THE WOLF AND THE LAMBA
Wolf, meeting with a Lamb astray from the fold, resolved not to lay violent hands on him, but to find some plea, which should justify to the Lamb himself his right to eat him. He thus addressed him:"Sirrah, last year you grossly insulted me." "Indeed," bleated the Lamb in a mournful tone of voice, "I was not then born." Then said the Wolf, "You feed in my pasture."
狼和小羊
一只狼瞧見一只迷路失群的小羊,決定暫緩下毒手,想先找一些理由,對小羊證明自己有吃它的權(quán)利。它就說:「小鬼!你去年曾經(jīng)罵過我?!剐⊙蚩蓱z地說:「老實(shí)說,我去年還沒有出生呢。」狼再說:「你在我的草地上吃過草。」
"No, good sir," replied the Lamb, "I have not yet tasted grass." Again said the Wolf, "You drink of my well." "No," exclaimed the Lamb, "I never yet drank water, for as yet my mother′s milk is both food and drink to me." On which the Wolf seized him, and ate him up, saying, "Well! I won′t remain supperless, even though you refute every one of my imputations."The tyrant will always find a pretext for his tyranny.
小羊回答說:「不,好先生,我還未曾嘗過草的味道呢?!估怯终f:「你喝過我井里的水?!剐⊙蚪械溃骸覆唬覐臎]有喝過水,因?yàn)橹钡浇裉鞛橹?,我都是吃著母親的奶汁?!估且宦犨@話,便抓住它,把它吃下去,便說:「好!即使你駁倒我每一句話,我終究要吃晚餐的!」暴君總有他暴行的借口。