Confucian Analects Book XI Part 2 (孔夫子論語: 先進第十一 第二部份)

Author: Confucius (孔夫子); translated by James Legge

The Master said, Commend a man for plain speaking: he may prove a gentleman, or else but seeming honest.

16. 季氏富於周公,而求也為之聚斂而附益之。子曰:「非吾徒也,小子鳴鼓而攻之可也 !」

The Chi was richer than the Duke of Chou; yet Ch'iu became his tax-gatherer and made him still richer.
He is no disciple of mine, said the Master. My little children, ye may beat your drums and make war on him.

17. 柴也愚,參也魯,師也辟,由也喭。

Ch'ai is simple, Shen is dull, Shih is smooth, Yu is coarse.

18. 子曰:「回也其庶乎!屢空,賜不受命,而貨殖焉;億則屢中。」

The Master said, Hui is almost faultless, and he is often empty. Tz'u will not bow to the Bidding, and he heaps up riches; but his views are often sound.

19. 子張問善人之道。子曰:「不踐跡,亦不入於室。」

Tzu-chang asked, What is the way of a good man?
The Master said, He does not tread the beaten track; and yet he does not enter the inner rooms.

20.子曰:「論篤是與,君子者乎?色莊者乎?」

The Master said, Commend a man for plain speaking: he may prove a gentleman, or else but seeming honest.

21. 子路問:「聞斯行諸?」子曰:「有父兄在,如之何其聞斯行之!」冉有問:「聞斯 行諸?」子曰:「聞斯行之!」公西華曰:「由也問『聞斯行諸?』,子曰:『有父兄在』;求也問,『聞斯行諸?』子曰:『聞斯行之』。赤也惑,敢問?」子曰:「求也退,故進之;由也兼人,故退之。」

Tzu-lu said, Shall I do all I am taught?
The Master said, Whilst thy father and elder brothers live, how canst thou do all thou art taught?
Jan Yu asked, Shall I do all I am taught?
The Master said, Do all thou art taught.
Kung-hsi Hua said, Yu asked, Shall I do all I am taught? and ye said, Sir, Whilst thy father and elder brothers live. Ch'iu asked, Shall I do all I am taught? and ye said, Sir, Do all thou art taught. I am in doubt, and dare to ask you, Sir.
The Master said, Ch'iu is bashful, so I egged him on; Yu is twice a man, so I held him back.

22. 子畏於匡,顏淵後。子曰:「吾以女為死矣!」曰:「子在,回何敢死!」

When the Master was in fear in K'uang, Yen Yüan fell behind.
The Master said, I held thee for dead.
He answered, Whilst my Master lives how should I dare to die?

23. 季子然問:「仲由、冉求,可謂大臣與?」子曰:「吾以子為異之問,曾由與求之問 。所謂大臣者,以道事君,不可則止;今由與求也,可謂具臣矣。」曰:「然則從之者與?」子曰:「弒父與君,亦不從也。」

Chi Tzu-jan asked whether Chung Yu or Jan Ch'iu could be called a great minister.
The Master said, I thought ye would ask me a riddle, Sir, and ye ask about Yu and Ch'iu. He that holds to the Way in serving his lord and leaves when he cannot do so, we call a great minister. Now Yu and Ch'iu I should call tools.
Who are just followers then?
Nor would they follow, said the Master, if told to kill their lord or father.

24. 子路使子羔為費宰。子曰:「賊夫人之子!」子路曰:「有民人焉,有社稷焉,何必 讀書,然後為學?」子曰:「是故惡夫佞者。」

Tzu-lu made Tzu-kao governor of Pi.
The Master said, Thou art undoing a man's son.
Tzu-lu said, What with the people and the spirits of earth and corn, must a man read books to become learned?
The Master said, This is why I hate a glib tongue.

25. 子路、曾皙、冉有、公西華侍坐。子曰:「以吾一日長乎爾,毋吾以也。居則曰:「 不吾知也!」如或知爾,則何以哉?」子路率爾而對曰:「千乘之國,攝乎大國之間,加之以師旅,因之以饑饉,由也為之,比及三年,可使有勇,且知方也。」夫子哂之。「求,爾何如?」對曰:「方六七十,如五六十,求也為之,比及三年,可使足民;如其禮樂,以俟君子。」「赤,爾何如?」對曰:「非曰能之,願學焉!宗廟之事,如會同,端章甫,願為小相焉。」「點,爾何如?」鼓瑟希,鏗爾,舍瑟而作。對曰:「異乎三子者之撰。」子曰:「何傷乎?亦各言其志也。」曰:「莫春者,春服既成;冠者五六人,童子六七人,浴乎沂,風乎舞雩,詠而歸。」夫子喟然嘆曰:「吾與點也!」三子者出,曾皙後。曾皙曰:「夫三子者之言何如?」子曰:「亦各言其志也已矣!」曰:「夫子何哂由也?」曰:「為國以禮,其言不讓,是故哂之。」「唯求則非邦也與?」「安見方六七十,如五六十,而非邦也者。」「唯赤,非邦也與?」「宗廟會同,非諸侯而何?赤也為之小,孰能為之大!」

The Master said to Tzu-lu, Tseng Hsi, Jan Yu and Kung-hsi Hua as they sat beside him, I may be a day older than you, but forget that. Ye are wont to say, I am unknown. Well, if ye were known, what would ye do?
Tzu-lu answered lightly. Give me a land of a thousand chariots, crushed between great neighbours, overrun by soldiers and searched by famine, and within three years I could put courage into it and high purpose.
The Master smiled.
What wouldst thou do, Ch'iu? he said.
He answered, Give me a land of sixty or seventy, or fifty or sixty square miles, and within three years I could give the people plenty. As for courtesy and music, they would wait the coming of a gentleman.
And what wouldst thou do, Ch'ih?
He answered, I do not speak of what I can do, but of what I should like to learn. At services in the Ancestral Temple, or at the Grand Audience, I should like to fill a small part.
And what wouldst thou do, Tien?
Tien stopped playing, pushed his still sounding lute aside, rose and answered, My choice would be unlike those of the other three.
What harm in that? said the Master. Each but spake his mind.
In the last days of spring, all clad for the springtime, with five or six young men and six or seven lads, I would bathe in the Yi, be fanned by the wind in the Rain God's glade, and go back home singing.
The Master said with a sigh, I side with Tien.
Tseng Hsi stayed after the other three had left, and said, What did ye think, Sir, of what the three disciples said?
Each but spake his mind, said the Master.
Why did ye smile at Yu, Sir?
Lands are swayed by courtesy, but what he said was not modest. That was why I smiled. Yet did not Ch'iu speak of a state? Where would sixty or seventy, or fifty or sixty, square miles be found that are not a state? And did not Ch'ih too speak of a state? Who but great vassals are there in the Ancestral Temple, or at the Grand Audience? But if Ch'ih were to take a small part, who could fill a big one?