Book 7: 《述而》 Shu Er (Transmission)
《述而》 Passage 7.24
Legge Translation (1861)
The Master said: "Do you think, my disciples, that I have any concealments? I conceal nothing from you. There is nothing which I do that is not shown to you, my disciples; — that is my way."Word by word
- 子曰 zǐ yuē
the Master said
- 子 master, teacher; title for Confucius
- 曰 said, spoke (introduces a quotation)
- 二三子 èr sān zǐ
you, my disciples (address to a small group of students)
- 二 two
- 三 three
- 子 sir, young master (term of address to disciples)
- 以…為…乎 yǐ … wéi … hū
...regard/consider...as...?, frame posing a yes-no question about one's judgment
- 以 to regard, consider, take (as)
- 為 to be, to act as
- 乎 interrogative final particle
以...為... supplies the 'consider X as Y' sense.
- 我 wǒ
I, me
- 隱 yǐn
to conceal, hide something, be secretive
- 吾 wú
I, me
- 無隱 wú yǐn
to have nothing hidden, conceal nothing
- 無 to lack, be without; there is no
- 隱 something concealed, hidden away
- 乎 hū
coverb marking source: from
- 爾 ěr
you (addressing the disciples)
- 吾 wú
I, me
- 無行 wú xíng
nothing done, no action
- 無 to lack, be without; there is no
- 行 action, conduct, what one does
- 而不…者 ér bù … zhě
...that is not..., combines with 無 for 'there is nothing that is not x', i.e. everything is x
- 而 conjunctive particle linking clauses: and, such that
- 不 not
- 者 nominalizing particle: that which, the one who
The Chinese double negative asserts universality (nothing not shared = everything shared); Slingerland and Roberts render the clause as a plain positive statement instead.
- 與 yǔ
to share with, participate together with
- 二三子 èr sān zǐ
you, my disciples (address to a small group of students)
- 二 two
- 三 three
- 子 sir, young master (term of address to disciples)
- 是 shì
this, this is (demonstrative functioning as copula)
- 丘 qiū
Qiu, Confucius's given name, used here in self-reference
Confucius names himself directly, a mark of candor; Lau, Watson and Chin translate the name literally, while the other five paraphrase the self-identification instead.
- 也 yě
final particle of assertion
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