小鹿和媽媽

The Fawn and His Mother

一天，小鹿對鹿媽媽說：“媽媽，你比狗高大，更比他跑得快，耐力也好，而且還有很大的角用以自衛。可是我不明白，你為什么還會害怕狗呢？”媽媽笑笑說：“孩子，你說得對，我確實有很多優勢，可只要我一聽到狗的叫聲，我就會情不自禁地撒腿逃跑啊。”

對于那些天生懦弱、膽小的人來說，任何鼓勵都是沒有用的。

A Young Fawn once said to his Mother， "You are larger than a dog， and swifter， and more used to running， and you have your horns as a defense； why， then， O Mother！ do the hounds frighten you so？"She smiled， and said， "I know full well， my son， that all you say is true. I have the advantages you mention， but when I hear even the bark of a single dog I feel ready to faint， and fly away as fast as I can."

No arguments will give courage to the coward.

瞎了一只眼的鹿

The One-Eyed Doe

瞎了一只眼睛的鹿天真地認為只有陸地上才會有危險，因此她經常去海岸邊吃草，這樣她就可以用另一只眼睛觀察陸地上是否有獵人，將失明的眼睛對著大海。不料一天，幾個人乘船從海邊經過，發現了她。沒有任何防備的鹿被一箭射中，受了致命的傷。在生命的彌留之際，她感嘆道：“我是多么不幸啊！我時刻防備著來自陸地上的傷害，一廂情愿地把海洋當成避難所，結果落得如此下場。”

你不能逃脫自己的命運。

A Doe blind in one eye was accustomed to graze as near to the edge of the cliff as she possibly could， in the hope of securing her greater safety. She turned her sound eye towards the land that she might get the earliest tidings of the approach of hunter or hound， and her injured eye towards the sea， from whence she entertained no anticipation of danger.Some boatmen sailing by saw her， and taking a successful aim， mortally wounded her.Yielding up her last breath， she gasped forth this lament， "O wretched creature that I am！ to take such precaution against the land， and after all to find this seashore， to which I had come for safety， so much more perilous."

You can not escape your fate.

雄鹿和葡萄藤

The Hart and the Vine

一頭雄鹿為了躲避獵人們的追捕，躲入了葡萄園。匆忙經過的獵人們并沒發現雄鹿的藏身之所，繼續往前走了。雄鹿斷定所有的危險都已經過去了，就大膽地開始啃吃葡萄葉子來。葡萄葉子沙沙作響，引起了一個獵人的注意，隨即回頭一看，果然看到了雄鹿，于是就向他射了一箭，正中目標。彌留之際，雄鹿自怨自艾地說：“葡萄藤還是我的救命恩人，我卻恩將仇報。這都是我自作自受啊！”

滴水之恩當涌泉相報。

A Hart， hard pressed in the chase， hid himself beneath the large leaves of a Vine. The huntsmen， in their haste， overshot the place of his concealment.Supposing all danger to have passed， the Hart began to nibble the tendrils of the Vine.One of the huntsmen， attracted by the rustling of the leaves， looked back， and seeing the Hart， shot an arrow from his bow and struck it.The Hart， at the point of death， groaned， "I am rightly served， for I should not have maltreated the Vine that saved me."

Do not mistake those who help you.

母鹿和獅子

The Doe and the Lion

有一頭母鹿為了躲避獵人們的追捕，情急之下躲入了獅子的洞里。驚慌失措的鹿連松一口氣的機會也沒有，就被悄悄靠近的獅子抓住了。臨終前的鹿傷心地說：“我真是倒霉！剛躲開了獵人的追捕，卻把自己主動送入了野獸的口中！”

在躲避一個危險的時候，一定要謹慎，不要使自己陷入更大的災難。

A Doe had pressed by hunters sought refuge in a cave belonging to a Lion. The Lion concealed himself on seeing her approach， but when she was safe within the cave， sprang upon her and tore her to pieces."Woe is me， "exclaimed the Doe， "who have escaped from man， only to throw myself into the mouth of a wild beast？"

In avoiding one evil， care must be taken not to fall into another.

雄鹿、狼和羊

The Stag， the Wolf， and the Sheep

雄鹿要求羊給他借一些麥子，并說會請狼來做擔保人。羊害怕雄鹿會有什么陰謀，就拒絕了他的要求，說道：“狼總是在得到自己想得到的東西之后馬上離開，而你的奔跑速度也很快，可以輕而易舉地超越我。那么到了約定歸還的日子，我怎樣才能找到你呢？”

兩黑不等于一白，兩個錯誤不等于一個正確。

A Stag asked a Sheep to lend him a measure of wheat， and said that the Wolf would be his surety. The Sheep， fearing some fraud was intended， excused herself， saying， "The Wolf is accustomed to seize what he wants and to run off； and you， too， can quickly outstrip me in your rapid flight.How then shall I be able to find you， when the day of payment comes？"

Two blacks do not make one white.

池塘邊的雄鹿

The Stag at the Pool

一只鹿非常口渴，就到池塘邊找水喝。看到自己倒映在水中的影子，他不由地欣賞起來。看到自己漂亮修長的鹿角，他不禁有些得意洋洋；看到瘦弱細小的雙腿，他又覺得悶悶不樂。正當他沉醉其中的時候，一頭獅子疾奔而來。雄鹿急忙轉身就跑。在開闊的平原，雄鹿可以全速前進，把獅子遠遠地甩在了后面。可是，到了森林里，雄鹿就舉步維艱了，他的鹿角總是被樹枝絆住，結果被獅子抓住了。鹿臨死之前責備自己說：“我是多么不幸啊！被我討厭的雙腿救了命，卻因我最寵愛的鹿角而斷送了性命，真是自作自受啊！”

真正有價值的東西經常被忽視。

A Stag overpowered by heat came to a spring to drink. Seeing his own shadow reflected in the water， he greatly admired the size and variety of his horns， but felt angry with himself for having such slender and weak feet.While he was thus contemplating himself， a Lion appeared at the pool and crouched to spring upon him.The Stag immediately took to flight， and exerting his utmost speed， as long as the plain was smooth and open kept himself easily at a safe distance from the Lion.But entering a wood he became entangled by his horns， and the Lion quickly came up to him and caught him.When too late， he thus reproached himself： "Woe is me！ How I have deceived myself！ These feet which would have saved me I despised， and I gloried in these antlers which have proved my destruction."

What is most truly valuable is often underrated.

躲進牛欄里的雄鹿

The Stag in the Ox-Stall

一只被獵狗追趕的雄鹿驚慌失措地逃進了附近農場的牛欄里。公牛問他：“你這個倒霉的家伙，為什么要把自己的性命交付給別人，來加速自己的死亡呢？”雄鹿懇求道：“你們一定要為我保守秘密啊，如果有機會，我就會逃走的。”

夜幕降臨了，飼養員給公牛送來了飼料，沒有發現躲在角落里的雄鹿。后來，莊園的管家過來巡視一圈也沒有發現異常情況。雄鹿松一口氣了，慶幸自己的好運氣，并且非常感激公牛們的慷慨相助。一頭公牛對他說：“我們也希望你能安全脫險，但是你的危險并沒有結束。如果你能不被‘火眼金睛’的農場主發現，那才算是真正安全了。”就在這時候，農場主走進了牛欄。“為什么麥秸沒有了，甘草也不夠？你們難道連這里的蜘蛛網也懶得清理一下嗎？”一邊斥責著工人，一邊詳細地檢查牛欄。躲在角落里的雄鹿自然是無所遁形。接到這塊天上掉下的餡餅，農場主樂得合不攏嘴，馬上吩咐工人把雄鹿殺死，取走了鹿肉。

沒有什么可以逃脫主人的眼睛。

A Stag， roundly chased by the hounds and blinded by fear to the danger he was running into， took shelter in a farmyard and hid himself in a shed among the oxen. An Ox gave him this kindly warning， "O unhappy creature！ why should you thus， of your own accord， incur destruction and trust yourself in the house of your enemy？"The Stag replied， "Only allow me， friend， to stay where I am， and I will undertake to find some favorable opportunity of effecting my escape."

At the approach of the evening the herdsman came to feed his cattle， but did not see the Stag； and even the farm-bailiff with several laborers passed through the shed and failed to notice him. The Stag， congratulating himself on his safety， began to express his sincere thanks to the Oxen who had kindly helped him in the hour of need.One of them again answered him， "We indeed wish you well， but the danger is not over.There is one other yet to pass through the shed， who has as it were a hundred eyes， and until he has come and gone， your life is still in peril."At that moment the master himself entered， and having had to complain that his oxen had not been properly fed， he went up to their racks and cried out， "Why is there such a scarcity of fodder？There is not half enough straw for them to lie on.Those lazy fellows have not even swept the cobwebs away."While he thus examined everything in turn， he spied the tips of the antlers of the Stag peeping out of the straw.Then summoning his laborers， he ordered that the Stag should be seized and killed.

Nothing escape the master's eye.

病鹿

The Sick Stag

一頭鹿生病了，躺在草地上無法起身。他的伙伴紛紛來探望，希望他早日恢復健康。但是他們每一次來都會吃掉一些青草，最后把鹿四周的青草都吃完了。后來，鹿的身體雖然已經康復，卻因為食物短缺依然丟了性命。

結交無用的朋友，不僅沒有益處，還會蒙受損失。

A Sick Stag lay down in a quiet corner of its pasture-ground. His companions came in great numbers to inquire after his health， and each one helped himself to a share of the food which had been placed for his use； so that he died， not from his sickness， but from the failure of the means of living.

Evil companions bring more hurt than profit.