提 要

正如同「所羅門王的經典判決」故事，

讓原本各執一詞的兩個母親爭孩子真相大白；

中國的包公「以智取勝（outwit）」，

抓住稍縱即逝的時機，

讓可能逃逸的竊賊現形。

現實生活中也是如此，

遇到困境，靜下心想個好辦法，

絕對要比「像熱鍋上的螞蟻一樣亂竄」有用。

Hundreds of years ago a man lived in south China . He was a government official. He was so honest and fair, people loved him and they called him "Lord Bao".

One day during his routine visit to a town, Lord Bao found a little boy who was crying badly.

"Why are you crying my child ?" Kind hearted Lord Bao asked the young boy.

"Sir, I use to sell oil to earn my livings. I have lost all my money."

"How ?", asked Lord Bao.

"In the afternoon I felt tired, I put my money next to me and put my head on this stone and fell asleep!" the boy said pointing towards a stone.

"When I got up I found out that my money wasn't here ! " he added .

"Oh, So the stone has stolen your money , it is the thief ! ", said Lord Bao. He lifted the stone with his hands and screamed, "Where is the money of this little boy , give it back ! "

People who heard him shouting laughed and whispered in each others ears, "How can a stone steal the money? Lord Bao has gone crazy."

"How dare you people call me crazy? Now each one of you will pay fine of one cent." Lord Bao ordered one of his men to collect the coins in a bag.

While the people were putting their coins in the bag , Lord Bao was checking every coin by himself.

"He is the thief , catch him !" suddenly Lord Bao pointed his finger towards a man and shouted.

"But how can be you so sure that he is the thief ?", Someone questioned Lord Bao.

"See! the coin has oil on it and the boy is an oil seller, he must be having oil on his hands therefore there is oil on the coins too. This is little boy's coin." , said Lord Bao.

All the people gathered around the man..... he got scared and took out all the boy's money which he had stolen.

The little boy got his money back and thanked Lord Bao. All the people praised Bao for his intelligence .

翻 譯

數百年前在中國南方，有一個政府官員，以誠實與公平聞名，人們愛戴他，尊稱他為「包公」。

某一天包公例行出巡民間訪查，在一個小鎮發現一個小男孩哭得好傷心。

「孩子，你為什麼哭？」善良包公問小男孩。

「大人，我原本靠賣油謀生，但是我所有的錢都丟了……」。

「怎麼會呢？」包公問。

「下午覺得累了，就把錢放旁邊，頭枕在這塊石頭上睡著了。」男孩說著，指著一塊石頭。

「當我醒來，發現錢不翼而飛了」，他補充說。

「那是石頭偷了你的錢，」包公說著，把石頭一把抄了起來，提高音調問石頭：「你把小男孩的錢拿到哪裡去了，趕快把它還回來！ 」

聽到他的高聲喊叫，人們圍攏了過來，有人偷笑、有人竊竊私語：「石頭怎麼可能偷錢？包公已經瘋了吧。」

「你們竟敢說我瘋了？現在，你們每一個人都要付罰款一分錢。」包公下令手下，拿一個收集硬幣的袋子。

當人們把他們的錢幣放進袋中時，包公本人親自檢查每一個硬幣。

「他是小偷，抓住他！」，突然間，包公指著一個男人喊道。

「但是，你何以能那麼肯定他是小偷？」，有人質疑包公。

「你看！他丟進袋子的這枚硬幣上有油，這個男孩是賣油郎，他的手摸過的錢幣都沾了油，因此拿有油的硬幣，就是小偷了；這是小男孩的硬幣。」包公說。

所有的目光都聚集在那人身上，他害怕了，於是拿出所有他偷自賣油男孩的錢。

賣油小男孩的錢失而復得，他再三感謝包公，所有的人都稱讚他的智慧。

歌詞

Wisdom

Wisdom這首歌，是加拿大萊恩與茉莉（Ryan and Molly Guldemond）兄妹所組成的搖滾五人樂團「Mother Mother」。（因為他們2005年發行第一張獨立製作時，附屬當時的樂團「Mother」，所以後來自立之後，改名為「Mother Mother」。）

Folding my clothes and I feel useless

Don't think I know how to do this

Once I was told but like any misfit

I spit on that good advice

Out in the cold and trying to make fire

Two sticks and stone, still got no fire

Once I was shown but I was inside then

And spit on that good advice

Wisdom, wisdom

Where can I get some?

Wisdom, wisdom

On the pay role, digging up ditches

Dollar is low, so are my wages

Once I was told just how to get rich

But I spit on that good advice

Wisdom, wisdom

Where can I get some?

Wisdom, wisdom

I gotta trade my dimwits in for tips

Tips equipped with Wisdom, wisdom

Take off my clothes and I feel useless

Don't think I know how to do this

Once I was told but I like to fidget

And miss out on good advice

智慧

折疊著衣服，覺得自己真沒用

不知道該如何做

被別人勸告，總是不接受

我唾棄了良心建議

寒冷中，嘗試生火取暖

兩根棍子與一塊石頭，總打不著火

有一次被告知，我身陷其中

我還是唾棄良心建議

智慧，智慧

我在哪裡可以得到一些？

智慧，智慧

為了糊口，去打工挖掘溝渠

幾塊錢的低廉工資

有一次被告知，致富的訣竅

但是，我又唾棄了好建議

智慧，智慧

我在哪裡可以得到一些？

智慧，智慧

我該換掉愚笨的腦筋

多配備點智慧、技巧

脫下衣服，覺得自己真沒用

不知道該如何做

被別人勸告，我總坐立不安

也總是錯過好建議

WOW 原來如此

outwit

「wit」是智慧，例如：「Chess game is a battle of wits.」（西洋棋是腦力對戰的遊戲。） 「outwit」是「以智取勝」，兩個人較量誰比較誰更有「wit」，略遜一籌的那個就「out」了。

例如：「The boy outwitted his kidnappers and escaped.」 （男孩運用智慧，從綁匪掌握中逃脫。）有一種「戰略遊戲棋」就叫做「OUTWIT」（outwit board game）。

crying

「crying」是哭，會聯想到「weeping」流淚。

「cry」通用在口語會話；而「weep」用在文字敘述較多，並且較戲劇化，例如小說中的對白：「Stop your weeping and wailing already......」（快停止你的淚汪汪與抱怨不停吧……）

如同吳兆南先生在一段相聲中所解釋的「哭、泣、嚎」：「有聲有淚的謂之哭；有淚無聲的謂之泣；有聲無淚的謂之嚎。」

文中的賣油男孩「crying badly」，用力「哭」得好大聲，當然引起包公的注意。