| 德訓篇 |
Sirach |
| 1凡觸摸瀝青的，必被瀝青玷污；凡與驕傲人交接的，必為他所同化。 |
1 He who touches pitch blackens his hand; he who associates with an impious man learns his ways. |
| 2不要肩負超過你力量的重擔；不要與那比你強大富有的人交接。 |
2Bear no burden too heavy for you; go with no one greater or wealthier than yourself. How can the earthen pot go with the metal cauldron? When they knock together, the pot will be smashed: |
| 3瓦罐和鐵鍋怎能相交？鐵鍋一碰瓦罐，瓦罐就破碎了。 |
3The rich man does wrong and boasts of it, the poor man is wronged and begs forgiveness. |
| 4富貴人侮辱了人，還怒不可遏；貧窮人受了侮辱，反得向人謝罪！ |
4As long as the rich man can use you he will enslave you, but when you are exhausted, he will abandon you. |
| 5若你為他有用，他就利用你；若你一無所有，他就要拋棄你。 |
5As long as you have anything he will speak fair words to you, and with smiles he will win your confidence; |
| 6若你富有，他就與你相處，即使耗盡了你的財產，也不惋惜。 |
6When he needs something from you he will cajole you, then without regret he will impoverish you. |
| 7他需要你時，就欺騙你，向你媚笑，使你相信他，並大放厥辭，向你說：你缺少什麼？ |
7While it serves his purpose he will beguile you, then twice or three times he will terrify you; When later he sees you he will pass you by, and shake his head over you. |
| 8等到他再三剝削你以後，就用他的食物來羞辱你，最後還要嘲笑你；從此以後，幾時見到你，就躲開你，還向你大搖其頭。 |
8Guard against being presumptuous; be not as those who lack sense. |
| 9你在天主面前要自謙，等候他的援手。 |
9When invited by a man of influence, keep your distance; then he will urge you all the more. |
| 10小心不要受人誘惑；昌盛時，小心不要墮落。 |
10Be not bold with him lest you be rebuffed, but keep not too far away lest you be forgotten. |
| 11你具有智慧，不要虛心謙讓，怕你因示弱，而被人愚弄。 |
11Engage not freely in discussion with him, trust not his many words; For by prolonged talk he will test you, and though smiling he will probe you. |
| 12若有權勢的人召叫你，你當引退；如此，他反而更加招呼你。 |
12Mercilessly he will make of you a laughingstock, and will not refrain from injury or chains. |
| 13不可強求，免得你被人趕走；但也不可遠離他，免得你被人忘掉。 |
13Be on your guard and take care never to accompany men of violence. |
| 14不要以平等方式與他講話，也不要相信他那許多話，因為，他要用許多言辭試探你，面帶笑容，打聽你的秘密。 |
14Every living thing loves its own kind, every man a man like himself. |
| 15他是一個殘忍的人，對你的話，決不保守秘密，也不惜用刑罰和鎖鏈來處置你。 |
15Every being is drawn to its own kind; with his own kind every man associates. |
| 16你該小心，對你聽來的話務要小心謹慎，因為，你是在喪亡的危險中行走。 |
16Is a wolf ever allied with a lamb? So it is with the sinner and the just. |
| 17對你聽見的事，當視為夢中事，但是你要小心提防。 |
17 Can there be peace between the hyena and the dog? Or between the rich and the poor can there be peace? |
| 18你一生該愛慕天主，呼號他拯救你。 |
18Lion's prey are the wild asses of the desert; so too the poor are feeding grounds for the rich. |
| 19一切動物都愛自己的同類；同樣，人也各愛與自己相近的人。 |
19A proud man abhors lowliness; so does the rich man abhor the poor. |
| 20一切生物都和自己的同類相交；人也各與自己相似的人交結。 |
20When a rich man stumbles he is supported by a friend; when a poor man trips he is pushed down by a friend. |
| 21豺狼與羔羊，豈能有友誼？同樣，罪人與義人，也不能有交情。 |
21Many are the supporters for a rich man when he speaks; though what he says is odious, it wins approval. When a poor man speaks they make sport of him; he speaks wisely and no attention is paid him. |
| 22鬣狗與犬怎能相和？財主與窮人又怎能相安無事？ |
22A rich man speaks and all are silent, his wisdom they extol to the clouds. A poor man speaks and they say: "Who is that?" If he slips they cast him down. |
| 23曠野裡的野驢，是獅子的獵物；同樣，貧窮人是財主的魚肉。 |
23Wealth is good when there is no sin; but poverty is evil by the standards of the proud. |
| 24驕傲人憎恨謙卑自下；同樣，富貴人厭惡貧窮人。 |
24The heart of a man changes his countenance, either for good or for evil. |
| 25富人一動搖，就有朋友來扶持；窮人一落魄，卻為朋友所拋棄。 |
25The sign of a good heart is a cheerful countenance; withdrawn and perplexed is the laborious schemer. |
| 26富人一失敗，就有許多人來扶助，縱然他口出狂言，還以他為義人； |
26 |
| 27窮人一失敗，反更受人責斥，雖然他說話條理分明，卻無人理會。 |
27 |
| 28富貴人一開口，眾人都鴉雀無聲，還把他的話高舉雲表； |
28 |
| 29貧窮人一發言，人就問：「他是什麼人？」如果他一失言，人就把他推翻。 |
29 |
| 30人良心上若沒有罪過，財物纔算美好；在不虔敬的人口裡，貧窮是最壞的。 |
30 |
| 31人向善或向惡的心，都能改變自己的面容。 |
31 |
| 32春風滿面，是好心腸的憑據；尋求箴言，必要勞心思索。 |
32 |
