Zhuang Zhou's family was poor. Once, he went to the official who supervised rivers to borrow some grain. The official said: "Well, wait until the end of the year when I collect the taxes from the people, then I will lend you 300 gold pieces. All right?"
庄周家里很穷。有一次，他去找监督河流的官员借了些粮食。官员说：“好吧，等到年底我向人民收税，我就借给你300块金币。好吗？”
When Zhuang Zhou heard this, he was so angry that the colow of his face changed. But he told the official this story: When I came here yesterday, on the way I heard a voice calling 'Help!' I turned my head and saw a small crucian carp in the dried-up carriage ditch."
庄周听了这话，气得脸色都变了。但是他告诉了这位官员这个故事：当我昨天来这里的时候，在路上我听到一个声音在喊“救命！”我转过头，看见一条小鲫鱼在干涸的车厢沟里。”
I went over and asked: "Little crucian carp, why are you calling for help?"
我走过去问：“小鲫鱼，你为什么要求救？”
The little crucian carp answered: "I am a subject of the Dragon King of the East China Sea. Unfortunately I fell down here. Can you give me a little water to save my life?"
小鲫鱼回答说：“我是东海龙王的臣民。不幸的是我摔倒在这里。你能给我一点水来救我的命吗？”
I said: "All right, I am just going to the south to sell ideas to the kings of the States of Wu and Yue. I will ask them to stir up the water of the Xijiang River to welcome you. Will that do?"
我说：“好吧，我要去南方，把想法卖给吴越国王。我要请他们挑起西江的水来欢迎你。这样行吗？”
When the crucian carp heard this, it got angry and said: "When I lose the water which is always with me, I cannot survive. Now, I want only a little bit of water so that I can survive.Yet you say such things. Then you'd better go to the salt-fish shop to look for me."
鲫鱼听到这话，很生气，说：“当我失去了一直伴随着我的水，我就活不下去了。现在，我只需要一点点水，这样我就可以了活下来。还没有你说这样的话。那你最好去咸鱼店找我。”
