伊索寓言：猴子和猫（中英双语）

从前，宠物猫和猴子住在同一家。他们是死党，总是不停地搞着各种各样的恶作剧。他们琢磨最多的是弄吃的，至于手段对他们不重要。

一天，他们坐在炉火边，看壁炉上烤着的一些板栗。怎么弄到手是他们的问题。

“我很乐意去拿，”狡猾的猴子说，“不过这种事情你比我拿手得多。把它们弄出来，咱俩平分。”

猫咪小心翼翼地伸出爪子，推开一些煤渣，接着很快把爪子缩回来。然后她再来一次，这次把一颗板栗从火里拖出来一半。第三次，她取出了板栗。如此这般她操作了几次，每次几乎都要把爪子烧焦。她把板栗一弄出来，猴子就把它们吃光了。

这时主人进来了，两个坏蛋落荒而逃。除了烧焦的爪子，猫小姐一颗板栗也没吃到。据说从那时起，她甘愿吃各种老鼠，与猴子先生再无瓜葛。

阿谀奉承者必有损人利己之心。

THE MONKEY AND THE CAT

Once upon a time a Cat and a Monkey lived as pets in the same house. They were great friends and were constantly in all sorts of mischief together. What they seemed to think of more than anything else was to get something to eat, and it did not matter much to them how they got it.

One day they were sitting by the fire, watching some chestnuts roasting on the hearth. How to get them was the question.

"I would gladly get them," said the cunning Monkey, "but you are much more skillful at such things than I am. Pull them out and I'll divide them between us."

Pussy stretched out her paw very carefully, pushed aside some of the cinders, and drew back her paw very quickly. Then she tried it again, this time pulling a chestnut half out of the fire. A third time and she drew out the chestnut. This performance she went through several times, each time singeing her paw severely. As fast as she pulled the chestnuts out of the fire, the Monkey ate them up.

Now the master came in, and away scampered the rascals, Mistress Cat with a burnt paw and no chestnuts. From that time on, they say, she contented herself with mice and rats and had little to do with Sir Monkey.

The flatterer seeks some benefit at your expense.