很多简短英语励志小故事都是很值得我们花时间去慢慢品读的，下面是小编辛苦为大家带来的简单的英语小故事及翻译【优秀4篇】，您的肯定与分享是对小编最大的鼓励。
The fowler and the lark 捕鸟人和百灵鸟
A fowler was setting his nets for little birds when a lark1 came up to him and asked him what he was doing. "I am engaged in founding a city," said he, and with that he withdrew to a short distance and concealed2 himself. The lark examined the nets with great curiosity, and presently, catching3 sight of the bait, hopped4 on to them in order to secure it, and became entangled5 in the meshes6. The fowler then ran up quickly and captured her. "What a fool I was!" said she: "but at any rate, if that's the kind of city you are founding, it'll be a long time before you find fools enough to fill it."
一个捕鸟人正在撒网，好让小鸟们自投罗网。这时，一只百灵鸟走过来，问他在干什么。“我正在建造一座漂亮的城市。”捕鸟人回答道，说完便跑到远处藏起来。百灵鸟带着极大的好奇心，跑过去想看个究竟，她小心地冲着网中的诱饵跳过去，结果却被缠在网中。捕鸟人很快跑过来，抓住了她。百灵鸟说：“我可真是个傻瓜，但无论如何，如果这就是你建造的城市，那么估计要花很长时间才能找到足够多的傻瓜来填补空缺！”
Tom is 16. he decides to leave home and joins a music company. His father hears that and angry, “Singer? My son? It’s disgrace!” he shouts, “What do they think of the neighbors know?”
“I will change my name,” Tom says. He thinks he will become a singer in the future.
“Change your name?” Tom’s father shouts angrily, “What if you’re successful? How will the neighbors know you are my son.？”
汤姆16岁了。她决定离家参加一个唱片公司。他父亲听后很生气：“唱歌？我的儿子啊！真丢脸。”他大喊，“要是邻居们知道，他们会怎么想？”
“我会改名字的。”汤姆说。他认为自己将来会成为一名歌手。
“改名字？”汤姆的父亲生气地说，“如果你成名了怎么？邻居们怎么知道你是我的儿子？”
One family has five brothers, all serving to a minister as attendants. Every five days, they go back home for a reunion, decorating their horses and garments with shining gold. They vie with each other for ostentation and extravagance, attracting crowds of onlookers along the road.
Now there is a peach tree by a well, and a plum tree next to it. When worms come to gnaw at the root of the peach tree, the plum tree invites them to gnaw at its own root. Finally, the plum dies, ossified.
Even trees know how to sacrifice for other trees, why can't brothers do the same?
一户人家有兄弟五人，都在一个大官的家中做仆人。每隔五天，他们会回家团聚一次。他们用金子装饰马匹和衣服，吸引了许多路人来看。五人互不相让，相互比较谁的排场大。
如今一口井边有一棵桃树，桃树旁是一棵李树。有虫子来咬桃树的根，李树便让虫子来咬自己的根。最终，李树变得僵硬，枯死了。
连树都知道为了别的树牺牲自己，为什么兄弟之间反而做不到呢？
Showing Off One's Proficiency with the Axe Before Lu Ban the Master Carpenter
in ancient times, Lu Ban was supposed to be a consummate master in construction and sculpture. Carpenters respect him as ancestor master. It is said that he once carved a colorful wooden phoenix that was so lifelike that it actually flew in the sky for three days. Thus it was considered the height of folly to show off one's skill with an axe in front of Lu Ban.
This idiom excoriates those who show off their slight accomplishments in front of experts.
古代有一个建筑和雕刻技术非常高超的人，名叫鲁班，木匠行里尊称他为祖师。传说他曾用木头制作了一只五彩斑斓的凤凰，能够在空中飞翔三天不掉下来。在鲁班门前摆弄斧子，当然显得有些自不量力了。
“班门弄斧”这个成语，用来比喻在行家面前显示本领。