This fable describes deliberately misrepresenting something to test loyalty.
Qíncháo shí chéngxiàng Zhào Gāo xiǎng yào cuànquán
秦朝时Qíncháo shí🔊,丞相chéngxiàng🔊赵高Zhào Gāo🔊想要xiǎng yào🔊篡权cuànquán🔊。
Tā xiǎng shìtàn dàchén men shìfǒu fúcóng tā
他Tā🔊想xiǎng🔊试探shìtàn🔊大臣们dàchén men🔊是否shìfǒu🔊服从他fúcóng tā🔊。
Yì tiān tā qiān le yì zhī lù dào cháotíng shàng
一天Yì tiān🔊,他tā🔊牵了qiān le🔊一只yì zhī🔊鹿lù🔊到dào🔊朝廷上cháotíng shàng🔊。
Tā duì Qín Èrshì shuō zhè shì yì pǐ mǎ
他对Tā duì🔊秦二世Qín Èrshì🔊说shuō🔊:这是zhè shì🔊一匹yì pǐ🔊马mǎ🔊。
Qín Èrshì xiào zhe shuō chéngxiàng nòng cuò le ba zhè míngmíng shì lù a
秦二世Qín Èrshì🔊笑着说xiào zhe shuō🔊:丞相chéngxiàng🔊弄错了nòng cuò le🔊吧ba🔊,这zhè🔊明明míngmíng🔊是shì🔊鹿lù🔊啊a🔊。
Zhào Gāo wèn dàchén men nǐmen shuō zhè shì lù háishì mǎ
赵高Zhào Gāo🔊问wèn🔊大臣们dàchén men🔊:你们说nǐmen shuō🔊,这是zhè shì🔊鹿lù🔊还是háishì🔊马mǎ🔊?
Hàipà Zhào Gāo de rén dōu shuō shì mǎ zhǐyǒu shǎoshù rén shuō shì lù
害怕赵高的Hàipà Zhào Gāo de🔊人rén🔊都dōu🔊说是shuō shì🔊马mǎ🔊,只有zhǐyǒu🔊少数shǎoshù🔊人rén🔊说是shuō shì🔊鹿lù🔊。
English Translation:
During the Qin Dynasty, the chancellor Zhao Gao wanted to usurp power. He wanted to test whether the ministers would obey him. One day, he brought a deer to the court. He said to the Second Emperor of Qin: "This is a horse." The emperor laughed and said: "Chancellor, you must be mistaken. This is clearly a deer." Zhao Gao asked the ministers: "Tell me, is this a deer or a horse?" Those who feared Zhao Gao all said it was a horse. Only a few said it was a deer.