Book 12: 《顏淵》 Yan Yuan
《顏淵》 Passage 12.14
Legge Translation (1861)
Zizhang asked about government. The Master said: "The art of governing is to keep its affairs before the mind without weariness, and to practice them with undeviating consistency."Word by word
- 子張 zǐ zhāng
Zizhang, a disciple of Confucius
- 子 prefix of a courtesy name, as in 子路 and 子貢; not the title Master
- 張 name element 'Zhang' in the disciple's name Zizhang
- 問 wèn
to ask about, inquire about
- 政 zhèng
government, governing
- 子曰 zǐ yuē
the Master said
- 子 the Master, honorific title for Confucius
- 曰 said, spoke (introduces a quotation)
- 居 jū
to occupy, hold, attend to (a position or duty)
- 之 zhī
object pronoun: it, referring to the affairs of government
- 無倦 wú juàn
without weariness, untiring, never slackening
- 無 not, without
- 倦 weariness, becoming tired or slack
- 行 xíng
to carry out, put into practice, act
- 之 zhī
object pronoun: it, them, referring to the affairs of government
- 以 yǐ
instrumental/manner coverb: with, by means of
- 忠 zhōng
doing one's utmost, wholehearted devotion
Zhong here is the disciple's total, undivided effort in office; only Watson renders it with the narrower English word 'loyalty'.
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