Ants were once men and made their living by tilling the soil. But, not content with the results of their own work, they were always eating longing1 eyes upon the crops and fruits of their neighbours, which they stole, whenever they got the chance, and added to their own store. At last their covetousness2 made Jupiter so angry that he changed them into ants. But, though their forms were changed, their nature remained the same: and so, to this day, they go about among the cornfields and gather the fruits of others' labour, and store them up for their own use.
You may punish a thief, but his bent3 remains4.
很久很久以前，蚂蚁本来是人，以耕地为生。但是，他们不满足于自己的劳动所得，总是盯着邻居的水果和庄稼羡慕不已，只要一有机会，他们就会偷邻居的食物，放在自己的储藏室。后来，他们的贪婪让朱庇特十分生气，便把他们变成了现在的蚂蚁。然而，虽然他们的模样改变了，本性却依然未变。直到现在，他们仍然会到别人的田里采集人家的劳动成果，贮存起来留作自己的食物。
你可以惩罚小偷，但他们的恶习依然如故。
