The Tortoise And The Ducks

烏龜和鴨

by Aesop

出自《伊索寓言》

The Tortoise, you know, carries his house on his back. No matter how hard he tries, he cannot leave home. They say that Jupiter punished him so, because he was such a lazy stay-at-home that he would not go to Jupiter's wedding, even when especially invited.

眾所皆知，烏龜總是把家背在背上。無論它多麼努力，都不能離開自己的家。人們說，那是朱庇特對它的懲罰，因為它又懶又宅，即便是特意邀請它去參加朱庇特的婚禮，它也斷然拒絕了。

After many years, Tortoise began to wish he had gone to that wedding. When he saw how gaily the birds flew about and how the Hare and the Chipmunk and all the other animals ran nimbly by, always eager to see everything there was to be seen, the Tortoise felt very sad and discontented. He wanted to see the world too, and there he was with a house on his back and little short legs that could hardly drag him along.

很多年過後，烏龜就後悔當初沒有去參加朱庇特的婚禮。每當看著鳥兒們歡快地翱翔，野兔和花栗鼠等動物迅捷地跳躍，就十分渴望去看看這個世界，這令它傷感而憂鬱。它也想去看看這個世界，但背上的家、短小的腿，都令它寸步難行。

One day he met a pair of Ducks and told them all his trouble.

有一天，它遇到了兩隻鴨子，就向它們傾訴了自己的苦惱。

"We can help you to see the world," said the Ducks. "Take hold of this stick with your teeth and we will carry you far up in the air where you can see the whole countryside. But keep quiet or you will be sorry."

“我們可以帶你去看世界，”鴨鴨們說道。“用你的牙齒緊緊咬住這根棍子，我們飛著把你帶到空中，那樣你就可以鳥瞰整個世界了。但是，請務必不要說話，否則你會後悔的。”

The Tortoise was very glad indeed. He seized the stick firmly with his teeth, the two Ducks took hold of it one at each end, and away they sailed up toward the clouds.

烏龜對此高興極了。它緊緊咬住棍子，兩隻鴨子各持一端，就飛上雲霄了。

Just then a Crow flew by. He was very much astonished at the strange sight and cried:

就在那時，一隻烏鴉碰巧飛過。它對這奇特的現象感到驚詫，就驚歎道：

"This must surely be the King of Tortoises!"

“這定是萬龜之王！”

"Why certainly——" began the Tortoise.

“嚄，當然了……”烏龜說道。

But as he opened his mouth to say these foolish words he lost his hold on the stick, and down he fell to the ground, where he was dashed to pieces on a rock.

可是，正當它愚蠢地開口說話時，它鬆開了自己口中的棍子，就從高空墜落到地面，在一塊石頭上摔了個粉碎。

Foolish curiosity and vanity often lead to misfortune

寓意：好奇害死貓。（直譯為：愚蠢的好奇心和虛榮心往往導致不幸）