During the Warring States Period (zhàn guó 戰(zhàn)國), Juang-tz's family was very
poor. When they had nothing left to eat, Juang-tz went to borrow some money from
a local official. However, the official told Juang-tz that he would not be able
to lend him any money until after he had collected the rent.
Juang-tz was very angry, and he said to the official, "Yesterday I saw a
crucian carp in a ditch that had dried up.He looked as if he was about to die,
and asked me to quickly fetch a bucket of water to save his life. I told him
that I was on my way south, where there is a lot of water, and that I would
certainly bring some back for him. But the carp grew very angry and said,
"By the time you've gotten back with that water, I won't be here anymore!
You'll have to go look for me at a dried fish store!"
This idiom is used to mean that a promise of help later is of no use in an
immediate crisis.
戰(zhàn)國時代,莊子家里很窮,簡直就沒飯吃了,他就到藍(lán)河侯家里去借錢。莊子到了藍(lán)河侯,表示要向他借錢,沒想到籃河侯說:“你要借錢沒問題,不過要等我收到租金以后。”
莊子很氣忿,就對藍(lán)河侯說:“昨天我在路旁的干水溝里看見一條鯽魚,他說是從東海來的,今天不幸掉在干水溝里,眼看就要干死了,快點兒給扦一桶水救救
他。”我點頭說:“好,我正要到南方去,那里到處都有水,我一定把西江的水放出來救你。”不料鯽魚很氣忿地說:“等到你把西江的水放出來,那時候我早已不
在這兒了,你只能到咸魚灘兒上找我了。”
枯魚之肆 【翻譯】The desperate struggle of fish.