簡單的英語經典小故事
無奈的院長
He Was Only Wrong by Two
他的得數只比正確答案多二
Jack Hawkins was the football coach at an American college, and he was always trying to find good players, but they weren‘t always smart enough to be accepted by the college.
傑克霍金斯是美國一所學院的橄欖球隊教練，他竭力想物色好球員。但是好球員學業不行，院方不願錄取。
One day the coach brought an excellent young player to the dean of the college and asked that the student be allowed to enter without an examination. "Well," the dean said after some persuasion, "I‘d better ask him a few questions first."
有一天，教練帶着一位優秀的年輕球員去見院長，希望院方同意他免試入學。經過一番勸說後院長說：“那我最好先問問他幾個問題。”
Then he turned to the student and asked him some very easy questions, but the student didn‘t know any of the answers.
然後他轉向學生，問了幾個非常簡單的問題。可是那個學生一個也答不上來。
At last the dean said, "Well, what‘s five times seven?"
最後院長說：“那麼，五乘七得多少?”
The student thought for a long time and then answered, "Thirty-six."
學生想了很久，然後回答說：“三十六。”
The dean threw up his hands and looked at the coach in despair, but the coach said earnestly, "Oh, please let him in, sir! He was only wrong by two."
院長攤開雙手失望地看了看教練。可是教練認真地說，“噢，錄取他吧，先生。他的答案只比正確答案多二。”
望梅止渴
Among the outstanding figures of Chinese history, famous either for their intelligence or treachery, Cao Cao is one of the foremost.
在中國歷史上有許多人物以聰明狡詐而聞名，曹操就是其中之一。
One summer, Cao Cao was leading his troops in a punitive expedition against Zhang Xiu. It was extraordinarily hot. The burning sun was like a fire, and the sky was cloudless. The soldiers were walking on the winding mountain paths. The dense forest and the hot rocks exposed to the sun on both sides of the paths made the soldiers feel suffocated. By noontime the soldiers' clothes were wet through with sweat, and the marching speed slowed down. Some solders of weak physique even fainted on the roadside.
有一年夏天，曹操率領部隊去討伐張繡，天氣熱得出奇，驕陽似火，天上一絲雲彩也沒有，部隊在彎彎曲曲的山道上行走，兩邊密密的樹木和被陽光曬得滾燙的山石，讓人透不過氣來。到了中午時分，士兵的衣服都溼透了，行軍的速度也慢下來，有幾個體弱的士兵竟暈倒在路邊。
Seeing that the marching speed was slower and slower, Cao Cao was very worried because he feared that he might bungle the chance of winning the battle. But how could they quicken their speed? Cao Cao at once callde the guide and asked him on the quiet whether there was a source of water nearby.
曹操看行軍的速度越來越慢，擔心貽誤戰機，心裏很是着急。可是，眼下幾萬人馬連水都喝不上，又怎麼能加快速度呢?他立刻叫來嚮導，悄悄問他：“這附近可有水源?
The guide shook his head, saying that the spring water was on the other side of the mountain, which was very far to have to make a detour to reach. Cao Cao realized that time didn't permit them to make such a detour. After thinking for a moment, he said to the guide, "Keep quiet. I'll find a way out." He knew that it would be to no avail to order his troops to quicken the steps. He had a brain wave and found a good solution. He spurred his horse and came to the head of the column. Pointing his horsewhip to the front, Cao Cao said, "Soldiers, I know there is a big forest of plums ahead. The plums there are both big and delicious. let's hurry along, and we will reach the forest of plums after bypassing this hill."
”嚮導搖搖頭說：“泉水在山谷的那一邊，要繞道過去還有很遠的路程。”曹操想了一下說，“不行，時間來不及。”他看了看前邊的樹林，沉思了一會兒，對嚮導說：“你什麼也別說，我來想辦法。”他知道此刻即使下命令要求部隊加快速度也無濟於事。腦筋一轉，辦法來了，他一夾馬肚子，快速趕到隊伍前面，用馬鞭指着前方說：“士兵們，我知道前面有一大片梅林，那裏的梅子又大又好吃，我們快點趕路，繞過這個山丘就到梅林了!
When the solders heard this, they immediately slobbered. Picturing in their minds the sweet and sour flavour of the plums, the soldiers felt as if they were actually eating the plums, the soldiers felt as if they were actually eating the plums themselves. The morale greatly boosted, the soldiers quickened their steps a great deal automatically.
”士兵們一聽，彷彿已經吃到嘴裏，精神大振，步伐不由得加快了許多。
小媳婦
There was a daughter-in-law who liked by the old women in the village.
一位年輕的小媳婦深受村裏上了年紀的老媽媽們的喜愛。
One night, a piece of meat was missing from the daughter-in-law’s home, and her mother-in-law suspected that she had stolen it. So he decided to drive her out to her mother’s home.
一天夜裏，小媳婦家的一大塊肉不見了， 婆婆懷疑是她偷的，決定把她趕回孃家。
The next morning, the daughter-in-law bided farewell to all the old women in the village, and told them what happened. After hearing this, all the people were indignant.
第二天清早，小媳婦逐一向那些老媽媽告辭，並把這件事告訴了她們。大家聽後都忿忿不平。
One of them went to found some broken hemp and made a bundle. Then she went to the daughter-in-law’s home and asked her mothering-law for kindling, “Last night, a flock of dogs fought each other for a piece of meat that they had found somewhere, one of them died in the fight , so I came to borrow some kindling to cook that dog.” Upon hearing this, the mother-in-law sent people to ask her daughter-in-law back right away.
其中一個人立刻找了些碎麻紮成火把，來到小媳婦婆婆家借火，說：“昨天晚上，一羣狗叼來的一塊肉相互撕咬，結果咬死一隻，我來討個火種回去煮狗肉吃。”做婆婆的一聽，連忙派人將小媳婦請了回來。
