English Original
A pretentious scholar was keen to show off. One day, while being rowed across a stream, he asked the boatman, "Do you understand philosophy?"
"No, sir," replied the boatman.
"Then," said the scholar, "one-fourth of your life is gone."
After a while, he asked again, "Do you know geology?"
"Nothing at all," said the boatman.
"Well, that makes one half of your life gone," declared the scholar.
Just then, the boat suddenly tipped over. The boatman asked, "Can you swim?"
The scholar gasped for breath, "No."
"Then your whole life is gone," said the boatman.
中文翻译
一位自命不凡的学者热衷于卖弄学问。一天，他乘船渡河时问船夫：“你懂哲学吗？”
“不懂，先生。”船夫答道。
“那么，”学者说，“你生命的四分之一就白活了。”
过了一会儿，他又问：“你懂地质学吗？”
“一窍不通。”船夫说。
“好吧，那你生命的一半就白活了。”学者断言道。
就在这时，小船突然翻了。船夫问学者：“你会游泳吗？”
学者喘着气说：“不会。”
“那你整个生命就都白活了。”船夫说道。