評(píng)論
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（譯者: 愛爾蘭UCD 賴小琪）
Jaguar is an endangered animal. It is said that there are less than 20 jaguars in the world currently, one of which is now living in the national zoo of Peru. In order to protect this jaguar, Peruvians singled out a pitch of land in the zoo for it, where there are herds of cattle, sheep and deer for the jaguar to eat. Anyone who has visited the zoo praised it to be the “Heaven of Tiger”. However, strange enough, no one has ever seen the jaguar prey on the cattle and sheep. What we could see is its lying in its house eating and sleeping.
美洲虎是一種瀕臨滅絕的動(dòng)物,據(jù)說,現(xiàn)在世界上尚存不足20只,其中有一只生活在秘魯?shù)膰?guó)家動(dòng)物園里。為了保護(hù)這只美洲虎,秘魯人在動(dòng)物園里單獨(dú)圈出一塊地,讓它自由生存,圈地中有成群的牛、羊、鹿供老虎享用。參觀過虎園的人都說這是“虎的天堂”。然而奇怪的是,沒人看見這只老虎去捕捉牛羊,唯一見到的情景就是它躺在空洞的虎房里吃了睡、睡了吃。
Some people thought that the jaguar felt too lonely, so they collected money and rented a female tiger to accompany it. Nonetheless, it did not make too much sense. The jaguar just sometimes went out of its house with its “girlfriend”and stayed in the sun for a while before it came back to its house again. “It is normal for the jaguar to be lazy in this environment. Tiger is the king of forest but you simply put some small animals around him. That is why the jaguar shows no interest in going out. Why don’t you put two wolves or at least a jackal around him?”A visitor proposed. Others all agreed with him and put five panthers into the jaguar’s territory. Since then, the jaguar did not go back to its house any more. It either stands on top of the hill roaring or goes down from the hill strolling without sleeping all day long. It did not eat the meat provided by the zoo staff and has totally got back to its nature.
一些市民認(rèn)為它太孤獨(dú)了,就集資從國(guó)外租雌虎來陪它生活。然而此舉并未帶來多大改觀,那只老虎最多陪伴外來的“女友”走出虎房,到陽光下站一站,不久就又回到它的“臥室”。“它怎能不懶洋洋呢?虎是林中之王,你們放一群吃草的小動(dòng)物,能提起它的興趣嗎?這么大的一個(gè)老虎保護(hù)區(qū),你們不放兩只狼,至少也得放一只豺狗吧?”一位來此參觀的市民建議道。人們覺得他說得有理,就把5只美洲豹投進(jìn)了虎園。結(jié)果,自從豹子進(jìn)園后,美洲虎就再?zèng)]回過虎房,它不是站在山頂長(zhǎng)嘯,就是從山上下來,在草地上游蕩,不再長(zhǎng)時(shí)間睡覺,不再吃管理員送來的肉,基本恢復(fù)了本性。
Actually, this principle does not only apply to animals, but also apply to human beings. Here is another story. There was a rich man who was selecting a husband for his only child among a multitude of pursuers. The man led all the pursuers to a river and pointed to the crocodiles, saying, “Anyone who can swim across the river safe and sound will marry my daughter.” Those pursuers looked at each other and no one dare take the initiative. At that moment, a man plunged into the river bravely and swam at a staggering speed to the other side. All the people applauded for his courage with great sense of admiration. Nevertheless, the man, after landing on the bank, shouted angrily, “Who pushed me into the river just now?”
不僅是動(dòng)物,人也如此。有則故事說,一個(gè)富人為獨(dú)生女兒選婿,求婚者眾多。于是這個(gè)富人將求婚的男子們帶到一條河邊,指著河中的鱷魚說:“如果有人能夠安全地游到對(duì)岸,我就把女兒嫁給他。”這些男子你看我我看你,誰也不敢跳進(jìn)河里。正在互相觀望之際,突然有一個(gè)男子“撲通”一聲跳了下去,然后以超乎尋常的速度游到對(duì)岸。大家對(duì)這個(gè)勇敢的男子充滿欽佩和羨慕,報(bào)以熱烈的掌聲。沒想到這個(gè)男子上岸后,生氣地大聲問:“剛才是誰把我推下河去的?”
