The Flies and the Honey-Pot

A NUMBER of Flies were attracted to a jar of honey which had been overturned in a housekeeper’s room, and placing their feet in it, ate greedily. Their feet, however, became so smeared with the honey that they could not use their wings, nor release themselves, and were suffocated. Just as they were expiring, they exclaimed, “O foolish creatures that we are, for the sake of a little pleasure we have destroyed ourselves.”

家政婦の部屋でひっくり返ったはちみつのつぼに、たくさんのハエが引き寄せられてきた。ハエたちははちみつに足をつっこんで、がつがつと食べた。ところが、足にはちみつがべったりとついてしまったので、羽を使うことも、身をはなすこともできなくなり、息がつまってしまった。いまにも死にそうになりながら、ハエたちは叫んだ。「ああ、わたしたちはなんておろかな生き物だろう。ほんの少しの楽しみのために、身をほろぼしてしまった」

Pleasure bought with pains, hurts.

苦しみとひきかえに買った楽しみは、身を傷つける。