Book 11: 《先進》 Xian Jin (Former Eras)
《先進》 Passage 11.17
Legge Translation (1861)
The head of the Ji family was richer than the duke of Zhou had been, and yet Qiu collected his imposts for him, and increased his wealth.The Master said: "He is no disciple of mine. My little children, beat the drum and assail him."
Word by word
- 季氏 jì shì
the Ji family, a powerful hereditary clan of Lu
- 季 Ji, surname of a powerful hereditary clan of Lu
- 氏 clan, family-name suffix
Traditionally identified as headed by Ji Kangzi, the dominant minister of Lu at the time.
- 富 fù
rich, wealthy
- 於 yú
than (comparative marker introducing the standard of comparison)
- 周公 zhōu gōng
Duke of Zhou, revered sage-statesman and founding figure of Lu
- 周 Zhou, name of the dynasty/state, here in Duke of Zhou
- 公 duke, a ruler's title
All eight translators take 周公 as the Duke of Zhou, Lu's founding ancestor, as does 朱熹; 孔安國 (in 何晏) instead reads 周公 as the office of the Zhou king's chief minister (天子之宰), so the comparison is with a serving royal minister rather than the sage.
- 而 ér
yet, and yet (adversative conjunction)
- 求 qiú
Qiu, given name of the disciple Ran Qiu
Ran Qiu (冉求) served as steward to the Ji family and helped increase its wealth.
- 也 yě
topic-marking particle following the subject
- 為 wèi
for, on behalf of (coverb introducing a beneficiary)
- 之 zhī
them, referring back to the Ji family
- 聚斂 jù liǎn
to gather and levy, extract revenue (taxes)
- 聚 gather, collect
- 斂 levy, collect (taxes)
- 而 ér
coordinating conjunction: and
- 附益 fù yì
to add to, further increase (wealth)
- 附 add to, append
- 益 increase, augment
- 之 zhī
it, their, referring to the Ji family's wealth
- 子曰 zǐ yuē
the Master said
- 子 the Master (Confucius)
- 曰 said
- 非 fēi
is not (negates a following noun predicate)
- 吾 wú
my, mine (first-person possessive)
- 徒 tú
disciple, follower
- 也 yě
final particle of assertion, closing a negative predication
The assertive force is already carried by the English copula 'is', so nothing separately renders the particle.
- 小子 xiǎo zǐ
young disciples, young men (term of address to one's students)
- 小 young, little (modifying 子, disciple)
- 子 one, ones (young disciples, as part of 小子)
- 鳴鼓 míng gǔ
to sound/beat the drum, to signal a public denunciation
- 鳴 sound, cause to ring out
- 鼓 drum
- 而 ér
coordinating conjunction: and
- 攻 gōng
attack, denounce, censure openly
- 之 zhī
him, referring to Ran Qiu
- 可 kě
permissible, it is all right to (granting permission)
- 也 yě
final particle of assertion
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