Book 10: 《鄉黨》 Xiang Dang (In the Village)
《鄉黨》 Passage 10.25
Legge Translation (1861)
When he saw any one in a mourning dress, though it might be an acquaintance, he would change countenance; when he saw any one wearing the cap of full dress, or a blind person, though he might be in his undress, he would salute them in a ceremonious manner. To any person in mourning he bowed forward to the crossbar of his carriage; he bowed in the same way to any one bearing the tables of population. When he was at an entertainment where there was an abundance of provisions set before him, he would change countenance and rise up. On a sudden clap of thunder, or a violent wind, he would change countenance.Word by word
- 見 jiàn
to see, catch sight of
- 齊衰 zī cuī
mourning dress, mourning garment
- 齊 hemmed, having a finished edge (feature of a mourning garment)
- 衰 mourning garment made of coarse cloth
Read zīcuī (朱熹: 齊，音咨；衰，七雷反), the hemmed coarse-hemp mourning dress of the second grade, not qí 'even' and shuāi 'decline'. Slingerland's 'fasting or mourning' splits the term into two practices; the other seven read the single garment.
- 者 zhě
nominalizing particle: one who, the one who
- 雖 suī
although, even if
- 狎 xiá
familiar with, on intimate terms
- 必 bì
surely, invariably, always
- 變 biàn
to change, alter (one's expression)
- 見 jiàn
to see, catch sight of
- 冕 miǎn
ceremonial cap, cap of office
- 者 zhě
nominalizing particle: one who, the one who
- 與 yǔ
coordinating conjunction: or
與 literally links items with 'and'; since the two figures are alternative encounters, all eight translators render it as 'or'.
- 瞽 gǔ
blind
- 者 zhě
nominalizing particle: one who, the one who
- 雖 suī
although, even if
- 褻 xiè
familiar, informal (in manner or dress)
Legge instead reads 褻 as casual dress ('in his undress') rather than personal familiarity, unlike the other translators.
- 必 bì
surely, invariably, always
- 以 yǐ
coverb marking manner: with, by means of
- 貌 mào
countenance, outward bearing
- 凶服 xiōng fú
mourning attire, funeral garb
- 凶 inauspicious, associated with death and mourning
- 服 garment, attire
- 者 zhě
nominalizing particle: one who, the one who
- 式 shì
to bow forward, leaning on the crossbar of one's carriage, as a gesture of respect
- 之 zhī
object pronoun: him, them, referring to the mourner
- 式 shì
to bow forward, leaning on the crossbar of one's carriage, as a gesture of respect
- 負版 fù bǎn
to carry official documents/tablets on one's back
- 負 to carry on one's back, bear
- 版 official document, wooden tablet or register
Slingerland's 'a lowly peddler' is an outlier; the other seven translators render 負版 as carrying official documents, registers, or census tablets.
- 者 zhě
nominalizing particle: one who, the one who
- 有 yǒu
there is, there was
most other translators use a passive construction ('presented with', 'confronted with') that leaves the existential sense implicit rather than a separate word.
- 盛饌 shèng zhuàn
sumptuous feast, abundant provisions
- 盛 abundant, sumptuous
- 饌 food, feast, delicacies
Slingerland's 'food with full ritual propriety' is a divergent reading of 盛 as ritual completeness rather than abundance.
- 必 bì
surely, invariably, always
- 變色 biàn sè
to change countenance, one's expression
- 變 to change, alter
- 色 countenance, facial expression
- 而 ér
coordinating conjunction: and, and then
- 作 zuò
to rise, stand up
- 迅雷 xùn léi
a sudden clap of thunder
- 迅 sudden, rapid
- 雷 thunder
Chin's rendering omits 迅's 'sudden', giving only 'a clap of thunder'.
- 風烈 fēng liè
a fierce, violent wind
- 風 wind
- 烈 violent, fierce
- 必 bì
surely, invariably, always
- 變 biàn
to change, alter (one's expression)
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