天方夜谭英文故事：The Prince and The Ogress

Once there lived a Prince. His name was Zayian. One day he went for hunting in the forest. When he was going into the deep jungle, he saw a beautiful girl. She was searching for something. He had never seen such a beautiful girl ever before. She came near him and said, “You young man, please help me to get out of the forest". 

 

Prince readily¹ agreed to help the girl. Both were on the horse and rode out of the forest with in minutes. When he was nearing the Plains, they saw beautiful flowers all around in all colours The girl asked the prince to stop the horse and got down from the horse to pluck² some of the flowers. 

 

The Prince waited on the horse. The girl was moving away plucking³ the flowers and was soon out of sight. The Prince waited for some more time. But she did not turn back. So he got down from the horse and went towards the direction she had gone, But he couldn’t see her there. 

 

He came near a rock. There he saw the girl talking to somebody. He went near them without their knowledge. The beautiful girl was really an ogres and she was talking to an ogre. She said…"A prince is waiting out side the cave on a horse. I will bring him soon" she said in a happy voice. 

 

The Prince knew she was none but the beautiful girl. "Being an ugly faced ogress, she had changed her figure to attract the prince. 

 

He decided⁴ to put an end to her. So he quickly moved to the horse and waited on the horse expecting the ogress girl. When she came near the prince and said, ‘'Can we go?". The prince sprang on her with his sword⁵ and killed her in no time. So he put an end to the wicked⁶ ogress and returned to his palace safely.  

1 readily   

adv.欣然地，容易地，很快地，立即

参考例句：

• I promise all costs will be readily returned.我保证所有的费用会迅速偿还。
• Most plastics do not readily conduct heat or electricity.大多数塑料不易传热或导电。

2 pluck   

v.摘，拔（毛）拨，弹奏，拉；n.勇气，决心

参考例句：

• He is full of pluck.他很有勇气。
• With a few pluck at the string of his banjo,everybody is singing along.他拨了拨班卓琴的琴弦，每个人就都跟著唱了起了。

3 plucking   

（水果，茶叶等）采摘

参考例句：

• He sat on the bed,idly plucking the strings of his guitar. 他坐在床上，随意地拨着吉他的弦。
• The Country Mouse was sitting under a hazel thicket plucking nuts. 乡鼠正坐在榛树丛下摘硬果。

4 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

5 sword   

n.剑，刀剑，武力，杀戮

参考例句：

• The soldier cut at his enemy with his sword.那位士兵用自己的剑向敌人砍去。
• With a sweep of his sword he cut through the rope.他用剑一挥把绳子砍断了。

6 wicked   

adj.邪恶的，恶劣的，缺德的；淘气的

参考例句：

• Let everyone know all the wicked things she has done.把她干的坏事给大家抖搂抖搂。
• The wicked must be wiped out.恶人必须除掉。