狼和羔羊

by Aesop

出自《伊索寓言》

There was once a little Kid whose growing horns made him think he was a grown-up Billy Goat and able to take care of himself. So one evening when the flock started home from the pasture and his mother called, the Kid paid no heed and kept right on nibbling the tender grass. A little later when he lifted his head, the flock was gone.

从前有一只羔羊，他的角长得越来越大，令他觉得自己是一只成年公山羊，就能够照顾好自己了。因此，一天晚上，当羊群从牧场出发回家时，他的妈妈唤他回去的时候，小羔羊毫不理会，继续啃着嫩草。过了一会儿，当他抬起头时，羊群已经走了。

He was all alone. The sun was sinking. Long shadows came creeping over the ground. A chilly little wind came creeping with them making scary noises in the grass. The Kid shivered as he thought of the terrible Wolf. Then he started wildly over the field, bleating for his mother. But not half-way, near a clump of trees, there was the Wolf!

他独自一人了。太阳正在下沉。长长的阴影慢慢地笼罩着地面。随之而来的一阵寒冷微风在草地上发出可怕的声音。那孩子一想到可怕的狼就发抖。然后他开始在田野上狂奔，咩咩咩地喊着妈妈。但是还没走到半路，有一只狼站在树丛的旁边!

The Kid knew there was little hope for him.

那羊羔知道自己没有什么希望了。

"Please, Mr. Wolf," he said trembling, "I know you are going to eat me. But first please pipe me a tune, for I want to dance and be merry as long as I can."

“求求你，狼先生，”他颤抖着说，“我知道你要吃掉我。不过，请先给我吹一支曲子，因为我想跳舞，再想高兴一会儿。”

The Wolf liked the idea of a little music before eating, so he struck up a merry tune and the Kid leaped and frisked gaily.

狼喜欢在吃东西前听点音乐，于是他奏起一支欢快的曲子，小山羊高兴得又蹦又跳。

Meanwhile, the flock was moving slowly homeward. In the still evening air the Wolf's piping carried far. The Shepherd Dogs pricked up their ears. They recognized the song the Wolf sings before a feast, and in a moment they were racing back to the pasture. The Wolf's song ended suddenly, and as he ran, with the Dogs at his heels, he called himself a fool for turning piper to please a Kid, when he should have stuck to his butcher's trade.

与此同时，羊群正慢慢地往家走。在宁静的傍晚，狼的叫声传得很远。牧羊犬竖起耳朵。他们认出了狼在进餐前唱的那首歌，他们立马就跑回牧场去了。狼突然停止了歌唱，当他跑着、狗跟在后面的时候，他大骂自己是一个傻瓜，因为当他本应该坚守本职的时候，却为羔羊歌唱。

Do not let anything turn you from your purpose。

寓意：不要让任何事情改变你的目标。