正文
In a faraway country there were two outstanding carpenters who were both so expert in craftsmanship（技藝） that no one could tell who was better.One day, a whim（奇想） came into the king's mind: who was on earth the best carpenter? Why not have a match and then entitle the winner the National First Carpenter?
在一個遙遠的國度，有兩個傑出的木匠，兩人手藝都很精湛，難分伯仲。有一天，國王突發奇想：他倆究竟誰是最好的木匠呢？為什麼不辦一場比賽，然後把贏家封為“全國首席木匠”呢？
So the king sent for the two carpenters and had a match for them. Within the three days limited, the one who carved the more vivid mouse would be the National First Carpenter. The winner could not only get lots of granted gifts but also the granted title.
於是，國王派人找來兩個木匠，讓他倆比試。以三日為限，誰雕出的老鼠惟妙惟肖，誰就是“全國首席木匠”。贏家不但可以贏得獎品，還會被授予封號。
During the three days, the two carpenters had been working away day and night. On the third day, they presented the king with the carved mice. The king summoned all his ministers to be the judges of the match.
三天裡，兩個木匠夜以繼日地幹活兒。第三天，他們向國王呈上了雕出來的老鼠。國王叫來了所有的大臣為比賽當評委。
The mouse the first carpenter carved was fine and vivid, even its cirrus（觸鬚） twittering. The second one's carved mouse only had the mouse's mien（神態）, without its shape and appearance, barely enough like a mouse watched from far away but just three tenth（十分之三） alike seen closely.
第一個木匠雕出的老鼠很精緻很生動，甚至連老鼠的鬍鬚都在動。 第二個木匠雕出的老鼠只有神態，形狀樣貌皆無。從遠處幾乎看不出來雕的是老鼠，可要是近看的話，卻和真老鼠有三成相似。
So the king and his ministers all agreed that the first carpenter was the winner. But the second carpenter protested（抗議） on the spot. He said, “The King's judgment is unfair. Whether the carved mice are like real mice or not should be judged by cats. Cats look at mice with more sharp eyes than human!”
所以，國王和大臣們都覺得第一個木匠贏得了比賽。 可是第二位木匠卻當場抗議說：“國王的評判不公平。雕出來的老鼠像不像真老鼠應該由貓說了算。要是論看老鼠的話，貓眼比人眼敏銳多了！”
The king thought it reasonable. Then he gave an order to take several cats there to judge which mouse was more lifelike. Unexpectedly, the cats all jumped on the less lifelike mouse, biting and snatching while the vivid one was thoroughly left alone.
國王覺得此話有理，就下令把貓帶來評判哪隻老鼠更栩栩如生。出人意料的是，所有的貓都跳到那隻看起來不太逼真的老鼠身上，又是咬又是搶的，至於那隻逼真的，貓咪們碰都不碰。
Before the fact, the king had to give the title of the National First Carpenter to the second carpenter. Later, the king sent for the second carpenter, and asked him, “How did you make the cats believe what you carved was a mouse?”
事實面前，國王只得把“全國首席木匠”的稱號頒給了第二位木匠。 後來，國王派人找來第二位木匠，問道：“你是怎麼做到讓貓相信你雕的就是老鼠的？”
The carpenter said, “Your Majesty, in fact, it is simple. I carved a mouse only with the fishbone! What the cats care about is not its similarity but its delicacy!”
木匠說：“陛下，其實，這很簡單。我的老鼠是用魚骨頭雕出來的！貓在意的不是像不像，它們只在乎好不好吃啊！”
高手過招，不只是看技藝，更是看誰對規則的領悟更勝一籌。
閱讀更多 閣香書院 的文章
