人不可貌相

人不可貌相

赵国有个学者名公孙龙，为人骄傲自负。他曾对弟子说：“我不会和没有本领的人交往。”
一天，有个衣衫褴褛的人，走上前对他说：“请您收我做徒弟吧！”
公孙龙打量了那人一番，冷冷地问道：“你有何本领？”
那人回答说：“我有一把洪亮的声音。”
公孙龙问弟子道：“你们当中有没有声音洪亮的？”
弟子回答说：“没有。”

于是公孙龙收那人做徒弟。其他弟子窃窃私语，还暗暗地嘲笑道：“声音洪亮有甚么用？”
过了几天，公孙龙有事要到燕国去。他们来到一条大河前，可是却见不到岸边有渡船，只见一艘停泊在远远的对岸。

公孙龙着令新弟子施展其技。新弟子欣然答允，便大喊一声。不久，那艘渡船就划过来，载他们渡河去。

Men cannot be judged by their looks

In the State of Zhao, there was once of a scholar by the name of Gongsun Long. He was a vain man and thought highly of himself.
"I don't keep company with people who have no talents," he told his disciples.
One day a man dressed in rags came up to him saying, "Please take me as your disciple."
After looking the man up and down, Gongsun Long replied coldly, "Tell me about your talents."
"Well," said the man, "I have a loud voice which can travel very far."
"Is there anyone among you who has a loud voice?" Gongsun Long asked his disciples.
"No, sir!" they replied.

Gongsun Long took the man as his disciple. His other disciples were secretly laughing among themselves. "What is the use of a loud voice?" they sneered.
A few days later, Gongsun Long and his disciples had to make a trip to the State of Yan. They came upon a large river. However, not a boat was in sight except one lying on the distant shore.

Gongsun Long told his new disciple to prove his talent. The man gladly heeded the request and bellowed across the river. Very soon the boat was rowed over to ferry them all.