伊索寓言:磨坊主和兒子與驢子
The Man, the Boy, and the Donkey
A Man and his son were once going with their Donkey to market. As they were walking along by its side a countryman passed them and said: "You fools, what is a Donkey for but to ride upon?"
So the Man put the Boy on the Donkey and they went on their way. But soon they passed a group of men, one of whom said: "See that lazy youngster, he lets his father walk while he rides."
So the Man ordered his Boy to get off, and got on himself. But they hadn't gone far when they passed two women, one of whom said to the other: "Shame on that lazy lout to let his poor little son trudge along."
Well, the Man didn't know what to do, but at last he took his Boy up before him on the Donkey. By this time they had come to the town, and the passers-by began to jeer and point at them. The Man stopped and asked what they were scoffing at. The men said: "Aren't you ashamed of yourself for overloading that poor donkey with you and your hulking son?"
The Man and Boy got off and tried to think what to do. They thought and they thought, till at last they cut down a pole, tied the donkey's feet to it, and raised the pole and the donkey to their shoulders. They went along amid the laughter of all who met them till they came to Market Bridge, when the Donkey, getting one of his feet loose, kicked out and caused the Boy to drop his end of the pole. In the struggle the Donkey fell over the bridge, and his fore-feet being tied together he was drowned.
"That will teach you," said an old man who had followed them:
"Please all, and you will please none."
磨坊主和兒子與驢子
磨坊主和他的兒子一起趕著他們的驢子,到鄰近的市場上去賣。他們沒走多遠(yuǎn),遇見了一些婦女聚集在井邊,談笑風(fēng)生。其中有一個(gè)說:「瞧,你們看見過這種人嗎,放著驢子不騎,卻要走路。」老人聽到此話,立刻叫兒子騎上驢去。又走了一會(huì),他們遇到了一些正在爭吵的老頭,其中一個(gè)說:「看看,這正證明了我剛說的那些話。現(xiàn)在這種社會(huì)時(shí)尚,根本談不上甚么敬老尊賢。你們看看那懶惰的孩子騎在驢上,而他年邁的父親卻在下面行走。下來,你這小東西!還不讓你年老的父親歇歇他疲乏的腿。」老人便叫兒子下來,自己騎了上去。他們沒走多遠(yuǎn),又遇到一群婦女和孩子。有幾個(gè)人立刻大喊道:「你這無用的老頭,你怎么可以騎在驢子上,而讓那可憐的孩子跑得一點(diǎn)力氣都沒啦?」老實(shí)的磨坊主,立刻又叫他兒子來坐在他后面。 快到市場時(shí),一個(gè)市民看見了他們便問:「朋友,請(qǐng)問,這驢子是你們自己的嗎?」老人說:「是的。」那人說:「人們還真想不到,依你們一起騎驢的情形看來,你們兩個(gè)人抬驢子,也許比騎驢子好得多。」老人說:「不妨照你的意見試一下。」於是,他和兒子一起跳下驢子,將驢子的腿捆在一起,用一根木棍將驢子抬上肩向前走。經(jīng)過市場口的橋時(shí),很多人圍過來看這種有趣的事,大家都取笑他們父子倆。吵鬧聲和這種奇怪的擺弄使驢子很不高興,它用力掙斷了繩索和棍子,掉到河里去了。 這時(shí),老人又氣憤又羞愧,趕忙從小路逃回家去。
這個(gè)故事帶出的啟示就是:任何事物都不可能使人人滿意,想使人人滿意,反而會(huì)誰也不滿意。
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