English Original
The Handan Walker
Tradition has it that more than 2,000 years ago, there lived a young man in the Shouling area of the State of Yan. As his name is not known, we just call him the Shouling young man.
He lacked self-confidence and was perpetually dissatisfied with himself, always feeling inferior to others. He would imitate whatever he saw, but he never stuck to one thing long enough to master it. His family advised him to change, but he dismissed their concerns. His neighbors sneered at him, saying he was like a bear picking corn—gaining one only to drop another.
Over time, he even began to doubt his own way of walking, finding it increasingly clumsy and awkward.
One day, he overheard travelers praising the graceful walk of the people in Handan. This struck a chord with him, and he hurried to ask for details. To his surprise, the travelers just laughed and walked away.
Tormented by curiosity, he eventually sneaked away from home and traveled to the distant city of Handan to learn their way of walking.
Upon arrival, he was dazzled by the novelty of everything. He tried to imitate the lively walk of children, the steady gait of the elderly, and the elegant sway of women. In less than half a month, he had become so confused that he forgot how to walk altogether. Having spent all his money, he had no choice but to crawl back home.
This story comes from "Autumn Floods" in The Works of Zhuangzi. The idiom "imitating the walk of Handan" (or "The Handan Walker") is used to criticize the blind and mechanical imitation of others, which results not only in failure to learn their strengths but also in the loss of one's own original abilities.
中文翻译
邯郸学步
相传在两千多年前的燕国寿陵，有一位少年（史称寿陵少年）。
他缺乏自信，总觉得自己事事不如人。他见什么就学什么，但学一样丢一样，从未能精通一事。家人劝他改正，他却嫌管得太多。邻居们讥笑他像"狗熊掰棒子"，他也听不进去。
久而久之，他连自己的走路姿势都怀疑起来，觉得既笨拙又难看。
一天，他听到路人盛赞邯郸人走路姿态优美。这正说中了他的心病，他急忙上前打听，不料那些人看见他后大笑着离开了。
邯郸人走路到底有多美？他想象不出，这成了他的心结。终于有一天，他瞒着家人，远赴邯郸去学走路。
一到邯郸，他眼花缭乱，觉得处处新鲜。他看见小孩走路活泼，就学；看见老人走路稳重，也学；看见妇女走路姿态摇曳，还学。结果不到半个月，他连自己原来怎么走路都忘了。盘缠用尽，他只好爬着回家。
这个故事出自《庄子·秋水》。成语"邯郸学步"比喻生搬硬套、机械地模仿别人，不仅学不到真本领，反而会丢掉自己原有的优点和能力。