一一、誌從澹泊來 節在肥甘喪

11. Aspiration is attained in natural simplicity while moral integrity spoiled in extravagance.

藜口莧腸①者，多冰清玉潔；袞衣玉食②者，甘婢膝奴顏。蓋誌以淡泊③明，而節從肥甘④喪也。

【注 釋】

① 藜口莧腸：“藜”和“莧”均為一年生草本植物，其莖葉可食。此處喻粗茶淡飯或簡樸的生活。

② 袞衣玉食：袞衣，古代天子及上公穿的繪有卷龍圖案的禮服；玉食，泛指山珍海味。此處喻吃穿講究或生活奢華。

③ 淡泊：不追逐名利、清心寡欲之意。

④ 肥甘：美味。此處指奢華淫逸。

【今文解譯】

甘於粗茶淡飯的，大多具有冰清玉潔的品格；耽於錦衣玉食的，一般都唯唯諾諾，低頭哈腰。由此可見，人的誌節可以在淡泊中得以彰顯，也可以在奢華淫逸中喪失殆盡。

【English Translation】

Those willing to take plain tea and simple fare are mostly provided with pure and noble sentiment. Those craving for beautiful dresses and nice food mostly tend to resign themselves to humiliation led by subservience. It can be therefore recognized that high aspirations can only be seen in plainness and simplicity while moral fortitude is often spoiled in extravagance and luxury.