双语·《伊索寓言》 墨丘利和樵夫

MERCURY AND THE WOODMAN

A Woodman was felling a tree on the bank of a river, when his axe, glancing off the trunk, flew out of his hands and fell into the water. As he stood by the water's edge lamenting his loss, Mercury appeared and asked him the reason for his grief; and on learning what had happened, out of pity for his distress he dived into the river and, bringing up a golden axe, asked him if that was the one he had lost. The Woodman replied that it was not, and Mercury then dived a second time, and, bringing up a silver axe, asked if that was his. “No, that is not mine either,” said the Woodman. Once more Mercury dived into the river, and brought up the missing axe. The Woodman was overjoyed at recovering his property, and thanked his benefactor warmly; and the latter was so pleased with his honesty that he made him a present of the other two axes. When the Woodman told the story to his companions, one of these was filled with envy of his good fortune and determined to try his luck for himself. So he went and began to fell a tree at the edge of the river, and presently contrived to let his axe drop into the water. Mercury appeared as before, and, on learning that his axe had fallen in, he dived and brought up a golden axe, as he had done on the previous occasion. Without waiting to be asked whether it was his or not the fellow cried, “That's mine, that's mine,” and stretched out his hand eagerly for the prize: but Mercury was so disgusted at his dishonesty that he not only declined to give him the golden axe, but also refused to recover for him the one he had let fall into the stream.

Honesty is the best policy.

墨丘利和樵夫

一个樵夫从树上跌落到了河岸上，他的斧子从手中滑出，掉到了水里。当他站在水边伤心难过时，墨丘利出现在他的面前，问他为什么伤心。得知事情的经过后，墨丘利很同情这个樵夫，于是潜入水中，捞起了一把金斧子，问樵夫这是他丢失的斧子吗，樵夫回答说不是。墨丘利又潜入水中，捞起了一把银斧子，问樵夫这是他丢失的斧子吗，樵夫回答说：“不，这也不是我的。”于是墨丘利第三次潜入水中，捞起了他丢失的斧子。失而复得，樵夫大喜过望，非常热情地感谢自己的恩人。墨丘利很欣赏他的诚实，于是把另外两把斧子当作礼物送给了他。樵夫将这件事讲给自己的朋友听，其中有一个人很嫉妒他的好运，也想去试试自己的运气。于是他也到河边，故意从树上跌落下来，非常费力地让自己的斧子落入了河中。墨丘利又出现了，得知他的斧子掉入水中后便潜入了水中，捞起了一把金斧子，就像之前一样。而这次这个樵夫却没有等墨丘利问斧子是不是他的，就激动地叫起来：“这是我的！这是我的！”然后伸出手，满怀希望地去夺那把斧子，但是墨丘利因为樵夫的不诚实而非常厌恶他，不仅没有把这把金斧子交给他，而且也不愿意再下水帮他打捞那把掉入水中的斧子了。

训诫：诚实方为上策。