In former days, when all a man's limbs did not work together as amicably¹ as they do now, but each had a will and way of its own, the members generally began to find fault with the belly for spending an idle luxurious² life, while they were wholly occupied in laboring³ for its support, and ministering to its wants and pleasure; so they entered into a conspiracy⁴ to cut off its supplies for the future;

以前，人的四肢并不是像现在这样友好地合作。它们有各自的意志和行事方式。人体的其他器官指责肚子过着悠闲、奢侈的生活，而它们则为它终日忙碌着，给它吃给它喝，让它快乐。后来，它们密谋要切断对肚子的供应。

The hands were no longer to carry food to the mouth, nor the mouth to receive the food, nor the teeth to chew it.

手不再把食物送到嘴里，嘴不再接受东西，牙齿也不再咀嚼了。

They had not long persisted in this course of starving the belly into subjection, ere they all began, one by one, to fail and flag, and the whole body to pine away.

它们本想让肚子挨饿，从而使它屈服，可是，没过多久它们就坚持不住了。它们个个感到疲倦乏力，整个身体也消瘦下来了。

Then the members were convinced that the belly also, cumbersome⁵ and useless as it seemed, had an important function of its own; that they could no more do without it than it could do without them; and that if they would have the constitution of the body in a healthy state, they must work together, each in his proper sphere, for the common good of all.

此时，这些器官才明白，肚子虽然看似笨拙、无用，实际上却有其重要的作用；它们离不开肚子，而肚子也同样离不开它们；如果想让身体保持健康，它们就得为了共同的利益精诚合作，各司其职。