HAPPY AND FREE EXCURSION (4)
逍遙遊（四）
1 At any rate Huizi was a scholar. Listening to Chuang Tzu’s remark, he spoiled his tolerance and said to Chuang Tzu,
惠子再怎麼說也是學術界有一定地位的人，聽莊子這樣的批評，其雅量也是有限的。他對莊子說：
2“What you said is theoretic prate. In consequence your students become lesser and lesser. Listen, there was an old tree of hundreds years, very high and big. It grew overall knag and crooked branch and trunk. The trunk could not be used as the beam and the branch not as the furniture or household utensils. Carpenters would not be bothered to touch the tree even if it were placed in the middle of road, and free for anyone to take. What for even if it is only big.”
「你的話都是大而無當的空談，所以在你門下的學子才會愈來愈少。我告訴你，我家有棵年逾數百的老樹，高大無比，但是木瘤盤結，老態龍鍾. 樹幹不能做棟樑，樹枝捲曲也不能做傢俱器皿. 這棵樹就是將它放在馬路中央，任人免費索取，木匠也懶得搬動它，光是大有什麼用呢？」
惠子謂莊子曰：「吾有大樹，人謂之樗。其大本臃腫而不中繩墨，其小枝卷曲而不中規矩。立之塗，匠者不顧。今子之言，大而無用，眾所同去也。」
3 Chuang Tzu detected Huizi’s slight sulk but he didn’t care it in argument for truth. Chuang Tzu said,
莊子知道惠子有些不高興，可是在講真理時也顧不了這麼多了。莊子說：
4“Only usefulness seems not good. Have you never seen weasel? It is so nimble, crouching down and furtively in wait for its sudden prey on unwary beastie, such as chicken and mice. In chase of its preys it spring up and down between roof and fence with ease and fearlessness. However, someday it eventually gets caught in and dies in a snare set by hunter.
「光是有用，不見得就是好的。你看黃鼠狼身手多麼敏捷，牠伏在角落暗處，準備突擊粗心的雞、鼠等小動物. 在追捕獵物時跳躍於屋樑籬笆之間，如履平地毫無懼色. 可是險路走多了難免有一天落入獵人的陷阱之中死於非命.
5 Such a huge body had yak. Though it is not as agile as weasel in preying on mice.
你看斄牛的身軀是如此龐大，然而要牠捉老鼠，牠就不靈了。
莊子曰：「子獨不見狸狌乎？卑身而伏，以候敖者；東西跳梁，不避高下；中於機辟，死於罔罟。今夫斄牛，其大若垂天之雲。此能為大矣，而不能執鼠。
6 Now that you have such a big tree, why are you afraid of its uselessness? Why not plant it on grassland where people wish there would be a shade for rest. Carpenter doesn’t like the old tree, nor do bugs eat. It couldn’t be used as lumber so people don’t sneak felling it stealthily. What do you worry about?
你有這樣一棵大樹，為什麼擔心它沒有用處呢？你為什麼不將它種在荒郊野外的草原上，這樣的地方大家都希望有一個能遮陽乘涼的休息之處. 你這棵老樹木匠不喜歡，蟲蟻也不愛吃，正因為如此它才能長久豎立在那兒；不能當木材用，別人也不會盜伐，你又有什麼好擔憂的呢？」
今子有大樹，患其無用，何不樹之於無何有之鄉，廣莫之野，彷徨乎無為其側，逍遙乎寢臥其下。不夭斤斧，物無害者，無所可用，安所困苦哉！」
7 Chuang Tzu sensed that they would fall into quarrel if the argument went on, so he diverted the topic to quit the argument about usefulness and uselessness.
莊子知道再辯下去兩人就要翻臉了，於是將話題岔開，結束了這場有用與無用的辯論。