狮子与老鼠

《伊索寓言》狮子与老鼠。一头狮子躺在森林里睡觉，巨大的头枕在爪子上。一只胆小的老鼠意外撞见它，惊慌失措之下，跑过了狮子的鼻子。

The Æsop for Children The Lion & the Mouse A Lion lay asleep in the forest, his great head resting on his paws. A timid little Mouse came upon him unexpectedly, and in her fright and haste to get away, ran across the Lion’s nose.

狮子从睡梦中惊醒，愤怒地伸出巨大的爪子按住这只小东西，想要杀死它。

Roused from his nap, the Lion laid his huge paw angrily on the tiny creature to kill her.

“饶了我吧！”可怜的老鼠哀求道，“请放我走，总有一天我一定会报答你的。”

“Spare me!” begged the poor Mouse. “Please let me go and some day I will surely repay you.”

狮子觉得老鼠能帮到自己简直太可笑了。但它很慷慨，最终还是放走了老鼠。

The Lion was much amused to think that a Mouse could ever help him. But he was generous and finally let the Mouse go.

几天后，狮子在森林里追踪猎物时，落入了猎人的网中。它无法挣脱，愤怒的吼声响彻森林。

Some days later, while stalking his prey in the forest, the Lion was caught in the toils of a hunter’s net. Unable to free himself, he filled the forest with his angry roaring.

老鼠听出了这声音，很快找到了在网中挣扎的狮子。它跑向捆住狮子的一根粗绳，不停地啃咬，直到绳子断开，狮子很快就脱困了。

The Mouse knew the voice and quickly found the Lion struggling in the net. Running to one of the great ropes that bound him, she gnawed it until it parted, and soon the Lion was free.

“我说要报答你的时候，你笑了，”老鼠说，“现在你看到了吧，即便是老鼠也能帮到狮子。”

“You laughed when I said I would repay you,” said the Mouse. “Now you see that even a Mouse can help a Lion.”

善行永不落空。

A kindness is never wasted.