仁者寿

Benevolence Brings Longevity

孔子曰： “知者乐水，仁者乐山。知者动，仁者静。知者乐，仁者寿。”

-《论语·雍也》

Confucius said: “The wise find joy in water; the benevolent find joy in mountains. The wise are active; the benevolent are tranquil. The wise find happiness; the benevolent live long.”

心欲小（细）而志欲大，智欲圆而行欲方。气贵和，心贵安

--《文子·微明》【注1】

A person should keep a mind that is humble and careful, yet nurture ambitions that are broad and lofty. One’s wisdom should be flexible and comprehensive like a circle, yet one’s actions should be upright and principled like a square. Harmony is the most precious quality of one’s vital energy, and serenity is the most treasured state of one’s heart.

-- 《Wenzi · Weiming》 (The Book of Master Wen, “Subtle Clarity”)

古今之成大事业、大学问者，必经过三种之境界：“昨夜西风凋碧树。独上高楼，望尽天涯路。”此第一境界也。“衣带渐宽终不悔，为伊消得人憔悴。”此第二境界也。“众里寻他千百度，蓦然回首，那人却在，灯火阑珊处。”此第三境界也。

--王国维：《人间词话》【注2】

Those who have accomplished great undertakings or attained profound learning, in both ancient and modern times, must pass through three stages of life. The first stage is expressed in the verse, “Last night the west wind withered the green trees; alone I climbed the high tower and gazed toward the ends of the earth.” The second stage is captured in the line, “My belt grows ever looser, yet I do not regret; for her I have grown wan and weary.” The third stage is revealed in the words, “I sought her a thousand times amid the crowd; then suddenly, when I turned, she was there—where the lights were dim and few.”

-- Wang Guowei: 《Remarks on Ci Poetry in the Human World》

人生之最大苦痛，莫過於理想之幻滅。 -- 王國維

The greatest pain in life is the disillusionment of one’s ideals.

-- by Wang Guowei

简朴的生活、高贵的灵魂是人生的至高境界。 --杨绛 【注3】

A simple life and a noble soul are the highest realms of human existence.

— by Yang Jiang

【注1】见本书《有道以理之》【注1】

【注2】王国维（1877－1927），字静安，号观堂，浙江海宁人，中国近代著名学者、文学家、词人、史学家和考古学家。他精通经学、史学、哲学、文学及金石考古学，学识渊博，被誉为“兼通古今中西之学”。在文学方面，他的《人间词话》开创了近代词学批评的新境界，强调“境界说”，主张词以境界为最高标准，影响深远。晚年参与清华国学研究院筹建，投身学术教育。1927年在北平昆明湖投水自尽，享年五十岁。

【注3】杨绛（1911年7月17日－2016年5月25日），原名杨季康，江苏无锡人，中国著名作家、翻译家、学者。她是文学大师钱钟书的妻子，与丈夫并称“文化伉俪”。杨绛精通英、法、西班牙语，代表作有散文集《我们仨》、话剧《弄真成假时》、长篇小说《洗澡》等。她翻译的《堂吉诃德》被誉为最优秀的中文全译本之一。杨绛一生淡泊名利，追求真理与精神独立，被尊为中国文学界的“精神长者”。

Note 1：See 《When There Is the Way to Guide Affairs》 in this book.

Note 2: Wang Guowei (1877–1927), styled Jing’an and also known by the sobriquet Guantang, was a renowned modern Chinese scholar, writer, poet, historian, and archaeologist from Haining, Zhejiang. Erudite in the classics, history, philosophy, literature, and epigraphy, he was celebrated as a master who united both Chinese and Western learning, ancient and modern. His Remarks on Ci Poetry in the Human World (Renjian Cihua) revolutionized modern Ci criticism with the theory of “artistic realm” (jingjie), which became a lasting influence in literary studies. In his later years, he took part in founding the Institute of Chinese Classics at Tsinghua University. In 1927, he ended his life by drowning himself in Kunming Lake, Beijing, at the age of fifty.

Note 3: Yang Jiang (July 17, 1911 – May 25, 2016), born Yang Jikang in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, was a renowned Chinese writer, translator, and scholar. She was the wife of literary master Qian Zhongshu, and together they were known as an exemplary couple of Chinese letters. Fluent in English, French, and Spanish, Yang’s major works include the prose collection We Three, the play When the Truth Is Made False, and the novel Baptism. Her Chinese translation of Don Quixote is widely regarded as the finest full translation of the classic. Known for her modesty, intellect, and moral integrity, Yang Jiang is revered as a spiritual elder in modern Chinese literature.