持 而 盈 之 ， 不 如 其 已 ﹔
揣 而 锐 之 ， 不 可 长 保 。
金 玉 满 堂 ， 莫 之 能 守 ﹔
富 贵 而 骄 ， 自 遗 其 咎 。
功 遂 身 退 ， 天 之 道 也 。
林语堂译本：
Stretch (a bow) to the very full,
And you will wish you had stopped in time.
Temper a (sword-edge) to its very sharpest,
And the edge will not last long.
When gold and jade fill your hall,
You will not be able to keep them safe.
To be proud with wealth and honor
Is to sow seeds of one's own down-fall.
Retire when your work is done,
Such is Heaven's way.
许渊冲 译本
Don’t hold your fill
But refrain from excess
A whetted and sharpened sword
Cannot be sharp for ever
A houseful of gold and jade
Cannot be safeguarded
Arrogance of wealth and power
Will bring ruin
Withdrawal after success
Conforms to the divine law
英国汉学家 James legge 译本：
It it better to leave a vessel unfilled, than to attempt to carry it when it is full. If you keep feeling a point that has been sharpened, the point cannot long preserve its sharpness. When gold and jade fill the hall, their possessor cannot keep them safe. When wealth and honors lead to arrogance, this brings its evil on itself. When the work is done, and on’e name is becoming distinguished, to withdraw into obscurity is the way of heaven.
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