he shot with snake first-teamers die, wounded. Achilles' heel and so on, were used for a shift in that business without otherwise fault, The weakest spot.

D. 英語故事

The Ugly Duckling

Long ago, in a farmyard many miles away, a Mother Duck sat on her nest. She was waiting for her eggs to hatch. Each day she proudly looked at them. There were six eggs, which meant six little cklings to teach to swim.

One sunny spring morning, the first egg began to crack..

\'Tap, tap, tap,\' went the ckling inside, trying to get out. Mother Duck watched as the egg cracked open and out popped a fluffy ckling.

"One," said Mother Duck proudly.

The next day, the second egg hatched and out popped another fluffy ckling.

"Two," said Mother Duck proudly.

On the third day, ckling number three hatched.

"That leaves just three," said Mother Duck.

On the fourth and fifth day, cklings number four and five hatched.

"That leaves just one," said Mother Duck, as she settled on her nest. Her cklings gathered around her.

But on the sixth day nothing happened. Nor on the seventh.

"How strange," said Mother Duck on the seventh day. "It should have hatched by now."

One of the farmyard chickens wandered by.

"Oh," she said. "You\'re still there I thought you\'d be on the pond by now."

"It\'s this last egg," said Mother Duck. "It hasn\'t hatched yet."

"Let me see," said the chicken. "Well no wonder. It looks like a goose egg to me. You\'ll be here for a long time."

"Oh dear," said Mother Duck. "I have my five little cklings to teach to swim. What shall I do? I can\'t leave it."

"Aah well," said the chicken, and she wandered off.

The goose heard that one of her eggs was in Mother Duck\'s nest.

"Is it true?" she asked, as she puffed up to the nest. "Do you have one of my eggs?"

"I think so," said Mother Duck. They both looked in the nest.

"Huh," said the goose. "That\'s not mine. It looks more like that absent-minded turkey\'s egg."

As they looked, they suddenly heard the faint tapping. The shell was breaking.

"We\'ll soon see," said the goose.

They watched and waited.

"Oh," said the goose.

"Oh, dear," said Mother Duck, as she looked at the sixth ckling. It looked most strange, it was straggly and grey where its brothers and sisters were fluffy and yellow. It was also bigger than them.

It quacked as it saw its mother.

"Well, if it\'s a turkey," said the goose, "it won\'t swim."

Mother Duck hurried her cklings to the pond. She waddled in and listened. Splash! Splish! Splosh! Splash! Splish! She turned and looked. All six cklings followed her in the water.

"Oh, well," she said. "He can swim. He is definitely not a turkey."

The sixth ckling was very good at swimming, and was soon swimming better than his brothers and sisters.

Back at the farmyard, things did not go well for the little ckling. Everyone called him an ugly ckling. The chickens laughed at him, the turkeys chased him and the geese hissed at him.

Soon even his brothers and sisters would not talk to him, but when his mother turned away, he was very sad. He decided to leave the farmyard.

One sunny morning, he walked out of the farmyard and didn\'t look back. He wandered away, looking for somewhere new to live.

When he\'d been walking a while he came to a large lake. There were some cks swimming on it.

He swam up to them.

"May I stay on this lake?" he asked.

"Of course," said the cks. "We\'ll be moving on soon. Why don\'t you join us, if you\'re on your own?"

"Thank you," said the ckling.

The ckling stayed on the lake and day by day he grew bigger. One day he looked up to see some large white birds flying gracefully over the lake.

"They\'re beautiful," he whispered, and then sighed. "I wonder who they are?"

One day the cks came to see him.

"It\'s autumn, and we\'re going now," they told him, "join us if you want to."

Some cks began to fly up to leave, but suddenly loud bangs were heard. Two of the cks fell from the sky. Others flew up in fright, and more fell as more bangs were heard.

The ckling ran and hid. He found a bush and stayed there until the noise had died down. When it was quiet he sadly left the lake and headed away over the fields.

He came to another lake and there he stayed. Winter was coming and he was alone. As the days grew colder, he found that it was harder to find food.

The one morning he woke and found that he couldn\'t move. The lake had frozen and he was stuck in the ice. The day passed and the ckling was giving up hope of being found. But late in the afternoon a man walking his dog saw him. He broke the ice, and the ckling was free. He ran across the ice and hid. He didn\'t dare to go on the ice again.

Winter passed, spring came, and the ice melted.

The ckling stretched his wings and found that they were strong enough to carry him. He flew upon and over the lake, high above the trees and fields. He should have been very happy, but he was not because he felt so lonely.

A few days later, he looked up to see the large white birds he had seen in the autumn. They looked beautiful as they landed on the lake. The ckling admired their glossy white feathers and long necks. He swan over to take a closer look at them.

"Please," he said shyly. "Will you tell me who you are. You are so beautiful and I am so ugly. I\'ve never seen anybody like you."

"Ugly," cried one of the white birds. "How silly!"

"We\'re swans," said another. "Why do you think you\'re ugly? Look at yourself in the water."

The ckling looked and caught sight of his own reflection. He gasped in surprise, for instead of seeing a fat, grey ckling he saw a swan with a long elegant neck and a bright orange bill. "I\'m like you," he cried. "I\'m a swan, too."

"Definitely," said the swan, with a smile.

"Does that mean I can stay with you, and not live alone?"

"Of course," said the swans.

At that moment two children ran down to the lake. "Ooh, look!" they cried. "The swans are back and there\'s a new one, too. Isn\'t he beautiful!"

The ugly ckling stretched his neck and ruffled his feathers with pride.

Then it was time to go flying with all of the other swans and, as the ckling took off from the lake, he could see his new beautiful reflection in the water.
鄉下真是非常美麗。這正是夏天！小麥是金黃的，燕麥是綠油油的。乾草在綠色的牧場 上堆成垛，鸛鳥用它又長又紅的腿子在散著步，嚕嗦地講著埃及話。（註：因為據丹麥的民 間傳說，鸛鳥是從埃及飛來的。）這是它從媽媽那兒學到的一種語言。田野和牧場的周圍有些大森林，森林裡有些很深的池塘。的確，鄉間是非常美麗的，太陽光正照著一幢老式的房子，它周圍流著幾條很深的小溪。從牆角那兒一直到水裡，全蓋滿了牛蒡的大葉子。最大的葉子長得非常高，小孩子簡直可以直著腰站在下面。像在最濃密的森林裡一樣，這兒也是很荒涼的。這兒有一隻母鴨坐在窠里，她得把她的幾個小鴨都孵出來。不過這時她已經累壞了
。很少有客人來看她。別的鴨子都願意在溪流里游來游去，而不願意跑到牛蒡下面來和她聊天。
最後，那些鴨蛋一個接著一個地崩開了。「噼！噼！」蛋殼響起來。所有的蛋黃現在都 變成了小動物。他們把小頭都伸出來。 「嘎！嘎！」母鴨說。他們也就跟著嘎嘎地大聲叫起來。他們在綠葉子下面向四周看。 媽媽讓他們盡量地東張西望，因為綠色對他們的眼睛是有好處的。「這個世界真夠大！」這些年輕的小傢伙說。的確，比起他們在蛋殼里的時候，他們現在的天地真是大不相同了。「你們以為這就是整個世界！」媽媽說。「這地方伸展到花園的另一邊，一直伸展到牧師的田裡去，才遠呢！連我自己都沒有去過！我想你們都在這兒吧？」她站起來。「沒有，我還沒有把你們都生出來呢！這只頂大的蛋還躺著沒有動靜。它還得躺多久呢？我真是有些煩了。」於是她又坐下來。「唔，情形怎樣？」一隻來拜訪她的老鴨子問。「這個蛋費的時間真久！」坐著的母鴨說。「它老是不裂開。請你看看別的吧。他們真是一些最逗人愛的小鴨兒！都像他們的爸爸——這個壞東西從來沒有來看過我一次！」「讓我瞧瞧這個老是不裂開的蛋吧，」這位年老的客人說，「請相信我，這是一隻吐綬雞的蛋。有一次我也同樣受過騙，你知道，那些小傢伙不知道給了我多少麻煩和苦惱，因為他們都不敢下水。我簡直沒有辦法叫他們在水裡試一試。我說好說歹，一點用也沒有！——讓我來瞧瞧這只蛋吧。哎呀！這是一隻吐綬雞的蛋！讓他躺著吧，你盡管叫別的孩子去游泳
好了。」「我還是在它上面多坐一會兒吧，」鴨媽媽說，「我已經坐了這么久，就是再坐它一個
星期也沒有關系。」 「那麼就請便吧，」老鴨子說。於是她就告辭了。
最後這只大蛋裂開了。「噼！噼！」新生的這個小傢伙叫著向外面爬。他是又大又丑。鴨媽媽把他瞧了一眼。「這個小鴨子大得怕人，」她說，「別的沒有一個像他；但是他一點也不像小吐綬雞！好吧，我們馬上就來試試看吧。他得到水裡去，我踢也要把他踢下水去。」第二天的天氣是又晴和，又美麗。太陽照在綠牛蒡上。鴨媽媽帶著她所有的孩子走到溪邊來。撲通！她跳進水裡去了。「呱！呱！」她叫著，於是小鴨子就一個接著一個跳下去。水淹到他們頭上，但是他們馬上又冒出來了，游得非常漂亮。他們的小腿很靈活地劃著。他們全都在水裡，連那個醜陋的灰色小傢伙也跟他們在一起游。
「唔，他不是一個吐綬雞，」她說，「你看他的腿劃得多靈活，他浮得多麼穩！他是我親生的孩子！如果你把他仔細看一看，他還算長得蠻漂亮呢。嘎！嘎！跟我一塊兒來吧，我把你們帶到廣大的世界上去，把那個養雞場介紹給你們看看。不過，你們得緊貼著我，免得別人踩著你們。你們還得當心貓兒呢！」
這樣，他們就到養雞場里來了。場里響起了一陣可怕的喧鬧聲，因為有兩個家族正在爭奪一個鱔魚頭，而結果貓兒卻把它搶走了。「你們瞧，世界就是這個樣子！」鴨媽媽說。她的嘴流了一點涎水，因為她也想吃那個鱔魚頭。「現在使用你們的腿吧！」她說。「你們拿出精神來。你們如果看到那兒的一個老母鴨，你們就得把頭低下來，因為她是這兒最有聲望的人物。她有西班牙的血統——因為她長得非常胖。你們看，她的腿上有一塊紅布條。這是一件非常出色的東西，也是一個鴨子可能得到的最大光榮：它的意義很大，說明人們不願意失去她，動物和人統統都得認識她。打起精神來吧——不要把腿子縮進去。一個有很好教養的鴨子總是把腿擺開的，像爸爸和媽媽一樣。好吧，低下頭來，說：『嘎』呀！」他們這樣做了。別的鴨子站在旁邊看著，同時用相當大的聲音說：「瞧！現在又來了一批找東西吃的客人，好像我們的人數還不夠多似的！呸！瞧那隻小鴨的一副丑相！我們真看不慣！」於是馬上有一隻鴨子飛過去，在他的脖頸上啄了一下。「請你們不要管他吧，」媽媽說，「他並不傷害誰呀！」「對，不過他長得太大、太特別了，」啄過他的那隻鴨子說，「因此他必須挨打！」「那個母鴨的孩子都很漂亮，」腿上有一條紅布的那個母鴨說，「他們都很漂亮，只有一隻是例外。這真是可惜。我希望能把他再孵一次。」
「那可不能，太太，」鴨媽媽回答說，「他不好看，但是他的脾氣非常好。他游起水來也不比別人差——我還可以說，游得比別人好呢。我想他會慢慢長得漂亮的，或者到適當的時候，他也可能縮小一點。他在蛋里躺得太久了，因此他的模樣有點不太自然。」她說著，同時在他的脖頸上啄了一下，把他的羽毛理了一理。「此外，他還是一隻公鴨呢，」她說，「所以關系也不太大。我想他的身體很結實，將來總會自己找到出路的。」「別的小鴨倒很可愛，」老母鴨說，「你在這兒不要客氣。如果你找到鱔魚頭，請把它送給我好了。」他們現在在這兒，就像在自己家裡一樣。
不過從蛋殼里爬出的那隻小鴨太丑了，到處挨打，被排擠，被譏笑，不僅在鴨群中是這樣，連在雞群中也是這樣。
「他真是又大又丑！」大家都說。有一隻雄吐綬雞生下來腳上就有距，因此他自以為是一個皇帝。他把自己吹得像一條鼓滿了風的帆船，來勢洶洶地向他走來，瞪著一雙大眼睛，臉上漲得通紅。這只可憐的小鴨不知道站在什麼地方，或者走到什麼地方去好。他覺得非常悲哀，因為自己長得那麼醜陋，而且成了全體雞鴨的一個嘲笑對象。
這是頭一天的情形。後來一天比一天糟。大家都要趕走這只可憐的小鴨；連他自己的兄弟姊妹也對他生氣起來。他們老是說：「你這個丑妖怪，希望貓兒把你抓去才好！」於是媽媽也說起來：「我希望你走遠些！」鴨兒們啄他。小雞打他，喂雞鴨的那個女傭人用腳來踢他。
於是他飛過籬笆逃走了；灌木林里的小鳥一見到他，就驚慌地向空中飛去。「這是因為我太丑了！」小鴨想。於是他閉起眼睛，繼續往前跑。他一口氣跑到一塊住著野鴨的沼澤地里。他在這兒躺了一整夜，因為他太累了，太喪氣了。
天亮的時候，野鴨都飛起來了。他們瞧了瞧這位新來的朋友。
「你是誰呀？」他們問。小鴨一下轉向這邊，一下轉向那邊，盡量對大家恭恭敬敬地行禮。
「你真是丑得厲害，」野鴨們說，「不過只要你不跟我們族裡任何鴨子結婚，對我們倒也沒有什麼大的關系。」可憐的小東西！他根本沒有想到什麼結婚；他只希望人家准許他躺在蘆葦里，喝點沼澤的水就夠了。
他在那兒躺了兩個整天。後來有兩只雁——嚴格地講，應該說是兩只公雁，因為他們是兩個男的——飛來了。他們從娘的蛋殼里爬出來還沒有多久，因此非常頑皮。「聽著，朋友，」他們說，「你丑得可愛，連我（註：這兒的「我」（jeg）是單數，跟前面的「他們說」不一致，但原文如此。）都禁不住要喜歡你了。你做一個候鳥，跟我們一塊兒飛走好嗎？另外有一塊沼澤地離這兒很近，那裡有好幾只活潑可愛的雁兒。她們都是小姐，都會說：『嘎！』你是那麼丑，可以在她們那兒碰碰你的運氣！」「噼！啪！」天空中發出一陣響聲。這兩只公雁落到蘆葦里，死了，把水染得鮮紅。「噼！啪！」又是一陣響聲。整群的雁兒都從蘆葦里飛起來，於是又是一陣槍聲響起來了。原來有人在大規模地打獵。獵人都埋伏在這沼澤地的周圍，有幾個人甚至坐在伸到蘆葦上空的樹枝上。藍色的煙霧像雲塊似地籠罩著這些黑樹，慢慢地在水面上向遠方漂去。這時，獵狗都普通普通地在泥濘里跑過來，燈芯草和蘆葦向兩邊倒去。這對於可憐的小鴨說來真是可怕的事情！他把頭掉過來，藏在翅膀里。不過，正在這時候，一隻駭人的大獵狗緊緊地站在小鴨的身邊。它的舌頭從嘴裡伸出很長，眼睛發出醜惡和可怕的光。它把鼻子頂到這小鴨的身上，露出了尖牙齒，可是——撲通！撲通！——它跑開了，沒有把他抓走。
「啊，謝謝老天爺！」小鴨嘆了一口氣，「我丑得連獵狗也不要咬我了！」他安靜地躺下來。槍聲還在蘆葦里響著，槍彈一發接著一發地射出來。
天快要暗的時候，四周才靜下來。可是這只可憐的小鴨還不敢站起來。他等了好幾個鍾頭，才敢向四周望一眼，於是他急忙跑出這塊沼澤地，拚命地跑，向田野上跑，向牧場上跑。這時吹起一陣狂風，他跑起來非常困難。到天黑的時候，他來到一個簡陋的農家小屋。它是那麼殘破，甚至不知道應該向哪一邊倒才好——因此它也就沒有倒。狂風在小鴨身邊號叫得非常厲害，他只好面對著它坐下來。它越吹越凶。於是他看到那門上的鉸鏈有一個已經鬆了，門也歪了，他可以從空隙鑽進屋子裡去，他便鑽進去了。
屋子裡有一個老太婆和她的貓兒，還有一隻母雞住在一起。她把這只貓兒叫「小兒子」。他能把背拱得很高，發出咪咪的叫聲來；他的身上還能迸出火花，不過要他這樣做，你就得倒摸他的毛。母雞的腿又短又小，因此她叫「短腿雞兒」。她生下的蛋很好，所以老太婆把她愛得像自己的親生孩子一樣。
第二天早晨，人們馬上注意到了這只來歷不明的小鴨。那隻貓兒開始咪咪地叫，那隻母雞也咯咯地喊起來。「這是怎麼一回事兒？」老太婆說，同時朝四周看。不過她的眼睛有點花，所以她以為小鴨是一隻肥鴨，走錯了路，才跑到這兒來了。「這真是少有的運氣！」她說，「現在我可以有鴨蛋了。我只希望他不是一隻公鴨才好！我們得弄個清楚！」
這樣，小鴨就在這里受了三個星期的考驗，可是他什麼蛋也沒有生下來。那隻貓兒是這家的紳士，那隻母雞是這家的太太，所以他們一開口就說：「我們和這世界！」因為他們以為他們就是半個世界，而且還是最好的那一半呢。小鴨覺得自己可以有不同的看法，但是他的這種態度，母雞卻忍受不了。
「你能夠生蛋嗎？」她問。
「不能！」
「那麼就請你不要發表意見。」
於是雄貓說：「你能拱起背，發出咪咪的叫聲和迸出火花嗎？」
「不能！」
「那麼，當有理智的人在講話的時候，你就沒有發表意見的必要！」
小鴨坐在一個牆角里，心情非常不好。這時他想起了新鮮空氣和太陽光。他覺得有一種奇怪的渴望：他想到水裡去游泳。最後他實在忍不住了，就不得不把心事對母雞說出來。「你在起什麼念頭？」母雞問。「你沒有事情可干，所以你才有這些怪想頭。你只要生幾個蛋，或者咪咪地叫幾聲，那麼你這些怪想頭也就會沒有了。」
「不過，在水裡游泳是多麼痛快呀！」小鴨說。「讓水淹在你的頭上，往水底一鑽，那是多麼痛快呀！」
「是的，那一定很痛快！」母雞說，「你簡直在發瘋。你去問問貓兒吧——在我所認識的一切朋友當中，他是最聰明的——你去問問他喜歡不喜歡在水裡游泳，或者鑽進水裡去。我先不講我自己。你去問問你的主人——那個老太婆——吧，世界上再也沒有比她更聰明的
人了！你以為她想去游泳，讓水淹在她的頭頂上嗎？」
「你們不了解我，」小鴨說。
「我們不了解你？那麼請問誰了解你呢？你決不會比貓兒和女主人更聰明吧——我先不提我自己。孩子，你不要自以為了不起吧！你現在得到這些照顧，你應該感謝上帝。你現在到一個溫暖的屋子裡來，有了一些朋友，而且還可以向他們學習很多的東西，不是嗎？不過你是一個廢物，跟你在一起真不痛快。你可以相信我，我對你說這些不好聽的話，完全是為了幫助你呀。只有這樣，你才知道誰是你的真正朋友！請你注意學習生蛋，或者咪咪地叫，或者迸出火花吧！」
「我想我還是走到廣大的世界上去好，」小鴨說。
「好吧，你去吧！」母雞說。
於是小鴨就走了。他一會兒在水上游，一會兒鑽進水裡去；不過，因為他的樣子丑，所有的動物都瞧不其他。秋天到來了。樹林里的葉子變成了黃色和棕色。風捲起它們，把它們帶到空中飛舞，而空中是很冷的。雲塊沉重地載著冰雹和雪花，低低地懸著。烏鴉站在籬笆上，凍得只管叫：「呱！呱！」是的，你只要想想這情景，就會覺得冷了。這只可憐的小鴨的確沒有一個舒服的時候。
一天晚上，當太陽正在美麗地落下去的時候，有一群漂亮的大鳥從灌木林里飛出來，小鴨從來沒有看到過這樣美麗的東西。他們白得發亮，頸項又長又柔軟。這就是天鵝。他們發出一種奇異的叫聲，展開美麗的長翅膀，從寒冷的地帶飛向溫暖的國度，飛向不結冰的湖上去。
他們飛得很高——那麼高，丑小鴨不禁感到一種說不出的興奮。他在水上像一個車輪似地不停地旋轉著，同時，把自己的頸項高高地向他們伸著，發出一種響亮的怪叫聲，連他自己也害怕起來。啊！他再也忘記不了這些美麗的鳥兒，這些幸福的鳥兒。當他看不見他們的時候，就沉入水底；但是當他再冒到水面上來的時候，卻感到非常空虛。他不知道這些鳥兒的名字，也不知道他們要向什麼地方飛去。不過他愛他們，好像他從來還沒有愛過什麼東西似的。他並不嫉妒他們。他怎能夢想有他們那樣美麗呢？只要別的鴨兒准許他跟他們生活在一起，他就已經很滿意了——可憐的丑東西。
冬天變得很冷，非常的冷！小鴨不得不在水上游來游去，免得水面完全凍結成冰。不過他游動的這個小范圍，一晚比一晚縮小。水凍得厲害，人們可以聽到冰塊的碎裂聲。小鴨只好用他的一雙腿不停地游動，免得水完全被冰封閉。最後，他終於昏倒了，躺著動也不動，跟冰塊結在一起。
大清早，有一個農民在這兒經過。他看到了這只小鴨，就走過去用木屐把冰塊踏破，然後把他抱回來，送給他的女人。他這時才漸漸地恢復了知覺。小孩子們都想要跟他玩，不過小鴨以為他們想要傷害他。他一害怕就跳到牛奶盤里去了，把牛奶濺得滿屋子都是。女人驚叫起來，拍著雙手。這么一來，小鴨就飛到黃油盆里去了，然後就飛進麵粉桶里去了，最後才爬出來。這時他的樣子才好看呢！女人尖聲地叫起來，拿著火鉗要打他。小孩們擠做一團，想抓住這小鴨。他們又是笑，又是叫！——幸好大門是開著的。他鑽進灌木林中新下的雪裡面去。他躺在那裡，幾乎像昏倒了一樣。要是只講他在這嚴冬所受到困苦和災難，那麼這個故事也就太悲慘了。當太陽又開始溫暖地照著的時候，他正躺在沼澤地的蘆葦里。百靈鳥唱起歌來了——這是一個美麗的春天。忽然間他舉起翅膀：翅膀拍起來比以前有力得多，馬上就把他托起來飛走了。他不知不覺地已經飛進了一座大花園。這兒蘋果樹正開著花；紫丁香在散發著香氣，它又長又綠的枝條垂到彎彎曲曲的溪流上。啊，這兒美麗極了，充滿了春天的氣息！三隻美麗的白天鵝從樹蔭里一直游到他面前來。他們輕飄飄地浮在水上，羽毛發出颼颼的響聲。小鴨認出這些美麗的動物，於是心裡感到一種說不出的難過。
「我要飛向他們，飛向這些高貴的鳥兒！可是他們會把我弄死的，因為我是這樣丑，居然敢接近他們。不過這沒有什麼關系！被他們殺死，要比被鴨子咬、被雞群啄，被看管養雞場的那個女傭人踢和在冬天受苦好得多！」於是他飛到水裡，向這些美麗的天鵝游去：這些動物看到他，馬上就豎起羽毛向他游來。「請你們弄死我吧！」這只可憐的動物說。他把頭低低地垂到水上，只等待著死。但是他在這清澈的水上看到了什麼呢？他看到了自己的倒影。但那不再是一隻粗笨的、深灰色的、又丑又令人討厭的鴨子，而卻是——一隻天鵝！只要你曾經在一隻天鵝蛋里待過，就算你是生在養鴨場里也沒有什麼關系。
對於他過去所受的不幸和苦惱，他現在感到非常高興。他現在清楚地認識到幸福和美正在向他招手。——許多大天鵝在他周圍游泳，用嘴來親他。
花園里來了幾個小孩子。他們向水上拋來許多麵包片和麥粒。最小的那個孩子喊道：「你們看那隻新天鵝！」別的孩子也興高采烈地叫起來：「是的，又來了一隻新的天鵝！」於是他們拍著手，跳起舞來，向他們的爸爸和媽媽跑去。他們拋了更多的麵包和糕餅到水裡，同時大家都說：「這新來的一隻最美！那麼年輕，那麼好看！」那些老天鵝不禁在他面前低下頭來。
他感到非常難為情。他把頭藏到翅膀裡面去，不知道怎麼辦才好。他感到太幸福了，但他一點也不驕傲，因為一顆好的心是永遠不會驕傲的。他想其他曾經怎樣被人迫害和譏笑過，而他現在卻聽到大家說他是美麗的鳥中最美麗的一隻鳥兒。紫丁香在他面前把枝條垂到水裡去。太陽照得很溫暖，很愉快。他扇動翅膀，伸直細長的頸項，從內心裡發出一個快樂的聲音：
「當我還是一隻丑小鴨的時候，我做夢也沒有想到會有這么的幸福！」

E. 英語故事～

Little Red Riding Hood

Once upon a time there was a dear little girl who was loved by everyone who looked at her, but most of all by her grandmother, and there was nothing that she would not have given to the child. Once she gave her a little riding hood of red velvet, which suited her so well that she would never wear anything else; so she was always called 'Little Red Riding Hood.'
One day her mother said to her: 'Come, Little Red Riding Hood, here is a piece of cake and a bottle of wine; take them to your grandmother, she is ill and weak, and they will do her good. Set out before it gets hot, and when you are going, walk nicely and quietly and do not run off the path, or you may fall and break the bottle, and then your grandmother will get nothing; and when you go into her room, don't forget to say, "Good morning", and don't peep into every corner before you do it.'
'I will take great care,' said Little Red Riding Hood to her mother, and gave her hand on it.
The grandmother lived out in the wood, half a league from the village, and just as Little Red Riding Hood entered the wood, a wolf met her. Red Riding Hood did not know what a wicked creature he was, and was not at all afraid of him.
'Good day, Little Red Riding Hood,' said he.
'Thank you kindly, wolf.'
'Whither away so early, Little Red Riding Hood?'
'To my grandmother's.'
'What have you got in your apron?'
'Cake and wine; yesterday was baking-day, so poor sick grandmother is to have something good, to make her stronger.'
'Where does your grandmother live, Little Red Riding Hood?'
'A good quarter of a league farther on in the wood; her house stands under the three large oak-trees, the nut-trees are just below; you surely must know it,' replied Little Red Riding Hood.
The wolf thought to himself: 'What a tender young creature! what a nice plump mouthful - she will be better to eat than the old woman. I must act craftily, so as to catch both.'
So he walked for a short time by the side of Little Red Riding Hood, and then he said: 'See, Little Red Riding Hood, how pretty the flowers are about here - why do you not look round? I believe, too, that you do not hear how sweetly the little birds are singing; you walk gravely along as if you were going to school, while everything else out here in the wood is merry.'

< 2 >

Little Red Riding Hood raised her eyes, and when she saw the sunbeams dancing here and there through the trees, and pretty flowers growing everywhere, she thought: 'Suppose I take grandmother a fresh nosegay; that would please her too. It is so early in the day that I shall still get there in good time.'
So she ran from the path into the wood to look for flowers. And whenever she had picked one, she fancied that she saw a still prettier one farther on, and ran after it, and so got deeper and deeper into the wood.
Meanwhile the wolf ran straight to the grandmother's house and knocked at the door.
'Who is there?'
'Little Red Riding Hood,' replied the wolf. 'She is bringing cake and wine; open the door.'
'Lift the latch,' called out the grandmother, 'I am too weak, and cannot get up.'
The wolf lifted the latch, the door sprang open, and without saying a word he went straight to the grandmother's bed, and devoured her. Then he put on her clothes, dressed himself in her cap, laid himself in bed and drew the curtains.
Little Red Riding Hood, however, had been running about picking flowers, and when she had gathered so many that she could carry no more, she remembered her grandmother, and set out on the way to her.
She was surprised to find the cottage-door standing open, and when she went into the room, she had such a strange feeling that she said to herself: 'Oh dear! how uneasy I feel today, and at other times I like being with grandmother so much.' She called out: 'Good morning,' but received no answer; so she went to the bed and drew back the curtains. There lay her grandmother with her cap pulled far over her face, and looking very strange.
'Oh! grandmother,' she said, 'what big ears you have!'
'All the better to hear you with, my child,' was the reply.
'But, grandmother, what big eyes you have!' she said.
'All the better to see you with, my dear.'
'But, grandmother, what large hands you have!'
'All the better to hug you with.'
'Oh! but, grandmother, what a terrible big mouth you have!'
'All the better to eat you with!'
And scarcely had the wolf said this, than with one bound he was out of bed and swallowed up Red Riding Hood.

< 3 >

When the wolf had appeased his appetite, he lay down again in the bed, fell asleep and began to snore very loud.
The huntsman was just passing the house, and thought to himself: 'How the old woman is snoring! I must just see if she wants anything.' So he went into the room, and when he came to the bed, he saw that the wolf was lying in it.
'Do I find you here, you old sinner!' said he. 'I have long sought you!' But just as he was going to fire at him, it occurred to him that the wolf might have devoured the grandmother, and that she might still be saved, so he did not fire, but took a pair of scissors, and began to cut open the stomach of the sleeping wolf.
When he had made two snips, he saw the little red riding hood shining, and then he made two snips more, and the little girl sprang out, crying: 'Ah, how frightened I have been! How dark it was inside the wolf.'
After that the aged grandmother came out alive also, but scarcely able to breathe. Red Riding Hood, however, quickly fetched great stones with which they filled the wolf's belly, and when he awoke, he wanted to run away, but the stones were so heavy that he collapsed at once, and fell dead.
Then all three were delighted. The huntsman drew off the wolf's skin and went home with it; the grandmother ate the cake and drank the wine which Red Riding Hood had brought, and revived. But Red Riding Hood thought to herself: 'As long as I live, I will never leave the path by myself to run into the wood, when my mother has forbidden me to do so.'

It is also related that once, when Red Riding Hood was again taking cakes to the old grandmother, another wolf spoke to her, and tried to entice her from the path. Red Riding Hood, however, was on her guard, and went straight forward on her way, and told her grandmother that she had met the wolf, and that he had said 'good morning' to her, but with such a wicked look in his eyes, that if they had not been on the public road she was certain he would have eaten her up.

< 4 >

'Well,' said the grandmother, 'we will shut the door, so that he can not come in.'
Soon afterwards the wolf knocked, and cried: 'Open the door, grandmother, I am Little Red Riding Hood, and am bringing you some cakes.'
But they did not speak, or open the door, so the grey-beard stole twice or thrice round the house, and at last jumped on the roof, intending to wait until Red Riding Hood went home in the evening, and then to steal after her and devour her in the darkness. But the grandmother saw what was in his thoughts.
In front of the house was a great stone trough, so she said to the child: 'Take the pail, Red Riding Hood; I made some sausages yesterday, so carry the water in which I boiled them to the trough.'
Red Riding Hood carried until the great trough was quite full. Then the smell of the sausages reached the wolf, and he sniffed and peeped down, and at last stretched out his neck so far that he could no longer keep his footing and began to slip, and slipped down from the roof straight into the great trough, and was drowned. But Red Riding Hood went joyously home, and no one ever did anything to harm her again.

F. 英語典故

I did my best to avoid showing pleasure but what I was feeling was pure delight at this demonstration that my words had the power to make people laugh. In the eleventh grade, at the eleventh hour as it were, I had discovered a calling. 課文注釋將劃線部分解釋為:「just before it is too late, at the last moment」。(我盡力不流露出得意的心情，但看到我寫的文章竟能使人大笑,我真是心花怒放。就在十一年級，可謂是最後的時刻，我找到了一個今生想做的事。）

G. 英語故事（越簡單越好）

2．The Dog and the Wolf
A wolf was almost dead with hunger. A house-dog saw him, and asked, "Friend, your irregular life will soon ruin you.
"Why don't you work steadily as I do, and get your food regularly?"
"I would have no objection," said the wolf, "if I could only get a place." "I will help you," said the dog. "Come with me to my master, and you shall share my work."
So the wolf and the dog went to the town together.
On the way the wolf saw that there was no hair around the dog's neck.
He felt quite surprised, and asked him why it was like that?
"Oh, it is nothing," said the dog. "Every night my master puts a collar around my neck and chains me up. You will soon get used to it.『
"Is that the only reason?" said the wolf. "Then good-bye to you, my friend. I would rather be free."
狗和狼
一隻狼快要餓死了，一隻狗看見後問他：「你現在的無規律的生活一定會毀掉你，為什麼不像我一樣穩定地幹活並有規律地獲得食物呢?」
狼說：「如果我有個地方住，我沒有意見。」狗回答說：「跟我到主人那裡去，我們一起工作。」於是狼和狗一起回到了村子。
在路上，狼注意到狗的脖子上有一圈沒有毛，他很奇怪地問為什麼會那樣。
「噢，沒有什麼，」狗說，「我的主人每天晚上都用一條鐵鏈子拴住我，你很快就會習慣的。」「就是因為這個原因嗎?」狼說道，「那麼，再見了，我的朋友，我寧願選擇自由。」

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H. 英語諺語典故，急

運動英語小典故：10個最常見的表達

英語中有許多慣用語 （idiom）都是源自各種運動術語。這些慣用語除了用做字面的意思之外，經常還含有隱喻（metaphor） 的意思。
[田徑]track and field jump the gun：（字面）偷跑。田徑比賽時，裁判還沒有鳴槍，選手就搶先起跑了。（比喻）過早採取行動。如果用在合唱，某人提前唱出某音時，就是「放炮」。
[美式足球]American football Monday morning quarterback： （字面）周一早晨的四分衛。美國電視在足球季的每個星期天都會轉播一場比賽。由於是現場節目，結果立刻分曉。等到第二天早晨看了報紙才發表『真知灼見』，為時以晚矣！（比喻） 事後諸葛亮；放馬後炮。
[拳擊]boxing have a glass jaw： （字面）有個玻璃做的下顎。在拳擊賽中，下顎像是玻璃做的，一被擊中就不支倒地。（比喻） 不堪一擊。
[馬術]horseback riding get on one's high horse：（字面）騎上一匹高大的馬。從前，馬術師自以為騎馬的人高高在上，所以比用腳走路的人優越。（比喻） 擺出傲慢的態度；擺高姿態。
[高爾夫]golf not up to par： （字面）沒有達到標准桿數。高爾夫球戲中，每一洞依難度及遠近有一標准桿數，例如第一洞的標准桿數是四桿。因此，桿數越低越好。若擊出超過標准桿數，沒有達到一般水平，就是 not up to par. （比喻）做事情沒有達到應有的標准；也可以說是失常。注意：up to par 不用於肯定句。
[鬥牛]bullfighting take the bull by the horns：（字面）鬥牛比賽時，鬥牛士常握著牛角以扳倒牛，這是一項艱難又危險的動作。（比喻）採取果敢的行動應付艱難的局面；面對困難採取行動。雖然字面的意思上像是中文裡的『執牛耳』，而『執牛耳』的英文卻可以用 rule the roost [roast] 來表達。
[游泳]swimming sink or swim： （字面）遇到河流時，沉到水底或游泳逃生。 （比喻）不成功便成仁。
[網球]tennis The ball is in your court.： （字面）該由你發球了。許多運動的場地以網隔開，並由雙方輪流發球，像網球、排球、羽毛球等。（比喻）輪到該你負責了；輪到你採取行動了。
[賽馬]horse racing neck and neck： （字面）賽馬時兩馬頸部同時抵達終點，即以平手論。（比喻）並駕齊驅；不分勝負；不相上下；不分軒輊。
[籃球]basketball The game isn't over until the fat lady sings.： （字面）胖婦人未唱歌前，比賽不算結束。這是達拉斯小牛隊前教練 Dick Motta 的一句名言，指一場比賽緊張激烈，不到結束時刻，仍然勝負未卜。在歌劇中，往往在結束前的高潮便是由一位身材豐滿的女聲樂家表演。胖婦人開始唱歌是比喻比賽將要結束。（比喻） 比賽不到最後一刻不知鹿死誰手。