GENERAL MAO AND THE TURTLE

　　毛將軍和龜的故事

　　During the Chin dynasty about 1，600 years ago， there was a kindhearted Confucian scholar named Mao Bao. Once， before he had passed the imperial examinations and become a government official， he happened to see a fisherman on his way to the market to sell a turtle he had caught. Mao Bao immediately bought the turtle， but instead of eating it， he took it to a nearby lake and let it go.

　　距今1600多年前的晉代，有個心地善良的儒生叫毛寶。科舉做官之前，有一次，他碰巧看到有一個漁夫，帶著一只抓來的龜去集市上賣。毛寶當即把那只龜買下來，他沒有吃了它，而是把它帶到附近的湖中放了。

　　Later， Mao Bao became a very powerful general. Even the best generals lose sometimes， though， and at Chucheng， General Maos forces were beaten by Shi Jilung， and they had to run for their lives.

　　后來，毛寶成了一名威猛的將軍。可是最優秀的將軍也有吃敗仗的時候，在楚城，毛寶的部隊被石季龍打敗了，他們只好四散逃命。

　　The enemy was following hot on their heels. General Mao was running as fast as anyone else. He reached a lake， but there were no boats around， and there was no bridge. There was no way to cross the water. General Mao couldnt swim，and anyway， he was dressed in battle armor， which would carry him straight to the bottom.

　　敵人緊追不舍，毛將軍和其他將士一樣匆匆逃命。他跑到了一個湖邊，但是那兒既沒有船也沒有橋，根本沒辦法過河。毛將軍不會游泳，而且又穿著盔甲，即使游泳也會沉底。

　　He looked back and saw the enemy was almost on top of him. He sighed and said， The heavens have abandoned me!

　　他往后一看，敵人很快就要追上來了。他嘆了口氣，天要亡我!

　　Rather than fall into enemy hands， General Mao prepared to take his own life. Just as he was about to commit suicide， he noticed something huge come to the surface of the water， and float over close to the shore where he was preparing to kill himself.

　　為了不落敵人的手中，毛準備自己了斷。正要自殺的時候，他發現有一個很大的東西浮上水面，朝他準備自殺的岸邊游來。

　　He had no time to worry about what was floating in the lake. The enemy was coming closer and closer. General Mao decided， If I kill myself here， the enemy will capture my corpse， which will disgrace my country and my emperor. It will be better for me to throw myself into the lake so they cannot find my corpse. With that， he leaped into the water of the lake.

　　他顧不上留心水里浮著的東西是什么了，敵人正在步步逼近。毛將軍下了決心：如果我死在這兒，敵人會得到我的尸首，這會有辱于我的國家和君王。我還是投水自盡的好，這樣他們也無法得到我的尸首。想完之后，他一躍跳進了湖中。

　　But to his surprise， he landed on something. Then he started to move away from the shore， across the lake， to the other side. General Mao was astonished.

　　很奇怪的是，他落在什么東西上邊。接著他開始離岸邊，穿過湖，向對岸移去。毛將軍驚訝異常。

　　The enemy reached the lake. They shrieked and howled and shot arrows at General Mao， but he was already out of range. The arrows fell into the water and didnt hit him.

　　敵人追到了岸邊。他們咆哮著朝毛將軍放箭，但是他早在射程之外了。箭紛紛落入水中，一點也沒傷著他。

　　General Mao looked down and discovered he was standing on a huge turtle! The turtle took him to the other side of the lake. General Mao got off and climbed up the bank. The turtle came to the surface and nodded to him. Then it sank back into the water and swam away.

　　毛將軍低頭一看，發現自己踏在一只巨龜上!龜把他載到了湖的對岸，毛將軍從龜背上下來，爬上岸。那只龜浮出水面，向他點了點頭，然后又沉入水里游走了。

　　Then General Mao remembered that dozens of years before， he had saved a turtle and released it in a lake this very lake!

　　毛將軍想起來了，許多年前他曾救過一只龜，并把它放回湖中就是這個湖!

　　Now， in his time of need， the turtle had come to rescue him： a life for a life!

　　現在，危急時刻，烏龜過來救了他：一命還一命!

GENERAL MAO AND THE TURTLE

　　毛將軍和龜的故事

　　During the Chin dynasty about 1，600 years ago， there was a kindhearted Confucian scholar named Mao Bao. Once， before he had passed the imperial examinations and become a government official， he happened to see a fisherman on his way to the market to sell a turtle he had caught. Mao Bao immediately bought the turtle， but instead of eating it， he took it to a nearby lake and let it go.

　　距今1600多年前的晉代，有個心地善良的儒生叫毛寶。科舉做官之前，有一次，他碰巧看到有一個漁夫，帶著一只抓來的龜去集市上賣。毛寶當即把那只龜買下來，他沒有吃了它，而是把它帶到附近的湖中放了。

　　Later， Mao Bao became a very powerful general. Even the best generals lose sometimes， though， and at Chucheng， General Maos forces were beaten by Shi Jilung， and they had to run for their lives.

　　后來，毛寶成了一名威猛的將軍。可是最優秀的將軍也有吃敗仗的時候，在楚城，毛寶的部隊被石季龍打敗了，他們只好四散逃命。

　　The enemy was following hot on their heels. General Mao was running as fast as anyone else. He reached a lake， but there were no boats around， and there was no bridge. There was no way to cross the water. General Mao couldnt swim，and anyway， he was dressed in battle armor， which would carry him straight to the bottom.

　　敵人緊追不舍，毛將軍和其他將士一樣匆匆逃命。他跑到了一個湖邊，但是那兒既沒有船也沒有橋，根本沒辦法過河。毛將軍不會游泳，而且又穿著盔甲，即使游泳也會沉底。

　　He looked back and saw the enemy was almost on top of him. He sighed and said， The heavens have abandoned me!

　　他往后一看，敵人很快就要追上來了。他嘆了口氣，天要亡我!

　　Rather than fall into enemy hands， General Mao prepared to take his own life. Just as he was about to commit suicide， he noticed something huge come to the surface of the water， and float over close to the shore where he was preparing to kill himself.

　　為了不落敵人的手中，毛準備自己了斷。正要自殺的時候，他發現有一個很大的東西浮上水面，朝他準備自殺的岸邊游來。

　　He had no time to worry about what was floating in the lake. The enemy was coming closer and closer. General Mao decided， If I kill myself here， the enemy will capture my corpse， which will disgrace my country and my emperor. It will be better for me to throw myself into the lake so they cannot find my corpse. With that， he leaped into the water of the lake.

　　他顧不上留心水里浮著的東西是什么了，敵人正在步步逼近。毛將軍下了決心：如果我死在這兒，敵人會得到我的尸首，這會有辱于我的國家和君王。我還是投水自盡的好，這樣他們也無法得到我的尸首。想完之后，他一躍跳進了湖中。

　　But to his surprise， he landed on something. Then he started to move away from the shore， across the lake， to the other side. General Mao was astonished.

　　很奇怪的是，他落在什么東西上邊。接著他開始離岸邊，穿過湖，向對岸移去。毛將軍驚訝異常。

　　The enemy reached the lake. They shrieked and howled and shot arrows at General Mao， but he was already out of range. The arrows fell into the water and didnt hit him.

　　敵人追到了岸邊。他們咆哮著朝毛將軍放箭，但是他早在射程之外了。箭紛紛落入水中，一點也沒傷著他。

　　General Mao looked down and discovered he was standing on a huge turtle! The turtle took him to the other side of the lake. General Mao got off and climbed up the bank. The turtle came to the surface and nodded to him. Then it sank back into the water and swam away.

　　毛將軍低頭一看，發現自己踏在一只巨龜上!龜把他載到了湖的對岸，毛將軍從龜背上下來，爬上岸。那只龜浮出水面，向他點了點頭，然后又沉入水里游走了。

　　Then General Mao remembered that dozens of years before， he had saved a turtle and released it in a lake this very lake!

　　毛將軍想起來了，許多年前他曾救過一只龜，并把它放回湖中就是這個湖!

　　Now， in his time of need， the turtle had come to rescue him： a life for a life!

　　現在，危急時刻，烏龜過來救了他：一命還一命!