那些給我智慧和勇氣的寓言故事14:狗和貓
Long ago, only the cats had the ability to trace their prey by its odour, while the other animals used their vision to discover their prey.
上古時期，只有貓有根據氣味來追尋獵物的本領，而別的動物只能靠眼睛去發現獵物。The dog knew that was the best way to hunt a prey so he decided to visit the cat.
狗知道這是一種極好的狩獵方法。於是，狗決定去找貓。“Mr. Cat, can you teach me the skill to trace the prey by its odour？ It is very efficient and convenient.”
“貓先生，根據氣味來追尋獵物這種方法既靈驗又方便，你能傳授我這門本領嗎？”
The cat agreed to teach the dog and to let him stay in his house during the lessons. After a few days, the dog thought that he could use the skill and he wanted to go home.
貓答應了狗的請求，並讓狗在學習時間住在自己的家裏。過了幾天，狗認爲自己已經掌握了這門本領，便想回家。“You have not learnt the skill yet,”said the cat.“You have to stay longer.”
貓說：“你還沒有學會全部的本事呢！你還得再待些日子！”“But I have to go home now,”the dog insisted.
“但是我現在必須回家呀。”狗堅持說。“All right,”the cat said,“you may go back tomorrow but not today.”
“那好吧！”貓說，“但你今天別回，明天再回吧！”The next morning, the cat said to his wife,“When the dog comes to bid farewell, tell him that I have gone out. When he asks where, tell him that you don't know.”
第二天一早，貓對妻子說：“狗來告別時，你就告訴它我出去了。它問我到哪兒去了，你就說不知道。”After a while, the dog came.“Where is the teacher？”he asked.
不一會兒，狗來了。“老師呢？”狗問道。“He went out early in the morning and I don't know where he went,”the cat's wife answered.
“它一早就出門了，我不知道它上哪兒去啦。”貓的妻子回答道。Actually, the cat intended to test whether the dog had learnt how to trace any prey by its odour.
其實貓是要考驗一下狗是否已學會了根據氣味來尋找獵物的本領。The dog started by following the footprints of the cat. However, after a short distance, the cat had jump from one rock to another and then gone into a cave.
於是，狗開始順着貓的腳印去追蹤貓的去向。可是，貓離開家走了一段路後，就沒有在地上行走了。它從一塊石頭跳到另一塊石頭上，然後跳進一個山洞，又從另一個洞口爬出來Then he came out from the other side and leapt onto a tree.
最後跳到了一棵大樹上。The dog followed the seemingly vanishing footprints of the cat and he came to the two rocks.
於是，狗開始順着貓的腳印去追蹤貓的去向。He entered the cave and managed to come out from the other side of it.
它也進了山洞，並竭力從另一個洞口出來。At last, he came to the tree but he could not find any footprint. The dog could not trace the cat though he kept going round and round the tree.
最後，當狗走到樹下時，貓的腳印沒有了。狗找不到貓的痕跡，就繞着樹走來走去。The cat stayed on top of the tree watching every move of the dog. Finally, he said,“Look up！ You have not completely learnt the skill and yet you are ready to leave. You can see now that you are still ignorant.”
貓在樹上，把這一切情形看得清清楚楚。最後，貓說：“往上看！你還沒有學好本事，就打算匆匆離去，結果還不是一隻沒學問的狗！”Since then, the dog only knows how to trail its prey on the ground.
直到今天，狗都只會在地面上追尋獵物。
