Confucian Analects Book VII Part 2 (孔夫子論語: 述而第七 第二部份)

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

The Master said, How dare I lay claim to holiness or love? A man of endless craving, who never tires of teaching, I might be called, but that is all.

21. 子曰：「三人行，必有我師焉：擇其善者而從之，其不善者而改之。」

The Master said, Walking three together I am sure of teachers. I pick out the good and follow it; I see the bad and shun it.

22. 子曰：「天生德於予，桓魋其如予何？」

The Master said, Heaven begat the mind in me; what can Huan T'ui do to me?

23. 子曰：「二三子以我為隱乎？吾無隱乎爾。吾無行而不與二三子者，是丘也。」

The Master said, My two-three boys, do ye think I hide things? I hide nothing from you. I am a man that keeps none of his doings from his two-three boys.

24. 子以四教：文，行，忠，信。

The Master taught four things: art, conduct, faithfulness and truth.

25. 子曰：「聖人，吾不得而見之矣，得見君子者，斯可矣。」子曰：「善人，吾不得而 見之矣，得見有恒者，斯可矣。亡而為有，虛而為盈，約而為泰，難乎有恒矣。」

The Master said, A holy man I shall not live to see; enough could I find a gentleman! A good man I shall not live to see; enough could I find a steadfast one! But when nothing poses as something, cloud as substance and want as riches, it is hard indeed to be steadfast!

26. 子釣而不綱，弋不射宿。

The Master angled, but he did not fish with a net; he shot, but not at birds sitting.

27. 子曰：「蓋有不知而作之者，我無是也。多聞，擇其善者而從之。多見而識之，知 之次 也。」

The Master said, There may be men that do things without knowing why. I do not. To hear much, pick out the good and follow it; to see much and think it over; this comes next to wisdom.

28. 互鄉難與言，童子見，門人惑。子曰：「與其進也，不與其退也，唯何甚？人潔己以 進，與其潔也，不保其往也。」

To talk to the Hu village was hard. When a lad was seen by the Master, the disciples doubted.
The Master said, I allow his coming, not what he does later. Why be so harsh? If a man cleans himself to come in, I admit his cleanness, but do not warrant his past.

29. 子曰：「仁遠乎哉？我欲仁，斯仁至矣。」

The Master said, Is love so far a thing? I long for love, and lo! love is come.

30. 陳司敗問昭公知禮乎，孔子曰：「知禮。」孔子退，揖巫馬期而進之曰：「吾聞君子 不黨，君子亦黨乎？君取於吳，為同姓，謂之吳孟子。君而知禮，孰不知禮？」巫馬期以告。子曰：「丘也幸，苟有過，人必知之。」

A judge of Ch'en asked whether Duke Chao knew good form.
Confucius answered, He knew good form.
After Confucius had left, the judge beckoned Wu-ma Ch'i to him, and said, I had heard that gentlemen are of no party, but do they, too, take sides? This lord married a Wu, whose name was the same as his, and called her Miss Tzu of Wu: if he knew good form, who does not know good form?
When Wu-ma Ch'i told the Master this he said, How lucky I am! If I go wrong, men are sure to know it!

31. 子與人歌而善，必使反之，而後和之。

When anyone sang to the Master, and sang well, he made him sing it again and joined in.

32. 子曰：「文，莫吾猶人也。躬行君子，則吾未之有得。」

The Master said, I have no more reading than others; to live as a gentleman is not yet mine.

33. 子曰：「若聖與仁，則吾豈敢？抑為之不厭，誨人不倦，則可謂云爾已矣。」公西華 曰：「正唯弟子不能學也。」

The Master said, How dare I lay claim to holiness or love? A man of endless craving, who never tires of teaching, I might be called, but that is all.
That is just what we disciples cannot learn, said Kung-hsi Hua.

34. 子疾病，子路請禱。子曰：「有諸？」子路對曰：「有之。誄曰：『禱爾于上下神祗 』」子曰：「丘之禱久矣。」

When the Master was very ill, Tzu-lu asked leave to pray.
Is it done? said the Master.
It is, answered Tzu-lu. The Memorials say, Pray to the spirits above and to the Earth below.
The Master said, Long-lasting has my prayer been.

35. 子曰：「奢則不孫，儉則固。與其不孫也，寧固。」

The Master said, Waste makes men unruly, thrift makes them mean; but they are better mean than unruly.

36. 子曰：「君子坦蕩蕩，小人長戚戚。」

The Master said, A gentleman is calm and spacious; the small man is always fretting.

37. 子溫而厲，威而不猛，恭而安。

The Master's manner was warm yet dignified. He was stern, but not fierce; humble, yet easy.