| | 异宝: |
四曰── |
| | Fourthly──
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| | 异宝: |
古之人非无宝也，其所宝者异也。孙叔敖疾，将死，戒其子曰：“王数封我矣，吾不受也。为我死，王则封汝，必无受利地。楚、越之间有寝之丘者，此其地不利，而名甚恶。荆人畏鬼，而越人信机。可长有者，其唯此也。”孙叔敖死，王果以美地封其子，而子辞，请寝之丘，故至今不失。孙叔敖之知，知不以利为利矣，知以人之所恶为己之所喜，此有道者之所以异乎俗也。 |
| | Ancient people were not without treasures; it was just that what they considered treasurable was different. Sun Shuao fell ill and, on the verge of death, warned his son, "The king has offered me several fiefs, but I have not accepted them. When I die, the king will bestow a fief upon you; if that happens, be sure never to accept any fertile land. Between Chu and Yue there is a hill called Qin Qiu; the land there is inauspicious, and its name is very ill-omened. The people of Jing fear ghosts, while the people of Yue believe in omens. "This land alone may be something you can possess for a long time," he said. After Sun Shuao died, the king indeed bestowed fine land upon his son, but the son declined and requested instead the hill Qin Qiu. Therefore, to this day, they have not lost it. Sun Shuao's wisdom lay in understanding that true benefit is not measured by material gain; he knew to take as his own joy what others found undesirable. This is why those who possess the Way differ from the common people.
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| | 异宝: |
五员亡，荆急求之，登太行而望郑曰：“盖是国也，地险而民多知，其主俗主也，不足与举。”去郑而之许，见许公而问所之。许公不应，东南向而唾。五员载拜受赐曰：“知所之矣。”因如吴。过于荆，至江上，欲涉，见一丈人，刺小船，方将渔，从而请焉。丈人度之，绝江，问其名族，则不肯告，解其剑以予丈人，曰：“此千金之剑也，愿献之丈人。”丈人不肯受曰：“荆国之法，得五员者，爵执圭，禄万檐，金千镒。昔者子胥过，吾犹不取，今我何以子之千金剑为乎？”五员过于吴，使人求之江上则不能得也，每食必祭之，祝曰：“江上之丈人！天地至大矣，至众矣，将奚不有为也？而无以为。为矣而无以为之。名不可得而闻，身不可得而见，其惟江上之丈人乎？” |
| | Wu Yuan fled, and Jing urgently sought him. Ascending the Taihang Mountains and gazing toward Zheng, he said, "That is a country where the terrain is perilous and the people are full of cunning; its ruler is an ordinary one, unworthy to be associated with." He left Zheng for Xu, where he met Duke Xu and asked him where he should go. Duke Xu did not respond but instead spat toward the southeast. Wu Yuan bowed twice in gratitude, accepting the gift of guidance, and said, "I now know where I should go." He then went to Wu. Passing through Jing, he arrived at the banks of a river and wished to cross. He saw an old man, rowing a small boat, who was about to fish; Wu Yuan followed him and made a request. The old man ferried him across the river. After crossing, Wu Yuan asked about his name and clan, but the old man refused to tell. Then Wu Yuan took off his sword and gave it to the old man, saying, "This is a sword worth a thousand gold pieces; I wish to present it to you, sir." The old man refused and said, "According to the laws of Jing State, whoever captures Wu Yuan will be granted a marquis title, a salary of ten thousand dan of grain, and a reward of one thousand yue of gold. In the past, when Zigong passed by, I still did not take it; now, why should I accept your sword worth a thousand gold?" Wu Yuan passed through Wu and had people search for the old man along the riverbank, but they could not find him. Every time he ate, he would offer a sacrifice and pray, saying, "The old gentleman by the riverside! Heaven and Earth are vast beyond measure, teeming with countless beings—what could there possibly be that they do not encompass? And yet, there is nothing for which they cannot provide. They act, yet without striving to do so. Their name cannot be known, their body cannot be seen—could it only be the old gentleman by the river?"
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| | 异宝: |
宋之野人，耕而得玉，献之司城子罕，子罕不受。野人请曰：“此野人之宝也，愿相国为之赐而受之也。”子罕曰：“子以玉为宝，我以不受为宝。”故宋国之长者曰：“子罕非无宝也，所宝者异也。” |
| | A man from the countryside of Song found a piece of jade while farming and presented it to Sicheng Zihan, who refused to accept it. The man from the countryside pleaded, "This is my treasure; I hope you, Minister, will grant me the favor of accepting it." Zihan said, "You regard jade as your treasure, but I consider my refusal to accept bribes as my treasure." Therefore, the elders of Song State said, "Zihan is not without treasures; it's just that what he considers treasurable is different."
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| | 异宝: |
今以百金与抟黍以示儿子，儿子必取抟黍矣；以和氏之璧与百金以示鄙人，鄙人必取百金矣；以和氏之璧、道德之至言以示贤者，贤者必取至言矣。其知弥精，其所取弥精；其知弥觕，其所取弥觕。 |
| | If one were to show a son a hundred gold pieces and some steamed millet, the son would certainly choose the steamed millet; If one were to show an unrefined man a He Shi Bi jade and a hundred gold pieces, the man would certainly choose the hundred gold pieces; If one were to present a sage with the He Shi Bi jade and the highest words of moral teaching, the sage would certainly choose the highest teachings. The more refined one's wisdom, the more refined will be what they value; The coarser one's understanding, the coarser will be what they choose.
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