中國傳統民間故事：認人為兄

There was a rich man who was both good-looking and wise. For this he won everybody's admiration.

A fool learnt about this and whenever he met the rich man, he would call him "My big brother". He reasoned that since the man had a lot of money, as "younger brother" he would be able to use some of it when necessary.

Later on, the rich man lost his fortune. The fool no longer called him "big brother". His neighbours asked him, "How foolish you are. Why did you call him big brother when you needed his money but stopped doing so when he became indebted?"

And what was the fool's reply? "I called him my big brother because I wanted his money. Of course he never was my big brother so when he fell into debt, I naturally stopped calling him that."

從前有一個人，容貌、舉止端正，富有智慧，又有很多錢財。

世間所有的人，沒有不稱贊他的。當時有個愚蠢的人，看見他有這樣的地位，便說他是“我的兄長”。愚人之所以這樣做，是因為這個人很有錢，愚人需要用錢的時候就可以向他借用，所以才稱之為“兄長”。

后來愚人看見這個人給別人還債，他就說：“這人不是我的兄長。”周圍的人對他說：“你真是個愚蠢的人，為什么你在需要錢的時候，就說他是你的兄長，看到他負債時，又說他不是你的兄長了呢?”

愚人回答：“我想得到他的錢財，所以才認他為兄長，實際上他并不是我的兄長。如果他欠了債，我就不需要再這樣稱呼他了，所以我現在說他不是我的兄長。”

There was a rich man who was both good-looking and wise. For this he won everybody's admiration.

A fool learnt about this and whenever he met the rich man, he would call him "My big brother". He reasoned that since the man had a lot of money, as "younger brother" he would be able to use some of it when necessary.

Later on, the rich man lost his fortune. The fool no longer called him "big brother". His neighbours asked him, "How foolish you are. Why did you call him big brother when you needed his money but stopped doing so when he became indebted?"

And what was the fool's reply? "I called him my big brother because I wanted his money. Of course he never was my big brother so when he fell into debt, I naturally stopped calling him that."

從前有一個人，容貌、舉止端正，富有智慧，又有很多錢財。

世間所有的人，沒有不稱贊他的。當時有個愚蠢的人，看見他有這樣的地位，便說他是“我的兄長”。愚人之所以這樣做，是因為這個人很有錢，愚人需要用錢的時候就可以向他借用，所以才稱之為“兄長”。

后來愚人看見這個人給別人還債，他就說：“這人不是我的兄長。”周圍的人對他說：“你真是個愚蠢的人，為什么你在需要錢的時候，就說他是你的兄長，看到他負債時，又說他不是你的兄長了呢?”

愚人回答：“我想得到他的錢財，所以才認他為兄長，實際上他并不是我的兄長。如果他欠了債，我就不需要再這樣稱呼他了，所以我現在說他不是我的兄長。”