Long ago, it is said that a man went to consult an old doctor, asking which fruit was most beneficial to the body.
传说在古时候，有一个人去请教一位老医生，问什么水果对身体最有益。
The old doctor replied, “Each fruit has its unique benefits for the body, but eating too much of any can be harmful.
老医生回答说：“各种水果都有其独特的功效，对身体都有益，但若吃得太多也会有害。
For example, pears are good for your teeth, but eating too many can harm your spleen and stomach;
比如，吃梨对牙齿有好处，但吃多了却会伤害脾胃；
and dates can nourish the spleen, but too many are bad for your teeth.
而枣子能滋补脾脏，但吃多了却不利于牙齿。
So, all foods should be consumed in moderation.”
所以，任何食物都要适量。”
After hearing this, the man proudly said, “I have a method that can get all the benefits of fruit without harming my body.”
这个人听后得意洋洋地说：“我有一个办法，既能获得水果的好处，又不会损害身体。”
The old doctor, curious, asked, “What clever plan do you have? Can you tell me?”
老医生好奇地问：“你有什么妙计？能告诉我吗？”
The man confidently replied, “My method is to eat different fruits in different ways.
这个人自信满满地说：“我的方法是，根据不同的水果采用不同的吃法。
For example, when eating pears, I chew them but don’t swallow; when eating dates, I don’t chew, I just swallow them whole.
比如吃梨，我只在嘴里嚼，不咽下去；吃枣子，我不咬而是整个儿吞下去。
That way, I won’t harm my teeth or my spleen.”
这样一来，既不会伤害牙齿，也不会损害脾胃。”
The old doctor, unable to hold back his laughter, said, “Your method is not quite practical.
老医生听了，忍不住笑道：“你的方法不太可行。
Chewing pears without swallowing might be possible, but swallowing dates without chewing is difficult.
吃梨只嚼不咽或许还行，但吃枣子不嚼直接吞下去却不容易。
And if you swallow dates whole, you won’t even taste their flavor!”
而且你那样囫囵吞枣，根本无法品味到枣子的滋味啊！”
The idiom “húlún tūn zǎo” (Swallow the Dates) comes from a saying in the third volume of the Blue Cliff Record by Zen Master Yuanwu of the Song Dynasty:
“囫囵吞枣”这个成语出自宋代圆悟禅师《碧岩录》卷三中的一句话：
“If a person truly understands something, they will carefully chew and digest it;
“若是知有底人，细嚼来咽；
If they don’t, they will swallow it whole, accepting it hastily without truly grasping its meaning.”
若是不知有底人，一似浑仑吞个枣。”
这句话的意思是，如果一个人真正理解某件事物，就会细细品味，慢慢消化其中的道理；而如果不理解，就像囫囵吞枣一样，草率接受，却无法真正领会其中的深意。
