This fable mocks rigid thinking and failure to adapt to changing circumstances.
Gǔ shíhou yǒu gè rén zuò chuán guò hé
古时候Gǔ shíhou🔊，有个人yǒu gè rén🔊坐船zuò chuán🔊过河guò hé🔊。
Tā suíshēn dài zhe yì bǎ bǎojiàn bù xiǎoxīn diào jìn le hé lǐ
他Tā🔊随身suíshēn🔊带着dài zhe🔊一把yì bǎ🔊宝剑bǎojiàn🔊，不小心bù xiǎoxīn🔊掉进了diào jìn le🔊河里hé lǐ🔊。
Tā mǎshàng zài chuánbāng shàng kè le yí gè jìhào
他Tā🔊马上mǎshàng🔊在zài🔊船帮上chuánbāng shàng🔊刻了kè le🔊一个yí gè🔊记号jìhào🔊。
Biérén wèn tā nǐ zài gàn shénme
别人Biérén🔊问他wèn tā🔊：你在干什么nǐ zài gàn shénme🔊？
Tā shuō zhè shì wǒ de jiàn diào xiàqu de dìfang děng chuán kào àn le wǒ cóng zhèlǐ xià shuǐ zhǎo
他说Tā shuō🔊：这是zhè shì🔊我的wǒ de🔊剑jiàn🔊掉下去的diào xiàqu de🔊地方dìfang🔊，等děng🔊船chuán🔊靠岸了kào àn le🔊，我wǒ🔊从cóng🔊这里zhèlǐ🔊下水找xià shuǐ zhǎo🔊。
Chuán kào àn hòu tā cóng kè jìhào de dìfang tiào xià shuǐ qù zhǎo jiàn
船Chuán🔊靠岸后kào àn hòu🔊，他tā🔊从cóng🔊刻记号的kè jìhào de🔊地方dìfang🔊跳下水tiào xià shuǐ🔊去找剑qù zhǎo jiàn🔊。
Dāngrán tā shénme yě méiyǒu zhǎodào
当然Dāngrán🔊，他tā🔊什么shénme🔊也没有yě méiyǒu🔊找到zhǎodào🔊。
Chuán yǐjīng zǒu le hěn yuǎn ér jiàn shì bù huì gēn zhe chuán zǒu de a
船Chuán🔊已经yǐjīng🔊走了zǒu le🔊很远hěn yuǎn🔊，而ér🔊剑jiàn🔊是shì🔊不会bù huì🔊跟着船走的啊gēn zhe chuán zǒu de a🔊。
English Translation:
In ancient times, a man was crossing a river by boat. He was carrying a sword, and it accidentally fell into the river. He immediately carved a mark on the side of the boat. Someone asked him: "What are you doing?" He said: "This is where my sword fell. When the boat reaches shore, I'll jump in from this spot to find it." After the boat docked, he jumped into the water from the marked spot to look for his sword. Of course, he found nothing. The boat had traveled far, but the sword doesn't move with the boat.