子罕篇第九

子罕篇第九 



【原文】 
9·1 子罕(1)言利与(2)命与仁。 

【注释】 
(1)罕：稀少。 
(2)与：主张、推崇。 

【白话】 
孔子很少谈到利，却推崇天命和仁德。 

【英译】 
Confucius rarely talked about lucre, but he had a great esteem for the will of God and virtue of humanity.

【原文】 
9·2 达巷党人(1)曰：“大哉孔子！博学而无所成名(2)。”子闻之，谓门弟子曰：“吾何执？执御乎？执射乎？吾执御矣。” 

【注释】 
(1)达巷党人：古代五百家为一党，达巷是党名。
(2)博学而无所成名：学问广博，可是没有哪一样专才能使他成名。俗话说：样样精通，样样稀松。

【白话】 
达巷党有人说：“孔子伟大啊！他学识广渊，只可惜没有哪一项专才能使他成名。”孔子听后对门下弟子说：“我要在哪方面去专呢？驾车？还是射箭？恐怕是驾车吧。” 

【英译】 
Some people in Daxiangdang said: “What a great man Confucius is! He is really a scholar of profound and extensive learning, but it’s sorry to say that he doesn’t have any special skills to have his name up.” Learning this, Confucius said to his disciples: “Which aspect is my special skill? Cart-driving carts? Or arrow-shooting? Perhaps cart-driving is my special skill.”

【原文】 
9·3 子曰：“麻冕(1)，礼也；今也纯(2)，俭(3)，吾从众。拜下(4)，礼也；今拜乎上，泰(5)也。虽违众，吾从下。” 

【注释】 
(1)冕：礼帽。 
(2)纯：黑丝。 
(3)俭：俭省。
(4)拜下：在堂下跪拜。 
(5)泰：傲慢失礼。 

【白话】 
孔子说：“用麻布做礼帽，是以前的规定；现在用丝绸，比较节约，我随大溜。在堂下拜见君主，是以前的规定；现在都堂上拜，很失礼。虽然违背大众时尚，我还是在堂下拜。”

【英译】 

Confucius said: “Making hats with linen is a previous regulation. But making hat with silk now is relatively economical. I’d like to follow the general trend. Making a respectful call on the lord in lower hall is a previous rule. But it is a breach of etiquette to do it in upper hall at present. Although infringing upon popular conventions, I’d like to do it in lower hall.”

 

 

【原文】 
9·4 子绝四 -- 毋意(1)，毋必(2)，毋固(3)，毋我(4)。 

【注释】 
(1)意：音义皆同“臆”，猜想、臆断。 
(2)必：武断。 
(3)固：固执己见。 
(4)我：自私。 

【白话】 
孔子杜绝了四种弊病：臆断，武断，固执，自私。 

【英译】 
Confucius got rid of four defects: make groundless conclusions, making arbitrary decisions, stubbornness, selfishness.

【原文】 
9·5 子畏于匡(1)，曰：“文王(2)既没，文不在兹(3)乎？天之将丧斯文也，后死者(4)不得与(5)于斯文也；天之未丧斯文也，匡人其如予何(6)？” 

【注释】 
(1)畏于匡：匡，地名，在今河南省长垣县西南。畏，受到威胁。公元前496年，孔子从卫国到陈国去经过匡地。匡人曾受到鲁国阳虎的掠夺和残杀。孔子的相貌与阳虎相像，匡人误以孔子就是阳虎，所以将他围困。 畏于匡，就是指这件事。
(2)文王：周文王，姓姬名昌，西周开国之君周武王的父亲，孔子认为他是古代圣贤之一。 
(3)兹：这里，指孔子自己。 
(4)后死者：也指孔子自己。 
(5)与：参与掌握。 
(6)如予何：奈我何，把我怎么样。 

【白话】 
孔子在匡地被困，他说：“文王死后，文化遗产不都由我继承吗？上天若要灭绝文化，我就不会掌握这些文化了；上天若不灭绝文化，匡人又能把我怎么样？

 

【英译】 
Being surrounded in Kuang, Confucius said: “After the death of Lord Wen, could it be said that the cultural heritage hasn’t be inherited by me? If Heaven wants to destroy culture, I wouldn’t have been able to master it. If Heaven doesn’t want to, what can people in Kuang do to me?”

 

【原文】 
9·6 太宰(1)问于子贡曰：“夫子圣者与？何其多能也？”子贡曰：“固天纵(2)之将圣，又多能也。”子闻之，曰：“太宰知我乎？吾少也贱，故多能鄙事(3)。君子(4)多乎哉？不多也。” 

【注释】 
(1)太宰：官名，掌握国君宫廷事务。 
(2)纵：让，使。 
(3)鄙事：粗活儿。 
(4)君子：此处指贵族。

【白话】 
太宰问子贡说：“孔夫子是圣人吧？为什么这样多才多艺？”子贡说：“是上天让他成为圣人，而且多才多艺。”孔子听后说：“太宰怎么会了解我呢？我小时地位低贱，所以会这么多粗活儿。贵族会做这么多粗活儿吗？不会的。” 

【英译】 

Taizai asked Tzu Gong: “Our master is a sage, isn’t he? Why is he so versatile?” Tzu Gong said: “It’s Heaven that made him a sage and versatile.” Learning this, Confucius said: “How can Taizai know me? When I was little, my social position was low so that I could do so many unskilled works. Do the nobility do these sorts of unskilled works? No.”

【原文】 
9·7 牢(1)曰：“子云，‘吾不试(2)，故艺’。” 

【注释】 
(1)牢：孔子的学生。 
(2)试：用，被任用。 

【白话】 
牢说：“孔子说过，‘我当时不受重用，所以会这些技艺’。” 

【英译】 
Lao said: “Confucius said: ‘I was then not put in important positions, so I can master these sorts of skills.’”

 

【原文】 
9·8 子曰：“吾有知乎哉？无知也。有鄙夫(1)问于我，空空如也(2)。我叩(3)其两端(4)而竭(5)焉。” 

【注释】 
(1)鄙夫：低位低微的人。 
(2)空空如也：头脑空虚无知。 
(3)叩：叩问、询问。 
(4)两端：两头，指各个方面。 
(5)竭：尽力探究。 

【白话】 
孔子说：“我有知识吗？其实没有。有个乡下人问我一些问题，我一点也不知道。我从问题的来龙去脉去问，才把问题全部搞清。” 

【英译】 
Confucius said: “Do I have knowledge? No. A farmer once asked me some questions, but I couldn’t answer. It’s when I made a thorough inquiry that I could fully understand his questions.”

【原文】 
9·9 子曰：“凤鸟(1)不至，河不出图(2)，吾已矣夫！” 

【注释】 
(1)凤鸟：传说舜和周文王时代都出现过凤，而凤的出现象征“圣王”将要出世。 
(2)河不出图：传说在上古伏羲氏时代，黄河中出现过龙马八卦图。它的出现也象征着“圣王”将要出世。 

【白话】 
孔子说：“凤不来，黄河也不出现八卦图。看来我这辈子算完了！”

 

【英译】 
Confucius said: “Neither phoenix has come nor picture has appeared in the river. It seems I am finished!”

【原文】 
9·10 子见齐衰(1)者，冕衣裳者(2)与瞽(3)者，见之，虽少，必作(4)；过之，必趋(5)。 

【注释】 
(1)齐衰：读“资崔”，古丧服，麻布所制。这里指戴孝者。 
(2)冕衣裳者：冕，官帽；衣，上衣；裳，下装，这里统指官服。冕衣裳者指为官的贵族。 
(3)瞽：读“鼓”，盲。 
(4)作：站起来，表敬意。 
(5)趋：快步走，表敬意。 

【白话】 
孔子遇见戴孝的人，当官的人和盲人时，虽然他们年轻，也一定要站起来，从他们面前经过时，也一定要快步走过。 

【英译】 

Whenever meeting persons in mourning or nobility or blind persons, though they were young, he would stand up; whenever passing by them, he would quicken his steps.

 

【原文】 
9·11 颜渊喟(1)然叹曰：“仰之弥(2)高，钻(3)之弥坚，瞻(4)之在前，忽焉在后。夫子循循然善诱人(5)，博我以文，约我以礼，欲罢不能。即竭吾才，如有所立卓尔(6)。虽欲从之，末由(7)也已。” 

【注释】 
(1)喟：读“窥”，叹息。 
(2)弥：更加。 
(3)钻：钻研。 
(4)瞻：视看。 
(5)循循然善诱人：循循然，有次序，有条不紊。诱，诱导，劝导，引导。 
(6)卓尔：高大超群，有“卓尔不群”之说。 
(7)末由：末，无，没有。由，途径。这里指无可奈何，毫无办法。

【白话】 
颜渊感叹地说：“老师的学问越仰望越高，越钻研越深；看着在前，可忽然却在后。老师逐步引导，用知识丰富我，用礼法约束我，想不学都不成。我竭尽全力，仍然象有座高山矗立眼前。我虽想攀登，但却无路可走。”

 

【英译】 
Sighing with deep feelings, Yan Yuan said: “Our master’s knowledge is the higher the more to be looked at, the deeper the more to be delved into. It seems in front, but all of a sudden, it goes behind. Our master enriched me with knowledge step by step and restrained me with proprieties and rules. It is impossible for me not to learn from him. I’ve done my best but he is just like a mountain loftily standing in front of my eyes. I want to climb it but there’s no way.”

 

【原文】 
9·12 子疾病，子路使门人为臣(1)。病间(2)，曰：“久矣哉，由(3)之行诈也。无臣(4)而为有臣。吾谁欺？欺天乎？且予与其死于臣之手也，无宁(5)死于二三子之手乎？且予纵不得大葬(6)，予死于道路乎？” 

【注释】 
(1)为臣：臣，指家臣，总管。孔子当时不是大夫，没有家臣，但子路叫门人充当孔子的家臣，准备由此人负责总管安葬孔子之事。 
(2)病间：病情减轻。 
(3)由，仲由，亦即子路。前者为名，后者为字，又字季路，鲁国人。

(4) 臣：家臣，总管，此处指料理后事的总管大拿。

(5)无宁：宁可。“无”是发语词，没有意义。 
(6)大葬：指大夫的葬礼。 

【白话】 
孔子病重，子路派孔子的弟子去作孔子的家臣。后来，孔子的病好一些，他说：“仲由很久以前就这样弄虚作假。我明明没有家臣，却偏偏要装作有，我骗谁呢？我骗上天吗？与其死在家臣手里，不如死在你们跟前，这不更好吗？再说啦，即便我不能厚葬，难道就会被扔到路上吗？” 

【英译】 
Confucius was seriously ill. Tzu Lu sent a disciple of Confucius’ to serve him as a butler. When getting better later on, Confucius said: “Tzu Lu has long been playing false like this. It’s clear that I have no butler at all, but pretend to have. Whom do I cheat? Cheating Heaven? I’d rather die before you rather than die in the hands of a butler. Isn’t it better? Moreover, even if I cannot enjoy a stately funeral, could it be said that I’ll be thrown onto the road?”

 

【原文】 
9·13 子贡曰：“有美玉于斯，韫匵(1)而藏诸？求善贾(2)而沽诸？”子曰：“沽(3)之哉，沽之哉！我待贾者也。” 

【注释】 
(1)韫匵：读“运独”。韫，收藏。匵，同“椟”，大柜橱。
(2)善贾：识货的商人。 
(3)沽：卖出去。 

【白话】 
子贡说：“这里有块玉，是把它收藏在柜子里呢？还是找个识货的商人卖掉呢？”孔子说：“卖掉吧，卖掉吧！我正在等着识货的人呢。” 

【英译】 
Tzu Gong said: “Here is a piece of jade. Keep it in cupboard or find a businessman who knows what’s what to sell it out?” Confucius said: “Sell it out! Sell it out! I’m just waiting for a businessman who is able to judge.”

【原文】 
9·14 子欲居九夷(1)。或曰：“陋(2)，如之何？”子曰：“君子居之，何陋之有？” 

【注释】 
(1)九夷：中国古代对于东方少数民族的通称。 
(2)陋：落后。 

【白话】 
孔子想到一个偏远的东部地区去住。有人说：“那里很落后，怎么能住呢？”孔子说：“有君子住在那里，有什么落后的？” 

【英译】 
Confucius was going to live in a remote eastern place. Someone said: “That place is very backward. How can you live there?” Confucius said: “Gentlemen live there. How can it be backward?”

 

【原文】 
9·15 子曰：“吾自卫反鲁(1)，然后乐正(2)，雅颂(3)各得其所。” 

【注释】 
(1)自卫反鲁：公元前484年（鲁哀公十一年）冬，孔子从卫国返回鲁国，结束了14年游历不定的生活。 
(2)乐正：调整乐曲的篇章。 
(3)雅颂：这是《诗经》中两类不同的诗的名称。也是指雅乐、颂乐等乐曲名称。 

【白话】 
孔子说：“我从卫国返回鲁国以后，才把音乐整理好，《雅》和《颂》也都安排妥当。” 

【英译】 

Confucius said: “Since coming back Lu from Wei, I’ve already made musics well sorted out and 《Ya》and 《Song》have also been properly arranged.”

 

【原文】 
9·16 子曰：“出则事公卿(1)，入则事父兄，丧事不敢不勉，不为酒困，何有于我哉。” 

【注释】 

(1) 事公卿：是，侍奉。公卿，古时指高级官员。侍奉高级官员，代指为国尽职。

 

【白话】 
孔子说：“在外事为国家尽职尽责，在家孝敬父兄，办理丧事不敢怠慢，不因酒误事，这些事对我来说有什么难的呢？” 

【英译】 
Confucius said: “Away from home, serve the country wholeheartedly and at home, show filial devotion to parents and friendship to bothers. When arranging funeral, dare not be careless and do not let wine spoil anything. How can it be difficult for me to do all these things?”

 

【原文】 
9·17 子在川上曰：“逝者如斯夫，不舍昼夜。” 

【白话】 
孔子在河边说：“时光就像这河水一样啊，不分昼夜地向前流。” 

【英译】 
Facing a rive, Confucius said: “Time elapses like this river running forward night and day.”

 

【原文】 
9·18 子曰：“吾未见好德如好色者也。” 

【白话】 
孔子说：“我没有见过像喜欢美色那样喜欢美德的人。” 

【英译】 
Confucius said: “I’ve never met anyone who loves virtue as if loves beauties.”

 

 

【原文】 
9·19 子曰：“譬如为山，未成一篑(1)，止，吾止也；譬如平(2)地，虽覆一篑，进，吾往也。 

【注释】 
(1)篑：读“愧”，土筐。 
(2)平：动词，填平。

【白话】 
孔子说：“譬如堆山，还差一筐，没堆成就停了，是我自己这样做的；譬如填坑，只倒一筐，但还要继续填下去，也是我自己决定的。”

【英译】 
Confucius said: “Like piling up a mountain, I failed to finish the job because of lacking only one basket of earth. It’s my own choice. Like filliing up a pit, I added only one basket of earth and then contimue to do like this. It’s also my own decision.”

【原文】 
9·20 子曰：“语之而不惰者，其回也与！” 

【白话】 
孔子说：“听我说话百听不厌的，恐怕只有颜回一个人吧！” 

【英译】

Confucius said: “I’m afraid there is only one person, namely Yan Hui, who is never bored when listening to my speech even one hundred times.”

 

【原文】 
9·21 子谓颜渊曰：“惜(1)乎！吾见其进也，未见其止也。” 

【注释】

(1) 惜：可惜。孔子为何可惜呢?孔子的学生颜渊是一个十分勤奋刻苦的人，他在生活方面几乎没有什么要求，而是一心用在学问和道德修养方面。但他却不幸死了。对于他的死，孔子自然十分悲痛。他经常以颜渊为榜样要求其他学生。 

【白话】 
孔子对颜渊说：“可惜呀！我只见他前进，从没有见他停止过。” 

【英译】 
Confucius said to Yan Yuan: “What a pity! I’ve only seen him advancing but never seen him stopping.”

【原文】 
9·22 子曰：“苗而不秀(1)者有矣夫；秀而不实者有矣夫！” 

【注释】 
(1)秀：稻、麦等庄稼吐穗扬花叫秀。 

【白话】 
孔子说：“庄稼出了苗而不能吐穗的情况是有的；吐穗扬花而不结果实的情况也是有的!” 

【英译】 
Confucius said: “It happens that crops have seedlings but sprout no ears; and it also happens that crops sprout ears but bear no fruit.”

 

【原文】 
9·23 子曰：“后生可畏，焉知来者之不如今也？四十、五十而无闻焉，斯亦不足畏也已。” 

【白话】 
孔子说：“年轻人值得敬畏，怎么知道后辈不如今人？如果四五十岁还默默无闻，那他就没戏了。” 

【英译】 
Confucius said: “Young deserves to be treated with awe.  How can you know that posterity is not so good as people of today? If a man is still unknown to the public at the age of forty or fifty, then he is finished.”

 

【原文】 
9·24 子曰：“法语之言(1)，能无从乎？改之为贵。巽与之言(2)，能无说(3)乎？绎(4)之为贵。说而不绎，从而不改，吾末(5)如之何也已矣。” 

【注释】 
(1)法语之言：法，指礼仪规则。这里指以礼法规则正言规劝。 
(2)巽与之言：巽，读“训”，恭顺，谦逊。与，称许，赞许。这里指恭顺赞许的话。 
(3)说：音义皆同“悦”。 
(4)绎：原义为“抽”，这里指推究，追求，分析，鉴别。 
(5)末：没有。 

【白话】 
孔子说：“合理的规劝，能不听从吗？有错误就改实在可贵；恭维赞扬的话，能不令人高兴吗？不过，听到恭维赞扬只高兴不分析、对于合理规劝只赞成不采纳，对这号人我真没辙。”

【英译】 
Confucius said: “How can I refuse reasonable advices? When having mistakes, it’s really admirable to correct them. How can it be said that flattery doesn’t make people happy? Yet, I’m really at my wit’s end to the people who are only happy but don’t make analysis on hearing flattery and who only approve but don’t adopt others’ reasonable advices.”

【原文】 
9·25 子曰：“主忠信，毋友不如己者，过则勿惮改。”(1) 

【白话】 
孔子说：“一切以忠信为本，不结交不如自己的朋友，有错误不怕改正。” 

 

【英译】

Confucius said: “Take honesty as a foundation. Don’t make friends with people who are not so good as yourself. Don’t hesitate in correcting mistakes.”

【原文】 
9·26 子曰：“三军(1)可夺帅也，匹夫(2)不可夺志也。” 

【注释】 
(1)三军：周朝1, 2500人为一军，三军包括大国所有的军队。此处为虚数，多的意思。 
(2)匹夫：平民百姓，主要指男子。 

【白话】 
孔子说：“军队可以剥夺主帅；百姓不可剥夺志向。” 

【英译】 
Confucius said: “An army can be deprived of its commander; yet a person cannot be deprived of his ideals.”

 

【原文】 
9·27 子曰：“衣(1)敝缊袍(2)，与衣狐貉(3)者立而不耻者，其由也与？‘不忮不求(4)，何用不臧？’”子路终身诵之。子曰：“是道也，何足以臧？” 

【注释】 
(1)衣：穿，当动词用。 
(2)敝缊袍：敝，坏。缊，读“运”，旧的丝棉絮。这里指破旧的丝棉袍。 
(3)狐貉：狐和貉裘皮衣。 
(4)不忮不求，何用不臧：这两句见《诗经·邶风·雄雉》篇。忮，读“志”，害的意思。臧，善，好。 对应的是“否”，读“匹”，坏、恶。相关成语有“否极泰来”，坏到极点好的来到。“臧否人物”，评论人物的优劣。

【白话】 
孔子说：“穿着破衣烂衫，与穿着华装丽服的人站在一起而不认为耻辱，恐怕只有仲由才能做到吧。‘不嫉妒，不贪求，为什么不加以赞扬呢？’”子路一生都反复背诵这句诗。孔子又说：“本该如此，何必非要赞扬呢？” 

【英译】 

Confucius said: “Shabbily dressed, but stand side by side with people luxuriously dressed without feeling ashamed. Perhaps only Tzu Lu can do this. ‘Don’t be jealousy; don’t be greedy. Why no one praises these sorts of virtues?’” Tzu Lu recited this poem all his life. Confucius said again: “He should act this way. What’s the need to praise him?”

 

 

【原文】 
9·28 子曰：“岁寒，然后知松柏之后彫也。” 

【白话】 
孔子说：“天冷才知道松柏是最后凋谢的。” 

【英译】 
Confucius said: “It’s at the time of cold that we know pine tree is the last one to become withered and bare.”   

【原文】 
9·29 子曰：“知者不惑，仁者不忧，勇者不惧。” 

【白话】 
孔子说：“聪明人不会迷惑，有仁德的人不会忧愁，勇敢的人不会畏惧。” 

【英译】 
Confucius said: “Wise people cannot be puzzled; noble-minded people cannot be sorrowful; brave people cannot be timid.”

【原文】 
9·30 子曰：“可与共学，未可与适道(1)；可与适道，未可与立(2)；可与立，未可与权(3)。” 

【注释】 
(1)适道：适，往。有志于道，追求道。 
(2)立：坚持道而不变。 
(3)权：秤锤。这里引申为权衡轻重。 

【白话】 
孔子说：“可以一起学习的人，未必都能学到道；能够学到道的人，未必能够坚守道；能够坚守道的人，未必能够随机应变。” 

【英译】 
Confucius said: “There are some people from whom you can learn doctrines but it isn’t necessary to be able to gain something about doctrines. Even if you can gain something about doctrines, it won’t be necessary to be able to persevere in doctrines. And even you can persevere in doctrines, yet it won’t be necessary for you to be able to adjust yourself to circumstances.”

 

【原文】 
9·31 “唐棣(1)之华，偏其反而(2)。岂不尔思，室是远而(3)。”子曰：“未之思也，夫何远之有？” 

【注释】 
(1)唐棣：一种植物，属蔷薇科，落叶灌木。 
(2)偏其反而：花枝摇曳。 
(3)室是远而：只是住的地方太远。 

【白话】 
古代有一首诗这样写道：“唐棣花啊，翩翩地摇。我岂能不想念你？只是由于家住得太远了。”孔子说：“还是没有真想念，否则有什么远的呢？”

 

【英译】 

There is an ancient poem saying: “O, Tang Di flowers!  You’re so beautifully swinging. How can it be said that I don’t miss you? It’s only because I live too far from here.” Confucius said: “Still, you don’t really miss him. Otherwise it’s quite out of the question of being too far.”