Aesop’s Fables

　　《伊索寓言》乃西方寓言文體文學的祖師爺，現今世界各地，有數不清的各種語言譯本。伊索藉由不同生物的生態與習性，用巧妙的譬喻手法、簡約的機智言語，生動而活潑地刻劃人性。
　　
　　書中每一則故事均富含深意：有啟發、有訓誡、有諷刺、有警示：從中，我們不僅可以欣賞到優雅的遣詞用字，更可學到先人寶貴的生活智慧與處世哲學。
　
　　本中文簡介取自於<<伊索寓言>>由寂天出版

　　This timeless collection brings together three hundred of the most enduringly popular of Aesop’s fables in a volume that will delight young and old readers alike. Here are all the age-old favourites - the wily fox, the vain peacock, the predatory cat and the steady tortoise - just as endearingly vivid and relevant now as they were for their very first audience.

　　This elegant Macmillan Collector’s Library edition of Aesop's Fables features illustrations by Arthur Rackham, the leading decorative illustrator of the Edwardian period, which have been beautifully and sensitively coloured by Barbara Frith.

　　This beautiful edition features an afterword by publisher and editor Anna South.

作者簡介

伊索（Aesop）

　　大約生活在公元前620 到560 之間。有人說他是奴隸出身，也有人說他是利迪亞（Lydia）國王的外交使節，因為常年在國外奔走，所以他的寓言故事也傳遍了世界。

　　不過他從未寫過任何東西。他的故事都是後代人口耳相傳，筆錄下來的。傳說中他面貌醜陋，但聰明絕頂，脫離奴隸身份後，成為許多君王的參謀。他的「書」，亞里斯多德就曾讀過。

　　Although the three hundred fables in this collection are attributed to Aesop, and his name is synonymous with the form, it seems unlikely he was in fact anything more than a legendary figure. While some historical accounts maintain he was a slave with a prodigious talent for story-telling who lived during the sixth century BC, many believe it unlikely that this whole stock of fables can be attributed to one individual. However, what does seem clear is that the fables began their life as word-of-mouth stories long before being put down in writing.