狼 The Butcher and the Wolves

一屠晚归，担中肉尽，止有剩骨。 yī tú wǎn guī, dàn zhōng ròu jìn, zhǐ yǒu shèng gǔ.
A butcher was going home late. The meat in his load was gone, and only some bones remained.

途中两狼，缀行甚远。 tú zhōng liǎng láng, zhuì xíng shèn yuǎn.
Two wolves followed him along the road for a long way.

屠惧，投以骨。 tú jù, tóu yǐ gǔ.
The butcher was frightened and threw them a bone.

一狼得骨止，一狼仍从。 yī láng dé gǔ zhǐ, yī láng réng cóng.
One wolf stopped with the bone, while the other kept following.

复投之，后狼止而前狼又至。 fù tóu zhī, hòu láng zhǐ ér qián láng yòu zhì.
He threw another; the wolf behind stopped, but the first came up again.

骨已尽矣，而两狼之并驱如故。 gǔ yǐ jìn yǐ, ér liǎng láng zhī bìng qū rú gù.
The bones were gone, but the two wolves still pursued him together as before.

屠大窘，恐前后受其敌。 tú dà jiǒng, kǒng qián hòu shòu qí dí.
The butcher was in a desperate position, afraid of being attacked from front and rear.

顾野有麦场，场主积薪其中，苫蔽成丘。 gù yě yǒu mài cháng, cháng zhǔ jī xīn qí zhōng, shàn bì chéng qiū.
Looking around, he saw a threshing ground in the fields, where the owner had piled firewood and covered it with straw, forming a mound.

屠乃奔倚其下，弛担持刀。 tú nǎi bēn yǐ qí xià, chí dàn chí dāo.
He ran to shelter against it, put down his load and held his knife.

狼不敢前，眈眈相向。 láng bù gǎn qián, dān dān xiāng xiàng.
The wolves did not dare advance, but faced him with fixed, hungry eyes.

少时，一狼径去，其一犬坐于前。 shǎo shí, yī láng jìng qù, qí yī quǎn zuò yú qián.
After a little while, one wolf went straight away, while the other sat in front of him like a dog.

久之，目似瞑，意暇甚。 jiǔ zhī, mù sì míng, yì xiá shèn.
After some time, its eyes seemed closed and it looked thoroughly at ease.

屠暴起，以刀劈狼首，又数刀毙之。 tú bào qǐ, yǐ dāo pī láng shǒu, yòu shù dāo bì zhī.
The butcher sprang up, split its head with his knife, and killed it with several more blows.

方欲行，转视积薪后，一狼洞其中，意将隧入以攻其后也。 fāng yù xíng, zhuǎn shì jī xīn hòu, yī láng dòng qí zhōng, yì jiāng suì rù yǐ gōng qí hòu yě.
Just as he was about to leave, he turned to look behind the woodpile. A wolf was burrowing into it, planning to tunnel through and attack him from behind.

身已半入，止露尻尾。 shēn yǐ bàn rù, zhǐ lù kāo wěi.
Half its body was already inside, with only its rump and tail showing.

屠自后断其股，亦毙之。 tú zì hòu duàn qí gǔ, yì bì zhī.
The butcher cut its hind leg from behind and killed it too.

乃悟前狼假寐，盖以诱敌。 nǎi wù qián láng jiǎ mèi, gài yǐ yòu dí.
Only then did he understand that the wolf in front had pretended to sleep to lure its opponent.

狼亦黠矣，而顷刻两毙，禽兽之变诈几何哉？ láng yì xiá yǐ, ér qǐng kè liǎng bì, qín shòu zhī biàn zhà jǐ hé zāi?
The wolves were cunning, yet both were killed in a moment. How much can animals' tricks amount to?

止增笑耳。 zhǐ zēng xiào ěr.
They only give people more to laugh at.