February 2023

Chinese Fable Stories – A New Lake for an Old

古代寓言原是民间口头创作,文学体裁的一种。含有讽喻或明显教训意义的故事。它的结构简短。主人公可以是人,可以是动物,也可以是无生物。多借用比喻手法,使富有教训意义的主题或深刻的道理在简单的故事中体现,而还需要自己去理解,思考,这就是和西方寓言的不同之处。 《古代寓言·另开一个大池子》 王荆公好言利,有小人诏曰:“决梁山泊八百里水以为田,其利大矣。” 荆公喜甚,徐曰:“决水何地可容?” 刘贡父曰:“自其旁别凿八百里泊,则可容矣。” 荆公笑而止。 ——《邵氏见闻录》 A New Lake for an Old Wang Anshi, prime minister of the Song Dynasty, was fond of public utility projects. A man who wanted to get into his good graces offered a proposition. “Drain Liangshanbo Lake, and you will have eight hundred square li of fertile land,” said […]

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Chinese Fable Stories – The Wild Goose Sentry

古代寓言原是民间口头创作,文学体裁的一种。含有讽喻或明显教训意义的故事。它的结构简短。主人公可以是人,可以是动物,也可以是无生物。多借用比喻手法,使富有教训意义的主题或深刻的道理在简单的故事中体现,而还需要自己去理解,思考,这就是和西方寓言的不同之处。 《古代寓言·雁奴》 雁奴,雁之最小者,性尤机警。每群雁夜宿,雁奴独不瞑,为之伺察。或微闻人声必先号鸣,群雁则杂然相呼引去。后乡人益巧设诡计,以中雁奴之欲。于是先视陂薮雁所常处者,阴布大网,多穿土穴于其傍。日未入,人各持束缊并匿穴中,须其夜艾;则燎火穴外,雁奴先警,急来其火。群雁惊视无见,复就栖焉。于是三燎三灭,雁奴三叫,众雁三惊;已而无所见,则众雁谓奴之无验也,互唼迭击之,又就栖然。少选,火复举,雁奴畏众击,不敢鸣。乡人闻其无声,乃举网张之,率十获五。 ——《景文集》 The Wild Goose Sentry The smallest and the most alert of a flock of wild geese is often chosen to keep vigil for the others during the night. At the slightest untoward sound it raises the alarm and the flock starts from their sleep and make off. So some wild goose

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Chinese Fable Stories – Old Custom

古代寓言原是民间口头创作,文学体裁的一种。含有讽喻或明显教训意义的故事。它的结构简短。主人公可以是人,可以是动物,也可以是无生物。多借用比喻手法,使富有教训意义的主题或深刻的道理在简单的故事中体现,而还需要自己去理解,思考,这就是和西方寓言的不同之处。 《古代寓言·老规矩》 杨叔贤郎中异,眉州人,言顷有太守初视事,人排乐。乐人口号云:“为报吏民段庆贺,灾星移去福星来!”守大喜,问口号谁撰,优人答曰:“本州自来旧例,止此一首。” ——《湘山野录》 Old Custom A newly-appointed prefect was giving a grand banquet for the local gentry with many musicians to entertain the party. In the midst of the revelry, a singer intoned: “Out with the old, in with the new; out with the evil star, in with the lucky star!” The prefect was

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Chinese Fable Stories – A Good Beating

《北史》是二十四史之一。是汇合并删节记载北朝历史的《魏书》、《北齐书》、《周书》、《隋书》而编成的纪传体史书。魏本纪五卷、齐本纪三卷、周本纪二卷、隋本纪二卷、列传八十八卷,共一百卷。记述从北魏登国元年(386(丙戌年))到隋义宁二年(618)的历史。《南史》与《北史》为姊妹篇,是由李大师及其子李延寿两代人编撰完成的。 《北史·李惠传·盐屑见证》 (李惠为雍州刺史——引者)人有负盐负薪者,同释重担息树阴。二人将行,争一羊皮,各言藉背之物。惠遣争者出,顾州纪纲曰:“以此羊皮可拷知主乎?”群下咸无答者。惠令人置羊皮席上,以杖击之,见少盐屑,曰:“得其实矣。”使争者视之,负薪者乃伏而就罪。 《北史》 A Good Beating [During the time when Li Hui was the Prefect of Yongzhou] two men, one bearing a load of salt and the other firewood, set down their burdens and took a rest together in the shade of a tree. When they rose to leave they began to quarrel over

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Chinese Fable Stories – The Silly Fawn

古代寓言原是民间口头创作,文学体裁的一种。含有讽喻或明显教训意义的故事。它的结构简短。主人公可以是人,可以是动物,也可以是无生物。多借用比喻手法,使富有教训意义的主题或深刻的道理在简单的故事中体现,而还需要自己去理解,思考,这就是和西方寓言的不同之处。 《古代寓言·糊涂的小鹿》 临江之人,畋得麋麑,畜之。入行,群犬垂涎,扬尾皆来,其人怒怛之。自是日抱就犬习示之使勿动,稍使与之戏。积久,犬皆如人意。麋麑稍大,忘已之麋也,以为犬良我友,抵触偃仆,益狎。犬畏主人,与之俯仰甚善,然时啖其舌。 三年麋出门,见外犬在道甚众,走欲与为戏。外犬见而喜且怒,共杀食之,狼藉道上,麋至死而不悟。 ——《柳河东集》 The Silly Fawn A man in Linjiang captured a fawn. When it was brought home, the dogs came licking their chops and wagging their tails. The man angrily drove them off. Afterwards, he took the fawn among the dogs, warning them to keep their peace, and making them frolic with

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Chinese Fable Stories – The Hunter Who Used Tricks

古代寓言原是民间口头创作,文学体裁的一种。含有讽喻或明显教训意义的故事。它的结构简短。主人公可以是人,可以是动物,也可以是无生物。多借用比喻手法,使富有教训意义的主题或深刻的道理在简单的故事中体现,而还需要自己去理解,思考,这就是和西方寓言的不同之处。 《古代寓言·用骗术的猎人》 鹿畏貙,貙畏虎,虎畏罴。罴之状,被发人立,绝有力而甚害人焉! 楚之南有猎者,能吹竹为百兽之音,寂寂持弓矢罂火而即之山为鹿鸣,以感其类,伺其至,发火而射之。貙闻其鹿也,趋而至,其人恐,因为虎骇之。貙走而虎至,愈恐,则又为罴,虎亦亡去。罴闻而求其类,至则人也,捽搏挽裂而食之。 今夫不善内而恃外者,未有不为罴之食也! ——《柳河东集》 The Hunter Who Used Tricks The deer is afraid of the wolf; the wolf of the tiger; and the tiger of the wild bear, the most ferocious and powerful of all animals, walking erect, with long hair hanging from its head. In southern Chu there was a hunter who

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Chinese Fable Stories – The Donkey of Guizhou

古代寓言原是民间口头创作,文学体裁的一种。含有讽喻或明显教训意义的故事。它的结构简短。主人公可以是人,可以是动物,也可以是无生物。多借用比喻手法,使富有教训意义的主题或深刻的道理在简单的故事中体现,而还需要自己去理解,思考,这就是和西方寓言的不同之处。 《古代寓言·黔驴技穷》 黔无驴,有好事者,船载以入;至则无可用,放之山下。虎见之,庞然大物也,以为神;蔽林间窥之,稍出近之,憗憗然,莫相知。他日,驴一鸣,虎大骇远遁,以为且噬已也,甚恐;然往来视之,觉无异能者;益习其声,又近出前后,终不敢博。稍近益狎,荡倚冲冒,驴不胜怒,蹄之。虎因喜,计之曰:“技止此耳!”因跳踉大?,断其喉,尽其肉,乃去。 ——《柳河东集》 The Donkey of Guizhou There were no donkeys in Guizhou until an eccentric took one there by boat; but finding no use for it he set it loose in the hills. A tiger who saw this monstrous-looking beast thought it must be divine. It first surveyed the donkey from under cover,

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Chinese Fable Stories – Two Ways of Cooking the Goose

古代寓言原是民间口头创作,文学体裁的一种。含有讽喻或明显教训意义的故事。它的结构简短。主人公可以是人,可以是动物,也可以是无生物。多借用比喻手法,使富有教训意义的主题或深刻的道理在简单的故事中体现,而还需要自己去理解,思考,这就是和西方寓言的不同之处。 《古代寓言·两个射雁的人》 昔人有睹雁翔者,将授弓射之,曰:“获则烹。”其弟争曰:“舒雁烹宜,翔雁燔宜。”竞斗而讼于社伯,社伯请剖雁,烹燔半焉。已而索雁,则凌空远矣。 ——《贤奕编》 Two Ways of Cooking the Goose A man saw a wild goose flying in the sky. Fitting an arrow to his bow, he said, “If I can bring it down, we will stew it.” “No, it would be better to roast it,” said his younger brother. Their argument reached a deadlock.

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Chinese Fable Stories – The Man Who Liked Money Better Than Life

古代寓言原是民间口头创作,文学体裁的一种。含有讽喻或明显教训意义的故事。它的结构简短。主人公可以是人,可以是动物,也可以是无生物。多借用比喻手法,使富有教训意义的主题或深刻的道理在简单的故事中体现,而还需要自己去理解,思考,这就是和西方寓言的不同之处。 《古代寓言·要钱不要命》 永之氓,咸善游。一日水暴甚,有五六氓乘小船,绝湘水中济,船破皆游。其一氓尽力而不能寻常。 其侣曰:“汝善游最也,今何后焉?” 曰:“吾腰千钱得,是以后。”曰:“何不去之?” 不应,摇其首。有倾,益怠。 已济者立岸上,呼且号曰:“汝愚之甚,蔽之甚,身且死,何以货为?” 又摇其首,遂溺死。 《柳河东集》 The Man Who Liked Money Better Than Life In Yongzhou there were many good swimmers. One day, the river swelled suddenly. Braving the danger, about half a dozen people started across in a small boat. While they were still in midstream, the boat capsized. Whereupon, they

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Chinese Fable Stories – The Falcon and the Adder

古代寓言原是民间口头创作,文学体裁的一种。含有讽喻或明显教训意义的故事。它的结构简短。主人公可以是人,可以是动物,也可以是无生物。多借用比喻手法,使富有教训意义的主题或深刻的道理在简单的故事中体现,而还需要自己去理解,思考,这就是和西方寓言的不同之处。 《古代寓言·鸩鸟和毒蛇》 鸩与蛇相遇,鸩前而啄之。 蛇谓曰:“世人皆毒子矣,毒者恶名也,子所双有恶名者,以食我也,于不食我则无毒,不毒则恶名亡矣。” 鸩笑曰:“汝岂不毒于世人哉!指我为毒,是欺也。夫汝毒于世人者,有心啮人也,吾怨汝之啮人,所以食汝示刑也。世人审吾之能弄汝,故畜吾以防汝,又审汝之毒染吾毛羽肢体,故用杀人。吾之毒,汝之毒也。吾疾恶而蒙其名尔;然杀人者,人也,犹人持兵而杀人也。兵罪乎?人罪乎?则非吾之毒也明矣。世人所以蓄吾而不蓄汝,又明矣。吾无心毒人,而疾恶得名,为人所用,吾所为能全其身也。全身而甘恶名,非恶名矣。汝以有心之毒盱睢于草莽之间,伺人以自快。今遇我,天也,而欲诡辩苟免卯邪?” 蛇不能答,鸩食之。 ——《无能子》 The Falcon and the Adder The falcon met an adder on the road and advanced to peck at it. “Don’t you peck me!” said the adder to the falcon. “People say you’re poisonous. That’s a bad thing to be called, and it’s because you eat us. If you

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