Once, Confucius went to the east to advocate his ideas, On the way he met two children arguing hotly with each other. Confucius asked:
有一次,孔子到東方去游說,途中見到兩個(gè)小孩正在激烈地爭(zhēng)辯著?鬃訂:
"Children, what are you arguing about?"
“孩子們,你們?cè)谵q論什么呀?”
One child said:
一個(gè)小孩說:
"I think when the sun rises from the hills, it is nearer to us, and at noon, it is farther from us."
“我認(rèn)為,太陽剛剛出山時(shí),離我們近;到了中午,就離我們遠(yuǎn)了。”
The other child argued:
另一個(gè)小孩爭(zhēng)辯說:
"I think when the sun rises from the hills, it is farther from us, but at noon it is nearer to us."
“我認(rèn)為,太陽剛出山時(shí),離人遠(yuǎn);中午時(shí)離人近。”
One child said:
一個(gè)說:
"As is known to all, things far away look smaller and things nearer look bigger. When the sun rises, it is as big as the canopy on a carnage; at noon it is only as big as a plate or a dish. Doesn't this show that when the sun rises, it is nearer to us?"
“眾所周知,遠(yuǎn)的東西顯得小,近的顯得大。太陽剛出來時(shí),大得像車上的傘蓋;到了中午,就只有盤子、碟子那么大了。這不正說明太陽出山時(shí)離我們近嗎?”
The other child said:
另一個(gè)卻說:
"We all know that things nearby make us feel hot, and things far away make us feel cool. When the sun comes out, the air is clear and clean; at noon it is as hot as putting the hand in hot water. Doesn't this show that the sun is nearer to us at noon?"
“大家知道,近的東西使人覺得熱,遠(yuǎn)的使人覺得清涼。太陽剛出來時(shí),空氣清清爽爽的;到了中午,熱得像把手伸到熱水里一樣。這不正說明太陽在中午時(shí)離我們近嗎?”
The two children went on arguing endlessly. Confucius was unable to judge who was right. The two children laughed at him:
兩個(gè)小孩,爭(zhēng)論不孔子無法判斷誰是誰兩個(gè)小孩嘲笑他說:
"Who said you are learned and erudite?"
“誰說你博學(xué)多知呢!”