固、直、空、貞｜tOUGH, sTRAIGHT, hOLLOW, fAITHFUL

固、直、空、貞｜tOUGH, sTRAIGHT, hOLLOW, fAITHFUL

自古，竹子已常常被人們比喻成君子。
Bamboo has always been likened to real man by people since ancient times.

白居易（七七二年至八四六年 ，唐代著名詩人、
文學家及政府官員）－《養竹記》首段：
Bai Juyi (772-846, famous Tang Dynasty poet, 
litterateur and government official) – first paragraph of “Story of planting bamboo”:

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竹似賢，何哉？
Bamboo is like sage, why?

竹本[固₁]，固以樹德；君子見其本則思建善不拔者。
竹性[直₂]，直以立身；君子見其性則思中立不倚者。
竹心[空₃]，空以體道；君子見其心則思應用虛受者。
竹節[貞₄]，貞以立志；君子見其節則思砥礪名行，夷險一致者。
Roots of Bamboo are very [tOUGH₁], toughness helps to build strong (moral) character; real man sees its roots, will think of the person who is strong-willed.
Bamboo naturally grows [sTRAIGHT₂], straightness helps to stand upright; real man sees its straightness, will think of the person who is honorable and impartial.
Bamboo is naturally [hOLLOW₃], hollowness helps to realize (learning) “Tao (moral)”; real man sees its hollowness, will think of the person who is humble and willing to learn.
Nodes of bamboo are very [fAITHFUL₄], faithfulness helps to aspire; real man sees its nodes, will think of the person who is honing his reputation and character, and keeping his principle even in the times of integrity or adversity.

夫如是，故君子人多樹之為庭實焉。
Hence, real men mostly like planting bamboos in order to enrich their gardens.
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