伊索寓言012 - THE OLD WOMAN AND THE DOCTOR 老太婆与医生

THE OLD WOMAN AND THE DOCTOR 老太婆与医生

An Old Woman became almost totally blindfrom a disease of the eyes, and, after consulting a Doctor, made an agreementwith him in the presence of witnesses that she should pay him a high fee if hecured her, while if he failed he was to receive nothing. The Doctor accordinglyprescribed a course of treatment, and every time he paid her a visit he tookaway with him some article out of the house, until at last, when he visited herfor the last time, and the cure was complete, there was nothing left. When theOld Woman saw that the house was empty she refused to pay him his fee; and,after repeated refusals on her part, he sued her before the magistrates forpayment of her debt. On being brought into court she was ready with herdefense. "The claimant," said she, "has stated the facts aboutour agreement correctly. I undertook to pay him a fee if he cured me, and he,on his part, promised to charge nothing if he failed. Now, he says I am cured;but I say that I am blinder than ever, and I can prove what I say. When my eyeswere bad I could at any rate see well enough to be aware that my house containeda certain amount of furniture and other things; but now, when according to himI am cured, I am entirely unable to see anything there at all."

有个老太婆，几乎因为眼疾而失明了，在咨询过医生之后，他们达成了协议——如果医生能治好她的病，她将支付高额费用；如果医生治不好她的病，她就分文不给。根据疗程计划，医生定期来她家里进行治疗，而且，每次来时总会顺手牵羊地偷走一些东西。终于，当他来做最后一次治疗时，老太婆家里的东西已经所剩无几了。虽然眼疾治好了，但是看到家里空荡荡的，老太婆便拒绝支付医疗费，几次三番地拒付之后，医生便起诉了老太婆，让法官帮他追讨欠款。被带到法官那里时，老太婆已经准备好为自己辩护了。她说：“原告的确如实地陈述了我们之间的协议，我曾经许诺过，如果他能治好我的病，我就会支付给他治疗费，而且，他也曾应允过我，如果治不好我的病，就分文不取。现在，他说我已经痊愈了，可是我认为我的眼睛比以前更瞎了，就此而言，我完全能证明情况属实。以前，当我的视力下降之后，尚且能看见家里的一些家具和物品，可是现在，当医生说我已经痊愈时，我却看不见任何东西了。”