The outside looks like gold and jade, but
the inside looks like worn cotton(金玉其外敗絮其中)
In China's Ming Dynasty, there was an
outstanding politician and writer, his name was Liu Ji. He wrote a story.
In the Chinese city of Hangzhou, there is a
famous fruit merchant who has a special way of preserving oranges.
His oranges can be stored for a long time
from the time they are harvested in the autumn until the following summer.
When he sells these oranges in the summer,
they still look as if they had just been picked.
Many customers paid high prices for his
oranges.
I bought an orange from the merchant and
wanted to taste it.
When I cut it open, I was surprised to find
that the flesh inside had dried up and emitted a pungent odour.
I said angrily to the merchant.
The oranges you sell look like gold and
jade on the outside, but inside they are like worn-out cotton wool. These oranges
cannot be used for worshipping the ancestors or entertaining guests.
You shouldn't deceive your customers, you
shouldn't sell these oranges.
The merchant said to me with a smile.
I have been selling fruit for many years.
In all the years I've been selling fruit, everyone who has bought fruit from me
has been very happy with the fruit I've sold. Why are you the only one who is
not satisfied?
You only bought fruit from me once and then
angrily told me that I cheated you, but there are many people around you who
have been cheating you for a long time. Why didn't you notice and not get
angry?
Our country is now full of robbers, the
people in our country live in poverty and get no help, the officials in our
country are treacherous and cunning, but no one restrains them, many laws in
our country need to be changed, but no one cares, the rich waste luxury while
these people are respected.
Look at the generals in the central
government. Do you think they are really capable of defeating the enemy on the
battlefield?
Look at the officials in the central
government. Do you think they are really capable of running the country?
Everyone in our central government seems to
be morally upright and courageous, but don't you think these people are really
very similar to the oranges I sell?
Why don't you hold these people accountable
and just focus on this little orange I sold you?
Why don't you express your dissatisfaction
to these central government officials?
After hearing the merchant's answer, I fell
into deep thought.
The literal translation of this idiom is
that the outside looks like gold and jade, but the inside is like worn-out
cotton wool.
It is used to describe a person, object or
event that looks great on the outside but is corrupt on the inside.
Dear friends, what inspiration or thoughts
do you have after listening to this story?
How many people, things or objects like
this orange are around us in our lives? How can we avoid becoming a person like
that orange?
I hope this story can give you some new
insights.
金玉其外敗絮其中(The outside looks like gold and
jade, but the inside looks like worn cotton)
中國的明王朝有一位傑出的政治家與文學家，他的名字叫做劉基。他寫過一個故事。
在中國的杭州市中有一個著名的賣水果的商人，這個商人有一套保存橘子的特殊方法。
他的橘子在秋天採收後可以長期保存到隔年的夏天。
當他在夏天拿出這些橘子販售時，這些橘子的外表看起來就仍舊像是剛採收的一樣。
很多客人出高價買他的橘子。
我向這個商人買了一個橘子，我想嘗嘗這顆橘子的味道。
我切開橘子後驚訝地發現裡面的果肉已經乾枯，並且發出一股刺鼻的臭味。
我很生氣地對這個商人說。
你所賣的這些橘子的外在像是黃金與美玉但內在卻像是破舊的棉絮，這些橘子根本不能夠拿來祭拜祖先也不能夠拿來招待賓客。
你不應該欺騙顧客，你不應該銷售這些橘子。
這個商人笑著對我說。
我從事賣水果的這個行業已有好多年了。在我賣水果的這些年來每個跟我買水果的人都很滿意我所賣的水果，為何只有你覺得不滿意呢?
你只跟我買了一次水果後就生氣地對我說我欺騙了你，但你身邊有很多人正在長期欺騙你你為何沒有發覺也不生氣呢?
我們國家中現在到處都是強盜，我們國家中的百姓生活困苦而得不到幫助，我們國家中的官員奸詐狡猾卻沒有人約束，我們國家中的法律很多需要修正卻沒有人在意，我們國家中的有錢人浪費奢侈而這些人受到尊敬。
你看看中央政府中的那些將軍們，你認為他們真正有能力在戰場上打敗敵人嗎?
你看看中央政府中的那些官員們，你認為他們真正有能力管理好這個國家嗎?
我們那些中央政府中的每個人都看起來道德崇高而且正直勇敢，但你不覺得這些人其實都跟我所賣的這些橘子很像嗎?
你為何不去追究這些人的責任，而只關注我賣給你的這個小小的橘子呢?
你怎麼不對這些中央政府的官員們表達你的不滿意呢?
我聽到這個商人的回答之後我陷入了沉思。
這句成語直接翻譯的意思是外在像是黃金與美玉但內在卻像是破舊的棉絮。
這句成語被用來形容一個人或一個物品或一件事情外表看起來很棒但內在卻已經敗壞。
親愛的朋友，你聽完這個故事有怎樣的啟發或有怎樣的想法呢。
我們生活中周圍有多少像這橘子一樣的人或事或物呢?我們如何避免我們自已變成為像這橘子一樣的人呢?
我希望這故事能讓你產生一些新的收穫。
出處為明-劉基-賣柑者言
https://zh.wikisource.org/zh-hant/%E8%B3%A3%E6%9F%91%E8%80%85%E8%A8%80