A man carves an idol and takes it to the fair. No one buys it, so he begins to shout in order to canvass the customer. 有人雕刻了一个赫尔墨斯的木像，拿到市场上去卖。因为没有一个买主上前 He says that this idol can bring in wealth and good luck. One man says to the seller, “Hello, My friend, if this is so, you should have the advantages that the idol can bring, why do you want to sell it?” The seller says, “What I want is that I can get cash in at once. The profit from the idol is so slow. 他便大声叫喊，想招揽生意，说有赐福招财的神出售。这时旁边有一个人对他说道：“喂，朋友，既然这样，你自己应该享受他的好处哇，为什么还要卖掉他呢?” 他回答说：“我要的是现在马上可以兑现的利益，这个神的利益却来得很慢哪。” This story means: God will never respect people who make a profit by hook or crook. 这故事正是说那种不择手段地求利，连神也不尊敬的人。
Once upon a time
很久以前
there was a single banana tree in the jungle.
在这片森林里面有一棵唯一的香蕉树。
Two bunches of bananas were on the banana tree.
香蕉树上有两串香蕉。
There were three children from a village.
有三个来自山村的孩子。
They were watching the bananas grow.
他们正在观察香蕉的成长。
There were four monkeys from the jungle.
有四只来自这片森林的猴子。
They were watching the bananas grow.
他们正在观察香蕉的成长。
The children looked at the bananas at five o’clock in the afternoon everyday.
孩子们在每一天下午六点钟看香蕉。
The monkeys looked at the bananas at six o’clock in the morning everyday.
猴子们在每一天早上六点钟看香蕉。
The three children and the four monkeys were very excited. Soon the bananas would be ready to eat.
这三个孩子和这四只猴子非常兴奋。很快香蕉就快能吃了。
All seven of them wanted to eat the bananas.
他们全部七个人都想吃香蕉。
One evening the children ran to the banana tree.
一天傍晚孩子们跑到香蕉树。
There were eight colorful butterflies sitting on the bananas.
八只色彩鲜艳的蝴蝶正落在香蕉上。
The bananas were almost yellow.
香蕉差不多成黄颜色了。
“Let’s eat the bananas now.”
“现在让我们吃香蕉。”
“No,they are not ripe.”
“不，他们没有熟呢。”
The next morning the monkeys looked at the bananas.
第二天早上猴子们看到香蕉。
There were nine drops of dew sparkling on the bananas.
有九粒露水在香蕉上发光。
The three children ran to the bananas tree for breakfast.
这三个孩子跑到香蕉树旁，把香蕉作为早餐。
The four monkeys swung from tree to tree to get to the banana tree.It was 10 o’clock.The monkeys and children wanted bananas for breakfast.
这四只猴子从一棵树到另一棵树摇荡来到香蕉树。十点钟了。猴子们和孩子们要把香蕉当作早餐。
The children were very upset to see the monkeys.
孩子们看到猴子们感到非常烦乱。
The monkeys were very upset to see the children.
猴子们看到孩子们感到非常烦乱。
The children were very afraid that the monkeys would take all of the bananas.The monkeys were afraid that the children would take all of the bananas.
孩子们非常害怕猴子们拿走所有的香蕉。猴子们害怕孩子们拿走所有的香蕉。
The children were very hungry.They were also very tired.
孩子们很饿。他们也很疲倦。
The monkeys were very hungry.They were also very tired.
猴子们很饿。他们也很疲倦。
The children were too tired to throw stones.
孩子们太疲倦了而不能扔石头。
The monkeys were too tired to throw sticks.
猴子们太疲倦了而不能扔木棍。
“I’m so hungry.””Me too.”
“我很饿。” “我也是。”
“Let’s share the bananas with the monkeys.”
“让我们和猴子们一起分享香蕉。”
“OK!Let’s share the bananas with the monkeys.”
“好的!让我们和猴子们一起分享香蕉。”
The monkeys and the children enjoyed their breakfast.
猴子们和孩子们享用了他们的早餐。
They also learned that sharing is better than fighting.
他们也明白了分享比争斗更好。
There are many animals in the forest. Today is a fine day. Animals are having a sport meeting.
Monkey, Fox, Panda, Rabbit and Bear are running. Look! Rabbit is the first. Fox and Monkey are the second. Bear is the third. The other animals are shouting, “Bear! Come on! Bear! Come on!” And look there, Duck and Pig are doing high jump. Pig is too fat, he can't jump very high. So Duck is the champion. Here! Cat and Squirrel are climbing a tree. Cat is ill. So he is the last, but he does his best. This sports meeting is wonderful. The animals are very happy!
During the Southern and Northern Dynasties (420-589), there lived a beautiful, intelligent princess name Lechang in the State Chen. She and her husband Xu Deyan loved each other dearly. But before long their country was in danger of being invaded by the troops of the Sui Dynasty. Princess Lechang and Xu Deyan had a premonition that their county would be occupied by the invaders and they would have to leave the palace and go into exile. During the chaos they might lose touch with each other. They broke a bronze mirror, a symbol of the unity of husband and wife into two parts and each of them kept a half. They aGREed that each would take their half of the mirror to the fair during the Lantern Festival, which is on the 15th day of the first Lunar month, in the hope that would meet again. When they were united the two halves would join together. Soon their premonition came true. During the chaos of war, the princess lost touch with her husband was taken to a powerful minister Yang Su's house and was made his mistress.
At the Lantern Festival the next year, Xu Deyan took his half of the mirror to the fair. He hoped that he could meet his wife. It so happened that a servant was selling the other half of the bronze mirror. Xu Deyan recognized it immediately. He asked the servant about his wife. As he heard about her bitter experience, tears rolled down his cheeks. Xu Deyan wrote a poem on the half of the mirror kept by his wife: "You left me with your broken mirror Now the mirror is back but not you I can no longer see your reflection in the mirror Only the bright moon but not you" .
the servant brought back the inscribed half of the mirror to princess Lechang. For days, she could not help sobbing because she knew her husband was still alive and that he missed her but they could not meet forever.
the minister, Yang Su, found this out. He was also moved by their true love and realized it was impossible to get Lechang's love. So he sent for Xu Deyan and allowed the husband and wife to reunite.
From that story comes the idiom "A broken mirror joined together".
It is used to suggest the happy reunion of a separated couple.
Once upon a time a little old woman and a little old man lived in a cottage. One day the little old woman made a gingerbread man. She gave him currants for eyes and cherries for buttons. She put him in the oven to bake. The little old woman and little old man were very hungry and wanted to eat the gingerbread man. As soon as he was cooked, the little old woman opened the oven door. The gingerbread man jumped out of the tin and ran out of the open window shouting, 'Don't eat me!' The little old woman and little old man ran after the gingerbread man. 'Stop! Stop!' they yelled.The gingerbread man did not look back. He ran on saying, 'Run, run as fast as you can! You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man!' Down the lane he sped when he came to a pig. 'Stop! Stop! I would like to eat you," shouted the pig. The gingerbread man was too fast. He ran on saying "Run, run as fast as you can. You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man.” A little further on he met a cow. 'Stop! Stop! little man,' called the hungry cow, 'I want to eat you.' Again the gingerbread man was too fast. He sped on down the road saying, "Run, run as fast as you can. You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man." The cow began to chase the gingerbread man along with the pig, and the little old woman. But the gingerbread man was too fast for them. It was not long before the gingerbread man came to a horse. 'Stop! Stop!' shouted the horse. 'I want to eat you, little man.' But the gingerbread man did not stop. He said,'Run, run as fast as you can. You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man.' The horse joined in the chase. The gingerbread man laughed and laughed, until he came to a river. 'Oh no!' he cried, 'They will catch me. How can I cross the river?' A sly fox came out from behind a tree. 'I can help you cross the river,' said the fox. 'Jump on to my tail and I will swim across.' 'You won't eat me, will you?' said the gingerbread man. 'Of course not,' said the fox. 'I just want to help.' The gingerbread man climbed on the fox's tail. Soon the gingerbread man began to get wet. 'Climb onto my back,' said the fox. So the gingerbread man did. As he swam the fox said, 'You are too heavy. I am tired. Jump onto my nose.' So the gingerbread man did as he was told. No sooner had they reached the other side, than the fox tossed the gingerbread man up in the air. He opened his mouth and 'Snap!' that was the end of the gingerbread man.