一到秋天，大河、小河里的水都涨了起来，流入黄河，河面顿时显得非常宽广。在河岸的这边，一眼望不见对岸的牛羊。黄河的河伯因此得意洋洋，自以为是天下最伟大的了。
When autumn came, all the water in the large and small rivers rose higher and flowed into the Yellow River. The surface of the river at once appeared much wider. On one's side of the river bank, one couldn’t see the cattle and sheep on the opposite side. The river deity Hebo was therefore immensely proud and considered himself the greatest under the sky.
河伯顺着黄河由西向东，来到了北海，朝东一望望不见海的尽头；再看看自己才觉得自己很渺小。他叹了口气，对北海之神海若说：
Hebo followed the water of the Yellow River from the west to the east and came to the North Sea. Looking to the east, he could not see the bounds of the sea. Then he looked at himself and felt he was so tiny and insignificant. He sighed and said to Hairuo, the deity of the North Sea:
“俗话说得好，有了一点学问，就以为老子天下第一。我就是这种人。今天，我看到你这样宽广、这样伟大，才发觉自己如此渺小、如此无知。如果今天不遇见你，我恐怕会永远被有见识的人所讥笑了。”
“As the saying goes, when one has a little learning, one would regard oneself as the wisest person under the sky. I am just that kind of person. Seeing how broad and great you are today, I have come to realize how insignificant and ignorant I am. If I didn’t meet you, I'm afraid I would always be laughed at by people with knowledge.”
海若说：
Hairuo said：
“我们不能同井底的青蛙谈海，是因为青蛙受到住处的限制；不能同夏天的小虫谈水，是因为小虫受到季节的限制；不能同浅薄的人谈论高深的学问，是因为他们知道的知识太少。现在，你走出小河，来到北海，看到海的伟大，知道了自己的渺小，有了这种谦虚的态度,我就可以和你谈论高深的学问了。”
“We cannot talk about the sea with a frog at the bottom of a well, for the frog is restricted by its dwelling place; we cannot talk about water with a Small insect of summer for the insect is restated by the seasons; we cannot talk about profound learning with superficial persons, for they have too little knowledge. Now you have come out of a small river and come to the North Sea, seen the greatness of the sea and realized your own insignificance. When you have taken such a modest attitude, I can then talk with you about profound learning.”
*选自战国时期宋国庄周（约公元前368—前288年）的《庄子·秋水》
* Selected from The Book of Zhuang Zi by Zhuang Zhou (approx. 368—288 B. C.) of the State of Song during the Warring States Period
【生词与短语 New Words & Expressions】
1.望洋兴叹 [wàng yáng xīng tàn] Sighing over One’s Insignificance Before the Vastness of the Sea
2.秋天 [qiū tiān] n. autumn
3.黄河 [huáng hé] (place name) the Yellow River
4.顿时 [dùn shí] ad. at once
5.宽广 [kuān guǎng] a. wide
6.得意洋洋 [dé yì yáng yáng] (idiom) be immensely proud
7.渺小 [miǎo xiǎo] a. insignificant; tiny
8.叹 [tàn] v. sigh
9.海若 [hǎi ruò] (deity name) Hairuo
10.恐怕 [kǒng pà] v.be afraid
11.讥笑 [jī xiào] v. laugh at
12.夏天 [xià tiān] n.summer
13.小虫 [xiǎo chóng] n.small insect
14.浅薄 [qiǎn bó] n.superficial; shallow
15.高深 [gāo shēn] a. profound
16.学问 [xué wèn] n. learning
17.知识 [zhī shí] n. knowledge
18.态度 [tài dù] n. attitude