雙語詩歌翻譯|孟子-《古代寓言·拔苗助長》

譯文：從前有一個每天都要偷鄰居家一只雞的人。有人勸告他說：“這不是行為端正、品德高尚的人所擁有的道德?！彼卮鹫f：“那就讓我減少這種行為吧，(以后)每個月偷一只雞，等到明年我就不偷了?！比绻劳惦u不對，就應(yīng)該馬上改正，為什么還要等到明年呢。

《古代寓言·拔苗助長》

宋人有閔其苗之不長而揠之者。
芒芒然歸，謂其人曰：“今日病矣！予助苗長矣。”
其子趨而往視之，苗則槁矣。
——天下之不助苗長者寡矣：以為無益而舍之者，不耘苗者也；助之長者，揠苗者也。非徒無益，而又害之。
——《孟子》

Helping Young Shoots to Grow
A man in the state of Song felt the shoots in his fields were not growing fast enough. So he pulled them all up, then went home quite exhausted.
"I'm tired out today," he told his family. "I've been helping the young shoots to grow."
His son ran out to the fields to have a look, and found all their seedlings were dead.
Most people would like to help young shoots to grow; but some think all efforts useless and make no attempt, not even weeding the fields; others try to help the shoots grow by pulling them up. This, of course, is worse than useless.
Mencius