One day seven blind mice were surprised to find a strange Something by their pond.

一天，七只瞎老鼠在池塘边发现一个奇怪的东西，很吃惊。

“What is it?” they cried, and they all ran home.

“这是什么呀?”他们喊道，然后都跑回家了。

On Monday, Red Mouse went first to find out.

星期一，红老鼠先去探究一下。

“It’s a pillar,” he said.

“是个柱子，”他说。

No one believed him.

没人相信他。

On Tuesday, Green Mouse set out. He was second to go.

星期二，绿老鼠先去了。他是第二个。

“It’s a snake,” he said.

“是条蛇，”他说。

“No，” said Yellow Mouse on Wednesday.

“不对，“黄老鼠星期三时说。

“It’s a spear.” He was the third in turn.

“是长矛。“ 他是第三个。

The fourth was Purple Mouse. He went on Thursday.

第四个是紫色老鼠。他星期四去的。

“It's a great cliff," he said. ”

是个大悬崖，“ 他说。

Orange Mouse went on Friday, the fifth to go.

橙色老鼠星期五去的，第五个。

”It's a fan!" he cried. "I felt it move."

"是个扇子!” 他喊道。“我能感觉他在动。”

The sixth to go was Blue Mouse.

第六个去的是蓝老鼠。

He went on Saturday and said, "It's nothing but a rope."

他星期六去的，他说，“这是个绳子。”

之后，他们就吵起来了。直到星期天。。。

Until on Sunday, White Mouse, the seventh mouse, went to the pond.

直到星期天，白老鼠，第七只老鼠，去了池塘。

When she came upon the Something, she ran up one side, and she ran down the other. She ran across the top and from end to end.

当她来到那个东西时，她从一边上去，从另一边下来。她爬到上面，从一头跑到另一头。

“Ah," said White Mouse. "Now, I see. The Something is

as sturdy as a pillar,

supple as a snake,

wide as a cliff,

sharp as a spear,

breezy as a fan,

stringy as a rope,

but altogether the Something is ...

"啊，”白老鼠说，“我看看。这个东西

象柱子一样稳当

象蛇一样柔软

象悬崖一样宽

象长矛一样尖

象扇子一样有风

象绳子一样有线头

合到一起，这个东西是。。。

an elephant!" 大象!”

这时候，其他老鼠也学着白老鼠上上下下地探究了一番。

大家都同意了，这是一头大象!

(我们从中学到了什么呢?)

Knowing in part may make a fine tale, but wisdom comes from seeing the whole.

看部分的时候，可能有一个很好的故事，但智慧是来自于整体的。