泰伯篇 第八

8.1子曰：“泰伯⑴，其可谓至德也已矣。三以天下⑵让，民无得而称焉。”

【译文】孔子说：“泰伯，那可以说是品德极崇高了。屡次地把天下让给季历，老百姓简直找不出恰当的词语来称赞他。”

【英译】The Master said, "Tai Bo 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⑴，慎而无礼则葸⑵，勇而无礼则乱，直而无礼则绞⑶。君子笃于亲，则民兴于仁；故旧不遗，则民不偷⑷。”

【译文】孔子说：“注重容貌态度的端庄，却不知礼，就未免劳倦；只知谨慎，却不知礼，就流于畏葸懦弱；专凭敢作敢为的胆量，却不知礼，就会盲动闯祸；心直口快，却不知礼，就会尖刻刺人。在上位的人能用深厚感情对待亲族，老百姓就会走向仁德；在上位的人不遗弃他的老同事、老朋友，那老百姓就不致对人冷淡无情。

【英译】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⑴予足！启予手！《诗》云⑵，『战战兢兢，如临深渊，如履⑶薄冰。』而今而后，吾知免夫！小子！”

【译文】曾参病了，把他的学生召集拢来，说道：“看看我的脚！看看我的手！《诗经》上说：『小心呀！谨慎呀！好像面临深深水坑之旁，好像行走薄薄冰层之上。』从今以后，我才晓得自己是可以免于祸害刑戮的了！学生们！”

【英译】The philosopher Zeng 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⑴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⑵矣；正颜色，斯近信矣；出辞气，斯远鄙倍⑶矣。笾豆之事⑷，则有司⑸存。”

【译文】曾参病了，孟敬子探问他。曾子说：“鸟要死了，鸣声是悲哀的；人要死了，说出的话是善意的。在上位的人待人接物有三方面应该注重：严肃自己的容貌，就可以避免别人的粗暴和懈怠；端正自己的脸色，就容易使人相信；说话的时候，多考虑言辞和声调，就可以避免鄙陋粗野和错误。至于礼仪的细节，自有主管人员。”

【英译】The philosopher Zeng being ill, Meng Jing went to ask how he was. Zeng 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：“以能问于不能，以多问于寡；有若无，实若虚，犯而不校——昔者吾友⑴尝从事于斯矣。”

【译文】曾子说：“有能力却向无能力的人请教，知识丰富却向知识缺少的人请教；有学问像没学问一样，满腹知识像空无所有一样；纵被欺侮，也不计较——从前我的一位朋友便曾这样做了。”

【英译】The philosopher Zeng 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⑴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。”

【译文】曾子说：“可以把幼小的孤儿和国家的命脉都交付给他，面临安危存亡的紧要关头，却不动摇屈服——这种人，是君子人吗？是君子人哩。”

【英译】The philosopher Zeng 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⑴，任重而道远。仁以为己任，不亦重乎？死而后已，不亦远乎？”

【译文】曾子说：“读书人不可以不刚强而有毅力，因为他负担沉重，路程遥远。以实现仁德于天下为己任，不也沉重吗？到死方休，不也遥远吗？”

【英译】The philosopher Zeng 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：“兴于《诗》，立于礼，成于乐⑴。”

【译文】孔子说：“诗篇使我振奋，礼使我能在社会上站得住，音乐使我的所学得以完成。”

【英译】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⑴。”

【译文】孔子说：“老百姓，可以使他们照着我们的道路走去，不可以使他们知道那是为什么。”

【英译】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。”

【译文】孔子说：“以勇敢自喜却厌恶贫困，是一种祸害。对于不仁的人，痛恨太甚，也是一种祸害。”

【英译】The Master said, "The man who is fond of daring and is dissatisfied with poverty, will proceed to insubordination. The man who is not virtuous, when you carry your dislike of him to an extreme, will also proceed to insubordination."

8.11子曰：“如有周公之才之美，使骄且吝，其余不足观也已。”

【译文】孔子说：“假如才能的美妙真比得上周公，只要骄傲而吝啬，别的方面也就不值得一看了。”

【英译】The Master said, "Though a man have abilities as admirable as those of the duke of Zhou, 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⑴于谷⑵，不易得也。”

【译文】孔子说：“读书三年并不存做官的念头，这是难得的。”

【英译】The Master said, "Having learned for three years without coming to be good - such a man is not easy to find."

8.13子曰：“笃信⑴好学，守死善道。危邦不入，乱邦不居⑵。天下有道则见⑶，无道则隐。邦有道，贫且贱焉，耻也；邦无道，富且贵焉，耻也。”

【译文】孔子说：“坚定地相信我们的道，努力学习它，誓死保全它。不进入危险的国家，不居住祸乱的国家。天下太平，就出来工作；不太平，就隐居。政治清明，自己贫贱，是耻辱；政治黑暗，自己富贵，也是耻辱。”

【英译】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 a 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。”

【译文】孔子说：“不居于那个职位，便不考虑它的政务。”

【英译】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⑴，《关雎》之乱⑵，洋洋乎盈耳哉！”

【译文】孔子说：“当太师挚开始演奏的时候，当结尾演奏《关雎》之曲的时候，满耳朵都是音乐呀！”

【英译】The Master said, "When the music master Zhi first entered on his office, the finish of the Guan Ju was magnificent - how it filled the ears!"

8.16子曰：“狂而不直，侗而不愿，悾悾而不信，吾不知之矣。”

【译文】孔子说：“狂妄而不直率，幼稚而不老实，无能而不讲信用，这种人我是不知道其所以然的。”

【英译】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。”

【译文】孔子说：“做学问好像［追逐什么似的，］生怕赶不上；［赶上了，］还生怕丢掉了。”

【英译】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⑴之有天下也而不与⑵焉！”

【译文】孔子说：“舜和禹真是崇高得很呀！贵为天子，富有四海，［却整年地为百姓勤劳，］一点也不为自己。”

【英译】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：“大哉尧之为君也！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！”

【译文】孔子说：“尧真是了不得呀！真高大得很呀！只有天最高最大，只有尧能够学习天。他的恩惠真是广博呀！老百姓简直不知道怎样称赞他。他的功绩实在太崇高了，他的礼仪制度也真够美好了！”

【英译】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⑴十人。”孔子曰：“才难，不其然乎！唐虞之际，于斯为盛。有妇人焉，九人而已。三分天下有其二⑵，以服事殷。周之德，其可谓至德也已矣。”

【译文】舜有五位贤臣，天下便太平。武王也说过，“我有十位能治理天下的臣子。”孔子因此说道：“［常言道：］『人才不易得。』不是这样吗？唐尧和虞舜之间以及周武王说那话的时候，人才最兴盛。然而武王十位人才之中还有一位妇女，实际上只是九位罢了。周文王得了天下的三分之二，仍然向商纣称臣，周朝的道德，可以说是最高的了。”

【英译】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 Tang and Yu met, were they more abundant than in this of Zhou, yet there was a woman among them. The able ministers were no more than nine men. King Wen possessed two of the three parts of the empire, and with those he served the dynasty of Yin. The virtue of the house of Zhou 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⑴，卑宫室而尽力乎沟洫⑵。禹，吾无间然矣。”

【译文】孔子说：“禹，我对他没有批评了。他自己吃得很坏，却把祭品办得极丰盛；穿得很坏，却把祭服做得极华美；住得很坏，却把力量完全用于沟渠水利。禹，我对他没有批评了。”

【英译】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 Yü."