The analects of Confucius
Lúnyǔ / 論語
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子謂公冶長，
可妻也。
雖在縲絏之中，
非其罪也。
以其子妻之。
Confucius said of a student known to have been in prison that he would make a very good husband, as he actually was never found guilty of any crime.
He lived up to his word and gave up his own child to marry them.
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子謂南容，
邦有道，
不廢；
邦無道，
免於刑戮。
以其兄之子妻之。
Confucius once said of a certain board member that once everything was well run, they would never lose their job;
And from the moment the board collapsed, They would not lose face and no one would ever raise a finger at them.
He proposed his older brother's child to them to get married.
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子謂子賤，
君子哉若人！
魯無君子者，
斯焉取斯？
And Confucius said of another person:
Look, this person has incredible virtue!
Who said the people in these parts are no good?
How can they have such a good character?
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子貢問曰
賜也何如？
子曰
女器也。
曰
何器也？
曰
瑚璉也。
So someone asked Confucius:
And what do you think of me?
What Confucius said to them:
You are an instrument.
What do you mean, an instrument?
You are like the jade-encrusted bamboo instrument we use in our rituals as a container for grains, the Hu Lien.
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或曰
雍也，
仁而不佞。
子曰
焉用佞？
禦人以口給，
屢憎於人。
不知其仁，
焉用佞？
People were gossiping:
That guy over there is decent, but when it comes to answering questions, nothing useful ever comes out of them.
Confucius then said:
Ah, but what's so good about being able to answer super fast?
Being of sharp tongue is nice in the moment, but in the long run people will start to despise you.
About that man you were just berating, I can't tell if he's good or not,
But what does the speed of his answers have to do with anything?
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子使漆雕開仕。
對曰
吾斯之未能信。
子說。
Confucius kept his fingers crossed in the hopes that someone would get a job on the board.
That person said:
I'm not sure I can handle it.
Confucius was delighted with that statement.
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子曰
道不行，
乘桴浮于海。
從我者其由與？
子路聞之喜。
子曰
由也好勇過我，
無所取材。
Said Confucius:
If my teachings didn't take off and I made a raft to float on the sea forever,
I'd choose you to go with me.
And pointed to one of his disciples.
The disciple was happy and honored.
Then Confucius said:
He may be much braver than me, but he's not very good at judging for himself yet.
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孟武伯問：
子路仁乎？
子曰
不知也。
又問。
子曰
由也，千乘之國，可使治其賦也，不知其仁也。
求也何如？
子曰
求也，千室之邑，百乘之家，可使為之宰也，
不知其仁也。
赤也何如？
子曰
赤也，束帶立於朝，可使與賓客言也，不知其仁也。
The question was put to Confucius whether a man named Lu was virtuous.
Confucius said, “I don't know.”
They asked the same question again, and Confucius replied:
“Mr. Lu may still be in charge of all military affairs in a kingdom of a thousand chariots, but that would tell me nothing as to how virtuous he is.”
“And what do you think of Mr. Qiu?”
Confucius said only:
“Mr. Qiu may be at the head of a city of thousands of families or governor with a militia of a hundred chariots, but it wouldn't tell me anything about how virtuous he may or may not be.”
“And how virtuous is Mr. Chi?”
Confucius then said:
“Mr. Chi may still wear the sash in a courtroom and be responsible for speaking to all the guests and invitees, but that still wouldn't tell me anything about how virtuous he may or may not be.”
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子謂子貢曰
女與回也孰愈？
對曰
賜也何敢望回。
回也聞一以知十，
賜也聞一以知二。
子曰
弗如也！
吾與女弗如也。
Confucius said to one of his disciples:
Who is better. You or Hui?
His disciple said:
I wouldn't even think of comparing myself to Hui! Hui hears a statement and knows everything about that subject. I hear one argument and I can hardly follow it with another.
Confucius then said:
You're right. You are not equal to him.
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宰予晝寢。
子曰
朽木不可雕也，
糞土之牆不可杇也，
於予與何誅。
子曰
始吾於人也，
聽其言而信其行；
今吾於人也，
聽其言而觀其行。
於予與改是。
Now it so happened that there was a student who was sleeping during the day.
Confucius said to this:
You cannot sculpt with rotten wood, and a rough patch of ground will never be plowed. He's just the same. What good is it if I tap him on the finger?
Confucius said of him years later:
Initially my method was to mainly listen to what someone is saying and give them the benefit of the doubt in their behavior. Now my approach is to pay attention to their words as well as their behavior. I learned it from him.
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子曰
吾未見剛者。
或對曰
申棖。
子曰
棖也慾，
焉得剛？
Confucius said:
I have never seen a completely unyielding and steadfast man.
Someone said to that:
What about Shen Cheng?
Confucius then said:
Shen Cheng is a slave to his passions;
How can you call that unyielding and steadfast?
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子貢曰
我不欲人之加諸我也，
吾亦欲無加諸人。
子曰
賜也，
非爾所及也。
Someone said:
What I don't like people to do to me,
I try not to do to people.
Confucius then said:
You haven't mastered that yet.
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子貢曰
夫子之文章，
可得而聞也；
夫子之言性與天道，
不可得而聞也。
Someone said:
When the Master speaks of character and principles,
You can listen with ease to what he says.
But when he speaks about the nature of man and the way of heaven,
You can hardly follow his meaning.
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子路有聞，
未之能行，
唯恐有聞。
Now there was one who when he had learned one thing feared that he would hear something else before he could put the previous one into practice.
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子貢問曰
孔文子何以謂之文也？
子曰
敏而好學，
不恥下問，
是以謂之文也。
Someone asked Confucius:
How did King Kong get the title of "the refined" after his death?
Confucius said:
He was very active by nature and very curious at the same time.
Therefore, he was never too ashamed to ask and learn from his subjects.
It is for this reason that he is known as King Kong the Refined.
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子謂子產，
有君子之道四焉：
其行己也恭，
其事上也敬，
其養民也惠，
其使民也義。
Confucius said that Mr. Chan had four qualities of the humane.
In his conduct he was humble.
He was respectful at work.
He was kindhearted in taking care of his loved ones.
He was fair in allocating tasks.
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子曰
晏平仲善與人交，
久而敬之。
Said Confucius:
A master of friendship shows as much respect to his friends as when he first got to know them.
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子曰
臧文仲居蔡，
山節藻梲，
何如其知也？
Said Confucius:
How can you call someone wise who keeps a large tortoise for divination in a house with beams engraved with mountains and pillars engraved with flowers?
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子張問曰
令尹子文三仕為令尹，
無喜色；
三已之，
無慍色。
舊令尹之政，
必以告新令尹。
何如？
子曰
忠矣。
曰
仁矣乎？
曰
未知，
焉得仁
崔子弒齊君，
陳文子有馬十乘，
棄而違之。
至於他邦，
則曰
猶吾大夫崔子也。
違之。
之一邦，
則又曰：
猶吾大夫崔子也。
違之。
何如？
子曰
清矣。
曰
仁矣乎？
曰
未知。
焉得仁？
A disciple asked Confucius:
The minister has already been appointed three times without a smile on their face.
They have also resigned from office three times and even then there was nothing on their face.
They have also made it a point to inform their successor about the goings-on – what do you think of this person?
What Confucius Said:
A loyal one.
The student then asked:
And do you think them to be virtuous?
Said Confucius:
I do not know.
Why would they be called virtuous?
The student continued:
Another minister left the government when the king was murdered by an officer, despite having forty horses.
When they moved to another state, they saw that there were the same kind of officers and again left their office.
When they came into yet another state, they saw the same kind of officers and again left office – what do you think of them?
Said Confucius:
He was pure.
The disciple then said:
And do you think them to be virtuous?
Said Confucius:
I do not know.
Why would they be called virtuous?
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季文子三思而後行。
子聞之曰
再，
斯可矣。
Once upon a time there was a man who thought three times before he acted.
When Confucius heard of this, he said:
Twice is enough.
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子曰
甯武子邦有道則知，
邦無道則愚。
其知可及也，
其愚不可及也。
What Confucius said About One Ning Wu:
When there was peace in the land, they played the part of the sage.
When there was no more peace in the land, they played the part of the idiot.
Their wisdom may be equaled, but their folly can be surpassed by none.
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子在陳曰
歸與！
歸與！
吾黨之小子狂簡，
斐然成章，
不知所以裁之。
One day when Confucius arrived in Chen he said:
I really think I should go back!
The students at my school are ambitious and too impatient.
So far they have accomplished and achieved much, but they do not yet know how to contain and mold themselves.
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子曰
伯夷、
叔齊不念舊惡，
怨是用希。
Said Confucius:
People who don't hold a grudge don't arouse much resentment either.
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子曰
孰謂微生高直？
或乞醯焉，
乞諸其鄰而與之。
Said Confucius:
How can you claim that someone is sincere when you ask for vinegar and this person has to borrow it from the neighbors to give it to you?
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子曰
巧言、
令色、
足恭，
左丘明恥之，
丘亦恥之。
匿怨而友其人，
左丘明恥之，
丘亦恥之。
Said Confucius:
Buzzwords,
A suggestive appearance,
And excessive flattery.
I am ashamed of such a person.
Hide anger and still act kindly.
I am ashamed of such a person.
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顏淵、
季路侍。
子曰
盍各言爾志？
子路曰
願車馬、
衣輕裘，
與朋友共。
敝之而無憾。
顏淵曰
願無伐善，
無施勞。
子路曰
願聞子之志。
子曰
老者安之，
朋友信之，
少者懷之。
Confucius said to some of the disciples:
Tell me what you all want.
The first disciple said:
I would like to have horses and carriages, light fur clothes and share them with my friends in such a way that I would even spoil them.
The second disciple said:
I would like to keep my good deeds to myself and not brag about what I excel at.
The third disciple said:
I would really like, master, to know your wishes!
What Confucius Said:
They are the following:
Offering tranquility to the elderly, offering sincerity to friends, offering gentleness to the young.
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子曰
已矣乎！
吾未見能見其過而內自訟者也。
What Confucius Said:
It is over.
I have not yet seen anyone who can see their own mistakes and point them out to themselves.
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子曰
十室之邑，
必有忠信如丘者焉，
不如丘之好學也。
Said Confucius:
In a neighborhood of ten families, there is one as virtuous and upright as me, but none as curious as me.
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