Chinese Classical Literature

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·近视眼》 有二人短于视，百皆讳言之，喜以目力自多。一日，闻某家于神庙悬扁，乃先侦知其字。是日入庙，一人仰视曰：“美哉，‘赫耀声灵’四大字也！” 一人曰：“尚有小字，君未之见，乃‘某月日某书’也！” 正共夸诩，旁有一人问曰：“两君会何？”告以所见，其人笑曰：“扁尚未悬，何处有字？” ——《笑林新雅》 Short-Sightedness Two men were short-sighted, but instead of admitting it, both of them boasted of keen vision. One day they heard that a tablet was to be hung in a temple. So each of them found out what was written on it beforehand. When the day came, they both

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·树丫》 乡人多以树之丫叉，支为坐凳者。 父命其子求之山中，子持斧去，竞日，徒手归。你责之。子曰：“丫叉尽有，奈都是朝上生的。” ——《笑府》 Tree Forks The people living on a certain mountain use tree forks for stool legs. A father sent his son to get one. The son took an axe and went. But at the end of the day he came back empty-handed. When his father scolded him, he answered, “Of course,

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·爱惜驴子》 某翁富而吝，善权子母，责负无虚日。后以年且老，难于途，遂买一驴代步。顾爱爱惜甚至，非甚困惫，未尝肯据鞍。驴出翁胯下者，步不过数四。 值天暑，有所索于远道，不得已，与驴俱中道，翁喘，乃跨驴，驰二三里；驴不习骑，亦喘，翁惊亟下，解其鞍。驴以为息也，望故道逸归。翁急遽呼驴，驴走不顾，追之弗及也；大惧驴亡，又吝于弃鞍，因负鞍趋归家，亟问驴在否？其子曰：“驴在。”翁乃复喜，徐释鞍，始觉足顿而背裂也，又伤于暑，病逾月乃瘥。 ——《耳食录》 All for the Love of a Donkey A rich old miser made much money by giving high-interest loans. When he became too old to walk, he bought a donkey. But he became so fond of the animal that he would not ride it except when he was extremely tried. One

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·我想要你的手指》 一贫士遇故人于途；故人已得仙术矣。相劳苦中，因指道旁一砖成赤金赠之。士嫌其少，更指一大石狮为赠，士嫌未已。 仙曰：“汝欲如何？” 士曰：“愿乞公此指！” ——《笑府》 I Want Your Finger A poor man one day met an old friend who had become an immortal. After hearing his friend complain of his poverty, the immortal pointed his finger at a brick by the roadside, which immediately turned into a gold ingot. He presented it to his