|
从前,一只孔雀和一只乌龟变成了好朋友。孔雀住在一条河流岸边的树上，乌龟就住在这条河中。每天早上,孔雀喝完了水,就在河的附近跳起舞，打开美丽的翅膀让乌龟欣赏，给他带来欢乐。 一天，不幸的事情发生了，一个巡游的捕鸟者抓到了这只孔雀，要把他带到市场上去卖。 这只不幸的孔雀请求捕鸟者允许他跟好朋友乌龟告别，因为这可能是他们最后一次见面了。 捕鸟者答应了他的请求。乌龟看到朋友被捕，心里非常难过。乌龟请求捕鸟者放过孔雀;但 是捕鸟者只是哈哈一笑，说这是他的谋生之路。后来乌龟说道：“如果我送你一份贵重的礼物，你会把我朋友放了吗？”捕鸟者回答道："当然会，那正是我想要的。" 于是，乌龟跳进了河里，几秒钟后，带着一颗又大又亮的珍珠浮出水面，而且，令捕鸟者大吃一惊的是,乌龟居然把这颗珍珠给了他。这是他万万没有想到的，然后就马上把孔雀放了。过了一会儿，这个贪婪的人又回来了，告诉乌龟说，作为释放孔雀的赎金，一颗珍珠不够，并且又威胁说，如果不给他一颗跟先前那颗配对的珍珠，他就会再把孔雀抓走。乌龟早已建议他的朋友离开这里，去遥远的丛林。对于这个人的贪婪，乌龟感到非常愤怒。"好吧，”乌龟说道，"如果你坚持想再要一颗这样的珍珠的话，先把它给我，我从河里给你再找一颗跟这颗配对。”捕鸟者的贪婪使他没有心思考虑‘‘百鸟在林，不如一鸟在手”，他迅速把珍珠给了聪明的乌龟。乌龟带着珍珠游走了，边游边说：“我不会笨得带走一颗，带回两颗！ ”然后立刻消失了。那个捕鸟者留在那里，为自己的贪婪而懊悔不迭。 The Peacock and the Tortoise Once upon a time a peacock and a tortoise became great friends. The peacock lived on a tree on the banks of the stream in which the tortoise had his home. Every day, after having a drink of water, the peacock, danced near the stream and displayed his beautiful plumage for the amusement of his friend. One unfortunate day, a bird-catcher who was on the prow丨 caught the peacock and was about taking him away to the market. The unhappy bird begged of his captor to allow him to bid his friend the tortoise good-bye, as it would be the last time he would see him. The bird-catcher allowed him his prayer and took him to the tortoise, who was very sad to see his friend a captive. The tortoise asked the bird-catcher to let the peacock go； but he laughed at the request, saying that was his means of livelihood. The tortoise then said, “If I make you a handsome present, will you let my friend go?”"Certainly," answered the bird-catcher, "that is all I want.” Whereupon the tortoise dived into the water and in a few seconds came up with a handsome pearl, which, to the great astonishment of the bird-catcher, he handed to him. This was beyond his expectation, and he let the peacock go immediately. A short time after, the avaricious man came back and told the tortoise that he thought he had not paid enough for the release of his friend, and threatened that, unless a match to that pearl was obtained for him, he would again catch the peacock. The tortoise, who had already advised his friend to betake himself to a distant jungle, was greatly enraged at the greed of this man. “Well,” said the tortoise, "if you insist on having another pearl like it, give it to me and I will fish you out an exact match for it. ” The cupidity of the bird-catcher prevented his reasoning that " one in the hand was equal to two in the bed of the stream,” and he speedily gave the pearl to the clever tortoise, who swam out with it, saying，" I am no fool to take one and give two! ” and forthwith disappeared, leaving the bird-catcher to be sorry ever after for his covetousness. |
