雙語詩歌翻譯|《古代寓言·長生不老的仙方》

譯文：有一個要教燕王學習長生不死方法的客人，燕王派人學習它，派去學習的人還沒有學成，這個客卿就死了。燕王大怒，殺了派去學習的人。燕王不知道是客卿欺騙自己，反而認為學習的人學成太晚而懲罰了他。相信不正確的東西，責罰沒有罪過的臣子，都是缺乏仔細考察造成的禍患。況且人所迫切關心的莫過于他自己，那個客人不能讓自己不死，又怎么能夠讓燕王長生呢？告誡人們：欲望使人盲目，使人愚蠢，置身事外才能客觀，沒有調查就沒有發(fā)言權。

《古代寓言·長生不老的仙方》

客有教燕王為不死之道者，王使人學之，所使學者未及學，而客死，王大怒誅之。王不知客之欺已，而誅學者之晚也，夫信不然之物，而誅無罪之臣，不察之患也，且人所急無如其身，不能自使其無死，安能使王長生哉！
——《韓非子》

A Recipe for Immortality
A stranger informed the Prince of Yan that he could make him immortal, and the prince bade one of his subjects learn this art; but before the man could do so the stranger died. Then the prince, in great anger, executed his subject.
He failed to see that the stranger was cheating him, but taken in by his lies had an innocent citizen killed. This shows what a fool he was! For a man values nothing more than his own life, yet his fellow could not even keep himself alive, so what could he do for the prince?
Han Fei Zi