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·做梦》

尝闻一青衿，生性狡，能以谲计诳人。学博持教甚严重，诸生稍或犯规，必遣人执之，扑无赦。

一日，此生适有犯，学博追执甚急，坐彝伦堂盛怒待之。

已而生至，长跪地下，不言他事，但曰：“弟子偶得千金，方在处置，故未见迟耳。”

博士闻生得金多，辄霁怒，问之曰：“尔金从何处来？”

曰：“得诸地中。”

又问：“尔欲作何处置？”

生答曰：“弟子故贫，无资业，今与妻计：以五百金市田，二百金市宅，百金置器，买童妾，止剩百金，以其半市书，将发愤从事焉，而以其半致馈先生，酬平日教育，完矣。”

博士曰：“有是哉，不佞何以当之！”

遂呼使考治具，甚丰洁，延生坐觞之，谈笑欢洽，皆异平日。饮半酣，博士问生曰：“尔适匆匆来，亦曾收金箧中扃钥耶？”

生起应曰：“弟子布置此金甫定，为荆妻转身触弟子，醒已失金所在，安用箧？”

博士遂然曰：“尔所言金，梦耶？”

生答曰：“固梦耳。”

情士不怿，然业与欢治，不能复怒，徐曰：“尔自雅情，梦中得金，就不忘先生，况实得耶？”更一再觞出之。

——《雪涛小说》

The Dream

There was once a doctor who was very strict with his students. One day, a student committed a breach of discipline. Pulling a long face, the proctor sent for the offender, and sat himself in a chair to await his arrival. The student finally appeared, and, kneeling before the proctor, said, "I meant to come earlier. But the fact is I have just found a thousand ounces of gold and I've had a hard time deciding how to dispose of it."

The proctor melted a little when he heard about the gold. "Where did you find it?" He asked.

"Buried under the ground!"

"And what are you going to do with it?" asked the proctor again.

"I was a poor man," answered the student. "I have talked it over with my wife and we agreed to put aside 500 ounces to buy land, 200 for a house, 100 to buy furniture and another hundred to buy maidservants and pages. Then we'll use one half of the last hundred to buy books, for from now on I must study hard, and the other half I will make as a small present to you for the pains you took in educating me."

"Ah! Is that so! I didn't think I have done enough to deserve so precious a gift," said the proctor.

So saying, he ordered his cook to prepare a sumptuous dinner to which he invited the student. They had a happy time, talking and laughing and toasting each other's health. Just as they were getting tipsy, the proctor had a sudden thought.

"You came away in a hurry," he said. "Did you remember to lock the gold away in a cabinet before you came?"

The student rose to his feet. "Sir, I had just finished planning how to use the money when my wife rolled against me, and I opened my eyes to find the gold was gone. So what's the use of the cabinet?"

"So all this you've been talking about is only a dream?" gasped the proctor.

"Indeed, yes," answered the student.

The proctor was angry, but since he had seen so hospitable to the student, it would have seemed churlish to lose his temper with him now, so he contented himself with saying, "I can see you keep me in mind even when you are dreaming. Surely you won't forget me when you really have the gold?"

And he urged him to more drinks before he let him go.

Stories by Xue Tao

（杨宪益、戴乃迭 译）

更多精品翻译素材，敬请关注可可英语。