農(nóng)夫和蛇 The Farmer and the Snake

      ONE WINTER a Farmer found a Snake stiff and frozen with cold.  He had compassion on it, and taking it up, placed it in his bosom.  The Snake was quickly revived by the warmth, and resuming its natural instincts, bit its benefactor, inflicting on him a mortal wound.  "Oh," cried the Farmer with his last breath, "I am rightly served for pitying a scoundrel." 

      The greatest kindness will not bind the ungrateful. 

      冬天，農(nóng)夫發(fā)現(xiàn)一條蛇凍僵了，他很可憐它，便把蛇放在自己懷里。蛇溫暖后，蘇醒了過來，恢復(fù)了它的本性，咬了它的恩人一口，使他受到了致命的傷害。農(nóng)夫臨死前說：“我該死，我憐憫惡人，應(yīng)該受惡報。”

      這故事說明，即使對惡人仁至義盡，他們的邪惡本性也是不會改變的。