Once, Confucius went to the east to advocate his ideas, On the way he met two children arguing hotly with each other. Confucius asked:
有一次，孔子到東方去游說，途中見到兩個小孩正在激烈地爭辯著。孔子問:
"Children, what are you arguing about?"
“孩子們，你們在辯論什么呀?”
One child said:
一個小孩說:
"I think when the sun rises from the hills, it is nearer to us, and at noon, it is farther from us."
“我認為，太陽剛剛出山時，離我們近;到了中午，就離我們遠了。”
The other child argued:
另一個小孩爭辯說:
"I think when the sun rises from the hills, it is farther from us, but at noon it is nearer to us."
“我認為，太陽剛出山時，離人遠;中午時離人近。”
One child said:
一個說:
"As is known to all, things far away look smaller and things nearer look bigger. When the sun rises, it is as big as the canopy on a carnage; at noon it is only as big as a plate or a dish. Doesn't this show that when the sun rises, it is nearer to us?"
“眾所周知，遠的東西顯得小，近的顯得大。太陽剛出來時，大得像車上的傘蓋;到了中午，就只有盤子、碟子那么大了。這不正說明太陽出山時離我們近嗎?”
The other child said:
另一個卻說:
"We all know that things nearby make us feel hot, and things far away make us feel cool. When the sun comes out, the air is clear and clean; at noon it is as hot as putting the hand in hot water. Doesn't this show that the sun is nearer to us at noon?"
“大家知道，近的東西使人覺得熱，遠的使人覺得清涼。太陽剛出來時，空氣清清爽爽的;到了中午，熱得像把手伸到熱水里一樣。這不正說明太陽在中午時離我們近嗎?”
The two children went on arguing endlessly. Confucius was unable to judge who was right. The two children laughed at him:
兩個小孩，爭論不孔子無法判斷誰是誰兩個小孩嘲笑他說:
"Who said you are learned and erudite?"
“誰說你博學多知呢!”