趣味故事阅读

1. The Peasant And The Apple-Tree

A poor farmer had a friend who was famous for the wonderful apple he grew. 

One day, his friend gave the farmer a young apple tree and told him to take it home and plant it. 

The farmer was pleased with the gift, but when he got home he did not know where to plant it. 

He was afraid that if he planted the tree near the road, strangers would steal the fruit. If he planted 

the tree in one of his field, his neighbors would come at night and steal some of the apples. If he 

planted the tree near his house, his children would take the fruit. 

soil, the tree soon died. 

Later the friend asked the farmer 

the 

stolen the fruit. 

If 

night and stolen some of the apples. If I had planted it near my house, my own children would 

A poor farmer had a friend who was famous for the wonderful apple he grew. 

The farmer was pleased with the gift, but when he got home he did not know where to plant it. 

He was afraid that if he planted the tree near the road, strangers would steal the fruit. If he planted 

the tree in one of his field, his neighbors would come at night and steal some of the apples. If he 

planted the tree near his house, his children would take the fruit. 

soil, the tree soon died. 

Later the friend asked the farmer 

the 

stolen the fruit. 

If 

night and stolen some of the apples. If I had planted it near my house, my own children would 

have taken the fruit." 

robbed everyone of the fruit, but also you have destroyed a good apple tree!

A poor farmer had a friend who was famous for the wonderful apple he grew. One day, his friend gave the farmer a young apple tree and told him to take it home and plant it. The farmer was pleased with the gift, but when he got home he did not know where to plant it. He was afraid that if he planted the tree near the road, strangers would steal the fruit. If he planted the tree in one of his field, his neighbors would come at night and steal some of the apples. If he planted the tree near his house, his children would take the fruit. Finally he planted the tree in his wood where no one could see it. But without sunlight and good soil, the tree soon died. Later the friend asked the farmer why he had planted the tree in such a poor place."What's the difference?" the farmer said angrily. "If I had planted the tree near the road, strangers would have stolen the fruit. If I had planted the tree in one of my field, my neighbors would have come at night and stolen some of the apples. If I had planted it near my house, my own children would have taken the fruit." "Yes," said the friend, "but at least someone could have enjoyed the fruit. Now you not only have robbed everyone of the fruit, but also you have destroyed a good apple tree!

2. The House of 1000 Mirrors   千镜之屋 

3. But The Teacher Cried 

 The six-year-old John was terribly spoiled（溺爱）. His father knew it, but his grandma doted on him.  
He hardly left her side. And when he wanted anything, he either cried or threw a temper tantrum. Then came his first day of school, his first day away from his grandmother's loving arms.  When he came home from school his grandma met him at the door.  
"Was school all right?" she asked, "Did you get along all right? did you cry?"  "Cry?" John asked. "No, I didn't cry, but the teacher did!"

六岁的约翰娇生惯养(溺爱)。他的父亲知道这一点，但他的祖母仍然溺爱他。他几乎不离开她的身边。他想要什么不是哭就是闹。他第一天上学才离开祖母的怀抱。约翰放学了，他奶奶在门口接他并问道:“约翰，你知道吗?”学校怎么样?你过得好吗?你哭了吗?”“哭?”约翰问道。“不，我没哭，可老师哭了。

4. Award

A lady lost her handbag. It was found byan honest little boy and returned to her.  
Looking in her purse, she commented,"Hmmm... That's funny. When I lost my bag there was a $20 bill in it. Now there are twenty $1 bills."  
The boy quickly replied, "That's right,lady. The last time I found a lady's purse, shedidn't haye any change for a reward."

一位女士丢了她的手提包。一个诚实的小男孩找到了它，把它还给了她。她看了看钱包，说道:“嗯……这是有趣的。我丢包的时候，里面有一张20美元的钞票。现在有20张1美元的钞票。”男孩马上回答说:“是的，女士。上次我捡到一位女士的钱包时，她没有零钱作酬谢。

5. Success Story

Yesterday afternoon Frank Hawkins was telling me about his experiences as a young man.Before he retired,Frank was the head of a very large business company,but as a boy he used to work in a small shop.It was his job to repair bicycles and at that time he used to work fourteen hours a day.He saved money for years and in 1958 he bought a small workshop of his own.In his twenties Frank used to make spare parts for aeroplanes.At that time he had two helpers.In a few years the small workshop had become a large factory which employed seven hundred and twenty-eight people.Frank smiled when he remembered his hard early years and the long road to success.He was still smiling when the door opened and his wife came in.She wanted him to repair their grandson's bicycle!

昨天下午弗兰克·霍金斯向我讲述了他年轻时的经历。在他退休之前，弗兰克是一家非常大的事务公司头，但作为一个男孩，他曾经工作在一个小商店。他的工作是修理自行车，那时他一天工作十四小时。他积蓄多年，并在1958他买了属于自己的小作坊。在他二十几岁的弗兰克曾生产飞机零配件。那时他有两个帮手。在几年的小作坊已经成为一个雇用七百二十八人的大工厂。弗兰克回想着他早年的艰难经历和走过的漫长的成功之路。他正笑着的时候，门开了，他的妻子走了进来。她叫他去修理他们孙子的自行车！

6. Across the Channel

Debbie Hart is going to swim across the English Channel tomorrow.She is going to set out from the French coast at five o'clock in the morning.Debbie is only eleven years old and she hopes to set up a new world record.She is a strong swimmer and many people feel that she is sure to succeed.Debbie's father will set out with her in a small boat.Mr.Hart has trained his daughter for years.Tomorrow he will be watching her anxiously as she swims the long distance to England.Debbie intends to take short rests every two hours.She will have something to drink but she will not eat any solid food.Most of Debbie's school friends will be waiting for her on the English coast.Among them will be Debbie's mother,who swam the Channel herself when she was a girl.

在1929,三年后他飞越北极，美国探险家R,伯德，首次成功地飞越了南极。虽然，在第一，伯德和他的人可以采取许多横亘，他们很快就陷入了困境。在这一-点上，飞机似乎肯定会崩溃的。它只会在山在上升到10000英尺。伯德马上命令他的助手们把两个沉重的食品袋。于是飞机可以上升了，它离山头400英尺。伯德这时知道他将能够达到300英里以外的南极了，因为没有更多的山了。飞机可以毫无困难地飞越这一 望无际的茫茫雪原。

7. Solve fast

　Dan Robinson has been worried all week.Last Tuesday he received a letter from the local police.In the letter he was asked to call at the station.Dan wondered why he was wanted by the police,but he went to the station yesterday and now he is not worried anymore.At the station,he was told by a smiling policeman that his bicycle had been found.Five days ago,the policeman told him,the bicycle was picked up in a small village four hundred miles away.It is now being sent to his home by train.Dan was most surprised when he heard the news.He was amused too,because he never expected the bicycle to be found.It was stolen twenty years ago when Dan was a boy of fifteen!

丹鲁滨孙焦虑了整整一个星期。上周二他收到当地警察局的一封信。他在信中说要在车站。丹很奇怪为什么警察局要他去，但他昨天去了车站，现在他不再担心了。在警察局里，一位面带笑容的警察告诉他，他的自行车被找到了。五天前，警察告诉他说，那辆自行车是在一个小村子里发现四百英里远。现在它被送到他乘火车回家。但最惊讶的是当他听到这个消息。但又感到非常好笑，因为他从未指望能找到这辆自行车。这是二十年前被偷走时，丹是一个十五岁的男孩！

8. Stop Thief

　Roy Trenton used to drive a taxi.A short while ago,however,he became a bus driver and he has not regretted it.He is finding his new work far more exciting.When he was driving along Catford Street recently,he saw two thieves rush out of a shop and run towards a waiting car.One of them was carrying a bag full of money.Roy acted quickly and drove the bus straight at the thieves.The one with the money got such a fright that he dropped the bag.As the thieves were trying to get away in their car,Roy drove his bus into the back of it.While the battered car was moving away,Roy stopped his bus and telephoned the police.The thieves'car was badly damaged and easy to recognize.Shortly afterwards,the police stopped the car and both men were arrested.

罗伊特伦顿曾经开出租车。不久前，然而，他成为一名巴士司机和他不后悔。他发觉自己的新工作令人兴奋的多。当他正开车在凯特福德街最近，他看见2个贼从一家商店里跑。其中一个提着一只装满钱的袋子。罗伊行动迅速，开车直冲窃贼。一个与金钱吓了一跳，他把包。当那两个小偷企图乘车逃跑时，罗伊驾驶他的公共汽车撞在了那。当那辆被撞坏的汽车，罗伊停下来，给警察打电话。小偷的车损坏严重，很容易辨认。不久之后，警察截住了那辆汽车，两人都被逮捕了。

9. The future

　At a village fair,I decided to visit a fortune-teller called Madam Bellinsky.I went into her tent and she told me to sit down.After I had given her some money,she looked into a crystal ball and said:'A relation of yours is coming to see you.She will be arriving this evening and intends to stay for a few days.The moment you leave this tent,you will get a big surprise.A woman you know well will rush towards you.She will speak to you and then she will lead you away from this place.That is all.'

     As soon as I went outside,I forgot all about Madam Bellinsky because my wife hurried towards me.'Where have you been hiding?'she asked impatiently.'Your sister will be here in less than an hour and we must be at the station to meet her.We are late already.'As she walked away,I followed her out of the fair.

　　在一个乡村集市上，我决定去拜访一位称作别林斯基夫人的算命人。我进了她的帐篷，她叫我坐下。我给了她一些钱后，她就看着一个水晶球，说：您的一个亲戚要来看你。她今晚到达，并准备住上几天。您一走出这个帐篷，就会大吃一惊。一个你知道的女人会冲向你。她将和你交谈，然后她将带您离开这个地方。是的。当我走到外面，我忘却了所有别林斯基夫人的因为我妻子急急忙忙向我跑来。”你躲到哪里去了。她不耐烦地问道。”你姐姐会在不到一个小时，我们得去车站接她。我们已经晚了。”当她走开时，我也跟着她出了公平。

10. Hot snake

　At last firemen have put out a big forest fire in California.Since then,they have been trying to find out how the fire began.Forest fires are often caused by broken glass or by cigarette ends which people carelessly throw away.Yesterday the firemen examined the ground carefully,but were not able to find any broken glass.They were also quite sure that a cigarette end did not start the fire.This morning,however,a firemen accidentally discovered the cause.He noticed the remains of a snake which was wound round the electric wires of a 16,000-volt power line.In this way,he was able to solve the mystery.The explanation was simple but very unusual.A bird had snatched up the snake from the ground and then dropped it on to the wires.The snake then,wound itself round the wires.When it did so,it sent sparks down to the ground and these immediately started a fire.

　　消防队员们终于扑灭了加利福尼亚的一场森林大火。从那时起，他们一直试图找出起火的原因。森林火灾时常由破碎的玻璃或人们随手扔掉的香烟头。昨天，消防队员仔细查看了地面，但未能发现碎玻璃。他们还十分肯定火灾也不是由烟头引起的。然而，今天早晨，一个消防队员偶然发现了起火的原因。他发现了一条死蛇缠绕在电线上的一个16000-volt电源线。就这样，他解开了这个迷。解释很简单，但却很不寻常。一只鸟把蛇从地上抓起来，然后把它扔到了电线上。然后蛇，缠绕在电线上。当它这样做时，把火花送到了地面上，这些火花立刻引起了一场。