第5章 Once A Good Man Walked This Earth

Once a good man walked this earth

He was as handsome as he was of good cheer

But the people's pain gnawed away at his mirth

And so,he banished all care of self

And gave up all that all may be happy and free

But they called him an upstart;

A pampered man with wild ambitions roaming free

They paid him no mind

He retreated into the wild;

Broken and robbed of mirth and good cheer

No more was heard of the upstart with ambitions gone wild

None thought it necessary to care

Once a good man walked this earth

He had no sworn friend or foe

His concern was but for home and hearth

And only for home did he give of his substance and essence

The people thought him mean

In vain did they court and seek his face and bulging purse

But not for once did he ever give of his liberal means

Tides and seasons came and went

The people never ceased their hopeful courtship,

And even though they thought him stingy and selfish

They cowered before him in reverential worship

But when he died,they gave wind to their grudges

Once a good man walked this earth

He desired for friends and no foes

And he feared for people's opinion at his death

He knew not whether to be liberal or nothing of the sort;

For the liberal one wins as much parasites,

As the stingy one wins foes as never sought

People thought him hesitant

Insecure

Unstable

Needful of some cure

He died

And the telling of him sounded as much like a pitiful fable.

曾有位好人行走世间

曾有位好人行走世间

他看起来总是愉快、俊朗

但人们的痛苦吞噬了他的欢乐

于是，他放弃了所有的自我眷顾

放弃了一切快乐和自由

但他们又说他自命不凡

是野心勃勃、四处浪荡的骄纵之人

人们对他不闻不问

他退隐去荒野之中

欢声笑语都已被打碎、被夺走

那个自命不凡的人

带着野心退居荒野

人们不再听到他的消息

也认为不必再在意他了

曾有位好人行走世间

他没有挚友，也没有仇人

他只关心自己的家

只对自己的家献出财物与精力

人们都觉得他吝啬

他们对他奉承讨好

觊觎他鼓囊的钱袋，寻求他的恩惠

最后都空手而归

这丰厚家财他一次都不曾献出

潮起潮落，四季更迭

人们抱着希望勤献殷勤，不厌其烦

尽管觉得他又吝啬又自私

却在他面前卑躬屈膝、虔敬尊崇

而当他死亡之时他们的怨声又不绝于耳

曾有位好人行走世间

他希求普天之下皆朋友，不愿与别人结仇

畏惧人们将在自己葬礼上所作的评议

他不知道自己应该慷慨解囊

还是要反其道而行

慷慨会引来诸多寄生虫

吝啬会带来不期而至的敌人

人们认为他犹豫不决、不靠谱、反复无常、需要治一治

后来他死了

而他的自述听起来多么像一个令人同情的寓言