運鹽的驢子 The Salt Merchant and His Ass

 

     A PEDDLER drove his Ass to the seashore to buy salt.  His road home lay across a stream into which his Ass, making a false step, fell by accident and rose up again with his load considerably lighter, as the water melted the sack.  The Peddler retraced his steps and refilled his panniers with a larger quantity of salt than before.  When he came again to the stream, the Ass fell down on purpose in the same spot, and, regaining his feet with the weight of his load much diminished, brayed triumphantly as if he had obtained what he desired.  The Peddler saw through his trick and drove him for the third time to the coast, where he bought a cargo of sponges instead of salt.  The Ass, again playing the fool, fell down on purpose when he reached the stream, but the sponges became swollen with water, greatly increasing his load. 

     And thus his trick recoiled on him, for he now carried on his back a double burden. 

    有只驢子馱著鹽過河。他的腳一滑，跌倒在河水中，鹽在水中都溶化了。他站起來時頓感一身輕松了許多，他很高興。后來，有一天，他馱著海綿過河，心想再跌倒下去，站起來時定會更輕松。于是，他故意地摔了下去，他沒想到海綿是吸水的，因此再也站不起來了，淹死在河里了。

    這是說，有些人聰明反被聰明誤，自己害了自己。