盲人摸象

Máng Rén Mō Xiàng

只看到事物的一小部分,就以为了解全部。比喻片面地看问题。

Each blind man touches one part of the elephant and thinks he knows the whole — a warning against judging from just a piece.

从cóng前qián,有yǒu一yī个gè国guó王wáng,他tā从cóng远yuǎn方fāng牵qiān来lái一yī头tóu大dà象xiàng,想xiǎng让ràng几jǐ位wèi从cóng来lái没méi见jiàn过guò大dà象xiàng的de盲máng人rén摸mō一yī摸mō,告gào诉sù大dà家jiā大dà象xiàng是shì什shén么me样yàng子zi。

第dì一yī个gè盲máng人rén摸mō到dào了le象xiàng的de腿tuǐ,他tā说shuō:“大dà象xiàng嘛ma,就jiù像xiàng一yī根gēn又yòu粗cū又yòu大dà的de柱zhù子zi!”第dì二èr个gè盲máng人rén摸mō到dào了le象xiàng的de肚dù子zi,他tā说shuō:“不bù对duì,大dà象xiàng是shì一yī堵dǔ又yòu厚hòu又yòu高gāo的de墙qiáng。”

第dì三sān个gè盲máng人rén摸mō到dào了le象xiàng的de耳ěr朵duǒ,笑xiào着zhe说shuō:“你nǐ们men都dōu说shuō错cuò了le,大dà象xiàng分fēn明míng像xiàng一yī把bǎ大dà扇shàn子zi,软ruǎn软ruǎn的de还hái会huì扇shàn风fēng。”第dì四sì个gè盲máng人rén摸mō到dào了le细xì细xì的de象xiàng尾wěi巴bā,也yě大dà声shēng说shuō:“大dà象xiàng是shì一yī条tiáo长cháng长cháng的de绳shéng子zi!”

几jǐ个gè人rén你nǐ一yī句jù我wǒ一yī句jù,争zhēng得de面miàn红hóng耳ěr赤chì,谁shuí也yě不bù肯kěn让ràng步bù。国guó王wáng在zài旁páng边biān听tīng着zhe,忍rěn不bù住zhù笑xiào了le——他tā们men每měi个gè人rén说shuō的de都dōu有yǒu一yī点diǎn道dào理lǐ,可kě是shì谁shuí也yě没méi说shuō出chū大dà象xiàng真zhēn正zhèng的de样yàng子zi。

“盲máng人rén摸mō象xiàng”这zhè个gè故gù事shì告gào诉sù我wǒ们men:看kàn事shì情qíng不bù能néng只zhǐ看kàn一yī小xiǎo部bù分fēn,要yào多duō听tīng、多duō想xiǎng,才cái能néng看kàn清qīng全quán貌mào。

Once there was a king who brought in a great elephant from far away. He wanted some blind men, who had never seen an elephant, to touch it and describe what it was like.

The first blind man touched its leg and said, “An elephant is like a thick, tall pillar!” The second touched its belly and said, “No, no — an elephant is a great wide wall.”

The third touched its ear and laughed, “You're all wrong. An elephant is clearly a big fan, soft and flapping.” The fourth touched the thin tail and cried, “An elephant is just a long rope!”

The four of them argued and argued, their faces turning red, none willing to give in. The king listened beside them and could not help smiling — each was a little bit right, yet none of them truly knew the elephant.

“The blind men and the elephant” reminds us that if we only see one part of something, we can never understand the whole. We need to listen, think, and look from many sides.