Book 16: 《季氏》 Ji Shi (The Ji Clan)
《季氏》 Passage 16.13
Legge Translation (1861)
Chen Kang asked Boyu, saying: "Have you heard any lessons from your father different from what we have all heard?"Boyu replied: "No. He was standing alone once, when I passed below the hall with hasty steps, and said to me, 'Have you learned the Odes?' On my replying 'Not yet,' he added: 'If you do not learn the Odes, you will not be fit to converse with.' I retired and studied the Odes.
Another day, he was in the same way standing alone, when I passed by below the hall with hasty steps, and said to me, 'Have you learned the rules of Propriety?' On my replying 'Not yet,' he added: 'If you do not learn the rules of Propriety, your character cannot be established.' I then retired, and learned the rules of Propriety.
I have heard only these two things from him."
Chen Kang retired, and, quite delighted, said: "I asked one thing, and I have got three things. I have heard about the Odes. I have heard about the rules of Propriety. I have also heard that the superior man maintains a distant reserve towards his son."
Word by word
- 陳亢 chén gāng
Chen Kang (Ziqin), a disciple of Confucius
- 陳 surname: Chen
- 亢 given name: Kang
Also known by his courtesy name Ziqin; translators use either name.
- 問 wèn
to ask
- 於 yú
coverb marking the indirect object of 問: to, of
- 伯魚 bó yú
Boyu, courtesy name of Confucius's son Li
- 伯 eldest (rank term used as the first syllable of a courtesy name)
- 魚 fish (used here as the second syllable of a courtesy name)
- 曰 yuē
to say, said
- 子 zǐ
you (polite second-person pronoun)
- 亦 yì
also, in addition (to what we already know)
- 有 yǒu
to have
Here forms the perfect/question construction 'have you...'.
- 異 yì
unusual, special, out of the ordinary
- 聞 wén
something heard, instruction received
- 乎 hū
interrogative final particle
- 對曰 duì yuē
replied, answered
- 對 to respond, answer (as part of 對曰, replied)
- 曰 to say, said (as part of 對曰, replied)
- 未也 wèi yě
not yet (answer to a yes/no question)
- 未 not yet (as part of 未也, the answer 'not yet')
- 也 final particle of assertion (as part of 未也, the answer 'not yet')
- 嘗 cháng
once, on one occasion
- 獨 dú
alone, by oneself
- 立 lì
to stand
- 鯉 lǐ
Li, Boyu's given name (self-reference)
Boyu narrates in the third person using his own name; translators render this as the first-person pronoun 'I'.
- 趨 qū
to hasten, walk briskly with quick steps (a gesture of respect)
- 而 ér
conjunctive particle: and
- 過 guò
to pass through, cross
- 庭 tíng
courtyard
- 曰 yuē
to say, said
- 學 xué
to study, learn
- 詩 shī
the Odes, the Book of Songs
- 乎 hū
interrogative final particle
English forms the question by inversion and a question mark rather than a word.
- 對曰 duì yuē
replied, answered
- 對 to respond, answer (as part of 對曰, replied)
- 曰 to say, said (as part of 對曰, replied)
- 未也 wèi yě
not yet (answer to a yes/no question)
- 未 not yet (as part of 未也, the answer 'not yet')
- 也 final particle of assertion (as part of 未也, the answer 'not yet')
- 不 bù
not
- 學 xué
to study, learn
- 詩 shī
the Odes, the Book of Songs
- 無以 wú yǐ
to have no means to, be unable to
- 無 to lack, have none; not
- 以 means by which; with which
- 言 yán
to speak
- 鯉 lǐ
Li, Boyu's given name (self-reference)
Boyu narrates in the third person using his own name; translators render this as the first-person pronoun 'I'.
- 退 tuì
to withdraw, retire
- 而 ér
conjunctive particle: and
- 學 xué
to study, learn
- 詩 shī
the Odes, the Book of Songs
- 他日 tā rì
another day, some other day
- 他 other, another
- 日 day
- 又 yòu
again, once more
- 獨 dú
alone, by oneself
- 立 lì
to stand
- 鯉 lǐ
Li, Boyu's given name (self-reference)
Boyu narrates in the third person using his own name; translators render this as the first-person pronoun 'I'.
- 趨 qū
to hasten, walk briskly with quick steps (a gesture of respect)
- 而 ér
conjunctive particle: and
- 過 guò
to pass through, cross
- 庭 tíng
courtyard
- 曰 yuē
to say, said
- 學 xué
to study, learn
- 禮 lǐ
ritual propriety, the rites
- 乎 hū
interrogative final particle
English forms the question by inversion and a question mark rather than a word.
- 對曰 duì yuē
replied, answered
- 對 to respond, answer (as part of 對曰, replied)
- 曰 to say, said (as part of 對曰, replied)
- 未也 wèi yě
not yet (answer to a yes/no question)
- 未 not yet (as part of 未也, the answer 'not yet')
- 也 final particle of assertion (as part of 未也, the answer 'not yet')
- 不 bù
not
- 學 xué
to study, learn
- 禮 lǐ
ritual propriety, the rites
- 無以 wú yǐ
to have no means to, be unable to
- 無 to lack, have none; not
- 以 means by which; with which
- 立 lì
to stand, take one's place, be established in society
Figurative here: to have a firm, secure standing in society, not literal physical standing.
- 鯉 lǐ
Li, Boyu's given name (self-reference)
Boyu narrates in the third person using his own name; translators render this as the first-person pronoun 'I'.
- 退 tuì
to withdraw, retire
- 而 ér
conjunctive particle: and
- 學 xué
to study, learn
- 禮 lǐ
ritual propriety, the rites
- 聞 wén
to hear, be taught
- 斯 sī
this, these (demonstrative)
- 二者 èr zhě
the two things, the two matters
- 二 two
- 者 nominalizing particle: that which, the things
- 陳亢 chén gāng
Chen Kang (Ziqin), a disciple of Confucius
- 陳 surname: Chen
- 亢 given name: Kang
- 退 tuì
to withdraw, retire
- 而 ér
conjunctive particle: and
- 喜 xǐ
delighted, pleased
- 曰 yuē
to say, said
- 問 wèn
to ask
- 一 yī
one
- 得 dé
to get, obtain
- 三 sān
three
- 聞 wén
to hear about, learn about
- 詩 shī
the Odes, the Book of Songs
- 聞 wén
to hear about, learn about
- 禮 lǐ
ritual propriety, the rites
- 又 yòu
and also, in addition
- 聞 wén
to hear about, learn about
- 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
- 之 zhī
subordinating particle marking the following clause as an object: that
- 遠 yuǎn
to keep at a distance, be reserved toward
Ames & Rosemont interpret this as not giving one's own son special treatment, rather than emotional distance.
- 其 qí
his, her, its
- 子 zǐ
son
- 也 yě
final particle of assertion
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