中國寓言故事雙語版 第88期:驚弓之鳥
There was an archer named Geng Ying in the State of Wei.
魏國有位射手名叫更贏。
He went sightseeing with the King of Wei at Jingtai.
他跟隨魏王在京臺遊玩。
At that time a bird was circling around in the sky, uttering sad and shrill cries now and then.
這時有一隻鳥在空中盤旋，還不時發出淒厲的叫聲。
The King of Wei looked up at it for a while and said to Geng Ying:
魏王擡頭看了一會兒，便對更贏說:
"Do you see that bird? Can you shoot it down?"
“你看見那隻鳥了嗎?你能把它射下來嗎?”
"I can shoot it down without using an arrow," Geng Ying said.
更贏說:“這隻鳥，我不用箭就能把它射下來。”
After a while, the bird flew near.
一會兒，那隻鳥飛近了。
Geng Ying pulled his bow to the full, plucked the bowstring, and at the sound the bird fell to the ground before their feet.
更贏拉滿弓，撥動了一下弓弦，鳥就應聲落在他們跟前。
The King of Wei said in surprise: "You can shoot down a bird without an arrow. Your skill in archery is really wonderful."
魏王驚奇地說: “你不用箭就能把飛鳥射下來，你射箭的技術真高明啊!”
Geng Ying said: "Your Majesty, this is not due to my good skill, but because this is a bird of bad luck.
更贏說: “大王，這不是我的技術高明，而是因爲這是一隻倒黴的鳥。
You can hear how sadly and shrilly it wailed, and see how tiredly it flew.
你聽它叫得那樣淒厲，飛得那樣疲乏。
It was already wounded, and for a long time could not find its companion.
它已經負了傷，很長時間找不到伴侶。
Therefore it couldn't stand the least fright.
所以經不起一點點的驚嚇。
As soon as I twanged my bow, it thought it had been shot and fell down of its own accord from the sky.
我的弓弦一響，它就以爲是被射中了，自己從空中跌落下來。
What a pitiful bird frightened by the mere twang of a bowstring!"
多麼可憐的驚弓之鳥啊!”
