道德经英文版 The Tao-te Ching Chapter 44

1. Or fame or life,

Which do you hold more dear?

Or life or wealth,

To which would you adhere1?

Keep life and lose those other things;

Keep them and lose your life:--which brings

Sorrow and pain more near?

2. Thus we may see,

Who cleaves2 to fame

Rejects what is more great;

Who loves large stores

Gives up the richer state.

3. Who is content

Needs fear no shame.

Who knows to stop

Incurs3 no blame.

From danger free

Long live shall he.

名与身孰亲?

身与货孰多?

得与亡孰病?

甚爱必大费，多藏必厚亡。

故知足不辱，知止不殆，可以长久。

【译文】

声名与身家哪个更为切己?身家与财货哪个更为重要?得失损益如何把持得定?过分的贪欲必然连接着庞大的破费，过多的持藏必然导向沉重的损失。所以，懂得自我满足就不会有挫折，懂得适可而止就不会有危险，可以长久行进。

1 adhere        

vi.粘附，附着，遵守，坚持，追随，支持

参考例句：

Most people adhere to the church of their parents.多数人都依附于父母的教会。

They failed to adhere to our original agreement.他们未能遵守我们原定的协议。

2 cleaves        

v.劈开，剁开，割开( cleave的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

This wood cleaves easily. 这木材好劈。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

The water cleaves the banks away like a knife. 河水象一把刀似的，把两岸削掉。 来自辞典例句

3 incurs        

遭受，招致，引起( incur的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

She falls in love and incurs the wrath of her father. 她恋爱了，这引起了父亲的愤怒。

A judge incurs no civil liability for judicial acts, even if guilty of fraud and corruption. 法官不得因其司法行为而承担民事责任，即使犯有诈欺与贪污罪。 来自口语例句