Long ago, near the frontier, there lived an old man whom everyone called "The Old Man of the Frontier."
从前，有一个靠近边塞的地方，住着一位老人，大家都叫他塞翁。
The old man kept many horses. One day, one of his horses suddenly broke free from its tether and ran beyond the frontier.
塞翁养了好多匹马。有一天，他家的一匹马突然挣脱了缰绳，跑到塞外去了。
When the neighbors heard about it, they came to console him, saying, "Oh no, losing a horse is such bad luck!"
塞翁的邻居们知道后，都跑过来安慰塞翁，说：“哎呀，丢了一匹马，这可太倒霉啦！”
But the old man wasn’t worried at all. He smiled and said, "Losing a horse may seem like a misfortune, but who knows if it might turn into a blessing later?"
可是塞翁一点儿也不着急，他笑着对邻居们说：“丢了马呀，看起来是件坏事，可说不定以后会变成好事呢。”
The neighbors thought he was talking nonsense and didn’t believe him.
邻居们都觉得他在说傻话，不太相信。
A few months later, the lost horse returned on its own, bringing back a herd of wild horses with it!
过了几个月，那匹走失的马居然自己跑回来了，而且还带回来一群野马！
These wild horses were tall and strong. When the neighbors heard, they came again to congratulate the old man, praising his foresight.
这些野马又高又壮，邻居们听说后，又都跑来向塞翁祝贺，纷纷夸赞塞翁有先见之明。
But the old man wasn’t particularly happy. He said, "This seems like a blessing now, but who knows if it might turn into a misfortune later?"
塞翁却没怎么高兴，他对邻居们说：“现在看起来是好事，但以后说不定又会变成坏事哟。”
The neighbors thought he was overthinking things.
邻居们都觉得塞翁想得太多了。
The old man’s son loved riding horses. Seeing so many new wild horses at home, he took one out for a ride.
塞翁的儿子特别喜欢骑马。看到家里多了这么多野马，就骑着一匹野马出去玩。
Unfortunately, he fell off the horse and broke his leg.
没想到不小心从马背上摔了下来，把腿给摔断了。
When the neighbors heard, they came again to express sympathy, saying, "Oh dear, the old man’s family is so unlucky—their good fortune has turned into misfortune again!"
邻居们知道后，又都跑过来表示同情，说：“哎呀，塞翁家真是太倒霉了，刚得到的好事又变成坏事了。”
Though saddened by his son’s injury, the old man remained calm and said, "This seems like a misfortune, but who knows if it might turn into a blessing later?"
塞翁看着受伤的儿子，心里虽然难过，但还是很平静地对邻居们说：“这看起来是坏事，可谁能知道以后不会变成好事呢？”
The neighbors shook their heads, thinking the old man was being unreasonable.
邻居们都摇摇头，觉得塞翁真是不可理喻。
Not long after, enemies invaded and reached the frontier.
没过多久呀，敌人打过来了，一下子就打到边塞。
By law, all young men had to enlist and fight. The war was extremely dangerous, and many young men died on the battlefield.
按照规定，所有的年轻人都得去当兵打仗。因为打仗特别危险，好多年轻人都死在了战场上。
However, because the old man’s son had a broken leg, he didn’t meet the enlistment requirements and was spared from the war.
不过呀，塞翁的儿子因为腿断了，不符合当兵的要求，就没有被征召去打仗。
Thus, the old man’s son safely avoided the disaster and survived.
这样一来，塞翁的儿子就平平安安地躲过了这场灾难，保住了性命。
