那些給我智慧和勇氣的寓言故事19:貓頭鷹和驢
A blind ass, which had undertaken a long journey, wandered from the road into a forest.
一頭瞎眼的驢子在長途跋涉時迷了路，走進了森林。As the night came on, our foolish fellow went so far into the thicket that it couldn't move either backward or forward; and even one who had eyes would have been unable to get out of that difficulty. But an owl, by good luck, happened to be in the neighbourhood, and offered to act as a guide to the ass.
夜幕降臨時，這頭蠢驢鑽進了灌木叢，進退不得。就是視力好的動物也沒有辦法擺脫這個困境。幸運的是，一隻貓頭鷹恰好在附近，它樂意爲驢子當嚮導。We all know how well owls see at night. Hills, hillocks, precipices—all these our owl distinguished as if it had been daybreak, it had made its way with the ass to the level road.
衆所周知，貓頭鷹在夜間視力很好，斜坡啦、山丘啦、懸崖啦——它都能辨認出來，就像在白天一樣。黎明時分，它已領着驢子來到了平地上。
Now, how could any one part with such a guide？ So the ass entreated the owl not to desert it, and determined to visit the whole world in the owl's company.
現在，誰願意離開這麼好的嚮導呢？於是驢子懇求貓頭鷹不要撇下它，驢子決意與它結伴一同環遊世界。Our owl seated itself like a lord on the back of the ass, and the two friends began to continue their journey.
貓頭鷹像君主般端坐在驢背上，這兩個好朋友繼續它們的旅行。But did it prosper？ No. The sun had scarcely begun to glow in the morning sky, when a greater than nocturnal darkness hid everything from the owl's eyes. But our owl is obstinate; it directs the ass at random.
但是，這能行得通嗎？不能。清晨，太陽剛剛放射出光芒，貓頭鷹眼前就出現了比夜幕還黑的黑暗，什麼也看不見了。可是，它一意孤行，隨意地指揮着驢子。“Take care！”it cries,“We shall tumble into a pool, if we go to the right.”
“小心，”貓頭鷹喊道，“要是往右走，我們會掉進池塘裏去的。”There was really no pool on the right; but on the left there was even worse.
實際上，右邊根本沒有什麼池塘，左邊的情況反而更糟。“Keep more to the left—another pace to the left！”
“再往左邊一點兒，往左邁一步。”And, the owl and the ass fell into the ravine together.
結果，貓頭鷹和驢一起掉進了深谷。
