[英語學習Plus]The Very Proper Gander 非常正派的鵝

今天介紹這短篇故事(MP3試聽)

The Very Proper Gander 非常正派的鵝

Not so very long ago there was a very fine gander. He was strong and smooth and beautiful and he spent most of his time singing to his wife and children.

One day somebody who saw him strutting up and down in his yard and singing remarked, “There is a very proper gander.”

An old hen overheard this and told her husband about it that night in the roost.“They said something about propaganda,” she said.

“I have always suspected that,” said the rooster, and he went around the barnyard next day telling everybody that the very fine gander was a dangerous bird, more than likely a hawk in gander’s clothing.

A small brown hen remembered a time when at a great distance she had seen the gander talking with some hawks in the forest. “They were up to no good,” she said. A duck remembered that the gander had once told him he did not believe anything. “He said to heck with the flag, too,” said the duck.

A guinea hen recalled that she had once seen somebody who looked very much like the gander throw something that looked like a bomb.

Finally, everybody snatched up sticks and stones and descended on the gander’s house. He was strutting in his front yard, singing to his children and his wife.

“There he is!” everybody cried. “Hawk-lover! Unbeliever! Flag-hater! Bomb-thrower!” So they set upon him and drove him out of the country.

James Thurber (1894-1961): Fables for Our Time

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不久以前，有一隻出色的雄鵝，他雄赳赳的，羽毛光滑，相貌堂堂，成天對著妻兒唱歌。

有一天，有個人看見他在自家院子裡趾高氣揚來回踏步，歌聲不斷，說了一句：「有一隻正派的鵝。」

一隻老母雞無意中聽到這句話，當晚便在雞棚裡告訴老伴說：「他們不知在搞什麼名堂。」

公雞接口道：「我早就懷疑他了。」隔天，公雞在穀場四處閒晃，逢人便說那隻愛炫耀的鵝是個危險的傢伙，可能比披著鵝毛的老鷹還危險。

於是一隻棕色的小母雞想起來，有一次她老遠就看見雄鵝在樹林裡和一些老鷹交談。「他們想必是要做什麼壞事。」她說。

這時又有一隻鴨子想起來，雄鵝曾經說過他什麼都不信。「他說，什麼國旗我也不甩。」鴨子說。

一隻珍珠雞也回想起，她曾經見過有個很像雄鵝身影在扔炸彈之類的東西。 最後，大家全都拿起棍棒石塊，跑去攻擊雄鵝的住處，當時雄鵝正在前院昂首闊步，對著妻兒唱歌。

「他在那裡！」大家叫喊道：「喜愛老鷹的傢伙！沒有信仰的傢伙！憎恨國旗的傢伙！扔炸彈的傢伙！」於是他們群起攻之，把雄鵝攆出了這個國家。

James Thurber (1894-1961): Fables for Our Time 詹姆斯．瑟伯：《當代寓言》