One day in the year 489 B.C., Confucius led his disciples to the State of Cai via the State of Chen. When they passed by the State of Chen, they were surrounded by the people of Chen.

　　公元前489年的一天，孔子帶著弟子經陳國去蔡國。他們路過陳國的時候，被陳國人包圍了。

　　For seven days and nights in succession, they hadn't eaten one grain of rice. They were so hungry that they couldn't get up from bed.

　　整整七天七夜，他們沒有吃到一粒米飯，都餓得躺在床上起不來。

　　Later, after much effort, one of his disciples Yan Hui somehow obtained some rice. The rice was washed and cooked, and when it was almost done, Yan Hui suddenly stretched out his hand to grab a handful of rice from the steamer, put it into his mouth and swallowed it.

　　后來，弟子顏回好不容易弄到了一點兒米，淘洗做飯。當米飯快要熟的時候，顏回突然伸手從顫里抓起一把米飯，塞進嘴里吞了下去。

　　Confucius, lying at a distance, saw all this by chance, but pretended that he had seen nothing and didn't say a word.

　　這一切，恰巧被躺在遠處的孔子看在眼里，但是他卻裝作沒有看見，一聲不響。

　　After a while the rice was done. Yan Hui respectfully came to Confucius and asked him to take his meal.

　　不一會兒，米飯熟了。顏回恭恭敬敬地來拜見孔子，請老師去吃飯。

　　Confucius slowly sat up in his bed and said to Yan Hui:

　　孔子慢悠悠地從床上坐起來，對顏回說：

　　"A short while ago I had a dream. I dreamed of my deceased father. If the rice is clean, I would like to make a sacrificial offer to him."

　　“剛才我做了一個夢，夢見我死去的父親。如果米飯干凈的話，我想祭奠一下他老人家。”

　　Yan Hui replied hurriedly:

　　顏回急忙說道：

　　"Master, the rice is not clean, and it's unfit for sacrifice."

　　“先生，這米飯不干凈，不能用來祭祖。”

　　He then continued:

　　接著又說：

　　"Some soot has just fallen into the steamer and soiled the rice. It is a pity to throw the rice away, so I picked out the sooted rice and ate it."

　　“甄里剛才掉進了一點兒煙塵，弄臟了米飯。倒掉它太可惜，我就用手把有煙塵的米飯抓出來吃了。”

　　Confucius suddenly saw the light. He sighed and said:

　　孔子恍然大悟，長嘆了一口氣，說道：

　　"It goes without saying that one can trust one's own eyes. But now it seems that one's eyes cannot be trusted entirely. It goes without saying that one can trust one's own mind, but now it seems that one's own mind cannot be trusted entirely either. Disciples, keep this in mind: It is not easy to thoroughly understand a person after all."

　　“本來自己的眼睛是可以相信的，現在看來眼睛也不能完全相信呵！本來自己的頭腦是可以信賴的，現在看來頭腦也不完全可以信賴呵！弟子們，記住吧！要真正了解一個人，是很不容易的啊！”