English Original
In the State of Lu, there lived a skilled shoemaker and his wife, a weaver of fine taffeta. One day, they decided to move to the State of Yue to seek their fortune.
Upon hearing their plan, a neighbor warned them, "Do not go. You will never make a living there."
"We don't understand," the couple replied. "We have mastered our crafts. How could we not earn our living? Please don't mock us."
"Indeed, you are skilled," the neighbor explained. "But have you considered that shoes are made for feet, and silk is for hats? The people of Yue go barefoot and wear their hair loose, never using hats. To whom will you sell your shoes and hats? No matter how expert you are, your skills are useless there."
After this explanation, the couple finally understood: any skill, no matter how refined, is impractical if it does not adapt to its environment.
中文翻译
鲁国有一对夫妇，丈夫是制鞋能手，妻子是织塔夫绸的巧匠。一天，他们决定搬到越国去谋生。
一位邻居得知他们的计划后劝阻道：“别去那里。你们永远无法在那里谋生。”
夫妇俩不解地问：“我们不明白。我们精通自己的手艺，怎么会无法谋生呢？请不要取笑我们。”
邻居解释道：“你们确实有手艺。但你们是否想过，鞋子是做给脚穿的，丝绸是用来做帽子的？越国人赤脚走路，披散头发，从来不戴帽子。那么，你们要把鞋子和帽子卖给谁呢？无论你们技艺多么精湛，在那里都毫无用处。”
听完这番解释，夫妇俩终于明白：任何技能，无论多么精妙，如果不适应环境，都是不切实际的。