中國寓言故事雙語版 第84期:苛政猛於虎

In ancient times, at the foot of Mount Tai surrounded by mountains, one often heard of tales of tigers devouring people.

古代，在羣山環抱的泰山腳下，常常聽到老虎吃人的事情。

One day, Confucius and his disciples passed by Mount Tai.

有一天，孔子帶着弟子路過泰山。

As they walked along, his disciples talked about what they had heard and seen.

弟子們一邊走，一邊談論着所見所聞。

Suddenly, they heard someone weeping in the distance.

忽然，聽到遠處傳來哭聲。

They went over and saw a young woman who, with her head covered with a white kerchief, wore white cotton clothes, trousers, shoes and stockings.

大家便走了過去，一看原來是一個年輕的婦女，頭上包着白色的頭巾，身上穿着白布衣褲，腳上套着白布鞋襪。

She was kneeling in front of a new grave and weeping bitterly.

正跪在一座新墳前面痛哭。

The disciples didn't know what to do. Confucius ordered one of them to go forward and ask: "Who has died? Why are you weeping in such sorrow?"

弟子們不知如何是好，孔子叫弟子上前詢問:“死了誰?你爲什麼哭得這麼傷心?”

The woman raised her head, wiped her red and swollen eyes, sobbed and answered intermittently:"In the past, my father-in-law was devoured by a tiger.

婦女擡起頭來，擦着紅腫的眼睛，抽泣着斷斷續續地回答:“從前，我的公公被老虎吃掉了。

Later, my husband was devoured by a tiger too.

後來，我的丈夫又被老虎吃掉了。

Now my son has also been bitten to death by a tiger."

如今，我的兒子也被老虎咬死了。”

Confucius' disciple asked worriedly: "The tiger harmed the lives of three generations of your family.

孔子的弟子着急地問道:“老虎傷害了你家三代人的性命。

Why didn't you leave this place earlier and move to somewhere else?"

你爲什麼不早點兒離開這裏，搬到別處去呢?”

The woman sobbed, saying: "There are tigers here, but there are no exorbitant taxes, levies or heavy corvee here!"

婦女哭着說:“這裏有老虎，但是沒有苛捐雜稅和繁重的搖役啊!

When Confucius heard this, he turned to his disciples and said: "Remember, tigers devour people, but tyranny is fiercer than tigers!"

孔子聽到這兒，回過頭來，對弟子們說: “你們記住，老虎吃人，可是苛政比老虎還要兇猛啊!”