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

The Master said, Gentlemen unite, but are not the same. Small men are all the same, but each for himself.

16. 葉公問政。子曰:「近者說,遠者來。」

The Duke of She asked, What is kingcraft? The Master answered, For those near us to be happy and those far off to come.

17. 子夏為莒父宰問政。子曰:「無欲速,無見小利。欲速則不達,見小利則大事不成 。」

When he was governor of Chü-fu, Tzu-hsia asked how to rule. The Master said, Be not eager for haste; look not for small gains. Nothing done in haste is thorough, and looking for small gains big things are left undone.

18. 葉公語孔子曰:「吾黨有直躬者,其父攘羊而子證之。」孔子曰:「吾黨之直者異於 是,父為子隱,子為父隱,直在其中矣。」

The Duke of She told Confucius, Among the upright men of my clan if the father steals a sheep his son bears witness. Confucius answered, Our clan's uprightness is unlike that. The father screens his son and the son screens his father. There is uprightness in this.

19. 樊遲問仁。子曰:「居處恭,執事敬,與人忠,雖之夷狄,不可棄也。」

Fan Ch'ih asked, What is love? The Master said, To be humble at home, earnest at work, and faithful to all. Even among wild tribes none of this must be dropped.

20. 子貢問曰:「何如斯可謂之士矣?」子曰:「行己有恥,使於四方,不辱君命,可謂 士矣。」曰:「敢問其次?」曰:「宗族稱孝焉,鄉黨稱弟焉。」曰:「敢問其次?」曰:「言必信,行必果;硜硜然,小人哉!抑亦可以為次矣。」曰:「今之從政者何如?」子曰:「噫!斗筲之人,何足算也!」

Tzu-kung asked, What is it that we call knighthood? The Master said, To be called a knight, a man must be shame fast in all that he does, if he is sent to the four corners of the earth he must not disgrace his lord's commands. May I ask who would come next? He that his clansmen call a good son and his neighbours call modest. And who would come next? A man that clings to his word and sticks to his course, a flinty little fellow, would perhaps come next. And how are the crown servants of to-day? What! The weights and measures men! said the Master. Are they worth reckoning?

21. 子曰:「不得中行而與之,必也狂狷乎?狂者進取,狷者有所不為也。」

The Master said, As I cannot get men of the middle way I have to fall back on zealous and austere men. Zealous men push ahead and take things up, and there are things that austere men will not do.

22.子曰:「南人有言曰:『人而無恒,不可以作巫醫。』善夫!『不恒其德,或承之羞。』」子曰:「不占而已矣。」

The Master said, The men of the south have a saying, 'Unless he is stable a man will make neither a wizard nor a leech.' This is true. 'His instability of mind may disgrace him.' The Master said, Neglect of the omens, that is all.

23. 子曰:「君子和而不同,小人同而不和。」

The Master said, Gentlemen unite, but are not the same. Small men are all the same, but each for himself.

24. 子貢問曰:「鄉人皆好之,何如?」子曰:「未可也。」「鄉人皆惡之,何如?」子 曰:「未可也。不如鄉人之善者好之,其不善者惡之。」

Tzu-kung said, If the whole countryside loved a man, how would that be? It would not do, said the Master. And how would it be, if the whole countryside hated him? It would not do, said the Master. It would be better if all the good men of the countryside loved him and all the bad men hated him.

25. 子曰:「君子易事而難說也,說之不以道,不說也,及其使人也,器之。小人難事而 易說也,說之雖不以道,說也,及其使人也,求備焉。」

The Master said, A gentleman is easy to serve and hard to please. If we go from the Way to please him, he is not pleased; but his commands are measured to the man. A small man is hard to serve and easy to please. Though we go from the Way to please him, he is pleased; but he expects everything of his men.

26. 子曰:「君子泰而不驕,小人驕而不泰。」

The Master said, A gentleman is high-minded, not proud; the small man is proud, but not high-minded.

27. 子曰:「剛毅木訥,近仁。」

The Master said, Strength and courage, simplicity and modesty are akin to love.

28. 子路問曰:「何如斯可謂之士矣?」子曰:「切切偲偲,怡怡如也,可謂士矣。朋友 切切偲偲,兄弟怡怡。」

Tzu-lu asked, When can a man be called a knight? The Master said, To be earnest, encouraging and kind may be called knighthood: earnest and encouraging with his friends, and kind to his brothers.

29. 子曰:「善人教民七年,亦可以即戎矣。」

The Master said, If a good man taught the people for seven years, they would be fit to bear arms too.

30. 子曰:「以不教民戰,是謂棄之。」

The Master said, To take untaught men to war is called throwing them away.

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

The Master said, the man of upright life is obeyed before he speaks; commands even go unheeded when the life is crooked.

子路第十三

BOOK XIII

1. 子路問「政」。子曰:「先之,勞之。」請益。曰:「無倦。」

Tzu-lu asked how to rule. The Master said, Go before; work hard. When asked to say more, he said, Never flag.

2. 仲弓為季氏宰,問「政」。子曰:「先有司,赦小過,舉賢才。」曰:「焉知賢才而 舉之?」曰:「舉爾所知,爾所不知,人其舍諸!」

When he was steward of the Chi, Chung-kung asked how to rule. The Master said, Let officers act first; overlook small faults, lift up brains and worth. Chung-kung said, How shall I get to know brains and worth to lift them up? Lift up those thou dost know, said the Master; and those thou dost not know, will other men pass by?

3. 子路曰:「衛君待子而為政,子將奚先?」子曰:「必也正名乎!」子路曰:「有是 哉?子之迂也!奚其正?」子曰:「野哉,由也!君子於其所不知,蓋闕如也。名不正,則言不順;言不順,則事不成;事不成,則禮樂不興;禮樂不興,則刑罰不中;刑罰不中,則民無所措手足。故君子名之必可言也,言之必可行也。君子於其言,無所茍而已矣!」

Tzu-lu said, The lord of Wei waits for you, Sir, to govern. How shall ye begin? Surely, said the Master, by putting names right. Indeed, said Tzu-lu, that is far-fetched, Sir. Why put them right? What a savage Yu is! said the Master. A gentleman is tongue-tied when he does not understand. If names are not right, words do not fit. If words do not fit, affairs go wrong. If affairs go wrong, neither courtesy nor music thrive. If courtesy and music do not thrive, law and justice fail. And if law and justice fail them, the people can move neither hand nor foot. So a gentleman must be ready to put names into speech and words into deed. A gentleman is nowise careless of his words.

4. 樊遲請學稼,子曰:「吾不如老農。」請學為圃,曰:「吾不如老圃。」樊遲出, 子曰:「小人哉,樊須也!上好禮,則民莫敢不敬;上好義,則民莫敢不服;上好信,則民莫敢不用情。夫如是,則四方之民,襁負其子而至矣;焉用稼!」

Fan Ch'ih asked to be taught husbandry. The Master said. An old husbandman knows more than I do. He asked to be taught gardening. The Master said. An old gardener knows more than I do. After Fan Ch'ih had gone, the Master said, How small a man! If those above love courtesy, no one will dare to slight them; if they love right, no one will dare to disobey; if they love truth, no one will dare to hide the heart. Then, from the four corners of the earth, folk will gather with their children on their backs; and what need will there be for husbandry?

5. 子曰:「誦詩三百,授之以政,不達;使於四方,不能專對。雖多,亦奚以為?」

The Master said, Though a man have conned three hundred poems, if he stands helpless when put to govern, if he cannot answer for himself when he is sent to the four corners of the earth, many as they are, what have they done for him?

6. 子曰:「其身正,不令而行;其身不正,雖令不從。」

The Master said, The man of upright life is obeyed before he speaks; commands even go unheeded when the life is crooked.

7. 子曰:「魯衛之政,兄弟也。」

The Master said, The governments of Lu and Wei are brothers.

8. 子謂衛公子荊善居室:「始有,曰『苟合矣』;少有,曰『苟完矣』;富有,曰『苟 美矣。』」

Speaking of Ching, of the ducal house of Wei, the Master said, He was wise in his private life. When he had begun to save, he said, This seems enough. When he grew better off, he said, This seems plenty. When he had grown rich, he said. This seems splendour.

9. 子適衛,冉有僕。子曰:「庶矣哉!」冉有曰:「既庶矣,又何加焉?」曰:「富之 。」曰:「既富矣,又何加焉?」曰:「教之。」

When Jan Yu was driving him to Wei, the Master said. What numbers! Jan Yu said, Since numbers are here, what next is needed? Wealth, said the Master. And what comes next after wealth? Teaching, said the Master.

10. 子曰:「苟有用我者,期月而已可也,三年有成。」

The Master said, If I were employed for a twelve-month, much could be done. In three years all would be ended.

11. 子曰:「『善人為邦百年,亦可以勝殘去殺矣。』誠哉是言也!」

The Master said, If good men were to govern a land for an hundred years, cruelty would be conquered and putting to death done away with. How true are these words!

12. 子曰:「如有王者,必世而後仁。」

The Master said, Even if a king were to govern, a lifetime would pass before love dawned!

13. 子曰:「苟正其身矣,於從政乎何有?不能正其身,如正人何?」

The Master said, What is governing to a man that can rule himself? If he cannot rule himself, how shall he rule others?

14. 冉子退朝,子曰:「何晏也?」對曰:「有政。」子曰:「其事也!如有政,雖不 吾以,吾其與聞之!」

As the disciple Jan came back from court, the Master said to him. Why so late? I had business of state, he answered. Household business, said the Master. If it had been business of state, though I am out of office, I should have heard of it.

15. 定公問:「一言而可以興邦,有諸?」孔子對曰:「言不可以若是其幾也!人之言曰 :『為君難,為臣不易。』如知為君之難也,不幾乎一言而興邦乎?」曰:「一言而喪邦,有諸?」孔子對曰:「言不可以若是其幾也!人之言曰:『予無樂乎為君,唯其言而莫予違也。』如其善而莫之違也,不亦善乎?如不善而莫之違也,不幾乎一言而喪邦乎?」

Duke Ting asked, Is there any one saying that can bless a kingdom? Confucius answered, That is more than words can do. But men have a saying, To be lord is hard and to be minister is not easy. And if one knew how hard it is to be lord, might not this one saying almost bless a kingdom? And is there any one saying that can wreck a kingdom? That is more than words can do, Confucius answered. But men have a saying, My only delight in being lord is that no one withstands what I say. Now if what he says is good, and no one withstands him, is not that good too? But if it is not good, and no one withstands him, might not this one saying almost wreck a kingdom?