生病的獅子 The Sick Lion

 

    A LION, unable from old age and infirmities to provide himself with food by force, resolved to do so by artifice.  He returned to his den, and lying down there, pretended to be sick, taking care that his sickness should be publicly known.  The beasts expressed their sorrow, and came one by one to his den, where the Lion devoured them.  After many of the beasts had thus disappeared, the Fox discovered the trick and presenting himself to the Lion, stood on the outside of the cave, at a respectful distance, and asked him how he was.  "I am very middling,"

    replied the Lion, "but why do you stand without? Pray enter within to talk with me."  "No, thank you," said the Fox.  "I notice that there are many prints of feet entering your cave, but I see no trace of any returning."  

    He is wise who is warned by the misfortunes of others.

    有一頭年老的獅子，已不能憑借力量去搶奪食物了，心想只能用智取的辦法才能獲得更多的食物。于是，他鉆進(jìn)一個(gè)山洞里，躺在地上假裝生病，等其他小動(dòng)物走過來窺探，就把他們抓住吃了。這樣，不少的動(dòng)物都被獅子吃掉了。狐貍識破了獅子的詭計(jì)，遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)地站在洞外，問獅子身體現(xiàn)在如何。獅子回答說：“很不好。”反問狐貍為什么不進(jìn)洞里來。狐貍說道：“如果我沒發(fā)現(xiàn)只有進(jìn)去的腳印，沒有一個(gè)出來的腳印，我也許會進(jìn)洞去。”

    這是說，聰明的人常常能審時(shí)度勢，根據(jù)跡象預(yù)見到危險(xiǎn)，避免不幸。