四年级英语小故事：胀肚的狐狸

　　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.”

　　【译文】

　　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。”