Fable (6)
寓言(六)
1 Surrounding shadow, many penumbras asked it with curiosity, “You lie down and then sit up. You raise head and then lower head. You go and then stop to think something. What are you doing on earth?”
罔兩們圍著影子好奇地問：「我們看你一會兒躺下去，一會兒坐起來。一會兒仰著頭，一會兒低著頭。一會兒將頭髮梳起來打個結，一會兒又披頭散髮。一會兒走，一會兒又停下來若有所思似的。你到底在幹什麼啊？」
眾罔兩問於景曰：「若向也俯而今也仰，向也括而今也被髮；向也坐而今也起，向也行而今也止，何也？」
2 Shadow was confused with their question. He thought, “I have lived for so many years. Everyday I live a routine life – work from nine am to five pm, dinner and sleep. I never ask myself why.”
影子也給他們問糊塗了。他心想，「我活了這麼多年，每天都是這樣朝九晚五的上班，下班，吃飯，睡覺，從來也沒問過為什麼啊? 」
景曰：「搜搜也，奚稍問也！予有而不知其所以。
3 He answered them, “Perhaps that is life, I think. All people are the same. As soon as it dawns, birds fly out to take up a place to catch insects. As soon as livestock reach ranch, they indulge themselves in grazing. I work from nine am to five pm. That’s all. Why do you ask this question that is not a question?
他回答罔兩們說：「這就是生活吧！大家都是這樣。天一亮，鳥兒就飛出來先佔地盤，然後到處捉蟲子吃。牛、羊、馬等一到草地就開始他們整天低頭吃草的工作。我朝九晚五的上、下班，就是這樣了。你們為什麼要問這個不是問題的問題呢？
4 All others are so, me too. How do I know why it is so? Someone says, I like the skin of snake or cicada that clings to the body of them. Someday they don’t need me and take me off. Then, I leave.
大家都這樣，所以我也這樣。至於為什麼，我那裡知道？有人說我像蟬及蛇的殼，附在蟬及蛇的身上。有一天，他們不要我了，將我脫下，我就離開了。
予，蜩甲也，蛇蛻也，似之而非也。
5 Fire or sunlight makes me exist. If they go or are replaced with dark or night, I disappear. Excepting fire and sunlight, there is something unknown that remote-control fire, sunlight, dark and night. All these are too complicated and mysterious for me to make them clear.
火及陽光顯現，我就存在。他們退下，被黑夜或黑暗取代，我就消失。除了火及陽光外還有那些躲在後面遙控著火、陽光、黑暗、黑夜等不為我知的。所有這一切都太複雜、太神祕了，我永遠也搞不清楚。
火與日，吾屯也；陰與夜，吾代也。
6 I have to be forced to follow them. They come, I come. They go, I go. When their light is stronger, my vision is darker. Have sunlight and fire been asked why they suddenly get stronger?”
在無奈的情形下，我只得跟著他們走。他們來，我就來，他們走，我就走。他們的光芒強盛，我的影像就深刻些。陽光及火苗他們又何曾被追問，為什麼會突然那麼強盛呢？」
彼吾所以有待邪？而況乎以有待者乎！彼來則我與之來，彼往則我與之往，彼強陽則我與之強陽。強陽者，又何以有問乎！」