Zhuangzi translation and commentary

莊子釣於濮水，楚王使大夫二人往先焉，曰：「願以境內累矣！」

莊子持竿不顧，曰：「吾聞楚有神龜，死已三千歲矣，王巾笥而藏之廟堂之上。此龜者，寧其死為留骨而貴乎，寧其生而曳尾於塗中乎？」二大夫曰：「寧生而曳尾塗中。」莊子曰：「往矣！吾將曳尾於塗中。」[a]

Zhuangzi was fishing by the Pu River when the king of Chu sent two officers before him, saying, “We would like to trouble you with administering Our interior.”

Without glancing from his pole, Zhuangzi said, “I’ve heard Chu has a sacred turtle. It’s been dead three thousand years and the king keeps it wrapped and boxed in the royal court. Now, would that turtle rather have its bones treasured in death, or be alive dragging its tail in the mud?”

The two officers said, “It would rather be alive dragging its tail in the mud.”

Zhuangzi said, “Go! I’ll keep my tail in the mud, too.” [1]

[1] Who wrote this story? It seems wildly improbable that any actual politician would have hired Zhuangzi, but equally improbable that he would have wanted to depict himself that way. I may have taken too much literary theory in college, but it is hard for me not to take "dragging its tail in the mud" as a reference to writing.

[a] CTP 17.11, HYZY 17/81-84.