《子路》 Passage 13.20

Zigong, a disciple of Confucius

• 子 prefix of a courtesy name, as in 子路 and 子貢; not the title Master
• 貢 second element of the disciple's name, Zigong (子貢)

asked, said

• 問 to ask
• 曰 said (introduces quoted speech)

what, what kind (interrogative on quality or character)

• 何 what (interrogative)
• 如 be like (paired with 何: what is X like)

then, in that case (marking result)

can, may (be) - modal of possibility

call, refer to as

him, resumptive object pronoun referring back to the person

a man of service: officer, scholar-official

Translators split widely on register - officer, scholar-official, gentleman, government servant - reflecting real disagreement about whether 士 names a rank, a moral type, or both.

final particle closing Zigong's question: (what must one be like) before he may be called a shi

the Master said

• 子 the Master, Confucius
• 曰 said (introduces quoted speech)

to conduct oneself, one's personal conduct

• 行 act, conduct (oneself)
• 己 oneself, himself (reflexive pronoun)

have, maintain (a sense of)

a sense of shame

to be sent (on a mission), dispatched as an envoy

to, toward (marking destination)

the four quarters, abroad, distant regions

• 四 four
• 方 direction, quarter (with 四: the four quarters, abroad)

not

to disgrace, bring shame upon

the ruler's mandate, one's lord's command

• 君 ruler, lord (modifying the following noun)
• 命 mandate, command, commission

can, may (be) - modal of possibility

call, refer to as, be called

a man of service: officer, scholar-official

final particle marking assertion of a completed judgment

English closes the sentence with a period rather than a discrete word; the particle's assertive force is carried by the declarative syntax alone.

said, asked (introduces the next speaker's line)

venture to, presume to (humble modal before a request)

to ask

the next in order, the next rank

• 其 that, the (referring to the next rank, part of 其次)
• 次 the next in order, next rank

said, asked (introduces the next speaker's line)

clan, lineage

• 宗 lineage, ancestry (part of 宗族)
• 族 clan, extended family (part of 宗族)

to praise, commend, be spoken of as

filial, devoted to one's parents

final particle: asserting 'in this regard'

English simply lets the sentence end after the predicate (filial), leaving the particle's assertive-locative force unspoken.

home village, local community

• 鄉 village, home district (part of 鄉黨)
• 黨 community, local group (part of 鄉黨)

to praise, commend, be spoken of as

deferential to elders, respectful to one's seniors

Read as 悌 (di), the counterpart of 孝 within the family toward elder siblings, extended here to fellow villagers.

final particle: asserting 'in this regard'

English simply lets the sentence end after the predicate (deferential), leaving the particle's assertive-locative force unspoken.

said, asked (introduces the next speaker's line)

venture to, presume to (humble modal before a request)

to ask

the next in order, the next rank

• 其 that, the (referring to the next rank, part of 其次)
• 次 the next in order, next rank

said, asked (introduces the next speaker's line)

words, what one says

certainly, invariably, without fail

trustworthy, true to one's word

action, conduct, what one does

certainly, invariably, without fail

resolute, carried through to effect, decisive

stubbornly rigid, petty and inflexible

• 硜 sound of knocking stones: figures rigid, small-minded pettiness
• 硜 sound of knocking stones: figures rigid, small-minded pettiness
• 然 adverbial suffix: -like, in that manner

硜硜 onomatopoeically evokes the clink of small knocking stones, figuring rigid, small-minded inflexibility; 然 is the adverbial suffix making it a descriptive predicate.

petty person, small-minded man

• 小 small, petty
• 人 person (with 小: a petty person)

final exclamatory particle: how...!, indeed

yet, still, nevertheless (concessive)

• 抑 yet, still (adversative/concessive conjunction)
• 亦 also, still (reinforcing the preceding concessive)

A concessive collocation softening the harsh assessment ('obstinate little men') that precedes it.

can, is able to

• 可 can, is able to (part of 可以)
• 以 forms the modal 可以: to be able to

to count as, be reckoned the next (rank)

• 為 to be regarded as, count as
• 次 the next in order, next rank

final particle marking assertion of a completed judgment

English closes the sentence with a period rather than a discrete word for the particle.

said, asked (introduces the next speaker's line)

of the present day, nowadays

• 今 now, today, the present
• 之 possessive/subordinating particle: 's, of

to engage in government, hold public office

• 從 to engage in, pursue
• 政 government, public affairs

nominalizing particle: those who, one who

what, how (is X)

• 何 what (interrogative)
• 如 be like (paired with 何: what is X like)

the Master said

• 子 the Master, Confucius
• 曰 said (introduces quoted speech)

interjection: ah!, alas!

a person of trivial capacity (lit. a peck-and-hamper man); here, the petty officeholders of the day

• 斗 a dipper, small unit of measure (part of 斗筲之人)
• 筲 a small bamboo basket (part of 斗筲之人)
• 之 possessive/subordinating particle: 's, of
• 人 person, people

Literally 'a peck-and-basket person' - 斗 and 筲 are small measuring containers, figuring someone whose capacity for public service is paltry.

not worth counting, hardly worth taking into account (rhetorical)

• 何 what, how (rhetorical: how could it be)
• 足 sufficient (to), worth (doing)
• 算 to count, reckon, take into account

final particle of strong assertion

English closes the rhetorical question with a question mark rather than a discrete particle; the particle's emphatic force is carried by the exclamatory/interrogative syntax.