過去貴州(黔)這個(gè)地方?jīng)]有驢。有個(gè)多事的人用船運(yùn)來(lái)了一頭驢,運(yùn)來(lái)后卻沒有什么用處,就把驢放到山腳下。
A tiger saw the donkey, and thought that it must be a fearsome(可怕的) monster. It hide behind a tree and spied on the donkey.
一只老虎看見了驢,以為這個(gè)軀體高大的家伙一定很神奇,就躲在樹林里偷偷觀察著,后來(lái)又悄悄走出來(lái),小心翼翼地接近驢,不知道驢子的底細(xì)。
When the donkey brayed(叫) , the tiger was frightened, thinking that the donkey was about to devour(吞食,毀滅) it. After a while, seeing that the donkey had not moved, the tiger approached it and teased it. The donkey became angry, and kicked the tiger.
有一天,驢叫了一聲,大虎大吃一驚,遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)躲開,以為驢要咬自己了,非常恐懼。然而,老虎反復(fù)觀察以后,覺得驢并沒有什么特殊本領(lǐng),而且越來(lái)越熟悉驢的叫聲了。老虎開始走到驢的前后,轉(zhuǎn)來(lái)轉(zhuǎn)去,還不敢上去攻擊驢。以后,老虎慢慢逼近驢,越來(lái)越放肆,或者碰它一下,或者靠它一下,不斷冒犯它。驢非常惱怒,就用蹄子去踢老虎。
The tiger thought to itself: "Its then all it is capable of?" It then jumped on the donkey and ate it.
老虎心里盤算著:“你的本事也不過如此罷了!”非常高興。于是老虎騰空撲去,大吼一聲,咬斷了驢的喉管,啃完了驢的肉,才離去了。
This idiom is used to mean that one has exhauseted one's skills.
唉!那驢的軀體高大,好像有德行;聲音洪亮,好像有本事。假如不顯出那有限的本事,老虎雖然兇猛,也會(huì)存有疑慮畏懼的心理,終究不敢攻擊它?,F(xiàn)在落得如此下場(chǎng),不是很可悲嗎?