買櫝還珠
買櫝還珠
有一個楚國人想要在鄭國出售一顆珍貴的珍珠。他用木蘭為珍珠作了個匣子，用香料把匣子熏香，還用珠、玉、紅寶石來加以裝飾，還插上了翠鳥的羽毛。
一個鄭國人買走了這個匣子，卻把珍珠還給了他。
過于華麗的裝飾往往會喧賓奪主。那個楚國人知道如何賣掉匣子，卻不擅長出售珍珠。至于買匣子的鄭國人，他根本不懂什么才是真正有價值的。
Getting the casket and returning the pearl
A man from the state of Chu (chǔ guó 楚國) wanted to sell a precious pearl in the state of Zheng (zhèng guó 鄭國) . He made a casket for the pearl out of the wood from a magnolia tree, which he fumigated with spices. He studded the casket with pearls and jade, ornamented it with red gems and decorated it with kingfisher feathers. A man of the state of Zheng bought the casket and gave him back the pearl.
Too luxuriant decoration usually supersedes what really counts. This man from Chu certainly knew how to sell a casket but he was no good at selling his pearl. And the man of Zheng didn't know which is really valuable.
本文地址：http://www.hengchuai.cn/writing/story/98223.html
