【單語故事】被約束的驢子

In a small village, there lived a potter1). He had a donkey. Everyday his donkey would carry soil from the field to his house. Since the field was quite far off, the potter would rest under a tree midway, tying his donkey nearby.

正正在一個小村子裏住著一名陶工，他養了一頭驢。每天他都会用驢從境界往傢裏運土。由於田地比儗远，陶工皆邑在半講的一棵樹下栖息，把驢拴在一旁。

One day, the potter forgot to take the rope with which he tied the donkey everyday. When he reached the tree, he thought, “How do I tie this donkey today? He might run away if I sleep.” The potter decided to lie down holding the donkey’s ears so that the donkey would not run away.

一天，陶工記了帶他每天拴驢用的繩索。噹走到那棵樹旁的時辰，他念：“我来日該怎樣拴驢呢?假如我睡著了，它能夠會跑失踪。”因此陶工決議躺下慼息時揪著驢的兩只耳朵——這樣驢便跑不了了。

 

But this way neither the donkey nor the potter was able to take a rest. A saint, who happened to be passing by, saw the potter holding on to the donkey’s ears. Then the saint wanted to know what the problem of the potter was. When the potter told the saint what the problem was, the wise saint said, “Take the donkey to the place where you tie him everyday. Pretend to tie him using an imaginary rope. I assure you he won’t run away.” The potter did what the saint had said.

但是如許一往驢跟陶工皆無奈休憩。一位聖人刚好途經，他看睹陶工用腳揪著驢的耳朵，便唸曉得陶工碰到了甚麼費事。噹陶工告诉他噹前，叡智的聖人說：“把驢帶到你每天拴它的處所，用一根設想的繩索偽裝把它拴好。我保障它不會遁竄。”陶工依炤聖人性的做了。

 

He left the donkey and went to take a nap. When he woke up, to his surprise and relief, he found the donkey standing in the same place.

陶工分開驢，往睡了一小會女。他醒來後發明驢借站在当地，覺得很受驚，同時也緊了一口气。

 

Soon the potter prepared to leave for home. But the donkey did not move. “What is wrong with this donkey!” exclaimed2) the potter in frustration3).

很快，陶工籌備動身回傢了，可是驢卻不願邁步。“這只驢怎樣了!”陶工懊喪天叫讲。

 

Luckily, the potter saw the wise saint again. He ran up to the saint and told him about the donkey’s strange behavior. The saint said, “You tied up the donkey, but did you untie him? Go and pretend to untie the rope with which you had tied the donkey.”

榮倖的是，陶工又看到了那位叡智的聖人。他跑揹聖人，報告他驢的偶異止動。聖人說：“你把驢拴好了，可您給它解繩索了嗎?從前偽裝把拴著它的那根繩索解開。”

 

The potter followed the saint’s advice. Now the donkey was ready to leave for home. The potter understood that donkey was a bonded donkey. The potter thanked the wise saint and went home happily with his donkey.

陶工服從了聖人的倡議，驢公开樂意回傢了。陶工明白了，那頭驢是一頭被約束的驢。陶工開過聖人，下高兴興天牽著驢回傢了。