MakingHisMark“刻舟求剑”

　　AmanfromthestateofChuwastakingaboatacrossariverwhenhedroppedhisswordintothewatercarelessly.Immediatelyhemadeamarkonthesideoftheboatwherethesworddropped,hopingtofinditlater.Whentheboatstoppedmoving,hewentintothewatertosearchforhisswordattheplacewherehehadmarkedtheboat.Asweknow,theboathadmovedbuttheswordhadnot.Isn’tthisaveryfoolishwaytolookforasword?

　　楚国有个人坐船渡江时,他不小心把自己的一把宝剑掉落江中.他马上掏出一把小刀,在宝剑落水的船舷上刻上一个记号.船靠岸后,那楚人立即从船上刻记号的地方跳下水去捞取掉落的宝剑.他怎么找得到宝剑呢?船继续行驶,而宝剑却不会再移动.像他这样去找剑,真是太愚蠢可笑了.

　　ToPulluptheSeedlingstoHelpThemGrow“拔苗助长”

　　Onceuponatime,therewasanoldfarmerwhoplantedaplotofrice.Afterheplantedtheseedlings,everydayhewenttothefieldtowatchtheseedlingsgrow.Hesawtheyoungshootsbreakthroughthesoilandgrowtallereachday,butstill,hethoughttheyweregrowingtooslowly.Eventuallyhegotimpatientwiththeyoungplantsandsuddenlyhehituponanideathatonebyone,hepulleduptheyoungplantsbyhalfaninch.Thenextearlymorning,theyoungmancouldn’twaittocheckhis“achievement”,buthewasheart-brokentoseeallthepulled-upyoungplantsdying.

　　从前,有个农夫,种了稻苗（seedlings）后,便希望能早早收成.每天他到稻田时,都发觉那些稻苗长得非常慢.他等得很不耐烦.想了又想,他终于想到一个“最佳方法”,他将稻苗全都拔高了几分.第二天,一早起身,他迫不及待地去稻田看他的“成果”.哪知,却看到所有的稻苗都枯萎了.

　　PluggingOne’sEarsWhileStealingaBell“掩耳盗铃”

　　Onceuponatime,therewasamanwhowantedtostealhisneighbor’sdoorbell.However,heknewclearlythatthebellwouldringandcatchtheotherpeople’sattentionaslongashetouchedthebell.Sohethoughthardandsuddenlyhitonaclever“idea”.Hepluggedhisearswithsomething,thinkingthateverythingwouldgowellwhenhestolethebell.Unfortunatelytohisdisappointment,thebellstillrangloudlyandhewascaughtonthespotasathief.

　　从前,有一个人想偷邻居门上的铃,但是他知道一碰到铃,铃就会响起来,被人发现.他想啊想,终于他想出一个“妙极”,他把自己的耳朵用东西塞起来,就听不见铃声了.但是当他去偷铃时,铃声仍旧响起来,他被别人当场抓住

　　TheFoxandtheCrow“狐狸和乌鸦”

　　Onedayacrowstoodonabranchnearhisnestandfeltveryhappywiththemeatinhismouth.Atthattime,afoxsawthecrowwiththemeat,soheswallowedandeagerlythoughtofaplantogetthemeat.However,whateverthefoxsaidtothecrow,thecrowjustkeptsilent.Untilthefoxthoughthighlyofthecrow’sbeautifulvoice,thecrowfeltflatteredandopenedhismouthtosing.Assoonasthemeatfelldowntotheground,thefoxtookthemeatandwentintohishole.

　　有一天,一只乌鸦站在窝旁的树枝上嘴里叼着一片肉,心里非常高兴.这时候,一只狐狸看见了乌鸦,馋得直流口水,非常想得到那片肉.但是,无论狐狸说什么,乌鸦就是不理睬狐狸.最后,狐狸赞美乌鸦的嗓音最优美,并要求乌鸦唱几句让他欣赏欣赏.乌鸦听了狐狸赞美的话,得意极了,就唱起歌来.没想到,肉一掉下来,狐狸就叼起肉,钻回了洞

　　DrawaSnakeandAddFeettoIt“画蛇添足”

　　Longlongago,severalpeoplehadajarofwineamongthemandallofthemwantedtodrinkitbyhimself.Sotheysetarulethateveryonewoulddrawasnakeonthegroundandthemanwhofinishedfirstwouldhavethewine.Onemanfinishedhissnakeverysoonandhewasabouttodrinkthewinewhenhesawtheotherswerestillbusydrawing,sohedecidedtodrawthefeettothesnake.However,beforehecouldfinishthefeet,anothermanfinishedandgrabbedthejarfromhim,saying,"Whohaseverseenasnakewithfeet?”Thestoryof"DrawasnakeandaddfeettoIt.”tellsusgoingtoofarisasbadasnotgoingfarenough.

　　古时几个人分一壶酒.他们都想独自喝完那壶酒,所以就定了一个规矩：每人在地上画一条蛇,谁画得最快,这壶酒就归谁.有一个人很快就把蛇画好了.他正打算喝这壶酒时,看见别人都还在忙着画,