经典双语笑话 第10期:古老的中国智慧

 Ancient Chinese Wisdom 古老的中国智慧

Once upon a time, in ancient China, the emperor was seriously ill.  很久很久以前在古老的中国，皇帝病重。
None of his esteemed 1 physicians could find a cure, until an ancient sage 2 revealed that only the blood of a living Foo bird could restore the imperial health. 很久很久以前在古老的中国，皇帝病得很重，所有德高望重的御医都没办法医治，直到后来才有一位智者透露，只有活福鸟的血才能恢复皇帝的健康。
Now the Foo bird was extremely rare, almost legendary,and the greatest hunters in the land were assigned the task of capturing a specimen 3. 问题是福鸟本来就很少见，几乎只是传说而已，于是全国各地最好的猎人都被指派进行捕捉福鸟的工作。
But before they left on their quest, the ancient sage warned them that if one of them were fortunate enough to catch the bird, 但在他们出发之前，那名智者警告他们，要是有人有幸捉到一只福鸟的话，
he should on no account clean or change his clothing till he had presented his prize to the emperor. 无论如何在送到皇帝手中之前，绝不可以清洁或换掉身上的衣服。
The hunters scoured 4 the empire, and after several months, the greatest of them spotted 5 a magnificent Foo perched high in a tree. 猎人们搜遍了整个帝国，几个月后，其中一名本领最好的猎人不经意看见了一只福鸟栖息在一棵树上。
Using all his skill, the huntsman snuck up on the bird and managed to seize it by the claws, but soon the startled creature left a huge odious 6 blob of excrement 7 on the hunter's shoulder. 他用尽所有技巧偷偷接近那只福鸟并抓住了它的脚爪，但那只受到惊卟的福鸟马上在他的肩膀上拉了一大团臭气熏人的鸟粪。
Though the stench was almost unbearable 8, the woodsman remembered the sage's injunction and carried his double burden all the way back to court. 虽然臭味难当，但猎人仍记得智者的训示，便连同身上的鸟粪护送福鸟回宫。
By that time, the odor had only become worse, and the hunter was deeply embarrassed. 那时鸟粪的味道更难闻了，猎人也觉得非常尴尬。
Finally, he felt that he could not enter the emperor's presence in such a state, and wiped the offending substance from his shoulder. 最后他觉得不能那个样子去见皇帝，于是他把肩膀上令人作呕的东西擦拭掉了。
Instantly, the Foo bird fell over dead, the emperor took a turn for the worse, and the hunter was clapped in irons. 就在那一刻福鸟便倒地身亡，皇帝的病情也更加恶化，而那名猎人则立刻被关进牢中。
And the moral of the story is: If the Foo shits,wear it! 这个故事的寓意就是："福鸟在你身上拉尿，你就扛着。"

 

1.Once upon a time 很久以前
例句：Once upon a time, there was an island where all the feelings lived: Happiness, Sadness, and all of the others, including Love.
从前，有一座小岛上面居住着所有的情感，有幸福，悲伤和包括爱在内的其它所有的情感。
2. on no account 决不能
例句：On no account could she agree to a step which might afterwards cause bitter rueing to her husband for his blindness in wedding her.
她决不能同意迈出这一步，免得以后导致丈夫后悔，说是瞎了眼睛才娶了她。
3.revealed that 透露
例句：Last week, when South Korean officials announced the arrest of a North Korean spy,they revealed that one of the spy's objectives was to locate Hwang.
上星期，在韩国官员宣布逮捕了一名北韩间谍时，他们透露这名间谍的任务之一就是寻找黄长烨的住处。
4.By that time 那时
例句：By that time you will be making money and can afford a lawyer to get it done right.
到那时，你将会赚很多的钱能使你请一个律师来帮你处理好一些的。