One day, King Tang, the founder of the Shang Dynasty, saw a man arranging a net on all sides and praying to the deity:

一天，商朝开国君主汤看见一个人四面布下了天罗地网，正在向神祷告:

"Let those that fly down from the sky, those that come out of the ground, and those that come running from all directions all run into my net!"

“从天上飞下来的，从地下钻出来的，从四面八方跑过来的，都撞到我的网里来吧!”

Tang said: "Well, isn't this catching the whole lot in one net?"

汤说: “咦!这不是一网打尽了吗?”

Tang went forward and took away the net on three sides, leaving only one side there.

汤上前收掉了三面的网，只留下一面的网。

Then he said to the man: "Now please pray again!

然后，他对那人说:“请你重新祷告吧!

You can say thus: In the past, the spiders have spun nets.

你可以这样说:过去，蜘蛛织出了网。

Now people have learned to make nets too.

现在人们也学会了织网。

You birds and animals, those that want to turn left can go to the left;

你们这些鸟兽，想往左边的就往左走开;

those that want to turn right can go to the right; those that want to fly can soar;

想往右边的就往右走开;想高飞的就高飞;

those that want to get into holes can get into holes.

想钻洞的就钻洞。

I only catch those that are doomed to die."

我仅仅捕捉那些命里注定要死的。”

The much-told tale of King Tang's leaving the net open on three sides spread far and wide at once.

商汤网开三面的佳话，一下子传开了。

When the people of the states south of the Han River heard of it, they all said:

汉水以南各国知道后，都说:

"King Tang of Shang bestows favour even upon birds and animals.

“商汤对禽兽也这样恩赐。

He is so lenient that he is truly a benevolent man."

这样宽恕，真是个仁慈的人。”

Thereupon, all the 40 small states of the time had a heartfelt admiration for Tang and pledged their allegiance to the Shang Dynasty.

于是，当时的四十个小国家都心悦诚服地归顺了商汤。