A person who was born in the state of Yan grew up in the state of Chu.

 

When he was old, he planned to go back to the state of Yan. Passing the state of Jin, the people who went along with him pointed¹ to the cities and shrines² and cheated him by telling him those were the cities and temples of the state of Yan. Upon hearing this, he became gloomy³ and sad and kept sighing. When other people told him that the house was the one that his ancestors had lived in, his tears went down. When he was told that the tombs were his ancestors', he couldn't help weeping. They had made enough fun of him. They told him with a laugh that they had been lying to him, and that he was in the state of Jin. Hearing this, the Yan person felt ashamed. 

 

When he finally arrived in the state of Yan and truly saw the cities and temples and his ancestors' house and tombs, he had only very few sentimental⁴ feelings left.

 

一个燕国人生长燕国，但他却在楚国长大。

 

他年老后准备回燕国去。过晋国时，同行的人指着晋国的城池和土地庙，骗他说这就是燕国的城池和土地庙，他的脸色顿时显得凄怆悲凉，并不停地浩然长叹。当别人告诉他这房子是他祖先居住的房子，他就泪下纵横。得知一座坟茔是祖先的墓地，他禁不住放声大哭。同路人戏弄够了，哈哈大笑地说是骗他的，这里不过是晋国，燕人听了十分羞愧。

 

到了燕国后，他真正看到了燕国的城池、土地祠、先辈的房子和坟墓，已经没有多少伤感的心情了。

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