이솝우화 제 125화 연못가의 수사슴 (Perry 74. The Stag at the Fountain) =The Stag at The Pool

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 125화 연못가의 수사슴 (Perry 74. The Stag at the Fountain) =The Stag at The Pool

어느날, 목마른 수사슴이 물을 마시기 위해 연못가로 왔다. 물을 마시던 수사슴은 연못 위에 비친 자신의 모습을 발견한다. 자신의 머리 위에 달린 멋진 뿔에 수사슴은 스스로 도취되어 감탄을 하며 연못에 더 다가가다 문득 자신의 가늘고 긴 못난 다리를 보게된다. 수사슴은 자신의 다리도 뿔처럼 멋있고 아름다웠더라면 하며 안타까워하고 있었다. 

이때 수사슴은 사냥개가 다가오는 것을 발견한다. 수사슴은 힘껏 도망을 치기 시작한다. 빠른 두 다리로 수사슴은 사냥개에게서 벗어났다고 안도하던 순간 그만 수사슴의 뿔이 나뭇가지에 걸리고 만다. 벗어나려 애를 쓰지만 뿔은 나뭇가지에서 빠져나오지를 못하고 결국 사냥꾼에게 잡히고 말았다.

사슴은 한탄하며 이렇게 말했다. “못생긴 다리 때문에 살 수도 있었는데 아름다운 뿔 때문에 잡히고 말았구나.”

사람들은 간혹 자신들에게 가장 필요한 것이 무엇인지 모를때가 많다.

[올드코난 한마디]

이 이야기는 겉모습이나 말만 화려한 사람보다는 진정 쓸만한 사람이 누구인지를 알아야 한다는 교훈이 담겨있다. 지금 한국 사회는 진정한 의미의 인재는 사라지고 관료주의가 팽배하다. 이 관료들을 양성하고 있는 국가고시, 공무원 시험등은 시험을 위한 시험이지, 각 분야에 필요한 인재를 찾기 위한 시험이 아니다. 이런 시험에 통과되어 관료가 된 이들은 중요한 일을 만나면 해결을 못한다. 관료뿐이 아니다. 대기업을 포함해 여러 중견기업에 취직을 위해 화려한 스팩을 쌓기 위해 노력하지만, 전공분야와는 전혀 상관 없는 것들이다. 토익은 900점을 받아도 외국인과 대화를 못하고 자격증만 있고 기술은 없는 겉만 실력자인 사람들을 양성하고 있는 한국 교육은 수사슴이 뿔을 자랑하고 다리를 천하게 보는 것과 다를바가 없다 생각해 본다.

[영어 문장]

Perry 74. The Stag at the Fountain

A Stag admired his antlers in a pool but was chased away by a hunter. The hunter was able to catch up when the Stag got his antlers caught in a tree.

We often despise what is most useful to us.

1. Townsend version

A Stag overpowered by heat came to a spring to drink. Seeing his own shadow reflected in the water, he greatly admired the size and variety of his horns, but felt angry with himself for having such slender and weak feet. While he was thus contemplating himself, a Lion appeared at the pool and crouched to spring upon him. The Stag immediately took to flight, and exerting his utmost speed, as long as the plain was smooth and open kept himself easily at a safe distance from the Lion. But entering a wood he became entangled by his horns, and the Lion quickly came up to him and caught him. When too late, he thus reproached himself: “Woe is me! How I have deceived myself! These feet which would have saved me I despised, and I gloried in these antlers which have proved my destruction.”

Moral: What is most truly valuable is often underrated.

2. Eliot/Jacobs Version

The Hart was once drinking from a pool and admiring the noble figure he made there. “Ah,” said he, “where can you see such noble horns as these, with such antlers! I wish I had legs more worthy to bear such a noble crown; it is a pity they are so slim and slight.” At that moment a Hunter approached and sent an arrow whistling after him. Away bounded the Hart, and soon, by the aid of his nimble legs, was nearly out of sight of the Hunter; but not noticing where he was going, he passed under some trees with branches growing low down in which his antlers were caught, so that the Hunter had time to come up. “Alas! alas!” cried the Hart: “We often despise what is most useful to us.”

3. JBR Collection

A Stag drinking at a clear pool, admired the handsome look of his spreading antlers, but was much displeased at the slim and ungainly appearance of his legs. “What a glorious pair of branching horns!” said he. “How gracefully they hang 0ver my forehead! What an agreeable air they give my face! But as for my spindle-shanks of legs, I am heartily ashamed of them.” The words were scarcely out of his mouth, when he saw some huntsmen and a pack of hounds making towards him. His despised legs soon placed him at a distance from his followers, but, on entering the forest, his horns got entangled at every turn, so that the dogs soon reached him and made an end of him. “Mistaken fool that I was!” he exclaimed; “had it not been for these wretched horns my legs would have saved my life

4. Aesop For Children (The Stag and His Reflection)

A Stag, drinking from a crystal spring, saw himself mirrored in the clear water. He greatly admired the graceful arch of his antlers, but he was very much ashamed of his spindling legs.

“How can it be,” he sighed, “that I should be cursed with such legs when I have so magnificent a crown.”

At that moment he scented a panther and in an instant was bounding away through the forest. But as he ran his wide-spreading antlers caught in the branches of the trees, and soon the Panther overtook him. Then the Stag perceived that the legs of which he was so ashamed would have saved him had it not been for the useless ornaments on his head.

Moral; We often make much of the ornamental and despise the useful.

5. L’Estrange version (A Stag Drinking)

As a stag was drinking upon the bank of a clear stream, he saw his image in the water, and entered into this contemplation upon’t. Well! says he, if these pityful shanks of mine were but answerable to this branching head, I can but think how I should defy all my enemies. The words were hardly out of his mouth, but he discover’d a pack of dogs coming full-cry towards him. Away he scours cross the fields, casts off the dogs, and gains a wood; but pressing thorough a thicket, the bushes held him by the horns, till the hounds came in, and pluck’d him down. The last thing he said was this. What an unhappy fool was I, to take my friends for my enemies, and my enemies for my friends! I trusted to my head, that has betray’d me, and I found fault with my leggs, that would otherwise have brought me off.

Moral: He that does not thoroughly know himself, may be well allowed to make a false judgment upon other matters that most nearly concern him.

6. Cervus et Cornua Eius

Cervus ad fontem stabat, sitiens, ut biberet aquam. Hic dum in aqua videt effigiem suam, tenuitatem crurum vituperat, laetatur vero forma cornuum. Repente venatores adsunt eumque persequuntur. Quamdiu per campum fugam facit, pernicitate pedum evadit. Cum vero imprudens attingisset silvam, cornua sunt implicita ramis. Comprehensus deinde, cum luctu haec verba edidit, “Heu misero mihi, qui iis quae vituperaram servatus sum; quibus autem gloriatus fueram, perii.” 

글 작성/편집 올드코난 (Old Conan)

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