英文幽默故事：The Ungrateful Lion

In a dense¹ forest, lived a fierce lion. He was very cruel. One day the lion was caught in a hunter’s trap. One by one many animals passed by. “Please helped me!" pleaded the lion. But none of the animals listened to his plea. 

 

After a while, a man happened to come into the forest. He saw the lion. The lion said, “I will die of hunger and suffocation². Please help me out, O! kind man." The man was thoughtful. “I assure you I will never harm you. Please help me now. The hunter will be anytime now," said the lion. 

 

The man felt sorry for the lion and set the beast free. As soon as the lion was free, he let out a fierce roar. “I have been trapped in the cage for a long time. I am hungry. I will have to eat you," said the lion, looking at the man. “But you promised that you would not harm me," said the man, in a meek³ tone. “Yes, I said that. But only to convince you to free me. Now, I am terribly hungry," said the lion. 

 

The terrified man thought quickly. He said, “Alright, you can eat me. But let a judge decide if you are right in eating the person who has rescued you." 

 

The lion agreed. He was sure that no animal would speak against him. Just then a jackal came that way and the lion asked the jackal to be the judge. He addressed the lion, “Sir, would you please show me how it all happened?" The lion was only too willing. He entered the cage and closed the cage door. The jackal immediately bolted the cage from outside. 

 

“Now the lion is trapped again. Run away, you foolish man! And never offer help to anyone without thinking," said the jackal. The frightened man ran for his life. And the ungrateful lion was trapped in the cage again. The hunter came and took the lion away to his circus.  

1 dense   

a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的

参考例句：

• The general ambushed his troops in the dense woods. 将军把部队埋伏在浓密的树林里。
• The path was completely covered by the dense foliage. 小路被树叶厚厚地盖了一层。

2 suffocation   

n.窒息

参考例句：

• The greatest dangers of pyroclastic avalanches are probably heat and suffocation. 火成碎屑崩落的最大危害可能是炽热和窒息作用。 来自辞典例句
• The room was hot to suffocation. 房间热得闷人。 来自辞典例句

3 meek   

adj.温顺的，逆来顺受的

参考例句：

• He expects his wife to be meek and submissive.他期望妻子温顺而且听他摆布。
• The little girl is as meek as a lamb.那个小姑娘像羔羊一般温顺。