a man once caught a weasel, which was always
1 about the house, and was just going to drown it in a tub of water, when it begged hard for its life, and said to him, "surely you haven't the heart to put me to death? think how useful i have been in clearing your house of the mice and
2 which used to
3 it, and show your
4 by sparing my life." "you have not been altogether useless, i grant you," said the man: "but who killed the
5? who stole the meat? no no! you do much more harm than good, and die you shall."
从前,有一个人抓住了一只黄鼠狼,它总是在房子里偷偷摸摸。这人正要用一盆水淹死它时,黄鼠狼苦苦哀求人饶了自己的性命,并且对人说:“你一定不忍心杀了我!想想我对你们家做的贡献吧,我可是一只在清理你家里的老鼠和蜥蜴,为了显示你对我的感激之情,就饶我一命吧。”“我也承认,你并非完全无用,” 男人说, “但是,是谁杀了鸡?是谁偷了肉?不不!你做了太多坏事,理应去死。”