English Original
In ancient times, tales of tigers devouring people were common at the foot of Mount Tai.
One day, Confucius and his disciples passed by the mountain. As they walked, they heard distant weeping. They approached and found a young woman in white mourning clothes, kneeling before a new grave and weeping bitterly.
Confucius sent a disciple to inquire. The woman raised her head, wiped her swollen eyes, and answered intermittently between sobs: "First, my father-in-law was devoured by a tiger. Then, my husband met the same fate. Now, my son has also been killed by a tiger."
A disciple asked worriedly, "The tiger has claimed three generations of your family. Why didn't you leave this place earlier?"
The woman replied, "There are tigers here, but there are no exorbitant taxes, levies, or heavy corvée labor!"
Hearing this, Confucius turned to his disciples and said, "Remember, tigers devour people, but tyranny is fiercer than tigers!"
中文翻译
古时候，在泰山脚下，老虎吃人的事情时有耳闻。
一天，孔子和他的弟子路过泰山。行走间，他们听到远处传来哭声。走近一看，是一位身着白色丧服的年轻妇人，正跪在一座新坟前痛哭。
孔子让一名弟子上前询问。妇人抬起头，擦着红肿的眼睛，抽泣着断断续续地回答："从前，我的公公被老虎吃掉了。后来，我的丈夫也被老虎吃掉了。如今，我的儿子也被老虎咬死了。"
一名弟子急切地问道："老虎害了你家三代人，你为什么不早点离开这里呢？"
妇人哭着说："这里有老虎，但是这里没有苛捐杂税和繁重的徭役啊！"
孔子听后，转身对弟子们说："你们记住，老虎吃人，可是苛政比老虎还要凶猛啊！"