Classic sentences in the Four Books and Five Classics

The Four Books

"The Great Learning"

1. The way of a great university lies in being clear and virtuous, and in being close to the people , stop at the highest good.

Translation: The purpose of the university is to promote upright moral character, to make people abandon the old and pursue the new, and to make people reach the most perfect state.

2. If you want to cultivate your body, you must first rectify your mind; if you want to rectify your mind, you must first be sincere in your intentions; if you want to be sincere in your intentions, you must first gain knowledge, and knowledge lies in investigating things.

Translation: If you want to cultivate your body and mind, you must first correct your mentality. If you want to correct your mentality, you must first prove your sincerity. If you want to prove your sincerity, you must first enrich yourself. One's own knowledge, rich knowledge lies in in-depth study of the principles of things.

3. A prosperous house, a nourishing virtue and a healthy body, a broad mind and a fat body.

Translation: The rooms of rich people are gorgeously decorated, and the hearts of virtuous people are relaxed and their bodies are naturally at ease.

4. A gentleman must be loyal and trustworthy to gain the right path, and arrogant and arrogant to lose it.

Translation: A gentleman has a great principle, that is, he must win the hearts of the people with loyalty and trustworthiness. Arrogance and extravagance will lose the hearts of the people.

"The Doctrine of the Mean"

5. Destiny is called nature, nature is called Tao, and cultivating Tao is called teaching.

Translation: The character given to people by God is called "nature", following the nature of things is called "Tao", and making people cultivate and follow Tao is called "teaching".

6. He is fond of asking questions but loves to observe the far-reaching words. He hides the evil but promotes the good. He holds both ends and uses them to the people.

Translation: Likes to ask others for advice, and likes to understand people's superficial words; eliminates negative things and promotes people's good deeds; is good at grasping the two extremes of things and adopts appropriate methods to implement on the people.

7. Learn it extensively, interrogate it, think carefully, discern it clearly, and practice it sincerely.

Translation: Learn knowledge extensively, inquire in detail about the reasons for the development of things, think carefully, distinguish right from wrong clearly, and practice in a down-to-earth manner.

8. Being sincere and clear is called nature; being clear and sincere is called teaching. If you are sincere, you will be clear; if you are clear, you will be sincere.

Translation: Understanding things because of sincerity is called nature; being sincere because of understanding things is the result of education. If you are sincere, you will understand the truth, and if you can understand the truth, you will be sincere.

"The Analects of Confucius"

9. I examine myself three times every day: Have I been unfaithful to others? Make friends but don’t believe it? Are you not used to it?

Translation: I reflect on myself many times a day: Have I done my best for others? Are you honest and trustworthy in your interactions with friends? When the teacher imparts knowledge, do you review it carefully?

10. A gentleman is likened to righteousness, and a villain is likened to benefit.

Translation: What a gentleman knows is morality, what a villain knows is financial gain.

11. To know is to know, and to not know is to know. This is knowledge.

Translation: If you know, admit that you know, and if you don’t know, just don’t know. This is the correct attitude towards things.

12. If you learn without thinking, you will be in vain; if you think without learning, you will be in danger.

Translation: If you only read without thinking, you will feel confused and gain nothing; if you just think without reading, you will sometimes have daydreams and be confused.

"Mencius"

13. Old people, I am old, and people are old; young people, I am young, and people are young.

Translation: Respect one’s elders, thereby extending to respecting other people’s elders; caring for one’s own children, thereby extending to caring for other people’s children.

14. If God does evil, you can still violate it; if you do evil yourself, you will not live.

Translation: Disasters from heaven can be avoided, but sins caused by oneself cannot be escaped.

15. Father and son are related, monarch and ministers are righteous, husband and wife are distinguished, elders and young are in order, and friends have trust.

Translation: There must be love between father and son, etiquette and justice between monarch and ministers, love between husband and wife but distinction between inside and outside, respect and inferiority between old and young, and integrity among friends. virtue.

16. Therefore, when Heaven is about to entrust a person with a great responsibility, he must first strain his mind and will, strain his muscles and bones, starve his body and skin, deplete his body, and mess up his actions, so he can move his heart and forbearance and gain benefits. What it cannot do.

Translation: Therefore, when God is going to place a major task on this person, he must first make his mind suffer pain, make his muscles and bones tired, make his body feel hungry, and make his body poor. , and makes every action of his always unsatisfactory, thereby shaking his heart, strengthening his temperament, and increasing his talents.

The Five Classics

"The Book of Songs"

17. Guan Guan Jujiu, in the river island. A graceful lady, a gentleman is fond of quarrels.

Translation: Jujiu Pass sings to each other, on a small island in the middle of the Shuangqiu River. A pure, beautiful and good girl is exactly what I want.

18. Hold your hand and grow old together with your son.

Translation: Holding your hand tightly, I am willing to grow old together.

19. Not seeing each other for one day is like three autumn days.

Translation: Not seeing your sweetheart for one day is like three years!

20. The jianjia is green and the white dew is frost. The so-called beauty is on the water side.

Translation: The reeds along the river are white, and the clear dew turns into frost at night. The person I miss is on the other side of the river.

"Shang Shu"

21. Quiet words are unreasonable, but like respectfulness, the sky is overwhelming.

Translation: Flirty words are used in both positive and negative ways. They appear to be respectful, but in fact they are disrespectful to God.

22. Being arrogant and arrogant is contrary to morality and morality.

Translation: To look down upon others and to be arrogant; to violate the right path and corrupt morality.

23. Don’t listen to nonsense, and don’t ask for advice.

Translation: Do not believe anything that has not been verified, and do not use strategies that have not been consulted with everyone.

24. Playing with people loses morality, and playing with things loses morale.

Translation: If you play with people, you will lose your virtue; if you play with things, you will lose your ambition.

"Book of Rites"

25. Ao cannot grow long, desire cannot be followed, ambition cannot be fulfilled, and happiness cannot be extreme.

Translation: Arrogance must not grow, desires must not be indulged, noble ambitions must not be satisfied, and pleasure must not be endless.

26. A wise person respects him, fears him and loves him. Love and know its evil, hate and know its good.

Translation: Be close to and respect virtuous and talented people, fear and admire them. You must be able to understand the shortcomings of those you love, and you must be able to see the benefits of those you hate.

27. A gentleman is one who is knowledgeable and strong in knowledge but does not slack off in doing good deeds.

Translation: Those who can learn well and remember well and are courteous, who cultivate their moral character and do good deeds without slacking off can be called gentlemen.

28. If jade is not polished, it will not become a tool; if a person does not learn, he will not know.

Translation: Beautiful jade cannot become a good instrument if it is not carved; if a person does not learn, he will not understand the truth.

"Book of Changes"

29. Heaven moves vigorously, and a gentleman strives to constantly strive for self-improvement.

Translation: The way of heaven is strong and strong, and a gentleman takes heaven as his law, so he constantly strives to improve himself.

30. When two people are of the same mind, they can break through metal. Words of the same mind are as stinky as orchid.

Translation: Two people with the same heart are as sharp as knives and can cut through metal. If they are of the same mind, they are as fragrant as orchids.

31. If you are poor, you will change, if you change, you will be general, and if you are general, you will be long-lasting.

Translation: When the Tao doesn’t work, you have to change it. After changing, it will suddenly become enlightened. If it works, it can last for a long time.

32. If you see good things, move on; if you make mistakes, change them.

Translation: If you see something good, learn from it, and if you make mistakes, correct them.

"Zuo Zhuan"

33. If you do too much injustice, you will surely die.

Translation: Doing more unrighteous things will definitely lead to self-destruction.

34. Frugality is the greatest virtue; extravagance is the greatest evil.

Translation: Frugality is the greatest of all virtues, and luxury is the greatest of all vices.

35. No one has any faults. If he can correct his faults, there is no greater good.

Translation: Who has never made a mistake? It is the greatest good thing to make mistakes but be able to correct them.

36. Be prepared for danger when you are in times of peace, and you will be prepared if you are prepared.

Translation: Stay vigilant in a peaceful environment, think of possible dangers, be prepared when you think of them, and be prepared to avoid disasters.