四書實用摘要 Practical Points from The Four Confucian Classics

古時候「君子」與「小人」的意思:
The meanings of "Junzi" and "Small Man/Person" in ancient times:

「君」在古代一般是指天子、皇帝、大王等。「君子」的原始意思是指，統治階級貴族當中的男性，即君之子，貴族的後代。君不分男女，都可以用。在《論語》中，君子則是指綜合素質和修養比較好的人，即修身，齊家，治國，平天下。

"Jun" in ancient times originally referred to a king or a ruler. At first,  "junzi" referred to males among the nobles of the ruling class, that is, the sons of the emperor, and the descendants of nobles. In the Analects of Confucius, a "Junzi" refers to a person with superior qualities and self-cultivation which he would apply to achieve family harmony, successful state governance, and peace with neighboring rulers.

「小人」原始意思是指，兒童，或是身材矮小的人。在《論語》中，「小人」有幾個不同的含意，一個是指地位低下的人；另一個是指品性卑鄙的人；還有就是見識短淺，沒知識、沒文化，鼠目寸光的人。

"Small Person" originally meant a child, or an individual of short stature. In the Analects of Confucius, however, "Small Man" has different meanings according to context, sometimes referring to a person of low social status, and sometimes describing a man of mean or crude character and little culture or insight. 

君子: 古代指地位高的人 ，後來指人格高尚或才德出眾的人。

Junzi: originally referred to a person of high social status, later being used to describe a person with noble characteristics or outstanding talents. Appropriate modern translations into English may be:

           person of integrity; person of noble 

        character; person of principle; person 

        of lofty ideals

小人: 不嚴格遵守道德和規則的人，目光短淺的人，沒有高尚人格、偉大理想的人，只顧眼前利益、不為他人著想的人。

Small Man: this referred to persons who failed to conform to moral standards, as well as short-sighted people, people without noble characteristics and lofty ideals, and people who were only concerned with their immediate interests and who did not consider the needs of others or the broader scope of affairs. Appropriate modern translations into English may be:

           unprincipled person; selfish person;
         person of little insight; shortsighted

         person

大學 The Great Learning 

《大學》屬儒學經典「四書」的一部分，約在戰國末期至西漢初年撰成。作者是誰尚未有定論，但學者推測是孔門之後的儒家學者所作。傳說是為孔子的門生曾參所編纂的。原是《禮記》第四十二篇，到了宋代被抽出與《論語》、《孟子》、《中庸》合編為《四書》。

"The Great Learning" is part of the "Four Books" making up the basic Confucian Classics, and was probably written between the end of the Warring States Period and the early Western Han Dynasty (C3rd-C2nd BC). The author is not known, but scholars speculate that it was written by Confucian scholars after Confucius. It is traditionally said to have been compiled by Zeng Shen, a pupil of Confucius. It was originally the Forty-Second Chapter of "The Book of Rites", but in the Song Dynasty was extracted and inserted into the "Four Books" along with "The Analects", "Mencius" and "The Doctrine of the Mean".

大學之道，在明明德，在親民(新民)，在止於至善。
大學的道理，主旨在於彰顯人人自身具有的光明德性（明明德），在推己及人（親民 ），使人人都能去除思想上的污染而自新（新民），最終達到道德上最崇高的境界。

The aim of The Great Learning is to illustrate the potential of every person to act virtuously, to treat others with empathy, (to help people change their thinking for the better), and thereby eventually to reach the ultimate goal of achieving the best moral condition possible.

*宋代著名學者朱熹將 '親民' 改為 '新民'，因為他認為這更符合文本的邏輯，可能是原本的含意。 明代哲學家王陽明不同意這樣擅自修改文本，主張保留 '親民'。
*The eminent Song Dynasty scholar Zhuxi altered 'treat others with empathy' to 'help people change their thinking for the better' because he thought it fitted more logically into the text and was probably the original meaning. The Ming Dynasty philosopher Wang Yang-Ming did not agree with changing the text in this way, and advocated retaining the original reading.



知止而後有定，定而後能靜，靜而後能安，安而後能慮，慮而後能得。
認出自己的目標後才能確定志向，才能平心靜氣，才能安然去面對困難和障礙，才能進行建設性的思考，才能最終有收穫 -意即達到道德上理想的狀態。

Only after identifying a specific and worthwhile goal can one determine the right direction to take; a clear direction calms the mind; a calm mind feels secure even when difficulties arise; and a sense of security allows one to think clearly and constructively, ultimately enabling one to reap the reward of achieving a morally ideal state.


物有本末，事有終始，知所先後，則近道矣。
天地萬物皆有本有末，凡事都有開始和終結。明白本末、始終的先後次序，就能接近大學的道理了。

Everything in the world has its roots and its branches, and every affair a beginning and an end. If you can understand the sequential arrangement of these, you are approaching the truth of the Great Learning.

古之欲明明德於天下者，先治其國；欲治其國者，先齊其家；欲齊其家者，先修其身；
自古以來，那些想將自身的美好德性彰顯於天下的人，都首先治理好自己的國家；想要治理好自己的國家，先要管理好自己的家庭；想要管理好自己的家庭，先須提升自身的道德修養；

The ancients who wanted to manifest their virtue (as an example) to all in the civilized world first governed their own states competently.

Desiring to govern their states competently, they first managed their own families effectively.

Wishing to manage their own families effectively, they first cultivated their own moral virtue.

*所謂的「修身齊家治國平天下」
*You must cultivate your own moral virtue, manage your family effectively, and govern your own state competently if you wish to bring peace to all the civilized world.

OR

To bring peace to all, one must first govern the country competently, govern one's family effectively, and learn to govern oneself in moral rectitude.

欲脩其身者先正其心。

想要修養自己本身的德行，必須先端正自己的心意（正心）；

Desiring to cultivate themselves, (the ancient men of wisdom) first corrected their own thinking.

欲正其心者先誠其意。
想要端正自己的心意，必先使自己的動機真誠、無私（誠意）；

In order to achieve this, they first sought sincerity of motive.

欲誠其意者先致其知。
想要使自己的動機真誠無私，必先盡力獲得知識（致知）；

Achieving sincerity of motive required that they first maximize their knowledge.

致知在格物*。

盡力獲得知識（致知），需要窮究體察事物的原理。（格物）

And the maximization of knowledge necessitates a thorough investigation of the true nature of things.

*格: 阻隔; 匡正; 推究
  格物: 窮究事物的道理; 深究世間事物的真相; 對事物進行分門 

  別類

物格而後知至。
體察事物之後（物格），才能徹底理解知識 （知至）；

When the true nature of things is thus investigated, knowledge is maximized and understood.

兩個不同的看法

朱熹: 人的心靈都是有知的，而萬事萬物也都有一個「理」，要對外窮盡這個理，才能對內發掘那個「知」。
「格物」的意思就是養成一種將事物分門別類，按條理來認識事物真相的習慣。如果沒有格物，不研究以及接觸外界事物，就會使認識陷入空想。沒有致知，就會被遇到的各種現象所迷惑，因而兩者 (外在的理與內在的認識) 必須相濟。這就是儒學的理性觀點。

王陽明: 反對朱熹，對此有不同意見。他說「知」就是「良知」，就是知行合一。認為萬事萬物都有「理」大錯特錯了。王陽明為什麼這麼說呢？因為理根本不在於萬事萬物上，而在我們每個人的內心裡。每個人的心，就是完善的理。也就是他所謂的「聖人之道，吾性自足，不假外求。」這就是著名的「龍場悟道」。按此理解「格物」便是革除妄念私慾或物慾，並排除世界上令人分心的噪音的意思。 這就是儒學的直觀或內省觀點。

Two Opposing Views

Zhu Xi: The human mind has a capacity to absorb and apply knowledge, and everything in existence operates according to underlying principles. Only by exhaustively studying these external principles can we increase and apply the knowledge we internalize.
Thorough investigation requires developing a habit of sorting things into categories and understanding them in an orderly manner. If there is no contact with external things, our internal knowledge will fall into the realms of subjective fantasy, and such baseless knowledge will result in our becoming confused by the phenomena we encounter. Therefore, these two, external underlying principles and internal knowledge, must be reconciled. This is the rationalist view of Confucianism. 

Wang Yang-Ming: Opposed Zhu Xi in that he held a very different opinion on this. He believed that in this part of the text "knowledge" means "conscience", and that the unity of knowledge and action is being stressed. To say that everything is "reasonable" or has "underlying principles" is not true. Why did he think this? Because reason does not lie in external things, but in each of us. The mind of every person is a perfect and complete world of reason. This is why Wang Yang-Ming wrote: "The underlying principles of all things are already in the mind and heart of the sage, and he has no need to look to external things." Wang believed that only through simultaneous action could one gain knowledge and wisdom and he denied all other ways, such as exhaustive study, of gaining it. To him, there was no way to use knowledge after gaining it since knowledge and action should be unified as one. Thus, from this standpoint, understanding the true nature of things involved eliminating selfish and material desires, and tuning out the distracting noise of world. This is the introspective, or intuitive, view of Confucianism. 

知至而後意誠。
通達事理之後，起心動念都真誠無妄（意誠）；

And the maximization of knowledge (external and internal) is conducive to sincerity of motive.

意誠而後心正。
起心動念真誠無妄，人自然就存心端正（心正）；

When motive is sincere, the heart and mind become upright.

心正而後身脩。

人存心端正無私，自然便希望能繼續修養自身德行（身修）

And when the heart is upright, a person naturally desires to cultivate virtue further.

湯之盤銘曰 「茍日新，日日新，又日新。」

商湯王在他盥洗用的銅盤上，刻上自我警惕的箴言。銘詞說：「如果能夠把今天所習染的心裡污垢洗淨而自新，就該能天天改過更新，更要繼續不斷努力滌除污染，一天比一天進步。」

The wash basin of the King Tang, the first ruler of the Shang Dynasty, was inscribed with the following reminder: "If you make an effort to break habit (by removing the accumulated mental dirt and renewing your thinking) by advancing in a new and beneficial direction on one day, and then persevere in doing the same every day, over time your progress in improving your character will be great."

君子必慎其獨也

有素質和修養的人連在獨處時必小心謹慎自己的思想和行為，不敢隨便。

The person of integrity pays close attention to his thoughts and actions even when alone and with nobody else watching.

Alternative Translation: 

The person of noble character does the right thing even when no one is watching.


富潤屋，德潤身，心廣體胖，故君子必誠其意。

有錢人，總是會用財富來裝飾他的屋子，有德行的人，則是用道德來充實自身，因爲內心寬大平和，自然身體舒泰了。

Riches beautify a house, while virtue beautifies a person. In this way, the mind is broadened and the body feels at ease. Thus, a person of integrity must strive for sincerity of motive.

德者本也，財者末也

德行是根本的， 財富是次要的。

Virtue is fundamental; material wealth is secondary.

仁者以財發身，不仁者以身發財。

有仁德的人，運用財物幫助他人，自然得到衆人的擁戴，不仁的人，利用身份地位以搜刮財富，終必招來亡身之禍。

The benevolent person uses wealth as a tool to improve his inner qualities. The selfish person focuses all his strength merely on accumulating wealth for the sake of it.

中庸 The Doctrine of the Mean (or Equilibrium)
(中庸之道 The Way of Moderation)  

(行事合乎理性, 不偏不倚, 無過無不及 

Acting rationally, impartially, and avoiding extremes)

《中庸》是儒家經典的《四書》之一。原是《禮記》第三十一篇。作者可能是孔子的孫子孔伋(子思)（前483年－前402年）所作。宋朝學者對《中庸》非常推崇，而將其從《禮記》中抽出獨立成書，朱熹則將其與《論語》、《孟子》、《大學》合編為《四書》。

"The Doctrine of the Mean" is one of the "Four Books" of Confucian Classics. It was originally the Thirty-First Chapter of the Book of Rites. The author may have been Confucius' grandson Kong Ji (Zi Si) (483 BC-402 BC). Scholars in the Song Dynasty praised "The Doctrine of the Mean" very highly and removed it from the "Book of Rites" and into an independent volume. Song Dynasty scholar Zhu Xi combined it with "The Analects", "Mencius", and "The Great Learning", thus making it one of the "Four Books".

中也者，天下之大本也；和也者，天下之達道也。
『中』是天下萬事萬物的根本，『和』是天下共行的大道。

The Equilibrium is the principal foundation of everything in creation. The Harmony is the expression of the Way through all creation.


仲尼曰：「君子中庸，小人反中庸。」
孔子說：「君子一言一行所作所為都合乎中庸的道理，小人所作所為都違反中庸的道理。」

Confucius said: “The person of integrity actualizes the Equilibrium, whereas the unprincipled individual acts against it."


(三大德) 知仁勇三者，天下之達德也，所以行之者一也。

智能、仁愛、勇氣這三種是人人所須具備的德行，當同時實行出來就是『誠』。

The three virtues are wisdom, benevolence and courage, and they are practiced in unison with each other.


或生而知之，或學而知之，或困而知之，及其知之，一也。
五倫與智仁勇以及誠的道理，有的人天生就知道了，有些人是經過教育學習才知道的，有些人則是經過勤勉苦學或磨難才明白的，等到明白以後，其中的道理都是一樣的。

Some are born knowing these things; some know them through education and learning, and some come to know them through adversity and struggle. Nonetheless, it is the same knowledge.

子曰：「道不遠人。人之為道而遠人，不可以為道。」
孔子說：「中庸之道是離人不遠的，假如有人遵行某種道理而遠離人群，那就不可以稱為中庸之道了。」

所謂: 道在人身上，道在生活之中。

Confucius (the Master) said: “The Way is not something far away from the average person. But if you follow a path that is apart from the general consciousness, this cannot be considered the True Way."


忠恕違道不遠，施諸己而不愿，亦勿施於人。
一個人做到忠恕，離道也就差不遠了。什麼叫忠恕呢？自己不願意的事，也不要施加給別人。

* 忠，謂盡心爲人; 恕，謂推己及人

Faithfulness and magnanimity are very close to the Way, and mean "not doing to others what you would not like inflicted on yourself."


君子素其位而行、不愿乎其外。
君子只求就現在所處的地位，來做他應該做的事，不希望去做本分以外的事。

The person of integrity accepts his own situation, and does not wish to be somewhere else.

Alternative Translation: 

The person of noble character accepts his own station, and does not seek to go beyond it.


正己而不求於人、則無怨。上不怨天、下不尤人。故君子居易以俟命、小人行險以徼幸。

端正自己而不苛求別人，這樣就不會有什麼抱怨了。上不抱怨天，下不抱怨人。所以，君子安居現狀來等待天命，小人卻鋌而走險妄圖獲得非分的東西。

Rectifying your own thinking and not expecting anything from others, you will avoid resentments. You will not rail against Heaven above, nor blame men below. Thus, the person of integrity abides in the present situation (or: adapts to change) and awaits what will be (or: waits patiently for opportunity), whereas the unprincipled individual walks on the precipice of disaster and invokes good fortune to save him.

子曰：「射有似乎君子，失諸正鵠，反求諸其身。」

孔子說：「君子立身處世就像射箭一樣，射不中，不怪靶子不正，只怪自己箭術不行。」

Confucius said: “Practicing archery is like practicing to be a person of integrity. When you miss the target, you look for the cause of failure in yourself.”

君子之道，辟如行遠必自邇，辟如登高必自卑。
君子實行中庸之道，就像走遠路一樣，必定要從近處開始；就像登高山一樣，必定要從低處起步。

所謂: 行遠自邇，登高自卑

The Way of the person of integrity is like traveling a long distance; to do so you must start from close by. It is also like climbing a height; to do so you must start from a low place.

凡事豫則立，不豫則廢。

任何事情，事先有准備就會成功，沒有准備就會失敗。

In all affairs, preparation is a key to success, whereas lack of preparation may result in failure.


誠之者，擇善而固執之者也。博學之，審問之，慎思之，明辨之，篤行之。

努力做到真誠，就要選擇美好的目標執著追求。廣泛學習，詳細詢問，周密思考，明確辨別，切實實行。

He who attains to sincerity of motive is he who chooses what is good, and then holds fast to it. It is necessary to study it broadly, investigate it in detail, reflect on it carefully, discern it clearly, and practice it earnestly.

君子之道：淡而不厭，簡而文，溫而理，知遠之近。
君子的道，平淡但有意味，簡略但有文采，溫但有條理，由近因知遠事。

The Way of the person of integrity is simple and unostentatious, plain of appearance but cultivated within, mild but orderly, with the ability to understand the broader implications of evidence close to hand.

論語 The Analects of Confucius


孔子(前551-前479年) ，名丘，字仲尼，春秋時代魯國人，是儒家學派的創始人。他在世時，專心在聚徒講學和整理古籍。孔子哲學核心思想是 "仁"，政治理想為施行 "仁政"。《論語》記載了孔子與他一些弟子言行的語錄。書是在孔子死後由他弟子和再傳弟子輯錄而成的。

Confucius (551 BC-479 BC), given name Qiu, courtesy name Zhongni, was a native of the state of Lu (in modern Shandong Province) in the Spring and Autumn Period, and was the founder of the Confucian School of Philosophy. When he was alive, he concentrated on gathering disciples to teach and on putting ancient books into order. The core ideology of Confucian philosophy is "benevolence", and the political ideal is the implementation of "benevolent rulership." "The Analects" records the words and deeds of Confucius and some of his students. The book was compiled by his followers and their students after the death of Confucius.



子曰：「學而時習之，不亦說乎？有朋自遠方來，不亦樂乎？人不知而不慍，不亦君子乎？」
孔子說：“溫習學過的知識，不也是令人很高興的嗎？有同學從遠方來，不也是很快樂的嗎？別人了解自己而不怨恨，不是表現君子的風度嗎？”

Confucius said: “Is it not a pleasure to study and review what you have learned? Is it not also wonderful when friends visit from distant places? Is he not a person of noble character, the one who feels no displeasure when deemed to be of little account by others?"

Alternative Translation:
The Master said: “Is it not a pleasure to study and apply what you have learned? Is it not also wonderful when friends visit from distant places? Is he not a person of noble character, the one who feels no displeasure when misunderstood by others?"

子曰：「巧言令色，鮮矣仁！」
孔子說：“愛說花言巧語，刻意擺出一副討好人的臉色，有這樣虛偽表現的人是很少有仁德的。”

Confucius said: "Glib words and a feigned affability are seldom considered indicative of true goodness!"

Alternative Translation:
The Master said: "Someone who speaks sweet words with a contrived geniality is rarely a truly good person!"



曾子曰：「吾日三省吾身：為人謀而不忠乎？與朋友交而不信乎？傳不習乎？」
曾子說: “我每天多次自我反省：為別人謀劃是否忠心？與朋友交往是否嚴守信用？老師教的是否經常溫習？”
或: 曾子說: “我每天三次自我省察：為別人辦事是否盡心？與朋友交往是否守信用？我是否言傳身教, 以身作則？”

Zengzi said: “Each day I examine myself on three points: In doing things for others, have I been disloyal? In my interactions with friends, have I been insincere? Have I been guilty of not practicing what I have preached?”

Alternative Translation:
Master Zeng said: "I daily examine my conduct in the following three areas: Have I been disloyal when conducting business for others? Have I treated my friends unfaithfully? Have I failed to practice the instructions of my teacher?

*曾子 = 曾參（西元前505～前436）​字子輿，春秋時魯國（山東省) 人。曾點之子，成為孔子的弟子。性情至孝，相傳《大學》和《孝經》都為他所作。
曾參傳子思(孔伋)，子思傳孟子。
後世尊稱曾參為「宗聖」和「曾子」。

*Zeng Zi = Zeng Shen (505-436 BC) (courtesy name Ziyu) was born in the Kingdom of Lu (Shandong Province) in the Spring and Autumn Period. The son of Zeng Dian, he became a disciple of Confucius. Intensely loyal to his elders, both "The Great Learning" and "The Book of Filial Piety" are traditionally ascribed to him.
Zeng Shen taught Zi Si (Kong Ji), and Zi Si later instructed Mencius (Mengzi).
Later generations honored Zeng Shen with the names "Zongsheng (Sage Ancestor)" and "Zengzi (Master Zeng)".



子曰：「溫故而知新，可以為師矣。」
孔子說：「溫習所學過的，同時學習新的知識和道理, 可以為師了。」
或: 孔子說：「從溫習所學過的知識能悟出新道理的人有資格教導別人。」

The Master said: “Someone who continually reviews what they have already learned and uses it as a basis for learning new things is well on the way to becoming a teacher of others.”

Alternative Translation:
Confucius said: "If you cherish what you have learned and continue to add new knowledge to it, you may become a mentor to others."

Alternative Translation 2:
Confucius observed: "If through reviewing knowledge already acquired someone is able to extrapolate new principles, such a person is qualified to become a teacher."

子曰：「學而不思則罔，思而不學則殆。」
孔子說：「學而不思考則枉然，思考而不學則疲殆，心必不安定, 名迷惑難安, 也為自己帶來危險。」

The Master said: “To study but not think is futile. To think but not study is dangerous.”

Alternative Translation:
Confucius commented: "To study but fail to ruminate results in bewilderment. And to think but refuse to learn is perilous."


子曰：「君子不器。」

孔子說：“君子不像器具那樣，只有一種特定的的用途。”

*正直而有見識的人不能被別人用來只做一種特定的工作。 這樣的人的思想並不局限於某項任務。反而他會廣泛思考，不被單一種世界觀綁住。 這樣一位有洞察力的人不能輕易被利用作另一個人機器中的小齒輪。

Confucius said: "The person with insight is not a utensil."

*The person of integrity and insight is not to be used by others to do a single job. The mind of such an individual is not narrowly chained to one certain task, but thinks broadly and is not limited to a certain worldview. This means that the person of insight cannot easily be used as a cog in the machine of another.



子曰：「攻乎異端，斯害也己！」
孔子說：「專精修學歪理邪說(非正統道理), 必危害自己, 致失大道！」

Confucius said: "Immersion in specious teachings will prove harmful to oneself!"


子曰：「由！誨女知之乎？知之為知之，不知為不知，是知也。」
孔子說：「由啊！我來教你求知之道吧！只對於自己知道的事，才可以說知道，不知道的事就該承認不知，這才是表現真正的智慧啊！」

*女，同汝。

*由，人名: 孔子弟子，姓仲，字子路。

Confucius said: "(My student whose name is) You, shall I teach you about knowledge/wisdom? You should only say you know something when you really do know it, and when you do not know something you should willingly admit the fact, since this is the essence of true wisdom!"

子曰：「朝聞道，夕死可矣。」
孔子說：“我早上若聽到真理，就是當晚死去也沒有什么遺憾了！”

Confucius said: “If I heard the True Way in the morning, I could die content the same evening.”

子曰：「放於利而行，多怨。」
孔子說：“人只考慮自己的利益做事，必然招來很多的怨恨。”

Confucius observed: "A person who only acts for personal advantage will be widely resented."

子曰：「君子喻於義，小人喻於利。」
孔子說：“君子明白甚麼是正義，小人只懂得個人利益。”

Confucius said: "The person of integrity understands what is righteous, but the unprincipled individual only understands selfish gain."

子貢問曰：「孔文子何以謂之文也？」子曰：「敏而好學，不恥下問，是以謂之文也。」

子貢問道：“孔文子為何有 ‘文’ 的諡號呢？” 孔子回答說： “他勤奮好學，不恥於向不如自己的人請教，所以被諡為 ‘文’。”


Zi Gong asked: “How did Kong Wen Zi earn the posthumous title of Wen ( = learned, cultured, refined)”? Confucius replied, “Diligent and studious, he was also unashamed to ask for advice from those considered his inferiors. This is why the title Wen was conferred upon him.”

*成語 不恥下問 出於此。

This is the origin of the Chinese idiom "not feel ashamed to ask and learn from people considered inferior to oneself".  

宰予晝寢。子曰：「朽木不可雕也，糞土之牆不可杇也，於予與何誅。」子曰：「始吾於人也，聽其言而信其行；今吾於人也，聽其言而觀其行。於予與改是。」
孔子的學生宰予大白天睡覺。孔子說：“朽爛的木頭不堪雕刻，糞土的牆面不堪涂抹或粉刷！責備宰予這樣的人有甚麼用？” 又說：“起初我聽人說的話而自然以為他們必然有相符的行為；現在我卻聽人的言語後，還要觀察他們是否言行一致。我是因為宰予的事而做出此調整。”

A student of Confucius named Zai Yu was found sleeping during the daytime. So Confucius observed, “Rotten wood cannot be carved, and an earthen wall cannot plastered. What is the use of reproving him?" Confucius also went on to say, "At first I would listen to what people said and expect them to act accordingly. But now I listen to what people say and then watch what they actually do. It was Yu who prompted me to make this adjustment.”


*成語 朽木不可雕也 出於此。
This is the origin of the Chinese idiom "Rotten wood cannot be carved", meaning a student who is unteachable. 


子曰：「質勝文則野，文勝質則史。文質彬彬，然後君子。」
孔子說：“質樸勝過文采，就粗野：文采勝過質樸，就虛浮。只有質樸和文采比例恰當，才是君子。”

*史 = 文辭繁雜, 意即虛偽、浮誇
*彬彬 = 各種不同事物配合適當的樣子

Confucius said: “If simplicity exceeds refinement, a person may be coarse. If refinement exceeds simplicity, a person may be superficial. Only simplicity and refinement in perfect proportion to each other results in the creation of a person of noble character.”

*成語 文質彬彬 出於此。

This is the origin of the Chinese idiom "refined in manner and polite". 

樊遲問知。子曰。務民之義、敬鬼神而遠之、可謂知矣。問仁。曰。仁者先難而後獲、可謂仁矣。

樊遲問孔子怎樣才算是有智慧的。孔子說：“致力於服務同胞的義舉，有尊敬鬼神但遠離之的態度，就可以說是有智慧了。”  樊遲又問怎樣做才是仁，孔子回答：“有仁德的人總是先付出艱苦的努力，然後才有所收獲。這就可以說是仁了。”

Fan Chi asked about the nature of wisdom.

Confucius said, “Serving compatriots with righteous works, and respecting the spirits and gods but maintaining a distance from them, can be considered manifestations of wisdom.”

Fan Chi then went on to ask about the nature of true virtue.

Confucius replied, “A person who is willing put forth diligent effort in order to achieve results, this can be considered a manifestation of virtue.”

Alternative Translation:

樊遲問孔子怎樣才算是有智慧的。孔子說：“致力於服務同胞的義舉，有尊敬鬼神但遠離之的態度，就可以說是有智慧了。”  樊遲又問怎樣做才是仁，孔子回答：“有仁德的人願意在人前接受困難的任務，但收穫和結果，他卻得在人後。這可以說是有仁德了。”

Fan Chi asked what constitutes wisdom.

Confucius said, “Performing good works among the people, and keeping a respectful distance from spirits and gods can be considered displays of wisdom.”

Fan Chi then went on to ask about the nature of benevolent integrity.

Confucius replied, “Being willing to accept difficult and undesirable tasks in the sight of others even though the reward may come later and not be obvious to them, this can be considered evidence of benevolent integrity.”

子曰：「默而識之，學而不厭，誨人不倦，何有於我哉？」
孔子說：“默默地溫習學到的知識，勤奮學習而不厭煩，教導別人而不厭倦，我有做到哪一樣呢?”

*何有 = 有何? 哪一樣?

Confucius said: "The desire to quietly meditate on knowledge already acquired, an insatiable passion for learning, and an indefatigable zeal in teaching others; which of these do I possess?"

*成語 誨人不倦  源出於此。

This is the origin of the Chinese idiom "to teach others tirelessly". 

子曰：「飯疏食飲水，曲肱而枕之，樂亦在其中矣。不義而富且貴，於我如浮雲。」

孔子說：“吃粗糧，喝白水，彎胳膊當枕頭，樂趣也就在其中。我不用不仁義的手段得到財富和地位，因為對我來說這些就像天邊飄浮的雲一樣飄渺。”

Confucius said: "I can find contentment eating coarse rice, drinking plain water, and with my bended arm as a pillow. Riches and position acquired by unrighteousness are of as little benefit to me as passing clouds."

Alternative Translation:
The Master said: "I am happy eating simple foods, drinking plain water, and with my arm as a pillow. As far as I am concerned, riches and honors gained through wrongdoing are of as little value as the clouds which are blown past by the wind."

子不語怪，力，亂，神。
孔子不談論怪異、暴力、變亂、鬼神。

Confucius never talked about inexplicable phenomena, feats of physical prowess, topics promoting social disorder, and supernatural beings.

子不語怪力亂神。

孔子不說話了，惟恐用力分心擾亂心神。
*怪 = 惟恐

Confucius fell silent, for fear of breaking his concentration by speaking.

子曰：「三人行，必有我師焉。擇其善者而從之，其不善者而改之。」

孔子說：“三個人走在一起，其中必定有人可以作我的老師。我選擇他的優點向他學習，看到他的缺點就可作為我自己改進的借鏡。”

Confucius said, "Whenever I walk along with two others, they invariably serve as teachers to me. I select their fine qualities and apply them in everyday life. And their shortcomings remind me what I need to correct in myself."

子曰：「不在其位，不謀其政。」
孔子說：“不在那個職位上，就不要考慮或干預那個職位上的事情。”

Confucius said, "He who is not in a particular office has nothing to do with the administration of its duties."

Alternative Translation:
The Master observed, "If you are not serving in a particular office, you should avoid interfering in its affairs."

子在川上，曰：「逝者如斯夫！不舍晝夜。」
孔子在河邊感嘆道：“一去不复返的時光如同這河水一樣啊！ 不分晝夜不停地向前流去。”

On the river bank, Confucius sighed and said, "Time passes just like this river water! It flows unceasingly day and night."

參看: 宋詩 張掄《阮郎歸》

「金烏玉兔最無情，驅馳不暫停。」

The Sun and the Moon are most pitiless, forever driving relentlessly onward. (Time and tide wait for no man)

金烏玉兔最無情。驅馳不暫停。春光才去又朱明。年華只暗驚。須省悟，莫勞神。朱顏不再新。滅除妄想養天真。管無寒暑侵。

*(春為青陽，夏為朱明，秋為白藏，冬為玄英)

子曰：「後生可畏，焉知來者之不如今也？」
孔子說：“年輕人值得敬畏，怎麼知道他們將來不如我們這些人呢？”

Confucius said: "We should be in awe of the younger generation, for how do we know that their achievements will not in due course be equal to ours?"

Alternative Translation:
The Master observed: "Young people are worthy of respect. How do we know that they will not prove superior to our generation?"

子曰：「三軍可奪帥也，匹夫不可奪志也。」
孔子說：“一國軍隊可以被奪去主帥，男子漢卻不可被奪去志氣，他的志向也是不能強迫改變的。”

Confucius said: "The general of a large army may be snatched away, but you cannot take away the will of even the lowliest man."

Alternative Translation:
The Master observed: "The general of the army of a powerful state may be carried off by the enemy, but ideals of even the most ordinary of men cannot be taken away by force."

子曰：「知者不惑，仁者不憂，勇者不懼。」
孔子說：“有智慧的人不會迷惑，有仁德的人不易憂愁，勇敢的人不會畏縮。”

Confucius said, "The wise are free from confusion, the virtuous from anxiety, and the brave from fear."

Alternative Translation:
The Master observed: "The wise are not easily misled, the humane are not prone to misgivings, and the bold do not draw back in fear."

子曰：「君子成人之美，不成人之惡。小人反是。」
孔子說：“君子成全別人的好事，不助長他們的的壞事。小人則與此相反。”

Confucius said: "The person of noble character helps others do good, and refuses to abet them in wrongdoing. The unprincipled man does the opposite."

Alternative Translation:
The Master said, "The person of principle seeks to perfect the admirable qualities of others, and refuses to encourage the base side of their natures. A person with little insight does just the opposite."

子曰：「必也正名乎！名不正，則言不順；言不順，則事不成。」
孔子說:“一定是先正名分！名分不正，說話就不順當；說話不順當，事情就辦不成。”

Confucius said: "Terminology needs to be corrected! If terminology is not correct, ideas cannot be expressed appropriately; and if ideas cannot be expressed appropriately, work cannot be carried on to success." (This is probably the correct understanding based on the context)

Alternative Translation
The Master said:"Reputation needs to be honorable! If reputation is not good, a person cannot speak persuasively; if a person cannot speak persuasively, nothing will be accomplished." (This is how many people understand the passage today, which is likely the result of taking the words slightly out of context)

*成語 名正言順 源出於此。
This is the origin of the Chinese idiom "With a good reputation, words carry weight" or "right and proper".

君子於其所不知，蓋闕如也。
君子對於自己不知道的事，應該保持緘默。

"The noble person refrains from expressing opinions on matters about which he has no knowledge."

*蓋闕，意爲缺少。
  闕疑 - 有所疑問則暫時擱置，不下斷語。

   參看:  多聞闕疑 Although learned, to suspend judgment
              on encountering something unfamiliar.

子曰：「多聞闕疑，慎言其餘，則寡尤。」

孔子說：「多聽別人談論事理以除去疑惑，即使對事情有把握，說話也要謹慎，就能減少錯誤和外來的責難。」

Confucius said, "Listen widely to what others say to remove your doubts, be careful when speaking about the rest, and in speech your mistakes will be few."

*闕是缺略，有「擱置」的意思。

*成語 多聞闕疑 源出於此。

多聽道理，對疑惑的事理寧闕不說。

雖然博學多聞，遇到不懂的事，仍該存疑。

（指謙虛謹慎的學習態度）

This is the origin of the Chinese idiom "To be knowledgeable and suspend judgment about points in doubt."  Or

"To be well-informed but withhold comment on points one does not understand."  



子夏為莒父宰，問政。子曰：「無欲速，無見小利。欲速，則不達；見小利，則大事不成。」
子夏擔任莒父的縣長，請教怎樣治理政事。孔子回答說：“不要圖快，也不要重視小的利益。圖快反而達不到長遠的目的；重視小的利益，反而辦不成大事。”

Zi Xia, the governor of Jufu, asked about how to govern effectively. Confucius said, “Do not be impatient to have things done quickly, and do not value small advantages. Impatience prevents affairs being dealt with properly, and a craving for small advantages prevents anything great from being accomplished.”

Alternative Translation:
The governor of Ju Fu, Zi Xia, asked about government. The Master said, "Do not act hastily, and do not look for small advantages. Haste hinders thoroughness, and looking for small advantages prevents great things from being accomplished."

*成語 欲速則不達 源出於此
This is the origin of the Chinese idiom "欲速則不達", which is similar to the English "more haste, less speed".

子曰：「莫我知也夫！」子貢曰：「何為其莫知子也？」子曰：「不怨天，不尤人。下學而上達。知我者，其天乎！」
孔子說：“沒有人了解我啊！” 子貢說：“為甚麼老師說沒有人了解您呢？” 孔子回答：“我不怨恨上天，不責怪任何人，我認真學習人世間的知識，進而領悟深奧的道理。了解我的，大概只有天吧！”

Confucius sighed: "Ah! For a fact, no one understands me."
Zi Gong said, "Why do you say that no one understand you?”
Confucius replied, "I have no resentment against Heaven, and no complaint against men. I diligently study earthly affairs, and therefore comprehend profound truths. So I think that apart from Heaven itself, no one can understand me!”


Alternative Translation:
The Master said, "Alas! There is no one who understands me!" Zi Gong said, "What do you mean by saying no one understands you?" The Master replied, "I do not complain against Heaven. I do not find fault with men. I study lowly things that I may appreciate what is lofty. So perhaps only Heaven know me!"

*成語 怨天尤人 源出於此
This is the origin of the Chinese idiom "怨天尤人",  which means "complain against heaven and blame others". 



子曰：「志士仁人，無求生以害仁，有殺身以成仁。」
孔子說：“有理想抱負和道德仁心的人，並不貪生怕死而損害仁道，反而必選擇犧牲自己的性命來成全仁道。”

Confucius said, "Individuals with lofty ideals and moral virtue would never seek to live at the expense of injuring that virtue. On the contrary, they would rather sacrifice their lives to preserve their moral virtue intact."

*成語 殺身成仁 源出於此
This is the origin of the Chinese idiom "殺身成仁",  which means "die for a noble cause". 

子貢問為仁。子曰：「工欲善其事，必先利其器。居是邦也，事其大夫之賢者，友其士之仁者。」
子貢問怎樣實行仁德。孔子說：“工匠想要做好工作，必須先把工具磨得鋒利。住在一個國家，就要事奉大夫中的賢者，與士人中的仁者交朋友。”

Zi Gong asked about the practice of virtue. Confucius replied, "The craftsman who desires to do his work well must first sharpen his tools. When you are living in a certain state, take service with the most able and worthy among its great officials, and make friends with the most virtuous and benevolent of its scholars."


子曰：「人無遠慮，必有近憂。」
孔子說：“一個人沒有長遠的考慮，必然有近在眼前的憂患。”

Confucius said: "If a person is not far-sighted, sorrow will be near at hand."

Alternative Translation:
The Master said: "Anyone who gives no consideration to the future will suffer hardship in the present."



子曰：「躬自厚，而薄責於人，則遠怨矣！」
孔子說：“多檢討自己，少責怪別人，就不會招人怨恨了。”

Confucius said, "If you require much of yourself and little of others, you are unlikely to become an object of resentment."

Alternative Translation:
The Master said, "If you set strict standards for yourself but make allowances for others when making demands on them, you will steer clear of ill will."

子曰：「不曰『如之何如之何』者，吾末如之何也已矣*。」

譯文 1:
孔子說：“遇事從不說 ‘怎麼辦，怎麼辦’ 的人，我對他也不知怎麼辦才好。”

譯文 2:
孔子說：「不願深思如何看待各事的人，我無法教誨他。」

*也已矣 表嗟嘆的語助詞


Confucius sighed and said, "When someone never says, 'What should I think of this? What should I think of this?' I can do nothing for such a person!"

Alternative Translation:
The Master said: "If a student fails to say, 'How shall I approach this? How shall I approach this?' I simply cannot teach this person!"

[Meaning] If a student is not genuinely concerned about the deeper questions of life, it is very difficult to teach such a person anything of value.

曰「如之何」就是避免墨守陳規，而尋求更好的處置方式。比如應該審視自己的思考和做事習慣，尋求更美好更有品位的生活方式。這可以說是是一個在內心深處不斷曰「如之何如之何」的過程。
To say "How should I approach this?" means to avoid acting according to ingrained habits, but instead continually to seek better ways of doing things. For example, a person should examine their own thinking and working habits in order to improve their lifestyle. This process of saying "How shall I approach this? What should I think of this?" is deeply personal and can result in improvements in temperament and character.


所以，在一個意義上，孔子等於是說：
「天助自助者，天救自救者，天棄自棄者。人若自我放棄，誰也幫不了他。
Therefore, in a sense, Confucius was saying:
Heaven helps those who help themselves, Heaven saves those who save themselves, and Heaven abandons those who give up on themselves. I cannot help those who refuse to help themselves.

自救而後天救，自助而後天助。
First take the initiative to save yourself, and Heaven will follow through and save you. First take action to help yourself, and Heaven will follow through and help you.

子曰：「君子矜而不爭，群而不黨。」
孔子說：“君子莊重但不與人爭執，合群但不結黨。”

Confucius said: "The person of noble character has firm principles but does not wrangle; is sociable but does not join cliques."

子曰：「巧言亂德，小不忍則亂大謀。」
孔子說：“花言巧語敗壞道德，小事情上不忍耐就敗壞大計謀。”

Confucius said, "Smooth and deceptive words ruin moral virtue, and lack of patience in small matters ruins great plans."

子曰：「君子謀道不謀食。耕也，餒在其中矣；學也，祿在其中矣。君子憂道不憂貧。」

譯文 1:

孔子說：“君子謀求的是真理，而不謀求衣食。耕田的人常要餓肚子；學習的人卻可以得到俸祿。但君子只擔心真理是否有遵行，而不擔心貧窮。”

譯文 2:

孔子說：“君子用心求道而不費心思去求衣食。從事農業不是為了避免飢餓嗎？ 學習不是為了陶冶性情嗎？

所以，君子只擔憂真道是否有被人遵行，而不擔憂個人貧困與否。”

Confucius said, "The object of the person of noble character is truth, and not food and clothing.  Even those who farm must often suffer want. Those who study may eventually earn a salary by means of it. But the person of noble character is primarily anxious that the truth should be followed, and does not worry about poverty."

Alternative Translation:

The Master said: “The person of integrity is mainly concerned about the True Way and not the necessities of life. Does not farming have the avoidance of starvation as its motive? And does not study have the enrichment of character as its objective? Thus, the person of integrity is concerned about following the True Way, and is not concerned about avoiding poverty.”

子曰：「性相近也，習相遠也。」

孔子說：“人人出生時本性相近，只因為教養的不同而後來習性相差很遠了。”

Confucius said: "At birth everyone is similar by nature, but environment and education eventually causes them to become very different from each other." 

子曰：「唯上知與下愚不移。」

孔子說：“唯有最上等的智者和最下等的愚人是不可改變的。”

The Master went on to observe: "Only the most wise and the most foolish of people do not change."

子之武城，聞弦歌之聲。夫子莞爾而笑，曰：「割雞焉用牛刀？」子游對曰：「昔者偃也聞諸夫子曰：『君子學道則愛人，小人學道則易使也。』」子曰：「二三子！偃之言是也。前言戲之耳。」

孔子前往武城 (春秋魯國城邑，當時子游為武城宰)，在那裏聽到彈琴唱歌的聲音(子游以禮樂教化民眾)。孔子微微一笑說：“殺雞犯得著拿出宰牛的大刀嗎？”(調侃子游，治理武城這麼小的地方，還須大費周章動用禮樂教化嗎？) 子游對他說：“以前我聽您說過：‘君子學道就會愛護別人，小人學道就會聽從使喚。’”孔子說：“同學們，子遊(偃)*說得對，剛才我只不過是開玩笑罷了。”(孔子大概一方面是惋惜子游大材小用，一方面是對子游能應用所學的表示欣慰。)

*言偃（前506年－前443年），字子游，亦稱言游

When Confucius went to Wu Cheng he heard the sound of stringed instruments and singing. He laughed a little and said, "But why use an ox-cleaver to kill a chicken?" Zi You replied, "In the past I heard you say, 'If a person of noble character learns the Way, he will care about people. If ordinary people learn the Way, they become easier to employ.'" Confucius said, "My students, Yan* spoke correctly. What I said before was only a joke."

*Yan Yan (506BC - 443BC); his courtesy name was Zi You.

Wucheng: A city of the state of Lu in the Spring and Autumn Period. Zi You was governor of Wucheng. 

The sound of playing string instruments and singing means that Zi You was educating the people with etiquette through music.

Why use an ox-cleaver to kill a chicken?: Confucius teased Zi You for using such refined methods to govern a small place like Wucheng. 

On the one hand, Confucius regretted that Zi You was taking a sledgehammer to crack a nut, but on the other hand he expressed his gratification that Zi You was making the effort to apply what he had learned.

*成語 割雞焉用牛刀 源出於此，用來比喻處理小事，毋需大費周章。

The Chinese idiom "Why use an ox-cleaver to kill a chicken?" originates from this passage of the Analects. The equivalent in English is "taking a sledgehammer to crack a nut". 

子曰。小子、何莫學夫詩。詩可以興、可以觀、可以群、可以怨。多識於鳥、獸、草、木之名。

孔子說: “同學們，為甚麼不學詩呢? 學詩能夠觸景生情，觀察風俗，能夠合群交友，能夠怨刺不滿， 還能夠多認識一些草木鳥獸的名稱。”

Confucius said: "My students, why don't we study poetry? Studying poetry can uplift your mood, can assist you in understanding customs, can help you to make friends, and can allow you to vent grievances in a healthy way. You can also learn much about the names of plants, birds, and animals."

子曰：「鄙夫！可與事君也與哉？其未得之也，患得之；既得之，患失之。苟患失之，無所不至矣。」

孔子說:“能與人格卑劣的人一起輔佐君主嗎? 他尚未得到名利的時候，總是擔心得不到。得到名利之後，卻生怕失去。既然惶恐失去名利，就甚麼事都做得出來。”

Confucius said, "Those superficial and shortsighted men! How impossible it is to serve the king along with them! While they have not achieved their selfish goals, they are consumed with anxiety about how to do so. When they have obtained what they desire, they become consumed with anxiety lest they should lose what they have gained. And since they live in fear that such things might be lost, there are no lengths to which they will not go to protect them."

*成語 患得患失 源出於此。

This is the origin of the Chinese idiom "患得患失", which means to worry excessively about short-term personal gains and losses. 

子曰：「予欲無言。」子貢曰：「子如不言，則小子何述焉？」子曰：「天何言哉？四時行焉，百物生焉，天何言哉？」

孔子說：“我想不講話了。”子貢說：“老師若不發表言論，那麼我們這些學生要傳述甚麼呢？”孔子說：“上天何曾說過話呢？春夏秋冬照樣運行，天下百物照樣生長，但天有發表過甚麼言論嗎？”

Confucius said, "I would prefer not speaking." Zi Gong said, "Master, if you do not speak, what shall we as your students have to pass on to others?" Confucius said, "Does Heaven speak? Yet the four seasons pursue their courses, and Nature continuously produces new things. But have you heard Heaven actually say anything?"

*四時行，百物生，都是天理表現和實施的事實，不必發聲說話就可觀察和體悟的。聖人每個舉動，都是妙道精髓的表現，難道必須等待說話才能體悟到嗎？這是孔子在懇切地開導子貢。

*Although Nature never expresses its actions vocally, it can be understood through careful observation. In this way the sage or wise man is similar. Even when he does not speak, others can learn much merely by observing how he does things. Confucius said this in order to enlighten his student Zi Gong.   

孟子 Mengzi (Mencius)


《孟子》是記載孟子及其學生言行的一部書。孟子（約前372-前289年），名軻，字子輿，戰國中期鄒國（今山東鄒縣東南人），離孔子的故鄉曲阜不遠。是著名的思想家、政治家、教育家，也是孔子學說的繼承者。或許曾受業於子思的門人，有"亞聖"之稱。由於他的政治主張也與孔子的一樣不被重用，所以便回到家鄉聚徒講學，與學生萬章等人著書。《孟子》原書十一篇，現存七篇，每篇分上下。
Mengzi (Mencius) is a book that records the words and deeds of Mengzi and his students. Mengzi (c.372-289 BC), given name Ke, courtesy name Ziyu, was born in the middle of the Warring States Period in the State of Zou (now Zou County, Shandong Province), not far from Qufu, the hometown of Confucius. He is a well-known as an intellectual, politician, and educator, and he is also considered to be the successor of Confucius. Mengzi may have been taught by pupils of Zisi, and he is known by the respectful title of Second Sage. Since his political views were similar to those of Confucius, they were not accepted by rulers of his era, so he returned to his hometown to teach and write books with his students Wan Zhang and others. There were originally eleven books making up "Mengzi", but only seven still exist, and each of these is divided into upper and lower parts.

孟子把孔子的"仁"發展為"仁政"，提倡"民貴君輕"，"性善"以及"與民同樂"的觀點。
Mencius developed the "benevolence" of Confucius into "benevolent rulership" and advocated concepts which include the people being more important than the ruler, the idea that people are born good and only influenced for bad by external factors, and the belief that the monarch should share in the joys and sorrows of the general populace.

到南宋時，朱熹編《四書》列入了《孟子》，正式把《孟子》提到了非常高的地位。元、明以後又成為科舉考試的內容，更是讀書人的必修讀物了。
In the Southern Song Dynasty, the scholar Zhu Xi included "Mengzi" as one of the "Four Books", and this formally raised the status of this work to a very high position. After the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, it became part of the material used for the imperial examinations, and therefore a must-read for scholars.

盡信書，則不如無書
讀書不可拘泥於書上所載，一味盲從。

It's better not to read at all than to believe unquestioningly everything written in books. 



大人者，不失其赤子之心
這句話本來是告誡統治者，不能失去對百姓的愛心。後來「大人者」常引申爲悟道的人，只有他們才不會丟失最初的真心，也就是童心、是赤子之心。

A truly great person does not lose the ability to relate to the mind of a child. 



人之大患在好為人師
人最大的毛病之一，在於喜歡作別人的老師。

One of the biggest faults of humans is that they are much too eager to assume the role of a teacher to others.

Alternative Translation:

A major flaw common to many people is that, qualified or not, they love to serve as an instructor to others.

無惻隱之心，非人也；無羞惡之心，非人也；無辭讓之心，非人也；無是非之心，非人也。惻隱之心，仁之端也；羞惡之心，義之端也；辭讓之心，禮之端也；是非之心，智之端也。

沒有同情心的，不能算是人；沒有羞恥心的，不能算是人；沒有謙虛禮讓的心，不能算是人；沒有是非善惡的心，不能算是人。同情心就是施行仁道的開始；羞恥心就是施行正義的開始；辭讓心就是施行禮的開始；是非心就是智慧的開始。

An individual without compassion cannot be considered human; an individual without a sense of shame cannot be considered human; an individual without humility who is unwilling to yield for the benefit of others cannot be considered human; an individual with no sense of right and wrong cannot be considered human. Compassion is the beginning of benevolence; shame is the beginning of righteousness; humility is the beginning of mannerly conduct; and a sense of right and wrong is the beginning of wisdom.

Alternative Translation:

The capacity for empathy is essential to humanity; the capacity for shame is essential to humanity; humility and a willingness to yield is essential to humanity; and a sense of right and wrong is essential to humanity. Empathy is the basis of altruism. Shame is the foundation of righteousness. Humility is the basis of courteous conduct. And a sense of right and wrong is the foundation of wisdom. 

得道者多助，失道者寡助。
人站在正義的一方，會得到多數人的支持和幫助；違背正義的人，反而最後必陷於孤立。

The person who finds and follows the true and righteous course has many willing helpers, but the one who deviates from the proper path will find few supporters.

頌其詩，讀其書，不知其人可乎？是以論其世也。

吟他們所寫的詩，讀他們所著的書，卻不知他們的為人，可以嗎? 因此應該研究他們所處的時代。

Is it reasonable to recite the poems and read the books left to us by the people of the past, but not know who they were? Indeed, we should learn something about their lives and times.

"知人論事" (了解歷史人物，並論述其時代背景) 成為後世一個重要文學批評的原理。現在也可指鑒別人物的好壞，議論世事的成敗。

"Understanding a person (a writer) and studying the times he lived in" became an important principle in Chinese literary criticism. The idiom can now also refer to evaluating the character of people and discussing the nature of world affairs.

孟子曰：「不挾長，不挾貴，不挾兄弟而友。友也者，友其德也，不可以有挾也。」

孟子説：交朋友不可倚仗年齡大，不可倚仗地位高，也不可倚仗兄弟的勢力。交朋友，是結交朋友的品德，故不可有所倚仗看清對方。

Mencius stated, "Friendship should not be based on superior age, social status, or on the station of relatives. True friendship with a person is friendship with the virtue of that one, and so does not permit any assumptions of superiority." 

耳目之官不思，而蔽於物。心之官則思，思則得之。不思則不得也。

耳朵眼睛之類的器官不會思考， 故容易為外物所蒙蔽。心這個器官會思考， 思考便能得到， 不思考便得不到 (人的善性)。

Organs such as the ears and eyes cannot think, so they are easily blinded by external objects and led astray. The heart/mind is responsible for thought, and if you apply your powers of reason, you will understand. Of course, if you do not consciously apply thought, you will not understand (how to tap into and develop your best nature).

孟子曰︰「生亦我所欲也，義亦我所欲也；二者不可得兼， 舍生而取義者也。」

生存和道義都是我所想要的， 二者不能都得到，我就寧可捨棄生命而得到道義。 "捨生取義"一直用來鼓舞志士仁人為正義事業英勇獻身。

I hope to be able to maintain my survival and my morality. But if it becomes impossible to retain both, I would rather give up my life to preserve high moral standards.

孟子曰：「羿之教人射，必志於彀；學者亦必志於彀。大匠誨人，必以規矩；學者亦必以規矩。」

箭術高超的羿教人學射箭，一定要拉滿弓; 學習的人也一定要努力拉滿弓。技藝出眾的工匠教人，一定要依循規矩; 學習的人也一定要依循規矩。

*彀 gòu  1. 動拉滿弓，準備射箭。 《說文解字． 弓部》：「 彀 ，張弩也。」 《列子． 湯問》：「甘繩，古之善射者， 彀 弓而獸伏鳥下。」

2. 同「夠」。 《儒林外史》第二回：「合攏了不 彀 一個月飯食。」

Yi, a master of archery, taught people that to excel in this field one must draw back the bow to the full; thus the student  must likewise work hard to 'draw the bow to the full'. Skilled craftsmen must follow the rules when they instruct their apprentices, and those who learn must also follow rules.

「孟子曰：『孔子登東山而小魯，登泰山而小天下；故觀於海者，難為水，遊於聖人之門者，難為言。』

孔子登上東山，就覺得魯國小了，登上泰山，便覺得天下也小了。照樣，看過海的人，別的水就難以吸引他了；遊學於聖人門下聽過大道理的人，別的議論也就難以感動他了。

When Confucius climbed Dongshan and looked down, he felt that the country of Lu was actually quite small. And when he climbed Mount Tai, he felt that the entire world had become small. In the same way, those who have seen the sea will not be attracted by other waters; and those who have studied under the sage and have heard great teachings are unlikely to be moved by other philosophies.

孟子曰：「君子有三樂，而王天下不與存焉。父母俱存，兄弟無故，一樂也。仰不愧於天，俯不怍於人，二樂也。得天下英才而教育之，三樂也。君子有三樂，而王天下不與存焉。」

君子有三個快樂的根源，而統治天下並非其中之一。父母都健在，兄弟無災無病，那是第一種快樂的原因。抬頭無愧於天，低頭無愧於人，是二種快樂的來源。得到天下的優秀人才而對他們進行教育，這是第三種樂趣。君子有三快樂的根源，而統治天下並非其中之一。

*怍 zuò  慚愧。 如：「愧怍」。

The person of integrity enjoys three sources of happiness, and ruling the world is not one of them. That parents are still alive and that siblings are free from disasters and illness, that is the first reason for happiness. Having nothing to be ashamed of before heaven and other people is the second source of happiness. The third pleasure is to gather together persons of outstanding ability from near and far and educate them. The person of integrity has three sources of happiness, and ruling the world is not one of them. 

仰不愧於天，俯不怍於人 源出於此。

This is the origin of the Chinese idiom "仰不愧於天，俯不怍於人", which means to have no reason to feel ashamed before heaven or other people, i.e. having a conscience free from guilt due to transgressions against heaven and fellow humans. 

孟子曰：「民為貴，社稷次之，君為輕。」

百姓最為重要，國家政權屬次要，君主則最輕。

Mengzi said.  "(To a government) the common citizens are the most important thing. Affairs of state are secondary. And the ruler himself is the least important of the three."

孟子曰：「諸侯之寶三：土地、人民、政事。寶珠玉者，殃必及身。」 

孟子說：「諸侯最重視的有三項：土地、百姓、政治。但若視珠玉為最寶貴的，災殃必定會降到他身上。」

Mengzi said: "There are three things that princes value most: land, people, and politics. But if pearls and jade are the most precious things in his eyes, disasters will surely fall upon him."