The Analects of Confucius: Zilu Chapter

The Analects of Confucius has been written by many hands. It was written by Confucius’s disciples, Confucius’s disciples, and people outside the Confucian sect. Mainly disciples of Confucius. The following is the Zilu chapter of the translation and annotation of The Analects of Confucius that I brought to you. Welcome to read it.

1 Zilu asked about politics. Confucius said: "First of all, work on it." Please help me. Said: "Untired⑵."

Translation

Zilu asked about politics. Confucius said: "You should take the lead for the people, and then let them work hard." Zilu asked to talk more. Confucius said again: "Never slack off."

Comments

⑴ First - it means "First there is the Secretary" in the next chapter.

⑵ Wuwei - which means "living without fatigue".

2 Zhong Gong was the Prime Minister of the Ji family and asked about politics. Confucius said: "First there are officials, who forgive minor offenses and promote talents."

He said: "How can we know the talents and promote them?" Confucius said: "Expand what you know; what you don't know, let others know it." Give up all?"

Translation

Zhong Gong became the chief steward of the Ji family and asked Confucius about politics. Confucius said: "Take the lead for the staff, do not care about other people's small mistakes, and promote outstanding talents."

Zhong Gong said: "How to identify outstanding talents and promote them?" Confucius said: "Promote you What you know and what you don't know, will others bury it?"

3 Zilu said: "The king of Wei ⑴ waits for his son to become a leader, and his son will be the first to ridicule him?"

Confucius said: "The name must also be corrected!"

Zilu said: "That's right, Zi Lu is so roundabout! Are you ridiculing his righteousness?"

Confucius said: "It's wild. , why! What a gentleman does not know is that if the name is not correct, then the words will not go smoothly; if the words are not right, the things will not be done; if the things are not done, the rituals and music will not flourish; if the rituals and music are not flourishing, the punishments will not be correct; the punishments will not be correct. If it fails, the people will do nothing wrong. Therefore, a gentleman's name must be spoken, and his words must be implemented. A gentleman only has nothing to do with his words."

Translation

Zilu said to Confucius: "Wei Jun is waiting for you to govern the country. What are you going to do first?"

Confucius said: "That must be to correct the misnomer in the title!" < /p>

Zi Lu said: "How can you be so pedantic? Why do you need to correct it?"

Confucius said: "How can you be so reckless! A gentleman will probably take some measures to deal with what he does not understand. Reserve your attitude, "How can you talk nonsense?" If the words are not used properly, the words cannot be logical; if the words are not logical, the work cannot be done well; if the work is not done well, the country's etiquette and music system cannot be carried out; etiquette and music cannot be carried out. If the system cannot be implemented, the punishment will not be appropriate; if the punishment is not appropriate, the people will be in panic and not even know where to put their hands and feet. Therefore, when a gentleman uses a word, he must have a certain reason. It can be said; and if it is logical, it will work. A gentleman must not be careless in his wording."

Comments

⑴ Wei Jun - Always. Commentators all say that Wei went out to work.

⑵Correction of names - What Confucius wanted to correct was only the improper use of words related to ancient rituals and titles, not the general improper use of words.

⑶ Wrong - the same as "measure", also placement.

4 Fan Chi asked to learn from Jia. Confucius said: "I am not as good as an old farmer." Please learn from the garden. Said: "I am not as good as Laopu."

Fan came out late. Confucius said: "What a villain, Fan Xu! If you are good at etiquette, the people will not dare to be disrespectful; if you are good at righteousness, no people will dare to be disobedient; if you are good at faith, then the people will not dare to be unkind. If this is the case, then the people of all directions will Qin has arrived carrying his son, how can he use the crops?"

Translation

Fan Chi asked to learn how to grow crops. Confucius said: "I am not as good as an old farmer." He also asked to learn how to grow vegetables. Confucius said: "I am not as good as an old vegetable farmer."

Fan Chi withdrew. Confucius said: "Fan Chi is really a villain. If the ruler pays attention to etiquette, no one among the people will dare to disrespect him; if the ruler behaves properly, no one among the people will dare to disobey; if the ruler is sincere and faithful, no one among the people will dare to fail to tell the truth." .

If you do this, people from all over the world will come to seek refuge with their children on their backs. Why do you have to grow your own crops?"

The 5th Confucius said: "Reciting three hundred poems and teaching them how to govern is not enough; When sent to all directions, it is impossible to focus on ⑴; even though there are many, it is also ridiculous to think that ⑵?"

Translation

Confucius said: "Read three hundred chapters of the Book of Songs by heart and give them to him. He cannot handle political tasks; he is asked to go on a diplomatic mission to a foreign country, but he cannot independently negotiate for entertainment; even if he reads a lot, what is the use?"

Comments

⑴Can't Dedicated - envoys in ancient times only accepted missions. As for how to negotiate and respond, they could only adapt to changes and act independently. They could not ask for instructions on everything or have already arranged everything in the country. This is called "receiving orders but not refusing", which is also This is the "special pairing" here. At the same time, most diplomatic receptions and negotiations in the Spring and Autumn Period relied on reciting poems instead of language ("Zuo Zhuan" is full of such records), so poetry is a must-read for diplomatic talents.

⑵ Yixi thinks - "Yi" is a verb. "Wei" is a modal particle expressing questions, but it is only used with the words "Xi" and "He", such as "Why Yi Wenwei", "Why cut it off?"

The 6th Confucius said: "If his body is upright, he will not act according to orders; if his body is not upright, he will not obey orders. "

Translation

Confucius said: "If the ruler himself behaves properly and does not issue orders, things will work. He himself acted improperly, and even if he gave repeated orders, the people would not obey him. "

7 Confucius said: "The administration of Lu and Wei are brothers. "

Translation

Confucius said: "The politics of Lu and the politics of Wei are like brothers [not far apart]. "

The 8th son called Wei Gongzi Jing ⑴, "who was good at living in the house ⑵, only then, he said: 'It's just a stagnation'. ’ Rarely, he said: ‘It’s all over. ’ Rich, he said: ‘It’s so beautiful. ’”

Translation

Confucius said of Jing, the young master of Wei State, “He was good at living at home. As soon as he had a little, he said: ‘That’s almost enough. ’ After adding a little more, he said: ‘It’s almost complete. ’ After a little more, he said: ‘It’s almost magnificent. "

Notes

⑴ Wei Gongzi Jing - the son of Wei State, Wu Jizha once listed him as a gentleman of Wei State, see "Zuo Zhuan" in the 29th year of Duke Xiang . Someone said: "This is a good place to live in a house with a wind position." "Because the officials at that time were not only greedy, but also extravagant. Therefore, Confucius "becomes greedy with honesty, and is extravagant with frugality." "It seems that we can prepare an explanation.

⑵Bedroom - This phrase has many meanings: (a) Living house, "Book of Rites Quli" "A gentleman will build a palace, the ancestral temple first, and the treasury The second is the second, and the living room is the last. "(B) Husband and wife living together, "Mencius Ten Thousand Chapters": "Men and women living in the same room are the great ethics of human beings. "(C) In the Han Dynasty, the prison was also named as "Historical Records of Wei Qing": "Qing Chang entered Ganquan's room. "(D) This is the meaning of accumulating family property and living at home. "Ju" is read as the "ju" of "a place where rare things can live".

⑶He - to give, to be enough.

9. Zi is fit to guard, and Ran has servants. 1. Zi said, "You are a commoner!"

Ran You said, "If you are a commoner, how can you add it?" He said, "You are rich. "

Said: "If you are already rich, how can you add more?" He said: "Teach him ⑵. "

Translation

Confucius went to Weiguo, and Ran You drove his chariot for him. Confucius said: "What a dense population!"

Ran You said: "The population has already There are so many, what should we do?" Confucius said, "Make them rich. "

Ran Youdao: "We are already rich, what should we do?" Confucius said: "Educate them"

Notes

⑴ Servant - verb, The person who drives the chariot and horse is called a servant.

⑵ Being rich...teaching it - Confucius advocated "get rich first and then teach", and Mencius and Xunzi also continued. This is why Mencius said: "A happy year will lead to suffering, and a bad year will lead to death. This is just to save people from death and fear that they will not be able to support them. How can we be so free to govern etiquette and justice?" ("King Hui of Liang, Part 1") is also the same as the proposition in "Guan Zi Governing the Country" that "any way to govern a country must first enrich the people."

10 Confucius said: "If you can use me, it only takes one month, and you will be successful in three years."

"

Translation

Confucius said: "If I can be used to preside over the country's political affairs, it will be enough in one year, and there will be great achievements in three years. "

Notes

⑴ Period month - period is the same as "period", some books use it as "period", Yinji, jī. Period month, one year. ;