双语故事:The Ass and His Masters 驴和他的三任主人

 AN ASS¹, belonging to an herb-seller who gave him too little foodand too much work made a petition to Jupiter to be released fromhis present service and provided with another master. Jupiter,after warning him that he would repent² his request, caused him tobe sold to a tile-maker. Shortly afterwards, finding that he hadheavier loads to carry and harder work in the brick-field, hepetitioned for another change of master. Jupiter, telling himthat it would be the last time that he could grant his request,ordained that he be sold to a tanner. The Ass found that he hadfallen into worse hands, and noting his master's occupation,said, groaning³: "It would have been better for me to have beeneither starved by the one, or to have been overworked by theother of my former masters, than to have been bought by mypresent owner, who will even after I am dead tan my hide, andmake me useful to him." 

    草药商人的一头驴，因不满自己吃不饱还要干重活，向朱庇特请愿，希望能给自己换个主人，使自己从眼前的苦难中解脱出来。朱庇特提醒他，也许他会后悔做这个请求。驴执意。于是朱庇特使他被卖给了一个烧砖工。驴很快就发现自己在砖地里要干更重的活，驮更重的东西。于是他再一次请求更换主人。朱庇特告诉他，这将是他的最后一次机会。这一次，驴被一个皮革匠给买走了。知道了新主人的行当后，驴发现自己落入了更悲惨的境地，他痛苦的呻吟道，“在第一位主人那儿挨饿也好，在第二位主人那累死累活也罢，怎么着也比现在这种情况好啊。等我死了，他还要扒了我的皮，当做我对他的最后一点用处。”

   He that finds discontentment in one place is not likely to find happiness in another

   总是对现状不满的人，到哪都不会如意。

1 ass   

n.驴；傻瓜，蠢笨的人

参考例句：

• He is not an ass as they make him.他不象大家猜想的那样笨。
• An ass endures his burden but not more than his burden.驴能负重但不能超过它能力所负担的。

2 repent   

v.悔悟，悔改，忏悔，后悔

参考例句：

• He has nothing to repent of.他没有什么要懊悔的。
• Remission of sins is promised to those who repent.悔罪者可得到赦免。

3 groaning   

adj. 呜咽的, 呻吟的 动词groan的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• She's always groaning on about how much she has to do. 她总抱怨自己干很多活儿。
• The wounded man lay there groaning, with no one to help him. 受伤者躺在那里呻吟着，无人救助。