【大纪元5月21日讯】
从前有个富人尹氏，每天都营营役役，努力赚钱。他的仆人也是由早忙到晚，不得休息。
其中有个老仆，因为工作缓慢，更是被他催促不已。那累透了的老仆，只好一边呻吟一边工作，直到筋疲力尽。
一到晚上，老仆倒头便睡。在梦中，他成为人君，统治万民，生活奢华，真是其乐无穷。不过，一醒来后，又要劳劳碌碌地工作。朋友都替他感到难过，向他抚慰。但老仆对自己的命运，毫无怨言，并说：“人生昼夜各半。白天做仆人时，要辛苦工作，但晚上做人君时，却快乐无比。我没有什么好抱怨的了。”
另一方面，尹氏也是心力皆疲。晚上熟睡时，他梦见自己成为人仆，受人诸多差使，做些不愿意做的厌事，但多时还要挨打挨骂，人生真是苦不胜言。他在梦中吟直至天亮，终于忍受不住，便去请教朋友。
朋友说：“你虽然位尊多金，但晚上做梦时却做了人仆。人生确是有苦有乐。要现实和做梦都称心满意，相信很难办得到。”
尹氏听完朋友的话，就反复思量他烦恼的根源。想了良久，他减轻了仆人的工作量，同时也放松了自己的操劳。
不多久，大家的痛苦都减轻了。
The Sweet And Sour Of Life
There was once a rich man by the name of Yin who spent his whole energy making money. His servants had to work from morning till night without a moment’s rest.
Yin had an old servant who was slow in his work, but Yin pushed him all the more. The dog-tired servant laboured himself to exhaustion, moaning and groaning.
When night fell, the old man collapsed on his bed and instantly sank into a deep sleep. In his dreams he became a king, living in great luxury. He was as happy as he could be.
Yet the moment he woke up, he had to toil again. His friends felt sorry for him.
The old man accepted his lot without grudge. “Our lifetime is made up of equal parts of days and nights,” he told them. “As a servant in the day, I have to toil hard. However, in my dreams at night, I become a king. My happiness is second to none. I have nothing to complain.”
Now Yin was also physically and mentally worn out. At night, when he was fast asleep, he dreamed that he was a servant, always at his master’s bidding. He had to do the most unpleasant chores and was often beaten and scolded. life was a pain beyond description.
He moaned and groaned in his sleep until dawn. Finally, Yin could not bear it any longer and sought the wisdom of a friend.
“Although you’re a rich man of high social rank,” observed his friend,”in your dreams at night, you become somebody else’s servant. Life indeed has its sweet and sour. I’m afraid it is quite impossible to have the best of both worlds.”
The friend’s remark shed a new light on the matter, and Yin began to reflect on the root of his trouble.
After some hard thinking, he reduced the work load of his servants and relaxed his own concerns as well. Before long their pains wer all eased.
转自：《翀仔寓言网》@
(http://www.dajiyuan.com)
