During the Han Dynasty, in the remote southwest, there lay a tiny kingdom called Yelang. Though independent, it was small in territory, sparse in population, and poor in resources. But because Yelang was the largest among its immediate neighbors, its king - who had never left his own borders - believed his was the greatest kingdom in all the world. One day, while touring his domain with his officers, the king pointed ahead and asked: 'Which country around here is the largest?' Eager to flatter, his men answered: 'Why, Yelang, of course!' When a Han envoy visited, the king had the audacity to ask: 'Which is bigger, the Han or my kingdom?'
汉朝的时候，在西南方有个名叫夜郎的小国家，它虽然是一个独立的国家，可是国土很小，百姓也少，物产更是少得可怜。但是由于邻近地区以夜郎这个国家最大，从没离开过国家的夜郎国国王就以为自己统治的国家是全天下最大的国家。有一天，夜郎国国王与部下巡视国境的时候，他指着前方问说：这里哪个国家最大呀？部下们为了迎合国王的心意，于是就说：当然是夜郎国最大啰！有一次，汉朝派使者来到夜郎，骄傲又无知的国王因为不知道自己统治的国家只和汉朝的一个县差不多大，竟然不知天高地厚地问使者：汉朝和我的国家哪个大？
Reflection & Analysis · 寓意解读
Core Wisdom
Ignorance combined with pride produces absurd overestimation of one's own importance. The idiom warns against narrow-minded arrogance born of limited experience.
Ignorance combined with pride produces absurd overestimation of one's own importance. The idiom warns against narrow-minded arrogance born of limited experience.