| Chinese Text Project | |
| Simplified Chinese version |
| 故圣人之为国也， | Therefore a sage, in ordering a country, |
| 观俗立法则治， | looking to popular custom, fixes their laws with the result that there is order, |
| 察国事本则宜。 | and examining the state, gives his attention to what is fundamental, with the result that everything is fitting. |
| 不观时俗，不察国本，则其法立而民乱，事剧而功寡，此臣之所谓过也。 | When laws are fixed without looking to the customs of the times and without examining the fundamental things of the state, then the people will be in disorder, affairs will be troublesome, so that results will be few. |
| This is what I call error. |
| Character | Composition | Variants | Reading | Meaning | Hanyu | Kangxi | Cihai |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 故 | 攴+5 | gù ㄍㄨˋ | Cause. / State of affairs. / Event, incident. / Plot. / Old. / Past, original. / Death. / On purpose. / Originally. / Hence, thus. | v2,p1453#05 | p.469#25 | p.601r5c01 | |
| 圣人 | 耳+7 人+0 | 垩 𦕡 𠄵 圣 𠔽 亻 | shèng rén ㄕㄥˋ ㄖㄣˊ | 出类拔萃的人。 Sage, outstanding person. | v4,p2789#06 v1,p0101#10 | p.967#22 p.91#01 | p.1082r6c06 p.80r2c01 |
| 之 | 丿+3 | 㞢 | zhī ㄓ | Towards; go to. / Demonstrative pronoun: this, these. / Third person pronoun: him, her, it. / Auxiliary word: of. / Auxiliary word: used between subject and predicate, cancels independence of a clause. / Auxiliary word: used in a sentence for aesthetic purpose only, no meaning. | v1,p0043#01 | p.82#04 | p.47r2c02 |
| 为 | 火+5 | 爲 为 | wéi ㄨㄟˊ | Create, make. / Build, construct. / Do. / Plant, grow. / Govern. / Research, study. / Serve as. / Change into, become. / As, in the role of. / Count as, be considered as. / Called, named. / Expresses judgement: is. / Make, cause (to). / Have. / Take part in. / Write, author. / Connective: if. / Particle used in the middle of a sentence to move forward the object. / Modal particle used at the end of a sentence to express a rhetorical question. | v3,p2198#11 | p.669#10 | p.844r4c03 |
| wèi ㄨㄟˋ | Help, assist. / Preposition: for, on behalf of. / Preposition: by (passive). / Preposition: because of, due to. / Preposition: with, together with. / Connective: because. / Say. / False, fake. | ||||||
| 国 | 囗+8 | 圀 国 囗 囶 𢧌 䆐 囯 国 | guó ㄍㄨㄛˊ | nation, country, nation-state | v1,p0720#09 | p.219#16 | p.303r4c02 |
| 也 | 乙+2 | 𠃟 匜 | yě ㄧㄝˇ | Modal particle used at the end of a sentence, expressing assertion and affirmation. / Modal particle used at the end of a question for emphasis. / Modal particle used at the end of a cause-effect sentence to express explanation. / Modal particle used in the middle of a sentence to express a pause. | v1,p0050#05 | p.84#04 | p.55r1c01 |
| 观 | 见+18 | 覌 𥍊 𥸑 𥷯 观 | guān guàn ㄍㄨㄢ ㄍㄨㄢˋ | see, observe, view; appearance | v6,p3677#05 | p.1138#14 | p.1231r6c04 |
| 俗 | 人+7 | 圱 | sú ㄙㄨˊ | social customs; vulgar, unrefined | v1,p0163#10 | p.105#09 | p.107r1c01 |
| 立 | 立+0 | 立 | lì ㄌㄧˋ | Stand. / Erect, raise. / Establish, found. / Fix, set. / Determine, decide. / Become independent. / Exist. / Take office. / Become ruler, enthrone. / Stop, prevent from moving. / Immediately. | v4,p2706#01 | p.870#17 | p.1002r5c01 |
| 法 | 水+5 | 佱 灋 𣳴 | fǎ ㄈㄚˇ | Law, penal code. / Principle, system. / Standard. / Method, way of doing. / Follow, imitate. / Adhere to the rules. / The Legalist school. | v3,p1579#04 | p.616#11 | p.778r4c01 |
| 则 | 刀+7 | 𠟻 𠟭 𠞋 𠟔 则 | zé ㄗㄜˊ | Method, rule. / Mimic, emulate. / Level, grade. / Adverb used to emphasize an assertion. / Adverb used to express scope: only. / Connective expressing continuation: then, and then. / Connective emphasizing comparison. / Connective expressing contrast. / Connective expressing allowance: yet, even so. / Connective expressing unexpected turn of events. / Connective expressing suppostion: if. | v1,p0340#06 | p.139#31 | p.183r5c05 |
| 治 | 水+5 | 乿 | zhì ㄓˋ | Rule, administer. / Well ruled, peaceful and orderly. / Punish, execute. / Cure, treat (an illness). / Prepare. / Construct. / Research, study. | v3,p1599#06 | p.614#07 | p.776r5c02 |
| 察 | 宀+11 | 詧 | chá ㄔㄚˊ | examine, investigate; notice | v2,p0948#08 | p.290#16 | p.426r6c05 |
| 事 | 亅+7 | 亊 叓 𠭏 | shì ㄕˋ | Office, duty. / Job, career. / Things, affairs. / Accident, incident. / Engage (in), pursue. / Serve. | v1,p0023#03 | p.85#24 | p.58r3c02 |
| 本 | 木+1 | 夲 楍 㮺 𡴡 | běn ㄅㄣˇ | root, origin, source; basis | v2,p1151#01 | p.509#07 | p.666r3c01 |
| 宜 | 宀+5 | 冝 𡪀 𡨆 𠣨 宐 | yí ㄧˊ | suitable, right, fitting, proper | v2,p0920#06 | p.284#03 | p.416r1c01 |
| 不 | 一+3 | 不 𠀚 𠙐 | bù ㄅㄨˋ | Not have. / To not be. / Negational adverb, used before verbs, adjectives, etc. to indicate negation. / Negational adverb expressing prohibition: do not. / Negational adverb expressing rhetorical question: is not...? | v1,p0011#06 | p.76#15 | p.30r1c01 |
| fǒu ㄈㄡˇ | Same as “否(1.2)” fǒu ㄈㄡˇ: Adverb used together with an affirmative word, expressing its negative or opposite. / Same as “否(1.3)” fǒu ㄈㄡˇ: Adverb used at the end of a question to form a yes-no question. | ||||||
| fū ㄈㄨ | Sepal of a flower. | ||||||
| pī ㄆㄧ | Same as “丕(1)” pī ㄆㄧ: Large. | ||||||
| bǐ ㄅㄧˇ | Show disdain for. | ||||||
| 时 | 日+6 | 旹 时 | shí ㄕˊ | Season. / Unit of time equal to two hours. / [The passage of] time. / Time, times. / Age, period, epoch. / Occasion, opportune moment. / On time. / Then, at that time. / Always, constantly. / Same as “伺(1)” sì ㄙˋ: Wait until, wait for (a chance). | v2,p1505#05 | p.494#22 | p.639r3c04 |
| 其 | 八+6 | 丌 亓 | qí ㄑㄧˊ | Third-person possessive pronoun: his, her, its, their. / Demonstrative pronoun: that, those. / Adverb expressing estimation or guess. / Adverb expressing imperative. / Adverb expressing rhetorical question. / Adverb expressing future tense. / Connective expressing hypothesis: if, supposing. / Connective expressing choice: or. / Connective expressing concession: even if. / Particle used after an adjective. / Particle: of. / Particle used for emphasis after single-character adjectives or onomatopoeia. / Particle used in the middle of a sentence to alter the tempo. | v1,p0245#01 | p.127#18 | p.162r5c01 |
| jì ㄐㄧˋ | Particle used after bi and he. | ||||||
| jī ㄐㄧ | Modal particle expressing interrogative tone. / A year. | ||||||
| 而 | 而+0 | ér ㄦˊ | Whiskers. / Like, similar to. / Pronoun: you. / Pronoun: this, like this. / Connective: and, with. / Connective: and, then. / Connective: if, supposing. / Connective: yet, however. / Connective: therefore, hence. / Connective: expresses method or state. / Particle: of. / Expressive particle. | v4,p2810#01 | p.961#18 | p.1080r2c03 | |
| néng ㄋㄥˊ | Same as “能(3)” néng ㄋㄥˊ: Able to, competent. / Same as “能(2.1)” néng ㄋㄥˊ: Ability, talent. | ||||||
| 民 | 氏+1 | 𠘽 | mín ㄇㄧㄣˊ | people, subjects, citizens | v3,p2131#01 | p.598#01 | p.750r3c01 |
| 乱 | 乙+12 | 𠧎 𠧏 𠮗 乱 | luàn ㄌㄨㄢˋ | Chaos, disorder. / Confusion, confused state of mind. / Turmoil, unrest, revolt. / Rebellion, uprising. / Disturb, corrupt. / Lecherous, wicked. / Confuse, mix up. / Rule, administer. / Traverse, cross. / Reach, pass. / Last section of a piece of music. / Last words of a piece of writing. / Complete, finish. | v1,p0057#10 | p.84#33 | p.57r5c01 |
| 剧 | 刀+13 | 剧 | jù ㄐㄩˋ | theatrical plays, opera, drama | v1,p0358#03 | p.144#34 | p.191r2c01 |
| 功 | 力+3 | gōng ㄍㄨㄥ | achievement, merit, good result | v1,p0365#08 | p.146#11 | p.192r3c03 | |
| 寡 | 宀+11 | 关 | guǎ ㄍㄨㄚˇ | Few. / Lack, reduce. / A widow; be widowed. / A widower or unmarried man. / Modest way of referring to oneself used by rulers. | v2,p0947#07 | p.290#19 | p.427r2c02 |
| 此 | 止+2 | cǐ ㄘˇ | This. / Like this. / Here. / Adverb: then. | v2,p1438#03 | p.574#10 | p.735r4c01 | |
| 臣 | 臣+0 | 𢘑 | chén ㄔㄣˊ | minister, statesman, official | v4,p2801#01 | p.999#13 | p.1106r2c02 |
| 所 | 户+4 | 𢨷 | suǒ ㄙㄨㄛˇ | Place. / Location. / A suitable place or location. / Measure word, used for counting buldings. / Used before a verb, creates a noun-like phrase. / If. Mainly used in oaths and curses. / Used together with 为 to indicate the passive tense. / Indicates an approximate number. / Number, number of times. / Meaning. | v3,p2259#01 | p.415#16 | p.556r1c01 |
| 谓 | 言+9 | 谓 | wèi ㄨㄟˋ | To (when speaking to someone). / Say, speak. / Call, name. / Meaning, what is meant. / Discuss, comment on (a person). / How? / Same as “为(21.3)” wèi ㄨㄟˋ: Preposition: because of, due to. | v6,p3997#06 | p.1173#12 | p.1251r6c01 |
| wéi ㄨㄟˊ | Same as “为(10)” wéi ㄨㄟˊ: Count as, be considered as. | ||||||
| 过 | 辵+9 | 过 𨓺 | guò ㄍㄨㄛˋ | Pass by, go by. / Exceed, go beyond. / Too much, excess. / Mistake, make a mistake. / Crime, commit a crime. / Lose. / Visit. | v6,p3849#08 | p.1261#22 | p.1325r2c01 |
| guō ㄍㄨㄛ | Name of a state in pre-Qin China. |
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