The Thief and His Mother

　　The Thief and His Mother
　　（小偷和他的母亲）
　　"养不教，父之过。"儿子不学好，母亲一味包庇纵容，反害了自己的孩子，行刑前儿子给母亲吃的小小苦头，纵令她醒悟，那已是悔之晚矣。
　　A schoolboy stole a horn-book from one of his schoolfellows, and brought it home to his mother. Instead of chastising him, she rather encouraged him in the deed. In course of time the boy, now grown into a man, began to steal things of greater value, till at length being caught in the very act , he was bound and led to execution . Perceiving his mother following among the crowd, wailing and beating her breast, he begged the officers to be allowed to speak one word in her ear. When she quickly drew near and applied her ear to her son's mouth, he seized the lobe of it tightly between his teeth and bit it off. Upon this she cried out lustily, and the crowd joined her in upbraiding the unnatural son, as if his former evil ways had not been enough, but that his last act must be a deed of impiety against his mother. But he replied: "It is she who is the cause of my ruin, for if when I stole my schoolfellow's horn-book and brought it to her, she had given me a sound flogging, I should never have so grown in wickedness as to come to this untimely end. "
　　Nip evil in the bud. Spare the rod and spoil the child.
　　注释
　　1·horn-book n· 角贴书(纸页上印有文字，其上盖有透明角片的儿童识字书籍)
　　2·chastise v· 惩戒，惩罚
　　3·in course of time 终有一天
　　4·at length= at last最后
　　5·caught in the very act 当场被抓，very在这儿用来加强语气。
　　6·was bound and led to execution 被捆，被带上刑场。
　　7·wailing and beating her breast 一边痛哭一边捶打着胸，此现在分词短语表伴随状况。
　　8·draw near靠近，挨近，走进
　　9·seized the lobe of it tightly between his teeth 他用牙齿紧紧地咬住(母亲的)耳垂
　　10·lustily adv· 起劲地，拼命地
　　11·upbraid v· 责备，谴责
　　12·unnatural son 违背天理的儿子
　　13·a deed of impiety against 对……不孝的行为
　　14·It is she who... 这是一个强调句。
　　15·give sb· a sound flogging 把某人痛打一顿
　　16·come to this untimely end 过早就了此一生，死于非命。untimely这儿指年纪轻轻就被判死刑的结局。
　　17. Nip evil in the bud. 将罪恶扼杀在萌芽状态。防患于未然。
　　18·Spare the rod and spoil the child 不打不成器.棍棒底下出孝子。不打不成器。