6.1. 子曰：“雍也可使南面。”
Ran Yong, said the Master, might be made a leader setting his face to the south.
6.2. 仲弓問子桑伯子。 子曰：“可也，簡。”仲弓曰：“居敬而行簡，以臨其民，不亦可乎？居簡而行簡，無乃大簡乎？”子曰：“雍之言然。”
When Ran Yong asked about Master Zi Sang Bo, the Master said, "He will do, for he is lenient." Ran Yong said, "Severe with oneself and lenient with others, one may become a good ruler. Lenient with oneself as with others, will one not become negligent?" The Master said, "Yong, you are right."
6.3. 哀公問：“弟子孰為好學？”孔子對曰：“有顏回者好學，不遷怒，不貳過。不幸短命死矣！今也則亡，未聞好學者也。”
Duke Ai of Lu asked Confucius, "Which of your disciples are eager to learn?" Confucius said, "There was Yan Hui who was eager to learn. He did not shift the blame on to others, nor would he make the same mistake again. But it was a pity that he died early. Now there is none like him. I have never again heard of anyone so eager to learn."
6.4. 子華使於齊，冉子為其母請粟。子曰：“與之釜。”請益。曰：“與之庾。”冉子與之粟五秉。子曰：“赤之適齊也，乘肥馬，衣輕裘。吾聞之也，君子周急不濟富。”
When Gongxi Hua was sent on a mission to the state of Qi, Ran You requested grain for Gongxi's mother. The Master said, "Give her a measure." Ran You asked for more. The Master said, "Give her two measures." But Ran You gave her ten measures. The Master said, "When Gongxi Hua went to Qi, he drove sleek horses and wore light furs. I have heard that a cultured man will help those in need but not those who are rich."
6.5. 原思為之宰，與之粟九百，辭。 子曰：“毋！以與爾鄰里鄉黨乎！”
Yuan Si, when made a governor, was given a salary of nine hundred litres of grain, but he declined. The Master said, "Do not decline it. Why not share it with your neighbors, villagers and townsfolk?"
6.6. 子謂仲弓曰：“犁牛之子騂且角，雖欲勿用，山川其舍諸？”
Would mountain gods and river gods, said the Master, reject the sacrifice of a calf because it is brindled and horned?
6.7. 子曰：“回也，其心三月不違仁，其餘則日月至焉而已矣。”
Yan Hui, said the Master, would not do anything against humanism for three months on end. Others may do so, but only for a day or at most for a month.
6.8. 季康子問：“仲由可使從政也與？”子曰：“由也果，於從政乎何有？”曰：“賜也，可使從政也與？”曰：“賜也達，於從政乎何有？”曰：“求也，可使從政也與？”曰：“求也藝，於從政乎何有？”
When Ji Kang Zi asked whether Zi Lu was fit to be employed as an officer, the Master said, "Zi Lu is courageous. Why can he not be employed as an officer?" When asked about Zi Gong, the Master gave the same reply because Zi Gong was efficient. When asked about Ran Qiu, the Master said the same again because Ran Qiu was versatile.
6.9. 季氏使閔子騫為費宰。 閔子騫曰：“善為我辭焉。如有複我者，則吾必在汶上矣。”
When the usurper sent to ask Min Zi Qian to be governor of Fei, Min said, "Would you please decline that office for me? If anyone should come again, I would go far, far beyond the River Wen."
6.10. 伯牛有疾，子問之，自牖執其手，曰：“亡之，命矣夫！斯人也而有斯疾也！斯人也而有斯疾也！
When Bo Niu was ill, the Master went to inquire after him. Grasping his hand through the window, the Master said, "It is all over. Alas! it is fatal for such a good man to have such a fatal illness. Such a good man should have such a fatal illness."
6.11. 子曰：“賢哉，回也！一簞食，一瓢飲，在陋巷。人不堪其憂，回也不改其樂。賢哉，回也！”
How good Yan Hui was, said the Master, living in a humble lane with only a handful of rice to eat and a gourdful of water to drink! Others could not bear such a wretched life, but Yan Hui was as happy as ever. How good Yan Hui was!
6.12. 冉求曰：“非不說子之道，力不足也。”子曰：“力不足者，中道而廢。今女畫。”
Ran Qiu said, "It is not that I am not delighted to follow your way, but that I lack the power." The Master said, "Those who lack power may stop on the midway, but you have not yet started."
6.13. 子謂子夏曰：“女為君子儒，無為小人儒。”
The Master said to Zi Xia, "You should be an intellectual of the higher class, not one of the lower class."
6.14. 子遊為武城宰。 子曰：“女得人焉爾乎？”曰：“有澹台滅明者，行不由徑。非公事，未嘗至於偃之室也。”
When Zi You was governor of the town of Wu, the Master asked him whether he had got any helping hand. Zi You answered, "There is Tantai Mieming who never takes a shortcut in walking and never comes to my office unless on business."
6.15. 子曰：“孟之反不伐，奔而殿。將入門，策其馬，曰：‘非敢後也，馬不進也。’”
Meng Zi Fan, said the Master, was no boaster. Once defeated, he was the last to retreat. Whipping up his horse near the city gate, he said, "I am the last to retreat, not because I am brave, but because my horse is slow."
6.16. 子曰：“不有祝之佞而有宋朝之美，難乎免於今之世矣！”
Without the eloquence of the priest Tuo, said the Master, and the beauty of Prince Chao of Song, it would be hard to get through with the world of today.
6.17. 子曰：“誰能出不由戶？何莫由斯道也？”
Who, said the Master, could go out but by the door? Why not go this way?
6.18. 子曰：“質勝文則野，文勝質則史。文質彬彬，然後君子。”
More natural than cultured, said the Master, one would appear rustic. More cultured than natural, one would appear artificial. An intelligentle man should appear both cultured and natural.
6.19. 子曰：“人之生也直，罔之生也幸而免。”
A man should live an honest life, said the Master. It is by luck that a dishonest man can escape punishment.
6.20. 子曰：“知之者不如好之者，好之者不如樂之者。”
To know the truth is good, said the Master, to love it is better, and to delight in it is best. (To understand is good, to enjoy is better and to delight is best.)
6.21. 子曰：“中人以上，可以語上也；中人以下，不可以語上也。”
We may talk about what goes beyond the understanding of the average, said the Master, with those who are above mediocrity, not with those who are below.
6.22. 樊遲問知。 子曰：“務民之義，敬鬼神而遠之，可謂知矣。”問仁。 曰：“仁者先難而後獲，可謂仁矣。”
When Fan Chi asked about wisdom, the Master said, "A wise man should do what is good for the people, respect spiritual beings and keep away from them." When asked about a good man, the Master said, "A good man will do hard work before he reaps. So may he be called a good man."
6.23. 子曰：“知者樂水，仁者樂山；知者動，仁者靜；知者樂，仁者壽。”
The wise, said the Master, delight in water while the good delight in mountains. The wise love mobility while the good love tranquillity. The wise live happy while the good live long.
6.24. 子曰：“齊一變，至於魯；魯一變，至於道。”
After reformation, said the Master, the strong state of Qi might advance to a moral state, and the moral state of Lu might advance to an ideal state.
6.25. 子曰：“觚不觚，觚哉！觚哉！”
The wine cup, said the Master, looks unlike a cup. Can it be called a cup? Can it be called a cup?
6.26. 宰我問曰：“仁者，雖告之曰：‘井有仁焉。’其從之也？”子曰：“何為其然也？君子可逝也，不可陷也；可欺也，不可罔也。”
Zai Wo asked whether a good man, when told another man was fallen into a well, should go down after him. The Master said, "Why should he go down? A good man might be told to go near the well, but not to go into it. He might be deceived, but not befooled."
6.27. 子曰：“君子博學於文，約之以禮，亦可以弗畔矣夫！”
A cultured man, said the Master, if wide read in literature and restrained by the rites, would not overstep what is right.
6.28. 子見南子，子路不說。 夫子矢之曰：“予所否者，天厭之！天厭之！”
When Zi Lu was displeased with the Master's visit to the beautiful but ill-famed Princess Nan Zi, the Master swore, "If I had done anything wrong, may Heaven reject me! May Heaven reject me!"
6.29. 子曰：“中庸之為德也，其至矣乎！民鮮久矣。”
How useful is the Golden Middle Way! said the Master. It is the highest virtue, but it has not been followed for a long time.
6.30. 子貢曰：“如有博施於民而能濟眾，何如？可謂仁乎？”子曰：“何事於仁，必也聖乎！堯、舜其猶病諸！夫仁者，己欲立而立人，己欲達而達人。能近取譬，可謂仁之方也已。”
Zi Gong asked whether it could be called virtue to do good to people and benefit them. The Master said, It is more than virtue; it is the accomplishment of a sage. Even the earliest emperors could not boast of such accomplishment. What is virtue? To establish others as you would establish yourself, and help others to develop as you would help yourself to. To judeg of others by what is in yourself, that is the way towards virtue.