The Hare and the Tortoise

The Tortoise kept going.The sun began to sink lower in the sky.The shadows grew longer.And there,in the distance,the Tortoise could see it:the river bridge.The finish line.It was getting closerand closer with every steady step.

乌龟继续走着。太阳开始往西边落下去了，影子越拉越长。这时候，乌龟能看到远处了：河上的那座桥。那就是终点。每一步稳稳地迈出去，它都在变得越来越近。

Just then,the Hare woke up with a start.He yawned,stretched his long legs,and rubbed his eyes."Ah,what a lovely nap!" he said.He looked up at the sky.The sun was much lower than he expected."Hmm,I must have slept a little longer than I planned.No matter.I can still win this race in a few seconds." He looked down the path.No sign of the Tortoise."Just as I thought," he said smugly.Then he looked towards the finish line.

就在这时，兔子突然一下子醒了。他打了个哈欠，伸了伸那两条长腿，揉了揉眼睛。"啊，这小觉睡得真美！"他说。他抬头看了看天空，太阳比他预想的要低得多了。"唔，看来我睡得比计划的久了点。没关系。我几秒钟内照样能拿下这场比赛。"他朝小路那头望了望。没有乌龟的影子。"跟我想的一样。"他得意地说。接着他朝终点那边望了望。

And his heart stopped.

他心里咯噔了一下。

There,just a few steps from the bridge,was the Tortoise.She was still walking,slowand steady,step by step.She was almost at the finish line!

就在那儿，离桥只有几步之遥的地方，是乌龟。她还在走着，又慢又稳，一步一步。她快要到终点了！

"NO!" screamed the Hare.He leaped to his feetand ran faster than he had ever run in his life.His legs were a blur.His heart pounded in his chest.His breath came in desperate gasps.He ran like the wind.He ran like a storm.He ran like his whole life depended on it.

"不！"兔子尖叫了起来。他跳起来就跑，跑得比这辈子任何时候都快。他的腿快得看不清了，心在胸膛里怦怦狂跳，气也喘不过来了。他跑得像风，跑得像风暴，跑得像命悬一线。

The crowd was on their feet,screamingand shouting."Go,Tortoise,go!" "Run,Hare,run!"

观众全都站起来了，又喊又叫。"加油，乌龟，加油！""快跑，兔子，快跑！"

The Tortoise heard the pounding of the Hare's feet behind her.She heard the crowd screaming.But she did not look back.She did not panic.She did not try to run.She simply kept doing what she had been doing all along.One more step.One more step.One more step.

乌龟听到了身后兔子啪啪的脚步声，听到了观众们的尖叫。可她没有回头，没有慌张，也没有试图跑起来。她只是在做她一直在做的事情。再迈一步，再迈一步，再迈一步。

The Hare was closing in.He was only ten feet away now.Five feet.Three feet.

兔子越来越近了。现在只差十英尺了，五英尺，三英尺。

But it was too late.The Tortoise placed her last steady foot over the finish line.

可是来不及了。乌龟稳稳地迈过了终点线。