The lion's Sjare

The Lion went once a-hunting along with the Fox, the Jackal, and the Wolf. They hunted and they hunted till at last they surprised a Stag, and soon took its life. Then came the question how the spoil should be divided. “Quarter me this Stag,” roared the Lion; so the other animals skinned it and cut it into four parts. Then the Lion took his stand in front of the carcass and pronounced judgment: “The first quarter is for me in my capacity as King of Beasts; the second is mine as arbiter; another share comes to me for my part in the chase; and as for the fourth quarter, well, as for that, I should like to see which of you will dare to lay a paw upon it.”

“Humph,” grumbled the Fox as he walked away with his tail between his legs;

but he spoke in a low growl—“You may share the labours of the great, but you will not share the spoil.”

獅子的分享

獅子與狐貍、豺和狼一起外出狩獵。他們奔波到筋疲力盡，終于獵到一頭鹿。但殺死鹿之后，問題來了，如何瓜分這個戰利品呢？獅子吼道：“我要四分之一。”于是其他幾個動物就將鹿撕咬成四份。隨后，獅子站在鹿的尸體前宣布他的決定：“第一份歸我，因為我是百獸之王；第二份歸我，因為我是這兒的主宰；第三份歸我，因為這次狩獵中我出力最多；至于第四份嘛，我倒想看看誰敢動一下。”

“哼！”狐貍一邊抱怨一邊夾著尾巴逃跑了，他憤憤地低聲說道—

可以共患難，卻不一定能夠同富貴。

Key points

arbiter 主宰者 capacity 才能

carcass 尸體 divide 分開

growl 低吠 grumble 抱怨；嘟囔

judgment 判決 paw 爪子

pronounce 宣布 quarter 四分之一

skin 扒皮 spoil 戰利品