【阅读原文】
The Boy Who Cried Wolf
A shepherd-boy, who watched a flock of sheep near a village, brought out the villagers three or four times by crying out, "Wolf! Wolf!" and when his neighbors came to help him, laughed at them for their pains.
The Wolf, however, did truly come at last. The Shepherd-boy, now really alarmed, shouted in an agony of terror: "Pray, do come and help me; the Wolf is killing the sheep"; but no one paid any heed to his cries, nor rendered any assistance. The Wolf, having no cause of fear, at his leisure lacerated or destroyed the whole flock.
There is no believing a liar, even when he speaks the truth.
【参考译文】
狼来了
一个牧童,在一个村子的边上放羊,他三番四次地喊“狼来了”,村民听到后都跑出来帮他,但其实狼并没有来,牧童只是拿他们来开玩笑。
不过,狼,最后真的来了。这时,牧童真的着急了,他非常害怕地叫喊:“求求你们了,过来帮帮我吧,狼正在吃羊了”,但没有人理他,更没有人来帮他。结果,那只狼肆无忌惮对羊群大开杀戒,羊群一下子就全毁了。
这故事告诉我们:撒谎的人是没人相信的,即使当他说实话的时候。