寓言是一种历史悠久而生命力强大的古老文体，虽多形制短小，却有丰厚的内涵。中国古代寓言大多数以人物故事为载体，说理深刻透辟，包含许多人生智慧。中国先秦时期寓言创作最为兴盛，不少寓言作者是世界一流的思想家。《庄子》、《列子》中的寓言，想象飞驰，语言富丽，表现了道家重道、贵虚、齐物、逍遥的思想；《韩非子》中的寓言，文字简洁准确，表现了法家因时变法、严刑峻法的主张；《战国策》中的寓言，手法铺张，气势宏伟，针对外交、内政、军事方面的大事，随机应变，往往能够收到化险为夷的效果。《大中华文库·中国古代寓言选(汉英对照)》从这些先秦著名典籍中编选了许多寓言，同时还收录了后世其他寓言佳作，共选取121篇作品。它们流传广，饱含智慧，对文学创作和语言的发展影响很大。《大中华文库·中国古代寓言选(汉英对照)》英译者为著名文学翻译家杨宪益、戴乃迭先生。“攫金不见人”比喻为了满足个人的欲望而不顾一切。

《古代寓言·攫金不见人》

昔齐人有欲金者。清旦，衣冠而之市，适鬻金者之所，因攫其金而去。
吏捕得之，问曰：“人皆在焉，子攫人之金何？”对曰：“取金之时，不见人，徒见金。”
——《列子》

The Man Who Saw Nobody
There was a man in the state of Qi who wanted some gold. One morning he dressed himself smartly and went to the market. Arriving at the god-dealer's stall, he seized a piece of gold and made off.
The officer who caught him asked him: "Why did you steal gold in front of so many people?"
"When I took the gold," he answered, "I saw nobody. All I saw was the gold."
Lie Zi