Book 7: 《述而》 Shu Er (Transmission)
《述而》 Passage 7.28
Legge Translation (1861)
The Master said: "There may be those who act without knowing why. I do not do so. Hearing much and selecting what is good and following it; seeing much and keeping it in memory:— this is the second style of knowledge."Word by word
- 子曰 zǐ yuē
the Master said
- 子 Master (honorific title for Confucius)
- 曰 said
- 蓋 gài
probably, I suppose, presumably (expressing conjecture)
Roberts inverts the epistemic force, rendering the hedge as confidence ('I’m sure') rather than conjecture.
- 有 yǒu
there is, there are
- 不 bù
not
- 知 zhī
to know, understand, have knowledge
- 而 ér
and yet, but (adversative conjunction)
Marks the contrast between lacking knowledge and still acting.
- 作 zuò
to act, do; here often read: to innovate, compose without knowledge
- 之 zhī
it (object pronoun)
- 者 zhě
nominalizing particle: one who, those who
- 我 wǒ
I, me
- 無…也 wú … yě
negative assertion frame: am not, do not have
- 無 to lack, not have (negative existential verb)
- 也 final particle of assertion
Negates the existence of the fault referred to by 是; English absorbs the final particle 也 into the negated verb ('do not have', 'am not') rather than a separate word.
- 是 shì
this, such
- 多 duō
much, widely, extensively
- 聞 wén
to hear, listen
- 擇 zé
to select, choose
- 其 qí
it, that (referring to what was heard)
Points back to what was heard (多聞).
- 善者 shàn zhě
the good, what is good
- 善 good, virtuous
- 者 nominalizing particle: that which, those that
- 而 ér
and, and then (sequential conjunction)
- 從 cóng
to follow
- 之 zhī
it (referring to the good)
- 多 duō
much, widely, extensively
- 見 jiàn
to see, observe
- 而 ér
and, and then (sequential conjunction)
- 識 zhì
to remember, keep in mind
識 is read here as zhì 'to remember, keep in mind' rather than shí 'to recognize, know'; Peimin Ni's 'recognize' reflects the alternative reading.
- 之 zhī
it (referring to what was seen)
- 知 zhī
knowledge, understanding
- 之 zhī
genitive particle: of
- 次 cì
second-best, next in rank, a lesser grade
Ranks knowledge gained by wide learning and selection as second to direct, innate knowing, the highest grade named elsewhere in the Analects (cf. 16.9).
- 也 yě
final particle of assertion
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