Chapter 4 of the Analects of Confucius

子zǐ曰yuē：“里lǐ仁rén为wéi美měi。择zé不bù处chǔ仁rén，焉yān得dé知zhì!”

IV.1. The Master said:
— A good neighborhood is one where integrity prevails. Could one call wise a man who, when choosing a place for his home, would not want to have honest neighbors?

子zǐ曰yuē：“不bù仁rén者zhě，不bù可kě以yǐ久jiǔ处chǔ约yuē，不bù可kě以yǐ长cháng处chǔ乐lè。仁rén者zhě安ān仁rén，知zhì者zhě利lì仁rén。”

IV.2. The Master said:
— A man who is not virtuous cannot remain long in poverty or wealth without becoming worse. A virtuous man finds happiness in virtue; a wise man only seeks the treasure of virtue.

子zǐ曰yuē：“唯wéi仁rén者zhě能néng好hào人rén，能néng恶wù人rén.”

IV.3. The Master said:
— Only the virtuous man can truly love and hate men as is proper.

子zǐ曰yuē：“苟gǒu志zhì于yú仁rén矣yǐ，无wú恶è也yě.”

IV.4. The Master said:
— He who is earnest in cultivating virtue will refrain from doing evil.

子zǐ曰yuē：“富fù与yǔ贵guì，是shì人rén之zhī所suǒ欲yù也yě，不bù以yǐ其qí道dào得dé之zhī，不bù处chǔ也yě。贫pín与yǔ贱jiàn，是shì人rén之zhī所suǒ恶wù也yě，不bù以yǐ其qí道dào得dé之zhī，不bù去qù也yě。君jūn子zǐ去qù仁rén，恶wū乎hū成chéng名míng？君jūn子zǐ无wú终zhōng食shí之zhī间jiān违wéi仁rén，造zào次cì必bì于yú是shì，颠diān沛pèi必bì于yú是shì。”

IV.5. The Master said:
— Wealth and honor are what men desire; if you cannot obtain them without virtue, do not seek them. Poverty and meanness are what men detest; if you cannot escape them without virtue, do not try to escape them. If the wise man abandons virtue, how can he sustain his title? The wise man never abandons virtue, not even for a single meal. He remains steadfast in it, even amidst pressing affairs, even amidst great troubles.

子zǐ曰yuē：“我wǒ未wèi见jiàn好hào仁rén者zhě，恶wù不bù仁rén者zhě。好hào仁rén者zhě无wú以yǐ尚shàng之zhī，恶wù不bù仁rén者zhě其qí为wéi仁rén矣yǐ，不bù使shǐ不bù仁rén者zhě加jiā乎hū其qí身shēn。有yǒu能néng一yī日rì用yòng力lì于yú仁rén矣yǐ乎hū，我wǒ未wèi见jiàn力lì不bù足zú者zhě。盖gài有yǒu之zhī矣yǐ，我wǒ未wèi之zhī见jiàn也yě。”

IV.6. The Master said:
— I have not yet seen a man who truly loves virtue and hates vice. He who truly loves virtue will fix his mind upon it; he who hates vice, will cultivate virtue, and avoid evil. Is there a man who devotes his whole day to the practice of virtue? I have not yet seen anyone who lacks the strength to be virtuous. Perhaps there is such a man; but I have not seen him.

Notes :

Every man, if he makes serious efforts, can attain perfection.

子zǐ曰yuē：“人rén之zhī过guò也yě，各gè于yú其qí党dǎng。观guān过guò，斯sī知zhī仁rén矣yǐ!”

IV.7. The Master said:
— Every class of men has its own excess. One can know virtue by observing faults.

Notes :

The virtuous man always excels in generosity, and the vulgar man in stinginess; the virtuous man in kindness, and the vulgar man in hardness of heart. By seeing a man’s faults, one can know if he is virtuous or not.

子zǐ曰yuē：“朝zhāo闻wén道dào，夕xī死sǐ可kě矣yǐ.”

IV.8. The Master said:
— He who in the morning realizes the Way may die in the evening content.

子zǐ曰yuē：“士shì志zhì于yú道dào，而ér耻chǐ恶è衣yī恶è食shí者zhě，未wèi足zú与yú议yì也yě。”

IV.9. The Master said:
— He who devotes himself to the study of the Way, if he is ashamed of coarse clothes and plain food, is not worthy to receive my instructions.

子zǐ曰yuē：“君jūn子zǐ之zhī于yú天tiān下xià也yě，无wú适shì也yě，无wú莫mò也yě，义yì之zhī与yú比bǐ。”

IV.10. The Master said:
— In governing the empire, the wise man neither rejects nor favors anything with stubbornness. Justice is his rule.

子zǐ曰yuē：“君jūn子zǐ怀huái德dé，小xiǎo人rén怀huái土tǔ。君jūn子zǐ怀huái刑xíng，小xiǎo人rén怀huái惠huì.”

IV.11. The Master said:
— The wise man cherishes virtue, and the vulgar man cherishes land. The wise man cherishes punishments, and the vulgar man cherishes favors.

子zǐ曰yuē：“放fàng于yú利lì而ér行xíng，多duō怨yuàn。”

IV.12. The Master said:
— He who acts for the sake of personal gain incites much resentment.

子zǐ曰yuē：“能néng以yǐ礼lǐ让ràng为wéi国guó乎hū，何hé有yǒu。不bù能néng以yǐ礼lǐ让ràng为wéi国guó，如rú礼lǐ何hé？”

IV.13. The Master said:
— If in governing the state one has the deference that is the basis of courtesy, what difficulty will he encounter? If in governing one lacks the deference of courtesy, what courtesy can he have?

子zǐ曰yuē：“不bù患huàn无wú位wèi，患huàn所suǒ以yǐ立lì。不bù患huàn莫mò己jǐ知zhī，求qiú为wéi可kě知zhī也yě.”

IV.14. The Master said:
— Be not anxious about not having a position; be anxious about being worthy of one. Be not anxious about being unknown; be anxious about being worthy of being known.

子zǐ曰yuē：“参shēn乎hū，吾wú道dào一yī以yǐ贯guàn之zhī。”曾zēng子zǐ曰yuē：“唯wéi。”子zǐ出chū，门mén人rén问wèn曰yuē：“何hé谓wèi也yě？”曾zēng子zǐ曰yuē：“夫fú子zǐ之zhī道dào，忠zhōng恕shù而ér已yǐ矣yǐ。”

IV.15. The Master said:
— My teaching reduces to this single point: that one should cultivate oneself and love others as oneself.Zengzi replied:
— Certainly.When the Master left, his disciples asked what he meant. Zengzi replied:
— Our master’s teaching is that of loyalty and reciprocity.

子zǐ曰yuē：“君jūn子zǐ喻yù于yú义yì，小xiǎo人rén喻yù于yú利lì。”

IV.16. The Master said:
— The disciple of the way is clear-sighted in matters of duty; the vulgar man is clear-sighted in matters of profit.

子zǐ曰yuē：“见jiàn贤xián思sī齐qí焉yān，见jiàn不bù贤xián而ér内nèi自zì省xǐng也yě。”

IV.17. The Master said:
— When you see a worthy man, think of equaling his virtue; when you see an unworthy man, examine your own conduct.

子zǐ曰yuē：“事shì父fù母mǔ几jī谏jiàn，见jiàn志zhì不bù从cóng，又yòu敬jìng不bù违wéi，劳láo而ér不bù怨yuàn。”

IV.18. The Master said:
— When serving your parents, admonish them with gentleness. If you see that they do not follow your advice, redouble your respect, and do not abandon your admonitions. Even if they punish you, bear no grudge.

子zǐ曰yuē：“父fù母mǔ在zài，不bù远yuǎn游yóu，游yóu必bì有yǒu方fāng。”

IV.19. The Master said:
— While your parents are alive, do not travel far. If you travel, let it be in a determined direction.

子zǐ曰yuē：“三sān年nián无wú改gǎi于yú父fù之zhī道dào，可kě谓wèi孝xiào矣yǐ。”

IV.20. The Master said:
— For three years after the death of one’s parents, not to alter their ways, this may be called filial piety.

子zǐ曰yuē：“父fù母mǔ之zhī年nián，不bù可kě不bù知zhī也yě。一yī则zé以yǐ喜xǐ，一yī则zé以yǐ惧jù。”

IV.21. The Master said:
— You must always be mindful of your parents’ age; rejoice at their longevity, and fear their approaching death.

子zǐ曰yuē：“古gǔ者zhě言yán之zhī不bù出chū，耻chǐ恭gōng之zhī不bù逮dài也yě.”

IV.22. The Master said:
— The ancients did not venture to speak, fearing their actions would not match their words.

子zǐ曰yuē：“以yǐ约yuē失shī之zhī者zhě鲜xiǎn矣yǐ。”

IV.23. The Master said:
— It is rare for one who sets strict limits for himself to err.

子zǐ曰yuē：“君jūn子zǐ欲yù讷nè于yú言yán而ér敏mǐn于yú行xíng。”

IV.24. The Master said:
— The wise man is slow in speech and diligent in action.

子zǐ曰yuē：“德dé不bù孤gū，必bì有yǒu邻lín.”

IV.25. The Master said:
— Virtue is never alone; it is always accompanied by neighbors.

子zǐ游yóu曰yuē：“事shì君jūn数shuò，斯sī辱rǔ矣yǐ。朋péng友yǒu数shuò，斯sī疏shū矣yǐ.”

IV.26. Ziyou said:
— If you admonish your prince repeatedly, you will be disgraced. If you admonish your friends repeatedly, you will be neglected.