King Xia put a target as large as a square-foot at a distance and asked the marksman Hou Yi to shoot it. The king said to him, "If you can hit it, I will reward¹ you with ten thousand liangs of gold. If you miss it, I will take away a thousand fiefs from you."

 

Looking at the target and thinking of the ten thousand liangs of gold and the one thousand fiefs, Hou Yi found it hard to calm himself with surging² thoughts and emotions. The target ordinarily would be nothing difficult for him. But now it seemed so far away for him. He missed the target with the first shot³, and missed again with the second shot. Finally Hou Yi dropped his head downcast.

 

夏王将一块一尺见方的靶标放在不远处，叫来射箭手后羿，吩咐说：“如果你射中了，就赏给你一万两黄金；如射不中，就扣掉你一千户封邑。”

 

后裔看着一尺见方的靶心，想着即将到手的万两黄金或即将失去的千户封邑，心潮起伏，难以平静，平素不在话下的靶心变得格外地遥远。第一箭没有射中，第二箭也没有射中。后邑沮丧地垂下了骄傲的头颅。

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