泥里的乌龟

公司想让我做经理，工资会高很多，可是我可能不接受。

The company wants to make me a manager, the salary would be a lot higher, but I might not accept.

什么？工资高很多，你还不要？这是很多人羡慕的机会啊！

What? A lot more money, and you still don't want it? That's an opportunity a lot of people envy!

我知道大家都羡慕这个位置，可是做了经理，我的时间就不是我的了。老板每天都要检查我做的事，还常常要加班，连周末也不自由。

I know everyone envies this position, but once I'm a manager, my time isn't mine anymore. The boss checks what I'm doing every day, I'd often have to work overtime, even weekends wouldn't be free.

可是有地位，有钱，以后孩子上学，家里买房子，都需要钱。你为什么宁可自由，也不要这些？

But there's status, there's money. Later, kids' schooling, buying a house, all of it needs money. Why would you rather have freedom than these things?

你们说的这个问题，庄子两千多年前就回答过了。

This question you two are arguing about, Zhuangzi already answered it, over two thousand years ago.

真的吗？庄子怎么说？

Really? What did Zhuangzi say?

楚王听说庄子很有学问，派了两个人去请他做官，管理国家的大事。庄子那时候正在河边钓鱼。

The King of Chu heard that Zhuangzi was very learned, and sent two people to invite him to become an official and manage the affairs of the state. Zhuangzi was fishing by the river at the time.

楚王亲自派人来请他，那庄子一定很高兴，马上就答应了吧？

The King of Chu personally sent people to invite him? Zhuangzi must have been delighted, agreed right away?

没有。庄子问那两个人：寺庙里有一只乌龟，已经死了三千年，可是国家把它的骨头用干净的布包起来，放在寺庙里，大家都很尊敬它。你们说，这只乌龟是想死了以后被人尊敬，还是想活着，在泥里拖着尾巴走？

No. Zhuangzi asked the two men: there's a turtle in the temple, dead three thousand years already, but the state wrapped its bones in clean cloth and put it in the temple, and everyone respects it deeply. Tell me, would that turtle rather be dead and respected, or alive, dragging its tail through the mud?

那两个人怎么回答？

How did the two men answer?

他们说，乌龟当然是想活着，拖着尾巴在泥里走。庄子就说，你们回去吧，我也想在泥里拖着尾巴，不想做官。

They said, of course the turtle would rather be alive, dragging its tail through the mud. Zhuangzi then said, go on back, I too would rather drag my tail in the mud. I don't want to be an official.

这个故事说的就是我的意思！死了被供起来，和被人管着做官，是不是差不多？我宁可自由地生活。

This story is exactly what I mean! Being dead and enshrined, and being held office under someone's watch, aren't they kind of the same thing? I'd rather live freely.

我明白庄子的意思，可是庄子那时候一个人，没有家庭，没有孩子。你不一样，你要是不接受，以后钱不够用，孩子的学校，家里的生活，怎么办？自由是好，但是安全和稳定也很重要。

I understand Zhuangzi's point, but Zhuangzi back then was on his own, no family, no kids. You're different. If you don't accept, and later there's not enough money, the kids' school, life at home, what then? Freedom is good, but security and stability matter too.

刘伟说得也有道理。庄子可以选择自由，是因为他不用担心以后没有饭吃。高远，你自己的情况呢？

Liu Wei has a point too. Zhuangzi could choose freedom because he didn't have to worry about having nothing to eat later. Gao Yuan, what about your own situation?

说得对，我不是庄子，不能什么都不要。可是我想先跟公司说，我可以做经理，但是不想每天都被检查，也不想每个周末都加班。如果他们同意，我就试试；如果不同意，我宁可不做。

Fair point. I'm not Zhuangzi, I can't have nothing at all. But I want to tell the company first: I can be a manager, but I don't want to be checked on every day, and I don't want to work overtime every weekend. If they agree, I'll give it a try. If not, I'd rather not do it.

这个办法不错，至少你自己决定，不是别人替你决定。

Not a bad approach. At least you're deciding for yourself, not having someone else decide for you.

对，乌龟自己知道，泥里虽然不干净，但至少尾巴是自己的。

Right. The turtle knows itself: the mud may not be clean, but at least the tail is its own.