原文：   

    A crow had snatched a goodly piece of cheese out of a window, and flew with it into a high tree, intent on enjoying her prize. A fox spied the dainty morsel¹, and thus he planned his approaches, "Oh, crow, "said he, "how beautiful are thy wings ! how bright thine eye! How graceful² thy neck! Thy breast is the breast of an eagle ! thy claws-I beg pardon-thy talons³, are a match for all the beasts for the field, oh, that such a bird should be dumb, and want only a voice."the crow, pleased with the flattery, and chuckling⁴ to think how she would surprise the fox with her caw, opened her mouth. Down dropped the cheese! Snapping it up, the fox observed, as he walked away, that whatever he had remarked of her beauty, he had said nothing yet of her brains.
    Men seldom flatter without some private end in view, and they who listen to such music may expect to have to pay the piper.

译文：

    一只乌鸦从一个窗户里叼出了一快相当大的干酪，飞上了一棵高数，一心想享享口福，吃掉她夺来的这快东西，一只狐狸发现了这块美味的食物，就计划去接近她，"哦，乌鸦"他说，"你的翅膀多么漂亮啊！你的眼睛多么明亮啊，你的脖子多么娇美！你的胸脯和鹰一样！你的爪子，请原谅我，你的铁爪足以和所有的野兽对抗，哦，多么可惜，这样一只鸟竟是一只哑巴，只缺少一副喉咙了！"乌鸦听了这甜言蜜语，心理很高兴，他得意地心里想，如果我哇哇地叫起来将使狐狸感到多么惊奇，于是他就张开了嘴。干酪拍地掉下去了！狐狸叼起干酪，一边走开，一边批评地说，不论他怎么吹嘘她的美貌，可是他还没谈论他的智慧。
    谄媚人的人很少是没有自私打算的，而倾听这种音乐的人则势必要出钱。

词汇：

snatched 抢夺

a goodly piece of 相当大一块

spied 侦察出，发现

dainty morsel 好吃的东西

thy 你的（古语）

thine 你的（古语）

a match for ……的对手

flattery 奉承

chuckling 暗自得意

Snapping it up 猛地咬住

in view 企望

to pay the piper 负担费用，承担代价