The Flies and the Honey-Pot

 　　The Flies and the Honey-PotA NUMBER of Flies were attracted to a jar of honey which had beenoverturned in a housekeeper's room, and placing their feet in it,ate greedily.

　　Their feet, however, became so smeared¹ with thehoney that they could not use their wings, nor releasethemselves, and were suffocated².

　　Just as they were expiring,they exclaimed, "O foolish creatures that we are, for the sake ofa little pleasure we have destroyed ourselves."Pleasure bought with pains, hurts.

1 smeared   

弄脏； 玷污； 涂抹； 擦上

参考例句：

• The children had smeared mud on the walls. 那几个孩子往墙上抹了泥巴。
• A few words were smeared. 有写字被涂模糊了。

2 suffocated   

（使某人）窒息而死( suffocate的过去式和过去分词 )； （将某人）闷死； 让人感觉闷热； 憋气

参考例句：

• Many dogs have suffocated in hot cars. 许多狗在热烘烘的汽车里给闷死了。
• I nearly suffocated when the pipe of my breathing apparatus came adrift. 呼吸器上的管子脱落时，我差点给憋死。