2015.10.14

 

 

童趣與隱喻

  伊索寓言(An Aesop's Fable)裡有個青蛙和公牛的故事，一隻老青蛙因自大而吹破肚皮。故事沒有大道理，卻深富哲理與警惕性，在社會紛擾的今日讀來，趣味盎然也惕勵自我。

  今日國語日報英文版也刊出青蛙與公牛的故事，其主軸是告訴人們：不要這麼自大。英文有三種說法(Don’t be so proud. Don’t be so vain. Don’t be so cocky.)

  今日作者寫作語法言簡意賅，流暢易讀，比較之前所見，文筆清新，頗富童趣，轉述並比較兩篇之寫作，也為自己閱讀增添情趣。

在結尾時的變化，更增添童趣與想像。其一，直到像個氣球般飛走了。其二，可是就在這一刻肚子爆炸了。這中間充滿想像，也隱喻自大的後果—自大會導致自我毀滅。(Self- conceit may lead to self-destruction)

 

青蛙和公牛(一)

  一隻小青蛙在池塘邊看到一個巨大的生物。「啊，爸爸！」小青蛙說，我看到一隻可怕的怪物，他大如山。

  「那只是農夫的公牛」，老青蛙說。他沒有這麼大。他可能只比我大一點。於是老青蛙深深吸了一口氣，並把自己吹鼓起來。我現在和她一樣大了嗎？老青蛙問。

 「不，公牛比這還大」，小青蛙說。所以老青蛙空氣越吸越多，他一吹再吹，身體不斷膨脹再膨脹，直到像個氣球般飛走了。

A little frog saw a huge creature by the pond. “Oh, Father!” said the little frog.” I saw a terrible monster! It was as big as a mountain.”

 “That was only farmer’s ox,” said the old frog. “It isn’t so big. It may just be a little bigger than I am.” Then the old frog took a deep breath and blew himself out.” Am I as big as it is now?” asked the old frog.

“No, the ox was much bigger than that”, said the little frog. So the old frog sucked in more and more air. He blew and blew, and swelled and swelled until flew off like a balloon.

青蛙和公牛(二)

  啊，爸爸，坐在池塘邊的小青蛙說，我看到可怕的怪物，他大如山，頭上長著長角，和一條長尾巴，他的蹄分為二。

  老青蛙亨一聲說，「這只是農夫的白牛，他沒有那麼大；他可能比我稍微高一點，我很容易讓自己變大」；你看。於是他深深吸了口氣把自己吹鼓起來。老青蛙問：我現在和牠一樣大了嗎？

  小青蛙說：比這更大。老青蛙再吹並問小青蛙公牛是不是和自己一樣大，小青蛙回答：還要更大。所以青蛙深呼一口氣，繼續用力吹，身體不斷膨脹，並說：牛沒有這麼大，可是就在這一刻肚子爆炸了。

The Frog and the Ox

  "Oh Father," said a little Frog to the big one sitting by the side of a pool, "I have seen such a terrible monster! It was as big as a mountain, with horns on its head, and a long tail, and it had hoofs divided in two."

  "Tush, child, tush," said the old Frog, "that was only Farmer White's Ox. It isn't so big either; he may be a little bit taller than I, but I could easily make myself quite as broad; just you see." So he blew himself out, and blew himself out, and blew himself out. "Was he as big as that?" asked he.

  "Oh, much bigger than that," said the young Frog. Again the old one blew himself out, and asked the young one if the Ox was as big as that. "Bigger, father, bigger," was the reply. So the Frog took a deep breath, and blew and blew and blew, and swelled and swelled and swelled. And then he said: "I'm sure the Ox is not as big as this. But at this moment he burst.