Zhao Lihong
The Roots of Wisdom, written by Hong Yingming in the Ming Dynasty, is a rare book which contains abundant perspectives, wisdom and philosophy. With its literary form embodied in maxim, the book is composed of more than three hundred short writings, from which there can be seen striking expressions, simply-explained profoundness and thought-provoking substances. By reading the book, we will be strongly impressed by the author’s rich accumulation of the theories of the ancient sages in Chinese history, his knowledge ranging from the thoughts of Confucius, Mencius, Lao Zi and Zhuang Zi to the relevant doctrines involved in Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism and Legalism, as well as his successful exploits in extracting the essences therein and putting them into meditation in the way of Chan. So what he presented in his book are mostly related to the substantial issues regarding myriad affairs of the human world, exhortations on people’s doing good and enlightenment for them on how to determine their will, regulate their conduct, cultivate their inner power and refine their personal dispositions. In addition, the book also unfolds before our eyes a big variety of subtle views existing between the heaven and earth. It can be said that it stops at nothing and nothing is left out.
It is because of the fantastic features manifested in its context such as intelligent ideology, broad-mindedness, fresh extent of wording and phrasing and enormous desirable braveries of life that the book, during the hundreds of years of circulation, has been not only appreciated by men of letters but also cherished by the common people, thereby coming out as a rare book universally welcomed. As a matter of fact, the proverbs like “One who can endure chewing vegetable root will find nothing is difficult.” and “Course clothes give warmth and vegetable roots fragrance, while indulgence in study brings about lifelong benefit.” are all considered to be the plaudits for the book.
There have been many different annotations and interpretations on the words and expressions contained in this rare book since its appearance. The dictions used in it have been evolved into numerous understandings all through the ages. The implied meanings of the vocabulary have been renewed from time to time and yet remain new to the readers of the coming generations. Its influence has flowed widely not merely within China but also without, wherefrom its echoes have been now and then sounding from Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asia.
Now Shanghai People’s Publishing House is to publish The Roots of Wisdom in the version of Chinese-English. I would like to take this chance to say that the publication of the translation is a piece of good news to Chinese readers who are now engaged in English learning and also an event even more significant to those English-speaking people who are interested in Chinese culture.
Many years ago, Mr. Zhou Wenbiao, the translator of The Roots of Wisdom, lead an English-to-Chinese translation of The Home Book of Quotations (compiled by Burton Stevenson) and recompiled it single-handedly in accordance with Chinese phonetic alphabet, and thus created a remarkable precedent for the dictionaries of this kind in China. This time Mr. Zhou takes The Roots of Wisdom as his new rendering which manifests again the sense of his exertion and confidence. For having such an ancient book translated from Chinese into English is no easy matter for an unadulterated Chinese. To do it well there must come into play a good command of English language and a deep, precise understanding of Chinese traditional culture as well. So it can be imagined that Mr. Zhou must have encountered many difficulties in his rendering into English those old Chinese with profound meanings of several centuries prior. Be that as it was, he was not baffled and what he contemplated three years ago has now come true in the very publication he presents to us. No wonder when readers have the book in their hands there would surely well up in their hearts the appreciation for the translator who has done his part in putting up a bridge to connect Chinese and English cultures.
It’s my pleasure to write this preface for the book as above.
Four-Pace Study in Shanghai
June, 12th 2008
Translator’s Note:
Above is the preface written by Mr. Zhao Lihong, vice president of Shanghai Writers Association, in June 2008. It’s my honor to have his preface reused as the introduction to The Roots of Wisdom in the publication of Chinese-English version of Three Canons of Personal Cultivation issued by Baihuazhou Literature and Art Press, and hereby to express again my heartfelt gratitude and respect to him.


5. It is helpful to hear words unpleasant to the ear and meditate on things unpleasant to the mind.
耳中常闻逆耳之言，心中常有拂心之事①，才是进德修行的砥石②。若言言悦耳，事事快心，便把此生埋在鸩毒③中矣。
注 释
① 拂心之事：不顺心或不如意的事情。
② 砥石：磨刀石。此处指磨练品德的逆耳之言和拂心之事。
③ 鸩毒：鸩，传说中的一种毒鸟。用鸩的羽毛制成的酒叫鸩毒，即饮即亡。
今文解译
耳朵常常听些不中听的话，心里常常有些不顺心的事，这样才有利于我们德行的磨砺和提高。如果听到的每句话都悦耳，遇到的每件事都顺心，这无异于将自己的一生都浸泡在毒酒中了。
English Translation
Constantly hearing words unpleasant to the ear and constantly meditating on things unpleasant to the mind are worth a whetstone, upon which we cultivate our moral characters and refine our temperaments. If we contemplate every word we hear being pleasant to the ear and everything we come into contact with pleasant to the mind, it would be no more than soaking ourselves in poisoned wine.


3. The mind of a man should be made open and broad, but his talents carefully concealed.
君子之心事，天青日白，不可使人不知；君子之才华，玉韫珠藏，不可使人易知。
今文解译
君子的心事，要像青天白日那样光明磊落，不可对人有所隐瞒。
君子的才华，要像珠宝玉器那样深藏不露，不可让人轻易得见。
English Translation
The heart of a worthy man should be as clear as the blue sky and the bright sunshine, so that everybody can lightly feel it. But on the contrary, his talents should be carefully concealed like jade and pearls, so that nobody can easily find them out.


10. Stop seeking more in times of contentment but keep going on even if suffering setbacks.
恩里由来生害，故快意时，须早回首；败后或反成功，故拂心处，切莫放手。
今文解译
接受别人的恩惠往往会招来祸害，所以得意时须懂得早早回头。
遭受挫败反而有助于获得成功，所以做事不顺时切莫轻言放弃。
English Translation
Given favors are often followed by calamities. Therefore, one should deliberate how to stop when one’s desires are fulfilled.
Failure sometimes indicates success to come. Therefore, one should keep going on even if suffering setbacks.


——序汉英对照本“处世三奇书”
赵丽宏
“处世三奇书”是中国古典文学的汉英对照本。在中国传统文化的出版物中，这是体例新颖的一个读本。这个读本，不仅向读者展现了中国古典文学一方迷人的天地，也为对中国文化有兴趣的英语读者提供了一个学习的园圃。读者可以由汉语而英文，也可以由英文而汉语。研习英文的中国读者，学习汉语的外国读者，都可以在其中获得阅读的乐趣。
《菜根谭》《小窗幽记》和《围炉夜话》是明清时期流传下来的三本以修身养性、劝善励志为中心话题的清言体小品集，作者分别是洪应明、陈继儒和王永彬。因其在同类书中出众的地位和影响力，被世人誉为“处世三奇书”，颇受文人墨客和普通百姓的喜爱。
华夏文化的发展，每个历史时期都有创造性的文学形态，并在各自领域中登峰造极，成为一个时代的文化标记。明清两朝也不例外，在前后五个多世纪里，小说显然是明清时期的一个主要文化特色，其次就是那些饱蕴着智慧才情、展示着世态风情的辑录和承载着先人学说和思想的格言体小品集了。通过这些作品，我们可以清楚地了解到：优秀的文学家，是中国传统文化的脊梁，他们那些形诸文字的精神与情感结晶是中华文明最有生命力的一部分。世风日下依然能倡导并坚持孝悌，物欲横流依然能淡泊名利，仕途得意依然能心存忧患意识，遭遇不测依然能泰然处之，国家危亡依然能竭尽忠诚，温饱之余依然能不忘劳作之苦，生活清贫依然能寄情山水，凡此种种，都是这些优秀文人留给后世的宝贵精神财富。
“处世三奇书”所收纳的短句小品均为清言体，风格相似，读起来朗朗上口，既有诗歌的韵律又有散文的流畅。这些编辑成集、主题鲜明的短句小品，是被柔美化了的格言，似诗非诗，似文非文，是小品文的一种，形式上是介于箴言警句和散文之间的文体，通常由前后对仗或排比的两句或两段组成，以达到均衡与和谐之美。由清言汇集而成的书籍叫清言集或清言体小品集，有分编和不分编两种，题材自由，体例松散，所收清言小品数量少则近百则、多则数百则不等，每则小品的篇幅少则七、八个字，多则逾百。内容涵盖古贤经典和民俗文化，其中尤以演绎儒道释三家之言为多，形式短小精致，文风飘逸清雅，具有“小品中的小品（林语堂语）”的美称。
“处世三奇书”的可贵之处在于：三位作者皆以其丰富的学养、渊博的知识、明敏的思辨、冷隽的文字、促人深省的儆诫、益人心智的启迪以及豁达如禅的觉醒，从古贤经典和民俗文化中撷取菁华但又不简单地复述这些原文，而是在赋予它们一定的情景衬托后将其锻造成一个个既养眼又养心的段子，于寥寥隽语中将经典所含的意旨优雅地展现在读者面前，充分诠释了中国传统文人的文化底蕴和人文情怀，为世人展现了一幅古人修身养性的清晰图景，让读者在诵读这些金科玉律时多了一份愉悦感和亲近感。
十年前，周文标先生在上海人民出版社出版发行《菜根谭》汉英对照本时，我曾为他写过一篇序。据我所知，十余年来，他一直不懈地致力于用英文翻译和编撰中国传统典籍，并在呈现方式上做了积极的探索。这次他与百花洲文艺出版社共同成套推出“处世三奇书”汉英对照本，足见他这些年在这方面所倾注的时间和精力。周文标先生是上海市作家协会的会员，我为我们作协有这么一位孜孜不倦向世界推广中国传统文化的同仁感到骄傲。衷心祝贺他的“处世三奇书”汉英对照本成功出版，这是明清小品走向世界的一次积极尝试。期待他有更多新著在不久的将来问世。
是为序。
2018年7月31日于四步斋