The Rabbits Who Caused All the Trouble

肇事的兔子

Within the memory of the youngest child there was a family of rabbits who lived near a pack of wolves. The wolves announced that they did not like the way the rabbits were living. (The wolves were crazy about the way they themselves were living, because it was the only way to live.) One night several wolves were killed in an earthquake and this was blamed on the rabbits, for it is well known that rabbits pound on the ground with their hind legs and cause earthquakes. On another night one of the wolves was killed by a bolt of lightning and this was also blamed on the rabbits, for it is well known that lettuce-eaters cause lightning. The wolves threatened to civilize the rabbits if they didn't behave, and the rabbits decided to run away to a desert island. But the other animals, who lived at a great distance, shamed them, saying, "You must stay where you are and be brave. This is no world for escapists. If the wolves attack you, we will come to your aid, in all probability." So the rabbits continued to live near the wolves and one day there was a terrible flood which drowned a great many wolves. This was blamed on the rabbits, for it is well known that carrot-nibblers with long ears cause floods. The wolves descended on the rabbits, for their own good, and imprisoned them in a dark cave, for their own protection.

在最小的孩子還記得的那個時候，在狼群的附近居住著兔子一家。狼們公開宣布，他們不喜歡兔子的生活方式。(狼對自己的生活方式推崇之至，因為這是唯一可行的生活方式。)一天晚上，幾只狼在地震中死亡。這件事是兔子的責任，因為眾所周知，兔子用兩條腿蹬地，造成了地震。另一個晚上，一只狼被雷電劈斃，這件事也怪罪于兔子，因為眾所周知，雷電是由吃萵苣的動物引發的。狼威脅說，如果兔子繼續為非作歹，它們將施以管教。兔子決定逃到一個荒島上去。但是其它住在遠處的動物奚落它們說：“你們必須守住陣腳，要勇敢。這個世界決沒有逃避主義者的容身之地。如果狼攻擊你們，我們多半會來相助。”于是兔子繼續在狼群附近生活。有一天，發生了一場可怕的洪水，許多狼被淹死。責任怪罪到兔子頭上，因為眾所周知，長耳朵并小口小口吃胡蘿卜的動物會引起洪水。為了兔子著想，狼對它們下手了，把它們關在黑洞里進行保護。

When nothing was heard about the rabbits for some weeks, the other animals demanded to know what had happened to them. The wolves replied that the rabbits had been eaten and since they had been eaten the affair was a purely internal matter. But the other animals warned that they might possibly unite against the wolves unless some reason was given for the destruction of rabbits. So the wolves gave them one. "They were trying to escape," said the wolves, "and, as you know, this is no world for escapists."

由于連續幾星期沒有聽到兔子的消息，其它動物要求知道它們的行蹤。狼回答說兔子已經被吃了;既然已經吃到肚里，此事就純屬內政。但其它動物警告說，除非有消滅兔子的正當理由，不然它們可能團結起來，一致對狼。于是，狼給了它們一條理由。“它們企圖逃走”，狼說。“你們也知道，這個世界決沒有逃避主義者的容身之地。”