蝜蝂者，善負小蟲也。行遇物，輒持取，卬其首負之。背愈重，雖困劇不止也。其背甚澀，物積因不散，卒躓仆不能起。人或憐之，為去其負。茍能行，又持取如故。又好上高，極其力不已，至墜地死。

What is that legendary Fuban?  It is a tiny insect capable of carrying things on its back. Whenever it crawls, it grabs anything it encounters at once, then raises its head and takes the stuff on its back. It will keep taking things despite the burden that has already exhausted it. Because its back is so coarse, the things on its back wont fall, but the ultimate burden makes it tumble down and unable to get up anymore. Sometimes, human beings would pity it and get rid of something from its back. Nevertheless, when the burden is released as it can move again, it will resume garnering things as usual. Furthermore, it also likes to crawl upwards; finally, the burden reaches beyond what it can bear, and Fuban falls to pieces.

今世之嗜取者，遇貨不避，以厚其室，不知為己累也，唯恐其不積。及其怠而躓也，黜棄之，遷徙之，亦以病矣。茍能起，又不艾。日思高其位，大其祿，而貪取滋甚，以近于危墜，觀前之死亡，不知戒。雖其形魁然大者也，其名人也，而智則小蟲也。亦足哀夫！

Nowadays, greedy persons for profit without an end would not let any money slip away to add up their properties, and they would never feel tired of their follies, which eventually will become their burden to bear. Not least, they worry that their accumulation of wealth is not enough. When those venal officials toppled over from their posts, they would be ousted and exiled, and the punishment would be severe for them. If they can regain the posts, they will not learn anything from their past of dishonor. All the thoughts in their mind are how to be promoted to a higher position to grab more money in more corrupt ways than before. Hence, those people walk on thin ice, yet they do not heed the jeopardy before them. Though they are human beings much bigger than Fuban in size, their intelligence is just as tiny as the small thing. So pathetic!