Grandpa Hodge was the most popular sage in the village because he was so philosophic in speaking and doing things that everyone revered him as “Grandpa Wisdom”.

霍奇爺爺是村里最受歡迎的長者，因為他講話做事都很有哲理，大家都尊稱他為“智慧爺爺”。

 

One day, a man hurried to Grandpa Wisdom and said, “Grandpa, I have a piece of news to tell you…”

有一天，一個人匆匆跑到智慧爺爺那里說：“爺爺，我有個消息要告訴你……”

 

“Wait a moment,” Grandpa Hodge stroked his beard and cut him short, “Have you sifted the news you will tell me with three sieves?”

“等一下，”霍奇爺爺摸了摸胡子，打斷了他的話，“你要告訴我的消息，用三個篩子篩過了嗎？”

 

“Three sieves? Which three sieves?” the man asked with puzzlement.

“三個篩子？哪三個篩子？”那人不解的問。

 

“The first sieve is Truth. Is the news you will tell me true?” Grandpa Hodge asked, narrowing his eyes.

“第一個篩子叫真實。你要告訴我的消息確實是真的嗎？”霍奇爺爺瞇著眼問道。

 

“I don’t know because I overhead it from the street.”

“不知道，我是從街上聽來的。”

 

“Now let’s check it with the second sieve,” Grandpa Hodge went on, “If the news you will tell me is not true, it should be friendly.”

“現在再用第二個篩子來審查吧，”霍奇爺爺接著說，“你要告訴我的這個消息就算不是真實的，也應該是善意的吧？”

 

The man hesitantly answered, “No, just the other way round…”

那人躊躇的回答說：“不，正好相反．．．．．．”

 

Grandpa Hodge once again interrupted him, “So let’s use the third sieve. Can you tell me if the news that is exciting you is very important?”

霍奇爺爺再次打斷他的話：“那么我們再用第三個篩子，請問，使你如此激動的消息很重要嗎？”

 

“It is not so important,” the man answered with embarrassment.

“并不怎么重要，”那人不好意思地回答。

 

Grandpa Hodge patted the shoulder of the man and said significantly, “Now that the news you will tell me is not true, friendly or important, please don’t tell me. Then it won’t trouble you and me.”

霍奇爺爺拍了拍那人的肩膀，意味深長的說：“既然你要告訴我的事，既不真實，也非善意，更不重要，那么就請你別說了吧！這樣的話，它就不會困擾你和我了。”

 

The man took a tumble and never spread the overhead news ever since.

那人恍然大悟，從此以后再也不到處傳播道聽途說的消息了。