Book 18: 《微子》 Wei Zi
《微子》 Passage 18.3
Legge Translation (1861)
The Duke Jing of Qi, with reference to the manner in which he should treat Confucius, said: "I cannot treat him as I would the chief of the Ji family. I will treat him in a manner between that accorded to the chief of the Ji, and that given to the chief of the Meng family."He also said: "I am old; I cannot use his doctrines." Confucius took his departure.
Word by word
- 齊景公 qí jǐng gōng
Duke Jing of Qi, ruler of the state of Qi
- 齊 Qi, name of the state ruled by Duke Jing
- 景 Jing, the posthumous title of the duke of Qi
- 公 duke, ruler's title
- 待 dài
to treat, receive (a guest)
Refers to Duke Jing's deliberation over how he ought to receive Confucius, before any position is decided.
- 孔子 kǒng zǐ
Confucius, Master Kong
- 孔 Kong, surname of Confucius
- 子 Master, honorific suffix (in 孔子, Confucius)
- 曰 yuē
said
- 若 ruò
as, like, in the manner of
- 季氏 jì shì
the Ji clan/family, a powerful ministerial house of Lu
- 季 Ji, surname of a powerful Lu family
- 氏 clan, lineage, family
- 則 zé
correlative particle marking the result clause: then, in that case
- 吾 wú
I, me
- 不能 bù néng
cannot, be unable to
- 不 not
- 能 to be able to, can
- 以 yǐ
with, at, in (marking the manner or position of an action)
- 季 jì
Ji, the Ji clan/family
- 孟 mèng
Meng, the Meng clan/family
- 之 zhī
modifying particle: 's, of
- 閒 jiān
interval, space between
- 待 dài
to treat, accord treatment to
Refers to the actual treatment Duke Jing settles on: a position between the Ji and Meng ministers.
- 之 zhī
him (referring to Confucius)
- 曰 yuē
said
- 吾 wú
I, me
- 老 lǎo
old
- 矣 yǐ
final particle marking a newly realized state: now, already
Only Roberts and Peimin Ni supply an explicit 'now'; the other translators fold the change of state into the adjective 'old' without a discrete word.
- 不能 bù néng
cannot, be unable to
- 不 not
- 能 to be able to, can
- 用 yòng
to use, employ (in office)
- 也 yě
final particle of assertion
English closes the sentence with a period alone.
- 孔子 kǒng zǐ
Confucius, Master Kong
- 孔 Kong, surname of Confucius
- 子 Master, honorific suffix (in 孔子, Confucius)
- 行 xíng
to leave, depart
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