双语·《伊索寓言》 善与恶

THE GOODS AND THE ILLS

There was a time in the youth of the world when Goods and Ills entered equally into the concerns of men, so that the Goods did not prevail to make them altogether blessed, nor the Ills to make them wholly miserable. But owing to the foolishness of mankind the Ills multiplied greatly in number and increased in strength, until it seemed as though they would deprive the Goods of all share in human affairs, and banish them from the earth. The latter, therefore, betook themselves to heaven and complained to Jupiter of the treatment they had received, at the same time praying him to grant them protection from the Ills, and to advise them concerning the manner of their intercourse with men. Jupiter granted their request for protection, and decreed that for the future they should not go among men openly in a body, and so be liable to attack from the hostile Ills, but singly and unobserved, and at infrequent and unexpected intervals. Hence it is that the earth is full of Ills, for they come and go as they please and are never far away; while Goods, alas! come one by one only, and have to travel all the way from heaven, so that they are very seldom seen.

善与恶

从前，世界初形成之时，善与恶在人们的心中是平等的，行善并不会受到称赞，作恶也不会带来不幸。但是由于人类的愚蠢，恶开始不断增加，恶的力量不断强大，似乎要占取善在人们中间的份额了，要将善驱逐出人间了。因此，善便去了天庭，向朱庇特控诉他们受到的不公正对待，同时祈求他来保护人类，使他们远离恶，还就他们善与人类的关系征询他的建议。朱庇特答应了他们要求庇护的请求，下令将来善不能公开进入人间，因为那样容易受到充满恶意的恶的攻击，善应该悄悄地、一点点地，以一种不频繁的、人们意料之外的方式回到人间。因此，人间充满了恶，他们可以任意来去，但却永远都不会走远，而善呢，却只能一个一个地单独出现，需要想尽办法从天庭一路下来，所以人间善行很少见。