English Original
In the past, a man in the State of Qi was plagued by wild flights of fancy all day long. He feared that the sky might collapse, the land might cave in, and he would have no place to live. His worry was so great that he could neither eat nor sleep.
A concerned man came to enlighten him, saying: "The sky is merely a mass of air. All human activity occurs within it. Why worry about it falling?"
The man from Qi asked: "If the sky is truly an air mass, wouldn't the sun, moon, and stars fall down?"
The man replied: "The sun, moon, and stars are merely luminous objects within this mass. Even if they fell, they would not harm people."
The man from Qi asked again: "Then what should I do if the land sinks?"
The man said: "The land is simply piled-up earth. Earth is everywhere. You walk upon it every day. Why worry that it might sink?"
Upon hearing this, the man from Qi's worries vanished instantly, and he became very glad. The man who had enlightened him and cured his melancholy was also very pleased.
中文翻译
从前，杞国有个人整天胡思乱想。他害怕天会塌下来，地会陷下去，自己会没有地方生存，急得饭也吃不下，觉也睡不好。
有一个人很为他担心，就跑来开导他说：“天只不过是一团气体，人的一切活动都在这团气体当中，你为什么要担心它会塌下来呢？”
杞人问道：“天如果真的是一团气体的话，那么日月星辰会不会掉下来呢？”
那个人说：“日月星辰只不过是这团气体中会发光的东西罢了。即使掉下来，对人也不会有什么伤害的。”
杞人又问道：“那么，如果地陷下去了怎么办呢？”
那个人说：“地只不过是堆积起来的土罢了，四面八方都是土。你每天都行走在大地上，为什么还要担忧它会陷下去呢？”
杞人听了，不但疑虑立刻消失了，而且十分高兴。那个跑来开导的人，帮助杞人治好了忧郁症，也十分高兴。