伊索寓言：父親與女兒

The Father and His Two Daughters
　父親與女兒

A MAN had two daughters, the one married to a gardener, and the other to a tile-maker. After a time he went to the daughter who had married the gardener, and inquired how she was and how all things went with her. She said, "All things are prospering with me, and I have only one wish, that there may be a heavy fall of rain, in order that the plants may be well watered." Not long after, he went to the daughter who had married the tilemaker, and likewise inquired of her how she fared; she replied, "I want for nothing, and have only one wish, that the dry weather may continue, and the sun shine hot and bright, so that the bricks might be dried." He said to her, "If your sister wishes for rain, and you for dry weather, with which of the two am I to join my wishes?'

父親有兩個女兒，一個嫁了菜農(nóng)，另一個嫁給了陶工。過了些日子，父親來到菜農(nóng)家里，問女兒情況如何，他們的生活過得怎么樣。女兒說一切都很好，只是有一事須祈禱神明，那就是請求多下雨，好好地澆灌那些蔬菜。不久之后，他又來到陶工家里，問女兒過得如何。女兒說甚么都不缺，只禱告一件事，請求天氣晴朗，陽光充足，使陶器更快地乾燥。父親對她說道：「你望出太陽，你的妹妹卻盼下雨，那么我又為誰祈求呢？」

這個故事帶出的啟示就是：那些同時想做兩件截然不同的事的人，必然任何一件事都干不成。