Book 13: 《子路》 Zi Lu
《子路》 Passage 13.4
Legge Translation (1861)
Fan Chi requested to be taught husbandry. The Master said: "I am not so good for that as an old husbandman."He requested also to be taught gardening, and was answered: "I am not so good for that as an old gardener."
Fan Chi having gone out, the Master said: "A small man, indeed, is Fan Xu! If a superior love propriety, the people will not dare not to be reverent. If he love righteousness, the people will not dare not to submit to his example. If he love good faith, the people will not dare not to be sincere. Now, when these things obtain, the people from all quarters will come to him, bearing their children on their backs; — what need has he of a knowledge of husbandry?"
Word by word
- 樊遲 fán chí
Fan Chi, a disciple of Confucius
- 樊 Fan, surname of Fan Chi (also called Fan Xu)
- 遲 Chi, courtesy-name element in 樊遲, the courtesy name of Fan Xu (樊須); his given name is 須
- 請 qǐng
to ask, request permission to
- 學 xué
to learn, study
- 稼 jià
farming, growing grain
- 子曰 zǐ yuē
the Master said
- 子 the Master, Confucius
- 曰 said
- 吾 wú
I, me
- 不如 bù rú
not as good as, inferior to
- 不 not
- 如 to be like, be equal to
- 老農 lǎo nóng
an experienced farmer
- 老 old, experienced
- 農 farmer
- 請 qǐng
to ask, request permission to
- 學 xué
to learn, study
- 為圃 wéi pǔ
to garden, grow vegetables
- 為 to do, practice, cultivate
- 圃 garden, vegetable plot
- 曰 yuē
said
subject 'the Master' is grammatically elided in the Chinese, continuing from the previous clause
- 吾 wú
I, me
- 不如 bù rú
not as good as, inferior to
- 不 not
- 如 to be like, be equal to
- 老圃 lǎo pǔ
an experienced gardener
- 老 old, experienced
- 圃 garden, vegetable plot
- 樊遲 fán chí
Fan Chi, a disciple of Confucius
- 樊 Fan, surname of Fan Chi
- 遲 Chi, courtesy-name element in 樊遲, the courtesy name of Fan Xu (樊須); his given name is 須
- 出 chū
to go out, leave
- 子曰 zǐ yuē
the Master said
- 子 the Master, Confucius
- 曰 said
- 小人 xiǎo rén
petty person, small-minded person
- 小 small, petty
- 人 person
- 哉 zāi
exclamatory final particle: what a...!, how...!
- 樊須 fán xū
Fan Xu, personal name of Fan Chi
- 樊 Fan, surname of Fan Xu (Fan Chi)
- 須 Xu, given name of Fan Chi
Fan Xu is the given name; Fan Chi (Fan Ch'ih) is the courtesy name used elsewhere in the passage; some translators use one name throughout
- 也 yě
final particle of exclamatory assertion
- 上 shàng
those in authority, superiors, ruler
- 好 hào
to love, be fond of, cherish
- 禮 lǐ
ritual propriety, the rites
- 則 zé
then, in that case
- 民 mín
the common people
- 莫敢 mò gǎn
none would dare to, no one would dare
- 莫 none, no one
- 敢 to dare
- 不敬 bù jìng
to be disrespectful, irreverent
- 不 not
- 敬 respectful, reverent
- 上 shàng
those in authority, superiors, ruler
- 好 hào
to love, be fond of, cherish
- 義 yì
rightness, appropriate conduct
- 則 zé
then, in that case
- 民 mín
the common people
- 莫敢 mò gǎn
none would dare to, no one would dare
- 莫 none, no one
- 敢 to dare
- 不服 bù fú
to be insubordinate, fail to comply
- 不 not
- 服 to submit, comply, obey
Slingerland's clause is affirmative ('will dare not to obey'), so 'obey' rather than a negated word carries this unit's sense
- 上 shàng
those in authority, superiors, ruler
- 好 hào
to love, be fond of, cherish
- 信 xìn
trustworthiness, good faith
- 則 zé
then, in that case
- 民 mín
the common people
- 莫敢 mò gǎn
none would dare to, no one would dare
- 莫 none, no one
- 敢 to dare
- 不用情 bù yòng qíng
to be insincere, act without genuine feeling
- 不 not
- 用 to use, exercise, put into practice
- 情 the real facts, one's true situation; sincerity
- 夫如是…則 fú rú shì … zé
now, if this is so, then...
- 夫 initial discourse particle: now, well then
- 如 to be like
- 是 this, so; demonstrative pronoun
- 則 then, in that case
- 四方 sì fāng
the four quarters, all directions
- 四 four
- 方 quarter, direction, region
- 之 zhī
possessive/modifying particle: of, from
- 民 mín
the common people
- 襁負 qiǎng fù
to carry (an infant) strapped on the back
- 襁 swaddling band for carrying an infant on the back
- 負 to carry on the back, bear
- 其 qí
their
- 子 zǐ
child, children
- 而至 ér zhì
and then arrive, come
- 而 conjunctive particle: and, and then
- 至 to arrive, come
- 矣 yǐ
perfective/assertive final particle
- 焉 yān
interrogative: what, how
- 用 yòng
need, use for
- 稼 jià
farming, growing grain
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