19.1. 子張曰:“士見危致命,見得思義,祭思敬,喪思哀,其可已矣。”
Zi Zhang said, "An intellectual is not afraid of giving up his life in face of danger. He thinks of what is right in face of a gain, of reverence in sacrifice and of grief in mourning. Such may be said to be an intellectual.
19.2. 子張曰:“執德不弘,通道不篤,焉能為有?焉能為亡?”
Zi Zhang said, "If a man holds what is right only in a narrow sense and believes in right principles but not firmly, could he be said to hold and believe in what is right? Or could he not?"
19.3. 子夏之門人問交於子張,子張曰:“子夏雲何?”對曰:“子夏曰:‘可者與之,其不可者拒之。’”子張曰:“异乎吾所聞。君子尊賢而容眾,嘉善而矜不能。我之大賢與,於人何所不容?我之不賢與,人將拒我,如之何其拒人也?”
A disciple of Zi Xia asked Zi Zhang how to make friends. Zi Zhang said, "What did Zi Xia tell you?" The disciple said, "Zi Xia told us to make friends with those who are worthy and refuse those who are unworthy." Zi Zhang said, "This is different from what I have learned. A cultured man should respect the good man and bear with others, praise the capable and help the incapable. Am I so good as not to bear with others? If I am not good enough, others will refuse to make friends with me. How could I refuse them?"
19.4. 子夏曰:“雖小道必有可觀者焉,致遠恐泥,是以君子不為也。”
Zi Xia said, "Even a minor art has an importance of its own. But it may hinder one's major occupation, so a cultured man would not practise a minor art."
19.5. 子夏曰:“日知其所亡,月無忘其所能,可謂好學也已矣。”
Zi Xia said, "If a man knows what he has not yet learned everyday and does not forget what he has learned every month, he may be said to be a lover of knowledge."
19.6. 子夏曰:“博學而篤志,切問而近思,仁在其中矣。”
Zi Xia said, "If a man studies in a wide range and with an unswerving aim, if he asks questions earnestly and reflects on closely related problems, he may be said to have good qualities in him."
19.7. 子夏曰:“百工居肆以成其事,君子學以致其道。”
Zi Xia said, "Hundreds of artisans complete their work in the workshop; an intelligentleman should learn to attain his ideal."
19.8. 子夏曰:“小人之過也必文。”
Zi Xia said, "An uncultured man would certainly gloss his faults."
19.9. 子夏曰:“君子有三變:望之儼然,即之也溫,聽其言也厲。”
Zi Xia said, "An intelligentleman has three different aspects: when seen from afar, he looks grave; when approached, he looks affable; when listened to, he looks dignified."
19.10. 子夏曰:“君子信而後勞其民,未信,則以為厲己也;信而後諫,未信,則以為謗己也。”
Zi Xia said, "An intelligentleman will not order the people to toil until he is trusted, or they will think they are exploited. He will not criticize the sovereign till he wins his confidence, or the sovereign will think himself vilified."
19.11. 子夏曰:“大德不逾閑,小德出入可也。”
Zi Xia said, "In regard to a serious matter of virtue, a man should not go beyond the limit; but in regard to a trifling matter, he may not keep within limit."
19.12. 子遊曰:“子夏之門人小子,當灑掃應對進退則可矣。抑末也,本之則無,如之何?”子夏聞之,曰:“噫,言遊過矣!君子之道,孰先傳焉?孰後倦焉?譬諸草木,區以別矣。君子之道焉可誣也?有始有卒者,其惟聖人乎!”
Zi You said, "The disciples and followers of Zi Xia are good at sprinkling water and sweeping floors, answering questions, coming forward and withdrawing, but all these are minor matters. I am afraid they are not so good in dealing with important things, Am I not right?" Hearing of this remark, Zi Xia said, "Alas! Zi You is mistaken. In regard to an intelligentleman's ways, which should be learned first? and which may be learned later? Disciples may be compared to plants and trees; they may be classified. How can an intelligentleman's ways not be learned in order? Who could be one from the beginning to the end? Is it not the sage alone?"
19.13. 子夏曰:“仕而優則學,學而優則仕。”
Zi Xia said, "An official versed in state affairs should amplify his knowledge; an intellectual well equipped with knowledge should serve the state."
19.14. 子遊曰:“喪致乎哀而止。”
Zi You said, "Mourning should not exceed grief."
19.15. 子遊曰:“吾友張也為難能也,然而未仁。”
Zi You said, "It is difficult to get a friend as good as Zi Zhang, still he cannot be said to be a benevolent man."
19.16. 曾子曰:“堂堂乎張也,難與並為仁矣。”
Master Zeng said, "Zi Zhang is ostentatious. It would be difficult to work together with him."
19.17. 曾子曰:“吾聞諸夫子,人未有自致者也,必也親喪乎!”
Master Zeng said, "I have heard from our Master that no man should show his feeling to the full unless he is mourning the death of his parents."
19.18. 曾子曰:“吾聞諸夫子,孟莊子之孝也,其他可能也;其不改父之臣與父之政,是難能也。”
Master Zeng said, "I have heard from our Master that it is possible to be as good a son as Meng Zhuang Zi, but it is difficult to be as good an official as he in employing his father's subordinates and following his father's policy."
19.19. 孟氏使陽膚為士師,問於曾子。 曾子曰:“上失其道,民散久矣。如得其情,則哀矜而勿喜!”
The chief of the Meng family appointed Yang Fu as criminal judge, and Yang Fu consulted Master Zeng. Master Zeng said, "Those above have not followed the right way for a long time, and the people do not support them. If you can find out the reason why the criminals are accused, you should feel sympathy for them instead of joy for yourself."
19.20. 子貢曰:“紂之不善,不如是之甚也。是以君子惡居下流,天下之惡皆歸焉。”
Master Zeng said, "King Zhou of Yin might not be so tyrannical as it was reported. That is the reason why an intelligentleman would not stay in a low place, where one would be accused of all the evils of the world."
19.21. 子貢曰:“君子之過也,如日月之食焉。過也人皆見之,更也人皆仰之。”
Master Zeng said, "The faults of an intelligentleman are like eclipses of the sun or the moon. When he does something wrong, all men can see it. When he has amended his fault, all men look up to him."
19.22. 衛公孫朝問於子貢曰:“仲尼焉學?”子貢曰:“文武之道未墜於地,在人。賢者識其大者,不賢者識其小者,莫不有文武之道焉,夫子焉不學?而亦何常師之有?”
Gongsun Chao of the State of Wei asked Zi Gong, "From whom has Confucius acquired his knowledge?" Zi Gong said, "What the Literary and Martial Kings had taught the people has not been lost on earth. Cultured men have learned to settle main matters and uncultured men to settle minor matters. There is none but has learned something from the Literary and Martial Kings. How could my Master have learned nothing? Why should he have learned from one particular master?"
19.23. 叔孫武叔語大夫於朝曰:“子貢賢於仲尼。”子服景伯以告子貢,子貢曰:“譬之宮牆,賜之牆也及肩,窺見室家之好;夫子之牆數仞,不得其門而入,不見宗廟之美、百官之富。得其門者或寡矣,夫子之雲不亦宜乎!”
Shu Sun Wu Shu said to an official at court, "Zi Gong is more capable than his master Confucius." Zi Fu Jing Bo told Zi Gong what he had heard. Zi Gong said, "Let us use the wall as a comparison. My wall is only as high as my shoulder, so the beauty of my house could be easily perceived from over the wall. But my Master's wall rises many times a man's height. If a man cannot find the door to enter the house, the beauty and magnificense of the temple and halls could not be perceived. But few could enter his house by the door. No wonder the official should have said that about my Master."
19.24. 叔孫武叔毀仲尼,子貢曰:“無以為也,仲尼不可毀也。他人之賢者,丘陵也,猶可逾也;仲尼,日月也,無得而逾焉。人雖欲自絕,其何傷於日月乎?多見其不知量也。”
Shu Sun Wu Shu spoke ill of Confucius. Zi Gong said, "It is no use doing wrong to Confucius. Other good men may be vilified, for their height like hillocks or mounds may be surpassed. But Confucius is as high as the sun and the moon. How could he be surpassed? If a man should try to harm him, it would turn to harm himself. What harm could be done to the sun and the moon? It is beyond a man's reach."
19.25. 陳子禽謂子貢曰:“子為恭也,仲尼豈賢於子乎?”子貢曰:“君子一言以為知,一言以為不知,言不可不慎也。夫子之不可及也,猶天之不可階而昇也。夫子之得邦家者,所謂立之斯立,道之斯行,綏之斯來,動之斯和。其生也榮,其死也哀,如之何其可及也?”
Chen Zi Qin said to Zi Gong, "You are too modest. How could Confucius be superior to you?" Zi Gong said, "By one word an intelligentleman may reveal his wisdom or ignorance. So we should be careful about what we say. It is as hard to catch up with my Master as to ascend the sky by a ladder. If he were in control of a state or a great family, the people would stand when he raised them, they would follow him when he led them, they would come from afar when called on to, and they would work in harmony when taught to. Living, he was glorious; dead, he would be bewailed. How could he be equalled?"