[好文] An Aesop's Fable - The Shepherd's Boy

An Aesop's Fable - The Shepherd's Boy
伊索寓言 - 放羊的孩子
There was once a young Shepherd Boy who tended his sheep at the foot of a mountain near a dark forest. It was rather lonely for him all day, so he thought upon a plan by which he could get a little company and some excitement. He rushed down towards the village calling out "Wolf, Wolf," and the villagers came out to meet him, and some of them stopped with him for a considerable time. This pleased the boy so much that a few days afterwards he tried the same trick, and again the villagers came to his help. But shortly after this a Wolf actually did come out from the forest, and began to worry the sheep, and the boy of course cried out "Wolf, Wolf," still louder than before. But this time the villagers, who had been fooled twice before, thought the boy was again deceiving them, and nobody stirred to come to his help. So the Wolf made a good meal off the boy's flock, and when the boy complained, the wise man of the village said:

A liar will not be believed, even when he speaks the truth.

There was once a young Shepherd Boy who tended his sheep at the foot of
a mountain near a dark forest.
好久好久以前，有一位牧羊的年輕孩子在靠近森林邊的山腳下放著一群羊。

It was rather lonely for him all day, so he thought upon a plan by which
he could get a little company and some excitement.
日子一天對他來說似乎太長了，也會覺得無聊；因此他想到一個有趣的計畫，
會很刺激，他也才不會覺得孤單。

He rushed down towards the village calling out "Wolf, Wolf,"
and the villagers came out to meet him, and some of them stopped with
him for a considerable time.
於是，那男孩像是急急忙忙的跑到村邊，大聲的喊叫著：狼來了！有狼來了！
村裡的人，也趕緊地順著他的喊叫聲跑了過來。

This pleased the boy so much that a few days afterwards he tried the same
trick, and again the villagers came to his help.
覺得很好玩，陸續接下來幾天，男孩就這樣喊著“狼來了！“，看著村裡的人，
跑出來要幫他的忙.....。

But shortly after this a Wolf actually did come out from the forest,
and began to worry the sheep, and the boy of course cried out "Wolf, Wolf,"
still louder than before.
不久，某一天，狼真的從森林裡跑了出來；很擔心他的那些羊兒，男孩也喊得比過去
還要大聲.....。

But this time the villagers, who had been fooled twice before, thought
the boy was again deceiving them, and nobody stirred to come to his help.
可是被男孩騙了兩次，這一次村裡的人不為所動，不想幫忙，想想那男孩又在說謊。

So the Wolf made a good meal off the boy's flock,
狼把男孩的羊都吃了，飽餐一頓。

and when the boy complained,
男孩悻悻然的抱怨著....

the wise man of the village said:
村裡的人，村民就告訴他：

A liar will not be believed, even when he speaks the truth.

最後一句不翻譯了，翻譯出來就沒味道了。


英文版出處
aesops-fables org uk



--
送給陳水扁的小禮物 ：）
A present for former president of Taiwan Chen Shui-bian


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