中國寓言故事雙語版 第107期:騙子賣藥

Liu Zongyuan was ill. He called a famous doctor for diagnosis and treatment. The doctor said:

柳宗元患病，請來一位名醫診治。醫生說:

“Your spleen is swollen. You will get well by taking good quality fining (poris cocos).”

“你的脾臟腫大，吃些上等的獲等就會好的!”

Liu Zongyuan sent someone to buy fining from a herbal medicine shop, boiled it and drank the decoction. However, his illness was not relieved, but turned worse instead.

柳宗元派人去藥店買來獲菩，煎成湯藥喝了下去。哪知道病情不但沒有減輕，反而更加重了。

Thinking that the doctor had prescribed the wrong medicine, he called and reproved him, asking what was the matter.

柳宗元以爲是醫生誤用了藥，就把醫生叫來，責問他是怎麼回事。

The doctor didn’t believe this. He poured out the dregs of the decoction from the pot and examined them. To his surprise, they were not}}ling, but just dried sweet potatoes, dyed and processed.

醫生不信自己誤用了藥，把藥罐裏的藥渣倒出來驗看。原來不是獲荃，而是經過加工染色的老山芋乾兒。

The doctor sighed and said:

醫生嘆了口氣說:

“The medicine seller is a swindler. The medicine taker does not know head or tail of it. Illness cannot be cured by the doctor alone.”

“賣藥的是個騙子，吃藥的又不識貨，光靠醫生是治不好病的!”