Book 15: 《衛靈公》 Wei Ling Gong (Duke Ling of Wey)
《衛靈公》 Passage 15.18
Legge Translation (1861)
The Master said: "The superior man in everything considers righteousness to be essential. He performs it according to the rules of propriety. He brings it forth in humility. He completes it with sincerity. This is indeed a superior man."Word by word
- 子曰 zǐ yuē
the Master said
- 子 Master, honorific title for Confucius
- 曰 to say, 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
- 義 yì
rightness, righteousness, moral appropriateness
- 以為 yǐ wéi
to take as, regard as, make into
- 以 instrumental coverb: to take (something) as
- 為 to regard as, to treat as, to make into
- 質 zhì
basic substance, essential foundation
Ames & Rosemont's 'disposition' reflects a dispositional-virtue reading rather than a static substance.
- 禮 lǐ
ritual propriety, the rites
- 以 yǐ
instrumental coverb: by means of, through
- 行 xíng
to practice, carry out, put into action
- 之 zhī
it, object pronoun referring to rightness
- 孫 xùn
modest, deferential, humble
Read xùn, standing for 遜, modest, deferential (朱熹: 孫, 去聲); Roberts's 'tact' is a divergent rendering.
- 以 yǐ
instrumental coverb: by means of, with
- 出 chū
to express, bring forth, give outward expression to
- 之 zhī
it, object pronoun referring to rightness
- 信 xìn
trustworthiness, sincerity, good faith
- 以 yǐ
instrumental coverb: by means of, through
- 成 chéng
to complete, bring to completion, perfect
- 之 zhī
it, object pronoun referring to rightness
- 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
- 哉 zāi
exclamatory final particle: indeed!, how...!
only Legge, Peimin Peimin Ni, and Lau supply an explicit 'indeed'.
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