Ants were once men and made their living by tilling the soil. But, not content with the results of their own work, they were always eating longing¹ eyes upon the crops and fruits of their neighbours, which they stole, whenever they got the chance, and added to their own store. At last their covetousness² made Jupiter so angry that he changed them into ants. But, though their forms were changed, their nature remained the same: and so, to this day, they go about among the cornfields and gather the fruits of others' labour, and store them up for their own use.

 

You may punish a thief, but his bent³ remains⁴.

 

很久很久以前，蚂蚁本来是人，以耕地为生。但是，他们不满足于自己的劳动所得，总是盯着邻居的水果和庄稼羡慕不已，只要一有机会，他们就会偷邻居的食物，放在自己的储藏室。后来，他们的贪婪让朱庇特十分生气，便把他们变成了现在的蚂蚁。然而，虽然他们的模样改变了，本性却依然未变。直到现在，他们仍然会到别人的田里采集人家的劳动成果，贮存起来留作自己的食物。

 

你可以惩罚小偷，但他们的恶习依然如故。

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