The Wolf thought he heard them coming.
这时候,那只装死的公狼以为她们快到了。
He was hungry and he raised up his head to see if he could see them.
他饿坏了,抬起头来想看看它们到哪儿了。
The Goat saw him raise his head, and she turned and ran back to her cave.
他这一抬头不要紧,被聪明的山羊看到了,于是山羊敏捷地转头跑回了自己的洞穴。
“Why did you raise your head when you were pretending to be dead?” the Wolf asked her mate.
“你既然在装死,为什么还抬起头呢?”母狼责备道。
He had no good answer.
公狼不知道说什么才好,他无言以对。
By and by the Wolves were both so very hungry that the Wolf asked his mate to try once more to catch the Goat.
没过多久,两只狼都非常饥饿,于是公狼想让母狼再去骗一回那只山羊。
This time the Wolf went to the Goat and said: “My friend, your coming helped us, for as soon as you came, my mate felt better.
这一次,母狼对山羊说:“朋友,你的到来对我们帮助很大,因为你一来呀,我的同伴身体就好多啦。
He is now very much better.
他现在身体非常好。
Come and talk to him.
过来吧,过来跟他说说话。
Let us be friends and have a good time together.”
让我们交个朋友,一起度过美好的时光。”
The wise Goat thought: “These wicked Wolves want to play another trick on me.
聪明的山羊心想:“这两只狡猾的狼还想来骗我。
But I have thought of a trick to play on them.”
且让我来骗骗它们。”
So the Goat said: “I will go to see your mate, and I will take my friends with me.
于是,山羊说道:“我会去看你的同伴的,而且我还要带上我的朋友。
You go back and get ready for us. Let us all have a good time together.”
你先回去准备一下。到时候我们大家一起玩个愉快。”
Then the Wolf was afraid, and she asked: “Who are the friends who will come with you? Tell me their names.”
母狼有些害怕,她问道:“你的朋友是谁?谁会跟你一起来?告诉我他们的名字吧。”
The wise Goat said: “I will bring the two Hounds, Old Gray and Young Tan,
聪明的山羊说道:“我会带来两只猎犬——大灰犬和小黄犬。
and that fine big dog called Four-Eyes.
还有那只“四眼”大狗。
And I will ask each of them to bring his mate.”
我还打算邀请他们各自都带上自己的同伴呢。”
The Wolf waited to hear no more. She turned, and away she ran back to her mate.
母狼听到这儿,吓得转身就跑,跑回去找她的同伴去了。
The Goat never saw either of them again.
自此以后,这只聪明的山羊再也没有见到过这两只狼。
重点单词:
1. mate: n.伙伴,配偶
2. trick: n.诡计,把戏
3. spring: v.跳,弹,快速站起
4. raise: v.抬起,举起,升起
作者简介:

艾伦 C.芭比特(Ellen C. Babbitt)参考剑桥大学梵语系教授 E.B.考威尔的翻译作品,分别于1912年和1922年出版了《本生经故事集Ⅰ》和《本生经故事集Ⅱ》。本文选自《本生经故事集Ⅱ》(More Jataka Tales)。
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文章类型:寓言
出版年份:1922年
阅读难度:★★☆☆☆
作者:艾伦 C. 芭比特
The Wise Goat and the Wolf —— by Ellen C. Babbitt聪明的羊和狡猾的狼
Once upon a time, many, many wild Goats lived in a cave in the side of a hill.
很久很久以前,在一个山边的洞穴里,住着许多野山羊。
A Wolf lived with his mate not far from this cave.
就在这个洞穴的不远处,住着两只狼。
Like all Wolves they liked the taste of Goat-meat.
没有狼不喜欢羊肉的味道,这两只狼也一样。
So they caught the Goats, one after another,
因此,山羊们一个接一个地都被这两只狼吃掉了,
and ate them all but one who was wiser than all the others.
唯独剩下一只最聪明的山羊没有被吃掉。
Try as they might, the Wolves could not catch her.
尽管这两只狼想方设法,也没能捉住它。
One day the Wolf said to his mate: “My dear, let us play a trick on that wise Goat.
有一天,公狼对母狼说:“亲爱的,让我们来设个骗局,捉住那只聪明的羊。
I will lie down here pretending to be dead.
我就躺在这里装死。
You go alone to the cave where the Goat lives,
你独自一人到山羊那里去,
and looking very sad, say to her:
看起来要很伤心的样子,然后跟她说:
‘My dear, do you see my mate lying there dead? I am so sad;
’亲爱的山羊,你看,我的同伴就躺在那里,他已经死了。我难过极了。
I have no friends. Will you be good to me?
我现在没有朋友了。你会和我友好相处的,对吗?
Will you come and help me bury the body of my mate?’
你可以过来,帮我把同伴的尸体埋了吗?’
The Goat will be sorry for you and I think she will come here with you.
那只山羊一定会同情你,我想她一定会和你一起过来的。
When she stands beside me I will spring upon her and bite her in the neck.
等她一靠近我,我就跳向她,咬她的脖子。
Then she will fall over dead, and we shall have good meat to eat.”
她一死,我们不就有肉吃了吗?”
The Wolf then lay down,
说完,那只公狼就躺了下来,
and his mate went to the Goat,
母狼去找山羊了。
saying what she had been told to say.
按照商量好的话,母狼把该说的对山羊说了一遍。
But the wise Goat said: “My dear, all my family and friends have been eaten by your mate I am afraid to go one step with you.
但是聪明的山羊说道:“我所有的家人和朋友都被你的同伴吃掉了,我可不敢跟你走。
I am far safer here than I would be there.”
我在这里要比去那里安全得多。”
“Do not be afraid,” said the Wolf.
“不要害怕,”母狼又接着说道。
“What harm can a dead Wolf do to you?”
“他都已经死了,怎能伤害得了你呢?”
These and many more words the Wolf said to the Goat,
母狼又对山羊说了好些话,
so that at last the Goat said she would go with the Wolf.
这才把山羊说动了,答应和她走一趟。
But as they went up the hill side by side,
但是当它们并排走到山坡上时,
the Goat said to herself: “Who knows what will happen?
山羊心想:“谁知道接下来会发生什么?
How do I know the Wolf is dead?”
我又怎么知道那只公狼是不是真死了呢?”
She said to the Wolf, “I think it will be better if you go on in front of me.”
于是她对母狼说:“我想你还是走在我的前面吧,你先走着,这样比较好。”