Yen1 Yuan asked about perfect virtue2. The Master said, “To subdue3 one’s self and return to propriety4, is perfect virtue. If a man can for one day subdue himself and return to propriety, an under heaven will ascribe perfect virtue to him. Is the practice of perfect virtue from a man himself, or is it from others?”
Yen Yuan said, “I beg to ask the steps of that process.” The Master replied, “Look not at what is contrary to propriety; listen not to what is contrary to propriety; speak not what is contrary to propriety; make no movement which is contrary to propriety.” Yen Yuan then said, “Though I am deficient5 in intelligence and vigor6, I will make it my business to practice this lesson.”
Chung-kung asked about perfect virtue. The Master said, “It is, when you go abroad, to behave to every one as if you were receiving a great guest; to employ the people as if you were assisting at a great sacrifice; not to do to others as you would not wish done to yourself; to have no murmuring against you in the country, and none in the family.” Chung-kung said, “Though I am deficient in intelligence and vigor, I will make it my business to practice this lesson.”
Sze-ma Niu asked about perfect virtue.
The Master said, “The man of perfect virtue is cautious and slow in his speech.”
“Cautious and slow in his speech!” said Niu;-”is this what is meant by perfect virtue?” The Master said, “When a man feels the difficulty of doing, can he be other than cautious and slow in speaking?”
Sze-ma Niu asked about the superior man. The Master said, “The superior man has neither anxiety nor fear.”
“Being without anxiety or fear!” said Nui;”does this constitute what we call the superior man?”
The Master said, “When internal examination discovers nothing wrong, what is there to be anxious about, what is there to fear?”
Sze-ma Niu, full of anxiety, said, “Other men all have their brothers, I only have not.”
Tsze-hsia said to him, “There is the following saying which I have heard-’Death and life have their determined7 appointment; riches and honors depend upon Heaven.’
“Let the superior man never fail reverentially to order his own conduct, and let him be respectful to others and observant of propriety:-then all within the four seas will be his brothers. What has the superior man to do with being distressed8 because he has no brothers?”
Tsze-chang asked what constituted intelligence. The Master said, “He with whom neither slander9 that gradually soaks into the mind, nor statements that startle like a wound in the flesh, are successful may be called intelligent indeed. Yea, he with whom neither soaking slander, nor startling statements, are successful, may be called farseeing.”
Tsze-kung asked about government. The Master said, “The requisites10 of government are that there be sufficiency of food, sufficiency of military equipment, and the confidence of the people in their ruler.”
Tsze-kung said, “If it cannot be helped, and one of these must be dispensed11 with, which of the three should be foregone first?” “The military equipment,” said the Master.
Tsze-kung again asked, “If it cannot be helped, and one of the remaining two must be dispensed with, which of them should be foregone?” The Master answered, “Part with the food. From of old, death has been the lot of an men; but if the people have no faith in their rulers, there is no standing12 for the state.”
Chi Tsze-ch’ang said, “In a superior man it is only the substantial qualities which are wanted;-why should we seek for ornamental14 accomplishments15?”
Tsze-kung said, “Alas! Your words, sir, show you to be a superior man, but four horses cannot overtake the tongue. Ornament13 is as substance; substance is as ornament. The hide of a tiger or a leopard16 stripped of its hair, is like the hide of a dog or a goat stripped of its hair.”
The Duke Ai inquired of Yu Zo, saying, “The year is one of scarcity17, and the returns for expenditure18 are not sufficient;-what is to be done?”
Yu Zo replied to him, “Why not simply tithe19 the people?”
“With two tenths, said the duke, “I find it not enough;-how could I do with that system of one tenth?”
Yu Zo answered, “If the people have plenty, their prince will not be left to want alone. If the people are in want, their prince cannot enjoy plenty alone.”
Tsze-chang having asked how virtue was to be exalted21, and delusions23 to be discovered, the Master said, “Hold faithfulness and sincerity24 as first principles, and be moving continually to what is right,-this is the way to exalt20 one’s virtue.
“You love a man and wish him to live; you hate him and wish him to die. Having wished him to live, you also wish him to die. This is a case of delusion22. ‘It may not be on account of her being rich, yet you come to make a difference.’”
The Duke Ching, of Ch’i, asked Confucius about government. Confucius replied, “There is government, when the prince is prince, and the minister is minister; when the father is father, and the son is son.”
“Good!” said the duke; “if, indeed, the prince be not prince, the not minister, the father not father, and the son not son, although I have my revenue, can I enjoy it?”
The Master said, “Ah! it is Yu, who could with half a word settle litigations!”
Tsze-lu never slept over a promise.
The Master said, “In hearing litigations, I am like any other body. What is necessary, however, is to cause the people to have no litigations.”
Tsze-chang asked about government. The Master said, “The art of governing is to keep its affairs before the mind without weariness, and to practice them with undeviating consistency25.”
The Master said, “By extensively studying all learning, and keeping himself under the restraint of the rules of propriety, one may thus likewise not err26 from what is right.”
The Master said, “The superior man seeks to perfect the admirable qualities of men, and does not seek to perfect their bad qualities. The mean man does the opposite of this.”
Chi K’ang asked Confucius about government. Confucius replied, “To govern means to rectify27. If you lead on the people with correctness, who will dare not to be correct?”
Chi K’ang, distressed about the number of thieves in the state, inquired of Confucius how to do away with them. Confucius said, “If you, sir, were not covetous28, although you should reward them to do it, they would not steal.”
Chi K’ang asked Confucius about government, saying, “What do you say to killing29 the unprincipled for the good of the principled?” Confucius replied, “Sir, in carrying on your government, why should you use killing at all? Let your evinced desires be for what is good, and the people will be good. The relation between superiors and inferiors is like that between the wind and the grass. The grass must bend, when the wind blows across it.”
Tsze-chang asked, “What must the officer be, who may be said to be distinguished30?”
The Master said, “What is it you call being distinguished?”
Tsze-chang replied, “It is to be heard of through the state, to be heard of throughout his clan31.”
The Master said, “That is notoriety, not distinction.
“Now the man of distinction is solid and straightforward32, and loves righteousness. He examines people’s words, and looks at their countenances33. He is anxious to humble34 himself to others. Such a man will be distinguished in the country; he will be distinguished in his clan.
“As to the man of notoriety, he assumes the appearance of virtue, but his actions are opposed to it, and he rests in this character without any doubts about himself. Such a man will be heard of in the country; he will be heard of in the clan.”
Fan Ch’ih rambling35 with the Master under the trees about the rain altars, said, “I venture to ask how to exalt virtue, to correct cherished evil, and to discover delusions.”
The Master said, “Truly a good question!
“If doing what is to be done be made the first business, and success a secondary consideration:-is not this the way to exalt virtue? To assail36 one’s own wickedness and not assail that of others;-is not this the way to correct cherished evil? For a morning’s anger to disregard one’s own life, and involve that of his parents;-is not this a case of delusion?”
Fan Ch’ih asked about benevolence37. The Master said, “It is to love all men.” He asked about knowledge. The Master said, “It is to know all men.”
Fan Ch’ih did not immediately understand these answers.
The Master said, “Employ the upright and put aside all the crooked38; in this way the crooked can be made to be upright.”
Fan Ch’ih retired39, and, seeing Tsze-hsia, he said to him, “A Little while ago, I had an interview with our Master, and asked him about knowledge. He said, ‘Employ the upright, and put aside all the crooked;-in this way, the crooked will be made to be upright.’ What did he mean?”
Tsze-hsia said, “Truly rich is his saying!
“Shun, being in possession of the kingdom, selected from among all the people, and employed Kai-yao-on which all who were devoid40 of virtue disappeared. T’ang, being in possession of the kingdom, selected from among all the people, and employed I Yin-and an who were devoid of virtue disappeared.”
Tsze-kung asked about friendship. The Master said, “Faithfully admonish41 your friend, and skillfully lead him on. If you find him impracticable, stop. Do not disgrace yourself.”
The philosopher Tsang said, “The superior man on grounds of culture meets with his friends, and by friendship helps his virtue.”
收听单词发音 |
1
yen
|
|
| n. 日元；热望 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
virtue
|
|
| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
subdue
|
|
| vt.制服，使顺从，征服；抑制，克制 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
propriety
|
|
| n.正当行为；正当；适当 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
deficient
|
|
| adj.不足的，不充份的，有缺陷的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
vigor
|
|
| n.活力，精力，元气 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
determined
|
|
| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
distressed
|
|
| 痛苦的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
slander
|
|
| n./v.诽谤，污蔑 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
requisites
|
|
| n.必要的事物( requisite的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
dispensed
|
|
| v.分配( dispense的过去式和过去分词 )；施与；配（药） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
standing
|
|
| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
ornament
|
|
| v.装饰，美化；n.装饰，装饰物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
ornamental
|
|
| adj.装饰的；作装饰用的；n.装饰品；观赏植物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
accomplishments
|
|
| n.造诣；完成( accomplishment的名词复数 )；技能；成绩；成就 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
leopard
|
|
| n.豹 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
scarcity
|
|
| n.缺乏，不足，萧条 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
expenditure
|
|
| n.(时间、劳力、金钱等)支出；使用，消耗 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
tithe
|
|
| n.十分之一税；v.课什一税，缴什一税 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
exalt
|
|
| v.赞扬，歌颂，晋升，提升 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
exalted
|
|
| adj.(地位等)高的，崇高的；尊贵的，高尚的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
delusion
|
|
| n.谬见，欺骗，幻觉，迷惑 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
delusions
|
|
| n.欺骗( delusion的名词复数 )；谬见；错觉；妄想 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
sincerity
|
|
| n.真诚，诚意；真实 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
consistency
|
|
| n.一贯性，前后一致，稳定性；(液体的)浓度 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
err
|
|
| vi.犯错误，出差错 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
rectify
|
|
| v.订正，矫正，改正 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
covetous
|
|
| adj.贪婪的，贪心的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
killing
|
|
| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
distinguished
|
|
| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
clan
|
|
| n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
straightforward
|
|
| adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
countenances
|
|
| n.面容( countenance的名词复数 )；表情；镇静；道义支持 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
humble
|
|
| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
rambling
|
|
| adj.[建]凌乱的，杂乱的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
assail
|
|
| v.猛烈攻击，抨击，痛斥 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
benevolence
|
|
| n.慈悲，捐助 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
crooked
|
|
| adj.弯曲的；不诚实的，狡猾的，不正当的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
retired
|
|
| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
devoid
|
|
| adj.全无的，缺乏的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
admonish
|
|
| v.训戒；警告；劝告 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |