CHAPTER 1

【第一章】

子曰、 學而時習之、不亦說乎。有朋自遠方來、不亦樂

乎。人不知而不慍、不亦君子乎。

 

1.       Confucius remarked, “ it is indeed a pleasure to acquire knowledge and, as you go on acquiring, to put into practice what you have acquired. A greater pleasure still it is when friends of congenial minds come from afar to seek you because of your attainments. But he is truly a wise and good man who feels no discomposure even when he is not noticed of men.”

【第二章】有子曰、其為人也孝弟、而好犯上者鮮矣、不好犯上、

而好作亂者、未之有也。君子務本、本立、而道生、孝弟也者、其為仁之本與。

 

2.       A disciple of Confucius remarked,” A man who is a good son and a good citizen will seldom be found to be a man disposed to quarrel with those in authority over him; and men who are disposed to quarrel with those in authority will never be found to disturb the peace and order of the State.

“ A wise man devotes his attention to what is essential in the foundation of life. When the foundation is laid, wisdom will come. Now, to be a good son and a good citizen- do not these form the foundation of a moral life?”

【第三章】子曰、巧言令色、鮮矣仁。

 

3.       Confucius remarked, with plausible speech and fine manners will seldom be found moral character.”

【第四章】曾子曰、吾日三省吾身、為人謀、而不忠乎、與朋友交、而不信

乎、傳不習乎。

 

4.       A disciple of Confucius remarked, “ I daily examine into my personal conduct on three points:--First, whether in carrying out the duties entrusted to me by others, I have not failed in sincerity and trustworthiness;  thirdly, whether I have not failed to practice what I profess in my teaching.”

【第五章】子曰、道千乘之國、敬事而信、節用而愛人、使民以時。

 

5.       Confucius remarked, “ when directing the affairs of a great nation, a man must be serious in attention to business and faithful and punctual in his engagements. He must study economy in the public expenditure, and love the welfare of the people. He must employ the people at the proper time of the year.”

【第六章】子曰、弟子、入則孝、出則弟、謹而信、凡愛眾、而親仁、行有

餘力、則以學文。

 

6.       Confucius remarked, “ A young man, when at home, should be a good son; when out in the world, a good citizen. He should be circumspect and truthful. He should be in sympathy with all men, but intimate with men of moral character. If he has time and opportunity to spare, after the performance of those duties, he should then employ them in literary pursuits.”

 

【第七章】子夏曰、賢賢易色、事父母、能竭其力、事君、能致其身、與朋友交、言而有信、雖曰未學、吾必謂之學矣。

 

7.       A disciple of Confucius remarked, “ A man who can love worthiness in man as he loves beauty in woman; who in his duties to his parents is ready to do his utmost, and in the service of his prince is ready to give up his life; who in intercourse with friends is found trustworthy in what he says, - such a man, although men may say of him that he is an uneducated man, I must consider him to be really an educated man.”

 

【第八章】子曰、君子不重、則不威、學則不固。主忠信。

無友不如己者。過則勿憚改。

 

8.       Confucius remarked,” A wise man who is not serious will not inspire respect; what he learns will not remain permanent.”

“Make conscientiousness and sincerity your first principles.”

“Have no friends who are not as yourself.

“When you have bad habits do not hesitate to change them.”

 

【第九章】曾子曰、慎終追遠、民德歸厚矣。

 

9.       A disciple of Confucius remarked, “By cultivating respect for the dead, and carrying the memory back to the distant past, the moral feeling of the people will waken and grow in depth.”

 

【第十章】子禽問於子貢曰、夫子至於是邦也、必聞其政、求之與、

抑與之與。子貢曰、夫子溫､良､恭､儉､讓、以得之、夫子之求

之也、其諸異乎人之求之與。

 

10.   A man once asked a disciple of Confucius, saying, “How was it that whenever the Master came into a country he was always informed of the actual state and policy of its government? Did he seek for the information or was it given to him?

“ The Master, “ replied the disciple, “ was gracious, simple, earnest, modest and courteous; therefore he could obtain what information he wanted. The Master’s way of obtaining information ---well, it was different from other people’s ways.”

 

【十一章】子曰、父在、觀其志、父沒、觀其行、三年無改於父之道、可謂

孝矣。

11.   Confucius remarked,” When a man’s father is living the son should have regard to what his father would have him do; when the father is dead, to what his father has done. A son who for three years after his father’s death does not in his own life change his father’s principles, may be said to be a good son.”

 

【十二章】有子曰、禮之用、和為貴、先王之道、斯為美；小大由

之。有所不行、知和而和、不以禮節之、亦不可行也。

 

12.   A disciple of Confucius remarked,” In the practice of art, what is valuable is natural spontaneity. According to the rules of art held by the ancient kings it was this quality in a work of art which constituted its excellence; in great as well as in small things they were guided by this principle.

 

【十三章】有子曰、信近於義、言可復也、恭近於禮、遠恥辱也、因不失其

親、亦可宗也。

 

“ But in being natural there is something not permitted. To know that it is necessary to be natural without restraining the impulse to be natural by the strict principle of art, --that is something not permitted.”

13.   A disciple of Confucius remarked, “ if you make promises within the bounds of what is right, you will be able to keep your word. If you confine earnestness within the bounds of judgment and good taste, you will keep out of discomfiture and insult. If you make friends of those with whom you ought to, you will be able to depend upon them.”

 

【十四章】子曰、君子食無求飽、居無求安、敏於事、而慎於言、就有道、而正焉、可謂好學也已。

 

 

14.   Confucius remarked,“A wise and good man, in matters of food, should never seek to indulge his appetite; in lodging, he should not be too solicitous of comfort. He should be diligent in business and careful in speech. He should seek for the company of men of virtue and learning, in order to profit by their lessons and example. In this way he may become a man of real culture.”

 

【十五章】子貢曰貧、而無諂、富而無驕、何如。子曰、可也、未

若貧而樂、富而好禮者也。子貢曰、詩云、如切如磋、如琢如磨、

其斯之謂與。子曰、賜也、始可與言詩已矣、告諸往而知來者。

 

 

15.   A disciple of Confucius said to him,” to be poor and yet not to be servile; to be rich and yet not to be proud, what do you say to that?”

“It is good.” Replied counfucius, “but better still it is to be poor and yet contented; to be rich and yet know how to be courteous.”

“ I understand,” answered the disciple;” we must cut, we must file, must chisel and must grind.’
“ That is what you mean, is it not?”

”My friend,” replied Confucius, “now I can begin to speak of poetry to you. I see you understand how to apply the moral.”

 

【十六章】子曰、不患人之不己知、患不知人也。

 

16.   Confucius remarked,” one should not be concerned not to be understood of men; one should be concerned not to understand men.”