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Chinese Fable: 井底之蛙 a person with a very limited outlook.


井底之蛙 is a short fable about a self-satisfied frog whose delusions of grandeur about himself and his little well are shattered by a visiting tortoise's description of the sea. The fable explains the origin of a popular Chinese proverb, or chengyu, meaning "a person with a very limited outlook."



一口废井里住着一只青蛙。有一天,青蛙在井边碰上了一只从海里来的大龟。青 蛙就对海龟夸口说:“你看,我住在这里多快乐!有时高兴了,就在井栏边跳跃一 阵;疲倦了,就回到井里,睡在砖洞边一回。或者只留出头和嘴巴,安安静静地把 全身泡在水里:或者在软绵绵的泥浆里散一回步,也很舒适。看看那些虾和蝌蚪,谁也此不上我。而且,我是这个井里的主人,在这井里极自由自在, 你为什么不常到井里来游赏呢!”  


那海龟听了青蛙的话,倒真想进去看看。但它的左脚还没有整个伸进去,右脚就已 经绊住了。它连忙后退了两步,把大海的情形告诉青蛙说:“你看过海吗?海的广 大,哪止千里;海的深度,哪只千来丈。古时候,十年有九年大水,海里的水,并不涨了多少;后来,八年里有七年大早,海里的水,也不见得浅了多少。可见大海是不受旱涝影响的。住在那样的大海里,才是真的快乐呢!” 井蛙听了海龟的一番话,吃惊地呆在那里,再没有话可说了。 

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