The Fox and the Goat 掉在井里的狐貍和公山羊
A FOX one day fell into a deep well and could find no means of
escape. A Goat, overcome with thirst, came to the same well, and
seeing the Fox, inquired if the water was good. Concealing his
sad plight under a merry guise, the Fox indulged in a lavish praise
of the water, saying it was excellent beyond measure, and
encouraging him to descend. The Goat, mindful only of his
thirst, thoughtlessly jumped down, but just as he drank, the Fox
informed him of the difficulty they were both in and suggested a
scheme for their common escape. "If," said he, "you will place
your forefeet upon the wall and bend your head, I will run up
your back and escape, and will help you out afterwards." The Goat
readily assented and the Fox leaped upon his back. Steadying
himself with the Goat's horns, he safely reached the mouth of the
well and made off as fast as he could. When the Goat upbraided
him for breaking his promise, he turned around and cried out,
"You foolish old fellow! If you had as many brains in your head
as you have hairs in your beard, you would never have gone down
before you had inspected the way up, nor have exposed yourself
to dangers from which you had no means of escape."
Look before you leap.
一只狐貍失足掉到了井里，不論他如何掙扎仍沒法爬上去，只好呆在那里。公山羊覺得 口渴極了，來到這井邊，看見狐貍在井下，便問他井水好不好喝？狐貍覺得機會來了，心中 暗喜，馬上鎮靜下來，極力贊美井水好喝，說這水是天下第一泉，清甜爽口，并勸山羊趕快 下來，與他痛飲。一心只想喝水信以為真的山羊，便不假思索地跳了下去，當他咕咚咕咚痛 飲完后，就不得不與狐貍一起共商上井的辦法。狐貍早有準備，他狡猾地說：“我倒有一個 方法。你用前腳扒在井墻上，再把角豎直了，我從你后背跳上井去，再拉你上來，我們就都 得救了。”公山羊同意了他的提議，狐貍踩著他的后腳，跳到他背上，然后再從角上用力一 跳，跳出了井口。狐貍上去以后，準備獨自逃離。公山羊指責狐貍不信守諾言。狐貍回過頭 對公山羊說：“喂，朋友，你的頭腦如果像你的胡須那樣完美，你就不至于在沒看清出口之 前就盲目地跳下去。”
這故事說明，聰明的人應當事先考慮清楚事情的結果，然后才去做。
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