郑人买履

Zhèng Rén Mǎi Lǚ

讽刺那些死守教条、不懂灵活变通的人。

Laughs at people who stick to rules so stubbornly they forget common sense.

从cóng前qián,郑zhèng国guó有yǒu一yī个gè人rén,想xiǎng去qù市shì场chǎng上shàng买mǎi一yī双shuāng新xīn鞋xié。出chū门mén之zhī前qián,他tā先xiān用yòng一yī根gēn草cǎo绳shéng量liàng好hǎo了le自zì己jǐ的de脚jiǎo,把bǎ草cǎo绳shéng小xiǎo心xīn地dì放fàng在zài家jiā里lǐ的de椅yǐ子zi上shàng。

到dào了le集jí市shì,他tā挑tiāo来lái挑tiāo去qù,终zhōng于yú看kàn中zhōng了le一yī双shuāng鞋xié。可kě是shì一yī摸mō口kǒu袋dài,他tā这zhè才cái想xiǎng起qǐ:“糟zāo了le!量liàng脚jiǎo的de草cǎo绳shéng忘wàng在zài家jiā里lǐ了le!”

他tā放fàng下xià鞋xié就jiù往wǎng家jiā跑pǎo,取qǔ了le草cǎo绳shéng再zài返fǎn回huí市shì场chǎng。等děng他tā气qì喘chuǎn吁xū吁xū地dì跑pǎo回huí来lái,天tiān已yǐ经jīng黑hēi了le,集jí市shì早zǎo就jiù散sàn了le,那nà双shuāng鞋xié也yě卖mài给gěi别bié人rén了le。

旁páng边biān的de人rén听tīng说shuō这zhè事shì,笑xiào着zhe问wèn他tā:“你nǐ买mǎi鞋xié给gěi自zì己jǐ穿chuān,为wèi什shén么me不bù直zhí接jiē用yòng脚jiǎo去qù试shì一yī试shì呢ne?”他tā一yī本běn正zhèng经jīng地dì说shuō:“我wǒ只zhǐ相xiāng信xìn量liàng好hǎo的de尺chǐ寸cùn,不bù相xiāng信xìn自zì己jǐ的de脚jiǎo。”

这zhè个gè故gù事shì出chū自zì《韩hán非fēi子zi》。“郑zhèng人rén买mǎi履lǚ”就jiù用yòng来lái笑xiào那nà些xiē只zhǐ会huì照zhào着zhe本běn子zi办bàn事shì,不bù知zhī道dào灵líng活huó变biàn通tōng的de人rén。

Long ago, there was a man from the State of Zheng who wanted to go to the market to buy a new pair of shoes. Before leaving home, he carefully measured his feet with a piece of straw rope and set the rope on a chair.

At the market he found a pair of shoes he liked. But when he reached into his pocket, he gasped: “Oh no! I left the measuring rope at home!”

He put the shoes down and rushed home, grabbed the rope, and ran back. By the time he returned, panting, the sun had set, the market had closed, and someone else had bought the shoes.

A bystander laughed and asked, “You were buying shoes for your own feet — why didn't you just try them on?” The man answered seriously, “I only trust the measurement. I don't trust my own feet.”

The story comes from the Han Feizi. “A man of Zheng buys shoes” now teases anyone who follows the rulebook so blindly they forget common sense.