Fables: Hercules and the Wagoner, The Kid and the Wolf, The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse, The Fox and the Grapes

A Farmer was driving his wagon along a miry country road after a heavy rain. The horses could hardly drag the load through the deep mud, and at last came to a standstill when one of the wheels sank to the hub in a rut.

一场大雨过后，一个农夫赶着他的马车走在一条泥泞的乡间小路上。马儿几乎无法拖着载重的车子穿过深深的泥浆，最后，其中一个车轮陷进车辙里，一直陷到轮毂，马车便彻底停了下来。

The farmer climbed down from his seat and stood beside the wagon looking at it but without making the least effort to get it out of the rut. All he did was to curse his bad luck and call loudly on Hercules to come to his aid. Then, it is said, Hercules really did appear, saying:

农夫从座位上爬下来，站在马车旁边看着它，却丝毫不曾努力想办法把车子从车辙里弄出来。他所做的，只是咒骂自己的坏运气，大声呼喊赫拉克勒斯前来相助。据说，赫拉克勒斯果然出现了，说道：

"Put your shoulder to the wheel, man, and urge on your horses. Do you think you can move the wagon by simply looking at it and whining about it? Hercules will not help unless you make some effort to help yourself."

“把肩膀顶到车轮上去，伙计，再催促你的马儿使劲。你以为光是看着马车、抱怨几句，它就会自己动起来吗？除非你自己先努力一把，否则赫拉克勒斯是不会帮忙的。”

And when the farmer put his shoulder to the wheel and urged on the horses, the wagon moved very readily, and soon the Farmer was riding along in great content and with a good lesson learned.

于是农夫把肩膀顶到车轮上，又催促马儿使劲，马车立刻轻松地动了起来，不一会儿，农夫便心满意足地赶着车前行，也从中吸取了一个宝贵的教训。

_Self help is the best help._

自助者天助。

_Heaven helps those who help themselves._

天助自助之人。

THE KID AND THE WOLF

小山羊与狼

A frisky young Kid had been left by the herdsman on the thatched roof of a sheep shelter to keep him out of harm's way. The Kid was browsing near the edge of the roof, when he spied a Wolf and began to jeer at him, making faces and abusing him to his heart's content.

一只顽皮的小山羊被牧人留在了羊圈的茅草屋顶上，好让它避开危险。小山羊正在屋顶边缘吃草，忽然瞧见一只狼，便开始嘲笑起它来，扮着鬼脸，肆意辱骂，十分尽兴。

"I hear you," said the Wolf, "and I haven't the least grudge against you for what you say or do. When you are up there it is the roof that's talking, not you."

“我听见了，”狼说道，“可我对你说的话、做的事，一点也不怨恨。你站在那么高的地方，说话的是那屋顶，不是你。”

_Do not say anything at any time that you would not say at all times._

无论什么时候，凡是你不愿在任何时候都说的话，就一句也别说。

THE TOWN MOUSE AND THE COUNTRY MOUSE

城里老鼠与乡下老鼠

A Town Mouse once visited a relative who lived in the country. For lunch the Country Mouse served wheat stalks, roots, and acorns, with a dash of cold water for drink. The Town Mouse ate very sparingly, nibbling a little of this and a little of that, and by her manner making it very plain that she ate the simple food only to be polite.

有一次，一只城里老鼠去乡下探望一位亲戚。乡下老鼠用麦秆、树根和橡子招待她吃午饭，还配上一点凉水当饮料。城里老鼠吃得非常节制，这样尝一点，那样尝一点，还从举止上明显表示出，她吃这些粗茶淡饭只是为了礼貌罢了。

After the meal the friends had a long talk, or rather the Town Mouse talked about her life in the city while the Country Mouse listened. They then went to bed in a cozy nest in the hedgerow and slept in quiet and comfort until morning. In her sleep the Country Mouse dreamed she was a Town Mouse with all the luxuries and delights of city life that her friend had described for her. So the next day when the Town Mouse asked the Country Mouse to go home with her to the city, she gladly said yes.

吃过饭后，两位朋友聊了很久，或者更确切地说，是城里老鼠一直在讲述她在城里的生活，乡下老鼠只是听着。随后她们回到树篱间一个舒适的窝里睡下，安安稳稳地一直睡到天亮。乡下老鼠在睡梦中梦见自己成了一只城里老鼠，享受着朋友描述过的城市生活中的种种奢华与乐趣。于是第二天，当城里老鼠邀请乡下老鼠跟她一起回城里去时，她欣然答应了。

When they reached the mansion in which the Town Mouse lived, they found on the table in the dining room the leavings of a very fine banquet. There were sweetmeats and jellies, pastries, delicious cheeses, indeed, the most tempting foods that a Mouse can imagine.

当她们到达城里老鼠居住的那座大宅时，发现餐厅的桌子上摆着一场丰盛宴席吃剩下的东西。有蜜饯、果冻、糕点，还有美味的奶酪，简直是老鼠所能想象到的最诱人的美食。

But just as the Country Mouse was about to nibble a dainty bit of pastry, she heard a Cat mew loudly and scratch at the door. In great fear the Mice scurried to a hiding place, where they lay quite still for a long time, hardly daring to breathe. When at last they ventured back to the feast, the door opened suddenly and in came the servants to clear the table, followed by the House Dog.

可是就在乡下老鼠正要去咬一小口精致的糕点时，她听见一只猫大声地喵喵叫着，还在门上抓挠。两只老鼠吓得赶紧躲进了一个藏身之处，在那里一动不动地趴了很久，几乎连大气都不敢出。当她们终于壮着胆子回到那盛宴旁边时，门忽然打开了，仆人们进来收拾桌子，后面还跟着家里养的狗。

The Country Mouse stopped in the Town Mouse's den only long enough to pick up her carpet bag and umbrella.

乡下老鼠在城里老鼠的窝里只停留了片刻，恰好够她拿起自己的手提包和雨伞。

"You may have luxuries and dainties that I have not," she said as she hurried away, "but I prefer my plain food and simple life in the country with the peace and security that go with it."

“你或许拥有我所没有的奢华与美味，”她一边匆匆离去一边说道，“可我更愿意过我在乡下那种朴素的生活，吃粗茶淡饭，享受那份安宁与安全。”

_Poverty with security is better than plenty in the midst of fear and uncertainty._

贫穷而安稳，胜过在恐惧与不安中享尽荣华富贵。

THE FOX AND THE GRAPES

狐狸与葡萄

A Fox one day spied a beautiful bunch of ripe grapes hanging from a vine trained along the branches of a tree. The grapes seemed ready to burst with juice, and the Fox's mouth watered as he gazed longingly at them.

有一天，一只狐狸瞧见一棵树上，顺着树枝攀爬的藤蔓垂下一串美丽成熟的葡萄。那些葡萄看起来饱满得仿佛要迸出汁水来，狐狸满怀渴望地盯着它们，馋得直流口水。

The bunch hung from a high branch, and the Fox had to jump for it. The first time he jumped he missed it by a long way. So he walked off a short distance and took a running leap at it, only to fall short once more. Again and again he tried, but in vain.

那串葡萄挂在高高的枝头上，狐狸不得不跳起来去够它。第一次他跳起来，差了老远都没够着。于是他往后退了几步，助跑一下再跳，却还是差了一点没够到。他一次又一次地尝试，却都是徒劳无功。

Now he sat down and looked at the grapes in disgust.

这时他坐了下来，一脸厌恶地看着那些葡萄。

"What a fool I am," he said. "Here I am wearing myself out to get a bunch of sour grapes that are not worth gaping for."

“我真是个大傻瓜，”他说道。“我竟然在这里累得筋疲力尽，就为了够一串根本不值得张望的酸葡萄。”

And off he walked very, very scornfully.

说完，他便十分不屑地转身走了。

_There are many who pretend to despise and belittle that which is beyond their reach._

有许多人，明明是够不着某样东西，却装作根本瞧不起它、看不上它。