夏夜，鲁迅躺在一株大桂花树下的小板桌上乘凉，祖母摇着芭蕉扇坐在桌旁，一
面摇着扇子，一面讲故事给他听，或是叫他猜谜语。她对于民间故事是很熟悉的。
她会讲关于猫的故事，据说：猫是老虎的师父。老虎本来是什么也不会的，就投
到猫的门下。猫教给它扑的方法，捉的方法，像自己捉老鼠一样。
参考译文
On summer evenings when Lu Xun was lying on a small wooden table under an
osmanthus tree to enjoy the evening cool, his grandmother would sit by the table with
a palm-leaf fan in her hand. Waving the fan, she would tell him stories or ask him
riddles. She was very familiar with folk tales. The cat, she said, was the tiger’s teacher.
Originally the tiger couldn’t do anything, so he turned to the cat for help. The cat
taught him how to pounce and catch his prey the way that he caught rats.
笔记：
1.夏夜
on summer evenings/at summer nights
2.小板桌 a small wooden table
3. 桂花 osmanthus英 [ɒz'mænθəs]
Sweet-scented osmanthus fragrance 桂花香
4.乘凉 enjoy the summer cool
5.芭蕉扇 palm-leaf fan
Palm英 [pɑːm]
1. 手掌；手心the inner surface of the hand between the wrist and the fingers
2. 棕榈树a straight tree with a mass of long leaves at the top, growing in tropical countries. There are several types of palm tree, some of which produce fruit.
e.g. have sb in the palm of your hand
完全控制某人；把某人攥在手心里to have complete control or influence over sb
e.g. I’d like to have my boyfriend in the palm of my hand.
6.叫他猜谜语 ask him riddles
7.民间故事
Folk tales
童话故事 fairy tales
8.投到猫的门下
Turn to the cat for help
9.originally
原来，起初，本来
e.g. this shirt was originally bought for you. Since it doesn’t fit you, I will send it to your brother.
10. pounce
猛扑；突袭to move suddenly forwards in order to attack or catch sb/sth
Pounce on sb./ at sth.
扑向某人
e.g. my boss was ready to pounce on me when I made the slightest error.
我即使出了最微小的错误，老板也会立即抓住不放。
11. prey
vi. 捕食；掠夺；折磨
n. 牺牲者；被捕食的动物；捕食
prey on /upon 捕食
fall prey to 沉迷
He fell prey to her charms.
他被她的美色所迷倒。
Cats prey on mice.
猫捕食老鼠。
hyenas devouring their prey 猎狗吞下他们的猎物
