牧人和他丟失的公牛 The Herdsman and the Lost Bull

    A HERDSMAN tending his flock in a forest lost a Bull-calf from the fold.  After a long and fruitless search, he made a vow that, if he could only discover the thief who had stolen the Calf, he would offer a lamb in sacrifice to Hermes, Pan, and the Guardian Deities of the forest.  Not long afterwards, as he ascended a small hillock, he saw at its foot a Lion feeding on the Calf.  Terrified at the sight, he lifted his eyes and his hands to heaven, and said:  "Just now I vowed to offer a lamb to the Guardian Deities of the forest if I could only find out who had robbed me; but now that I have discovered the thief, I would willingly add a full-grown Bull to the Calf I have lost, if I may only secure my own escape from him in safety." 

    牧人在樹林中放牛，不幸丟失了一頭離群的小牛犢。他在樹林中到處尋找，一無所獲。他發(fā)誓，只要能發(fā)現(xiàn)偷小牛犢的賊，他愿意供奉樹林守護(hù)神一只羊。過了一會兒，當(dāng)他走上小山丘時，忽然看見山下有只獅子正在吃他的小牛犢。他嚇得舉起雙手，仰望著天空，向天祈求說：“我剛發(fā)誓，如果捉到偷牛犢的賊，我愿供奉一只羊給樹林守護(hù)神?，F(xiàn)在那賊已發(fā)現(xiàn)，我愿意失去那只小牛犢，并再添上一只大牛，只要我自己能安全逃離獅子。”這是說，有些人在強(qiáng)大的敵人面前嚇破了膽，忘掉了自己的誓言。