英语听力精选进阶版 11244

 

04Aesop's Fables¹  

The Monkey as King

By Sharri McGarry

There was a huge competition in the Indian jungle – and the prize was – 'To be King of the Beasts! ' 

It was very exciting! To be King of all the Beasts was a grand thing – when you were King you got to wear a shiny crown and all the animals had to call you  'Sire '. Of course, lots of animals entered the competition. Each animal got to say their piece on a big stage while the other animals judged.

The first up on stage was Fox. Fox was a very clever animal. He spoke² very well about the rights of the people and the duties of the King; but he used such long words like 'fiscal³' and  'jurisdiction ' that most of the animals got bored and fell asleep.

'And,' said Fox, 'never forget that there are many new traps around in the jungle. Traps laid by Man to catch animals! Of course, there never was a trap made that could catch a fox. So this is my promise to you. If I am made King, I will educate each and every animal in avoiding these traps. Thank you.' 

Fox went off the stage and was met by Monkey.

'Oooh-ooh-ooh! That was a fine and educated speech you just made!' said Monkey.

'Well, thank you Monkey,' replied Fox, pleased.   

'Yes – very clever you are ,'  Monkey carried on.  'But that is not what the animals want in a king. Watch this!'

And he bounded on to the stage.

'Thank you! Thank you! ' he shout-ed.  'It’s great to be here! You know - that Fox is a clever fellow. But – poor Fox - he’s got no nose. How does he smell, I hear you ask? He smells...AWFUL! '

'Oooh-ooh-ooh! Do you want to see me dance?' cried Monkey.

'YEH!' roared the audience.

And monkey danced. He frolicked and he pranced⁴ and he capered⁵ and he danced! And what faces he pulled! 

Monkey was funny. The audience laughed and roared and held their sides. And that is how Monkey became King of the Beasts.

'Oooh-ooh-ooh! Well, Fox! ' he smirked⁶, as he paraded up and down in his gold crown. 'Funny beats clever!'

'PA! ' said Fox, angrily. 'We’ll see about that!'

The next day, Fox saw Monkey loll ing around in his throne with his golden crown upon his head.

'No hard feelings…Sire,' he said. 

'Y ou won, fair and square. And I want to give you a present fit for a clever king. ' 

'Oooh-ooh-ooh!' said Monkey. 

'Being King is boring work! Where’s your present? '

'It’s a little way into the forest. Come with me!'

So Monkey and Fox set off into the forest together. 

'Oooh-ooh-ooh! Where is it? Where is it? ' said Monkey, getting excited.

'There it is, Sire,' said sly⁷ Fox, pointing at a big, ripe banana on the jungle floor. 

'YUM YUM!' cried Monkey, and dived off to pick it up.

Later that day, the animals were running around in confusion⁸.

'Where’s the King?' they cried. 

'Has anyone seen the King?'

At last they found him. He was sitting – in a TRAP!

Monkey held out his arms through the bars.  'Oooh-ooh-ooh! When I went to pick up a banana – this trap fell over me! Please get me out!'

But none of the animals knew any thing about traps - except for Fox. 

Fox sat down and curled his long red tail around him.

'Fox! Fox! ' cried Monkey.  'Please help me!'

The Fox turned to look at the animals. 

'Should a King be clever?' asked Fox

'Yes!' the animals cried. 

'Does an animal that is clever fall in to a trap?' asked Fox.

The animals were silent. They looked at Monkey. 

'You are a very foolish monkey,' said Fox.  'I will get you out of the trap, but you must give up your crown. The King of the Beasts should be an animal that is smarter than to fall into traps. Don’t you think?'

And all the other animals agreed. 

1 fables   

n.寓言( fable的名词复数 )；神话，传说

参考例句：

• Some of Aesop's Fables are satires. 《伊索寓言》中有一些是讽刺作品。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Little Mexican boys also breathe the American fables. 墨西哥族的小孩子对美国神话也都耳濡目染。 来自辞典例句

2 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

3 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

4 pranced   

v.（马）腾跃( prance的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Their horses pranced and whinnied. 他们的马奔腾着、嘶鸣着。 来自辞典例句
• The little girl pranced about the room in her new clothes. 小女孩穿着新衣在屋里雀跃。 来自辞典例句

5 capered   

v.跳跃，雀跃( caper的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• While dressing, he capered and clowned like a schoolboy. 他一边穿，一边象个学生似的蹦蹦跳跳地扮演起小丑来。 来自辞典例句
• The lambs capered in the meadow. 小羊在草地上蹦蹦跳跳。 来自辞典例句

6 smirked   

v.傻笑( smirk的过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He smirked at Tu Wei-yueh. 他对屠维岳狞笑。 来自子夜部分
• He smirked in acknowledgement of their uncouth greetings, and sat down. 他皮笑肉不笑地接受了他的粗鲁的招呼，坐了下来。 来自辞典例句

7 sly   

adj.狡猾的，偷偷摸摸的

参考例句：

• You can't trust him,he's a sly old fox.你不能相信他，他是一只狡猾的老狐狸。
• I was ready to sly out the alley door.我准备从那边小门溜出去。

8 confusion   

n.困惑，迷乱，混淆，混乱，骚乱

参考例句：

• His answers to my questions have only added to my confusion.他对我的问题的回答只是使我更加困惑不解。
• His unexpected arrival threw us into total confusion.他的突然来访使我们完全不知所措。