伊索寓言：父亲与女儿

The Father and His Two Daughters
　父亲与女儿

A MAN had two daughters, the one married to a gardener, and the other to a tile-maker. After a time he went to the daughter who had married the gardener, and inquired how she was and how all things went with her. She said, "All things are prospering with me, and I have only one wish, that there may be a heavy fall of rain, in order that the plants may be well watered." Not long after, he went to the daughter who had married the tilemaker, and likewise inquired of her how she fared; she replied, "I want for nothing, and have only one wish, that the dry weather may continue, and the sun shine hot and bright, so that the bricks might be dried." He said to her, "If your sister wishes for rain, and you for dry weather, with which of the two am I to join my wishes?'

父亲有两个女儿，一个嫁了菜农，另一个嫁给了陶工。过了些日子，父亲来到菜农家里，问女儿情况如何，他们的生活过得怎么样。女儿说一切都很好，只是有一事须祈祷神明，那就是请求多下雨，好好地浇灌那些蔬菜。不久之后，他又来到陶工家里，问女儿过得如何。女儿说甚么都不缺，只祷告一件事，请求天气晴朗，阳光充足，使陶器更快地乾燥。父亲对她说道：「你望出太阳，你的妹妹却盼下雨，那么我又为谁祈求呢？」

这个故事带出的启示就是：那些同时想做两件截然不同的事的人，必然任何一件事都干不成。