The Dog Who Carried His Master's Dinner

Our hands are no more proof against gold than our eyes are proof against beauty. There are but few who guard their treasures with care enough.

我们的双手抵挡不住黄金的诱惑，正如我们的眼睛抵挡不住美貌的诱惑一样。能把自己的财物看守得足够小心的人少之又少。

A certain dog who had been taught to carry to his master the mid-day meal was one day trotting along with the savoury burden slung around his neck. He was tempted to take a taste himself; but knew that it would be wrong to do so, and being a temperate, self-governed dog he refrained. We of the human race allow ourselves to be tempted by covetable things often enough; but, strange as it is, there seems to be more difficulty in teaching mankind to resist temptation than there is in teaching dogs to do so.

有一只狗被训练成为主人送去午饭，一天，它正驮着这份美味的负担一路小跑着走。它也曾动过自己尝一口的念头；但它知道那样做是不对的，而且它是一只克己自律的狗，所以还是忍住了。我们人类常常会被种种诱人的东西所诱惑；可是奇怪的是，教人类抵制诱惑，似乎比教狗做到这一点还要难得多。

On this particular day the dog was met by a mastiff who at once wanted the dinner, but did not find it so easy to capture as he thought; for our dog put it down and stood guard over it. There was a mighty tussle. Soon others arrived; curs that were used to knocks and kicks while picking up a living in the streets. Seeing that he should be badly over-matched, and that his master's dinner was in danger of being devoured by the crowd, he bethought himself how he too might have his share, if shared it must be.

就在这一天，这只狗遇上了一只獒犬，那獒犬立刻就想抢走那份晚饭，可是它发现要抢到手并不像自己想的那么容易；因为我们这只狗把饭放下，站在旁边守着。双方展开了一场激烈的搏斗。不一会儿，又来了别的狗；那些是在街头讨生活、习惯了挨打受踢的野狗。这只狗见自己寡不敌众，主人的晚饭眼看就要被这群狗吃个精光，便盘算起该怎样才能分得自己的一份，如果这饭注定要被大家分了的话。

So he very wisely exclaimed, "No fighting, gentlemen, my bit will suffice me. Do as you please with the rest." With these words he snapped up a portion, upon which all the rest began to pull and jostle to their utmost and feasted merrily.

于是它非常聪明地喊道：“先生们，不必争抢了，我这一小份就够了。剩下的随你们怎么处置。”话音刚落，它便叼起了自己的那一份，其余的狗见状便使出浑身解数争抢起来，美美地饱餐了一顿。

In this I seem to see the picture of one of those unfortunate towns or states which occasionally have suffered from the greed of their ministers and officials. Each functionary has an eye to his own advantage, and the smartest sets a pattern for the others. The way in which the public funds disappear is amusing. If one sheriff or provost, having a scruple of conscience, finds a trifling argument in defence of the public interest the others show him that he is a fool if he utters half a word. So, with a very little trouble, he gives way, and often becomes the leading offender.

在这件事里，我仿佛看到了那些偶尔因官员和大臣们的贪婪而受苦的城镇或国家的写照。每一个官员都盯着自己的利益，最精明的那个还给其他人做了榜样。公共钱财就这样消失，实在令人啼笑皆非。倘若有哪位地方官或行政长官良心发现，找出一个为公共利益辩护的小小理由，其余的人便会让他明白，倘若他敢多说半句话，那便是个傻瓜。于是，费不了多大工夫，他也就妥协了，往往还成了带头作恶的人。