Aesop
His Master, Xantus, who was giving a banquet for his friends, ordered him one day to compose a meal of1 the best ingredients he could buy. Aesop served a banquet in which every dish, from the soup to the dessert, was made of tongues prepared in various ways. When Xantus reproved2 him, Aesop replied that he had followed his orders to the letter,3 since the tongue being the organ of language, is also the vehicle of truth, reason, science, social life and all things that make life precious. The next day Xantus ordered Aesop to prepare a meal consisting of1 all the worst ingredients. Aesop again served the same dishes, explaining that the tongue, as the organ of language, is also responsible for all the worst things in the world — quarrels, dissensions, lawsuits, strife, war, lies, slander, blasphemy and all manner of things evil.
— G. Apollinaire
ingredient n.（烹调的）原料
reprove v. 责备
vehicle n.（用以表达思想、情感的）工具
dissension n.（由分歧引起的）不和
lawsuit n. 诉讼
strife n. 冲突；争斗
slander n. 诽谤
blasphemy n. 亵渎的言辞（或行为）
all manner of 各种（= all kinds of）
中译 舌宴（伊索）
一天，伊索的主人安特斯要宴请朋友，便命令伊索用买得到的最佳材料准备一顿饭菜。结果伊索为宴会上的每一道菜，从汤到甜点，都是用舌头经各种方法烹调而成的。当安特斯训斥他的时候，伊索回答说，他是不折不扣地执行了主人的命令。因为舌头作为语言器官，也是真理、理性、科学、社交和使生活变得珍贵的一切事物的载体。第二天，安特斯又命令伊索用所有最蹩脚的配料准备一顿饭菜。伊索还是上了同样的菜肴，并解释道，舌头作为语言器官，也导致了世上最坏的事情──争吵、不和、官司、冲突、战争、谎言、诽谤、亵渎和各种各样的罪孽。
——〔法〕阿波利奈尔
原来如此！
Aesop（伊索，公元前约620-约560），古希腊寓言作家，是一位传奇人物，相传曾为奴隶。他是公元前六世纪小亚细亚吕底亚国（Lydia）极富有的国王的谋士。他善讲寓言故事，经后人汇编成《伊索寓言》（Aesop’s Fables）。
语言是人类交流思想和进行思维的工具，也是文明和文化的载体。语言力量之大，影响之深远可见于一些谚语：The pen is mightier than the sword（笔锋利于剑）、The tongue is not steel, yet it cuts（舌非钢，却伤人）、Words cut / hurt more than swords（言语比利剑更伤人）。中文也有一些关于舌头和言语的成语，如“唇枪舌剑”“舌如利刃”“巧舌如簧”等。
本文作者Guillaume Apollinaire（阿波利奈尔，1880-1918），法国现代主义诗人，主张革新诗歌，著有《醇酒集》（Alcools, 1913）等。
增值英语
1 to compose a meal of....../ a meal consisting of......
句式 原句 to compose...of 为主动式，其被动式为 be composed
of......（以……组成、构成）；后者较常用，相当于 be made up of.....:
Water is composed of hydrogen and oxygen. 水是由氢和氧化合而成的。
The ocean is composed of salt water. 海洋由含盐的水构成。
句式 consist of... 为 be composed of... 的近义词，意为“包含”。
注意 consist 是不及物动词，只用主动式：
Carbon dioxide consists of carbon and oxygen. 二氧化碳是碳和氧化合而成的。
The house consists of five rooms. 这幢房子包括五个房间。
2 Xantus reproved him......
reprove（责备），是正式用语。其他近义词为：reproach（责怪） / scold（责骂） / criticize（批评）。
His supervisor reproved / reproached him for neglecting his duties. 他的主管责备他疏忽职守。
He was scolded by his father for being lazy. 他因懒惰被父亲斥责。
3 ...followed his orders to the letter
to the letter 指“精确地”“不折不扣地”，相当于 precisely / exactly：
I carried out your instructions to the letter. 我严格地执行了您的指示。
The orders have to be obeyed to the letter. 命令必须不折不扣地服从。
名言
I am always sorry when any language is lost, because languages are the pedigree of nations.— Samuel Johnson
任何一种语言消失，我都感到遗憾，因为语言是各个民族的龙脉渊源。——约翰逊
