杨海英译的《伊索寓言》中《蝙蝠和黄鼠狼》一篇是这样的:
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一只蝙蝠跌落在地上,被黄鼠狼逮住了,当它就要被吃掉时,它请求黄鼠狼放过自己。黄鼠狼说它不能这么做,因为从原则上讲,蝙蝠是所有鸟类的天敌。“噢,但是。”蝙蝠说,“我根本不是鸟,我是鼠。 ”“那么你是鼠。”黄鼠狼说,“我就接受你的说法吧。”然后,黄鼠狼就放了蝙蝠。一段时间以后,蝙蝠同样被另一只黄鼠狼逮住了,和之前一样,蝙蝠请求黄鼠狼饶了它的命。“不行。”黄鼠狼说,“我从来不会让鼠类有任何机会走。”“但我不是鼠。”蝙蝠说,“我是鸟。”“原来你是鸟啊。”黄鼠狼说道,接着也放走了蝙蝠。
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你们看出问题来了吗?英文版是:
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A BAT who fell upon the ground and was caught by a Weasel pleaded to be spared his life. The Weasel refused, saying that he was by nature the enemy of all birds. The Bat assured him that he was not a bird, but a mouse, and thus was set free. Shortly afterwards the Bat again fell to the ground and was caught by another Weasel, whom he likewise entreated not to eat him. The Weasel said that he had a special hostility to mice. The Bat assured him that he was not a mouse, but a bat, and thus a second time escaped.
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显然,译者错误地理解了“The Weasel refused, saying that he was by nature the enemy of all birds”一句中的“he”到底是指谁。
周作人的译本中没有这个问题。