有一丈夫方將涉之。
The river below it ran in a great arc ninety li in length; fish and turtles did not dare cross the river; lizards and crocodiles did not dare live there.
孔子使人並崖而止之曰：「此懸水四十仞，圜流九十里，魚鱉不敢過，黿鼉不敢居。
A young fellow was about to cross the river.
意者難可濟也？
Kongzi had one of his followers draw close to the waterfall and try to dissuade the man, saying, “This waterfall is forty ren high, and the encircling stream below is ninety li in length.
」丈夫不以錯意，遂渡而出。
Fish and turtles do not dare cross it; lizards and crocodiles do not dare live in it—doesn’t it appear that the river is hard to cross?” The young fellow, saying nothing to contradict this advice, made ready to cross the river.
孔子問：「子巧乎？
Kongzi said to him, “Are you highly skilled?
且有道術乎？
Or do you know the techniques of sorcerers?
所以能入而出者何也？
What is it that enables you to set across this river?” “On first entering the current,” said the young fellow, I depend above all else on loyalty and trustworthiness.
」丈夫對曰：「始吾入，先以忠信；吾之出也，又從以忠信。
On emerging from the current, I still rely on loyalty and trustworthiness.
忠信錯吾軀於波流，而吾不敢用私。
These two qualities are securely lodged in my person as I negotiate the waves and currents, and I never dare to act out of selfish interest.
吾所以能入而復出也。
」孔子謂弟子曰：「水而尚可以忠信義久而身親之，況於人乎？」
That is what enables me to set out across the river and then emerge on the other side.” Speaking to his disciples, Kongzi said, “If one can use loyalty and trustworthiness even in dealing with water, drawing ever closer to those qualities through long cultivation, how much more must this be the case in one’s dealings with people?