英语是世界上通用的语言，而英语的学习是很枯燥的，想要学好英语不妨先从阅读英语故事开始。从英文故事中学习，提高英文水平。从故事中学习，学到人生的哲理。
Long ago, there was a big cat in the house. He caught many mice while they were stealing food.
One day the mice had a meeting to talk about the way to deal with their common enemy. Some said this, and some said that.
At last a young mouse got up, and said that he had a good idea.
"We could tie a bell around the neck of the cat. Then when he comes near, we can hear the sound of the bell, and run away."
Everyone approved of this proposal, but an old wise mouse got up and said, "That is all very well, but who will tie the bell to the cat?" The mice looked at each other, but nobody spoke.
At the end of the Qin Dynasty(221-206 B.C.) the State of Chu and the State of Han fought for control for the country. Xiang Yu, the king of Chu, was besieged(包围) at a place called Gaixia by the Han army led by Liu Bang. Xiang Yu was in a desperate situation, with little food and only a few soliders. At night, the surrounding Han troops started to sing Chu folk songs. Xiang Yu was very surprised at this, and said:"Has Liu Bang occupied the whole of Chu? How can he have drafted so many Chu people into his army?" Then he fled together with the remainder of his forces.
This idiom is used metaphorically to mean to be in a helpless and critical situation, surrounded by the enemy on all sides.
项羽和刘邦原来约定以鸿沟(在今河南荣县境贾鲁河)东西� 后来刘邦听从张良和陈平的规劝，觉得应该趁项羽衰弱的时候消灭他，就又和韩信、彭越、刘贾会合兵力追击正在向东开往彭城(即今江苏徐州)的项羽部队。终于布置了几层兵力，把项羽紧紧围在垓下(在今安徽灵璧县东南)。这时，项羽手下的兵士已经很少，粮食又没有了。夜里听见四面围住他的军队都唱起楚地的民歌，不禁非常吃惊地说：“刘邦已经得到了楚地了吗？为什么他的部队里面楚人这么多呢？”说看，心里已丧失了斗志，便从床上爬起来，在营帐里面喝酒，并和他最宠爱的妃子虞姬一同唱歌。唱完，直掉眼泪，在一旁的人也非常难过，都觉得抬不起头来。虞姬自刎于项羽的马前，项羽英雄末路，带了仅剩兵卒至乌江，最终自刎于江边。
以后人们就用“四面楚歌”这个词，形容人们遭受各方面攻击或逼迫，而陷于孤立窘迫的境地。凡是陷于此种境地者，其命运往往是很悲惨的。例如某人因经常与坏人为伍，不事生产，游手好闲，但后来却被那些坏人逼迫得无以为生，而求助于别人时，别人又因他平�
郭氏之墟
On a vacation trip, Duke Huan of the state of Qi came to the ruin of the capital of Guo Shi , which perished long ago.
Seeing the desolate and bleak prospects of broken tiles, collapsed walls, and clusters of weeds, he could not help asking the local people about the reason of the ruin of Guo Shi.
They replied,"Guo Shi was fond of doing good deeds, and averse to evildoing, which led to the perdition."
When the Duke could not understand the answer, people explained ," Though he liked doing good, he had never been able to do so; though he hated evildoing, never could he help not participating. That caused the ruin of his capital."
齐桓公出游途中，来到已经灭亡许久的郭氏都城的废墟。
看到瓦砾残垣、杂草丛生的萧条景象，忍不住问当地百姓郭氏灭亡的原因。
百姓们回答说："郭氏由于喜爱善行善事。厌恶邪恶丑行而导致灭亡。"
齐桓公不能理解这种回答，百姓们便解释说："郭氏虽然喜爱善行善事，但从来都不能做到；尽管厌恶邪恶丑行，却总是忍不住参与其中。这就是他的都城变成废墟的原因。"
Better late than never
Once upon a time there lived a nomadic, raise dozens of sheep, grazing during the day, night into a with straw and wooden objects inside the shelter.
One morning, the herdsmen to the sheep, found little a sheep. Original pen broke a hole, night Wolf out of the hole drilled to come in, put a sheep diao away.
Neighbor advised him said: "the sheepfold quickly repaired, the hole plug. "
He said: "the sheep have been lost, but also to repair the sheep pen do? " Didnt accept his neighbors kind advice.
The next morning, he went to sheep and found a sheep was missing. Originally the Wolf from the inside of the hole into the sheepfold, and walked a sheep diao.
The herdsmen regret not to recognize directly by the neighbors advice, to take timely remedial measures. So he quickly plug that hole, again from the overall reinforcement, firmly and mend the sheepfold.
Since then, the sheep herders have never been Wolf diao has come.
Herdsmens story tells us: make a mistake, suffer setbacks, it is a common phenomenon. As long as can learn seriously, to take remedial measures in time, can avoid continue to make mistakes, suffer greater losses.
翻译：亡羊补牢
从前有一个牧民，养了几十只羊，白天放牧，晚上赶进一个用柴草和木桩等物围起来的羊圈内。
一天早晨，这个牧民去放羊，发现羊少了一只。原来羊圈破了个窟窿，夜间有狼从窟窿里钻了进来，把一只羊叼走了。
邻居劝告他说：“赶快把羊圈修一修，堵上那个窟窿吧。”他说：“羊已经丢了，还去修羊圈干什么呢？”没有接受邻居的好心劝告。
第二天早上，他去放羊，发现又少了一只羊。原来狼又从窟窿里钻进羊圈，又叼走了一只羊。
这位牧民很后悔没有认直接受邻居的劝告，去及时采取补救措施。于是，他赶紧堵上那个窟窿，又从整体进行加固，把羊圈修得牢牢实实的。
从此，这个牧民的羊就再也没有被野狼叼走过了。
牧民的故事告诉我们：犯了错误，遭到挫折，这是常见的现象。只要能认真吸取教训，及时采取补救措施，就可以避免继续犯错误，遭受更大的损失。
The Second World War had begun,and John wanted to join the army,but he was only 16 years old,and boys were allowed to join only if they were over 18.So when the army doctor examined him,he said that he was 18.
But John's brother had joined the army a few days before,and the same doctor had examined him too.This doctor remembered the older boy's family name,so when he saw John's papers,he was surprised.
"How old are you?" he said.
"Eighteen,sir," said John.
"But your brother was eighteen,too," said the doctor."Are you twins?"
"Oh,no,sir," said John,and his face went red."My brother is five months older than I am."
laugh out of the other side of your mouth
乐极生悲
Chunyu Kun (淳于髡) lived in the state of Qi (齐国) during the Warring States Period (战国，475-221 BC).He was wise, humorous and eloquent. He skillfully advised the king on many occasions and successfully went to many states as an envoy.
战国时期，齐国有个叫淳于髡的人。他幽默机智，能说会道，给齐威王出过许多好主意，并且成功出使了许多其他的国家。
In the year 349 BC, the State of Chu (楚国) dispatched a large force to attack Qi.
公元349年，楚国派出大批军队攻打齐国。
The king of Qi sent Chunyu Kun to the state of Zhao (赵国) to ask for help, with a lot of valuable gifts.
齐王派淳于髡去赵国寻求帮助，于是他带着许多贵重的礼品去了赵国。
The king of Zhao accpeted the gifts gladly and sent a hundred thousand troops to help Qi.
赵王见了礼物十分高兴，派了十万士兵去援助齐国。
The king of Chu withdrew his army that very night as soon as he got the news.
那天晚上，楚王得到这消息，马上撤回了自己的军队。
The king of Qi was released and pleased with Chunyu Kun. He set a banquet for celebration.
齐威王松了一口气，十分满意淳于髡的表现，并决定设宴为他庆功。
During the meal, the king asked Chunyu Kun, "How much wine can you drink before you're drunk, Sir?"
在宴会上，齐威王问淳于髡：“先生你喝多少酒会醉？”
Knowing the king had a bad habit of drinking all night, Chunyu Kun decided to take this chance to admonish the king. So he replied, "I get drunk when I drink ten litres or hundred."
他幽默地回答说：“我有时喝一升酒就会醉，有时喝一百升酒才会醉。”
Puzzled, the king asked, "Since you are drunk after ten litres, how can you finish another ninty litres?"
齐威王听了很奇怪。他问：“你喝一升已经醉了，怎么还会有喝一百升的道理呢？”
Chunyu Kun then explained that he could drink different amounts of wine under different conditions. He said, "This occurs to me that when you drink to your limit, you get so drunk that you lose your sense; once joy reaches its height, then it's sorrow's turn. This is the rule for everything. Whatever you do, you are bound to end up in the opposite direction when you exceed the limits."
Myra told Myron that they shouldn't see each other for a while.Her doctor had suggested that she take a short vacation from her job and a long vacation from Myron.
"What did you tell him about me?" Myron asked.
She told her doctor that she had dreams about Myron leaving her.She sometimes dreamed that he pushed her out of his car in the middle of nowhere.She would be crying on the side of the road in the middle of the night,cold and scared,as the taillights disappeared.
"What kind of dream is that?" Myron's voice was loud.“Do you think I would ever do that to you?" She said that she didn't know.
"You don't know?! Of course I wouldn't do that to you! I love you!"
Myra asked Myron to lower his voice.She no longer believed that he loved day,feeling low and insecure,she had told Myron that it would be nice to get away for the weekend.Perhaps they could go to a quiet resort in the mountains.He told her that he was playing golf that Saturday.Maybe they could go to a resort another time.She was astounded.
"I needed you that weekend.Instead,you preferred to play there is a shadow on my heart that nothing can remove," she told him sadly.
Jim found work in a shop two years White,the shopkeeper,trusts the able young man and pays him more.He's happy and works harder.
Once Jim knew a beautiful girl called Mabel at a friend's party.They danced several times and fell deeply in love.But Mabel's parents didn't agree to marry their daughter to a poor young man.So they began to travel in America and didn't let the girl come back to London.She wrote a letter to Jim and told him about it.Of course the young man hadn't enough money to go to see her.He was so sad that he began to drink.
It was Saturday one day.Jim didn't go to work.He came to a bar and sat down to drink again.Just then Mike,an old friend of his,came in.Jim asked him to drink with ,he told Mike all and the young man felt sorry for him.But he didn't know what to do,either.Then they stopped talking and drank.After a while they were both drunk and left.
Mike wanted to take his friend home.When they passed a zoo,they went in and walked to a cage in which there were two tigers.Having seen them,a tiger roared.Mike was afraid and said,“Let's go.It's dangerous to stand here.”
Bill,Jim,and Scott were at a convention together and were sharing a large suite on the top of a 75 story sky-scraper.After a long day of meetings they were shocked to hear
that the elevators in their hotel were broken and they would have to climb 75 flights of stairs to get to their room.Bill said to Jim and Scott,let's break the monotony of this
unpleasant task by concentrating on something interesting.I'll tell jokes for 25 flights,and Jim can sing songs for 25 flights,and Scott can tell sad stories the rest of the way.At the 26th floor Bill stopped telling jokes and Jim began to sing.At the 51st floor Jim stopped singing and Scott began to tell sad stories." I will tell my saddest story first," he said.
"I left the room key in the car!"
"Bang! Bang!" At that time,a hunter shot his gun.The two wild ducks fell down dead to the ground."Uh? What is this small bird?" The hunter took home the awkward little baby duck along with the two wild ducks.
"Dad,what is this poor-looking bird?" "I took it with me in order to give it to you,my son.It was trembling with fear in the water." The children gave a hard time to the baby duck by pulling its wings and tail.
"That hurts! Ow!" The baby duck spilled a jug of milk while running away from the cruel hands of the children.The dishes on the table were also broken.The angry hunter sent out the baby duck with a flourish of his broomstick.And so the after being cast out from the house of the hunter,the ugly duckling spent a long and cold winter alone.
There once was a rose bush in full bloom in a big garden.An elf was living in the most beautiful rose in the garden,and she was so small that people could not see her.She had long blond hair to her toes and beautiful wings.
One day,it got dark before she got home.She had been dancing and flying around so she didn't have time to get back to the rose bush.Suddenly,the weather got cold,evening dew started to fall,and a strong wind began to blow.She could not stay in the other flowers because they were all closed up.
"What am I going to do now? It's too cold." She got scared because she had never stayed outside at night.There was a twinkling light from the other side of the garden."It's too cold,and I am scared.Maybe I should spend tonight there."
This traffic report is sponsored by Cerritos Auto people buy their car from Cerritos Auto Square than anywhere else in the world.KFWB news time,8:01,with traffic on the ones.A cleanup is still underway from a SigAlert in Commerce,northbound at Washington Boulevard.The right lane is closed,and also the Washington onramp is closed.They're mopping up from an earlier diesel fuel spill.
We have several other problems out there right now.In Pasadena,some wooden boxes are in the1lane on the eastbound 210 at Lake.Be on the lookout,because the faster you're going,the quicker you'll come up on them.Eastbound 60 in Santa Fe Springs,just before Grand Ave.,there's an accident.A couple of cars in the2lane.Then in Pacoima,118 westbound after San Fernando Road,an injury accident.A car went over the side.It's partly hanging over the side of the freeway.CHP and emergency crews are both on the way,so watch for activity on the right shoulder.
In Vernon,710 northbound before Bandini,watch for a broken-down car on the right shoulder.It's partly sticking into the right lane.A tow truck is en route.Finally,on the westbound 10 before Fairfax,there's a roll of carpet,a ladder,and a lawn mower in the3and4lanes.
There once lived an old dog.When he was young,he was a great hunter and his master loved him very ,though,he was becoming slow and weak.
One day,the old dog and his master were walking in the forest.The dog saw a pig and chased it.He caught the pig by its ear,but his teeth were weak and the pig got away.
"My teeth were much stronger when I was young," thought the dog."I hope my master isn't mad."
When the master saw the pig run away,he was angry."You useless dog!" he shouted."What will my family eat tonight?"
The dog was sad."Master," he said,"it is not my fault that I'm old.For many years,I've helped you to feed your family.Am I worth nothing to you now?"
The master realized that he was wrong."You're right," he said."I shouldn't blame you for being old.I should praise you for all your years of service."
The Butterfly arrived at the place filled with apple tree flowers."Tomorrow,the apple tree flower will fade along with the wind even if she is blooming today." The apple tree flower wasn't good enough to be the butterfly's bride,either.
There was a pea flower."Wow,she is very splendid!" Pea flowers were in elegant bloom with red and white colors.The Butterfly liked the pea flower because she was neither too lonely nor too dazzling.
"Hi,Miss Pea flower?" Butterfly flew closer to her to ask to be his bride.Then,he caught sight of a messy flower hanging on a leaf with a withered bean chaff.He ran away in a hurry after seeing that.
In this way,spring and summer passed.But the butterfly still could not find his bride.Autumn day Butterfly smelled a strong scent while he was flying.There was a peppermint in the field.
"That's great.Even though peppermint does not have any flowers,her leaves have a very strong scent.Peppermint's leaves are the same as flowers.I will make her my bride." Butterfly flew next to the peppermint and asked,"Miss Peppermint,would you please be my bride?"
Then the peppermint said,"Mr.Butterfly,it is autumn now.You and I are too old.Don't tell me about 'being your bride' any more." In the end,Butterfly could not find any bride.
Tourists from around the world visit Hollywood.Buses take them past the Hollywood sign.At Grauman's Chinese Theater,they press their hands into the imprints of movie stars who long ago pressed their hands into wet pause at the gold stars in the sidewalks with the movie stars' names on them.
Buses drive past movie stars' hope to see a star chatting with friends or tanning by the pool.Unfortunately,most of the houses are behind high hedges or down long winding driveways; tourists are lucky to even see a chimney.
And finally,tourists take pictures everywhere and with everyone.A popular picture opportunity in Hollywood is with movie characters like Chewbacca from "Star Wars."
However,Chewbacca might not be so popular anymore.Last week,outside Grauman's,Chewbacca gave two young female tourists a hard time.He kept trying to hug them as they took pictures of each other.The tour bus driver yelled at Chewbacca to leave the ladies alone.Chewbacca took off his headpiece,walked over to the driver,and head-butted him.The driver fell to the sidewalk.Someone called 911,and the cops came and arrested Chewbacca.
Chewbacca was not apologetic."Women come to America looking for Prince Charming,and here I am!" he shouted to all.
"I hope they leave him in jail," said a tourist,who saw the whole incident."That guy's an idiot."
During the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), prince Zhou Xu of the State of Wei killed his brother and became the new emperor. Zhou Xu was a tyrant. He oppressed his people and indulged in wars of agGREssion. By launching wars, he tried to divert the people's attention and reduce their discontent with him in order to consolidate his dictatorship.
The Duke of the State of Lu leant about Zhou Xu's usurpation of state power and his ambitious plan, he asked a senior official, "What do you think about Zhou Xu's move? "The official answered, "He indulges in wars , bringing his people much disaster. He won't get their support. And he's capricious, so few of his close friends follow him. He can never achieve his success. In addition, war is like fire. If one launches wars endlessly without restraint, he'll eventually burn himself. "
Sure enough, the people of Wei with the help of the State of Chen overthrew Zhou Xu and killed him in less than a year.
Later, people use it to mean that those who do evil will finally ruin themselves.
春秋时期，卫国的王子州吁杀死了他的哥哥卫桓公，成为了卫国的国君。州吁是个暴君，他压迫百姓，到处侵略别的国家。他想利用战争来分散百姓的注意力，减少人们对他的不满，巩固他的专政。
鲁国的君王知道州吁篡夺了王位，还想吞并其他国家，就问他手下的一名官员："� 人民不会支持他。他这个人又反复无常，身边没有什么亲信。他不可能实现自己的野心。而且，战争就象火。无休止地打仗，最后，火会烧到自己身上。 "
果然，不到一年，卫国人民就在陈国的帮助下了州吁的统治，并处死了他。
后来，人们用这个成语来比喻干害人的勾当，最后受害的还是自己。
A man has two dogs: a hound and a housedog. He trains the hound to help him hurt and teaches the housedog to watch the house. When he returns home after a day's hunt, he always gives the house-dog some meat. The hound feels very angry. He says unhappily to the housedog, “Where I work very hard outside, you share my food.” “Don't blame me, my friend. You should blame the master. He doesn't teach me to hurt, but to share other's food,” the housedog answers.
Don't blame children for the mistakes of their parent
One day, a clam proudly opened its shells to sun itself on the river bank. A snipe passed by the clam and stretched its bill to peck at the clam's flesh.
一天，一只河蚌得意洋洋地张开壳，在河滩上晒太阳。有一只鹬鸟，从河蚌身边走过，就伸出嚎去啄河蚌的肉。
The clam hurriedly closed its shells and tightly grasped the snipe's bill between them. Despite all its efforts, the snipe could not extricate its bill.
这时候，河蚌急忙把壳合上，紧紧地夹住了鹬鸟的咏。鹬鸟用尽
力气，也拔不出它的嚎来。
The clam could not get itself free to return to the river either.
河蚌也脱不了身，不能回到河里去了。
Then the clam and the snipe began to quarrel.
河蚌和鹬鸟就争吵了起来。
The snipe said angrily:
鹬鸟气呼呼地说：
"If it doesn't rain for one or two days, there will be no water. And you can't return to the river, then surely you will die anyway."
“一天不下雨，两天不下雨，没有了水，你回不了河，总是要死的。”
The clam also said angrily:
鹬河蚌也气呼呼地说：
"If I don't let go of you for one or two days, you won't be able to pull out your bill. Don't hope that you can live."
“一天不放你，两天不放你，你的咏拔不出来，也别想活。”
Neither the clam nor the snipe would give in, and they kept on grappling. At this moment, a fisherman came along the riverside with a fishing net. He was very glad to see the snipe and the clam at a deadlock. Without the least effort, he caught them both, put them into his fish basket and carried them home.
河蚌和鹬鸟谁也不让谁，争吵个不停。这时候，有个捕鱼的人，提着鱼网，沿着河边走来。看见鹬鸟和河蚌相持不下，他非常高兴，毫不费力地把它们两个一齐捉住，塞进鱼篓里，带回家去了。
The bulging belly fox
A hungry Fox found in a hollow tree a quantity of bread and meat, which some shepherds had placed there against their return. Delighted with his find he slipped in through the narrow aperture and greedily devoured it all. But when he tried to get out again he found himself so swollen after his big meal that he could not squeeze through the hole, and fell to whining and groaning over his misfortune. Another Fox, happening to pass that way, came and asked him what the matter was; and, on learning the state of the case, said, “Well, my friend, I see nothing for it but for you to stay where you are till you shrink to your former size; you’ll get out then easily enough.”
胀肚的狐狸
饥饿的狐狸在一棵中空的树干中发现了一些牧羊人存留的面包和肉。高兴之余，他立即通过那狭窄的缝隙挤进去，贪婪的大吃起来。然而，当他吃饱之后，却发现自己的肚子胀鼓鼓的，即便费了九牛二虎之力，却怎么也钻不出那个洞来，便在树洞里唉声叹气。另一只狐狸恰巧经过那里，听到他的呻 吟，便过去问他原因。听明白缘由后，那只狐狸便说道：“我的朋友，你就老老实实待在里边吧，等到恢复了钻进去之前的身材，你就能轻松地出来了。”