嗜欲使行虧，讒諛亂正心，眾口使意回。
Predilections and desires can cause one’s behavior to fall short, flattery can throw correct thinking into disorder, and the voices of the many can cause one to lose resolve.
Deep anxiety may be produced by a moment’s carelessness; disaster may arise from minute beginnings.
憂患生於所忽，禍起於細微，污辱難湔灑，敗事不可復追，不深念遠慮，後悔當幾何。
Disgrace is difficult to wash away, and failed enterprises cannot be restored to success.
Without deep thought and extensive calculation, one cannot know how profound the regret may be that follows.
夫徼幸者，伐性之斧也；嗜欲者，逐禍之馬也；謾諛者，窮辱之舍也；取虐於人者，趨禍之路也。
Greed for petty advantage, let us note, is an ax that destroys one’s nature.
Predilections and desires are like a horse galloping toward disaster.
故曰，去徼幸，務忠信，節嗜欲，無取虐於人，則稱為君子，名聲常存。
Ill-considered speech is the habitation of destruction, and malicious treatment of others is a road leading to downfall.
Thus, it is said that one who rids himself of greed for petty advantage and places emphasis on loyalty and trustworthiness, who moderates his predilections and desires, and who avoids malicious injury to others may be pronounced a man of quality, and his good name will long endure.