1. The man who could see the future
篇一 能预见未来的人

A man who lived a long time ago believed that he could read the future in the stars. He called himself an Astrologer and spent his time at night gazing at the sky. He was always busy worrying about the future. Villagers often came to him, hoping to get to know from him what their future would be like.
很久以前，有这么一个人，他相信自己可以占星预见未来。他自称占星家，并且常常在夜晚凝视星空。他总是为未来牵肠挂肚。村民们经常来找他，希望能从他那里了解自己的未来。
One evening he was walking along the open road outside the village. His eyes were fixed on the stars. He thought he read in the stars that the end of the world was near. He got lost in his thoughts about this future of the world. As he was looking at the stars he walked on, without looking down. Suddenly, he fell into a ditch full of mud and water.
一天晚上，他沿着村外的小路散步时，眼睛盯着天上的星星，认为自己从星象中了解到了世界末日即将来临。他满脑子想的都是关于世界的未来，思绪已经迷失其中。他一遍继续散步，一遍抬头望着星空，完全没有低头看脚下的路。突然，他掉进了一个满是泥浆的水坑里。
He was sinking into the muddy water, and angrily trying to claw his way out by scrabbling at the slippery sides of the hole. Unfortunately, he failed each time in his efforts to climb out this way. He realized soon that he was unable to crawl out and, fearing for his life, he started screaming for help. His cries for help luckily made the villagers run to the hole.
他一点点陷入泥浆，开始奋力挣扎着沿湿滑的水坑边向上爬。不幸的是，他每次竭尽全力想要爬出水坑时，都以失败告终。他很快意识到，自己是无法凭借自身的力量爬出去的。他感觉自己快撑不住了，开始大喊救命。很幸运，他的呼救声被村民们听到了，他们纷纷跑到水坑边来施救。
As they pulled him out of the mud, one of them said, "You pretend to read the future in the stars, and yet you fail to see what is in front of your feet! This hopefully teaches you that you may need to pay more attention to what is right in front of you, and let the future take care of itself." "What use is it," said another, "to read the stars, when you can't see what's right here on the earth?"
村民们把他从泥浆中拉出来后，其中一位村民对他说：“你自称有占星预见未来的本事，怎么连脚下的路也看不清？！希望这件事能够让你清楚，你可能需要更多地关注自己眼前的事情，让未来的事情自己去发生吧。”“你连地球上的事情都看不到，”另一个村民说，“占星又有什么用？”
Moral: We all want our future to be bright and happy, but the time doesn't stop for anyone. Each tomorrow turns into today, your present is also a part of your future. There is always a tomorrow to look forward to and improve, but you can't go back to yesterday. So, maintain the balance in your life in the present, while you work for a better tomorrow.
寓意：我们都希望自己的未来变得光明、幸福，但时间不会因任何人而停下脚步。 每个明天都会变成今天，你的现在也是你未来的一部分。明天总是用来期待和改进的。因此，我们应当在我们现在的生活中寻找平衡，同时为了一个更美好的明天而付出努力。

2. The Lazy Man and the God's Plan
篇二 懒汉与上帝的计划

Once upon a time, there was a very lazy man who would always look for an easier way to feed himself. One day, while he was searching for something to eat, he saw a fruit farm. He looked around and didn't see anyone guarding the fruits on the trees, so he quickly decided to steal some. But as soon as he walked into the farm and began to climb a tree, a farmer saw him and started coming at him with a stick, and wanted to catch him. The lazy man saw the farmer, got afraid and ran towards a nearby forest to hide himself.
从前，有一个非常懒惰的人，他始终在寻找更容易的方法来养活自己。有一天，当他正在找东西吃的时候，看到了一片果园。他环顾四周，发现没人看守果树，于是他很快决定去偷些果子吃。但，当他刚刚走进果园，开始爬上一棵果树的时候，就被一个果农发现了。果农手拿一根木棒，向他所在的方向赶了过来，打算抓住他。懒汉看到了果农，害怕极了，跳下树就朝附近的一片森林跑去，藏了起来。
After some time when he felt it was safe to come out of the forest again. While walking through the trees, he saw a wonderful scene. He saw a fox. It had only two legs, but it was still happily crawling around. The lazy man thought, how can this fox stay alive in such a condition?! The fox can't run, how is he able to feed himself or protect himself from the threat of other animals?
过了一段时间，当他觉得已经安全的时候，他开始动身走出森林。当他在树木间穿行时，看到了一副非常精彩的场景。他见到一只狐狸。这只狐狸只有两条腿，但仍然非常高兴地爬来爬去。懒汉想，这样一只狐狸怎么能够在如此的条件下活下来呢？它不能奔跑，怎么能够捕食猎物养活自己呢？又怎么能保护自己不受到其他动物的威胁呢？
Suddenly, he saw a lion coming towards the fox with a piece of meat in his mouth. All the animals ran away and the lazy man climbed in a tree to save himself. The fox however, stayed there alone, because it didn't have the ability to run. What happened next, surprised the lazy man. The lion left a piece of the meat that was in his mouth behind on the ground, for the fox!
突然，他看到一只狮子朝着狐狸走来，嘴里叼着一块肉。所有动物都逃跑了，懒汉也爬上了一棵树，躲了起来。只有狐狸独自留在了原处，因为它没有逃跑的能力。接下来发生的事情令懒汉感到十分惊讶。狮子将嘴里的那块肉留在地上，转身走开了。肉是留给狐狸的！
The lazy man felt happy seeing his god's play. He thought his god, who is the creator of all, always has a plan set, to take care of what he created. He felt that his god must have had something planned for him too. So, he left that place in the forest, and sat down somewhere, alone, waiting for someone to feed him too. As time passed by, he kept looking at the road, waiting for his food. He waited there for 2 days without any food! Finally, he couldn't bear his hunger and started to walk away.
懒汉为能够看到上帝导演的这一幕剧情，感到非常地开心。他认为上帝，这位世间万物的创造者，已经制定好了一份计划，他所创造的一切事物都会受到他的眷顾。懒汉觉得上帝肯定也为他制定好了计划。于是，他动身走出森林，坐在一个地方，独自一人等待着有人来给他提供食物。时间一点一滴过去，他就这么一直坐在那里，眼睛盯着旁边的路，等着食物送上门来。他在那里等待了整整两天，没有等到任何食物！最后，他实在忍不住饥饿，起身走开了。
He met an old sage on his way. He told everything that had happened to the sage. The sage first gave him some food and water. After consuming everything he had received, the lazy man asked the sage, "oh wise one, the god had shown his mercy to the crippled fox, but why was the god so cruel to me?"
他在路上遇到了一位年老的智者。他把之前发生在自己身上的一切都告诉了这位智者。智者先给了他一些食物和水。他把智者给他的食物和水全部吃尽喝完后，向智者问道：“尊敬的智者，上帝已经向那只残疾的狐狸展现了他的怜悯，那为什么对我如此狠心？
The old sage said, with a smile: "True that the creator has a plan for everyone. You are obviously a part of his plan. But Son, you took his sign in a wrong way. He didn't want you to be like the fox. He wanted you to be like the Lion".
老智者微笑着说：“造物主确实已经为每个人制定了一份计划。你显然是他计划的一部分。但是，孩子，你只是理解错了他给你的征兆。他并不想让你像那只狐狸一样生活，而是要像那只狮子一样。”。
Moral: Often we misunderstand things that happen to us. Life has given everyone the strength and ability to play a certain part on earth. Try to see the positive side of situations and keep imagining yourself in a strong role; a position in which you can help others in need. Don't always choose the easiest way to achieve something. Make a right choice.
寓意：我们经常会误解发生在我们身上的事情。生活已经给了我们每个人力量和能力，去扮演我们在世间的各自角色。尝试去看到事物积极的一面，始终把自己想象成扮演更加强大的角色——去帮助需要帮助的人。不要总是选择最简单的方式来达到自己的目的。同时，还要做出正确的选择。