Once upon a time there was a man who dropped a silver bowl into the sea while crossing it.

　　He pondered1, "I'm going to make a mark on the water. I'm carrying on my journey now. But I'll come back for it later."

　　After two months' travel during which he visited Ceylon and many other countries. On seeing a river, he jumped into the water looking for the bowl he had lost before.

　　"What are you doing there?" people asked. He replied, "I have lost my bowl. Now I would like to get it back."　

　　People went on, "Where did you lose it?" He answered, "I lost it crossing the sea."

　　Again people asked, "How long ago did you lose it?" He answered, "I lost it two months ago."

　　People asked, "Since you lost it two months ago in the sea, why are you looking for it here in the river?" He answered, "I made a mark on the water where I lost the bowl. This water looks the same as the other. There seems no difference. That's why I'm doing this."

　　People went on, "Though all waters are identical2, the place that you have lost it is there. How can you find it here?" Everybody jeered3 at him.

　　從前有一乘船渡海的人，不慎把銀制的器皿掉到海里.

　　當(dāng)時(shí)他想：“我現(xiàn)在就在水面上做個(gè)記號(hào)，以后再來打撈。”

　　過了兩個(gè)月，他到達(dá)師子國，看到一條河，就到水中尋找那只丟失的銀盆。

　　旁邊的人問道：“你做什么呢？”他回答：“我以前丟失了一只銀盆，現(xiàn)在想找回來。”

　　旁人又問：“在什么地方丟的？”回答說：“在剛渡海的時(shí)候。”

　　又接著問：“丟了多長時(shí)間？”回答說：“丟失了兩個(gè)多月了。”

　　又問：“丟失兩個(gè)月了，為何在這里找呢？”他回答：“我丟失銀盆時(shí)，在水面做了記號(hào)，原來在水面劃的記號(hào)，與這里沒有不同，所以在這里尋找。”

　　旁人又接著再問：“水雖沒有不同，但你以前丟失是在別處，現(xiàn)在卻在這里尋找，怎么可以找到呢？”這時(shí)周圍的人都對(duì)此大笑不止。