偷牛（小故事）

偷牛（小故事）

Stealing Cattle (A Short Story)

从前，笔架山附近有对夫妻，家里很穷，每年过端午节都揭不开锅。

Once upon a time, there was a couple near Bijia Mountain. The family was so poor that they had nothing to cook for the Dragon Boat Festival every year.

又一个端午节临近，饱读诗书的妻子有感而发，吟诗一首：

Another Dragon Boat Festival was drawing near. the wife, who had read a lot of poems and books, hummed a verse to express her feelings.

自惭薄命与穷夫，

Ashamed of my fate and of marrying a husband in poverty

明日端阳样样无。

I have nothing to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival tomorrow

佳节不宜虚度过，

Happy festival time should not be spent in vain

聊将白水煮菖蒲。

I'll boil calamus in white water, better than nothing

丈夫看到妻子的诗，深感惭愧。端午节前夜，他悄悄出门，在笔架山附近偷来一头牛，准备卖了换些节货，让妻子好好过一次端午节。

The husband was deeply ashamed when he read his wife's poem. On the eve of the Festival, he quietly went out and stole a cow near Bijia Mountain. He was ready to sell it in exchange for some goods so that his wife could have a happy Dragon Boat Festival.

没想到，当丈夫把牛牵到市场去卖时，被失主逮了个正着。钱没换到，人却被告到了县衙，还面临牢狱之灾。 

Unexpectedly, when the husband took the cow to the market to sell, he was caught by the owner. Without getting any money, he was accused to the county government, facing the disaster of imprisonment.

妻子闻讯，匆忙赶到县衙鸣寃。她说夫君是在学天上的牛郎，根本没有偷牛的意思。

Hearing that, the wife hurried to the county government to cry out her grievances. She said that her husband was learning from the Cowherd in heaven and had no intention of stealing cattle at all.

妻子说：“如果我夫君有责任，全是因为我自己写诗的原因，责任应由我自己承担，不能怪罪夫君。”

She said, “If my husband has the responsibility, it’s just because of my poetry writing. I should bear the responsibility and my husband should not be blamed.”

县令很爱才，对这个女子写诗的事非常感兴趣，并有意放过她丈夫，还想当面试试女子的才气。

The county magistrate cherished talents, was very interested in this woman's poetry writing, intended to let her husband go, and wanted to try the woman's talent face to face.

县令指着案头三样物品：磨墨的水，砚台和象棋，让女子即兴写三首诗，毎首诗中都必须有一个"牛"字。

The magistrate pointed to the water, the inkstone and the Chinese chess on the desk and asked the woman to write three poems impromptu. Each poem must have a word "Niu".

女子听完县令的话，能凭自己的才气搭救丈夫，心中甚是高兴。女子不加思索，张口即来。

Hearing what the county magistrate said, the woman was very happy to be able to save her husband with her own talent. Without any thinking, the woman hummed the fallowing three poems.

第一件物品是水:

About water

长江滚滚向东流，

The Yangtze River is rolling eastward

难洗夫君满面羞。

Its water can hardly wash away my husband's shame

深恨妾身非织女，

Pitifully I'm not the Girl Weaver in heaven

良人何必学牵牛。

Why must my loved one learn from the Cowherd

第二件物品是砚台:

About inkstone

本是民间一石头，

The inkstone comes from a folk stone

匠人雕刻伴公侯。

The craftsman has carved it to accompany the duke

轻轻一动乌云起，

Dark clouds arise when you gently move an ink stick in it

文光似电射斗牛。

The light of literary talent shines on the Southern Dipper and Altair

第三件物品是象棋:

About Chinese chess

两国相争誓不休，

Two states vow to endlessly fight with each other

兵卒过河水不流。

Soldiers cross the river as the water stops flowing

象车马炮般般有，

Elephants, chariots , horses and cannons, everything included

唯独缺少一头牛。

The only thing missing is a head of cattle

县令看了，拍案叫绝，真乃闺中才女。

The magistrate was amazed at her poems, saying she was really a talented woman.

县令当即吩咐衙役放了她丈夫，并让她丈夫进衙门当差。

He immediately told the clerk to free her husband, offering him a job to run errands in the government office.

此故事说明了成功的男人背后有一个贤惠的女人，知识和智慧是改变命运的力量。

This story shows that there is a virtuous woman behind a successful man, and that knowledge and wisdom are the power to change fate.