The Dirty Window

HSK 3 · 219 characters · Classic Fables

A story about perception and judgment

一yī对duì年轻nián qīng夫妇fū fù对面duì miàn搬来bān lái了le新xīn邻居lín jū。New neighbors moved in across from a young couple.第二dì èr天tiān早上zǎo shang，他们tā men吃chī早饭zǎo fàn时shí，年轻nián qīng的de妻子qī zi看到kàn dào新xīn邻居lín jū正在zhèng zài外面wài miàn晾liàng洗好xǐ hǎo的de衣服yī fu。The next morning, while they were having breakfast, the young wife saw the new neighbor hanging out the washed clothes outside.

妻子qī zi对duì丈夫zhàng fu说shuō：“那些nà xiē衣服yī fu洗得xǐ de不bù干净gān jìng，可能kě néng她tā不bù懂得dǒng de怎么zěn me洗xǐ衣服yī fu，也许yě xǔ她tā需要xū yào用yòng更好gèng hǎo的de洗衣粉xǐ yī fěn。”The wife said to her husband: “Those clothes aren’t washed clean; maybe she doesn’t know how to wash clothes, perhaps she needs better laundry detergent.”

丈夫zhàng fu看kàn了le妻子qī zi一眼yī yǎn，默默mò mò不语bù yǔ。The husband glanced at his wife and remained silent.

从cóng那nà以后yǐ hòu，每当měi dāng邻居lín jū晾liàng衣服yī fu，妻子qī zi总会zǒng huì作出zuò chū类似lèi sì的de评论píng lùn。From then on, whenever the neighbor hung out clothes, the wife would always make similar comments.大约dà yuē一个yī ge月yuè后hòu，年轻nián qīng妻子qī zi惊讶jīng yà地de发现fā xiàn，邻居lín jū晾出liàng chū的de衣服yī fu居然jū rán很hěn干净gān jìng。About a month later, the young wife was surprised to find that the clothes the neighbor hung out were actually very clean.她tā高兴gāo xìng地de对duì丈夫zhàng fu说shuō：“你nǐ快kuài看kàn！她tā终于zhōng yú学会xué huì洗xǐ衣服yī fu了le。我wǒ真zhēn想xiǎng知道zhī dào是shì谁shéi教jiāo她的tā de！”She happily said to her husband: “Look! She finally learned how to wash clothes. I really want to know who taught her!”

丈夫zhàng fu回答huí dá说shuō：“我wǒ今天jīn tiān一大早yī dà zǎo起来qǐ lai，把bǎ我们wǒ men的de窗户chuāng hu擦cā干净gān jìng了le。”The husband replied: “I got up early this morning and cleaned our window.”

在zài我们wǒ men评判píng pàn别人bié ren之前zhī qián，先xiān看看kàn kan自己zì jǐ的de“窗户chuāng hu”是shì不bù是shì干净gān jìng。Before we judge others, we should first check if our own “window” is clean.