The Fables of Aesop 伊索寓言

A Jay venturing into a yard where Peacocks used to walk,found there a number of feathers which had fallen from the Peacocks when they were moulting. He tied them all to his tail and strutted down towards the Peacocks. When he came near them they soon discovered the trick, and striding up to him pecked at him and plucked away his borrowed plumes. So the Jay could do no better than go back to the other Jays, who had watched his behaviour from a distance; but they were equally annoyed with him,and told him:

“It is not only fine feathers that make fine birds.”

松雞和孔雀

一只松雞冒險闖進孔雀經常散步的院子里，發現地上有許多孔雀換毛時掉落的羽毛。他把這些羽毛全部綁在自己尾巴上，大搖大擺地朝孔雀們走去。當他走近時，孔雀們很快發現了他的小把戲，紛紛跑過來啄他，撕掉他的偽裝。松雞沒辦法，只能回到雞群中，但其他松雞早就遠遠地看到了他的行為，所以他們同樣表示厭惡，告訴他說—

“不是有了好羽毛就能變成好鳥。”

Key points

annoy 生氣

behaviour 行為

cheat 欺騙手段

discover 發現

jay 松雞

moult 脫毛；換羽

peacock 雄孔雀

peck 啄

pluck 摘；拔

plume 羽毛

stride 大步走

strut 趾高氣揚地走

venture 冒險

yard 院子