侍坐於先生：先生問焉，終則對。請業則起，請益則起。父召無諾，先生召無諾，唯而起。
When sitting by his side, and the teacher puts a question, (the learner) should not reply till (the other) has finished. When requesting (instruction) on the subject of his studies, (the learner) should rise; when requesting further information, he should rise. When his father calls, (a youth) should not (merely) answer 'yes,' nor when his teacher calls. He should, with (a respectful) 'yes,' immediately rise (and go to them).
君車將駕，則仆執策立於馬前。已駕，仆展軨、效駕，奮衣由右上取貳綏，跪乘，執策分轡，驅之五步而立。君出就車，則仆并轡授綏。左右攘辟，車驅而騶。至于大門，君撫仆之手而顧，命車右就車；門閭溝渠，必步。
When the ruler's carriage is about to have the horses put to it, the driver should stand before them, whip in hand. When they are yoked, he will inspect the linch pin, and report that the carriage is ready. (Coming out again), he should shake the dust from his clothes, and mount on the right side, taking hold of the second strap he should (then) kneel in the carriage. Holding his whip, and taking the reins separately, he will drive the horses on five paces, and then stop. When the ruler comes out and approaches the carriage, the driver should take all the reins in one hand, and (with the other) hand the strap to him. The attendants should then retire out of the way. They should follow quickly as the carriage drives on. When it reaches the great gate, the ruler will lay his hand on that of the driver (that he may drive gently), and, looking round, will order the warrior for the seat on the right to come into the carriage. In passing through the gates (of a city) or village, and crossing the water-channels, the pace must be reduced to a walk.
侍坐於長者，屨不上於堂，解屨不敢當階。就屨，跪而舉之，屏於側。鄉長者而屨；跪而遷屨，俯而納屨。
When (going to) sit in attendance on an elder, (a visitor) should not go up to the hall with his shoes on, nor should he presume to take them off in front of the Steps. (When any single visitor is leaving), he will go to his shoes, kneel down and take them up, and then move to one side. (When the visitors retire in a body) with their faces towards the elder, (they stand) by the shoes, which they then, kneeling, remove (some distance), and, stooping down, put on.
臨祭不惰。祭服敝則焚之，祭器敝則埋之，龜策敝則埋之，牲死則埋之。凡祭於公者，必自徹其俎。
When taking part in a sacrifice, one should not show indifference. When sacrificial robes are worn out, they should be burnt: sacrificial vessels in the same condition should be buried, as should the tortoise-shell and divining stalks, and a victim that has died. All who take part with the ruler in a sacrifice must themselves remove the stands (of their offerings).
卒哭乃諱。禮，不諱嫌名。二名不偏諱。逮事父母，則諱王父母；不逮事父母，則不諱王父母。君所無私諱，大夫之所有公諱。《詩》、《書》不諱，臨文不諱。廟中不諱。夫人之諱，雖質君之前，臣不諱也；婦諱不出門。大功小功不諱。入竟而問禁，入國而問俗，入門而問諱。
When the ceremony of wailing is over, a son should no longer speak of his deceased father by his name. The rules do not require the avoiding of names merely similar in sound to those not to be spoken. When (a parent had) a double name, the avoiding of either term (used singly) is not required. While his parents (are alive), and a son is able to serve them, he should not utter the names of his grandparents; when he can no longer serve his parents (through their death), he need not avoid the names of his grandparents. Names that would not be spoken (in his own family) need not be avoided (by a great officer) before his ruler; in the great officer's, however, the names proper to be suppressed by the ruler should not be spoken. In (reading) the books of poetry and history, there need be no avoiding of names, nor in writing compositions. In the ancestral temple there is no such avoiding. Even in his presence, a minister need not avoid the names improper to be spoken by the ruler's wife. The names to be avoided by a wife need not be unspoken outside the door of the harem. The names of parties for whom mourning is worn (only) nine months or five months are not avoided. When one is crossing the boundaries (of a state), he should ask what are its prohibitory laws; when he has fairly entered it, he should ask about its customs; before entering the door (of a house), he should ask about the names to be avoided in it.
取妻不取同姓；故買妾不知其姓則卜之。寡婦之子，非有見焉，弗與為友。
One must not marry a wife of the same surname with himself. Hence, in buying a concubine, if he do not know her surname, he must consult the tortoise-shell about it. With the son of a widow, unless he be of acknowledged distinction, one should not associate himself as a friend.
賀取妻者，曰：「某子使某聞子有客，使某羞。」
When one congratulates (a friend) on his marrying, his messenger says, 'So and So has sent me. Having heard that you are having guests, he has sent me with this present.'
餕餘不祭。父不祭子，夫不祭妻。
Portions of (such) food should not be used as offerings (to the departed). A father should not use them in offering even to a (deceased) son, nor a husband in offering to a (deceased) wife.
博聞強識而讓，敦善行而不怠，謂之君子。君子不盡人之歡，不竭人之忠，以全交也。
To acquire extensive information and remember retentively, while (at the same time) he is modest; to do earnestly what is good, and not become weary in so doing - these are the characteristics of him whom we call the superior man. A superior man does not accept everything by which another would express his joy in him, or his devotion to him; and thus he preserves their friendly intercourse unbroken.
夫為人子者：出必告，反必面，所游必有常，所習必有業。恒言不稱老。年長以倍則父事之，十年以長則兄事之，五年以長則肩隨之。群居五人，則長者必異席。
A son, when he is going abroad, must inform (his parents where he is going); when he returns, he must present himself before them. Where he travels must be in some fixed (region); what he engages in must be some (reputable) occupation. In ordinary conversation (with his parents), he does not use the term 'old' (with reference to them). He should serve one twice as old as himself as he serves his father, one ten years older than himself as an elder brother; with one five years older he should walk shoulder to shoulder, but (a little) behind him. When five are sitting together, the eldest must have a different mat (by himself).
夫禮者，自卑而尊人。雖負販者，必有尊也，而況富貴乎？富貴而知好禮，則不驕不淫；貧賤而知好禮，則志不懾。
Propriety is seen in humbling one's self and giving honour to others. Even porters and pedlers are sure to display this giving honour (in some cases); how much more should the rich and noble do so (in all)! When the rich and noble know to love propriety, they do not become proud nor dissolute. When the poor and mean know to love propriety, their minds do not become cowardly.
《曲禮》曰：「毋不敬，儼若思，安定辭。」安民哉！
The Summary of the Rules of Propriety says: Always and in everything let there be reverence; with the deportment grave as when one is thinking (deeply), and with speech composed and definite. This will make the people tranquil.
鸚鵡能言，不離飛鳥；猩猩能言，不離禽獸。今人而無禮，雖能言，不亦禽獸之心乎？夫唯禽獸無禮，故父子聚麀。是故聖人作，為禮以教人。使人以有禮，知自別於禽獸。
The parrot can speak, and yet is nothing more than a bird; the ape can speak, and yet is nothing more than a beast. Here now is a man who observes no rules of propriety; is not his heart that of a beast? But if (men were as) beasts, and without (the principle of) propriety, father and son might have the same mate. Therefore, when the sages arose, they framed the rules of propriety in order to teach men, and cause them, by their possession of them, to make a distinction between themselves and brutes.
敖不可長，欲不可從，志不可滿，樂不可極。
Pride should not be allowed to grow; the desires should not be indulged; the will should not be gratified to the full; pleasure should not be carried to excess.
侍坐於所尊敬，毋餘席。見同等不起。燭至起，食至起，上客起。燭不見跋。尊客之前不叱狗。讓食不唾。
When one is sitting in attendance on another whom he honours and reveres, he should not allow any part of his mat to keep them apart, nor will he rise when he sees others (come in) of the same rank as himself. When the torches come, he should rise; and also when the viands come in, or a visitor of superior rank. The torches should not (be allowed to burn) till their ends can be seen. Before an honoured visitor we should not shout (even) at a dog. When declining any food, one should not spit.
離坐離立，毋往參焉；離立者，不出中間。
When two men are sitting or standing together, do not join them as a third. When two are standing together, another should not pass between them.
外事以剛日，內事以柔日。凡卜筮日：旬之外曰遠某日，旬之內曰近某日。喪事先遠日，吉事先近日。曰：「為日，假爾泰龜有常，假爾泰筮有常。」卜筮不過三，卜筮不相襲。龜為卜，策為筮，卜筮者，先聖王之所以使民信時日、敬鬼神、畏法令也；所以使民決嫌疑、定猶與也。故曰：「疑而筮之，則弗非也；日而行事，則必踐之。」
External undertakings should be commenced on the odd days, and internal on the even. In all cases of divining about a day, whether by the tortoise-shell or the stalks, if it be beyond the decade, it is said, 'on such and such a distant day,' and if within the decade, 'on such and such a near day.' For matters of mourning a distant day is preferred; for festive matters a near day. It is said, 'For the day we depend on thee, O great Tortoise-shell, which dost give the regular indications; we depend on you, O great Divining Stalks, which give the regular indications.' Divination by the shell or the stalks should not go beyond three times. The shell and the stalks should not be both used on the same subject. Divination by the shell is called bu; by the stalks, shi. The two were the methods by which the ancient sage kings made the people believe in seasons and days, revere spiritual beings, stand in awe of their laws and orders; the methods (also) by which they made them determine their perplexities and settle their misgivings. Hence it is said, 'If you doubted, and have consulted the stalks, you need not (any longer) think that you will do wrong. If the day (be clearly indicated), boldly do on it (what you desire to do).'
登城不指，城上不呼。
When one has ascended the wall of a city, he should not point, nor callout.
齊者不樂不吊。
One who is fasting (in preparation for a sacrifice) should neither listen to music nor condole with mourners.
居喪之禮，毀瘠不形，視聽不衰。升降不由阼階，出入不當門隧。居喪之禮，頭有創則沐，身有瘍則浴，有疾則飲酒食肉，疾止復初。不勝喪，乃比於不慈不孝。五十不致毀，六十不毀，七十唯衰麻在身，飲酒食肉，處於內。
According to the rules for the period of mourning (for a father), (a son) should not emaciate himself till the bones appear, nor let his seeing and hearing be affected (by his privations). He should not go up to, nor descend from, the hail by the steps on the east (which his father used), nor go in or out by the path right opposite to the (centre of the) gate. According to the same rules, if he have a scab on his head, he should wash it; if he have a sore on his body, he should bathe it. If he be ill, he should drink spirits, and eat flesh, returning to his former (abstinence) when he is better. If he make himself unable to perform his mourning duties, that is like being unkind and unfilial. If he be fifty, he should not allow himself to be reduced (by his abstinence) very much; and, if he be sixty, not at all. At seventy, he will only wear the unhemmed dress of sackcloth, and will drink and eat flesh, and occupy (the usual apartment) inside (his house).
為人子者，居不主奧，坐不中席，行不中道，立不中門。食饗不為概，祭祀不為尸。聽於無聲，視於無形。不登高，不臨深。不茍訾，不茍笑。
A son should not occupy the south-west corner of the apartment, nor sit in the middle of the mat (which he occupies alone), nor walk in the middle of the road, nor stand in the middle of the doorway. He should not take the part of regulating the (quantity of) rice and other viands at an entertainment. He should not act as personator of the dead at sacrifice. He should be (as if he were) hearing (his parents) when there is no voice from them, and as seeing them when they are not actually there. He should not ascend a height, nor approach the verge of a depth; he should not indulge in reckless reviling or derisive laughing.
男女非有行媒，不相知名；非受幣，不交不親。故日月以告君，齊戒以告鬼神，為酒食以召鄉黨僚友，以厚其別也。
Male and female, without the intervention of the matchmaker, do not know each other's name. Unless the marriage presents have been received, there should be no communication nor affection between them. Hence the day and month (of the marriage) should be announced to the ruler, and to the spirits (of ancestors) with purification and fasting; and (the bridegroom) should make a feast, and invite (his friends) in the district and neighbourhood, and his fellow-officers - thus giving its due importance to the separate position (of male and female).
太上貴德，其次務施報。禮尚往來。往而不來，非禮也；來而不往，亦非禮也。人有禮則安，無禮則危。故曰：禮者不可不學也。
In the highest antiquity they prized (simply conferring) good; in the time next to this, giving and repaying was the thing attended to. And what the rules of propriety value is that reciprocity. If I give a gift and nothing comes in return, that is contrary to propriety; if the thing comes to me, and I give nothing in return, that also is contrary to propriety. If a man observe the rules of propriety, he is in a condition of security; if he do not, he is in one of danger. Hence there is the saying, 'The rules of propriety should by no means be left unlearned.'
國君撫式，大夫下之。大夫撫式，士下之。禮不下庶人，刑不上大夫。刑人不在君側。
Where the ruler of a state lays hold of the cross-bar, and bends forward to it, a great officer will descend from his carriage. Where a great officer lays bold of the bar and bends forward, another officer will descend. The rules of ceremony do not go down to the common people. The penal statutes do not go up to great officers. Men who have suffered punishment should not (be allowed to) be by the side of the ruler.