南伯子葵问乎女偊曰：“子之年长矣，而色若孺子，何也？”Nanbo Zikui asked Nüyu, "You are advanced in years, yet your complexion is like that of a child. Why is this?"
南伯子葵问女偊说：“你年岁这样大，而容颜却像童子，这是什么原因呢？”
曰：“吾闻道矣。”Nüyu replied, "I have heard of the Tao."
女偊回答道：“我得道了。”
南伯子葵曰：“道可得学邪？”Nanbo Zikui said, "Can the Tao be learned?"
南伯子葵说：“道可以学习吗？”
曰：“恶！恶可！子非其人也。夫卜梁倚有圣人之才而无圣人之道，我有圣人之道而无圣人之才。Nüyu said, "Oh! How could it be! You are not the right person. Bu Liangyi has the talent of a sage but lacks the Tao of a sage. I have the Tao of a sage but lack the talent of a sage.
女偊说：“唉！怎么可以学呢！你不是能学道的人。卜梁倚有圣人的天赋却没有圣人虚心散淡的心境，我有圣人虚心散淡的心境却没有圣人的天赋。
吾欲以教之，庶几其果为圣人乎？不然，以圣人之道告圣人之才，亦易矣。I wanted to teach him, hoping that perhaps he would indeed become a sage. Otherwise, to impart the Tao of a sage to one with the talent of a sage should also be easy.
我想用虚心散淡来教诲他，差不多他果真能够成为圣人吧？道不易学，用圣人之道，去传授圣人之才，那就容易了。
吾犹守而告之，参日而后能外天下；已外天下矣，吾又守之，七日而后能外物；I still adhered to teaching him. After three days, he was able to look beyond the world; having looked beyond the world, I had him continue to practice. After seven days, he was able to look beyond external things;
我还是有保留地把大道传授给他，三日之后他就能遗忘天下；他既已遗忘天下，我又有保留地把大道传授给他，七日之后他能遗忘万物；
已外物矣，吾又守之，九日而后能外生；已外生矣，而后能朝彻；Having looked beyond external things, I had him continue to practice. After nine days, he was able to look beyond life itself; having looked beyond life, he was then able to achieve a state of morning clarity;
他既已遗忘万物，我又有保留地将大道传授给他，九日之后他能忘掉自身；他既已遗忘自身，而后他便能够彻悟；
朝彻而后能见独；见独而后能无古今；无古今而后能入于不死不生。After achieving morning clarity, he was able to perceive the unique; after perceiving the unique, he was able to disregard past and present; after disregarding past and present, he was able to enter into a state of neither death nor life.
他能够明彻，而后就能够体悟大道，他能体悟大道，而后他就能超越古今的时空界限；他能超越古今，而后他就能达到无生无死的最高境界。
杀生者不死，生生者不生。其为物无不将也，无不迎也，无不毁也，无不成也。Those who take lives do not perish themselves; those who strive to preserve lives do not truly experience life. Amidst all things, there is naught that is not seen off, naught that is not welcomed, naught that is not destroyed, and naught that is not accomplished.
死者未曾来，生者未曾生。大道作为万物之宗，无所不送，无所不迎，无所不毁，无所不成。
其名为撄宁。撄宁也者，撄而后成者也。”Its name is Yingning. Yingning means that it is achieved through being perturbed and then attaining completion."
这就叫做‘撄宁’。所谓‘撄宁’，就是说虽置身纷纭扰动、交争互触之地却不受干扰，而后才能修炼成虚寂宁静的心境。
南伯子葵曰：“子独恶乎闻之？”Nanbo Zikui said, "From whom did you alone hear of this?"
南伯子葵又问：“你偏偏是怎么得‘道’的呢？”
曰：“闻诸副墨之子，副墨之子闻诸洛诵之孙，洛诵之孙闻之瞻明，瞻明闻之聂许，聂许闻之需役，需役闻之于讴，于讴闻之玄冥，玄冥闻之参寥，参寥闻之疑始。”Nüyu said, "I heard it from the son of Fumo, the son of Fumo heard it from the grandson of Luosong, the grandson of Luosong heard it from Zhanming, Zhanming heard it from Niexu, Niexu heard it from Xuyi, Xuyi heard it from Yu'ou, Yu'ou heard it from Xuanying, Xuanying heard it from Sanliao, and Sanliao heard it from Yishi.
女偊又回答说：“我从副墨（文字）的儿子那里听到的，副墨的儿子从洛诵（背诵）的孙子那里听到的，洛诵的孙子从瞻明（目视明晰）那里听到的，瞻明从聂许（附耳私语）那里听到的，聂许从需役（勤行不怠）那里听到的，需役从於讴（吟咏领会）那里听到的，於讴从玄冥（深远虚寂）那里听到的，玄冥从参寥（高旷寥远）那里听到的，参寥从疑始（迷茫而无所本）那里听到的。”
子祀、子舆、子犁、子来四人相与语曰：“孰能以无为首，以生为脊，以死为尻；孰知死生存亡之一体者，吾与之友矣！”Zisi, Ziyu, Zili, and Zilai were chatting together. They said, "Whoever can take nothingness as the head, life as the spine, and death as the buttocks; whoever knows that life, death, survival, and extinction are one entity, I will be friends with him!"
子祀、子舆、子犁、子来四个人在一块摆谈说：“谁能够把无当作头，把生当作脊柱，把死当作尻尾，谁能够通晓生死存亡浑为一体的启发，我们就可以跟他交朋友。”
四人相视而笑，莫逆于心，遂相与为友。俄而子舆有病，子祀往问之。The four of them looked at each other and smiled, being in perfect harmony in their hearts. Thus they became friends with each other. Soon after, Ziyu fell ill, and Zisi went to visit him.
四个人都会心地相视而笑，心心相契却不说话，于是相互交往成为朋友。不久子舆生了病，子祀前去探望他。
曰：“伟哉，夫造物者将以予为此拘拘也。”Ziyu said, "How magnificent! The Creator is going to make me into this constrained state."
子舆说：“伟大啊，造物者！把我变成如此曲屈不伸的样子！
曲偻发背，上有五管，颐隐于齐，肩高于顶，句赘指天，阴阳之气有沴，其心闲而无事，胼而鉴于井，His back was hunched and his spine protruded, with five vertebrae visible on his back. His chin was hidden in his navel, his shoulders were higher than his head, and his vertebrae pointed to the sky. There was an imbalance in his yin and yang qi, but his heart was at ease and unoccupied, so he went to the well barefoot to look at his own reflection.
腰弯背驼，五脏穴口朝上，下巴隐藏在肚脐之下，肩部高过头顶，弯曲的颈椎形如赘瘤朝天隆起，阴阳二气不和酿成如此灾害，可是子舆的心里却十分闲逸好像没有生病似的，光着脚去井边对着井水照看自己，
曰：“嗟乎！夫造物者又将以予为此拘拘也。”he said, "Alas! The Creator is going to make me into this constrained state again."
说：“哎呀，造物者竟把我变成如此曲屈不伸！”
子祀曰：“女恶之乎？”Zisi said, "Do you dislike it?"
子祀说：“你讨厌这曲屈不伸的样子吗？”
曰：“亡，予何恶！浸假而化予之左臂以为鸡，予因以求时夜；Ziyu said, "No, why should I dislike it! If by chance my left arm is transformed into a rooster, I will use it to tell the time at night;
子舆回答：“没有，我怎么会讨厌这副样子！假令造物者逐渐把我的左臂变成公鸡，我便用它来报晓；
浸假而化予之右臂以为弹，予因以求鸮炙；If by chance my right arm is transformed into a slingshot, I will use it to hunt owls for roasting;
假令造物者逐渐把我的右臂变成弹弓，我便用它来打斑鸠烤熟了吃。
浸假而化予之尻以为轮，以神为马，予因以乘之，岂更驾哉！If by chance my buttocks are transformed into a wheel and my spirit into a horse, I will use them to ride. Why would I need another vehicle!
假令造物者把我的臀部变化成为车轮，把我的精神变化成骏马，我就用来乘坐，难道还要更换别的车马吗？
且夫得者，时也；失者，顺也。Moreover, what is obtained is due to the right time; what is lost is in accordance with the flow of things.
至于生命的获得，是因为适时，生命的丧失，是因为顺应；
安时而处顺，哀乐不能入也，此古之所谓县解也，而不能自解者，物有结之。To be content with the times and to go with the flow, neither joy nor sorrow can enter. This is what was called 'untying the knot' in ancient times. Those who cannot untie the knot themselves are bound by things.
安于适时而处之顺应，悲哀和欢乐都不会侵入心房。这就是古人所说的解脱了倒悬之苦，然而不能自我解脱的原因，则是受到了外物的束缚。
且夫物不胜天久矣，吾又何恶焉！”Moreover, things have long been unable to overcome heaven. Why should I dislike it!"
况且事物的变化不能超越自然的力量已经很久很久，我又怎么能厌恶自己现在的变化呢？”
