Book 5: 《公冶長》 Gong Ye Chang
《公冶長》 Passage 5.25
Legge Translation (1861)
The Master said: "Fine words, an insinuating appearance, and excessive respect; — Zuo Qiuming was ashamed of them. I also am ashamed of them. To conceal resentment against a person, and appear friendly with him; — Zuo Qiuming was ashamed of such conduct. I also am ashamed of it."Word by word
- 子曰 zǐ yuē
the Master said
- 子 honorific title: the Master (Confucius)
- 曰 said, spoke
- 巧言 qiǎo yán
clever, flattering words
- 巧 clever, glib, artfully ingratiating
- 言 words, speech
echoes the same phrase condemned in 1.3 (巧言令色).
- 令色 lìng sè
ingratiating, flattering countenance
- 令 pleasing, ingratiating in expression (not 'command')
- 色 countenance, facial expression
- 足恭 zú gōng
excessive, servile deference
- 足 excessive, to an extreme degree — read literally as 'foot' by some, giving a 'foot-shuffling' image (Chin)
- 恭 reverence, deferential respect
足 is read jù, in the departing tone, meaning excessive (朱熹: 足, 過也; 經典釋文 gives the reading 將樹反); Chin alone takes it as the noun foot, giving nervous shuffling.
- 左丘明 zuǒ qiū míng
Zuoqiu Ming, proper name of a person Confucius cites approvingly
- 左 surname element; 左丘 is taken as a double surname (Zuoqiu Ming) or 左 as the surname with given name Qiuming
- 丘 given-name element in Zuoqiu Ming's name
- 明 name element 'Ming' in Zuoqiu Ming's name
- 恥 chǐ
consider shameful, be ashamed of
- 之 zhī
it, that (referring to the conduct just named)
- 丘 qiū
I, self-reference (Confucius using his own name)
Roberts alone retains 'Qiu' instead of translating it simply as 'I'.
- 亦 yì
also, too
- 恥 chǐ
consider shameful, be ashamed of
- 之 zhī
it, that (referring to the conduct just named)
- 匿怨 nì yuàn
conceal one's resentment, hide a grudge
- 匿 conceal, hide
- 怨 resentment, grudge, ill will
the concealed ill will here contrasts with the outward friendliness feigned in 友其人 — it is the gap between inner feeling and outer show that Confucius condemns.
- 而 ér
contrastive conjunction: while, yet
- 友 yǒu
befriend, act as a friend toward
- 其 qí
demonstrative pronoun: that, such (the person just mentioned)
- 人 rén
person, the individual in question
- 左丘明 zuǒ qiū míng
Zuoqiu Ming, proper name of a person Confucius cites approvingly
- 左 surname element in the personal name Zuoqiu Ming
- 丘 given-name element in Zuoqiu Ming's name
- 明 name element 'Ming' in Zuoqiu Ming's name
- 恥 chǐ
consider shameful, be ashamed of
- 之 zhī
it, that (referring to the conduct just named)
- 丘 qiū
I, self-reference (Confucius using his own name)
Roberts alone retains 'Qiu' instead of translating it simply as 'I'.
- 亦 yì
also, too
- 恥 chǐ
consider shameful, be ashamed of
- 之 zhī
it, that (referring to the conduct just named)
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