塞翁失马（详读本）

从前cóng qián，在zài北方běi fāng的de边境biān jìng上shàng住zhù着zhe一yí位wèi老人lǎo rén，大家dà jiā都dōu叫jiào他tā塞sāi翁wēng。塞sāi翁wēng家里jiā lǐ养yǎng了le几jǐ匹pǐ马mǎ，日子rì zi过guò得de平静píng jìng而ér简单jiǎn dān。

Long ago, on the northern frontier lived an old man everyone called Sai Weng. He kept a few horses and lived a quiet, simple life.

有yǒu一yì天tiān，塞sāi翁wēng家jiā的de一yì匹pǐ马mǎ忽然hū rán跑pǎo丢diū了le，一直yì zhí跑pǎo到dào了le胡hú人rén的de地方dì fang。邻居lín jū们men都dōu来lái安慰ān wèi他tā：真zhēn可惜kě xī啊a，你nǐ家jiā的de马mǎ丢diū了le。

One day one of his horses ran away, all the way into the Hu people's land. The neighbors came to comfort him: what a pity, your horse is lost.

塞sāi翁wēng却què笑xiào了le笑xiào，说shuō：马mǎ丢diū了le，怎么zěn me知道zhī dào不bú是shì一yí件jiàn好事hǎo shì呢ne？邻居lín jū们men听tīng了le，都dōu觉得jué de很hěn奇怪qí guài。

Sai Weng only smiled: a lost horse, how do you know it isn't a blessing? The neighbors found that strange.

过guò了le几jǐ个gè月yuè，那nà匹pǐ马mǎ自己zì jǐ回来huí lai了le，还huán带dài回huí了le好hǎo几jǐ匹pǐ胡hú人rén的de好hǎo马mǎ。邻居lín jū们men都dōu来lái祝贺zhù hè他tā。

A few months later the horse came back on its own, bringing several fine Hu horses with it. The neighbors came to congratulate him.

塞sāi翁wēng又yòu说shuō：白bái得了dé le几jǐ匹pǐ马mǎ，怎么zěn me知道zhī dào不bú是shì一yí件jiàn坏事huài shì呢ne？

Sai Weng said: gaining horses for free, how do you know it isn't a curse?

果然guǒ rán，塞sāi翁wēng的de儿子ér zi骑qí那nà匹pǐ新xīn马mǎ的de时候shí hou，从cóng马上mǎ shàng摔shuāi了le下来xià lai，把bǎ腿tuǐ摔shuāi断duàn了le。邻居lín jū们men又yòu来lái安慰ān wèi他tā。

Sure enough, his son fell off the new horse and broke his leg. The neighbors came to comfort him again.

塞sāi翁wēng还是hái shi说shuō：儿子ér zi摔shuāi断duàn了le腿tuǐ，怎么zěn me知道zhī dào不bú会huì变成biàn chéng好事hǎo shì呢ne？

Sai Weng still said: a broken leg, how do you know it won't turn into a blessing?

一yì年nián以后yǐ hòu，战争zhàn zhēng开始kāi shǐ了le，村cūn里lǐ的de年轻nián qīng人rén都dōu被bèi征zhēng去qù打仗dǎ zhàng，很hěn多duō人rén都dōu死sǐ在zài了le战场zhàn chǎng上shàng。

A year later war broke out. The village's young men were all conscripted, and many died on the battlefield.

塞sāi翁wēng的de儿子ér zi因为yīn wèi腿tuǐ断duàn了le，不bù能néng去qù打仗dǎ zhàng，反而fǎn ér保bǎo住zhù了le性命xìng mìng。这时候zhè shí hòu，大家dà jiā才cái明白míng bai塞sāi翁wēng的话de huà是shì什么shén me意思yì si。

Because of his broken leg, Sai Weng's son could not go to war, and so kept his life. Only then did everyone understand the old man's words.

塞sāi翁wēng的de邻居lín jū们men回家huí jiā以后yǐ hòu都dōu在zài想xiǎng：这zhè位wèi老人lǎo rén怎么zěn me和hé别的bié de人rén不bù一样yí yàng？丢diū马mǎ不难bù nán过guò，得dé马mǎ不bù高兴gāo xìng，儿子ér zi摔shuāi伤shāng了le也yě不bù着急zháo jí。

The neighbors went home wondering: why is this old man unlike everyone else? Losing a horse doesn't sadden him, gaining horses doesn't please him, his son's injury doesn't worry him.

其实qí shí塞sāi翁wēng不bú是shì不难bù nán过guò，他tā只是zhǐ shì比bǐ别人bié ren看kàn得de更gèng远yuǎn一些yì xiē：眼前yǎn qián的de坏事huài shì可能kě néng是shì好事hǎo shì的de开始kāi shǐ，眼前yǎn qián的de好事hǎo shì也yě可能kě néng带来dài lái麻烦má fan。

Sai Weng was not without feeling; he simply saw further. A loss can be the start of a blessing, and a gain can bring trouble.

后来hòu lái，人们rén men用yòng塞sāi翁wēng失shī马mǎ，焉yān知zhī非fēi福fú这zhè句jù话huà告诉gào su大家dà jiā：好事hǎo shì和hé坏事huài shì常常cháng cháng互相hù xiāng转化zhuǎn huà，看kàn事情shì qing不bù能néng只zhǐ看kàn眼前yǎn qián。

Since then, people say 'a lost horse, who knows it's not fortune': good and bad often transform into each other. Never judge by what is right in front of you.