译文：从前有一个每天都要偷邻居家一只鸡的人。

有人劝告他说：“这不是行为端正、品德高尚的人所拥有的道德。

”他回答说：“那就让我减少这种行为吧，(以后)每个月偷一只鸡，等到明年我就不偷了。

”如果知道偷鸡不对，就应该马上改正，为什么还要等到明年呢。

古代寓言偷鸡的人　今有人，日攘邻之鸡者。

或告之曰：“是非君子之道。

”曰：“请损之，月攘一鸡。

以待来年，然后已。

”如知其非义，斯速已矣，何待来年？

—— 孟子　The Chicken ThiefThere was a man who used to steal a chicken from his neighbours every day.

"It is wrong to steal," someone told him.

"I'll cut down on it," promised the chicken thief.

"I shall steal one chicken a month from now on, and stop altogether next year.

"Since he knew he was wrong, he ought to have stopped at once.

Why wait for another year?

Mencius【双语诗歌翻译|孟子-古代寓言·偷鸡的人　查看网站：[db:时间]】