论语 The Analects chapter12英1

孙祎卓

    Yen Yuan asked about perfect virtue. The Master said, "To subdue one's selfand return to propriety, is perfect virtue. If a man can for one day subduehimself and return to propriety, an under heaven will ascribe perfectvirtue to him. Is the practice of perfect virtue from a man himself, or isit from others?"Yen Yuan said, "I beg to ask the steps of that process." The Masterreplied, "Look not at what is contrary to propriety; listen not to what iscontrary to propriety; speak not what is contrary to propriety; make nomovement which is contrary to propriety." Yen Yuan then said, "Though I amdeficient in intelligence and vigor, I will make it my business to practicethis lesson."Chung-kung asked about perfect virtue. The Master said, "It is, when you goabroad, to behave to every one as if you were receiving a great guest; toemploy the people as if you were assisting at a great sacrifice; not to doto others as you would not wish done to yourself; to have no murmuringagainst you in the country, and none in the family." Chung-kung said,"Though I am deficient in intelligence and vigor, I will make it mybusiness to practice this lesson."Sze-ma Niu asked about perfect virtue.　　The Master said, "The man of perfect virtue is cautious and slow in hisspeech.""Cautious and slow in his speech!" said Niu;-"is this what is meant byperfect virtue?" The Master said, "When a man feels the difficulty ofdoing, can he be other than cautious and slow in speaking?"Sze-ma Niu asked about the superior man. The Master said, "The superior manhas neither anxiety nor fear.""Being without anxiety or fear!" said Nui;"does this constitute what wecall the superior man?"The Master said, "When internal examination discovers nothing wrong, whatis there to be anxious about, what is there to fear?"Sze-ma Niu, full of anxiety, said, "Other men all have their brothers, Ionly have not."Tsze-hsia said to him, "There is the following saying which I haveheard-'Death and life have their determined appointment; riches and honorsdepend upon Heaven.'　　"Let the superior man never fail reverentially to order his own conduct,and let him be respectful to others and observant of propriety:-then allwithin the four seas will be his brothers. What has the superior man to dowith being distressed because he has no brothers?"Tsze-chang asked what constituted intelligence. The Master said, "He withwhom neither slander that gradually soaks into the mind, nor statementsthat startle like a wound in the flesh, are successful may be calledintelligent indeed. Yea, he with whom neither soaking slander, norstartling statements, are successful, may be called farseeing."Tsze-kung asked about government. The Master said, "The requisites ofgovernment are that there be sufficiency of food, sufficiency of militaryequipment, and the confidence of the people in their ruler."Tsze-kung said, "If it cannot be helped, and one of these must be dispensedwith, which of the three should be foregone first?" "The militaryequipment," said the Master.　　Tsze-kung again asked, "If it cannot be helped, and one of the remainingtwo must be dispensed with, which of them should be foregone?" The Masteranswered, "Part with the food. From of old, death has been the lot of anmen; but if the people have no faith in their rulers, there is no standingfor the state."Chi Tsze-ch'ang said, "In a superior man it is only the substantialqualities which are wanted;-why should we seek for ornamentalaccomplishments?"Tsze-kung said, "Alas! Your words, sir, show you to be a superior man, butfour horses cannot overtake the tongue. Ornament is as substance; substanceis as ornament. The hide of a tiger or a leopard stripped of its hair, islike the hide of a dog or a goat stripped of its hair."The Duke Ai inquired of Yu Zo, saying, "The year is one of scarcity, andthe returns for expenditure are not sufficient;-what is to be done?"Yu Zo replied to him, "Why not simply tithe the people?""With two tenths, said the duke, "I find it not enough;-how could I do withthat system of one tenth?"Yu Zo answered, "If the people have plenty, their prince will not be leftto want alone. If the people are in want, their prince cannot enjoy plentyalone."Tsze-chang having asked how virtue was to be exalted, and delusions to bediscovered, the Master said, "Hold faithfulness and sincerity as firstprinciples, and be moving continually to what is right,-this is the way toexalt one's virtue.