译文：宋国有个姓丁的人，家里没有水井，需要出门到远处去打水浇田，因此常有一人在外专管打水。等到他家打了水井的时候，他告诉别人说：“我家打水井得到了一个人。”听了的人就去传播：“丁家挖井挖到了一个人。”居住在国都中的人都在谈论这件事，使宋国的国君知道这件事。宋国国君派人向丁家问明情况，丁家人答道，“得到一个空闲的人的劳力，并非在井内挖到了一个活人。”
这则寓言故事告诉我们：不要轻信传言，不要传播未经自己思考的话，切忌道听途说。耳听为虚，眼见为实。不要听到什么传闻之后就外传，要动脑筋想一想是否合乎情理，不要人云亦云，听到风就是雨，以致于以讹传讹。
《古代寓言·井里挖出一个活人》
昔宋有丁氏，家故无井，而出溉汲焉。常一日而一人基外，惩其如是也，鸠工而穿井于庭。
家相语曰：“今吾之穿井于庭，得一人矣。”
有闻而传之曰：丁氏穿井而得一人也。国人更相道之，语彻于宋君。召其人质也。
丁氏对曰：“自臣穿井，家得一人之力矣，非得一人于井也。”
——《子华子》
The Man Who was Found in the Well
The Ding family in the state of Song had no well of its own. Someone in the family sometimes had to spend a whole day doing nothing but fetch water from a distance.
To save trouble, they had a well sunk in their courtyard.
After the job was finished, they said to one another happily, "It seems with the sinking of the well one more person is added to our household."
One of Ding's friends heard of the remark and the word passed from that friend to that friend's friend and yet to another, until the story ran as follows: "The Dings had a well sunk and found a man inside!"
When the Duke of Song heard the tale he sent for Ding of inquire into the matter.
"With the sinking of the well it is as though your obedient servant has secured the help of a man," explained Ding to the duke, "it isn't that I actually found a man in the well."
Zi Hua Zi
