《古代寓言·朝三暮四》（中英对照）

宋有狙公者，爱狙，养之成群，能解狙之意；狙亦得公之心。

损其家口，充狙之欲。俄而匮焉，将限其食。恐众狙之不驯于己也，先诳之曰：“与若芧，朝三而暮四，足乎？”

众狙皆起怒。

俄而曰：“朝四而暮三，足乎？”

众狙皆伏而喜。

——《庄子》

Three Chestnuts or Four

A monkey-trainer in the states of Song was fond of monkeys and kept a great many of them. He was able to understand them and then him. Indeed, he used to save some of his family’s food for them. But a time came when there was not much food let at home, and he wanted to cut down the monkey’s rations. He feared, however, they might not agree to this, and decided to deceive them.

“I’ll give you three chestnuts each morning and four each evening,” he said. “Will that be enough?”

All the monkeys rose up to express their anger.

“Well, what about four in the morning and three in the evening?” he asked.

Then the monkeys squatted down again, feeling quite satisfied.

Zhuang Zi