伊索寓言中英文对照(26)

The Tortoise and the Eagle乌龟与鹰

A TORTOISE, lazily basking in the sun, complained to the sea-birds of her hard fate, that no one would teach her to fly. An Eagle, hovering near, heard her lamentation and demanded what reward she would give him if he would take her aloft and float her in the air. "I will give you," she said, "all the riches of the Red Sea ." "I will teach you to fly then," said the Eagle; and taking her up in his talons he carried her almost to the clouds suddenly he let her go, and she fell on a lofty mountain, dashing her shell to pieces . The Tortoise exclaimed in the moment of death: "I have deserved my present fate; for what had I to do with wings and clouds, who can with difficulty move about on the earth?'

If men had all they wished, they would be often ruined.

乌龟看见鹰在空中飞翔，便请求鹰教他飞行。鹰劝告他，说他不能飞行。可乌龟再三恳 求，鹰便抓住他，飞到高空，然后将他松开。乌龟落在岩石上，被摔得粉身碎骨。

这故事说明，那些好高鹜远，不切实际的人必将失败。