牛和屠夫 The Oxen and the Butchers

 

    THE OXEN once upon a time sought to destroy the Butchers, who practiced a trade destructive to their race.  They assembled on a certain day to carry out their purpose, and sharpened their horns for the contest.  But one of them who was exceedingly old (for many a field had he plowed) thus spoke:  "These Butchers, it is true, slaughter us, but they do so with skillful hands, and with no unnecessary pain.  If we get rid of them, we shall fall into the hands of unskillful operators, and thus suffer a double death:  for you may be assured, that though all the Butchers should perish, yet will men never want beef."  

     Do not be in a hurry to change one evil for another. 

     有一天，許多牛想殺死宰牛的屠夫，因為屠夫從事屠殺他們的職業(yè)。他們聚集在一起，商討辦法，磨礪他們的角，準備戰(zhàn)斗。有一頭耕過許多田地的老牛說：“屠夫們確實宰殺我們，但他們是用精巧的手藝來殺我們，減少了我們的痛苦。如果沒有這些手藝高明的屠夫，而讓其他人來宰殺，我們便更加痛苦了。你們要知道，雖然屠夫可以殺死，但人們總是要吃牛肉的。”

     這是說如果災難和死亡是不可避免時，就要勇敢地面對它，與其痛苦而死，不如痛快而死。