Shuo Yuan (說苑) · Volume 10

道微而明，淡而有功。非道而得，非時而生，是謂妄成。得而失之，定而復傾。

The Way is subtle yet manifest, plain yet effective. To obtain what is not the Way, to be born out of season, is called false accomplishment. Gaining then losing, settled then overturned again.

福者禍之門也。是者非之尊也。治者亂之先也。事無終始而患不及者，未之聞也。

Blessing is the gate of calamity. Right is what wrong reveres. Order is the forerunner of disorder. That a matter has no end and beginning and yet hardship does not arrive has never been heard of.

枝無忘其根，德無忘其報，見利必念害身，故君子留精神，寄心於三者，吉祥及子孫矣。

A branch does not forget its root, one with virtue does not forget to repay, and on seeing profit one must think of the harm it may do to oneself. So the noble person keeps his spirit on these three things and lodges his mind in these three things, and auspiciousness extends to his descendants.

兩高不可重，兩大不可容，兩勢不可同，兩貴不可雙；夫重容同雙，必爭其功，故君子節嗜慾，各守其足，乃能長久。夫節慾而聽諫，敬賢而勿慢，使能而勿賤；為人君能行此三者，其國必強大而民不去散矣。

Two heights cannot be stacked, two greats cannot be combined, two powers cannot be joined, and two nobles cannot be paired. Where there is stacking, combining, joining and pairing, they will surely fight over the merit. So the noble person restrains his appetites and each keeps to his own sufficiency, and so can last long. One who restrains desire and heeds remonstrance, respects the worthy without neglect, and employs the able without despising them; a ruler who can practice these three will have a state that is strong and a people that does not scatter.

默無過言，愨無過事；木馬不能行，亦不費食；騏驥日馳千里，鞭棰不去其背！

With silence there are no wrong words, and with sincerity there are no wrong deeds. A wooden horse cannot walk, but it also costs nothing in fodder; a fine steed gallops a thousand li a day, and the whip and rod never leave its back!

寸而度之，至丈必差；銖而稱之，至石必過；石稱丈量，徑而寡失；簡絲數米，煩而不察。故大較易為智，曲辯難為慧。

If you measure inch by inch, by the time you reach a zhang there will surely be an error; if you weigh grain by grain, by the time you reach a shi there will surely be an excess. Weighing by the shi and measuring by the zhang is direct and has few mistakes; counting threads one by one and rice grain by grain is tedious and yet not clear. So the large is easier to make into wisdom, while the intricate in argument makes for cleverness.

吞舟之魚，蕩而失水，制於螻蟻者，離其居也；猿猴失木，禽於狐貉者，非其處也。騰蛇遊霧而生，騰龍乘雲而舉，猿得木而挺，魚得水而騖，處地宜也。

A fish big enough to swallow a boat, when it thrashes and leaves the water, is subdued by mole crickets and ants, because it has left its dwelling; a monkey that leaves the trees is caught by foxes and badgers, because it is not where it should be. The flying serpent survives riding the mist, the soaring dragon rises riding the clouds, the ape stretches when it gets trees, and the fish gallops when it gets water; this is because the position it occupies suits it.

君子博學，患其不習；既習之，患其不能行之；既能行之，患其不能以讓也。

The noble person studies broadly and worries that he has not reviewed; having reviewed, he worries that he cannot practice; having been able to practice, he worries that he cannot thereby be humble.

君子不羞學，不羞問。問訊者知之本，念慮者知之道也。此言貴因人知而加知之，不貴獨自用其知而知之。

The noble person is not ashamed to study and not ashamed to ask. Asking is the root of knowing, and pondering is the road of knowing. This means valuing adding to what others already know, and not valuing knowing alone by one's own knowledge.

天地之道：極則反，滿則損。五采曜眼有時而渝，茂木豐草有時而落。物有盛衰，安得自若。

The Way of Heaven and Earth: when it reaches its extreme it returns, and when it is full it diminishes. The five colors dazzle the eye yet sometimes change; flourishing trees and lush grass sometimes fall. Things have their flourishing and their decline; how could one always be the same?

民苦則不仁，勞則詐生，安平則教，危則謀，極則反，滿則損，故君子弗滿弗極也。

When the people are in hardship they are not humane, and when toiling they produce deceit. When at peace and calm they accept teaching, when in danger they produce schemes, when at the extreme they return, and when full they diminish. So the noble person does not make himself full and does not make himself reach the extreme.

賢人君子者，通乎盛衰之時，明乎成敗之端，察乎治亂之紀，審乎人情。知所去就，故雖窮不處亡國之勢，雖貧不受汙君之祿；是以太公七十而不自達，孫叔敖三去相而不自悔；何則？不強合非其人也。太公一合於周而侯七百歲，孫叔敖一合於楚而封十世；大夫種存亡越而霸，句踐賜死於前；李斯積功於秦，而卒被五刑。盡忠憂君，危身安國，其功一也；或以封侯而不絕，或以賜死而被刑；所慕所由異也。故箕子去國而佯狂，范蠡去越而易名，智過去君弟而更姓，皆見遠識微，而仁能去富勢，以避萌生之禍者也。夫暴亂之君，孰能離縶以役其身，而與於患乎哉？故賢者非畏死避害而已也，為殺身無益而明主之暴也。比干死紂而不能正其行，子胥死吳而不能存其國；二子者強諫而死，適足明主之暴耳，未始有益如秋毫之端也。是以賢人閉其智，塞其能，待得其人然後合；故言無不聽，行無見疑，君臣兩與，終身無患。今非得其時，又無其人，直私意不能已，閔世之亂，憂主之危；以無貲之身，涉蔽塞之路；經乎讒人之前，造無量之主，犯不測之罪；傷其天性，豈不惑哉？故文信侯、李斯，天下所謂賢也，為國計揣微射隱，所謂無過策也；戰勝攻取，所謂無強敵也。積功甚大，勢利甚高。賢人不用，讒人用事，自知不用，其仁不能去；制敵積功，不失秋毫；避患去害，不見丘山。積其所欲，以至其所惡，豈不為勢利惑哉？詩云：“人知其一，莫知其它。”此之謂也。

The worthy and noble understand the fortunes of flourishing and decline, grasp the beginnings of success and failure, discern the threads of order and disorder, and judge human feelings, knowing when to leave and when to approach. So even in hardship they do not stay in the situation of a perishing state, and even in poverty they do not accept the stipend of a defiled ruler. Thus Taigong at seventy still did not seek prominence himself, and Sunshu Ao left the chancellorship three times without regretting it. Why? They did not force themselves to join with someone who was not the right person. Once Taigong joined with Zhou, he was enfeoffed for seven hundred years; once Sunshu Ao joined with Chu, he was rewarded for ten generations. Grand Master Zhong preserved the nearly lost state of Yue and accomplished its hegemony, yet Goujian granted him death in his own presence; Li Si accumulated merit in Qin and in the end suffered the five punishments. They exhausted their loyalty in concern for the ruler, risking themselves to bring peace to the state; their merit was the same, but one was enfeoffed without end and another granted death and punished, because what they admired and the way they went differed. So Jizi left the state and feigned madness, Fan Li left Yue and changed his name, and Zhi Guo left the ruler's mansion and changed his surname; all saw far and recognized the slightest omens, and their humaneness could leave wealth and power to avoid disaster just sprouting. As for the tyrannical ruler, who would loosen his bonds to be used by him and share in his troubles? So the worthy do not merely fear death and avoid harm; it is that being killed brings no benefit to themselves and only makes plain the ruler's cruelty. Bigan died for Zhou but could not correct his conduct; Zixu died for Wu but could not preserve that state; these two died by forcibly remonstrating, which was just enough to make plain the ruler's cruelty, and never had a benefit as much as the tip of an autumn hair. So the worthy close their wisdom and block their ability, and wait until they get the right person before joining; so no word is unheeded, no act is doubted, both ruler and minister give to each other, and they have no trouble all their lives. Now if one has not yet found the time, and there is no such person, but out of private feeling one cannot stop, pitying the disorder of the age and worrying about the ruler's danger; carrying a person with no resources to rely on, stepping onto a road that is obscured and blocked; passing before slanderers, going to a ruler beyond measure, offending crimes beyond measure; harming one's own nature, is that not delusion? So Lord Wenxin and Li Si were what the world calls worthy; planning for the state, gauging the minute, hitting the hidden were what is called flawless strategy; conquering and taking were what is called having no strong enemy. Their accumulated merit was very great and their power and profit very high. Yet when the worthy are not used and slanderers handle affairs, they themselves knew they would not be used but their humaneness could not leave; they subdued enemies and accumulated merit without missing an autumn hair; they avoided troubles and removed harms yet could not see a hill or mountain. They accumulated what they wanted until it turned into what they hated; were they not deluded by power and profit? The Odes say: 'People know one thing, but do not know the other.' This is what is meant.

子石登吳山而四望，喟然而嘆息曰：“嗚呼悲哉！世有明於事情，不合於人心者；有合於人心，不明於事情者。”弟子問曰：“何謂也？”子石曰：“昔者吳王夫差不聽伍子胥，盡忠極諫，抉目而辜；太宰嚭、公孫雒，偷合苟容，以順夫差之志而伐吳。二子沈身江湖，頭懸越旗。昔者費仲、惡來革、長鼻決耳，崇侯虎順紂之心，欲以合於意，武王伐紂、四子身死牧之野，頭足異所，比干盡忠剖心而死。今欲明事情，恐有抉目剖心之禍，欲合人心，恐有頭足異所之患。由是觀之，君子道狹耳。誠不逢其明主，狹道之中，又將危險閉塞，無可從出者。”

Zishi climbed Mount Wu and looked out in all directions, then sighed deeply and said: "Alas, how sad! In the world there are those who understand affairs but do not suit people's hearts, and those who suit people's hearts but do not understand affairs." A disciple asked: "What do you mean?" Zishi said: "In the past King Fuchai of Wu did not heed Wu Zixu, who exhausted his loyalty and remonstrated with all his strength; his eyes were gouged out and his corpse displayed. The Grand Steward Pi and Gongsun Luo carelessly accommodated to seek a place to remain, following Fuchai's heart, but caused Wu to be attacked. These two had bodies sunk in rivers and lakes and heads hung on the banners of Yue. Formerly Fei Zhong, E Lai Ge, Chang Bi Jue Er and Chonghou Hu went along with Zhou's heart and wished to suit his will; when King Wu attacked Zhou, the four died at Muye, with heads and feet in different places; Bigan exhausted his loyalty and was cut open and died. Now if I wish to understand affairs I fear the calamity of gouged eyes and a cut-open heart; if I wish to suit people's hearts I fear the trouble of head and feet in different places. From this it seems the noble person's road is narrow. If one truly does not meet an enlightened ruler, then in the narrow road there is further danger and blockage, with no way out."

祁射子見秦惠王，惠王說之，於是唐姑讒之，復見，惠王懷怒以待之。非其說異也，所聽者易也。故以徵為羽，非弦之罪也；以甘為苦，限味之過也。

Qi Shezi met King Hui of Qin, and King Hui liked him. Then Tang Gu slandered him, and when he went to see him again, King Hui awaited him with anger. It was not that what he said was different; the listener had changed. So taking the zhi note for the yu note is not the fault of the string; taking sweet for bitter is the fault of the palate (the source text has a variant reading here that does not make sense, and here the sense follows an error of taste).

彌子瑕愛於衛君，衛國之法：竊駕君車罪刖。彌子瑕之母疾，人聞，夜往告之。彌子瑕擅駕君車而出，君聞之，賢之曰：“孝哉！為母之故犯刖罪哉！”君遊果園，彌子瑕食桃而甘，不盡而奉君，君曰：“愛我而忘其口味。”及彌子瑕色衰而愛弛，得罪於君，君曰：“是故嘗矯吾車，又嘗食我以餘桃。”故子瑕之行未必變初也，前見賢后獲罪者，愛憎之生變也。

Mi Zixia was favored by the ruler of Wei. The law of Wei said: whoever secretly drove the ruler's carriage had the crime of cutting off the feet. Mi Zixia's mother fell ill, and someone heard of it and told him at night. Mi Zixia took the ruler's carriage and drove off without leave, and the ruler heard of it and thought him worthy, saying: "Filial! For his mother's sake he risked the crime of having his feet cut off!" The ruler was strolling in the orchard, and Mi Zixia ate a peach and found it sweet, and before he finished he offered it to the ruler, who said: "He loves me so much that he forgets the taste in his own mouth." When Mi Zixia's looks faded and his favor lessened, he committed an offense before the ruler, who said: "This man once falsely used my command to take my carriage, and also once gave me a half-eaten peach to eat." So Zixia's conduct was not necessarily different from before; that he was first thought worthy and later guilty is because love and hate had changed.

舜耕之時不能利其鄰人，及為天子，天下戴之。故君子窮則善其身，達則利於天下。

When Shun was farming, he could not bring benefit to his neighbors, but when he became Son of Heaven, the world supported him. So when the noble person is in hardship he perfects himself, and when he is prominent he benefits the world.

孔子曰：“自季孫之賜我千鍾而友益親，自南宮項叔之乘我車也，而道加行。故道有時而後重，有勢而後行，微夫二子之賜，丘之道幾於廢也。”

Confucius said: "Since Jisun gave me a thousand zhong of grain, my friends have grown closer; since Nangong Xiangshu let me ride in his carriage, the Way has been more able to be practiced. So the Way is valued only when it has its time, and can be practiced only when it has power. Without the gifts of these two men, Qiu's Way would almost have been abandoned."

太公田不足以償種，漁不足以償網，治天下有餘智。文公種米，曾子架羊，孫叔敖相楚，三年不知軛在衡後，務大者固忘小。智伯廚人亡炙●而知之，韓魏反而不知；邯鄲、子陽園人亡桃而知之，其亡也不知。務小者亦忘大也。”

Taigong's farming did not repay the seed and his fishing did not repay the nets, yet in governing the world his wisdom was more than enough. Duke Wen planted rice, Zengzi drove sheep, and Sunshu Ao, as chancellor of Chu, for three years did not know that the yoke was behind the shaft; one who attends to the great naturally forgets the small. The cook of Zhi Bo lost the roast meat (the source text has a damaged character here) and knew it, yet did not know that Han and Wei were rebelling; Zi Yang of Handan, whose gardener lost a peach, knew it, yet did not know that he himself was about to perish. One who attends to the small also forgets the great.

淳于髡謂孟子曰：“先名實者，為人者也；後名實者，自為者也。夫子在三卿之中，名實未加上下而去之，仁者固如此乎？”孟子曰：“居下位，不以賢事不肖者，伯夷也；五就湯，五就桀者，伊尹也；不惡汙君，不辭小官者，柳下惠也。三子者不同道，其趣一也。一者何也？曰仁也。君子亦仁而已，何必同？”曰：“魯穆公之時，公儀子為政，子思、子庚為臣，魯之削也滋甚。若是乎賢者之無益於國也。”曰：“虞不用百里奚而亡，秦穆公用之而霸，故不用賢則亡，削何可得也。”曰：“昔者王豹處於淇，而河西善謳；綿駒處於高唐，而齊右善歌。華舟杞梁之妻，善哭其夫而變國俗。有諸內必形於外；為其事，無其功，髡未睹也。是故無賢者也，有則髡必識之矣。”曰：“孔子為魯司寇而不用，從祭膰肉不至，不脫冕而行；其不善者以為為肉也，其善者以為為禮也。乃孔子欲以微罪行，不欲為苟去，故君子之所為，眾人固不得識也。”

Chunyu Kun said to Mencius: "Those who put name and reality first are acting for others; those who put them last are acting for themselves. You, Master, were among the three ministers, and before name and reality had been added above or below you left; is a humane person naturally like this?" Mencius said: "One who, in a low position, does not use his worth to serve the unworthy was Bo Yi; one who went five times to Tang and five times to Jie was Yi Yin; one who did not hate a defiled ruler or decline a small office was Liuxia Hui. These three men's ways differed but their direction was one. What is the one? It is humaneness. The noble person too is simply humane; why must they be the same?" He said: "In the time of Duke Mu of Lu, Gongyi Zi held government, and Zisi and Ziqing were ministers, yet Lu was cut down all the more. If so, the worthy are of no benefit to a state." Mencius said: "Yu did not use Baili Xi and perished, while Duke Mu of Qin used him and became hegemon; so not using the worthy leads to destruction, and how could being cut down be avoided?" He said: "In the past Wang Bao lived by the Qi River, and west of the river people became skilled at singing; Mian Ju lived at Gaotang, and in the west of Qi people became skilled at singing. The wives of Hua Zhou and Qi Liang were good at weeping for their husbands and changed the customs of the state. What is within must show outside; to do that kind of work without that kind of effect, I, Kun, have never seen it. Therefore there are no worthy people; if there were, I, Kun, would surely know them." Mencius said: "Confucius was Minister of Crime in Lu but was not used; when he followed the sacrifice and the sacrificial meat did not arrive, he left without taking off his cap. Those who are not good thought it was for the meat, and those who are good thought it was for ritual. Confucius wished to leave with a minor offense and did not want to leave carelessly, so what the noble person does is something the multitude naturally cannot know."

梁相死，惠子欲之梁，渡河而遽墮水中，船人救之。船人曰：“子欲何之而遽也？”曰：“梁無相，吾欲往相之。”船人曰：“子居船橶之間而困，無我則子死矣，子何能相梁乎？”惠子曰：“子居艘楫之間則吾不如子；至於安國家，全社稷，子之比我，濛濛如未視之狗耳。”

The chancellor of Liang died, and Huizi wanted to go to Liang. While crossing a river he hurried and fell into the water, and a boatman rescued him. The boatman said: "Where do you want to go that you hurry so?" He said: "Liang has no chancellor, and I want to go there to be chancellor." The boatman said: "When you are between the oars you are helpless, and without me you would have died; how can you be chancellor of Liang?" Huizi said: "Among the boat and oars, I am no match for you; but as to settling a state and preserving the altars of earth and grain, compared with me you are only like a puppy dim-eyed before its eyes have opened."

西閭過東渡河中流而溺，船人接而出之，問曰：“今者子欲安之？”西閭過曰：“欲東說諸侯王。”船人掩口而笑曰：“子渡河中流而溺，不能自救，安能說諸侯乎？”西閭過曰：“無以子之所能相為傷也。子獨不聞和氏之璧乎？價重千金，然以之間紡，曾不如瓦磚；隨侯之珠，國寶也，然用之彈，曾不如泥丸；騏驥騄駬，倚衡負軛而趨，一日千里，此至疾也，然使捕鼠，曾不如百錢之狸；幹將、鏌■拂鐘不錚，試物不知，揚刃離金斬羽契鐵斧，此至利也，然以之補履，曾不如兩錢之錐。今子持楫乘扁舟，處廣水之中，當陽侯之波，而臨淵流，適子之所能耳。若誠與子東說諸侯王，見一國之王，子之濛濛，無異夫未視之狗耳。”

Xilu Guo crossed the river eastward and fell into the water at midstream; a boatman caught him and pulled him out and asked: "Where do you want to go now?" Xilu Guo said: "I want to go east to persuade the feudal lords and kings." The boatman covered his mouth and laughed, saying: "You fell into the water at midstream and cannot save yourself; how can you persuade the feudal lords?" Xilu Guo said: "Do not use what you can do to harm what I do. Have you not heard of the jade disk of Mr. He? Its value is a thousand gold, but if used for spinning thread, it is not as good as a brick; the pearl of the Marquis of Sui is a national treasure, but if used as a pellet for a slingshot, it is not as good as a clay ball; the fine steeds Qiji and Lu'er, leaning on the shaft and bearing the yoke, run a thousand li a day, which is extremely fast, but if made to catch mice are not as good as a hundred-coin cat; the swords Ganjiang and Moye, when brushed against a bell do not even ring, when tried on things do not feel them, when the blade is raised they split gold, cut feathers and slice an iron axe, which is extremely sharp, but if used for mending shoes are not as good as a two-coin awl. Now you hold the oar and ride a little boat, in the wide water, facing the waves of the water god Yanghou and the currents of the deep, which is just what you are good at. If I were truly to go east with you to persuade the feudal lords and meet the king of a state, your dim-eyed state would be no different from that puppy with its eyes not yet opened."

甘戊使於齊，渡大河。船人曰：“河水間耳，君不能自渡，能為王者之說乎？”甘戊曰：“不然，汝不知也。物各有短長，謹願敦厚，可事主不施用兵；騏驥、騄駬，足及千里，置之宮室，使之捕鼠，曾不如小狸；干將為利，名聞天下，匠以治木，不如斤斧。今持楫而上下隨流，吾不如子；說千乘之君，萬乘之主，子亦不如戊矣。”

Gan Wu was sent as envoy to Qi and crossed the great river. The boatman said: "The river is only a divide, and you cannot cross it yourself; can you persuade a king?" Gan Wu said: "It is not so; you do not understand. Things each have their strengths and weaknesses. One who is careful, honest and sincere can serve a lord but cannot be used for war; the fine steeds Qiji and Lu'er, whose legs reach a thousand li, if put in a palace and made to catch mice are not as good as a little cat; Ganjiang's sword is sharp and its name known in the world, but craftsmen using it to work wood find it no match for an ax. Now holding the oar and following the current up and down, I am no match for you; but in persuading a ruler of a thousand chariots or a lord of ten thousand chariots, you are no match for Wu."

今夫世異則事變，事變則時移，時移則俗易；是以君子先相其土地，而裁其器，觀其俗，而和其風，總眾議而定其教。愚人有學遠射者，參矢而發，已射五步之內，又復參矢而發；世以易矣，不更其儀，譬如愚人之學遠射。目察秋毫之末者，視不能見太山；耳聽清濁之調者，不聞雷霆之聲。何也？唯其意有所移也。百人操觿，不可為固結；千人謗獄，不可為直辭，萬人比非，不可為顯士。

Now when the age is different, affairs change; when affairs change, the times shift; when the times shift, customs change. Therefore the noble person first observes the land and then fashions the vessels, observes the customs and harmonizes the ways, and gathers the discussions of the multitude to fix the teaching. There was a foolish man who studied long-distance archery, clamping the arrow between his fingers when shooting; he had already shot within five paces, and again clamped the arrow between his fingers to shoot; the age has already changed, yet he does not change the method, like the fool studying long-distance archery. An eye that can see the tip of an autumn hair cannot see Mount Tai far away; an ear that can distinguish clear and muddy tones cannot hear the sound of thunder. Why? Only because his attention has shifted. A hundred people holding awls to untie knots cannot make a firm knot; a thousand people slandering a lawsuit cannot make an upright statement; ten thousand people all denying it cannot make a distinguished scholar.

麋鹿成群，虎豹避之；飛鳥成列，鷹鷲不擊；眾人成聚，聖人不犯。騰蛇遊於霧露，乘於風雨而行，非千里不止；然則暮托宿於■鱣之穴，所以然者，何也？用心不一也。夫蚯蚓內無筋骨之強，外無爪牙之利；然下飲黃泉，上墾晞土。所以然者，何也？用心一也。聰者耳聞，明者目見，聰明形則仁愛者，廉恥分矣。故非其道而行之，雖勞不至；非其有而求之，雖強不得；智者不為非其事，廉者不求非其有；是以遠容而名章也。詩云：“不忮不求，何用不臧。”此之謂也。

When elk and deer travel in herds, tigers and leopards avoid them; when birds fly in rows, hawks and eagles do not attack; when the multitude gathers in a crowd, the sage does not offend them. The flying serpent roams in mist and dew and travels on wind and rain and does not stop before a thousand li; yet at dusk it lodges in the burrow of an eel (the source text has a damaged character here, and eel is supplied by the common saying). Why is this so? Because its attention is not single. The earthworm has no strength of sinew and bone within and no sharpness of claw and tooth without; yet it drinks from the Yellow Springs below and digs through dry soil above. Why is this so? Because its attention is single. The keen-eared hear with the ear and the clear-sighted see with the eye; when keenness and clarity show, humaneness and love and the sense of shame part ways. So to go by a way that is not that way, though one toils one will not arrive; to seek what one should not have, though one forces it one will not get it. The wise do not do what is not their business, and the honest do not seek what is not theirs to have; therefore they are accepted from afar and their names are bright. The Odes say: 'Not envious, not covetous; what could be not good?' This is what is meant.

楚昭王召孔子，將使執政而封以書社七百。子西謂楚王曰：“王之臣用兵有如子路者乎？使諸侯有如宰予者乎？長官五官有如子貢者乎？昔文王處酆、武王處鎬之間百乘之地，伐上殺主立為天子，世皆曰聖。王今以孔子之賢而有書社七百里之地，而三子佐之，非楚之利也。”楚王遂止。夫善惡之難分也，聖人獨見疑，而況於賢者乎！是以賢聖罕合，諂諛常興也。故有千歲之亂而無百歲之治，孔子之見疑，豈不痛哉！

King Zhao of Chu summoned Confucius, planning to give him government and enfeoff him with seven hundred shu she. Zixi said to the king of Chu: "Among your ministers is there one who commands troops like Zilu? One who is sent to the feudal lords like Zai Yu? One who manages the five offices like Zigong? Formerly King Wen was at Feng and King Wu at Hao, with no more than a hundred chariots of land, yet they attacked those above, killed the ruler and set themselves up as Sons of Heaven, and the world calls them sages. Now Your Majesty, relying on Confucius's worth and having seven hundred li of shu she land, with the three disciples assisting him, is not a benefit to Chu." The king of Chu then stopped. Good and evil are hard to tell apart, and even a sage is doubted alone, let alone the worthy! So worthy sages rarely come together and flatterers often arise. Therefore there are thousand-year disorders but no hundred-year orders. That Confucius was doubted, is it not painful!

魯哀公問於孔子曰：“有智者壽乎？”孔子曰：“然。人有三死而非命也者，人自取之。夫寢處不時，飲食不節，佚勞過度者，疾共殺之；居下位而上忤其君，嗜慾無厭，而求不止者，刑共殺之；以少犯眾，弱以侮強，忿怒不量力者，兵共殺之。此三者，非命也，人自取之。詩云：‘人而無儀，不死何為？’此之謂也。”

Duke Ai of Lu asked Confucius: "Do the wise live long?" Confucius said: "Yes. There are three kinds of death that are not fate but which people bring on themselves. Those whose rising and resting have no fixed time, whose eating and drinking have no restraint, who overdo ease and toil, are killed together by illness; those in a low position who oppose their ruler above, whose appetites are not satisfied and whose seeking does not stop, are killed together by punishment; those who offend the many with few, insult the strong with the weak, and in anger do not measure their strength, are killed together by weapons. These three are not fate; people bring them on themselves. The Odes say: 'A person without dignity, why does he not die?' This is what is meant."

孔子遭難陳、蔡之境，絕糧，弟子皆有飢色，孔子歌兩柱之間。子路入見曰：“夫子之歌，禮乎？”孔子不應，曲終而曰：“由，君子好樂為無驕也，小人好樂為無懾也，其誰知之？子不我知而從我者乎？”子路不悅，援幹而舞，三終而出。及至七日，孔子修樂不休，子路慍見曰：“夫子之修樂，時乎？”孔子不應，樂終而曰：“由，昔者齊桓霸心生於莒，句踐霸心生於會稽，晉文霸心生於驪氏，故居不幽，則思不遠，身不約則智不廣，庸知而不遇之。”於是興，明日免於厄。子貢執轡曰：“二三子從夫子而遇此難也，其不可忘也！”孔子曰：“惡是何也？語不云乎？三折肱而成良醫。夫陳、蔡之間，丘之幸也。二三子從丘者皆幸人也。吾聞人君不困不成王，列士不困不成行。昔者湯困於呂，文王困於羑里，秦穆公困於殽，齊桓困於長勺，句踐困於會稽，晉文困於驪氏。夫困之為道，從寒之及暖，暖之及寒也，唯賢者獨知而難言之也。易曰：‘困亨貞，大人吉，無咎。有言不信。’聖人所與人難言信也。”

Confucius met trouble in the border of Chen and Cai and ran out of food, and his disciples all looked hungry, while Confucius sang between two pillars. Zilu went in to see him and said: "Master, is it ritually proper for you to sing?" Confucius did not answer, and when the song ended he said: "You, the noble person loves music so as to be without arrogance, the petty person loves music so as to be without fear; who knows this? You do not understand me and yet follow me?" Zilu was displeased, took a shield and danced, and after three rounds went out. On the seventh day, Confucius kept practicing music without stopping, and Zilu came to see him in anger and said: "Master, is this the time to practice music?" Confucius did not answer, and when the music ended he said: "You, formerly Duke Huan of Qi's hegemonic mind arose from Ju, Goujian's hegemonic mind arose from Kuaiji, and Duke Wen of Jin's hegemonic mind arose from the Li family. So if one's situation is not dark, one's thoughts are not far-reaching; if one's person is not restrained, one's wisdom is not broad. How do you know it will not be met?" Then he roused himself, and the next day escaped the hardship. Zigong held the reins and said: "You gentlemen who followed the Master met this trouble; do not forget it!" Confucius said: "Alas, what words are these? Does the common saying not say: after breaking an arm three times one becomes a good physician? Between Chen and Cai was Qiu's good fortune. You gentlemen who followed Qiu are all fortunate. I have heard that a ruler without hardship does not become king, and an eminent scholar without hardship does not form his conduct. Formerly Tang was in hardship at Lü, King Wen at Youli, Duke Mu of Qin at Xiao, Duke Huan of Qi at Changshao, Goujian at Kuaiji, and Duke Wen of Jin at the Li family. Hardship as a way is like going from cold to warm and warm to cold; only the worthy know it alone and find it hard to say. The Changes say: 'Hardship; success, perseverance; for the great man, good fortune, no blame; what is said is not believed.' What the sage gives people is a trust that is hard to put into words."

孔子困於陳、蔡之間，居環堵之內，席三經之席，七日不食，藜羹不糝，弟子皆有飢色，讀詩書治禮不休。子路進諫曰：“凡人為善者天報以福，為不善者天報以禍。今先生積德行，為善久矣。意者尚有遺行乎？奚居隱也！”孔子曰：“由，來，汝不知。坐，吾語汝。子以夫知者為無不知乎？則王子比干何為剖心而死？以諫者為必聽耶？伍子胥何為抉目於吳東門？子以廉者為必用乎？伯夷、叔齊何為餓死於首陽山之下？子以忠者為必用乎？則鮑莊何為而肉枯？荊公子高終身不顯，鮑焦抱木而立枯，介子推登山焚死。故夫君子博學深謀不遇時者眾矣，豈獨丘哉！賢不肖者才也，為不為者人也，遇不遇者時也，死生者命也；有其才不遇其時，雖才不用，苟遇其時，何難之有！故舜耕歷山而逃於河畔，立為天子則其遇堯也。傅說負壤土、釋板築，而立佐天子，則其遇武丁也。伊尹，有莘氏媵臣也，負鼎俎調五味而佐天子，則其遇成湯也。呂望行年五十賣食於棘津，行年七十屠牛朝歌，行年九十為天子師，則其遇文王也。管夷吾束縛膠目，居檻車中，自車中起為仲父，則其遇齊桓公也。百里奚自賣取五羊皮，伯氏牧羊以為卿大夫，則其遇秦穆公也。沈尹名聞天下，以為令尹，而讓孫叔敖，則其遇楚莊王也。伍子胥前多功，後戮死，非其智益衰也，前遇闔廬，後遇夫差也。夫驥厄罷鹽車，非無驥狀也，夫世莫能知也；使驥得王良、造父，驥無千里之足乎？芝蘭生深林，非為無人而不香。故學者非為通也，為窮而不困也，憂而不衰也，此知禍福之始而心不惑也，聖人之深念獨知獨見。舜亦賢聖矣，南面治天下，唯其遇堯也；使舜居桀紂之世，能自免於刑戮固可也，又何官得治乎？夫桀殺關龍逄而紂殺王子比干，當是時，豈關龍逄無知，而比干無惠哉？此桀紂無道之世然也。故君子疾學修身端行，以須其時也。”

Confucius was in hardship between Chen and Cai, living within four bare walls, with a mat woven of three kinds of cord, going seven days without eating, with no grain of rice in his goosefoot soup, and his disciples all looked hungry, yet he did not stop reciting the Odes and Documents and practicing ritual. Zilu came forward and tried to console him, saying: "When people do good, Heaven repays them with blessing; when they do not do good, Heaven repays them with misfortune. Now you, Master, have accumulated virtue and conduct and done good for a long time. Could there be some lapse in your conduct I wonder? Why are you in such obscurity and hardship?" Confucius said: "You, come here, you do not understand. Sit down and I will tell you. Do you think that the wise know everything? Then why was Prince Bigan cut open and killed? Do you think that those who remonstrate are always heard? Then why were Wu Zixu's eyes gouged out at the east gate of Wu? Do you think the honest are always used? Then why did Bo Yi and Shu Qi starve to death at the foot of Mount Shouyang? Do you think the loyal are always used? Then why did Bao Zhuang's flesh wither? Gongzi Gao of Jing was never prominent all his life, Bao Jiao embraced a tree and withered standing, and Jie Zitui climbed the mountain and was burned to death. So many noble persons study broadly and plan deeply but do not meet their time; is it only Qiu! Worthy and unworthy is a matter of talent, doing and not doing a matter of the person, meeting and not meeting a matter of time, death and life a matter of fate; if one has the talent but does not meet the time, then even with talent one will not be used; if one meets the time, what difficulty is there! So Shun farmed at Mount Li and fled to the riverbank, and was set up as Son of Heaven because he met Yao. Fu Yue carried earth and put down the rammers and was raised to assist the Son of Heaven because he met Wu Ding. Yi Yin was a servant who came with the bride from the You Shen clan, carrying the cauldron and chopping board and blending the five flavors to assist the Son of Heaven, because he met Tang of Cheng. Lü Wang at fifty sold food at Jijin, at seventy slaughtered oxen at Zhaoge, and at ninety became the teacher of the Son of Heaven, because he met King Wen. Guan Yiwu was bound and blindfolded, lived in a prisoner's cart, and rose from the cart to become the Second Father, because he met Duke Huan of Qi. Baili Xi sold himself for five sheepskins, herded sheep for Boshi, and became a minister and grand master, because he met Duke Mu of Qin. Shen Yin's fame spread through the world, and he could have become prime minister but yielded it to Sunshu Ao, because he met King Zhuang of Chu. Wu Zixu had much merit earlier and was later killed, not because his wisdom declined, but because earlier he met Helu and later he met Fuchai. A fine steed in hardship and exhausted pulling a salt cart is not without the form of a fine steed, but there is no one in the world who recognizes it; if the fine steed got Wang Liang or Zao Fu, would it lack a thousand li's strength? Orchids grow in deep forests, and do not cease to be fragrant because no one is there. So learning is not to become prominent but to be in hardship without being stuck and in worry without declining; this is knowing the beginnings of misfortune and blessing without the mind being perplexed, the sage's deep and far-reaching thought, known alone and seen alone. Shun was also a worthy sage, facing south and ruling the world, only because he met Yao; if Shun had lived in the age of Jie and Zhou, to be spared punishment and execution himself would have been enough, so how could he have obtained office and governed? Jie killed Guan Longfeng and Zhou killed Prince Bigan; at just that time, was it that Guan Longfeng had no wisdom and Bigan no intelligence? It was the age of Jie and Zhou's lack of the Way that made it so. So the noble person hastens to study, cultivates himself and rectifies his conduct, to await his time."

孔子之宋，匡簡子將殺陽虎，孔子似之。甲士以圍孔子之舍，子路怒，奮戟將下鬥。孔子止之，曰：“何仁義之不免俗也？夫詩、書之不習，禮、樂之不修也，是丘之過也。若似陽虎，則非丘之罪也，命也夫。由，歌予和汝。”子路歌，孔子和之，三終而甲罷。

Confucius went to Song, and Kuang Jianzi was about to kill Yang Hu, whom Confucius resembled. Armored soldiers surrounded Confucius's lodging, and Zilu in anger raised his halberd and was about to go down to fight. Confucius stopped him, saying: "Why can humaneness and righteousness not escape vulgar custom? That the Odes and Documents are not reviewed and ritual and music not practiced is Qiu's fault. As for resembling Yang Hu, that is not Qiu's offense; it is fate. You, sing, and I will harmonize with you." Zilu sang and Confucius harmonized, and after three rounds the armored soldiers withdrew.

孔子曰：“不觀於高岸，何以知顛墜之患；不臨深淵，何以知沒溺之患；不觀於海上，何以知風波之患。失之者其不在此乎？士慎三者，無累於人。”

Confucius said: "If one does not look at a high bank, how does one know the danger of falling; if one does not face a deep abyss, how does one know the danger of sinking and drowning; if one does not look at the sea, how does one know the danger of wind and waves? Those who stumble probably do so over these. If a scholar is careful about these three, he will not burden others."

曾子曰：“響不辭聲，鑑不辭形，君子正一而萬物皆成。夫行非為影也，而影隨之；呼非為響也，而響和之。故君子功先成而名隨之。”

Zengzi said: "An echo does not refuse a sound, a mirror does not refuse a form; when the noble person sets right this one thing, the myriad things are accomplished. One walks not for the shadow, yet the shadow follows; one calls not for the echo, yet the echo answers. So when the noble person's merit is first accomplished, his name follows."

子夏問仲尼曰：“顏淵之為人也，何若？”曰：“回之信，賢於丘也。”曰：“子貢之為人也，何若？”曰：“賜之敏，賢於丘也。”曰：“子路之為人也，何若？”曰：“由之勇，賢於丘也。”曰：“子張之為人也，何若？”曰：“師之莊，賢於丘也。”於是子夏避席而問曰：“然則四者何為事先生？”曰：“坐，吾語汝。回能信而不能反，賜能敏而不能屈，由能勇而不能怯，師能莊而不能同。兼此四子者，丘不為也。夫所謂至聖之士，必見進退之利，屈伸之用者也。”

Zixia asked Zhongni: "What kind of person is Yan Yuan?" He said: "Hui's trustworthiness surpasses Qiu." He asked: "What kind of person is Zigong?" He said: "Ci's quickness surpasses Qiu." He asked: "What kind of person is Zilu?" He said: "You's courage surpasses Qiu." He asked: "What kind of person is Zizhang?" He said: "Shi's solemnity surpasses Qiu." Then Zixia left his seat and asked: "Then why do these four serve the Master?" He said: "Sit down and I will tell you. Hui can be trustworthy but cannot turn around; Ci can be quick but cannot bend; You can be courageous but cannot be timid; Shi can be solemn but cannot be in harmony with others. One who combined these four, Qiu would not be. One who is called a supremely sage scholar must see the benefit of advancing and withdrawing and the use of bending and stretching."

東郭子惠問於子貢曰：“夫子之門何其雜也？”子貢曰：“夫隱括之旁多枉木，良醫之門多疾人，砥礪之旁多頑鈍。夫子修道以俟天下，來者不止，是以雜也。詩云：‘苑彼柳斯，鳴蜩●●；有漼者淵，莞葦淠淠。’言大者之旁，無所不容。”

Dongguo Zihui asked Zigong: "Why is the Master's gate so mixed?" Zigong said: "Beside the straightening frame there are many crooked pieces of wood, in front of a good physician's door there are many sick people, and beside the whetstone there are many dull things. The Master cultivates the Way to wait for the world, and those who come do not stop, so it is mixed. The Odes say: 'Luxuriant are those willows, the cicadas sing 'hui hui' (the source text has damaged characters here, and 'hui hui' is supplied from the line in the Odes, Xiaobian); there is that deep pool, with reeds growing thick.' This says that beside what is great, nothing cannot be accommodated."

昔者南瑕子過程太子，太子為烹鯢魚。南瑕子曰：“吾聞君子不食鯢魚。”程太子曰：“乃君子否？子何事焉？”南瑕子曰：“吾聞君子上比所以廣德也，下比所以狹行也，於惡自退之原也。詩云：‘高山仰止，景行行止。’吾豈敢自以為君子哉？志向之而已。孔子曰：‘見賢思齊焉，見不賢而內自省。’”

In former times Nanxiazi visited Crown Prince Cheng, and the crown prince had a salamander cooked for him. Nanxiazi said: "I have heard that a noble person does not eat salamander." Crown Prince Cheng said: "Are you really a noble person? What business is it of yours?" Nanxiazi said: "I have heard that for the noble person, comparing upward is to broaden virtue and comparing downward is to narrow conduct, and withdrawing oneself from evil is the root. The Odes say: 'The high mountain can be looked up to, the great road can be walked.' How dare I consider myself a noble person? It is only that my aim lies there. Confucius said: 'On seeing the worthy, think of equaling him; on seeing the unworthy, examine yourself within.'"

孔子觀於呂梁，懸水四十仞，環流九十里，魚鱉不能過，黿鼉不敢居；有一丈夫，方將涉之。孔子使人並崖而止之曰：“此懸水四十仞，圜流九十里，魚鱉不敢過，黿鼉不敢居，意者難可濟也！”丈夫不以錯意，遂渡而出。孔子問：“子巧乎？且有道術乎？所以能入而出者何也？”丈夫曰：“始吾入，先以忠信，吾之出也，又從以忠信；忠信錯吾軀于波流，而吾不敢用私。吾所以能入而復出也。”孔子謂弟子曰：“水而尚可以忠信，義久而身親之，況於人乎？”

Confucius was looking at Lüliang, where the waterfall plunged forty ren and the whirlpool circled ninety li, where fish and turtles could not pass and crocodiles dared not dwell; there was a man about to wade across. Confucius sent someone along the cliff to stop him, saying: "This waterfall plunges forty ren and the whirlpool circles ninety li; fish and turtles dare not pass and crocodiles dare not dwell; it would be hard to cross!" The man paid no heed and finally crossed and came out. Confucius asked: "Are you skillful? Or do you have a technique? How is it you could go in and come out again?" The man said: "When I first went in, I used loyalty and trust first; when I came out, I followed again with loyalty and trust. Loyalty and trust placed my body in the waves and I did not dare use any selfishness. This is how I could go in and come out again." Confucius said to his disciples: "If even water can be treated with loyalty and trust, and righteousness for long and drawing close to it oneself, how much more people?"

子路盛服而見孔子。孔子曰：“由，是襜襜者何也？昔者江水出於岷山；其始也，大足以濫觴，及至江之津也，不方舟，不避風，不可渡也，非唯下流眾川之多乎？今若衣服甚盛，顏色充盛，天下誰肯加若者哉？”子路趨而出，改服而入，蓋自如也。孔子曰：“由，記之，吾語若：●於言者，華也，奮於行者，伐也。夫色智而有能者，小人也。故君子知之為知之，不知為不知，言之要也；能之為能，不能為不能，行之至也。言要則知，行要則仁；既知且仁，夫有何加矣哉？由，詩曰：‘湯降不遲，聖教日躋’。此之謂也。”

Zilu went to see Confucius wearing splendid clothes. Confucius said: "You, why does this garment flutter so? Formerly the river came out of Mount Min, and at its source it was only large enough to float a wine cup; but by the time it reached the ford of the river, without joining boats and avoiding wind, one could not cross it; is it not because the tributaries are many downstream? Now your clothes are splendid and your color full; who in the world is willing to add anything more to you?" Zilu hurried out and changed his clothes and came in, probably at ease. Confucius said: "You, remember, I will tell you: one who is hasty in speech (the source text has a damaged character here, and by sense it should be 'boastful' or 'hasty') is flashy; one who is vigorous in action is boastful. One whose face shows wisdom and talent is a petty person. So the noble person, what he knows he says he knows and what he does not know he says he does not know; this is the essential of speech; what he can do he says he can do, and what he cannot do he says he cannot do; this is the utmost of action. If speech has its essentials, one is wise; if action has its essentials, one is humane; being both wise and humane, what more could be added? You, the Odes say: 'Tang was born not slow, and his sage teaching rose daily.' This is what is meant."

子路問孔子曰：“君子亦有憂乎？”孔子曰：“無也。君子之修其行未得，則樂其意；既已得，又樂其知。是以有終生之樂，無一日之憂。小人則不然，其未之得則憂不得，既已得之又恐失之。是以有終身之憂，無一日之樂也。”

Zilu asked Confucius: "Does the noble person also have worries?" Confucius said: "No. When the noble person is cultivating his conduct and has not yet attained it, he is glad in that intention; once he has attained it, he is further glad in that knowing. So he has a lifetime's joy and not a day's worry. The petty person is not so: before attaining, he worries about not attaining; having attained, he fears losing it. So he has a lifetime's worry and not a day's joy."

孔子見榮啟期，衣鹿皮裘，鼓瑟而歌。孔子問曰：“先生何樂也？”對曰：“吾樂甚多。天生萬物唯人為貴，吾既已得為人，是一樂也。人以男為貴，吾既已得為男，是二樂也。人生不免襁褓，吾年已九十五，是三樂也。夫貧者士之常也，死者民之終也，處常待終，當何憂乎？”

Confucius saw Rong Qiqi wearing a deerskin coat, plucking a zither and singing. Confucius asked: "What are you happy about, Master?" He answered: "I have many joys. Of the myriad things Heaven gave birth to, only humans are the most noble, and I have already become a human; this is the first joy. Among people, males are honored, and I have already become a male; this is the second joy. Human life cannot avoid swaddling clothes, and I am already ninety-five; this is the third joy. Poverty is a scholar's norm and death is the end of people; staying in the norm and waiting for the end, what is there to worry about?"

曾子曰：“吾聞夫子之三言，未之能行也。夫子見人之一善而忘其百非，是夫子之易事也。夫子見人有善若已有之，是夫子之不爭也。聞善必躬親行之，然後道之，是夫子之能勞也。夫子之能勞也，夫子之不爭也，夫子之易事也，吾學夫子之三言而未能行。”

Zengzi said: "I heard three sayings of the Master, and I have not yet been able to practice them. When the Master sees one good thing in a person he forgets the person's hundred faults; this is why the Master is easy to serve. When the Master sees goodness in a person he is as if he had it himself; this is why the Master does not compete. When he hears of goodness he must practice it himself before speaking of it; this is why the Master can bear toil. The Master can bear toil, the Master does not compete, the Master is easy to serve; I have learned these three sayings of the Master but cannot yet practice them."

孔子說：“回，若有君子之道四：強於行己，弱於受諫，怵於待祿，慎於持身。”

Confucius said: "Hui, you have four of the noble person's ways: firm in dealing with your own conduct, gentle in accepting remonstrance, cautious in dealing with stipend, and careful in guarding your person."

仲尼曰：“史■有君子之道三：不仕而敬上，不祀而敬鬼，直能曲於人。”

Zhongni said: "Shi Qiu has three of the noble person's ways (the source text has a damaged character here, and 'Qiu' is supplied from the common reference to Shi Yu and Shi Qiu): not serving in office yet respecting those above, not sacrificing yet revering the spirits, and being upright yet able to bend toward others."

孔子曰：“丘死之後，商也日益，賜也日損；商也好與賢己者處，賜也好說不如己者。”

Confucius said: "After Qiu has died, Shang will grow day by day and Ci will diminish day by day; Shang likes to live with those more worthy than himself, while Ci likes to persuade those who are not as good as himself."

孔子將行，無蓋。弟子曰：“子夏有蓋，可以行。”孔子曰：“商之為人也，甚短於財。吾聞與人交者，推其長者，違其短者，故能久長矣。”

Confucius was about to go out and had no carriage canopy. A disciple said: "Zixia has a canopy; you can go." Confucius said: "Shang is a person very short of means. I have heard that in dealing with people, one respects their strengths and avoids their weaknesses, and so one can last long."

子路行，辭於仲尼曰：“敢問新交取親若何？言寡可行若何？長為善士而無犯若何？”仲尼曰：“新交取親，其忠乎！言寡可行，其信乎！長為善士而無犯，其禮乎！”

Zilu was setting out and took leave of Zhongni, saying: "May I ask what to do to gain closeness with those newly befriended? What to do to speak little yet be able to act on it? What to do to remain a good scholar for a long time without giving offense?" Zhongni said: "To gain closeness with the newly befriended is probably loyalty! To speak little yet be able to act is probably trustworthiness! To remain a good scholar for long without giving offense is probably ritual!"

子路將行，辭於仲尼，曰：“贈汝以車乎？以言乎？”子路曰：“請以言！”仲尼曰：“不強不遠，不勞無功，不忠無親，不信無復，不恭無禮。慎此五者，可以長久矣。”

Zilu was about to set out and took leave of Zhongni. Zhongni said: "Shall I give you a carriage? Or shall I give you words?" Zilu said: "Please give me words!" Zhongni said: "Without strengthening yourself, you will not go far; without toil, you will have no merit; without loyalty, you will have no intimacy; without trust, no one will come again; without respect, there will be no ritual. Be careful about these five, and you can last long."

曾子從孔子於齊，齊景公以下卿禮聘曾子，曾子固辭，將行，晏子送之，曰：“吾聞君子贈人以財，不若以言。今夫蘭本三年，湛之以鹿醢，既成則易以匹馬，非蘭本美也。願子詳其所湛。既得所湛，亦求所湛。吾聞君子居必擇處，所以求士也；遊必擇士，所以修道也。吾聞反常移性者欲也，故不可不慎也。”

Zengzi followed Confucius in Qi, and Duke Jing of Qi invited Zengzi with the ritual of a lower minister, but Zengzi firmly declined. As he was about to leave, Master Yan saw him off and said: "I have heard that when a noble person gives to a person, giving wealth is not as good as giving words. Now that orchid root, after three years soaked in deer sauce, once made, fetches a horse, not because the orchid root was originally fine. I hope you will examine what you are soaked in. Having obtained what you are soaked in, also seek what you are soaked in. I have heard that a noble person, in dwelling, must choose a place, in order to seek scholars; in associating, he must choose scholars, in order to cultivate the Way. I have heard that what changes the constant and alters one's nature is desire, so one must be careful."

孔子曰：“中人之情，有餘則侈，不足則儉，無禁則淫，無度則失，縱慾則敗。飲食有量，衣服有節，宮室有度，畜聚有數，車器有限，以防亂之源也。故夫度量不可不明也，善言不可不聽也。”

Confucius said: "The nature of the middling person is that if he has surplus he is extravagant, if he lacks he is frugal, without prohibition he is licentious, without measure he errs, and giving rein to desire he fails. Food and drink have quantities, clothing has restraint, palaces and houses have standards, savings have counts, carriages and implements have limits, to guard against the source of disorder. So measures must be understood and good words must be heeded."

孔子曰：“巧而好度必工，勇而好同必勝，知而好謀必成；愚者反是，夫處重擅寵，專事妒賢，愚者之情也。志驕傲而輕舊怨，是以尊位則必危，任重則必崩，擅寵則必辱。”

Confucius said: "One who is skillful and likes standards will surely be exact; one who is brave and likes harmony will surely prevail; one who is wise and likes planning will surely succeed; the fool is the opposite. To occupy an important position and monopolize favor, to monopolize government and be jealous of the worthy, is the nature of a fool. With a mind of arrogance and making light of old grievances, a high position will surely be in danger, heavy responsibility will surely collapse, and monopolizing favor will surely bring disgrace."

孔子曰：“鞭撲之子，不從父之教；刑戮之民，不從君之政，言疾之難行。故君子不急斷，不意使，以為亂源。”

Confucius said: "A son who has been whipped does not follow his father's teaching; a people who have been punished and executed do not follow the ruler's decrees; this says that haste makes it hard to carry out. So the noble person does not hasten to judge and does not casually employ others, taking these as the source of disorder."

孔子曰：“終日言不遺己之憂，終日行不遺己之患，唯智者有之。故恐懼所以除患也，恭敬所以越難也；終身為之，一言敗之，可不慎乎！”

Confucius said: "To speak all day without leaving oneself a worry, and to act all day without leaving oneself a trouble, only the wise have this. So fear is used to remove trouble, and respect is used to cross difficulty; one does this all one's life, and one word can ruin it; can one not be careful!"

孔子曰：“以富貴為人下者，何人不與？以富貴敬愛人者，何人不親？眾言不逆，可謂知言矣，眾向之，可謂知時矣。”

Confucius said: "One who, relying on wealth and rank, yet places himself beneath others, whom would he not draw close? One who, relying on wealth and rank, yet respects and loves others, whom would he not befriend? One who does not go against what the multitude says may be called knowing words; one who goes where the multitude goes may be called knowing the time."

孔子曰：“夫富而能富人者，欲貧而不可得也；貴而能貴人者，欲賤而不可得也；達而能達人者，欲窮而不可得也。”

Confucius said: "One who is rich and can make others rich could not become poor even if he wished; one who is noble and can make others noble could not become lowly even if he wished; one who is prominent and can make others prominent could not become hard-pressed even if he wished."

仲尼曰：“非其地而樹之，不生也，非其人而語之，弗聽也；得其人，如聚沙而雨之，非其人，如聚聾而鼓之。”

Zhongni said: "To plant on land that is not the right land, it does not grow; to speak to a person who is not the right person, he does not listen. To find the right person is like gathering sand and watering it with rain; with the wrong person, it is like gathering the deaf and beating a drum."

孔子曰：“船非水不可行，水入船中，則其沒也，故曰：君子不可不嚴也，小人不可不閉也！”

Confucius said: "A boat cannot move without water, but when water enters the boat, the boat sinks. So it is said: the noble person must be strict, and the petty person must be shut out!"

孔子曰：“依賢固不困，依富固不窮，馬趼斬而復行者何，以輔足眾也。”

Confucius said: "One who relies on the worthy is originally not in hardship, and one who relies on the wealthy is originally not poor. A horse's hooves crack with calluses and yet it can walk again; why? Because the supporting legs are many."

孔子曰：“不知其子，視其所友；不知其君，視其所使。”又曰：“與善人居，如入蘭芷之室，久而不聞其香，則與之化矣；與惡人居，如入鮑魚之肆，久而不聞其臭，亦與之化矣。故曰：丹之所藏者赤，烏之所藏者黑。君子慎所藏。”

Confucius said: "If you do not know a man's son, look at the friends he makes; if you do not know a man's ruler, look at those he employs." He also said: "Living with good people is like entering a room of orchid and angelica; after a long while you no longer smell its fragrance, for you have already become one with it; living with bad people is like entering a shop of salted fish; after a long while you no longer smell the stench, for you too have become one with it. So it is said: where cinnabar is kept it turns red, where black is kept it turns black. The noble person is careful about where he keeps himself."

子貢問曰：“君子見大水必觀焉，何也？”孔子曰：“夫水者，君子比德焉。遍予而無私，似德；所及者生，似仁；其流卑下句倨，皆循其理，似義；淺者流行，深者不測，似智；其赴百仞之谷不疑，似勇；綿弱而微達，似察；受惡不讓，似包蒙；不清以入，鮮潔以出，似善化；至量必平，似正；盈不求概，似度；其萬折必東，似意。是以君子見大水觀焉爾也。”

Zigong asked: "When the noble person sees a great body of water, he must look at it; why?" Confucius said: "Water: the noble person compares it to virtue. It gives to all without selfishness, like virtue; wherever it reaches there is life, like humaneness; it flows downward, now bending and now straight, following its principle, like righteousness; the shallow flows and the deep cannot be measured, like wisdom; it rushes into a valley a hundred ren deep without hesitation, like courage; it is soft and weak yet reaches the finest places, like discernment; it accepts filth without refusal, like embracing the ignorant; it enters unclean and comes out fresh and clean, like being good at transformation; it is sure to be level at a measuring vessel, like uprightness; when full it does not ask to be scraped level, like having standards; after ten thousand bends it must go east, like having will. So the noble person, on seeing a great body of water, looks at it."

“夫智者何以樂水也？”曰：“泉源潰潰，不釋晝夜，其似力者；循理而行，不遺小間，其似持平者；動而之下，其似有禮者；赴千仞之壑而不疑，其似勇者；障防而清，其似知命者；不清以入，鮮潔以出，其似善化者；眾人取平品類以正，萬物得之則生，失之則死，其似有德者；淑淑淵淵，深不可測，其似聖者。通潤天地之間，國家以成，是知之所以樂水也。詩云：‘思樂泮水，薄採其茆；魯侯戾止，在泮飲酒。’樂水之謂也。”“夫仁者何以樂山也？”曰：“夫山巃嵷●嶵，萬民之所觀仰。草木生焉，眾木立焉，飛禽萃焉，走獸休焉，寶藏殖焉，奇夫息焉，育群物而不倦焉，四方並取而不限焉。出雲風通氣於天地之間，國家以成，是仁者所以樂山也。詩曰：‘太山岩巖，魯侯是瞻。’樂山之謂矣。”

"Why do the wise delight in water?" He said: "The source of a spring wells up and does not stop day or night, like one who has strength; it follows principle in its course and does not leave out the smallest gaps, like one who holds to fairness; once it moves it goes downward, like one who has ritual; it rushes into a gorge a thousand ren deep without hesitation, like one who is courageous; when blocked by a dike it becomes clear, like one who knows fate; it enters unclean and comes out fresh and clean, like one who is good at transformation; the multitude takes it to find level, and categories are thus put right; the myriad things live when they get it and die when they lose it, like one who has virtue; clear and deep, its depth cannot be measured, like a sage. Nourishing between heaven and earth, through which states are accomplished, this is why the wise delight in water. The Odes say: 'Thinking of delighting in that Pan water, I will gather its water-shield; the Marquis of Lu has come, drinking wine in the Pan palace.' This speaks of delighting in water." "Why do the humane delight in mountains?" He said: "The mountain is high, great and steep (the source text has a damaged character here), and is what the myriad people look up to. Plants and trees grow on it, trees stand on it, flying birds gather on it, running beasts rest on it, treasures multiply on it, and extraordinary people rest on it; it nurtures all things without weariness, and all four quarters take from it without limit. It gives rise to clouds and wind and circulates energy between heaven and earth, through which states are accomplished; this is why the humane delight in mountains. The Odes say: 'Mount Tai is lofty, and the Marquis of Lu gazes at it.' This speaks of delighting in mountains."

玉有六美，君子貴之：望之溫潤，近之栗理，聲近徐而聞遠，折而不撓，闕而不荏，廉而不劌，有瑕必示之於外，是以貴之。望之溫潤者，君子比德焉，近於栗理者，君子比智焉；聲近徐而聞遠者，君子比義焉；折而不撓，闕而不荏者，君子比勇焉；廉而不劌者，君子比仁焉；有瑕必見於外者，君子比情焉。

Jade has six fine qualities, which is why the noble person values it: from afar it looks warm and smooth, close up its grain is fine and dense, its sound is slow near and carries far, it breaks but does not bend, it may have a chip but is not soft, it has edges but does not cut people, and its flaws must show on the outside, therefore it is valued. Looking warm and smooth from afar, the noble person compares it to virtue; its fine and dense grain up close, the noble person compares to wisdom; its sound slow near and carrying far, the noble person compares to righteousness; breaking without bending and having a chip without being soft, the noble person compares to courage; having edges without cutting people, the noble person compares to humaneness; and its flaws must show outside, the noble person compares to honesty of feeling.