Introduction to Literary Chinese - Lesson 3, Text 2
Adapted from the 1927 book by J. Brandt
Vocabulary section transcribed with help from with help from 武克富強/Võ Khắc Phú Cường
田仲
T'ien-chung
齊有居士田仲者。
There was in the Ch'i state a retired scholar who was named T'ien-chung.
齊王養以厚祿。而不責以事。田仲安之。
The ruler of Ch'i state supported him with a liberal salary, but did not entrust him with any work, and on account of that T'ien-chung felt himself quite at ease.
屈榖往見而謂之曰。
Ch'ü-ku came to see him and said to him,
吾有匏。堅如石。厚而無竅。
I have a bottle-gourd which is hard as stone, and thick but has no cavity.
願獻之。
I wish to present it to you.
仲曰。所貴夫匏者。爲其可以盛也。
T'ien-chung said, "That for which this bottle-gourd is valued consists in its ability to be used for containing things.
今厚而無竅。則不能剖以盛物。
Now that gourd of yours is thick but has no cavity; therefore it cannot be split in order to hold things.
吾無所用之。
I have no reason to use it.
屈穀曰。今君仰人而食亦無益於人國。殆堅匏之類也。
Ch'ü-ku replied, "Now you feed yourself by relying upon other people and are also of no use to their state and therefore are nearly of the same class as the hard bottle-gourd."