Jupiter and the Sheep 丘比特和绵羊
A sheep was once forced to submit to much harm from the other animals. He therefore appeared before Jupiter, and begged him to lessen his misery.
Jupiter appeared willing, and said to the sheep，“I see plainly, my pious creature, that I have created you too defenseless. Now choose how I had best remedy this fault.Shall I arm your jaws with terrible fangs and your feet with claws?”
“Oh, no！”exclaimed the sheep，“I will have nothing in common with the beasts of prey.”
“Or，”said Jupiter，“shall I make your bite poisonous?”
“Alas！”replied the sheep，“The poisonous snakes are so sadly detested.”
“Well, what shall I do?Shall I plant horns on your forehead, and give strength to your neck?”
“Nor that, gracious father, I should then be like the goat.”
“At the same time you would be able to injure others, if I gave you the means of defending yourself.”
“Should I, indeed?”sighed the sheep.“Oh！Then leave me, merciful father, as I am. For the power of injuring would, I am fearful, awake the desire of doing so；and it is better to suffer harm than to infIict it.”
Jupiter blessed the pious sheep, who ceased from that moment his complaints.
绵羊曾经一度被迫忍受别的动物对它造成的诸多伤害。终于有一天，它来见丘比特，恳求他为自己减轻痛苦。
丘比特看上去很乐意帮忙，他对绵羊说：“我很清楚，我虔诚的小东西，我创造的你太没有防御能力了。现在你可以选择让我来弥补这个过失。我让你的上下颚长出尖牙，脚上长出利爪，好吗？”
“哦，不！”绵羊惊叫道，“我不愿意和掠食的野兽有任何相同之处。”
“要不然，”丘比特说，“让被你咬过的动物中毒？”
“哎呀！”绵羊回答说，“毒蛇可是让人深恶痛绝的。”
“那么，我该怎么办呢？我让你的头上长出角来、让你的脖颈变得有劲儿，行吗？”
“那也不行，我的天父，那样我就会像山羊一样。”
“一旦我给了你自卫的武器，你就具有了伤害别人的能力。”
“真的会那样吗？”绵羊叹息道，“唉！那么仁慈的天父，你就让我保持原样吧。因为，我担心有了伤害别人的能力，就会引发那样去做的念头。自己忍受伤害总比给别人造成伤害要好呀。”
丘比特为这只虔诚的绵羊祝福，绵羊此后再也不抱怨了。
Practising&Exercise 实战提升篇
单词注解
wrinkIed['riŋkld]a.有皱纹的
imagine[i'mædʒin]v.想象；设想
virtue['və：tju：]n.品德
misery['mizəri]n.痛苦，苦恼
prey[prei]n.猎物，牺牲品
infIict[in'flikt]vt.把……强加给；使承受
实用句型
One day he got a bad cold and he called for a doctor.
有一天，他得了重感冒，请了一位医生过来。
A more selfish fellow I ever came across, though I admit he has got a head on him.
我从没见过这么自私的家伙，尽管我承认他有点儿头脑。
Jupiter blessed the pious sheep, who ceased from that moment his complaints.
丘比特为这只虔诚的绵羊祝福，绵羊此后再也不抱怨了。
智慧点津
With people, one can not just see so much of the failings and be blind to their virtues.
与人交往不能只看到他人身上的缺点而无视他们的优点。
One tying him down with too many things but can not put down them, leads to an end with nothing being received.
一个人被太多事情所牵绊，而又无法放下，到最后什么也无法得到。
