Book 12: 《顏淵》 Yan Yuan
《顏淵》 Passage 12.24
Legge Translation (1861)
The philosopher Zeng said: "The superior man on grounds of culture meets with his friends, and by their friendship helps his virtue."Word by word
- 曾子 zēng zǐ
Master Zeng, disciple of Confucius
- 曾 surname Zeng, of the disciple Master Zeng
- 子 honorific suffix meaning master, appended to a surname
- 曰 yuē
said
- 君子 jūn zǐ
exemplary person, gentleman
- 君 lord, ruler; 君子 is literally a lord's son
- 子 son; 君子 is literally a lord's son, one of the ruling class, which the Analects makes a term of character
- 以 yǐ
coverb marking means: by means of, through
- 文 wén
culture, cultural refinement
Some translators read wen as inner cultural/moral refinement, others as practical arts and skills; both stem from the same character.
- 會 huì
to gather, associate with, gain (friends)
- 友 yǒu
friend, friends
- 以 yǐ
coverb marking means: by means of, through
- 友 yǒu
friend, friends
- 輔 fǔ
to assist, support
- 仁 rén
benevolence, humaneness
Rendered across an inner-virtue reading (virtue, benevolence, Goodness) and a conduct-based reading (authoritative conduct, humankindness); no single English term spans the range.
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