Fable · HSK 7

The Wolf and the Golden Cage

A wolf living in the forest, admiring the stable life of the villagers, decides to give up its freedom in exchange for safety, but in the end realizes that outward peace cannot make up for the loss within.

Admiring stability

从前,有一只狼生活在深山老林里。

cóngqiányǒuzhīlángshēnghuózàishēnshānlǎolín

Once upon a time, there was a wolf that lived deep in the remote mountains and forests.

Narration

它每天为了食物而,生活充满了不确定性。

měitiānwèileshíérbēnshēnghuóchōngmǎnlequèdìngxìng

Every day it had to toil for food, its life full of uncertainty.

一天,它远远看见山下的村庄,那里的人们生活

tiānyuǎnyuǎnkànjiànshānxiàdecūnzhuāngderénmenshēnghuóāndìng

One day, it saw the village at the foot of the mountain from afar, where the people lived stable lives.

The wolf

狼对自己说:“我多想过那种的生活啊!”

lángduìshuōduōxiǎngguòzhǒngpíngdàndànāndìngdeshēnghuóa

The wolf said to itself: "How I wish I could have that plain but stable life!"

,它开始羡慕人类的生活。

cóngjīnhòukāishǐxiànrénlèideshēnghuó

From then on, it began to envy the life of humans.

The witch's offer

一个自称能实现愿望的巫婆找到了狼。

chēngnéngshíxiànyuànwàngdezhǎodàoleláng

A witch who claimed she could grant wishes came to the wolf.

Witch

巫婆说:“我可以把你变成人,但你要用你的自由来交换。”

shuōbiànchéngréndànyàoyòngdeyóuláijiāohuàn

The witch said: "I can turn you into a human, but you must give up your freedom in exchange."

The wolf

地答应了,它没想到自由有多么重要。

lángyinglewànwànméixiǎngdàoyóuyǒuduōmezhòngyào

The wolf eagerly agreed; it had no idea at all how important freedom was.

巫婆施展魔法,狼变成了一个年轻人。

shīzhǎnlángbiànchéngleniánqīngrén

The witch cast her magic, and the wolf turned into a young man.

它兴奋地走进了村庄,以为从此找到了

xīngfènzǒujìnlecūnzhuāngwéicóngzhǎodàoleāndìng

It happily walked into the village, thinking it had at last found stability.

A forced, awkward life

然而,它很快就感到了和不自在。

ránérhěnkuàijiùgǎndàoleshùzài

However, it soon felt restrained and ill at ease.

它必须遵守人类的各种规矩,这让他感到非常不舒服。

zūnshǒurénlèidezhǒngguīzhèrànggǎndàofēichángshū

It had to follow all sorts of human rules, which made it feel extremely uncomfortable.

它想念在森林里自由奔跑的日子。

xiǎngniànzàisēnlínyóubēnpǎodezi

It missed the days of running freely in the forest.

虽然生活不再,但内心却感到一种说不上的空虚。

suīránshēnghuózàibēndànnèixīnquègǎndàozhǒngshuōshàngdekōng

Though life was no longer a struggle, in its heart it felt an indescribable emptiness.

它开始质疑,这种真的是它想要的吗?

kāishǐzhìzhèzhǒngāndìngzhēndeshìxiǎngyàodema

It began to wonder: was this stability really what it wanted?

The awakening

一天夜里,它听到了山里传来狼的嚎叫。

tiāntīngdàoleshānchuánláilángdeháojiào

One night, it heard the howling of wolves echoing from the mountains.

那声音了它内心深处对自由的渴望。

shēngyīnhuànlenèixīnshēnchùduìyóudewàng

That sound awakened the deep longing for freedom in its heart.

它终于明白,真正的不是外在的,而是内心的平静。

zhōngmíngbáizhēnzhèngdeāndìngshìwàizàideérshìnèixīndepíngjìng

It finally understood that true stability is not external, but the peace within the soul.

它找到了巫婆,要求变回原来的自己。

zhǎodàoleyāoqiúbiànhuíyuánláide

It found the witch and asked to be turned back into its true self.

,它珍惜在森林里自由自在的每一天。

cóngjīnhòuzhēnzàisēnlínyóuzàideměitiān

From then on, it treasured every day of freedom in the forest.

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