一天，齐灵公心血来潮。
One day, Ling Gong, King of the State of Qi, had a sudden whim.
喜欢看女扮男装，并且让内宫的女人都这样做。
He liked to see women wearing men's clothes and let all the women in his harem do so.
不久，全国的女人赶时髦，都女扮男装。
Soon afterwards, all the women in the whole country followed the fashion and dressed like men.
可是，灵公看全国都这样，就生气了，又命令各地官吏:
Seeing the whole country follow this example, Ling Gong became angry, and gave orders to the officials in all parts of the ountry:
“只要发现女扮男装的人，就撕破她们的衣服，扯断她们的腰带。”
"Whenever you see women dressed like men, you are to tear up their clothes and rip their waistbands."
可是，这股女扮男装的风气，仍然没有能够刹住。
But this trend among women to dress like men couldn't be discouraged.
一天，宰相晏子朝见灵公，灵公问晏子:
One day, when the prime minister Yan Zi came to court for an audience with him, Ling Gong asked him:
“我让各地官吏禁止女人穿男人的服装。
"I ordered all the officials to forbid women to wear men's clothes.
只要看到，就一律撕破衣服，扯断腰带。
Whenever they see them doing so, they are to tear up their clothes and rip their waistbands without exception.
可就是禁止不了。这究竟是什么原因?”
But this trend couldn't be stopped. What exactly is the reason?"
晏子回答说:
Yan Zi answered:
“大王，您让内宫女扮男装，却不让百姓这样做;
"Your Majesty, you allow the women in your harem to dress like men, but you forbid the common people to do so.
这就好比门外挂的是牛头，而门里卖的是马肉。
This is like hanging up the head of an ox outside the door, but selling horsemeat inside.
这怎么行呢?
How can that be done?
如果宫内禁止女扮男装，那么宫外的人怎么再敢这样做呢?”
If women in your harem are rorbidden to wear men's clothes, then how would the people outside the palace dare to do so any longer?"
灵公连连点头，说:“你说得对!你说得对!”
Ling Gong nodded his head again and again, and said: "What you have said is right! What you have said is right!"
灵公命令官吏按照晏子的话去办。
Ling Gong ordered his officials to do according to what Yan Zi had said.
果然，不到一个月，全国各地女扮男装的风气就刹住了。
Sure enough, in less than one month, the trend of dressing like men among women in the whole country was stopped.