托尔斯泰曾经引述过一则东方的寓言，他认为，它总括了在面对必死无疑的局面时人们对生命中的荒谬性的三种反应。

Tolstoy once quoted an Eastern parable, which he felt summed up the three responses to the utter absurdity of life in light of the certainty of death.

youdao

即使不能吞下整一只，它会先解决它的头，这样那只小强就必死无疑了或至少，快死了，因为据说小强没头也还能活一段时间。

If it can't swallow the whole thing, it will settle for its head, and that roach is dead for sure (or at least, dying, because roaches are known to survive for a while without heads).

youdao

只要它一出现，人们就必死无疑。

People lay down and died wherever it came up.

youdao

它溢过火山口的边沿，形成200英尺宽的一道沉重的熔岩流，缓缓地流动着穿过谷底，任何不能从它经过的地方逃离的东西必死无疑。

It came over the edge in a heavy stream, 200 feet wide, and travelled slowly across the valley, bringing certain death to everything that could not move from its path.

youdao

它溢过火山口的边沿，形成200英尺宽的一道沉重的熔岩流，缓缓地流动着穿过谷底，任何不能从它经过的地方逃离的东西必死无疑。

It came over the edge in a heavy stream, 200 feet wide, and travelled slowly across the valley, bringing certain death to everything that could not move from its path.

youdao