第8章 鹿 Deer
小鹿和妈妈
The Fawn and His Mother
一天，小鹿对鹿妈妈说：“妈妈，你比狗高大，更比他跑得快，耐力也好，而且还有很大的角用以自卫。可是我不明白，你为什么还会害怕狗呢？”妈妈笑笑说：“孩子，你说得对，我确实有很多优势，可只要我一听到狗的叫声，我就会情不自禁地撒腿逃跑啊。”
对于那些天生懦弱、胆小的人来说，任何鼓励都是没有用的。
A Young Fawn once said to his Mother， "You are larger than a dog， and swifter， and more used to running， and you have your horns as a defense； why， then， O Mother！ do the hounds frighten you so？"She smiled， and said， "I know full well， my son， that all you say is true. I have the advantages you mention， but when I hear even the bark of a single dog I feel ready to faint， and fly away as fast as I can."
No arguments will give courage to the coward.
瞎了一只眼的鹿
The One-Eyed Doe
瞎了一只眼睛的鹿天真地认为只有陆地上才会有危险，因此她经常去海岸边吃草，这样她就可以用另一只眼睛观察陆地上是否有猎人，将失明的眼睛对着大海。不料一天，几个人乘船从海边经过，发现了她。没有任何防备的鹿被一箭射中，受了致命的伤。在生命的弥留之际，她感叹道：“我是多么不幸啊！我时刻防备着来自陆地上的伤害，一厢情愿地把海洋当成避难所，结果落得如此下场。”
你不能逃脱自己的命运。
A Doe blind in one eye was accustomed to graze as near to the edge of the cliff as she possibly could， in the hope of securing her greater safety. She turned her sound eye towards the land that she might get the earliest tidings of the approach of hunter or hound， and her injured eye towards the sea， from whence she entertained no anticipation of danger.Some boatmen sailing by saw her， and taking a successful aim， mortally wounded her.Yielding up her last breath， she gasped forth this lament， "O wretched creature that I am！ to take such precaution against the land， and after all to find this seashore， to which I had come for safety， so much more perilous."
You can not escape your fate.
雄鹿和葡萄藤
The Hart and the Vine
一头雄鹿为了躲避猎人们的追捕，躲入了葡萄园。匆忙经过的猎人们并没发现雄鹿的藏身之所，继续往前走了。雄鹿断定所有的危险都已经过去了，就大胆地开始啃吃葡萄叶子来。葡萄叶子沙沙作响，引起了一个猎人的注意，随即回头一看，果然看到了雄鹿，于是就向他射了一箭，正中目标。弥留之际，雄鹿自怨自艾地说：“葡萄藤还是我的救命恩人，我却恩将仇报。这都是我自作自受啊！”
滴水之恩当涌泉相报。
A Hart， hard pressed in the chase， hid himself beneath the large leaves of a Vine. The huntsmen， in their haste， overshot the place of his concealment.Supposing all danger to have passed， the Hart began to nibble the tendrils of the Vine.One of the huntsmen， attracted by the rustling of the leaves， looked back， and seeing the Hart， shot an arrow from his bow and struck it.The Hart， at the point of death， groaned， "I am rightly served， for I should not have maltreated the Vine that saved me."
Do not mistake those who help you.
母鹿和狮子
The Doe and the Lion
有一头母鹿为了躲避猎人们的追捕，情急之下躲入了狮子的洞里。惊慌失措的鹿连松一口气的机会也没有，就被悄悄靠近的狮子抓住了。临终前的鹿伤心地说：“我真是倒霉！刚躲开了猎人的追捕，却把自己主动送入了野兽的口中！”
在躲避一个危险的时候，一定要谨慎，不要使自己陷入更大的灾难。
A Doe had pressed by hunters sought refuge in a cave belonging to a Lion. The Lion concealed himself on seeing her approach， but when she was safe within the cave， sprang upon her and tore her to pieces."Woe is me， "exclaimed the Doe， "who have escaped from man， only to throw myself into the mouth of a wild beast？"
In avoiding one evil， care must be taken not to fall into another.
雄鹿、狼和羊
The Stag， the Wolf， and the Sheep
雄鹿要求羊给他借一些麦子，并说会请狼来做担保人。羊害怕雄鹿会有什么阴谋，就拒绝了他的要求，说道：“狼总是在得到自己想得到的东西之后马上离开，而你的奔跑速度也很快，可以轻而易举地超越我。那么到了约定归还的日子，我怎样才能找到你呢？”
两黑不等于一白，两个错误不等于一个正确。
A Stag asked a Sheep to lend him a measure of wheat， and said that the Wolf would be his surety. The Sheep， fearing some fraud was intended， excused herself， saying， "The Wolf is accustomed to seize what he wants and to run off； and you， too， can quickly outstrip me in your rapid flight.How then shall I be able to find you， when the day of payment comes？"
Two blacks do not make one white.
池塘边的雄鹿
The Stag at the Pool
一只鹿非常口渴，就到池塘边找水喝。看到自己倒映在水中的影子，他不由地欣赏起来。看到自己漂亮修长的鹿角，他不禁有些得意洋洋；看到瘦弱细小的双腿，他又觉得闷闷不乐。正当他沉醉其中的时候，一头狮子疾奔而来。雄鹿急忙转身就跑。在开阔的平原，雄鹿可以全速前进，把狮子远远地甩在了后面。可是，到了森林里，雄鹿就举步维艰了，他的鹿角总是被树枝绊住，结果被狮子抓住了。鹿临死之前责备自己说：“我是多么不幸啊！被我讨厌的双腿救了命，却因我最宠爱的鹿角而断送了性命，真是自作自受啊！”
真正有价值的东西经常被忽视。
A Stag overpowered by heat came to a spring to drink. Seeing his own shadow reflected in the water， he greatly admired the size and variety of his horns， but felt angry with himself for having such slender and weak feet.While he was thus contemplating himself， a Lion appeared at the pool and crouched to spring upon him.The Stag immediately took to flight， and exerting his utmost speed， as long as the plain was smooth and open kept himself easily at a safe distance from the Lion.But entering a wood he became entangled by his horns， and the Lion quickly came up to him and caught him.When too late， he thus reproached himself： "Woe is me！ How I have deceived myself！ These feet which would have saved me I despised， and I gloried in these antlers which have proved my destruction."
What is most truly valuable is often underrated.
躲进牛栏里的雄鹿
The Stag in the Ox-Stall
一只被猎狗追赶的雄鹿惊慌失措地逃进了附近农场的牛栏里。公牛问他：“你这个倒霉的家伙，为什么要把自己的性命交付给别人，来加速自己的死亡呢？”雄鹿恳求道：“你们一定要为我保守秘密啊，如果有机会，我就会逃走的。”
夜幕降临了，饲养员给公牛送来了饲料，没有发现躲在角落里的雄鹿。后来，庄园的管家过来巡视一圈也没有发现异常情况。雄鹿松一口气了，庆幸自己的好运气，并且非常感激公牛们的慷慨相助。一头公牛对他说：“我们也希望你能安全脱险，但是你的危险并没有结束。如果你能不被‘火眼金睛’的农场主发现，那才算是真正安全了。”就在这时候，农场主走进了牛栏。“为什么麦秸没有了，甘草也不够？你们难道连这里的蜘蛛网也懒得清理一下吗？”一边斥责着工人，一边详细地检查牛栏。躲在角落里的雄鹿自然是无所遁形。接到这块天上掉下的馅饼，农场主乐得合不拢嘴，马上吩咐工人把雄鹿杀死，取走了鹿肉。
没有什么可以逃脱主人的眼睛。
A Stag， roundly chased by the hounds and blinded by fear to the danger he was running into， took shelter in a farmyard and hid himself in a shed among the oxen. An Ox gave him this kindly warning， "O unhappy creature！ why should you thus， of your own accord， incur destruction and trust yourself in the house of your enemy？"The Stag replied， "Only allow me， friend， to stay where I am， and I will undertake to find some favorable opportunity of effecting my escape."
At the approach of the evening the herdsman came to feed his cattle， but did not see the Stag； and even the farm-bailiff with several laborers passed through the shed and failed to notice him. The Stag， congratulating himself on his safety， began to express his sincere thanks to the Oxen who had kindly helped him in the hour of need.One of them again answered him， "We indeed wish you well， but the danger is not over.There is one other yet to pass through the shed， who has as it were a hundred eyes， and until he has come and gone， your life is still in peril."At that moment the master himself entered， and having had to complain that his oxen had not been properly fed， he went up to their racks and cried out， "Why is there such a scarcity of fodder？There is not half enough straw for them to lie on.Those lazy fellows have not even swept the cobwebs away."While he thus examined everything in turn， he spied the tips of the antlers of the Stag peeping out of the straw.Then summoning his laborers， he ordered that the Stag should be seized and killed.
Nothing escape the master's eye.
病鹿
The Sick Stag
一头鹿生病了，躺在草地上无法起身。他的伙伴纷纷来探望，希望他早日恢复健康。但是他们每一次来都会吃掉一些青草，最后把鹿四周的青草都吃完了。后来，鹿的身体虽然已经康复，却因为食物短缺依然丢了性命。
结交无用的朋友，不仅没有益处，还会蒙受损失。
A Sick Stag lay down in a quiet corner of its pasture-ground. His companions came in great numbers to inquire after his health， and each one helped himself to a share of the food which had been placed for his use； so that he died， not from his sickness， but from the failure of the means of living.
Evil companions bring more hurt than profit.