100个儿童英语小故事: The Son and the Picture of a Lion

 

099 The Son and the Picture of a Lion

Once upon a time, there lived a very timid-minded father in a town. He was always worried that his son might get hurt. The son was brave and loved hunting, but his father prevented his son from hunting everyday.

One night, the father dreamed of his son being pursued by a lion. After he woke up, he thought, 'I should not leave things like this.' The father built a strong wooden house for his son because he believed his son would not be in danger if he locked his son in the house.

The father brought pictures of animals to his son's room so that the son would not get bored. The father even stuck a picture of a lion on the wooden wall. However, the son felt stuffy² about just staying home.

One day, the son vented¹ his anger on the picture of a lion. "You bastard³! I cannot go outside because of you! Why did you appear in my father's dream and torture me?" The son hit the picture with his fist.

Right then, the wooden wall broke down and a thorn got stuck in his hand. The son tried to take it out, but it did not come out easily. Due to the thorn, the wound enlarged and the inflammation worsened.

After a few days, the young son died from the wound. The father who tried to shut his child in lost his child because of his actions.

1 vented   

表达，发泄（感情，尤指愤怒）( vent的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He vented his frustration on his wife. 他受到挫折却把气发泄到妻子身上。
• He vented his anger on his secretary. 他朝秘书发泄怒气。

2 stuffy   

adj.不透气的，闷热的

参考例句：

• It's really hot and stuffy in here.这里实在太热太闷了。
• It was so stuffy in the tent that we could sense the air was heavy with moisture.帐篷里很闷热，我们感到空气都是潮的。

3 bastard   

n.坏蛋，混蛋；私生子

参考例句：

• He was never concerned about being born a bastard.他从不介意自己是私生子。
• There was supposed to be no way to get at the bastard.据说没有办法买通那个混蛋。