A farmer in the state of Song once got a piece of stone with jade1(翡翠,碧玉) in it.
He presented this stone to Prime Minister Zi Han. But Zi Han refused to accept it. The farmer explained, "It looks like just a stone, but there is jade inside. It actually is a piece of treasure and suitable for honorable men like you, not for us common people."
"I know there is jade inside," Zi Han said," but I disagree with you. I think to have the virtue2 of declining things that do not belong to oneself is the real treasure. "
宋国人有个农夫得到一块含宝玉的石头后,将它献给了相国子罕。
子罕拒绝接受这块石头,农夫解释说:“表面上它是块石头,但里面含有宝玉,是个宝物,适合您这样的贵人使用,我们普通百姓用它就不合适了。”
子罕说:“我知道里面是宝玉。但我的观点和你不同,我认为具有不接受不应得的东西的品德才是真正的宝玉。”