Confucius (551-479 BCE), according to Chinese tradition, was a thinker, political figure, educator, and founder of the Ru School of Chinese thought. His teachings, preserved in the Lunyu or Analects, form the foundation of much of subsequent Chinese speculation on the education and comportment of the ideal man, how such an individual should live his life and interact with others, and the forms of society and government in which he should participate. Fung Yu-lan, one of the great 20thcentury authorities on the history of Chinese thought, compares Confucius’ influence in Chinese history with that of Socrates in the West.

孔子（公元前551-479），是中国传统意义上的思想家、政治家、教育家以及儒家学派的创始人。他的学说均收录在《论语》之中。孔子的思想形成了中国后来教育思想、人们完美的行为准则以及个人同他人交往的规范。在社会及政府运作中，个人的参入角色定位在《论语》中都有叙述。1920年代，中国古代思想研究的权威人士冯友兰将孔子在中国历史的影响同苏格拉底在西方的影响相提并论。

泰伯第八

『8.1』子曰：「太伯其可谓至德也已矣。三以天下让，民无得而称焉。」

The Master said, “T’ai-po may be said to have reached the highest point of virtuous action. Thrice he declined the kingdom, and the people in ignorance of his motives could not express their approbation of his conduct.”

『8.2』子曰：「恭而无礼则劳；慎而无礼则葸；勇而无礼则乱；直而无礼则绞。君子笃於亲，则民兴於仁。故旧不遗，则民不偷。」

The Master said, “Respectfulness, without the rules of propriety, becomes laborious bustle; carefulness, without the rules of propriety, becomes timidity; boldness, without the rules of propriety, becomes insubordination; straightforwardness, without the rules of propriety, becomes rudeness.

“When those who are in high stations perform well all their duties to their relations, the people are aroused to virtue. When old friends are not neglected by them, the people are preserved from meanness.”

『8.3』曾子有疾，召门弟子曰：「启予足！启予手！诗云：【战战兢兢，如临深渊，如履薄冰。】而今而後，吾知免夫！小子！」

The philosopher Tsang being ill, he cared to him the disciples of his school, and said, “Uncover my feet, uncover my hands. It is said in the Book of Poetry, ‘We should be apprehensive and cautious, as if on the brink of a deep gulf, as if treading on thin ice, I and so have I been. Now and hereafter, I know my escape from all injury to my person. O ye, my little children.”

『8.4』曾子有疾，孟敬子问之。曾子言曰：「鸟之将死，其鸣也哀；人之将死，其言也善。君子所贵乎道者三：动容貌，斯远暴慢矣；正颜色，斯近信笑；出辞气，斯远鄙倍矣。笾豆之事，则有司存。」

The philosopher Tsang being ill, Meng Chang went to ask how he was. Tsang said to him, “When a bird is about to die, its notes are mournful; when a man is about to die, his words are good.

“There are three principles of conduct which the man of high rank should consider specially important:-that in his deportment and manner he keep from violence and heedlessness; that in regulating his countenance he keep near to sincerity; and that in his words and tones he keep far from lowness and impropriety. As to such matters as attending to the sacrificial vessels, there are the proper officers for them.”

『8.5』曾子曰：「以能问於不能，以多问於寡，有若无，实若处，犯而不校，昔者吾友，尝从事於斯矣。」

The philosopher Tsang said, “Gifted with ability, and yet putting questions to those who were not so; possessed of much, and yet putting questions to those possessed of little; having, as though he had not; full, and yet counting himself as empty; offended against, and yet entering into no altercation; formerly I had a friend who pursued this style of conduct.”

『8.6』曾子曰：「可以托六尺之孤，可以寄百里之命，临大节，而不可夺也，君子人与君子人也。」

The philosopher Tsang said, “Suppose that there is an individual who can be entrusted with the charge of a young orphan prince, and can be commissioned with authority over a state of a hundred li, and whom no emergency however great can drive from his principles:-is such a man a superior man? He is a superior man indeed.”

『8.7』曾子曰：“士，不可以不弘毅，任重而道远。仁以为己任，不亦重乎，死而後已，不亦远乎。”

The philosopher Tsang said, “The officer may not be without breadth of mind and vigorous endurance. His burden is heavy and his course is long. “Perfect virtue is the burden which he considers it is his to sustain;-is it not heavy? Only with death does his course stop;-is it not long?

『8.8』子曰：“兴於诗。立於礼。成於乐。”

The Master said, “It is by the Odes that the mind is aroused.”It is by the Rules of Propriety that the character is established.”It is from Music that the finish is received.”

『8.9』子曰：“民可使由之，不可使知之。”

The Master said, “The people may be made to follow a path of action, but

they may not be made to understand it.”

『8.10』子曰：“好勇疾贫，乱也。人而不仁，疾之已甚，乱也。”

The Master said, “The man who is fond of daring and is dissatisfied with

poverty, will proceed to insubordination. So will the man who is not virtuous,

when you carry your dislike of him to an extreme.”

『8.11』子曰：“如有周公之才之美，使骄且吝，其馀不足观也已。”

The Master said, “Though a man have abilities as admirable as those of the Duke of Chau, yet if he be proud and niggardly, those other things are really not worth being looked at.”

『8.12』子曰：“三年学，不至於谷，不易得也。”

The Master said, “It is not easy to find a man who has learned for three years without coming to be good.”

『8.13』子曰：“笃信好学，守死善道。危邦不人，乱邦不居，天下有道则见，无道则隐。邦有道，贫且贱焉，耻也，邦无道，富且贵焉，耻也。”

The Master said, “With sincere faith he unites the love of learning; holding firm to death, he is perfecting the excellence of his course.”Such an one will not enter a tottering state, nor dwell in a disorganized one. When right principles of government prevail in the kingdom, he will show himself; when they are prostrated, he will keep concealed. “When a country is well governed, poverty and a mean condition are things to be ashamed of. When a country is ill governed, riches and honor are things to be ashamed of.”

『8.14』子曰：“不在其位，不谋其政。”

The Master said, “He who is not in any particular office has nothing to do with plans for the administration of its duties.”

『8.15』子曰：“师挚之始，关睢之乱，洋洋乎盈耳哉。”

The Master said, “When the music master Chih first entered on his office, the finish of the Kwan Tsu was magnificent;-how it filled the ears!”

『8.16』子曰：“狂而不直，侗而不愿，□□而不信，吾不知之矣。”

The Master said, “Ardent and yet not upright, stupid and yet not attentive; simple and yet not sincere:-such persons I do not understand.”

『8.17』子曰：“学如不及，犹恐失之。”

The Master said, “Learn as if you could not reach your object, and were always fearing also lest you should lose it.”

『8.18』子曰：“巍巍乎，舜禹之有天下也，而不与焉。”

The Master said, “How majestic was the manner in which Shun and Yu held possession of the empire, as if it were nothing to them!

『8.19』子曰：“大哉尧之为军也，巍巍乎，唯天为大，唯尧则之，荡荡乎，民无能名焉。巍巍乎，其有成功也，焕乎，其有文章。”

The Master said, “Great indeed was Yao as a sovereign! How majestic was he! It is only Heaven that is grand, and only Yao corresponded to it. How vast was his virtue! The people could find no name for it.

“How majestic was he in the works which he accomplished! How glorious in the elegant regulations which he instituted!”

『8.20』舜有臣五人，而天下治。武王曰：“予有乱臣十人。”孔子曰：“才难，不其然乎，唐虞之际，於斯为盛，有妇人焉，九人而已。三分天下有其二，以服事殷，周之德，其可谓至德也已矣。”

Shun had five ministers, and the empire was well governed.King Wu said, “I have ten able ministers.”

Confucius said, “Is not the saying that talents are difficult to find, true? Only when the dynasties of T’ang and Yu met, were they more abundant than in this of Chau, yet there was a woman among them. The able ministers were no more than nine men.”King Wan possessed two of the three parts of the empire, and with those he served the dynasty of Yin. The virtue of the house of Chau may be said to have reached the highest point indeed.”

『8.21』子曰：“禹吾无间然矣，菲饮食，而致孝乎鬼神，恶衣服，而致美乎黻冕，卑宫室，而尽力乎沟恤，禹吾无间然矣。”

The Master said, “I can find no flaw in the character of Yu. He used himself coarse food and drink, but displayed the utmost filial piety towards the spirits. His ordinary garments were poor, but he displayed the utmost elegance in his sacrificial cap and apron. He lived in a low, mean house, but expended all his strength on the ditches and water channels. I can find nothing like a flaw in Yu.”

子罕第九

『9.1』子罕言，利，与命，与仁。

The subjects of which the Master seldom spoke were-profitableness, and also the appointments of Heaven, and perfect virtue.

『9.2』达巷党人曰：“大哉孔子，搏学而无所成名。”子闻之，谓门弟子曰：“吾何执？执御乎，执射乎？吾执御矣。”

A man of the village of Ta-hsiang said, “Great indeed is the philosopher K’ung! His learning is extensive, and yet he does not render his name famous by any particular thing.”The Master heard the observation, and said to his disciples, “What shall I practice? Shall I practice charioteering, or shall I practice archery? I will practice charioteering.”

『9.3』子曰：“麻冕，礼也。今也，纯俭，吾从众。拜下，礼也。今拜乎上，泰也，虽远众，吾从下。”

The Master said, “The linen cap is that prescribed by the rules of ceremony, but now a silk one is worn. It is economical, and I follow the common practice.”The rules of ceremony prescribe the bowing below the hall, but now the practice is to bow only after ascending it. That is arrogant. I continue to bow below the hall, though I oppose the common practice.”

『9.4』子绝四，毋意，毋必，毋固，毋我。

There were four things from which the Master was entirely free. He had no foregone conclusions, no arbitrary predeterminations, no obstinacy, and no egoism.

『9.5』子畏於匡。曰：“文王既没，文不在兹乎。天之章丧斯文也。後死者不得与於斯文也。天之未丧斯文也。匡人其如予何。”

The Master was put in fear in K’wang. He said, “After the death of King Wan, was not the cause of truth lodged here in me?”If Heaven had wished to let this cause of truth perish, then I, a future mortal! should not have got such a relation to that cause. While Heaven does not let the cause of truth perish, what can the people of K’wang do to me?”

『9.6』大宰问於子贡曰：“夫子圣者与！何其多能也？”子贡曰：“固天纵之将圣，又多能也。”子闻之曰：“大宰知我乎？吾少也贱，故多能鄙事。君子多乎哉？不多也！”

A high officer asked Tsze-kung, saying, “May we not say that your Master is a sage? How various is his ability!”

Tsze-kung said, “Certainly Heaven has endowed him unlimitedly. He is about a sage. And, moreover, his ability is various.”The Master heard of the conversation and said, “Does the high officer know me? When I was young, my condition was low, and I acquired my ability in many things, but they were mean matters. Must the superior man have such variety of ability? He does not need variety of ability.

『9.7』牢曰：“子云：‘吾不试，故艺。’ ”

Lao said, “The Master said, ‘Having no official employment, I acquired many arts.'”

『9.8』子曰：「吾有知乎哉？无知也。有鄙夫问於我，空空如也；我叩其两端而竭焉。

The Master said, “Am I indeed possessed of knowledge? I am not knowing. But if a mean person, who appears quite empty-like, ask anything of me, I set it forth from one end to the other, and exhaust it.”

『9.9』子曰：“凤鸟不至，河不出图，吾已矣乎！”

The Master said, “The Fang bird does not come; the river sends forth no map:-it is all over with me!”

『9.10』子见齐衰者，冕衣裳者，与瞽者，见之虽少必作；过之必趋。

When the Master saw a person in a mourning dress, or any one with the cap and upper and lower garments of full dress, or a blind person, on observing them approaching, though they were younger than himself, he would rise up, and if he had to pass by them, he would do so hastily.

『9.11』颜渊喟然叹曰：“仰之弥高，钻之弥坚，瞻之在前，忽焉在後！夫子循循然善诱人：搏我以文，约我以礼。欲罢不能，既竭吾才，如有所立，卓尔；虽欲从之，末由也已！”

Yen Yuan, in admiration of the Master’s doctrines, sighed and said, “I looked up to them, and they seemed to become more high; I tried to penetrate them, and they seemed to become more firm; I looked at them before me, and suddenly they seemed to be behind. “The Master, by orderly method, skillfully leads men on. He enlarged my mind with learning, and taught me the restraints of propriety. “When I wish to give over the study of his doctrines, I cannot do so, and having exerted all my ability, there seems something to stand right up before me; but though I wish to follow and lay hold of it, I really find no way to do so.”

『9.12』子疾病，子路使门人为臣，病闻，曰：「久矣哉，由之行诈也！无臣而为有臣，吾谁欺？欺天乎？且予与其死於臣之手也，无甯死於二三子之手乎！且予纵不得大葬，予死於道路乎？」

The Master being very ill, Tsze-lu wished the disciples to act as ministers to him.

During a remission of his illness, he said, “Long has the conduct of Yu been deceitful! By pretending to have ministers when I have them not, whom should I impose upon? Should I impose upon Heaven?

“Moreover, than that I should die in the hands of ministers, is it not better that I should die in the hands of you, my disciples? And though I may not get a great burial, shall I die upon the road?”

『9.13』子贡曰：“有美玉於斯，韫Ｕ＋5335而藏诸？求善贾而沽诸？」子曰：「沽之哉！沽之哉！我待贾者也！”

Tsze-kung said, “There is a beautiful gem here. Should I lay it up in a case and keep it? or should I seek for a good price and sell it?” The Master said, “Sell it! Sell it! But I would wait for one to offer the price.”

『9.14』子欲居九夷。或曰：“陋，如之何？”子曰：“君子居之，何陋之有！”

The Master was wishing to go and live among the nine wild tribes of the east.

Some one said, “They are rude. How can you do such a thing?” The Master said, “If a superior man dwelt among them, what rudeness would there be?”

『9.15』子曰：“吾自卫反鲁，然後乐正，雅颂，各得其所。”

The Master said, “I returned from Wei to Lu, and then the music was reformed, and the pieces in the Royal songs and Praise songs all found their proper places.”

『9.16』子曰：“出则事公卿，入则事父兄，丧事不敢不勉，不为酒困；何有於我哉！”

The Master said, “Abroad, to serve the high ministers and nobles; at home, to serve one’s father and elder brothers; in all duties to the dead, not to dare not to exert one’s self; and not to be overcome of wine:-which one of these things do I attain to?”

『9.17』子在川上曰：“逝者如斯夫！不舍昼夜。”

The Master standing by a stream, said, “It passes on just like this, not ceasing day or night!”

『9.18』子曰：“吾未见好德，如好色者也。”

The Master said, “I have not seen one who loves virtue as he loves beauty.”

『9.19』子曰：“譬如为山，未成一篑；止，吾止也！譬如平地，虽覆一篑；进，吾往也！”

The Master said, “The prosecution of learning may be compared to what may happen in raising a mound. If there want but one basket of earth to complete the work, and I stop, the stopping is my own work. It may be compared to throwing down the earth on the level ground. Though but one basketful is thrown at a time, the advancing with it my own going forward.”

『9.20』子曰：“语之而不惰者，其回也与？”

The Master said, “Never flagging when I set forth anything to him;-ah! that is Hui.”

『9.21』子谓颜渊曰：“惜乎！吾见其进也，吾未见其止也！”

The Master said of Yen Yuan, “Alas! I saw his constant advance. I never saw him stop in his progress.”

『9.22』子曰：“苗而不秀者，有矣夫！秀而不实者，有矣夫！”

The Master said, “There are cases in which the blade springs, but the plant does not go on to flower! There are cases where it flowers but fruit is not subsequently produced!”

『9.23』子曰：“後生可畏，焉知来者之不如今也？四十五十而无闻焉，斯亦不足畏也已！”

The Master said, “A youth is to be regarded with respect. How do we know that his future will not be equal to our present? If he reach the age of forty or fifty, and has not made himself heard of, then indeed he will not be worth being regarded with respect.”

『9.24』子曰：“法语之言，能无从乎？改之为贵！巽与之言，能无说乎？绎之为贵！说而不绎，从而不改，吾末如之何也已矣！”

The Master said, “Can men refuse to assent to the words of strict admonition? But it is reforming the conduct because of them which is valuable. Can men refuse to be pleased with words of gentle advice? But it is unfolding their aim which is valuable. If a man be pleased with these words, but does not unfold their aim, and assents to those, but does not reform his conduct, I can really do nothing with him.”

『9.25』子曰：“主忠信。毋友不如己者。过，则勿惮改。”

The Master said, “Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles. Have no friends not equal to yourself. When you have faults, do not fear to abandon them.”

『9.26』子曰：“三军可夺师也，匹夫不可夺志也。”

The Master said, “The commander of the forces of a large state may be carried off, but the will of even a common man cannot be taken from him.”

『9.27』子曰：“衣敝□，与衣孤貉者立，而不耻者，其由也与！‘不忮不求，何用不臧？’”子路终身诵之。子曰：“是道也，何足以臧！”

The Master said, “Dressed himself in a tattered robe quilted with hemp, yet standing by the side of men dressed in furs, and not ashamed;-ah! it is Yu who is equal to this! “He dislikes none, he covets nothing;-what can he do but what is good!”Tsze-lu kept continually repeating these words of the ode, when the Master

said, “Those things are by no means sufficient to constitute perfect excellence.”

『9.28』子曰：“岁寒，然後知松柏之後雕也。”

The Master said, “When the year becomes cold, then we know how the pine and the cypress are the last to lose their leaves.”

『9.29』子曰：“知者不惑；仁者不忧；勇者不惧。”

The Master said, “The wise are free from perplexities; the virtuous from anxiety; and the bold from fear.”

『9.30』子曰：“可与共学，未可与适道；可与适道，未可与立；可与立，未可与权。”“唐棣之华，偏其反而；岂不尔思？室是远而。”子曰：“未之思也，未何远之有？”

The Master said, “There are some with whom we may study in common, but we shall find them unable to go along with us to principles. Perhaps we may go on with them to principles, but we shall find them unable to get established in those along with us. Or if we may get so established along with them, we shall find them unable to weigh occurring events along with us.” “How the flowers of the aspen-plum flutter and turn! Do I not think of you? But your house is distant.”

The Master said, “It is the want of thought about it. How is it distant?”