小學英語雙語故事賞析：塞翁失馬

　　塞翁失馬

　　Near China‘s northern borders lived a man called Sai Weng. He raised a lot of horses.

　　戰國時期，靠近北部邊城，住著一個姓塞老人， 他養了許多馬。

　　One day， he lost one of his horses. Everyone commiserated with him.

　　一天，他的一匹走失了，人們聽說這件事，跑來安慰他。

　　“Perhaps this will soon turn out to be a blessing，” said Sai Weng.

　　塞翁說：“沒準會帶來什么福氣呢。”

　　After a few months， his horse came back， leading a fine horse from the north.

　　過了幾個月，丟失的馬不僅自己回了家，還帶回一匹匈奴的駿馬。

　　Everyone congratulated him.

　　所有人都來祝賀塞翁。

　　“Perhaps this may turn out to be a cause of misfortune，” said Sai Weng.

　　塞翁反而說：“這或許會帶來不幸呢。”

　　Since he was well-off and kept good horses， his son became fond of riding and eventually broke his leg for falling from a horse.

　　因為塞翁很富有，并且養馬養得很好，所以他的兒子也十分喜愛騎馬。但沒想到有一次騎馬時，他的兒子從馬上掉了下來，摔斷了腿。

　　Everyone commiserated with him. “Perhaps this will soon turn out to be a blessing，” said his father.

　　人們于是又去安慰塞翁。但塞翁卻說：“也許這次又會帶來好運呢。”

　　One year later， the northern tribes started a big invasion of the border regions.

　　一年以后，匈奴入侵邊境。

　　This man’s son did not join in the fighting because he was crippled and so he survived.

　　但是塞翁的兒子因為腿斷了便沒有被征入當兵隊伍之中，而其他很多當兵的青年都戰死在了沙場，塞翁的兒子因此保住了性命。

　　【文化鏈接】

　　成語“塞翁失馬”如果用于英文表達，可以使用短語“blessing or bane ”，“blessing”的意思是“好運”，“bane”的意思則是“厄運，禍事”，所以放在一起就可以表達“塞翁失馬”的意思。

　　但是，英文表達“blessing or bane ”常會用來單純的表示“是禍是福”的意思，比如：

　　Technology， a blessing or a bane？

　　高科技，是禍是福？