The Born in Throat

向红

Once upon a time， there was a lazy wolf living in a jungle1. Near his house was a pond2. Many animals came to the pond to drink water. The wolf was always in search of food.

从前，有一只比较懒的狼，它生活在丛林里。它家附近有一个池塘，许多动物都会到池塘边喝水，所以狼总是在池边寻找食物。

One day， he was sitting near the pond and hoped to get something to eat. When suddenly he spotted3 a dead bull. “Aha！What a luck！Now I can eat all I want，” he thought and his mouth started watering.

有一天，它坐在池塘附近，希望能找到点东西吃，突然间它发现了一头死牛。“啊哈！真是运气好！现在我终于可以大吃一顿了！”它边想，嘴里边不停流着口水。

He began to eat the bull. A thought struck4 him， “If another beast comes this way， he will ask for a share. What should I do？ So I had better eat fast.” “Grub！Grub！Grub！Grub！” he chewed， faster and faster.

它开始享用猎物。突然，它想到：“如果有其它野兽过来要和我分享这个猎物，我该怎么办？所以我最好快点吃完。”它嘎嘣嘎嘣地咀嚼着，而且吃得越来越快。

In his hurry， a piece of bone got stuck in his throat. “Ohh！ Errk！” cried the wolf. He tried to bring it out of his mouth. He tried to cough it out but in vain. Next， he tried to swallow5 it down but he failed.

匆忙之中，一块骨头卡在它的喉咙里了。“喔！呃！”狼哭嚎道。它试图把骨头从嘴里拿出来，也试图把它咳出来，但却徒劳无功。然后，它又试图把它吞下去，但是也失败了。

“The bone will hurt my throat if I cannot put it out. What shall I do now？” thought the wolf. Suddenly he remembered that a crane6 lived on the nearby riverbank.

这只狼心里想：“如果我再不把骨头取出来，它一定会刮伤我的喉咙的。我现在该怎么办？”突然，它想起有一只鹤住在附近的河岸上。

The wolf went to the cranes home and pleaded7， “My dear Crane！I have got a bone stuck in my throat. I will give you a present for thanks， if you pull it out of my throat with your long beak8.”

狼跑到鹤的家里，恳求道：“亲爱的鹤！我的喉咙里有一块骨头。如果你用长嘴将它从我喉咙里取出来，我会送你一份礼物作为感谢。”

The crane took pity on the wolf suffered. He asked the wolf to look up with his mouth open. The crane then put its head into the wolfs mouth and pulled out the bone.

鶴对狼的遭遇表示同情。它让狼抬起头来，把嘴张开，然后将头伸入狼的嘴里，衔出了骨头。

“Oh！What a luck！” the wolf sighed9.

“哦！太幸运了！“狼叹了口气。

“Now where is my present？” asked the crane.

我的礼物在哪里？”鹤问道。

“What present？” the wolf replied， pretending not aware of its promise.

“什么礼物？”狼答道，假装没有意识到它的承诺。

“You said that you would give me a present if I remove the bone from your throat，” said the crane humbly.

“你说过，如果我从你的喉咙里取出骨头，你会送我一份礼物。”鹤谦卑地说道。

“Hah！Is it not a present that you put your head into my mouth and got out alive？ I could have easily crushed your head while your beak was inside my mouth， but I did not，” said the ungrateful10 wolf and went away.

“哈！你把头伸进我的嘴里，还能活着拿出来，这难道不算是礼物吗？当你把你的嘴伸进我的嘴里时，我本可以很容易咬碎你的头，但是我并没有这么做。”狼忘恩负义地说道，然后就走了。

The crane felt helpless and decided not to help any ungrateful creature like the wolf in the future.

鹤觉得很无助，决定从此再也不帮助任何像狼这般忘恩负义的动物了。

Notes

1. jungle [      ] n. 丛林，密林 2. pond [      ] n. 池塘

3. spot [      ] v. 认出;弄脏;用灯光照射

4. strike [      ] v. 打，打击;敲，敲击;抓;打动 5. swallow [      ] v. 吞下;咽下

6. crane [      ] n. 鹤 7. plead [      ] v. 恳求;辩护

8. beak [      ] n. [鸟] 鸟嘴;鹰钩鼻子 9. sigh [      ] v. 叹息，叹气

10. ungrateful [      ] adj. 忘恩负义的;不领情的;讨厌的