《这则寓言是为你而写，1836》
this Fable Is Intended for You, 1836
古代的智者巧妙地发现了如何在不直截了当地当面说出真相的情况下告诉人们真理。
wise men of ancient times ingeniously discovered how to tell people the truth without being blunt to their faces.
你看，他们在人们面前举起一面魔镜，在镜子里出现了各种各样的动物和各种奇妙的事物，呈现出既有趣又有教育意义的画面。
You see, they held a magic mirror before the people, in which all sorts of animals and various wondrous things appeared, producing amusing as well as instructive pictures.
他们把这些叫做寓言，无论动物们做出什么明智或愚蠢的行为，人们都要想象自己处在它们的位置，从而想到：“这则寓言是为你而写！”
they called these fables, and whatever wise or foolish deeds the animals performed, the people were to imagine themselves in their places and thereby think, “this fable is intended for you!” In this way no one’s feelings were hurt.
这样就没有人的感情会受到伤害。让我们给你举个例子。
Let us give you an example.
有两座高山，每座山顶上都有一座城堡。在下面的山谷里跑着一只饥饿的狗，它沿着地面嗅着，好像在寻找老鼠或鹌鹑。
there were two high mountains, and at the top of each stood a castle. In the valley below ran a hungry dog, sniffing along the ground as if in search of mice or quail.
突然，从其中一座城堡里传来一声喇叭声，宣告用餐时间即将到来。
Suddenly a trumpet sounded from one of the castles, to announce that mealtime was approaching.
狗立刻开始往山上跑，希望能得到一份食物；但是当它跑到半山腰时，吹喇叭的人停止了吹奏，而另一座城堡的喇叭声开始响起。
the dog immediately started running up the mountain, hoping to get his share; but when he was halfway up, the trumpeter ceased blowing, and a trumpet from the other castle menced.
“在这边，”狗想，“我到达之前他们就会吃完了，但是在那边他们才刚刚准备吃饭。”
“Up here,” thought the dog, “they will have finished eating before I arrive, but over there they are just getting ready to eat.”
所以它跑下山，又跑上另一座山。
So he ran down, and up the other mountain.
但是现在第一个喇叭声又响起来了，而第二个停止了。
but now the first trumpet started again, while the second stopped.
狗又跑下山，又跑上山；它一直这样持续着，直到两个喇叭都停止了吹奏，两座城堡里的饭都吃完了。
the dog ran down again, and up again; and this he continued until both trumpets stopped blowing, and the meals were over in both castles.
现在猜猜古代的智者会对这则寓言说些什么，以及那个在这里或那里忙得疲惫不堪却一无所获的傻瓜会是谁呢？
Now guess what the wise men of ancient times would have said about this fable, and who the fool could be who runs himself ragged without gaining anything, either here or there?