伊索寓言014 - MERCURY AND THE WOODMAN 墨丘利和樵夫

MERCURY AND THE WOODMAN 墨丘利和樵夫

A Woodman was felling a treeon the bank of a river, when his axe, glancing off the trunk, flew out of hishands and fell into the water. As he stood by the water's edge lamenting hisloss, Mercury appeared and asked him the reason for his grief; and on learningwhat had happened, out of pity for his distress he dived into the river and,bringing up a golden axe, asked him if that was the one he had lost. TheWoodman replied that it was not, and Mercury then dived a second time, and,bringing up a silver axe, asked if that was his. "No, that’s not mineeither," said the Woodman. Once more Mercury dived into the river, andbrought up the missing axe. The Woodman was overjoyed at recovering hisproperty, and thanked his benefactor warmly; and the latter was so pleased withhis honesty that he made him a present of the other two axes. When the Woodmantold the story to his companions, one of these was filled with envy of his goodfortune and determined to try his luck for himself. So he went and began tofell a tree at the edge of the river, and presently contrived to let his axedrop into the water. Mercury appeared as before, and, on learning that his axehad fallen in, he dived and brought up a golden axe, as he had done on theprevious occasion. Without waiting to be asked whether it was his or not thefellow cried, "That is mine, that is mine," and stretched out hishand eagerly for the prize: but Mercury was so disgusted at his dishonesty thathe not only declined to give him the golden axe, but also refused to recoverfor him the one he had let fall into the stream.

Honesty is the best policy.

有一个樵夫正在河边砍树，突然，就在他将斧子抽离树干的一刹那，斧子从他的手中滑落，掉进了水里。他站在水边悲叹那丢失了的斧子时，墨丘利出现了，问他为什么如此伤心。问清缘由之后，出于对樵夫的同情，墨丘利跳进河里，举起一把金灿灿的斧子问他，这是不是他丢失了的那一把。樵夫说这不是他丢的。于是，墨丘利又跳进河中，捞起一把银光闪闪的斧子，问他是不是这一把。“不是，这也不是我丢的。”樵夫回答道。墨丘利再一次跳进河里，捞起那把樵夫真正丢失了的斧子。看到失而复得的斧子，樵夫喜出望外，对墨丘利感激万分。然而，墨丘利也很赞赏樵夫的忠厚老实，就将另外两把斧子作为礼物送给了他。樵夫把自己的经历讲给同伴听，其中一个人十分羡慕他的好运气，决定也去碰一碰运气。于是，他也来到河畔砍树，并故意将自己的斧子丢入河中。墨丘利像以前一样出现了，知道樵夫的斧子落入水中之后，他像上次一样跳进河里捞起一把金斧子。还没等到墨丘利开口问他，这个人就大喊道：“是我的，这就是我的斧子。”并且迫切地伸手想去拿那把斧子，但墨丘利对他的不诚实很气愤，不仅拒绝把金斧子送给他，而且还拒绝帮他寻找掉入水中的那把斧子。

正直诚实才是上策。