Many years since in a small territory, there was not one of the inhabitants who did not stutter when he spoke, and halt in walking; both these defects, moreover, were considered accomplishments. A stranger saw the evil, and thinking how they would admire his walking, went about without halting , after the usual manner of our race. Everyone stopped to look at him, and all those who looked, laughed, and holding their sides to repress their merriment, shouted, “Teach the stranger how to walk properly!”
The stranger considered it his duty to cast the reproach from himself. “You halt,” he cried, “It is not I, you must accustom yourselves to leave off so awkward a habit!” This only increased the uproars, when they heard him speak; he did not even stammer; this was sufficient to disgrace him, and he was laughed at throughout the country.
许多年前，在一个小地方，当地的居民没有一个说话不结巴，走路不跛脚。这还不算完，关键是这些毛病都被当成是才艺。一个外来者看到了这一弊端，心想他们肯定会羡慕自己的走路方法，于是就一点儿也不跛脚地四处转悠，用的就是正常人的走法。大家都驻足观看，他们看啊,笑啊，笑到直不起腰。他们喊着：“快教教这外地人路该怎么走吧！”
来人觉得有义务为自己洗刷耻辱。“你们这帮跛子，”他喊道，“有问题的不是我，你们还不赶紧习惯习惯，改掉这不美观的坏毛病？”听到他说话连个磕都没打，人们嚷嚷得更凶了。光凭他不结巴这一点，就足够丢脸了，于是全村上下都笑话他。
-stutter [ˈstʌtə(r)] v. 结结巴巴地说
-halt [hɔːlt] v. 跛行
-repress [rɪˈpres] v. 抑制
-reproach [rɪˈprəʊtʃ] n. 耻辱；污辱
在螃蟹眼里，正常走路的人要多蠢有多蠢。