于是焉河伯欣然自喜，以天下之美为尽在己。
Its current was greatly swollen 569, so that across its channel from bank to bank one could not distinguish an ox from a horse.
顺流而东行，至于北海，东面而视，不见水端。
On this the (Spirit-) earl of the Ho 570 laughed with delight, thinking that all the beauty of the world was to be found in his charge.
于是焉河伯始旋其面目，望洋向若而叹曰：“野语有之曰，‘闻道百，以为莫己若’者，我之谓也。
Along the course of the river he walked east till he came to the North Sea, over which he looked, with his face to the east, without being able to see where its waters began.
且夫我尝闻少仲尼之闻而轻伯夷之义者，始吾弗信；今我睹子之难穷也，吾非至于子之门则殆矣，吾长见笑于大方之家。
Then he began to turn his face round, looked across the expanse, (as if he were) confronting Zo 570, and said with a sigh, ‘What the vulgar saying expresses about him who has learned a hundred points (of the Tâo), and thinks that there is no one equal to himself, was surely spoken of me.
”
北海若曰：“井鼃不可以语于海者，拘于虚也；夏虫不可以语于冰者，笃于时也；曲士不可以语于道者，束于教也。
And moreover, I have heard parties making little of the knowledge of Kung-nî and the righteousness of Po-î, and at first I did not believe them.
今尔出于崖涘，观于大海，乃知尔丑，尔将可与语大理矣。
Now I behold the all-but-boundless extent (of your realms).
天下之水，莫大于海，万川归之，不知何时止而不盈；尾闾泄之，不知何时已而不虚；春秋不变，水旱不知。
If I had not come to your gate, I should have been in danger (of continuing in my ignorance), and been laughed at for long in the schools of our great System 571.’ Z o, (the Spirit-lord) of the Northern Sea, said, ‘A frog in a well cannot be talked with about the sea;—he is confined to the limits of his hole.
此其过江河之流，不可为量数。
An insect of the summer cannot be talked with about ice;—it knows nothing beyond its own season.
而吾未尝以此自多者，自以比形于天地而受气于阴阳，吾在于天地之间，犹小石小木之在大山也。
A scholar of limited views cannot be talked with about the Tâo;—he is bound by the teaching (which he has received).
方存乎见少，又奚以自多！
计四海之在天地之间也，不似礨空之在大泽乎？
Now you have come forth from between your banks, and beheld the great sea.
计中国之在海内，不似稊米之在大仓乎？
You have come to know your own ignorance and inferiority, and are in the way of being fitted to be talked with about great principles.
号物之数谓之万，人处一焉；人卒九州，谷食之所生，舟车之所通，人处一焉；此其比万物也，不似豪末之在于马体乎？
Of all the waters under heaven there are none so great as the sea.
五帝之所连，三王之所争，仁人之所忧，任士之所劳，尽此矣！
A myriad streams flow into it without ceasing, and yet it is not filled ; and afterwards 572 it discharges them (also) without ceasing, and yet it is not emptied.
伯夷辞之以为名，仲尼语之以为博，此其自多也；不似尔向之自多于水乎？
In spring and in autumn it undergoes no change; it takes no notice of floods or of drought.
”
河伯曰：“然则吾大天地而小豪末，可乎？
Its superiority over such streams even as the Kiang and the Ho cannot be told by measures or numbers; and that I have never, notwithstanding this, made much of myself, is because I compare my own bodily form with (the greatness of) heaven and earth, and (remember that) I have received my breath from the Yin and Yang.
”
北海若曰：“否。
Between heaven and earth I am but as a small stone or a small tree on a great hill.
夫物，量无穷，时无止，分无常，终始无故。
So long as I see myself to be thus small, how should I make much of myself ?
是故大知观于远近，故小而不寡，大而不多，知量无穷，证曏今故，故遥而不闷，掇而不跂，知时无止；察乎盈虚，故得而不喜，失而不忧，知分之无常也；明乎坦塗，故生而不说，死而不祸，知终始之不可故也。
I estimate all within the four seas, compared with the space between heaven and earth, to be not so large as that occupied by a pile of stones in a large marsh !
计人之所知，不若其所不知；其生之时，不若未生之时；以其至小求穷其至大之域，是故迷乱而不能自得也。
I estimate our Middle States, compared with the space between the four seas, to be smaller than a single little grain of rice in a great granary!
由此观之，又何以知豪末之足以定至细之倪？
When we would set forth the number of things (in existence), we speak of them as myriads; and man is only one of them.
又何以知天地之足以穷至大之域？
” 河伯曰：“世之议者皆曰：‘至精无形，至大不可围。
Men occupy all the nine provinces; but of all whose life is maintained by grain-food, wherever boats and carriages reach, men form only one portion.
’是信情乎？
Thus, compared with the myriads of things, they are not equal to a single fine hair on the body of a horse.