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.

在最小的孩子还记得的那个时候，在狼群的附近居住着兔子一家。狼们公开宣布，他们不喜欢兔子的生活方式。(狼对自己的生活方式推崇之至，因为这是唯一可行的生活方式。)一天晚上，几只狼在地震中死亡。这件事是兔子的责任，因为众所周知，兔子用两条腿蹬地，造成了地震。另一个晚上，一只狼被雷电劈毙，这件事也怪罪于兔子，因为众所周知，雷电是由吃莴苣的动物引发的。狼威胁说，如果兔子继续为非作歹，它们将施以管教。兔子决定逃到一个荒岛上去。但是其它住在远处的动物奚落它们说：“你们必须守住阵脚，要勇敢。这个世界决没有逃避主义者的容身之地。如果狼攻击你们，我们多半会来相助。”于是兔子继续在狼群附近生活。有一天，发生了一场可怕的洪水，许多狼被淹死。责任怪罪到兔子头上，因为众所周知，长耳朵并小口小口吃胡萝卜的动物会引起洪水。为了兔子着想，狼对它们下手了，把它们关在黑洞里进行保护。

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."

由于连续几星期没有听到兔子的消息，其它动物要求知道它们的行踪。狼回答说兔子已经被吃了;既然已经吃到肚里，此事就纯属内政。但其它动物警告说，除非有消灭兔子的正当理由，不然它们可能团结起来，一致对狼。于是，狼给了它们一条理由。“它们企图逃走”，狼说。“你们也知道，这个世界决没有逃避主义者的容身之地。”