蒙學漢文初階 第八十一課 Beginning Chinese - Entry Level Lesson #81
牛耕於野不勤 ox plough at field not diligent
牧童鞭之 to_herd boy whip it
牛曰 ox said
吾甚苦 I much hardship
牧童曰 to_herd boy replied
智不若人 wisdom not like man
宜為人役 should thus_be man to_enserf
The ox was not ploughing the field hard enough. The shepherd boy whipped it. The ox replied, "My life is hard". To which the shepherd boy replied, "Your wisdom is not great as man's. Thus, enslaved to man".
Notes:
1. It can also be translated to "cow". However, Chinese do not use them for ploughing or tilling of rice fields; only the male ones are used. Thus eating of ox is a taboo food. Cows can be eaten though not often as pork, no such taboo exist.
2. Other meanings of 役 are forced labor, corvée ,obligatory task, military service / to use as servant, servant (old), war, campaign, battle…