從前有個老國王
有一天讓臣子們牽來一頭象，
命幾個瞎子都來摸，
摸過後，講講大象是啥模樣。
大象剛剛才牽到，
瞎子們就走上前去摸得忙。
有一個摸到大象的長牙齒，
回答說大象簡直有蘿卜長；
摸到了大象耳朵的瞎子說，
大象就是個簸箕樣；
有一個摸到大象腳的瞎子說，
你們的說法都荒唐，
什麼簸箕和蘿卜，
大象和石臼最相仿，
像舂米的石臼圓又粗，
你想搬動是妄想；
有一個瞎子摸了象背說，
你的說法也不恰當，
照我說，大象本是家用物，
我摸它，平平坦坦的像張床；
第五個瞎子忙開口，
把前四人說法否定光，
因為他摸的象尾巴，
他說，大象是粗繩一根有丈把長；
第六個瞎子也開口……
就這樣，瞎子們互相爭吵不相讓。
實際上他們誰也沒說對，
因為摸的不是整個象。
隻憑主觀和臆測，
得到的結論準荒唐。
“盲人摸象”作成語，常形容，
看事物片麵不周詳。
作出判斷犯錯誤，
接受教訓理應當。
Blind Men Size up an Elephant
Once upon a time there was an old king。One day he asked his ministers to fetch an elephant。Then he ordered a group of blind men to feel it，and tell him what the elephant was like。As soon as the elephant arrived there，the blind men all came up to it。One of them got hold of the elephant's long tusk，and he answered that the elephant was as long as a radish。The one who caught hold of one of the elephant's ears，said the elephant was like a huge dustbin。The one who had a touch of the elephant's foot，said that both of them were wrong，it was neither like a dustbin nor a radish，it was as heavy as and more like a big grain mortar，which you could never move an inch。Another blind man put his hand on the elephant's back，and said what you called it was also wrong。As far as I can see，it is like a piece of your furniture。When I feel it，it is like a large and smooth bed。