译文：宋国有一个养猴人，叫狙公。他家养了一大群猴子。他也可以与猴子们沟通。他宁可减少全家的食物，也要满足猴子的要求。然而过了不久，家里越来越穷困了，打算减少猴子吃栗子的数量，但又怕猴子不顺从自己，就先欺骗猴子说：“给你们的栗子，早上三个晚上四个，够了吗？”猴子一听，都站了起来，十分恼怒。过了一会儿，他又说：“给你们栗子，早上四个，晚上三个，这该够吃了吧?”猴子一听，一个个都趴在地上，非常高兴。原来比喻用诈术欺骗人。后来用以比喻变化多端，捉摸不定，被引申为目标不坚定或者感情上不专一。

《古代寓言·朝三暮四》

宋有狙公者，爱狙，养之成群，能解狙之意；狙亦得公之心。
损其家口，充狙之欲。俄而匮焉，将限其食。恐众狙之不驯于己也，先诳之曰：“与若芧，朝三而暮四，足乎？”
众狙皆起怒。
俄而曰：“朝四而暮三，足乎？”
众狙皆伏而喜。
——《庄子》

Three Chestnuts or Four
A monkey-trainer in the states of Song was fond of monkeys and kept a great many of them. He was able to understand them and then him. Indeed, he used to save some of his family's food for them. But a time came when there was not much food let at home, and he wanted to cut down the monkey's rations. He feared, however, they might not agree to this, and decided to deceive them.
"I'll give you three chestnuts each morning and four each evening," he said. "Will that be enough?"
All the monkeys rose up to express their anger.
"Well, what about four in the morning and three in the evening?" he asked.
Then the monkeys squatted down again, feeling quite satisfied.
Zhuang Zi

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