叶公好龙（详读本）

春chūn秋qiū时期shí qī，楚chǔ国有guó yǒu一yī个gè叫jiào叶yè公gōng的de人rén，非常fēi cháng喜欢xǐ huan龙lóng。

In the Spring and Autumn period, in the state of Chu, lived a man called Lord Ye who loved dragons.

他tā家里jiā lǐ的de家具jiā jù上shàng刻kè着zhuó龙lóng，衣服yī fu上shàng绣xìu着zhuó龙lóng，连lián墙壁qiáng bì和hé柱子zhù zi上shàng也yě都dōu画huà着zhuó龙lóng。

His furniture was carved with dragons, his clothes embroidered with them, and even his walls and pillars were painted with dragons.

叶yè公gōng走zǒu到dào哪里nǎ lǐ，都dōu要yào对duì别人bié ren说shuō：我wǒ最zuì喜欢xǐ huan的de就是jìu shì龙lóng，龙lóng是shì多么duō me威风wēi fēng的de动物dòng wù啊ā！

Wherever he went Lord Ye told people: dragons are what I love most, such magnificent creatures!

天上tiān shàng的de真zhēn龙lóng听说tīng shuō了liǎo这zhè件jiàn事shì，非常fēi cháng感动gǎn dòng。它tā想xiǎng：人间rén jiān竟然jìng rán有yǒu一yī个人gè rén这么zhè me喜欢xǐ huan我wǒ，我wǒ一定yī dìng要yào去qù看看kàn kan他tā。

A real dragon in heaven heard of this and was deeply moved. To think a human loves me so much, it thought; I must go visit him.

有yǒu一yī天tiān，真zhēn龙lóng从cóng天上tiān shàng飞fēi下来xià lai，来到lái dào叶yè公gōng家jiā。它tā把bǎ头tóu伸shēn进jìn窗户chuāng hu，尾巴wěi ba拖tuō在zài厅tīng堂táng上shàng。

One day the real dragon flew down to Lord Ye's house. It put its head through the window while its tail trailed across the hall.

叶yè公gōng一yī看见kàn jiàn真zhēn龙lóng，吓xià得děi脸色liǎn sè发fā白bái，浑身hún shēn发抖fā dǒu，转身zhuǎn shēn就jìu跑pǎo，连lián看kān都dōu不bù敢gǎn再zài看kān一眼yī yǎn。

The moment Lord Ye saw it he turned pale, shook all over, and ran away without daring to look back.

真zhēn龙lóng这zhè才cái明白míng bai：原来yuán lái叶yè公gōng喜欢xǐ huan的de不bù是shì真的zhēn de龙lóng，而是ér shì画huà出来chū lái、刻kè出来chū lái的de假jiǎ龙lóng。

Only then did the dragon understand: what Lord Ye loved was not a real dragon, only painted and carved ones.

朋友péng you们men都dōu羡慕xiàn mù他tā：你nǐ住zhù的de地方dì fāng就jìu像xiàng一yī个gè龙lóng宫gōng，谁shéi看kān了liǎo都dōu要yào惊叹jīng tàn。叶yè公gōng听tīng了liǎo，得意dé yì得děi胡子hú zi都dōu翘qiào起来qǐ lai。

Friends envied him: your house is like a dragon palace, everyone marvels. Lord Ye's beard curled up with pride.

叶yè公gōng还huán常常cháng cháng梦见mèng jiàn龙lóng。梦mèng里lǐ他tā骑qí在zài龙lóng背bèi上shàng，飞fēi过guo云yún层céng，飞fēi过guo大海dà hǎi，醒来xǐng lái以后yǐ hòu还要hái yào回味huí wèi半天bàn tiān。

Lord Ye even dreamed of dragons: riding a dragon's back over clouds and seas, savoring it half the morning after waking.

可是kě shì真zhēn龙lóng出现chū xiàn的de那nà一yī刻kè，什么shén me喜欢xǐ huan，什么shén me梦想mèng xiǎng，全都quán dōu忘wàng了liǎo。跑pǎo得děi比bǐ谁shéi都dōu快kuài的de人rén，正是zhèng shì那nà个gè天天tiān tiān说shuō爱ài龙lóng的de人rén。

Yet when the real dragon appeared, every fondness and dream was forgotten, the fastest runner was the man who spoke of loving dragons daily.

后来hòu lái，人们rén men用yòng叶yè公gōng好hào龙lóng这zhè个gè故事gù shi说shuō：有些yǒu xiē人rén嘴zuǐ上shàng说shuō喜欢xǐ huan一样yī yàng东西dōng xi，其实qí shí并bìng不bù真的zhēn de喜欢xǐ huan。

People use 'Lord Ye loved dragons' to say: some claim to love something but do not truly love it at all.