Book 19: 《子張》 Zi Zhang
《子張》 Passage 19.6
Legge Translation (1861)
Zixia said: "There are learning extensively, and having a firm and sincere aim; inquiring with earnestness, and reflecting with self-application: — virtue is in such a course."Word by word
- 子夏 zǐ xià
Zixia, a disciple of Confucius
- 子 prefix of a courtesy name, as in 子路 and 子貢; not the title Master
- 夏 the second syllable of the disciple's name, Zixia
- 曰 yuē
said, spoke
- 博學 bó xué
to study broadly, be widely learned
- 博 broad, extensive
- 學 learning, study
- 而 ér
coordinating conjunction: and
- 篤志 dǔ zhì
firm, steadfast in one's purpose, aims
- 篤 sincere, firm, steadfast
- 志 will, aspiration, purpose
Slingerland follows the oldest commentary, 孔安國 in 何晏 (廣學而厚識之), which reads 志 as 識 'keep in mind, remember'; 朱熹, 楊伯峻 and the other seven translators take 志 as will or purpose.
- 切問 qiè wèn
earnest, urgent questioning
- 切 earnest, urgent — also read as 'close, pertinent to oneself', paralleling 近 in the next clause
- 問 to ask, inquire
切 is read either as 'earnest, urgent' (intensity of inquiry) or as 'close, pertinent' (paralleling 近 in the following clause, i.e. asking about what bears directly on oneself); commentators are divided.
- 而 ér
coordinating conjunction: and
- 近思 jìn sī
to reflect on what is close, near at hand
- 近 near, close at hand
- 思 to reflect, ponder
Legge renders this more freely as 'reflecting with self-application' rather than reflecting on nearby matters.
- 仁 rén
humaneness, benevolence
- 在 zài
to lie in, be present in, consist in
- 其中 qí zhōng
within it, in the midst of these, therein
- 其 it, this, referring back to what was just described
- 中 within, in the midst of, among
- 矣 yǐ
final particle of assertion
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