夜郎自大

Yè Láng Zì Dà

见识太少,却把自己看得很大。比喻自以为了不起。

Knowing little yet thinking oneself great — conceit born of a narrow view.

汉hàn朝cháo的de时shí候hòu,在zài中zhōng国guó的de西xī南nán方fāng,有yǒu一yī个gè很hěn小xiǎo的de国guó家jiā,叫jiào做zuò夜yè郎láng国guó。夜yè郎láng国guó的de山shān很hěn多duō,地dì方fāng不bù大dà,国guó王wáng却què从cóng来lái没méi有yǒu走zǒu出chū过guò自zì己jǐ的de国guó境jìng。

一yī天tiān,汉hàn朝cháo皇huáng帝dì派pài了le一yī位wèi使shǐ者zhě,到dào西xī南nán去qù访fǎng问wèn。使shǐ者zhě先xiān去qù了le旁páng边biān的de滇diān国guó,又yòu来lái到dào夜yè郎láng。夜yè郎láng国guó王wáng见jiàn到dào使shǐ者zhě,十shí分fēn得dé意yì地dì问wèn:“你nǐ们men汉hàn朝cháo和hé我wǒ们men夜yè郎láng,哪nǎ个gè大dà呀ya?”

使shǐ者zhě听tīng了le,差chà点diǎn笑xiào出chū声shēng来lái。原yuán来lái,夜yè郎láng小xiǎo得de只zhǐ有yǒu汉hàn朝cháo的de一yī个gè县xiàn那nà么me大dà,可kě国guó王wáng却què以yǐ为wéi天tiān下xià再zài也yě没méi有yǒu比bǐ夜yè郎láng更gèng大dà的de国guó家jiā。

使shǐ者zhě没méi有yǒu笑xiào话huà他tā,只zhǐ是shì耐nài心xīn地dì告gào诉sù他tā:汉hàn朝cháo有yǒu千qiān万wàn里lǐ的de土tǔ地dì,有yǒu长cháng江jiāng大dà河hé,有yǒu无wú数shù的de城chéng市shì和hé百bǎi姓xìng。夜yè郎láng国guó王wáng这zhè才cái知zhī道dào,自zì己jǐ原yuán来lái只zhǐ是shì井jǐng底dǐ的de一yì只zhī青qīng蛙wā。

后hòu来lái,人rén们men就jiù用yòng“夜yè郎láng自zì大dà”来lái笑xiào那nà些xiē见jiàn识shí不bù多duō,却què以yǐ为wéi自zì己jǐ很hěn了le不bù起qǐ的de人rén。

In the Han dynasty, in the far southwest of China, there was a tiny country called Yelang. Its land was mostly mountains, and it was small — but its king had never once stepped outside his own borders.

One day the Han emperor sent an envoy to visit the southwest. The envoy first went to the state of Dian, then arrived in Yelang. The king of Yelang met him and asked proudly, “Between Han and Yelang, which is bigger?”

The envoy nearly laughed out loud. Yelang was only about the size of a single Han county, yet the king truly believed there could be no country greater than his own.

Instead of mocking him, the envoy patiently described Han: lands reaching thousands of miles, great rivers like the Yangtze, countless cities and people. Only then did the king realize he had been like a frog at the bottom of a well.

Today “Yelang thinks itself great” teases anyone who, knowing little, believes themselves very important.