| | 哀公問: |
公曰：「敢問何謂為政？」孔子對曰：「政者正也。君為正，則百姓從政矣。君之所為，百姓之所從也。君所不為，百姓何從？」 |
| Ai Gong Wen: |
The duke said, 'I venture to ask what is meant by the practice of government.' Confucius replied, 'Government is rectification. When the ruler is correct himself, all the people will follow his government. What the ruler does is what the people follow. How should they follow what he does not do?' |
| | 哀公問: |
公曰：「敢問為政如之何？」孔子對曰：「夫婦別，父子親，君臣嚴。三者正，則庶物從之矣。」 |
| Ai Gong Wen: |
The duke said, 'I venture to ask how this practice of government is to be effected?' Confucius replied, 'Husband and wife have their separate functions; between father and son there should be affection; between ruler and minister there should be a strict adherence to their several parts. If these three relations be correctly discharged, all other things will follow.' |
