13中国寓言故事英语阅读语篇精选-对牛弹琴-2025-2026学年人教版（2024）八年级英语上册

中国寓言故事英语阅读语篇精选——用英语说中国故事 Playing the Zither to a Cow （对牛弹琴） In ancient times, there was a man named Gongming Yi who loved music very much—he was especially good at playing the zither. He was so obsessed with playing that he would play for the mountains, play while looking at the water, and even play while gazing at the moon and clouds. It seemed as if everything in the world could understand the music he played. One day, he had a sudden idea: he wanted to play the zither for the old cow in his yard. He played the famous piece Qing Jiao (a classic zither melody). When he reached the climax, everyone in his family was attracted by his music—even he himself was moved a little. But when he looked up at the old cow, it was still bowing its head, only focused on eating grass. It didn't notice anything different around it at all. “What's going on here?” Gongming Yi wondered. “Is my music not beautiful or pleasant enough? No, everyone's reaction shows that I played well. Then why is the cow not responding?” He plucked the zither strings absent-mindedly. The sound was like the buzzing of a group of mosquitoes and flies. When the old cow heard this, it actually kept flicking its tail, as if trying hard to drive away the mosquitoes and flies that had landed on its body. Gongming Yi noticed this change quickly. Suddenly, he realized something. He immediately changed the melody and played a tune that sounded like a lonely calf's “moo” as it looked for its mother. This time, the old cow was no longer calm—it seemed a little flustered and had no mood to eat grass. It shook its tail, pricked up its ears, and walked anxiously around the yard, as if it had really lost its calf and was hurrying to find it. Gongming Yi finally understood. He smiled knowingly and said to everyone: “It turns out the cow didn't fail to hear the music. It's just that the beautiful melody Qing Jiao is not suitable for the cow's ears!” Moral From Gongming Yi's experience of playing the zither, we can learn that when doing things, we must adapt to the characteristics of different objects, treat them differently, and analyze specific problems in a specific way. We should not act blindly without a clear purpose—otherwise, the result will only be in vain. 全文翻译 对牛弹琴 古时候，有一个叫公明仪的人，他非常热爱音乐——尤其擅长弹琴。他痴迷于弹琴，会为山川弹奏，会临水弹奏，甚至会对着流云明月弹奏。仿佛世间万物都能听懂他弹奏的音乐。一天，他突发奇想：他想为自家院子里的老牛弹琴。 他弹奏了名曲《清角》。当弹到精彩之处时，家中的每个人都被他的琴声吸引了——连他自己都有点被感动了。但当他抬头看老牛时，它仍然低着头，只顾着吃草。它根本没注意到周围有任何不同。 "这是怎么回事？"公明仪疑惑着。"是我的音乐不够优美动听吗？不，大家的反应表明我弹得很好。那为什么牛没有反应呢？"他心不在焉地拨动着琴弦。琴声听起来像一群蚊蝇的嗡嗡声。老牛听到这声音，居然不停地甩着尾巴，仿佛在努力驱赶落在身上的蚊蝇。 公明仪很快注意到了这个变化。突然，他明白了些什么。他立刻改变了曲调，弹奏了一段听起来像孤独的小牛寻找妈妈时发出的"哞哞"声。这一次，老牛不再平静了——它似乎有点慌乱，没了吃草的心情。它摇着尾巴，竖起耳朵，在院子里焦急地走来走去，仿佛真的丢了小牛，正急着寻找它。 公明仪终于明白了。他会心地笑了，对大家说："原来牛不是没有听到琴声。只是优美的《清角》旋律不适合牛的耳朵啊！" 寓意： 从公明仪弹琴的经历中，我们可以学到，做事情时，必须适应不同对象的特点，区别对待，具体问题具体分析。我们不应盲目行动，没有明确目标——否则，结果只会是徒劳无功。 逐句解析与高频语块 1. 原文: In ancient times, there was a man named Gongming Yi who loved music very much—he was especially good at playing the zither. 翻译： 古时候，有一个叫公明仪的人，他非常热爱音乐——尤其擅长弹琴。 生词与语块: ancient times: 固定短语，"古时候，古代"。 zither (n.) /ˈzɪðə(r)/: 齐特琴（一种古琴）。 named Gongming Yi: 过去分词短语作后置定语，"名叫公明仪的"。 who loved music...: `who`引导的定语从句，修饰`a man`。 was good at playing...: `be good at doing sth.` 结构，"擅长做某事"。 造句: She is good at playing the piano. (她擅长弹钢琴。) 2. 原文: He was so obsessed with playing that he would play for the mountains, play while looking at the water, and even play while gazing at the moon and clouds. 翻译： 他痴迷于弹琴，会为山川弹奏，会临水弹奏，甚至会对着流云明月弹奏。 生词与语块: obsessed (adj.) /əbˈsest/: 着迷的，痴迷的。 gazing at: 凝视，注视。 so obsessed with playing that...: `so... that...` 结构，表示"如此痴迷于...以至于..."。 would play...: `would` 表示过去的习惯性动作，"总会..."。 造句: He was so tired that he fell asleep immediately. (他太累了，以至于立刻睡着了。) 3. 原文: It seemed as if everything in the world could understand the music he played. 翻译： 仿佛世间万物都能听懂他弹奏的音乐。 生词与语块: It seemed as if...: 固定句式，"似乎..."，`as if`引导表语从句。 he played: 定语从句，修饰`the music`，省略了关系代词`that`。 造句: It seemed as if she knew the secret. (似乎她知道这个秘密。) 4. 原文: One day, he had a sudden idea: he wanted to play the zither for the old cow in his yard. 翻译： 一天，他突发奇想：他想为自家院子里的老牛弹琴。 生词与语块: had a sudden idea: 固定表达，"突然有个想法，突发奇想"。 造句: I had a sudden idea to solve the problem. (我突发奇想，有了解决问题的办法。) 5. 原文: He played the famous piece Qing Jiao (a classic zither melody). 翻译： 他弹奏了名曲《清角》。 生词与语块: famous piece: "著名的曲目"。 造句: Beethoven composed many famous pieces. (贝多芬创作了许多著名曲目。) 6. 原文: When he reached the climax, everyone in his family was attracted by his music—even he himself was moved a little. 翻译： 当弹到精彩之处时，家中的每个人都被他的琴声吸引了——连他自己都有点被感动了。 生词与语块: climax (n.) /ˈklaɪmæks/: 高潮，最精彩的部分。 was attracted by: 被动语态，"被...吸引"。 was moved: "被感动"。 造句: The audience was deeply moved by the performance. (观众被表演深深打动了。) 7. 原文: But when he looked up at the old cow, it was still bowing its head, only focused on eating grass. 翻译： 但当他抬头看老牛时，它仍然低着头，只顾着吃草。 生词与语块: looked up at: "抬头看..."。 bowing its head: "低着头"。 focused on eating grass: `focused on doing sth.`，"专注于做某事"。 造句: Please focus on your work. (请专注于你的工作。) 8. 原文: It didn't notice anything different around it at all. 翻译： 它根本没注意到周围有任何不同。 生词与语块: not... at all: 固定结构，"根本不..."。 造句: I don't like spicy food at all. (我根本不喜欢辣的食物。) 9. 原文: "What's going on here?" Gongming Yi wondered. 翻译： "这是怎么回事？"公明仪疑惑着。 生词与语块: What's going on here?: 固定句式，"这是怎么回事？" 造句: What's going on here? Why is everyone so quiet? (这是怎么回事？为什么大家都这么安静？) 10. 原文: "Is my music not beautiful or pleasant enough?" 翻译： "是我的音乐不够优美动听吗？" 生词与语块: pleasant (adj.) /ˈpleznt/: 悦耳的，令人愉快的。 not... enough: `not + adj. + enough`，"不够..."。 造句: The room is not big enough for the party. (这个房间不够大，不适合办派对。) 11. 原文: "No, everyone's reaction shows that I played well." 翻译： "不，大家的反应表明我弹得很好。" 生词与语块: reaction (n.) /riˈækʃn/: 反应。 shows that...: `show` 后接宾语从句，"表明..."。 造句: His smile shows that he is happy. (他的微笑表明他很开心。) 12. 原文: "Then why is the cow not responding?" 翻译： "那为什么牛没有反应呢？" 生词与语块: responding (v.) /rɪˈspɒndɪŋ/: 回应，作出反应。 造句: Why are you not responding to my question? (你为什么不回答我的问题？) 13. 原文: He plucked the zither strings absent-mindedly. 翻译： 他心不在焉地拨动着琴弦。 生词与语块: plucked (v.) /plʌkt/: 拨动（琴弦）。 absent-mindedly (adv.) /ˌæbsənt ˈmaɪndɪdli/: 心不在焉地。 造句: He walked absent-mindedly and almost bumped into a tree. (他心不在焉地走着，差点撞到树上。) 14. 原文: The sound was like the buzzing of a group of mosquitoes and flies. 翻译： 琴声听起来像一群蚊蝇的嗡嗡声。 生词与语块: buzzing (n.) /ˈbʌzɪŋ/: 嗡嗡声。 mosquitoes (n.) /məˈskiːtəʊz/: 蚊子 (mosquito的复数)。 was like...: `be like` 表示"像..."。 造句: The noise was like a train passing by. (那噪音像火车经过一样。) 15. 原文: When the old cow heard this, it actually kept flicking its tail, as if trying hard to drive away the mosquitoes and flies that had landed on its body. 翻译： 老牛听到这声音，居然不停地甩着尾巴，仿佛在努力驱赶落在身上的蚊蝇。 生词与语块: flicking (v.) /ˈflɪkɪŋ/: 轻拂，甩动。 drive away: 短语动词，"驱赶"。 landed on: "落在...上"。 as if trying...: `as if` 引导方式状语，后接动词的`-ing`形式，"仿佛在..."。 造句: He acted as if he knew nothing. (他表现得仿佛什么都不知道。) 16. 原文: Gongming Yi noticed this change quickly. 翻译： 公明仪很快注意到了这个变化。 生词与语块: noticed (v.) /ˈnəʊtɪst/: 注意到。 造句: Did you notice the new painting on the wall? (你注意到墙上的新画了吗？) 17. 原文: Suddenly, he realized something. 翻译： 突然，他明白了些什么。 生词与语块: realized (v.) /ˈriːəlaɪzd/: 意识到，明白。 造句: She realized that she had made a mistake. (她意识到自己犯了一个错误。) 18. 原文: He immediately changed the melody and played a tune that sounded like a lonely calf's "moo" as it looked for its mother. 翻译： 他立刻改变了曲调，弹奏了一段听起来像孤独的小牛寻找妈妈时发出的"哞哞"声。 生词与语块: melody (n.) /ˈmelədi/: 旋律，曲调。 tune (n.) /tjuːn/: 调子，曲调。 calf (n.) /kɑːf/: 小牛。 moo (n.) /muː/: 牛叫声。 that sounded like...: `that`引导的定语从句，修饰`a tune`。 造句: The song sounded like a bird singing. (这首歌听起来像鸟儿在唱歌。) 19. 原文: This time, the old cow was no longer calm—it seemed a little flustered and had no mood to eat grass. 翻译： 这一次，老牛不再平静了——它似乎有点慌乱，没了吃草的心情。 生词与语块: flustered (adj.) /ˈflʌstəd/: 慌乱的，紧张的。 had no mood to: "没有心情做..."。 no longer: 固定短语，"不再"。 造句: He no longer lives here. (他不再住在这里了。) 20. 原文: It shook its tail, pricked up its ears, and walked anxiously around the yard, as if it had really lost its calf and was hurrying to find it. 翻译： 它摇着尾巴，竖起耳朵，在院子里焦急地走来走去，仿佛真的丢了小牛，正急着寻找它。 生词与语块: pricked up its ears: 固定表达，"竖起耳朵"。 anxiously (adv.) /ˈæŋkʃəsli/: 焦虑地，焦急地。 hurrying to find it: `hurry to do sth.`，"急忙做某事"。 造句: She is hurrying to finish her homework. (她正急着完成作业。) 21. 原文: Gongming Yi finally understood. 翻译： 公明仪终于明白了。 (此句简单，无生词) 22. 原文: He smiled knowingly and said to everyone... 翻译： 他会心地笑了，对大家说... 生词与语块: knowingly (adv.) /ˈnəʊɪŋli/: 会意地，心照不宣地。 造句: She smiled knowingly when she saw the couple. (看到那对情侣时，她会心地笑了。) 23. 原文: "It turns out the cow didn't fail to hear the music." 翻译： "原来牛不是没有听到琴声。" 生词与语块: It turns out that...: 固定句式，"原来..."，`that`在口语中可省略。 didn't fail to hear: 双重否定表示肯定，"并非没有听到"。 造句: It turns out he was right all along. (原来他一直都是对的。) 24. 原文: "Its just that the beautiful melody Qing Jiao is not suitable for the cows ears!" 翻译： "只是优美的《清角》旋律不适合牛的耳朵啊！" 生词与语块: suitable for: 固定搭配，"适合..."。 It's just that...: 固定句式，"只是..."，用于解释原因。 造句: This movie is not suitable for children. (这部电影不适合儿童观看。) 25. 原文: From Gongming Yis experience of playing the zither, we can learn that when doing things, we must adapt to the characteristics of different objects, treat them differently, and analyze specific problems in a specific way. 翻译： 从公明仪弹琴的经历中，我们可以学到，做事情时，必须适应不同对象的特点，区别对待，具体问题具体分析。 生词与语块: adapt to: 短语动词，"适应"。 characteristics (n.) /ˌkærəktəˈrɪstɪks/: 特点，特征。 treat them differently: "区别对待它们"。 analyze specific problems in a specific way: "具体问题具体分析"。 we can learn that...: `learn that` 后接宾语从句，"我们学到..."。 造句: We must adapt to the new environment. (我们必须适应新环境。) 26. 原文: We should not act blindly without a clear purpose—otherwise, the result will only be in vain. 翻译： 我们不应盲目行动，没有明确目标——否则，结果只会是徒劳无功。 生词与语块: blindly (adv.) /ˈblaɪndli/: 盲目地。 purpose (n.) /ˈpɜːpəs/: 目的，目标。 in vain: 固定短语，"徒劳地，白费力气地"。 We should not...: "我们不应..."，表示建议或劝告。 造句: All our efforts were in vain. (我们所有的努力都白费了。) English Exercises: "Playing the Zither to a Cow" I. True or False (正误判断) Read the following statements and decide if they are True (T) or False (F) based on the story. 1. Gongming Yi was a man who loved painting and was very good at it. 2. He believed that everything in nature could understand his music. 3. The first piece he played for the cow was called "High Mountains and Flowing Water." 4. His family was not interested in his music at all. 5. The old cow was deeply moved by the beautiful melody of "Qing Jiao." 6. When Gongming Yi played a sound like buzzing insects, the cow flicked its tail. 7. The second melody he played imitated the sound of a lonely calf. 8. Upon hearing the second melody, the cow became calm and continued eating. 9. Gongming Yi finally understood that the cow was deaf. 10. The moral of the story is that we should adapt our methods to different audiences. II. Reading Comprehension: Multiple Choice (阅读理解单选题) Choose the best answer for each question. 1. What was Gongming Yi's main talent? A. Painting mountains and water. B. Composing new music. C. Playing the zither skillfully. D. Taking care of cows. 2. Why did Gongming Yi decide to play for the cow? A. He thought the cow looked sad. B. He had a sudden idea. C. His family asked him to. D. He wanted to test a new zither. 3. How did the cow react to the famous piece "Qing Jiao"? A. It was attracted and stopped eating. B. It was moved to tears. C. It ignored the music and kept eating. D. It started to dance. 4. What accidental sound caused the cow's first reaction? A. The sound of thunder. B. The sound of a barking dog. C. The buzzing of mosquitoes and flies. D. The sound of wind. 5. What did the cow do when it heard the buzzing sound? A. It looked up at Gongming Yi. B. It ran away. C. It flicked its tail. D. It started to moo. 6. What did the second melody imitate? A. The sound of its owner calling. B. The sound of a wolf. C. The sound of a lonely calf looking for its mother. D. The sound of rain. 7. How did the cow behave upon hearing the second melody? A. It fell asleep. B. It became flustered and walked anxiously. C. It ate more grass. D. It came closer to listen. 8. What was Gongming Yi's final realization? A. His zither was out of tune. B. The cow preferred to listen to silence. C. "Qing Jiao" was not suitable for the cow. D. He needed more practice. 9. How did Gongming Yi feel when he understood the reason? A. Angry and disappointed. B. Sad and hopeless. C. Knowing and satisfied. D. Confused and curious. 10. Which of the following is NOT a lesson from the story? A. Treat different objects in different ways. B. Always use the same method for everyone. C. Analyze specific problems specifically. D. Do not act blindly without a purpose. III. Vocabulary Matching (词汇匹配) Match the word on the left with its correct Chinese meaning on the right. 1. Zither 2. Obsessed 3. Climax 4. Absent-mindedly 5. Buzz 6. Flick 7. Melody 8. Flustered 9. Anxiously 10. Moral A. 嗡嗡声 B. 焦虑地 C. 高潮，顶点 D. 痴迷的 E. 寓意，教训 F. 曲调，旋律 G. 心不在焉地 H. 古琴，筝 I. 慌张的 J. 轻弹，甩动 IV. Phrase Fill-in-the-Blank (短语填空) Complete the sentences using the phrases from the box below. was good at playing the zither reached the climax was attracted by focused on realized something looked for no longer it turns out adapt to 1. Gongming Yi _______________ playing the zither. 2. He was obsessed with _______________. 3. When the music _______________, everyone in the family was moved. 4. The family _______________ his beautiful music. 5. The cow was only _______________ eating grass. 6. After seeing the cow's reaction, Gongming Yi suddenly _______________. 7. The melody sounded like a calf that _______________ its mother. 8. Upon hearing the calf's call, the cow was _______________ calm. 9. Gongming Yi said, "_______________ the cow didn't fail to hear the music." 10. We must _______________ the characteristics of different objects. V. Sentence Translation (句子翻译) Translate the following sentences from English to Chinese. 1. 古时候，有一个叫公明仪的人，他非常热爱音乐。 2. 他痴迷到会对山弹琴，对着水弹。 3. 一天，他突发奇想：要为院子里的老牛弹奏一曲。 4. 但当他抬头看老牛时，它仍然低着头，只专注于吃草。 5. “是我的音乐不够优美动听吗？”公明仪疑惑道。 6. 他心不在焉地拨动着琴弦。 7. 声音好像一群蚊蝇嗡嗡作响。 8. 老牛听到这个声音，竟然不停地甩起了尾巴。 9. 他立即改变曲调，弹出了一段像孤独小牛发出的“哞哞”声。 10. 从这个经历中，我们可以学到必须适应不同对象的特点。 Answer Key (答案) I. True or False 1. F 2. T 3. F 4. F 5. F 6. T 7. T 8. F 9. F 10. T II. Multiple Choice 1. C 2. B 3. C 4. C 5. C 6. C 7. B 8. C 9. C 10. B III. Vocabulary Matching 1. H 2. D 3. C 4. G 5. A 6. J 7. F 8. I 9. B 10. E IV. Phrase Fill-in-the-Blank 1. was good at 2. playing the zither 3. reached the climax 4. was attracted by 5. focused on 6. realized something 7. looked for 8. no longer 9. it turns out 10. adapt to V. Sentence Translation (参考译文) 1. In ancient times, there was a man named Gongming Yi who loved music very much. 2. He was so obsessed with playing that he would play for the mountains and the water. 3. One day, he had a sudden idea: he wanted to play the zither for the old cow in his yard. 4. But when he looked up at the old cow, it was still bowing its head, only focused on eating grass. 5. "Is my music not beautiful or pleasant enough?" Gongming Yi wondered. 6. He plucked the zither strings absent-mindedly. 7. The sound was like the buzzing of a group of mosquitoes and flies. 8. When the old cow heard this, it actually kept flicking its tail. 9. He immediately changed the melody and played a tune that sounded like a lonely calf's "moo". 10. From this experience, we can learn that we must adapt to the characteristics of different objects. 1 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 $