English Original
Zhuangzi once sighed before a large tree in the mountains that had been spared from being cut down precisely because it was considered useless. He remarked, "It is precisely its uselessness that allows this tree to live out its natural lifespan."
That evening, Zhuangzi's host killed a domesticated goose that could not honk to prepare a feast for Zhuangzi and his disciples. Witnessing this, the disciples asked, "Master, the tree in the mountains survived because of its uselessness, yet this goose lost its life because of its uselessness (inability to honk). What attitude, then, should we adopt towards this unpredictable world?"
Zhuangzi replied, "One should aim for a position between usefulness and uselessness. However, the boundary between them is exceedingly difficult to discern and does not conform to fixed principles of life. Therefore, a person will always be burdened by something."
中文翻译
庄子曾对山中一棵因不成材（无用）而免遭砍伐的大树叹息道：“正是这棵树的无用，使它得以享尽自然的寿命。”
当晚，庄子的主人宰杀了家中一只不会鸣叫的雁来款待庄子及其弟子。见此情景，弟子们问道：“老师，山中的大树因无用而存活，这只家雁却因无用（不会叫）而丧命。那么，我们该如何面对这变幻莫测的世间呢？”
庄子回答说：“人应立志处于有用与无用之间。然而，有用与无用之间的界限极难把握，且不遵循固定的人生法则。因此，人活着总难免有所拖累。”