Book 10: 《鄉黨》 Xiang Dang (In the Village)
《鄉黨》 Passage 10.2
Legge Translation (1861)
When he was waiting at court, in speaking with the great officers of the lower grade, he spake freely, but in a straightforward manner; in speaking with those of the higher grade, he did so blandly, but precisely.When the ruler was present, his manner displayed respectful uneasiness; it was grave, but self-possessed.
Word by word
- 朝 cháo
court
朝 literally names the ruler's morning audience; most translators generalize it to 'court' while Watson keeps the literal sense.
- 與 yǔ
with (coverb introducing the person addressed)
- 下大夫 xià dà fū
official of lower/junior rank at court
- 下 lower, junior in rank
- 大 great, high-ranking
- 夫 official, minister (title element)
- 言 yán
to speak, talk
- 侃侃如 kǎn kǎn rú
affable, amiable, at ease
- 侃 amiable, at ease
- 侃 amiable, at ease
- 如 suffix forming a descriptive expression: -like, in a ... manner
孔安國 (in 何晏) glosses 侃侃 as 和樂之貌, easy and harmonious, the reading followed here and by Slingerland, Peimin Ni, Lau, Watson and Chin; 朱熹 cites 說文 for 剛直, firm and forthright, followed by Legge ('free and straightforward') and Roberts ('open and direct'). 如 is a manner suffix and is never rendered as a separate word.
- 也 yě
final particle marking a descriptive predicate
English realizes the description through the copula 'was' plus an adjective.
- 與 yǔ
with (coverb introducing the person addressed)
- 上大夫 shàng dà fū
official of higher/senior rank at court
- 上 higher, senior in rank
- 大 great, high-ranking
- 夫 official, minister (title element)
- 言 yán
to speak, talk
- 誾誾如 yín yín rú
respectful, formal in manner
- 誾 mild yet frank in speech
- 誾 mild yet frank in speech
- 如 suffix forming a descriptive expression: -like, in a ... manner
孔安國 glosses 誾誾 as 中正之貌, correct and respectful bearing, followed by Peimin Ni and Watson; 朱熹 cites 說文 for 和悅而諍, mild yet ready to contend, which Lau, Chin and Ames & Rosemont render as 'frank though respectful'. 如 is the same manner suffix as in 侃侃如.
- 也 yě
final particle marking a descriptive predicate
English realizes the description through the copula 'was' plus an adjective.
- 君 jūn
ruler, lord
- 在 zài
to be present
Watson recasts the stative 在 as an event, 'made his appearance', rather than the ruler simply being present.
- 踧踖如 cù jí rú
reverent, deferential
- 踧 uneasy, apprehensively respectful
- 踖 uneasy, apprehensively respectful
- 如 suffix forming a descriptive expression: -like, in a ... manner
踧踖 is a reduplicative binome describing wary, deferential bearing; 如 is the same manner-suffix as in 侃侃如. Roberts reads it concretely as a manner of walking.
- 也 yě
final particle marking a descriptive predicate
English realizes the description through the copula 'was' plus an adjective.
- 與與如 yú yú rú
composed, self-possessed, at ease
- 與 at ease, composed
- 與 at ease, composed
- 如 suffix forming a descriptive expression: -like, in a ... manner
Read yú, level tone (朱熹: 與，平聲), not yǔ 'with'; 馬融 (in 何晏) glosses 與與 as 威儀中適之貌, bearing that is dignified and just right, in contrast with the wariness of 踧踖. 如 is the same manner suffix as elsewhere in this passage.
- 也 yě
final particle marking a descriptive predicate
English realizes the description through the copula 'was' plus an adjective.
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