双语·《伊索寓言》 父与子

FATHER AND SONS

A certain man had several Sons who were always quarrelling with one another, and, try as he might, he could not get them to live together in harmony. So he determined to convince them of their folly by the following means. Bidding them fetch a bundle of sticks, he invited each in turn to break it across his knee. All tried and all failed: and then he undid the bundle, and handed them the sticks one by one, when they had no difficulty at all in breaking them. “There, my boys,” said he, “united you will be more than a match for your enemies: but if you quarrel and separate, your weakness will put you at the mercy of those who attack you.”

Union is strength.

父与子

有一个人，他有好几个儿子，他们总是互相争吵，他用尽各种办法，也无法让他们和谐相处。所以他决定让他们认识到他们的愚蠢。他让他们取来一捆棍子，然后让每人顶着膝盖折断。所有人都试了，所有人都失败了，然后他把捆绳解开，给了每人一根棍子，他们都毫不费力地折断了。“看，儿子们，”父亲说，“团结起来，你们就能胜过对手；分崩离析，你们就得依靠对手的怜悯了。”

训诫：团结就是力量。