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从前有个姓尹的富人，把心思全都花在了赚钱上。他的仆人都被迫起早贪黑地干活，不得休息。 . 其中有位老仆，干活很慢，尹氏便整日逼他催他。老仆已经很累了，但还是呻吟着工作，直到筋疲力尽。 夜幕降临，老仆累得倒在床上，马上就睡熟了。他做了一个梦，梦见自己成了国王，过着非常奢华的生活，要多幸福有多幸福。 不过醒后，他还得辛苦工作。朋友们都为他感到难过。但老仆坦然接受了自己悲惨的命运，毫无怨言，还对他的朋友们说人生中有多少白天就有多少黑夜。白天作为一个仆人，我要辛苦工作。但是晚上，在梦里，我就成了国王，快乐无比。我没有什么可抱怨的。” 此时尹氏也已是身心疲惫。晚上睡熟后，他梦见自己成了仆人，总被主人差来唤去。他不得不去做一些最令人讨厌的事情，还经常挨打挨骂。人生就是受罪，苦不堪言。 他整夜都在睡梦中呻吟，直到天亮。最后他再也受不了了，就去向朋友请教。 “你虽位高金多，"他朋友说道，“但晚上却在睡梦中成了别人的奴仆。人生的确有苦有乐。要想在现实和睡梦中都过着最幸福的生活，恐怕是不可能的。” 朋友的话让尹氏从另一个角度认识了这一事情，他开始反思这一问题的根源。 冥思苦想了许久，他明白了些什么。于是，他减轻了仆人的工作量，这也让他自己坦然了，放松了。很快，大家的痛苦就都没了。 The Sweet and Sour of Life There was once a rich man by the name of Yin who spent his whole energy making money. His servants had to work from morning till night without a moment's rest. Yin had an old servant who was slow in his work, but Yin pushed him all the more. The dog-tired servant laboured himself to exhaustion, moaning and groaning. When night fell, the old man collapsed on his bed and instantly sank into a deep sleep. In his dreams he became a king, living in great luxury. He was as happy as he could be. Yet the moment he woke up, he had to toil again. His friends felt sorry for him. The old man accepted his lot without grudge. " Our lifetime is made up of equal parts of days and nights, ” he told them. "As a servant in the day, I have to toil hard. However, in my dreams at night, I become a king. My happiness is second to none. I have nothing to complain." Now Yin was also physically and mentally worn out. At night, when he was fast a- sleep, he dreamed that he was a servant, always at his master’s bidding. He had to do the most unpleasant chores and was often beaten and scolded. Life was a pain beyond description. He moaned and groaned in his sleep until dawn. Finally, Yin could not bear it any longer and sought the wisdom of a friend. "Although you’re a rich man of high social rank," observed his friend, "in your dreams at night, you become somebody else's servant. Life indeed has its sweet and sour. I’m afraid it is quite impossible to bave the best of both worlds. ’’ The friend's remark shed a new light on the matter, and Yin began to reflect on the root of his trouble. After some hard thinking, he understood something. Then he reduced the workload of his servants and relaxed his own concerns as well. Before long their pains were all eased. |
