中國寓言故事雙語版 第10期:以羊易牛
One day, seated in the ancestral hall, King Hui of Liang saw a man leading an ox pass by. He asked:
一天,梁惠王坐在廟堂上,看到堂下有一個人牽着一頭牛走過,便問道:"Where are you taking the ox?"
“你把牛牽到哪兒去啊?”The man leading the ox stopped and answered:
牽牛的人停下來回答說:
"I am taking it to be slaughtered and will use its blood to paint the bell."
“我要把這頭牛牽去殺掉,用它的血來塗鍾。”As King Hui heard this, he felt pity for the ox and said:
惠王聽了,對牛十分憐憫,說:"How can that be done? You are too cruel. Let it go at once.
“那怎麼行呢!你們太殘忍了,趕快把牛放掉。It is not guilty. How can you kill it? I cannot bear to see it panic-stricken, shedding tears and trembling before its death."
它沒有罪,怎麼能把它殺掉呢?我不忍心看到牛臨死前驚恐、流淚、戰慄的樣子。”The man leading the ox asked:
牽牛的人問道:"Do you mean that I shall let the ox go and not paint the bell? Is that it?"
“您的意思是要我把牛放了,不必再塗鍾了,是嗎?”King Hui answered:
惠王回答說:"What are you saying? How can you not paint the bell! Let the ox go, but use a sheep instead."
“你在說什麼?鍾怎麼能不塗呢!把牛放了,就換隻羊吧!”