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LESSON 4 The two goats
第四課 兩只山羊
On a wild mountain, two goats met on a ledge just over a high cliff. The ledge was so narrow, that there was neither room for them to pass each other nor to turn round and go back. A steep rock rose straight above them—a deep dark chasm lay below! What do you think the two goats did?
在一座偏遠的山上，兩只山羊在高聳的懸崖邊上的巖礁相遇。那塊巖礁很狹窄，任何一只山羊都無法繼續向前通過，也無法回頭。一塊陡峭的巖石佇立在它們上面，地下就是萬丈深淵！在這種情況下，你認為這兩只山羊會怎么做呢？
One of them with great care laid himself down on the narrow ledge, pressing as close to the rock as he could. Then the other goat gently and softly stepped over his friend, till, safely past him, he could lightly bound away.
其中一只山羊躺在巖礁上，身體盡可能的貼近巖石。另外一只山羊則輕輕地、慢慢地踏著它的伙伴的身體離開了。
The goat that had lain down then drew himself up from his lowly place, safe and sound, free to spring again from rock to rock, and crop the sweet grass on the hills.
然后，那只平躺著的山羊挺直著身體，不用再巖石上跳來跳去，可以直接品嘗山上的鮮美的草。
Two other goats had left the valley, and climbed far up the mountain. At length they met on the banks of a wild, rushing stream. A tree had fallen across the stream, and formed a bridge from the one side to the other.
還有兩只山羊離開了山谷，往高高的山上爬。最后它們在一條激流的岸邊相遇。有一棵樹倒了下來，像一條橋一樣橫在河流的兩邊。
The goats looked at each other, and each wished to pass over first.
這兩只山羊你看著我，我看著你，心里都希望自己能先過到對岸。
They stood for a moment with one foot on the tree, each thinking that the other would draw back. But neither of them would give way, and they met at last on the middle of the narrow bridge!
它們一只腳搭在樹木上站了一會兒，心里想，對方肯定會回頭的。但沒想到大家都不退讓，最后兩只山羊在狹窄的橋的中間相遇！
They then began to push and fight with their horns, till at last their feet slipped, and both the goats fell into the swift flowing stream, and were lost in the waters!
然后它們開始用自己的角來與對方搏斗，直到最后，兩只山羊都滑了角，掉進激流中，被湍急的水淹沒了。
Both might have been saved, if either of them had known how to yield at the right time.
如果它們懂得在關鍵時刻退讓，其實兩只山羊都能避免一死。
QUESTIONS
問題
Where did the first two goats meet?What above them? What lay below?How did they manage to pass one another?Where did the other two goats meet?What did each claim?What took place in the middle of the bridge?They were both lost, because neither of them…?
開頭的兩只山羊在哪里相遇？它們的上方有什么？下面又有什么？它們是如何設法通過的？另外兩只山羊又是在哪里相遇？它們心里在想什么？在橋的中間發生了什么事？為什么最后兩只山羊都掉進水中？
