English Original
A man in the state of Song was skilled at making an ointment that prevented chapped hands. For generations, his family had made a living by bleaching silk floss.
A merchant heard of this ointment and offered him one hundred pieces of gold for the recipe. The Song man, considering this a large sum, sold it to him. The merchant then presented the recipe to the King of Wu and persuaded him to produce it.
When war broke out between Wu and Yue, the king appointed the merchant as a general to lead a naval battle against Yue in winter. Because the Wu soldiers had applied the ointment and were unbothered by the cold water, they defeated the Yue army.
The King of Wu rewarded the merchant with a fief for his contribution. Thus, the same skill led one man to receive a noble title while another continued his humble trade of bleaching silk floss. The difference lay entirely in how the skill was applied.
中文翻译
宋国有个人善于制造防止手部皲裂的药膏。他祖祖辈辈都以漂洗丝絮为生。
一个商人听闻此事，便出一百金购买他的药方。宋人以为这是一大笔钱，便把药方卖给了他。商人随后将药方献给吴王，并说服吴王制造此药。
吴越两国交战之时，吴王任命商人为将，在冬季与越军进行水战。由于吴军涂抹了药膏，不畏寒冷江水，因而击败了越军。
吴王论功行赏，赐予商人一块封地。同一种技艺，有人用它获得了封赏，有人却仍以漂洗丝絮为业，这完全在于技艺如何被运用。