跟Susan一起學美語 第10期:中國經典智慧之寒蟬和靈龜

寒蟬和靈龜
The Winter Cicada and the Wonder Tortoise
世人都說彭祖活了八百歲，是人間最長壽的了。
People say that once there was a man named PengZu, who at 800 years old had lived the longest life ever.
但有一種小蟲叫做“朝菌”，朝生而暮死。
In contrast, there is a small bug called the Zhaojun that is born in the morning and is dead by nightfall.
它根本不知道什麼叫“一個月”。
It doesn't even know what a month is .
另外有一種蟲叫“寒蟬”，春生而夏死。
There is also an insect called the winter cicada , which is born in the Spring and dies in the Summer.
它根本不知道什麼叫做“四季”。
It doesn't even know what the four seasons are,
可是楚國南方的海上有一隻巨大的靈龜，五百年對它只是一個春季，五百年對它只是一個秋季。
However in the southern part of Chu, there lived the giant wonder tortoise , to whom five hundred years was a mere Spring.
上古時代有一種椿樹，八千年對於它只是一個春季，八千年只是一個秋季。
And a long, long time ago, there lived the geri-tree, to which eight thousand years was a mere Autumn.
朝菌和寒蟬叫做“小年”。靈龜和椿樹叫做“大年”。“小年”是不會了解“大年”的。
The Zhaojun and the winter cicada are called "short lives", while the wonder tortoise and the geri-tree are called "long lives".
彭祖對於靈龜和椿樹來說，不也是“小年”嗎？
To the wonder tortoise and the geri-tree, wasn't Pengzu just another "short life"?
世人都把彭祖認爲是長壽，不也就是“小年”的悲哀嗎？
People see Peng Zu as having lived a long life, but wasn't he really just another tragic "short life "?