1、Aesops FablesAn Old Woman became almost totally blindfrom a disease of the eyes,and,afterconsulting a Doctor,made an agreement withhim in the presence of witnesses that sheshould pay him a high fee if he cured her,while if he failed he was to receive nothing.有个老太婆，几乎因为眼疾而失明了，在咨询过医生之后，他们达成了协议如果医生能治好她
2、的病，她将支付高额费用；如果医生治不好她的病，她就分文不给。The Doctor accordingly prescribed a course oftreatment,and every time he paid her a visithe took away with him some article out of thehouse,until at last,when he visited her for thelast time,and the cure was complete,therewas nothing left.根据疗程计划，医生定期来她家里进行治疗，而且，每次来时总会顺手
3、牵羊地偷走一些物品。终于，当他来做最后一次治疗时，老太婆家里的东西已经所剩无几了。When the Old Woman saw that the house wasempty she refused to pay him his fee;and,after repeated refusals on her part,he suedher before the magistrates for payment of herdebt.虽然眼疾治好了，但是看到家里空荡荡的，老太婆便拒绝支付医疗费，几次三番地拒付之后，医生便起诉了老太婆，让法官帮他追讨欠款。On being brought into c
4、ourt she was readywith her defense.The claimant,said she,has stated the facts about our agreementcorrectly.I undertook to pay him a fee if hecured me,and he,on his part,promised tocharge nothing if he failed.被带到法官那里时，老太婆已经准备好为自己辩护了。她说：“原告的确如实地陈述了我们之间的协议，我曾经许诺过，如果他能治好我的病，就会支付给他治疗费，而且，他也曾应允过我，如果治不好我的病
5、，就分文不取。Now,he says I am cured;but I say that I amblinder than ever,and I can prove what I say.现在，他说我已经痊愈了，可是我认为我的眼睛比以前更瞎了，就此而言，我完全能证明情况属实。When my eyes were bad I could at any rate seewell enough to be aware that my housecontained a certain amount of furniture andother things;but now,when according to himI am cured,I am entirely unable to seeanything there at all.以前，当我的视力下降之后，尚且能看见家里的一些家具和物品，可是现在，当医生说我已经痊愈时，我却看不见任何东西了。”
