THE TORTOISE AND THE EAGLE

THE TORTOISE AND THE EAGLE

A Tortoise, discontented with his lowly life and envious ofthe birds he saw enjoying themselves in the air, begged an Eagle to teach himto fly.  The Eagle protested that it wasidle for him to try, as nature had not provided him with wings; but theTortoise pressed him with entreaties and promises of treasure, insisting thatit could only be a question of learning the craft of the air: so at length theEagle consented to do the best he could for him and picked him up in histalons.  Soaring with him to a greatheight in the sky he then let him go, and the wretched Tortoise fell headlonginto the sea.

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A Tortoise, discontented with his lowly life and envious ofthe birds he saw enjoying themselves in the air, begged an Eagle to teach himto fly. 

一只陆龟不满足地面的生活，非常羡慕鸟儿能在空中飞翔。它恳求一只鹰教它飞。

Tortoise:   陆龟 （turtle – 海龟）                Discontent:   （对自己的现状）不满足    Envious:   羡慕，妒嫉                       

The Eagle protested that it was idle for him to try, asnature had not provided him with wings;

鹰却坚持说龟想学飞翔，真是闲着没事做了，因为龟生来就没有翅膀（没有翅膀怎么能飞呢？！）

Protest:   反对，坚持声称    Idle:   闲来无事      Nature:   大自然，本性，天性

but the Tortoise pressed him with entreaties and promises oftreasure, insisting that it could only be a question of learning the craft ofthe air.

可是龟再三恳求鹰教它飞翔，并向鹰许诺以珠宝酬谢。坚持说，飞行就是学会操纵空气的技巧。

Press： 压力（这里指鹰感到龟再三恳求的压力）           Entreaty:   恳求

Promise:   许诺，保证           Treasure:  珠宝                       Insist:  坚持

Craft:  工艺，手艺，技巧

So at length the Eagle consented to do the best he could forhim.

最后，鹰终于答应尽它所能帮助龟。

At length:  最后，终于                      Consent: 同意，答应

And picked him up in his talons.  Soaring with him to a great height in the skyhe then let him go, and the wretched Tortoise fell headlong into the sea.

鹰以自己的利爪抓起陆龟，一直腾飞到高空后，然后把龟放开。这只不幸的陆龟大头朝下地摔入大海。

Soar:  骤升，急速上升          Great Height:  高空                Wretched:  不幸的

Headlong:  头朝下地

If men hadall they wished, they would often be ruined.

如果一个人拥有了自己所希望的一切，这个人经常是被毁掉了。