the Nail釘子

Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

　　A merchant had done well at the fair. He had sold all his wares, and filled his moneybag with gold and silver. He now wanted to make his way toward home, and to be in his own house before nightfall. So he loaded his duffel bag with the money onto his horse, and rode away.

　　At noon made a rest stop in a town. When he was about to continue on his way, a servant brought him his horse and said, "Sir, a nail is missing from the shoe on his left hind hoof."

　　"Let it be," answered the merchant. "The shoe will certainly stay on for the six hours that I still have to ride. I am in a hurry."

　　That afternoon, when he dismounted once again and had his horse fed, a servant came into the inn and said, "Sir, a shoe is missing from your horse's left hind hoof. Shall I take him to the blacksmith?"

　　"Let it be," answered the man. "The horse can manage for the few hours that I still have to ride. I am in a hurry."

　　He rode on, but before long the horse began to limp. It did not limp long before it began to stumble, and it did not stumble long before it fell down and broke a leg. The merchant had to leave the horse where it was, and unbuckle the duffel bag, load it onto his shoulder, and walk home on foot, not arriving there until very late that night.

　　"All this bad luck," he said to himself, "was caused by that cursed nail."

　　Haste makes waste.

一個商人在集市上生意紅火，他賣完了所有的貨，錢袋裝得滿滿的。他想天黑前趕到家，便把錢箱捆在了馬背上，騎著馬兒出發了。

　　中午時分，他到了一個鎮上休息了一會。當他想繼續趕路時，馬童牽出馬來對他說：“老爺，馬后腿的蹄鐵上需要加顆釘子。”“由它去吧，”商人回答說，“這塊蹄鐵肯定能撐到走完這六里路，我要急著趕路呢！”

　　下午時候，他又一次叫人喂馬，馬童走進房間對他說：“老爺，馬后腿上的一塊蹄鐵掉了，要不要我把它帶到鐵匠那去呢？”“由它去吧！”商人回答說，“這馬一定能堅持走完這剩下的幾里路，我時間緊著呢！”

　　他騎著馬兒繼續往前走，但不久以后馬就開始一步一瘸的了，再過會兒就開始踉踉蹌蹌，最后它終於跌倒在地，折斷了腿。那生意人只好扔下他的馬，解下錢箱扛在背上，步行回家。等趕回家時已是午夜時分，只聽他嘀咕著：“都是那顆該死的釘子把我給害慘了。”

　　欲速則不達。