第65章 宁虚勿溢 宁缺勿全

Emptiness is better than spillage,and so is incompletion than completion.

欹器[1]以满覆，扑满[2]以空全。故君子宁居无不居有，宁处缺不处完。

中文注释

[1]欹器：古代一种倾斜易覆的盛水器皿。没盛水时，它呈倾斜状；盛水一半时则呈直立状；而装满水时则立刻翻倒。古人将此物置于案头右侧引以为戒，后来的“座右铭”一说即源于此。孔子常以此物对其弟子进行教诲。

[2]扑满：储钱罐。过去的储钱罐大多是陶制的，顶部有一个小小的放入口，等里面装满了硬币，主人要用钱时就会把罐子砸了。所以，就储钱罐本身而言，里面没有硬币才是最安全的。

今文解译

欹器装满水就会倾覆；扑满空无一文反倒安全。所以，君子宁可一无所有也不愿意竞长争短，宁可有所不足也不愿意完美无缺。

EngIish TransIation

An inclined vessel is easy to topple when it is filled to the brim.A piggy bank is safe to be its self so long as it remains empty.Accordingly,the genuine person would rather have nothing than compete for advantages,and rather be contented with incompletion than with completion.