季氏将伐颛臾，冉有季路见于孔子曰：“季氏将有事于颛臾。”
孔子曰：“求，无乃尔是过与？夫颛臾，昔者先王以为东蒙主，且在邦域之中矣，是社稷之臣也，何以伐为？”
冉有曰：“夫子欲之，吾二臣者，皆不欲也。”
孔子曰：“求，周任有言曰：陈力就列，不能者止。危而不持，颠而不扶，则将焉用彼相矣。且尔言过矣。虎兕出于柙，龟玉毁于椟中，是谁之过与？”
冉有曰：“今夫颛臾，固而近于费，今不取，后世必为子孙忧。”
孔子曰：“求，君子疾夫舍曰欲之，而必为之辞。丘也，闻有国有家者，不患寡而患不均，不患贫而患不安，盖均无贫，和无寡，安无倾。夫如是，故远人不服，则修文德以来之。既来之，则安之。今由与求也，相夫子，远人不服而不能来也，邦分崩离析而不能守也，而谋动干戈于邦内，吾恐季孙之忧，不在颛臾，而在萧墙之内也。”
XVI.1. The head of the Ji family was preparing to invade Zhuanyu. Ran You and Zilu went to see Confucius and said to him: "Ji is preparing an expedition against Zhuanyu." Confucius replied, "Qiu, are you not somehow involved in this crime? Zhuanyu was chosen by the ancient emperors to be the usual place for sacrifices at the foot of Mount Dongmeng. Moreover, it is part of the state of Lu and falls under the authority of our prince. By what right would Ji attack it?" Ran You replied, "Our master wants it; we, his ministers, neither of us want it." Confucius said, "Qiu, Zhou Ren often used to say: 'Let him who can work for the good of the people enter the ranks of the magistracy; let him who cannot render a true service not accept office. What good is this blind man's leader, who cannot steady one who is tottering, or help up one who has fallen?' Moreover, your answer is blameworthy. If a tiger or an ox escapes from its cage or pen, if a tortoise shell or a precious stone is damaged in the chest, whose fault is it?" Ran You replied, "Zhuanyu is well fortified and close to the city of Fei. If Ji does not take possession of Zhuanyu now, in the future its descendants will be in trouble." Confucius replied, "Qiu, the sage detests these men who refuse to admit their greed and invent excuses for it. I have heard that what should be the concern of the lords and high officials is not the small number of their subjects, but the lack of justice; it is not the lack of resources, but the lack of unity and harmony. Poverty is not to be feared where justice is observed; nor the lack of subjects where concord reigns; nor the disruption of the state where tranquility reigns. If the people of distant lands do not recognize the prince's authority, let him cultivate the civil virtues to attract them; after attracting them, let him make them enjoy tranquility. You, You and Qiu, you are the ministers of Ji. The inhabitants of distant lands do not submit, and you do not know how to attract them. The state of Lu is verging on ruin and is divided into several parts. You do not know how to preserve its integrity; and you are thinking of stirring up a shield raising within it. I fear that the Ji family will face great difficulties, not at Zhuanyu, but within their own household."
Notes: The interior of the house, that is the wall or small fence raised before the door of a dwelling to hide the house from passersby. In visits between a prince and his subject, the signs of respect begin at this wall. That is why it is called the wall of respect.
孔子曰：“天下有道，则礼乐征伐自天子出；天下无道，则礼乐征伐自诸侯出。诸侯出，盖十世希不失矣。自大夫出，五世希不失矣。陪臣执国命，三世希不失矣。天下有道，则政不在大夫。天下有道，则庶人不议。”
XVI.2. The Master said: "When the empire is well governed, the emperor himself regulates ceremonies, music, and military expeditions to subdue disobedient vassals. When the empire is not well governed, the lords regulate ceremonies, music, and military expeditions. Then the families of the lords rarely hold their authority beyond ten generations. When the high officials take power, they rarely hold it for more than five generations. The stewards of princes or grand prefects, who become masters of power, rarely hold it for more than three generations. When the empire is well ordered, the high administration is not in the hands of the high officials; private individuals are not admitted to deliberate on state affairs."
孔子曰：“禄之去公室，五世矣。政逮于大夫，四世矣。故夫三桓之子孙，微矣。”
XVI.3. Confucius said: "The public revenues have been gone from the prince of Lu's house for five generations. The administration has been in the hands of the high officials for four generations. Therefore, the power of these three great lords is about to come to an end."
Notes: When Wen, the prince of Lu, died (609 BC), his sons had killed the presumed heir Shu and substituted the prince Xuan. The latter had only the shadow of power (the sovereign authority was usurped by Ji Wu, head of the Ji Sun family). Xuan, Cheng, Xiang, Zhao, Ding, five princes in all, had succeeded each other. Ji Wu, who had usurped the power, had had as successors Dao, Ping, and Huan, four high officials in all. Then the authority passed from their hands to those of Yang Hou, steward of their family.
孔子曰：“益者三友，损者三友。友直，友谅，友多闻，益矣。友便辟，友善柔，友便佞，损矣。”
XVI.4. Confucius said: "Three kinds of friendships are beneficial, and three kinds of friendships are harmful. Friendship with a man who speaks plainly, friendship with a man who is sincere, friendship with a man of great learning, these three kinds of friendships are beneficial. Friendship with a man who is deceitful with a false appearance of honesty, friendship with a man who is good at flattering, friendship with a man who is a smooth talker, these three kinds of friendships are harmful."
孔子曰：“益者三乐，损者三乐。乐节礼乐，乐道人之善，乐多贤友，益矣。乐骄乐，乐佚游，乐宴乐，损矣。”
XVI.5. Confucius said: "There are three things that it is beneficial to love, and three things that it is harmful to love. To love to study ceremonies and music, to love to speak well of what one has observed in others, to love to associate with many virtuous and wise men, these three things are beneficial. To love to give free rein to one's desires, to love to idle and wander about, to love feasts and dishonest pleasures, these three things are harmful."
孔子曰：“伺于君子有三愆：言未及之而言谓之躁，言及之而不言谓之隐，未见颜色而言谓之瞽。”
XVI.6. Confucius said: "When you are in the presence of a man distinguished by his rank and virtue, you have three faults to avoid. If you speak to him before he asks you, that is haste. If, when questioned by him, you do not answer him, that is concealment. If you speak to him before you see from his facial expression that he is giving you his attention, that is blindness."
孔子曰：“君子有三戒：少之时，血气未定，戒之在色；及其壮也，血气方刚，戒之在斗；及其老也，血气既衰，戒之在得。”
XVI.7. Confucius said: "A man who strives to practice virtue is on guard against three things. In youth, when the blood and vital spirits are always moving, he is on guard against the pleasures of the senses. In maturity, when the blood and vital spirits are at their peak, he avoids quarrels. In old age, when the blood and vital spirits have declined, he is on guard against greed."
孔子曰：“君子有三畏：畏天命，畏大人，畏圣人之言。小人不知天命而不畏也，狎大人，侮圣人之言。”
XVI.8. Confucius said: "The superior man has three fears: he fears the mandate of Heaven, he fears great men, he fears the words of the sages. The small man does not know the mandate of Heaven and so does not fear it; he treats great men with disrespect; he ridicules the words of the sages."
孔子曰：“生而知之者上也，学而知之者次也，困而学之，又其次也。困而不学，民斯为下矣。”
XVI.9. Confucius said: "Those in whom the knowledge of principles is innate are men of the highest rank. Next come those who acquire it by study; then those who, despite their limited understanding, strive for it. Those who are neither intelligent nor willing to learn are the lowest."
孔子曰：“君子有九思：视思明，听思聪，色思温，貌思恭，言思忠，事思敬，疑思问，忿思难，见得思义。”
XVI.10. Confucius said: "The superior man gives special attention to nine things: he thinks about seeing clearly when he looks, about hearing clearly when he listens, about being affable in his bearing, about being respectful in his demeanor, about being sincere in his words, about being diligent in his actions, about questioning when in doubt, about being patient when angry, about considering righteousness when seeing a gain."
孔子曰：“见善如不及，见不善如探汤。吾见其人矣，吾闻其语矣。隐居以求其志，行义以达其道，吾闻其语矣，吾未见其人也。齐景公有马千驷，死之日，民无得而称焉。伯夷叔齐，饿于首阳之下，民到于今称之，其斯之谓与？”
XVI.11. Confucius said: "When you see good, hurry as if you could not reach it; when you see evil, fall back as if you were stepping on hot coals. I have seen the man and heard his words. He hid himself to seek his purpose; he practiced righteousness to carry out his path. I have heard his words, but I have not seen the man. Qi Jinggong had a thousand chariots. When he died, the people had nothing to praise him for. Boyi and Shuqi starved to death at the foot of Mount Shouyang. The people still celebrate them today. This is what is meant by it."
陈亢问于伯鱼曰：“子亦有异闻乎？”对曰：“未也。尝独立，鲤趋而过庭，曰：’学诗乎？’对曰：’未也.’’不学诗，无以言.’鲤退而学诗。他日又独立，鲤趋而过庭，曰：’学礼乎?’对曰：’未也.’’不学礼，无以立.’鲤退而学礼。闻斯二者。”陈亢退而喜曰：“问一得三：闻诗，闻礼，又闻君子之远其子也。”
XVI.13. Chen Kang asked Bo Yu if his father had given him any special teachings that he did not share with his disciples. Bo Yu replied, "Not yet. Once when he was standing alone, as I quickly crossed the courtyard, he said, 'Have you studied the Book of Poetry?' I replied, 'Not yet.' He said, 'If you do not study the Book of Poetry, you will have no words to speak.' Another day, when he was standing alone, as I quickly crossed the courtyard, he said, 'Have you studied the Book of Rites?' I replied, 'Not yet.' He said, 'If you do not study the Book of Rites, your virtue will have no foundation.' So I retired and studied the Book of Rites. These are the two lessons I have received." Chen Kang withdrew and, pleased, said, "I asked one thing and learned three: I learned about the Book of Poetry, about the Book of Rites, and that the sage does not give special teachings to his son."
邦君之妻，君称之曰“夫人，夫人自称曰“小童，邦人称之曰“君夫人，称诸异邦曰“寡小君，异邦人称之亦曰“君夫人。”
XVI.14. The wife of the head of a state is called by the head of the state "the helpmeet." The wife of the head of the state calls herself "little girl." The people of the state call her "the helpmeet of the head of the state." When speaking to another state, they call her "our little head of the state." The people of another state call her "the helpmeet of the head of the state."
