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The Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs
A farmer and his wife once had a goose that laid a solid gold egg every day.Each evening they settled it securely in its pen in the corner of their kitchen with a bowl of the best corn and a saucer of fresh water.Each morning they found a new,bright yellow egg in its nest of sweet hay.
One day the farmer's wife said to her husband,"These eggs are all very well,my dear,but though I suppose we will be rich in the end,it is a very slow way of making a fortune.By the time we get it,it will not be worth half what it is today.Now I have an idea.It is obvious to me that there must be a great store of golden eggs inside our goose.Why should we wait all our lives for her to lay them?Go and get the knife and we'll have all the gold now while we can still enjoy it.”
“Well,"said the farmer doubtfully,"It seems a sad way to treat a good bird.But on the other hand..."
Without another word he killed the goose and cut her open only to find that inside she was just like any other goose,with no sign of golden eggs at all.
"We won't get rich quickly or slowly now,my dear."said the far-mer sadly.
参考译文：
下金蛋的鹅
一个农民和他的妻子曾有一只每天下一个实心金蛋的鹅。每个傍晚他们把它安放在厨房一角的窝里,用最好的玉米和淡水安顿它。每个早晨他们会在清香的干草巢中捡到一个新鲜明亮、金黄色的蛋。
有一天农民的妻子对她的丈夫说:“亲爱的,这些蛋都非常好,尽管我想我们终将会富有起来,但这是个非常慢的发财途径。到发财的时候,它的价值将不到今天的一半。现在我有一个主意:很明显,鹅的体内一定储存了很多金蛋。 我们为什么要用一生的时间等它下完所有的蛋呢?去拿刀来,在我们还能享受它时,我们要得到所有的金蛋。”
“嗯,”农民将信将疑地回答,“这对一只好鸟而言不是一个好方式。但是另一方面.....”
农民再也没说什么。
他杀了鹅,剖开它。但只发现它与其他鹅内部没两样,根本没有金蛋的影子。
亲爱的,我们现在无论快也好还是慢也好,再也富不起来了。"农民伤心地说。