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子路问政。子曰:先之,劳之,请益。曰:毋倦。 |
| | Zilu asked about governance. The Master said: Lead them by example, and work hard for their sake. Please, I would like more instruction. The Master said: "Do not grow weary."
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仲弓为季氏宰,问政。子曰:先有司,赦小过,举贤才。曰:焉知贤才而举之。曰:举尔所知,尔所不知,人其舍诸。 |
| | Zhonggong served as the steward of Ji Shi and asked about governance. The Master said: First, appoint responsible officials. Forgive minor offenses and promote talented individuals. He said: "How can one know who the virtuous and capable people are in order to recommend them?" The Master said: Recommend those you know. As for those you do not know, others will surely overlook them.
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子路曰:卫君待子而为政,子将奚先,子曰:必也正名乎。名不正,则言不顺,言不顺,则事不成,事不成,则礼乐不兴,礼乐不兴,则刑罚不中,刑罚不中,则民无所措手足,故君子名之必可言,言之必可行也。 |
| | Zilu said: "If the ruler of Wei waits for you to govern, what will you prioritize first?" The Master said: "It must be to correct names." If names are not correct, then speech will be unconvincing. If speech is unconvincing, then affairs cannot succeed. If affairs cannot succeed, then rites and music will not flourish. If rites and music do not flourish, then punishments and penalties will not be appropriate. If punishments and penalties are not appropriate, the people will have no idea how to act or behave. Therefore, a gentleman must ensure that whatever name he assigns can be clearly stated, and whatever is stated can be practically implemented.
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子曰:上好礼,则民莫敢不敬,上好义,则民莫敢不服,上好信,则民莫敢不用情,夫如是,则四方之民襁负其子而至矣。 |
| | The Master said: If the ruler values propriety, then the people will dare not be disrespectful. If the ruler values righteousness, then the people will dare not refuse to submit. If the ruler values trustworthiness, then the people will dare not withhold sincerity. If this is so, then the people from all directions will come carrying their infants in swaddling clothes.
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子曰:其身正,不令而行,其身不正,虽令不从。 |
| | The Master said: If a ruler himself is upright, he may issue no orders and yet people will follow his example. But if he himself is not upright, even though he issues orders, the people will not obey.
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子适卫,冉子仆,子曰:庶矣哉。冉有曰:既庶矣。又何加焉。曰:富之。曰:既富矣。又何加焉。曰:教之。 |
| | The Master went to Wei, and Ran Zi was his attendant. The Master said: "How numerous the people are!" Ranyou said: "The people are already numerous." What more can be added to that? The Master said: "Enrich them." Ranyou said: "They are already wealthy." What more can be added to that ? The Master said: "Educate them."
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子曰:善人为邦百年,亦可以胜残去杀矣。诚哉是言也。 |
| | The Master said: If a virtuous person governs the state for a hundred years, it would also be possible to overcome cruelty and eliminate killing. How true these words are!
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子曰:如有王者,必世而后仁。 |
| | The Master said: "If there were a true ruler who followed the Way, he would need one generation before benevolence could be fully realized."
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子曰:苟正其身,于从政乎何有,不能正其身,如正人何。 |
| | The Master said: "If one merely upholds personal integrity, what difficulty would there be in governing? If one cannot uphold his own integrity, how can he correct others?"
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定公问,一言而可以兴国,有诸。孔子对曰:言不可以者是其几也。人之言曰:为君难,为臣不易,如知为君之难也。不几乎一言而兴邦乎。曰:一言而丧邦,有诸。孔子对曰:言不可以若是其几也。人之言曰:予无乐乎为君,唯其言而莫予违也。如善而莫之违也。不亦善乎。如不善而莫之违也。不几乎一言而丧邦乎。 |
| | Dinggong asked: "Is it true that a single word can revive the state?" Confucius replied: "A word that cannot be acted upon is precisely what brings about its downfall." People say: "To be a ruler is difficult, and to be a minister is not easy." If one understands how difficult it is to be a ruler, is that not approaching the idea of reviving the state with a single word? He said: "Is there such a thing as a single word leading to the ruin of a state?" Confucius replied: "Words cannot be so decisive; this is precisely what brings about their downfall." People say: "I find no joy in being a ruler, except that none dare to contradict my words." If what he says is good, then none would dare to contradict him. Would that not be a good thing? If what he says is not good, yet none dare to contradict him, is that not approaching the ruin of a state through one word?
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叶公问政,子曰:近者悦,远者来。 |
| | Yegong asked about governance. The Master said: "Those nearby will be pleased, and those far away will come."
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子夏为莒父宰,问政,子曰:毋欲速,毋见小利,欲速则不达,见小利则大事不成。 |
| | Zixia served as the steward of Jufu and asked about governance. The Master said: "Do not seek quick results, and do not be tempted by small gains. To seek quick results leads to failure; to pursue small gains prevents the accomplishment of great matters."
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樊迟问仁。子曰:居处恭,执事敬,与人忠,虽之夷狄,不可弃也。 |
| | Fan Chi asked about benevolence (ren). The Master said: "In daily life, be respectful; in performing duties, be conscientious; and in dealing with others, be loyal. Even if you go to the remote regions of Yi or Di, these virtues should not be abandoned."
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子曰:南人有言曰:人而无恒,不可以作巫医,善夫。 |
| | The Master said: "People in the southern regions say: 'A person without constancy cannot be a shaman or physician," Well said!
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子曰:君子和而不同,小人同而不和。 |
| | The Master said: "A gentleman harmonizes without being uniform, while a petty person is uniform but not harmonious."
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子贡问曰:鄕人皆好之,何如。子曰:未可也。鄕人皆恶之,何如。子曰:未可也。不如鄕人之善者好之,其不善者恶之。 |
| | Zigong asked: "If all the people of one's hometown like him, how would you assess such a person?" The Master said: "That is not necessarily good." "What if all the people of his hometown dislike him?" The Master said: "That is also not necessarily good." It would be better if the virtuous people of his hometown like him and the unvirtuous ones dislike him.
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子曰:君子易事而难悦也。悦之不以道,不悦也。及其使人也。器之,小人难事而易悦也。悦之虽不以道,悦也。及其使人也。求备焉。 |
| | The Master said: "A gentleman is easy to serve but hard to please." If you try to please him without following the Way, then you will not truly please him. And when it comes to employing people, he treats them according to their abilities. A petty person is hard to serve but easy to please. If you please him, even without following the Way, he will be pleased. And when it comes to using people, he demands perfection from them.
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子曰:君子泰而不骄,小人骄而不泰。 |
| | The Master said: "A gentleman is composed without arrogance, while a petty person appears arrogant but lacks composure."
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子曰:以不教民战,是谓弃之。 |
| | The Master said: "To send untrained people into battle is to abandon them."
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