在陈绝粮，从者病莫能兴。子路愠见曰：“君子亦有穷乎？”子曰：“君子固穷，小人穷斯滥矣。”
1. The Master said, 'Ts'ze, you think, I suppose, that I am one who learns many things and keeps them in memory?' 2. Tsze-kung replied, 'Yes,-- but perhaps it is not so?' 3. 'No,' was the answer; 'I seek a unity all-pervading.'
子曰：“赐也，女以予为多学而识之者与？”对曰：“然，非与？”曰：“非也，予一以贯之。”
The Master said, 'Yu, those who know virtue are few.'
子曰：“由，知德者鲜矣。”
The Master said, 'May not Shun be instanced as having governed efficiently without exertion? What did he do? He did nothing but gravely and reverently occupy his royal seat.'
子曰：“无为而治者其舜也与！夫何为哉？恭己正南面而已矣。”
1. Tsze-chang asked how a man should conduct himself, so as to be everywhere appreciated. 2. The Master said, 'Let his words be sincere and truthful, and his actions honourable and careful;-- such conduct may be practised among the rude tribes of the South or the North. If his words be not sincere and truthful and his actions not honourable and careful, will he, with such conduct, be appreciated, even in his neighborhood? 3. 'When he is standing, let him see those two things, as it were, fronting him. When he is in a carriage, let him see them attached to the yoke. Then may he subsequently carry them into practice.' 4. Tsze-chang wrote these counsels on the end of his sash.
子张问行，子曰：“言忠信，行笃敬，虽蛮貊之邦行矣；言不忠信，行不笃敬，虽州里行乎哉？立则见其参于前也；在舆则见其倚于衡也，夫然后行。”子张书诸绅。
1. The Master said, 'Truly straightforward was the historiographer Yu. When good government prevailed in his State, he was like an arrow. When bad government prevailed, he was like an arrow. 2. A superior man indeed is Chu Po-yu! When good government prevails in his state, he is to be found in office. When bad government prevails, he can roll his principles up, and keep them in his breast.'
子曰：“直哉史鱼！邦有道如矢，邦无道如矢。君子哉蘧伯玉！邦有道则仕，邦无道则可卷而怀之。”
The Master said, 'When a man may be spoken with, not to speak to him is to err in reference to the man. When a man may not be spoken with, to speak to him is to err in reference to our words. The wise err neither in regard to their man nor to their words.'
子曰：“可与言而不与之言，失人；不可与言而与之言，失言。知者不失人亦不失言。”
The Master said, 'The determined scholar and the man of virtue will not seek to live at the expense of injuring their virtue. They will even sacrifice their lives to preserve their virtue complete.'
子曰：“志士仁人无求生以害仁，有杀身以成仁。”
Tsze-kung asked about the practice of virtue. The Master said, 'The mechanic, who wishes to do his work well, must first sharpen his tools. When you are living in any state, take service with the most worthy among its great officers, and make friends of the most virtuous among its scholars.'
子贡问为仁，子曰：“工欲善其事，必先利其器。居是邦也，事其大夫之贤者，友其士之仁者。”
1. Yen Yuan asked how the government of a country should be administered. 2. The Master said, 'Follow the seasons of Hsia. 3. 'Ride in the state carriage of Yin. 4. 'Wear the ceremonial cap of Chau. 5. 'Let the music be the Shao with its pantomimes. 6. Banish the songs of Chang, and keep far from specious talkers. The songs of Chang are licentious; specious talkers are dangerous.'
颜渊问为邦，子曰：“行夏之时，乘殷之辂，服周之冕，乐则《韶》、《舞》；放郑声，远佞人。郑声淫，佞人殆。”
The Master said, 'If a man take no thought about what is distant, he will find sorrow near at hand.'
子曰：“人无远虑，必有近忧。”
The Master said, 'It is all over! I have not seen one who loves virtue as he loves beauty.'
子曰：“已矣乎！吾未见好德如好色者也。”
The Master said, 'Was not Tsang Wan like one who had stolen his situation? He knew the virtue and the talents of Hui of Liu-hsia, and yet did not procure that he should stand with him in court.'
子曰：“臧文仲其窃位者与！知柳下惠之贤而不与立也。”
The Master said, 'He who requires much from himself and little from others, will keep himself from being the object of resentment.'
子曰：“躬自厚而薄责于人，则远怨矣。”
The Master said, 'When a man is not in the habit of saying-- "What shall I think of this? What shall I think of this?" I can indeed do nothing with him!'
子曰：“不曰‘如之何、如之何’者，吾末如之何也已矣。”
The Master said, 'When a number of people are together, for a whole day, without their conversation turning on righteousness, and when they are fond of carrying out the suggestions of a small shrewdness;-- theirs is indeed a hard case.'
子曰：“群居终日，言不及义，好行小慧，难矣哉！”
The Master said, 'The superior man in everything considers righteousness to be essential. He performs it according to the rules of propriety. He brings it forth in humility. He completes it with sincerity. This is indeed a superior man.'
子曰：“君子义以为质，礼以行之，孙以出之，信以成之。君子哉！”
The Master said, 'The superior man is distressed by his want of ability. He is not distressed by men's not knowing him.'
子曰：“君子病无能焉，不病人之不己知也。”
The Master said, 'The superior man dislikes the thought of his name not being mentioned after his death.'
子曰：“君子疾没世而名不称焉。”
The Master said, 'What the superior man seeks, is in himself. What the mean man seeks, is in others.'
子曰：“君子求诸己，小人求诸人。”
The Master said, 'The superior man is dignified, but does not wrangle. He is sociable, but not a partizan.'
子曰：“君子矜而不争，群而不党。”
The Master said, 'The superior man does not promote a man simply on account of his words, nor does he put aside good words because of the man.'
子曰：“君子不以言举人，不以人废言。”
Tsze-kung asked, saying, 'Is there one word which may serve as a rule of practice for all one's life?' The Master said, 'Is not RECIPROCITY such a word? What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.'
子贡问曰：“有一言而可以终身行之者乎？”子曰：“其恕乎！己所不欲，勿施于人。”
1. The Master said, 'In my dealings with men, whose evil do I blame, whose goodness do I praise, beyond what is proper? If I do sometimes exceed in praise, there must be ground for it in my examination of the individual. 2. 'This people supplied the ground why the three dynasties pursued the path of straightforwardness.'
子曰：“吾之于人也，谁毁谁誉？如有所誉者，其有所试矣。斯民也，三代之所以直道而行也。”
The Master said, 'Even in my early days, a historiographer would leave a blank in his text, and he who had a horse would lend him to another to ride. Now, alas! there are no such things.'