Seeing the desolate and bleak prospects of broken tiles, collapsed walls, and clusters of weeds, he could not help asking the local people about the reason of the ruin of Guo Shi.
They replied,"Guo Shi was fond of doing good deeds, and averse to evildoing, which led to the perdition."
When the Duke could not understand the answer, people explained ," Though he liked doing good, he had never been able to do so; though he hated evildoing, never could he help not participating. That caused the ruin of his capital."
郭氏之墟
齊桓公出遊途中，來到已經滅亡許久的郭氏都城的廢墟。
看到瓦礫殘垣、雜草叢生的蕭條景象，忍不住問當地百姓郭氏滅亡的原因。
百姓們回答說："郭氏由於喜愛善行善事。厭惡邪惡醜行而導致滅亡。"
齊桓公不能理解這種回答，百姓們便解釋說："郭氏雖然喜愛善行善事，但從來都不能做到；盡管厭惡邪惡醜行，卻總是忍不住參與其中。這就是他的都城變成廢墟的原因。"
2.A mouse once took a bite out of a bull's tail as he lay dozing. The bull jumped up in a rage and, with his head low to the ground, chased the mouse right across the yard. The mouse was too quick for him, however, and slipped easily into a hole in the wall.
The bull charged the wall furiously again and again, but although he bruised his head and chipped his horns, the mouse stayed safely inside his hole. After a time the bull gave up and sank down to rest again.
As soon as the bull was asleep, the little mouse crept to the mouth of the hole, pattered across the yard, bit the bull again -- this time on the nose -- and rushed back to safety. As the bull roared helplessly the mouse squeaked:
"It's not always the big people who come off best. Sometimes the small ones win, you know."
老鼠和公牛
有壹次，公牛躺著打盹，壹只老鼠咬了他的尾巴。公牛怒氣沖沖地跳起來，低著頭追老鼠，壹直追過院子。然而，老鼠跑得比他快多了，從容地鉆到墻洞裏去了。
公牛壹次又壹次地猛撞墻壁，盡管頭撞腫了，角撞裂了，老鼠卻安然待在洞裏。過了壹會兒，公牛不撞了，倒下歇著。
公牛剛睡著，小老鼠就爬到洞口，嗒嗒地跑過院子，又咬了公牛壹口 ? 這回咬了鼻子 ? 又跑回安全的地方去。當公牛毫無辦法地吼叫時，老鼠吱吱叫道：
"大人物並不總占上風。有時小人物也會取勝。"
3.A wild boar was sharpening his tusks against a tree one day when a fox came by.
"What are you doing that for?" asked the fox . "There are no hunters around. Everything looks very peaceful to me ."
"Quite true, "said the boar, "but when the hunter does come with his dogs I shall be too busy running away to have time for this . So let me sharpen my tusks while I can."
Be prepared .
野豬和狐貍
有壹天，野豬在樹上磨牙齒，狐貍走過來。
"妳為什麽幹這個呀？"狐貍問，"附近又沒有獵人，我覺得平安無事。"
"不錯，"野豬說，"但是，如果獵人真的帶著獵狗來了，我只能逃走，就沒工夫幹這個了。趁我現在可以磨，就讓我磨磨牙齒吧。"
時刻準備著（有備無患）
4.Long ago a great mountain began to rumble and shake .
People came from far and near to see what would happen.
"A great river will be born." said one.
"Surely nothing less than a mighty dragon will come out." said another.
"A god himself will spring form these rocks." said a third.
Finally , after days of expectation a small crack appeared in the mountain. And out popped ---- a mouse.
Just because someone makes a lot of fuss, it doesn't mean he is important.
山
很久以前，壹座大山隆隆作響，搖晃起來。遠近各處的人都來看是怎麽回事。
壹個人說："要出現壹條大河了。"
另壹個人說："準會出現壹條巨龍。"
第三個人說："從這些巖石中會出現壹尊神來。"
等了幾天之後，山坡上終於裂開壹條小縫，卻蹦出來壹只耗子。
正因為某人大肆張揚，所以他沒有什麽了不起。