The ass and the mule 驴和骡子（中英）

A certain man who had an Ass and a Mule loaded them both up one day and set out upon a journey. So long as the road was fairly level, the Ass got on very well: but by and by they came to a place among the hills where the road was very rough and steep, and the Ass was at his last gasp. So he begged the Mule to relieve him of a part of his load: but the Mule refused. At last, from sheer weariness, the Ass stumbled and fell down a steep place and was killed. The driver was in despair, but he did the best he could: he added the Ass’s load to the Mule’s, and he also flayed the Ass and put his skin on the top of the double load. The Mule could only just manage the extra weight, and, as he staggered painfully along, he said to himself, “I have only got what I deserved: if I had been willing to help the Ass at first, I should not now be carrying his load and his skin into the bargain.”

某人有一头驴和一头骡子，有一天，他把货物分别放在驴和骡子的背上，就出远门了。只要在平地上走，驴还能应付，但是一走到大山之间那崎岖不平的山路上，驴就上气不接下气了。于是，驴请求骡子替他分担一部分货物，可是，骡子却拒绝了。由于极度疲倦，驴一不小心从山上滚下去，摔死了。赶驴人非常沮丧，但也只能如此，他把驴身上驮的货物放在了骡子的背上，同时还割下了驴皮，一起放在货物顶上。骡子也只得忍气吞声默默承担着所有重量，他一边蹒跚着前进，一边自言自语：“我真是活该！如果我一开始就愿意帮助驴分担重量的话，现在也就不会既驮着本该在他背上的货物，又驮着他的皮了。”