Book 4: 《里仁》 Li Ren (Dwelling in Ren)
《里仁》 Passage 4.11
Legge Translation (1861)
The Master said: "The superior man thinks of virtue; the small man thinks of comfort. The superior man thinks of the sanctions of law; the small man thinks of favors which he may receive."Word by word
- 子曰 zǐ yuē
the Master said
- 子 Master, teacher (honorific title, here for Confucius)
- 曰 said, spoke (introduces reported speech)
- 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
- 懷 huái
to cherish, hold dear, keep in mind
- 德 dé
virtue, moral character
Lau's 'benign rule' reads de as virtue exercised in governance rather than personal character
- 小人 xiǎo rén
petty person, small-minded person
- 小 small, of low or common standing
- 人 person, man
- 懷 huái
to cherish, hold dear, keep in mind
Roberts elides the verb in the second clause ('lesser men, property')
- 土 tǔ
land, one's home territory
- 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
- 懷 huái
to cherish, hold dear, keep in mind
- 刑 xíng
punishment, penal law
Peimin Ni's 'role model' reflects reading this graph as 型 (model) rather than 刑 (punishment/law)
- 小人 xiǎo rén
petty person, small-minded person
- 小 small, of low or common standing
- 人 person, man
- 懷 huái
to cherish, hold dear, keep in mind
Roberts elides the verb in the second clause ('lesser men, leniency')
- 惠 huì
favor, kindness bestowed
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