《菜根谭》英译（富贵如火、必将自焚）

生长富贵丛中的，嗜欲如猛火，权势似烈焰。若不带些清冷气味，其火焰不至焚人，必将自烁矣。

When people grow up in the households of wealthy families, their love of luxury and covetousness are like a raging fire, and their reliance on their power is like a searing flame. If they do not temper themselves with honest and plain aspirations, the fierce fire will consume themselves, if not others as well.

（保罗·怀特 译）

Those who were born and have grown up in a clan of riches and honor are mostly like this: their desires for material gains seem as fierce as prairie fire and their lust for power and influence as scorching as raging flames. If they do not harmonize their hearts with coolness, the fire and flames may unlikely burn others, but would burn themselves for sure.

（周文标 译）

Those from rich and powerful families have habits and desires like fierce fire, and power and influence like raging flames. If those people do not cool down with some simplicity and indifference, the fire will consume them though it does not burn others.

（蒋坚松 译）

Those who grow up in a setting of riches and honor are driven by greed like a raging fire. Their power and influence blaze furiously everywhere. If they cannot cultivate feelings that are little cooler, they might not burn others, but surely they will end up incinerating themselves.

（Robert Aitken & Daniel W. Y. Kwok 译）