三头奶牛

胡杨

Once， three cows lived in a green farm near a forest： a white cow， a black cow and a reddish-brown1 cow. The cows were kind to each other. They used to graze2 in the countryside together3 and sleep near each other.

从前，有三头奶牛生活在森林附近一个绿色的牧场里：一头白奶牛，一头黑奶牛和一头红褐色奶牛。奶牛们对彼此都很友善，它们过去常常在村里一起吃草和睡觉。

One day， a reddish-brown lion came to the forest. It was hungry4 and looking for food. The lion was very happy when he saw the cows， but the lion couldnt attack5 them， because they were together. So， the lion sat behind a big tree and wanted the cows would separate6 from each other.

一天，一只红褐色的狮子来到森林里，它饿了，正在寻找食物。狮子看到奶牛们非常高兴，但狮子攻击不了它们，因为它们待在一起。于是，狮子坐在一棵大树后面，希望奶牛们能分开。

However， the cows were too clever. They knew that if they were together， no one could attack them. The lion lay in nearby for two or three days. But the cows still together， and wouldnt leave each other. The lion went to the cows， and said， “How are you my friends？ Are you fine？ I have been busy these days， so I couldnt come and visit you. Today I made up my mind to pay you a visit.”

然而，奶牛們太聪明了，它们知道如果待在一起，就没有其他动物可以攻击它们。狮子在附近躺了两三天，但是奶牛们继续待在一起，不愿分开。狮子走向奶牛们，和它们打招呼道：“我的朋友们，你们好吗？我最近很忙，所以没能来看你们。今天我决定来拜访你们。”

The reddish-brown cow said， “Sir， your coming has really pleased7 us.”

红褐色奶牛说：“先生，您的到来使我们非常高兴。”

Both the white and the black cows were unhappy. They said to each other， “Why does the reddish-brown cow believe what the lion says？ Doesnt it know that lions talk to other animals only to kill them？”

白色奶牛和黑色奶牛都不高兴。它们交谈道：“红褐色奶牛为什么相信狮子说的话？难道它不知道狮子和其他动物说话只是为了杀死它们吗？”

As the days passed8 by， the reddish-brown cow made friends with the lion. The black cow and the white cow advised9 it not to make friends with lions.

随着时间的流逝，红褐色奶牛和狮子成为了朋友。黑色奶牛和白色奶牛劝它不要和狮子交朋友。

One day， the lion said to the reddish-brown cow， “You know that the color of our bodies is dark and that the color of the body of the white cow is light10. It will be very good if I eat the white cow， so that there will be no difference11 between us any longer and we can live well.”

一天，狮子对红褐色奶牛说：“你知道，我们的身体都是深色的，而白色奶牛是浅色的。如果我能吃掉这头白色奶牛，那就太好了。这样我和你们之间就不再有差别了，我们就可以好好生活了。”

The reddish-brown cow accepted12 the lions idea and started talking to the black cow to keep it busy， so that the lion could eat the white cow. The white cow was left alone and was killed， while the black and the reddish-brown cows were busy in talk.

红褐色奶牛接受了狮子的说法，开始和黑色奶牛说话，让它忙起来，这样狮子就可以去吃白色奶牛了。落单的白色奶牛被狮子杀了，而黑色奶牛和红褐色奶牛则正忙着闲聊。

Two or three days passed since the lion killed the white cow. It became hungry again. It called the reddish-brown cow. The cow answered， “Yes， sir！”

自從狮子吃掉那头白色奶牛后，已经过去两三天了。狮子又饿了，它叫住那头红褐色奶牛，牛答道：“您说，先生！”

The lion said， “The color of my body and the color of your body are both reddish-brown， and black does not go with our color. It will be very good if I eat the black cow， so that in this forest we all will be of the same color.” The reddish-brown cow accepted this idea and moved away from the black cow.

狮子说：“你和我身体的颜色都是红褐色，黑色和我们的颜色不相配。如果我吃了这头黑色奶牛，那就太好了。这样，在这片森林里，我们俩就都是一样的颜色了。”红褐色奶牛接受了这个意见，离开了黑色奶牛。

The lion attacked and killed the black cow soon. And as for the reddish-brown cow， it was so happy that it didnt know what to do. It grazed and said to itself， “It is only me who has the color of the lion.”

狮子很快就攻击并杀掉了黑色奶牛。至于那只红褐色奶牛，它太过开心以至于不知所措。它吃着草，自言自语地说：“只有我才拥有狮子的颜色。”

A few days passed later， the lion was hungry again. It shouted， “Oh， the reddish-brown cow！Where are you？” The reddish-brown cow went forward and said， “Yes， sir！”

几天后，狮子又饿了，它喊道：“哦，红褐色奶牛！你在哪？”红褐色奶牛走上前答道：“我在这儿，先生！”

The lion said， “Today it is your turn. Get yourself ready. I am going to eat you.”

狮子说：“今天轮到你了。准备好吧，我要吃了你。”

The reddish-brown cow said， “Why sir， I am your friend. I did whatever you asked me to do. Still why do you want to eat me？”

红褐色奶牛说：“为什么，先生？我是你的朋友，你让我做什么我都做了。可是你为什么还是要吃我？”

The lion said， “I have no friends. How does a lion make friends with a cow？”

狮子说：“我没有朋友。狮子怎么会和奶牛交朋友呢？”

The reddish-brown cow begged13， but the lion didnt accept its words. The cow said， “Mr. Lion， please let me speak some words before you eat me.”

红褐色奶牛求起饶来，但是狮子不听它的话。奶牛说：“狮子先生，在你吃我之前，请让我说几句话。”

The lion said， “OK. Quickly， quickly！”

狮子说：“好。搞快点，搞快点！”

The reddish-brown cow shouted，“I was eaten the very day the white cow was eaten. I was eaten the very day the black cow was eaten. I was eaten the very day I made friends with the lion.”

红褐色奶牛大叫道：“就在白色奶牛被吃掉的那天，我也被吃掉了;在黑色奶牛被吃掉的那天，我也被吃掉了;在我和狮子交上朋友的那天，我就被吃掉了。”

The lion killed the reddish-brown cow very quickly. Then it said to itself， “I have finished my job in this forest. Now I had better go to other forests.”

狮子很快就杀掉了红褐色奶牛，然后自言自语地说：“我在这森林里的任务已经完成了，现在我最好到别的森林去。”

Any group without unity14 will easily be destroyed15.

任何不团结的团体都很容易被别人摧毁。