An oak got talking with a reed one day: "you certainly have cause of nature to complain; why even a sparrow's weight for you is quite a strain. At even the slightest breeze that makes the ripples¹ play, you quake as if you're touched with blight²; you bend and bow so desolate³, indeed you are a sorry sight."

 

"Now I, like Caucasus in all his pride and state 'Tis little that the rage of Phoebus I abate⁴; Laughing at hurricanes; beneath thunder's roar at ease, I stand as strong and straight, as though I bore a shield of peace inviolate⁵. For you each breath's a storm, for me the storm's a breeze. For you each breath's a storm, for me the storm's a breeze. If only you were growing somewhere close, then in the depths of shade that my broad boughs⁶ could lend you form stress of weather I could easily defend you.Alas⁷ that nature for your dwelling⁸ chose the banks of a Eolus, the stormy realm of air; No doubt, for such as you she found no time to care. 'You are full of charity,' the reed replied with scorn; 'But do not be distressed⁹! My lot can well be borne! If storms I fear, it is not for my sake."

 

"Though bend I must I shall not break; Tis little harm they do to me. Methinks, for you yourself more danger there may be Tis true that up till now, beneath the fiercest blast Your sturdy from stands firm and fast; from all its angry blows you face you never hide; but wait and see the end!"

 

And scarce the reed had thus replied when see, all sudden from the North. The boisterous¹⁰ aquilo  with hail and rain broke forth¹¹. The oak stood firm; the reed down to the earth must bend. On raged the storm still fiercer than before Till, roaring, from his root it tore, The tree that close to heaven his towering summit flaunted¹² and in the realm of shade his sturdy foot had planted.

 

一天，一棵橡胶树和芦苇交谈。橡树说：“你的确有权抱怨老天，不是吗？即使是一只麻雀，你也会觉得沉重不堪。即使是引起涟漪的微风，你也会颤抖地像遇到灾难，你摇摇摆摆，俯首低头，十分凄凉，看着真让人悲哀心痛。”

 

“而我却像高加索山脉一样威严自豪……太阳的威严，对我只是小事一桩，狂风大作，我敢嗤之以鼻，雷声咆哮，我仍然安然自在，我矗立得笔直遒劲，仿佛握着弓不破的和平之盾。对于你，清风拂过就是风暴，对于我，一场风暴只是徐徐和风。只要你生长在我的周围，我宽广的枝叶就可以借给你浓荫，遇到险厄的天气，我就可以庇护你。可惜老天为你选择的住所是风神的河岸，是狂风暴雨的国土。无疑，像你这样，老天来不及照顾。”

 

芦苇鄙夷地说：“你真是一片好心，可你不用担心，我的的命令自能安然无恙！即使我害怕风暴，也不是因为我自己，虽然我要俯首弯腰，但是不会折断，暴风雨对我的损害并不大。我认为，你自己的危险倒可能更大，的确，到现在为止，再猛烈的风暴中，你茁壮的身体屹立不动，你也从未躲避过狂风暴雨的正面打击，可是，还是看看最后得结果吧！”

 

芦苇刚刚这样说完，突然之间，呼啸的北风夹带着冰雹，还有暴雨从北方袭来。橡树屹立不动，而芦苇必须俯倒在地，风雨更加狂暴了，那树尖钻入云霄、炫耀夸口的橡树，那跟深入浓荫下土壤内，茁壮的橡树，最终被呼啸的风连根拔起来了。

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