优秀英语散文分析欣赏：狗和猫

Long ago, only the cats had the ability to trace their prey by its odour, while the other animals used their vision to discover their prey.

The dog knew that was the best way to hunt a prey so he decided to visit the cat.

“Mr. Cat, can you teach me the skill to trace the prey by its odour? It is very efficient and convenient.”

The cat agreed to teach the dog and to let him stay in his house during the lessons. After a few days, the dog thought that he could use the skill and he wanted to go home.

“You have not learnt the skill yet,”said the cat.“You have to stay longer.”

“But I have to go home now,”the dog insisted.

“All right,”the cat said,“you may go back tomorrow but not today.”

The next morning, the cat said to his wife,“When the dog comes to bid farewell, tell him that I have gone out. When he asks where, tell him that you don't know.”

After a while, the dog came.“Where is the teacher?”he asked.

“He went out early in the morning and I don't know where he went,”the cat's wife answered.

Actually, the cat intended to test whether the dog had learnt how to trace any prey by its odour.

The dog started by following the footprints of the cat. However, after a short distance, the cat had jump from one rock to another and then gone into a cave.

Then he came out from the other side and leapt onto a tree.

The dog followed the seemingly vanishing footprints of the cat and he came to the two rocks.

He entered the cave and managed to come out from the other side of it.

At last, he came to the tree but he could not find any footprint. The dog could not trace the cat though he kept going round and round the tree.

The cat stayed on top of the tree watching every move of the dog. Finally, he said,“Look up! You have not completely learnt the skill and yet you are ready to leave. You can see now that you are still ignorant.”

Since then, the dog only knows how to trail its prey on the ground.

重点词汇：

• -trace : 追踪

• -odour : 气味

• -prey : 猎物

• -vision : 视觉

• -efficient : 高效的

• -convenient : 方便的

• -insistent : 坚持的

• -vanishing : 消失的

• -cave : 洞穴

• -leap : 跳跃

• -footprint : 足迹

• -ignorant : 无知的

重点句子

• "the ability to trace their prey by its odour": 通过气味追踪猎物的能力

• "the best way to hunt a prey": 狩猎猎物的最佳方式

• "the cat agreed to teach the dog": 猫同意教狗

• "the dog insisted": 狗坚持要走

• "the cat intended to test whether the dog had learnt": 猫想测试狗是否已经学会了

• "followed the seemingly vanishing footprints": 跟随似乎消失的足迹

• "ignorant": 无知的

参考翻译

上古时期，只有猫有根据气味来追寻猎物的本领，而别的动物只能靠眼睛去发现猎物。

狗知道这是一种极好的狩猎方法。于是，狗决定去找猫。

“猫先生，根据气味来追寻猎物这种方法既灵验又方便，你能传授我这门本领吗?”

猫答应了狗的请求，并让狗在学习时间住在自己的家里。过了几天，狗认为自己已经掌握了这门本领，便想回家。

猫说：“你还没有学会全部的本事呢!你还得再待些日子!”

“但是我现在必须回家呀。”狗坚持说。

“那好吧!”猫说，“但你今天别回，明天再回吧!”

第二天一早，猫对妻子说：“狗来告别时，你就告诉它我出去了。它问我到哪儿去了，你就说不知道。”

不一会儿，狗来了。“老师呢?”狗问道。

“它一早就出门了，我不知道它上哪儿去啦。”猫的妻子回答道。

其实猫是要考验一下狗是否已学会了根据气味来寻找猎物的本领。

于是，狗开始顺着猫的脚印去追踪猫的去向。可是，猫离开家走了一段路后，就没有在地上行走了。它从一块石头跳到另一块石头上，然后跳进一个山洞，又从另一个洞口爬出来，最后跳到了一棵大树上。

于是，狗开始顺着猫的脚印去追踪猫的去向。

它也进了山洞，并竭力从另一个洞口出来。

最后，当狗走到树下时，猫的脚印没有了。狗找不到猫的痕迹，就绕着树走来走去。

猫在树上，把这一切情形看得清清楚楚。最后，猫说：“往上看!你还没有学好本事，就打算匆匆离去，结果还不是一只没学问的狗!”

直到今天，狗都只会在地面上追寻猎物。

寓意

学习需要耐心和恒心。