Words & phrases
冻僵
dòng jiāng
be numb with cold
Model sentences
农夫在雪地里发现一条不能动的蛇。
nóng fū zài xuě dì lǐ fā xiàn yì tiáo bù néng dòng de shé。
A farmer finds a motionless snake in the snow.
蛇已经冻僵，身体僵硬，暂时不能活动。
shé yǐ jīng dòng jiāng， shēn tǐ jiāng yìng， zàn shí bù néng huó dòng。
The snake is numbed by cold, stiff and temporarily unable to move.
农夫心生怜悯，把蛇放进自己的衣服里。
nóng fū xīn shēng lián mǐn， bǎ shé fàng jìn zì jǐ de yī fú lǐ。
The farmer feels compassion and places the snake inside his clothing.
面对可能伤人的动物，善意不能代替对危险的认识。
miàn duì kě néng shāng rén de dòng wù， shàn yì bù néng dài tì duì wēi xiǎn de rèn shi。
When facing an animal that may cause harm, kindness cannot replace awareness of danger.
帮助别人以前，我们要根据事实作出判断。
bāng zhù bié rén yǐ qián， wǒ men yào gēn jù shì shí zuò chū pàn duàn。
Before helping someone, we should make a judgement based on the facts.
这则寓言提醒人们，善良也需要智慧。
zhè zé yù yán tí xǐng rén men， shàn liáng yě xū yào zhì huì。
This fable reminds people that kindness also requires wisdom.
农夫和蛇
冬天，一个农夫沿着小路回家，看见雪地里蜷着一条蛇，身体冻得僵硬，一动不动。
dōng tiān， yí ge nóng fū yán zhe xiǎo lù huí jiā， kàn jiàn xuě dì lǐ quán zhe yì tiáo shé， shēn tǐ dòng de jiāng yìng， yí dòng bù dòng。
On a winter walk home, a farmer sees a snake curled in the snow, frozen stiff and motionless.
农夫把篮子放在路旁，蹲下来看了很久。蛇没有抬头，也没有移动，看起来像已经失去了力气；他想到自己在寒风里的感觉，便只顾着怜悯，没有先考虑眼前是什么动物。
nóng fū bǎ lán zi fàng zài lù páng， dūn xià lai kàn le hěn jiǔ。 shé méi yǒu tái tóu， yě méi yǒu yí dòng， kàn qǐ lái xiàng yǐ jīng shī qù le lì qì； tā xiǎng dào zì jǐ zài hán fēng lǐ de gǎn jué， biàn zhǐ gù zhe lián mǐn， méi yǒu xiān kǎo lǜ yǎn qián shì shén me dòng wù。
The farmer sets his basket down and watches the motionless snake. Thinking of his own discomfort in the cold, he feels pity without first considering what animal he faces.
农夫停下来，觉得它十分可怜，便伸手把它拾起，放进自己的衣服里。
nóng fū tíng xià lai， jué de tā shí fēn kě lián， biàn shēn shǒu bǎ tā shí qǐ， fàng jìn zì jǐ de yī fú lǐ。
Feeling sorry for it, he picks it up and puts it inside his coat.
他想：“等它暖和起来，就能继续活下去了。”于是用身体给蛇取暖。
tā xiǎng：“děng tā nuǎn huo qǐ lai， jiù néng jì xù huó xià qù le。” yú shì yòng shēn tǐ gěi shé qǔ nuǎn。
“Once it warms up, it will be able to live,” he thinks, warming it with his body.
衣服里的温度渐渐上升，农夫继续往家走，心里想着自己做了一件好事。他没有留意蛇的身体已经开始伸展，也没有把它放到能够保持距离的地方；原来安静的样子，使他以为以后也会一直安全。
yī fú lǐ de wēn dù jiàn jiàn shàng shēng， nóng fū jì xù wǎng jiā zǒu， xīn lǐ xiǎng zhe zì jǐ zuò le yí jiàn hǎo shì。 tā méi yǒu liú yì shé de shēn tǐ yǐ jīng kāi shǐ shēn zhǎn， yě méi yǒu bǎ tā fàng dào néng gòu bǎo chí jù lí de dì fang； yuán lái ān jìng de yàng zi， shǐ tā yǐ wéi yǐ hòu yě huì yì zhí ān quán。
Walking home, he feels pleased with helping. He does not notice the snake stretching or keep a distance, assuming its earlier stillness means lasting safety.
过了一会儿，蛇渐渐恢复知觉，慢慢动了起来。
guò le yí huì er， shé jiàn jiàn huī fù zhī jué， màn màn dòng le qǐ lai。
After a while, the snake gradually regains awareness and begins to move.
农夫正要低头看看，蛇却突然张嘴，咬了他一口。
nóng fū zhèng yào dī tóu kàn kan， shé què tū rán zhāng zuǐ， yǎo le tā yì kǒu。
Just as the farmer bends to look, the snake suddenly bites him.
他急忙把蛇放开，才发现自己以为的善意，并没有使眼前的危险消失。
tā jí máng bǎ shé fàng kāi， cái fā xiàn zì jǐ yǐ wéi de shàn yì， bìng méi yǒu shǐ yǎn qián de wēi xiǎn xiāo shī。
He quickly releases the snake and realises that his good intentions have not removed the danger.
寒风仍然吹着，蛇爬回草丛，农夫捂着伤口，心里十分懊悔。
hán fēng réng rán chuī zhe， shé pá huí cǎo cóng， nóng fū wǔ zhe shāng kǒu， xīn lǐ shí fēn ào huǐ。
The cold wind still blows as the snake crawls into the grass and the farmer holds his wound in regret.
他叹息道：“我只看见它需要帮助，却忘了想一想该怎样帮助。”
tā tàn xī dào：“wǒ zhǐ kàn jiàn tā xū yào bāng zhù， què wàng le xiǎng yi xiǎng gāi zěn yàng bāng zhù。”
He sighs, “I saw only its need for help and forgot to consider how to help.”
Conversation
A 农夫为什么帮助蛇？
nóng fū wèi shén me bāng zhù shé？
Why does the farmer help the snake?
B 因为他看到蛇冻僵了，觉得它可怜。
yīn wèi tā kàn dào shé dòng jiāng le， jué de tā kě lián。
He sees it numbed by cold and feels compassion.
A 他没有考虑什么？
tā méi yǒu kǎo lǜ shén me？
What does he fail to consider?
B 靠近蛇可能带来的危险。
kào jìn shé kě néng dài lái de wēi xiǎn。
The danger of approaching it.
A 这说明所有帮助都没有用吗？
zhè shuō míng suǒ yǒu bāng zhù dōu méi yǒu yòng ma？
Does that make all help worthless?
B 不能这样概括，故事只写了这一种情况。
bù néng zhè yàng gài kuò， gù shì zhǐ xiě le zhè yì zhǒng qíng kuàng。
We cannot generalise that far from this one situation.
