A baby mole[鼹鼠] got to feeling big,
And wanted to show how he could dig;
So he plowed[犁耕] along in the soft, warm dirt
Till he hit something hard, and it surely hurt!
A dozen stars flew out of his snout[口鼻部];
He sat on his haunches[腿臀部], began to pout[撅嘴];
Then rammed[撞击] the thing again with his head—
His grandpa picked him up half dead.
“Young man,” he said, “though your pate[脑袋] is bone.
You can't butt[碰撞] your way through solid stone.
This bit of advice is good, I've found:
If you can't go over or under, go round.”
一只小鼹鼠，幻想已长大，
一心想昭示，刨地也厉害，
于是它往温软的土地里刨呀刨，
直到撞上硬物，痛楚袭来！
它两眼冒星，
坐起腰身，撅起小嘴，
继续用头猛撞那块硬物——
爷爷发现了奄奄一息的它。
“小伙子，”爷爷说，“虽然你的头很硬，
也击不碎坚固的石头。
我给你一个好忠告，
假若进退无路，便另辟奇径。”
A traveler came to a stream one day,
And because it presumed[假定] to cross his way,
And wouldn't turn round to suit his whim[一时的兴致]
And change its course to go with him,
His anger rose far more than it should,
And he vowed he'd cross right where he stood.
A man said there was a bridge below,
But not a step would he budge[挪动] or go.
The current was swift and the bank was steep,
But he jumped right in with a violent leap.
A fisherman dragged him out half-drowned:
“When you can't go over or under, go round.”
某日，一位旅者来到河边，
河流挡住了他设想的道路，
不因他的想法而改变方向，
不随他的步伐而改变河道，
他平添许多怒火，
发誓将于原地渡河。
有人告诉他，下游有桥可借道，
他却寸步不肯挪动。
河流湍急，河岸陡峭，
他仍奋身跳入河中。
渔夫救起几近溺死的他，告诫说：
“假若进退无路，便另辟奇径。”
If you come to a place that you can't get through,
Or over or under, the thing to do
Is to find a way round the impassable wall,
Not say you'll go YOUR way or not at all.
You can always get to the place you're going,
If you'll set your sails as the wind is blowing.
If the mountains are high, go round the valley;
If the streets are blocked, go up some alley;
If the parlor-car[特等客车]'s filled, don't scorn[不屑] a freight[货运列车];
If the front door's closed, go in the side gate.
To reach your goal this advice is sound:
If you can't go over or under, go round!
假如你遇到阻碍，
进退不得，唯一的解决方法
就是另辟奇径，绕开这翻不过的墙，
而非坚持己见，或置之不理。
你永远能到达你梦想的彼岸，只需
随风起航，
绕谷翻山，
阻道取径，
客随货运，
闭门入侧。
想达到目标，这一建议大有裨益：
假若进退无路，便另辟奇径！