中國寓言故事雙語版 第20期:不死之藥
One day, Hui Zi met Zhuang Zi and told him this story:
一天，惠子見到莊子，講了這樣一件事:
"King Hui bestowed upon me some bottle gourd seeds which I planted in the earth.
“惠王賜給我大葫蘆的種子，我把它種在地裏。
Soon afterwards a big gourd which could hold 5 dan of rice really grew in the field.
不久，真的結了個很大的葫蘆，恐怕裝得下五石穀子。
Never before have I seen such a big gourd, so I was very happy.
我也是第一次看到這麼大的葫蘆，高興極了。
But it couldn't solve any of my practical problems.
但它卻解決不了我一點兒實際問題。
I was so disappointed that I smashed it.
一氣之下，我把它砸碎了。”
When Zhuang Zi heard this, he felt very sorry and said:"It's really a pity that you smashed such a good gourd so rashly."
莊子聽了，十分,碗惜地說:“您這樣輕易地把這麼好的葫蘆打碎了，實在是太可惜了。”
Hui Zi couldn't wait for Zhuang Zi to finish to ask: "You feel it is a pity, then what would you use it for?"
惠子不等莊子把話說完，搶着問道: “您覺得可惜，您想用它做什麼呢?”
Zhuang Zi calmly told Hui Zi a story:
莊子心平氣和地給惠子講了一個故事:
"There was a man in our State of Song who could make medicine for preventing chilblains.
“我們宋國有一個人，會製作防止凍瘡的藥。
For generations his family bleached and washed cotton wadding for others for a living.
他家祖祖輩輩靠給人漂洗棉絮爲生。
Someone heard of this and visited their house.
有人聽說後就登門拜訪。
He was willing to pay 100 catties of gold to buy the secret prescription handed down from their ancestors.
願出百斤黃金買他家的祖傳祕方。
The whole family discussed this matter: `I think we had better sell it to him.
全家一道商量這件事:‘我看還是賣給他吧!
We have bleached and washed for others for generations with pitiful income.
咱們世世代代爲人漂洗，收人少得可憐。
If we sell the prescription now, we can get a large sum of money at once. We mustn't miss this opportunity!’
現在如果能賣掉藥方，一下子就能得到一大筆錢。不能錯過這個機會啊!
Consequently, the whole family agreed to sell the prescription."
於是，全家同意賣掉祕方。”
Zhuang Zi continued:"The man who got the prescription felt as if he had gotten 1,000 pieces of gold.
莊子接着說:“那個人得了祕方，像得了千金寶貝。
He went to the King of Wu to sell his idea.
就去遊說吳王。
At the time, the State of Yue invaded the State of Wu.
這時，越國侵犯吳國。
The King of Wu sent the man to lead his troops into battle.
吳王便派他去帶兵迎戰。
"It was wi“nter then, and the weather was very cold.
當時，正是冬天，天氣十分寒冷。
The armies of the State of Yue and the State of Wu fought on water.
越、吳兩軍在水上交戰。
As the Wu army had this secret prescription, not a single soldier in the army suffered from frostbite of hands or feet.
吳軍因爲有了這個祕方，全軍上下沒有一個人手腳凍裂。
In the end, they totally vanquished the Yue army. For this, the King of Wu rewarded that man generously and offered him a high post.
最後大破越軍。爲此，吳王大大獎賞了那個人，又封他做了大官。
"Some people use the medicine for preventing chilblains to get high posts and titles,
“能防止手足凍裂的凍瘡藥，有的人用它來封官進爵。
while others only use it to bleach and wash cotton wadding for others. Why?
有的人則只能用來爲人漂洗棉絮。這是爲什麼?
This is because some people can put inferior timber to big use whereas others put fine timber only to petty use."
這是因爲有人小材大用，有人卻大材小用的緣故。”
Zhuang Zi stopped at this point, thought for a while, then continued again:
說到這兒，莊子停了下來，想了想又接着說:
"Sir, you should also learn to utilize your large gourd.
“先生，您也應該學會利用大葫蘆呀!
I think, instead of using the gourd as a ladle for water, it would be better to use it as a yao zhou (floating aid) to cross rivers and seas.
我以爲用作瓢舀水，倒不如把它用作腰舟渡江河湖海。
Won't it be better than the present state?"
不是比現在更好嗎?”
After hearing this, Hui Zi nodded repeatedly and admitted that Zhuang Zi was wiser than he. He said with a sigh:
惠子聽了連連點頭，承認莊子比自己高明。他感嘆說:
"It seems that I am a person with a muddled head after all."
“看來，我還是個心眼不開竅的人呀!”
