虚荣的八哥

原文：
A jackdaw, as vain and conceited as jackdaw could be, picked up the feathers which some peacocks had shed, stuck them amongst his own, and despising his old companions, introduced himself with the greatest assurance into a flock of those beautiful birds .They, instantly detecting the intruder, stripped him of his borrowed plumes, and falling upon him with their beaks sent him about his business .The unlucky jackdaw, sorely punished and deeply sorrowing, betook himself to his former companions, and would have flocked with them again as if nothing had happened .But they, recollecting what airs he had given himself, drummed him out of their society, while one of those whom he had so lately despised, read him this lecture ："Had you been contented with what nature made you, you would have escaped the chastisement of you r betters and also the contempt of you r equals。”
译文：
一只自负到极点的八哥鸟，捡起了一些孔雀脱落下来的羽毛，插在自己的羽毛中，于是就看不起自己的老伙伴了，满怀信心地走到了那些美丽的鸟群中。他们立刻发觉了这个闯进来的家伙，拔掉了他身上捡来的羽毛，并且用嘴啄他，把他赶了出去，不幸的八哥受到了严重的惩罚，感到非常难过，于是又去投奔自己的老伙伴，满想若无其事地又和他们混在一起，但是他们想起了过去他那副骄傲自大的神气就把他从队伍中轰了出来，不久以前曾受过他轻视的一个伙伴教训他说："如果你过去满足于你自己的天生模样，你就不会受到比你美的人的惩罚，也不会受到跟你相同的人的鄙视了。"
词汇：
vain 虚荣的，徒劳的
jackdaw 八哥，寒鸦
peacock 孔雀
with the greatest assurance 满怀信心地
falling upon 攻击
sent him about his business 把他赶出去
drummed...out 逐出
read him this lecture 教训他
chastisement 惩罚
 
狐狸和山羊

原文：
  A fox had fallen into a well, and had been casting about for a long time how he should get out again, when at length a goat came to the place, and wanting to drink, asked Reynard whether the water was good, and of there was plenty of it .The fox, dissembling the real danger of his case, replied :"come down, my friend, the water is so good that I can not drink enough of it, and so aboundant that it can not be exhausted ."Upon this the goat without any more ado leaped in, when the fox, taking advantage of his friend's horns, as nimbly leaped out, and coolly remarked to the poor deluded goat :"if you had half as much brains as you have beard, you would have looked before you leaped."
译文：
一只狐狸掉在一口井里，转了很久怎样再跳上去，最后一只山羊来到这里，他正想喝水，便问狐狸这水好不好，还多不多，狐狸掩饰起他的真实危险处境，回答说："下来吧，我的朋友，这水好得使我喝不够，而且多的用不完。"于是山羊立刻跳了井里，狐狸踩着他朋友的角，敏捷地跳了上去，并且冷淡地对受了骗的可怜的山羊说："如果你的脑子有你胡子一半多，你就会先思而后行了。"
词汇：
casting about 来回走，想方设法
at length 最后
Reynard 狐狸的通称
without any more ado 不费吹灰之力
taking advantage of 利用
look before you leap 三思而后行