读点好英文:A Story of the Angel 天使的故事

A Story of the Angel 天使的故事

Two traveling angels stopped to spend the night in the home of a weaIthy family. The family was rude and refused to let the angles stay in the mansion's guestroom.Instead the angels were given a small space in the cold basement.As they made their bed in the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it.When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied，“Things aren't always what they seem.”

The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor, but very hospitable farmer and his wife. After sharing the little food they had the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night's rest.When the sun came up the next morning the angels found the farmer and his wife were in tears.Their only cow, whose milk had been their sole income, lay dead in the field.The younger angel was infuriated and asked the older angel how he could have let this happen.“The first man had everything, yet you helped him，”he accused.“The second family had little but was willing to share everything, and you let the cow die.”

“Things aren't always what they seem，”the older angel replied.“When we stayed in the basement of the mansion, I noticed there was gold stored in the hole in the wall. Since the owner was so obsessed with greed and unwilling to share his good fortune, I sealed the wall so he wouldn't find it.”

“Then last night as we slept in the farmer's bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I gave him the cow instead.Things aren't always what they seem.”

两个旅行中的天使来到一个富有的人家借宿。这家人对他们很不友好，并且拒绝让他们在舒适的客房过夜，而是在冰冷的地下室给他们找了一个角落。当他们在硬地板上铺床时，年长的天使发现墙上有一个洞，并顺手把它修补好了。年轻的天使问他为什么要这样做，老天使答道：“有些事并不像它看上去那样。”

第二天晚上，两人到了一个非常贫穷的农家借宿。农夫和妻子对他们非常热情，把仅有的一点点食物拿出来款待他们，然后又让出自己的床铺给两个天使，为的是使他们能好好休息一晚。第二天一早，两个天使发现农夫和他的妻子在哭泣——他们唯一的生活来源，一头奶牛死了。年轻的天使非常愤怒，他质问老天使为什么会这样。“第一个家庭什么都有，您还帮助他们修补墙洞，”他指责道，“第二个家庭尽管如此贫穷却热情款待我们，而您却没能阻止他们的奶牛的死亡。”

“有些事并不像它看上去那样。”老天使答道，“当我们在地下室过夜时，我从墙洞看到墙里面堆满了金条。因为主人被贪欲所迷惑，不愿意分享他的财富，所以我把墙洞填上了，他永远也找不到这些金条了。

“昨天晚上，当我们躺在农夫的床上时，死亡之神来召唤农夫的妻子，我让奶牛代替了她。有些事并不像它看上去的那样。”

Practising&Exercise 实战提升篇

单词注解

weaIthy['welθi]a.富有的；财产多的

basement['beismənt]v.地下室；地下层

infuriate[in'fjuərieit]v.使大怒；激怒

accuse[ə'kju：z]n.指责，谴责；控告

实用句型

The fox sees that and catches him in his mouth and carries him away.

狐狸看到就一下子逮住公鸡，叼着走了。

Since the owner was so obsessed with greed and unwilling to share his good fortune……

因为主人被贪欲所迷惑，不愿意分享他的财富……

智慧点津

Monotonously listening to other people's praise will eventually put an end to their own future.

一味地听信别人的赞美终将葬送自己的前程。

Don't let the surface disguise our eyes and remember that things aren't always what they seem.

不要让表面的现象蒙蔽了我们的双眼，请记住：有些事并不像它看上去那样。