Son: Thanks, Mom. You're the best. What should I steal next time?
儿子:谢谢,妈妈。你是天底下最好的妈妈。下次我该偷点什么呢?
Mother: I don't care. Whatever you wish, my son.
妈妈:我不在乎。你想偷什么就偷什么,儿子。
Time passed and the Son is now a grown man. He continued to steal things from other people and became a real thief.
时光流逝,儿子现在已经变成了一个成年人。但他还是在偷东西,成为一个真正的小偷。
Son: What should I go to steal today? I know! I'll go to the bank. There must be lots of money there.
儿子:我今天该去偷点什么?我知道了!去银行。那里一定有很多钱。
The Son breaks into the bank during the night.
于是,夜里儿子闯进了银行。
Son: Wow! Look at all of this money! I'm rich now.
儿子:哇!这么多钱!我现在是个有钱人了。
Just then a siren rings and all of the lights in the bank turn on. It is bright as day. The Son tries to run away.
就在这时,警报器响了,银行里所有的灯都亮了。亮如白昼。儿子想逃跑。
Police: Stop there, you thief! You can't get away. The police are everywhere. You are trapped. Ha, ha, ha. I got you.
警察:不许动,小偷!你逃不掉了。警察已经将你包围了。你快束手就擒吧。哈,哈,哈。终于抓到你了。
Son: Let me go! Just this once, please! I won't do it again.
儿子:放我走吧!就饶了我这一次吧!我不会再偷东西了。
Police: Not a chance! I can't let you go. You must be punished. Let's go to the police station. The guard takes him to the police station. The Son is locked up. His mother comes to visit him.
警察:你已经没有机会了!我不会让你离开的。你必须接受惩罚。咱们现在就去警察局。警卫把他押送到警察局。儿子被关押起来。他的母亲来看他。
Mother: Are you okay, my son?
妈妈:你还好吗,儿子?
Son: No! I am not okay! I am in jail!
儿子:不!我不好,我现在可是在监狱里!
Mother: Why did you do this?
妈妈:你为什么这么做?
Son: Come here closer, Mom. I'll tell you.
儿子:过来,妈妈。我悄悄告诉你。
The Mother goes closer to her Son. Just then the Son bites her right ear.
于是母亲靠近儿子。就在这时,儿子突然咬住了她的耳朵。
Mother: Ouch! That hurt. Why did you do that? You are a bad boy. You should be punished.
母亲:哎哟!疼死了。你为什么要咬我?你是个坏孩子。你应该受到惩罚。
Son: Why didn't you punish me before? Because of you, I became a thief.
儿子:当初你为什么不惩罚我?因为你,我才成了一名小偷。
Mother: What do you mean, my son? I didn't do anything.
妈妈:你这是什么意思,儿子?我什么也没做啊。
Son: That's just it. You didn't do anything. You never punished me. And now I'm in jail. Why didn't you punish me when I first stole the toy car?
儿子:这就对了。就是因为你什么也没做。你从来不惩罚我。所以现在我才进了监狱。我第一次偷玩具车的时候,你为什么不惩罚我?
Mother: Because I loved you. I'm sorry, my son.
妈妈:因为我爱你。对不起,儿子。
Son: It's no use now.
儿子:现在说什么也没有用了。
Moral:Spare the rod and spoil the child.
寓言:小错起初不惩治,必将酿成大错。