English Original
Once there was a man desperately in need of water to quench his thirst.
Seeing a blazing mirage, he mistook it for water and pursued it until he reached the Indus River. Yet, upon arrival, he only stood and looked at the water without drinking.
A bystander asked, "You are suffering from thirst. Now that you have found water, why don't you drink?"
The man replied, "If I could drink up all this water, I would. But since there is more than I can possibly finish, I would rather not drink at all."
When the people around him heard this, they laughed aloud.
中文翻译
从前有一个人，口渴难耐，急需饮水。
他看见一片炽热的海市蜃楼，误以为是水，便一路追逐，直到抵达印度河边。然而到了河边，他却只是看着河水，并不饮用。
一个旁观者问道：“你如此干渴。既然找到了水，为何不喝呢？”
这人回答说：“如果我能把这里的水全部喝完，我就会喝。但既然这水多得我根本喝不完，那我索性一口也不喝了。”
周围的人听了这话，都大声地嘲笑他。