English Original
There lived a rich man named Guo in the State of Qi and a poor man named Xiang in the State of Song.
The poor man traveled to Qi to seek Guo's advice on becoming wealthy.
Guo told him, "I was once poor, but now I am well-off. The secret is that I know how to 'steal' and 'rob.' It is painstaking work. In the first year of 'stealing and robbing,' I made a living. In the second year, I had more than enough food and clothing. By the third year, my storehouse was filled with grain and millet."
Xiang, the man from Song, only heard the words "steal and rob" and did not ask for details. The moment he returned home, dizzy with imagined success, he began to steal and rob.
Under cover of darkness, he climbed walls and dug holes, taking whatever he saw. In time, his family grew rich. But just as he was immensely proud, bailiffs from the yamen arrested him. He was declared guilty, imprisoned, and all his possessions—stolen goods and his own worn-out belongings—were confiscated.
Upon his release, the thief went to Qi to blame Guo. "How are you doing?" Guo asked hastily.
The thief recounted his story and sighed, "I am now even poorer than before."
Guo was astonished, then said regretfully, "How did you end up in such reduced circumstances? Alas, you completely misunderstood my meaning of 'stealing and robbing.'"
He continued, "By 'stealing and robbing,' I meant harnessing the resources of the earth and racing against the seasons. Dense forests, broad land, sunshine, rain and dew, wind and cloud—these are my targets. I befriend them and rely on them to plant crops and build houses. Birds in the sky, beasts on land, fish and shrimp in the river…none belong to me by nature. But I, fearing neither hardship nor toil, use my wits to 'steal' and 'rob' them. This is an open and aboveboard endeavor, not a crime. As for the clothing, food, and belongings of individuals, they are earned through one's own labor and belong solely to them. I never encouraged you to steal private property. You broke the law. Who is to blame for your imprisonment?"
中文翻译
齐国有个姓国的富人，宋国有个姓向的穷人。
姓向的穷人前往齐国，向姓国的富人请教致富的方法。
富人对他说：“我过去也很穷，但现在生活富足。秘诀在于我懂得‘偷’和‘抢’。这非常辛苦。靠着‘偷抢’，第一年我得以维持生计，第二年就丰衣足食，到了第三年，我的粮仓里堆满了谷物和小米。”
宋国人只听到了“偷”和“抢”，却没有问清楚具体方法。他一回到家，就被想象中的成功冲昏了头脑，立刻开始偷盗抢劫。
天一黑，他就翻东家的墙，挖西家的洞，见什么偷什么。过了一段时间，他家居然真的富了起来。但正当他洋洋得意之时，衙门的差役逮捕了他。他被判有罪，关进监狱，所有偷抢来的财物，连同他原有的破旧家当，全被没收了。
刑满释放后，这个小偷立刻跑到齐国姓国的富人家里去责怪他。富人连忙问：“你干得怎么样了？”
小偷讲述了经过，叹息道：“我现在比以前更穷了。”
富人先是大吃一惊，然后惋惜地说：“你怎么会落到这般田地？哎呀，你完全误解了我所说的‘偷’和‘抢’的意思。”
他接着说：“我所说的‘偷’和‘抢’，是指向土地索取资源，与天时赛跑。茂密的森林、广阔的土地、阳光、雨露、风云——这些才是我抢夺的对象。我接近它们，与它们为友，依靠它们来种植庄稼、建造房屋。天上的飞鸟、地上的走兽、河里的鱼虾……这些本来都不属于我。但我不惧艰辛劳苦，运用智慧去‘偷’去‘抢’。这是光明正大的行为，绝非犯罪。至于个人的衣物、食物和物品，那是人们通过自身劳动所得，只属于他们自己。我从未叫你去偷抢他人的私有财产。你触犯了法律。你被判罪入狱，这该怪谁呢？”