The Crow and the Pitcher

Full of energy again,the Crow looked around.There,right at his feet,were dozens of small pebbles.The ground was covered with them.He picked one up with his beakand dropped it into the Pitcher.Plop!It sank to the bottom.He picked up another.Plop!And another.Plop,plop,plop!

乌鸦又充满了力气，他环顾四周。就在他脚下，有几十颗小石子。地上到处都是。他用嘴叼起一颗，丢进了水罐里。扑通！石子沉到了罐底。他又叼起一颗。扑通！又一颗。扑通，扑通，扑通！

The Crow worked tirelessly.One pebble after another,he dropped into the Pitcher.The sun beat down on his back.Sweat dripped from his feathers.His beak was sore from carrying so many stones.But he did not stop.Every few pebbles,he would peer into the Pitcher to check the water level.At first,the water barely moved."Patience," he told himself."Keep going.Patience."

乌鸦不知疲倦地干着活。一颗接一颗，他把石子扔进水罐。太阳烤着他的背，汗珠从羽毛上滴下来。叼了那么多石头，嘴巴都疼了。可他没有停下来。每扔几颗石头，他就往水罐里看一眼，看看水位怎么样了。开始的时候，水几乎没动。"耐心点，"他对自己说，"继续干。耐心点。"

After ten pebbles,the water had risen just a little.After twenty pebbles,it was noticeably higher.After thirty pebbles,the water was halfway up the Pitcher.The Crow's heart leaped with joy."It's working!It's actually working!" he cried.

扔到第十颗石子的时候，水只升起来一点点。扔到第二十颗，水明显高了一些。扔到第三十颗，水已经升到罐子一半高了。乌鸦的心欢喜得跳了起来。"管用了！真的管用了！"他喊道。

He worked even faster now.Forty pebbles.Fifty pebbles.Sixty pebbles.Each plop brought the precious water closerand closer to the rim.The Crow could see his reflection in the water now.He was tired,so very tired.His wings ached.His beak was numb.But he did not give up."Just a few more," he panted."Just a few more."

他干得更快了。四十颗，五十颗，六十颗。每一声扑通都把那珍贵的水带到离罐口更近的地方。乌鸦现在能看到自己在水里的倒影了。他累了，实在太累了。翅膀酸了，嘴巴麻了。可他没有放弃。"就差几颗了，"他喘着气说，"就差几颗了。"

At last,after what felt like a hundred pebbles,the water had risen high enough.The Crow looked downand saw the water sparkling just below the rim of the Pitcher.His throat was burning,but his heart was singing.He bent his head,dipped his beak into the cool,clear water,and drank.Oh,how delicious it was!Sweetand cooland wonderful!Each drop was like life itself flowing into his tired body.He drankand drank until he could drink no more.

终于，在扔了好像有一百颗石子之后，水升得足够高了。乌鸦低头看去，水就在罐沿下面闪闪发光。他的喉咙仍在灼烧，可他的心在歌唱。他低下头，把嘴伸进又凉又清的水里，喝了起来。哦，多么甘甜可口啊！又甜、又凉、又美妙！每一滴水都像生命本身，流进他疲惫的身体里。他喝呀喝呀，一直喝到再也喝不下为止。

"Ahhh," sighed the Crow,sitting back on his heels.His thirst was gone.His strength was returning.His head no longer throbbed."That was the best drink of water I have ever had in my entire life."

"啊——"乌鸦靠在脚跟上叹了口气。他不渴了，力气也慢慢恢复了，头也不突突地疼了。"这是我这一辈子喝过的最好喝的水。"

Just then,a little Sparrow flew downand landed beside him."I saw what you did," said the Sparrow,her eyes wide with admiration."You dropped all those stones into the Pitcher,one by one.You never gave up,even though it took so long.I would have given up after five stones.How did you keep going?"

就在这时，一只小麻雀飞下来，落在乌鸦身边。"我看到你做的事了，"麻雀说，眼睛里满是钦佩，"你把那些石子一颗一颗全扔进了罐子里。你一直没有放弃，哪怕花了那么长时间。我扔五颗就会放弃了。你是怎么坚持下来的？"

The Crow smiled."When I was a little chick," he said,"my grandmother taught me something.She said,'Little by little does the trick.' I did not understand what she meant at the time.But today,I finally do.One stone cannot raise the water.Ten stones cannot raise the water.But a hundred stones,one after another,can move a mountain.You just have to keep going."

乌鸦微微一笑。"当我还是只小鸟的时候，"他说，"我奶奶教了我一件事。她说，'一点一滴，积少成多，便能成功。'那时候我不明白她是什么意思。但今天我终于懂了。一颗石头不能让水升高，十颗石头也不能。但一百颗石头，一颗接一颗，却能移山。你只需要坚持下去。"

The Sparrow nodded thoughtfully."I will rememberthat," she said."Little by little does the trick."

麻雀若有所思地点点头。"我会记住的，"她说，"一点一滴，积少成多，便能成功。"

The Crow took one last drink from the Pitcher,then spread his wings.He was still tired,but he felt stronger than he had felt in days."Goodbye,little Sparrow," he said."May you always find waterwhen you are thirsty."

乌鸦从水罐里喝了最后一口水，然后展开了翅膀。他依然很累，却感觉比前几天有力气多了。"再见了，小麻雀，"他说，"但愿你口渴的时候总能找到水。"

And with that,he flew off into the bright blue sky,a wiserand happier bird than the onewho had set outthat morning.

说完，他飞向了湛蓝的天空。比起早晨出发时的那只乌鸦，现在的他更聪明了，也更快乐了。

Moral:Where there is a will,there is a way.Patienceand clever thinking can solve even the hardest problems.

寓意：有志者，事竟成。耐心加上动脑筋，再难的问题也能解决。