戚继光父教子“勿虚荣”成大器（中英文）

戚景通老年得子，56岁时才有了戚继光，对其非常疼爱，除了亲手教他读书习武，对戚继光的品行修养要求十分严格。

戚继光13岁那年，有一天穿了一双考究的丝履，心里觉得很舒服，不免在庭前多走了几个来回。结果被父亲看见了，戚景通把他叫到书房，十分生气地训斥说：“穿上好的鞋子必定还想穿好的衣服，穿上好的衣服必定还想吃好的东西。你小小年纪就想吃好穿好，将来就会贪得无厌，长大后就会去追求锦衣肉食，要是做军官司，说不定还会侵吞士兵的粮饷。像这样下去，你就难以继承父辈的事业了。”后来虽知道了这双丝履是外祖父送的，但戚景通还是让儿子把丝履脱下来，当即撕裂，以免他自幼养成奢侈的坏习惯。

有一年，戚家的十几间茅屋由于年久失修，已经破败不堪。有一年，戚家的十几间茅屋由于年久失修，已经破败不堪。戚景通请来几名工匠要翻修一下。戚景通请来几名工匠要翻修一下。为了能有一个接待朝廷命官的象样场所，他叫工匠在正厅安设四扇雕花门，让戚继光负责监工。为了能有一个接待朝廷命官的像样场所，他叫工匠在正厅安设四扇雕花门，让戚继光负责监工。

被请来的几名工匠认为戚家是名门望族，只安设四扇雕花门不免显得小气了点，就私下里对戚继光说：“公子家是将门，家大业大，应当里外门户都设雕花的，一共十二扇，这才和公子家的声望相配。”戚继光觉得有理，就向父亲提出了这个建议。

戚景通严厉斥责了他这种图虚荣、讲排场的想法，并告诫他：从小贪图虚荣，长大就不能做大事。戚继光接受了父亲的批评，领着工匠，就安了四扇雕花门。

戚景通还教育戚继光，读书习武的目的并不是为了去追求个人的功名富贵，而是要利国利民，学习“忠、孝、廉、节”等道德品行的修养。

戚继光在父亲的言传身教下，一生只求安饱，笃志读书，苦习武艺，后来终于成为明代抗倭名将、杰出的军事家，名载青史。

炫耀、沉迷、执着于自身的外表、学识、作用、财产、成就等，以此渴求他人的吹捧、表扬或赞美，这就是虚荣心。虚荣心的根源无非是为私为我，这必将消磨大志，难成大器。如果被这一虚幻的荣耀所奴役，为它去拼夺争抢，甚者伤人害己，这才是可悲的。

译英：

Qi Jiguang was born when his father, Qi Jingtong, was at the age of 56, a relatively old age. Jiguang was the only son in the family and the father loved the child dearly. He personally taught Qi Jiguang to read books and to practice martial arts. However, he was very strict with Qi Jiguang's moral character and conduct.

One day, when Qi Jiguang was 13, he wore a pair of well-made silk shoes. He felt very happy about them, and walked back and forth in the courtyard. This was seen by his father. His father called him into the reading room and scolded him angrily, "Once you have good shoes, you will naturally dream about wearing good clothes. Once you have good clothes, you will naturally dream about eating good food. At such a young age, you have developed the mentality of enjoying good food and good clothing. You will have insatiable greed in the future. When you grow up, you will pursue delicious food and beautiful clothes. If you were to be a military officer, you would even embezzle soldiers' salaries. If you continue to be like this, it will be impossible for you to succeed in the undertaking of your elders."

Qi Jingtong learned that the silk shoes were a gift from Qi Jiguang's maternal grandfather. However, he still ordered Jiguang to take off the shoes, and he instantly tore them into pieces to prevent Jiguang from developing the bad habit of indulging in luxury.

At one time, the Qi family needed to renovate over a dozen of their rooms that were in very poor shape. Qi Jingtong hired several artisans to perform the job. Because the family would need a presentable place to host officials from the royal court, he asked the artisans to install four carved flowery doors in the main hall, and Qi Jiguang oversaw the installation.

The artisans regarded the Qi family as one of nobility and thought that it would look too frugal if there were only four carved doors. They talked to Qi Jiguang privately, "Your elders are generals. For such a noble and wealthy family, all doors throughout the house should be carved, flowery doors, which would be twelve such doors in total. Only this grade of setting will match the social status of your family." Qi Jiguang thought their suggestion was reasonable and brought it up to his father.

Qi Jingtong scolded Qi Jiguang seriously for his extravagant and ostentatious idea. He cautioned Qi Jiguang, "If you pursue and indulge yourself in vanity, you won't be able to achieve great things when you grow up." Qi Jiguang accepted his father's criticism and told the artisan to install only four carved doors.

Qi Jingtong also taught Qi Jiguang that the purpose of studying liberal arts and practicing martial arts was not to pursue personal fame, personal achievement or personal wealth. Instead, it was for the well-being of the nation, the society and the people. Therefore , we must pay attention to the moral character of "loyalty, respecting parents, incorruptness, and integrity" to nurture ourselves.

With this teaching, discipline from his father as well as learning from his father's exemplary conduct, Qi Jiguang sought no extravagance and felt content with moderate food. He was diligent and earnest in his studies and practice of martial arts. Later, he became a famous general as well as an outstanding strategist of the Ming Dynasty, and fought against the invading minorities. He therefore had his name imprinted in Chinese history.

He had learned that flaunting, indulgence, attachment to one's own appearance, acquiring wealth, achievements and status - these attachments aim at seeking other people's flattery and praise, and are all manifestations of vanity. The root of vanity is the attachment to one's ego. It will definitely ruin one's noble aspiration, and this person is doomed to fail in major undertakings. If one is enthralled by such illusive honor and is prompted by such mentality, fights with or even harm others, it is most lamentable.