燒炭者和漂洗工 The Charcoal-Burner and the Fuller

     A CHARCOAL-BURNER carried on his trade in his own house.  One day he met a friend, a Fuller, and entreated him to come and live with him, saying that they should be far better neighbors and that their housekeeping expenses would be lessened.  The Fuller replied, "The arrangement is impossible as far as I am concerned, for whatever I should whiten, you would immediately blacken again with your charcoal."  

     Like will draw like.

     燒炭人與漂布人

  燒炭人在一所房子里經(jīng)營，看見有一個漂布人搬遷到他的旁邊來住時，滿懷高興地走上去勸他與自己同住，并解釋說這樣彼此更親密，更方便，還更省錢。漂布人卻回答說：“也

  許你說的是真話，但完全不可能辦到，因為凡我所漂白的，都將被你弄黑。”

  這故事說明，不同類的人難相處。