英语绘本 ▏每日一读之《折箭训子 Breaking The Arrow To Teach The Son》

南朝时期，少数民族吐谷浑有一位首领叫阿豺，他有二十个儿子。

During the Southern Dynasties, the Tuyuhun minority had a leader named Achai, who had twenty sons.

有一年，阿豺生了很重的病，躺在床上起不来了，儿子们知道了，都跑来照顾阿豺。

One year Achai fell seriously ill and lay in bed unable to get up. His sons knew about it and came to take care of Achai.

阿豺看着儿子们忙前忙后，心里真是既欣慰又担心。欣慰的是，儿子们长大了，懂事了。担心的是自己老了，怕自己死后，儿子们不团结、不和睦。

Achai was relieved and worried when he saw his sons running around. He was relieved that his sons had grown up and become sensible. He was worried that he would grow old and his sons would not be united and harmonious after his death.

怎样才能让儿子们明白自己的心意呢？

How could he make his sons understand his intentions?

阿豺想了好几个晚上，终于想到了一个办法。

Achai thought about it for several nights and finally came up with a solution.

一天傍晚，他命仆人去把自己的弟弟和儿子们找来，并说让我的儿子们每人带两支箭来。

One evening, he ordered his servants to find his younger brother and sons, and asked his sons to bring two arrows each.

不一会儿，阿豺的儿子们和他的弟弟慕利延都来了。阿豺逐个把儿子们打量了一遍，然后缓缓地说，你们每人先拿出一支箭给我。

After a while, Achai's sons and his younger brother Muliyan all came. Achai looked at his sons one by one, and then slowly said, each of you take out an arrow for me first.

儿子们都毕恭毕敬地把箭递到了阿豺的手里。只听见咔嚓一声！阿豺把老大递过来的箭一下子折断了。

The sons handed the arrows to Achai respectfully. With a click, Achai broke the arrow handed over by the eldest son.

接着他又折断了老二老三的箭，直到把最小的儿子的那支箭也折断了。

Then he broke the arrows of the second and third sons, until he broke the arrow of the youngest son.

阿豺说：“现在把你们手里剩下的那支箭递给你们的叔叔慕利延，儿子们听话的照做了。”

Achai said, "Now hand the remaining arrow in your hand to your uncle Mu Liyan, and the sons did it obediently."

阿豺对弟弟说：“你先拿出一支箭来折断它。”慕利延拿起一支箭，只听咔嚓一声箭被折成了两段。

Achai said to his younger brother, "First, take out an arrow and break it." MuLiyan picked up an arrow, and with a click, the arrow was broken into two pieces.

阿豺笑了笑说：“现在你把剩下的箭握在一起，然后一起折断吧！”慕利延把箭握紧，用了好大的劲去折，可是一支也没有断。

Achai smiled and said, "Now you hold the remaining arrows together and break them together!" MuLiyan held the arrows tightly and used a lot of strength to break them, but none of them broke.

慕利延急了，他使出浑身的力气再次折起来，可是箭还是一支都没有断。慕利延气得把箭全扔在了地上。

MuLiyan was anxious, and he used all his strength to break them again, but none of the arrows broke. MuLiyan was so angry that he threw all the arrows on the ground.

阿豺捋着胡须哈哈大笑起来，随后，他表情严肃的看着儿子们，指着这堆箭问：“你们看明白了吗？”

Achai stroked his beard and laughed. Then, he looked at his sons with a serious expression, pointed at the pile of arrows and asked: "Do you understand?"

儿子们有的点点头，有的却摇摇头，慕利延大着嗓门说：“哥，这有什么不明白的呢。一支箭很容易就被折断了，一把箭不容易被折断。”

Some of the sons nodded, while others shook their heads. MuLiyan said in a loud voice: "Brother, what is there to not understand? An arrow can be easily broken, but a bunch of arrows are not easy to be broken."

阿豺笑了，对儿子们说：“你们每个人都像一支箭，很容易被折断、打败，只有团结起来，齐心协力，你们才能无往不胜啊！”

Achai laughed and said to his sons: "Each of you is like an arrow, which can be easily broken and defeated. Only by uniting and working together can you be invincible!"

儿子们恍然大悟，他们每个人都明白了父亲的良苦用心。也都暗暗下决心，一定要团结一心，不让父亲失望。

The sons suddenly realized that each of them understood their father's good intentions. They also secretly made up their minds to unite as one and not let their father down.

这个故事告诉我们：团结就是力量，只有团结起来，才会产生巨大的力量和智慧，去克服一切困难。

This story tells us: Unity is strength. Only by uniting can we generate great strength and wisdom to overcome all difficulties.