The Lioness and Small Respect（母狮

Respect. I expect nothing less. All respect the queen of the African plains. If the zebra or the antelope catch sight of me crouching in the bush, they do not forget to gallop. The elephant and the rhino respect me, and they mind not to tread on my children with their big clumsy feet. Even the snappy crocodile stays clear of me, when I come down to drink at the water.

尊重。这是我最起码的期待。所有动物都敬重这片非洲草原的女王。要是斑马或羚羊瞥见我潜伏在灌木丛中，它们定会撒腿狂奔。大象和犀牛敬重我，走路时也会留意，不会用它们笨拙的大脚踩到我的孩子们。甚至连脾气暴躁的鳄鱼，在我到河边饮水时，也会离我远远的。

Yes, respect is good.

没错，尊重是件好事。

That is why I was so angry when a pesky little fellow failed to show me respect.

所以，当一个讨厌的小家伙对我毫无敬意时，我怒不可遏。

Buzzzzzzzzzz!

嗡嗡嗡嗡嗡嗡！

The mosquito buzzed around my ears and even stung me on the nose. I snapped at the horrid little traitor, and I bit my tongue. Oh, how that hurt! Then I struck at him with my paw, such a blow that would fell a buffalo, but he slipped through my claws and was laughing at me. Thenhe bit me on the bottom! The cheek of it!

那只蚊子在我耳边嗡嗡乱飞，甚至还叮了我的鼻子。我猛地去咬这可恶的叛徒，结果咬到了自己的舌头。哎哟，疼死我了！接着我用爪子去抓它，那力道足以撂倒一头水牛，可它却从我的爪子缝里溜走，还嘲笑起我来。然后它居然叮了我的屁股！这胆子也太大了！

“Oh great queen,” said the mosquito. “Bow your head before your master. I, the mosquito, have drunk your blood and defeated you in combat.”

“哦，伟大的女王，” 蚊子说道，“在您的主人面前低头吧。我，这只蚊子，吸了您的血，还在较量中打败了您。”

I roared an almighty roar that sent the wildebeest and the giraffe scattering across the savanna.

我发出一声震天动地的怒吼，吓得角马和长颈鹿在草原上四散奔逃。

“Ha ha ha,” laughed the mosquito – and he flew backwards into a spider’s web. The spider showed respect to his queen by eating the wretched insect.

“哈哈哈，” 蚊子大笑着，结果倒飞进了一张蜘蛛网里。蜘蛛吃掉了这只讨厌的虫子，以此向它的女王表示敬意。

A little while after this, I was lying asleep under a tree when I felt something tickling my nose.

此事过后不久，我正躺在树下打盹，忽然感觉有什么东西在挠我的鼻子。

I opened one eye and saw that a mouse had scampered onto my face!

我睁开一只眼睛，看到一只老鼠竟然窜到了我的脸上！

“How dare you!” I roared, and was about to swipe him a deadly blow with my paw when the mouse begged: “Oh mighty queen, forgive me! I was running through the long grass, and did not mean to run onto your nose or to disturb your sleep.”

“你好大的胆子！” 我怒吼道，正要挥起爪子给他致命一击，这时老鼠哀求道：“哦，强大的女王，原谅我吧！我在高高的草丛中奔跑，不是有意跑到您鼻子上，打扰您睡觉的。”

I laughed at this furry creature and said: “Little fellow. I was about to kill you but you have shown wisdom and respect for your queen. I pardon your sin.”

我冲着这个毛茸茸的小家伙笑了，说道：“小家伙。我本想杀了你，但你很明智，也对女王表示了尊重。我饶恕你的过错。”

“Oh, thank you, thank you,” said the mouse. “I only hope that one day I may be of service to your majesty.”

“哦，谢谢您，谢谢您，” 老鼠说，“我只希望有一天能为陛下您效劳。”

I laughed again, for how could a little mouse help a mighty queen?

我又笑了，一只小老鼠能帮到强大的女王什么忙呢？

The weeks went by, and I was out for a midnight stroll when all of a sudden, there was no ground beneath my paws.

几周过去了，一天午夜，我外出散步，突然，脚下没了实地。

Thump. I fell to the bottom of a pit. I tried to spring out, but I was tangled in a net. The more my limbs struggled, the more I became entangled.

砰的一声。我掉进了一个大坑底部。我试图跳出去，却被一张网缠住了。我的四肢越挣扎，缠得就越紧。

A hyena came by and saw me in this sorry trap. He cackled with his ugly voice and taunted me: “In the morning the men shall come and throw their spears into your side. Then we shall have to find a new queen.”

一只鬣狗路过，看到我被困在这倒霉的陷阱里。它用那难听的声音咯咯笑着，还嘲笑我：“早上人们就会来，把长矛刺进你的身体。到时候我们就得找个新女王了。”

I snarled with fury and swore to tear him apart when I was free from the snare. But he just laughed his silly laugh.

我愤怒地咆哮着，发誓等挣脱陷阱后，一定要把它撕成碎片。但它只是一个劲儿地傻笑。

Towards morning, I had almost given up hope when I heard a little voice.

天快亮的时候，我几乎绝望了，这时我听到一个细小的声音。

“My queen,” it said. “At last I may be of service to you.”

“我的女王，” 那声音说道，“终于有机会为您效劳了。”

I saw the pink nose of the mouse.

我看到了老鼠粉色的鼻子。

“My loyal subject. It does my proud heart good to hear your well meaning words… But I am afraid you must now pay your last respects to your queen, for my limbs are caught in this net, and very soon the sun will rise and the men shall come to kill me.”

“我忠诚的子民。听到你这番善意的话语，我满心骄傲…… 但恐怕你现在得向你的女王作最后的告别了，因为我的四肢被这张网缠住了，太阳很快就会升起，那些人就要来杀我了。”

“You underestimate the might of a mouse,” said my loyal subject. He called to his wife and children, and together they gnawed through the net. I was free within the hour, just in time to spring out of the pit and give the men who had come to kill me a nasty surprise.

“您低估了一只老鼠的力量。” 我忠诚的子民说道。它唤来妻子和孩子们，它们一起咬断了网。不到一个小时，我就重获自由，刚好及时跳出大坑，给那些前来猎杀我的人来了个下马威。

And so that is the story of how I, the queen of the jungle, came to respect those who respect me, no matter how small they might be, because sometimes the smallest of those among us, have the advantage over the mighty and the strong.

这就是我，丛林女王，如何学会尊重那些尊重我的生灵的故事，无论它们多么渺小，因为有时候，我们当中最渺小的，也能胜过强大者。