北風と太陽

イソップ童話「北風と太陽」。北風と太陽は、どちらが強いかということで口論をしていた。激しく言い争っていると、一人の旅人が外套をまとって通りかかった。

The Æsop for Children The North Wind & the Sun The North Wind and the Sun had a quarrel about which of them was the stronger. While they were disputing with much heat and bluster, a Traveler passed along the road wrapped in a cloak.

「あそこにいる旅人に外套を脱がせた方を、強いことにしましょう」と太陽が言った。

“Let us agree,” said the Sun, “that he is the stronger who can strip that Traveler of his cloak.”

「いいだろう」と北風は唸り、さっそく冷たく激しい突風を旅人に吹きつけた。

“Very well,” growled the North Wind, and at once sent a cold, howling blast against the Traveler.

最初の一吹きで外套の端が旅人の体にまとわりついた。しかし旅人はすぐに外套をしっかりと体に巻きつけ、風が強く吹けば吹くほど、彼はそれを固く握りしめた。

With the first gust of wind the ends of the cloak whipped about the Traveler’s body. But he immediately wrapped it closely around him, and the harder the Wind blew, the tighter he held it to him.

北風は怒って外套を剥ぎ取ろうとしたが、その努力もすべて無駄に終わった。

The North Wind tore angrily at the cloak, but all his efforts were in vain.

すると太陽が輝き始めた。最初は穏やかな光だったが、北風の厳しい寒さの後の心地よい暖かさに、旅人は外套の留め金を外し、肩からゆったりと垂らした。太陽の光はますます暖かくなっていった。

Then the Sun began to shine. At first his beams were gentle, and in the pleasant warmth after the bitter cold of the North Wind, the Traveler unfastened his cloak and let it hang loosely from his shoulders. The Sun’s rays grew warmer and warmer.

男は帽子を脱いで額の汗を拭った。ついに暑さに耐えかねた彼は外套を脱ぎ捨て、燃えるような日差しから逃れるために、道端の木陰に身を投げ出した。

The man took off his cap and mopped his brow. At last he became so heated that he pulled off his cloak, and, to escape the blazing sunshine, threw himself down in the welcome shade of a tree by the roadside.

力や脅しでうまくいかないときも、優しさと穏やかな説得ならうまくいく。

Gentleness and kind persuasion win where force and bluster fail.