中國寓言故事雙語版 第91期:羣蟻觀鰲

In the vast East China Sea, there was a huge turtle.

浩瀚的東海里，有一隻大鰲。

It carried the Penglai Fairy Mountain on its head, floated and swam in the great sea, sometimes soaring into the sky and sometimes diving to the bottom of the sea.

它頭頂着蓬萊仙山，在大海中浮游，有時飛騰躍上雲霄，有時下潛沉人海底。

A red ant on land heard of the huge turtle's magnificent feat and was pleasantly surprised.

陸地上，一隻紅螞蟻聽說大鰲有如此壯舉，非常驚喜。

Thereupon, it called together a big swarm of ants to come to the seashore to have a good look to broaden their minds.

於是約了一大羣螞蟻來到海岸邊，想好好看看，開開眼界。

They waited for over a month, but the huge turtle did not appear on the sea.

可是，它們等了一個多月，大鰲還沒浮出海面。

When they were about to return, the sea wind suddenly sprang up and great waves surged up, shaking the land like thunder.

羣蟻將要回去的時候，突然海風激盪，波濤萬丈，雷鳴般地震撼着大地。

The swarm of ants exclaimed: "Ah, now the huge turtle is about to come out."

這羣螞蟻喊道: “啊，這回大鰲就要出來了。”

A few days afterwards, the wind abated, the waves calmed down, and the sea was tranquil again.

幾天以後，風平浪靜，大海平靜了下來。

A mountain as high as the sky could be faintly seen rising from the surface of the water and sometimes moving westward.

隱隱約約看到水平面上升起一座齊天的高山，時而還向西遊動。

The swarm of ants stretched their heads to watch it for a while, and then expressed their opinions:

這羣螞蟻伸頭探腦看了一陣，大發議論道:

"Why, what's the difference between its carrying a high mountain on its head and our carrying grains of rice on ours?

“嘿嘿，它頭頂高山與我們頭頂米粒有什麼兩樣呢?

We crawl along the ants' hill leisurely and freely, and return to our hole to rest.

我們逍遙自在地在蟻山上爬行，回到洞裏歇息。

That is: Each has a role to play.

這叫各得其所。

Why should we waste our energy and cover several hundred li to watch it?"

何必白費力氣奔波數百里來看它呢?”