| | 中論六卷: |
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| | 中論六卷: |
倚立而思遠，不如速行而必；至矯首而徇飛，不如修翼之必獲。孤居而願智，不如積學之必達。 |
| | Standing and thinking of the distant future is not as good as moving quickly with certainty; To raise one's head and follow flying things is not as effective as cultivating one's wings to ensure success. Living in solitude and wishing for wisdom is not as good as accumulating learning, which will surely lead to understanding.
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| | 中論六卷: |
君子不卹年之將暮，而憂志之有倦。 |
| | A gentleman does not worry about the coming of old age but laments the weariness of his aspirations.
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| | 中論六卷: |
道之於人，甚簡且易，不同採金攻玉，涉艱難也。 |
| | The Way to a person is very simple and easy, unlike mining gold or carving jade, which involve hardships.
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| | 中論六卷: |
路不險則無以知馬之良，任不重則無以知人之才。 |
| | A road not difficult cannot show the excellence of a horse; a responsibility not heavy cannot reveal a person's talent.
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| | 中論六卷: |
君子相見，非但興善，將以攻惡。惡不廢則善不興。療暑莫如親水，救寒莫如重裘，止謗莫如修身。 |
| | When gentlemen meet, it is not merely to promote good but also to confront evil. If evil is not eliminated, goodness cannot flourish. To cure the heat, nothing is better than being close to water; to relieve cold, nothing surpasses wearing thick furs; to stop slander, nothing compares to cultivating one's character.
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| | 中論六卷: |
善釣者不易淵而殉魚，君子不降席而追道。 |
| | A skilled fisherman does not change the deep pool just for the sake of catching fish; a gentleman does not lower his standards to pursue the Way.
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小人恥其面不如子都，君子恥其行不如舜禹。故小人貴明鑒，君子尚至言。 |
| | A petty person is ashamed if their appearance is not as handsome as Zidou; a gentleman is ashamed if their conduct does not measure up to that of Shun and Yu. Therefore, petty people value clear mirrors, while gentlemen esteem the highest words.
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射以平志，御以和心，書以綴事，數以理煩。 |
| | Archery calms one's will; charioteering harmonizes one's mind; calligraphy records events; arithmetic manages complexity.
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| | 中論六卷: |
利如激風之至，暴雨之集，不論是非，不議直曲，期于無窮，務于必勝。 |
| | Profit comes like a sudden gale or heavy rain, disregarding right or wrong, debating straightness or crookedness; it seeks endless gain and insists on certain victory.
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| | 中論六卷: |
辯者，别也，言其善分别事類，非謂言辭捷給而凌善人也。 |
| | Debating means distinguishing, referring to the ability to clearly differentiate categories of matters; it does not mean using quick-witted words to bully virtuous people.
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| | 中論六卷: |
聖人蹈機握杼，織成天地，使萬物順焉，人倫正焉。 |
| | Sages tread the loom and hold the shuttle, weaving together heaven and earth, enabling all things to proceed in order and human relationships to be upright.
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| | 中論六卷: |
登髙而建旗，則所示者廣；順風而奮鐸，則所聞者遠。非旌色益明，鐸聲遠長，所託得地，而況富貴施政令乎？ |
| | Raising a banner on high ground shows it to a wide audience; Shaking a bell in the wind allows its sound to travel far. It is not that the banner's colors are brighter or the bell's sound longer, but because they are placed in a favorable position—how much more so for those of wealth and rank who issue decrees!
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| | 中論六卷: |
良農不患疆埸之不修，而患風雨之不節；君子不患道德之不建，而患其時之不至。 |
| | A good farmer does not worry about fields not being cultivated, but worries about the weather not following its proper seasons; A gentleman does not fear that virtue and morality are not established, but fears that the right time has not yet come.
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聖人之世不交遊也，周道衰而交遊興。古之交也近，今之交也遠；古之交也求賢，今之交也為名。 |
| | In the age of sages, there was no need for socializing; it was only when the Way declined that socializing became prevalent. Ancient friendships were close at hand, while modern friendships are distant; In ancient times, friendships sought the virtuous; in modern times, they seek fame.
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取不由鄉黨，考行不本閨閾。多助者則稱賢才，少愛者則謂不肖。 |
| | Appointments are not based on hometown connections, and character assessments do not originate from within one's household gate. Those with many supporters are called virtuous talents; those with few admirers are deemed unworthy.
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| | 中論六卷: |
馬必待乘而後致遠，醫必待使而後愈疾，賢者待用而後興理。 |
| | A horse must be ridden to travel far, a physician must be employed to cure illness, and the virtuous must be used to establish order.
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