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Sharing a business house with common ledger, the partners in an honest trade a very pretty pile had made, and now accounts were closed and each his profit weighed.
幾個人合作開了一家店，做著誠實守信的買賣，賺了一筆小錢。此時，賬目都結算好了，每個人都估算著各自的收益。
For few is sharing up an undiluted pleasure, and while the argument gets higher still and higher, an eighbour rushes in and bellows,“House on fire.”
由于在分紅上有了分歧，他們的爭吵聲越來越大，這時，一個鄰居沖進來嚷道：“房子著火了！”
“Make haste, make haste, and save the house and stores!”cries partner Brown,“Come out of doors! The accounts at present we can leave.”
“快，快，搶救房子和貨物！”一個合伙人吼道，“快出去！先不算這些賬了。”
“All very well, if first my hundred I receive!”John Davies shouted,“I shall not leave this house without it!”
“先不算也好，只是我要先把我的那份拿到手。”另一個喊道，“拿不到錢，我絕不走出這間屋子！”
“Two hundred’s due to me. The accounts are clear as day!”cries partner Jones.
“我應得二百，賬目上說得清清楚楚！”又有一個嚷著。
The rest won’t have it anyway. It’s“Why?”It’s“How?”It’s“No! You’re wrong!”
其余的合伙人也都不讓步。這個說：“為什么？”那個說：“怎么樣？”還有人說：“那不行，你錯了！”
The fire is treated as a joke. These silly fellows keep it up so long, the fumes their angry voices choke, and they, their spoils, their broils all vanish into smoke.
所有的人都把火災當做兒戲。這些蠢貨沒完沒了地吵，最后，他們憤怒的聲音被濃煙所湮沒。于是，他們、他們的紅利及憤怒，都化成了灰燼。
寓意：
原本應聯合起來對付共同危急的合伙人，卻為了一己私利而爭執不休，結果，所有的當事人都走向了毀滅。現實生活中，這一類的人存在不少，因過分注重個人利益，致使團體分裂，公司倒閉，甚至親人之間反目成仇。
