《古代寓言·偷鸡的人》（中英对照）

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 Thief

There 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