A man once bought a brilliantly-coloured parrot. Instead of locking it up in a cage or chaining it to a perch, he allowed it to fly free all over the house. The parrot was delighted at this and flapped from room to room, shrieking and screaming with happiness. At last he settled on the edge of a rich curtain.
從前，有人買了一只毛色鮮艷的鸚鵡。他沒有把鸚鵡關在籠子里，也沒有用鏈條把他拴在棲木上，而讓他在家里自由自在地飛來飛去。鸚鵡對此非常高興，撲動翅膀，從一間屋子飛到另一間屋子，愉快地尖聲叫著，最后停在華麗的帷幔的邊上。

"Who on earth are you?" said a cross voice from below. "Stop that terrible noise at once."
"你到底是誰？"從下面?zhèn)鱽砼瓪鉀_沖的說話聲，"馬上住嘴，別發(fā)出那難聽的聲音。"

The parrot saw a cat staring up at him from the carpet.
鸚鵡看見地毯上有一只貓?zhí)ь^看著他。

"I 'm a parrot. I 've just arrived and I 'm to make as much noise as I can," he said.
"我是鸚鵡。 我剛到，我要使勁地吵吵。"他說。

"Well, I 've lived here all my life," replied the cat ."I was born in this very house and I learned from my mother that it is best to keep quiet here."
“嗯，我在這已經(jīng)住了一輩子了?！柏堈f，“我生在這個屋子里，并且媽媽告訴我在這里最好保持安靜?！?/div>

"Keep quiet then, "said the parrot cheerfully. "I don't know what you do around here, but I know my job. My master bought me for my voice and I'm going to make sure he hears it."
"那你就一聲不響吧，"鸚鵡歡快地說，"我不知道你在這兒干什么，可我知道我的活兒。主人為了我的聲音才買我，我一定得讓他聽到。"