English Original
One day, Hui Zi met Zhuang Zi and told him a story: "King Hui gave me some bottle gourd seeds. I planted them, and soon a huge gourd grew—large enough to hold five dan of rice. I had never seen such a large gourd and was delighted. Yet, it solved none of my practical problems. In disappointment, I smashed it.
Zhuang Zi felt sorry and said, "What a pity you destroyed such a fine gourd so rashly."
Hui Zi eagerly interrupted, "If you think it's a pity, what would you have used it for?"
Zhuang Zi calmly replied with a story: "In the State of Song, there lived a man who knew how to make a salve to prevent chilblains. For generations, his family had eked out a meager living by bleaching and washing cotton wadding for others. A visitor heard of this and offered one hundred catties of gold for the family's secret recipe. After discussing it, the family agreed: 'We've toiled for generations with little reward. Selling the recipe will bring us a fortune at once. We must not miss this chance.'
"The buyer, feeling he had obtained a treasure, took the recipe to the King of Wu. At that time, the State of Yue was invading Wu. The king put the man in command of troops.
"It was a harsh winter. The armies of Wu and Yue fought a naval battle. Thanks to the salve, not a single Wu soldier suffered frostbite on their hands or feet. They soundly defeated the Yue army. The King of Wu rewarded the man richly and granted him a high rank.
"Thus, the same salve that brought one family only a humble living brought another fame and fortune. Why? Because some know how to use ordinary things for great purposes, while others limit fine things to petty uses."
Zhuang Zi paused, then continued: "Sir, you should have learned to use your large gourd. Instead of a water ladle, why not use it as a float to cross rivers and seas? Would that not have been better?"
Hearing this, Hui Zi nodded repeatedly, admitting Zhuang Zi's wisdom. He sighed, "It seems I am indeed a man of muddled thinking."
中文翻译
一天，惠子见到庄子，讲了一件事："惠王赐给我一些葫芦种子。我种下后，结出了一个巨大的葫芦，大得能装下五石谷物。我从未见过这么大的葫芦，非常高兴。但它解决不了我的任何实际问题，失望之下，我把它砸碎了。"
庄子感到惋惜，说："你这样轻易地把这么好的葫芦打碎了，实在太可惜了。"
惠子迫不及待地打断他："你觉得可惜，那你会用它来做什么呢？"
庄子平静地讲了一个故事："我们宋国有一个人，会制作防止冻疮的药膏。他家世世代代以给人漂洗棉絮为生，收入微薄。有人听闻此事，登门愿出百斤黄金购买他家的祖传秘方。全家商量后决定：'我们世代为人漂洗，所得甚少。现在卖掉药方，立刻能得一大笔钱，不能错过这个机会。'于是卖掉了秘方。
"买得药方的人如获至宝，去游说吴王。当时越国侵犯吴国，吴王便派他领兵作战。
"那时正值严冬。吴越两军在水上交战。吴军因有此药膏，无一人手足冻伤，最终大败越军。吴王重赏此人，并封以高官。
"同样能防冻疮的药膏，有人用它获取高官厚禄，有人却只能用它维持漂洗的卑微生计。为何？因为有些人懂得将寻常之物用于大处，而有些人却将好东西局限于小用。"
庄子停顿了一下，接着说："先生，你也该学会利用你的大葫芦。与其用作水瓢，何不把它当作腰舟，用来渡江过海？那不是比现在更好吗？"
惠子听后连连点头，承认庄子比自己高明。他叹息道："看来，我真是个思想不开窍的人啊。"