Two men were buying meat at a butcher's stall in the marketplace, and, while the butcher's back was turned for a moment, one of them snatched up a joint¹ and hastily thrust it under the other's of them snatched up a joint and hastily thrust it under the other's cloak, where it could not be seen. When the butcher turned round, he missed the meat at once, and charged them with having stolen it: but the one who had taken it said he hadn't taken it. The butcher felt sure they were deceiving him, but he only said, "You may cheat me with your lying, but you can't cheat the gods, and they won't let you off so lightly."

 

Prevarication² often amounts to perjury³.

 

两个人正在市场里屠户的摊位上买肉，屠夫刚一转身背向他们，其中一人便抓起一块腱子肉，迅速放进另一个人的斗篷里，谁也没看到他的举动。待屠夫转过身来，立刻注意到少了一块肉，便指控他们偷了肉。但是，拿了肉的那个人说自己没有偷，而得到肉的那个人也说自己没有拿。屠夫确信他们是在欺骗自己，但仅仅说了一句话：“你可以用谎言来欺骗我，但却骗不了神，他们不会这么轻易放过你的。”

 

相互推诿等同于欺骗。

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