从前有个老国王
有一天让臣子们牵来一头象,
命几个瞎子都来摸,
摸过后,讲讲大象是啥模样。
大象刚刚才牵到,
瞎子们就走上前去摸得忙。
有一个摸到大象的长牙齿,
回答说大象简直有萝卜长;
摸到了大象耳朵的瞎子说,
大象就是个簸箕样;
有一个摸到大象脚的瞎子说,
你们的说法都荒唐,
什么簸箕和萝卜,
大象和石臼最相仿,
像舂米的石臼圆又粗,
你想搬动是妄想;
有一个瞎子摸了象背说,
你的说法也不恰当,
照我说,大象本是家用物,
我摸它,平平坦坦的像张床;
第五个瞎子忙开口,
把前四人说法否定光,
因为他摸的象尾巴,
他说,大象是粗绳一根有丈把长;
第六个瞎子也开口……
就这样,瞎子们互相争吵不相让。
实际上他们谁也没说对,
因为摸的不是整个象。
只凭主观和臆测,
得到的结论准荒唐。
“盲人摸象”作成语,常形容,
看事物片面不周详。
作出判断犯错误,
接受教训理应当。
Blind Men Size up an Elephant
Once upon a time there was an old king。One day he asked his ministers to fetch an elephant。Then he ordered a group of blind men to feel it,and tell him what the elephant was like。As soon as the elephant arrived there,the blind men all came up to it。One of them got hold of the elephant's long tusk,and he answered that the elephant was as long as a radish。The one who caught hold of one of the elephant's ears,said the elephant was like a huge dustbin。The one who had a touch of the elephant's foot,said that both of them were wrong,it was neither like a dustbin nor a radish,it was as heavy as and more like a big grain mortar,which you could never move an inch。Another blind man put his hand on the elephant's back,and said what you called it was also wrong。As far as I can see,it is like a piece of your furniture。When I feel it,it is like a large and smooth bed。
The fifth now prompted a ready reply,denying each and every of the preceding four,because he took up the elephant's thin tail。It is none other than a rope which must be 10 feet long。The sixth one also aired his view。In this way the blind men got into a free-for-all。
Actually none of them guessed the right size,since they didn't feel the elephant's whole body。Based on subjective and groundless conclusions,one can only get ridiculous results。
We use“The Blind Men Size up the Elephant”as an idiom to describe those who have a one-sided view of something。If you unfortunately make a mistake,you are supposed to learn the lesson and become smart again。