The Vain Jackdaw And His Borrowed Feathers

自負的寒鴉和借來的羽毛

by Aesop

出自《伊索寓言》

A Jackdaw chanced to fly over the garden of the King's palace. There he saw with much wonder and envy a flock of royal Peacocks in all the glory of their splendid plumage.

一隻寒鴉碰巧飛過國王宮殿的花園。在那裡，他看到了一群羽毛華麗的孔雀，令他非常驚奇和羨慕。

Now the black Jackdaw was not a very handsome bird, nor very refined in manner. Yet he imagined that all he needed to make himself fit for the society of the Peacocks was a dress like theirs. So he picked up some castoff feathers of the Peacocks and stuck them among his own black plumes.

由於這隻黑色的寒鴉既不漂亮，也不文雅。然而，他想象自己只要穿一件和孔雀們一樣的衣服，就能融入孔雀們的社會。於是他撿起一些孔雀的羽毛，把它們夾在自己的黑色羽毛中。

Dressed in his borrowed finery he strutted loftily among the birds of his own kind. Then he flew down into the garden among the Peacocks. But they soon saw who he was. Angry at the cheat, they flew at him, plucking away the borrowed feathers and also some of his own.

他穿著借來的華麗衣服，趾高氣揚地在自己的同類鳥兒中昂首闊步。然後他飛到花園的孔雀中間。但他們很快就認出了他是誰。他們對這個騙子很生氣，朝他撲過去，把借來的羽毛和他自己的一些羽毛都拔了下來。

The poor Jackdaw returned sadly to his former companions. There another unpleasant surprise awaited him. They had not forgotten his superior airs toward them, and, to punish him, they drove him away with a rain of pecks and jeers.

可憐的寒鴉傷心地回到從前的夥伴們身邊。又有一件不愉快的意外在等著他。他們沒有忘記他對他們的高傲態度，為了懲罰他，他們用一邊啄他，一邊嘲笑著把他趕走了。

Borrowed feathers do not make fine birds.

寓意：用借來的羽毛打造不出美麗的鳥。