Xue Er (On Learning)

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？”

Confucius said: "To learn something and then practice it at the proper times, is that not a joy? To have friends of like mind come from far away, is that not a delight? To be unknown to others and yet feel no resentment or anger, is that not what a gentleman is?"

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！”

Master You said: "It is rare for a person who is filial to his parents and respectful to his elder brother to be fond of offending his superiors; and a person who is not fond of offending his superiors yet is fond of stirring up rebellion has never existed. The gentleman devotes himself to the root, and once the root is established, the Way grows from it. Filial piety and brotherly respect, are they not the root of benevolence?"

子曰：“巧言令色，鮮矣仁！”

Confucius said: "Clever words and an ingratiating face, such people are seldom benevolent!"

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？”

Master Zeng said: "Each day I examine myself on several points: In planning for others, have I been less than wholehearted? In dealing with friends, have I been less than trustworthy? Have I failed to review what my teacher transmitted to me?"

子曰：“道千乘之國，敬事而信，節用而愛人，使民以時。”

Confucius said: "To govern a state of a thousand war chariots, one must handle affairs with care and keep good faith, be economical in expenditure and love the people, and employ the people only in the off-season of farming."

子曰：“弟子入則孝，出則弟，謹而信，泛愛眾，而親仁，行有餘力，則以學文。”

Confucius said: "A young person should be filial to his parents at home and respectful to his elders abroad, careful and trustworthy in word and deed, love all people broadly, and stay close to the benevolent. If after doing these he has energy to spare, let him then study the literature and the classics."

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。”

Zixia said: "One who honors worthiness and takes beauty lightly; who serves his parents with all his strength; who serves his ruler at the risk of his life; who keeps his word in dealing with friends. Even if such a person says he has not studied, I will surely say that he has."

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。”

Confucius said: "A gentleman who is not dignified will have no authority, and his learning will not be firm. Take loyalty and good faith as your chief principles, do not make friends with those who are not your equal, and when you have made a mistake, do not be afraid to correct it."

曾子曰：“慎終追遠，民德歸厚矣。”

Master Zeng said: "Handle the funeral of one's parents with care, and sincerely remember distant ancestors in sacrifice, and the virtue of the people will naturally return to sincerity and goodness."

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？”

Ziqin asked Zigong: "When our Master arrives in a state, he always hears about the government of that state. Does he seek it out, or is it offered to him?" Zigong said: "The Master gets it through being gentle, good, respectful, frugal and deferential. The Master's way of seeking is probably different from other people's way of seeking, is it not?"

子曰：“父在，觀其志；父沒，觀其行；三年無改於父之道，可謂孝矣。”

Confucius said: "While his father is alive, observe a man's aims; after his father has died, observe his conduct. If for three years he does not change his father's ways, he may be called filial."

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。”

Master You said: "In the practice of ritual, harmony that is just right is what is valued. The Way of the former kings is beautiful precisely in this, and they followed it in affairs great and small. But there are times when it does not work: if one knows only to seek harmony and does not restrain it with ritual, that also will not work."

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。”

Master You said: "When the promises one makes accord with righteousness, one's words can be made good. When reverence accords with ritual, one keeps far from disgrace. If the people one relies on have not lost the closeness that is due, they are worthy of being honored."

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。”

Confucius said: "The gentleman does not seek to be full when he eats, nor comfort in where he lives; he is quick in work and careful in speech, and goes to those who have the Way to be set straight. He may be called fond of learning."

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。”

Zigong said: "Poor yet not flattering, rich yet not arrogant, how is that?" Confucius said: "That will do. But it is not as good as being poor yet delighting in the Way, and rich yet fond of ritual." Zigong said: "The Book of Songs, in the Wei Airs, 'Qi Ao,' says 'as if cut, as if filed, as if carved, as if polished,' does that mean what you have said?" Confucius said: "Ci, now I can discuss the Songs with you: tell you of the past, and you know what is to come."

子曰：“不患人之不己知，患不知人也。”

Confucius said: "Do not worry that others do not know you; worry that you do not know others."

子曰：“為政以德，譬如北辰，居其所而眾星共之。”

Confucius said: "One who governs by virtue is like the North Star, which stays in its place while all the other stars revolve around it."

子曰：“《詩》三百，一言以蔽之，曰：‘思無邪’。”

Confucius said: "The three hundred Songs can be summed up in one sentence: 'Having pure thoughts and no evil intent.'"

子曰：“道之以政，齊之以刑，民免而無恥。道之以德，齊之以禮，有恥且格。”

Confucius said: "If you lead the people with government decrees and keep them in order with punishments, the people will try to avoid punishment but have no sense of shame; if you lead them with virtue and keep them in order with ritual, the people will have a sense of shame and will also set themselves right."

子曰：“吾十有五而志於學，三十而立，四十而不惑，五十而知天命，六十而耳順，七十而從心所欲，不逾矩。”

Confucius said: "At fifteen I set my heart on learning; at thirty I could stand on my own in the world; at forty I had no more doubts; at fifty I understood the Mandate of Heaven; at sixty my ear was attuned to whatever I heard; at seventy I could follow my heart's desire without overstepping the bounds."

孟懿子問孝，子曰：“無違。”樊遲御，子告之曰：“孟孫問孝於我，我對曰‘無違’。”樊遲曰：“何謂也？”子曰：“生，事之以禮；死，葬之以禮，祭之以禮。”

Meng Yizi asked what filial piety is. Confucius said: "Do not go against ritual." Later, when Fan Chi was driving for Confucius, Confucius told him: "Meng Sun asked me about filial piety, and I answered, 'Do not go against it.'" Fan Chi said: "What does that mean?" Confucius said: "When your parents are alive, serve them according to ritual; when they die, bury them according to ritual and sacrifice to them according to ritual."

孟武伯問孝。子曰：“父母唯其疾之憂。”

Meng Wubo asked what filial piety is. Confucius said: "Let your parents worry only about your illness, and not about anything else."

子游問孝。子曰：“今之孝者，是謂能養。至於犬馬皆能有養；不敬，何以別乎？”

Ziyou asked what filial piety is. Confucius said: "Nowadays what is called filial piety means only being able to feed one's parents. But even dogs and horses are fed by people; if there is no reverence, how do you tell the difference?"

子夏問孝。子曰：“色難。有事，弟子服其勞；有酒食，先生饌，曾是以為孝乎？”

Zixia asked what filial piety is. Confucius said: "The difficulty is in always keeping a pleasant look. When there is work, the young take the burden for their elders; when there is wine and food, they let the elders eat first. Surely that alone is not filial piety?"

子曰：“吾與回言終日，不違，如愚。退而省其私，亦足以發，回也不愚。”

Confucius said: "I spoke with Yan Hui for a whole day, and he never raised an objection, like a fool. But when he withdrew, I looked at his private conduct and found that he could develop my meaning. Hui is not a fool."

子曰：“視其所以，觀其所由，察其所安，人焉廋哉？人焉廋哉？”

Confucius said: "Look at his motives, observe the path he follows, and examine what he is content with. In this way, where can the person hide? Where can he hide?"

子曰：“溫故而知新，可以為師矣。”

Confucius said: "One who reviews the old and can gain new understanding from it is fit to be a teacher."

子曰：“君子不器。”

Confucius said: "The gentleman is not a vessel with only a single use."

子貢問君子。子曰：“先行其言而後從之。”

Zigong asked what makes a gentleman. Confucius said: "He first puts into practice what he wants to say, and only then speaks."

子曰：“君子周而不比，小人比而不周。”

Confucius said: "The gentleman unites people broadly and does not form cliques for private gain; the petty person forms cliques for private gain and does not unite people broadly."

子曰：“學而不思則罔，思而不學則殆。”

Confucius said: "To study without thinking leaves one bewildered and gaining nothing; to think without studying leaves one doubtful and uneasy."

子曰：“攻乎異端，斯害也已！”

Confucius said: "To devote oneself to studying strange and deviant doctrines is harmful!"

子曰：“由，誨汝知之乎！知之為知之，不知為不知，是知也。”

Confucius said: "You, Zhong You, let me teach you what knowing is! To know what you know and to know that you do not know what you do not know, that is true knowing."

子張學干祿。子曰：“多聞闕疑，慎言其餘，則寡尤；多見闕殆，慎行其餘，則寡悔。言寡尤，行寡悔，祿在其中矣。”

Zizhang wished to learn how to seek an official post and its salary. Confucius said: "Listen widely, set aside what is doubtful, and speak carefully of the rest, and you will make few mistakes; look widely, set aside what is uncertain, and act carefully on the rest, and you will have few regrets. When your words make few mistakes and your actions bring few regrets, the salary will naturally be found within."

哀公問曰：“何為則民服？”孔子對曰：“舉直錯諸枉，則民服；舉枉錯諸直，則民不服。”

Duke Ai of Lu asked: "What must be done to make the people submit?" Confucius answered: "Raise up the upright and set them over the crooked, and the people will submit; raise up the crooked and set them over the upright, and the people will not submit."

季康子問：“使民敬、忠以勸，如之何？”子曰：“臨之以莊，則敬；孝慈，則忠；舉善而教不能，則勸。”

Ji Kangzi asked: "How can I make the people respectful, loyal and eager to encourage one another?" Confucius said: "If you treat them with dignity, they will be respectful; if you are filial to your parents and kind to the young, they will be loyal; if you raise up the good and teach those who are less capable, they will encourage one another."

或謂孔子曰：“子奚不為政？”子曰：“《書》云：‘孝乎惟孝，友于兄弟，施於有政。’是亦為政，奚其為為政？”

Someone said to Confucius: "Sir, why do you not take part in government?" Confucius said: "The Book of Documents says: 'Filial piety! Be filial to your parents and friendly to your brothers, and extend this into government.' This too is taking part in government; what else counts as taking part in government?"

子曰：“人而無信，不知其可也。大車無輗，小車無軏，其何以行之哉？”

Confucius said: "If a person does not keep good faith, I do not know what he can do. It is like a large cart without a yoke pin, or a small cart without a yoke pin; how can it move?"

子張問：“十世可知也？”子曰：“殷因於夏禮，所損益，可知也；周因於殷禮，所損益，可知也。其或繼周者，雖百世，可知也。”

Zizhang asked: "Can the ritual institutions of ten generations hence be known in advance?" Confucius said: "The Yin took over the rites of the Xia, and what they reduced and added can be known; the Zhou took over the rites of the Yin, and what they reduced and added can also be known. Whoever succeeds the Zhou in the future, even a hundred generations from now, can likewise be known."

子曰：“非其鬼而祭之，諂也；見義不為，無勇也。”

Confucius said: "To sacrifice to spirits that are not one's own to sacrifice to is flattery; to see what is right and not do it is a lack of courage."