经典智慧寓言故事阅读
简单短小的寓言故事往往蕴含着大智慧。下面本站小编为大家带来充满智慧的经典寓言故事两篇，欢迎大家阅读!
经典寓言故事：摆渡费
There was once a boatman who earned his living by transporting passengers from one side of the riverbank to the other.
很久以前，有个摆渡的人，他用船把人们从岸的这边送到对岸，以此赚钱为生。
One particular day, while he was resting, a businessman came and asked impolitely,“Transport me to the opposite side of the river.”
有一天，他正在休息时，一个商人过来很不客气地说：“把我送到对岸去!”
“Yes, please come aboard,”answered the boatman.
“知道了，请上船吧。”艄公说。
“How much do you charge for the trip?”asked the businessman.
“摆渡费是多少?”商人说。
“Eight coins each way,”answered the boatman.
“单程八文钱。”艄公答道。
“Eight coins!”exclaimed the businessman.“That is too expensive! I will pay you six coins.”
“八文，”商人嚷道，“太贵了，六文吧!”
The boatman then began the journey without saying a word. He rowed and rowed towards the opposite bank. When he was about to reach the other side, he stopped and said,“You may get down here.”
艄公没有跟他争论，便摇着橹，慢慢地向对岸划去。当来到离对岸不远时，艄公停住船说：“请下船吧。”
The businessman was shocked,“You expect me to get off here, right into the river?”
商人惊讶地说：“在这儿下船?想让我掉河里吗?”
The boatman replied politely,“Six coins will only take you here, and eight coins will take you to the riverbank.”
艄公礼貌地说：“六文钱就只能送到这儿了，八文钱可以送到对岸。”
The businessman then said,“Well then, take me back to where we came from.”He thought the boatman would think it troublesome to send him back and would just send him to the other side.
商人说：“好吧，你把我送回刚才来的岸边吧。”商人心想他这么一说，艄公会觉得再返回刚才那岸边太麻烦了，便会把他送到对岸。
The boatman just replied,“Sure!”He then began to row back to where they began their journey. When they arrived, the boatman said,“Altogether twelve coins, six coins each way.”
艄公却说：“好的。”然后他把船划回原来的岸边。这时，艄公说：“去六文，回六文，一共十二文。”
The businessman then realised that the boatman was really serious about it. Then he said,“I am sorry, I will pay you the full fare. Please send me over to the other side now.”
商人意识到艄公是认真的，便说：“是我不好，我会付所有的摆渡费的，现在请把我送到对岸去吧!”
The boatman began to row towards the opposite riverbank.
于是，艄公又送他到对岸去。
So how much did the businessman have to pay finally? Well, twelve coins plus eight coins, a total of twenty coins!
那么，商人一共要付多少摆渡费呢?十二文加八文，一共二十文钱。
经典寓言故事：一丝不苟的州长
A Governor visiting a state prison was implored by a convict to pardon him.
州长在视察一所州管监狱时，有个罪犯哀求州长宽恕他。
“What are you in for?”asked the Governor.
“你犯了什么事?”州长问道。
“I held a high office,”the convict humbly replied,“and sold subordinate appointments.”
“我曾经是个高级官员，”犯人低声下气地回答，“因为向下级卖官。”
“Then I decline to interfere,”said the Governor, with asperity,“a man who abuses his office by making it serve a private end and purvey a personal advantage is unfit to be free. By the way, Mr. Warden,”he added to the official beside him, as the convict slunk away,“in appointing you to this position, I was given to understand that your friends could make the Shikane county delegation to the next State convention solid for the present administration. Was I rightly informed?”
“那样的话，我绝不会管你的事情，”州长严厉地说，“为达到个人目的、牟取私利而滥用职权的人不应该得到自由。顺便说一下，监狱长，”当那个罪犯偷偷溜走时，他接着对身旁的那位官员说，“我在任命你担任这个职务时，得知你的朋友能让西科恩县参加下届州会议的代表团支持本届政府。我得到的消息准确吗?”
“You were, sir.”
“是的，州长先生。”
“Very well, then, I will bid you good-bye. Please be so good as to appoint my nephew Chaplain.''
“那么，很好，我该向你道别了。请别忘记任命我的侄子为牧师啊。”
