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The Master said, The highest minds cleave to the Centre, the Common. They have long been rare among the people.
1. 子曰：「雍也可使南面。」仲弓問子桑伯子。子曰：「可也簡。」仲弓曰：「居敬而行 簡，以臨其民，不亦可乎？居簡而行簡，無乃大簡乎？」子曰：「雍之言然。」
The Master said, Yung might fill the seat of a prince. And might Tzu-sang Po-tzu? asked Chung-kung. Yes, said the Master; but he is slack. To be stern to himself, said Chung-kung, and slack in his claims on the people, might do; but to be slack himself and slack with others must surely be too slack. The Master said, What Yung says is true.
2. 哀公問：「弟子孰為好學？」孔子對曰：「有顏回者好學，不遷怒，不貳過。不幸短命 死矣，今也則亡，未聞好學者也。」
Duke Ai asked which disciples loved learning. Confucius answered, Yen Hui loved learning. He did not carry over anger; he made no mistake twice. Alas! his mission was short, he died. Now that he is gone, I hear of no one that loves learning.
3. 子華使於齊，冉子為其母請粟。子曰：「與之釜。」請益。曰：「與之庾。」冉子與之 粟五秉。子曰：「赤之適齊也，乘肥馬，衣輕裘。吾聞之也：君子周急不繼富。」原思為之宰，與之粟九百，辭。子曰：「毋！以與爾鄰里鄉黨乎！」
When Tzu-hua was sent to Ch'i, the disciple Jan asked for grain for his mother. The Master said, Give her six pecks. He asked for more. The Master said, Give her sixteen. Jan gave her eight hundred. The Master said, On his way to Ch'i, Ch'ih was drawn by sleek horses and clad in light furs. I have heard that gentlemen help the needy, not that they swell riches. When Yüan Ssu was made governor he was given nine hundred measures of grain, which he refused. Not so, said the Master: why not take it and give it to thy neighbours and countryfolk?
4. 子謂仲弓，曰：「犁牛之子騂且角，雖欲勿用，山川其舍諸？」
The Master said of Chung-kung, If the calf of a brindled cow be red and horned, though men be shy to offer him, will the hills and streams reject him?
5. 子曰：「回也，其心三月不違仁，其餘則日月至焉而已矣。」
The Master said, For three months together Hui's heart never sinned against love. The others may hold out for a day, or a month, but no more.
6. 季康子問：「仲由可使從政也與？」子曰：「由也果，於從政乎何有？」曰：「賜也可 使從政也與？」曰：「賜也達，於從政乎何有？」曰：「求也可使從政也與？」曰：「求也藝，於從政乎何有？」
Chi K'ang asked whether Chung-yu was fit to govern. The Master said, Yu is firm; what would governing be to him? And is Tz'u fit to govern? Tz'u is thorough; what would governing be to him? And is Ch'iu fit to govern? Ch'in is clever; what would governing be to him?
7. 季氏使閔子騫為費宰。閔子騫曰：「善為我辭焉！如有復我者，則吾必在汶上矣。」
The Chi sent to make Min Tzu-ch'ien governor of Pi. Min Tzu-ch'ien said, Make some good excuse for me. If he sends again I must be across the Wen.
8. 伯牛有疾，子問之，自牖執其手，曰：「亡之，命矣夫！斯人也，而有斯疾也！斯人 也，而有斯疾也！」
When Po-niu was ill the Master asked after him. Grasping his hand through the window, he said, He is going. It is the Bidding; but why this man of such an illness? Why this man of such an illness?
9. 子曰：「賢哉，回也！一簞食，一瓢飲，在陋巷，人不堪其憂，回也不改其樂。賢哉， 回也！」
The Master said. What a man was Hui! A bowl of rice, a gourd of water, in a low alley; man cannot bear such misery! Yet Hui never fell from mirth. What a man he was!
10. 冉求曰：「非不說子之道，力不足也。」子曰：「力不足者，中道而廢。今女畫。」
Jan Ch'iu said, It is not that I take no pleasure in the Master's Way: I want strength. The Master said, He that wants strength faints midway; but thou drawest a line.
11. 子謂子夏曰：「女為君子儒！無為小人儒！」
The Master said to Tzu-hsia, Study to be a gentleman, not as the small man studies.
12. 子游為武城宰。子曰：「女得人焉爾乎？」曰：「有澹臺滅明者，行不由徑，非公事 ，未嘗至於偃之室也。」
When Tzu-yu was governor of Wu-ch'eng, the Master said, Hast thou gotten any men? He answered, I have Tan-t'ai Mieh-ming. He will not take a short cut when walking, and he has never come to my house except on business.
13. 子曰：「孟之反不伐，奔而殿，將入門，策其馬，曰：「『非敢後也，馬不進也。』 」
The Master said, Meng Chih-fan never brags. He was covering the rear in a rout; but on coming to the gate he whipped his horse and cried, Not courage kept me behind; my horse won't go!
14. 子曰：「不有祝鮀之佞，而有宋朝之美，難乎免於今之世矣。」
The Master said, Unless we are glib as the reader T'o and fair as Chao of Sung, escape is hard in the times that be!
15. 子曰：「誰能出不由戶？何莫由斯道也？」
The Master said, Who can go out except by the door? Why is it no one keeps to the Way?
16. 子曰：「質勝文則野，文勝質則史。文質彬彬，然後君子。」
The Master said, Matter outweighing art begets roughness; art outweighing matter begets pedantry. Matter and art well blent make a gentleman.
17. 子曰：「人之生也直，罔之生也幸而免。」
The Master said, Man is born straight. If he grows crooked and yet lives, he is lucky to escape.
18. 子曰：「知之者不如好之者，好之者不如樂之者。」
The Master said, He that knows is below him that loves, and he that loves below him that delights therein.
19. 子曰：「中人以上，可以語上也；中人以下，不可以語上也。」
The Master said, To men above the common we can talk of higher things; to men below the common we must not talk of higher things.
20. 樊遲問知。子曰：「務民之義，敬鬼神而遠之，可謂知矣。」問仁。曰：「仁者先難 而後獲，可謂仁矣。」
Fan Ch'ih asked, What is wisdom? The Master said, To foster right among the people; to honour ghosts and spirits, and yet keep aloof from them, may be called wisdom. He asked, What is love? The Master said, To rank the effort above the prize may be called love.
21. 子曰：「知者樂水，仁者樂山。知者動，仁者靜。知者樂，仁者壽。」
The Master said, Wisdom delights in water; love delights in hills. Wisdom is stirring; love is quiet. Wisdom is merry; love grows old.
22. 子曰：「齊一變，至於魯；魯一變，至於道。」
The Master said, By one revolution Ch'i might grow to be Lu; by one revolution Lu might reach the Way.
23. 子曰：「觚不觚，觚哉！觚哉！」
The Master said, A drinking horn that is no horn! What a horn! What a drinking horn!
24. 宰我問曰：「仁者，雖告之曰，『井有仁焉。』其從之也？」子曰：「何為其然也？ 君子可逝也，不可陷也；可欺也，不可罔也。」
Tsai Wo said, If a man of love were told that a man is in a well, would he go in after him? The Master said, Why should he? A gentleman might be got to the well, but not trapped into it, He may be cheated, but not fooled.
25. 子曰：「君子博學於文，約之以禮，亦可以弗畔矣夫！」
The Master said, By breadth of reading and the ties of courtesy, a gentleman is kept, too, from false paths.
26. 子見南子，子路不說。夫子矢之曰：「予所否者，天厭之！天厭之！」
The Master saw Nan-tzu. Tzu-lu was displeased. The Master took an oath, saying, If I have done wrong, may Heaven forsake me, may Heaven forsake me!
27. 子曰：「中庸之為德也，其至矣乎！民鮮久矣。」
The Master said, The highest minds cleave to the Centre, the Common. They have long been rare among the people.
28. 子貢曰：「如有博施於民，而能濟眾，何如？可謂仁乎？」子曰：「何事於仁，必也 聖乎！堯舜其猶病諸！夫仁者，己欲立而立人，己欲達而達人。能近取譬，可謂仁之方也已。」
Tzu-kung said, To treat the people with bounty and help the many, how were that? Could it be called love? The Master said, What has this to do with love? Must it not be holiness? Yao and Shun still yearned for this. Seeking a foothold for self, love finds a foothold for others; seeking light for itself, it enlightens others too. To learn from the near at hand may be called the clue to love.
