《少见多怪》成语英译与典故

六十四、少见多怪

东汉时有个文人叫牟（móu）融，

他写的《牟子》一书颇有名。

这书里有一个故事很有趣，

专把那见识短浅的人嘲讽。

说的是古代有这样一个人，

从未见骆驼长的啥身形。

有一天大路上几只骆驼在行走，

这个人看见之后很吃惊。

为什么这东西背上生疙瘩？

“是奇迹！”这人连连发喊声。

“大伙儿都快来看呀，

看这马得的是什么病！

它走路时一冲一冲多么慢，

脊背都长疮发了肿！”

大伙儿闻听哈哈笑，

对他说：“哪里是什么马背肿！

路上走的是骆驼，

脊背上长的肉瘤叫驼峰。”

又告诉他驼峰有双也有单，

沙漠人把骆驼当车用。

即使是十天半月不吃喝，

照样能在沙漠行。

载货驮人很方便，

哪里是什么马背肿！

那人一听羞得慌，

红着脸匆匆跑开不作声。

“少见多怪”作成语，

常把那见识短浅、自以为是的人嘲讽。

See Less，Wonder More

In the Han Dynasty（206B.C.—220A.D.），there was a man of letters named Mou Rong.His book“Mouzi”was very famous.There was a story in it which was very interesting，that especially satires those shallow people.

The story goes that in ancient times there lived such a man，who'd never seen what a camel looked like.One day he met some camels walking on the road，and it gave him quite a shock.Why did this thing have mounds on its back？“It's amazing”this man murmured to himself.“Come and see，every⁃body！Come and see what illness this horse has on its back！It is staggering，staggering，how slowly it moves.Its back is swollen and it has got a sore！”

People burst into laughter when they heard him and told him that it wasn't a horse with a swollen back，that thing walking steadily on the road was a camel.The mounds on its back were called hunches.And they told him that camels could have single hun⁃ches or double ones，which were used by people as wagons.Even if they fast for 10 or 15 days，they could walk along just as well on the sands.They car⁃ried goods and people on their convenient backs.How could you call it a horse with a swollen back？

On hearing that，the man's face turned red and he sneaked away without a word.“See Less and Wonder More”became an idiom.It satires those who are shallow and wanton.