| 德訓篇 |
Sirach |
| 1譴責勝於發怒；凡承認過錯的，必能保全自己不受損害。 |
1 An admonition can be inopportune, and a man may be wise to hold his peace. |
| 2閹人想姦污處女， |
2It is much better to admonish than to lose one's temper, for one who admits his fault will be kept from disgrace. |
| 3就如用暴力施行不公平的審判。 |
3 Like a eunuch lusting for intimacy with a maiden is he who does right under compulsion. |
| 4受責而表示悔改，是多麼美好！若能如此，你便可以躲避故意的罪。 |
4One man is silent and is thought wise, another is talkative and is disliked. |
| 5有的人緘口不言，而被認為是智慧人；有的人因為多言，而為人所憎惡。 |
5One man is silent because he has nothing to say; another is silent, biding his time. |
| 6有的人不出聲，是因為他不知所答；有的人不出聲，是因為他知道何時該說話。 |
6A wise man is silent till the right time comes, but a boasting fool ignores the proper time. |
| 7明智人緘口不言，直等相宜的時候；自誇和愚昧的人，卻不看時機。 |
7He who talks too much is detested; he who pretends to authority is hated. |
| 8多言的人，必招人厭惡；專權的人，必被人惱恨。 |
8 Some misfortunes bring success; some things gained are a man's loss. |
| 9有的人在患難中，得到成功；有的人在順境中，反而失敗。 |
9 Some gifts do one no good, and some must be paid back double. |
| 10有的餽贈，為你沒有益處；有的餽贈，卻獲得雙倍的酬報。 |
10Humiliation can follow fame, while from obscurity a man can lift up his head. |
| 11有的屈辱來自尊榮，但也有人從卑微中抬起了頭。 |
11A man may buy much for little, but pay for it seven times over. |
| 12有的人用低價大批收買，然而卻因此賠了七倍。 |
12A wise man makes himself popular by a few words, but fools pour forth their blandishments in vain. |
| 13明智人說話，叫人喜愛；愚昧的人溫和，卻是白費。 |
13A gift from a rogue will do you no good, for in his eyes his one gift is equal to seven. |
| 14愚昧人的禮物，為你沒有益處，因為他不是睜着一隻眼，而是睜着七隻眼。 |
14He gives little and criticizes often, and like a crier he shouts aloud. He lends today, he asks it back tomorrow; hateful indeed is such a man. |
| 15他給的少，而責難的卻多；他張開口，就如一個傳令員。 |
15A fool has no friends, nor thanks for his generosity; |
| 16今日借錢，明日就要還。像這樣的人，實在可恨。 |
16Those who eat his bread have an evil tongue. How many times they laugh him to scorn! |
| 17愚人說：「我沒有朋友；我做好事，也得不到感謝。」 |
17 A fall to the ground is less sudden than a slip of the tongue; that is why the downfall of the wicked comes so quickly. |
| 18吃他飯的人，口舌欺人。多少次，多少人要譏笑他呢？ |
18Insipid food is the untimely tale; the unruly are always ready to offer it. |
| 19愚昧人對自己擁有的東西，還不正經使用，對不是他所有的東西，就更漠不關心了。 |
19A proverb when spoken by a fool is unwelcome, for he does not utter it at the proper time. |
| 20跌倒地下，比失言更好；惡人的崩潰，常是忽然而來的。 |
20A man through want may be unable to sin, yet in this tranquility he cannot rest. |
| 21無禮的人，好像無知的人口中，不斷重述的一個乏味的故事。 |
21One may lose his life through shame, and perish through a fool's intimidation. |
| 22出自愚人口中的比喻，不受歡迎，因為他說的不合時機。 |
22A man makes a promise to a friend out of shame, and has him for his enemy needlessly. |
| 23有人因貧乏不能犯罪，所以在安靜中，不感到良心的剌激。 |
23A lie is a foul blot in a man, yet it is constantly on the lips of the unruly. |
| 24有人因害羞而損害自己，因愚昧的顧慮而犧牲自己，因顧及情面而使自己喪亡。 |
24Better a thief than an inveterate liar, yet both will suffer disgrace; |
| 25有人因害羞而對朋友應許過甚，無故使他成了仇人。 |
25A liar's way leads to dishonor, his shame remains ever with him. |
| 26謊言為人是一種可惡的污點，然而常在無知人的口裏。 |
26 A wise man advances himself by his words, a prudent man pleases the great. |
| 27盜賊也比一個常說謊的人好，但是這兩等人將承受的，都是滅亡。 |
27He who works his land has abundant crops, he who pleases the great is pardoned his faults. |
| 28說謊人的品行，是不光彩的，恥辱常在他們身上。 |
28Favors and gifts blind the eyes; like a muzzle over the mouth they silence reproof. |
| 29智慧人在言談上，必增高自己的身價；明智人，會使偉人喜悅。 |
29Hidden wisdom and unseen treasure-- of what value is either? |
| 30耕種田地的，必使自己的收穫堆積如山；行正義的，必被舉揚；使偉人喜悅的，過錯必蒙寬恕。 |
30Better the man who hides his folly than the one who hides his wisdom. |
| 31贈品與禮物昏迷明智人的眼目，就如口罩阻止責斥。 |
31 |
| 32隱藏的智慧和埋藏的寶貝，二者究竟有什麼用？ |
32 |
| 33隱瞞自己糊塗的人，比隱瞞自己智慧的人還好。 |
33 |
