《菜根谭》是明朝还初道人洪应明收集编著的儒家经典，是一部论述修养、人生、处世、出世的语录集。 其文字简炼明隽，兼采雅俗，言辞中流露出山林意趣，渗透着万物一体的世界观。开出的处世之方偏重心态和人事，悟虚妄真实之理，指出贫富、尊卑、穷达因为心念使善恶、祸福相互转换，告诫世人及时转念，戒贪少欲，取中庸之道。著作前后内容和深度有所不同，反映出了不同的阅历和境界。

《菜根谭》（文章恰好、人品本然）

文章做到极处，无有他奇，只是恰好；人品做到极处，无有他异，只是本然。

When a piece of writing reaches the acme of perfection, it is not because it contains some miraculous ingredient, but because it is written in exactly the right way. When a man refines his moral character to the point of perfection, he does so not with the aid of any magic formula, but by letting his pure inborn nature shine forth.

（保罗·怀特 译）

When a piece of writing is made to have reached the acme of perfection, what counts is not how peculiar its style appears but the right way in which it is expressed and the right extent it has attained. When a man has refined his moral standing to the loftiest realm, what deserves to be admired is not how outstanding he behaves but how exactly he acts in accord with his pure and honest inborn nature.

（周文标 译）

An excellent text is nothing particular but just appropriate. An excellent personality is nothing special but just natural.

（李兆良 译）

The acme of good writing is nothing special: it is only being just right; the acme of good character is nothing unusual: it is only being one's natural self.

（蒋坚松 译）

An essay wrought to perfection is not so remarkable as it is simply just right. Human character brought to perfection is not so unusual as it is simply innate.

（Robert Aitken & Daniel W. Y. Kwok 译）

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