中國寓言故事雙語版 第40期:鄭人買鞋
In the State of Zheng, there was a man who wanted to go into town to buy a pair of new shoes.
鄭國，有個人想去城裏買一雙新鞋子。
Before leaving home, he measured his foot with a piece of straw for size.
他離家前先用一根稻草量了自己的腳，把它當作尺碼。
After he arrived at the town and entered a shoeshop, he put his hand into his pocket only to find that in his haste he had left the measurement at home.
他到了城裏，走進鞋店，伸手摸口袋，才發現因爲急着趕路，把尺碼忘在家裏了。
Thereupon, he turned round andstarted for home.
於是，他轉身就往家裏跑。
But when he rushed back to the shoeshop with the measurement, the shop had closed.
可是等他拿着尺碼趕回鞋店的時候，店己經關門了。
As a result, he had busied himself for nothing.
結果，他白忙了一陣子，還是沒有買到鞋子。
Later, someone asked him: "Were you buying shoes for yourself or for others?"
後來，有人問他:“你是給自己買鞋，還是給別人買?”
He answered: "For myself."
他回答說:“是給我自己。”
Someone else asked him: "Don't you have your feet on yourself?
別人又問他:“腳不是長在你自己身上嗎?
You need only to try on shoes with your feet to get the right size.
只要用你的腳去試試鞋的大小，不就可以了嗎?
Why did you go back home to fetch the measurement?"
爲什麼還要回家去拿尺碼呢?”
The man of Zheng insisted: "I would rather trust the measurement than my own feet."
那個鄭國人堅持說:“我寧願相信尺碼，也不相信自己的腳。”
