玩物丧志
Folly of the Senses
While many Chinese people love hobbies, it is a cherished notion that it is best to distance oneself from any indulgence that interferes with one's career pursuits.
虽然许多中国人都有爱好，但一个非常重要的观念是：最好远离任何干扰职业追求的放纵。
The principle is best expressed in a 3,000-year-old Chinese saying Wan Wu Sang Zhi or “indulging in a hobby saps one is will.”
这个道理可以用 3000 年前的一句中国谚语来表达，即“玩物丧志”或“沉迷于爱好，会消磨人的意志”。
The saying was coined by an aide to the first ruler of the Western Zhou Dynasty (11th century-770 BC), which was established after the downfall of the Shang Dynasty (16th century-11th century BC).
这句话是由商朝（公元前16世纪-公元前11世纪）灭亡后建立的西周（公元前11世纪-公元前770年）的第一任统治者的助手创造的。
The collapse of the Shang Dynasty was caused by the corruption of King Zhou, the last ruler of the regime.
商朝的灭亡是由最后一个统治者商纣王的腐败造成的。
Zhou was a notorious tyrant who indulged himself in material pleasures. He boasted a huge collection of precious stones, pearls and exotic plants, as well as rare birds and animals.
纣王是一个臭名昭著的暴君，沉迷于物质享乐。他拥有大量的宝石、珍珠和奇花异草，以及珍稀鸟类和动物。
He squandered tons of treasury gold on the construction of grandiose palaces and gardens where he spent most of his time playing with his hundreds of concubines and maids of honor.
他在建造宏伟的宫殿和花园时浪费了大量的国库黄金，大部分时间都在这些地方与数百名妃子和宫女玩耍。
He was so preoccupied with trivial and sensual pursuits that he almost totally ignored his duties as the head of state.
他沉醉于物欲的追求，几乎完全忽视了他作为国家元首的职责。
So, Zhou was hated by both his aides and people. Eventually, his regime was overthrown and he burned himself to death.
因此，纣王被他的助手和人民所憎恨。最终，他的政权被推翻，他自焚身亡。
After ascending the throne, King Wu, the new ruler of the Western Zhou Dynasty, found his palace inundated with priceless gifts presented by small neighboring kingdoms. Many of the gifts were very attractive.
西周新统治者武王即位后，发现他的宫殿里充斥着邻国小国赠送的无价礼物。许多礼物非常吸引人。
One of the new ruler’s aides feared King Wu might follow the same disastrous course as the ruler of the previous dynasty. So, one day he came to see King Wu and reminded him of the failure of his predecessor.
新统治者的一位助手担心武王可能会走上与前朝统治者一样的灾难性道路。于是，有一天他来见武王，提醒他前任的失败。
He said indulging in material pleasures or hobbies would sap the king's will to lead his state and people to prosperity. So, he persuaded the ruler to distance himself from any kind of indulgences.
他说沉迷于物质享受或爱好会削弱国王带领国家和人民走向繁荣的意志。因此，他说服统治者远离任何形式的放纵。
The phrase Wan Wu Sang Zhi cited by the official to promote moderation is still popular today.
这个典故中的成语“玩物丧志”提倡中庸之道，至今仍在流行。
lt is often used to warn people that too much attention to extracurricular activities will soften one’s determination to achieve more important goals in life.
它经常被用来警告人们，过多地关注生活或工作之外的业余活动会削弱一个人实现生活中更重要目标的决心和意志。
文本来源《Chinese Idioms and their Stories》
Vocabulary
1. cherish /ˈtʃerɪʃ/ v. 珍视，珍爱；怀念（过去），抱有（希望）
2. establish /ɪˈstæblɪʃ/ v. 建立，设立；证实，确定；发现，找出
3. squander /ˈskwɑːndər/ v. 浪费，挥霍（金钱、时间等）；失去（机会）
4. regime /reɪˈʒiːm/ n. （尤指独裁的）政府，政权
5. preoccupy /priˈɑːkjupaɪ/ v. 使全神贯注，占据（某人的思想）；提前占据
Translation
他时常告诫过分沉迷于电玩的年轻人，勿玩物丧志而自毁前程
He often warns young people who are too addicted to video games not to play with things and destroy their future.
Hobby
What do you think of turning hobby into career?