事穷势蹙之人,当原其初心;功成行满之士,要观其末路。
当一个人事业受挫、处境落魄时,我们应当看他开始做事时的初心究竟是怎样的。
当一个人事业有成、功德圆满时,我们应当观察他能否将这个势头一直保持到最后。
To judge a man who has suffered failure and is now down and out, it is better to look into his original intentions at the outset.
To comment on a man who has come to a successful issue, it is better to examine if he can maintain his success to the end of his life.