狼和人的故事

　　 The Wolf and the Man

　　 Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

　　 Once upon a time the fox was talking to the wolf about the strength of man, how no animal could withstand him, and how all were obliged to employ cunning in order to protect themselves from him.

　　 The wolf answered, "If I could see a man just once, I would attack him nonetheless."

　　 "I can help you to do that," said the fox. "Come to me early tomorrow morning, and I will show you one."

　　 The wolf arrived on time, and the fox took him out to the path which the huntsman used every day. First an old discharged soldier came by.

　　 "Is that a man?" asked the wolf.

　　 "No," answered the fox. "He has been one."

　　 Afterwards came a little boy on his way to school.

　　 "Is that a man?"

　　 "No, he will yet become one."

　　 Finally a huntsman came by with his double-barreled gun on his back, and a sword at his side.

　　 The fox said to the wolf, "Look, there comes a man. He is the one you must attack, but I am going back to my den."

　　 The wolf then charged at the man.

　　 When the huntsman saw him he said, "Too bad that I have not loaded with a bullet." Then he aimed and fired a load of shot into his face.

　　 The wolf pulled an awful face, but did not let himself be frightened, and attacked him again, on which the huntsman gave him the second barrel. The wolf swallowed his pain and charged at the huntsman again, who in turn drew out his naked sword, and gave him a few blows with it left and right, so that, bleeding all over, he ran howling back to the fox.

　　 "Well," Brother Wolf, said the fox, "how did you get along with man?"

　　 "Oh," replied the wolf, "I never imagined the strength of man to be what it is. First, he took a stick from his shoulder, and blew into it, and then something flew into my face which tickled me terribly. Then he breathed once more into the stick, and it flew up my nose like lightning and hail. Then when I got next to him, he drew a naked rib out of his body, and he beat me so with it that he almost killed me."

　　 "See what a braggart you are," said the fox. "You throw your hatchet so far that you cannot get it back again."

　　 从前有只狐狸向狼谈起人的力量,说没有动物能抵挡得了,所以他认为所有动物都必须施展计谋才能保护自己。可狼回答说:「假如我有机会碰到一个人,我就扑上去让他无法抵挡。」狐狸说:「我可以帮你碰到人啊。明早你早点来我家,我把他指给你看。」第二天,狼很早就来了,狐狸带它来到猎人每天的必经之路。他们碰到的第一个人是个退役老兵,狼问:「那是个人吗?」「不是,」狐狸回答,「他以前是。」接着他们遇到一个去上学的小男孩。「那是个人吗?」狼又问。「不是,」狐狸回答说,「他将来是。」最后一个猎人朝它们走来,他肩上扛着双筒猎枪,腰间还插着一把猎刀,狐狸对狼说:「那个就是人,你该朝他扑过去,我可是要回我洞里去了。」

　　 於是狼朝猎人冲了过去。猎人一看说:「真可惜我没装上子弹,而是散弹。」他瞄准狼的脸开了一枪。狼疼得一阵痉挛,可还是没被吓倒,又朝猎人冲了过去。猎人又开了一枪。狼忍着巨痛扑向猎人,没想到猎人抽出猎刀左右开弓地在狼身上划了几道口子。狼鲜血四溅,嚎叫着逃到狐狸那里去了。「狼兄弟,」狐狸说,「和人相处怎么样?」「哈!」狼回答说,「我从没想到人的力量会这么大!他先是从肩上取下一根棍子,朝里面吹了一口气,就有甚么东西飞到我脸上,痒得我要命;接着他又吹了一次,就有东西飞到我鼻子周围,像下了一阵雹子。当我靠近他时,他从身上抽出一根白得发亮的肋骨狠狠地打我,几乎把我打死在那里。」狐狸说:「你这个吹牛大王,谁让你把话说得太大了,自己连退路都没有了呢。」