Once, Confucius went to the east to advocate his ideas. On the way he met two children arguing hotly with each other. Confucius asked: "Children, what are you arguing about?"

　　One child said: "I think when the sun rises from the hills, it is nearer to us, and at noon, it is farther1 from us."

　　The other child argued: "I think when the sun rises from the hills, it is farther from us, but at noon it is nearer to us."

　　One child said: "As is known to all, things far away look smaller and things nearer look bigger. When the sun rises, it is as big as the canopy2 on a carnage; at noon it is only as big as a plate or a dish. Doesn't this show that when the sun rises, it is nearer to us?"

　　The other child said: "We all know that things nearby make us feel hot, and things far away make us feel cool. When the sun comes out, the air is clear and clean; at noon it is as hot as putting the hand in hot water. Doesn't this show that the sun is nearer to us at noon?"

　　The two children went on arguing endlessly. Confucius was unable to judge who was right. The two children laughed at him: "Who said you are learned3 and erudite?"

　　有一次，孔子到東方去游說(shuō)，途中見到兩個(gè)小孩正在激烈地爭(zhēng)辯著?？鬃訂枺?ldquo;孩子們，你們?cè)谵q論什么呀？”

　　一個(gè)小孩說(shuō)：“我認(rèn)為，太陽(yáng)剛剛出山時(shí)，離我們近；到了中午，就離我們遠(yuǎn)了。”

　　另一個(gè)小孩爭(zhēng)辯說(shuō)：“我認(rèn)為，太陽(yáng)剛出山時(shí)，離人遠(yuǎn)；中午時(shí)離人近。”

　　一個(gè)說(shuō)：“眾所周知，遠(yuǎn)的東西顯得小，近的顯得大。太陽(yáng)剛出來(lái)時(shí)，大得像車上的傘蓋;到了中午，就只有盤子、碟子那么大了。這不正說(shuō)明太陽(yáng)出山時(shí)離我們近嗎？”

　　另一個(gè)卻說(shuō)：“大家知道，近的東西使人覺得熱，遠(yuǎn)的使人覺得清涼。太陽(yáng)剛出來(lái)時(shí)，空氣清清爽爽的;到了中午，熱得像把手伸到熱水里一樣。這不正說(shuō)明太陽(yáng)在中午時(shí)離我們近嗎？”

　　兩個(gè)小孩，爭(zhēng)論不孔子無(wú)法判斷誰(shuí)是誰(shuí)兩個(gè)小孩嘲笑他說(shuō)：“誰(shuí)說(shuō)你博學(xué)多知呢！”