Shu Er (Transmitting)

子曰：“述而不作，信而好古，竊比於我老彭。”

Confucius said: "I transmit and do not create; I believe in and love the ancients, and in private I compare myself to Old Peng."

子曰：“默而識之，學而不厭，誨人不倦，何有於我哉？”

Confucius said: "To remember in silence what I have learned, to study without being weary, and to teach others without tiring, how much of these have I achieved?"

子曰：“德之不修，學之不講，聞義不能徙，不善不能改，是吾憂也。”

Confucius said: "Not cultivating my virtue, not discussing what I have learned, hearing what is right and not being able to follow it, and not being able to correct what is wrong in me, these are the things that worry me."

子之燕居，申申如也，夭夭如也。

When Confucius was at leisure at home, his bearing was relaxed and his expression was pleasant.

子曰：“甚矣吾衰也！久矣吾不復夢見周公。”

Confucius said: "How badly I have declined! It has been a long time since I last dreamed of the Duke of Zhou."

子曰：“志於道，據於德，依於仁，遊於藝。”

Confucius said: "Set your heart on the Way, hold firm to virtue, rely on benevolence, and roam freely among the six arts."

子曰：“自行束脩以上，吾未嘗無誨焉。”

Confucius said: "As long as someone has come of his own accord with a bundle of dried meat to perform the ceremony of becoming a student, I have never failed to instruct him."

子曰：“不憤不啟，不悱不發，舉一隅不以三隅反，則不復也。”

Confucius said: "I do not enlighten one who has not yet struggled to the point of being stuck, nor give a start to one who is not yet eager to speak but cannot find the words. If I raise one corner and he cannot work out the other three, I do not teach him further."

子食於有喪者之側，未嘗飽也。

When Confucius ate beside someone in mourning, he never ate his fill.

子於是日哭，則不歌。

On a day when Confucius had wept in condolence, he did not sing.

子謂顏淵曰：“用之則行，舍之則藏，惟我與爾有是夫！”子路曰：“子行三軍，則誰與？”子曰：“暴虎馮河，死而無悔者，吾不與也。必也臨事而懼，好謀而成者也。”

Confucius said to Yan Yuan: "When employed, go forth and act; when not employed, hide away, only you and I are able to do this!" Zilu said: "If the Master were to lead the three armies, whom would you take with you?" Confucius said: "One who would fight a tiger bare-handed or wade a river on foot and die without regret, I would not work with. I would surely choose one who approaches a task with caution and is good at planning and able to accomplish it."

子曰：“富而可求也，雖執鞭之士，吾亦為之。如不可求，從吾所好。”

Confucius said: "If wealth can be sought in the proper way, I would do it even if it meant being a whip-carrying attendant. If it cannot be sought, I will live as I myself like."

子之所慎：齊，戰，疾。

The three things Confucius treated with great care were: fasting before sacrifice, war, and illness.

子在齊聞《韶》，三月不知肉味，曰：“不圖為樂之至於斯也。”

When Confucius heard the Shao music in Qi, for a long time afterward he could not taste the meat he ate, and said: "I never thought that the enjoyment of music could reach such a point."

冉有曰：“夫子為衛君乎？”子貢曰：“諾，吾將問之。”入，曰：“伯夷、叔齊何人也？”曰：“古之賢人也。”曰：“怨乎？”曰：“求仁而得仁，又何怨？”出，曰：“夫子不為也。”

Ran You said: "Will the Master support the ruler of Wei?" Zigong said: "Good, I will go and ask him." Zigong went in and asked: "What sort of men were Bo Yi and Shu Qi?" Confucius said: "They were worthy men of antiquity." Zigong asked: "Did they feel resentment?" Confucius said: "They sought benevolence and obtained benevolence, so what was there to resent?" Zigong came out and said: "The Master will not support him."

子曰：“飯疏食飲水，曲肱而枕之，樂亦在其中矣。不義而富且貴，於我如浮雲。”

Confucius said: "Eating coarse grain, drinking plain water, and bending one's arm for a pillow, there is joy in this too. Wealth and rank obtained by unrighteous means are to me like floating clouds in the sky."

子曰：“加我數年，五十以學《易》，可以無大過矣。”

Confucius said: "If I were given a few more years, so that at fifty I could study the Changes, I could be without great faults."

子所雅言，《詩》、《書》、執禮，皆雅言也。

The occasions on which Confucius recited in the refined standard speech were these: when reading the Songs, reading the Documents, and performing rituals, he always used the refined speech.

葉公問孔子於子路，子路不對。子曰：“女奚不曰：其為人也，發憤忘食，樂以忘憂，不知老之將至云爾。”

The Duke of She asked Zilu what sort of man Confucius was, and Zilu did not answer. Confucius said: "Why did you not say: he is the sort of man who in his zeal forgets to eat, in his joy forgets his sorrows, and does not even know that old age is coming, that is all."

子曰：“我非生而知之者，好古，敏以求之者也。”

Confucius said: "I am not one who was born knowing; I am only one who loves the culture of antiquity and seeks it diligently and quickly."

子不語怪、力、亂、神。

Confucius did not speak of the strange, of violence, of disorder or of spirits.

子曰：“三人行，必有我師焉。擇其善者而從之，其不善者而改之。”

Confucius said: "When three people walk together, there is sure to be one who can be my teacher. I choose their good points and follow them, and when I see their bad points I check myself against them and correct myself."

子曰：“天生德於予，桓魋其如予何？”

Confucius said: "Heaven has endowed me with virtue, what can Huan Tui do to me?"

子曰：“二三子以我為隱乎？吾無隱乎爾！吾無行而不與二三子者，是丘也。”

Confucius said: "Do you gentlemen think I am hiding something? I hide nothing from you. There is nothing I do that I do not share with you, which is the way of me, Qiu."

子以四教：文，行，忠，信。

Confucius taught his students in four areas: literature, conduct, loyalty and good faith.

子曰：“聖人，吾不得而見之矣；得見君子者斯可矣。”子曰：“善人，吾不得而見之矣，得見有恆者斯可矣。亡而為有，虛而為盈，約而為泰，難乎有恆乎。”

Confucius said: "A sage I cannot hope to see; if I could see a gentleman, that would do." Confucius also said: "A good man I cannot hope to see; if I could see one with constancy, that would do. To have nothing and pretend to have, to be empty and pretend to be full, to be in want and pretend to be lavish, such people find it hard to have constancy."

子釣而不綱，弋不射宿。

Confucius fished with a rod and not with a net stretched across the stream; he shot at birds but not at those roosting at their nests.

子曰：“蓋有不知而作之者，我無是也。多聞，擇其善者而從之；多見而識之，知之次也。”

Confucius said: “There may be people who create things out of nothing without understanding, but I do not have that fault. I listen widely and choose what is good to follow; I see widely and keep it in mind. This is the rank just below those who are born knowing.”

互鄉難與言，童子見，門人惑。子曰：“與其進也，不與其退也，唯何甚？人潔己以進，與其潔也，不保其往也。”

The people of Huxiang were hard to talk with, yet a boy of that place was received by Confucius, and the disciples were puzzled. Confucius said: “I approve of his coming forward, not of his falling back; why be so severe? When someone has made himself clean and comes, we should approve of that cleanness and not hold on to his past.”

子曰：“仁遠乎哉？我欲仁，斯仁至矣。”

Confucius said: “Is benevolence really far from us? If I truly want benevolence, benevolence is right here.”

陳司敗問：“昭公知禮乎？”孔子曰：“知禮。”孔子退，揖巫馬期而進之，曰：“吾聞君子不黨，君子亦黨乎？君取於吳，為同姓，謂之吳孟子。君而知禮，孰不知禮？”巫馬期以告，子曰：“丘也幸，苟有過，人必知之。”

Chen Sibai asked: “Did Duke Zhao of Lu understand ritual?” Confucius said: “He understood ritual.” After Confucius had left, Chen Sibai bowed to Wuma Qi, invited him forward, and said: “I have heard that a gentleman is not partial; is a gentleman partial too? The ruler took a wife from the state of Wu; since Wu and Lu both have the surname Ji, he called her Meng Zi of Wu. If the ruler understood ritual, who does not understand ritual?” Wuma Qi reported this to Confucius. Confucius said: “How fortunate I, Qiu, am! If I make a mistake, others are sure to know it.”

子與人歌而善，必使反之，而後和之。

When Confucius sang with others and the person sang well, he would surely ask him to sing it again, and then join in the singing himself.

子曰：“文，莫吾猶人也。躬行君子，則吾未之有得。”

Confucius said: “In literary learning, I am probably about the same as others; but in personally practicing the way of the gentleman, I have not yet achieved it.”

子曰：“若聖與仁，則吾豈敢？抑為之不厭，誨人不倦，則可謂云爾已矣。”公西華曰：“正唯弟子不能學也。”

Confucius said: “As for sagehood and benevolence, how would I dare claim them? It can only be said that I do them without weariness and teach others without tiring.” Gongxi Hua said: “This is exactly what we disciples cannot learn.”

子疾病，子路請禱。子曰：“有諸？”子路對曰：“有之。《誄》曰：‘禱爾於上下神祇。’”子曰：“丘之禱久矣。”

Confucius was gravely ill, and Zilu asked to pray to the spirits. Confucius said: “Is there such a practice?” Zilu replied: “There is. The Eulogy says: ‘We pray for you to the spirits of heaven and earth.’” Confucius said: “I, Qiu, have been praying for a long time already.”

子曰：“奢則不孫，儉則固。與其不孫也，寧固。”

Confucius said: “Extravagance makes one immodest, and frugality makes one look shabby. Better to be shabby than immodest.”

子曰：“君子坦蕩蕩，小人長慼慼。”

Confucius said: “The gentleman is at ease and broad-minded, while the petty person is always anxious and cramped.”

子溫而厲，威而不猛，恭而安。

Confucius was gentle yet stern, dignified but not fierce, and respectful yet at ease.

子曰：“泰伯，其可謂至德也已矣。三以天下讓，民無得而稱焉。”

Confucius said: “Taibo may be called the one of the highest virtue. He yielded the world three times, yet the people could find no words to praise him.”

子曰：“恭而無禮則勞；慎而無禮則葸；勇而無禮則亂；直而無禮則絞。君子篤於親，則民興於仁；故舊不遺，則民不偷。”

Confucius said: “Respect without ritual becomes wasted effort, caution without ritual becomes timidity, courage without ritual becomes trouble, and frankness without ritual becomes hurtful. When those in high position treat their kin generously, benevolence rises among the people; when they do not abandon old friends, the people do not grow cold.”

曾子有疾，召門弟子曰：“啟予足，啟予手。《詩》云：‘戰戰兢兢，如臨深淵，如履薄冰。’而今而後，吾知免夫，小子！”

Zengzi was gravely ill and called his disciples together and said: “Uncover my feet and look, uncover my hands and look. The Book of Songs, in the ode ‘Xiaomin’ of the Lesser Odes, says: ‘Be fearful and careful, as if standing at the edge of a deep abyss, as if treading on thin ice.’ From now on I know I can escape harm, my disciples!”

曾子有疾，孟敬子問之。曾子言曰：“鳥之將死，其鳴也哀；人之將死，其言也善。君子所貴乎道者三：動容貌，斯遠暴慢矣；正顏色，斯近信矣；出辭氣，斯遠鄙倍矣。籩豆之事，則有司存。”

Zengzi was gravely ill, and Meng Jingzi went to visit him. Zengzi said: “When a bird is about to die, its cry is mournful; when a person is about to die, his words are kind. There are three things the gentleman values in the Way: making his bearing dignified so that he keeps far from violence and arrogance; making his expression upright so that he comes near to sincerity; and paying attention to his wording and tone when he speaks so that he keeps far from vulgarity and absurdity. As for trifling matters such as sacrificial vessels, there are officials in charge of them.”

曾子曰：“以能問於不能；以多問於寡；有若無，實若虛，犯而不校。昔者吾友嘗從事於斯矣。”

Zengzi said: “To be capable yet ask the incapable, to know much yet ask those who know little; to have learning yet seem to have none, to be full of talent yet seem empty; to be offended against and not take it to heart. In the past a friend of mine always acted this way.”

曾子曰：“可以托六尺之孤，可以寄百里之命，臨大節而不可奪也。君子人與？君子人也。”

Zengzi said: “One to whom a young orphan can be entrusted, to whom the government of a state a hundred li square can be handed over, and who cannot be made to give up his principles at a great crisis of life and death: is such a man a gentleman? He is a gentleman indeed.”

曾子曰：“士不可以不弘毅，任重而道遠。仁以為己任，不亦重乎？死而後已，不亦遠乎？”

Zengzi said: “A scholar must be broad-minded and resolute, for his burden is heavy and his road is long. To take the realization of benevolence as one's burden, is that not heavy? To stop only at death, is that not long?”

子曰：“興於《詩》，立於禮，成於樂。”

Confucius said: “A person's cultivation is stirred by the Songs, established by ritual, and completed in music.”

子曰：“民可使由之，不可使知之。”

Confucius said: “The people can be made to follow a course, but it is hard to make them all understand the reasons for it.”

子曰：“好勇疾貧，亂也。人而不仁，疾之已甚，亂也。”

Confucius said: “One who is fond of showing courage and hates poverty will cause disorder; and to hate the unbenevolent too intensely will also drive them to cause disorder.”

子曰：“如有周公之才之美，使驕且吝，其餘不足觀也已。”

Confucius said: “Even if a person has talent and fine qualities like the Duke of Zhou, if he is arrogant and miserly, the rest is not worth looking at.”

子曰：“三年學，不至於谷，不易得也。”

Confucius said: “One who has studied for three years and still has no thought of taking office for a salary is not easy to find.”

子曰：“篤信好學，守死善道。危邦不入，亂邦不居。天下有道則見，無道則隱。邦有道，貧且賤焉，恥也；邦無道，富且貴焉，恥也。”

Confucius said: “Be firm in your faith and love learning, and hold to the good Way even unto death. Do not enter a state in danger, and do not stay in a state in disorder. When the world has the Way, come forward and serve; when it lacks the Way, withdraw into seclusion. When the state has the Way, to be poor and lowly is a disgrace; when the state lacks the Way, to be rich and honored is also a disgrace.”

子曰：“不在其位，不謀其政。”

Confucius said: “If you are not in that position, do not plan the affairs of that position.”

子曰：“師摯之始，《關雎》之亂，洋洋乎盈耳哉！”

Confucius said: “From the time the music master Zhi began to play until the closing section of the Guan Ju when all the instruments join, the music has been so grand and brimming, filling the ears!”

子曰：“狂而不直，侗而不願，悾悾而不信，吾不知之矣。”

Confucius said: “Wild but not upright, ignorant but not honest, incompetent but not trustworthy: I really do not know what to do with such people.”

子曰：“學如不及，猶恐失之。”

Confucius said: “Learning is like chasing something that you cannot catch up with, and once you have caught it, you fear losing it again.”

子曰：“巍巍乎！舜、禹之有天下也而不與焉。”

Confucius said: “How lofty Shun and Yu were! They possessed the world and yet did not take any of it for themselves.”

子曰：“大哉堯之為君也！巍巍乎，唯天為大，唯堯則之。蕩蕩乎，民無能名焉。巍巍乎其有成功也，煥乎其有文章！”

Confucius said: “How great Yao was as a ruler! How lofty! Only Heaven is greatest, and only Yao could take it as his model. His kindness was boundless, and the people could find no words to praise him. How lofty were his achievements, and how brilliant were his rites and institutions!”

舜有臣五人而天下治。武王曰：“予有亂臣十人。”孔子曰：“才難，不其然乎？唐虞之際，於斯為盛；有婦人焉，九人而已。三分天下有其二，以服事殷。周之德，其可謂至德也已矣。”

Shun had five worthy ministers, and the world was well governed. King Wu of Zhou said: “I have ten ministers who can govern.” Confucius said: “Talent is hard to find, is it not so? After Tang Yao and Yu Shun, the early Zhou was the time of most abundant talent; yet among those ten there was one woman, so in fact there were only nine. King Wen of Zhou held two-thirds of the world and still served the Yin dynasty as a subject. The virtue of Zhou may be called the highest virtue.”

子曰：“禹，吾無間然矣。菲飲食而致孝乎鬼神，惡衣服而致美乎黼冕，卑宮室而盡力乎溝洫。禹，吾無間然矣。”

Confucius said: “As for Yu, I can find no fault in him. He ate and drank simply himself, yet made the sacrificial offerings abundant to show filial devotion to the spirits; his own clothes were coarse, yet he made his sacrificial robes and caps splendid; his own palace was low, yet he spent all his strength on ditches and irrigation. As for Yu, I can find no fault in him.”