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

The Master said, I hate those that take spying for wisdom, who take want of manners for courage, and take tale-telling for honesty.

陽貨第十七

BOOK XVII

17. 子曰:「巧言令色鮮矣仁。」

The Master said, Smooth words and fawning looks are seldom found with love.

18. 子曰:「惡紫之奪朱也,惡鄭聲之亂雅樂也,惡利口之覆邦家者。」

The Master said, I hate the ousting of scarlet by purple. I hate the strains of Cheng, confounders of sweet music. I hate a sharp tongue, the ruin of kingdom and home.

19. 子曰:「予欲無言!」子貢曰:「子如不言,則小子何述焉?」子曰:「天何言哉! 四時行焉,百物生焉,天何言哉?」

The Master said, I wish no word were spoken! Tzu-kung said, Sir, if ye said no word, what could your little children write? The Master said, What are the words of Heaven? The four seasons pass, the hundred things bear life. What are the words of Heaven?

20. 孺悲欲見孔子,孔子辭以疾,將命者出戶,取瑟而歌,使之聞之。

Ju Pei wished to see Confucius. Confucius pleaded sickness; but, as the messenger left his door, he took a lute and sang, so the messenger should hear.

21. 宰我問:「三年之喪,期已久矣!君子三年不為禮,禮必壞;三年不為樂,樂必崩。 舊穀既沒,新穀既升;鑽燧改火,期可已矣。」子曰:「食夫稻,衣夫錦,於女安乎?」曰:「安!」「女安則為之。夫君子之居喪,食旨不甘,聞樂不樂,居處不安,故不為也。今女安,則為之。」宰我出。子曰:「予之不仁也!子生三年,然後免於父母之懷。夫三年之喪,天下之通喪也;予也,有三年之愛於其父母乎?」

Tsai Wo asked about mourning for three years. He thought that one was enough. If for three years gentlemen forsake courtesy, courtesy must suffer. If for three years they forsake music, music must decay. The old grain passes, the new grain sprouts, the round of woods for the fire-drill is ended in one year. The Master said, Feeding on rice, clad in brocade, couldst thou be at rest? I could, he answered. Then do what gives thee rest. But a gentleman, when he is mourning, has no taste for sweets and no ear for music; he cannot rest in his home. So he gives these up. Now, they give thee rest; then keep them. After Tsai Wo had gone, the Master said, Yü's want of love! At the age of three a child first leaves the arms of his father and mother, and mourning lasts for three years everywhere below heaven. But did Yü have for three years the love of his father and mother?

22. 子曰:「飽食終日,無所用心,難矣哉!不有博弈者乎?為之猶賢乎已!」

The Master said, It is hard indeed when a man eats his fill all day, and has nothing to task the mind! Could he not play at chequers? Even that were better.

23. 子路曰:「君子尚勇乎?」子曰:「君子義以為上。君子有勇而無義為亂,小人有勇 而無義為盜。」

Tzu-lu said, Do gentlemen honour daring? They put right higher, said the Master. With daring and no sense of right gentlemen turn rebels and small men turn robbers.

24. 子貢曰:「君子亦有惡乎?」子曰:「有惡。惡稱人之惡者,惡居下流而訕上者,惡 勇而無禮者,惡果敢而窒者。」曰:「賜也亦有惡乎?」「惡徼以為知者,惡不孫以為勇者,惡訐以為直者。」

Tzu-kung said, Do gentlemen hate too? They do, said the Master. They hate the sounding of evil deeds; they hate men of low estate that slander those over them; they hate daring without courtesy; they hate men that are stout and fearless, but blind. And Tz'u, he said, dost thou hate too? I hate those that take spying for wisdom, who take want of manners for courage, and take tale-telling for honesty.

25. 子曰:「唯女子與小人為難養也!近之則不孫,遠之則怨。」

The Master said, Only maids and serving-lads are hard to train. If we draw near to them, they get unruly; if we hold them off, they grow spiteful.

26. 子曰:「年四十而見惡焉,其終也已。」

The Master said, When a man of forty is hated, he will be so to the end.

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

The Master said, Men of old had three failings, which have, perhaps, died out to-day. Ambitious men of old were not nice; now they are unprincipled. Stern men of old were hard; now they are quarrelsome. Ignorant men of old were straight; now they are false. That is all.

陽貨第十七

BOOK XVII

9. 子曰:「小子!何莫學夫詩?詩,可以興,可以觀,可以群,可以怨。邇之事父,遠 之事君,多識於鳥獸草木之名。」

The Master said, My little children, why do ye not learn poetry? Poetry would ripen you; teach you insight, friendliness and forbearance; show you how to serve your father at home; and teach your lord abroad; and it would teach you the names of many birds and beasts, plants and trees.

10. 子謂伯魚曰:「女為周南召南矣乎?人而不為周南,召南,其猶正牆面而立也與?」

The Master said to Po-yü, Hast thou done the Chou-nan and Shao-nan? He that has not done the Chou-nan and Shao-nan is like a man standing with his face to the wall.

11. 子曰:「禮云禮云,玉帛云乎哉?樂云樂云,鐘鼓云乎哉?」

The Master said, 'Courtesy, courtesy,' is the cry; but are jade and silk the whole of courtesy? 'Music, music,' is the cry; but are bells and drums the whole of music?

12. 子曰:「色厲而內荏,譬諸小人,其猶穿窬之盜也與。」

The Master said, Fierce looks and weakness within are like the small man, like the thief that breaks through or clambers over a wall.

13. 子曰:「鄉原,德之賊也。」

The Master said, The plain townsman is the bane of mind.

14. 子曰:「道聽而塗說,德之棄也。」

The Master said, To tell unto the dust all that we hear upon the way is to lay waste the mind.

15. 子曰:「鄙夫可與事君也與?其未得之也,患得之;既得之,患失之。苟患失之,無 所不至矣!」

The Master said, How can we serve the king with a low fellow, who is itching to get what he wants and trembling to lose what he has? This trembling to lose what he has may lead him anywhere.

16. 子曰:「古者民有三疾,今也或是之亡也。古之狂也肆,今之狂也蕩;古之矜也廉, 今之矜也忿戾;古之愚也直,今之愚也詐而已矣。」

The Master said, Men of old had three failings, which have, perhaps, died out to-day. Ambitious men of old were not nice; now they are unprincipled. Stern men of old were hard; now they are quarrelsome. Ignorant men of old were straight; now they are false. That is all.

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

Confucius said, Love is to mete out five things to all below heaven: Modesty and bounty, truth, earnestness and kindness. Modesty escapes insult: bounty wins the many; truth gains men's trust; earnestness brings success; and kindness is enough to make men work.

陽貨第十七

BOOK XVII

1. 陽貨欲見孔子,孔子不見,歸孔子豚。孔子時其亡也,而往拜之。遇諸塗。謂孔子曰: 「來!予與爾言。」曰:「懷其寶而迷其邦,可謂仁乎?」曰:「不可。」「好從事而亟失時,可謂知乎?」曰:「不可。」「日月逝矣!歲不我與!」孔子曰:「諾,吾將仕矣!」

Yang Huo wished to see Confucius. Confucius did not go to see him. He sent Confucius a sucking pig. Confucius chose a time when he was out, and went to thank him. They met on the road. He said to Confucius, Come, let us speak together. To cherish a gem, and undo the kingdom, can that be called love? It cannot, said Confucius. To love office, and miss the hour again and again, can that be called wisdom? It cannot, said Confucius. The days and months go by; the years do not wait for us. True, said Confucius; I must take office.

2. 子曰:「性相近也,習相遠也。」

The Master said, Men are near to each other by nature; the lives they lead sunder them.

3. 子曰:「唯上知與下愚不移。」

The Master said, Only the wisest and stupidest of men never change.

4. 子之武城,聞弦歌之聲,夫子莞爾而笑曰:「割雞焉用牛刀?」子游對曰:「昔者, 偃也聞諸夫子曰:『君子學道則愛人,小人學道則易使也。』」子曰:「二三子!偃之言是也,前言戲之耳!」

As the Master came to Wu-ch'eng he heard sounds of lute and song. Why use an ox-knife to kill a fowl? said the Master, with a pleased smile. Tzu-yu answered, Master, once I heard you say, A gentleman that has learnt the Way loves men; small folk that have learnt the Way are easy to rule. My two-three boys, said the Master, what Yen says is true. I spake before in play.

5. 公山弗擾以費叛,召,子欲往。子路不說,曰:「末之也已,何必公山氏之之也?」 子曰:「夫召我者,而豈徒哉?如有用我者,吾其為東周乎!」

Kung-shan Fu-jao held Pi in rebellion. He called the Master, who wished to go. Tzu-lu said in displeasure. This cannot be! why must ye go to Kung-shan? The Master said, He calls me, and would that be all? Could I not make an Eastern Chou of him that uses me?

6. 子張問「仁」於孔子。孔子曰:「能行五者於天下,為仁矣。」「請問之?」曰: 「恭、寬、信、敏、惠。恭則不侮,寬則得眾,信則人任焉,敏則有功,惠則足以使人。」

Tzu-chang asked Confucius what is love. Confucius said, Love is to mete out five things to all below heaven. May I ask what they are? Modesty and bounty, said Confucius, truth, earnestness and kindness. Modesty escapes insult: bounty wins the many; truth gains men's trust; earnestness brings success; and kindness is enough to make men work.

7. 佛肸召,子欲往。子路曰:「昔者由也聞諸夫子曰:『親於其身為不善者,君子不入 也』。佛肸以中牟畔,子之往也,如之何?」子曰:「然,有是言也。不曰堅乎?磨而不磷;不曰白乎?涅而不緇。吾豈匏瓜也哉?焉能繫而不食!」

Pi Hsi called the Master, who wished to go. Tzu-lu said, Master, I heard you say once, To men whose own life is evil, no gentleman will go. Pi Hsi holds Chung-mou in rebellion; how could ye go to him, Sir? Yes, I said so, answered the Master. But is not a thing called hard that cannot be ground thin; white, if steeping will not turn it black? And am I a gourd? Can I hang without eating?

8. 子曰:「由也,女聞六言六蔽矣乎?」對曰:「未也。」「居!吾語女。好仁不好學, 其蔽也愚;好知不好學,其蔽也蕩;好信不好學,其蔽也賊;好直不好學,其蔽也絞;好勇不好學,其蔽也亂;好剛不好學,其蔽也狂。」

The Master said, Hast thou heard the six words, Yu, and the six they sink into? \ He answered. No. Sit down, and I shall tell thee. The thirst for love, without love of learning, sinks into simpleness. Love of knowledge, without love of learning, sinks into vanity. Love of truth, without love of learning, sinks into cruelty. Love of straightness, without love of learning, sinks into rudeness. Love of daring, without love of learning, sinks into turbulence. Love of strength, without love of learning, sinks into oddity.