伯乐识马

Bó Lè Shí Mǎ

伯乐善于看出千里马。比喻有眼光的人能发现真正的人才。

Bo Le knows a great horse — a keen eye can recognize true talent where others see nothing special.

古gǔ时shí候hòu有yǒu一yí个gè人rén叫jiào伯bó乐lè，最zuì会huì看kàn马mǎ。别bié人rén看kàn一yì匹pǐ马mǎ，只zhǐ看kàn毛máo色sè和hé大dà小xiǎo；伯bó乐lè一yī看kàn，就jiù知zhī道dào哪nǎ一yì匹pǐ是shì能néng日rì行xíng千qiān里lǐ的de好hǎo马mǎ。

有yǒu一yī次cì，伯bó乐lè在zài路lù上shàng走zǒu，看kàn见jiàn一yì匹pǐ瘦shòu瘦shòu的de老lǎo马mǎ拉lā着zhe沉chén重zhòng的de盐yán车chē，吃chī力lì地de往wǎng山shān上shàng爬pá。别bié人rén都dōu嫌xián它tā不bù中zhōng用yòng，可kě伯bó乐lè走zǒu近jìn一yī看kàn，心xīn里lǐ一yī震zhèn——这zhè是shì一yì匹pǐ真zhēn正zhèng的de千qiān里lǐ马mǎ！只zhǐ因yīn为wèi没méi遇yù到dào识shí货huò的de人rén，才cái被bèi当dāng作zuò普pǔ通tōng马mǎ使shǐ唤huàn。

伯bó乐lè伤shāng心xīn地de摸mō着zhe马mǎ的de脖bó子zi，流liú下xià眼yǎn泪lèi。那nà匹pǐ老lǎo马mǎ也yě仿fǎng佛fú听tīng懂dǒng了le，抬tái起qǐ头tóu来lái，发fā出chū长cháng长cháng的de一yī声shēng嘶sī鸣míng。

后hòu来lái，人rén们men就jiù用yòng“伯bó乐lè识shí马mǎ”比bǐ喻yù：真zhēn正zhèng的de人rén才cái，需xū要yào有yǒu眼yǎn光guāng的de人rén去qù发fā现xiàn、去qù赏shǎng识shí。

In ancient times there lived a man named Bo Le, the finest judge of horses in the land. Others looked at a horse and saw only its coat and size; Bo Le could look once and know which was a “thousand-mile horse” — one that could run a thousand li a day.

One day, walking along a road, he saw a thin old horse straining under a heavy salt cart, barely climbing the hill. Everyone else had written it off as useless. But when Bo Le stepped close, his heart sank — this was a true thousand-mile horse. Because no one had recognized it, it had been worked like any ordinary animal.

Bo Le stroked its neck and wept. The old horse seemed to understand; it raised its head and let out one long, ringing cry.

From this story comes the saying “Bo Le knows a horse” — meaning that true talent needs a person with vision to see it and value it.