【英译论语】为政篇-4

子游问孝。子曰：“今之孝者，是谓能养。至于犬马，皆能有养；不敬，何以别乎？”

Zi You asked Confucius about Filial Piety, Confucius said:”Now the standard of Filial Piety is just be regarded as offering a feeding. Let’s talk about dogs or horses, we  all can feed them. If we don’t respect parents properly what’s the difference between feeding parents and feeding dogs or horses?”

孟武伯问孝。子曰：“父母唯其疾之忧。”

Meng Wubo asked Confucius about Filial Piety, Confucius said:”We shall be very conscious of parents’ concerns and relieve their worries as quick as possible.”

孟懿子问孝，子曰：“无违。”樊迟御，子告之曰：“孟孙问孝于我，我对曰‘无违’。”樊迟曰：“何谓也？”子曰：“生，事之以礼；死，葬之以礼，祭之以礼。”

Meng Yizi asked Confucius about Filial Piety, Confucius said:”Don’t go against parents’ wishes.” Fan Chi once drove carriage for Confucius, Confucius told him:”Meng Sun asked me about Filial Piety, I answered ‘Don’t go against parents’ wishes.’” Fan Chi asked:”What does that mean?” Confucius said:”Serving parents with etiquette when they are alive; Burying parents follow the etiquette when they died, and holding memorial ceremonies according to the etiquette since then.”

子曰：“吾十有五而志于学，三十而立，四十而不惑，五十而知天命，六十而耳顺，七十而从心所欲，不逾矩。”

Confucius said:”I was committed to studying at fifteen years old; I was completely independent at thirty years old; I have no confusions at forty years old; I knew my missions at fifty years old; I could tolerate any kind of words at sixty years old; My actions could follow my desires without breaking any rules when I was seventy years old.”

子曰：“道之以政，齐之以刑，民免而无耻。道之以德，齐之以礼，有耻且格。”

Confucius said:”Although the people don’t violate regulations but they have no shame if they were guided by policies and trimmed with punishments. The people will be self disciplined and have shame if they were guided by ethics and trimmed with etiquettes.”

子曰：“《诗》三百，一言以蔽之，曰：‘思无邪’。”

Confucius said:”If use one sentence to sum up the three hundreds of poems in ‘Poems’, I would like to say:’Its thoughts are naivete.’”

子曰：“为政以德，譬如北辰，居其所而众星共之。”

Confucius said:”The king, who rule his nation with the power of ethics, would get the support from the public. It looks like the North Star as core in place and be surrounded by countless stars.”

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学而篇(完整版）

子曰：“不患人之不己知，患不知人也。”

Confucius said:”Don’t worry that you are not known by others, just worry that you don’t know others.”

子贡曰：“贫而无谄，富而无骄，何如？”子曰：“可也。未若贫而乐，富而好礼者也。”子贡曰：“《诗》云：‘如切如磋，如琢如磨’，其斯之谓与？”子曰：“赐也，始可与言《诗》已矣，告诸往而知来者。”

Zi Gong asked Confucius:”What do you think of a person who never try to flatter others when he was poor and never act arrogantly when he was rich?” Confucius answered:”That’s fine, but it is not better than he is joyful when he was poor and act politely when he was rich.”
Zi Gong asked again:”Is it like what was written in ’Poems’ —  ’like cutting or grinding, like carving or polishing’?”
Confucius said:” Ci (Zi Gong’s first name), you can finally talk about ‘Poems’ now. Now you can predict the future after being told the past.”

子曰：“君子食无求饱，居无求安，敏于事而慎于言，就有道而正焉，可谓好学也已。”

Confucius said:”Noblemen neither desire to eat fully nor intend to dwell comfortably. They always work hard and quickly while being cautious on their own words. They would like to correct their own performances by associating with virtuous people. This kind of people could be described as being eager to learn.”

有子曰：“信近于义，言可复也。恭近于礼，远耻辱也。因不失其亲，亦可宗也。”

Youcicus said:”You could have the opportunities to speak out your ideas and be trusted by people repeatedly only when your faiths are based on justices.
You never be insulted if your performances were modest while comply with etiquettes. Some people could be treated as ancestors as their descendants are endless.“

有子曰：“礼之用，和为贵。先王之道，斯为美。小大由之，有所不行。知和而和，不以礼节之，亦不可行也。”

Youcius said:”The most important function of etiquette is to maintain harmony, which was valued and advocated by our ancestral kings. It is not practicable if we just aim at maintaining harmony under any circumstances. Maintaining the harmony when all parties have formed a consensus. The harmony won’t last long and will be ruined if it is not restricted by etiquettes.”

子曰：“父在，观其志；父没，观其行；三年无改于父之道，可谓孝矣。”

Confucius said:”Watch on a man’s ambitions when his father is alive; Watch on his performances after his father’s death. He then could be called a filial man if his performances still has not contravened his father’s philosophy for many years since his father died.”

子禽问于子贡曰：“夫子至于是邦也，必闻其政，求之与，抑与之与？”子贡曰：“夫子温、良、恭、俭、让以得之。夫子之求之也，其诸异乎人之求之与？”

Zi Qin asked Zi Gong :”Confucius always could obtain lots of information about the state management when he arrived in a state. Is that a privilege he requested or be granted?”
Zi Gong answered:”Confucius received that privilege by his own gentleness, goodness, politeness, thrift, and modesty. The way that Confucius employed to request for something is different from what the common people employed, isn’t it?”

曾子曰：“慎终追远，民德归厚矣。”

Zengcius said:”The social morals level will be high if more people could treat the death seriously and pursue long-term positive effects on their actions.”

子曰：“君子不重则不威，学则不固。主忠信，无友不如己者，过，则勿惮改。”

Confucius said: ”Noblemen neither receive others’ respect nor obtain solid knowledge if they can’t act seriously and stably. Noblemen shall focus on loyalty and faith, and shall not make friends with the people who has no desire to advance. Noblemen shall correct their mistakes immediately without any hesitation.”

子夏曰：“贤贤易色；事父母，能竭其力；事君，能致其身；与朋友交，言而有信。虽曰未学，吾必谓之学矣。”

Zi Xia said:”Some people emphasize on enhancing their merit instead of paying more attention on glossy veneer. They do their best to take care of their parents. They are willing to devote their lives to serve their monarchs. They always keep their words when deal with friends. Although they called themselves uneducated, but absolutely I would call them well educated.”

子曰：“弟子入则孝，出则弟，谨而信，泛爱众，而亲仁，行有余力，则以学文。”

Confucius said:”My students shall respect and treat their elders kindly at home; deal with others modestly and politely in society; to be cautious and faithful always; spread their concern and love to the people as extensive as possible; to be close to the persons with kindheartedness; they could study literature if they still have spare time and energy after completing their daily routine.”

子曰：“道千乘之国，敬事而信，节用而爱人，使民以时。

Confucius said: ”To rule a big country well the government shall pay attention to the following aspects: be serious in making each policy and be faithful to implement it;  consuming goods economically but don’t treat the people harshly; employing the people to work at proper times every year.”

子曰：“巧言令色，鲜矣仁！”

Confucius said: ”The people who often flatter their words or expressions unlikely have kindheartedness.”

曾子曰：“吾日三省吾身：为人谋而不忠乎？与朋友交而不信乎？传不习乎？”

Zengcius said: “Everyday I examine my behaviours and thoughts many times in three areas: if I was unfaithful when designing scheme for others? If I was  dishonest when dealing with friends？If I have not practised my teacher’s instructions?”

有子曰：“其为人也孝弟，而好犯上者，鲜矣；不好犯上而好作乱者，未之有也。君子务本，本立而道生。孝弟也者，其为仁之本与！”

Youcius said:”It’s rare that someone who always takes care of seniors and juniors kindly but likes offending his supervisor;

It’s impossible that someone who doesn’t like offending his supervisor but like to violate rules and regulations;

Noblemen lay emphasis on base, as the moralities will be cultivated from the base.
The base of kindheartedness is to treat both seniors and juniors kindly.”

子曰：“学而时习之，不亦说乎？
有朋自远方来，不亦乐乎？
人不知而不愠，不亦君子乎？”

Confucius said:”It is delightful to acquire new knowledge and apply them in real life frequently, isn’t it?  
It is pleasant to have friends coming from afar, isn’t it? 
It is noblemen’s manner to keep calm when the learners didn’t understand what they were taught.”