爱华网读百喻经学英文(2)
二、愚人集牛乳喻
(2) The Stupid Man Stores UpMilk
昔有愚人，将会宾客，欲集牛乳，以拟供设，而作是念：“我今若预于日日中毂取牛乳，牛乳渐多，卒无安处，或复酢败。不如即就牛腹盛之，待临会时，当顿彀取。”作是念已，便捉牸牛母子，各系异处。
Once upona time there was a stupid man who was about to give a party. Hewanted to store up milk for his guests. "If I milk the cowbeforehand every day, he thought, little by little, there will betoo much of milk and will not be enough space to store it and itmay even spoil. It would be better to let it remain inside of thecow. I'll milk the cow right away at the time of the party." Hethen separated the cow from the calf and tied them up apart.
却后一月，尔乃设会，延置宾客，方牵牛来，欲彀取乳，而此牛乳即干无有。时为宾客或嗔或笑。
A monthlater, he actually gave the reception. He tried to milk the cow,but the milk had run dry. Some guests got annoyed and otherslaughed at him.
愚人亦尔。欲修布施，方言待我大有之时，然后顿施。未及聚顷，或为县官，水火盗贼之所侵夺，或卒命终不及时施。彼亦如是。
So arethe idiotic fellows who want to give alms at once but prefer towait until they possess great wealth. It usually happens that,before they can scrape together enough money, it is seized by thecountry officers or taken away by robbers and thieves or by fireand flood. It also happens that, due to their sudden demise, theyare not in time for giving alms. This is just like the story of thestupid man who stored up milk.
[白话]
从前有个愚人请客，邀请了诸亲好友及地方众人来参加宴会，当时该地方以牛乳为最上品，那天必需要有许多牛奶供应客人，愚人心想：“我如天天挤牛奶，牛奶渐多，亦无处安放，过几天也会发酸变坏。还不如储存在牛的肚子里，不必每天挤出来，临到客人前来宴会那天，一顿当挤出来岂不是好。”
于是他就把所有的母牛和犊牛分开，不给小牛吃奶，只以嫩草青叶饲养母牛，以便生更多的牛奶。到了宴会那一天，他牵来所有母牛，要当场挤奶来请客，可是一滴奶也挤不出来了，宾客看到这种情况，有的心中怨恨，有的忍不住笑话他。
佛说愚人也是这样，想要行布施却又说，等我积财成大款时，然后一顿当布施，结果还未及聚集致富，或被县官、水火盗贼所侵夺，或到命终时也来不及布施了，他们也是同样的愚痴啊！生命飘忽，身外之物，更是聚散不定，因而布施之举，当时时实行，多少无论，毋须等待什么时机。
（阿弥陀佛）
