English Original
Have you not heard of the frog that lived in a shallow well? It said to a turtle that lived in the East Sea, "I am so happy! When I go out, I jump about on the railing beside the mouth of the well. When I come home, I rest in the holes on the broken wall of the well. If I jump into the water, it comes up to my armpits and holds up my cheeks. If I walk in the mud, it covers up my feet. I look around at the wriggly worms, crabs and tadpoles, and none of them can compare with me. Moreover, I am lord of this trough of water and I stand up tall in this shallow well. My happiness is full. My dear sir, why don't you come often and look around my place?"
Before the turtle from the East Sea could get its left foot in the well, its right knee got stuck. It hesitated and retreated. The turtle told the frog about the East Sea.
"Even a distance of a thousand li cannot give you an idea of the sea's width; even a height of a thousand ren cannot give you an idea of its depth. In the time of King Yu of the Xia dynasty, there were floods nine years out of ten, but the waters in the sea did not increase. In the time of King Tang of the Shang dynasty there were droughts seven years out of eight, but the waters in the sea did not decrease. The sea does not change along with the passage of time and its level does not rise or fall according to the amount of rain that falls. The greatest happiness is to live in the East Sea."
After listening to these words, the frog of the shallow well was shocked into realization of his own insignificance and became very ill at ease.
中文翻译
你听说过住在浅井里的青蛙吗？它对一只来自东海的乌龟说：“我多么快乐啊！我出去时，就在井口的栏杆上跳来跳去；回家时，就在井壁的破洞里休息。如果我跳进水里，水能漫到我的腋窝，托起我的脸颊。如果我在泥里走，泥能盖住我的脚。我看看周围那些蠕动的虫子、螃蟹和蝌蚪，没有谁能比得上我。而且，我是这潭水的主人，在这口浅井里高高在上。我的快乐是完满的。亲爱的先生，你为什么不常来我的地方看看呢？”
东海来的乌龟还没把左脚完全伸进井里，右膝就被卡住了。它犹豫了一下，退了回来。乌龟向青蛙描述了东海。
“即使千里的距离也无法让你想象海的宽度；即使千仞的高度也无法让你想象海的深度。在夏朝大禹的时代，十年中有九年发大水，但海里的水并没有增加多少。在商朝成汤的时代，八年中有七年大旱，但海里的水也没有减少多少。大海不随时间而改变，它的水位也不随降雨量而涨落。最大的快乐是生活在东海里。”
听完这些话，浅井里的青蛙震惊地意识到了自己的渺小，变得非常不安。