Introduction to Literary Chinese - Lesson 9, Text 2
Adapted from the 1927 book by J. Brandt
異寶
An Unusual Gem
宋之野人。耕而得玉。
A peasant of the Sung State when ploughing found a piece of jade.
獻之司城子罕。
He offered it to protector of the town Tzu-han.
子罕不受。
But Tzu-han refused to accept it.
野人曰。以示玉人。玉人以爲寶也。故敢獻之。
The peasant said, “I showed it to a jeweller and he acknowledged it a gem. Therefore I dared to offer it (to you)”.
子罕日。予以玉爲寶。我以不貪爲寶。若與我皆喪寶也。不若各有其寶。
“You take jade for a gem,” replied Tzu-han, “but I take integrity for a gem. If you give (this jade) to me, we would both lose our gems. Better if each (of us) keeps his gem (for himself).”
故宋國之長者日。子罕非不知寶也。所寶者異也。
Therefore the elders of the Sung State (used) to say, “Tzu-han knows what thing the gem is: only his gem is different (lit. that what he values is different).
今以百金與摶黍以示小兒。小兒必取摶黍矣。
If we take a hundred ounces of silver and a millet cake and offer (lit. show) to a child, he certainly will take the cake.
以龢氏之璧與百金。以示鄙人。鄙人必取百金矣。
If we offer a Ho-shih jade and a hundred ounces of silver to an uncultured man, he will surely take silver.
以蘇氏之壁與道德以示賢者。賢者必取道德矣。
If we offer a Ho-shih jade and the virtue to a sage, he certainly will prefer the virtue.
其知彌精。其所取彌精。其知彌粗。其所取彌粗。
Those whose tastes (lit. knowledge) are coarse ask for primitive things, and those whose tastes are refined ask for refined things.