It means: Look at that mouse, it still has skin, how can you be a human being without dignity? If you don't have dignity as a person, you might as well die early.
From "Guo Feng·Guo Feng·Xiang Rat" by an unknown person in the Zhou Dynasty, excerpt from the original text:
Xiang Rat has skin, but humans have no manners; humans have no manners, what is the point of immortality? ?
A rat has teeth, but a human has no rest; a human has no rest, so why wait until death?
The Rat has a body, but the man is rude; the man is rude, how can he die?
Translation:
Look at that mouse, it still has skin, how can you be a human being without dignity? If you don't have dignity as a person, you might as well die early.
Look at that rat, it still has teeth, it shows that it is a man with no control over his behavior. If you don't have restraint in your life, why are you waiting to die?
Look at the mouse, it still has a body, but it is not polite as a human being. If you don't behave politely, you should die immediately without any hesitation.
Extended information
Creative background:
This is a satirical poem, and the object of satire has different opinions. Predecessors generally have two opinions on this issue: "Preface to Mao's Poems" thinks that it is a thorn in the throne that has no etiquette, Zheng Jian followed it; "Lu Shi" thinks that it is a wife admonishing her husband, Ban Gu's "White Tiger Tongyi·Admonishment Chapter" According to this statement.
The main theme of the whole poem:
This poem clearly describes a mouse, but in fact it is the ruler using hypocritical etiquette to deceive the people. The people hate it deeply, compare it to a mouse, and give it a bitter irony. The poem has three chapters, each chapter has four lines. The three chapters overlap, with rats as the inspiration, repeated analogies, and juxtaposed meanings, but each has its own emphasis. The whole article is emotionally intense and the language is sharp. It is both concentrated and exciting, which enhances the power and humor of the satire.
Source of the work:
"The Book of Songs" is the beginning of ancient Chinese poetry and the earliest collection of poetry. It collects poems from the early Western Zhou Dynasty to the middle of the Spring and Autumn Period (11th century BC to 6 BC Century), there are a total of 311 poems, 6 of which are Sheng poems, that is, they only have titles and no content, and are called the six Sheng poems (Nanmei, Baihua, Huashui, Youkang, Chongwu, and Youyi) , reflecting the social outlook of about 500 years from the beginning of the Zhou Dynasty to the late Zhou Dynasty.
The author of "The Book of Songs" is unknown, and most of it cannot be verified. It is said that it was collected by Yin Jifu and compiled by Confucius.
The Book of Songs is rich in content, reflecting labor and love, war and corvee, oppression and resistance, customs and marriage, ancestor worship and banquets, and even celestial phenomena, landforms, animals, plants and other aspects. It is a masterpiece of Zhou Dynasty A mirror of social life.
Baidu Encyclopedia - National Style, Quanfeng, Rat