The Yidai Bird | 意怠免患

English Original

According to legend, there was a kind of bird called the "Yidai" (a type of swallow) on the East China Sea.

The Yidai birds were slow to react. They could not fly very high and appeared clumsy and incapable.

However, when they moved, they always stayed in groups, depending on one another for survival. They flew and landed together.

When advancing, none dared to rush ahead rashly. When retreating, none dared to fall behind at will. When feeding, none dared to scramble to be first. All their activities were orderly.

In action, the Yidai always moved uniformly without any disorder. They relied on collective effort to avoid harm from the outside world.


中文翻译

传说,东海上有一种叫做“意怠”的鸟(一种燕子)。

意怠鸟反应迟钝,不能高飞,显得笨拙无能。

然而,它们行动时总是成群结队,相依为命,一起飞翔,一起降落。

前进时,没有一只敢擅自冒进;后退时,没有一只敢随意掉队;进食时,也没有一只敢争先抢食。一切活动都井然有序。

行动起来,意怠鸟总是如此一致而不散乱。它们依靠集体的力量来避免外界的伤害。

阅读记录
请先 登录 后记录阅读完成
为这篇文章评分
点击星星进行评分(1-5分)
相关文章
Huang Gong's Excessive Modesty | 黄公好谦卑

A story about Huang Gong, whose excessive modesty led him...

chinese-culture fable
Wearing Fur Inside Out | 反裘负刍

Marquis Wen of Wei encounters a farmer who wears his fur ...

chinese-culture educational
The Yi Dai Bird | 意怠鸟

The Yi Dai bird survives through extreme caution, hiding ...

cautionary-tale chinese-culture
The Meng Jiu Bird | 蒙鸠

The Meng Jiu bird's meticulously crafted nest fails becau...

chinese-culture educational
The Stone Treasure | 视石为宝

A man mistakes an ordinary stone for a priceless treasure...

chinese-culture fable
Working with a Farrier | 岂辱马医

A poor man in Qi, once a beggar, takes a job with a farri...

chinese-culture fable
Mend the Fold After a Sheep Is Lost | 亡羊补牢

This fable tells how a minister's warning was ignored by ...

chinese-culture educational
The City Gate Fire | 城门失火

A fable about fish in a moat who ignore a fire on the dis...

beginner chinese-culture
The Seat of Honor | 谁坐上座

A man ignores his neighbor's warning about a fire hazard....

beginner chinese-culture
The King Who Cried Drum | 楚王击鼓

King Li of Chu foolishly beats the emergency drum as a dr...

chinese-culture educational
The Mantis Stalks the Cicada | 螳螂捕蝉

A young attendant uses the allegory of a cicada, mantis, ...

chinese-culture educational
The Swan's Last Song | 天鹅绝唱

A man buys a swan hoping to hear its legendary song, but ...

fable intermediate
The Bird Startled by the Mere Twang of a Bowstring | 惊弓之鸟

The archer Geng Ying demonstrates profound observation by...

chinese-culture educational
The Owl and the Ass | 猫头鹰与驴

A blind ass, lost in a forest at night, is expertly guide...

animal-tale english-reading
Aping a Beauty | 东施效颦

An unattractive girl blindly imitates the frowning pose o...

chinese-culture educational
Yang Bu and the Dog | 杨布打狗

Yang Bu's dog fails to recognize him after he changes clo...

beginner chinese-culture
A Good Dog for Catching Mice? | 良狗捕鼠

A man from Qi selects a hunting dog for his neighbor, who...

chinese-culture educational
The Mantis Stops the Chariot | 螳臂当车

King Zhuang Gong of Qi encounters a mantis attempting to ...

beginner chinese-culture
Fly High and Far | 远走高飞

A courtier, long overlooked by his ruler, uses the analog...

allegory chinese-literature
Learning to Walk in Handan | 邯郸学步

A young man from Shouling, ashamed of his clumsy walk, tr...

beginner chinese-culture