秋水时至，百川灌河。泾流之大，两涘渚崖之间，不辩牛马。于是焉，河伯欣然自喜，以天下之美为尽在己。
顺流而东行，至于北海，东面而视，不见水端。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。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。”
北海若曰：“井蛙不可以语于海者，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。今尔出于崖涘，观于大海，乃知尔丑。尔将可与语大理矣。”
河伯曰：“何谓大理？”
北海若曰：“所谓大理者，天地之道也，圣人之能也。天与地卑，山与泽平。日月并出，万物皆照。仁之所施，义之所存，皆此大理也。”
这段文字出自《庄子·秋水》，是古代中国哲学家庄子所著的经典篇章之一。通过河伯和北海若之间的对话，表达了对于宇宙无限广阔以及个人认知局限性的深刻思考。
原文中提到的“秋水时至”，意味着秋天雨水充沛，河流涨满。而“百川灌河”则形象地描绘了众多小溪汇入大河的壮观景象。河伯最初因自己的成就感到骄傲，但当他看到无边无际的大海时，才意识到自己的渺小。这种谦逊的态度正是庄子哲学思想的核心之一——认识到自身的有限性，并对未知世界保持敬畏之心。
翻译如下：
When autumn floods came, all rivers poured into the Yellow River. The current was so strong that between the banks and islands, one could not distinguish between cattle and horses. At this point, He Bo (the spirit of the Yellow River) became very pleased with himself, believing that all beauty in the world was concentrated within him.
He traveled eastward along the river until he reached the Bohai Sea. Looking out to sea from the east, he saw no end to the water. Only then did He Bo turn his face away from the shore and look up at Ruo (the god of the Bohai Sea), sighing: “There is an old saying: ‘Hearing many things, yet thinking none better than oneself.’ That describes me perfectly. Moreover, I once heard someone say that Confucius’s knowledge was shallow, and Bo Yi’s righteousness was insignificant. At first, I didn’t believe it; now that I see how vast you are, if I hadn’t come to your door, I would have been in great danger. I will forever be ridiculed by those who understand true wisdom.”
Ruo replied: “It is impossible to talk about the ocean with a frog living in a well because its vision is limited. It is impossible to discuss ice with a summer insect because its life span does not allow it to experience winter. Similarly, it is impossible to explain the Dao to a narrow-minded person confined by tradition. Now that you have left the riverbank and seen the vastness of the ocean, you begin to realize how limited your understanding has been. Perhaps now you can engage in discussions about profound truths.”
He Bo asked: “What do you mean by profound truths?”
Ruo answered: “By profound truths, I mean the principles of nature and the abilities of sages. Heaven and earth are equally low; mountains and lakes are equally high. Sun and moon shine together, illuminating everything. Benevolence and righteousness, which are extended to all beings, are part of these profound truths.”
This passage reflects the philosophical depth of Zhuangzi's teachings, emphasizing humility before the infinite mysteries of existence.
