Book 18: 《微子》 Wei Zi
《微子》 Passage 18.6
Legge Translation (1861)
Changju and Jieni were at work in the field together, when Confucius passed by them, and sent Zilu to inquire for the ford.Changju said: "Who is he that holds the reins in the carriage there?" Zilu told him: "It is Kong Qiu." "Is it not Kong Qiu of Lu?" asked he. "Yes," was the reply, to which the other rejoined: "He knows the ford."
Zilu then inquired of Jieni, who said to him: "Who are you, sir?" He answered: "I am Zhongyou." "Are you not the disciple of Kong Qiu of Lu?" asked the other. "I am," replied he, and then Jieni said to him: "Disorder, like a swelling flood, spreads over the whole empire, and who is he that will change its state for you? Than follow one who merely withdraws from this one and that one, had you not better follow those who have withdrawn from the world altogether?"
With this he fell to covering up the seed, and proceeded with his work, without stopping. Zilu went and reported their remarks, when the Master observed with a sigh: "It is impossible to associate with birds and beasts, as if they were the same with us. If I associate not with these people — with mankind — with whom shall I associate? If right principles prevailed through the empire, there would be no use for me to change its state."
Word by word
- 長沮 cháng jū
Changju, a farmer-recluse
- 長 in the proper name 長沮 (Changju), a farmer-recluse
- 沮 in the proper name 長沮 (Changju)
- 桀溺 jié nì
Jieni, a farmer-recluse
- 桀 in the proper name 桀溺 (Jieni), a farmer-recluse
- 溺 in the proper name 桀溺 (Jieni)
- 耦 ǒu
paired, side by side, yoked as a team
- 而 ér
conjunctive particle linking two verbs: and
- 耕 gēng
to plow, till the soil
- 孔子 kǒng zǐ
Confucius
- 孔 surname Kong, in the name 孔子 (Confucius)
- 子 honorific suffix: Master, in 孔子 (Confucius)
- 過 guò
to pass by
- 之 zhī
them, referring to Changju and Jieni
- 使 shǐ
to send, dispatch someone
- 子路 zǐ lù
Zilu, a disciple of Confucius
- 子 prefix of a courtesy name, as in 子路 and 子貢; not the title Master
- 路 in the name 子路 (Zilu)
- 問津 wèn jīn
to ask about the ford, ask for directions
- 問 to ask about
- 津 the ford, river crossing
- 焉 yān
final particle fusing 於 + 之: of them, from them
- 長沮 cháng jū
Changju
- 長 in the proper name 長沮 (Changju)
- 沮 in the proper name 長沮 (Changju)
- 曰 yuē
said
- 夫 fú
demonstrative/topic particle: that
- 執輿 zhí yú
to hold the reins, drive the carriage
- 執 to hold, grasp
- 輿 carriage, cart; in 執輿, to hold the carriage is to hold its reins
- 者 zhě
nominalizing particle: the one who
- 為誰 wéi shuí
who is (it)?
- 為 copula: is, to be
- 誰 who? interrogative pronoun
- 子路 zǐ lù
Zilu
- 子 prefix of a courtesy name, as in 子路 and 子貢; not the title Master
- 路 in the name 子路 (Zilu)
- 曰 yuē
said
- 為 wéi
copula: is, it is
- 孔丘 kǒng qiū
Kong Qiu, Confucius's clan and given name
- 孔 surname Kong, in 孔丘 — Confucius's surname followed by his given name 丘
- 丘 given name Qiu, in 孔丘 (Confucius)
- 曰 yuē
said
- 是 shì
copula/demonstrative: is, this is
- 魯孔丘 lǔ kǒng qiū
Kong Qiu of Lu, Confucius identified by home state
- 魯 the state of Lu
- 孔 surname Kong, in 孔丘 (Confucius)
- 丘 given name Qiu, in 孔丘 (Confucius)
- 與 yú
interrogative final particle: is it not so?
- 曰 yuē
said
- 是也 shì yě
yes, it is so
- 是 affirmative demonstrative: this, so, it is so
- 也 final particle of affirmation
- 曰 yuē
said
- 是 shì
demonstrative pronoun as subject: he, that man (Kong Qiu)
- 知 zhī
to know
- 津 jīn
the ford
- 矣 yǐ
final particle marking a realized state
- 問 wèn
to ask
- 於 yú
coverb marking the person addressed: of, to
- 桀溺 jié nì
Jieni
- 桀 in the proper name 桀溺 (Jieni)
- 溺 in the proper name 桀溺 (Jieni)
- 桀溺 jié nì
Jieni
- 桀 in the proper name 桀溺 (Jieni)
- 溺 in the proper name 桀溺 (Jieni)
- 曰 yuē
said
- 子 zǐ
you, respectful second-person pronoun
- 為誰 wéi shuí
who are (you)?
- 為 copula: is, to be
- 誰 who?
- 曰 yuē
said
- 為 wéi
copula: am
- 仲由 zhòng yóu
Zhong You, Zilu's full name
- 仲 in the name 仲由, Zhong You (Zilu's full name)
- 由 in the name 仲由, Zhong You (Zilu's full name)
- 曰 yuē
said
- 是 shì
copula/demonstrative: are, this is
- 魯孔丘 lǔ kǒng qiū
Kong Qiu of Lu
- 魯 the state of Lu
- 孔 surname Kong, in 孔丘 (Confucius)
- 丘 given name Qiu, in 孔丘 (Confucius)
- 之 zhī
possessive/modifying particle: of
- 徒 tú
disciple, follower
- 與 yú
interrogative final particle: is it not so?
English forms the yes/no question with inversion and a question mark rather than a separate word.
- 對 duì
to respond, especially to a superior
- 曰 yuē
said
- 然 rán
so, it is so, yes
- 曰 yuē
said
- 滔滔 tāo tāo
surging, torrential everywhere
- 滔 surging, overflowing water (reduplicated for intensity)
- 滔 surging, overflowing water (reduplicated for intensity)
- 者 zhě
topic-marking particle: as for
- 天下 tiān xià
the world, all under heaven
- 天 heaven, sky; in 天下, the world
- 下 under, below; in 天下, the world
- 皆 jiē
all, every one, uniformly
- 是 shì
so, thus, like this
- 也 yě
final particle of assertion
- 而 ér
conjunctive particle: and, so
- 誰 shuí
who? interrogative pronoun
- 以 yǐ
coverb: with (whom), here equivalent to 與
朱熹 and 楊伯峻 gloss 以 as 與: 誰以 is 以誰 with the interrogative fronted, with whom will you change it. The translators fold the coverb into who can change it.
- 易 yì
to change
- 之 zhī
it, referring to the world's disordered state
- 且 qiě
moreover, besides
- 而 ěr
you, your (archaic second-person pronoun)
- 與其…豈若 yǔ qí … qǐ ruò
comparative correlative frame: rather than X, how much better Y
- 與 comparative correlative: rather than (paired with 豈若)
- 其 correlative particle completing 與其: rather than
- 豈 rhetorical interrogative: how could it, would it not
- 若 to be like; in 豈若, better than, rather
- 從 cóng
to follow
- 辟人之士 bì rén zhī shì
a scholar/gentleman who avoids certain people
- 辟 to avoid, shun (loan for 避)
- 人 people, men
- 之 possessive/modifying particle: of
- 士 gentleman, man of service
- 也 yě
medial particle marking a pause after a clause
- 從 cóng
to follow
- 辟世之士 bì shì zhī shì
a scholar/gentleman who withdraws from the world altogether
- 辟 to avoid, shun (loan for 避)
- 世 the world, the age
- 之 possessive/modifying particle: of
- 士 gentleman, man of service
- 哉 zāi
final exclamatory particle
- 耰 yōu
to cover seeds with soil, harrow
- 而不輟 ér bù chuò
and did not stop, without pausing
- 而 conjunctive particle: and
- 不 not
- 輟 to stop, cease
- 子路 zǐ lù
Zilu
- 子 prefix of a courtesy name, as in 子路 and 子貢; not the title Master
- 路 in the name 子路 (Zilu)
- 行 xíng
to go, depart
- 以 yǐ
coverb linking two verbs: and thereupon
- 告 gào
to report, tell
- 夫子 fū zǐ
the Master, Confucius
- 夫 man; in 夫子, Master
- 子 honorific suffix in 夫子, the Master (Confucius)
- 憮然 wǔ rán
disappointed, taken aback, lost in thought
- 憮 disappointed, taken aback (in 憮然)
- 然 adverbial suffix: appearing so, -ly (in 憮然)
- 曰 yuē
said
- 鳥獸 niǎo shòu
birds and beasts
- 鳥 bird, birds
- 獸 beast, animal
- 不可 bù kě
cannot, is not permissible to
- 不 not
- 可 can, may, be able to
- 與 yǔ
coverb: with, together with
- 同群 tóng qún
to form the same group, herd together
- 同 to be the same as, together
- 群 to flock, form a group
- 吾 wú
I, me
- 非 fēi
to not be, is not
- 斯人之徒 sī rén zhī tú
these people, this company of men
- 斯 this
- 人 people, men
- 之 possessive/modifying particle: of
- 徒 followers, company
- 與 yǔ
interrogative final particle: is it not so?
- 而誰 ér shuí
then who?, whom?
- 而 conjunctive particle: then, and yet
- 誰 who? whom?
- 與 yǔ
to associate with, join with
- 天下 tiān xià
the world, all under heaven
- 天 heaven, sky; in 天下, the world
- 下 under, below; in 天下, the world
- 有道 yǒu dào
the Way prevails, is realized
- 有 to have, exist, prevail
- 道 the Way, moral order
- 丘 qiū
I, me (Confucius referring to himself by given name)
- 不 bù
not
- 與 yǔ
to join in, take part in
- 易 yì
to change
- 也 yě
final particle of assertion
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