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A strange legend has it that ladybirds forgive but don't forget. Apparently, at first they didn't have their distinctive black spots.The ladybirds had been pushed to the verge of extinction when, while being led by their famous guide, Caius Insectus, a storm flooded the path they were travelling.Caius Insectus disappeared into the flood, and the few ladybirds who survived had to choose a new guide and leader.They decided that their new leader would be the first ladybird to successfully travel south to the Great Lake and return to describe it.
Many young ladybirds eagerly launched themselves into this adventure. One by one they returned and told of how beautiful the southern lake was at that time of year, with its crystal clear waters, bordered by flowered meadows.However, the last of the ladybirds was late in getting back.They waited for him for three days, and when he finally returned, he was downcast and embarrassed.He hadn't managed to reach the lake.Everyone criticised him for his slowness and stupidity, and they prepared to continue their journey the next day.
Following their new guide, they spent a morning walking northwards until they reached some tall thick grassland, where they halted, astonished.In front of them was the Great Lake！But there were no crystal clear waters, or flowered meadows.The heavy rain had turned it into a huge green puddle surrounded by mud.
Everyone understood what had happened. Without realising it, they had been swept beyond the lake by the flood.When the ladybirds had gone out looking for the lake, they had gone in the wrong direction.Now they could see that, apart from that late ladybird, they had all wanted to be the Great Guide, and they had not had any qualms to lie in order to get what they wanted.
And so, the late little ladybird, the only one who they now really trusted, was made the Great Guide.They also decided that every time one of them was discovered lying they would paint a black spot on that ladybird's back, so there'd be no way to erase it.Nor would a ladybird know how many spots they had on their back.From then on, when a ladybird looks at another's back, it can tell whether that ladybird is trustworthy.
Likewise, when people show themselves to be dishonest other people paint spots on their impressions of them. It's enough to have just one black spot to change from a simple red insect into a ladybird.So, no matter what the prize may be, we should not allow anyone to paint that spot upon us.
有一个奇怪的传说，瓢虫会原谅某事，但不会忘记。据说，起初他们没有与众不同的黑色斑点。在他们被昆虫凯厄斯领导的时候，一场暴雨淹没了他们前进的道路，瓢虫几乎到了灭绝的边缘。凯厄斯消失在了洪水中，少数幸存的瓢虫只好选择一个新向导和领导。他们决定新领袖必须第一个向南旅行，成功穿越五大湖并且返回并描述整个行程。
很多幼小的瓢虫急切地投入了这次冒险征程。他们一个接一个地返回并讲述一年中的那个时候湖是多么的漂亮，清澈透明的湖水，四周全是开满鲜花的草地。然而，最后一个瓢虫回来晚了。他们等了他三天，当他最后到达的时候，非常沮丧尴尬。他没有成功到达五大湖。每个人都因他的缓慢和愚蠢批评他，并且准备第二天继续他们的行程。
跟着他们的新向导，他们向北走了一上午到达了一片又高又浓密的草地，他们停住了，非常吃惊！在他们前面的就是五大湖！但是那里没有清澈透明的湖水，或开满鲜花的草地。暴雨已经把它变成了一个淤泥环绕的绿色的大水坑。
每个人都明白怎么回事了。不经意间，他们已经被洪水卷到了五大湖边。当瓢虫外出寻找五大湖的时候，他们走错了方向。现在他们可以看得出来，除了那个晚到的瓢虫外，他们都想当伟大的向导。他们根本没有因撒谎去得到想要的东西而不安。
因此，那个迟到的小瓢虫成了唯一被信任的人，被选为了伟大的向导。他们还决定：每次发现他们其中一个撒谎，他们都要在那个瓢虫的背上画一个黑斑点。这样就没办法消除了。没有一个瓢虫知道他们后背上有多少黑斑点。从那时起，当一个瓢虫看到另一个的后背时，就能判断出那个瓢虫是否值得信赖。
同样地，当人们表现得不诚实时，其他人就会在他们的印象上画斑点。从一个简单的红壳虫变成一个瓢虫只需要一个黑斑点。因此，无论奖品是什么，我们都不应该允许任何人在我们身上画上那一点。
Moral of the Story：
Honesty is valued by all, and when we are dishonest, people lose faith in us.
故事寓意：
诚实被所有人重视；当我们不诚实的时候，人们就会对我们失去信心。
词海拾贝：
legend[ˈledʒ（ə）nd]n.传奇；说明
distinctive[dɪˈstɪŋ（k）tɪv]adj.有特色的，与众不同的
verge[vɜːdʒ]n.边缘
extinction[ɪkˈstɪŋ（k）ʃ（ə）n]n.消失；消灭；废止
launch[lɔːntʃ]vt.发射（导弹、火箭等）；发起，发动
downcast[ˈdaʊnkɑːst]adj.沮丧的；低垂的
meadow[ˈmedəʊ]n.草地；牧场
puddle[ˈpʌd（ə）l]n.水坑，泥潭
qualm[kwɑːm]n.疑虑；不安
likewise[ˈlaɪkwaɪz]adv.同样地；也
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