26.蛇与枪械店, The Serpent and the File (shé yù qiāng xiè diàn)

yī tiáo shé chū lái xián yóu ， zǒu jìn yī gè qiāng xiè de diàn pù ，

一条蛇出来闲游，走进一个枪械的店铺， 

dāng tā huá guò dì miàn shí gǎn dào pí fū bèi yī gè mǎ tí zhǎng cì dào 。

当它滑过地面时感到皮肤被一个马蹄掌刺到。

zài fèn nù zhī xià tā zhuǎn guò shēn lái zhāng yá xiǎng yǎo nà mǎ tí zhǎng ，

在愤怒之下它转过身来张牙想咬那马蹄掌，

dàn duì zhe nà hòu zhòng de tiě kuài ér tā yòu wú jì kě shī ，zhǐ hǎo mǎ shàng xiāo qì ér 。

但对着那厚重的铁块儿它又无计可施，只好马上消气儿。

gù shì shì shuō ： gōng jī wú zhī jué de dōng xī shì tú láo de 。 

故事是说：攻击无知觉的东西是徒劳的。

A Serpent in the course of its wanderings came into an armourer's shop.

yī tiáo shé chū lái xián yóu ， zǒu jìn yī gè qiāng xiè de diàn pù ，

As he glided over the floor he felt his skin pricked by a file lying there.  

dāng tā huá guò dì miàn shí gǎn dào pí fū bèi yī gè mǎ tí zhǎng cì dào 。

In a rage he turned round upon it and tried to dart his fangs into it;

zài fèn nù zhī xià tā zhuǎn guò shēn lái zhāng yá xiǎng yǎo nà mǎ tí zhǎng ，

but he could do no harm to heavy iron and had soon to give over his wrath.

dàn duì zhe nà hòu zhòng de tiě kuài ér tā yòu wú jì kě shī ，zhǐ hǎo mǎ shàng xiāo qì ér 。

It is useless attacking the insensible.

gù shì shì shuō ： gōng jī wú zhī jué de dōng xī shì tú láo de 。