Father had a family of sons who were perpetuallyquarrelling among themselves. When he failed toheal their disputes by his exhortations, hedetermined to give them a practical illustration ofthe evils of disunion; and for this purpose he one daytold them to bring him a bundle of sticks. When theyhad done so, he placed the faggot into the hands ofeach of them in succession, and ordered them tobreak it in pieces. They each tried with all theirstrength, and were not able to do it.

一位父亲有几个孩子，这些孩子时常发生口角。他丝毫没有办法来劝阻他们，只好让他们看看不合群所带来害处的例子。为了达到这个目的，有一天他叫他们替他拿一捆细柴来。当他们把柴带来时，他便先后地将那捆柴放在每一个孩子的手中，吩咐他们弄断这捆柴。他们一个个尽力去试，总是不能成功。

He next unclosed the faggot, and took the sticks separately, one by one, and again put theminto their hands, on which they broke them easily. He then addressed them in these words: "Mysons, if you are of one mind, and unite to assist each other, you will be as this faggot,uninjured by all the attempts of your enemies; but if you are divided among yourselves, you willbe broken as

easily as these sticks."

然后他解开那捆柴，一根根地放在他们手里，如此一来，他们便毫不费力地折断了。于是他就告诉他们说：「孩子们!如果你们大家团结一致，互相帮助，你们就像这捆柴一样，不能被你们的敌人折断;但如果你们自行分裂，你们就将和这些散柴一般，不堪一折了。