冯梦龙（1574年—1646年），字犹龙、耳犹、子犹，号龙子犹、茂苑外史、顾曲散人、姑苏词奴、平平阁主人等。中国古代文学家、思想家、戏曲家。明朝南直隶苏州府长洲县（今江苏苏州）人。冯梦龙思想上受王守仁、李贽影响，强调真挚的情感，反对虚伪的礼教。主张以“情教”取代“宗教”，重视文学的教化作用。 其家多藏书，辑有《三遂平妖传》《智囊》《广笑府》《春秋指目》《古今谭概》《墨憨斋定本传奇》等。

冯梦龙·《笑府·凳脚》

乡间坐凳，多以现成树丫叉为脚者。一脚偶坏，主人命仆往山中觅取。仆持斧出，竟日空回。主人责之，答曰：“丫叉尽有，都是向上生，更无向下的。”

Most stools in the countryside used ready-made branches as legs. One stool leg happened to be broken. The master asked his servant to search for one in the woods. The servant went out with an axe. He didn't come back until quite late at night. His master asked what took him so long. He replied: "Though there are plenty of branches, they all grow upwards. I didn't find a single one that goes downwards."

（陈沅恺 译）

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