One fine day in winter some ants were busy drying their store of corn, which had got rather damp during a long spell of rain. Presently1 up came a grasshopper2 and begged them to spare her a few grains, "For," she said, "I'm simply starving." The ants stopped work for a moment, though this was against their principles. "May we ask," said they, "what you were doing with yourself all last summer? Why didn't you collect a store of food for the winter?" "The fact is," replied the grasshopper, "I was so busy singing that I hadn't the time." "If you spent the summer singing," replied the ants, "you can't do better than spend the winter dancing." And they chuckled3 and went on with their work.
冬天一個溫暖如春的日子里，螞蟻們正忙著曬干自己存儲的糧食。由于下來很長時間的雨，糧食已經(jīng)非常潮濕了。這時，來了一只螞蚱，向他們乞討一點糧食?！耙驗椋蔽涷普f，“我實在是餓壞了?！北M管有點違背原則，但螞蟻們還是停下了手頭的工作?！拔覀兡軉栆幌聠?？”他們說，“整個夏天你都在做些什么呢？為什么不為冬天儲存一些糧食呢？”“實際上，”螞蚱回答道，“我一直在忙著唱歌，根本沒有時間存儲糧食?！薄叭绻阏麄€夏天都在唱歌，”螞蟻們回答道，“那么，你在冬天就忙著跳舞吧?！彼麄児笮ζ饋?，繼續(xù)忙于各自的工作。
冬天一個溫暖如春的日子里，螞蟻們正忙著曬干自己存儲的糧食。由于下來很長時間的雨，糧食已經(jīng)非常潮濕了。這時，來了一只螞蚱，向他們乞討一點糧食?！耙驗椋蔽涷普f，“我實在是餓壞了?！北M管有點違背原則，但螞蟻們還是停下了手頭的工作?！拔覀兡軉栆幌聠?？”他們說，“整個夏天你都在做些什么呢？為什么不為冬天儲存一些糧食呢？”“實際上，”螞蚱回答道，“我一直在忙著唱歌，根本沒有時間存儲糧食?！薄叭绻阏麄€夏天都在唱歌，”螞蟻們回答道，“那么，你在冬天就忙著跳舞吧?！彼麄児笮ζ饋?，繼續(xù)忙于各自的工作。