Tao Te Ching Chapter 12

The Original Chinese Text

五色令人目盲；五音令人耳聋；五味令人口爽；驰骋畋猎，令人心发狂；难得之货，令人行妨。是以圣人为腹不为目，故去彼取此。

Colour's five hues from the eyes their sight will take;
Music's five notes the ears as deaf can make;
The flavours five deprive the mouth of taste;
The chariot course, and the wild hunting waste,
Make mad the mind; and objects rare and strange,
Sought for, men's conduct will to evil change.
Therefore the sage seeks to satisfy (the craving of) thebelly, and not the (insatiable longing of the) eyes. He puts from him the latter, and prefers to seek the former.

【译文】过多的色彩使人眼花缭乱，多种的音响混杂使人听觉不敏，各种味道混杂一起使人口味败坏，频繁的纵马狩猎使人心智狂躁，珍贵稀有的货物使人行为有害。所以，圣人会引导百姓只求填饱肚腹而不去追求声色物欲，因此去除声色物欲而保持平静温饱的生活。

Excessive colors can dazzle the eyes. A jumble of various sounds can dull the ears. A mixture of all kinds of flavors can spoil the taste buds. Frequent horseback hunting can make the mind manic, and precious and rare goods can lead people to act harmfully. Therefore, the sages guide the people to merely satisfy their hunger rather than pursue the desires for sounds, sights, and material possessions. Thus, they eliminate such desires and maintain a peaceful and adequately fed life.