In the past, there was a man who kept thirty sheep.

从前，有一个人，养了三十只羊。

One morning, he discovered that one sheep was missing.

一天早上，他发现少了一只羊。

Where had it gone?

这只羊到哪儿去了呢?

Upon examination, he found that his fold was damaged.

再一查看，原来是他的羊圈坏了。

During the night a wolf had broken into the fold and devoured the sheep.

夜里狼闯进羊圈，羊是被狼吃掉的。

His friend said to him: "You had better mend the fold quickly."

他的朋友对他说:“快把羊圈修理修理吧!”

He said: "The sheep had already been devoured by the wolf. What is the use of mendingthe fold?"

他说: “羊已经被狼吃了，修理羊圈还有什么用呢?”

He did not listen to his friend's advice.

他没有听取朋友的意见。

The following morning, he discovered that during the night the wolf had again broken intothe fold and devoured another sheep.

第二天早上，他发现夜里狼又闯进羊圈，又吃掉了一只羊。

Not until then did he realize that his friend was right.

这时候，他才明白，朋友的意见是对的。

Consequently, he mended the fold at once, and thereafter no more sheep were devouredby the wolf.

于是，他马上把羊圈修理好。从此，他的羊再也没有被狼吃掉过。