이솝우화 제 63화 농부와 아들들 (The Farmer and His Sons)

올드코난 (Old Conan)이 재해석하는 현대판 이솝우화 (Aesop's Fables, Aesopica) => 원 저작자: Aesop; 참고 번역본 저자: 조지 파일러 타운센드(George Fyler Townsend, 1814-1900) 외 / 현재 알려진 이솝우화들을 현대적으로 해석해  소개해 드리겠습니다.

올드코난의 이솝우화 제 63화 농부와 아들들 (Perry 42. The Farmer's Bequest to his Sons (The Father and His Sons) 

어느 시골에 늙은 농부가 있었다. 이 농부에게는 아들 몇 명이 있었는데, 농부는 자식들이 농사를 싫어하는 것이 늘 걱정이었었다. 그런 어느날 병이든 농부는 죽음을 앞두게 되었다. 

그의 아들들은 슬픔과 앞날에 대한 불안을 느낀다. 

이런 아들들이 염려가 된 농부는 이렇게 유언을 남겼다.

“내가 너희들에게 물려줄 보물을 우리 포도 밭에 묻어 두었다. 내가 죽거든 땅을 파헤쳐 보거라.”

그날 농부는 결국 숨을 거두었다.

아들들은 아버지의 장례를 끝내고, 삽과 쟁기들을 들고 포도 밭을 향해 달려갔다. 그리고, 숨겨둔 보물을 찾기 위해 땅을 파내려갔다. 몇일이 걸려 포도 밭 전체를 파헤쳤지만, 보물은 찾지 못했다.

아들들은 아버지가 거짓말을 했다고 생각을 하고 밭을 떠났다.

하지만, 이들이 포도밭을 파헤치면서 잘 경작된 땅은 예년보다 더 많은 포도를 수확하게 되었다. 그제서야 아들들은 아버지의 뜻을 알아차렸다.

노동은 값진 것이다.

[올드코난 한마디]

이 이야기는 땀은 정직하다. 열심히 일한 만큼 대가를 받게 될 것이라는 교훈을 담았다. 하지만, 사실 이 말은 꼭 맞는 말은 아니다.

요즘들어 땀의 가치를 잃어버렸다는 생각을 많이 해본다. 투기와 투자로 돈을 버는 사람들이 땀흘려 노동으로 돈을 버는 사람보다 더 능력이 있다고 박수를 받는 세상이다.

얼마전 최저 생계비 문제로 많은 말들이 오고갔다. 정말 적은 돈으로 그저 간신히 먹고 살 정도의 돈만 주고 일을 부려먹겠다는 재벌과 사장들의 심뽀가 참 고약하다. 이들에게 “니들이 이 돈 받고 살아 봐라“고 한마디 하고 싶다.

[영어 문장]

The Farmer's Bequest to his Sons(The Father and His Sons)

A dying father told his sons about a treasure in a field if they only dig for it. They did. Good yield was their treasure.

 

Good counsel is the best legacy.

A dying Father called his Sons to his bedside in order to give counsel. He said: “There is a great treasure hidden in one of the vineyards.” Shortly after that he died. The Sons, upon his death, took up implements and carefully dug over every part of the land. They found no material treasure, but the vines yielded an extraordinary crop because of the care.

1. JBR Collection

A certain Husbandman, lying at the point of death, called his Sons around him, and gave into their charge his fields and vineyards, telling them that a treasure lay hidden somewhere in them, within a foot from the ground. His Sons thought he spoke of money which he had hidden, and after he was buried, they dug most industriously all over the estate, but found nothing. The soil being so well loosened, however, the succeeding crops were of unequalled richness, and the Sons then found out what their Father had in view in telling them to dig for hidden treasure.

2.Townsend version

A Father, being on the point of death, wished to be sure that his sons would give the same attention to his farm as he himself had given it. He called them to his bedside and said, “My Sons, there is a great treasure hid in one of my vineyards.” The Sons, after his death, took their spades and mattocks and carefully dug over every portion of their land. They found no treasure, but the vines repaid their labor by an extraordinary and superabundant crop.

3. L’Estrange version

A countryman that liv’d handsomly in the world himself upon his honest labour and industry, was desirous his sons should do so after him; and being now upon his death-bed: My dear children (says he) I reckon my self bound to tell you before I depart, that there is a considerable treasure hid in my vineyard. Wherefore pray be sure to dig, and search narrowly for’t when I am gone. The father dyes, and the sons fall immediately to work upon the vineyard. They turn’d it up over and over, and not one penny of mony to be found there; but the profit of the next vintage expounded the riddle.

Moral: Good councell is the best legacy a father can leave to a child, and it is still the better, when it is so wrapt up, as to beget a curiosity as well as an inclination to follow it.

4. Crane Poetry Visual

Dig deeply, my Sons! through this field!

There’s a Treasure … he died unrevealed

The spot where ’twas laid,

They dug as he bade;

And the Treasure was found in the yield.

Productive labour is the only source of wealth.

5. Pater, Filius, et Agrorum Cultura

Rusticus, mortem suam exspectans, cum relinquere filiis suis divitias non posset, animos eorum ad studium diligentis agrorum culturae et ad laboris assiduitatem excitare voluit. Arcessit igitur eos ad se atque ita alloquitur, “Mei filii, quomodo res meae se habeant, videtis. Quidquid autem per omnem vitam reservavi; hoc in vinea nostra quaerere poteritis.” Haec cum dixisset, paulo post moritur senex. Filii, patrem in vinea alicubi thesaurum abscondisse arbitrantes, arreptis ligonibus universum vineae solum effodiunt. Thesaurum quidem nullum inveniunt; terram vero fodiendo adeo fertilem reddiderunt, ut vites uberrimum fructum ferrent.

6. Aesop For Children

A rich old farmer, who felt that he had not many more days to live, called his sons to his bedside.

“My sons,” he said, “heed what I have to say to you. Do not on any account part with the estate that has belonged to our family for so many generations. Somewhere on it is hidden a rich treasure. I do not know the exact spot, but it is there, and you will surely find it. Spare no energy and leave no spot unturned in your search.”

The father died, and no sooner was he in his grave than the sons set to work digging with all their might, turning up every foot of ground with their spades, and going over the whole farm two or three times.

No hidden gold did they find; but at harvest time when they had settled their accounts and had pocketed a rich profit far greater than that of any of their neighbors, they understood that the treasure their father had told them about was the wealth of a bountiful crop, and that in their industry had they found the treasure.

Moral: Industry is itself a treasure.

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