译文:齐宣王爱好射箭,喜欢别人夸耀他能够拉开强弓,其实他使的弓只用三石的力气就能够拉开了。他把这张弓交给左右的人传看。身边的人都试着拉,但只把弓拉到一半,就装着拉不动的样子,恭维地说:“这张弓没有九石的力气拉不开。除了大王以外,谁还能够使用这张弓呢?”齐宣王听了非常高兴。其实,齐宣王使用的弓不过三百多斤,可是他却一辈子以为自己能拉一千多斤的弓。这难道不是悲哀吗?三百多斤是真实的,一千多斤是徒有其名,齐宣王喜欢的是徒有虚名,而失去了真实的水平 。比喻好大喜功的人,必然是务虚名而不讲求实际,本欲欺世盗名,反落得被人所欺;一个人要有自知之明,才能知己知彼,洞察秋毫,百战不殆。
《古代寓言·国王拉弓》
宣王好射,悦人之谓己能用强弓也。
其尝所用不过三石。
以示左右,左右皆引试之,中关而止。皆曰:
“不下九石,非大王孰能用是。”
宣王悦之。
然则宣王用不过三石,而终身以为九石。
三石,实也。九石,名也。
宣王悦其名而丧其实。
——《尹文子》
The Prince and his Bow
Prince Xuan was a keen archer and liked to be told what a powerful bowman he was, although he draw no bow heavier than thirty catties. When he showed his bow to his attendants, they pretended to try to draw it, but merely bent it to half its full extent.
"This must weigh at least ninety catties!" they all cried. "None but Your Majesty could use such a bow."
And at this the prince was pleased.
Though he only used a thirty-catty bow, till the end of his life he believed that it weighed ninety catties. It was thirty in fact, and ninety merely in name; but for the sake of the empty name he sacrificed the truth.
Yin Wen Zi
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