风俗日趋于奢淫,靡所底止 ① ,安得有敦古朴之君子,力挽江河 ② ;人心日丧其廉耻,渐至消亡,安得有讲名节之大人,光争日月。
① 靡所底止:目前尚无结束的迹象。
② 力挽江河:也即力挽狂澜。
世风正在变得越来越奢靡,且丝毫没有到头的迹象。怎么才能找到一位崇尚古代敦厚质朴美德的正人君子,来改变当下的局面并开创美好的未来?
世人正一天天丧失廉耻之心,都渐渐地变得不知廉耻起来;哪里才能找到一位重视名节的高德之士,来为芸芸众生树立一个堪与日月争辉的榜样?
The public morals are getting more and more extravagant and self-indulgent,and so far, there have been no indications that the situation will come to a stop.Under such circumstances, couldn’t it be a good luck for us to have a man with traditional integrity who is able to stem the current trend and start a new departure?
The masses are morally sinking lower day by day, and if so going on continuously they may lose the sense of dignity and shame in the end. With this in mind, how can we not expect a great man of honor and glory to come out boldly to awake the multitude and be their model as shining as the sun and moon?