|
相传很久很久以前，黄河里有一位河神，人们叫他河伯。何伯站在黄河岸上。望着滚滚的浪涛由西而来，又奔腾跳跃向东流去，兴奋地说；“黄河真大呀，世上没有哪条河能和它相比。我就是最大的水神啊！”
有人告诉他：“你的话不对，在黄河的东面有个地方叫北海，那才真叫大呢。”
河伯说：“我不信，北海再大，能大得过黄河吗？”
那人说：“别说一条黄河，就是几条黄河的水流进北海，也装不满它。”
河伯固执地说：“我没见过北海，我不信。”
那人无可奈何，告诉他：“有机会你去看看北海，就明白我的话了。”
秋天到了，连日的暴雨使大大小小的河流都注入黄河，黄河的河面更加宽阔了，隔河望去，对岸的牛马都分不清。这一下，河伯更得意了，以为天下最壮观的景色都在自己这里，他在自得之余，想起了有人跟他提起的北海，于是决定去那里看看。
河伯顺流来到黄河的入海口，，突然眼前一亮，海神北海若正笑容满面地欢迎他的到来，河伯放眼望去，只见北海汪洋一片，无边无涯，他呆呆地看了一会儿，深有感触地对北海若说：“俗话说，只懂得一些道理就以为谁都比不上自己，这话说的就是我呀。今天要不是我亲眼见到这浩瀚无边的北海，我还会以为黄河是天下无比的呢！那样，岂不被有见识的人永远笑主。” 故事见于《庄子·秋水》。成语“望洋兴叹”，比喻要做某事而力量不够，感到无可奈何。 lamentingone'slittlenessbeforethevastocean traditionhasitthatmany,manyyearsago,therelivedontheyellowriverarivergodknownashebo.oneday,hebostoodontheriverbankandwatchedtheturbulentwavesfromthewestsurgingforwardtotheeast.hesaidbothexcitedlyandconceitedly:"howbigtheyellowriveris!nootherriveronearthcancomparewithit.andthereforeiamthegreatestrivergod." onemansaidtohim,"youarewrong.thereisaplacetotheeastoftheyellowriverscalledthenorthsea.thenorthseaisreallybig."hebosaid,"idon'tbelieveit.bigasthenorthseais,canitbebiggerthanyellowriver?"themansaid,"shouldthewaterofseveralyellowriverflowintothenorthsea,itcouldnotfillthenorthsea,letaloneoneyellowriver." hebosaidobstinately,"idon'tbelieveit,forihaveneverbeentothenorthsea." havingnoalternative,themansaid,"youwillnotbeableto"understandwhatimeanuntilyouhaveachancetoseethenorthseaforyourself." wintercame,andtorrentialrainhadbeenfallingfordaysonend.riversbigandsmallemptiedthemselvesintotheyellowriver,makingtheyellowriverevenbroader.standingononesideoftheriver,peoplecouldhardlytellwhatanimalstheoxenandhorsesontheothersideoftheriverwere.thushebowasevenmoreproud,thinkingthatallthemagnificentsightswereaccumulatedhere.then,rememberingthenorthseawhichhadbeenmentionedtohimbefore,hedecidedtogothereandhavealook. hewentdownstream,andarrivedattherivermouthtothesea.suddenly,thegodofthenorthsea,whosenamewasbienniaruo,appearedbeforehiseyes.withasmile,beihairuowaswelcominghebotothenorthsea.helookedahead,andsawthatthenorthsea,withitsvastexpanseofwater,wasboundless.withadulllookinhiseyes,hebostoodthereforawhile.finallyhesaidtobeihairuowithdeepfeeling,"asthecommonsayinggoes,somepeoplegosofarastothinkthattheyaremoreknowledgeablethananybodyelsewhentheyhavegotsomeknowledge.actuallyiamoneofsuchpeople.ifihadnotseenwiththattheyellowriverismatchlessintheworld.ifiremainedlikethat,iwouldbelaughedatforeverbysensiblepeople." | 
