第5章 牛 Bull
- 伊索寓言(中小學生必讀叢書)
- (古希臘)伊索
- 6839字
- 2016-08-17 14:35:21
公牛和青蛙
The Ox and the Frog
一次,一頭在池塘喝水的公牛追趕一群年幼的青蛙,用蹄子踩死了其中的一只。青蛙母親回來后發現自己的一個兒子不見了,就詢問他的兄弟們:“你們的弟弟怎么了?”他們回答道:“哎呀,剛才有一個四條腿的怪物把他踩死了?!睉嵟那嗤軏寢尮钠鸲亲訂枺骸澳莻€怪物有這么大嗎?”孩子卻回答:“還是算了吧。您別生氣了。在您變得和那個龐然大物一樣之前,您的肚皮就會撐破的?!?
自負往往就是自我毀滅。
An Ox drinking at a pool trod on a brood of young frogs and crushed one of them to death. The Mother coming up, and missing one of her sons, inquired of his brothers what had become of him."He is dead, dear Mother; for just now a very huge beast with four great feet came to the pool and crushed him to death with his cloven heel."
The Frog, puffing herself out, inquired, "If the beast was as big as that in size."
"Cease, Mother, to puff yourself out, "said her son, "and do not be angry; for you would, I assure you, sooner burst than successfully imitate the hugeness of that monster."
Conceit may lead to self-destruction.
牛和車軸
The Oxen and the Axle-Trees
幾頭牛拉著一車沉重的貨物費力地前行,后面的車軸吱嘎作響。牛轉過身來對車軸說:“嗨,擔負著所有重量的是我們,你們為什么呻吟啊?"
承受最多的人往往是抱怨最少的人。
A Heavy Wagon was being dragged along a country lane by a team of Oxen. The Axle-trees groaned and creaked terribly; whereupon the Oxen, turning round, thus addressed the wheels, "Hullo there! why do you make so much noise?We bear all the labor, and we, not you, ought to cry out."
Those who suffer most cry out the least.
牛和屠夫
The Oxen and the Butchers
一次,公牛們在一起商量對付屠夫的辦法。屠夫經常殘害他們的同伴。在約定的一天,他們聚集起來實行預定的計劃。一頭年紀大的公牛對他們說:“那些屠夫確實是罪該萬死,但是他們技術熟練,我們可以免除很多死亡的痛苦;如果我們遇到不熟練的新手,那么我們的痛苦就要加倍了。即使屠夫們應該得到應有的懲罰,但是我們又怎么能使人類不再有吃牛肉的欲望呢?”
不要急于去改變一種罪惡。
The Oxen once upon a time sought to destroy the Butchers, who practiced a trade destructive to their race. They assembled on a certain day to carry out their purpose, and sharpened their horns for the contest.But one of them who was exceedingly old(for many a field had he plowed)thus spoke, "These Butchers, it is true, slaughter us, but they do so with skillful hands, and with no unnecessary pain.If we get rid of them, we shall fall into the hands of unskillful operators, and thus suffer a double death: for you may be assured, that though all the Butchers should perish, yet will men never want beef."
Do not be in a hurry to change one evil for another.
小牛和老牛
The Heifer and the Ox
小??吹嚼吓@F犁在農田里辛苦地耕作。就挖苦老牛:“你天天被逼著勞動,一定很累吧?”沒過多久,到了收獲的時節,主人放開了老牛,讓他去吃草,而把小牛綁起來做了祭祀天神的犧牲品。老牛笑著對小牛說:“看到了吧,讓你無所事事就是為了這一天的?!?
不要輕易嘲笑任何人。
A Heifer saw an Ox hard at work harnessed to a plow, and tormented him with reflections on his unhappy fate in being compelled to labor. Shortly afterwards, at the harvest festival, the owner released the Ox from his yoke, but bound the Heifer with cords and led him away to the altar to be slain in honor of the occasion.The Ox saw what was being done, and said with a smile to the Heifer, "For this you were allowed to live in idleness, because you were presently to be sacrificed."
Be careful how you make fun of anyone.
老鼠和公牛
The Mouse and the Bull
一頭公牛被老鼠咬了一口。被激怒的公牛使盡渾身解數想把這只可惡的老鼠抓住??墒牵€是讓老鼠安全地逃進了洞里。公牛努力地把角伸進洞里,怎奈洞口太小,無法把老鼠趕出來。無可奈何的公牛就在洞外睡著了。老鼠偷偷地爬出來,繞到公牛的身旁,又咬了他一口,然后迅速地退回洞里。公牛馬上驚醒,不知道是怎么回事,滿腹疑惑。看到茫然失措的公牛,老鼠說:“看來,強者并非在任何時候都占據優勢的,弱者也并非總會一敗涂地的?!?
強者未必永遠占有優勢。
A Bull was bitten by a Mouse and, angered by the wound, tried to capture him. But the Mouse reached his hole in safety.Though the Bull dug into the walls with his horns, he tired before he could rout out the Mouse, and crouching down, went to sleep outside the hole.The Mouse peeped out, crept furtively up his flank, and again biting him, retreated to his hole.The Bull rising up, and not knowing what to do, was sadly perplexed.At which the Mouse said, "The great do not always prevail.There are times when the small and lowly are the strongest to do mischief."
The great do not always prevail.
公牛和牛犢
The Bull and the Calf
一頭公牛被困在一條狹窄的走廊里,想盡了辦法也不出去。這時,有一個小牛犢經過這里,看到后就熱心地指點公牛如何脫困。不料,公牛不屑一顧地說道:“教我脫困?我在你出生之前就已經知道了。”
有些人是不會改變的。
A Bull was striving with all his might to squeeze himself through a narrow passage which led to his stall. A young Calf came up, and offered to go before and show him the way by which he could manage to pass."Save yourself the trouble, "said the Bull, "I knew that way long before you were born."
Some people just won't change.
跳蚤和公牛
The Flea and the Ox
一天,跳蚤問公牛:“你身體這么高大、強壯,為什么還要沒日沒夜地為人們勞動呢?我雖然個子不高,也沒有力量,但是我卻可以舒舒服服地靠吮吸人的血生活。”公?;卮鹫f:“我要報答人類對我的恩情才為他們工作的。他們精心地照顧我,還會親切地撫摸我的肩膀和額頭?!薄鞍パ?!”跳蚤忍不住地大叫起來:“如果人們也那樣撫摸我,我是會送掉小命的?!?
對一個人是獎賞,對另一個人可能就會是災難。
A Flea thus questioned an Ox, "What ails you, that being so huge and strong, you submit to the wrongs you receive from men and slave for them day by day, while I, being so small a creature, mercilessly feed on their flesh and drink their blood without stint?"The Ox replied, "I do not wish to be ungrateful, for I am loved and well cared for by men, and they often pat my head and shoulders.""Woe's me! "said the flea; "this very patting which you like, whenever it happens to me, brings with it my inevitable destruction."
A reward for one might be destruction for another.
公牛、母獅和獵人
The Bull, the Lioness, and the Wild-Boar Hunter
公??吹揭活^熟睡的小獅子,就用牛角去撞他,還在睡夢中的小獅子毫無防備,枉送了性命。失去兒子的母獅放聲痛哭。追捕野豬的人看到悲痛欲絕的母獅,就站得遠遠的,對他說:“唉,現在還不知道有多少父母也在為失去自己的孩子而痛苦呢,他們的孩子都是被你害死的啊!”
不要抱怨自己所做過的事。
A Bull finding a lion's cub asleep gored him to death with his horns. The Lioness came up, and bitterly lamented the death of her whelp.A wild-boar Hunter, seeing her distress, stood at a distance and said to her, "Think how many men there are who have reason to lament the loss of their children, whose deaths have been caused by you."
Don't complain about things you yourself have done.
獅子和三頭公牛
The Lion and the Three Bulls
有三頭公??偸窃谝黄鸪圆?。心懷鬼胎的獅子想要吃掉他們,又擔心他們會聯合進攻自己。于是,他就散播謠言,致使公牛們內部失和,各奔東西。這樣,獅子就趁他們分開的時候,輕而易舉地將他們逐個擊破了。
團結就是力量。
Three Bulls for a long time pastured together. A Lion lay in ambush in the hope of making them his prey, but was afraid to attack them while they kept together.Having at last by guileful speeches succeeded in separating them, he at t acked them without fear as they fed alone, and feasted on them one by one at his own leisure.
Union is strength.
獅子和公牛
The Lion and the Bull
長時間以來,獅子一直想抓一頭公牛,但是又擔心遭遇公牛的抵抗,后來他終于想到一個計策。于是,他找到公牛對他說:“我抓到一只綿羊,并計劃把他作為祭品上供,我誠心誠意地邀請你和我一起來分享這份大餐。請務必賞臉!”獅子一邊非?!盁崆椤钡匮埞#贿呍谛睦锘I劃如何能不費力地把公牛抓住。
聽了獅子的話,公牛一時忍不住美食的誘惑,就答應了獅子的邀請。走近獅子的住處,公??吹胶芏嗫救獾墓ぞ?,唯獨沒有綿羊的影子。公牛立即明白了獅子的用意,沒有搭理獅子,掉頭就走。獅子責備公牛不講信用,問他,為什么對主人不打招呼就走,并沒有誰唐突你啊。公?;卮鹫f:“我有充足的理由這么做,因為我發現你打算當做祭品上供的不是綿羊而是公牛?!?
當一個人想要背叛我們時,就得不到我們的信任。
A Lion, greatly desiring to capture a Bull, and yet afraid to attack him on account of his great size, resorted to a trick to ensure his destruction. He approached the Bull and said, "I have slain a fine sheep, my friend; and if you will come home and partake of him with me, I shall be delighted to have your company."The Lion said this in the hope that, as the Bull was in the act of reclining to eat, he might attack him to advantage, and make his meal on him.
The Bull, on approaching the Lion's den, saw the huge spits and giant caldrons, and no sign whatever of the sheep, and, without saying a word, quietly took his departure. The Lion inquired why he went off so abruptly without a word of salutation to his host, who had not given him any cause for offense."I have reasons enough, "said the Bull."I see no indication whatever of your having slaughtered a sheep, while I do see very plainly every preparation for your dining on a bull."
When a man has both an interest and inclination to betray us, there's no trusting him.
公牛和山羊
The Bull and the Goat
公牛為了躲避獅子的追捕,匆忙躲到一個野山羊新近占領的山洞里。他一進入山洞,一頭雄山羊就向他發起猛烈的進攻??墒枪:敛辉诤?,心平氣和地說:“你還是不要在這里鬧笑話了。我之所以不進攻,并不是因為害怕你,而是提防外面的獅子。如果獅子離開了,我就會讓你看到一頭公牛和一頭山羊的力量差別了?!?
在朋友危難的時候落井下石是一種罪惡。
A Bull, escaping from a Lion, hid in a cave which some shepherds had recently occupied. As soon as he entered, a He-Goat left in the cave sharply attacked him with his horns.The Bull quietly addressed him, "Butt away as much as you will.I have no fear of you, but of the Lion.Let that monster go away and I will soon let you know what is the respective strength of a Goat and a Bull."
It shows an evil disposition to take advantage of a friend in distress.