伊索寓言故事之替猫戴上铃铛，这个寓言故事告诉我们，如果无法实施，一个好的计划一点用处也没有。还告诉我们事情都是说起来容易做起来难。

Belling the Cat 替猫戴上铃铛

Kitty the Cat is eating all the mice. The mice are afraid to come out of their mouseholes.
猫咪凯蒂几乎吃光了所有的老鼠。老鼠们都非常害怕，不敢踏出鼠洞半步。

Kitty: Meow… I got you, little mouse.
凯蒂：喵呜……我抓住你了，小老鼠。

Little Joe: Oh, please, Kitty! Let me go. I am too small to eat.
小乔伊：哦，求求你了，凯蒂！放我走吧。我太小了，不够你吃的。

Kitty: I don’t mind. I am very hungry right now. (gulp!)
凯蒂：没关系。我现在太饿了。（一口吞下小老鼠！）

Kitty the Cat eats poor Little Joe and looks around for another mouse.
猫咪凯蒂吃掉了可怜的小乔伊。又继续四处寻找其他的老鼠。

Kitty: That was delicious. But I’m still not full. I need another one. Meow…
凯蒂：味道真不错。可是我还是没饱，我得再找一只。喵呜……

Lenny and Theodore are also mice. They see everything.
伦尼和西奥多也是老鼠，他们目睹了这一切。

Lenny: Did you see that, Theodore?
伦尼:你看到了吗，西奥多？

Theodore: I sure did, Lenny. It was terrible.
西奥多:我看到了，伦尼。太可怕了。

Lenny: Kitty is getting fatter and fatter every day. She is eating more and more.
伦尼:凯蒂一天比一天胖。她越吃越多。

Theodore: Soon she will eat all of us. We need to do something.
西奥多:很快她就会把我们都吃光。我们必须采取行动。

Lenny: You’re right. But what can we do?
伦尼:你说得对。但是我们该怎么做呢？

Theodore: Let’s have a meeting first. Tell all the mice to come to my house tonight.
西奥多:我们先开个会。告诉所有的老鼠今晚到我家来。

Lenny: Don’t worry. I’ll tell everyone to come. We’ll all be there.
伦尼:你放心吧。我去叫所有的人来。我们大家都会到。

Just then, Kitty smells the two mice and slowly walks towards them.
正在这时，凯蒂闻到了这两只老鼠的味道，慢慢地向他们走过来。

Theodore: Quickly, Lenny! Hide! Kitty is coming this way!
西奥多:快，伦尼！躲起来！凯蒂朝这边走过来了！

Kitty: Meow… I smell mice. Where are they?
凯蒂：喵呜……我闻到了老鼠的味道。你们在哪儿？

This time the two mice are lucky. They get away from Kitty. Late in the evening, all the mice are gathered at Theodore’s house for the meeting. 这回两只老鼠还算幸运，他们逃过了凯蒂的利爪。傍晚，所有的老鼠都聚集到西奥多家，准备开会。

Theodore: Good evening, everyone. Thank you all for coming.
西奥多:各位晚上好。感谢你们的光临。

Mr. Toby: What’s up, Theo? Why did you call us so late?
托比先生：怎么了，小西？为什么这么晚叫我们来？

Lenny: Well, Mr. Toby, today Kitty got little Joe.
伦尼:哦，托比先生，今天凯蒂吃掉了小乔伊。

Mr. Toby: Not again! Are you sure?
托比先生：哦，不！你确定吗？

Lenny: Yes, Theodore and I saw it together. It was really terrible.
伦尼:当然，西奥多和我亲眼看到的。真的是太可怕了。

Theodore: We must stop this now!!!
西奥多:现在我们必须阻止这种事情的发生！！！

Lenny: If we don’t, we’ll all be eaten, too.
伦尼:如果不采取行动，总有一天我们都会被吃掉的。

Mr. Toby: I agree with you. But what can we do？ We are so small and helpless.
托比先生：我同意你的说法。可是我们能做些什么呢？我们是这么弱小，无助。

Theodore: That’s why we are here. Together, let’s think of a way.
西奥多:这就是今天我们来到这里的原因。伙伴们，让我们一起来想个办法吧！

Mr. Toby: Let’s trap Kitty.
托比先生：不如我们设个陷阱，抓住凯蒂。

Mrs. Toby: But dear, Kitty is much bigger than us. How can we trap her?
托比太太：可是亲爱的，凯蒂的个头比我们大多了。我们怎么设陷阱抓她呢？

Mr. Toby: I don’t know, dear.
托比先生：我也不知道，亲爱的。

The mice keep thinking, but they don’t come up with any good ideas.
这些老鼠们想啊想，可是怎么也想不出好点子来。

Theodore: Come on everyone, think harder.
西奥多:大家加油啊，再努力想想。

Buster: Well, uh, how about just staying away from Kitty?
巴斯特：那么，嗯，咱们就离凯蒂远点怎么样？

Theodore: What do you mean, Buster?
西奥多:你是什么意思，巴斯特？

Buster: It’s simple. Just stay inside our mouseholes and don’t come out.
巴斯特：很简单啊。就是整天躲在我们的鼠洞里不要出来。

Lenny: Then what do we eat, Buster? We have to go out for food. Or else, we’ll starve to death.
伦尼:我们吃什么，巴斯特？我们必须出去寻找食物，不然，我们会饿死的。

Mrs. Toby: My, my, that’s just as terrible. I don’t want to starve.
托比太太：天啊，天啊，那不是一样可怕。我可不想饿死。

Mr. Toby: How about just running away? When we see Kitty coming, just run.
托比先生：我们逃跑怎么样？我们一看到凯蒂走过来，就逃跑。

Mrs. Toby: Not a bad idea, dear. But what happens when we don’t see Kitty coming?
托比太太：这主意不错，亲爱的。可是如果我们没有看见凯蒂过来呢？

Mr. Toby: I didn’t think of that.
托比先生：这我可没想到。

Finally, Felix, the brightest mouse at the meeting raises his hand.
最后，会议中最机灵的老鼠—菲利克斯举起了手。

Theodore: What is it, Felix? Speak up!
西奥多:你怎么想的，菲利克斯？快说出来！

Felix: Well, uh… How about hanging a bell around Kitty’s neck? When we hear the bell, we can run away.
费利克斯：是这样，嗯……咱们在凯蒂的脖子上挂一个铃铛怎么样？这样我们一听到铃声，就赶快逃跑。

Theodore: That’s it!!! Why didn’t I think of that?
西奥多:没错！我怎么就没想到呢？

Lenny: You are a genius! Hurray for Felix!!!
伦尼:你真是个天才啊！菲利克斯万岁！

Mrs. Toby: Good job!!
托比太太：好样的！

Mr. Toby: Now we are all saved! Let’s celebrate!
托比先生：这样我们大家就都可以保住性命了！我们来庆祝一下吧！

Grandpa Willy: Wait a minute!
威利爷爷：等一下！

Theodore: What’s wrong, Grandpa Willy?
西奥多:怎么了，威利爷爷？

Grandpa Willy: The idea is wonderful, I agree. But I have just one question.
威利爷爷：这点子的确很了不起，我同意。但是我还有一个问题。

Lenny: What’s that, Grandpa Willy?
伦尼:什么问题，威利爷爷？

Grandpa Willy: WHO is going to hang the bell around Kitty?
威利爷爷：谁去给凯蒂挂铃铛呢？

The whole room suddenly becomes silent. After a while, Mr. Toby opens his mouth.
房间里一下子变得非常安静。过了一会儿。托比先生开口了

Mr. Toby: Well, uh… I would like to, but I am too old. So how about you, Buster? You are young and strong.
托比先生：这样，嗯……我是很想去，可是我太老了。所以，你去怎么样，巴斯特？你又年轻又强壮。

Buster: No, thank you. I am not that strong. Lenny would be better. He is slim and fast.
巴斯特：不，谢谢。我可没那么强壮。还是伦尼比较合适。他这么苗条，身手又快。

Lenny: I am not that fast. How about you, Felix? You are smart. And it was YOUR idea.
伦尼:我的身手可没那么快!菲利克斯，你去怎么样？你很聪明，而且这是你出的主意。

Felix: What?! Me?! No, thanks. I don’t want to be eaten. We better think of another plan.
费利克斯：什么！？我！？不了，谢谢。我可不想被吃掉。那咱们最好还是想想别的办法吧。

MORAL：A good plan is of no use if it is not carried out.
寓意：如果无法实施，一个好的计划一点用处也没有。