第5章 牛 Bull

公牛和青蛙

The Ox and the Frog

一次，一头在池塘喝水的公牛追赶一群年幼的青蛙，用蹄子踩死了其中的一只。青蛙母亲回来后发现自己的一个儿子不见了，就询问他的兄弟们：“你们的弟弟怎么了？”他们回答道：“哎呀，刚才有一个四条腿的怪物把他踩死了。”愤怒的青蛙妈妈鼓起肚子问：“那个怪物有这么大吗？”孩子却回答：“还是算了吧。您别生气了。在您变得和那个庞然大物一样之前，您的肚皮就会撑破的。”

自负往往就是自我毁灭。

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.

牛和车轴

The Oxen and the Axle-Trees

几头牛拉着一车沉重的货物费力地前行，后面的车轴吱嘎作响。牛转过身来对车轴说：“嗨，担负着所有重量的是我们，你们为什么呻吟啊？"

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，公牛们在一起商量对付屠夫的办法。屠夫经常残害他们的同伴。在约定的一天，他们聚集起来实行预定的计划。一头年纪大的公牛对他们说：“那些屠夫确实是罪该万死，但是他们技术熟练，我们可以免除很多死亡的痛苦；如果我们遇到不熟练的新手，那么我们的痛苦就要加倍了。即使屠夫们应该得到应有的惩罚，但是我们又怎么能使人类不再有吃牛肉的欲望呢？”

不要急于去改变一种罪恶。

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

小牛看到老牛拉着铁犁在农田里辛苦地耕作。就挖苦老牛：“你天天被逼着劳动，一定很累吧？”没过多久，到了收获的时节，主人放开了老牛，让他去吃草，而把小牛绑起来做了祭祀天神的牺牲品。老牛笑着对小牛说：“看到了吧，让你无所事事就是为了这一天的。”

不要轻易嘲笑任何人。

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

一头公牛被老鼠咬了一口。被激怒的公牛使尽浑身解数想把这只可恶的老鼠抓住。可是，还是让老鼠安全地逃进了洞里。公牛努力地把角伸进洞里，怎奈洞口太小，无法把老鼠赶出来。无可奈何的公牛就在洞外睡着了。老鼠偷偷地爬出来，绕到公牛的身旁，又咬了他一口，然后迅速地退回洞里。公牛马上惊醒，不知道是怎么回事，满腹疑惑。看到茫然失措的公牛，老鼠说：“看来，强者并非在任何时候都占据优势的，弱者也并非总会一败涂地的。”

强者未必永远占有优势。

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.

公牛和牛犊

The Bull and the Calf

一头公牛被困在一条狭窄的走廊里，想尽了办法也不出去。这时，有一个小牛犊经过这里，看到后就热心地指点公牛如何脱困。不料，公牛不屑一顾地说道：“教我脱困？我在你出生之前就已经知道了。”

有些人是不会改变的。

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，跳蚤问公牛：“你身体这么高大、强壮，为什么还要没日没夜地为人们劳动呢？我虽然个子不高，也没有力量，但是我却可以舒舒服服地靠吮吸人的血生活。”公牛回答说：“我要报答人类对我的恩情才为他们工作的。他们精心地照顾我，还会亲切地抚摸我的肩膀和额头。”“哎呀！”跳蚤忍不住地大叫起来：“如果人们也那样抚摸我，我是会送掉小命的。”

对一个人是奖赏，对另一个人可能就会是灾难。

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、母狮和猎人

The Bull， the Lioness， and the Wild-Boar Hunter

公牛看到一头熟睡的小狮子，就用牛角去撞他，还在睡梦中的小狮子毫无防备，枉送了性命。失去儿子的母狮放声痛哭。追捕野猪的人看到悲痛欲绝的母狮，就站得远远的，对他说：“唉，现在还不知道有多少父母也在为失去自己的孩子而痛苦呢，他们的孩子都是被你害死的啊！”

不要抱怨自己所做过的事。

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.

狮子和三头公牛

The Lion and the Three Bulls

有三头公牛总是在一起吃草。心怀鬼胎的狮子想要吃掉他们，又担心他们会联合进攻自己。于是，他就散播谣言，致使公牛们内部失和，各奔东西。这样，狮子就趁他们分开的时候，轻而易举地将他们逐个击破了。

团结就是力量。

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.

狮子和公牛

The Lion and the Bull

长时间以来，狮子一直想抓一头公牛，但是又担心遭遇公牛的抵抗，后来他终于想到一个计策。于是，他找到公牛对他说：“我抓到一只绵羊，并计划把他作为祭品上供，我诚心诚意地邀请你和我一起来分享这份大餐。请务必赏脸！”狮子一边非常“热情”地邀请公牛，一边在心里筹划如何能不费力地把公牛抓住。

听了狮子的话，公牛一时忍不住美食的诱惑，就答应了狮子的邀请。走近狮子的住处，公牛看到很多烤肉的工具，唯独没有绵羊的影子。公牛立即明白了狮子的用意，没有搭理狮子，掉头就走。狮子责备公牛不讲信用，问他，为什么对主人不打招呼就走，并没有谁唐突你啊。公牛回答说：“我有充足的理由这么做，因为我发现你打算当做祭品上供的不是绵羊而是公牛。”

当一个人想要背叛我们时，就得不到我们的信任。

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

公牛为了躲避狮子的追捕，匆忙躲到一个野山羊新近占领的山洞里。他一进入山洞，一头雄山羊就向他发起猛烈的进攻。可是公牛毫不在乎，心平气和地说：“你还是不要在这里闹笑话了。我之所以不进攻，并不是因为害怕你，而是提防外面的狮子。如果狮子离开了，我就会让你看到一头公牛和一头山羊的力量差别了。”

在朋友危难的时候落井下石是一种罪恶。

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.