In the dense¹ mountain forest, there lived herds² of stout³ and strong red deer. They were alert and suspicious animals and ran about with agility⁴. It was very difficult for people to catch them.

 

When some people came to the mountains to hunt, they would first seek for yu (supervisor of the mountain forests in ancient times,) request him to be their guide, and inquire in detail about the red deer's pattern of activities and their usual haunts. Only with full preparations would they carry their knives and arrows, lead their hounds and enter the dense forest for the siege. As a result, all the red deer dashed into their ring of encirclement, and one by one fell dead under the rainfall of arrows.

 

But when some other people came to the mountains to hunt, they would not first seek for yu to find out the situation, but rushed rashly into the forest. As a result, after a busy day they couldn't find a single trace of red deer and could only return dejectedly with empty hands.

 

在茂密的山林里，生活着成群肥壮的马鹿。这种动物机警多疑，奔走敏捷，人们很难捕捉到它们。

 

有的人来山里打猎，首先找到虞（古代官民，掌管山林的人），请他做向导，又仔细打听马鹿的活动规律和它们经常出没的地方。经过一番准备之后，他们才带着刀箭，牵着猎犬走进密林围猎。结果，那些马鹿都撞进了包围圈，一头头倒毙在雨点般的箭矢之下。

 

但是，另外一些人来山里围猎时，他们不是先去找虞了解情况，而是冒冒失失地闯进森林。结果，他们连马鹿的踪影也找不着，白忙了一天，只好空着垂头丧气地回去了。

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