Book 14: 《憲問》 Xian Wen (Xian Asked)
《憲問》 Passage 14.8
Legge Translation (1861)
The Master said: "In preparing the governmental notifications, Bi Chen first made the rough draft; Shishu examined and discussed its contents; Ziyu, the manager of foreign intercourse, then polished the style; and, finally, Zichan of Dongli gave it the proper elegance and finish."Word by word
- 子曰 zǐ yuē
the Master said
- 子 Master, honorific title for Confucius
- 曰 said, spoke
- 為命 wéi mìng
to draft a diplomatic document, prepare state dispatches
- 為 to make, to prepare, to draft
- 命 an official document, dispatch; here, a diplomatic text
- 裨諶 pí chén
Bi Chen, a minister of the state of Zheng
- 裨 surname element in the name Bi Chen, a minister of Zheng
- 諶 given-name element in the name Bi Chen
- 草創 cǎo chuàng
to draft roughly, make an initial draft
- 草 rough, unpolished, in draft form
- 創 to originate, to make an initial draft
- 之 zhī
it, referring to the document being drafted
- 世叔 shì shū
Shishu, a minister of the state of Zheng
- 世 generation-name element in the name Shishu, a minister of Zheng
- 叔 Shu, courtesy-name element in 世叔, the courtesy name of You Ji (游吉)
- 討論 tǎo lùn
to examine and discuss, deliberate over
- 討 to go over, to examine
- 論 to discuss, to deliberate on
- 之 zhī
it, referring to the document
- 行人 xíng rén
envoy officer, official in charge of diplomatic missions
- 行 to travel, to go on official missions
- 人 person; here, a government officer
- 子羽 zǐ yǔ
Ziyu, a minister of the state of Zheng
- 子 prefix of a courtesy name, as in 子路 and 子貢; not the title Master
- 羽 Yu, courtesy-name element in 子羽, the courtesy name of Gongsun Hui (公孫揮)
- 脩飾 xiū shì
to revise and polish, refine the wording
- 脩 to revise, to correct
- 飾 to embellish, to ornament
- 之 zhī
it, referring to the document
- 東里 dōng lǐ
Dongli, Zichan's residential quarter in the Zheng capital
- 東 east; first element of the place name Dongli
- 里 village, quarter; second element of the place name Dongli
Legge glosses 東里 in his own index as the place where Zichan resided, matching 集注「東里，地名，子產所居也」.
- 子產 zǐ chǎn
Zichan, chief minister of the state of Zheng
- 子 prefix of a courtesy name, as in 子路 and 子貢; not the title Master
- 產 given-name element in the name Zichan
- 潤色 rùn sè
to add final polish, give literary finish
- 潤 to polish, to add luster to
- 色 coloring, finish; here, stylistic polish
- 之 zhī
it, referring to the document
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