雙語詩歌翻譯|《菜根譚》

《菜根譚》是明朝還初道人洪應(yīng)明收集編著的一部論述修養(yǎng)、人生、處世、出世的語錄集。 其文字簡煉明雋，兼采雅俗。似語錄，而有語錄所沒有的趣味；似隨筆，而有隨筆所不易及的整飭；似訓(xùn)誡，而有訓(xùn)誡所缺乏的親切醒豁。

《菜根譚》（一念貪私、壞了一生）

人只一念私貪，便銷剛為柔、塞智為昏、變恩為慘、染潔為污，壞了一生人品。故古人以不貪為寶，所以度越一世。

Once greed and selfishness dominate a man’s mind, his previously steel-like nature will become soft and weak; his intelligence will become blocked and dulled; his benevolent nature will become vicious; his pure spirit will become muddied; and the virtue he has accumulated over a lifetime will become dissipated. That is why the ancients regarded “Be not covetous” as a precious percept for self-improvement. It was thus that they managed to overcome greed for material things and enjoyed peace and security throughout their lives.

（保羅·懷特 譯）

So long as a slight selfish desire emerges into a man’s mind, his uprightness will become weakened and yielding; his intelligence dulled and invalid; his benevolent nature degenerated and cruel; his pure aspiration sullied and unworthy—and as a result, the virtue he has accumulated over lifetime will become totally spoiled. That is why the ancients took “Not be covetous” as the discipline to guide themselves aright in surmounting material desires all their lives.

（周文標(biāo) 譯）

A momentary weakness of avarice and selfishness will turn uprightness into cowardice, wisdom into stupidity, benevolence into cruelty, and cleanness into dirtiness, thus spoiling one’s moral character for life. Hence the ancients regarded as invaluable the virtue of being free from avarice, something that makes one spend one’s life in peace.

（蔣堅松 譯）