【英文对照赏析】知足不辱 淡泊明志 Staying Satisfied and not Bending One’s Ideals
Staying Satisfied and not Bending One’s IdealsYan Junping lived in Qiongzhou Town, Shu County in the Xihan Dynasty (206 B.C. – 8 A.D.). During his life, he took fame and personal gain lightly and didn't pursue the most prestigious career possible at the time, which was to be a government official. Instead, he lived as a fortuneteller in Chengdu City, where he used the chance to teach people to behave with loyalty, filial piety, trust, and friendship. Each day, after he had earned enough money to maintain a simple life, he shut his door and refused to accept any more visitors. He then enjoyed writing books and teaching the Dao De Jing (Tao Te Ching) at his home school.
Since Yan Junping had high moral standards and didn't associate with people with low moral values, he gained people's respect and he became more famous. At that time, the highest ranking official of Yizhou Town, Li Qiang, and General Wang Feng, among others, all heard that Yan Junping was a person with great wisdom and virtue. They all wanted to make friends with him and invited him to take a post within the government. However, Yan refused all of their invitations.
A rich person from Yan's hometown named Luo Chong asked him, "Why didn’t you take a post within the government?" Yan answered, "I am not capable enough." Luo thought that Yan probably just didn't have enough money. He thus prepared wagonloads full of grain and clothing to support Yan so that he could take on a government position. Yan said, "This is an extra burden for me. I am not short of money. Moreover, I have extra money and you are the one who is actually short of money. How could I let a person short of money help a person with extra money?" Luo answered, "I have tons of gold and you don't even have a basket of valuable things. How can you say that you have extra money? Isn't that ridiculous?"
Yan replied, "That's not the case. When I stayed at your home, when everyone went to bed, you still had a lot of things to do. You were very busy day and night and were anxious and restless. You were never satisfied with what you had. Now, I make a living as a fortuneteller. Every day I have some extra money to spare. Dust accumulates on the extra money, and I don't even know how to spend it. Isn't it the truth that I have extra money and you don't have enough?" After hearing this, Luo was ashamed. Yan said to Luo, "Giving me money or goods would erode my spirit, and making me famous would kill me. That's the reason for me not to take a government position."
Yan Junping never lowered his standard in favor of money, profit, or fame. He was always satisfied with what he had and was very happy. During that time, people respected him very much. In order to remember him, people named the street he lived on "Junping Street."
知足不辱 淡泊明志
严君平是西汉蜀郡邛州（今四川邛崃）人。他一生淡泊名利，不近仕途，常在成都市中替人卜卦算命，并借此教授人们要依据忠孝信义来处事做人，他每天赚够百钱能够维持生活后，便闭门谢客，在家著书和教授《道德经》为乐。
因为严君平节操清奇，很受人敬重，声望也越来越大。当时，益州牧李强，以及大将军王凤等，都听说了严君平有贤德，所以纷纷想结交他，请他出来做官，但严君平却都一一拒绝了。
同乡有个富人叫罗冲，他问严君平说：“你为什么不去做官呢？”严君平说：“我没有能力。”罗冲以为他是没有钱财，便准备好了车马衣粮，想资助他去做官，严君平说：“我视此为累赘，并不是因为没有钱财。况且我是有余你是不足，怎么能让不足的人来帮助有余的人呢？”罗冲说：“我有万金，你连一石谷物都没有，怎么还说自己有余呢？这不是荒谬吗！”
严君平说：“不是这样。我先前住在你家，人都要休息了可你还有很多事要做，每天日夜忙碌，急切不安，从来没有满足的时候。现如今我以占卜为业，每天还能剩余百钱，剩的钱上面的灰尘都很厚了，我都不知道要用在什么地方。这难道不是我有余而你不足吗？”
罗冲听了非常惭愧。严君平又对他说道：“益我货（货，钱财）者损我神，生我名者杀我身，所以我不愿去做官。”
严君平始终不愿为了那些只是过眼烟云的功名利禄，而丧失了自己的志向，可谓知足常乐，当时的人们非常佩服他，后人为纪念他，还把他居住的街道命名为“君平街”。