寓言故事是较为特殊的一种文学样式,深受读者的欢迎,下面这些是小编为大家推荐的几篇英语简单寓言故事。
Zeng Zi was one of Confucius' students. Once, Zeng Zi's wife was going shopping. Because the child was crying loudly, she promised the child that she would kill their pig to treat him after she returned home.
After she returned, Zeng Zi captured to butcher the pig. His wife stopped him, saying "I was kidding the child." Zeng zi said: "There is no kidding with the children, because they know little and they usually imitate their parents and follow their instructions. If you cheat them, it is the same as teaching them to cheat the others." So Zeng Zi killed the pig.
He knew that sincerity and keeping one's words are the essentials of conducting oneself. If he broke his words, he might keep his pig, but he would leave a unforgettable shadow in his child's heart.
There was a farmer in Africa who was happy and content. He was happy because he was content. He was content because he was happy.
One day a wise man came to him and told him about the glory of diamonds and the power that goes along them.
The wise man says, "If you had a diamond the size of your thumb, you could have your own city. If you had a diamond the size of your fist you could probably own your own country." And then he went away.
That night the farmer couldn't sleep. He was unhappy and he was discontent. He was unhappy because he was discontent, and he was discontent because he was unhappy.
The next morning he made arrangements to sell off his farm, took care of his family and went in search of diamonds. He looked all over Africa and couldn't find any. He looked all through Europe and couldn't find any. When he got to Spain, he was emotionally, physically and financially broke. He got so disheartened that he threw himself into the Barcelona River and committed suicide.
Back home, the person who had bought his farm was watering the camels at a stream that ran through the farm. Across the stream, the rays of the morning sun hit a stone and made itsparkle like a rainbow.
He thought it would look good on the mantelpiece(壁炉架). He picked up the stone and put it in the living room. That afternoon the wise man came and saw the stone sparkling. He asked, "Is Hafiz back?"
The new owner said, "No, why do you ask?" The wise man said, "Because that is a diamond. I recognize one when I see one." The man said, "No, that's just a stone I picked up from the stream. Come, I'll show you. There are many more." They went and picked some samples and sent them for analysis. Sure enough, the stones were diamonds. They found that the farm was indeed covered with acres and acres of diamonds.
One day Confucius was asked by one of his students, Zi Lu, "Is it right that I may just go and do it whenever I hear about something of significance?"
Confucius answered, "That is not the case! Because you are needed in your home by your father and brother."
Later, another student, Ran Qiu, asked Confucius, "May I just go and do it whenever I hear about something worth doing?" "Yes, it is good for you to do it when you hear about something worth doing."
Another student, Gong Xihua, noticing that Confucius' answers to the same question were different from each other, asked why. Confucius replied, "Ran Qiu has a modest and gentledisposition(性情，处置). So I encourage him to be brave and go forward. Zi Lu usually is hot- headed, so he should be taught to scruple(微量，顾虑) before action."
