HEALTH PRESERVATION (Excerpts)
庖丁為文惠君解牛，手之所觸，肩之所倚，足之所履，膝之所踦，砉然嚮然，奏刀騞然，莫不中音。合於桑林之舞，乃中經首之會。
A cook cut up an ox for Master Wenhui. He touched (the original word “breaks down” is replaced with “touches” here according to the version proofread by Guo Qingfan) the ox with his hands, leaned against the ox by his shoulder, and stepped the ox with his foot and knee. With the roars of the knife, the bones and the flesh were separated. The rhythms, smooth and coordinative, were comparable to the rhythms of “Sang Lin” and of “Jing Shou”.

　　文惠君曰：「譆，善哉！技蓋至此乎？」
Master Wenhui cclaimed: “Alas! What a spectacle! How come your skills are so immaculate?”

　　庖丁釋刀對曰：「臣之所好者道也，進乎技矣。始臣之解牛之時，所見無非全牛者。三年之後，未嘗見全牛也。方今之時，臣以神遇而不以目視，官知止而神欲行。依乎天理，批大郤，導大窾，因其固然。技經肯綮之未嘗，而況大軱乎！良庖歲更刀，割也；族庖月更刀，折也。今臣之刀十九年矣，所解數千牛矣，而刀刃若新發於硎。彼節者有閒，而刀刃者無厚；以無厚入有閒，恢恢乎其於遊刃必有餘地矣，是以十九年而刀刃若新發於硎。雖然，每至於族，吾見其難為，怵然為戒，視為止，行為遲。動刀甚微，謋然已解，如土委地。提刀而立，為之四顧，為之躊躇滿志，善刀而藏之。」
The cook put down his knife and answered: “I am interested in Tao so I can advance my skills. When I just started learning how to cut up oxen, I saw only the whole (the word ‘whole’ is added according to the version proofread by Guo Qingfan) ox. Three years later, I saw no more the whole ox. Now I see it with my mind but not my eyes. Though my senses are blocked, my senses push forward. As per the law of nature, I separate the major cracks, and follow the wide spaces. The joints in the meat are nothing difficult for me, let alone the great bones! A good chef changes his knife every year, because he cuts. A common chef changes his knife every month, because he hacks. My knife has been with me for nineteen years, having broken down thousands of oxen, but its edge is still as crisp as if it were just sharpened. There are spaces between joints, whereas the blade is extremely thin. Entering the spaciousness with a thin blade, it is no doubt that the knife can go back and forth freely in the vast space! Therefore this knife remains crisp after serving nineteen years. However, each time I come across a knotty part which is difficult to tackle, I become cautious. (On such occasions) I move my knife easily, and all at once the ox is broken down, the separated parts falling onto the ground like dusts. I straighten up with the knife in my hand, look proudly around, and pack away my knife with care.”

　　文惠君曰：「善哉！吾聞庖丁之言，得養生焉。」
MMaster Wenhui said: “Perfect! The Tao for health preservation dawned on me when I listened to his speech.”