A bird was confined in a cage outside a often sang at night when all other birds were asleep.

One night a bat came. He asked the bird why she was silent by day and sang onlyat night. The bird answered, “Last year when I was singing in the daytime, a bird catcher heard my voice and caught me in his then I have never sung by day.” The bat replied, xxxBut it is useless to do this now that you have become a prisoner.xxx Then he flew away.

The Old Cat

An old woman had a cat. The cat was very old; she could not run quickly, and she could not bite, because she was so old. One day the old cat saw a mouse; she jumped and caught the mouse. But she could not bite it; so the mouse got out of her mouth and ran away, because the cat could not bite it.

Then the old woman became very angry because the cat had not killed the mouse. She began to hit the cat. The cat said, xxxDo not hit your old servant. I have worked for you for many years, and I would work for you still, but I am too old. Do not be unkind to the old, but remember what good work the old did when they were young.xxx

一位老婦有只貓，這只貓很老，它跑不快了，也咬不了東西，因為它年紀太大了。一天，老貓發(fā)現(xiàn)一只老鼠，它跳過去抓這只老鼠，然而，它咬不住這只老鼠。所以，老鼠從它的嘴邊溜掉了，因為老貓咬不了它。

于是，老婦很生氣，因為老貓沒有把老鼠咬死。她開始打這只貓，貓說：“不要打你的老仆人，我已經(jīng)為你服務(wù)了很多年，并且還愿意為你效勞，可是，我實在太老了，對年紀大的不要這么無情，要記住老年人在年青時所做過的有益的事情�！�

A wild hare was running in the field and behind it more than a hundred people were chasing it.

It was not because that the hare could be divided into a hundred portions but the ownership of the hare was not decided.

When a lot of hares were piled in the market, the passers -- by would not even loot at them. It was not because that people did not want to get them, but those hares already had their owner, and the ownership had been decided. As far as the administration of a country is concerned, the key is to make laws and regulations, establish clear ownership.

一只兔子在野地里跑，后面常有百多人追逐。

這并不是因為這只兔子可以分成一百份，每人可得一份，而是因為兔子的所有權(quán)沒有確定。

當(dāng)許多兔子堆積在市場上時，路過的行人之所以看也不看，也不是因為人們不愿意得到兔子，而是因為這種兔子已經(jīng)有了主人，所有權(quán)已經(jīng)確定。僅就治理天下和國家而言，關(guān)鍵在于制定法令，確定名份。

A cock was once strutting up and down the farmyard among the hens when suddenly he espied something shinning amid the straw.

xxxHo! ho!xxx quoth he, xxxthat's for me,xxx and soon rooted it out from beneath the straw. What did it turn out to be but a Pearl that by some chance had been lost in the yard?

xxxYou may be a treasure,xxx quoth Master Cock, xxxto men that prize you, but for me I would rather have a single barley-corn than a peck of pearls.xxx

Precious things are for those that can prize them.

A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on each end of a pole which he carried across his neck.

印度有一個挑水工，他有兩個大罐子，分別掛在肩上的扁擔(dān)兩頭。

One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water.

其中一個罐子做工精細，從不漏水，另一個上面則有一道裂縫。

At the end of the long walk from the stream to the master's house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

每當(dāng)挑水工回到雇主家時，罐子里的水就只剩一半了。

For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his master's house.

這樣過了整整兩年，這個挑水工每天挑到雇主家的水僅有一罐半。

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made.

當(dāng)然，那個完好的罐子為自己的成就甚感自豪。

But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.

而那個可憐的有裂縫的罐子卻因自身的瑕疵而羞愧不已，為自己只能裝一半水而痛苦不堪。

After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream.

痛苦了兩年后，一天，那個有裂縫的罐子在小溪邊對挑水工說：

xxxI am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you.xxx

“我很慚愧，想向你道歉�！�

xxxWhy?xxx asked the bearer. xxxWhat are you ashamed of?xxx

“為什么?”挑水工問，“你羞愧什么呢?”

xxxI have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master's house.

“為這兩年來只能讓你挑回一半的水。因為我身上的這個裂縫，每次你回雇主家的路上，水都在漏，到家時就只剩下半罐了。

Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts,xxx the pot said.

正是我的裂縫，你不得不多挑幾次水，這樣就浪費了你的部分勞動價值。”罐子說道。

The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said,

挑水工對這個有裂痕的舊罐子感到很抱歉，他同情地說道：

xxxAs we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path.xxx

“當(dāng)我們返回雇主家時，我希望你能留心路旁那些美麗的花朵�！�

Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some.

的確如此，當(dāng)他們上山時，這個有裂縫的舊罐子注意到了路旁的野花，它們沐浴在陽光中非常漂亮。

But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again it apologized to the bearer for its failure.

它感到了一絲快樂，但到雇主家時，它又為自己漏了一半水而難過起來，于是，它再次為自己的失敗向挑水工道歉。

The bearer said to the pot, xxxDid you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot's side?

挑水工對罐子說：“你注意到了嗎?你這邊沿路都有花，而另一邊就沒有?

That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it.

我早就注意到了你的裂縫，我就是利用這一點，在你這側(cè)的路邊種上花籽。

I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them.

每天，我們從小溪回來時，你就給它們澆了水。

For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table.

這兩年，我就采這些漂亮的花朵來裝點雇主的桌子。

Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house.xxx

倘若你不漏水，他就沒有這么美麗的鮮花來裝飾屋子了�！�

A horse and an ass were traveling together. The horse was prancing along in its beautiful trappings, but the ass was carrying the heavy weight in its saddlebags.

xxxI wish I were you,xxx sighed the ass. xxxYou have nothing to do, and wear such a beautiful harness.xxx

The next day there was a great battle. The horse was badly woundedin the final charge.

The ass passed and saw the dying horse. xxxI was wrong,xxx said the ass.xxxSafety is much more important than beautiful clothes.xxx