有个叫傅显的人喜欢读书。他对文章礼仪也很精通，只是性情迂腐迟钝，看上去就像个老学究。

A man named Fu Xian was fond of reading books. Though proficient in literature and etiquette, he was stubbornly adherent to outworn rules. Being impractical and dull, he looked just like an old pedant.

一天，傅显踱着四方步上街，见人就问：

One day, Fu Xian strolled on the street in measured steps and asked whomever he met:

“看见魏三吗？”

“Have you seen Wei San?”

有人给他指点方向。他就踱着方步走去。等他见到魏三，喘了几口气之后才说：

Someone pointed to the direction and he walked on tardily with measured steps. When he saw Wei San, he panted for a while, then said:

“我刚才看见三嫂，她在树下做针线活儿，疲倦了，就在那儿打盹。您家的小孩儿，在水井旁边玩耍，离井口不过三五尺远，看上去好像要出事。因为男女有别，不便直接叫醒三嫂，所以特地跑来告诉你。”

“I just saw your wife doing needle work under a tree. She was tired and having a nap. Your child was playing beside a well, only three to five feet away from it. It seemed to me that some accident might happen. As there is prudent reserve between men and women, it was not convenient for me to awaken your wife in person. That’s why I have come all the way here to tell you.”

魏三听了，惊恐万分，急忙跑回家去。等他赶到那儿，他的妻子已经趴在井口，痛哭自己的儿子了！

Upon hearing this, Wei San was panic-stricken and hurried home. When he got there, his wife was bending over the well, wailing bitterly for her son.

*选自清朝纪昀（公元1744—1805年）的《阅微草堂笔记·故妄听之》

* Selected from the book Notes of Yue Wei Cottage by Ji Yun (1744—1805 A.D.) of the Qing Dynasty

【生词与短语 New Words & Expressions】

1.男女有別 [nán nǚ yǒu bié]  Prudent Reserve Between Men and Women

2.傅显 [fù xiǎn]  (personal name) Fu Xian

3.礼仪 [lǐ yí]  n. etiquette; protocol

4.精通 [jīng tōng]  a. proficient (in)

5.迂腐 [yū fǔ]  a. stubbornly adherent to wornout rules; pedantic

6.学究 [xué jiū]  n. pedant

7.指点 [zhǐ diǎn]  v. point; give directions

8.疲倦 [pí juàn]  a. tired

9.打吨儿 [dǎ dūn ér]  v. have a nap; doze off

10.玩耍 [wán shuǎ]  v. play