寓言十九，藉外论之。
A father does not act as the match-maker for his son, for the praises from the father will not be as good as those from other people.
亲父不为其子媒。
If this kind of practice is improper, it is not my fault but the fault of other people.
亲父誉之，不若非其父者也；非吾罪也，人之罪也。
I agree with whatever views that are the same as mine and I disagree with whatever views that are not the same as mine.
与己同则应，不与己同则反；同于己为是之，异于己为非之。
I affirm whatever views that are the same as mine and I negate what- ever views that are not the same as mine.
重言十七，所以已言也，是为耆艾。
The seventy-percent of my talk which is quoted will put an end to further argument.
年先矣，而无经纬本末以期年耆者，是非先也。
The quotations are from the seniors.
人而无以先人，无人道也；人而无人道，是之谓陈人。
If someone is advanced in age but does not have any well-formed views, he cannot be regarded as a predecessor.
卮言日出，和以天倪，因以曼衍，所以穷年。
A man without the wisdom of a predecessor is a man not endowed with Tao.
不言则齐，齐与言不齐，言与齐不齐也，故曰无言。
A man who is not endowed with Tao is an old and outworm man.
言无言，终身言，未尝不言；终身不言，未尝不言。
As my daily random talk conforms to nature, it will spread far and wide and live out its natural life-span.
有自也而可，有自也而不可；有自也而然，有自也而不然。
When I talk without words, I am at one with nature, for words are not nature and nature is not at one with the words.
恶乎然？
Therefore, it is said, Do not talk with words.
然于然。
If I talk without words, I have been talking all my life but have not used any words while I have been using words all my life but I have not talked.
There must be a reason why something is acceptable and there must be a reason why something is unacceptable.
恶乎不然，不然于不然。
There must be a reason why something is right and there must be a reason why something is wrong.
恶乎可，可于可。
The reason why something is acceptable is that it is acceptable and the reason why something is unacceptable is that it is unacceptable.
恶乎不可？
The reason why something is right is that it is right and the reason why something is wrong is that it is wrong.
不可于不可。
Things are created acceptable and things are created right; nothing is created unacceptable and nothing is created wrong.
物固有所然，物固有所可，无物不然，无物不可。
If my daily random talk does not conform to nature, how can it last long?
非卮言日出，和以天倪，孰得其久！
All things are divided into different types and succeed one another in differ- ent forms.
万物皆种也，以不同形相禅，始卒若环，莫得其伦，是谓天均。
They begin and end in endless cycles, which is incomprehens- sible to the people.
天均者天倪也。
This is called the equilibrium of nature.
庄子谓惠子曰：“孔子行年六十而六十化，始时所是，卒而非之，未知今之所谓是之非五十九非也。
The equilib- rium of nature means conformity to nature.
”惠子曰：“孔子勤志服知也。
Zhuangzi said to Huizi, Confucius is now sixty years old and has changed sixty times.
”庄子曰：“孔子谢之矣，而其未之尝言。
He has eventually negated what he affirmed in the beginning.