Once, the Han Dynasty dispatched¹ an emissary to the State of Dian (now Yunnan Province) and the State of Yelang (now Guizhou Province).

 

The King of Dian asked the emissary from the Han Dynasty: "The Han Dynasty and the State of Dian, which is bigger?"

 

The King of Yelang also asked the emissary in the same way: "The Han Dynasty and the State of Yelang, which is bigger?"

 

As a matter of fact, the territories of the State of Dian and the State of Yelang were only as big as a prefecture of the Han Dynasty, but they closed their states to the external contact, shut their eyes and stopped their ears, and didn't understand the conditions of the outside world. Naturally, they didn't know how vast the Han Dynasty was.

 

一次，汉朝派遣使者出使滇国（今云南）和夜郎国（今贵州）。

 

滇国的国王问汉朝的使者：“汉朝和滇国，哪一个大?”

 

夜郎国的国王也这样问汉朝的使者：“汉朝和夜郎国，哪一个人?”

 

其实，滇国和夜郎国的疆土，只有汉朝的一个州那么大，可是他们闭关自守，闭目塞听，不了解外界的情况，自然也就不知道汉朝的广大了。

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