English Original
An oak got talking with a reed one day: "You certainly have cause to complain of nature; why, even a sparrow's weight is quite a strain for you. At the slightest breeze that makes the ripples play, you quake as if touched with blight; you bend and bow so desolate, indeed you are a sorry sight."
"Now I, like the Caucasus in all its pride and state, think little of the rage of Phoebus; I laugh at hurricanes and stand at ease beneath thunder's roar. I stand as strong and straight as though I bore a shield of peace inviolate. For you, each breath is a storm; for me, the storm is but a breeze. If only you were growing close by, in the shade of my broad boughs, I could easily defend you from the stress of weather. Alas, nature chose for your dwelling the banks of Aeolus, the stormy realm of air; no doubt, for such as you, she found no time to care."
"You are full of charity," the reed replied with scorn. "But do not be distressed! My lot can well be borne. If I fear storms, it is not for my own sake. Though I must bend, I shall not break; they do me little harm. I think, for you, there may be more danger. It is true that until now, beneath the fiercest blast, your sturdy form stands firm and fast; you never hide from its angry blows. But wait and see the end!"
Scarcely had the reed thus replied when, suddenly from the north, the boisterous Aquilo with hail and rain broke forth. The oak stood firm; the reed bent down to the earth. The storm raged on, fiercer than before, until, roaring, it tore from his root the tree whose towering summit flaunted close to heaven and whose sturdy foot was planted in the realm of shade.
中文翻译
一天，一棵橡树与一株芦苇交谈。橡树说：“你确实有理由抱怨自然；看，即使是一只麻雀的重量对你也是不小的负担。最轻微的、能激起涟漪的微风，也会让你像染了枯萎病一样颤抖；你凄凉地弯腰低头，看着真让人难过。”
“而我，像骄傲威严的高加索山脉，不把太阳神的怒火放在眼里；我嘲笑飓风，在雷鸣下安然挺立。我站得笔直而强壮，仿佛手持一面牢不可破的和平之盾。对你而言，每一次呼吸都是风暴；对我而言，风暴不过是微风。要是你生长在我附近，在我宽阔枝条的荫蔽下，我就能轻易保护你免受恶劣天气的侵袭。唉，自然为你选择的居所却是风神埃俄罗斯的河岸，那狂风肆虐的领域；无疑，对于你这样的，她无暇顾及。”
“您真是慈悲为怀，”芦苇轻蔑地回应道，“但不必担忧！我的命运完全可以承受。即便我畏惧风暴，也并非为了自己。虽然我必须弯腰，但我不会折断；它们对我伤害甚微。我想，对您而言，危险或许更大。的确，迄今为止，在最猛烈的狂风下，您强壮的身躯都屹立不倒；您从不躲避它愤怒的打击。但且看结局如何！”
芦苇话音刚落，突然，喧嚣的北风阿奎洛带着冰雹和暴雨从北方袭来。橡树屹立不动；芦苇则弯向地面。风暴愈发猛烈，最终，在咆哮声中，它连根拔起了那棵树——那曾将高耸的树梢炫耀至天际、将坚实的根基深植于幽暗之域的橡树。