Book 10: 《鄉黨》 Xiang Dang (In the Village)
《鄉黨》 Passage 10.4
Legge Translation (1861)
When he entered the palace gate, he seemed to bend his body, as if it were not sufficient to admit him.When he was standing, he did not occupy the middle of the gate-way; when he passed in or out, he did not tread upon the threshold.
When he was passing the vacant place of the prince, his countenance appeared to change, and his legs to bend under him, and his words came as if he hardly had breath to utter them.
He ascended the reception hall, holding up his robe with both his hands, and his body bent; holding in his breath also, as if he dared not breathe.
When he came out from the audience, as soon as he had descended one step, he began to relax his countenance, and had a satisfied look. When he had got to the bottom of the steps, he advanced rapidly to his place, with his arms like wings, and on occupying it, his manner still showed respectful uneasiness.
Word by word
- 入 rù
enter
- 公門 gōng mén
the ruler's gate, entrance to the ducal court
- 公 the ruler's, ducal (modifying gate)
- 門 gate, gateway
- 鞠躬如也 jū gōng rú yě
bowed low, bent forward in a deferential posture
- 鞠 bow, bend forward at the waist
- 躬 the body, one's person
- 如 manner suffix: appeared to be, in the state of
- 也 sentence-final particle marking a description
朱熹 reads 鞠躬 as 曲身, bending the body, followed by Legge, Peimin Ni, Roberts, Ames & Rosemont and Watson; 楊伯峻 objects that a word before 如也 must be descriptive, not an action, and takes it as a drawn-in, wary bearing, as Slingerland, Lau and Chin render it ('drew himself in'). The gloss follows 朱熹.
- 如 rú
as if, as though
- 不容 bù róng
not big enough, insufficient room
- 不 not
- 容 contain, hold, have enough room for
- 立 lì
stand, take up a standing position
- 不 bù
not
- 中門 zhōng mén
the middle/center of the gate
- 中 be centered in, occupy the middle of
- 門 gate, gateway, doorway
- 行 xíng
walk, proceed
- 不 bù
not
- 履閾 lǚ yù
tread on the threshold
- 履 tread on, step on
- 閾 the threshold of a doorway
- 過 guò
pass by, go past
- 位 wèi
the ruler's seat, throne
- 色勃如也 sè bó rú yě
his countenance would change, becoming intense and serious
- 色 countenance, facial expression
- 勃 changing suddenly, turning intense or serious
- 如 manner suffix: appeared to be, in the state of
- 也 sentence-final particle marking a description
- 足躩如也 zú jué rú yě
his steps quickened, feet moving briskly
- 足 foot
- 躩 take quick, short steps
- 如 manner suffix: appeared to be, in the state of
- 也 sentence-final particle marking a description
- 其 qí
his
- 言 yán
words, speech
- 似不足者 sì bù zú zhě
seemed inadequate, appeared as if he could hardly get the words out
- 似 seem, appear to be
- 不 not
- 足 enough, adequate, sufficient
- 者 nominalizing particle: one who, that which
- 攝齊 shè zī
gather up and hold the hem of one's robe
- 攝 gather up, hold up (a garment)
- 齊 the hem, lower edge of a robe
齊 is read zī here (朱熹: 齊，音咨), the hem of the robe, not qí; 朱熹 explains that on ascending the hall one lifted the hem a foot off the ground so as not to tread on it and stumble.
- 升堂 shēng táng
go up into the (audience) hall
- 升 go up, ascend
- 堂 the (audience) hall
- 鞠躬如也 jū gōng rú yě
bowed low, bent forward in a deferential posture
- 鞠 bow, bend forward at the waist
- 躬 the body, one's person
- 如 manner suffix: appeared to be, in the state of
- 也 sentence-final particle marking a description
- 屏氣 bǐng qì
hold in, suppress one's breath
- 屏 hold back, suppress
- 氣 breath
- 似不息者 sì bù xī zhě
seemed as if not breathing at all
- 似 seem, appear to be
- 不 not
- 息 breathe
- 者 nominalizing particle: one who, that which
- 出 chū
go out, leave (the audience)
- 降 jiàng
descend, go down
- 一 yī
one
- 等 děng
a step, level (of a stairway)
- 逞 chěng
relax, ease, let loosen
- 顏色 yán sè
countenance, facial expression
- 顏 face, countenance
- 色 countenance, expression
- 怡怡如也 yí yí rú yě
content and at ease, cheerful and relaxed
- 怡 content, at ease (first syllable of reduplicated 怡怡)
- 怡 content, at ease (second syllable of reduplicated 怡怡)
- 如 manner suffix: appeared to be, in the state of
- 也 sentence-final particle marking a description
- 沒階 mò jiē
the bottom of the steps
- 沒 to come to the end of, go all the way down (the steps)
- 階 steps, a stairway
- 趨進 qū jìn
hasten forward, hurry ahead
- 趨 hasten, hurry
- 進 advance, go forward
- 翼如也 yì rú yě
wing-like, as though gliding on outstretched wings
- 翼 a wing; wing-like, outstretched like wings
- 如 manner suffix: appeared to be, in the state of
- 也 sentence-final particle marking a description
- 復 fù
return to, go back to
- 其 qí
his
- 位 wèi
seat, position, station
- 踧踖如也 cù jí rú yě
cautious and reverent in bearing
- 踧 uneasy, cautious in bearing (first syllable of 踧踖)
- 踖 reverent, respectful in bearing (second syllable of 踧踖)
- 如 manner suffix: appeared to be, in the state of
- 也 sentence-final particle marking a description
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