《先進》 Passage 11.18

Gao Chai (Zigao), disciple of Confucius

topic-marking particle: sets off the subject before a comment

Sets the name off as a topic before its verdict — 'as for Chai: slow'. English has no such pause and joins name to verdict with 'is'; that copula is where the particle's work lands, and it is what the translators write for it.

simple, naive, guileless

Traditional commentary reads Chai's 愚 as overly earnest simplicity rather than mental deficiency; translators split between the two senses.

Zeng Shen (Zengzi), disciple of Confucius

topic-marking particle: sets off the subject before a comment

Sets the name off as a topic before its verdict — 'as for Shen: dull'. English has no such pause and joins name to verdict with 'is'; that copula is where the particle's work lands, and it is what the translators write for it.

dull, slow-witted

Zhuansun Shi (Zizhang), disciple of Confucius

topic-marking particle: sets off the subject before a comment

Sets the name off as a topic before its verdict — 'as for Shi: one-sided'. English has no such pause and joins name to verdict with 'is'; that copula is where the particle's work lands, and it is what the translators write for it.

biased, one-sided

Read pì. 馬融 (in 何晏) glosses 辟 as 邪辟, deviant and given to excess; 朱熹 as 便辟, a polished manner short on sincerity; 楊伯峻 as 偏, one-sided. Translators divide the same three ways.

Zhong You (Zilu), disciple of Confucius

topic-marking particle: sets off the subject before a comment

Sets the name off as a topic before its verdict — 'as for You: coarse'. English has no such pause and joins name to verdict with 'is'; that copula is where the particle's work lands, and it is what the translators write for it.

coarse, rough in manner