五經 The Five Classics

 五經

五經為《詩經》、《尚書》、《禮記》、《周易》和《春秋》。
The Five Classics are "Book of Songs", "Shangshu", "The Book of Rites", "The Book of Changes" and "The Spring and Autumn Annals".


《詩經》在先秦稱《詩》或《詩三百》，是中國第一本詩歌總集。匯集了春秋中期前的詩歌三百零五篇。傳統認為《詩經》是由孔子所編定。但學者認為是由魯國樂官所編。

"The Book of Songs" was called "The Poems" or "Three Hundred Poems" prior to the Qin Dynasty, and it was the first collection of poems in China. It is a collection of 305 poems dating to before the middle of the Spring and Autumn Period. Traditionally, the "Book of Songs" is said to have been compiled by Confucius. But scholars believe that it was actually compiled by the official musicians of the State of Lu.


Part    Number and Meaning          Century BC

國風   160 "Airs of the States"          C8th to 7th
小雅    74 "Lesser Court Hymns"      C9th to 8th
大雅    31 "Major Court Hymns"       C10th to 9th
周頌    31 "Eulogies of Zhou"            C11th to 10th
魯頌     4 "Eulogies of Lu"                 C7th
商頌     5 "Eulogies of Shang"            C7th


國風 Airs of the States

《周南 - Southern Zhou》
關雎 Cries of the Osprey  

關關雎鳩、在河之洲。窈窕淑女、君子好逑。
關關鳴春魚鷹，在那河中小洲島。姑娘文靜又秀麗，君子求她結情侶。

Guan! Guan! Cry osprey pairs on the sandbars in the river.
That graceful and virtuous young woman is the ideal companion for the upstanding young man who seeks her as a lover.

  *Osprey pairs are generally monogamous and mate 

    for life.
    魚鷹一般是終生忠於伴侶，相伴至死不渝。


求之不得，寤寐思服。悠哉悠哉，輾轉反側。
追求姑娘未實現，日夜思念夢魂牽。悠悠相憶情綿綿，翻來覆去不成眠。

The hopes of the young man are as yet unrealized, and his thoughts are incessantly upon the young woman. Anxiously, fretfully, he tosses and turns on his bed, while sleep eludes him.

《邶風 Odes of Bei》

(邶 bèi 周武王滅商後，封紂王之子武庚於邶。其地約在今河南省湯陰縣東南。

After King Wu of Zhou destroyed the Shang, he enfeoffed Wu Geng, the son of King Zhou, in Bei. Its land is southeast of modern Tangyin County, Henan Province.)

式微 Twilight / The Light is Waning

式微，式微，胡不歸？微君之故，胡爲乎中露！
式微，式微，胡不歸？微君之躬，胡爲乎泥中！
日光漸暗, 即將天黑了，為何還不回家？若不是爲君主服勞役，何以會在露水中！
日光漸暗, 即將天黑了，為何還不回家？若不是為養君主的貴體，何以會在泥漿中！
  

*微 = 非、不是
*躬 = 身體

The daylight is waning, and it will soon be dark, so why do I not go home? If it were not for the corvée imposed by the ruler, I would not be here getting wet in the dew!

The daylight is waning, and it will soon be dark, so why do I not go home? If it were not to glorify the person of the monarch, I would not be here wallowing in the mud!




《鄘風 - Odes Of Yong》
(鄘 Yōng 國名。周代諸侯國，故城在今河南省汲縣境內。
Zhou Dynasty feudal state, the ancient city of which was in Jixian County, Henan
Province.)

相鼠 Look at the Mouse

這是諷刺統治者無禮無恥的怨詩。

相鼠有皮，人而無儀！人而無儀，不死何爲？
相鼠有齒，人而無止！人而無止，不死何俟？
相鼠有體，人而無禮，人而無禮！胡不遄死？


看老鼠都有皮，人卻不講禮儀。人若不懂禮儀，不去死還幹什麼？
看老鼠都有牙齒，人卻不知廉恥。人若不知廉恥，不去死還等什麼？#
看老鼠都有肢體，人卻沒有禮教。人若沒有禮教，爲什麼不快快去死？


*相：視，察。儀：禮儀。
*止：可假借爲“恥”
*俟 (音 sì) 等待。
*胡：何。　遄 (音chuán)：快，速速。


# 相鼠有齒，人而無止！人而無止，不死何俟？
相看老鼠有牙齒，這人行為沒節制。
做人行為沒節制，還等什麼不去死?

This is a poem that satirizes the rudeness and shamelessness of the ruling class.

A mouse has skin, but this person has no manners.
Surely it is better to die than live as a person with no manners?

A mouse has teeth, but this person acts shamelessly (or without restraint).
Since he lives without any moderation, why does he wait to go to his grave?

A mouse has a body, but this person behaves without respect for anyone.
If you cannot behave properly, why not kill yourself right now?

《衛風 Odes of Wei》

(衛: 國名。為周朝時武王封予少弟康叔，故址約在今河北省南部和河南省北部一帶，後滅於秦。The name of an ancient state. King Wu of the Zhou Dynasty gave it to his younger brother Kang Shu. The site was located in the southern part of Hebei Province and the northern part of Henan Province. It was later destroyed by the Qin Dynasty.)

木瓜

這是一首男女互相贈答的定情詩。

投我以木瓜，報之以瓊琚。匪報也，永以為好也！

投我以木桃，報之以瓊瑤。匪報也，永以為好也！

投我以木李，報之以瓊玖。匪報也，永以為好也！

你送我木瓜，我拿佩玉來報答。 不是僅僅為報答，想結友情永不乏。

你送我蜜桃，我拿美玉來回報。不是僅僅為回報，想結愛情永相好。

你送我甜李，我拿寶石還報你。不是僅僅為還禮，想結深情愛到底。

(成語"投桃報李"源出於此。台灣女作家瓊瑶所用的這 一筆名亦取於此。)

(This is the origin of the common Chinese idiom "give a plum in return for a peach", which means return present for present, or return a favor for a favor.) 

琚 jū  古代佩帶在身上的玉。

瑤 yáo 美玉

玖 jiǔ 黑色玉石

This is a love poem in which a man and a woman present each other with gifts.

You gave to me a papaya, and I returned for it a beautiful jade waist ornament;  

not as a return for your gift, but that our friendship might be lasting.

You presented me with a peach, and I returned for it a beautiful piece of jade;

not as a return for your gift, but that our love might be lasting.

You gave to me a plum, and I returned for it a beautiful black jade stone;

not as a return for your gift, but that our mutual devotion might be eternal.

《王風 Odes of Wang》

(王: 周公建立洛邑，是謂東都。後來幽王失去西周，他的兒子東遷洛邑，是為東周。東周已經同諸侯相似了。所以遷居洛邑王城的詩稱為王風，即王國的詩，同諸侯國的詩一樣。王即王都的簡稱，平王東遷洛邑，在今河南洛陽一帶。Duke Zhou established Luoyi, which was called the Eastern Capital. Later, King You lost the Western Zhou Dynasty, and his son, King Ping of Zhou, moved eastward to Luoyi as ruler of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, in the process descending in status to the position of a mere prince. Therefore, the poems written at Luoyi were called Wang Feng, that is, the poems of the kingdom, which was similar to a vassal state. Wang is the abbreviation of Wangdu (capital of the kingdom), which is today located in the area of Luoyang, Henan Province.)

采葛

這是男子(或女子)思念戀人的詩。

彼采葛兮，一日不見，如三月兮。 

彼采蕭兮，一日不見，如三秋兮。 

彼采艾兮，一日不見，如三歲兮。

採葛

(我的心上人呀)，她採葛草去了。

一日不見她呀，好像隔了三個月喲!

(我的心上人呀)，她採蕭草去了。

一日不見她呀，猶如隔了三季喲!

(我的心上人呀)，她採香艾去了。

一日不見她呀，彷彿隔了三年哟!

*無法確知原作者心中的植物是哪些。

(成語"一日不見，如隔三秋"源出於此。)

(This is the origin of the Chinese idiom "one day apart seems like three years".)

This is a poem about a man who misses his lover.

(It could also be about a woman who misses her lover). 

Gathering Ge

(My dear one), she went to pick Ge Grass.

I have not seen her for a day, and it already seems like it has been three months!

(My beloved), she went to pick Xiao Grass.

Not seeing her for one day feels like three seasons!

(My love), she went to pick Ai Grass.

It is only a single day I have not seen her, but it may as well be three years!

*It is probably not possible to know precisely what plants were in the mind of the original writer.  

《魏風 Odes of Wei》

(魏:西周初分封的姬姓小國，故址在今山西芮城，公元年前六六一年為晉國君主晉獻公所滅，以其地封給晉臣畢萬。戰國時魏國的統治者，就是他的後代。顧名思義記錄的魏國的民間詩歌。這個時期的魏國和後來戰國時期我們所熟悉的戰國七雄之一的魏國不是同一個魏國。

Wei was a small state entrusted to rulers surnamed Ji at the start of the Western Zhou Dynasty. It's location was around the area of modern Ruicheng in Shānxī Province. In 661BC Wei was destroyed by the ruler of the state of Jin, and its land was given to a loyal subject of Jin named Biwan. Interestingly, Biwan was the ancestor of the rulers of the later state of Wei during the Warring States Period, which we are more familiar with. As the name suggests, it records the folk poetry of the state of Wei.)

碩鼠 Fat Rat

原詩三節錄第一節。

碩鼠碩鼠，無食我黍！三歲貫女，莫我肯顧。逝將去女，適彼樂土。樂土樂土，爰得我所。

這是勞動人民怒斥剝削者(碩鼠)，嚮往太平樂土的詩。

大田鼠呀大田鼠，不許吃我種的小米黍!

多年辛苦養肥你，我的生活你全不顧。

發誓定要擺脫你，到我嚮往的樂土。

樂土呀樂土，才是我安居好去處!

*女 rǔ  通 汝 = 你

*爰 yuán 於是

This is satirical a poem in which the working people complain about their exploiters and yearn for a just system in a land of their own.

Big rat, fat rat.

Stop devouring my crops!

For three years I have fattened you,

But for me you take no care.

I swear I will leave you

To seek my Land of Promise.

Land of Promise, Land of Joy,

That is where I belong.

尚書  (書經) The Book of Historical Documents


《尚書》(也稱書經) 主要記載帝王言論及活動。到孔子時代，大約只殘存百餘篇，孔子作了整理。秦朝時民間所藏的《書》被焚毀，國家所藏的《書》也毀於戰火。《尚書》中的「尚」指「上古」，記載上起堯舜到東周，是現存最早的一部歷史文獻彙編，內容是古代帝王的文告和君臣談話的記錄。漢文帝時，秦朝博士伏生講授保存下來的28篇《尚書》。漢武帝末年，魯共王拆除孔子的舊宅，從牆壁夾層中得到用秦代以前的大篆（籀文）寫成的《尚書》，稱為《古文尚書》，除與《今文尚書》相同的28篇外，多出16篇。

"Shangshu", or The Book of Historical Documents, mainly records the remarks and activities of rulers. By the time of Confucius, there were little more than a hundred chapters left, which Confucius had put in order. During the Qin Dynasty, the books and texts collected by the people were burned, and the books held by the state were also destroyed in war. The "Shang" in "Shangshu" refers to "the ancient times." It records events from the Kings Yao and Shun to those of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. It is the earliest existing historical document compilation for this civilization. The content records of the proclamations of kings and the conversations between monarchs and ministers. In the reign of Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty, Qin Dynasty scholar Fusheng mentioned that 28 chapters were preserved from the "Shangshu". In the last years of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the King of Lu demolished Confucius’s former residence, and discovered the pre-Qin "Shangshu" written in large seal characters lining the walls. This was the called "Old Shangshu", and added another 16 chapters to the 28 which already had been collected.

皋陶謨 (皋陶向大禹進諫) The Counsels of Gao Yao (to Yu the Great)

皋陶（gāo yáo），偃姓，是舜帝和夏朝初期的一位賢臣。傳說中生於堯帝統治期間，曾經被舜任命為掌管刑法的「理官」，以正直聞名天下，被奉為中國司法鼻祖。皋陶後來成為大禹(夏朝的開創者)的政治顧問。

Legend has it that Gao Yao was born during the reign of Emperor Yao in prehistorical China, and was appointed by Shun as the minister in charge of criminal law. Gao Yao became a senior political advisor of Yu the Great, first ruler of the Xia Dynasty. 

無教逸欲。有邦兢兢業業，一日二日萬幾。

做國君的不該立壞榜樣沉迷於逸樂貪欲之中，反而要對危機有警惕感，因為各種形勢天天都在變化。

(成語 "兢兢業業"、"日理萬機" 源出於此。

The Chinese idioms "be careful and conscientious" and "attend to a myriad of affairs daily" were coined based on this text.) 

A monarch should not set a bad example through greed for amusements and pleasures, but should be ever vigilant to the possibility of crises arising in his state, as so many situations are continuously changing every day.

洪範 (鴻範) [洪，大。範，法。天地之大法]
The Great Plan or The Fundamentals of Law


周武王滅殷朝後二年，前往拜訪箕子，請教如何制定為政的基本規範。傳說中的箕子姓子，名胥餘，商朝帝辛（紂王）叔父，官太師，封於箕（今山西太谷，榆社一帶）。曾勸諫紂王，惟紂不聽，反囚禁他。於是他披頭散髮，裝瘋，以躲過災禍。周武王克殷後，命人釋放箕子。武王向箕子詢治國之道，記載於《尚書·洪範》。
根據司馬遷《史記》的說法，周武王封箕子為朝鮮的統治者，將農業、養蠶和中華文明的許多其益處帶到了那地。
Jizi is a semi-legendary figure who is described as a virtuous relative of the last king of the Shang dynasty who was imprisoned for remonstrating with the king. He become known as Jizi because that lands given him by the Shang ruler were in Ji, (now the Yushe area of Taigu, in Shānxī Province). After the Shang Dynasty was overthrown by Zhou in the 1040sBC, Jizi allegedly gave political advice to King Wu, the first king of the Zhou Dynasty. Chinese texts from the Han dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE) onwards claim that King Wu enfeoffed Jizi as ruler of Chaoxian (Korea). According to the Book of Han (1st century CE), Jizi brought agriculture, sericulture, and many other benefits of Chinese civilization to that land.

惟辟作福，惟辟作威，惟辟玉食。臣無有作福、作威、玉食。臣之有作福、作威、玉食，其害于而家，凶于而國。
只有君主該擁有賞賜臣下、使用刑罰、享受美食和奢侈品的權利。臣子則不該有這些權利。如果做大臣的掌握了國家的生殺大權，也享受奢侈品，對你的家有危害、對你的國更是致命的。


辟：pì 君主
作福：賞賜
作威：懲罰
玉食：美食
而：你


(成語"作威作福"源出於此。)
(The Chinese idiom "to abuse one's power" originates here)

Only the monarch should have the right to reward his subjects, mete out punishment, and enjoy the best foods (luxuries). Ministers should not have these privileges. If government ministers hold in their hands the power of life and death and live in luxury, this will be harmful to your house and fatal to your kingdom.



呂刑
呂刑是西周時期周穆王(約公元前1001-947)命呂侯參照夏朝的贖刑制度制定。穆王可能是為了對他的官員和地區諸侯進行更嚴格的控制下令呂侯檢查早期的法律文本，讓他可以加以改寫而使之適合自己的目的。雖然本身不是法典，但保留了西周法制的原則。

The Penal Code of the Marquis of Lü
This dates from the time of King Mu (traditionally thought to have ruled between 1001-947 BC) of the Western Zhou Period (11th cent.-770 BCE) and refers to the suggestions made to the king by the Minister of Law, the Marquis of Lü. The code was an expansion of earlier texts, allegedly dating as far back as the Xia Dynasty (C21th - 17th BC). King Mu may have ordered the Marquis of Lü to make an examination of earlier legal texts in order to adapt them to his own purposes, thereby achieving a tighter control over his officials and the regional rulers. Although it is not an official code in itself, it is valuable because it reflects the principles of the Western Zhou legal system.


永畏惟罰，非天不中，惟人在命。
永遠可畏的是(上天的)懲罰；不是天道不公平，而是人們往往自取滅亡。

You should ever stand in awe of punishment (from Heaven). It is not that Heaven does not deal impartially with men, but that men bring about their own ruination.


周書·秦誓 Vow of Remorse of the Duke of Qin
漢代流傳的《尚書序》中說：秦穆公伐鄭，晉襄公帥師敗諸崤，還歸，作《秦誓》。

『秦誓』是中國第一篇領導人的悔過書。秦穆公為春秋五霸之一，秦穆公因不聽賢臣之言，利益熏心而打了敗仗，於是自我檢討並公開告予臣子自己的肺腑之言。上大夫蹇叔一直極力反對此一軍事行動，但是秦穆公不聽。鄭國商人弦高要到雒邑做生意而遇到秦軍，誤導他們認為鄭國已經做好防衛措施。秦軍以為戰機已失、不能繼續伐鄭，於是退兵。晉襄公出兵討伐回歸的秦軍。最後，秦、晉兩軍於殽山交戰，結果秦軍全軍覆沒。秦國經此大敗，元氣大傷，精銳喪失殆盡，很長一段時間無法向東發展。殽之戰後，秦國東進中原之路被晉國扼制，穆公不得不向西用兵，征服蠻夷，結果奠下未來秦國統一中國的基礎。

This is a remorseful speech by Duke Mu of Qin, in which he admits to causing the defeat of his armies at the Battle of Qin due to refusing to listen to the wise counsel of his advisors.

In 627 BC, Duke Mu of Qin sent an army to attack the State of Zheng. Jian Shu, a governor of Qin, disliked the idea of attacking Zheng. He asked Duke Mu to abandon this plan because it might cause a potential crisis. However, Duke Mu remain obstinate and continued with the plan. In the end, Qin was forced to retreat without attacking Zheng. In the fourth month of the following year, when the Qin army was passing through Jin territory on their way back to Qin, Jin launched a surprise attack at the Battle of Yao (Mount Yao is in the west of modern Henan Province), annihilated the Qin army and captured three Qin generals. After the battle, the power of Qin in the east had been checked for a long period. When the three generals returned, Duke Mu of Qin put on white clothes to wait for them, crying that it was all his fault because he had not listened to Jian Shu's advice. Therefore, the three generals were not punished by Duke Mu of Qin. As a result of this battle, Jin solidified its status as the most powerful state in northern China for the next several decades. Qin turned around and began to expand towards the west. During this process, they clashed with several barbarians and nomadic groups and conquered several smaller states in the west and northwest. The westward expansion helped Qin to build up its power and laid the root for its being a strong state and the eventual unification of China.

責人斯無難，惟受責俾如流，是惟艱哉！
責備別人沒有什麼困難，但受別人責備而能夠像流水那樣聽取順從，這就困難了。

*俾 bì 使;服從

There is no difficulty in criticizing others, but being criticized and being able to completely accept and apply counsel is a great challenge!



我心之憂，日月逾邁，若弗雲來。
使我心裡憂慮的，就是歲月不斷流逝，(如天空飄過的雲)不再回來。

*弗 - 不復

One of my greatest regrets is that time marches on relentlessly, like the passing clouds which never return.

Alternative Translation:
The sorrow of my heart is that the days and months have already passed away and will never come again, (that I might pursue a different course.)




禮記  The Book of Rites


《禮記》亦稱《小戴禮記》，共49篇，是先秦到秦漢時期的禮學文獻選編。最初為西漢的戴聖所纂，但非出於一時一人之手。其內容較為駁雜，大致有記述禮節、記述政令、記孔子言論、記述掌故。東漢時鄭玄為之作注，其文字較為通暢易讀，流傳較廣。唐朝時取代《儀禮》的地位。

"The Book of Rites", also known as "The Book of Rites of Dai Sheng", consists of 49 chapters. It was originally compiled by Dai Sheng, a scholar of the Western Han Dynasty, but the content was not written by any one person at one time. The content is rather varied, and includes prescriptions for correct etiquette, descriptions of government orders, and records of remarks by Confucius, as well as some anecdotes. In the Eastern Han Dynasty, the scholar Zheng Xuan created annotations for it, and since the text was relatively easy to read it spread widely. In the Tang Dynasty, it replaced the status of the "Yi Li", or "The Book of Rites and Ceremonies".

曲禮上
(“曲”有细微曲折之意。)

The Details and Complexities of Etiquette and Propriety Part 1

敖不可長，欲不可從，志不可滿，樂不可極。
傲慢之心不可滋長，慾望不可放縱無拘，志氣不可自滿，享樂不可窮極無度。

Pride must not be allowed to swell; desires must not be indulged to the full; ambitions fulfilled must not make one self-satisfied; pleasures must not be carried to excess.



鸚鵡能言，不離飛鳥；猩猩能言，不離禽獸。今人而無禮，雖能言，不亦禽獸之心乎？
鸚鵡能學舌，仍然是飛鳥；猩猩能發聲，還是禽獸。如今作為人的不通禮教，雖然能說話，不也還是有禽獸一般的心態嗎?


Parrots can learn to mimic speech, but they are still birds; apes can make sounds, yet they are still mere beasts. Concerning those who behave with no regard for propriety in our day, even though they can speak, do they not have the mentality of beasts?

人有禮則安，無禮則危。故曰：禮者不可不學也。

人講究禮節才能心安身安，否則就會處於危險。所以說，禮的學問是不能不學的。

或

人遵守禮儀規範就能和諧，沒有遵守禮儀規範就會危害之間的關係。因此智者說:"禮儀是一定要學的。"

或

人有禮社會就安定，人無禮社會就危亂。因此說:"禮是不可不學的。"

A person who observes etiquette and propriety is in a position of security, a person who does not is in one of danger. Hence the saying: "The rules of propriety should never be left unlearned."

Alternative Translation 1:

A person who observes the rules of propriety is able to enjoy harmonious relations with others, whereas one who does not is in danger from conflicts. This is why it is said that learning the rules of propriety is essential. 

Alternative Translation 2:

A society in which people observe the rules of etiquette and propriety enjoys stability and security, while one in which people do not observe the rules of etiquette and propriety will find itself in danger from  turmoil and unrest. Thus the maxim: "The learning of propriety must never be neglected." 

禮運 The Operation of Etiquette

故用人之知去其詐，用人之勇去其怒，用人之仁去其貪。

因此，(君主)要用人的智慧但唾棄他們的欺詐，用人的勇氣但摒棄他們的狠怒，用人的仁愛但棄絕他們的貪慾。

或

因此，要學人的智慧但唾棄他們的欺詐，學人的勇氣但擯棄他們的狠怒，學人的仁愛但棄絕他們的貪慾腐敗。

Therefore, (the ruler) should make use of the wisdom of others, but avoid their dishonesty; use their courage, but eschew their rage; and use their benevolence, but steer clear of their greed and corruption.

Alternative Translation:

Therefore, you should learn from the wisdom of others, but avoid their dishonesty; imitate their courage, but eschew their rage; and learn from their benevolence, but reject their greed and debauchery.

學記 Record on the Subject of Education

玉不琢，不成器；人不學，不知道。是故古之王者建國君民，教學為先。《兌命》曰：「念終始典于學。」其此之謂乎！

玉石不經過琢磨，就不能成為有用的器物。這正好比喻人不通過學習，就不懂得道理。因此，古代的君王建立國家，治理民眾，都把興辦教育放在優先的地位。《說命》中說：「要自始至終經常想著學習。」大概就是說的這個意思吧。

*說 yuè 

#《説命 yuèmìng》敍述了武丁(商高宗，商朝君主)與傅説的故事，為一段聖君賢相的佳話，頗具傳奇色彩。今已證明《説命三篇》是後人所擬，真篇為《傅説fù yuè之命》。傅説為商高宗的賢相。初隱居於傅巖，高宗夢到他，往訪才知道他的智慧才能，於是舉他為相，治理國家。

Yueming narrates the story of Wu Ding (a monarch of the Shang Dynasty) and the wise counsel given to early kings by loyal ministers. The text is in three parts, and contains much which is considered to be without historical basis. The three-part version is apocryphal, being written at a much later date. The original ancient text seems to have been entitled The Counsels of Fu Yue. Fu Yue was a wise minister of Wu Ding who was originally a hermit. Wu Ding dreamt of Fu Yue one night, and afterwards paid him a visit during which he discerned the man's wisdom and talent. Wu Ding therefore made him prime minister to govern the state effectively.

*典: 經常，常常；這個「典」就是常常不忘，持續的重視教學。教/學到何時呢？ 俗話又講，「活到老，學到老」。

The jade which remains uncut will not form a useful vessel. Similarly,  if people do not learn, they will not know the correct way in which they should live and act. For this reason, the ancient kings, when establishing their states and governing their people, considered education to be the top priority. As it is said in the Counsels of Fu Yue, 'The thoughts should constantly be fixed upon learning.'

*This passage may well encompass the concept of Lifelong Learning. 

君子既知教之所由興，又知教之所由廢，然後可以為人師也。故君子之教，喻也，道而弗牽，強而弗抑，開而弗達。道而弗牽則和，強而弗抑則易，開而弗達則思；和易以思，可謂善喻矣。

君子既然已知道教育之所以會成功的道理，也明白教育之所以會失敗的原因，就可以為人師表了。所以，君子的教化是善於曉喻，只加以引導，而不強迫人；對學生嚴格，但並不抑制他們的發展；加以啟發，但不把答案和盤托出。只引導而不強迫，使學生容易親近教師。教師嚴格但不壓抑，使學生容易發展進步。只加以啟發而不說出結論，使學生能夠學習自己思考。平易近人又能使學生主動思考，這就是善於曉喻的意思了。

喻: 曉諭，清楚告知，使人能領會。

弗 fú: 不

和易: 態度溫和，平易近人。

以: 可以, 能夠

When a person of noble character knows the conditions under which education succeeds or fails, he can serve as a teacher of others. Thus, the instruction provided by such a person favors clear explanations which allow others to grasp ideas readily. The teacher merely guides, and does not force others to learn; he/she is strict with students, but does not inhibit their development; he/she inspires students, but does not wholly reveal the answers. Only guiding and not forcing allows students to develop a rapport with their instructor. Strictness without repression makes it easier for students to develop and progress. Inspiring them without drawing conclusions for them enables students to learn to think for themselves. Being approachable and encouraging students to think actively are the hallmarks of a competent educator. 

雖有嘉肴，弗食，不知其旨也；雖有至道，弗學，不知其善也。故學然後知不足，教然後知困。知不足，然後能自反也；知困，然後能自強也，故曰：教學相長也。《兌命》曰：「學學半。」其此之謂乎！

雖有好菜，不吃，就不知它的美味。雖有最高深完善的道理，不學，就不知它好在哪裏。因此，學習了以後才知道自己的不足，教過人家以後才知道自己的困惑。知道不足，然後能自我反省。知道困惑，然後能加強自己的理解。所以說，教和學是相輔相成的。《尚書．兌命》篇說：「教人是學習的一半。」就是說的這個道理啊！

*學學半 xiào xué bàn    學 (斅)  xiào 為教導的意思

成語 "教學相長" 至今仍是教育事業發展的基本原則之一。

The Chinese idiom "Education benefits both teachers and students" is a basic principle of teaching down to this day. 

However fine the food may be, if you do not eat of it, you cannot know how it tastes; however perfect the philosophy may be, if you do not learn it, you cannot know where its goodness lies. Therefore, when you learn, you come to realize how much you do not know; and when you teach, you come to appreciate how much you do not fully understand. After you recognize the deficiencies in your knowledge, you can turn around and examine yourself; and after you identify the shortcomings in your own understanding, you know which areas you need to strengthen. Hence it is said, 'Education benefits both teachers and students.' And when the The Counsels of Fu Yue states, 'Teaching is half of the learning process', it is expressing this very same concept!

儒行 The Conduct of the Confucian Scholar

 

儒有可親而不可劫也；可近而不可迫也；可殺而不可辱也。其居處不淫，其飲食不溽；其過失可微辨而不可面數也。其剛毅有如此者。

儒者(研究儒家學術的人)可以親近但不可威脅，可以接近但不可逼迫，可以殺害但不可侮辱。他們在住處過得不奢侈，飲食並不豐美。對他們的過失可以婉轉地批評，卻不可當面數落斥責。他們的剛毅就是如此。

溽 rù 濃厚

這就是 "士可殺，不可辱" 的出處

This is the origin of the Chinese phrase "A scholar prefers death to humiliation" or "A scholar may be killed but not humiliated" 

Friendly relations may be cultivated with scholars, but no attempt should be made to constrain them; near association with them can be sought, but should not be forced on them; they may be killed, but should not be humiliated. In their homes they do not live extravagantly; their food and drink are not luxurious; their failings can be gently pointed out to them, but should never be harshly enumerated before them. Such is the strength of their will and determination. 

Alternative Translation:

Scholars can be befriended but not threatened, approached politely but not forced, killed but not insulted. They do not live luxuriously in their dwellings, nor do they eat well. They can be criticized mildly for their mistakes, but should not have their failings enumerated to their faces. Such is their uncompromising nature.

 

《周易》The Book of Changes

《周易》也稱《易》《易經》，本是古代占卜之書，包括《經》和《傳》兩部分。有學者認為《經》的編訂在商末周初，《傳》作於春秋戰國，非一人一時之作。古人認為經伏羲、周文王、周公、孔子等歷代聖人編定而成。內容廣泛記錄了西周社會各方面，具有史料價值、思想價值和文學價值。

「卦」為古代卜筮所用的符號。相傳為伏羲氏所創，以陰爻 yáo（⚋）陽爻 yáo（⚊）相配合，每卦三爻，形成八卦，八卦互相搭配，演為六十四卦。古人觀卦象以定吉凶。

《周易》中有八種基本圖形。每種圖形由三個爻組成，共八種，即乾（☰）、坤（☷）、震（☳）、巽（☴）、坎（☵）、離（☲）、艮（☶）、兌（☱），分別代表天、地、雷、風、水、火、山、澤，稱為八卦。任取兩卦互相搭配，可得六十四卦，用來記錄各種自然和社會現象。八卦反映了華夏先民對現實世界的樸素認識，後來被用作占卜的符號，逐漸帶上神秘的色彩。

"The Book of Changes" is an ancient book of divination, comprising two parts: The "Basic Text" and the "Commentaries". Some scholars believe that the Basic Text was compiled at the end of the Shang Dynasty and the beginning of the Zhou Dynasty, and that the "Commentaries" were written in the Spring and Autumn and the Warring States Periods. They have traditionally been ascribed to sages such as Fuxi, King Wen of Zhou, the Duke of Zhou, and Confucius, among others. The content extensively records all aspects of Western Zhou society and possesses historical, ideological and literary value.

"Gua" is a symbol used in ancient divination. According to legend, they were created by Fuxi. The Yin (feminine) lines yáo (⚋) and the Yang (masculine) lines yáo (⚊) are combined. Different constructions of three yin and yang lines lead to eight trigrams (八卦) namely, Qián (乾, ☰), Duì (兌, ☱), Lí (離, ☲), Zhèn (震, ☳), Xùn (巽, ☴), Kǎn (坎, ☵), Gèn (艮, ☶), and Kūn (坤, ☷).  These represent heaven, earth, thunder, wind, wild waters, fire, mountains, and tame waters, respectively. Combinations of two three-line hexagrams can yield a total of sixty-four six-line hexagrams, which were used to record various natural and social phenomena. These reflect the understanding ancient people had of the world, and later took on an arcane significance, as they began to be used as symbols for divination.

乾卦 (天  Heaven)    Qián Trigram  ☰     Qián Hexagram  ䷀  

天行健，君子以自強不息。

天體運行，周而復始，剛健有力，而君子應效法天，
以剛毅圖強，永不懈怠停息。

As the heavens are dynamic in their unceasing motion, so a person of noble character should constantly strive for self-improvement.

*古人直觀大自然，主張'地靜天動'，'天圍繞着地旋轉不息'的觀念。因此說，天的運行剛健強壯， 無休無止。作為君子，也要效法天，發憤自強，奮鬥不息。"自强不息"的成語正源於此，其意為依靠自身的力量努力向上，奮鬥不懈。

*The ancients observed the natural world and believed that 'the earth is motionless and the sky is moving', and that 'the sky revolves around the earth'. The movement of the sky appeared unceasingly dynamic. Therefore, a person of noble character should follow the example of the heavens in relentlessly seeking self-improvement. The Chinese idiom "work tirelessly without ever slacking off" ("自强不息") is derived from this passage, and means to work hard in persistently striving towards one's goals.

潛龍勿用，陽在下也。
(潛字，周易一些古版本用 '浸' 或 '寢' )
巨龍潛藏在深淵，現在還不是採取行動的時候。 初九陽爻處在一卦的下位，所以壓抑難伸。

The dragon is lying hidden in the deep. It is not yet the time for taking action. (This is shown by) the strong and undivided line lying along the bottom of the hexagram.

人要懂得隱忍，不要過於強出頭，就像一條龍潛藏在深淵，伺機而動。如果不到大展抱負的時候，就要繼續蟄伏，不可輕舉妄動。勿用不等於不用，而是到該用的時候才用。要掌握適當時機，用得恰到好處，才能發揮最大作用。

蛟龍隱藏蟄伏，不為世所知。比喻賢才未露頭角，還沒有受重用。

You should practice patience, and not to be too eager to rush to the fore, just like a dragon lying dormant in an abyss, waiting for an opportunity. If it is not yet time to realize ambitions to the full, you should continue to lie low and refrain from acting rashly.

The scaly water dragon lies dormant and is not yet known to the world. This is a metaphor for those with outstanding virtues and talents who have not yet become prominent and been used in key positions to the benefit of society.

君子終日乾乾，夕惕若，厲無咎。

君子一天到晚勤奮不息，保持警惕，這樣才能避開患難。

或

君子終日努力不懈，到晚也繼續保持警惕，雖處於危險的地位，但可避免因過失而發生的災難。

或

君子終日努力不懈，到晚也保持警惕，因嚴謹可避開災難。

*乾乾: 勤勉努力

  厲: 危險、嚴格

  咎: 災難、過失

A person of noble character strives tirelessly all day long, not daring to allow vigilance to relax even during the evening hours. Although in a precarious position, disasters caused by negligence can therefore be avoided.

「君子終日乾乾、夕惕若、厲无咎」。何謂也？子曰：「君子進德脩業，忠信，所以進德也，脩辭立其誠，所以居業也。知至至之，可與幾也，知終終之，可與存義也。是故居上位而不驕，在下位而不憂，故乾乾因其時而惕，雖危无咎矣。

「君子白天自強不息，夜晚警惕戒懼，雖然處境危險，終究沒有災禍。」這是甚麼意思呢？孔子解釋說：「君子應該增進德行與樹立功業。做到忠誠而信實，由此可以增進德行；修飾言詞以確立其誠意，由此可以累積功業。知道時機何時來臨，就要努力預備等待它的到來，也就是要洞燭先機。知道時勢將會如何終止，就要欣然接受它的終止，才可以保存正當合宜的作為。這樣，處於領導的位置也不會驕傲，處於下屬的地位也不會優憤。所以能夠勤奮不休，按所處的時勢來警惕自己，這樣即使有危險也不會有災難啊。」

"A person of noble character strives tirelessly all day long, not daring to allow vigilance to relax even during the evening hours. Although in a precarious position, disasters caused by negligence can therefore be avoided." What does this mean? Confucius explained: "A person of noble character should increase his virtues and achieve merits. By being honest and faithful, virtues can be added to; by carefully modifying words, sincerity may be established and lead to such achievements. Knowledge of when the time for something will be ripe means that it can be prepared for and full advantage taken of the opportunity. Knowledge of how and when a situation will end allows full acceptance of this fact, so that righteous and appropriate behavior may be maintained. In this way, a position of leadership will not result in arrogance, nor will a subordinate position result in dissatisfaction. So hard work and vigilance according to prevailing conditions means that, even in dangerous situations, disasters can be avoided." 

這篇為兩句成語的出處. 

1. 進德修業   增進道德、建立功業

2. 修辭立誠   言辭該表現自己美好的品德； 言辭(或文章內容)要誠實無偽，不要虛浮

                       矯飾

Two Chinese idioms are derived from this passage. 

1. 進德修業   Improve moral integrity and study hard to achieve worthwhile goals; Increase virtue and refine achievements; Self-cultivation and study

2. 修辭立誠   Writings should express the author's true intentions and be free from empty rhetoric; Express sincerity through the content of one's writings

君子學以聚之，問以辯之，寬以居之，仁以行之。易曰：「見龍在田，利見大人。」君德也。

君子通過學習匯聚才識， 通過詢問辨別是非， 以寬厚的態度處事待人， 以仁愛的胸懷行事接物。所以易經中的一句『見龍在田，利見大人』說的就是君子(或君主)的德行啊！ (巨龍已在原野出現，初露頭角，躍躍欲試，這時有利於有道德有作為的大人物出現。這種大人，已備了作君主的品德修養。)

The person of noble character accumulates knowledge and ability through assiduous learning, distinguishes right from wrong through humble inquiry, treats people with generosity, and acts with kindness. Therefore, there is a saying in the Book of Changes: "Seeing the dragon in the field, you will know that the time is ripe for a person of greatness to appear." These are the virtues required of a ruler! (The great dragon has already appeared in the wilderness, and its nature is just starting to be recognized. This portends the imminent appearance of a person of high morality and achievement. Such an individual possesses the moral cultivation required of a leader of men.)

飛龍在天，大人造也。

龍飛上了高空，意味著君子一定大有作為。

The dragon is flying high in the sky, which means that the person of noble character will achieve great things.

「亢龍有悔，盈不可久也。」

龍飛到極高處，必然會發生問題，導致悔恨。

《周易》以傳說中的龍來比喻《乾卦》的發展變化。這句話的意思是:龍飛到極高處，必然會發生問題，導致悔恨。同樣，事物發展到極盛的階段，就是 “盈”的狀態，會向對立面轉化，不可能永遠地維持下去。因此，人該保持謙虛謹慎的態度，不可驕傲自滿。

When the dragon flies too high for too long, problems will inevitably occur, leading to regrets. 

Alternative Translation:

The dragon which flies too high is bound to come to grief. 

The Book of Changes uses the legendary dragon to describe the developments and changes of the Qián Trigram. The meaning of this sentence is: When the dragon flies too high for too long, problems will inevitably occur, leading to regrets. In the same way, when anything develops to a peak condition, it will begin to transform to the opposite and a decline will set in, as any extreme state cannot be maintained indefinitely. Understanding this fact, people should cultivate a humble and cautious attitude, and avoid arrogance and complacency.

「亢」之為言也，知進而不知退，知存而不知亡，知得而不知喪。其唯聖人乎！知進退存亡而不失其正者，其唯聖人乎！ 

白話釋義 1

爻辭所說的 '亢'，是說明某種人只曉得進取而不知及時引退，只曉得生存而不知終將衰亡，只曉得獲利而不知所得必失。這樣的人能算是聖人嗎? 深知進取、引退、生存、滅亡的道理，行爲不偏失正確途徑的，才是真正的聖人吧!

白話釋義 2

「亢」的含義，是指某人只知道前進，卻不懂得後退；只知道生存，卻不曉得也有死亡；只知道得到東西，卻不懂也有喪失的時候。看來唯有聖人才明白這一切。知道進退生存的道理，就會在處理問題上不偏離正道的原則，這豈不是唯有聖人才能做得到的嗎？

The meaning of "Kang" is that someone only knows how to move forward, but does not understand that retreating is sometimes also necessary; only knows about existence, but is oblivious to the fact that decline and death are also a part of life; is only aware of the desire to accumulate things, but does not acknowledge that losses must inevitably occur. Can such a person be considered a sage? (OR: These are truths that only sages truly grasp.) Knowing when to advance and retreat in order to survive to the greatest effect, and never deviating from the principles of righteousness when dealing with problems, are not these things that only sages can achieve?

泰卦 (地天安寧)  ䷊  Peace/Harmony Hexagram

天地交而萬物通也，上下交而其志同也。內陽而外陰，內健而外順，內君子而外小人，君子道長，小人道消也。

天地陽陰二氣交和使萬物生長，有對立關係的人彼此溝通交流而達到和諧。從卦氣上來講，乾下坤上，陽大陰小，坤往居外，乾來居內。內強健，外坤順，內君子外小人。陽氣(君子)增長到最好的一卦，相對的則是陰氣(小人)在消退。

Heaven and Earth, Yang (male) and Yin (female), are intertwined to make all things grow, and people who have mutually opposing roles in society communicate congenially with each other to achieve harmony. From the perspective of the Hexagrams, the Yang descends and the Yin ascends, the Yang is strong and the Yin is weak, the Yin is banished outside, and the Yang comes inside. This symbolizes strength within, and submission without, that persons of moral integrity are on the inside and the unprincipled ones on the outside. Persons of integrity are in the ascendance, and the unscrupulous ones are fading away.

根據《周易》的說法，'天'為陽，'地'為陰。天地陰陽二氣的交和，使對立面達到了統一，從而使萬物生長。由此引申到人事。表面有對立關係的人如果能夠充分溝通，在一致的基礎上達到和諧，那麼社會就能穩定地發展。 現代中國大陸'同志'這一概念即源於此，原指志趣、意見一致。後特指政治理想相同的人，也作為社會交往中人們之間的泛稱。

According to the "Book of Changes", 'Heaven' is Yang (Masculine), and 'Earth' is Yin (Feminine). The harmony between the Yin and Yang of Heaven and Earth makes opposites achieve unity so that all things in the natural world can grow. This principle can be extended to human relationships. If people who on the surface are in opposition to each other (perhaps due to their social positions) can communicate well and achieve harmony, then society can achieve stable development. The concept of 'comrade' in modern mainland China is derived from this passage, and originally refers to people with the same interests and opinions. Later, it came to be applied specifically to people with the same political ideals, and also became a general form of address in social interactions.

泰卦是人人嚮往的模式。這主要有兩個特點：

1.「上下交而其志同」，陰陽平衡，和諧安泰。

2. 「君子道長，小人道消」，正氣占上風，歪風邪氣得到遏制。因安泰的局面來之不易，古代聖賢告誡人們要時刻警惕，慎防泰極而否。

 

䷋ 否掛為泰卦的相反

The Tai Hexagram describes the model society that most people yearn for. It has two principal characteristics:

1. "The top and bottom parts merge, and the Yin and Yang are balanced, harmonious, and peaceful."

2. "Persons of integrity are in the ascendance, and the unscrupulous ones are fading away." Righteousness prevails, and evil is contained. Because such a situation is hard-won, ancient sages warned people to be vigilant at all times and beware of the Tai Hexagram turning into its opposite, the Pi Hexagram.  

                                                               ䷋

無平不陂，無往不復

世事沒有始終平直而不遇到險阻的，沒有始終往前而不遇到翻覆的。

或

平坦道路遲早必起坡坎。過往的事物遲早必反復回來。

*陂 pí 山坡

Human affairs cannot continuously run smoothly without encountering obstacles, nor can they constantly progress without encountering reversals.

Alternative Translation:

Sooner or later a flat road must rise to a slope. Sooner or later the things of the past must be repeated.

平地必變成斜坡(陂)，斜坡必變成平地，這可比喻 '滄海桑田' 的變遷。社會也是如此，有前進也有倒退，有高潮也有低谷。因 此，我們要用發展、變化的眼光看問題，認識前進道路上是會有曲折的，在高潮階段保持清醒，在低谷階段保持希望。

Flat land must become a steep slope, and the slope must become flat land. The same is true of society. there are advances and reversals, highs and lows. Therefore, we must look at problems from the perspective of development and change, and recognize that there will be twists and turns on the road ahead. Such a realization helps us avoid complacency during trouble-free periods, and maintain hope under adversity.

家人卦 ䷤ Family Hexagram (For the Regulation of the Family)

君子以言有物，而行有恆。

君子言語有內容有根據，並且持之以恆地按準則和規矩行事。

The speech of a person of noble character has content and sound basis, and he or she perseveres in acting in accord with high moral principles.

"言之有物" 這句成語即源出於此，指言語有內容，不說空泛無益的話。

The idiom "having substance in speech" is derived from this passage, and refers to words that are full of content and meaning, and are not empty, useless or fallacious .

蹇卦 ䷦ 困難、危險  Hexagram Denoting Difficulty and Danger

蹇，難也，險在前也。見險而能止，知矣哉！

險難叫做'蹇'，表示前面有危險，不能盲目地繼續前進。發現險難而能及時止步，不去冒不必要的險，才是有智之士。

The Chinese character associated with this hexagram denotes 'Difficulty', which means that there is danger ahead. It is indeed a wise man who can arrest his steps in time on discerning danger (and thereby refrain from proceeding any further and taking unnecessary risks)!

益卦 ䷩ 增長、進步、富饒 Hexagram Denoting Advantage, Progress, and Abundance

君子以見善則遷，有過則改。

君子見到別人的善行，就虛心求學仿效；發現自己有過失，就毫不猶豫地改正並決心不重蹈覆轍。

When a person of noble character witnesses the good deeds of others, he humbly learns to imitate them; and as soon as he becomes aware of his own errors, he does not hesitate to change in his determination not to repeat them.

艮卦 ䷳ 靜止  Hexagram Denoting Stopping or Resting

艮，止也。時行則行，時止則止，動靜不失其時，其道光明。

行動是由客觀時機決定的。條件不成熟時，不該輕舉妄動；而條件成熟時，就應該及時採取行動了。人的一動一靜若能符合客觀條件而不喪失時機，其前途是光明燦爛的。

The Gen Hexagram denotes stopping or resting. Resting when it is the time to rest, and acting when it is the time to act. When actions and restings all take place at the appropriate times for them, this way of proceeding leads to a bright future (OR this way of proceeding is intelligent).

繫辭傳。

《易》傳的十翼之一，分為上下二篇，相傳為孔子所編。主旨為闡釋《易經》卦辭之義。

The Great Treatise or Consolidating Commentary. 

This is one of the ten commentaries on the Book of Changes, which are known as The Ten Wings. The Great Treatise is divided into two parts, and is traditionally ascribed to Confucius, although he probably did not write it. Its principal purpose is to explain the meaning of hexagrams in the Book of Changes.

繫辭上

旁行而不流，樂天知命，故不憂。

解釋 1 (朱熹)

*旁行: 旁通 (廣泛通曉)

 流: 散; 失其規律

對人生和萬物非常清楚，所以面對周遭事物的千變萬化而不失其規律。樂觀地看待自然趨勢而知道機遇無法更改，所以能沒有憂愁苦悶。

解釋 2

*旁行: 方行

 流: 流於邪惡

在實行的各樣任務都以正確合理的方式，不流於邪惡。樂於順應自然的趨勢，懂得命運規律，所以沒有憂愁。

"樂天知命"這句成語即由此而來，謂順其自然，安於自己的處境。

The idiom "be carefree and optimistic" comes from this, which means to go with the flow and be content with one's own situation in life.

孔子說的 "不怨天，不尤人"，也就是 "無憂"。

Confucius stated that much anxiety can be avoided by  ceasing to "rail against Heaven and complain against our fellow men". 

Translation 1

One should act according to the demands of circumstances without being carried away by their current; rejoicing in Heaven and knowing its ordinations expels all anxieties.

Translation 2

The person of noble character is very clear about the nature of life and of all things, and so faces ever-changing situations calmly. Viewing natural trends with optimism and acknowledging that destiny cannot always be bent to human will relieves such a one of much worry.

Translation 3

The person of integrity performs all tasks in a correct and reasonable way, and does not go astray into evil ways. Such a one is happy to follow the trends of nature and accept the laws of fate, so is able to avoid anxiety.

二人同心，其利斷金；同心之言，其臭如蘭。

兩人合作，同心同德，就如利刃可以切斷堅金。

彼此交談氣味相投，就像蘭花一樣芬香，感人至深。

*臭 通嗅 xiù：氣味

謂團結的力量可以克服困難。

When two persons are of one mind, their combined strength is sufficient to slice through metal like a sharp knife;

And the words they speak in their unity are fragrant like orchids.

 

This means that the strength gained from unity and cooperation can overcome any obstacles. 

繫辭下

易窮則變，變則通，通則久。

事物發展到極點、窮盡的時候，就會向對立面轉化，而求變求轉化才能通達，通達才能滿足需要而穩定，持久地發展下去。

Translation 1:

Any circumstance which develops to its upper limit will begin to change. Such change will remove the original constraints producing an unimpeded state, which will in turn lead to stability and continuity.

Translation 2:

Once necessary changes occur a lasting solution naturally emerges.

"窮則思變" 和 "窮極則變" 的成語由此而出。謂人在艱難的處境下，便會設法改變現狀，尋找出路以求繼續發展下去。

This is where the idiom "adversity/poverty gives rise to a desire for change" comes from. This means that in the most difficult circumstances, people will strive to change the current situation in order to find a way out so that they can thrive and develop in a stable environment.

 

善不積不足以成名，惡不積不足以滅身。

小人以小善為無益，而弗為也，以小惡為無傷，而弗去也，故惡積而不可揜，罪大而不可解。

人的善行如果不積累，就不能成就一生的名聲；人的惡行如果不積累，就不會身敗名裂或惹上殺身之禍。

目光短淺的人認為小善無益而不去做，認為小惡無害而不去改，以致於小惡積為大惡，難以掩蓋，罪大惡極，無法解脫。

*揜 yǎn 通'掩'

If people fail to accumulate good deeds, they will not fulfill their potential and make good names for themselves; if people avoid accumulating bad deeds, they will not ruin themselves.

The person of little insight imagines that small acts of goodness are of no benefit, so does not perform them; and that small deeds of evil do no harm, and so does not avoid them. Hence the wickedness of such a one accumulates until it cannot be covered, and guilt grows until it cannot be pardoned. 

這句話中的「積」字為關鍵的。現在的社會，物質越來越發達，人心越來越浮躁，很多人的眼光也越來越短淺，並不了解「積」的重要性。行一點善事，若沒有立刻見到回報，或者正巧遇上一點壞事，就斷定「善有善報」是騙人的。有人做了一點壞事，看來沒有受到甚麼懲罰，便得出「惡有惡報」是假的結論。其實不是不報，而是時候未到，眼光要放長遠一些。《老子》第七三章說：「天網恢恢，疏而不失。」

The word "accumulate" in this sentence is paramount. In today's society, material culture is more and more highly developed, people crave instant gratification, and many are becoming more and more short-sighted, so they naturally do not understand the importance of "accumulation". If someone performs a small good deed, but does not receive an immediate reward, or happens instead to encounter a setback, then they conclude that doing good is a waste of time and energy. Similarly, if someone commits a small act of badness and seems to receive no punishment, they come to the conclusion that "evil will be rewarded with evil" is false. In actual fact, it is not that the above principles are not true, but simply that the time is not yet ripe. This is why it is essential to take a long-term view of the effects of good and bad deeds. Chapter 73 of Lao Tzu says: "The mills of justice grind slowly but exceedingly fine."

君子安而不忘危，存而不忘亡。

生活安定的時候，君子不會忘記危機是隨時可能發生的；活著的時候，不會忘記死亡隨時可能來到。

When life is stable, the person of insight will not ignore the fact that crises can occur at any time; and while alive will not forget that death may come at any time.

成語 "居安思危" 出自此文。

The Chinese idiom "be vigilant and prepared for danger in times of safety" originates from this passage. 

易曰:「其亡其亡，繫於苞桑」。

周易提醒: 「警惕！警惕！才能持續繁盛穩固！」

*苞 bāo 茂盛

The Book of Changes states: "Be vigilant! Be vigilant! For only then can you continue to be stable and prosperous!"

子曰：「德薄而位尊，知小而謀大，力小而任重，鮮不及矣。易曰：『鼎折足，覆公餗，其形渥，凶。』言不勝其任也。」

孔子說: 「一個人如果才德菲薄而身居高位，見識短淺而謀劃大事，力量微小而擔負重 任，很少不招致禍患的。易經說:『移鼎不慎而折足，使鼎中王公的粥飯灑了出来。王公為此汗颜，對個人信譽也有很大的損害，事態嚴重，很不吉利。』意思是人承擔了自己不能勝任的工作，誤了別人委託的大事。」

餗 sù  鼎中的菜粥或食物

公： 指位高權重的王公大臣  

覆餗 fù sù  食物從鼎裡傾倒出來

渥 wò   沾濕

Confucius said: "If a person of low talent occupies a high position, a short-sighted person plans great things, or one of little ability shoulders a heavy responsibility, this will almost certainly lead to disaster. The Book of Changes says: 'The cauldron is moved carelessly and the feet broken, the food of the ruler is spilled out. The ruler is embarrassed, and the personal reputation of the one who caused it is greatly damaged. The situation is serious and most undesirable (or inauspicious)."

成語 "折鼎覆餗" (或"鼎折覆餗"、"折足覆餗") 比喻不勝負荷 (不勝其任) 必致失敗

The Chinese idiom "the feet of the cauldron break and the food spills out" means that one who takes on more than he or she can handle will meet with failure.

子曰：「知幾，其神乎! 幾者，動之微，吉之先見者也。君子見幾而作，不俟終日。」

*第一個「見」是「出現」的「現」，第二個「見」為「看見」的「見」。

孔子說:「君子若了解事物變化微妙的先機，預兆，可達到神通的境界! 所謂先機，就是事物運動中所顯示的微妙變化，從這種微妙變化中可以發現吉凶的兆頭。君子一看見先機就立即行動，決不等待。」

Confucius said: "If a person of insight understands the subtle signs of changes in things, he can become like a seer! These advantageous opportunities are the barely detectable beginnings of changes in the developments of events, and in such tiny transitions, indications of good and bad fortune can be found. Such a person acts immediately upon discerning such an opportunity, never waiting for even a single day.”

今人常說的"見機而作"這句成語即源出於此，意思是一看到適當的時機就立即行動，或隨情況的變化做出因應。

The Chinese idiom "take advantage of an opportunity that arises" originates with this passage. 

子曰：「君子安其身而後動，易其心而後語，定其交而後求，君子脩此三者，故全也。

危以動，則民不與也，懼以語，則民不應也，無交而求，則民不與也，莫之與，則傷之者至矣。

易曰：『莫益之，或擊之，立心勿恆，凶。』。」

孔子說: 「君子先使自身安定，然後才採取行動；平心靜氣，然後才發表言論；確定了友誼，然後才求助於人。君子注重修養這三項，不草率行事，所以處世平安，辦事周全。

但若沒有先安定其身，人不會支持他；自己心裡有顧慮，人不會響應他；與人並無深交，人不會協助他。因無人站在他那邊，想傷害他的人就會出現。

易經說:『沒有人來增益他，卻有人想攻擊他；所立定的心思不能持之以恆，必然會有凶險臨頭。』。」

Confucius said:  "The person of insight composes himself before taking action; makes the mind restful and easy before speaking; develops a solid friendship with others before seeking anything from them. Cultivating these three things makes such a one successful.

But if someone attempts to move others while in a state of unrest, people will not lend their support; if someone speaks while in a state of apprehension, people will not respond; if someone makes requests without first developing a close friendship, those petitions will not be granted. When there are none who stand with a person, those who seek to cause injury to such a one will make their appearance.

As the Book of Changes states: 'There is one to whose advantage none will lend their support, while some seek to cause him or her injury. Since such a person observes no consistent principles, disaster will result."'

《春秋》The Spring and Autumn Annals

《春秋》本是記事史書的通稱，但流傳下來的只有魯國的《春秋》。傳統說法認為是孔子有感於自己的主張不行於天下，於是取魯國《春秋》進行加工編撰。全書紀魯國歷史共242年（公元前722 - 公元前479年）。後人因此稱東周前期為春秋時期。其書是現存最早的編年史。記事的目的是提倡道義和「禮」。解釋《春秋》的有《左氏》、《公羊》和《穀梁》三傳。其中《左傳》多用事實解釋《春秋》，保存了大量古代史料，文字優美，記事詳實，是中國古代一部史學和文學名著。傳統認為其作者為春秋時期魯國左丘明，年代與孔子相當，寫作目的是為《春秋》做註解，與《公羊傳》、《穀梁傳》合稱「春秋三傳」。這裏選的均出自《左傳》。

"Spring and Autumn Annals" was originally a general term for historical records, but only the annals of the State of Lu have been handed down. The traditional story is that Confucius felt dissatisfied that his own ideas of state government were not applied by the rulers he spoke to, so he changed his objective to putting the "Spring and Autumn Annals of Lu" into order. The whole book covers a total of 242 years of the history of the Kingdom of Lu (722 BC-479 BC). As a result, later generations referred to the early Eastern Zhou Dynasty as the Spring and Autumn Period. His book is the earliest surviving text in chronicle form. The purpose of compiling and preserving the records were to promote morality and certain rituals deemed to be important to the stability of society. There are three surviving commentaries on the Spring and Autumn Annals, which are The Commentary of Zuo, and the Gongyang and Guliang commentaries. Of the three, the Commentary of Zuo is the most detailed, since it not only explains the wording of the Annals, but also greatly expounds upon its historical background, and contains many rich and lively accounts of Spring and Autumn period (771–476 BC) history and culture. According to tradition, its author was Zuo Qiu-Ming of the Lu State in the Spring and Autumn Period, the age in which Confucius lived. The Commentary of Zuo is actually the source of more Chinese sayings and idioms than any other classical work. The following passages are taken from the Commentary of Zuo.

隱公六年 The Sixth Year of Duke Huan of Chen

善不可失，惡不可長，其陳桓公之謂乎！長惡不悛，從自及也；雖欲救之，其將能乎! 《商書》曰：『惡之易也，如火之燎於原，不可鄉邇，其猶可撲滅？』

不可以失去善良的本性，不可以增長惡習或助長惡行，這說的就是陳桓公吧！滋長了惡而不悔改，自取禍害。即使想挽救，何能辦得到！《尚書中的商代歷史記載》說：「惡的蔓延，就像大火在原野上燃燒一樣，無法接近，難道還能撲滅？」

Do not lose your better nature, and avoid developing bad habits or encouraging evil deeds, for that is just what Duke Huan of Chen did! To foster evil without repenting is to bring down calamity upon your own head. Once it is too late, even if you should want to save yourself, you will find it almost impossible to achieve! The part dealing with the Annals of Shang in the Book of Historical Documents states: "The spread of badness is like a conflagration burning across open country. Since it cannot even be approached, how can it be extinguished?"

成語"怙惡不悛" (原 "長惡不悛") 取自於此

The Chinese idiom "to remain impenitent" is taken from this text, and is used to refer to people who have done much evil but are unwilling to repent.

怙 hù 憑恃、倚靠

悛 quān 悔改

*陳桓公為春秋时期諸侯國陳國第12位國君。春秋時，結鄰的陳、鄭二國時常發生爭端。後來鄭國曾提出請求，希望能夠與陳國和平共處。雖然有人勸陳桓公要廣結善緣，建議接受講和，但陳桓公拒絕了。結果在陳桓公六年五月時，鄭國入侵陳國，陳國大敗，被擄去許多財物及俘虜。對於這樣的結果，當時的人評論說：「善不可丟失，惡不可滋長。」陳桓公因為不廣結善緣，讓惡因滋長蔓延而不知悔改，便是自取禍害。後來「怙惡不悛」這句成語就從這裡演變而出，用來指人作惡多端，不肯悔改。

Duke Huan of Chen was the twelfth ruler of the State of Chen during the Spring and Autumn Period. Chen often had disputes with the neighboring Kingdom of Zheng. Later, Zheng made a request for an agreement, hoping to coexist peacefully with Chen. Although people advised Duke Huan to form good relationships, and suggested that he accept the peace offer, Duke Huan arrogantly refused. As a result, in the fifth month of the sixth year of Duke Huan of Chen, the State of Zheng invaded the State of Chen and carried of many captives and much wealth. Regarding such a result, people at the time commented: "Goodness should not be lost, and evil cannot be allowed to grow." Duke Huan of Chen did not repent and forge good relationships, but instead allowed badness to grow and spread. 

莊公十年 (公元前684年):曹劌論戰

The Tenth Year of Duke Zhuang of Lu (684BCE): Cao Gui Explains the Art of War

既克，公問其故。對曰：「夫戰，勇氣也。一鼓作氣，再而衰，三而竭。彼竭我盈，故克之。夫大國難測也，懼有伏焉。吾視其轍亂，望其旗靡，故逐之。」

打敗齊軍後，魯莊公問當中原因。軍事家曹劌(曹沫)回答說︰「作戰，靠的是勇氣。第一次擂鼓士氣振作，第二次擊鼓，士氣就有些衰落，第三次擂鼓，士氣就耗盡了。他們的士氣枯竭而我軍士氣旺盛，所以能戰勝他們。齊國強大，一時難以揣測齊軍是否真的逃走，恐怕他們有埋下伏兵。但我察看他們的車轍痕跡紊亂，旗幟四處倒地，所以追擊他們。」

After defeating the much greater Qi army, Duke Zhuang of Lu asked how this had been possible since the State of Lu was so small. The military strategist Cao Gui replied: "In combat, morale is what counts. The first time you beat the drums, morale is at its height; the second time you beat the drums, courage has declined somewhat; and the third time you beat the drums, morale is exhausted. The morale of of the Qi army was utterly depleted, whereas the courage of our army was at its height, so we were able to defeat them. The state of Qi was strong, so it was naturally difficult to be sure whether the Qi army had really fled or not, and I was afraid that they had laid an ambush. But I observed that the ruts of their chariot wheels were a mess and that their battle flags had fallen in disarray, so I decided to pursue them."

*劌 guì  傷、割

  轍 chè  車輪所留下的痕跡

  靡 mǐ   順勢倒下

成語 "一鼓作氣" 與 "轍亂旗靡" 源出於此

The Chinese idioms "get something done with one vigorous effort" and "be totally defeated" are taken from this text. 

歇後語:  曹劌論戰 (一鼓作氣)

The Chinese two-part riddle "Cao Gui explains the art of war: initial morale is what counts" is also taken from this passage. 

《僖公四年》(前656年)

The Fourth Year of Duke Xi of Lu

四年，春，齊侯以諸侯之師侵蔡，蔡潰，遂伐楚。楚子使與師言曰：君處北海，寡人處南海，唯是風馬牛不相及也。不虞君之涉吾地也，何故?

虞: yú 預料

風: 古人將獸類雌雄互誘稱「風」。漢朝「說文解字」裡有「風」的古    

      字「𠙊」(凬)

     有人認為原本的象形字是女人張開雙腿，中間有陰道口，口中有一點，表示陰    莖，腿上壓的另一腿，是男腿。字形是性交的意思，但在這裏有"發情"的含意。

相及: 交配、性交

魯僖公四年的春天(西元前656年)，齊桓公召集八國聯軍(齊、魯、宋、陳、衛、鄭、許、曹襲擊蔡國。蔡國戰敗後，接著又進攻楚國。楚成王派大夫屈完為使者，對齊桓公說: 「你們居住在大老遠的北方，我們楚國在遙遠的南方，相距甚遠，就像是發情的馬和牛是不會互相交配一 樣。真沒料到你們竟然會進入我們楚國的領土，這是為甚麼?」

In the spring of the fourth year of Duke Xi of Lu (656 BC), Duke Huan of Qi summoned the allied forces of the Eight Kingdoms (Qi, Lu, Song, Chen, Wei, Zheng, Xu, and Cao) to attack the State of Cai. After the State of Cai was defeated, they went on to invade the State of Chu. Duke Cheng of Chu sent his minister and advisor Qu Wan as his messenger, and the latter said to Duke Huan, "You live far away in the north, and our State of Chu is in the distant south (we are so far apart geographically that we have nothing to do with each other), just like horses and cattle in heat do not mate with each other. I therefore really did not expect you to enter our territory; why have you done this?"

成語"風馬牛不相及" 源出於此

The Chinese idiom "be irrelevant; be completely unrelated to one another" originated with this passage of text. 

《僖公五年》(約前655年) 

 The Fifth Year of Duke Xi of Lu (c. 655BC)

晉侯復假道於虞以伐虢。宮之奇諫曰：「虢，虞之表也。虢亡，虞必從之。晉不可啟，寇不可翫，一之謂甚，其可再乎？諺所謂『輔車相依，唇亡齒寒』者，其虞、虢之謂也。」

僖公 Xīgōng 魯僖公，魯國第十八任君主   

翫 wàn 通「玩」

輔 fǔ  面頰

車 jū  牙床

虞 yú  周代姬姓諸侯國名，位於現代在山西省平陸縣、夏縣一帶。前655年，虞國的 

           國君不聽勸，貪晉獻公的寶馬和珍玉，禁不住誘惑，答應了晉獻公借道的請

           求。晉國南下伐虢，回師途中，又滅了虞國。虞君和家人被迫逃到曹國避難。

虢 guó 周代姬姓諸侯國名，下陽（今山西省平陸縣東南）稱北虢，上陽（今河南省三

            門峽市境內）稱南虢。南、北虢國於前655年被晉獻公所滅。   

晉獻公再次向虞國借路進攻虢國。虞君的大夫宮之奇勸阻說：「虢國在虞國的外圍，虢國滅亡，虞國必定跟著覆亡。晉國的貪心不能讓路打開，引進想侵略別人的軍隊不可輕視。一次已過分了，難道還可以來第二次嗎？諺語說的『面頰和牙床骨互相衣著 (或:大車的板和車子本身互相依存)，嘴唇缺了，牙齒便會寒冷』，就是虞國和虢國的互相依存關係啊。」

Duke Xian of Jin once again demanded access to the road through Yu in order to attack the State of Guo. The royal advisor Gong Zhiqi objected, saying, "the State of Guo adjoins the Kingdom of Yu. If the State of Guo is destroyed, the Kingdom of Yu will shortly follow it. The greed of the State of Jin will not open the road, and the passing of an army bent on invading another state cannot be taken lightly. Providing access to the road once was quite enough, do you think we can allow it a second time? As the proverb says, "The cheeks and the gum bones are interdependent (or: the boards of the chariot and the vehicle itself are interdependent), and the teeth will be cold if the lips are missing", which aptly illustrates the crucial relationship between the Kingdoms of Yu and Guo."

成語 "脣亡齒寒" 源出於此。

The Chinese idiom "be mutually dependent" originates from this text. 

*The ruler of the Kingdom of Yu refused to listen to his wise minister since he was greedy for the bribe offered by Duke Xian of Jin, so he allowed the Jin troops to pass through Yu to attack the State of Guo. On the way back from conquering Guo, Duke Xian of Jin also destroyed Yu, and the ruler and his family were forced to flee to the State of Cao for protection. 

《僖公二十年》(前640年) 

The Twentieth Year of Duke Xi of Lu (640BC)

量力而動，其過鮮矣。善敗由己，而由人乎哉?

衡量自己的能力才採取行動，所犯的過錯會少。

各事的成敗主要在於自己，難道還會在於別人嗎?

Act according to a correct estimate of your abilities, and your mistakes will be few.

The success or failure of every enterprise depends mainly upon oneself； how could it depend on others?

成語 "量力而行" 源出於此

The Chinese idiom "act according to one's strength/ability" is taken from this passage. 

《僖公二十年》

The Twentieth Year of Duke Xi of Lu (640BC)

宋襄公欲合諸侯，臧文仲聞之，曰：「以欲從人，則可；以人從欲，鮮濟。」

宋襄公想會合諸侯。臧文仲聽到了，說：「使自己的慾望順從別人是可以的；要使別人服從自己的私欲很少會成功。」

*宋襄公 春秋時宋國的君主，在位十四年。(西元？～前637）

*臧文仲 Zāng wénzhòng 在魯莊公、魯僖公、魯文公時代魯國著名的賢大夫 

*濟 jì 有助益的

Duke Xiang of Song desired to convene a meeting of the vassal dukes. Zang Wenzhong, advisor to Duke Xi of Lu, heard about this, and said, "It is possible to make your own desires subject to others, but making others subject to your own desires rarely meets with success."

 

《文公十七年》(前610年)(魯文公)

The Seventeenth Year of Duke Wen of Lu (610BC)

鄭國公子歸生(鄭國執政大臣，鄭文公之子)為鄭穆公寫給逼迫鄭國的晉靈公的一封信中的一句話。

Taken from a letter written by the minister Guisheng (son of Duke Wen of Zheng, the previous ruler who died in 628BC). The ruler at the time was Duke Mu of Zheng.  

古人有言曰，畏首畏尾，身其餘幾。

自古有一句話說: 若頭也怕，尾也怕，身子就剩不了多少。

As the ancient saying goes: If the head and tail are both afraid, there is not much left of the body. 

比喻瞻前顧後，畏縮不前。

This is used to describe a person who is faint of heart and dares not take any positive action. 

成語 "畏首畏尾" 源出於此。

The Chinese idiom "be overcautious/fainthearted" is taken from this passage. 

 

《宣公二年》(前607) 

The Second Year of Duke Xuan of Lu (607BC)

晉靈公不遵守做國君的規則，大量征收賦稅來滿足奢侈的生活。他從高台上用彈弓射行人，觀看他們躲避彈丸的樣子。廚師 沒有把熊掌燉爛，他就把廚師殺了，裝在筐裏，命宮女們用車裝著屍體經過朝廷。屍體被趙盾、士季兩位正直的大臣看見。他們了解情況後，非常氣憤，決定勸諫晉靈公。晉靈公從他的神色中明白季士的來意，便假裝沒有看見他。直到士季往前走了三遍，來到屋檐下，晉靈公才抬頭，他輕描談寫地說「我已經知道自己所犯的錯誤了，今後一定改正。」

士季稽首後對晉靈公說了這句話:

「人誰無過，過而能改，善莫大焉。」

*焉 yān 此、這

一個人犯錯後願意正視承認，痛改前非，

是最大美德之一。

或

哪個人能不犯錯誤呢? 犯了過錯後能夠改正，沒有比這更大的好事了。

Duke Ling of Jin refused to abide by any rules, and levied a lot of taxes to satisfy his luxurious lifestyle. He shot at pedestrians with a catapult from a high platform because he enjoyed watching them dodging his projectiles. His cook did not stew the bear paw properly, so he had the man executed and put in a cage and ordered the female servants to push the corpse around the court in a cart. The body was seen by two upright ministers, Zhao Dun and Shi Ji. After they learned about the situation, they were highly incensed and decided to rebuke the ruler. When Shi Ji went to see him, Duke Ling of Jin understood his intention from his expression, so he pretended not to see him. It was not until Shi Ji had walked forward three times and came under the eaves that Duke Ling raised his head and said airily, "I acknowledge my error and am prepared to change."

Shi Ji then said the following words:

"To err is human, but there is no higher virtue than to admit one's mistakes and firmly resolve never to repeat them." 

Alternative Translation:

"Who can avoid making mistakes? But there is no greater good than being resolved to change and never repeat them."

"人非聖賢，孰能無過" 亦取自於此。

This is also the origin of the well-known Chinese saying: "Nobody is perfect; who can say they have never made mistakes?" or "to err is human."

不過，晉靈公並沒有改，仍然行為殘暴。相國趙盾屢次勸諫，晉靈公就派刺客去暗殺趙盾。不料，刺客不願去殺害忠臣，寧可自殺。晉靈公便改變方法，請趙盾進宮赴宴，準備在席間殺他，但趙盾被衛士救出。最後這個惡貫滿盈的國君，終於被趙盾的弟弟趙穿殺死。

However, Duke Ling of Jin did not change, and still acted with great brutality. The prime minister, Zhao Dun, repeatedly admonished him, but Duke Ling of Jin responded by sending an assassin to murder Zhao Dun. Unexpectedly, the assassin was reluctant to kill such an upright man, preferring instead to commit suicide. Duke Ling of Jin then invited Zhao Dun into the palace for a banquet, preparing to kill him while he was there, but Zhao Dun was rescued by a guard. In the end, this wicked ruler was killed by Zhao Dun's younger brother, Zhao Chuan.

《宣公十五年》(前594)

The Fifteenth Year of Duke Xuan of Lu (594BC)

宋人使樂嬰齊告急于晉，晉侯欲救之。伯宗曰：「不可。古人有言曰：『雖鞭之長，不及馬腹。』天方授楚，未可與爭。雖晉之彊，能違天乎？君其待之。」乃止。

楚國進攻宋國，宋國人派樂嬰齊到晉國報告急難，晉景公打算答應救援宋國。晉國 大夫伯宗說:「不行。古人說: 『鞭子雖然長，但打不到馬腹。』上天正在保佑楚國，不能同它爭鬥。晉國雖然強盛，怎能違背天意？大王還是等一等吧。」晉侯就停止發兵。

The State of Chu attacked the Kingdom of Song, so Song sent Yue Yingqi to the State of Jin to report the emergency. Duke Jing of Jin at first intended to rescue the State of Song. However, Bozong, an advisor in the state of Jin, said, "This is not a good idea. As the ancient saying goes, 'Although the whip is long, it can't reach the belly of the horse.' I advise that you wait." The Duke of Jin therefore belayed the order to send troops.

成語 "鞭長莫及" 源出於此。

This is the origin of the Chinese idiom "be beyond the reach of one's power/be out of reach".

《成公十七年》(前574) The Seventeenth Year of Duke Cheng of Lu (574 BC)

晉國有一個權臣集團，主要由郤錡(Xìqí)、郤犨(Xìchōu)、郤至三人組成，人稱之為三郤。三人皆有才幹，當上高官，而且關係密切協調，可謂同生共死。晉厲公準備發動群彈劾郤至時，郤至說：

「人所以立，信、知、勇也。

失茲三者，其誰與我？」

「一個人能夠被其他人認可，是由於有信用、智慧、勇敢。

失去這三樣，誰還會想親近我們呢?」     

                        

There was a group of powerful ministers in the state of Jin, which was mainly composed of three people: Xiqi, Xichou, and Xizhi, who were collectively known as 'The Three Xis'. All three were talented, became high-ranking officials, and enjoyed a close and coordinated relationship with each other. Duke Li of Jin was inciting the other ministers to impeach Xizhi, but the latter said:

"A person can only stand before others and gain their approval due to trustworthiness, wisdom, and courage.

Without these three qualities, who would want to be associated with us?"

《襄公三十一年》(前542)

The Thirty-First Year of Duke Xiang of Lu (542 BC)

鄭國人在鄉校遊玩聚會，議論國家政事。姬然明認為鄉校既是人們發怨言的場所，故提議將之廢止，但鄭國大夫及哲學家子產(公孫僑)回應說:

「我聞忠善以損怨，不聞作威以防怨。豈不遽止？然猶防川： 大決所犯，傷人必多，吾不克救也；不如小決使道，不如吾聞而葯之也。」

損：減少

遽 jù：很快，迅速

防：堵塞。

川：河流

決: 疏通水道

克: 能夠

葯之：以之為治病的藥

我聽說可以憑藉忠心和善行來減少怨恨，沒聽說依權仗勢來防止怨聲。威權當然可以迅速制止議論。但這就像堵塞河水一樣：洪水衝開大口子，傷的人一定很多，我們就挽救不了。不如把水一點一點放掉加以疏導，聽取這些議論而將之當作治病的良藥。

People from the State of Zheng went to the local academy to associate and discuss state affairs. In response to a suggestion that local schools were centers of dissent and should be closed down, the advisor and philosopher Zichan (Gongsun Qiao) replied:

"I have heard that resentment can be reduced by loyalty and good deeds, but I have never heard of using force to prevent resentment. Draconian measures of repression can of course swiftly silence dissenting voices. But that is like damming a river: a flood would break through in a torrent, many people would be harmed, and we would have no remedy for it. It is much better to guide the water in small amounts into channels, which means we should listen to these arguments and use them as a medicine for healing."