A bat, a bramble and a cormorant¹ entered into covenants² with articles, to join stocks, and trade in partnership³ together. The bat's adventure was ready money that he took up at interest; the bramble's was in cloths; and the cormorant's in brass⁴. They put to sea, and it so fell out ,that ship and goods were both lost by stress of weather: but the three merchants by providence⁵ got safe to land. Since the time of this miscarriage⁶, the bat never stirs abroad till night, for fear of his creditors⁷. The bramble lays hold of all the deaths he can come at in hope to light upon his own again: and the cormorant is still sauntering by the sea-side, to see if he can find any of his brass cast up.

 

Any notable misfortune will stick by a man as long as lie live。

 

蝙蝠、荆棘和鸬鹚订立了契约，决定合伙做生意。蝙蝠借了高利贷，荆棘购买了衣服，而鸬鹚则购买了铜。于是三人乘船出海，不幸的是，天公不作美，船和货物都沉没了；所幸三个商人还都安全地到了岸边。从此以后，蝙蝠怕见到他的债主，只有晚上才敢出来活动；荆棘缠住在他旁边的每一具尸首，希望能从中发现他自己的衣服；而鸬鹚还在海边徘徊，想看看他的铜能不能失而复得。

 

任何重大的不幸都会跟随人的一辈子。

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