宪问耻。子曰：“邦有道，谷。邦无道，谷，耻也。”
XIV.1. Yuan Xi asked Confucius what one should be ashamed of. The Master replied, “One should be ashamed of being an officer under a good government without rendering service, or of holding office under a bad government.”
克伐怨欲，不行焉，可以为仁矣？”子曰：“可以为难矣。仁，则吾不知也。”
XIV.2. Yuan Xi said, “A man who suppresses his desires to be victorious or boastful, his feelings of hatred, and his greed—should he be considered perfect?” The Master replied, “To suppress such passions is difficult, but in my view, this is not yet perfection.”
子曰：“士而怀居，不足以为士矣。”
XIV.3. The Master said, “A scholar who seeks comfort is not a true scholar.”
子曰：“邦有道，危言危行，邦无道，危行言孙.”
XIV.4. The Master said, “Under a good government, speak plainly and act openly; under a bad government, act openly but moderate your speech.”
子曰：“有德者必有言，有言者不必有德；仁者必有勇，勇者不必有仁。”
XIV.5. The Master said, “A virtuous man certainly has good words; a man with good words may not be virtuous. A perfect man is certainly courageous; a courageous man may not be perfect.”
南宫适问于孔子曰：“羿善射，鏖荡舟，俱不得其死然，禹稷耕稼，而有天下。”夫子不答。南宫适出，子曰：“君子哉若人，尚德哉若人.”
XIV.6. Nan Gong Kuo said to Confucius, “Yi was an excellent archer; Ao could move a boat by himself on land. Both met violent deaths. Yu and Ji tilled the land with their own hands, yet both gained the empire.” The Master did not reply, but when Nan Gong Kuo left, he said, “This man is wise; he values virtue above all.”
Notes :XIV.6. Shun bequeathed the empire to Yu. The descendants of Ji obtained it in turn through King Wu of Zhou.
子曰：“君子而不仁者有矣夫，未有小人而仁者也。”
XIV.7. The Master said, “There are scholars who are not perfect; one has never seen an unprincipled man who is perfect.”
子曰：“爱之能勿劳乎？忠焉能无诲乎?”
XIV.8. The Master said, “A father who loves his son can he not require him to labor? A loyal minister can he not admonish his ruler?”
子曰：“为命，裨谌草创之，世叔讨论之，行人子羽修饰之，东里子产润色之。”
XIV.9. The Master said, “When the prince needed a letter, Bi Chen would draft it; Shi Shu would carefully examine its content; Xing Ren Ziyu, who managed guest relations, would revise and polish the style; Dong Li Zichan from Dongli would give it an elegant form.”
Notes :XIV.9. These four men were great ministers in the state of Zheng. When the prince of Zheng had letters to write, they all passed successively through the hands of these four sages, who considered and examined them with the greatest care, each displaying his particular talent. Thus, in the responses sent to the princes, there was rarely anything to criticize.
或问子产。子曰：“惠人也。”问子西。曰：“彼哉彼哉。”问管仲。曰：“人也夺伯氏骈邑三百，饭疏食，没齿，无怨言。”
XIV.10. Someone asked Confucius what he thought of Zichan. The Master said, “He is a benevolent man.” The same person asked what he thought of Zixi. The Master said, “Oh! That one! That one!” The same person asked what he thought of Guan Zhong. The Master said, “He was so virtuous that when the Duke of Qi gave him the city of Pian with its three hundred families, the head of the Bo clan, deprived of his domain and reduced to coarse food, never uttered a word of complaint against him.”
Notes :XIV.10. Zixi, son of the Prince of Chu, was called Shen. He refused the title of Prince of Chu and gave it to Prince Zhao, reforming public administration. He was a wise and capable grand preceptor. However, he did not manage to abolish the title of Wang that the Prince of Chu had arrogated to himself. Prince Zhao wanted to appoint Confucius, but Zixi prevented him.
子曰：“贫而无怨难，富而无骄易。”
XIV.11. The Master said, “It is harder to be free from resentment in poverty than to be free from arrogance in wealth.”
子曰：“孟公绰，为赵魏老则优，不可以为滕薛大夫。”
XIV.12. The Master said, “Meng Gong Chuo would excel as a domestic administrator in the households of Zhao or Wei; he would not be capable of the office of da fu in the states of Teng or Xue.”
子路问成人。子曰：“若臧武仲之知，公绰之不欲，卞庄子之勇，冉求之艺，文之以礼乐，亦可以为成人矣。”曰：“今之成人者何必然。见利思义，见危授命，久要不忘平生之言，亦可以为成人矣。”
XIV.13. Zilu asked Confucius what a perfect man is. The Master replied, “One who has the prudence of Zang Wuzhong, the integrity of Gong Chuo, the courage of Bian Zhuangzi, the skill of Ran Qiu, and who also cultivates rites and music, could be considered a perfect man.” Confucius added, “Nowadays, for one to be a perfect man, is it necessary to possess all these qualities? One who, when seeing a gain, thinks of justice; who, when seeing danger, is ready to give up his life; who, even after many years, does not forget the words spoken in his youth—such a one can also be considered a perfect man.”
子问公叔文子于公明贾曰：“信乎夫子不言不笑不取乎。”公明贾对曰：“以告者过也，夫子时然后言，人不厌其言。乐然后笑，人不厌其笑。义然后取，人不厌其取。”子曰：“其然。岂其然乎！”
XIV.14. The Master, speaking of Gongshu Wenzi to Gongming Jia, said, “Is it true that your master never speaks, never laughs, and never accepts anything?” Gongming Jia replied, “Those who say this exaggerate. My master speaks when the time is right, and his words do not weary others. He laughs when it is time to rejoice, and his laughter does not offend others. He accepts things when it is right, and no one finds fault with him.” The Master said, “Is this true? Could it be true?”
子曰：“臧武仲，以防求为后于鲁，虽曰不要君，吾不信也。”
XIV.15. The Master said, “Zang Wuzhong, master of the land of Fang, asked the Duke of Lu to appoint a successor from his own family. Though he says he did not force his prince, I do not believe him.”
Notes :XIV.15. Zang Wuzhong, named He, was a great minister in the state of Lu. Fang was a fief created by the Duke of Lu and given to Wuzhong. Having offended the Duke of Lu, Wuzhong fled to the state of Chu. Later, he returned from Chu to Fang and sent envoys to the Duke of Lu, offering humble apologies, asking him to appoint a successor from his own family, and promising to retire. At the same time, he let it be known that if he did not obtain his request, having regained his fief, he would revolt. This was forcing his prince.
子曰：“晋文公谲而不正，齐桓公正而不谲。”
XIV.16. The Master said, “Wen, Duke of Jin, was deceptive and lacked uprightness; Huan, Duke of Qi, was upright and not deceptive.”
子路曰：“桓公杀公子纠，召忽死之，管仲不死。曰：未仁乎？”子曰：“管仲九合诸侯，不以兵车，管仲之力也。如其仁，如其仁！”
XIV.17. Zilu said, “Duke Huan of Qi killed Prince Jiu. Zhao Hu did not wish to survive him. Guan Zhong did not die. Is this not a lack of benevolence?” The Master said, “Guan Zhong brought together the lords of the states, not with weapons or chariots, but by his strength. Who else could be as benevolent as he?”
子贡曰：“管仲非仁者与？桓公杀公子纠，不能死，又相之。”子曰：“管仲相桓公，霸诸侯，一匡天下，民到于今受其赐。微管仲，吾其披发左衽矣。岂若匹夫匹妇之为谅也，自经于沟渎，而莫之知也。”
XIV.18. Zigong said, “Guan Zhong was not benevolent. Duke Huan having killed Prince Jiu, Guan Zhong did not die; moreover, he served the Duke Huan.” The Master said, “Guan Zhong helped Duke Hane to establish his authority over the lords of the states, to reform the administration of the whole empire, and the people enjoy his benefits to this day. Without Guan Zhong, we would have our hair disheveled and our tunic wrapped on the left side. Should he show his loyalty as an ordinary man, strangling himself in a ditch or a canal, and thus escape the knowledge of posterity?”
公叔文子之臣大夫撰，与文子同升诸公，子闻之曰：“可以为文矣。”
XIV.19. The intendant of the household of the da fu Gongshu, who later became da fu himself, ascended the prince’s palace with his master. The Master, hearing of it, said, “Gongshu is truly a man of culture.”
子言卫灵公之无道也，康子曰：“夫如是，奚而不丧？”孔子曰：“仲叔圉治宾客，祝砣治宗庙，王孙贾治军旅，夫如是，奚其丧？”
XIV.20. The Master having said that Ling, Duke of Wei, did not apply himself to good government, Ji Kangzi asked how he had not lost his state. Confucius said, “Zhongshu Yu is in charge of the reception of guests and foreigners; Tuo directs the ceremonies and speaks in the ancestral temple; Wangsun Jia is in charge of the army. How could he lose his state?”
子曰：“其言之不怍，则为之也难.”
XIV.21. The Master said, “One who does not blush to promise great things has difficulty fulfilling them.”
陈成子弑简公，孔子沐浴而朝，告于哀公曰：“陈恒弑其君，请讨之。”公曰：“告夫三子。”孔子曰：“以吾从大夫之后，不敢不告也。”君曰：“告夫三子者。”之三子告，不可。孔子曰：“以吾从大夫之后，不敢不告也。”
XIV.22. Chen Chengzi killed Prince Jian. Confucius, after washing his head and body, went to the palace to inform Ai, Duke of Lu. “Chen Heng,” said he, “has killed his prince; I beg you to punish him.” The duke replied, “Report this to the three ministers.” Confucius said to himself, “Because I still have rank among the da fu, I did not dare omit to report this. The duke tells me to report to the three ministers!” Confucius then reported to the three ministers, who rejected his plea. He said to them, “Because I still have rank among the da fu, I did not dare omit to report this.”
Notes :XIV.22. Three ministers, heads of three great families, had arrogated to themselves all power and governed as masters in the state of Lu. The duke was not free to decide for himself. He replied to Confucius, “You can address yourself to these three great lords.” These were the heads of the three great families Mengsun, Shusun, and Jisun.
子路问事君，子曰：“勿欺也，而犯之。”
XIV.23. Zilu asked how a subject should serve his prince. The Master replied, “Do not deceive him, and do not fear to resist him.”
子曰：“君子上达，小人下达。”
XIV.24. The Master said, “The sage tends upward; the unprincipled man tends downward.”
子曰：“古之学者为己，今之学者为人。”
XIV.25. The Master said, “In ancient times, men studied to perfect themselves; now men study to impress others.”
遽伯玉使人于孔子，孔子与之坐而问焉，曰：“夫子何为？”对曰：“夫子欲寡其过而未能也。”使者出，子曰：“使乎使乎！”
XIV.26. Ju Bo Yu sent a message to Confucius. The philosopher invited the messenger to sit and asked what his master was engaged in. “My master,” replied the messenger, “desires to reduce his faults, but he is not yet able.” When the messenger had gone, the Master said, “O the wise messenger! O the wise messenger!”
Notes :XIV.26. Ju Bo Yu, named Yuan, was a great minister in the state of Wei. Confucius had received hospitality in his house. When he returned to the state of Lu, Bo Yu sent him a messenger. Bo Yu examined himself and worked to subdue his passions, as if ever fearing that he could not succeed. One may say that the messenger understood the heart of this sage, and he fulfilled his mission well. Hence Confucius twice said, “O the wise messenger!” to express his esteem.
子曰：“不在其位，不谋其政。”
XIV.27. The Master said, “Do not meddle with affairs which are not your responsibility.”
曾子曰：“君子思不出其位。”
XIV.28. Zengzi said, “It is written in the Book of Changes, ‘The thoughts of the sage stay within the bounds of his station.’”
子曰：“君子耻其言而过其行。”
XIV.29. The Master said, “The sage is modest in his words, but his actions surpass them.”
子曰：“君子道者三，我无能焉。仁者不忧，知者不惑，勇者不惧。”子贡曰：“夫子自道也。”
XIV.30. The Master said, “The sage has three virtues which I cannot attain. The benevolent man is not sorrowful; the wise man is not perplexed; the courageous man is not afraid.” Zigong said, “Master, this is your own description of yourself.”
子贡方人，子曰：“赐也贤乎哉，夫我则不暇。”
XIV.31. Zigong was judging others. The Master said, “Is Zigong a great sage! I have not the time.”
子曰：“不患人之不己知，患其不能也。”
XIV.32. The Master said, “The sage is not grieved that men do not know him; he is grieved that he cannot be perfect in his virtue.”
子曰：“不逆诈，不亿不信，抑亦先觉者，是贤乎!”
XIV.33. The Master said, “One who does not presume that others will deceive him, yet can perceive the deceit when it occurs—is this not a sage?”
微生亩谓孔子曰：“丘何为是栖栖者与？无乃为佞乎？”孔子曰：“非敢为佞也，疾固也。”
XIV.34. Wei Sheng Mu said to Confucius, “Qiu, why do you teach with such assiduity? And to attract your hearers, do you not use the arts of persuasion?” Confucius replied, “I would not dare to resort to such arts; but I hate stubbornness.”
子曰：“骥不称其力，称其德也。”
XIV.35. The Master said, “In a good horse, we esteem not his strength, but his spirit.”
或曰：“以德报怨，何如？”子曰：“何以报德？以直报怨，以德报德。”
XIV.36. Someone said, “What think you of rendering good for evil?” The Master replied, “How should we render good for good? One renders justice for evil; one renders good for good.”
子曰：“莫我知也夫！”子贡曰：“何为其莫知子也？”子曰：“不怨天，不尤人，下学而上达，知我者其天乎！”
XIV.37. The Master said, “No one understands me.” Zigong said, “Master, why do you say that no one understands you?” The Master replied, “I do not complain against Heaven; I do not blame men. I study below and attain to what is above. One who understands me—must he not be Heaven?”
公伯寮诉子路于季孙，子服景伯以告曰：“夫子固有惑志于公伯寮，吾力犹能肆诸市朝。”子曰：“道之将行也与，命也；道之将废也与，命也。公伯寮其如命何！”
XIV.38. Gong Bo Liao had spoken ill of Zilu to Ji Sun. Zifu Jing Bo informed Confucius and said, “Ji Sun has conceived suspicions against Zilu because of Gong Bo Liao’s accusations. I am strong enough to have this slanderer exposed in the marketplace or at the prince’s court.” The Master replied, “If the Way is to be put into practice, this is the will of Heaven. If the Way is to be abandoned, this is the will of Heaven. What can Gong Bo Liao do against the will of Heaven?”
子曰：“贤者辟世，其次辟地，其次辟色，其次辟言。”
XIV.39. The Master said, “Among the wise, some retire from the world because of its wickedness; some retire because of the troubles of their country; some because of the lack of urbanity; some because of the discord of opinions.”
子曰：“作者七人矣。”
XIV.40. The Master said, “There are seven sages retired in the present day.”
子路宿于石门，晨门曰：“奚自？”子路曰：“自孔氏。”曰：“是知其不可而为之者与？”
XIV.41. Zilu lodged at the gate of Chen Men. In the morning the gate-keeper asked him, “Where do you come from?” Zilu said, “From the school of Confucius.” The gate-keeper said, “This is a man who tries to do what is impossible.”
子击磬于卫，有荷蒉而过孔氏之门者，曰：“有心哉，击磬乎？”既而曰：“鄙哉，铿铿乎。莫己知也，斯已而已矣。深则厉，浅则揭。”子曰：“果哉，末之难矣。”
XIV.42. The Master, in the state of Wei, played on the stone chimes. A man, who came along with a load of fuel on his shoulders, said, “He has a heart! He plays the stone chimes.” Then he added, “How vulgar! He plays the stone chings, but no one knows him. Why is he so eager to play? It is a deep ford; one should cross it barefooted; it is a shallow ford; one should lift up one’s clothes. That is the right way to do it.” The Master said, “How cruel! His life is hard enough; but he must make it harder for others.”
子张曰：“书云：高宗谅阴，三年不言。何谓也？”子曰：“何必高宗，古之人皆然。君薨，百官总己以听于冢宰，三年。”
XIV.43. Zizhang said, “The Annals say, ‘Gao Zong dwelt in a humble hut for three years without speaking.’ What does this mean?” The Master said, “Why must it be Gao Zong? All the ancients did this. When a prince dies, the ministers all keep their own offices and report to the chief minister, for three years.”
Notes :XIV.43. The hut in which the emperor passed the three years of mourning was called liang yan, because it was turned to the north and did not receive the sun’s rays.
子曰：“上好礼，则民易使也。”
XIV.44. The Master said, “If the prince loves what is right, the people will be easily ruled.”
子路问君子。子曰：“修己以敬。”曰：“如斯而已乎？”曰：“修己以安人。”曰：“如斯而已乎？”曰：“修己以安百姓。修己以安百姓，尧舜其犹病诸？”
XIV.45. Zilu asked what a true disciple of wisdom is. The Master replied, “One who perfects himself and respects the duties of his station.” Zilu said, “Is that all?” The Master replied, “One who perfects himself and brings peace to others.” Zilu said, “Is that all?” The Master said, “One who perfects himself and brings peace to the common people. But to perfect oneself and bring peace to the common people—this was, even for Yao and Shun, a matter of difficulty, which they could not accomplish.”
原壤夷俟，子曰：“幼而不孙悌，长而无述焉，老而不死，是为贼。”以杖叩其胫。
XIV.46. Yuan Rang waited for Confucius, squatting. The Master said to him, “When young, you did not respect your elders; when grown up, you did nothing worthy; when old, you do not die. This is a scandal.” And he struck his shins with his staff.
阙党童子将命，或问之曰：“益者与？”子曰：“吾见其居于位也，见其与先生并行也，非求益者也，欲速成者也。”
XIV.47. Confucius employed a boy from the village of Que Tang to serve guests and visitors. Someone asked if he was making progress. The Master said, “I see him sitting in his place with grown men and walking beside those who are older than himself. He is not one who seeks to advance, but one who seeks to be accomplished all at once.”
