夫缘道理以从事者，无不能成。Those who act in accordance with the principles of things are bound to succeed in all they do.
无不能成者，大能成天子之势尊，而小易得卿相将军之赏禄。Those who are bound to succeed can, on a grand scale, achieve the exalted status of an emperor, and on a smaller scale, easily obtain the rewards and emoluments of a minister, a prime minister, or a general.
夫弃道理而妄举动者，虽上有天子诸侯之势尊，而下有猗顿、陶硃、卜祝之富，犹失其民人而亡其财资也。Those who abandon the principles of things and act recklessly, even if they have the exalted status of an emperor, a feudal lord above, and the wealth of Yi Dun, Tao Zhu, or fortune-tellers and diviners below, will still lose their people and their wealth.
众人之轻弃道理而易妄举动者，不知其祸福之深大而道阔远若是也，故谕人曰：“孰知其极。”The common people easily abandon the principles of things and act recklessly because they do not realize how profound and far - reaching the consequences of good and bad fortune are, and how broad and distant the way is. Therefore, it is said to people, "Who knows the ultimate result?"
人莫不欲富贵全寿，而未有能免于贫贱死夭之祸也。Everyone desires wealth, honor, integrity, and longevity, yet no one can avoid the disasters of poverty, lowliness, early death, and untimely demise.
心欲富贵全寿，而今贫贱死夭，是不能至于其所欲至也。The heart desires wealth, honor, integrity, and longevity, but now there is poverty, lowliness, early death, and untimely demise, which means one cannot reach the state one desires.
凡失其所欲之路而妄行者之谓迷，迷则不能至于其所欲至矣。Anyone who loses the way to what they desire and acts blindly is said to be lost. When lost, one cannot reach the place they want to go.
今众人之不能至于其所欲至，故曰：“迷。”Now, since the general public cannot reach the state they desire to reach, it is said that they are "lost".
众人之所不能至于其所欲至也，自天地之剖判以至于今。Since the common people cannot reach the state they desire, it has been so from the creation of heaven and earth to the present.
故曰：“人之迷也，其日故以久矣。”Therefore, it is said, "People have been lost for a long time."
所谓方者，内外相应也，言行相称也。What is called "square" means that the inner and outer aspects correspond, and words and deeds match.
所谓廉者，必生死之命也，轻恬资财也。What is called "upright" means that one must be firm in life - and - death decisions and be indifferent to wealth.
所谓直者，义必公正，公心不偏党也。What is called "straight" means that righteousness must be just and fair, with an impartial mind and no partiality.
所谓光者，官爵尊贵，衣裘壮丽也。What is called "glorious" means having a noble official position and wearing magnificent clothes and furs.
今有道之士，虽中外信顺，不以诽谤穷堕；虽死节轻财，不以侮罢羞贪；Now, a person of the Way, although sincere and compliant both inside and outside, will not slander the poor and the fallen; although sacrificing for principles and regarding wealth lightly, will not insult the weak or shame the greedy;
虽义端不党，不以去邪罪私；虽势尊衣美，不以夸贱欺贫。Although upright in righteousness and without partiality, will not condemn the evil and the self - interested; although having an exalted status and beautiful clothes, will not show off in front of the low - born or bully the poor.
其故何也？使失路者而肯听习问知，即不成迷也。Why is this so? If those who have lost their way are willing to learn, ask, and seek knowledge, they will not be lost.
今众人之所以欲成功而反为败者，生于不知道理，而不肯问知而听能。Now, the reason why the common people want to succeed but end up in failure is that they do not understand the principles of things and are not willing to ask for knowledge and listen to those who are capable.
众人不肯问知听能，而圣人强以其祸败适之，则怨。The common people are not willing to ask for knowledge and listen to those who are capable, and when the sages force them to face the consequences of their disasters and failures, they resent it.
众人多而圣人寡，寡之不胜众，数也。There are many common people and few sages. That the few cannot overcome the many is a matter of course.
今举动而与天下之为仇，非全身长生之道也，是以行轨节而举之也。Now, if one's actions make enemies of the whole world, it is not the way to preserve the body and achieve longevity. Therefore, one should act in accordance with proper norms and regulations.
故曰：“方而不割，廉而不刿，直而不肆，光而不耀。”Therefore, it is said, "Be square but not cutting, upright but not wounding, straight but not unrestrained, glorious but not dazzling."
聪明睿智，天也；动静思虑，人也。Intelligence and wisdom are bestowed by nature; movement, stillness, and thinking are human activities.
人也者，乘于天明以视，寄于天聪以听，托于天智以思虑。As human beings, we rely on the natural clarity of the eyes to see, on the natural sharpness of the ears to hear, and on the natural wisdom of the mind to think.
故视强，则目不明；听甚，则耳不聪；思虑过度，则智识乱。So, if one over - exerts the eyes, the eyesight will become unclear; if one over - strains the ears, the hearing will become dull; if one thinks excessively, the mental faculty will be disordered.
目不明，则不能决黑白之分；耳不聪，则不能别清浊之声；智识乱，则不能审得失之地。If the eyesight is unclear, one cannot distinguish between black and white; if the hearing is dull, one cannot tell the difference between clear and turbid sounds; if the mental faculty is disordered, one cannot judge the right and wrong of gains and losses.
目不能决黑白之色则谓之盲；耳不能别清浊之声则谓之聋；心不能审得失之地则谓之狂。If the eyes cannot distinguish between black and white, it is called blindness; if the ears cannot tell the difference between clear and turbid sounds, it is called deafness; if the mind cannot judge the right and wrong of gains and losses, it is called madness.
盲则不能避昼日之险，聋则不能知雷霆之害，狂则不能免人间法令之祸。The blind cannot avoid the dangers of the daytime, the deaf cannot know the harm of thunder, and the mad cannot escape the disasters of human laws.
书之所谓“治人”者，适动静之节，省思虑之费也。What the book calls "governing people" means adjusting the rhythm of movement and stillness and reducing the cost of thinking.
所谓“事天”者，不极聪明之力，不尽智识之任。What is called "serving heaven" means not exhausting the power of intelligence and wisdom, nor over - burdening the mental faculty.
苟极尽，则费神多；费神多，则盲聋悖狂之祸至，是以啬之。If one exhausts them, it will consume too much energy; consuming too much energy will bring about the disasters of blindness, deafness, and madness. Therefore, one should be frugal.
啬之者，爱其精神，啬其智识也。To be frugal means to cherish one's spirit and conserve one's mental faculty.
故曰：“治人事天莫如啬。”Therefore, it is said, "In governing people and serving heaven, nothing is better than frugality."
