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（译者: 爱尔兰UCD 赖小琪）
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.
美洲虎是一种濒临灭绝的动物,据说,现在世界上尚存不足20只,其中有一只生活在秘鲁的国家动物园里。为了保护这只美洲虎,秘鲁人在动物园里单独圈出一块地,让它自由生存,圈地中有成群的牛、羊、鹿供老虎享用。参观过虎园的人都说这是“虎的天堂”。然而奇怪的是,没人看见这只老虎去捕捉牛羊,唯一见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.
一些市民认为它太孤独了,就集资从国外租雌虎来陪它生活。然而此举并未带来多大改观,那只老虎最多陪伴外来的“女友”走出虎房,到阳光下站一站,不久就又回到它的“卧室”。“它怎能不懒洋洋呢?虎是林中之王,你们放一群吃草的小动物,能提起它的兴趣吗?这么大的一个老虎保护区,你们不放两只狼,至少也得放一只豺狗吧?”一位来此参观的市民建议道。人们觉得他说得有理,就把5只美洲豹投进了虎园。结果,自从豹子进园后,美洲虎就再没回过虎房,它不是站在山顶长啸,就是从山上下来,在草地上游荡,不再长时间睡觉,不再吃管理员送来的肉,基本恢复了本性。
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?”
不仅是动物,人也如此。有则故事说,一个富人为独生女儿选婿,求婚者众多。于是这个富人将求婚的男子们带到一条河边,指着河中的鳄鱼说:“如果有人能够安全地游到对岸,我就把女儿嫁给他。”这些男子你看我我看你,谁也不敢跳进河里。正在互相观望之际,突然有一个男子“扑通”一声跳了下去,然后以超乎寻常的速度游到对岸。大家对这个勇敢的男子充满钦佩和羡慕,报以热烈的掌声。没想到这个男子上岸后,生气地大声问:“刚才是谁把我推下河去的?”
