King Xuan was fond of shooting an arrow and liked to be boasted as a powerful bowman he was, although he could draw no bow heavier than thirty jin, When he showed is bow to his attendants, they pretended to try to draw it, but only bent¹ it to half its full extent.

 

"This must weigh at least ninety jin!" They all cried. "None but your Majesty² could use such a bow." And at this the prince was pleased.

 

Though he only used a thirty-jin bow, till the end of his life he believed that it weighed ninety, It was thirty in fact, and ninety only in name, but for the sake of the empty name he sacrificed the truth.

 

渲王喜爱射箭，喜欢听到别人夸他是个出色的射手，可他的弓箭只不过重30斤。每当他向随从炫耀那弯弓，他们都假装很吃力地拉开弓，尽管他们仅用了一半的力气。

 

他们会异口同声地说：“这弓少说也有90来斤，除了大王，没人能拉得动这张弓。”

 

这位王侯就是喜欢听到如此的赞美之词。他至死仍以为这张30斤重的弓箭，有90斤那么重。无论是事实上的30斤，还是被说成是90斤，可他图慕虚荣，牺牲的却是真理。

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