The Preservation of Life (2)
養生主（二）
1 Someday when Prince of Wenhui made his rounds of inspection in kitchen, he saw a cook cutting up a bullock.
有一天文惠君到廚房巡視，他看見一位廚子正在分割牛肉。
2 He detected the cook’s particular action of cutting. His hands were wielding; shoulders were moving; steps and knees were rising up and lowering down. The actions were of the harmonious rhythm of Jing Shou, something like the dance of the Mulberry Grove.
文惠君發現這位廚子割肉的姿式很特別，他手的揮舞，肩的移動，腳的步伐，以及膝蓋的起伏，都與經首之樂的節奏相吻合，有如桑村之舞。。
庖丁為文惠君解牛，手之所觸，肩之所倚，足之所履，膝之所踦，砉然響然，奏刀騞然，莫不中音，合於桑林之舞，乃中經首之會。
3 Prince of Wenhui was amazed at his actions. He never saw so graceful motions of cutting meat. Applauding, he praised, “Your skill of cutting meat is so wonderful.”
文惠君在旁看傻了，他從來沒有想過，廚子切肉的姿勢也可以這麼美。他不由的拍手叫好，並稱讚說:「你切肉的技術實在是太棒了。」
文惠君曰：「嘻，善哉！技蓋至此乎？」
4 Putting down his knife, the cook said, “Thank you for your praising. However, my cutting up the bullock depends not only on my skill but also on Tao.”
這位廚子將刀子放下回答說：「謝謝你的誇獎，不過我分割牛肉講究的不止是技術而已，我是依道而行的。
5 When I was an entrant, what I saw was a whole bullock.
當我初學時，我看見的是一整條牛。
6 After continual practice for three years, my attention is more focusing than before that I see only a given part of bullock at a time.
經過三年的不斷學習後，在專注的要求下我看的就不再是整條牛了。
庖丁釋刀對曰：「臣之所好者道也，進乎技矣。始臣之解牛之時，所見無非全牛者﹔
7 My cutting up the bullock depends on heart, not on eyes. The operation of heart is out of the control of consciousness, as somebody praises me, I can do it with closing eyes.
我分解牛時不是靠眼睛而是靠心。而心的運作也完全不受意識的控制，就像有人說的我閉著眼睛都能做。
8 The feat like shooting ball, shooting an arrow, the hands of craftsman, senior master appraising music, as well as my art of cutting meat is wholly from proficiency. Reaching this degree, you would not need to remember the principles.
這種功夫，如投籃，如射箭，如工匠之手，如老師父的聽音觀色，都是熟練使然。到達這種程度後，心中不須要再記什麼原則;
三年之后，未嘗見全牛也﹔方今之時，臣以神遇而不以目視，官知止而神欲行。依乎天理，批大卻，導大窾，因其固然。
9 What I am doing is in light of the bullock's natural structure; I slip my knife between and along the gaps of the bones, without slight touch of the muscle’s tendon, not to mention the bones.
我只是按照牛體格的自然結構，將刀遊走在骨骼縫隙之間，我甚至連肌肉的筋腱都不去碰它，更不要說骨頭了。
技經肯綮之未嘗微礙，而況大軱乎！
10 A common skillful cook wears out one knife every year. The worse one wears out it every month. The reason is that their skill of cutting is bad.
一般熟練的廚子，每年都得換一把菜刀。差一些的每個月都得換。其原因就是切割肉的技巧有問題。
11 Almost nineteen years I have used this knife. In the years I cut up thousands of bullock but it is still as a new one.
可是我這把刀己經用了十九年了; 這期間我分解的牛何止千頭，可是如今它仍然鋒利如新。
良庖歲更刀，割也﹔族庖月更刀，折也﹔今臣之刀十九年矣，所解數千牛矣，而刀刃若新發於硎。
12 The reason for keeping the edge of knife sharp is that I found the gaps between bones are broader than the edge of my knife. So it can pierce into the gaps. My knife has been kept new for nineteen years because my knife never touches bones and only goes around in the gaps.
我能長久保持刀面鋒利的原因是，我發現牛骨與牛骨之間都會有間隙，而我刀的鋒面是極薄的。薄的刀鋒剛好能穿透這樣的縫隙而有餘。就是因為我永遠在骨頭的縫隙間遊走，不碰那堅硬的骨頭，所以我的刀子用了十九年仍然完美如新。
彼節者有閒，而刀刃者無厚，以無厚入有閒，恢恢乎其於游刃必有餘地矣。
13 Not all parts of bullock are so easy to cut. I have to focus my attentions on the parts where have many entangled bones. My hands stably hold the handle of knife and turn the blade slightly until all are being cut off.
當然也不是每個地方都那麼容易處理。當我碰到多骨的部位時，我也得加倍小心，全神貫注。我的手穩定的握著刀把，輕輕地推動刀身，直到解剖完成為止。
14 Now the meat is loose like mud and goes apart from bone to fall down.
這時整塊肉像鬆脆的泥塊，分崩離柝的掉落在地上。
是以十九年而刀刃若新發於硎。雖然，每至於族，吾見其難為，怵然為戒，視為止，行為遲，動刀甚微，謋然已解，牛不知其死也，如土委地。
15 Every time I accomplish the hard work like this, I would lay down my knife and look around; at that time my heart is full of accomplishment. After work, I must clean and pack away my knife for next use.
每當我完成這樣的難題，我會放下刀子，環顧左右，心中充滿著成就感。完工後我必將刀子擦乾淨好好地收藏，以備下次使用。」
提刀而立，為之而四顧，為之躊躇滿志，善刀而藏之。」
16 Listening to the cook, Prince of Wenhui praised him very much and said, “It is wonderful! I have learned the way of regimen and the way of how to associate with people."
文惠君聽後大聲讚賞。他說: 「從你的解說裡， 我知道了如何養生處世之道，真是好極了。」
文惠君曰：「善哉！吾聞庖丁之言，得養生焉。」