百喻經(jīng)之五七: 蹋長者口喻

　　(57) TREADING ON THE ELLDERS MOUTH

　　昔有大富長者，左右之人，欲取其意，皆盡恭敬。長者唾時，左右侍人，以腳蹋卻。有一愚者，不及得蹋，而作是言：“若唾地者，諸人蹋卻。欲唾之時，我當先蹋。”

　　Once upon a time there was an extremely wealthy elder whose attendants were eager to please him by paying him all due deference. When he spat, the attendants rubbed it with their feet. Among them J was this stupid man who said to himself, "When he spits on the ground, others rub it with their feet, Now I'm going to be the first one to render the service of rubbing it when he spits next time."

　　於是長者正欲咳唾，時此愚人即便舉腳蹋長者口，破唇折齒。長者語愚人言：“汝何以故，蹋我唇口?”

　　So when the Elder was about to cough and spit out, the man kicked up his foot and trod on the elder's mouth. He broke the old man's lips and teeth. To the stupid man, the elderly man said, "What did you do that for?"

　　愚人答言：“若長者唾出落地，左右諂者已得蹋去;我雖欲蹋，每常不及。以此之故，唾欲出口，舉腳先蹋，望得汝意。”

　　The stupid man replied, "Though I would like to serve you, I have always fallen behind others. So I thought by kicking up my foot when you were about to spit out from your mouth, I would be the first to please you."

　　凡物須時，時未及到，強設功力，返得苦惱。以是之故，世人當知時與非時。

　　People have to pick the right time to do the right thing. They will get into trouble otherwise, even using every possible means to achieve a purpose. Therefore, they should know when it is right or wrong time.

　　白話：

　　從前有位大富翁，左右的人都想取得他的歡心，竭盡恭敬之能事。富翁吐痰時，左右侍奉的人馬上用腳蹋掉。有一個愚人，趕不上機會去蹋，便想道：「若是吐在地上，眾人即刻蹋掉了。還是趁他想吐的時候，我搶先蹋掉他?！褂谑情L者正咳著要吐的時候，這愚人飛起一腳，蹋在長者口上，踢破了唇，折斷了齒。富翁問愚人道：「你為何蹋我的口?」愚人答道：「長者若是痰出口落地，左右討好的人捷足先蹋了。我雖是想蹋，總是趕不及。所以，痰要出口之際，抬腳先蹋，希望得您的歡心。」

　　大凡事物都須時機，時機未熟，強行去做，反而得到苦惱。因此，世人應當知曉是時機與不是時機。