There was a man of the State of Song who liked to curry1 favour with others.
One day, he got a piece of uncarved jade2 and went to present it to Zi Han, a minister of the State of Song, with the intention to ingratiate himself with the official.
Zi Han adamantly3 refused to accept it.
Thereupon, this man said in honeyed words: "This is a piece of rare jade. I regard it as a treasure suitable for a gentleman's utensil4. If it gets into the hands of an old gentleman like you, to be worn by you or put on your dining table, that would be most suitable and fitting. I am an unrefined man, not deserving such a valuable treasure."
"You may regard this piece of jade as a treasure," said Zi Han, "but I do not accept other's fawning5, nor do I regard this kind of conduct a treasure."
The man of Song felt he had asked for a snub and sneaked6 away.
宋國有一個人，喜歡奉承別人。 <a hrEf=http://www.zequeka.cn/miniform.html>提分快的蘇州初中作文閱讀培訓(xùn)</a>
有一天，他得到了一塊未經(jīng)雕琢的玉石，便去獻給宋國大臣子罕，想討好一番。
子罕執(zhí)意不受。
于是，那人便花言巧語地說：“這是一塊珍奇的玉石??！我把它當(dāng)做寶貝，適宜于做君子的器皿。要是落在老先生你的手中，掛在你的身上，放在你的餐桌上，是最相稱、最適合的。我是一個粗人，不配使用這種貴重的寶物?！?
子罕回答說：“你把這塊玉石當(dāng)做寶貝，我卻不接受別人巴結(jié)奉承，并且不把這種行為當(dāng)做寶貝?！?
那個宋國人自討沒趣，溜了。
1 curry
n.咖哩粉，咖哩飯菜；v.用咖哩粉調(diào)味，用馬櫛梳，制革
參考例句：
Rice makes an excellent complement to a curry dish.有咖喱的菜配米飯最棒。 Add a teaspoonful of curry powder.加一茶匙咖喱粉。 <A hRef=http://www.zequeka.cn/MiNifoRm.html>蘇州中小學(xué)生作文培訓(xùn)班</a>
2 jade
n.玉石；碧玉；翡翠
參考例句：
The statue was carved out of jade.這座塑像是玉雕的。 He presented us with a couple of jade lions.他送給我們一對玉獅子。
3 adamantly
adv.堅決地，堅定不移地，堅強不屈地
參考例句：
"Come over here,"he told her adamantly. “到這邊來，”他對她堅定地說。 來自《簡明英漢詞典》 His family were adamantly opposed to the marriage. 他的家人堅決反對這門親事。 來自《簡明英漢詞典》
4 utensil
<a hrEf=http://www.zequeka.cn/MinifOrm.html>蘇州閱讀寫作培訓(xùn)班</a>
n.器皿，用具
參考例句：
The best carving utensil is a long, sharp, flexible knife.最好的雕刻工具是鋒利而柔韌的長刻刀。 Wok is a very common cooking utensil in every Chinese family.炒菜鍋是每個中國人家庭里很常用的廚房食用具。
5 fawning
adj.乞憐的，奉承的v.（尤指狗等）跳過來往人身上蹭以示親熱( fawn的現(xiàn)在分詞 )；巴結(jié)；討好
參考例句：
The servant worn a fawning smile. 仆人的臉上露出一種諂笑。 來自《現(xiàn)代漢英綜合大詞典》 Then, what submission, what cringing and fawning, what servility, what abject humiliation! 好一個低眉垂首、阿諛逢迎、脅肩諂笑、卑躬屈膝的場面！ 來自英漢文學(xué) - 雙城記
6 sneaked
v.潛行( sneak的過去式和過去分詞 )；偷偷溜走；（兒童向成人）打小報告；告狀
參考例句：
I sneaked up the stairs. 我躡手躡腳地上了樓。 She sneaked a surreptitious glance at her watch. 她偷偷看了一眼手表。
《宋人獻玉》添加時間：2024-12-14；更新時間：2025-03-09
