A man once bought a parrot and gave it the run of his house. It reveled in its liberty, and presently flew up on to the mantelpiece and screamed away to its heart's content. The noise disturbed the cat, who was asleep on the hearthrug. Looking up at the intruder, she said, "Who may you be, and where have you come from?" The parrot replied, "Your master has just ought me and brought me home with him." "You impudent¹ bird," said the cat, "how dare you, a newcomer, make a noise like that? Why, I was born here, and have lived here all my life, and yet, if I venture to mew, they throw things at me and chase me all over the place." "Look here, mistress," said the Parrot, "you just hold your tongue. My voice they delight in; but yours-yours is a perfect nuisance."

 

从前，有一个人买了一只鹦鹉，让它在房子里自由自在地生活。这只鹦鹉欣喜若狂，高兴地飞上壁炉架，尽情地叫着。一只猫正在壁炉前的地毯上睡觉，鹦鹉的吵闹声惊扰了她。看着这个刚来入侵者，猫问道：“你是谁，从哪里来的？”鹦鹉回答道：“你的主人刚刚买了我，带我来到这个房子里。” “你这个放肆无礼的家伙，”猫说：“怎么刚到这里来就这么吵闹呢？我可是在这里出生的，而且一直住在这个家里。但即便如此，如果我冒险喵喵地叫几声，主人就会朝我扔东西，到处追赶着我出去。”鹦鹉回答说：“喂，你最好赶快闭上嘴。我的声音多么悦耳动听呀，他们可都喜欢，而你的叫声，实在是一种噪音。”

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