Classic Quotes and Translations

1. Confucius said: "Isn't it right to learn and practice from time to time? Isn't it a joy to have friends come from afar? People don't know and are not surprised. , Aren’t you a gentleman?”

Translation: Confucius said: “After observing and studying, I always practice and reflect. Are you not happy? I have friends who come from afar. Isn’t it happy that others don’t understand me? If I don’t get angry (resentful), am I not a gentleman?” [1]

2. Confucius said: “Fair words bring beauty, and benevolence shines brightly.”

Translation: Confucius said: “Funny words, People who know how to blow and cover, and whose attitude seems to be very benevolent, are rarely benevolent, and it is difficult for them to reach the state of benevolence."[1]

3. Zengzi said: "I have three days. Examine yourself: Have you been unfaithful in your plans? Have you not believed in your friends? "

Translation: Zengzi said: "I have to reflect on myself many times every day: do things for others. , Are you doing your best to make friends and fulfill your words? Have you practiced the knowledge and experience imparted by the teacher? "[1]

4. The Master said: "Disciples should be filial when they enter. As a younger brother, you must be sincere and trustworthy, love others broadly, and be kind to others. If you have enough energy to practice, you should study literature."

Translation: Confucius said: "Young people should be filial to their parents at home and obey their teachers outside. , Be careful in your actions, be honest in your words, love others broadly, and get close to people who are virtuous. After doing this, if you still have the energy, go and learn cultural knowledge. ”

5. Confucius said. : "A gentleman has nothing to eat to satisfy his needs, and a place to live without seeking peace of mind. He is quick in matters and careful in his words. He has the Tao and is upright. He can be said to be eager to learn."

Translation: Confucius said: "A gentleman eats and drinks. He who does not seek to be satisfied, does not seek comfort in his residence, is diligent and quick in his work, but is cautious in his speech, and goes to the wise people to correct himself, this can be said to be a good learner. "

6. Confucius said: "Don't worry about others if you don't know yourself, and worry if you don't know others."

Translation: Confucius said: "Don't worry about others not understanding you, but worry about yourself not understanding others."

>7. Confucius said: "He who reviews the past and learns the new can become a teacher."

Translation: Confucius said: "Those who review the knowledge they have learned and learn new knowledge from it can become a teacher." "Teacher."

8. Confucius said: "Three hundred poems can be summed up in one sentence: 'Thinking without evil'"

Translation: Confucius said: "There are three hundred (05) poems in the Book of Songs, which can be summarized in one sentence, that is: 'There is no evil in thought.'"

9. Confucius said: "I am determined to learn five times out of ten, and three times When you are ten, you stand firm; when you are forty, you are not confused; when you are fifty, you know the destiny; when you are sixty, your ears are attuned; when you are seventy, you follow your heart's desires without going beyond the rules."

Translation: Confucius said: "When I was fifteen, I determined to study. ; Begin to know at the age of thirty; (master all kinds of knowledge,) not be confused at the age of forty; understand the laws of nature at the age of fifty; be able to hear everything at the age of sixty; do whatever you want at the age of seventy , will not exceed the limit. ”

10. Confucius said: “A gentleman is not careful in comparing himself with others, and a villain is not careful in comparing himself with others.” ”

Translation: Confucius said: “Gentlemen unite but do not collude with each other; villains collude with each other but do not unite. ”

11. Confucius said: “To learn without thinking is to be in vain; to think without learning is to be in danger.” ”

Translation: Confucius said: “If you only study without thinking, you will be confused; if you only dream without studying, you will work hard but gain nothing.” "

12. The Master said: "You, I will teach you what you know! To know is to know, and to not know is to know. This is knowledge. "

Translation: Confucius said: "Zhong Yu, teach you the correct attitude towards knowing or not knowing! Knowing means knowing, and not knowing means not knowing. This is true wisdom! "

13. Confucius said: "People who have no faith do not know what is possible. A large cart has no hooks, and a small cart has no shafts. How can it move? ”

Translation: Confucius said: “If a person has no credibility, he doesn’t know what he can do. A big car has no edges, and a small car has no benches inside, so how does it drive? "

14. Confucius said to the Ji family: "Eight people dancing in the court are tolerable, but who can't be tolerated? "

Translation: Confucius said about Ji: "He used the emperor's dance lineup to dance in his ancestral temple. This kind of thing can be tolerated, but what cannot be tolerated? "

15. Confucius said: ""Guanyong", joy but not obscenity, sadness but not sadness. "

Translation: Confucius said: "The theme of the poem "Guanyong" is happy but not excessive, sad but not sad. ”

16. Confucius said: “Don’t talk about things when they are done, don’t admonish when things are done, and don’t blame the past.” ”

Translation: Confucius said: “Don’t comment on the past anymore, don’t discuss the things that have been done, and don’t hold people responsible for the past.” "

17. Confucius said: "He who hears the Tao in the morning will die in the evening. "

Translation: Confucius said: "Understanding the truth in the morning is worth dying at night. "

18. Confucius said: "A gentleman is likened to righteousness, and a villain is likened to benefit. ”

Translation: Confucius said: “A gentleman understands morality and justice, while a villain understands self-interest.” ”

19. Confucius said: “When you see the virtuous, you should reflect on them; when you see the virtuous, you should introspect yourself.”

"

Translation: Confucius said: "When you see a virtuous person, you should follow his example; when you see an unworthy person, you should reflect on yourself (whether you have the same fault as him). ”

20. Confucius said: “Rotten wood cannot be carved, and a wall of dung cannot be made flat. How can I be punished?” ”

Translation: Confucius said: “Rotten wood cannot be carved, and walls made of dung cannot be painted. What can I do with it?” ”

21. Confucius said: “A person who is sensitive and eager to learn, and who is not ashamed to ask questions is called ‘literary’. "

Translation: Confucius said: "A person who is smart and diligent and eager to learn does not regard it as a shame to ask someone who is lower than himself and has less knowledge than himself, so he is called 'Wen'. "

22. Ji Wenzi thought twice before acting. When Zi heard this, he said: "Again, this is enough.

Translation: Ji Wenzi said that you should think three times before taking action. Confucius heard about it and said: "Twice is enough." ”

23. Confucius said: “Ning Wuzi, if a state has the Way, then it will be wise, but if it does not, then it will be foolish.” His wisdom is within reach, but his stupidity is beyond reach. "

Translation: Confucius said: "Ning Wuzi is smart when the country is in peace, but pretends to be stupid when the country is in chaos. His intelligence can be matched, but his stupidity cannot be matched by others. ”

24. Confucius said: “If quality is better than literature, then we will be wild; if literature is better than quality, we will have history.” Be polite, then be a gentleman. ”

Translation: Confucius said: “If a person’s inner simplicity is better than his external literary talent, he will be rough; if his literary talent is better than simplicity, he will be flashy.” Only when literary talent and simplicity are combined appropriately can one be a gentleman. ”

25. Confucius said: “Those who know are not as good as those who are good at it, and those who are good at it are not as good as those who are happy.” ”

Translation: Confucius said: “Those who know it are not as good as those who like it, and those who like it are not as good as those who find happiness in it.” ”

26. Confucius said: “The wise enjoy the water, the benevolent enjoy the mountains; the wise are active, the benevolent are still; the wise are happy, the benevolent are long-lived.” ”

Translation: Confucius said: “A wise person likes water, a kind person likes mountains; a wise person likes to be active, and a kind person likes tranquility; a wise person is happy, and a kind person lives long.” ”

27. Confucius said: “I know it silently, I am not tired of learning, I am not tired of teaching others, what is that for me? "

Translation: Confucius said: "Keep knowledge in mind; study without feeling satisfied; teach without feeling tired: what have I accomplished in these? ”

28. Confucius said: “If you are not angry or enlightened, you are not angry and angry, if you take one corner and don’t counter it with three, you will never recover.” "

Translation: Confucius said: "Don't enlighten him until he is thinking hard; don't enlighten him until he is speechless. If you can't give an example to understand multiple similar problems, don't teach him again. "

29. When Zi Zai heard "Shao" in March, he didn't know the taste of meat. He said: "It's not just for the sake of pleasure, it's like this. "

Translation: Confucius listened to "Shao Music" in Qi State and ate meat for a long time without feeling the taste. He said: "I didn't expect that the creation of music could reach such a high level. "

30. Ye Gong asked Confucius about Zilu. Zilu was wrong. Zilu said: "Don't you say, "You are a man who is so angry that he forgets to eat, and he is happy and forgets his worries. He doesn't know that old age is coming?" "

Translation: Ye Gong asked Zilu what kind of person Confucius was, but Zilu did not answer. Confucius said: "Why don't you say: He is a person who forgets to eat when he is angry, and forgets to eat when he is happy. Sad, I don’t even know that I am aging, that’s all. ”

31. The Master said: “When three people are walking together, there must be one who is my teacher.” Choose the good ones and follow them, and change the bad ones. "

Translation: Confucius said: "If there are several people walking, there must be someone worth learning from. Choose his strengths to learn from him, learn from his shortcomings to correct yourself and tell others. ”

32. Confucius taught four things: literature, conduct, loyalty, and trustworthiness.

Translation: Confucius’ teachings have four contents: literature, conduct, loyalty, and faithfulness.

33. Confucius said: "A gentleman is magnanimous, but a villain is always concerned. "

Translation: Confucius said: "A gentleman has a broad mind, but a villain is sad and sad. ”

34. Zengzi said: “When a bird is about to die, its cries are mournful; when a man is about to die, his words are also kind.” ”

Translation: Zengzi said: “When birds are about to die, their cries are very sad; when people are about to die, their words are very kind.” ”

35. Zengzi said: “A scholar cannot be without great perseverance. The responsibilities are heavy and the road ahead is long.” Isn't it important to be benevolent as one's own responsibility? Isn't it just a matter of time before death? "

Translation: Zengzi said: "A scholar must have high ambitions and a strong will, because he has a heavy responsibility and a long journey. Isn’t it also important to regard practicing benevolence as one’s own mission? Isn’t it too far away to stop until death? Strive for life and die. Isn’t the journey still far away? "

36. Youzi said: "The purpose of etiquette is harmony. The way of the former kings is beautiful, and the small and the big can follow it. There is something that cannot be done: knowing how to be harmonious and being harmonious without following etiquette is also not feasible. ”

Translation: Youzi said: “In the application of etiquette, harmony is the most important thing. This is the most beautiful tradition and applies to everything. But it is not enough to just know that "harmony is the most precious", and it is absolutely not possible to talk about "harmony" in violation of etiquette and law.

”

37. Confucius said: “A gentleman who has nothing to eat and nothing to live in, who is sensitive to things but careful in his words, has the Way and is upright, and he can be said to be eager to learn.” "

"Translation" Confucius said: "A gentleman is not greedy for satiety in his food, not greedy for comfort in his residence, is diligent in his work but cautious in his words, approaches people with both ability and political integrity and corrects himself. This can be said to be good or not. "

38. Confucius said: "Don't worry about others not knowing you."

"Translation" Confucius said: "Don't worry about others not understanding you. I only worry about not understanding others."

39. Confucius said: "Governing with virtue is like Beichen, who lives in his place and is surrounded by stars."

"Translation. Confucius said: "Government with morality, the ruler will be like the North Star, occupying a certain position, and other stars will surround it."

40. Confucius said: "Government is based on Tao." "If you use punishments, the people will be free and shameless; if you use virtue, if you use etiquette, you will have shame and integrity."

"Translation" Confucius said: "Use political decrees to teach, and use criminal laws to regulate." , the people know how to avoid committing crimes, but they do not have a conscious sense of shame. If they are guided by morality and regulated by ethics, the people will have a conscious sense of shame and be sincerely convinced."

Meng Yizi asked about filial piety. Confucius said: "It's no violation." Fan Chi tried to stop him, and Confucius told him, "Meng Sun asked him about his filial piety to me, and I replied, "It's no violation." Fan Chi said, "What do you mean?" Confucius said: "Sheng, Do things with propriety; die with propriety, bury with propriety, and sacrifice with propriety."

"Comments" Meng Yizi: "The doctor of the state of Lu, Meng Sun below also refers to him." Fan Chi: "Confucius. The student's surname is Fan, his given name is Xu, and his courtesy name is Zichi. "Yu" means "driving".

Meng Wubo asked about filial piety. Confucius said: "Parents only worry about their illness."

"Translation" Meng Wubo asked what filial piety is. Confucius said, "Parents are worried about their children's illness."

Confucius said: "Today's filial piety means being able to raise. As for dogs and horses, they can be raised. If you are disrespectful, why should you be different?" < /p>

"Translation" Ziyou asked what filial piety is. Confucius said: "What people call filial piety nowadays often refers to being able to support parents. In fact, even dogs and horses can be raised by people. If there is no respect, what is the difference between supporting parents and raising dogs and horses? .

Confucius said: "Color is difficult. When a disciple has something to do, he has to do his job, and when he has wine and food, do you ever think you are filial?

"Translation" Zixia asked what filial piety is, and Confucius said: "The most valuable thing is to maintain a harmonious and cheerful attitude in front of your parents. When there is something to do, the younger generation helps, and when the elders eat and drink, is it filial piety? "

Confucius said: "I will not violate my words all day long, which is like a fool. If you withdraw from your son and save your own selfishness, it is enough to make progress, and you will not be stupid if you return."

" Translation: Confucius said, "I talked with Yan Hui all day long, and he never raised any objections or questions, just like a stupid person. However, I paid attention to his situation after class, and found that he was very capable of giving full play to my abilities. What Yan Hui said is not stupid.

Confucius said: "Look at the reason, observe the reason, and observe the place. How can a person be so old? How can a person be so old?"

"Translation" Confucius said: "Look at what he does, examine his experience, and observe his interests. What else can this person hide? What else can this person hide?

"Translation" Confucius said: "A gentleman should not be like a vessel."

Zigong asked the gentleman, and Confucius said: "Go first, and then follow what he says."

>

「Translation」Gong asked how to be a gentleman. Confucius said, "Actions come first, words come later."

Confucius said: "A gentleman is always in competition with others, but a villain is not in competition with others."

"Translation" Confucius said: " A gentleman unites people generally instead of being close to a few people; a villain only gets close to a few people but does not unite people universally.”

Confucius said: "Learning without thinking will lead to ignorance; thinking without learning will lead to peril."

"Translation" Confucius said: "Just reading without thinking will lead to confusion. It is dangerous to dream without studying."

Confucius said: "If you attack heresies, it will be harmful!"

"Translation" Kong Yu said: "Studying heresies is very harmful!"

Confucius said: "You! What do you know about your teaching? Knowing is knowing, not knowing is not knowing, that is knowing."

"Translation" Confucius said: "Zhong You! I will teach you. Do you understand everything? If you understand, you understand. If you don’t understand, you don’t understand. This is true understanding.

Zhang Xueqianlu. Confucius said: "If you hear too much about doubts and be careful about what you say, you will have few regrets; if you see many doubts and be cautious about other things, you will have few regrets. If you speak few words about doubts and act carefully, you will have few regrets. This is where you will gain wealth."

"Translation" Zizhang asked Confucius for advice on how to build a palace. Confucius replied: "Listen more and reserve your attitude towards things you have doubts about. Be cautious when speaking to things you have no doubts about, so that you can make fewer mistakes. Read more and reserve your attitude towards things you do not understand. You should also be cautious when doing things yourself, so that you can make fewer mistakes when you say something, and make fewer regrets when doing things, and your salary will be a matter of course for ordinary people. Acting rashly is not a big problem. If you want to be an official, you must be cautious in your words and deeds and restrain yourself.

As the saying goes, the more you talk, the more you will offend others, and the more you do, the more mistakes you will make.

Therefore, most people who are officials have developed the ability to be cautious in their words and deeds: but after listening to others for a long time, they express their opinions carefully, um, um, ah, ah, even "the king is talking about him",,' But it’s a cool autumn! "Speak less, do less, read a newspaper and a cup of tea, be wise and protect yourself, but try not to make mistakes. This is wrong. No wonder some people say that being an official is a science, and there is a lot in it.

The saint really teaches everything!