The Ant And The Dove
蚂蚁与鸽子
by Aesop
选自《伊索寓言》
A Dove saw an Ant fall into a brook. The Ant struggled in vain to reach the bank, and in pity, the Dove dropped a blade of straw close beside it. Clinging to the straw like a shipwrecked sailor to a broken spar, the Ant floated safely to shore.
一只鸽子看见一只蚂蚁掉进了小溪。那蚂蚁徒劳地挣扎着想游上岸。鸽子看见这一幕，觉得很可怜，就衔来一根稻草放在蚂蚁的身边。抓着这根稻草就像一个遭遇海难的水手抱着折断的桅杆，小蚂蚁安全地靠着它游上了岸。
Soon after, the Ant saw a man getting ready to kill the Dove with a stone. But just as he cast the stone, the Ant stung him in the heel, so that the pain made him miss his aim, and the startled Dove flew to safety in a distant wood.
不久，这只蚂蚁看到有个人准备用一块石头打死那只鸽子。但是就在那人扔出石头的时候，小蚂蚁狠狠地叮了那人的脚后跟，所造成的疼痛令他没能命中，受到惊吓的鸽子立马飞到了远处安全的林子里。
A kindness is never wasted.
正所谓：善行永远不会被辜负。
词汇注解
1、a blade of straw 一根稻草
2、Clinging to 抓住……紧握不放
3、spar （船的）桅杆
4、sting 叮咬、蛰、刺
