古代寓言原是民间口头创作,文学体裁的一种。含有讽喻或明显教训意义的故事。它的结构简短。主人公可以是人,可以是动物,也可以是无生物。多借用比喻手法,使富有教训意义的主题或深刻的道理在简单的故事中体现,而还需要自己去理解,思考,这就是和西方寓言的不同之处。
《古代寓言·矮凳》
家有一坐头,绝低矮,迂公每坐,必取瓦片支其四足。后不胜烦,忽思得策,呼侍者,移置楼上坐。
及坐时,低为故,乃曰:“人言楼高,浪得名耳。”
——《雅谑》
The Low Stool
Yu Gong had a very low stool. When he wanted to sit on it, he always placed bricks under each leg. Later he found it very troublesome and hit upon an idea. He ordered a servant to take it upstairs. But when he sat on it again, he found it just as low.
“Well, people say it’s higher upstairs, but I don’t find it so!” he said.
Ya Nue (Merry Jokes)
(杨宪益、戴乃迭 译)