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帝曰：「疇咨若時登庸？」放齊曰：「胤子朱啟明。」帝曰：「吁！嚚訟可乎？」 |
| Canon of Yao: |
The Di said, 'Who will search out (for me) a man according to the times, whom I can raise and employ?' Fang-qi said, '(Your) heir-son Zhu is highly intelligent.' The Di said, 'Alas; he is insincere and quarrelsome - can he do?' |
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帝曰：「疇咨若予采？」驩兜曰：「都！共工方鳩僝功。」帝曰：「吁！靜言庸違，象恭滔天。」 |
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The Di said, 'Who will search out (for me) a man equal to the exigency of my affairs?' Huan-dou said, 'Oh! the merits of the Minister of Works have just been displayed on a wide scale.' The Di said, 'Alas! when all is quiet, he talks; but when, employed, his actions turn out differently. he is respectful (only) in appearance. See! the floods assail the heavens!' |
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帝曰：「咨！四岳，湯湯洪水方割，蕩蕩懷山襄陵，浩浩滔天。下民其咨，有能俾乂？」僉曰：「於！鯀哉。」帝曰：「吁！咈哉，方命圮族。」岳曰：「异哉！試可乃已。」 |
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The Di said, 'Ho! (President of) the Four Mountains, destructive in their overflow are the waters of the inundation. In their vast extent they embrace the hills and overtop the great heights, threatening the heavens with their floods, so that the lower people groan and murmur 'Is there a capable man to whom I can assign the correction (of this calamity)?' All (in the court) said, 'Ah! is there not Kuan?' The Di said, 'Alas! how perverse is he! He is disobedient to orders, and tries to injure his peers.' (The President of) the Mountains said, 'Well but--. Try if he can (accomplish the work).' (Kuan) was employed accordingly. |
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帝曰，「往，欽哉！」九載，績用弗成。 |
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The Di said (to him), 'Go; and be reverent!' For nine years he laboured, but the work was unaccomplished. |
