MWRP讀物推介| 本生經故事選Jataka Tales

《本生經故事選》（Jataka Tales）是「百萬英語閱讀計劃」MWRP叢書——英漢對照中級英語系列讀物第I輯之3，適合已掌握1500基本英語辭彙量（相當於初中畢業）的讀者閱讀。

百萬英語閱讀計劃是為專門為中國學生設計的英語閱讀提高計劃，讀者對象為已具有初中英語水平的讀者，通過２年、每天約15分鐘的閱讀能達到中級英語水平，掌握3000多單詞和大量的短語，熟練掌握英語的各種句子結構，並能閱讀一般英語原著。詳見：《百萬英語閱讀計劃讀者手冊》。

內容簡介

《本生經》是印度的一部佛教寓言故事集，主要講述佛陀釋迦牟尼前生的故事。佛陀自說本生故事的主要目的，是透過種種故事、譬喻來教化弟子，因此本生經中，處處表現出道德的教訓，醒世的箴言、寓言、格言、機智等。

本書選編了40篇本生經故事，都是人們耳熟能詳、流傳於世界各地的著名故事，如《猴子和鱷魚》等。這些故事，對於成年人，也許有的略顯稚氣，但是，佛陀就是通過這些簡單的故事來教化弟子的。透過這些故事，讀者可以窺視佛教文化，同時也會從中得到一些人生啟迪。

文本信息

本書文本統計信息詳見下表，供選擇時參考：

讀者評論

文庫新人 【購買用戶】102017-04-16 16:54:05來自百度閱讀

基本都能看懂了，又進步一點點

天若有情731962017-03-13 16:19:16來自百度閱讀

很好的書。

試讀第一章

Jataka Tales

本生經故事選

1. The Monkey and the Crocodile

猴子和鱷魚

A Monkey lived in a great tree on a river bank.

一隻猴子住在一條河岸邊上的一棵大樹上。

In the river there were many Crocodiles. A Crocodile watched the Monkeys for a long time, and one day she said to her son, 「My son,get one of those Monkeys for me. I want the heart of a Monkey to eat.」

河裡住著許多鱷魚。一隻鱷魚觀察了猴子好長時間，有一天她對兒子說：「兒子啊，把猴子給我抓來一隻吧。我想吃個猴子的心。」

「How can I catch a Monkey?」 asked the little Crocodile. 「I do not travel on land, and the Monkey does not go into the water.」

「我怎麼能抓到猴子呢？」小鱷魚問。「我不到岸上去走，猴子也不下水。」

「Use your head, and you』ll find a way,」 said the mother.

「動動腦筋，你就會有辦法的，」媽媽說。

And the little Crocodile thought and thought.

於是，小鱷魚想啊，想啊。

At last he said to himself, 「I know what I』ll do. I』ll get that Monkey that lives in a big tree on the river bank. He wishes to go across the river to the island where the fruit is so ripe.」

最後，他自語道：「我知道該怎麼辦了。我要抓住在河岸那棵大樹上住的猴子。他希望到河對岸有熟透的果子的島上去呢。」

So the Crocodile swam to the tree where the Monkey lived. But he was a stupid Crocodile.

於是這隻鱷魚游到猴子住的那棵樹旁邊。但是這隻鱷魚很蠢。

「Oh, Monkey,」 he called,「come with me over to the island where the fruit is so ripe.」

「喂，猴子，」他喊道，「跟我到那個島上去吧。那裡的水果都熟透了。」

「How can I go with you?」asked the Monkey. 「I do not swim.」

「我怎麼能跟你去呢？」猴子問。「我又不會游泳。」

「No--but I do. I will take you over on my back,」 said the Crocodile.

「對——可我會啊。我要背著你去，」鱷魚說。

The Monkey was greedy, and wanted the ripe fruit, so he jumped down on the Crocodile』s back.

猴子很貪吃，想吃熟果子，於是就跳到鱷魚的背上去。

「Off we go!」 said the Crocodile.

「走嘍！」鱷魚說。

「This is a fine ride you are giving me!」 said the Monkey.

「你帶我走這一趟太好了！」猴子說。

「Do you think so? Well,how do you like this?」 asked the Crocodile, as he dived into the water.

「你覺得是這樣嗎？哦，你喜歡嗎？」鱷魚一邊潛入水中，一邊問。

「Oh, don』t!」 cried the Monkey, as he went under the water. He was afraid to let go, and he did not know what to do under the water.

「哎呀，別啊！」猴子沉到水裡的時候，喊道。他不敢鬆手，在水下不知道怎麼辦。

When the Crocodile came up, the Monkey asked, 「Why did you take me under water, Crocodile?」

鱷魚浮上來的時候，猴子說：「鱷魚，你為什麼把我帶到水底去啊？」

「I am going to kill you by keeping you under water,」 answered the Crocodile. 「My mother wants Monkey-heart to eat, and I』m going to take yours to her.」

「我打算把你浸在水裡淹死你，」鱷魚回答。「我媽媽想吃猴子心，我要把你的心送給她。」

「I wish you had told me you wanted my heart,」 said the Monkey, 「then I might have brought it with me.」

「你早告訴我想要我的心就好了，」猴子說，「那樣我就把它帶來了。」

「How strange!」 said the stupid Crocodile. 「Do you mean to say that you left your heart back there in the tree?」

「多奇怪啊！」愚蠢的鱷魚說。「你是說你把心留在那棵樹上了嗎？」

「That is what I mean,」said the Monkey. 「If you want my heart, we must go back to the tree and get it. But we are so near the island where the ripe fruit is, please take me there first.」

「我說的就是這個意思，」猴子說。「如果你想要我的心，我們就得回到樹上去取來。但是，我們離那個有熟透的水果的島這麼近了，請先把我帶到那裡去吧。」

「No, Monkey,」 said the Crocodile, 「I』ll take you straight back to your tree. Never mind the ripe fruit. Get your heart and bring it to me at once. Then we』ll think of going to the island.」

「不行，猴子，」鱷魚說。「我要馬上把你送回樹上。別管熟果子的事了。馬上去拿來你的心臟給我吧。然後，我們再考慮去島上的事。」

「Very well,」 said the Monkey.

「好吧，」猴子說。

But no sooner had he jumped onto the bank of the river than he ran up into the tree. From the highest branches he called down to the Crocodile in the water below,

但是猴子一跳到河岸上，就立即爬到樹上。他從最高的樹枝上對下面水裡的鱷魚喊道：

「My heart is up here! If you want it, come for it, come for it!」

「我的心在這裡！如果你想要，就上來拿吧，上來拿吧！」

The Monkey soon moved away from that tree. He wanted to get away from the Crocodile, so that he might live in peace. But the Crocodile found him, far down the river, living in another tree.

不久，猴子就從那棵樹搬走了。他想遠離那隻鱷魚，以便可以平平安安地生活。但是鱷魚還是找到了他，發現他住在下游很遠的地方，住在另一棵樹上。

In the middle of the river was an island covered with fruit-trees. Halfway between the bank of the river and the island, a large rock rose out of the water. The Monkey could jump to the rock, and then to the island. The Crocodile watched the Monkey crossing from the bank of the river to the rock, and then to the island.

在河中央有一個島，上面長滿了果樹。河岸和島中間，有一塊大石頭從水中突起。猴子可以跳到大石頭上，然後再跳到那個島上。鱷魚望著猴子從河岸跳到岩石上，然後再跳到島上去。

He thought to himself, 「The Monkey will stay on the island all day, and I』ll catch him on his way home at night.」

他心想：「猴子整個白天都呆在島上，晚上我要在他回家的路上抓住他。」

The Monkey had a fine dinner, while the Crocodile swam about, watching him all day. Toward night the Crocodile crawled out of the water and lay on the rock, perfectly still.

猴子美美地飽餐一頓，而鱷魚卻在整天游來游去，望著他。臨近天黑的時候，鱷魚從水裡爬出來，一動不動地趴在石頭上。

When it grew dark among the trees, the Monkey started for home. He ran down to the river bank, and there he stopped.

樹林裡面黑下來的時候，猴子就動身回家。他跑到河岸，然後停住了。

「What is the matter with the rock?」 the Monkey thought to himself. 「I never saw it so high before. The Crocodile is lying on it!」

「大石頭是怎麼回事？」猴子心想。「以前我從沒見它那麼高過。鱷魚趴在上面！」

But he went to the edge of the water and called, 「Hello, Rock!」

但是，他走到水邊喊道：「石頭，你好！」

No answer.

沒有回應。

Then he called again, 「Hello, Rock!」

於是，他又喊了一聲：「石頭，你好！」

Three times the Monkey called, and then he said, 「Why is it, Friend Rock, that you do not answer me tonight?」

猴子喊了三次，然後說：「猴子朋友，為什麼今天晚上你不回應我了呢？」

「Oh,」 said the stupid Crocodile to himself, 「the rock answers the Monkey at night. I』ll have to answer for the rock this time.」

「噢，」愚蠢的鱷魚心想，「大石頭晚上要回猴子的話啊。這次我得替石頭回答了。」

So he answered, 「Yes, Monkey! What is it?」

於是他回答道：「喂，猴子！什麼事啊？」

The Monkey laughed, and said, 「Oh, it』s you, Crocodile, is it?」

猴子哈哈大笑，說道：「啊，鱷魚，是你嗎？」

「Yes,」 said the Crocodile. 「I am waiting here for you. I am going to eat you.」

「是的，」鱷魚說。「我在這裡等你。我要吃了你。」

「You have caught me in a trap this time,」 said the Monkey. 「There is no other way for me to go home. Open your mouth wide so I can jump right into it.」

「這一次你讓我進圈套了，」猴子說。「我沒有別的路回家了。把你的嘴巴張大，我好跳進去。」

The Monkey jumped.

猴子跳了。

Now the Monkey well knew that when Crocodiles open their mouths wide, they shut their eyes. While the Crocodile lay on the rock with his mouth wide open and his eyes shut, the Monkey jumped.

猴子非常清楚，鱷魚的嘴巴張開的時候，他們就會閉上眼睛。鱷魚趴在岩石上，嘴巴大張著，眼睛閉著的時候，猴子跳了。

But not into his mouth!Oh, no! He landed on the top of the Crocodile』s head, and then jumped quickly to the bank. Up he ran into his tree.

但沒有跳進他的嘴裡！哦，沒有！他落到鱷魚的頭頂上，然後快速跳到岸上，爬到了樹上去。

When the Crocodile saw the trick the Monkey had played on him, he said, 「Monkey, you are very clever. You know no fear. I』ll let you alone after this.」

鱷魚看出猴子跟他耍的把戲後，就說：「猴子，你很聰明。你什麼都不怕。以後我就不再打擾你了。」

「Thank you, Crocodile, but I shall be on the watch for you just the same,」 said the Monkey.

「謝謝你，鱷魚，不過我照樣還要提防著你，」猴子說。