Book 8: 《泰伯》 Tai Bo
《泰伯》 Passage 8.4
Legge Translation (1861)
The philosopher Zeng being ill, Meng Jing went to ask how he was.Zeng said to him: "When a bird is about to die, its notes are mournful; when a man is about to die, his words are good.
There are three principles of conduct which the man of high rank should consider specially important: — that in his deportment and manner he keep from violence and heedlessness; that in regulating his countenance he keep near to sincerity; and that in his words and tones he keep far from lowness and impropriety. As to such matters as attending to the sacrificial vessels, there are the proper officers for them."
Word by word
- 曾子 zēng zǐ
Master Zeng, proper name (the disciple Zengzi)
- 曾 surname: Zeng
- 子 honorific title: Master
- 有疾 yǒu jí
to be ill, fall ill
- 有 to have, be afflicted with (an illness)
- 疾 illness, sickness
- 孟敬子 mèng jìng zǐ
Meng Jingzi, proper name (a Lu grandee)
- 孟 surname: Meng
- 敬 posthumous title: Jing (his given name was 捷)
- 子 honorific title: Master
- 問 wèn
to ask after, inquire about (someone's health)
- 之 zhī
object pronoun: him, referring to Master Zeng
- 曾子 zēng zǐ
Master Zeng, proper name (the disciple Zengzi)
- 曾 surname: Zeng
- 子 honorific title: Master
- 言曰 yán yuē
spoke, said
- 言 to speak
- 曰 said, spoke; introduces a direct quotation
- 鳥 niǎo
bird
- 之 zhī
subordinating particle marking a temporal clause
Subordinates 鳥將死 so that it can be the setting for the clause after it — not 'the bird is about to die' but 'the bird's being about to die'. English does that job with 'when', and the subordinator is the particle's English.
- 將死 jiāng sǐ
to be about to die, dying
- 將 about to, on the verge of
- 死 to die
- 其 qí
its, possessive pronoun referring to the bird
- 鳴 míng
cry, call (of a bird or animal)
- 也 yě
topic-marking pause particle
- 哀 āi
sorrowful, mournful
- 人 rén
person, human being
- 之 zhī
subordinating particle marking a temporal clause
Subordinates 人將死 so that it can be the setting for the clause after it — not 'the man is about to die' but 'the man's being about to die'. English does that job with 'when', and the subordinator is the particle's English.
- 將死 jiāng sǐ
to be about to die, dying
- 將 about to, on the verge of
- 死 to die
- 其 qí
his, possessive pronoun referring to the dying person
- 言 yán
words, speech
- 也 yě
topic-marking pause particle
- 善 shàn
good, worthy
- 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
- 所…者 suǒ … zhě
nominalizing frame: that which..., the things which...
- 所 nominalizing particle: that which, what
- 者 nominalizing particle: that which, those which
- 貴 guì
to value, prize, esteem
- 乎 hū
coverb marking respect: in, with regard to (= 於)
- 道 dào
the Way, the moral path
- 三 sān
three
- 動 dòng
to put in motion, display, exhibit (one's demeanor)
- 容貌 róng mào
countenance and bearing, outward demeanor
- 容 appearance, bearing
- 貌 countenance, expression
- 斯…矣 sī … yǐ
resultative connective frame: then, and so, marks the consequence that follows
- 斯 then, thus; resumptive particle marking consequence
- 矣 final particle marking a resulting state
Only Chin words 斯 explicitly (as 'and so'); the other seven translators leave both 斯 and the closing 矣 unworded, letting sentence order alone carry the consequence.
- 遠 yuǎn
to keep far from, distance oneself from
- 暴 bào
violent, harsh conduct
- 慢 màn
arrogant, disrespectful conduct
- 正 zhèng
to rectify, make correct or proper
- 顏色 yán sè
facial expression, countenance
- 顏 face
- 色 complexion, expression
- 斯…矣 sī … yǐ
resultative connective frame: then, and so, marks the consequence that follows
- 斯 then, thus; resumptive particle marking consequence
- 矣 final particle marking a resulting state
Only Chin words 斯 explicitly (as 'and so'); the other seven translators leave both 斯 and the closing 矣 unworded, letting sentence order alone carry the consequence.
- 近 jìn
to draw near to, approach
- 信 xìn
trustworthiness, sincerity
- 出 chū
to put forth, utter (words)
- 辭氣 cí qì
words and tone, manner of speech
- 辭 words, phrasing
- 氣 tone, manner of speech
- 斯…矣 sī … yǐ
resultative connective frame: then, and so, marks the consequence that follows
- 斯 then, thus; resumptive particle marking consequence
- 矣 final particle marking a resulting state
Only Chin words 斯 explicitly (as 'and so'); the other seven translators leave both 斯 and the closing 矣 unworded, letting sentence order alone carry the consequence.
- 遠 yuǎn
to keep far from, distance oneself from
- 鄙 bǐ
vulgar, crude
- 倍 bèi
perverse, contrary conduct
Read as a loan for 背 (contrary, perverse) rather than its literal sense 'twofold'.
- 籩豆 biān dòu
ritual vessels (bamboo and wooden sacrificial containers)
- 籩 bamboo ritual container (for fruit and dried food)
- 豆 wooden ritual vessel (for meat)
- 之 zhī
possessive particle: of
- 事 shì
affair, matter, business
- 則 zé
resultative connective: then, in that case
- 有 yǒu
there is, there are
- 司 sī
official, functionary in charge
- 存 cún
to attend to, be present (for a purpose)
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